Category: Sister Judy (Page 2 of 278)

It would seem things in our western culture have become chaotic and hope has been lost. I wonder: what do we have to offer the next generation, as we seem to have lost what once made our country great? But when we know the Lord, we are not to despair for our hope is in the Lord, which is based on certainty and reality. I’d like to share what we learned in Sunday’s class as we understand what is happening around us in light of scripture, seeing four realities:

1. Christ is risen and is the reason we have a living hope. Peter writes in I Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jeus from the dead.” He is writing to those who were exiled and scattered, reminding them of the hope in Christ even as they are persecuted.

2. Christ is Lord and He sees what is going on in our country and the world. He is not wringing His hands, but is sovereign and in control. We are not! Things rise and fall according to His sovereign will.

3. Christ is making all things new and we have much to look forward to, as it says in Rev. 21:5. One day there will be a new heaven and earth, with no more death or mourning, etc.

4. God has determined this moment for us. We live in the exact time God chose for us to live, not centuries before, but now. Al and I were sitting next to the pastor’s young son, and I felt apologetic that we hand him a world so full of chaos and not like the world we had entered. But this is God’s moment for him and for each of us, as He put us in this place and time for His glory.

So let none of us despair, but live in truth and deep hope based on reality of what we have in Christ. Instead of watching hours on TV of what is happening in our country, consider taking time off to spend in prayer and scripture to remember our hope is in Jesus.

Solomon was a very wise king, and he also knew he needed God’s wisdom. Mark Roberts from Fuller Seminary has been writing about Solomon, and I liked what he had to say about Solomon’s request. In I Kings 3, the Lord asks Solomon in a dream, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Solomon is humble and says he is only a child and asks for a discerning heart to distinguish right from wrong. Discerning here comes from the Hebrew term “lev shomea”, which means a hearing heart. That is, a receptive heart so that he can discern and be attentive to God’s guidance. He is aware that he does not have all that it takes to rule justly, but that he needs to listen to God’s voice if he is to rule well.

When we want to do our own thing and go our own way, it is pretty hard to hear the Lord’s voice. Often it takes a challenging situation when we are perplexed and don’t know what to do; then we are more prone to be good listeners. But we need a discerning heart all the time. Sometimes, one small decision opens up the door to something that we have never even dreamed of. Roberts says a discerning heart also includes our mind and our emotions, and shapes our thinking, willing, and feeling. It may also involve active listening, asking questions of others. He suggests repeating in your own words what you feel someone is saying to you. That in itself may clear up things you thought were coming at you from the other person. Let us not miss the ways God would speak to us, whether it be through scripture or through words of others God may use in our lives.

It is not all about spiritual disciplines, reading a chapter a day, or denying ourselves, although these are good practices. The Lord wants us to experience joy in knowing Him and being in fellowship with others who love Him. I read recently from Dallas Willard, “Personalities united can contain more of God and sustain the force of His greater presence much better than scattered individuals.” Gathering in His name helps us go deeper into the Lord, and we don’t feel like we are alone but part of a family who stand together. The enemy wants us to believe we are the only one who follows the Lord, but we stand strong when we stand together.

I love that where we live, we can have a weekly Bible study and pray when we are together, and also pray for the needs when we are apart. Because we are all mostly retired, we find ourselves praying for the grandchildren of many who no longer follow the Lord and are going the way of the world. We need to put on all of the armor of God if we are to stand in this day for it is a spiritual battle: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. (Ephesians 6) Let us not be flippant about the dangers, but know that they are real and we need all of the armor.

Just think of all that we have to look forward to! Even though we may suffer various things in this life, it is nothing compared to all that the Lord has prepared for us to enjoy for all eternity. Let us all seek to finish strong and with excitement for eternity.

A short time later I was reading in a book by Francis Chan, Beloved, and he wrote about how the Lord desires to be with us, to be near us and to eat with us. Not just a rushed meal that we gulp down but a lingering time of fellowshipping with Him. As it says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me.” I think it means a lingering meal like I had with my friend that was not rushed, but a time of enjoyable sharing.

Of course, the Lord likes to hear about our needs as well, but just like our times with friends, it good to both be able to be heard and to have fellowship together. I know I am often found guilty of rushing into my day without spending time really listening to the Lord and simply enjoying His presence. Chan tells about a college professor who asked his class to spend seven minutes silently with the Lord each morning, and nearly the whole class couldn’t do it. They were so used to their music and phones and all the distractions. But how are we going to grow in our love for the Lord if we don’t take time to be with Him? My challenge for you and for me in this New Year is to spend time with the Lord each day, and include five minutes of silence to just enjoy and listen to Him.

None of us can put Jesus into a box and think we know what He will do next. Our part is to trust, pray and ask, but as we all know, the answers don’t necessarily come as we hoped. Neither do they necessarily come quickly. We may even wonder if He heard us and is concerned over what is happening. But in the waiting, He also does a work in our heart, and it may cause our roots to go deeper into Him as we wait and wait.

Jesus is not predictable, which means we can’t be sure if He will answer our prayers in a certain way. So we need to hold things loosely and let Him surprise us rather than grumbling that He didn’t answer the way we wanted. Let us be as David who said, “I will keep my eyes on the Lord. With Him at my right hand I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:11.

The next verse that follows is asking for His help to “Rule though our willful hearts; Keep Thine our wand’ring thoughts; in all our sorrows let us find our rest in Thee: And in temptation’s hour save through Thy mighty pow’r. Thine aid O send us. Hear us in mercy, O Lord, we pray.” How important it is to rule our thought life for it likes to wander all over, especially when we want to sit in quiet and just listen to the Lord. But as our thoughts center on the Lord, we will find rest from all our worries, anxieties and fears. When we are tempted, it is His power that we need to overcome and He has promised to help us when we call to Him.

The song closes with “Show us Thy mercy, so shall we live and sing praise to Thee.” We all need His mercy and grace to daily die to our self-life and to live for Him. We are giving up our selfishness to worship and live for Him who is love, truth and peace. Why do we hang on to our selfish concerns when we can rest In Him? Let us open our hearts wider to Him and let Him rule in every part of our lives.