Marathon of Faith

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Hebrews 12:1-3

 

There are all kinds of “marathons” in this life. My husband ran a marathon…once. As a grad student I regularly pull marathon homework sessions. People dealing with major health issues like cancer are also in marathon mode. Being a follower of Jesus is another kind of marathon. The route may take us on steep climbs, or across barren wilderness, there may be things in our way that could trip us up if we are not careful. 

 

As I was thinking about this idea of a marathon I came up with a list that will help us on our way:

 

1. Stay in constant communication with the race designer - pray. He will tell you what you need and then give it to you.
2. There is a book to help you train - read the Bible
3. Don’t do it alone - others will hold you accountable to your training plan and pick you up when you trip.
4. Pay attention to those cheering for you on from the sidelines - it will encourage you when the going gets tough.
5. Block out those who want to distract you and pull you off course - you can’t afford to get lost.
6. Follow the race guide - the Holy Spirit is the only one who can show you the way, especially when visibility gets bad.
7. When you take a break - cheer someone else on.
8. Drink deeply of the living water, especially in the desert.

No matter what kind of marathon you are enduring right now these tips will help you stay the course and run the race the Lord has laid out for you. Remember Jesus ran the marathon of faith first - so you can do it.

 

A Prayer

Father, nowhere in your in your plan did you say the journey would be easy or that the destination would be quickly reached. Thank you for showing us the way and giving us everything we need to reach the end and grab hold of the prize - eternity with you. Help us to encourage one another along the way and keep our eyes on Jesus. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

 

 

Waiting For A Tow

“Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…”
Daniel 10:12-13

Our car broke down just as my husband Dan was trying to get on the freeway to come home from work. A call to AAA met the response of “it could be as long as two hours before we can get a truck out to you.” Well ok then. So there he sat in a precarious position, waiting for a tow. In some ways Daniel found himself in a similar sort of situation. 

Daniel had been having disturbing visions and had been visited twice by the angel Gabriel already. Then Gabriel arrives for the third time and basically tells Daniel “Sorry I am late but I had car trouble and I had to wait for help.” Interesting that in the passages leading up to the one we are reading this week it says that Daniel “mourned for three weeks…” (v.2). Daniel mourned and fasted for the twenty-one days that Gabriel was held up. Earlier Gabriel had showed up as soon as Daniel started to pray (see Daniel 9:20-23). 

You see sometimes we get a speedy response from our roadside service and from God. Sometimes we have to wait on both a lot longer than we would like too. The good news is that eventually the tow truck arrives and we hear from God in response to our prayers.  

Remember always that God is faithful - so while you are waiting on Him be faithful as well. Pray and fast, encourage someone else who is waiting. Take time to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings as you wait. It may take a while for the help you seek to arrive but it will - have no doubt. In the meantime as I often say: “If it takes a 1000 years I will trust in Him.” 

A Prayer
Father, you know that even we your people want answers, resolutions and our way right now. Help us - when we have to wait for Your best response - to be faithful as You are faithful. May we be mindful that sometimes our answers are being held up by someone who would prefer we lose faith. Thank you that Your Son has overcome the one who wants us to fall. The wait will be worth it thanks to Your Son in who’s name we pray, Amen.

F is for Faithful

“Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day...”
Psalm 91:3-5

I love the imagery of God being a protective parent. The first image that came to mind as I read this passage is that of a mighty and majestic eagle. Next I thought of the dove. As I continued to think about this image of a bird protecting its chicks I wondered which of the bird species was the best. I finally determined that the wandering albatross might just be the most faithful of bird parents.

Albatross babies are born helpless, they need constant care. They stay in their nest for a long time - up to 270 days, with their parents caring for them the whole time. I know that the albatross is not the most majestic bird but its faithfulness in parenting in my opinion makes it a good representation of God’s faithfulness.

God is like the eagle, mighty and majestic. God is like a dove, gentle and strong. God is like an albatross, faithful.

God’s faithfulness is our shield; he protects us from so many things, things we may not even be aware of. No matter where you are, not matter what life situation - good or bad - you are facing He is there covering your life with His wings. In the Old Testament we read “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). Joshua was reminded that God was faithful and would be with him in all that he would face.  

In the midst of the good and bad, on the mountain tops and in the valleys of life - no matter what you are facing He is faithful. He will protect you when you need to be protected and He will encourage you to soar when it is time for you to fly. Fear not! Rest in His faithfulness. 

A Prayer
Father, thank you for your protection and faithfulness. Help us to rest in the shelter of your wings when we need to. Give us the courage to fly when it is our time to soar. Thank you for everything you provide for us each day. In the name of Jesus, who is mighty, majestic, gentle, strong and faithful. Amen.

Comfort for the Pain

“…who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”
2 Corinthians 1:4-6

Life on this planet is filled with pain, not one of us is immune to it - the truth is we will all be hurt at more than one point in our lives. There is no place to go where it is completely safe and sometimes the most severe pain comes in those places that should be safe. There are all sorts of pain - physical, emotional and spiritual or a combination. Some pain is inflicted by others, by the spear throwers in our lives, some pain is inflicted by our own bodies and sadly some pain we inflict upon ourselves. There are also degrees of pain; a scraped knee for instance isn’t nearly as painful as broken leg. An offense by a stranger is not nearly as painful as an offense by someone we care about. Not even Jesus was immune.

A number of years ago I was hit by spear, thrown by someone I would have never expected to throw one. Seriously wounded and in the wilderness, had it been a physical wound, it would have been life threatening. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit came and tended the wound. Family and real friends comforted me. Coming through the other side to healing, made me not only stronger, but more compassionate and uniquely equipped to comfort others who have been wounded in the same way.

This is what Paul is telling the church at Corinth. The Lord sends his Spirit to comfort us in the midst of the pain, in the midst of the wilderness of life and that allows us to comfort one another. I would hazard a guess and say that if you have lost a loved one, the person who was able to best comfort you was someone who had to deal with the same pain. You see we are never alone in the pain we face on this planet. 

If you are in a painful place right now, if you look for comfort you will find it. If you are woundless at the moment, you may be the very person the Holy Spirit will use to tend to someone else’s wound and to comfort them in the wilderness. 

A Prayer
Father, thank you for understanding how we feel whether the pain is physical, emotional or spiritual you understand. Thank you for sending you Holy Spirit to comfort us. Thank you for the people who pick us up and carry us in the wilderness. Bring healing to those who need it and thank you for loving us through the pain. May we share with others the comfort and compassion we received from you through your Son Jesus. Amen.

Confidence

“…till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
Isaiah 32:15-18

The first real full day in the wilderness is always the hardest. It’s the kind of day where staying in bed and trying to ignore the world seems like a good idea, but not really. It’s the kind of day filled with questions - what’s next? Why? Seriously? Lots of things can bring us to the wilderness, some of those things will cause doubt, some fear, some will cause us to question our purpose and call. 

The verses that lead into this week’s passage are strong words of warning, the people have become complacent - comfortable in their circumstances, they didn’t really think too much about Who had given them the comfortable life and He was getting ready to shake them from their comfort. They were about to be in the wilderness again for a little while.

But then something amazing happened - He poured out His Spirit and turned the wilderness into something beautiful, something that could provide what had been lost. Justice and righteousness bring about: peace, quietness of spirit, and confidence. The wilderness becomes a great place to live because He is present in the everyday and we must rely on Him.

If you find yourself wondering in the wilderness, filled with questions and wanting to hide - look up and watch as that dry place becomes fertile with the Spirit of God. Watch what happens to your heart as it is filled with His peace and as confidence in Him becomes your dwelling place. 

A Prayer
Father, you know we do not like being in the wilderness, because it means we are not in control. Bring us to a place where we can appreciate the wilderness, because it is there your Spirit will revive our hearts and help us to see You more clearly. It is not easy to be here, but teach us what we need to learn and prepare us for the next part of the plan you have for us. In the name of Jesus who walks with us in the wilderness. Amen.

He's Already There

“My days have passed, my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart turn night into day;  in the face of the darkness light is near.”
Job 17:11-12

It had been one of those weeks, nature had wrought its fury and for many including myself the journey of life was taking another detour into the wilderness. It is in times like these when the why questions start, when because we cannot see the entire plan, we think the designer has made some kind of mistake. 

As I was thinking about the return trip to the wilderness - a couple of songs popped into my mind, and one by the group Casting Crowns really resonated with me. The opening verse goes “From where I'm standing Lord it's so hard for me to see where this is going and where You're leading me. I wish I knew how all my fears and all my questions are gonna play out in a world I can't control.” I can relate to that, can you? I think Job would have been able to relate to that as well. Job’s life had taken a major detour and his “friends” were pretty much telling him it was his own fault - they were obviously not balcony people. 

The song goes on to say that when we are lost in the mystery, when we do not understand the Lord has already been there, He sees the whole plan from beginning to end. I love the words that come near the end of the song: “One day I'll stand before You and look back on the life I've lived I can't wait to enjoy the view and see how all the pieces fit.” I think Job understood, you can hear the why questions that must have been in the back of his mind and yet he knows that God is near the darkness he is in will soon be chased away by the Light. 

I don’t know what you are facing as you read this. I don’t know how this detour is going to get me to the desire of my heart. What I do know is that my Lord is the architect of my life and yours knows and He is already there. So walk in faith, hope and peace. 

A Prayer
Father, we do not like being uncomfortable, we do not like the feeling of having no control over our own destiny, but it is hard to control a plan we do not fully understand. Help us to remember that Your plan is always better than ours. Help us to remember you have traveled the detour, you have been in the wilderness and that you are already there with the desire of our hearts. In the name of Jesus, who is light is always near. Amen.

Into the Unknown

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’”
Genesis 12:1

I am not really a Star Trek fan, but it is interesting the things that pop into ones head when contemplating life. As I have been praying about some possible changes, the lines from the Star Trek introduction came to mind. You know the “to explore strange to worlds and to boldly go where no one has gone before.” It made me think about when God asked Abram to leave everything he knew and go to the land I will show you. 

Abram and his wife had no way of knowing what twists and turns life would take as they set out in response to God’s call. They had no idea they would get new names, that they would become parents when they were really, really old. They had no way of knowing about anything they would encounter - good or bad, yet they went.

Abram wasn’t the only one God asked to go into the unknown. Moses was asked to lead his people from what was known to what was unknown. Jesus told his disciples to “go into all the world” (Mark 16:15). These fishermen, reformed tax collectors, converted Pharisees and women who most likely had never strayed far from home, went and changed the world. 

I know I will probably not be heading into the “final frontier” any time soon, but each day offers the opportunity to go into the unknown. God doesn’t let us see the whole picture, He only reveals enough of the path ahead so that we can take that step of faith and He tells us repeatedly to not be afraid because He is with us. 

I don’t know what everyone is facing this week but I expect more than a few of us are praying about changes and will need to step into the unknown in order become who we are intended to be in Christ. 

So take a deep breath, breathe out a prayer for wisdom and guidance, then take the step and know that you are not alone. 

A Prayer
Father, you know we humans like to stay where we think it is safe, where we feel comfortable, yet daily you call us to enter into the unknown that is life. Thank you for going with us, for being our wisdom and our guide. You tell us to fear not, we ask that you be our courage. The abundant life you offer cannot be found in our comfort zone, it is found in You. In the name of Jesus, who leads the way - Amen.