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 ”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”                       2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Years ago, my wife and I went through a major trial that lasted for years.  This trial concerned a loved one that made the situation emotional and extremely painful.  We tried repeatedly to find someone who had gone through a similar trial hoping to get some encouragement and direction but this was to no avail.  Therefore, we had to continually go to the Lord and pour our hearts and tears out to him.

I would search the Scriptures daily looking for answers.  I remember finding the verses above from 2 Corinthians that opened my eyes to perhaps a purpose for my trial.  Because I was searching for words of comfort, these verses were especially appealing.  I wanted God’s comforting words.  I wanted the Lord to tell me that it was going to be all right.

He made me see instead of taking away the tribulation, He would comfort me so that I would be able to endure it.  Moreover, He made me to understand that He wanted to equip me in such a way that, someday, I could be used to comfort others who would be going through a similar situation.  At that point, my wife and I got on our knees and reaffirmed our commitment to the Lord by offering our lives to Him for this purpose.  At the time, I did not know that what He had in mind was to make me a pastor so He could fulfill this verse many times over.

Looking back, I know that had I not been allowed by God to experience those years of distress, I would not be serving the Lord in this manner today.  During that prolonged time, God, through His word, purged the many years of fleshly living and began filling me with His Spirit.  Trials, especially severe ones, are never pleasant.  But seeing the outcome and purpose of God, I have to say I would go through another one again.

I have since come to understand that God primarily expresses His love through His chosen vessels.  Before He can do that, He must have complete possession of those vessels in such a way that they are holy and habitable for His Holy Spirit.  God is looking for people who want to follow Jesus so He can inhabit them and pour His love and life through them to touch others.  May the Lord fill you with His grace and love so that you too will have this desire to be used by Him.

www.GrowingThruGrace.com

Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.  Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”  And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”  So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.  And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”     Nehemiah 4:9-14

God does not desire for any of us to walk in confusion or fear, which are tactics Satan uses against God’s people.  We see these tactics employed throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Sanballat and Tobiah, enemies of God and His people, attempted to slow down the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem – or stop it altogether – by causing confusion and fear among the workers.  They hoped that confusion would lead to a decrease in productivity, and that fear would deflate the morale of God’s people in order to make them unable to finish the work at all.

Maybe today you feel that your life is marked by confusion.  Things are not making sense, not falling into place, and you feel paralyzed by confusion. Let me encourage you; any confusion you are experiencing is not from the hand of God, “for God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).  No, confusion is a scheme of the devil that is intended to keep you from God’s peace and interfere with His plan for your life.

And maybe today you feel fearful about an upcoming change, a decision you face, or the unknown in general.  Let me again encourage you from Scripture.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.     2 Timothy 1:7

The Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid.  Through His Son, He has given us perfect love, which casts out all fear. 

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.   1 John 4:18

Discipleship Class II – (Note – class will be taking a break and will resume TBD) at 8:45 a.m. John Haney will be teaching Class II—Grow.  Class II will be held in a room TBD.  Please see John if you would like to sign-up and to get your book.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14

You don’t need a license or a diploma to become a father, yet the job description is one of the toughest imaginable.  According to Scripture, a father encourages and comforts his children, urging them to “live lives worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).  He is charged with the instruction (Proverbs 1:8-9) and discipline (Hebrews 12:10) of his offspring.  He is expected to provide “good gifts” for his children (Matthew 7:9-11).  Harder still, a father must not “exasperate” his children as he does these things.  Instead – and most important of all -  he is to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

In the face of these enormous responsibilities, you may feel like a high school dropout interviewing for a job as a nuclear physicist – you know that your resume doesn’t measure up!  But don’t be discouraged.  Scripture tells us that our heavenly Father will assist us in each of life’s heavy responsibilities:  “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs” (Isaiah 58:11).  You can depend on almighty God, the Father of all fathers, for strength in every parenting challenge – no matter what your qualifications might be.

“I long to obey your commandments!  Renew my life with your goodness.”  Psalm 119:40

Everything on earth needs renewal from time to time, for no created thing continues forever by itself…  “The cedars of Lebanon that [God] planted” (Ps. 104:16) live only because they are full of sap freshly drawn day by day from the earth.

Neither can human life be sustained without renewal from God.  Just as it is necessary to restore the body’s energy with frequent meals, we must reenergize the soul by feeding on God’s Book, by listening to the Word being preached, and by observing the soul-strengthening sacraments.

Without constant renewal and restoration, we are not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, the afflictions of heaven, or even the stresses and strains within us.  When the whirlwind is unleashed, woe to the tree that has not absorbed fresh sap from the earth and grasped the rock below with many intertwined roots.

May we draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble prayer, for only then will we realize the fulfillment of the promise: “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength” (Isa. 40:31 NIV).

-Charles Spurgeon in Evening by Evening: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon

When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me…”  Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way.  My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him.  The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature.  The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul - “When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] amon g the Gentiles…”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion.  But strictly speaking, there is no call to that.  Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God.  Service becomes a natural part of my life.  God brings me into the proper relationship with himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love.  Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God.  Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature.  Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear his call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service.  The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’   And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and the obey him!’     Luke 8:24-25

Storms are quite common on the Sea of Galilee.  Although the lake stretches only five miles wide and thirteen miles long, its perils are infamous.  The reason?  Its unique geography.

The lake lies at an incredible distance below sea level and stares up at mountains creased with deep ravines.  The ravines serve as gigantic funnels that bring winds whirling down upon the lake without notice.  A thermal buildup in the extremely low valley sucks cold air violently downward, often strengthening these gales.

One of those very violent storms engulfed the disciples one day after Jesus told them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22).  Soon after they launched, Jesus fell asleep.  A windstorm quickly swept down on the lake and began to swamp their boat.  The panicky disciples shook Jesus awake and shouted, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (verse 24).

It’s interesting to note that although the fury of the storm did not awaken the Lord, the frightened cries of His disciples did.  In one sense, Jesus had fallen fast asleep, but in another sense, He had not.  For God does not “sleep on the job.”  He is ever vigilant, watching over His beloved children.  “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep,” says the psalmist (Psalm 121:4).

Once awakened, Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and the raging waters.  “Peace, be still!”  He commanded (Mark 4:39).  That’s a pretty unusual way to deal with a storm, don’t you think?

But the fact is, Jesus recognized that this particular storm came from the devil himself.  So Jesus was rebuking the one behind the storm.   A better translation of Jesus’ phrase “Be still!” would be “Be muzzled!”

Like a wild animal, Satan was trying to stop Jesus and the disciples from reaching the other side and continuing His ministry.  So the Lord muzzled him, and he failed.

As the lake’s waters grew calm and placid, Jesus turned to His quaking men and said, “Where is your faith?”  Immediately their fear of the storm morphed in fear of Him. “Who can this be?”  they asked one another, amazed.  “For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” (Luke 8:25).

Can you identify with the disciples’ alarm?  Are you being pummeled by a storm right now?  You thought you were headed in the right direction, when, without warning, a tempest hit.  Your boat began filling with water, and you wondered, Is Jesus sleeping?  I’m going to drown!

I have the privilege of serving on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  One year during a team retreat, Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe was the featured speaker.  He spoke one morning on the “storms of life” and pointed out that there are three types of “storms” that may blow into our lives:  correcting storms, protecting storms, and perfecting storms.

CORRECTING STORMS

Jonah faced this kind of storm when he disobeyed God and tried to run from the task God had assigned to him.  A great storm overtook his ship.  Through that storm the Lord took hold of His reluctant prophet and put him back on course (see the book of Jonah).

A correcting storm is entirely the result of disobedience to God and His call.  Maybe you steal something and get caught.  Maybe you’re caught in a lie or found cheating on a test.  When God allows you to reap the consequences of your actions, that is a “correcting storm.”

The question is whether you will learn from your mistakes and change your behavior.  When Jonah finally admitted his folly and repented, the storm stopped.  Sometimes, however, we make the storm worse by our failure to respond properly.  Liars and cheats may continue in their course.  In that case, they have learned nothing, and the storm will surely grow worse.

PROTECTING STORMS

Some storms are designed to protect us from something far worse.

When God instructed Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,” and sacrifice him atop Mount Moriah, he sent the patriarch into a howling storm.  Why did God command such a thing?  The Bible tells us it was a test to see if Abraham would place his love for his son on a higher plane than his love for the Lord (see Genesis 22:1-14).  In other words, the great man of faith ran the risk of making his son an idol.  When it was all said and done, Abraham passed the test  beautifully, and God prevented him from taking his son’s life.  So the storm ended, and Abraham’s faith and love for the Lord grew even stronger.  Protecting storms may cause us a great deal of alarm and discomfort, but they shield us from something far worse.

PERFECTING STORMS

Joseph endured this kind of storm.  God used hardship and disappointment to turn a promising young boy into a seasoned man of God.  While we never get the sense that Joseph enjoyed the storms, we know he appreciated what they accomplished, for he could say to those who mistreated him, “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

God used the storm on the Sea of Galilee to both protect and perfect Jesus’ disciples.  They really had no reason to panic.  After, Jesus had said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.”  Had He said, “Let’s go drown together,” they would have had reason to worry.  Jesus did not promise a smooth voyage, but He did say they would make it.  And He Himself was on board!

When will we learn that we are safer with Jesus on a stormy sea than we are without Him even on the most placid lake?  Better to be with Jesus, in any circumstance, than to be anywhere else without Him.