24

Jump Start # 2516

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2516

1 Corinthians 15:25-26 “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”

 

Our verses today come from the powerful resurrection chapter. Paul shows by evidence, logic and Scripture that Jesus was resurrected from the grave. There is no doubt. There is no other possibility. It happened. When folks say, “Even if Christianity isn’t true, I’ve lived a good life.” Wrong answer. Christianity is true. There is no way that it cannot be true. The mountain of evidence is more than convincing, it’s overwhelming. Up from the grave He arose!

 

From the resurrection Paul moves to the present. What is Jesus doing now? The cross is over. The burial is over. The resurrection is over. Some may get the idea that Jesus is just sitting on the front porch of Heaven enjoying retirement. False. Jesus is busy. One of the many things that He is doing today is reigning.

 

Now, some thoughts from these verses today.

 

First, Jesus is currently reigning. He must reign UNTIL all enemies are defeated. The last enemy is death. Did someone die today, anywhere in the world? We know the answer to that. It’s yes. According to the statistics, around 150,000 people die every day. That means the enemy is still alive. The enemy is still active. The last enemy is death. It will be abolished. Revelation tells us that death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. Death will be abolished. Jesus is reigning. He is reigning today. How do I know that? Someone died today. He reigns until death is no more. Too many want to believe that Jesus is coming to begin His reign. Look at the words. It’s clear. Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and has been reigning ever since. His reign ends when death ends.

 

The idea of “reign” brings thoughts of authority, control, rule and power. A king reigns. We don’t like that word when it comes to American politics so we say “term.” The president has a term. Jesus is in charge. Now some may question that. They may see the world as being out of control and no one at the helm. But Jesus is reigning. Nothing will happen against the will of God. Death, disaster, destruction, disease are part of what we deal with in this world we live. Even with those, Jesus reigns. He does things that most never see, understand or know about.

 

Second, death is the enemy of God. All the enemies will be abolished. The final or last one is death. The very fact that God has enemies is hard to understand. God is good. God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God loves. God isn’t pulling the arms off of people. God isn’t messing with our lives to make us miserable and unhappy. God isn’t evil. He is not twisted or mean. He is not trying to scare us or chase us like in a horror movie. Why would anyone not like God? He’s the best! How could anyone be against God? That doesn’t make much sense. But it does when you realize that people love sin more than righteousness. They’d rather enjoy the moment than to think about consequences and eternity. Without God in my life, I can do what I want, say what I want, go where I want and no one is going to bother me. Sounds great, but it doesn’t work that way. With every choice comes responsibilities and consequences. I can ignore God, but He’s not going away. I can pretend He doesn’t exist, but He does. I can deny Him, argue against Him, dispute His word, and scoff at His commands, but Jesus still reigns. Satan is against God. He always has been. And, those who are the enemy of God stand side by side with Satan.

 

The book of James tells us that friendship with the world makes us an enemy of God. Jesus said that if we are not with Him then we are against Him. What a terrible thought to imagine that you and I can become the enemy of God. The enemies of God will be abolished.

 

Third, God will smash all of His enemies. They will be abolished. The last one, death, will end as well. The history of the Bible shows this. Egypt was the enemy of God. They were smashed. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal were the enemy of God. They were smashed. Assyria, smashed. Babylon, smashed. Rome, smashed. Pilate, smashed. The closed minded high priest and Pharisees that crucified Jesus. Smashed. God never lost a battle. God never sat at the table of compromise or surrender. Jesus reigns. All His enemies will be abolished, and that includes Satan.

 

 

Fourth, death is the enemy of God. God uses death. God allows death. But God doesn’t like death. It’s His enemy. His design, His dream, His plan was for mankind to live forever in Paradise. The first couple chose to disobey. They were warned. Death entered the world because of sin. The first page of the Bible shows us that all creation, man as well as animals were all vegetarians originally. There was no death. Nothing ever died. Adam didn’t have a pet that died. Adam never went to a funeral. There were no cemeteries. Not originally. Not in the garden. But man wanted to reign instead of God. Man wanted to do what he felt like. He disobeyed. Death was the penalty. Likely, the very first recorded death was that of the animals that God slew to cloth Adam and Eve. We are not told what animals they were. I like to think leopards. We are not told if Adam witnessed God killing the animals. I don’t know if he saw the blood that came from those animals. A blood sacrifice always followed disobedience and sin. Later, God would kill His Son to redeem mankind for our sin.

 

Death is not God’s friend. When something tragic happens, someone cries out, “Why God?” First, God doesn’t owe you an explanation. You are not on the throne, Jesus is. He doesn’t report to you. He doesn’t have to run things by you to get your approval. Don’t forget that! But screaming “Why God?” implies that God and death are on the same side. They are not. The book of Job shows us that death was a tool of Satan, not God. The Lord will allow death, but it’s certainly not what He likes, nor wants.

 

Finally, when the last enemy is abolished, the war is over. There are no more enemies. Death is the final one. Death is the last one standing. And, how appropriate. Death is Satan’s greatest tool. No one can escape it. It comes to every family. There is no place that you can run to in order to get away from death. People have died at home, at work, at school, in the gym, on vacation, on airplanes and even in church. Death comes to the young. Death comes to those who are successful. Death comes to the foolish. Death comes to the righteous.

 

But a day is coming in which death will be no more. Death will be defeated. No one will die again. There won’t be any more enemies after that. Peace will prevail. The cloud of our mortal lives will evaporate into eternal life. We will live on and on. And, we will live on and on without any enemies. It will be a time of sweet victory. Triumphant with the Lord! Triumphant forever! Triumphant and nothing can change that. Jesus reigns and all the enemies are defeated.

 

Things are just going to get better and better for those who walk with the Lord.

 

Roger

 

23

Jump Start # 2515

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2515

Romans 12:4 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function”

Our verse today describes the various gifts, talents and functions that exist among the members in the church. Contextually, much of this has to do with special spiritual gifts. However, there are some principles that we ought to see among all of us from these verses.

In one way, we are all the same. We all have a background. We all have sinned. We all are saved by Jesus. We all are saved the same way. We all have to walk the same path and journey to Heaven. There is a unity and a sameness about us. That’s encouraging. There are no ‘lone wolfs’ among us. No one does his own thing. We can look to those ahead of us for example and those behind us to give encouragement. We are drawn together by the same Gospel. We worship the same God. In many ways, we are all the same.

But, as our verse shares, there is a way in which we are all very different. We do not have the same function. It is important to see this contrast, that we are the same, yet we are different. We are united, yet we have different functions.

Society has lost that idea of same and different. Girls are now in boy scouts. Girls want to play on the boys teams in sports. And in liberal progressivism anything a man can do a woman can do. Well, that’s not 100% true. Someday there will be a woman president. There are women CEO’s, and women have been sent into space. Equal pay for the same job makes sense to me. But, men and women are different. They are wired different and they look different. At home, when a child skins his knee, he runs to his mamma. She’ll kiss it, hug him and make him feel better. Dad would say, “walk it off and be tough.” However, when the bike broke, we went to dad. Men and women are different. That’s the way God made us.

So our passage says there is one body yet many members. These many members do not have the same function. It’s like a mom and dad in the home. Some are tender and great encouragers. Others, that’s not their cup of tea. Some are wonderful leaders and examples. Some are good at teaching. Some are the roll up your sleeves and lets get this done type of people. Some have the gift of vision and they see where we ought to be. Some just know what to say when someone is down. Some are very public and open with what they do. Others are behind the scenes and very few know what they do.

Now, all of this leads us to a few more thoughts:

First, we all function. There’s no one just along for the ride. We all add something, somewhere. That’s the key. Finding what you are good at and doing it. Using your ability in the kingdom is what God wants all of us to do. Some may have five talents and others one. But no one has zero. In the parable about the vine and the branches, the branches that did not produce were cut off and thrown into the fire. God is expecting you to do your part. If all you can do is clean, then get down to the church house and clean it. Get over to a senior citizens home and help them clean. If you can write, then do it. Make class material. Be sending cards. You got ideas, then share them. Every person ought to be able to say, “This church needs me because I do…” And the “…” is what you do. Pulling weeds. Opening doors. Mailing bulletins. Teaching a class. Having the teens over. You have a role to play. You are expected to function.

Second, some functions get more attention than others, but that does not mean they are more important than others. We notice the song leaders, the Bible class teachers, and of course, the preacher. Very visible. You see what they are doing. What they are doing is important, but don’t think it’s more important than what you do. On a Sunday, I stand behind the pulpit and preach. I’ve been doing that for decades. However, there is a whole team of folks that makes that easy for me. The building is clean. The lights all work. The buttons click when they are supposed to click. The mics are on and loud. There was paper and toner in the copy machine so things could be printed. There are people handing things out as folks walk in. Lots and lots and lots of people who have made it easy for me to stand behind the pulpit and preach. And, when someone wants to be baptized, we don’t panic and wonder if there is any water in the baptistery. It’s filled, heated and ready. There are so many people who do things so that our worship is smooth, excellent and encouraging. Don’t be jealous of others. Do what you can do.

Third, all of this ought to point to God who deserves to be glorified. It’s not about us. It’s not about who gets the most shout outs from the pulpit, name in the bulletin or pat on the back. All that we do is for God. We bow before Him. This is about Him. It is God who has gifted us with our talents. It is God who is deserving. When we forget this, pride enters the room. And, pride kills all the good that we do. Pride is like mold on a wall. It’s hard to get rid of and it’s not healthy to have around. Who is the best song leader? Don’t go there. Who is the best preacher? Stop those thoughts. This is not a contest like on TV. We have different talents and abilities and backgrounds. This is about giving our best to God. My best may not be very good, but if it’s my best, that’s all that counts. Remember poor widow gave two mites in the Gospels. That wasn’t much money. But she gave all that she had and that made it an incredible gift. When we try to do our best all the time, no matter what we are doing, then God will be glorified.

Finally, we need to be thankful that we have different functions and talents. If everyone sang like I do, that would be pitiful. We can learn from each other. We can teach each other. We can share what we know with each other. By doing this, we help others grow. And, in time we find that they may even be better than we are. That’s ok. That’s good. As long as it goes to the glory of God, that’s what we want.

Function—what are you doing for the kingdom? How are you using your talents? Remember, complaining isn’t a talent, nor a function. Being a bump on the long is not a function. It’s time to get up and get busy. The kingdom needs what you can add.

We all have a function…

Roger

22

Jump Start # 2514

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2514

James 3:8 “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”

That troublesome tongue—that’s what James details here in the third chapter of this book. James uses a variety of illustrations to talk about tongue. He compares a bit in a horses mouth to the tongue. It is able to turn as the rider wishes. He compares the tongue to a rudder of a ship. Such a massive ship is turned by such a small rudder. In both of those examples, the tongue is controlled by us. We are not along for a ride. It’s not the moment, nor is it our emotions that dictate what we might say or react to. Like a ridder on the horse, or the captain of a ship, we are in control. We decide what will be spoken.

James then describes the negative impact that the tongue can have. It’s like a fire and it can consume. He then says, in our verse today, it’s full of poison, like a viper and likely to strike at any moment. Our verse says the tongue is a restless evil. It is full of deadly poison. And, most shockingly, “no one can tame it.”

It is that last expression, “no one can tame it,” that causes the most alarm. If no one can tame it, then there’s no hope. If it can’t be tamed, why try? If it can’t be tamed, then I’m not responsible for gossiping. My tongue can’t be tamed. And, in the big picture, why does James devote most of this chapter to the tongue if it cannot be tamed? He said in the first chapter, if we do not bridle our tongue, we deceive ourselves and our religion is worthless. How can that be if it’s untamable? Great questions, but missing the point of what James is telling us about the tongue.

In the previous verse, James says that man has tamed beasts, birds and reptiles. But no one can tame the tongue is our verse. I have a cat, actually, my wife has the cat, and I put up with the cat. Our cat is tame. He’s domesticated. I do not fear him. I do not sleep with one eye open because he’s around. My guard is not up when he comes near. He may jump on my lap and take a nap. He may step on my stomach early in the morning to wake me up. But I’m not scared of him. He’s tame.

I’ve heard about people raising wild animals. When that animal is full grown it often turned on the people and injured and, sometimes even killed them. It was never fully tamed.

Our tongues are not tamed. Our tongues are like that wild animal. We have to keep an eye on it all the time. I have wild animals where I live. Just this week I saw a fox running through my yard. A neighbor had about 25 turkeys in his yard. Then I saw the most beautiful hawk sitting on a branch outside our kitchen window. And deer, they are always grazing through my landscape, like it’s a night at the buffet. Looking at these wild creatures, even from within my house, I must be very quiet. Any quick move that they see and off they run.

You can’t trust a wild animal. Untamed, it might do anything. That’s our tongues. You must treat it as an untamed animal. You have to be on guard all the time. Something happens, and that tongue wants to erupt like a volcano. Get a group of brethren together, and if not careful, the gossip starts. You have to watch it. Something great happens and the tongue wants to boast and put on the pride. Forget to do something or you let someone down, and the tongue wants to lie to cover up your responsibility. Oh, that tongue never seems to learn. You have to watch it all the time. You can’t leave it alone, because it’ll say something that it shouldn’t.

That’s the direction James is driving at. He’s not giving us a pass and throwing up the hands saying, you can’t help it. What he is saying is, you’ve got an untamed animal and you better not let him out of your sight. This means that we always have to have our guard up. We always have to be watchful. We have to be careful. That animal, our tongue, can turn at any moment. We must think first. As James said in the first chapter, we must be quick to hear and slow to speak.

It is our tongue that can do most good or the most harm. Take a typical Sunday morning down at the church house. And, what you say and how you say it can do more good than a month of sermons. Or, what you say and how you say it can stay with a person for a lifetime and be the reason why they never return.

So, here are a few things to remember:

  • We do not have assigned seating at the church house. No one is in your seat, because you do not have a specific seat. We were off to the symphony last weekend. Row Q, seat 15, that’s where I sat. It was assigned. No one else could sit there. Worship isn’t like that. Be flexible. So you have sat in the same spot for the past forty years, maybe it’s time to try another spot. The worst thing that you can do is to rudely say, “You are in my seat.” No, they are not. It’s opening seating and first there, gets the pick of the seats. If you insist on sitting in one spot only, then you best be the first one down at the church house. Expecting someone to move out because you want to sit there isn’t kind, nice nor like Jesus. That tongue will lash out, if you aren’t careful.
  • There isn’t a time limit to sermons. Oh, most of us think that there ought to be. So, a sermon is a bit longer than you are used to, you can point that out to the preacher and leave the impression that the only thing you got from his lesson was looking at your watch. Did you learn anything? Did it help you? Why are you in such a hurry to get out? What’s more important than worship? What you say can sure put a cloud over the preacher’s head and make him discouraged or you can just keep those thoughts to yourself. A pat on the back and a “I sure appreciate the hours you pour into helping us see God and knowing His word,” will go a long way in making his day. That tongue, it’s a wild animal.
  • A new person walks in. You’ve never met them before. You can turn your head and go find someone you know to talk to. That’s the easy thing to do. And, if everyone does that, this visitor, even though encouraged by the worship, leaves thinking no one likes me and I’m not welcome there. However, if you go up and extend your hand and have a smile on your face, and say, “I’m really glad you came today,” that person just might come back. How about, “You can sit with me and my family if you’d like.” That tongue, pointed in the right direction, can sure do a lot of good.

The tongue—it’s a wild animal. You gotta watch it all the time. The wrong words, the wrong way and all kinds of trouble happens. But directed, like that horse or that ship, in the right way, and so much good can be accomplished.

This is something that we all have to work on. We all have a wild one living within us.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 2513

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2513

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Our passage today is written from Paul to Timothy. It’s written from an apostle to a follower. But, what I like, it’s written from an older preacher to a younger preacher. I once was considered one of those young preachers. Not any more. I can’t fool anyone. I’ve been preaching too long to believe that I am a young preacher.

When I was that young preacher, technology was so different. I didn’t have many older preachers in my life. That was my mistake. Blogs, Facebook, email, texting, cell phones, none of that existed. We poor young preachers didn’t make very many long distance phone calls. It cost too much. The means of communicating was letter writing. Slow. Very slow. So, there’s a bunch of us around my age who just learned by trial and error. It’s different today. I’m in contact with so many young preachers. They reach out all the time and I’m honored that they feel that I can contribute some advice and help.

Our verse tells the preacher that he is to endure hardships. What a contrast, because just before this Timothy was told that the congregation will be unable to endure sound doctrine. They can’t tolerate that. They won’t stand for that. So, they will find preachers who make them feel good. Ear ticklers, is how the apostle described those preachers. They weren’t standing in the truth. They were making sure that the congregation liked them and they liked the congregation. They couldn’t endure, but Timothy, you must endure.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross. There’s that word again, “endure.” Put up with. Patient towards. Longsuffering. Hanging in there. All of those concepts fit with endure. How did Jesus endure? Peter tells us that Jesus left us an example to follow in His suffering. He didn’t complain. He didn’t whine. He wasn’t a crybaby. He didn’t pout. He didn’t threaten. He endured.

The endurance race is a long one. It’s not a sprint. It’s not measured in feet, but rather, in miles. It takes a lot of preparation and about all that is in you to finish an endurance race. When you see those crossing the finish line, a common expression is, “I think I’m going to die.” It’s hard.

Now, take those thoughts and put them back into our verse today. The preacher is to endure hardship. There are hardships that come with preaching. That’s the nature of the work. Those that can’t handle it, need to find something else to do. A doc who doesn’t like being around sick people needs to find something else to do. An accountant that doesn’t like numbers, is in the work business. There are hardships that come with preaching.

  • Sometimes they come from brethren, especially those who do not understand what a preacher’s work is. Some think it’s the preacher’s job to do everything. He’s the custodian, the yard man, the office secretary, errand boy and the go to person when you need someone because “everyone else is working.”

Some of Paul’s harshest criticism came from brethren who didn’t have the heart of Jesus. Preach the wrong thing and you’re likely to get an earful at the door. Don’t preach something and you’re likely to get an earful at the door. Every mistake, typo, misspelled word is loudly drawn to your attention. At the end of services, bulletins and class material are left in songbook racks, dropped on the floor and discarded like junk mail. Every sermon is supposed to be better than the last one. Some will criticize the way you dress, where you sit, how you walk to the pulpit, where you stand after services, the type of car you drive, where you park that car, and how your family behaves. All eyes can be upon you. The preacher is about the only person who has salary posted where everyone and anyone can see it. Endure.

  • Some hardships come from trying to persuade people who do not want to be persuaded. They are content, stuck and not changing. Endure.
  • Some hardships are internal, within the preacher. He’s working every weekend. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, he’s working. He doesn’t get company cars, stock options, and a world of other benefits that others do. Jealousy and envy are two enemies that the preacher must keep at bay. In the days that Paul wrote those words, most of this would not have been the situation. But here we are. Endure.
  • There are hardships from travel. Endure.
  • In Paul’s days, there were hardships in the way the preacher was supported financially. Endure.
  • Some hardships are external, especially from the world. Look at what Paul went through. I tend to think this is where he was going with the “enduring hardships.” Persecution. Put in prison. Beaten. Those were common elements in Paul’s life. The scars that he wore would make most of us turn away. Endure.

But no matter the hardship or where they come from, God expects the preacher to endure them. The preacher must know that this comes with being a preacher. Quitting because you don’t like it, or you’re not treated the way you feel like you ought to be, or someone gets on you about something, doesn’t say much for endurance.

Tough it out preacher. Don’t lose your cool. Don’t look for greener pastures. You are doing the Lord’s work. You stand in a long line of preachers going back to Noah. The words of Christ that you preach saves souls. Those precious words change lives and impacts eternity. Don’t look for the easy way. Don’t look for the comfortable way. Get in there and do the Lord’s work. Do the work. Endure hardships. Be tough. Use your faith.

Every preacher that has preached for a decade or more has stories. Good ones. Sad ones. Thrilling ones. Heartbreaking ones. Good times and tough times. And, any preacher that has been doing this for more than a decade understands the value of enduring.

There is just something about that…

Roger

20

Jump Start # 2512

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2512

2 Chronicles 28:21 “And Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the Lord and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria; but it did not help him.”

I am teaching the book of Isaiah. It’s a great messianic book. It is referred to more in the N.T. than any other O.T. book. It’s also a book based upon the political climate of the times. Judah, Israel, Syria and Assyria are major players in this book. God is behind the scenes, moving nations for a purpose. Most have no clue.

Our verse today mirrors some of the things stated in Isaiah. Judah was in a pinch. Assyria was on the move. Israel and Syria formed an alliance to protect themselves. They wanted Judah to join them. Judah refused. So, Syria and Israel invaded Judah. Many are killed and many are captured. About this same time, the Philistines come into the southern region of Judah. Judah is being squeezed from the North and the South.

Ahaz is the king. He’s desperate. Things look bad. This is where our verse is found. Ahaz robs the temple and the palace and sends the money to Assyria with the hopes that they will side with Judah. With the strong arm of the Assyrians, Israel, Syria and even the Philistines wouldn’t be a problem. This is where Isaiah comes in. The prophet tells the king to trust God. Don’t fear Israel and Syria. God will deliver. Ahaz panics and doesn’t believe. The money is sent. And, as our verse ends, “it did not help him.”

It did not help him could be said of us, each time we fail to trust God. It could be said of us when we turn to   other options than God. Like ole’ Ahaz, we can feel pinched and in a corner. We can feel like there is no other option. We can feel like all hope is gone. So, we cut a deal with the devil. We run out of patience. We run low on faith. Scared, unsure, we try an alliance with the enemy. It never works out. The enemy does not help.

For instance:

Here is man who is discouraged in his marriage. He feels that the intimacy is missing and that there is no hope of changing things. Weeks drag into months and that into years. Lonely, desperate, discouraged, he finds pleasure in the arms of another woman. It’s exciting at first. He thinks this alliance will help things. But, as our passage says, “it did not help him.” His affair is discovered. The walls come tumbling down. Guilt and shame have taken over. He may be looking at a divorce. His whole world is upside down. He never saw any of this coming. His choice did not help him.

Here is a young couple who are discouraged with the church. They attend, but something is missing. A friend invites them to another kind of church. It’s not as Biblical. They do many things that their church would never do. It’s heavily based upon feelings. Not much Bible is taught. There seems to be no accountability. You can come and go as you please and as often or as little as you please. No one seems to know what anyone believes other than Jesus loves them. The music is wild. The preaching is funny. This couple keeps going. But, little by little they are drifting from the Lord. They begin doing things that they would never do in the past. A little social drinking. A little looseness of morals. With a death of someone they know, they are confused. Their new church assures everyone that the person is with the Lord in Heaven. But this couple knows things. They know the person rarely, if ever worshipped. They know this person didn’t have a godly character. Now, this couple doesn’t know what to believe. They thought finding a new church would help them. But it hasn’t. They have more questions than ever before. They are discouraged and feel like something is missing. What they thought would be a good choice, wasn’t. Their choice did not help them.

Ahaz’ problem was a faith issue. He saw problems but he never saw the Lord. Isaiah gave him words from the Lord. Isaiah even gave him a sign. But the troubles about him see all too great. His lack of faith led him to some poor choices. It wasn’t that he didn’t know. The prophet told him. Still, he wouldn’t believe. He wouldn’t listen.

Much of this takes us to the Lord’s story about the wise man and the foolish man. Both men experienced rain, floods and wind. So intense was the storm that one house collapsed. The house that stood was built upon the rock, which is Jesus Christ. Most times we don’t see foundations. The house is built upon the foundation and with landscaping and dirt, the foundation is covered up. It’s there, but we don’t think much about it. The foundation is the first part that is built. Laid square, strong and straight, that foundation will hold up a house, even in strong winds.

When troubles come, what is holding you up? When troubles come, where do you turn to? When troubles come, what are you looking at? The God who is in us is greater than anything outside of us. God is greater than any of our troubles. So, when troubles come and that wind blows against your life, that’s not the time to run. It’s the time to get down to the church house and worship. It’s not the time to turn to Facebook. It’s the time to open the Scriptures. It’s not time to turn to the enemies and try to find help there. It’s time to surround yourself with the people of God.

Rather than trusting God, Ahaz robbed God. Rather than falling to his knees, Ahaz ran to the Assyrians. Rather than believing God, he believed Assyria would help. Eve believed the serpent. And, ever since, we have been listening to the enemy and trusting their words over the word of the Lord.

Be still, the Psalmist wrote, and know that I am God! He’s there. He always has been and He always will be. Maybe a little wind blowing the shutters will make us look deep within and ask ourselves just who we believe. For the disciples, it was a storm on the sea. For you and I, it may be a storm in our lives.

Isaiah declared in his vision, “My eyes have seen the king.” The King wasn’t Uzziah, Ahaz or any other man. It was the Lord. May our eyes be opened that we, too, may see the King.

Roger