August 28, 2018

How Strong Is Your Faith?

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” – Matthew 16:18

She is a rock. Her faith is solid. Her presence is calm. There is a joy that radiates from her. She’s the one you want when your world falls apart.

Life has tested her in ways few could withstand. She lost her first husband in a car wreck. Years later she lost her son, his wife and their two children – her grandbabies – in a horrific wreck caused by a drunk driver. Yes, she has known suffering. Deep, deep pain has brought a testimony of faithfulness.

She has been through the fire, turning toward God for strength while many would turn away.

He was once an alcoholic. I guess he still is. His smile comes to mind even as I type this. He’s been in recovery a long time. He could make excuses. His alcoholic father gave him plenty of reasons to follow in his footsteps. His sister tried to find a different path but eventually she died by her own hand.

He spends his time helping others. He’s walked their path. He knows the pitfalls. He is stern. Excuses don’t work with him. Honestly, I think he’s heard them all. That kindness mingled with firmness draws others to him. They listen as he shares his faith. He gives all the credit to Jesus. He gives all the mistakes to himself.

There’s something different about those who have traveled through the storm and made it to the other side. There is a depth to their faith. The Bible isn’t just words and church isn’t just what they do on Sunday mornings. Jesus is real and so is their dedication to Him.

The news reporter said last night that suicide rates are rising. So is the rate of those diagnosed with mental illness. Everyone wonders why. I wonder why they don’t see it.

We’ve lost our hope in Jesus. We’ve placed it in ourselves, our jobs, our toys, our bank accounts. Except those things will never hold us up, will never fill us up, will never truly satisfy that deep place inside of us. It’s a frantic cycle that can’t end well.

I was truly surprised the other day in Bible study by the number who admitted they’ve never read the entire Bible. These are women who love Jesus. They do. And they study – bits and pieces at least. They are busy. Aren’t we all? Maybe it’s a shift in priorities, where ball practice and dance and dinners out can’t seem to co-mingle with time alone with God.

That’s where we find our strength. It’s where we find hope. It’s where we fill ourselves up to face whatever the days bring. We want a relationship with Jesus but we live as though He’s just an acquaintance we spend time with whenever it’s convenient.

Until one day our lives are shattered in a way we never imagined. We struggle for answers that only God can provide. Our priorities change. Our faith deepens. We finally realize we had it all wrong. Jesus lifts us up, placing us on a rock of deep faith. It’s a solid foundation. We stay and we grow and one day we become that person of deep faith that we once admired so much.

May 30, 2016

Build A Solid Foundation Today

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” -- Matthew 7:24-27

The other day someone told me they couldn’t understand how I’d managed to stay sane during all that has happened during the last year. What could I say? You just do what you have to do, taking it moment by moment.

I thought about it later and the echoes of our pastor’s sermon went through my head. She had preached on this passage. The rock that is Jesus. That solid place, the safe place, where I have hung out quite a bit.

Many years ago I decided that I wanted a deeper relationship with God. I didn’t want that surface Christianity so many people I know have. I wanted to learn and grow in Him.

So I made a commitment. Every night I read and studied my Bible for an hour. I was really quite legalistic about it. That was the only way I would stick with it. And I did.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you turn the television off, put the cell phone away and close the door. Time multiplies. I learned so much.

I’m not quite like that now. Time is not my friend. My study is done in the mornings before the craziness consumes my day. But I do it, no matter how much sleep I give up. Because I need it. I need Him.

When the storm hit, I had no idea what was buried deep inside of me. My faith and its deep roots, along with my church family, carried me. Did the storm still hurt? Absolutely. That hurt will always be there. But I was able to stand strong amidst the attacks. I don’t think I could have done that without the hours spent building a deep foundation.

I understand now what people mean when they speak of wavering faith. When the storm seems relentless and the attacks come from people you once trusted, well, it’s hard to stand. Knowing God’s promises, believing His Word, make all the difference.

There were times when all I did was repeat Scripture over and over in my mind. I’m not good at memorizing but I’m so thankful I forced myself to do this. Because honestly, there were times when I couldn’t focus enough to read my Bible.

None of us know where and when Satan will attack next. Build a solid foundation of faith today. You might need it tomorrow.

January 23, 2016

Storms Test Our Faith

35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?”

41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” -- Mark 4:35-41

As I write this, the wind and rain rage outside. We are under a tornado watch with a great risk of severe weather in the night. I am uneasy.

Storms are nothing new to this part of the country. Our town has been hit hard, tragically. We take all the precautions that we can. We have weather radios and storm sirens and a basement. But, honestly, those things can only protect us so much.

Tonight I answered another’s question with this answer: We’re in God’s hands. Always. We can’t do anything more to protect ourselves. It’s totally up to Him. What will happen, will happen.

I believe that. Truly. Totally. So this unease I feel deep inside bothers me more than the storm outside. Perhaps it is that so much of my life has been unsettled for so long. I go through my days pretending to be calmer than I am. Last year really shook my foundation and I still cling tightly to the Rock that is my Savior.

Life’s storms sometimes come without warning from a direction where we least expect it. We survive because of what He has done for us. But we are forever changed by the storm. We can never go back to being the person we were before the storm.

That’s why it is so important to have rock solid faith before the storm. Once it hits, we need to know what we believe and who we can trust. Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. We need to already have His word planted deep in our hearts. We need to plan in the good times for the storms that are sure to come.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Cling To The Rock

"But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." -- Matthew 7:26-27

One of the good things about all the economic turmoil has been that people maybe have learned what's important in life. It's just so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stuff, focused on jobs and chores and homework, that we forget the people time, the God time, the down time.

I've always loved this passage in the Bible. We think that a good job keeps us safe. We believe that a nice house makes us fit in, We just know that a new car will make us happy. Then, one day, all that is gone. The job is eliminated. The house is no longer affordable. And the new car comes with a high payment that can't be paid. Suddenly, everything we thought kept us safe is gone.

And there we are. All those things that kept us safe, helped us belong, made us happy are gone. We are left with ourselves -- and God. He's always there whether we see Him or not. He never leaves us, no matter how many times we turn our backs on Him.

The previous verses in this passage say to build our foundation on a rock. God is that rock. That way when our world falls down around us, we won't be destroyed. We'll survive because our foundation is solid and can't be moved. That's called depending on God for everything.

And sometimes when all the crap is out of the way and our lives are laid bare, we can clearly see God and His love. It is then that we come to understand our true value doesn't come from jobs or things. Our true value comes from belonging to Him.

Tuesday, January 19. 2010

Rest in God's Word

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." -- Psalm 62:1-2

I'll probably never understand why some people can't seem to find time for God. They don't read the Bible because they "don't have time." They don't attend church because they "don't have time." They don't take Bible studies because they "don't have time."

I don't I could face the day without spending time with Him. I learn so much. I gain guidance and strength. I wish everyone would just try it. That's the thing about God -- He'll meet you anywhere, at any time. He's always available. Always ready to listen. Always on your side.

I've come to cherrish the time I spend with Him. It's peaceful. I pray. I listen. It took me a long time to learn how to listen for His voice. I'm not always sure I've got it right. That's okay too. I just know that so long as I hold onto Him, so long as I stay focused on His will and His Word, I'll be okay. He has placed me on His rock. I am safe there. It is where I find peace.