Archive for April, 2008
Storms in St. Joseph…
April 10th, 2008 | 3 Comments | Posted in » My Life / Family, Prayer Requests
No Bible in a Year post tonight… it’s been a bit hectic around here!
We had a pretty severe storm pass through St. Joseph about 8:30, knocking out electricity to several thousand St. Joseph residents. Worse, the storm brought strong winds, and possibly a tornado, and damaged quite a few homes and businesses on the south side of our town.
The prayer request tonight is not just generic to those affected by the storm, but specific to a family whose home was destroyed by the storm. Their kids have been attending our church, so please lift them up in prayer tonight!
UPDATE: My friend Jodi Brager knows this family very well (she ministers to their kids through Southside Youth Outreach) and was with them last night following the storm. She shares more on her blog here. It truly is a miracle that all 11 members of this family survived!
Bible in a Year… Day 67 (Job 19-20)
April 9th, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Bible in a Year
Job 19 presents a powerful example of faith for us. Check it out…
The chapter starts with Job describing his situation…
Job 19:8-21 (NIV)
8He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.9He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.10He tears me down on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope like a tree.11His anger burns against me;
he counts me among his enemies.12His troops advance in force;
they build a siege ramp against me
and encamp around my tent.13“He has alienated my brothers from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.14My kinsmen have gone away;
my friends have forgotten me.15My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger;
they look upon me as an alien.16I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
though I beg him with my own mouth.17My breath is offensive to my wife;
I am loathsome to my own brothers.18Even the little boys scorn me;
when I appear, they ridicule me.19All my intimate friends detest me;
those I love have turned against me.20I am nothing but skin and bones;
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.21“Have pity on me, my friends, have pity,
for the hand of God has struck me.
But it’s ending? Incredible faith.
Job 19:25-27 (NIV)
25I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.26And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;27I myself will see him
with my own eyes — I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
How often do you respond to trouble in such a manner? Appealing to what you know rather than what you feel in the moment… that our Redeemer lives, and that regardless of our situation, His plans and purposes will rule? That after we pass from this world, we will be with God as a result of our faith and trust in Jesus?
I’m just amazed by Job’s continued faith in spite of trouble… trouble most of us can’t imagine, no less.
Bible in a Year… Day 66 (Psalm 27-29)
April 8th, 2008 | Comments Off | Posted in » Bible in a Year
Well, I’m back from the fishing trip / men’s retreat now, so it’s time to get back to the normal blogging schedule with Bible in a Year. We’re in Psalm 27-29 today, but Psalm 28 stands out to me.
When is the last time you felt as David did… crying out to God, desperately needing to hear from Him? Asking for God’s mercy and assistance? Wondering if He’ll really answer?
Verses 1-2 capture these feelings and pleas well…
Psalm 28:1-2 (NIV)
1To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.2Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
When we finally do hear from God, it’s an amazing thing… our hearts are almost instantly filled with joy and praise… whatever depression, despair, hurts or pains that were there, suddenly gone.
Check out how verses 6-7 describe the moment…
Psalm 28:6-7
6Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.7The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
We definitely need to hear from God regularly, not only for direction in our lives, but also simply for our well-being.
Why Me?
April 8th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies, My Life / Family
“Why Me?”
How many of us have asked that question? Yeah… just about everyone. Generally when we’re down and out about something… lamenting our circumstance or situation… when we’re wallowing in self-pity.
It’s really not a bad question though… when applied in a healthy manner.
I wonder… have you ever asked that question of God in regard to your salvation? “Why me, God?” “Why would you save me?”
In a way, it’s kind of a dangerous question, because I don’t think we can ever really know precisely why God chose us or allowed us to be saved… we’re bound to end up a bit frustrated if we’re looking for a specific reason why us. Romans 9:18 answers it generically…
18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Who can know the mind of God? Certainly not you and I.
But there’s another angle to the “why me?” question that all of us need to seek an answer to. Not why God chose us, but the practical implication of His choice.
For what purpose have I been saved?
That’s a question I came face to face with yesterday while enjoying the solitude of a still cove of Lake Taneycomo. Why me? Why would God save me? For what purpose has He chosen to rescue me from sin? What specifically should I do with my life to follow God’s direction rather than my own? What areas of my life am I holding back from Him?
I’ll be honest, I only have a few answers to those questions. Most likely, that’s all you’ll have too. God rarely shows us everything at once.
But we’ve got to ask anyway, even knowing that we may not get the full picture.
You see, God didn’t save us from sin so we could sit on our rear ends and wait for Him to take us to heaven one day. He didn’t save us so we could sit in a church, safe from everything in the world. He has a unique plan and purpose for each of us… a unique role in this world He wants us to assume… a marvelous adventure in store for each of us as we play our part in the story He’s writing.
Go ahead… ask Him. Find a place of peace and solitude, open your heart, and ask…
Why me?
Gone Fishin’…
April 4th, 2008 | Comments Off | Posted in » Church Stuff..., My Life / Family
In just a couple hours, I’ll be headed south to Lake Taneycomo in search of these…
From what I’ve heard, the fishing is phenomenal right now!
Of course, the fishing is just one part of my church’s men’s retreat… we’ll be doing a bit of Bible study too, and will have a great time of worship Sunday morning by the lake. Should be a ton of fun! 
Anyway, what this means for all of you that follow Toward the Goal is that you won’t be hearing from me for a few days. I trust that those of you participating with Bible in a Year will stick with it while I’m away, and that the rest of you… well… you know I’ll be back.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Bible in a Year… Day 61 (Isaiah 45-50)
April 3rd, 2008 | Comments Off | Posted in » Bible in a Year
Back in Isaiah today… Notes follow.
Isaiah 45:9-12 (NIV)
9“Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
’What are you making?’
Does your work say,
’He has no hands’?10Woe to him who says to his father,
’What have you begotten?’
or to his mother,
’What have you brought to birth?’11“This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?12It is I who made the earth
and created mankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts.
I don’t know about you, but I’m prone to whining in prayer… to complaining to God about things I struggle with consistently, things I’m unhappy about, things I grow tired of… I’m just generally very frank with God in prayer.
While I think that’s a good thing (after all, we can’t hide ANYTHING from God), I wonder if many of us (again, I’m chief among sinners here) take that a bit too far. God created us as we are… allowing us to experience certain things and have certain weaknesses. I tend to believe those things are intended to teach us to rely on God for strength… yet we whine and complain about them?
This Scripture passage is a pretty solid reminder of our place in the universe. Just created beings, with no real right to question God the creator.
Humbling, isn’t it?
Bible in a Year… Day 60 (Job 17-18)
April 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off | Posted in » Bible in a Year
Back to Biblical poetry today… Job 17-18.
As I read chapter 17, I’m struck by the seeming randomness of Job’s words. He starts by expressing the hurt he is experiencing, not only due to the suffering of his situation, but also due to the “comfort” of his friends.
Job 17:1-2 (NIV)
1My spirit is broken,
my days are cut short,
the grave awaits me.2Surely mockers surround me;
my eyes must dwell on their hostility.
Job continues with pleas to God, and then returns to expressions of hurt and then resolve…
Job 17:7-9 (NIV)
7My eyes have grown dim with grief;
my whole frame is but a shadow.8Upright men are appalled at this;
the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.9Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,
and those with clean hands will grow stronger.
… and closes with one of the ultimate expressions of his pain.
Job 17:15 (NIV)
15where then is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
I understand what happens when we go through pain and sorrow… we react in a number of different ways, often within short spans of time. Anger… hurt… despair… frustration… immense sorrow… questioning God (why?)… all of these run through our hearts and minds. To see these same reactions in Job here in Scripture just makes this passage all the more real to me.
It’s comforting to know that God allows us to react in accordance with our many emotions. He doesn’t lose patience with us… he simply allows us to feel what we naturally do and respond to Him… even with questions and pleas that may not seem all that right when given a second thought.
Such is the love of God.
He understands our pains and hurts, and allows us to vent. And when our hearts are ready… generally after he softens them supernaturally… He comforts us.
Amazing, isn’t it?