Words To Live By » Bulletin Insert

The Greatest Change In A Single Day

James McAlister — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

In the early 1860s, mail traveling by Wells Fargo stagecoaches took 20 days for the route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. But a single day, April 3, 1860, halved transit time when the Pony Express made its inaugural run.

Bankers and merchants delighted in this new ten-day service. Yet the Pony Express was destined to enjoy a short–but glorious–career. For even as fearless buckaroos streaked from station to station, other stalwarts steadily busied themselves stringing strands of copper, harbingers of greater change on the horizon.

All told, the Pony Express carried 37,753 letters on 308 runs over 616,000 miles. Though historical accounts vary somewhat, a telegraph line connecting Carson City, Nevada, to St. Joseph was completed on October 20, 1861, and two days later the Pony Express pastured its ponies. With the twist of two wires, the world changed again in a single day.

Then on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a final spike married the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad. Now connecting east and west, the transcontinental railroad ushered the stagecoach off stage.

Just last week an oak, stable and steadfast for the last 150 years, crashed to the ground, crushing four cars. Its violent plunge to earth sent power lines whiplashing, compelling a young man to eat dirt–or face decapitation. Our son’s close brush with death reminded us: change comes quickly.

And this very afternoon, heavy machinery lumbered into the long-vacant lot next door. The growls of great yellow beasts proclaimed instant change to field mice forced to yield habitat to yet another concrete slab.

New temporarily supplants old in a never-ending succession of leapfrogging.

But the greatest change in a single day cannot be called temporary. Propelled by neither twisted wire nor driven spike nor foot upon the moon, its impetus was a single stone, moved but a few brief feet.

Easter is coming soon. If ever a single day wrought dramatic upheaval, that displaced stone and empty tomb give testimony.

The Bible makes this terse announcement: “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Indeed, a man had come back to life, but such had happened before. But unlike His predecessors, this Man would never retreat to the company of the dead. His resurrection blazed a trail to eternity for an innumerable host to follow–one day.

And in the pattern established by telegraph and railroad, change encompassed far more than simple facts interpreted by eyes and ears. The overriding significance of this singular event resides in hopes yet unseen. Hopes of a meaningful conclusion to life, a new body, a reunion with loved ones, a just reward for labors, a home in heaven….

And for each one who personally embraces the hope of That Day, change is instant–and forever.

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Words Hold Remarkable Power

James McAlister — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:46:00 +0000

With each passing year I’m reminded how quickly my life is passing and how little I remember about the words, deeds and activities that seemed so important as they were happening. So this year I’m determined to do a better job of recording my journey, not only for my own benefit, but also for future generations who might learn from my mistakes and lessons learned. For in this life, our words, and the persons they represent, must be captured before time snatches the pen from our hands.

—

“I am but an ordinary Man. The Times alone have destined me to Fame–and even these have not been able to give me, much…Yet some great Events, some cutting Expressions, some mean Hypocrisies, have at Times, thrown this Assemblage of Sloth, Sleep, and littleness into Rage a little like a Lion.”

John Adams, the inveterate diarist soon to become our second president, penned this two-sided description of himself in 1779.

Bland in comparison to Adams’ writing, the bulk of my 30 years of sporadic journal entries lack sufficient sparkle to even lift themselves from the mundane: “Went to church.” Others memorialize comic absurdity. “Brudderman is ripping at the rug as if he still had claws.”

And much more rarely, significant emotion springs to life. “In yesterday’s early morning hours, an unexpected guest took us by surprise by quickly and quietly snatching away the precious daughter entrusted to us, to have and to hold, to guard and to protect, for almost 23 years. And in that single moment of visitation, Death changed our lives forever.”

Sparse though it be, my journal is the pen and ink ledger of how I have spent the days allotted me. Life and death, joy and sorry, forgiveness and bitterness, hope and despair–all are buried among words often jotted in spasms of duty.

A journal is a melting pot where disjointed thoughts may simmer until extracted and hammered into a strong and useful shape on the anvil of retrospect. The eye of experience, blind to grammar, spelling and punctuation, discerns the potential in the words.

Though never approaching Adams’ color, flair or intensity, my journal notations often illustrate a point he made to his distinguished son, John Quincy, that a diary “helps you focus in your life. It is the act of writing that causes the brain to come into focus and have insights you wouldn’t have otherwise.” Writing crystallizes and precipitates fuzzy thinking.

My journal chronicles the birth of dreams, hopes and aspirations, more often to death than to fulfillment. Occasionally, however, wandering tracks across the years magically converge on a path going somewhere in particular. When our son left home, for example, I handed him 50 typed pages of my journalized aspirations–with prayers that he would live up to them.

Written words have the remarkable ability to reach beyond the grave.

In his article “Writing Down Our Thoughts,”our friend Jim Elliff states, “We leave our thoughts to future generations when normally the preponderance of them, if not every last one of them, would have vaporized upon our death or mental decline.”

In the halls of eternity, another journal resides, awaiting notations.

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.”

But in this life, our words, and the persons they represent, must be captured before time snatches the pen from our hands.

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Four Hopes For The New Year

James McAlister — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:03:00 +0000

I post this article in anticipation of the New Year that is upon us. There are links at the bottom for both an audio message and a neatly formatted bulletin insert.

—–

How should we confront the difficult times life invariably brings? One way is to learn from those who have succeeded in similar straits. Joseph the patriarch faced incredible trials, and his life holds many lessons to give us hope. Let’s look at four.

DELIVERANCE IS COMING

At age 17 Joseph (one of 12 sons of Jacob) was cast into a pit by his brothers, who plotted to kill him. Why? Because Joseph was their father’s favorite, and he singled Joseph out for special favors. Plus, Joseph had two unusual dreams indicating that his family would eventually bow before him in subservience. And they hated him even more for his dreams.

The eldest brother, Rueben, actually opposed the plot and intended to rescue Joseph. Perhaps he might even have furtively whispered, “Don’t worry, my brother. I’ll get you out of this pit and restore you to your father.” But in Rueben’s absence, the others pulled Joseph from the pit and sold him to slave traders bound for Egypt. (Gen. 37:2-22).

Joseph received deliverance alright, but it didn’t come in an agreeable, expected way. What only God knew, however, was that Joseph had an unbreakable appointment 13 years later to stand before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to effect deliverance for those who hated him.

Has the hurtful sting of betrayal put you in a “pit”? Deliverance may not come when or how you envision it, but expect God to act on your behalf. (1 Cor. 10:13).

DELAY IS NOT DENIAL

A wealthy Egyptian, Potipher, purchased Joseph and soon put him in charge of his whole household. But when falsely accused by Potipher’s wife, Joseph was cast into prison and laid in irons. Despite his unfair circumstances, however, Joseph’s diligence motivated the chief jailer to make him supervisor of all the prisoners. (Gen. 39:21-23)

Then unexpectedly, when Joseph was 28, two fellow prisoners, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker, each had a puzzling dream. Joseph interpreted and gave the cupbearer good news: in three days he would be restored to his former position. But the baker would be executed. Desiring relief, Joseph implored the cupbearer, “Please remember me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.”
But even though events unfolded exactly as Joseph had said, the cupbearer forgot him, leaving him to languish in prison two more years doing his duty. (Gen. 40:1-23).

Perhaps you’ve asked God to release you from a painful trial and believe He’s forgotten because nothing has happened. His delay is not necessarily a denial of your request; the timing may not yet be right. Duty is what we do until deliverance comes.

YOU CAN HAVE A FRUITFUL FUTURE

When Joseph was 30, Pharaoh himself had two terrifying dreams. When none of his wise men could interpret, the cupbearer suddenly remembered Joseph, whom Pharaoh immediately summoned!
Stunned by Joseph’s insight, Pharaoh instantly made him Prime Minister and gave him a wife, who would eventually bear him two sons. The first he named Manasseh because “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second he named Ephraim, “For, “he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Gen. 41:51-52).

Able to forget even the treachery of his own brothers, Joseph could look to the fruitful work God had planned for him.

Have bitter circumstances caused you to expect nothing better or different in the future? On the contrary, your future can bear much good fruitâ€”but you must assuredly set aside the bitterness of the past.

GOD’S PLAN IS BETTER THAN YOURS

At age 56, Joseph took his two sons to his dying father to be blessed, but instead of following the customary, accepted procedure, Jacob placed his right hand on the head of the younger Ephraim. This deviation greatly displeased Joseph, who immediately attempted to “fix” his father’s “mistake” by grasping Jacob’s hand to move it to Manasseh’s head. But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know…. However….” (Gen. 48:14-19).

Though physically blind, Jacob’s spiritual eyes had seen what Joseph could not see and overrode Joseph’s plan and desire for his firstborn son.

Have your plans not worked out as you thought they should and left you facing outcomes you’d wished to avoid? Perhaps God has said “however” to your plan because He sees what you cannot, and His way will indeed be better than yours in the long run.

Joseph experienced hard times much like ours: jealous betrayals, unfairness, unfaithful friends, tedious delays, and undesirable turns of events. But despite all of these, he grew and succeeded because of an unswerving trust and confidence in God. That should give us hope for ourselves, no matter what we must face.

(Note: A detailed audio version of this message is available here)

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Thoughts For Thanksgiving

James McAlister — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:33:00 +0000

In an era not so long ago, our country was being ripped asunder by internal turmoils and differences–much as it is today.

Yet even in the midst of the darkness of civil war, Abraham Lincoln cast a ray of hope that the nation might once again have “full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

We would do well to review some key thoughts of Lincoln’s proclamation of October 3, 1863, which set the precedent for our national Thanksgiving holiday.

“The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God….

“Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore … No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens … to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience … fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

As in Lincoln’s day, our nation’s deep wounds beg to be healed. Peace, harmony and tranquillity cry for restoration. Our moral compass pleads for calibration.

Perhaps it’s time to move our Thanksgiving holiday beyond feasting, fellowship and football. Perhaps it’s time to embrace Lincoln’s advice to observe a “day of thanksgiving and praise … with an attitude of humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience”?

The results might be surprising–and enduring.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.- 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Prayer That Changes Things

James McAlister — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:48:34 +0000

Despite my best intentions, I’ve often been disappointed in the lack of results from my praying. Since the death of my wife, however, I can honestly report more effectiveness than in any previous recollection.

But why? Perhaps because the trauma of death forced a shift in focus. Presenting God with only a list of needs no longer satisfied because I usually didn’t even know what to ask for in my extremity. Prayer has now become more of a closer relationship with the One who has invited me to come boldly before His throne and find mercy and grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16).

What I describe here won’t necessarily be a pattern for others to follow exactly but simply an observation about how God seems to be working in this season of my life through three intertwining processes:

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD

When my son was small, he’d often ask me for things. And while I’d certainly grant some of his requests outright, what I really wanted to do was communicate with him so that we could understand each other and mutually arrive at the best decision. So we’d talk about the request and all its ramifications.

Thus my approach to God–my communication with Him– has largely taken the form of ongoing verbal conversations throughout the day. I literally speak aloud to God and explain puzzlements, issues, needs, anxieties, disappointments, sorrows, frustrations, loneliness, etc., as if confiding in a close personal friend from whom I withhold no secrets. I also ask questions and make requests. He understands, and verbalization (coupled with my Bible reading, of course) helps me gain clarification and insight.

This is reminiscent of conversations I used to have with my wife. We often rambled far afield from the original issue until we came to a resolution. There was seldom any quick fix.

CRYING OUT TO GOD

More so than ever before, I find my prayers punctuated by tears–real, hot and salty. They come without being beckoned and add urgency to my supplications. Does this make any difference? Perhaps. What parent won’t immediately attend to the needs and hurts of a weeping child? When Hezekiah cried out to God in deep distress of soul, God replied, “I have heard your prayers; I have seen your tears.” (Isa. 38:5). The combination found favor in heaven.

And though He was sinless and perfect, even Jesus Himself offered up prayers and supplications with loud cryings and tears–and was heard. (Heb. 5:7).

Tears often spring from a broken heart, and it’s comforting to know that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” He sees and hears me right where I am. (Psa. 34:17-18).

COUNTING ON GOD

Pray without expecting an answer and you won’t likely be disappointed. We must actively, expectantly, persistently count on God to do all He has promised: to meet our needs (Php. 4:19), to give us wisdom (Jas. 1:5), to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and so much more. But far too often the seeming impossibility of a situation causes me to doubt. God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2), and I must learn to count on Him to be true to His word.

If I pray according to His will, He will both hear and answer. (1 Jn. 5:14-15). When I’m unsure of His will, I consider some questions. For example, is my prayer in alignment with the clear principles of scripture? Is it consistent with how God has acted before? Is it a good thing that would bring glory to Him and advance His kingdom?

While not perfect, such thinking helps persuade me that if I don’t know of any reason why He shouldn’t answer my request, I pray with confidence that He will. But what if I’m wrong? Then I count on the Holy Spirit to intercede for me according to the will of God. (Rom. 8:26). Thus I don’t have to pray without expecting results and can count on God to do what’s best.

You may get the idea that praying this way might be tedious and drawn out. It can be. Or that it might be emotional and intense. Certainly. Or perhaps even bold and aggressive. Yes.

Prayer indeed changes things, and the greatest changes I’ve seen have been in me. Pray, and you can expect the same.

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He Still Moves Stones

James McAlister — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:56:55 +0000

A stone presented a formidable problem that first resurrection morning. Massive and threatening, it blocked the entrance to Jesus’ tomb for the women needing to anoint His body. “Who will move it for us?” they puzzled–but found no answer.

When they arrived at the garden, however, astonishment gripped their hearts. The stone had already been set aside, allowing them to enter the tomb. But the dead Jesus they expected to find was not there! Risen, an angel told them, just as He had said.

That great stone of worry, the deepest of concerns in the early morning hours, had been rolled away for their benefit, not His. And on the inside of the empty tomb they discovered not the worst of their expectations, but the best. Though Jesus had promised to rise from the dead, they hadn’t believed… until the stone was moved. Then gripped by both fear and joy, they raced to tell others.

This was not the first stone to conceal a great work of God from those who desperately needed deliverance and relief. It had happened before at the tomb of Lazarus. Because of that stone, the family couldn’t see in, nor did they want to. After four days of death, putrefaction and stench on the other side of the stone surely awaited them. Or so they thought.

But Jesus had promised, “Your brother will live again.” Still, they hadn’t believed… until He moved the stone. Then Lazarus, dead just moments before, walked out of his dark tomb into a bright new life.

The glimpse of resurrection and life eternal foreshadowed with Lazarus was secured when Jesus Himself passed from death into life; not even an immovable stone could hold Him there.

Stones persist today and gain their power in the same way as they did in the time of Jesus: our reluctance and refusal to believe what He has said. For me, ominous stones of fear, confusion, doubt, bitterness and a host of their companions have repeatedly entombed my future and outlook in darkness and blinding hopelessness.

But He still moves stones, and for every one that has gained ascendency there’s a life-giving promise begging me for belief and obedience. Am I anxious? He promises peace that passes understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7). Am I confused? He promises wisdom. (James 1:5).

The empty tomb of Jesus on that first resurrection morning paints this picture of truth: a stone is powerless in the face of promise. And on the other side of the stone we will discover not the worst of expectations, but the best. He lives, and so shall we–for time and eternity.

HE STILL MOVES STONES

Both Death and Darkness ruled the day
Around the tomb where Laz’rus lay.
Cried Jesus in authority,
“Remove the stone and set him free!”

Have stony trials progressively
Extinguished hopes of victory?
Embrace His word triumphantly:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

Have stones of fear, confusion, doubt
Destroyed your faith and burned you out?
Then look to Him expectantly:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

Are your dreams blocked or gone astray
By stones of hindrance in the way?
His Spirit will bring clarity:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

(Refrain)
He still moves stones, so give Him glory!
He still moves stones to change your story!
What e’er your trial or loss or need
If there’s a stone, He wants you freed.

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The Greatest Understatement Ever Made

James McAlister — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Inconspicuously penned like a hurried postscript to a lengthy letter, we find what is perhaps the greatest understatement ever made, unadorned and unpretentious. The sum total of this incomprehensible little notation expends only five words in the Bible: “He made the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16).

The naked eye can discern only about 3,000 stars at any one time. But the heavens’ vast expanse extends far beyond the horizon of physical perception to embrace an estimated 200 billion billion stars in the known universe.

Struggles to visualize just a single billion, much less billions of billions, incite my puny brain cells to rebel. A billion dollar bills placed end to end, for example, would circle the globe about four times. And if I could continuously pick up one bill per second, it would take me almost thirty-two years to become a billionaire.

Scientists have assigned names to only a few stars. But man’s inability to catalog the heavens’ immenseness thwarts not God: “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” (Psalm 147:4). And of the blessing in store for the patriarch Abraham, He would encourage, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them…. So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5).

For a moment, ponder the unseen vastness of the heavens that God pointed Abraham to. About 30,000 light-years separate Earth and the center of the Milky Way, the galaxy to which our solar system belongs. And each light-year equates to 5.88 trillion miles, roughly 63,000 times the distance to our sun.

Though 100 billion stars supposedly comprise the Milky Way alone, estimates point to more than a billion galaxies. The Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbor resides about 200,000 light-years distant. This seemingly unending expanse of stars is one of the yardsticks of God’s limitless mercy toward us. “The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy is everlasting.” (Psalm 136:9).

In his hymn “The Love of God,” Frederick Lehman penned, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell….” And of God’s concern for man, Israel’s King David likewise declared, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

In moments of discouragement, should I not praise God to the same degree that His creation praises Him? “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light!” (Psalm 148:3).

And is He not able to take care of me in the ensuing months, even though they be pockmarked by tribulation, turmoil and terroristic threats? Undoubtedly, for “He made the stars also.”
(Updated 2007)

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What It Means To Pray In The Name Of Jesus

James McAlister — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:05:00 +0000

“If you ask anything in my name,” Jesus promised, “I will do it.” (John 14:14). What an incredible confidence this should infuse into prayer! But do we tap the power and potency of heaven simply by tacking the words “in Jesus’ name” onto the end of our prayers? No. There’s more involved.

Let me explain from personal experience.

Years ago a man named Bill Cavanaugh put me in charge of a large construction project. “I’m counting on you to get this job finished on time and within budget,” he admonished. “I trust you to do whatever the situation requires, and I’ll back you up in your decisions. But come to me quickly if you encounter trouble you can’t handle.”

As difficult and knotty problems invariably arose, I’d exert my influence as project manager to effect the necessary resolutions. But when my name and title weren’t sufficient, I’d use the name of the one who had sent me. I’d say something like this: “Bill Cavanaugh wants this done, and if you can’t help or won’t help, I’ll have to report that back to him.”

Invariably, roadblocks suddenly melted away. But why? Because I’d invoked the name of one who had both the authority and power to make things happen. I didn’t do this lightly. I could legitimately use his name because I was carrying out his express will, I clearly understood his plan and purpose, and I had his promise to back me up in the commission he had given me. And in my confident use of that name, the individuals on the other side of the problem knew that I was assured of the outcome. Bill Cavanaugh had said so, and I believed him.

So when we ask of the Father in the name of Jesus (John 15:16), it’s much the same concept. We do so with a firm and clear understanding of the will of Jesus, of His plan and purpose, and with assurance that He will back us up as we seek to carry out the commission He’s given.

I like to visualize what might be happening in heaven whenever I boldly go before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). When I make my petition to the Father in the name of Jesus, I envision my Intercessor and Advocate, himself seated at the Father’s own right hand, make an appeal on my behalf. “Father, this request is in my will and my plan, and this child of mine is endeavoring to do what I’ve asked him to do. I back him up in this matter and ask that you grant his request–right now.”

Then with the Father’s speedy and resolute “So be it!” the answer is dispatched, and I have what I requested. Nevertheless, I understand from Daniel’s experience (Dan. 10:12-13) that there may be stern resistance from evil but unseen principalities and powers in the heavenly realms to prevent a timely delivery of that answer.

And just as the name of Jesus gives me access to the Father, it also affords me authority over these invisible enemies against whom the Apostle Paul assured I would wrestle. (Eph. 6:12). Then persist I must, as Daniel did, until the answer shows up.

I can be confident that the Father will grant any petition according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). And when I properly invoke the name of Jesus in prayer, I announce to the unseen spiritual world that I am not only assured of the outcome, but also that the One whom the Father exalted far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named (Eph. 1:21) will back me up with the power, authority and influence embodied in His name.

Jesus said so, and I believe Him.

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The Fierce Foe Of Difficult Times

James McAlister — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:05:00 +0000

I face an enemy daily, sometimes hourly. Perhaps you know him, too.

Many are his names. So ubiquitous, so pervasive, so insidious is he that the New Testament identifies him six times as “Losing Heart.” Losing Heart invites us to embrace discouragement, agree to quitting, welcome defeat. His solicitations demand from us an emphatic “No!”

Perhaps it would be a boost to see some of the ways Losing Heart finagles a foothold–and the remedy we have in each case.

UNFAIR CIRCUMSTANCES

Jesus taught a parable about a widow who was being unfairly oppressed. Unfortunately, her only recourse was to repeatedly appeal her case to an unrighteous judge who neither feared God nor respected man. Deciding ahead of time to do nothing for her, he permitted the unfairness to linger exceedingly before eventually relenting to her continued solicitations.

But why did Jesus choose this seemingly peculiar story as an object lesson? To teach his followers to pray–despite tenacious unfairness–without losing heart.

Interestingly, encapsulating the lesson in “mathematical” form reveals both problem and solution: Unfair Circumstances minus Prayer equals Losing Heart.

UNFRUITFUL LABORS

As life experience mounts, our eyes adjust to other ways Losing Heart mounts his attacks. Parents toil to instill a particular trait into a child but observe no favorable result. A hard-working employee grieves when the big promotion goes to a less-qualified cohort. A layoff comes, dashing decades of faithful service in a moment. Sometimes labor just don’t seem to bear good fruit, does it?

The Apostle Paul addressed this issue: “Whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap.” And though the natural inclination is to interpret these words in the negative sense, his next statement proves the thrust to be decidedly positive. “Do not lose heart, for in due time you will reap if you do not grow weary.” Persist in sowing good seed even when the fruit isn’t immediately manifest; it may come in a different season. Don’t surrender. Don’t abandon hope. Unfruitful Labor minus Persistence equals Losing Heart.

UNWANTED SUFFERING

My enemy’s third face has proven the most difficult for me, so I’ve saved it till last. Suffering brings tears, so who wants suffering?

Paul and suffering often traveled hand in hand; they knew each other well. In one passage he reports, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” But the apex comes thusly: “Therefore we do not lose heart, for though the outer man is perishing, yet the inner man is being renewed day by day; the things which we can see are temporary, but the things we can’t see are eternal.”

That’s perspective! What’s happening on the inside is of more enduring significance than temporary external circumstances. Unwanted Suffering minus Perspective equals Losing Heart.

—–

When I shared these thoughts at a high school graduation ceremony not long ago, I knew the graduates couldn’t possibly comprehend until later in life. But I had no idea that within just six months this enemy of Losing Heart, emboldened by cancer, would be roaring his way through our lives.

To those who may be in similar straits–physical, emotional or spiritual–I offer this: though your enemy rise up against you a thousand times, resist him. He will back down. He can’t win the war without breaking your will to go on.

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Drinking From The Bitter Waters

James McAlister — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:20:00 +0000

By many miracles, God delivered Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. Immediately thereafter, they were three days in the wilderness without water. When they did find at Marah the water they had desperately sought, it was bitter (Exodus 15:22-25). How would they respond to this disappointment?

Not understanding this test from God, they grumbled at Moses, “What shall we drink?” As captives, cruel taskmasters had driven them for 400 years. Now they would have to learn to be led in order to survive. And the first place God took them was to bitter water in a barren wilderness. Moses cried out to God, who did yet another mighty work by making the bitter water sweet.

Israel eventually moved on to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms. This was assuredly a pleasant place to camp, for the water must have been sweet and refreshing. But there is no record of any great work of God being done at Elim.

According to Charles Spurgeon, “The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.” Affliction is just another name for bitter water.

Puritan Samuel Rutherford’s thought is compelling: “If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose.

“And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a close room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps, and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.”

As I write this today, I reflect on the bitter waters of my own life. I recall first tasting them at the birth of our daughter, Jenny, the child expectant parents pray not to have. Blind and profoundly retarded, she set us on a course we would never have chosen. But at the bitter waters we found immense blessing God had poured out for us there. Then Jenny’s unexpected death 22 years later compelled us drink again–and for our good.

Today we’re poised beside the bitter waters once more, seeking treatment for a rare form of cancer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Another difficult path not of our choosing.

But the question arises: would we be used of God. Then we should expect Him to repeatedly lead us to bitter water. In such times will we grumble, or will we cry out for Him to make even that noxious water sweet? I’m ashamed to say that I have a secret desire to “camp at Elim” and (as Isaac Watts wrote) “be carried to the skies on flow’ry beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas.”

Assuredly, God will not throw open the shutters to flood us with the light of heaven until He first “blows out our lamps” by leading us to bitter water. I pray that He would be gentle.

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