Jump Start # 3605

Psalms 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

  We continue with lessons from our recent trip to France.

When we first arrived in Paris and were being taken to our hotel we encountered a massive road block. Roads were closed with large metal barricades. Armed, I mean armed with machine guns, soldiers lined the streets. An armada of black SUVs, ambulances, and police were everywhere. Our driver was stopped. He pleaded with the security teams to let us approach the hotel. That wasn’t happening. So, we had to get out with our luggage, walk around the block and plead our case to another set of security teams, before they allowed us to walk to our hotel.

We got in to the hotel and were told that President Biden, along with the Ukraine president, the president of France and Italy were staying across the street from our hotel. We had to get a special paper from the hotel that allowed us to walk out and reenter. It remained that way for several days.

We walked past several American secret service guards. They don’t smile. They have their eyes on you all the time. Armed military men walked down city streets, just patrolling. We never got to see any of the world leaders. They were rushed in SUVs with dark windows and had special entrances which no one had any access to. The locals didn’t like how all the traffic was being diverted and how hard it was to get to some places. We teased some about trading presidents, and I think everyone was happy to see them all go their separate ways back home.

About the second day into all of this chaotic mess, I thought about Jesus coming to earth. He was more than a world leader, He was God on earth. He did more than rule a nation, He ruled the world. Daniel reminds us that God removes kings and Biblical history shows God using nations to accomplish His divine will.

But, what a contrast. If I even tried to approach the hotel across the street where the presidents were, I’d been tased, shot and if I survived, I’d be spending the rest of my life in some prison, either here or there. They were unapproachable. They were sheltered. No one could talk to them. No one could see them. The layers of security, from national, to international was so thick that someone like me could never approach any of them.

Our Lord was not like that. God on earth, and the crowds surrounded Him. God on earth and uncommon and even unacceptable people, like a Gentile woman, or a tax collector, could have a conversation with Him. Judas kissed Him. The woman with the issue of blood touched His garment. The blind felt His hands upon their faces. Children were allowed to be with Him. His critics could accuse Him face to face. His feet were washed by the tears of a woman with a bad reputation. He offered Thomas the opportunity to touch His wounds. He answered their questions. He taught them. He was with them. God on earth.

I wondered that night what Jesus would have done if He was staying in that hotel across the street from me. I expect, He’d gather all the security teams around Him, assure them that all was fine and then send them home. I could see Jesus walking across the street to talk to me. None of the world leaders did that, but God would have.

Now, some thoughts from this:

First, you have access to the greatest being anywhere—the Lord of Heaven and earth. There is not a place you cannot reach God. The Bible shows this. From within the belly of a fish, Jonah’s prayers reached God. From prisons, Paul’s prayers were heard by God. In foreign lands, prayers like Daniel’s, reached God. While being executed, Stephen’s prayers were heard.

I prayed to God while flying across the ocean. You can pray to God as you are being rolled down a hallway heading to surgery. You can pray to God in a school classroom, even though public prayer is not allowed. You can pray to God while you drive. Anywhere and anytime, you can pray to God. The Lord is approachable.

Second, before you even approach God, He knows you. He knows your story. He knows your situation. He knows what you need. Had I even been able to say “Hi,” to our President, he’d probably say, “What’s your name and where are you from?” Not God. He knows. And, although others may not know what you are journeying through, God does. While others may not understand what it is like to be afraid, alone, discouraged, depressed, unsure, God is aware.

But, there’s more to this than simply knowing. Not only does God know, but God can do something. The God who can part seas, remove kings, send rain and make demons flee, can help you. He can open doors that have been declared closed. He can touch hearts that no one can reach. He can find a way when others give up.

And, not only does God know about you and not only can God do something for you, standing upon all of this is the principle that God loves you. He loves you before you understood Him. He loves you before you loved Him. He loves you when you weren’t very loveable. That’s our God.

As we head into another election season, let us remember that our hope is not in the White House, but in Heaven. Our loyalty is not following a donkey or an elephant, but the Lamb of God.

What a treasure, what a blessing we have that YOU can reach God. You.

So much to thank Him for. So many hurts and needs. So many that need to find Him. Pray. Pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks.

What a blessing. Paul told the Philippians, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” He is just a prayer away.

Roger

Jump Start # 1275

Psalms 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

  I had one of those moments the other day, epiphany is what some folks call them. It’s when you finally get it in your mind. It’s when you see things that maybe you knew but never really thought much about it.

My four kids are all married and they all live a few hours away from me, some north and some south. We talk often, usually every week, with some, every day. I call them, they call me. The other day, one called. Things were changing where one worked. It’s was going to be difficult days ahead. I could see the concern, uncertainty in the voice. I felt for that one. We finished talking and another of the kids called. On top of the world, things were going great. Loved the job, thinking about getting a new car, life was hitting on all cylinders for this one. That’s when it hit me. That’s when my eyes were opened.

I have always understood prayer. I have taught classes on prayer. I’ve preached on prayer. I have analyzed the prayers of the Bible. Prayer is one topic that I felt pretty good about. It was something that I have done with others. It was a ready statement I shared with others, “Have you prayed about it.” I have dozens of books on prayer.

After two of my kids called, I finally, and for the first time, thought about prayer from God’s perspective. I’ve always thought about prayer from our side of the world and not His side of the world. Here are some things I learned:

1. God is amazing to hear all of our prayers. We couldn’t do it. We’d be overwhelmed. We are without resources. God never is. I just thought about my simple family, for one child, everything was going great, for another, there was deep concern. That’s just my family and that was just half my kids. I started thinking about the congregation I worship with. This past week, someone had a baby. Someone’s sister recently died. Someone was in the hospital dealing with some heart issues. Someone is planning a wedding. So many different concerns, needs, emotions. And those are just the surface things. How does God do it?

Then you start thinking about all of God’s children just in this state. Then you all of God’s children in the United States, then you expand that to the world. The concerns are serious. For instance:

• There are brethren meeting in Northern Nigeria who literally fear for their lives. Extremist have taken over the government, immersion is outlawed, and they must worship in fear and in hiding. They are praying.
• At the same time, there are those all over the world, who are holding the hand of a loved one as they are slipping from this life. They are praying.
• There are parents who go to bed at night with tears on their pillows because they do not have a relationship with their grown children. They are praying.
• There is a young mother, with small children, who realizes that her marriage is over. Her husband has left her for someone else. She hasn’t worked outside the home in many years. She will have to move, find babysitters. Her world is coming apart. She is scared. She is praying.
• There are congregations that have come to the conclusion that it’s time to get some fresh blood in the pulpit. It’s time to let the current preacher go and start the look for a new preacher. That’s hard. There are prayers.
• There are people who have been studying the Bible and they now realize that they must make a change. They have not been worshipping properly. They have family and friends where they are now attending. They fight the pressure to stay, knowing the right thing is to leave. They are praying.
• Then there are the lonely. They have never been married. Now aged, they face the end of live alone. They are praying.
• There is a family who got into a mess financially. They now realize that they are way over their head. They don’t know what to do. They are praying.
• There is the young person who has made some terrible choices while in college. He got caught up doing some wrong things. The police were called. He sits in a jail. He is sorry, scared and certain that he has lost the semester. He prays.
• There are those who pray to end their struggle with pornography.

These prayers are every day. These prayers come from all over the world. Hundreds and hundreds of prayers. Congregational prayers. Family prayers. Individual prayers. So many of them would break our hearts. How does God do it? Situations that are complex. Problems that involve governments and laws. Problems that deal with relationships and feelings. Differences among people. Emotions. Broken hearts. Broken vows. Broken homes. Problems caused by sin. Problems caused by attitudes. God is amazing to hear all these things. Our passage states that He is near to the broken hearted. How God does this is beyond our understanding. Just a couple of these would wear us out. These are all serious, serious problems.

2. When I think about all these things God is receiving every day, all these serious, serious problems, it makes me not want to bother Him. It makes me think, my concerns are nothing, I’ll put my prayers at the end of the list. We might even think, I won’t even pray, because I do not want to add to God’s burdens. But that conclusion is not the right one. God wants us to “bother” Him. God can handle this. He wants us reaching out to Him. He wants us to pray to Him, seek Him, listen to Him, and obey Him. There is not a pecking order with God. He doesn’t treat us like the emergency room of a hospital, the most important cases get taken care of first. The rest must wait their turn. There is no turn with God. He can answer all prayers at once. He can deal with all problems at once. He doesn’t get stressed, as we would. He doesn’t get overloaded, overworked, as we might. He doesn’t need a break, as we would certainly need one. He doesn’t feel the need for a vacation from all these troubles. Amazing how God operates. Don’t ever feel like you are bugging God. It was Jesus who told us to pray like the persistent widow. It was Jesus who said to pray at all times and not to lose heart. If it bothers you, take it to Heaven. Another, interesting thought on this point, God is not so involved in one prayer that He must allow an angel or someone else to take care of your prayers. God, Himself will do it.

3. All of this reminds me to be thankful to God. Who else would we go to? Who else could help? There are some things that no one else understands. God does. I pity those who do not know God. What do they do? Who does the atheist turn to? Who does the neighbor, who doesn’t have a relationship with God,  turn to? What a blessing our relationship is with God. We must honor the relationship, protect it and cherish it. Great is our God. Great is His name. And Great is what He does.

All of this from a couple phone calls from the kids.

Don’t you just love the Lord? I do.

Roger