GOD REMEMBERS

Genesis 8:1 “But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat.”

As I left work the other day, I passed one of my coworkers just sitting outside. He had been off the clock for over an hour, so I it was curious to me as to why he would still just be sitting there. I stopped to be sure that he was okay. He told me that their family was currently down to one vehicle and that his teenage daughter had taken the car that day for college. She was supposed to pick him up but never showed. He was concerned and agitated all at the same time. It turned out that she had simply forgotten her commitment to pick him up and had gone with some friends instead. I don’t know what the father had to say to his daughter when she finally showed up, but I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant.

Have you ever felt the same way that the father felt concerning God? Seemingly sitting on the curb in the midst of a frustrating situation and wondering when God is planning to show up. Maybe questioning whether He has forgotten you all together. I know that I have felt that way a few times. If you find yourself in tough times, it can be easy to feel alone. When you feel alone, all sorts of emotions can begin to creep in. Anger, loneliness, hopelessness, frustration, to name a few. We should always remember, though, that is probably exactly how the enemy would prefer us to feel.

Noah sure found himself in a spot that could have left him feeling those emotions. According to bible record, Noah was in the ark for approximately 379 days. One year and two weeks in a boat. The boat that was once the creation of God’s providence and love for Noah and his family was now a place of uncertainty. When would the time come for them to leave the boat? Would the flood waters ever subside? Had God gotten them in that boat and then just forgot? Although Noah was a righteous man, he was still a man. He did not know where he was. He did not know where he would end up. It may have felt to Noah that God had forgotten. But scripture tells us that God remembered. This is not to imply that he had at one time forgotten, but simply that when the moment was right, God moved.

For all of us, this is a powerful example of God’s love for us. God doesn’t forget his people. We are assured in the Book of Acts that “he is never far from us”. Sure we walk in low places from time to time. We struggle through seemingly treacherous valleys in life. It may seem as though God is nowhere around and that He is not coming. But God remembered Noah and the animals. He remembered the animals too.

Remember Luke 12:24… “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

No matter how long you are where you are, no matter how difficult it seems, God remembers you. He will not forget. He will move for you.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Ecclesiastes 11:4 “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”

I was shocked today to see that I missed a special week in the spring. March 2nd to 9th was National Procrastination Week. I know that procrastination is an issue with some people. I know it because I am an experienced procrastinator. I have many things for which I have adopted the philosophy of “why do today what can be postponed until tomorrow?” Still, an entire week for it? That is either major overkill or it’s a bigger issue than I realized.

I am sure that there are many reasons that people procrastinate, but this got me thinking about life decisions. It got me thinking about making pivotal moves in our lives. I wonder if, in these cases, it is because we define a personal set of conditions that need to be met before such decisions can be made.

The bible gives us several examples of procrastination. Jonah put off his trip to Nineveh. Gideon ran from his call to lead and made excuses. Felix sent Paul away, claiming that he would call for him in a more convenient season. Solomon puts it so simply in Ecclesiastes. It is as if he is saying “What are you waiting for?” So, what are we waiting for?

Waiting for that perfect moment may be more about making excuses. About creating obstacles that aren’t really there, placing the blame on an outside force that cannot be controlled. Saying things like, “When my kids grow up, I’ll go back to school” or “When my life settles down, I’ll stop smoking” or “Right after the new year, I’ll…(you fill in the blank)” Solomon warns us to stop waiting for that “perfect time” to make your next move. Perfect timing doesn’t exist. It’s fictional. You’ll wait forever for it.

Some of the greatest rewards in life may come after taking the greatest risks. Perfect conditions would eliminate the need for pure faith and trust in the provision and direction from God. He is the only one who determines the perfect time to move in our lives. If we are to live a life of purpose and make an impact upon those around us, we must stop putting things off and waiting for the ideal situation.

Christ did not invite Peter to join him on the water while they were calm, but in the midst of a great storm. Noah was not instructed to build an ark as storm clouds appeared. There was no ideal time for Moses to approach Pharaoh concerning the release of the Jewish slaves. Waiting for the “perfect moment” is an exercise in futility. It leads to disappointment and disillusion. That’s the point; it is not about the circumstances surrounding the promise that God has given each of us. It is about the promise. If we believe, then there is no better time than the present to pursue our destiny, to take that step of faith, or to live the life we were meant to live.

JUST LIKE CHRIST

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…”

Charles Caleb Colton, an English cleric, was the first to coin the phrase, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, in the early 1800’s. Still today, that statement holds true. So many young children today look up to star athletes, musicians, and actors. They want to be like them. They imitate them on playgrounds and stages all over the world. It is comical now but, when I was a child, I loved watching professional wrestling. It was much different then, just good old fashioned entertainment. I loved Ric Flair. I don’t know why, I just did. I remember pretending that I was Ric Flair and that my friends were my entourage. I imitated him because I enjoyed watching him so much that I wanted to be like him.

As believers, we are challenged by the Apostle Paul to be imitators of God. How can we be imitators of God? By living as Christ lived. No word better describes Christ’s mission on earth than love. His actions were motivated by obedience to his Father and love towards us. What a powerful challenge for each of us. If we are to imitate anyone, let it be God. And let that happen by living out a Christ-like life.

Two aspects of the Christian life are (1) knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and (2) living it out every day. The call to imitate God is a call to walk out or live out the will of God. In the previous chapter in Ephesians, Paul writes how we are different from the world and how we have been made new. Why should we imitate God? Because we are his children.

Every Wednesday my son has chapel at his school and every Wednesday he wears his chapel uniform. The uniform includes a button-up shirt and a tie (a clip-on, he’s only five). I, on the other hand, wear that type shirt and tie (not a clip-on) every day to work. Every Wednesday, my son asks his mother, “I look like daddy, right?” You see, he has connected that he is my son, that he belongs to me. And he wants to be like me, to identify with me.

As children of the most high God, we too, should hunger to identify with our Father. I John 4:8 says “God is love”. So, we are called to live a life of love, just like Christ. What a simple description of the Christian life… “A LIFE OF LOVE”. Everything about our lives should be characterized by love. Our thoughts, our motives, and our actions should be directed by love. From time to time, I must conduct a reality check of my own life. Are my thoughts towards others at my church, my job, or my community motivated by love? Are my words purified by love? This is a challenging truth, but it is our calling as Christians. Imitate God, love like Christ, and live in victory. If you do, you will find that every other guide on how to live is governed by this truth. And life will look much different.

HE IS ENOUGH

Lamentations 3:24 “The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will hope in him.”

Recently, my daughter made a decision that both surprised me and delighted me. After doing very well on back to back science tests, I told her that she could select her reward. I thought she would select a toy, maybe a trip for ice cream, or a few hours with a close friend. But what she requested warmed my heart. She said, “Daddy, I wanna go on a date with you, just me and you.” So my daughter and I spent an evening together. I was compelled to ask her why she chose this particular reward. She replied, “I just wanna be with you”. She was completely satisfied just sitting at the restaurant with me, going shopping with me, and hanging out with me. She did not ask for anything additional and did not become distracted at all. She had all that she wanted on that evening.

John Calvin once wrote, “For all who are not satisfied with God alone, are immediately seized with impatience.” Our level of true satisfaction with God is often measured in our most difficult moments.

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote the Book of Lamentations in the midst of great adversity. He leads us into a powerful truth. We cannot stand firm in difficult times, unless we are content with God and his favor. It must be enough. If it is not, we will find ourselves searching for supplemental hope that, in actuality, is a myth. Still, it sure seems like it is in adversity that our focus can sometimes shift away from God. I guess if we wait long enough and we struggle hard enough, desperation may creep in. When desperation is introduced, we will be tempted to look anywhere and everywhere for answers, for peace, for hope, for joy.

When we look at things apart from God, we are looking at perishable things. Jeremiah writes, “The Lord is my inheritance” some versions say “The Lord is my portion”. God is an inheritance that lasts forever. The key to living as if God is our portion is honestly feeling that God alone is enough. That he is our portion and inheritance. That is our hope. When we live with that paradigm, we look at life through the lens of God’s imperishable favor.

There is no need then to look elsewhere, no need to become restless in our faith, no need to be impatient. No matter what the adversity may be, when God is our portion, we know that it would be so much worse without him. We trust him to move at the right moment and in the perfect way. We don’t become discouraged when earthly things are lost. My daughter knew that she was the recipient of my paternal favor. Whatever I have is hers, so why worry, right? So to, should we as Christians rest in the paternal favor of God. He is our life in death, our light in darkness, our rest in turmoil, and our abundance in want. And that is enough.

FIRMLY PLANTED

Amos 9:15 “I will firmly plant them there in the land I have given them.”

I was recently watching a football game that was taking place in Chicago. There is a reason they call Chicago “The Windy City”. As the visiting team was preparing to kick off, the kicker placed the football on the kicking tee just the way he wanted, and then he turned his back to the ball and began walking back to his teammates. Within seconds, the home crowd applauded as the ball fell off the tee due to strong wind gusts. He put the ball back on the tee and turned around. It blew off again. This went on a couple more times and, with each time, the roars from the crowd grew louder and louder. Finally, the kicker summoned a teammate to come and physically hold the ball in place so that the game could resume.

I wonder if sometimes life kinda feels that way. Have you ever had your best laid plan fall apart due to an unexpected circumstance? I have, from time to time, felt like that frustrated kicker. Setting my plans, striving for my goals, working to make things happen. Only to have life bring up some “wind gust” and just blow it over. Much like the kicker, we must find the solution to accomplishing our task.

For believers, the solution lies in the hands of the one who fashioned our destiny from the beginning. According to Amos, God promises to “firmly” plant us into our destiny. The firmly, in this case, is an adjective which means “not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable”. God plants us within the framework of the promises He has given us and the destiny that is specifically ours. He does not lay us there. He does not cast us there. He does not flippantly point us in the direction. He firmly plants us there.

God’s promises are so sure for our lives that he places us so firmly that circumstances, in and of themselves, cannot move us. Just as the kicker had to summon another player to hold the ball, we must muster up our faith to hold us in place where we have been firmly planted by God. When the football tumbled over, the kicker could not say, “I’m not going to kick until the wind stops blowing” or “Can we move to another city?” or “I’ll just kick in another direction”. He found away to keep the ball steady.

Life may sometimes have a way of causing even God’s plans to look unsure to us. Trouble may come and the outcome may seem uncertain, but God is sure and He desires to place you firmly where you need to be. The next time the “wind blows” in your life, don’t pick up your ball and go home. Don’t doubt or fear. Don’t complain and grumble about the situation. Remember the promises of God. He gave them to you. In fact, he firmly planted you in a position to receive everything you’ve needed.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED

1 Peter 5:10 “the God of all grace…after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.”

I wonder how many times we have looked back over a tough period of life with disdain. If you are like me, perhaps you try to never remember, hoping that by blotting it out of your mind, you can remove past hurts. It is true that some wounds, if left unattended, can fester and hurt for much longer than they should. One truth about suffering is this… “It will happen”. Another truth about suffering is this… “It will pass” (if we allow God to heal us). Suffering and trouble are parts of life. They should not be, however, a way of life.

So for the believer, the real question should be, “how do we deal with suffering?” Not just while we are suffering, but before and after those tough moments. Peter, speaking to Christians that were being severely persecuted for their faith, offers encouraging words. He reminds them that God is a God of grace. He goes on to not shy away from the truth of their suffering. Then he looks ahead to the future and the restorative power of God. In effect he is saying, “Suffering is real and it hurts, but it will end. And afterwards, God will restore you. He won’t just send someone with an encouraging word, but He himself will make you strong.”
In the example of Peter, we as believers should always look at suffering in the light of God’s grace. Let us strive to believe that our moments of suffering are but for a little while, in light of the power of God’s restoration for us. And that the strength that will be poured into us after, will far surpass the impact of the original suffering. Let us always allow God to make us better because of what we have endured.

One version of the text says he will “settle you”. I have so many times heard the phrase “calm before the storm.” I am so thankful that God works to bring calm after the storm in our lives. With our hearts fixed upon God, suffering will transition us into a moment of strength and peace and lead us into the next big thing that God has in store.

The following passage speaks volumes concerning the role that suffering may play in our lives as long as those moments are surrendered to God:

A Creed for Those Who Have Suffered

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey...
I asked for health, that I might do great things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things...
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise...
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God...
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things...
I got nothing I asked for - but everything I had hoped for;
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!

-unknown Confederate soldier

FAITH OVER FEAR

Mark 4:40 “And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith.’?”

From where does fear originate? When do we start becoming afraid? Are we born with some innate fear that simply shows up in tough moments or is fear developed and cultivated over time? I don’t remember being afraid of much as a young child. Maybe the dark, but that’s about it. I don’t remember getting embarrassed easily. I don’t recall feelings of inadequacy. I do remember being willing to try new things. I do remember dreaming of great days ahead. I also remember jumping off porches onto trampolines, slides to monkey bars, and so on.

I have concluded that fear, especially spiritually speaking, is not a part of the person that God created. Paul taught Timothy that “God has not given us the spirit of fear…”(2 Timothy 1:7). So if it wasn’t there from the outset, where does it come from and when do we get it? In some cases, I guess, we become fearful due to past life experience. Recently, my youngest son came up with a fun game of jumping from one bed to the other in his bedroom. He did it for several weeks and each time we would stop him. But not too long ago, I heard him jump, then a thud, and a cry. When I reached his room, I found lying on his bed, bleeding from his forehead. A trip to the emergency room and three stitches, ouch! I haven’t heard him jump since. I believe he has learned some fear.

Isn’t it interesting how the enemy loves to use the “thuds” in our lives to teach us fear? Perhaps you were hurt in a relationship, and now you’re “afraid” to love again. Maybe you tried something and failed, and now you’re “afraid” to try again. Maybe you’ve been rejected, and now you’re “afraid” to speak up or offer your talents. No matter what circumstances introduced us to fear, it is certain, that fear lives and grows in a faithless atmosphere. When we lose touch with the truth of God’s love and providence for us, we become afraid.

In Mark Chapter 4, we find a definitive reprimand. In the aftermath of a terrible storm that could have capsized the boat and drowned them all, Christ asks “why are you afraid?” Then, he answers his own question, “You lack faith”. Make no mistake, they were in a storm and it was bad. Without Him, they probably would have perished. But the size of the storm meant nothing to Christ. It is like He is saying “faith abolishes fear”. You can’t live by faith and walk in fear. Let us all ask ourselves, “what I am afraid of?” Is it greater than God? Can it change what God has promised me? Can it separate me from His love? The answer is a faith-filled “NO”.

I don’t remember when I became fearful or what initially caused such fear. I do, however, know what causes me to live in fear,from time to time. Failing to walk in faith is scary. Let faith abolish your fear and face life with a new found peace and joy.