Friday, November 7, 2014

Thanking God when in a hard time? Really?



It’s easy to thank God when things are going great in our lives, but thanking Him when in a hard time, in a crucible experience—really? The psalmist declares that we should:

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Two reason are given that should cause us to give thanks to the LORD.

First, God is good. God’s goodness is not based on our experiences—if the “good” outweigh the “bad” then God is good. God’s goodness is not based on the results of a poll taken asking whether God is good or not—of course the poll results will be based on other people’s experiences. No, God’s goodness is based on the simple declaration: He is good! Do you believe this no matter what?

Second, His steadfast love for us endures forever. The Hebrew word for “steadfast love” is hesed and the various translations reveal the breadth of the word:

hesed: steadfast love (ESV), love (NIV), lovingkindness (NASB), mercy (KJV)

Hesed is a Hebrew word that is rich in meaning. It is:
  • an interaction between strength, steadfastness, mercy, and love.
  • implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship
  • a love that is based on a prior relationship—it is an intimate love.
What a love–it is not a love that is here today and gone tomorrow. It is a steadfast, strong, personal, intimate, everlasting love! Do you believe this no matter what?

Therefore we can give thanks because the LORD has this kind of love toward us and because He is good. Although our hard times might cause us to question these truths, they DO NOT change these truths. As we embrace these incredible truths, even when in a crucible experience, we too can proclaim: “O give thanks to the Lord!”

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Does God seem hidden in hard times? You’re not alone!


If we think that God is hidden when we are in a time of trouble, in a hard time, in the crucible, we are not alone. Over and over again we read in the Scriptures that God seems distant, far away and even hidden.
Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?  Psalm 10:1
Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? Psalm 44:24
Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Psalm 102:2
Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.  Psalm 143:7
Isaiah declares what we all experience at times:
Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Isaiah 45:15
BUT just a few verses later, Isaiah declares the truth we need to rest on:
But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. (vs 17)
We might indeed “feel” that God is hidden or that He is absent—He is not!
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17–18
What promises! He is not only present, He will ultimately bring salvation and we will NOT be put to shame or confounded for all eternity. May the Lord give us steadfast hearts (Psalm 57:7) to endure until then!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Guarding our hearts in hard times is wisdom’s call to all

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Prov 4:23 (NIV)


Can you hear Jesus speaking to your heart? Listen…

My child, I love you so much, please treasure my word in your heart, hide it there so that you do not sin against me. Ps 119:11 Write my words on the tablets of your hearts. Prov 7:3 Love my wisdom and she will keep you and guard you. Prov 4:6 My word makes you wise for salvation. 2 Tim 3:15-17 Because life is fleeting Ps 39:4, number your days and you will get a heart of wisdom. Ps 90:12 Guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith in Me. 1 Tim 6:20–21. I know that you believe in Me—be convinced that I am able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to you. By the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 2 Tim 1:12–14.It is by my power that you are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5. I am faithful. I will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thess 3:3.

Are you anxious or fearful? Come to me, talk to me, present your petitions, your supplication to me with thanksgiving and my peace which is beyond human understanding will guard your heart and mind in Me. Phil 4:6-7
 And finally, maybe you’re thinking that you’ve not guarded your heart very well and that you’ve allowed a lot of stuff in. I will give you the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge of Me, and when that happens the eyes of your heart will be enlightened and you will realize that the same power that raised Me from the dead is the same immeasurable power available to you and that guarantees victory over every spiritual attack. Eph 1:15-23 If you always stand firm over your heart, then your heart will stand firm in all ways.



 

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Waiting strengthens us when in the crucible! Really?

When we are going through a hard time, when we are in a crucible experience, a wonderful passage in the bible for encouragement is Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): ‘those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength.’ The NIV translates the word ‘wait’ as ‘hope.’ As I was going through my crucible experience, I decided to study the passage a bit more and discovered that the root meaning behind the word ‘wait’ is not about waiting for time to pass until something happens or even hoping for something. No, the root meaning is ‘twisting,’ a twisting that produces tension which then makes something stronger.

Engineers at Brown University, in partnership with universities in China, say they’ve developed a simple procedure that strengthens steel without losing any of the material’s plasticity. So simple in fact, that it’s just a matter of twisting it. So as we go through our crucible experiences, remember that the hard time twisting is making us stronger so much so that we shall mount up with wings like eagles; we shall run and not be weary; we shall walk and not faint.

Here is a wonderful object lesson for kids—and adults too! Take a sheet of a paper towel. Grab the opposite corners and twist it until it can’t be twisted any more. It will form something looking like a rope. Now try to tear the paper towel by pulling hard on the ends. The simple twisting has made it very strong!

The book, In the Crucible: How God Sustains and Transforms in Hard Times, has more reflections on God’s work in our lives in hard times.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

When in the crucible--in a storm--what is our ballast?

When we are in a crucible experience--one of those storms in our lives--what is our ballast? James wrote (James 1:2-8) that we should count it all joy when we find ourselves in the crucible. Why? Because our faith is being tested and when our faith is tested it produces steadfastness. When steadfastness has its full effect, we become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So what is the ballast? James continues: do we lack wisdom? Ask, but ask in faith, without doubting “for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” Our faith, that is being tested, as it goes through the pounding of the sea, is the ballast! Without it we will be double-minded, unstable, like a ship without ballast, driven and tossed by the wind.
Abba, Father, I thank you that my trust in You becomes the ballast in the storms in my life! Amen!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

If we live for happiness, hard times will cause us to question God!

We live in country that celebrates our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We as a country struggle at times with how to best make sure these rights are available to everyone. Even Christians disagree as to the best policies, laws and approaches we need to insure these rights are not infringed upon in any way. But in our zeal to defend these—especially the pursuit of happiness—I wonder, have we come to think that everything that was created was created for our well-being, so that we might be happy? If anything interferes with that right, like going through hard times, we fight back and wonder what God is doing. Have we, as those who follow Christ, been duped into thinking that our main purpose in life is happiness? No wonder living out Luke 9:23 is so hard: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Five truths about God when in the crucible

 
In Isaiah 41:10 we read that there are the five truths about God that should sustain us when we go through a hard time in the crucible!
I am with you!
I am your God! 
I will strengthen you!
I will help you!
I will hold you!

What more could we possible need or want as we endure hard times in the crucible experiences of our lives than to know that God is with us, that He is our God and that He will strengthen, help and hold us!


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Character development in hard times.

In Romans 5:3-5 Paul outlines the reason that we can rejoice when we go through hard times, those crucible like experiences. He does this through a list of traits that each build on the previous. Looking at the list backwards, we know that what is most desired when in a hard time is hope. Paul understands that hope is produced in the life of someone whose character has been developed and proven.  And what produces that kind of character? Paul reminds us that our character is developed as we endure hard times. But exactly  what is character? Or more importantly what does Paul mean by character? In 1 Peter 1:7 Peter describes the various trials we go through as the proving ground for our faith. He writes that the "proven genuineness" of our faith comes from being "tested by fire." The Greek words for "proven genuineness," "tested by fire," and "character" all have the same root which means "to be tried as metals by fire and thus purified." No wonder Paul writes that our character produces hope--character is not just the way someone thinks, feels and behaves--it is a life that is proven genuine by the hard times we experience.  As one goes through those hard times and sees how the Lord continues to time and again sustain and transform, our hope soars and we rejoice!

Monday, April 28, 2014

God's promises when we hit the "pot holes of life"

During this time of the year in New England, as the ground underneath the road thaws, air pockets form, which when cars run over these sections, behold, pot holes. These pot holes are very frustrating. Everything is going along fine and then all of a sudden, bam, a pot hole. Some of these have caused major damage to cars.


When we hit these "pot holes of life" they can throw us for a loop and leave us wondering, God what's going on?
Psalm 37:23-24 provides four truths!
  1. He has established our steps, no matter what the path is like
  2. We will hit those "pot holes of life"
  3. Even though we hit them--we will NOT be cast headlong or fall, why?
  4. Because He HOLDS us!
Be encouraged by these truths when you hit those "pot holes of life!"

Friday, April 25, 2014

God Himself is our armor--so needed in hard times!

In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul describes the need for each of us to put on the full armor of God. This is especially important when are in hard times when we will be at our weakest.

Have you ever wondered how Paul came up with this imagery of the full armor of God? Certainly he knew of the Roman soldier’s armor and the various pieces. But why did he make the associations he did. I have come to believe he was less influenced by Roman armor and more by the references to armor in the OT. For example: 


Genesis 15:1 Declared Himself to be Abram’s shield.

Proverbs 30:5 He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Isaiah 59:14-17 His own arm brings salvation—He Himself takes action: He puts on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.

Imagine that: God Himself is our armor!




 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

When in a hard time read the owner's manual? Not so sure!

I've heard people, and maybe you have too, speak of the Bible as being man's owner manual. If you want to find out how man works and what to do to fix problems, just read the manual. And so when in a hard time, read the manual.

Although I understand the analogy, I'm not sure I agree with it. Why? Because that means that the Bible is all about us! It means that we read it to discover who WE are.


No, I think it is more appropriate to view the Bible as an autobiography, written by God and about God. It means that when we read it, we do so to discover who God is and in doing so He reveals Himself. His desire is that we respond to the truth of who He is and what He has done and when we do He transforms us!  It's not what we do that changes us, it is what He has done and continues to do that changes us (Phil 1:16)!  That's what will sustain us in hard times!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Hope when in the crucible--how is this possible?

Hope is not wishful thinking. "I hope you do OK on the exam tomorrow." "I hope the weather clears up soon." "I hope I can hang on just a bit longer." Hanging on has the sense of grasping a limb with our feet off the ground.  This is NOT the hope onto which we hold. I think a better word is holding onto, that is, our feet are on solid ground and we are holding onto God. Therefore our hope is an unrealized reality. It is an expectation of what will be that is perfectly certain.

Peter writes that we have a living hope that is based on the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).   No if's, and's or but's. It is this perfect expectation that we hold onto. And so our hope is: 


H olding
O nto
P erfect
E xpectations

 

Monday, April 14, 2014

Just hanging on in a hard time? We need to ask: Whose doing the holding?

 An often used response to the question: "How is it going?" is "I'm just hanging on!" The image we have in our minds is of someone who is hanging on to a limb, clinging on for dear life. The fear of letting go can be overwhelming! When we are in a crucible type experience, this sense of just hanging on is amplified. It is as if we are exerting the last ounce of our strength until help arrives.

BUT help has already arrived. The Father has promised that even though we might stumble, we will not be hurled headlong, we will not fall. Why? Because He is the one hanging on to us! (Psalm 37:23-24) The father of lies will do everything to convince that such is not the case and that if you let go you will fall! DO NOT LISTEN to him.



 

Friday, April 11, 2014

God, this is hard! Have you forgotten about me?

"How long oh Lord?" is often asked when our crucible experiences extend over long periods of time. It is easy to think that maybe the Lord has forgotten about us or maybe His faithfulness is not as certain as we thought. The Lord brought this dialog to my mind that I trust will encourage you to trust Him in your crucible experience!


 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Thanking God when in a hard time? Really?

In Psalm 136:1-4 the psalmist declares that we can give thanks to God because His steadfast love endures forever! The word for steadfast love is hesed and the various translations reveal the breadth of the word!
hesed: steadfast love (ESV), love (NIV), lovingkindness (NASB), mercy (KJV)
 
Hesed is a Hebrew word that is rich in meaning. It is:
  • an interaction between strength, steadfastness, mercy, and love.
  • implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship
  • a love that is steadfast based on a prior relationship
 Not only that, it endures forever!

Should not our understanding of these incredible truths affect us when in a hard time and result in saying "O give thanks to the Lord for He is good!"

Monday, April 7, 2014

How NOT to encourage others in their hard times.

If you want to encourage someone who is going through a hard time, DO NOT say: "So, you think you've got it hard? Let me tell you my story." DO NOT compare hard times. When we do this it really is self-focused rather than other-focused. Our sharing becomes self-serving. It changes the focus from encouraging someone else to highlighting me and brings no encouragement to the other person! Enter into THEIR story. Listen to THEM. Encourage THEM. Share God's abiding truths--that is what will bring encouragement in THEIR hard time!

Friday, April 4, 2014

On whom or what do you place your security during a hard time?

On whom or what do you place your security? It is easy to place our security on things (home, job, education, health, possessions, insurance, etc.) or on people (family, friends, co-workers, gov't, even self). Finding our self in a hard time, in the crucible, is usually the result of the loss of one or more of these. If any of these are suddenly lost, we can find ourselves wavering, crushed in spirit, overwhelmed and left without hope. BUT, if our trust in the Lord, He will be our rock (Psalm 18:2) and our strong tower (Proverbs 18:10)--we will not be shaken (Psalm 62:1-2)!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

God prepares us for hard times! Really?

When in the midst of a crucible experience we might wonder if it is just too much! But God tells us in His word that He has and is preparing us for all eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). How has he done this in your life? Fill out a chart like the one below. Above the line indicate when certain "life events" have happened. These can be big or small, joys or sorrows. Below the line, write how you now see God used that event to shape you, mold you, prepare you for today! Praise Him for His work in your life!


 

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

How much do our hard times weigh?

The list of Paul's sufferings is overwhelming:
  • far greater labors
  • far more imprisonments
  • countless beatings
  • often near death
  • 5 times forty lashes less one
  • 3 times beaten with rods
  • stoned once
  • shipwrecked 3 times--a night and a day I was adrift at sea
  • frequent journeys
  • in danger from rivers
  • danger from robbers
  • danger from his own people
  • danger from Gentiles
  • danger in the city
  • danger in the wilderness
  • danger at sea
  • danger from false brothers
  • in toil and hardship
  • sleepless nights
  • hungry and thirsty
  • often without food
  • in cold and exposure
  • and daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:16-29)
And yet he sees these as nothing when compared the weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17) What about us?

 

Monday, March 31, 2014

God glorified through my hard time? Isn't there some other way?

The children of Israel are caught between a rock and hard place--the Red Sea on the one side and the Egyptian army on the other. There is no way out. Even though the people had seen the glory of the Lord displayed in the plagues, His protection over them during those plagues, and His deliverance from slavery, they complain!

But the Lord has his purposes. In Exodus 14:17-18 God reveals the purpose behind their "hard time," their crucible experience. His glory! It is through His deliverance through the hard time that the Lord will be glorified. Even though we might know this to be true we might wonder:

Lord, can't you get your glory without me having to go through a hard time? 

If He could He would! Rejoice that He is using our hard times to bring glory to Himself. This is about Him, not us!

His will be done!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Think Positive in Hard Times? No! Think Godly!

We live in a day and age where a lot of emphasis is placed on how much better our life will be if we just think in a more positive way. If we will just have a more positive outlook, things will start to improve. But is that really the case when we are hit with one of those spirit crushing, crucible type experiences? Thinking positive might work for awhile but the longer we are in the crucible, the more we realize that thinking positive is not changing the situation.

No, I would recommend not thinking positive, but thinking Godly. What's the difference? Thinking positive is nothing more than saying: "I can get through this on my own!" Thinking Godly says: "Apart from Christ I can do nothing." (John 15:5) and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) As we think Godly, we receive the strength to endure no matter how hard the circumstance might be! May the Lord give us steadfast hearts (Psalm 57:7) to endure our hard times!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Giving Thanks in Hard Times?

An oft quoted passage when in hard times is 1 Thessalonians 5:18: give thanks in all circumstances. It is true that we should give thanks, because as the passage says, it is God's will for us in Christ Jesus! But how unfortunate that we seem to apply this verse only when in hard times. We somehow view it as a balm that will help us get through a crucible experience. But Paul's admonition is to give thanks ALL the time, in ALL circumstances, the good and the bad. If we take this command to heart, then we will develop a habit of thanking the Lord for even the smallest of things in our lives. Doing so prepares us to give Him thanks when our spirits are crushed in those hard times.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Emotionally Hijacked in Hard Times?


My wife wrote in my book: In the Crucible: "It is about 9:30 p.m. on March 10, 2012. I am in the waiting room by myself while Dan is undergoing an endoscopy. The nurses bring Dan out into the recovery room still under the effect of the anesthesia. The doctor is still not out of the surgery room, so I wait, hoping he was able to repair the bleeding ulcer. The doctor finally comes out and says, “Your husband does not have a bleeding ulcer, he has cancer.” I was emotionally hijacked! All that night while lying on the recliner in his hospital room, I became overwhelmed with the fear of losing my beloved Dan. I finally fell asleep crying softly to the Father through tears that expressed my fears in a way that words could never do."
 
Have you ever had that kind of experience? Such experiences indeed hijack our emotions, catch us by surprise, take our breath away.  BUT, be assured, they NEVER take God by surprise.  He had already prepared both of us for the crucible experience and He is preparing you as well!  2 Corinthians 4:16-17
 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Worthless or Unworthy?

It is very easy to confuse these two words, especially in the light of who we are in Jesus Christ. 
 
When we consider what we do that grieves the Father, we realize how unworthy we are that He would send His Son to die for us.

BUT, we are not worthless. When we consider that He made us breathtakingly unique (Psalm 139:13-14) then we know that we have great worth.

When you are going through a hard time do not let the father of lies convince that God thinks are worthless and that there is no purpose or meaning to your life. DO NOT listen to him!

 

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Going Through a Hard Time? This is a GREAT read!

In the Crucible: How God Sustains and Transforms in Hard Times.

Available in paperback or eBook on:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JH4ZPI2

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-crucible-daniel-schlueter/1119269219?ean=9781597553629&isbn=9781597553629

and on iTunes!

If you or someone you know is going through a hard time, like in a crucible, this book is for you!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Having a hard time seeing God as Father because of your past?


Years ago when I was in the military and stationed at the Pentagon, a coworker of mine shared that he had a hard time viewing God as his Father. He told me of his father who demeaned him, beat him, treated him as trash—once being literally thrown into a trash can. His emotions were severely damaged, and so his concept of a father was also damaged. I asked him to describe what he would consider a good father to be like. His description was filled with words like trusting, caring, loving, supportive, and encouraging. When I told him that he had just described God, the tears flowed down his cheeks.

If our understanding of God as Father is shaped by our past, then the father of lies will convince us that God is not our loving, caring, compassionate Father. DO NOT believe him.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Has God let things go to far when in a hard time?

When we are in a hard time, #inthecrucible, we might think that God has let things go a bit to far.  DO NOT LISTEN to the father of lies!

 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Not conforming will yield hard times!

Paul challenges us in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to the world. He uses a Greek word from which we get our word “schematic.” Paul uses it to mean “to form or mold one’s behavior in accordance with a particular pattern or set of standards.

Have we, who follow Christ, especially those in our country, become so comfortable in our culture’s patterns that even if we know we should be living differently, the pain we know it will cause leads us to stay in the pattern? And so we try to figure out how we can live in the form of our culture and at the same time live for Jesus and have His blessings.

The way we think, see, judge, look at, consider, evaluate “things” are influenced by the world. Change the way you think about things. Change the way you see things and look at them. Change the way you consider things and evaluate them—their worth, meaning, usefulness.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Thinking of Self or Others When in the Crucible?

I can not imagine a more excruciating crucible experience than the one Jesus experienced on the cross. And yet in the midst of that experience He was thinking not of Himself but those at the foot of the cross. He forgave those who crucified Him(Luke 23:34). He took care of His mother (John 19:26-27). May we in the midst of our crucible experiences be "other focused" as He was!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Lord, my spirit is crushed, please hear me!

There are life experiences that can crush our spirits. When they happen, and they will, we can trust that the Lord hears our anguished prayers!

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
     and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17–18

 

Saturday, March 15, 2014

In A Hard Time? Focus on the Unseen

When we go through hard times God's speaks of the eternal weight of glory for which they are preparing us.  We need to focus on the unseen, not the seen. 2 Cor 4:16-18

But what dominates our life is in the realm of the seen. Our senses—what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste—are the driving influences in our life. What can help us focus on the unseen? Meditating on God’s living Word does just that.

Martin Luther provides a wonderful insight in his commentary on Psalm 119 that links the seen with the unseen. The words used: lips, mouth, even the words for meditate are oral. Psalm 119:15; 148

He writes that when we meditate on God’s Word we should read it aloud. Why? Because what we see with our eyes and speak with our mouths is heard by our ears and enters our hearts.
 

Friday, March 14, 2014

In A Hard Time Work Environment?

When we know that in whatever we do we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24), it influences how we respond to those “hard time” work environments—bad bosses, obnoxious co-workers, no promotions, demotions, no salary increases, fear of losing a job, monotonous work, frustration with raising children, etc. We know that our work matters to Him and we can persevere.

But we too often we mistakenly confuse God’s promise of prosperity, blessings, and the abundant life with success and the American dream, so when we go through crucible work experiences we can question God's presence and care. As a result we can find ourselves working for ourselves rather than for God.

Pray for your work situation. Pray for your boss & coworkers. Pray for your competitors. Pray for your attitude. Pray for classmates. Pray for your children. Pray for your health care workers. Right now pray for ________________!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

In A Hard Time? Go to God's Word

2 Timothy 3:16 teaches that there are four things God's word does in our life to give us steadfast hearts:

Teaches: shows the path to walk on--how are we to live for Him no matter what we might be experiencing
Reproves: shows when we have gotten off the path--He does this gently, pointing out the dangers ahead
Corrects: shows us how to get back on the path--directs and leads us back to Himself
Trains in righteousness: shows us how to stay on the path in the future--what grace!

 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

In A Hard Time? Who Are You Trusting?

When going through a hard time, our natural response is to say: “I don’t need any help. I can do this by myself.” Nothing is further from the truth. I remember when I was stationed at the Pentagon that a coworker stated that he believed Christianity to be nothing more than a crutch. He was right. Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Paul reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). Why is it that we feel the need to go it alone? Why do we resist acknowledging that we can’t do anything apart from Christ? Is it possible that we know that if we lean on Him for everything, we will lose control of the decisions in our lives and we just don’t want to give up that control? May our trust in Him be complete (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Sleepless Nights in Hard Times?

Entrust your anxious thoughts, your family, and friends, your physical ailments, your relationships into His care.

Whatever comes to your mind while you are awake, view it as the Lord tapping you on your shoulder, indicating there is something He wants you to bring into your conversation with Him. Hear Him saying: Let's talk my child.

The Lord will guard, keep, put a sentinel around you heart and mind! Philippians 4:6-7


 

Sunday, March 9, 2014

God's Care in the Crucible

When we find ourselves in a hard time, in the crucible, we might question God's promise to take care of us. Too often we mistakenly confuse God’s promise of prosperity, blessings, and the abundant life with success and the American dream. A simple review of the lives of the disciples, Paul the apostle, and the early church should be enough to correct our understanding of how the Lord sees success and that He indeed cares for us!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Going It Alone in Hard Times?

Proverbs 18:1 strongly advises against it.  Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Not going it alone is made very clear in a survey of the “one another” NT passages.

We are to “love one another,” “be devoted to one another,” “honor one another,” and “live in harmony with one another.” (John 15:12; Rom 12:10; Rom 12:16) 

There is the need to “accept one another,” “greet one another,” and “wait for each another.” (Rom 15:5; Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Pet 5:14; 1 Cor 11:33)

As we are a part of the body of Christ we are to “have equal concern for each another,” “serve one another,” “bearing with one another,” and “be kind and compassionate to one another.” (1 Cor 12:25; Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2; Eph 4:32)

In our worship we are to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19)

In humility we are to “consider others better than yourself.” (Phil 2:3)

As we live for Christ there is always the need to “encourage one another and build each other up” and “spur one another on.” (1 Thess 5:11; Heb 10:24)

To maintain unity we need to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” and “offer hospitality to one another.” (Jas 5:16; 1 Pet 4:9) 

Friday, March 7, 2014

The Fragrance of Christ When in a Hard Time

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that wherever we are, whatever we are experiencing, we are the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Start a prayer list of those whom you become connected because of your crucible experience. As you pray it affects how you talked with others, how you relate to them, how you can encourage them, how you will see the Lord in the smallest of details through others and how you express thanksgiving to them.

When you pray, begin with the words that Jesus used in Garden of Gethsemane as He faced His crucible experience on the Cross. They are words that express the intimacy we have with the One who loves us: Abba, Father.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

When in Hard Times We Are Better Together

Do others know of the burdens you are carrying? Do they know about hard days at work? Does anyone know the weight you are bearing as you care for your elderly parents?  How many know of a surgery you are facing?  How many know of a pain you are enduring?

It is understandable that when others know of the burdens that you carry, you might be overwhelmed by conversations and questions. You might even be wondering if others will question your faith.

Asking people to pray brings a reality to the Lord’s command that we “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”  (Romans 12:15)

When you hear how God is moving His children to pray for you, your heart will be encouraged.  How do you feel when someone comes up to you and asks about your situation?

When others hear of how God is strengthening your heart to endure, they will be encouraged in their crucible experiences. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Hard Times Teach Us to Battle Satan


“God does not send him this distress to destroy him... He wants to drive him to pray, to implore, to fight, to exercise his faith, to learn another aspect of God’s person than before, to accustom himself to do battle even with the devil and with sin, and by the grace of God to be victorious. Without this experience we could never learn the meaning of faith, the Word, Spirit, grace, sin, death, or the devil. Were there only peace and no trials, we would never learn to know God Himself. In short, we could never be or remain true Christians. Trouble and distress constrain us and keep us within Christendom. Crosses and troubles, therefore, are as necessary for us as life itself, and much more necessary and useful than all the possessions and honor in the world.”   Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 14: Selected Psalms III, Ps 118:5. 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Healed By THE Light!


Cancer radiation treatment is done with photons. Photons are bundles of energy that we call light, which are always in motion. The first thing God created was photons: let there be light (Genesis 1:3). Depending on the amount of energy a photon has, it will either behave like a wave or a particle. The lowest energy photons are known as radio waves (radio and TVs with antennae use these). Next are cell phone waves (for all our smart phones), then microwaves (for heating food and telecommunications), and finally infrared (for your TV remote). All of these light waves are invisible to the eye. Next in line in energy is visible light. All the colors of the rainbow are just the right balance between photons acting like a wave and a particle. As the energy of the photons increases, they become more like particles and we get ultraviolet rays, those nasty rays that cause sunburn. Next are X-rays; these are most commonly used by doctors to see the inside of our bodies. These are the photons used for radiation treatments but are given at a much higher dosage level. Imagine that: healed by light.  Healed by Jesus, the Light of the World (John 8:12)!

Monday, March 3, 2014

You Are Breathtakingly Unique!

 "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

The meanings behind the Hebrew words are:

fearfully: awe inspiring, breathtaking
wonderfully: distinctive, unique
wonderful: marvelous

This means that when you and I were born we took God’s breath away as He witnessed His unique creation, each twist and link of the helix of the DNA molecule being exactly as He intended! He wouldn’t change a thing about us—we are formed just the way He wanted us. We are marvelous! God did not make a mistake when He made us. He knew exactly where, when, and to whom we would be born.

Do not listen to Satan's lies!!


 

Saturday, February 8, 2014

"Crucible" References in the Bible

Here are some references to "crucible" for further study!

Deuteronomy 4:15-24 The Lord’s words against idolatry

1 Kings 8:46-53           Solomon’s temple dedication prayer

Jeremiah 11:1-5          Keep the words of the Lord

Proverbs 17:3              How our hearts are tested.

Proverbs 27:21            How praise tests us.

Isaiah 48:9-11              Israel is refined for God’s glory

Thursday, February 6, 2014

To Whom Are You Listening?

If when you are in the crucible, you listen to the Father of truth you will remain calm (John 14:27); if you listen to the father of lies you will be agitated.