“Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:13-14) 

            Death happens. It happens as a result of the normal aging process, when disease invades the body, and it happens when tragedy strikes. In whichever manner death occurs, it causes a lot of pain and suffering for loved ones left behind. However, it’s hard to imagine any death bringing about questions of faith in God like a tragedy that takes a life seemingly way too soon. In those types of situations, how can we believe Romans 8:28? “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…”  How is it possible that suffering can be a path to glory? Though it happens, we must never view death or suffering as natural. In God’s world, they’re not. But they are realities and as Christians, suffering is often a greater one. When we suffer in any circumstance, but especially under tragic ones, how is it possible to still find satisfaction in God? In an article entitled, Preparing People to Suffer: What Expectations Do Our Sermons Create? John Piper addressed from a pastor’s perspective that very question, helping us not only in the case of suffering due to tragic circumstances, but suffering due to any circumstance at all. 

            “Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” In this section of Psalm 90, Moses appealed to God to pour out His grace so that people would find satisfaction in Him above everything, enabling them to rejoice all their days. Piper suggests that in times of personal suffering, the wise pastor cries the very cry of this passage and then preaches its truth to those he shepherds. This doesn’t mean that the hurt doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t mean that tragedy will not bring about questions. But what it does mean is that by the grace of God and by the Spirit of God we can accept the truths taught in Scripture, truths like Romans 8:28. It means we can be sure that God sees where we can’t, that His purposes are perfect, and that He is always working for our ultimate good.  

            Pastor’s have an awesome responsibility to preach the whole truth of God, including the reality of suffering. It may not be easy to preach and it may not be what people most want to hear, but it must be done. According to Piper, by teaching the reality of suffering and God’s sovereign goodness in and through it, when tragedy strikes, it leaves you needing only to embrace those in the midst of their pain.  I’m thankful for my pastor for his faithfulness in not dodging this difficult truth. I’m sure many in our congregation have been blessed because he didn’t. But this is not only a pastor’s responsibility; it is all of ours who minister in any manner. So be grateful for your pastor for preaching it and anyone else who teaches it. Because when they do, it not only better prepares you to deal with suffering in your own life, but also minister to others in theirs. And in times like today, we need it.   

 Prayer

Father, thank you for your Word and the faithful pastor’s dedicated to its exposition. It’s a struggle to grasp the difficult truth of suffering, but God, we know that you are good; you are good both in and through our suffering. The reality of suffering is a hard truth, but you have given us your Spirit that we may accept and praise you in the midst of these times. Help us to know that our satisfaction can only be found in you. Comfort all who suffer and embolden those who minister to them that you may be glorified.  Amen!

“…but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that Abraham had before he was circumcised” (Romans 4:12) 

            Paul uses chapter four of Romans to teach that our right standing before God comes through faith. The Jewish people struggled with faith alone being the measure of their right standing or justification before God. Many struggle with that today, as our natural tendency is to think and act as if we have to do something in order to be made right with God. That thought or action would be salvation by works, which is not the gospel. There are some important lessons from Romans 4. First, salvation by faith alone and not works was not something new that Paul was teaching. He used God’s own words concerning Abraham’s righteousness to prove that point (Genesis 15:6). Abraham was declared righteous prior to both the covenant of circumcision and the Mosaic Law. Second, Paul’s reference to the Old Testament of how Abraham, the most revered Jewish patriarch, was made right before God testifies to the unity of all of Scripture regarding salvation. A more subtle, but no less important point and lesson for each of us appears in verse twelve. What might we learn?

            “…but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that Abraham had before he was circumcised” Many Christians can point to the day they made a “decision for Christ”, the day they were “born again” and in that moment they were made right with God. But there is danger when we think of our conversion only as a past decision made at a fixed point in time. We should remember that moment was only the first step of a lifelong Christian walk. As we trace the footsteps of Abraham, though not always perfect, his were characterized by obedience. They were also always in response to what God had initiated. Salvation is always initiated by God and comes not through our works, but only through faith.  We would do well to think of our salvation not just as a fixed decision “for Jesus”, but as a continual walk of obedience to His prompting, knowing that He is walking with us. 

Prayer 

Lord, thank You for Abraham and the testimony of Scripture that salvation comes through faith alone. Too often, we act as if it results from our own works and righteousness. Help us realize that though we are made right with God in a moment, our Christian life is a walk that should be marked by obedience.  Obedience always follows true faith. Thank You for Jesus, our righteousness and for the Holy Spirit to help us do Your will each day. Amen.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”

           Temptation in this life never ends. Satan, the father of lies is pleased when we give into temptation. He knows that as a child of God he can’t change our relationship with our Heavenly Father, so he instead tries to break our fellowship with Him, while at the same time destroy our testimony before others. We have all faced temptation, but it’s hard to imagine any time in which temptation to sin and secular conformity has been greater than it is today. As adults, we face many temptations; in our careers, in our marriages, as we lead our families and in many other situations. Our children encounter temptation in the decisions they face; to conform to peer pressure in order to be accepted, whether or not to remain sexually pure until marriage, appropriate friendships plus many more. Though it may seem as if temptation has never been greater, human temptation began in the Garden and has been with us ever since. But temptation is not sin, so the question for us to ask is how we keep it from becoming so and suffering the painful consequences as a result of it.

            “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” Paul knew spiritual warfare was real and he knew those in the church at Ephesus faced their own temptations. Using the image of a Roman soldier, he set forth the means in which Christians can stand against these evil schemes. Notice in the passage that Paul says, “the whole armor of God”, both the defensive weapons to shield from attacks and the one offensive weapon, the “sword of the Spirit” or the Word of God. Paul used this image so the people in the church at Ephesus would know that the LORD had provided them all the spiritual resources necessary to stand firm.   

            As Christians, we must be fully armed to battle against the world today. That is because it’s not really the world we are battling, but “spiritual forces of evil” in which our world is just a pawn. Way too often, we battle temptation in our own strength. Instead of His armor, we put the armor of self help, a determined will or our best effort. The devil loves it when we clothe ourselves with that kind of armor because it spells our certain defeat. This battle can never be fought in the flesh. Our flesh is weak. But when you put on the whole armor of God; now that’s real power, power that comes from a Divine source; the Spirit of God working through His Word.  Why do we keep relying on our best efforts when they fail us over and over? Will we humble ourselves and realize we are no match for the enemy? Will we be weak enough to gain real strength, strength that comes from above? Paul knew God’s strength was magnified in his weakness, and his only surrender in battle was to his Savior, Jesus Christ. Isn’t it time you surrendered to Him as well?

 Prayer

Father, we need to trust your armor and not our own. I am of the flesh and sold under sin, but my heart’s desire is to please you. I renounce my own efforts in doing this because I realize that I am no match for the devils schemes. By the power of your Spirit through the power of the Word, let me be strong in the Lord and rely on the strength of His might.

“…that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4) 

         Our appreciation for something is often greatest when we consider the consequence of it never having been. There are people who don’t believe in the resurrection because there are people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ. There are also those who have a misperception of why Jesus came and who He claimed to be. This was also true in the Apostle Paul’s day. Paul was always concerned about the integrity of the gospel, emphasizing that the gospel he preached was that which he received from Christ. Of all the teaching in Scripture on the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15 is the most comprehensive. In this passage, Paul mentions three elements of the gospel: Christ’s death for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day. All of these elements are critical to Christ’s redemptive work, but His resurrection is what we prepare to celebrate this day. Consider for a moment where we would be without it.     

         “…that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” In this chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us the consequences of there being no resurrection. He says that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then preaching is in vain, faith is in vain, God is misrepresented, sin is not dealt with and all who have died “in Christ” have perished. He goes on to say that if it is only in this life that we hope in Christ then, “we are the most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Translation: If it is only in this life that we have hope in Christ, we can stay home on Sunday’s, throw away our Bible’s and live as we please because we’re hoping in something that isn’t real. Our hope for eternity is built on the resurrection and without it there is nothing or no one to hope in. But there is reason for our hope. The reason is because the Bible tells us that Jesus has been raised from the dead (1Corinthians 15:20).  

         In church today, the resurrection is the least alluded to aspect of Christ’s saving work. I’m not sure why that is so. Maybe we take it for granted? The resurrection is a necessary pillar of the Christian faith and its affirmation has everything to do with not only salvation and justification, but also biblical authority. It is often said that Jesus conquered sin on the cross, and I know what people mean when they say that, but His death alone is incomplete without His resurrection as this is how we are justified before God (Romans 4:25). The victory was completed when Jesus rolled away the stone and came out of the tomb. Though as a church we may only formally celebrate the resurrection once a year, as Christians we testify to it every Sunday and live it each day. As you consider and celebrate all that Christ has done, just as with His sinless life, His atoning death and His burial, thank Him for His defeat over the grave, His resurrection. Because of it we will never suffer the consequences of it never having been. But even more, thank Him for the resurrection because it speaks to the character of God. It not only confirms God accomplishing His plan, but also places the glory where it belongs, on Jesus Christ. Because of Him we have hope, not only for this life, but hope for all eternity. Worthy is the Lamb!    

Prayer 

God, I thank You for all of Jesus’ work in His life and death that saved me. My sin is that great. But God, today I especially thank You for His resurrection because without it, I am to be pitied and left without hope. But I have hope and that hope is in Christ alone. Help me to trust your Word as I live my life each day and as I testify about all of Jesus’ redeeming work. You are a great God and Savior.

“Pray then like this…” (Matthew 6:9) 

            Have you asked yourself why you don’t pray as often as you should, why your mind wanders when you do, and why you don’t pray expecting that God will answer? If you have, you’re probably not alone. Last year, I led a class through a study of twenty basic beliefs Christian beliefs. The study was based on the book Christian Beliefs by author and seminary professor, Dr. Wayne Grudem. The material to prepare for these classes included a video of Dr. Grudem teaching each lesson. One of the lessons was on prayer. Prayer is at the heart of a true relationship with God. Our Christian lives should begin with prayer, end with prayer and be filled with prayer everywhere in between. And it’s true that the degree to which we pray is an indicator of our trust in God. But like every other aspect of our Christian lives, prayer is subject to human imperfection and in need of God’s gracious work. 

              “Pray then like this…” In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus gave His disciples a model for prayer.  It is a model for us as well. Known as the Lord’s Prayer, the intent of Jesus’ teaching is that God’s preeminence and glory is to be central as we make our requests known to Him. Though often recited, neither this nor any other prayer should be a mindless repetition of phrases, but instead heartfelt communication with our heavenly Father. 

            The Bible teaches a lot about prayer and we learned much in this class: the purpose of prayer, the effectiveness of prayer, what it means to pray in Jesus’ name and things that hinder our prayers. All of it was tremendously fruitful. But as I watched the video in preparing for the class, I was mostly struck by Dr. Grudem’s personal reflection about prayer in his own life. He shared that on the front of his prayer journal was a note he had written to himself. It reads,   “Wayne, this is not wasted time, this is your work. This is where the work of the Kingdom is established and advanced”. Just before reading the note, in a very self reflective way he affirmed his belief in what he had written about prayer, but also his desire to believe it even more. The note was to be a constant reminder that prayer was not only necessary in preparation for his work in ministry, but was in fact the work itself. I was so encouraged by what Dr. Grudem shared. I hope you are. Like every other aspect of the Christian life, a life of prayer is one in which we will always be growing. It’s easy to become discouraged in areas where we fall short of what we desire and God deserves. But it’s also important to realize that this Christian life we live is a process of continual growth. We are never completely there on this earth. God knows that. So be encouraged when recognizing your prayer life is not all it should be and your desire that it be more. That is the Holy Spirit’s work in you. Now just follow His lead and take the steps to be more faithful. Seek the Lord daily in His Word, keep a prayer journal to help you be more deliberate in prayer, and naturally of course, pray. 

 Prayer

Father, thank you for the encouragement we get from others. It’s really from you. Thank you for your grace as we grow more into who you created us to be, and help us to strive more to that end. Let our striving always be out of a thankful heart. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps us in our prayers. As your children, let prayer be the context in which we live each day. It is never wasted time. Amen!