THE SECRET CODE

Philippians 4:11-13 We all have days when we don't feel particularly blessed, especially during a trial. If that is your situation today sweet friend, take heart. Given any other time, you may be the first to testify at how God has blessed you. 

We just tend to get hung up on counting our troubles instead of our blessings, especially when we have been in the battle for a while and feel little if any, relief. Put in the proper perspective, our situation no matter how big it may seem, can become a blessing to us. But it will be up to us alone. We are the only one that can change the results of how they end. It is mearly by choice and attitude. Paul tells us in Phil. 4:12 something that we all need to learn. He says,"I have learned the secret of being content in any every situation..." 

A secret? Really? Is Paul speaking code to us in that verse? Yes, he is.
In John 4:22-24, Judas (not Iscariot) ask Jesus, "But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not the world?"Another message in code? Yep, these truths are for God's children only. Jesus responds to Judas by saying, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching...then continues with....My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him." And ends by saying "He who does not love me will not obey my teaching...."

You see many people claim to be believers and to follow Jesus, but they are not true followers, but only fans. They root for him from life's bleachers, when times are good, but let a few trials come their way and it reveals what is really inside them.
You can make it today my friend, but it will be as Paul's was....you learn the secret as you learn to endure and not give in or give up! Run the race....to win!  Hebrews 12:1 says, "throw off everything that hinders...and thus avoid some of "the sin that so easily entangles".

Hold Fast,

-Bren

THE PURPOSE OF THE BLOOD

Hebrews 9:22 "...without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness."

Blood may only be an after-thought for some of us, as we celebrate this upcoming Easter holiday. Because, Easter is not a time to celebrate the past, but the future. 

The Children of God will begin to reflect and meditate on the resurrection and not the cross as well as their future beyond the grave; for that is what Easter provides those that are in Christ. Yet, without the cross, without the shedding of the blood and death of Christ, there would be no resurrection. While the resurrection is just as important, we should never forget the cross, the passageway to death and the grave. The cross provided for us all, the only solution to our greatest problem, which was a sin problem. The resurrection promises us that because He rose from the grave, those that are in Him will as well. 

Like me my friend, you were born into a fallen world, resigned to participate in a degenerate existence with no hope of recovery on our own. The pain of sin and death immediately attached itself to our life and put into perpetual motion the ravages of death, each day drawing us closer to our eternal demise. Our own wills had separated us from God and was our greatest enemy. It had sealed our fate as long as we chose to continue on the path without Christ and continue to walk in sin. Apart from the redeeming power of the blood of Jesus Christ, we were doomed. But God demonstrated His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, going about doing wrong, not caring about Him or his ways, Christ died for us according to the scriptures, paraphrasing Romans 5:8. He took the beating that we deserved. 

His hands and feet bear our scars. His side bleed godly blood that had the power to set all mankind free to walk away from the life that they are living in and become new again. When I realized this and decided that the life that I was living was a life of sin and un-generated disgust. I realized that the best that I had to offer God, was as a filthy rag to His Holy nature. Yet for many years I struggled in the same deception that all men and women struggle in. Though many refuse to see their sin as God sees it, for me, my greatest problem is now solved!

Once I saw my sin and my ways as God saw them, I realized my need for the salvation that He was offering. How about you sweet friend? Can you too say, that at the point of surrendering your life to God, your biggest problem has been solved? Do you too understand and agree with why I am thankful for the blood that purchased me; or would you have to admit that you cannot see a difference in your life from the time before you say you came to Christ and afterwards. Has there been a change? Some people struggle with that question because they don’t really see a difference. Maybe you were a good person and have a hard time seeing your sin as God does. 

May I tell you that God’s Word declares that the best that you can do or offer Him, is as a filthy rag according to Isaiah 64:6. Maybe you might need to stop comparing yourself to all the so-called hypercritics and bad folks that you compare yourself with and compare yourself to what God sees and knows you to be. I John 1:9 tell us that, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Maybe sweet friend it is because while you have a wonderful head knowledge about God and you believe that Jesus came to earth to die, you have never really committed your life to Him by repentance. By having a holy sorrow for your sin and wanting to change. 

As Easter approaches, I am mindful of what it cost God to give His only Son, that He should suffer and die for someone like me, but He did, and I know it! Because I no longer bear the burden of having such a great problem any longer. Problem solved! How about you sweet friend? Can you celebrate this Easter knowing that because of His blood that covers your sins through believing and repenting, you can rejoice that you will be a part of the great resurrection that is to come? I sure hope so!

Hold Fast,

-Bren 

ENDURE, ENDURE

Hebrews 12:2 "...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

God is watching your life sweet friend and at some point in your trial, He will say enough. That moment may be crystal clear to you or you may realize it one day as you are looking back over it and realize that it was gone and that you were unaware of its passing. You now can only see it in the rear-view mirror of your mind, a passing memory of it.

Whether for weeks or months or years, every trial lasts for its appointed time. When you are undergoing a trial sweet friend, it may seem unending, but remember this, there is a limit, an expiration date already stamped on it. 

You have only to find its purpose and make the changes that need to be made in order to bring it to its end as quickly as possible.

Your trials can even be, in the nature of "being be caught up" in someone else’s storm and you may need simply to endure it, by riding it out. Trials come for various reasons. Not always out of discipline, because of some sin. Often times trials may and do come from a wrong choice that is made. But we must pray over and determine for ourselves the purpose of them.

Psalm 30:5 reminds us, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” And know this, that Hebrews 12:11 tell us that “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant…”

Job’s assurance can be ours today. So, do as he did, get under it and don’t waste any of it. The sooner we learn what we need to learn from it, the sooner the Lord will bring us out of it. Your painful season is going to come to an end, but until it does, endure, endure, till you get there and remember this sweet friend, God’s timing is always perfect.

When we are in the middle of a trial we must realize that we have to accept God’s time frames by our faith and trust in Him, because our human tendency is to bail out at the first opportunity of it coming on. Stay there friend and don’t move, until His purpose is
accomplished in it!

Let us pray, “continue to teach us Lord, and help us to stay still under the weight of this thing...and Yes Lord, slap dab in the middle, until You have accomplished your purpose in us, through them”.

Hold Fast,

-Bren

CHANGE HOW YOU SEE- INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU SEE

In a world of photo shops and apps we can achieve instant gratification by giving us the enhancement of what we seek to make us look better than what we believe we actually are. It’s easy to find these apps that give us the appearance of what we want, rather than what we may actually be seeing. Technology, social media and surgeries have made it so easy, that if we don’t like something, we can just change it. If we don’t like our physical appearance, there’s a surgery to fix it. If we don’t like our relationship status, there is a dating service to change that as well. If we don’t like our circumstances, we can buy, charm, run, and even fight our way out of it. But what if… the circumstances that we are in, are exactly where God wants us to be?

Maybe, we are fighting a fight that may not can be won; because God is allowing us to be smack-dab in the middle of it for a reason. God's word tells us that we are called to live the life we are given. While we are to strive to be better in our walk and spiritual behavior, some things will continue to be a battle our whole life, just as Paul's situation became his thorn. Each one of us has unique value, insight, and experience God wants to work through to share the good news about Jesus. Our lives were not meant to be a comparison party where we attempt to constantly gain or achieve other people’s stuff and circumstances.

But, when we are being who God made us to be in the circumstances He has given us, people can look at our lives and wonder, how we are able to have so much peace in the midst of wherever it is that we may be in . When we find ourselves in less than desirable circumstances and prayer doesn’t seem to be changing them, maybe we need to change our prayer. Instead of focusing on finding a way out, ask God for a change of perspective about the situation we’re in. Then, watch and see how God works through our struggle for our strength and His glory. I Cor. 7:17 reminds us this, "Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, This is the rule I lay down in all the churches." Praying for you today to give up the struggle and rest in the peace that He is trying to bring you! 

1 Cor. 7:17-24

Hold Fast,

-Bren

WORRY & STRESS

Matthew 6:25-34

I wish I had a penny for every moment I have wasted in stressing over unmerited worry. You know …the kind of stressful worry that is out of your hands and you have no control over. The kind of worry that robs you of precious time that you can not get back. In Luke 12 we are called to consider the Lilies of the field and compare them to the splendor of a King. That call requires us to stop and think about it….to consider it! Much of the time though we are too busy to stop and give consideration to anything, for even that, takes time in which we often do not feel we have to give; because we are to busy being overwhelmed in our hearts, stressed by every turn of the day, worried and not to mention the dread of tomorrow. Yet, it is that very consideration that can bring relief and comfort to our daily troubles that seek to overtake us and bring us to despair. In the midst of our everyday turmoil, our hearts long for a place of peace, to which we can turn and run to if needed.

Life’s good and happy moments can often times leave us feeling like they are slipping by way too fast, while our painful days seem to turn into endless hours. Sometimes, we can race so fast through our day that we are left wondering if there really is a place of refuge instead of the toils and snares of the moment, and the concept of rest and peace seem like nothing more than a hopeful figment of our imagination. Yet Psalm 61:2 tells us that there is a Rock that is higher than we are, and that we are to pray, to be led to it! For it is there that we find the refuge that we seek and the hope of escape from those toils and snares that seek to entangle us.

It is easy for us when we are going down the well-lit path and we are seeing things for what they are. But what about those times that we are trudging through dreary seasons? It is at those very points of time that we are called to consider the lilies. It is God’s way of saying to us, to remember those times of when He was walking with us and we saw Him in the light; then, recall and give consideration to it, for we can still trust Him in the dark even when we may not be able to see that He is there.

Have you ever sat down to write a letter, draw or paint a picture and at some point just wad it up and toss it away because it was not what you were happy with. That is the way we need to deal with our worries that cause us such stress. If we know in our heart that we truly can not change the situation we should begin to view it as an unwanted possession and learn to simply toss it aside, put it out of our minds, replace them with things that the scripture tell us to think upon….whatsoever things are true, good and that build us up….not tare us down. The battle is won when we release the burden and pick up something that brings peace and joy to us in the place of that worry. Once we have learn to do that, we have learned to conquer and cast out our fears, worries and doubts and replace them with peace and contentment.

A while back, I found myself being inundated with fears that caused worry over the potential harm from a situation. I realized that my concern had turned into grief and that grief was throttling any joy or peace that the Lord was wanting me to have.

As I considered the scripture concerning the lilies in the valley, I realized that what God was trying in His infinite way of telling me, was that I was like the lily and all that I needed to do was to be still and accept that. If I would realize that I was like the lily knowing who I was in Christ, then I should not waver, nor should I be tossed around in my heart by the fear of not having any control over my heartbreak. Once I realized that and accepted it, peace came in flooding my soul and left me with truth. That truth was the fact that I did have some control over my situation, maybe not for those involved but for myself, I had some control…..by simply covering all the sadness of the situation with prayer in faith believing that God was going to do a great work….WOW…the light of that truth truly set me free. Genesis 15:6 says that Abraham believe the Lord and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.

You see the only job of the Lilly is to grow and reflect beauty. It does not have to worry over being watered, fertilized, pruned, nor cared for in any way. It simply beholds the beauty of the creator. God longs for us to see ourselves in the same way. His word tells us over and over, that He will care for us, that He will provide for us, He prunes us when we are in need of it and are not reflecting Him. His ground is fertile and we grow from it producing the fruit that is in Him, if we will simply be like the lily and grow in Him and reflect who He is by our lifestyle.

The truths of God are not always easy to understand let alone be obedient to, yet they are the very things that bring us peace and happiness.

Consider the lily....take the time, it will be worth it!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

WHAT ARE YOU TRUSTING IN TODAY?

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Ps. 20:7

One of the many problems that plagued Israel throughout the Old Testament was that they would often times turn for help to the nations around them when they got into trouble or needed help, instead of turning to God. They would rely on pacts made with Egypt because they had chariots and horses and other nations out of fear of them more than they feared God.

But before we become too judgmental toward them, we need to take a good look at ourselves and ask, "Do we turn to our material wealth, our human wisdom, our education, our looks or something else instead of relying on God?"...Even today, many of us who claim to trust God will try to fix our situations and troubles ourselves, instead of simply turning them over to the Lord. Just like God promised Israel that He would take care of them, He promises the same to us.

The reason He does this is simple, He loves us and we are His people. He had made a great nation out of the slaves taken from Egypt. He promised Abraham that He would do this and He kept his word. Beginning in Egypt (before they even left) He told them to trust Him and He would supply their needs and protect them from their enemies. He repeated this same promise many times during the journey to Canaan and then again when they arrived and began to take the land. He also promised them if they did not trust him and live for Him He would punish them and He kept His word without fail on both counts.

They were blessed and prospered when they walked close to Him and they lived in misery when they did not.

May we pray, Lord please increase our faith. Direct our hearts to turn to you when we face trials in our lives and when problems seem to overwhelm us, may we be strong and faithful. Give us the strength to face each day with the trials and temptations that come with it. Help us keep our hearts set on you and our priorities in the right order.

Hold Fast,

-Bren 

SKIPPING OUT ON GOD'S WORD

Sleep can bring welcome relief from the worries of the day, especially when we leave our problems at the foot of the cross in prayer before closing our eyes and resting our minds. We can join the psalmist throughout the book of Psalm in his cry for mercy, his pleas that God will not forget him in his distresses, and in doing so is able to find peaceful rest each and every day.

But often times when we wake up, and ­after the grogginess wears off, the burdens we were carrying the day before come back and load us down again. That is why it is so important to go to Him each day, to renew what we know in our hearts to be true. For His mercies are new every morning and His grace is suffciant for each of our needs.

The devil will wait for us to slip up in our thinking. he watches us and is quick to place snares in front of us to trip us up....he tells us, "Oh you can skip your time in God's Word today...besides, you've had a quiet time three days in a row this week"...and we reason that, in our thinking....we say "yes, I have...surely I can skip a day" then we skip another day and before we realize, the week has gone by without spending time in God's Word renewing our minds.

The difference in our feelings and thinking is this: When troubles come our way and we are walking daily in God's Word....we are prepared to handled them. We have placed the proper piece of God's armour on.... that shields us from those lies and snares that satan sets for us in order to cause us to trip, compromise, detour or sway from the truth that we know that will bring peace and trust to us during difficult times. We reconize that those wrong thoughts and doubts are from satan, not God.

When we are skipping around and missing those important and much needed times with the Lord, we are placing ourselves in the path of the enemy unarmed. That is when fear, worry, doubt and all kinds of wrong feelings come in to play and just like Eve, we allow satan to trick us into thinking wrongly...and we have only ourselves to blame.

Out of know where our feelings can change from a good day..... to feelings of being alone

in a parched desert wondering how we got there....and we are overwhelmed and our souls are craving the living water that we must have but have neglected to drink in order to renew us. We cry out to God saying, “My tank is empty Lord, please refill me....I need you now!"

And He comes along side us, helping us find our way back to where He is. Taking His easy yoke can only be attained by the daily surrender of our wills to His. Do it His way!

God will not force Himself on you. He will allow you to go alone, until you realize that you are alone, doing it your way....He promises to never forsake you and is ready the very moment you realize you walked away, He didn't. You can count on the fact that, if you are His, His eye never turns away from you and He sees you, even when you loose sight of Him!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

WHEN satan BRINGS YOU IN TO THE EQUATION

Job 36:15-16 "But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. He is wooing you from the jaws of distress…"

While reading about the life of Job, I was reminded that he had a devotion to God, and in spite of all his pain and suffering he was determined to stay true to what he believed, that God was "Just", no matter the situation, and he knew in his heart that God always had His children’s best interest in mind. He was already a man that bared much spiritual fruit. Which puts me in mind of a scripture found in the New Testaments that says, “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit” John 15:2. God prunes the righteous (His children) by removing anything unproductive in our lives that is not bearing or reflecting Him and His character. Job’s life before his great calamity was a life to emulate and his life during and after his calamity was one of great example to follow as well. The example that we should follow is to realize that when we don’t understand God, He can still be trusted. You see the devil caused Job’s troubles, but Job did not realize at first that it was the devil. He struggled with trying to understand why he was suffering. According to Job 19:1-12, at first Job thought that God was causing him to suffer, but in fact God did not. He only allowed his suffering. Like we do, Job also pondered a little over the fact that it appeared that God seemed to ignore some of the wrongs that others did in Job 24 while he was suffering for no apparent reason. Have you ever pondered that yourself? Sure you have we all have! But Job's thoughts were about to be corrected in later chapters of Job. While Job never cursed God, he did struggle over some issues about his situation.

Reading these verses reminded me of the times that I have wrestle with God over my own problems. Sometimes I know without a doubt why trouble has come my way. I do my best to repent of any actions that may have brought them on and move forward with a better understanding of how God prunes off the unfruitful and unprofitable things in my life. But sometimes like Job I do have question about God’s decisions in why He allows certain things or does things the way He does; because sometimes it does seem like the innocent suffer while the guilty get away with wrongdoing. But as Elihu reminded Job and his friends, God has a reason for everything that He allows. And if we know Him and trust Him we are to counter our doubt and lack of misunderstandings with that faith.

The only reason that satan had, in bringing on Jobs’ conflicts, was in hopes that Job would curse and dishonor God because of his pain and suffering. And while Job struggled with trying to understand it all, he never cursed God. Even God tells us to come and reason with Him. He understands that we have questions. But we are never to doubt His reasons by thinking that He is unfair in what He does. Understanding our situation will only become clear to us, when we surrender any frustration, bitterness, anger or self-opinion. satan is our enemy, because he is God's enemy. God is who he ultimately wants to hurt and when God's children are brought into the equation, they need to be prepared.

I ended my scripture reading with this verse, "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends": also the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before Job 42:10. You see this is a prime example of how satan wants to do us harm by what he sends our way, yet, God wants to turn it around and use it to prune off the bad in us, so that the good fruit will surface. And when friends try to offer advice as Job's friend's did, be wise as you listen and remember that they are only human and they think and reason as you do often times. As Elihu the wiser friend rebuked their thinking in chapter 32, his advice was not to accuse God at all. We must learn to trust the Lord, even in hard times and our questions seem to have no answers. When we accept the things that we do not understand or can change, satan will slither away like the humiliated snake that he is. Knowing that he failed again, just like with Job and his friends and just like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and the cross defeated once again! 

ATTITUDE

A while back I visited a Nursing home as I had a number of times in my life, and can tell you that they are some of saddest places on earth.

Upon this visit, I recall standing in the corridor looking around. I could see four elderly ladies all sitting in wheel chairs in a sitting room surrounded by glass. One lady was starring at the floor, two ladies were sitting beside each other mumbling words repeatedly to each other, and I am not sure if either one of them could understand the other, nevertheless, it appeared as if they were making some effort to keep each other company. One lady was sitting 4 feet from a table that had a glass of water on it. This precious lady kept bending over with an extended hand trying to reach the small plastic glass of water.

As I starred at them all, I wanted to run into that room and holler out, “Okay girls, get ready for some fun” with the hopes of jarring them out of their stupor of being paralyzed to their sadness and loneliness of just sitting there without anyone to interact with them.
It goes without saying that every elderly person that I came in contact with during my visit there got some kind of reaction from me.
I spoke to them, patted their hand, and smiled making effort to embrace their sadness, if for only a moment.

While I am very aware that for the most part these precious ladies all had some type of physical and or mental problem if for no other reason; their age; I know in my heart that they could feel and show happiness because of their response to me. Once I made the effort to make contact with them, they in turn despite whatever medication they were on to keep them immobilized; managed to reach back to me.
By the way for those of you left wondering; yes, I did push the little lady over to the table to get her water…..I just prayed that it was her water that she was drinking!

The shear fact that they were being pursued to have fellowship caused an emotion in them to reach back to me if even for a moment’s happiness and companionship.
They were so graciously grateful for that little bit of interaction and touch of human kindness. They simply made the choice to reach out and take some happiness for themselves if not for any other reason, but out of gratitude for me reaching out to them!

I believe that our gratitude has a lot to do with life’s satisfaction. If we can learn to savor even the smallest of pleasures, I believe that we would be a happier people. And last but not least, I also believe that keeping an attitude of forgiveness is the trait most strongly linked to real happiness; it has been said that, it is the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by. Many people are trapped inside themselves harboring unforgiveness that reeks pain and depression on them. If they would but embrace forgiveness, their lives would be set free. You see God’s word tell us that unless we forgive, we are not forgiven. I think this principle is passed over way to often. You show me a person that is unwilling to forgive and I will show you a person that is haunted with bouts of depression and a strong feeling of not feeling loved.
Even God said that you can not hate your brother and love Him. It is just not possible.

Sweet friend, please release whatever it is today that is holding you back from happiness and keep striving until you get a foothold on the answers that you are looking for. Remember, God is not absent during His silence….He is waiting for you to get to the place where you will see things His way and not your own! Happiness really is a choice, but we must choose it; every time some one reaches out to you in loving kindness. See it as the Hand of God reaching out to you to love on you!

I love you and pray peace and Happiness over you today and let's all choose to have "AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE" during these trying days. And may we all see and learn what our hard times are trying to teach us!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

TRAINED BY TRIALS

The writer of Hebrews knew that Jesus was the best example of enduring hardships and trials. He knows and understands ours as well. Even in the garden, Jesus was faced with a trial/hardship that He knew was unbarable alone, in the part of Him that was human.

But, amazingly, He was able to see beyond the cross. He endured the immediate because He placed His eyes and mind on the ultimate objective goal of His hardship. Today sweet friend begin to look past your hardship and see beyond the cross, the ultimate purpose of your situation. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus, though He was God's Son, learned obedience from what He suffered. I pray you don't miss that! Jesus understands because He had to make the same decisions in obedience and He came out as a winner every time!
How about you....what is your level if commitment today. Will you allow your hardship to push you to obedience or fall short? 

When everything is going our way, it is so easy to say, I will serve You Lord. Then comes the test to prove our comittment to what we said. Your response to your trials has a lot to do with the benefits of what you will receive from them. 

Read Job 23:10.....God knows the way your life is going and no matter how dark or overwhelming your pathway may seem now, He has good things ahead. If you are serious in your relationship with God and are seeking restoration... Pray this simple pray with me
Lord Jesus, have Your way in my ordeal. Refine me, yes. Remake me, yes. And Restore me! In Your name I ask!

Hold Fast,
-Bren

THE HAMMER AND THE WORK

One year ago I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Not all cirrhosis of the liver is from alcohol. Mine is from a fatty liver and heridity. While it did not rock my world to find this out, I did begin to prepare my heart and life for what was to come if it be God's will for me. After all one of my favorite Bible verse that I have tried to live by is Phil. 1:21 "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain".

It's easy to make promises to God if we don't really think He will take us up on them. We may say, 'Lord all I have is Yours"; But what happens when He answers, "OK, I'll take it"?
When our precious child God gave us is sick, diease hits and shortens our life or the lovely home we were blessed with goes up in flames, a relationship gets broken or a job that provided food and shelter is gone, then what?

Can we say with Job, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away" Job 1:22?
Our trials are very different. My trials are different from yours. Never think that someone else's trial would be easier to bear than what you may be ask to go through. To do so is to question the Most High and the wisdom that He has in allowing yours. Don't get between the hammer and the work that He plans to use to purify you to make you more like Him.
Read James 1:3 to find out what testing does in your life.
God is a teacher like no other. He does not test us to find out what is in us. He test us to show US what is in us and uses those testing to humble us and to put the old carnal, flesh in us to death. And over time when we get out of step in our walk with Him and the old flesh in us that tries to show its ugly head rises up....He sends another test.
Our part is to yield and wait to see what His plans in our testing is meant to do for us.
David learned to do a lot of waiting, read Ps.27:4 and he well understood James 1:3 before that verse was ever penned.
For 40+ years now I have been schooled in the classroom of repeats. But, I am getting it, and am learning, Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I serve (trust) Him".
How about you?

Hold Fast,
-Bren

LIFE IS HARD AT TIMES

One reason that we don't like hard times, is because they tend to bring to surfice and expose things about ourselves that we don't like. Things that are down deep in us that otherwise we may not be aware of. Like weaknesses, blindness to our little sins.....you know what I'm saying....let us get in a hard place and watch how our sweet loving spirits turn ugly. 

May we not resist the work in us that God wants to do during these days ahead. May we say: reveal to me Lord that which is in my life that breaks your heart....help me be broken and repent...then restore me to what I know I can be through You!

I am reminded of Hebrews 12:3, As we struggle in our lives, we always ought to "consider Him who endured." And because He did, we can too....and in knowing this truth, not grow weary or fainthearted along our way.

Hard times are to be teachable moments that God will use to grow us, to restore us back and to love on us that belong to Him!

Real living is made up of trials and hardships, occasionally interupted by wonderful relief.
At times we may even feel like God is no where around. But I assure you sweet friend, that God is not absent during His silence.


God uses our hard times to refine us as gold. To be refined, gold must be melted so that the impurtities in it can rise to the surface and be removed. God uses a similar process to purify believers who submit to His refining work in their lives. And it all starts in the crucible of their suffering.


If you are a child of God, you can be sure that trials are coming your way. But remember that your hardships are the raw materials that God will use to work in your life to refine you in order to reflect more of Him and less if yourself. You can trust Him to burn, (yes it burns) away those impurties and to bring you forth as gold. That is why they are called Hard Times! 

Hold Fast,

-Bren

WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?

According to English mountaineer George Mallory; he says that mountain climbers climb "Because it's there" and that they are driven to climb whatever is in front of them. Something tells me though that there is more to it than just "because its there".


I wonder, is the take away something more precious, more subtle?
Climbers may come back from the mountain with nothing in hand to show of their reward, but that does not mean that they descend with nothing.


For the test of the climb and the effort to reach the top have brought out something in them about themselves. The hardship of the climb itself changed them. They moved forward and overcame the conditions that tried to defeat them along the way. The climb itself disciplined them, pushed them, broke them, yet something in them kept encouraging them not to give up!


You see there is great value in our hard times. May I remind you sweet friend that God's discipline comes with great reward.


What you take away from your hard time is not what you get, but what you become. More like Jesus!


Hold Fast,
 -Bren

THE LOADS OF LIFE

If ever there was a generation that felt life's load, it must surely be this one. The stress from the loads that many carry today seems to be at epidemic proportions. Many of those stresses are fueled by a variety of different events that we're seeing taking place right across our globe. We live in a time where, due to opportunity and access we have more than we have ever had on all levels of life. We've more money, or at least more access to have more plastic money than ever before. We've better living conditions, our working conditions are much better than our parents. We've more holidays and leisure time than ever, yet there seems to be more strain, more stress, more striving and more struggling than ever, in people's lives. There is a consistent attitude of, “The more I get, the more I want”, and the more some get, the less contented and satisfied they seem to be. More than ever, hospitals and psychiatric wards are filled with people who have been wracked by anxiety, fear, striving with labors and burdens from the loads of life, and those burdens are causing more health care issues for people than ever before!   They are simply the loads of life, and we all carry them.

If you're experiencing the strains of life,  and if perhaps you have even been striving to do better, but seem to always be failing, and don’t know what else to do. Maybe you've been striving in religion, by trying to keep some kind of dogmatic hold of some kind of faith or ritual, and you feel miserable because you just can't ever reach the mark. Maybe your problem is that you've no peace of mind, tranquility in your heart has eluded you because of fears, maybe even doubt about this life and eternity, maybe questions that you can't get answered. You may be even at this present moment feeling like you are momentarily sinking under the burden of guilt for things that you've done in the past? Maybe your heart is broken because of the hurts of others that have been inflicted upon you. Whatever it is, whatever your specific situation is today, you are simply under the load of life, and you feel it oh so heavily. My friend, may I remind you that we all feel that load at times. For you are not alone. Remember that!

In the Kingdom of God, we are to look at our situation through the eyes of faith, not our fleshy eyes but with our spiritual eyes. Now understand this…it is very important,  in order for it to help…to see with spiritual eyes, we must first, have our eyes opened spiritually. After they are opened, we are allowed to view life from God’s perspective. If, after God shows us the thing that we must see and what we are  to do about it, and then we are unwilling to correct it, then our load becomes heavier and more troublesome. If we respond properly, the burden is placed on Him and He carries it for us as we are able to walk in peace. If however, we choose to ignore what He shows us, then I can assure you that those burdens will only increase until we get to the proper breaking point needed to reveal whatever needs to be revealed.

There is only so much we can do in our day in, day out living. Whether it is in the workplace, our homes, with family and friends, or in the church. The need is always going to be great, or at least feel that way if they are important to us. I am constantly being reminded that  as I feel overwhelmed that there is so much to do and seemingly so little time to do it.

Sometimes a simple choice to let others help can alleviate some strains on us. Someone once asked this question: Which is the less stressful person, the one who can do the work of ten people, or the one who can get ten people to work? More than likely it is the latter one. For this is a person who has learned to delegate the task and gives others (and this is so very import) the freedom to do it. Some people are great at telling other what to do….but they insist on them doing the work the way the one who is delegating it wants it to be done. Now in some cases that may be alright. But in most, I have found that the whole point is allowing others to use their own God given abilities to be creative as well as being used in the process of taking burdens off others. Sometimes, we are simply our own enemy.

We must ask ourselves it we are contributing to our own burdens or the burdens that we are placing on others?  Simply put, are we adding to the weight of the task; or are we helping to lighten the load for ourselves as well as others. We might even say it this way…..are we being an asset or a liability.

There are days that I don’t know what to do first, answer my emails, work a spreadsheet, file important documents, call my daughters to remind them that I love them and am praying for their day, read my Bible, do to the laundry, decide what to fix for dinner, plan a Bible Study, have a fellowship in my home…? But the most important thing that I want to do, is to be at peace and not be overwhelmed throughout my day….and I have found, that when I put God first above all the other stuff…..then I take peace with me as I go through those moments of frustrations and loads that life will surly dump on me throughout my day.

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". These very words that Jesus spoke show us something that is universal. The pressures and problems that confronted the people of His day… are unchanging through the centuries. Things that happened centuries ago are still happening today.

If you feel that you can't carry your load much longer, you can't bear it much farther. May I remind you that there is a place for you to find rest, and that place may be somewhere in your life that you need to let something go. You may need to take a dip into the Word of God and find that the answers to your questions lie in the pages of that family Bible that has collected more dust than the shelf that it now rest upon.

Maybe you need to pray a simply prayer of repentance asking the One who longs to bear your burdens for you to come into your life and open your spiritual eyes that you may no longer see from your perspective but from His. Maybe you need to turn from something….we are told to take His yoke for it is not heavy….that means simply to do it His way and stop trying to do it ours…..you and I don't need any more instructions on how to get to God….we need only pray and seek Him who is waiting for us to come.

Hold Fast today my Friend…..don’t you give up!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

YOUR PRAYER LIFE

Do you ever find yourself struggling over what you feel like is unanswered prayer? Most of us have gone through discouraging and perhaps puzzling episodes of unanswered prayer. Typically we begin the Christian life very optimistic about the possibilities of prayer; then we have some disappointing experiences with prayer and skepticism sets in. Few experiences pose a greater challenge to our faith. Maybe you had committed yourself to pray frequently and earnestly that God would do a certain thing for you, and because by what seemed to be unanswered prayer, you felt like He never answered it at all or that He answered it in a way that you were not happy with.

            

My own confidence or conviction that God answers prayer springs not only from biblical teaching but from personal experience as well. But it has taken time for that conviction to grow into a strong and abiding one; and while I still stumble around in the waiting room of my prayers, I am confident that God will answer them according to what is best for everyone and every situation involved.

            

It’s not that God refuses to grant His children their request, nor does He not hear them, but that He simply understands the outcome better than we do. Appreciating this can do wonders in keeping us from losing heart when our prayers seem to go unheeded. While it is very clear in the scripture that if we ask it will be given to us if, we are asking it in His will, then we will not struggle over the answers to our prayers. God’s Word also tells us to seek and we will find. What that means is that we are to seek and search for God in our situation while we are waiting on Him in our prayer request. "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much." James 5:16b tells us. This verse has zeal in it, or feet you might say; because it's the kind of faith that is going places and seeing things happen!

           

I agree with Andrew Murray when he said, “the thrust of the biblical promises is that God limits much of what He does on earth to what His people are bold enough to request through prayer.” We are to pray and to keep on praying. It is through continuing prayer that our desires become clarified. Some grow stronger. Others fade away and we’re grateful that God refrained from granting them! Jesus told the parable that we might “always pray and not lose heart” Luke 18:1. Clearly, He meant that we shouldn’t give up praying about specific personal concerns, no matter how long it takes to receive an answer or what that answer may be. If we hang in there, we’ll discover that God is more abundantly willing to grant our petitions than we’ve imagined. But we must do it His way and by doing it His way, we are granted the peace to endure the answer, whatever it may be! Hebrews 11:6b says,"… that He is a re-warder of them that diligently seek Him." Lord, help us to be diligent!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

THE OBEDIENT CHILD

My firstborn child was born a compliant, obedient, people-pleaser, very different from my second born who was the total opposite, strong willed and independent or at least she willed to be. My firstborn was quick to pick up on every expectation that her Dad and I had of her. Even when we did not expect perfection, she made it her life's ambition to strive to be the best that she could be to please us. In many ways this worked out to her advantage, but it also became a tremendous burden that she has carried all her life. She has been blessed in many ways because of her heart's desire to do it right. From an early age, she was thrusted into a leadership role from the time she gained her younger sibling. Being the firstborn she was naturally reliable, well behaved and competent in all that was ask of her.

            

She being the oldest, tried taking on the role of nurturer to her younger sister which in turn, taught her a great deal of responsibility and broadened her perspective on how she would handle things in her adult life. I often noticed how she served her friends and church family in her sweet quiet way, away from the limelight, without doing it for show. She did it because she cared deeply for them, not because of any praise she may have received. She was the invisible well behaved child, compliant and hardworking, but not demanding or attention-seeking, empathetic, helpful nature and desperate to please kind of child. Because of her good, non-self-seeking nature, she often times felt overlooked. But what she failed to realize was that, she always had her parent's eye on everything she did.

            

While I may have been looking out on a sea of faces, hers was the one that I saw. My whole being swole with pride then and now whenever I think of her. She is the very perfection of woman to me and not because of her outer beauty though she is very lovely, but because the heart that she has toward the treasure that she consistently seeks. Psalm 46:5 says, “God is within her, she will not fall.” and Proverbs 31:25 says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” This is my oldest daughter, strong, courageous and not afraid, because she know that the Lord is with her wherever she may go. She has always enriched the lives of those around her. When she would see that someone was sad, she would seek to cuddle them and offer them a sweet from her secret treat stash. When someone was working on a project, it was she that always rushed in to help. She is still that way today. I love her deeply!

            

May the Lord help us all to be the obedient child of 1 Peter 1:14 and make it our lives desire to be more like Him.

Hold Fast,

-Bren

           

LETTING GO OF "BLANKY"

From the time that my youngest daughter was able to clasp something with her tiny hand, she quickly became attached to a beautiful soft pink blanket that had been given to her as a gift. It was the very blanket that I used to swaddle her in as a baby. She loved her "blanky" as it was called, more than any other item that she had. As years went by she lugged that "blanky" all through our house, yard and every vacation spot that we visited. It was her comfort, her toy and even became her security at night while she slept. 

Over time it became ragged, soiled and frayed around the edges. Without her knowing, I would often take scissors to it, to clean off the frayed edges. It became a challenge to even wash it, and that only happened during her nap times. Upon every wash, the blanket became more tattered and worn out. It ended up as pieces of blanket rather than a complete one. Mending it was impossible and it became very evident that it needed to be replaced. Under normal conditions I would have gladly thrown the old tattered blanket away, but for the strong attachment that my young daughter had for it had proven to be an impossible task. So, I sought out to reason with her to get a new blanket to replace the pieces of the blanket that she was toting around. 

For sentimental reasons only, it was agreed that we would place the few pieces that were left, in a small bag at the top of her closet. Strangely enough, I would often find those pieces of blanket in her pockets and in her school back pack. Today looking back, I am not so sure that she was insecure, but that she simply had an attachment to something that she loved touching, smelling and treasured. As I consider the love she had for her blanket, I also think upon the things in life that I love and treasure as I ponder the scripture in Matthew 6:21 that says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.". That is my prayer for myself and sweet friend, today it is my prayer for you as well, that Jesus is your treasure. 

My daughter finally learned to let go of those torn, tattered pieces of her past as she embraced a new blanket that was bigger and more comfortable than the old one. Isaiah 43:18-19 tells us to "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" God has plans for us, we may not always know them, but we can surely trust Him, in them! Remember that you can never discover new oceans unless you are willing to lose sight of the shore. To attain what the Lord wants you to have, you must let go of what you are trying to keep.

Hold Fast,

-Bren

BE THE WHEEL - A WORD FOR EVERYONE DURING THESE DAYS OF COVID-19

This morning I was reading about wheels and gears. It became thought provoking as I noticed the similarity between, how one wheel turned another, in order to achieve a particular goal. I was remind as I looked at those moving parts how people need each other to accomplish different task that may require them working together. Alone, the wheel or gear just sits by itself accomplishing nothing. But with the help of another similar gear working in sequence, they can transmit a rotational motion that makes things happen and gets things done. The article showed a moving picture of the two gears working together. I also noticed that the smaller gear was turning over several times more often than the big wheel as it made its rotation. While the speed of the gears were the same on both, you could tell that they both depended upon each other to complete the turn. Now you may be thinking right now, "she has lost it", but I love it when I am reading, writing, watching a movie or talking to someone and something that I see or read, leads me to another train of thought or some insight to something else, similar but different.

In all this thinking, I was reminded of how we need each other and how important it is that we work together to accomplish the great commission in Matthew 28, given to all Believer's in Christ. It also made me think about this COVID-19 situation and how many people are stuck at home day after day wondering what tomorrow will bring. I thought about Mom's and Dad's having to home school their children in which they feel inadequate as teachers and wonder if what they are doing matters. About caregivers that know they must go out every day and meet the highly contagious nasty villain "sever acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus" and for all of the "essential workers" like myself who must work whether they like it or not, in order to keep the wheels of our economy from coming to a complete stop, as well as being a service to the public at hand. There are lots of wheels turning today my friend and without them turning life would be drastically altered in so many ways.

I want to take this time to encourage you where you are to be the wheel! I can speak encouragement to you today from my own experience of where you may be.

To the parent who is stuck at home with the kids day in and day out, know that God is giving you an opportunity to make the best of this time while you have it. Your job is so very important as you manage a small company within your home of very important people. As a Mom that home schooled 2 daughters in years past, I know many of the concerns you have and the discouragements that you are facing daily. But may I remind you that your attitude is everything! Remind yourself constantly that you are rubbing off on them the life lessons that you, yourself have learned and are having to learn given your situation. Your attitude and behavior is teaching them how to respond in their own life's trials and troubles. Use this time for it will be so short, to draw them in to a circle or at the table and teach them to pray. Teach them how to go before the Lord over everything. And teach them to be thankful for the smallest of things, so that their life may honor the Lord by your doing so. Be mindful that if they see you gripping and complaining, guess how they are going to respond. And be ever so mindful when you are fussing at them for their rotten attitudes that yours has not become a little on the "too ripe" side as well. Be the wheel sweet friend!

To the caregiver who puts their life on the line every time they must leave their home and be in a dangerous situation, think of the leapers who wanted so bad to have Jesus acknowledge them with just a touch or look as they went to Him for healing… because I can assure you, no one else would have wanted to and they knew it! Sick people need someone, and maybe only your tender love will reach them with the message of the gospel as you continue in the way of the Christian solider to use this opportunity to serve the suffering in spite of what your fears may try to convince you of. Be the wheel sweet friend!

To those of you like myself, who may not work in the medical field, but are essential in our services to our communities and must be out and around those that may potentially have the virus I say, thank you! Don't lose heart, let us continue doing what we can do with others in mind, knowing that our services are of help and we will not complain because we know that there are many who have lost jobs and are unable to work at all!

To all who are at home and are doing your part in slowing down this virus, big kudos to you! Please know that you are not alone and that your effort and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. Continue to be the wheel sweet friend! While none of us really understand the long term outcome of this pandemic, as believer's we know and can trust that there is a bigger picture to be seen and while we cannot see it as of yet, God does. May all our work be that of Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," We now have the opportunity more than we ever have had in most of our lifetimes to sing the march of the Christian solider and understand the greater meaning of its words! So, Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before!

Hold Fast,

-Bren

QUESTIONING GOD

Our generation today, caught up in the whirlwind of busyness, work and triviality, needs to hear the voice of God speak to us in the midst of our daily grind. We need a fresh glimpse of His majesty and holiness that will give us an appropriate fear of God. Only then will we be hesitant to defy His laws and question His will. Only then can we begin to have the proper wisdom that is needed to walk with Him properly. Only then can we understand our real neediness for Jesus. Only then will we live by faith in the grace of God and the midst of our troubles.

All of Job’s presumptuous protests fell silent the day God answered him out of the whirlwind in Job 38-39. While Job’s friends grew weary in their counsel with him, a storm was brewing on the distant northern horizon and was coming right towards them Job 1:19. As the winds increased, bolts of lightning broke through and thunder rumbled across the countryside. I wonder if Job had flashbacks to the windstorm that killed his ten children as he heard the rumble and saw the approaching storm.

Job had questioned God’s justice and sovereign rule. He pleaded for the opportunity to put God on the witness stand in hopes that God would answer Job about his being innocence and explain to him and others why his hurt and pain were clearly unjust. He had questioned why God permits the wicked to prosper while the righteous suffer. Why did he have to face bankruptcy and loose it all? Why did his children have to die so young in a windstorm? Why did he have to endure the pain and agony of a hideous disease that deforms, debilitates, and destroys? Why did all his sorrows bring such pain to his wife that she wanted him to curse God so that he would die and be free of his horrible situation? Why couldn’t he vindicate himself before God and men by extolling his virtues, good works, and all his accomplishments? Sound familiar? Been there, done that myself! Yet, God did not answer any of those specific questions, but He did give Job and all who read his book, all that they would ever need to know, in order to live by faith in the goodness of God’s sovereign will.

With the dark funnel cloud whirling around Job, God spoke to him Job 38:1-3. He began with a gentle yet forceful rebuke, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Notice Job wisely gave no answer. He was breathless, seated in this incredible, whirling spectacle. All his previous arguing and questioning God seemed inappropriate and insignificant in His presence. Then the Lord spoke a frightening challenge to Job, “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer Me." God then turned the tables on Job and put him on the witness stand Job 38:4-7. He asked him questions about nature that only God could answer. He began by questioning Job’s whereabouts at creation, “Where were you at the foundation of the earth? Did you stretch the plumb line by which I laid the foundation stone? Were you there singing with the angels when the earth, the sea, and the sky exploded into existence?” Psalm 148:2-3. “Do you know when and how I created all these things? Were you there when the land and sea formed? Did you shroud the earth with clouds to water the earth and fill its rivers, lakes, and seas? Did you determine the precise limits of the monthly tides that break on the shore? Have you explored the depths of the seas? Have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?” Job 38:8-21. God paused long enough in his questioning of Job to say, “Tell Me, if you know all this?” then He continued His line of questioning. Then God questioned Job’s power. Then God quizzed Job’s knowledge of animate nature.

You see, God wanted Job to see his lack of understanding about his predicament. In God's questioning Job, Job realized just our unwise he was to even question God. Job learned that his part in his troubles were simply to submit to the One whose ways were beyond his full comprehension. The Lord affirmed His wisdom to Isaiah, when He said, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8. So if God has all the power, authority, and wisdom to do all these things, why are we so reluctant to trust Him when we need food, clothing, wisdom, and companionship? Why do we find it so hard to trust God in chaos, dangers, wars, pestilence, and disease? When God no longer spoke from the whirlwind, Job knew he had to give some kind of answer to the God of the Whirlwind. Spellbound and tongue-tied, Job could only answer, “Behold, I am vile” Job 40:3-5. In other words, he was admitting he was unworthy and too insignificant to question God’s will and ways. Job’s notion of God’s justice and righteousness was being stretched. The hedge that satan accused God of placing around Job in Job 1:10 became the most dangerous place to be as satan sought to use it as an opportunity to make God and destroy God's most cherished creation. Yet, God used satan's mockery to backfire on him as Job came out of the storm an even more upright servant than before Job's troubles came. The safest place for you and I to ever be on the earth, is in the eye of God’s storm. The disciples too had to learn this as well. Their doubts gave way to trust and faith as they learned that God cares for His people even though they may have to ride out a storm, persevere through winds of adversity, or stand against the forces of hell.

When God ceased speaking, Job attempted to answer the God of the whirlwind Job 41:1-6. God had not informed Job that it was Satan who struck him. He did not know why these things had come upon him or what would happen next. But what he learned in the eye of the storm was the supremacy of God’s power and grace. He now knew God can do everything, except sin, lie, or make mistakes. God not only had the power and authority to do whatever He wanted, but does and will do everything He desires. This God can be trusted, however, because He is holy and sovereign. Whatever He designs or allows to enter our lives serves His good and ours. He also understood that nothing inanimate, animate, or human in nature can thwart God’s Holy purposes-even the choices of vile, wicked men and fallen depraved angels serve God’s pleasures. The lessons of the storm had been learned by Job.

Then Job openly confessed his foolish ways and words. Now after hearing and seeing God, he agreed that God’s ways are holy and best. His place was not to question or reason with God about what he did not understand, but to submit to Him who is eternally holy, just, loving, omnipotent, omniscient, immense, immediate, and full of mercy and grace. Then as an act of utter contrition, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. Being in the eye of the storm awakened Job to his own foolishness and sin. He grabbed a handful of dust and ashes and tossed them over him as a sign of his awareness at being a creature of the dust, destined for ashes if it were not for God’s grace.

God still speaks to us at various times and in various ways. Sometimes He speaks loudest in the eye of a storm. He speaks to us today through His Son, His Spirit, and His Word. We may not see His form or hear audible words, but He still speaks. Jesus still speaks comfort to storm riders who can remain in the boat as the storm rages Our part is not to question or reason why, but to trust and obey God’s Word, especially when we sit in the dust and ashes of our lives. A day is soon approaching when God will come in all of His splendor to judge the wicked and reward the righteous. Then we shall see our Kinsman Redeemer and rejoice forevermore!

Hold Fast,
-Bren

GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND

Pandemics/epidemics whatever we may call them are nothing new in human history. While the coronavirus is probably the best documented pandemic to ever occur, it is not the first. I read that when epidemics happen, two reactions are common among most people. First is denial: "This won't affect me." The second is fear: "What if I get this and it makes me sick or perhaps kills me." But everyone has their own timeline and intensity in their reactions to it. Some view it as God's punishment, while others view it as opportunities to reach people for Christ, in both word and deed, while others believe that both reactions go hand in hand. In the midst of all the questioning you will have some who will take this opportunity to ask "Why?", "If God loves us, why doesn't he stop this pandemic?"

God made this universe a perfect place: No evil, no viruses, no cancer, no addictions. Look up to heaven, and you can still see signs of his perfect created order. The Bible teaches that satan rebelled against God, then tempted the first two people that God created to do the same. When Adam and Eve sinned, something was unleashed in the universe that didn't belong. Perfection was wrecked, all the way down to the molecular level. Jesus came to break the power of sin by His death on the cross and His resurrection. One day, according to Revelation, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, with no evil, no viruses, no cancer, no addictions. But while we are getting closer to that day, it has not yet come.

            

Many of us believe that God must have his reasons, even if we do not know them. This belief may seem or feel hollow and shallow at times. Yet, it is profoundly true. God owes us no explanations. People of old would have laughed at the idea of a god having to explain himself. Yet, the one true God, the Great "I AM" allows His children to come before Him to ask with the right heart attitude; but when He does not answer the way they understand, He does expect a level of trusting Him in spite of not knowing, by each one of them. This is why the message of the book of Job is so radical. When Job cried out to God because he felt he was suffering unjustly, God answered him not with an explanation but with an encounter. In a crisis, it is appropriate to reach out to God and ask "Why?" It is also good to know that God may answer you not with words but a whirlwind like He did Job in Job 38:1; 40:6. In Jesus, God ultimately comes to give us unlimited access to Him, so in a crisis we might cling to Him. God knows we need Him more than we need thoughts about Him.

            

When early Christians faced human suffering, they did not write long explanations trying to explain God's actions. They served the suffering. Upon my reading on the early church, a plague would strike a Roman city and the citizens would flee, leaving the sick to die and hoping the plague would die with them. Christians stayed and cared for the sick. They prayed for God's mercy. They prayed for healing. They thought it more important to be the hands and feet of God, rather than explain God.

How could they stay when everyone else ran away? Those early believers had a different outlook on their economy and their of life. They knew that life was eternal. Their hope was not in long life but in God's kingdom. Death would simply be a passage to the next stage of being with Jesus. May we be more concerned today about serving the suffering than trying to explain God's actions to them!

           

Hold Fast,

-Bren