Proverbs 30:7-8 “Two things I ask of You, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:  Keep falsehood and lies from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”

What kind of prayer is that? That is easy for someone like Solomon or Bill Gates to say, but isn’t it more like “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!”? Solomon goes on to say just “…give me my daily bread.” (v.8) Why would that be his request, his prayer? Don’t you think that it might be nice to have a little more than your daily bread; what you need for each day, every day, one day at a time? What would be so enjoyable about having only your needs met each and every day and not have a little extra; maybe even a lot extra? Why would Solomon pray like that? He goes on to give us his reason in v.9 “Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You…” Don’t you think that you might like to give that a try? Maybe Solomon might have had a problem with that, but you think that you could handle it just fine. The rest of that verse says “…and say, “Who is the LORD?'” How is that possible? Why would Solomon say something like that? Could it go that far or get to that point? Why pray that way Solomon?

Because that is the way that the people of Israel rolled. In Deuteronomy 32 you will read of the goodness of God and how He remained faithful and provided for the people, and they ended up forgetting about Him.  That was a regular pattern of God’s people, and quite honestly, we are no different. In Hosea 13:6 He says:  “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot Me.” The reality of the matter is that even when God provided His people their daily bread as He did in the wilderness, they forgot about Him.

Why does that happen?  Why does it happen to us? It does happen to us, you know? We might call it “apathy.” Webster defines apathy as a “lack of feeling or emotion” or “a lack of interest or concern.”  “Indifference.” Another way to describe apathy is “I don’t care.”  Not “I don’t know” but “I don’t care.” It says “I am satisfied with my current situation and I don’t feel like doing anything.”  Does that strike any nerves? Could apathy or indifference describe the Church today? Could it describe our local church? Could it also describe you and me? We are the church. Do you care? Does being with other believers matter to you, or do you really not care one way or another? Is it important to you to be under the teaching of the Word of God or can you just take care of that yourself? Is going to church and being with other believers something that you truly desire, or could you take it or leave it; it doesn’t really matter? Are you eager to read the Word of God and study it, or are you okay with a Sunday morning message and maybe a daily devotional that you find interesting? Are you still hungry for the Word of God or have you become satisfied? Do you really want to know more about God, or are you okay with where you are at right now? Do you really pray for others? Do you get under the burden of other people, or are they just problems? Can you pray the prayer that Solomon prayed where he asks God for neither poverty or riches, but just his daily needs, or are you in pursuit of riches that will allow you to live comfortably and free of depending on anyone including God? Are you relying on God for your daily needs or are you bent on taking care of yourself and providing for your daily needs and relying on no one? You do know that God can do that much better than you can, right? Do you really think that it is possible for you to get too much and then forget about God? It has happened for years and it still happens today.  Do you still pray with the same fervor that you did a few months or years ago when you had a health scare? Do you still pray with the same intensity today as you did a short time ago when you had no idea where your next paycheck was coming from? Maybe you have forgotten?

Maybe you’re somewhat apathetic right now; you’re in a rut and don’t know what to do.  You’re a Christian who may have been focused on diligent personal prayer, Bible study, and Christian service just six months ago, and today you feel totally numb toward Jesus and His mission in the world. You’re not an ignorant Christian, because you know what to do. You know that God exists and is worthy of worship. You know that you should pray, read Scripture, sing, and serve. But, in spite of your knowledge, numbness prevails. What do we do?  What can we do to make sure that this never happens to us?

Here are three actions that will help:

Admit your apathy and confess it to Jesus.
When people don’t care, it’s hard for them to admit it. Why? Because, really, they just don’t care. Maybe you have a sense that you’re sliding toward apathy. Maybe you’ve noticed that you don’t care as much about the things of God as you once did.  The first action for the believer is always faith—faith that what Jesus did on the cross is sufficient to forgive your apathy and make you holy. While Jesus was on the cross, many in the crowd were apathetic. Some came for the entertainment, and some even to mock Jesus, but others just went about their business without giving the crucifixion of Jesus a second thought. They honestly didn’t care. Jesus was dying for those people too! Christ cares about people who do not care about Him. Just like every other sin, apathy needs to be confessed, and apathetic people need to repent.

Put yourself under strong Biblical preaching.
There must be real effort on our part. You need to fight apathy with effort.  God uses the proclamation of his Word to help us put to death all kinds of sins, including spiritual apathy.  Do we see the importance of it and how God may use it to reshape our desires for His glory? Don’t forget that apathetic Christians need to force themselves to listen to preaching. It is not easy for them to be faithful to putting themselves under preaching and teaching. It’s all about doing what you know will conquer the apathy that has overtaken your soul.

Force yourself to pray.
Just as reading your Bible must often be forced during seasons of apathy, so must prayer. Forcing prayer is a way of wrestling with God: “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26). You may not care about praying right now, but you must push yourself to get alone with God. Prayer—really praying—can be extremely difficult at times, especially for those who are spiritually apathetic. You just have to do it because there are no shortcuts.

My hope and desire for our churches, for each of you individually, and for me, is that we might all identify the danger of becoming satisfied, misdirecting our priorities, becoming people who do not care, and then ultimately forgetting our God.  My that never be, and may we do everything in our power to battle that bent.

Blessings,
Jerry

As I was thinking about prayer, I began to wonder about some short prayers that simply say it all. The thief on the cross said “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42) and Jesus immediately guaranteed him eternity in heaven.  In Matthew 9 the two blind men simply prayed “Have mercy on us, Son of David” and Jesus gave them their sight. In Mark 10, Blind Bartimaeus said to Jesus “Rabbi, I want to see” and he received his sight. These were not long, wordy prayers. They were prayers that got right to the point of the matter.  God is not impressed by our eloquent prayers filled with “thee” and “thou”.  He is not looking for us to, what I like to call, pray around the world.  Have you ever heard someone who is asked to pray for the food before a meal, and they end up hitting all of the missionaries around the world?  God is not impressed.  Daniel went to his room to pray in private, but he DID pray.  

I was reading Psalm 12 and as best as I can tell, David is in trouble.  He might have been fleeing king Saul who was out to kill him. He may have been running from his very own son Absalom who was trying to kill him to take over his kingdom. He also might have just been overwhelmed with the affairs of life; we just don’t know for sure.  What we do know is that David prayed a very, very short prayer that is had more substance to it than most every prayer you have ever heard or prayed yourself.  Psalm 12:1 starts with these three words and it was more than enough: “Save, O LORD…”  I believe this to be the prayer that covers it all, everything! It seems as though everyone who served with him was gone and David was all alone.  Some one once said: “When the creature failed, he flew to the Creator.”  Notice how direct he is in this prayer.  He did not have to give God any background information; God already knew all about it. He did not have to tell God what to do, because God already knew what to do. David runs straight to God because he knows that he is in need and he knows that God can supply for that need.  David knew his God. David also knew himself and his limitations. David knew that he was totally dependent on God and that if he simply went to Him and asked Him to save, what happened next was going to be right and best. A prayer like this will provide the needed grace at just the right time when we are in need. A prayer like this will take a person on the road to eternity in hell and make him a child of God. Save, O LORD. Overwhelmed at work?  Save, O LORD.  Facing some challenging times in your finances? Save, O LORD. Waiting for the test results on a biopsy?  Save, O LORD.  Wayward child who simply wants nothing to do with you? Save, O LORD. Unsaved love one?  Save, O LORD. 

This prayer covers everything and any circumstance because it forces us to recognize our need and defer to the One who will do what is best at just the right time, and it is guaranteed to be right.  The LORD has already assured us that He would not leave us and that in fact, He would always be with us; always. He is your Father and He loves you more than you will ever know.  Save, O LORD and then rest knowing that He hears you. Just don’t take so long to get around to talking to Him.

Just a little while ago I received word from Rob George that 3 year-old Brigham Lanwehr has lost his battle with cancer and is now in the presence of Jesus.  Many thoughts came to my mind when I got this news, and then God reminded me of what He has said in His Word. “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him…” (Nahum 1:7)  What kinds of thoughts come to your mind after hearing the news of Brigham?  Quite honestly, my initial thoughts were sadness and the question “why?” Why a 3 year-old God?  Why after battling this for over a year was this the ending?  Why not a miracle?  One third of his life was spent in chemo with all kinds of medical treatment and I am sure that most of that time he was sick.  I am sure that his parents Seth and Stacy were many times sick to their stomachs as they held their little boy wishing that they could do something and knowing that they could not.  I’m sure that the twin sisters made sacrifices and are having a tough time trying to understand why their little brother had to go through all of that stuff only to die.  I’m sure that they spent countless hours with their mommy and daddy at their bedside praying for their little brother to a God who is big and mighty and is able to do anything.  Why didn’t God do something? “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him…” Really???  Is He good? Does He really care?  Is it wrong to ask those kinds of questions?  Is it wrong to think that way?  What would you say to that family?  We all say that we are praying for them, and that is a good thing, but don’t you think that they prayed too?

The second verse that came to mind is  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;…” (Proverbs 3:5)  If I try to understand this, I will be destroyed. My natural thought process goes something like this:  The LORD is good!  He has promised to be a refuge in times of trouble and He cares about me, so I would hope that I might be somewhat immune to the big stuff like losing a child. Sort of makes sense, doesn’t it?  The fact of the matter is that the LORD is good whether I think so or not.  That is His character and it does not change. It does say that He is a refuge in times of trouble whether I think so or not. It does say that He cares, and He does whether I think so or not.  It says that He cares for those who trust in Him. That includes past, present and future. The real question is do you trust Him?  Do you trust Him with all your heart?  The mention of “all your heart” tells me that this is not going to be easy.  You might try to make sense out of all of this but I can promise you that you will not be able to do it.  You will be destroyed trying to make sense out of this.  We need to trust Him!  Brigham is in the presence of Jesus!  Is that not the desire and hope for all of us?  There is no better place for that little 3 year-old but, it is so hard for us to understand.  That is why we are told to trust Him with all our hearts.

I hope that I was able to share with you the tension that exists when something like this happens in our lives.  God knew the days of Brigham and He knows your days too.  Do you trust Him?  Do you trust that He will provide the grace that Seth and Stacy need to endure?  Do you trust that He will provide the grace that Amelia and Charlotte will need as they are tested by those who might question the goodness of God as they grow older?  Do you think that the devil might use this to discourage and destroy this family and their relationship with the LORD?  God is up to something!  I am becoming more and more convinced of that each and every day.  Look for the hand of God in everything, and then pray for this family.  If you were in their shoes, how would you want people to pray for you?  Whatever hurt and grief and confusion might surround you, you can be sure that this family is experiencing it themselves.  Let’s take seriously the opportunity, privilege and responsibility to pray for this family.

Blessings,
Jerry

My recent studies for my sermons have taken me to Matthew 5, 6, and 7 where Jesus is teaching on the Mount of Olives. He teaches about many things, but in Matthew 6:5-8 He comes to the subject of prayer. “And when you pray do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for you Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Allow me to share with you a few things that I see as well as a few questions that arise in my mind as I read this. First of all, don’t forget that prayer is talking to God. Replace the word “pray” with  the words “talk to God” and allow that to sink in a little bit. “When you talk to God don’t be like the hypocrites.” “When you talk to God don’t stand in the middle of church and draw attention to yourself.” “When you talk to God go to your room in private where no one can see you.” “And when you talk to God stop babbling on and on, but rather be a person of few words.” 

If you are like me, there are certain people that I really like to hear pray. They seem to have a real connection to God and it is probably because they have talked to Him so many times before. There are other people who seem to just go through a ritual of sorts and they have a tendency to babble. The longer they pray, the more they think might be impressed in their own minds. When Peter was drowning he prayed and he simply said “Lord, save me!” (Matt 14:30) The blind man said “Rabbi, I want to see.” (Mark 10:51) The lepers said “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13) All of these are prayers. In all three instances they are simply talking to God. No babbling, no long prayers with impressive words, they were very simple and to the point. The prayer of the tax collector that Jesus talked about was: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) That prayer will change your life!!!

In His sermon, Jesus goes on to say “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8) If that is true, and I believe it is, then why pray? In my Bible I have those two words written right after that verse;  Why pray? If God already knows what I need, then what do I have to talk to Him about? Jesus knew that we were going to ask that question.  Look at what He says; “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hollowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9-13) Jesus seems to be saying that if you are going to talk to God then talk to Him about what really matters. Interesting that it is not a grocery list of our wants and desires. “This, then, is how you should talk to God…”  Talk to Him about His name and His glory. God, You be LORD and I will be quiet. We are to be kingdom people who are kingdom minded. Do we desire the things that God desires? Continue to give me Your Bread day after day. What is “Bread” in the Bible?  His Word! Feed me day after day with Your Word. Talk to Him about forgiveness. Your need for forgiveness and your need to forgive others. That is not easy so you need to talk to Him about that. It’s important! Talk to Him about your desire for Him to keep you from the attacks of the evil one. All of this indicates your total dependence on Him, and it shows that you are very much aware of it yourself. That is why we pray. That is why you should pray. That is how you should pray. That is how you should talk to God! I have to believe that when you realize that prayer is you talking to God, your life and your prayer life will radically change. You will realize that He already knows what you need. You will realize that He is and always has been faithful to provide what you have needed. Hopefully, that new awareness will drive you to talk to God the way that Jesus teaches us to.

Enjoy a little time talking to God!
Blessings,
Jerry 

This past Sunday Paul led us in the singing of a song titled Heal Our Land.  The song is based on Psalm 147:3 which says “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  As I considered the words of the song I was reminded of how often times churches and hold special prayer meetings to pray for our country and our leadership. When we watch the news it is not uncommon to be driven to your knees when you realize how crazy this world is getting, and yet the Bible tells us that this is going to happen. Nevertheless, we often hear people praying and asking God to intervene. We sing songs like Heal our Land and we want God to do something about the mess that our country is in. Why is it that we pray for the president, senators, and congressmen? Sure, that is a good thing to do, but is it really going to heal our land like we are asking God to do? Is that how we are to pray?  2Chronicles 7:14 says “if my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”

I do not find any mention of the president or leadership of our nation mentioned in that passage. It does not say if our president prays or if we hold a national day of prayer for anyone and everyone to participate in. It says “if My people, who are called by My name…” It seems to me that God is talking to His people who are called by His name–Christians. That’s you and me! He is not talking about anyone and everyone, but He is talking specifically about His people; those who bear the name of Christ. The passage gives us four directives:
1. Humbles ourselves
2. Pray
3. Seek His face
4. Turn from our wicked ways

Humbling ourselves indicates that we as Christians need to recognize and admit our total dependence on God. Apart from Him we can do nothing, and yet we continue to try. We only call on God when we think we could use some help. Secondly, we are to pray. Christians need to pray. It is crazy to have to say this, but there are a lot of Christians who simply do not pray. Maybe it is because they have yet to humble themselves. Why would you not talk to the God of the universe who saved you and gives you life and breath? If nothing else, thank Him for that. Thank Him for saving you, day after day, after day. Third, we are to seek His face. You need to get to know more about God and the only way you are going to get to know Him is by reading His Word. Read your Bible! Fourth, we are to repent; turn from your wicked ways. Do you hate sin? Is there something in your life that you need to confess and ask God to do a work in your life? Please make sure that you take note of the fact that this directive is given to the people of God, and not a pagan nation.

If Christians will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and repent of sin, God will heal our land. Sort of makes you wonder why our nation is in the condition that it is in today. Is it because of pagan leadership, or is it because the Church, the people of God are in need of personal revival in our own lives? David was the author of two Psalms in particular that show us how to really pray and confess sin. Take some time to read Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 where we are encouraged to confess sin, enjoy God’s forgiveness, rest in His providence, and bask in His amazing love. You go ahead and take the lead. Do what God has directed you to do, and who knows what God might do?

That is a question that could encompass a lot of things. It is a question that is commonly heard at the dinner table when the host and hostess ask you if you would like any more to eat. If you are like most, you have had more than enough and if you take another bite you will “explode”.  Sometimes it might involve a coworker that just will not let it go. Day after day you hear them grumbling and complaining and you finally get to the point where you have had enough and you might find yourself reacting in a way that is not best. I remember as a child my mom and dad were raising seven of us kids and it was very common to hear my mom say that she had had enough through her gritting teeth. We always thought to ourselves, “but mom, we have so much more to give.” That would not have been a good idea.

Is it ever possible to have enough of a good thing? Is it possible to be blessed too much? Is it possible for God to give you so much that you might say to Him “I have had enough!” You wouldn’t think so, but that is exactly what happened to the Israelite people. God loved them and He blessed them over and over again. He delivered them from slavery in Egypt, defeated the Egyptians, and was bringing them to the land of promise that would be all their own. He was leading them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The people could visibly see that God was before them in everything they did and everywhere they went. Can you imagine what that must have been like? He protected them and provided for their every need, every day and yet on many occasions they still complained. I was reading a passage in Numbers 11 and I tried to imagine what it must have been like for the people of Israel. God has just rained down fire from heaven around the outskirts of the camp and the people were terrified so they cried to Moses and Moses prayed. Two verses later the people are complaining again. They were tired of the food. They were sick of the food that God provided for them daily. They did not have to go shopping and they did not have to do anything other than pick it up off of the ground, but it was the same thing day after day. I have been known to kill a good restaurant as well as a good meal. It is usually something that I like so much that I return to that restaurant 2-3 times a week, and I kill it.

Numbers 11:6 says: “But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”  They are talking about God’s daily provision. They have lost their appetite for God’s daily provision of food. Psalm 78 tells us that God “…opened the doors of the heavens” and that “He rained down manna for the people to eat.” It is called the “grain of Heaven” and “…the bread of angels” and they got sick of it. What happened? How did it get to this? Is it possible to get used to God’s daily provision and blessing? Let’s talk about that for a little bit.

How often do you take time to just thank God for His daily provision for you and your family?

How often do you find yourself overwhelmed with the goodness of God?

How often do you share with other people what God is doing in your life?

How often have you taken the time to simply thank God for His work of salvation in your life and the lives of your family?

Maybe, just maybe, you have gotten used to it. The joy of your salvation is long gone and something of the past. Maybe you expect it? God’s mercies are no longer new to you every morning, but rather, they are commonplace and somewhat expected. In John 6 Jesus is asked by the people about signs and they mention the manna that their forefathers ate in the desert. They even said that God gave them bread from heaven and they wanted to know what Jesus had for them. In vv.32-33 He says: “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread of heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of heaven is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Have you lost your appetite for the true bread from heaven? Have you had enough of Jesus? Do you want to know more about Him? You do that by reading His Word. You do that by talking to Him in prayer. Do you have a hunger to digest as much as you can from the Word of God, or have you lost your appetite? Are you spending time under the teaching of the Word? As you eat, are you growing? I do not think that it is possible for a Christian to become overweight on the Word of God. If you are eating from the Word you will also discover that it is the fuel for exercising the gifts that God has given to you. Why not start this morning with a heart full and overflowing with gratitude for God’s work of salvation in your own life as well as the lives of your loved ones. Start giving thanks, and I can assure you that it will only be the beginning of blessing and an appetite for more.
 

Yesterday morning I found myself reading the first three chapters in the book of Daniel and the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Many times we have the tendency to read the familiar stories and are satisfied with what we are reading knowing the ending is going to be great. It is a “happily ever after” story of sorts, and yet, it sure did not look as though it was going to end that way. We know the end of the story. We know how things work out for the good of these three young men. Try putting yourself in the beginning of the story not knowing the end. Go ahead and jump into the shoes or sandals of one of those three young people. 

They have been working with their mentor Daniel and they have seen the faithfulness of God and His provision for them in chapters 1 & 2 of Daniel. They were part of a team of men who were in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. They were to give the king counsel whenever he asked for it and they were to do whatever the king desired. Daniel and the three young men were living, breathing trophies of the grace of God to a pagan king in a pagan community. Daniel 1:20 tells us that they were 10 times better than all of the other men in the kings service. The king had a dream and he demanded that the wise men tell him what he dreamed and then to interpret it for him too. If they could not, all of them would be killed, including Daniel and the three young men. Daniel heard of this and he went to the king, told him what he had dreamed, and then gave him the interpretation of it. As a result, all four of them were spared as well as the other wise men and the king gave testimony of the God of Daniel when he said: “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings.” (Daniel 2:47)  What a testimony!

Not long after that, king Nebuchadnezzar erected an image of gold that was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide, and a ceremony took place to dedicate this image and the king that it represented. At the sound of trumpets and all kinds of music, everyone was to fall down before it and worship it. Anyone who did not obey this command was to immediately be thrown into the fiery furnace. The service took place and the three young men refused to bow or worship the image and there were those who reported their unwillingness to do so to the king. The king was furious and called for the three young men to come before him and yet he would give them another chance. He would have the trumpets sound again and all that they had to do was fall down and worship the image, but, if they did not, they would immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. Just bow, that’s all.

I can come up with all kinds of questions surrounding this. Where was Daniel? Why did the king erect this image after promoting Daniel and having him as his chief counselor? Did he talk to Daniel about this? Why was the king so furious? He had to know that these three men would not bow and worship. They were very clear about who their God is. Why did he give them another chance? Did he think that they would give in? The really interesting question is the one posed by the king himself at the end of Daniel 3:15 when he asks “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” That question has got to be answered! How soon the king forgets what he said previously in Daniel 2:47 “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings.” The three young men respond to the king and they basically say king, you already know the answer to that question. We do not need to defend ourselves. In fact, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”(vv.17-18)

Wow!!!  How did they do that? How were they able to face certain death by fire when all that they had to do was bow and probably say nothing. Their bowing represented their worship. I want to suggest that the reason that they were able to stand tall in the face of certain death is because they had already bowed to the God of gods. When they were previously faced with certain death, look at what they did in Daniel 2:18 “He (Daniel) urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” They prayed! THEY PRAYED!!! This was the way that they lived. Their lives were characterized by prayer. It does not stop there. They also praised. 
They praised the God of heaven and said: “Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we ask of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king.” (2:19-23)

They prayed and then they praised! They knew who their God is and what He is capable of and they pleaded for mercy. They talked to the right person. They did not ask everyone else first and then end with God.  They talked to Him, and then they praised Him. He is the God of their fathers and they remember all that He did for them. Don’t ever forget that they ended up in the fiery furnace, but even there, God was with them. Whatever it is that you are going through or find yourself in the middle of, pray, pray, pray!  When you pause from prayer, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him! Make it a regular pattern in your life so that others might take note of it. You will be amazed at what God might do! 

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! (Psalm 22:23)   I have been thinking about that truth a lot lately. After a couple of funerals and people who are really struggling with sickness and various other challenges, praise is not always the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, if you are a believer, one who fears Him, we are to praise Him. It does not put qualifiers on this directive by saying something like, “If you are having a good day, praise Him” or “If you got the job or promotion that you wanted, praise Him.” It does not tell us to praise Him if He answers our prayers the way that we wanted Him to. It simply says, if you are a believer, a Christian, a child of the King, you are to praise Him. It is implying that regardless of what is going on in your life, good or bad, if you are a Christian, you are to praise Him! It is not a suggestion. It does not say that it just might make your day a little better or that it just might take care of your difficulties and struggles if you praise Him, even though that could very well happen. It says, Christian, praise Him! There is an exclamation point after that verse. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! 

Our church, like many other churches, has been put to the test recently. We have not been able to meet since Easter Sunday and during that time we have been hit hard by sickness, to the point where we lost two of our family and one more is currently in the hospital in grave condition. We have children who are battling cancer. We have people who have terminal illnesses. We have friends who have gotten to the point where they have seen no reason to go on living and they have attempted to take their own lives, and some have succeeded. We have many, many reasons to pray and ask God to do something and yet this verse tells us, it even commands us, to praise Him! Check this out:

• Diagnosed with Covid-19?  Praise Him!
• Cancer? Praise Him!
• Terminal illness? Praise Him!
• Facing surgery? Praise Him!
• Loss of a loved one? Praise Him!
• Trouble at work? Praise Him!
• Wayward child? Praise Him!
• Depressed? Praise Him!
• Worried? Praise Him!
• Alone? Praise Him!
• Struggles in your marriage? Praise Him!
• Unsaved spouse or child? Praise Him!
• ____________________? Praise Him!

Whatever it might be, praise Him! “Are you nuts Jerry?” Possibly, but this is the Word of God and this is His directive, not mine. The passage is not telling us to praise Him because of any of these things, but rather, in spite of them or even in the middle of them. This can be and probably is a struggle for anyone of us. I don’t care how long you have been a Christian, or how many times you have observed the hand of God  at work, this is still difficult. The Psalmist follows this command with a Psalm that many of us know, have memorized, and have recited like a magical little diddly to get us through something or make us feel better. I want you to take another look at this Psalm in light of God’s command to praise Him.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

How do we praise Him in the midst of the mess? By remembering a truth that remains today. Psalm 31:15 My times are in Your hands;

PRAISE HIM!!!

If you are a part of our church family, or if you read this devotional regularly, you cannot help but notice that our little church has been hit hard with its share of challenges. I have heard from many asking what is going on at NWBC? We have many friends and family who are dealing with cancer and other illnesses. It has impacted both the old and young alike. Like other churches, we have many who have done battle with the Covid virus; some have won and some have lost. We have people on our prayer list who have been killed in car wrecks, attempted suicide, and even murdered. Several of our people have recently gone through surgeries and gotten relief and others have not been able to get relief and have in fact received the news that everything that can be done has been done. We have loved ones who are battling the ugly disease of Ahlzeimers that robs your loved one of their mind and personality, almost making them a stranger. We have a friend who is currently battling ALS where his mind remains sharp and yet his deteriorating body restricts him from doing what he desires to do. We have another friend who has been unable to get relief from excruciating pain after visiting many doctors and taking many different medications. There are also those who are no longer with us and are now with Jesus and we are left to grieve and hurt and try to go on in life without them. We have been hit hard!

Where is God? Where is He? We are not the first people to find ourselves in this situation. The book of Job tells us about a man who God thought was head and shoulders above the rest. God is talking to Satan and He asks him if he has ever taken a good look at Job. God describes Job this way: “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8) If you think at ll like I do, the fact that Job lived like that, would automatically mean that he was protected from all of the kinds of stuff that you find on our prayer list. He was a good man! God said that he was blameless! Blameless should not equal trouble in my opinion. In fact, blameless, you would think, should mean exempt from trouble. That is what Satan thought too! That is not too comforting for me to know that I think and reason and rationalize a lot like Satan does. Satan said the only reason that Job is that way is because you have blessed him and protected him. Is that not true? Don’t you think that that is how things should work? The fact is that we think and reason and rationalize a whole lot more like Satan than we do like God. God was up to something and Job knew nothing about it. In ONE DAY, Job lost everything! He lost his businesses, his wealth, and even all of his kids. That’s a bad day! That is a horrible day! One day later, he lost his health! UNBELIEVABLE!!! What did Job do? He worshiped!  EVEN MORE UNBELIEVABLE!!! How did Job make it? Why did he not just fall apart? Because he knew that God was up to something. In Job 2:10 he asks his wife “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” That sounds like someone who knows who is in charge and who is pulling all of the strings behind the scene.

Friends come to console and pray with Job. Good friends! The consoling and comforting turns into a discussion and mission to look for the sin that Job committed to bring all of this on himself. There has to be a reason or perhaps something you did, because this is not the work of a sovereign and loving God who might be up to something. Is that not the way that we think? 1plus 2 always equals 3, right? One of his friends tells him in Job 22:21 “Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” Submit to God and you will prosper. That is exactly how we think! I find it interesting that all of this discussion with some good Christian brothers eventually leads to a downward spiral and Job says 23:2-5 “Even today my complaint is bitter; His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! I would state my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what He would answer me, and consider what He would say.” For whatever reason, his time in discussion with his friends led Job to the point that he lost sight of God. “If only I knew where to find Him…”

WHERE IS HE?

Friend, He is right beside you!!! He promised that He would always be with us. He said so as He ascended from His earthly ministry to take His seat in the throne room of heaven. Matthew 28:20 tells that Jesus said “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” It ain’t over yet! That means that He is right there with you! Because of that, we are told in Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” He is faithful!!! In the middle of the heartache, pain, and fear, know that He is right there with you. Talk to Him. Tell Him where you are at and what you are thinking. You will find out that He already knows. Rest in that! Rest in the truth that God is up to something in your life and in your church! “Be still and know that He is God.” Psalm 46:10

I don’t mean to sound morbid, but I have been thinking about heaven a lot lately. You?  I have been forced to do it. This Friday I will be doing the funeral service for David and Helen Jenkins.  David went to be with Jesus a week ago this past Sunday and and Helen joined him in heaven two days ago. On Monday of next week, I will be doing the graveside service for Jimmy Johnson who went to be with Jesus back in February. All three of these people are from our church and in a matter of a little over two months, all three of them are now in heaven. Another friend of mine who was in a small group with me at our previous church also went to heaven a little over a month ago. My parents are in heaven. My father-in-law is in heaven. I have several friends who are already in heaven too. Robbi and I were just talking about several people who have recently left us and gone to heaven and the number is steadily increasing. Perhaps the thought of heaven and what needs to happen for you to get there scares you. The Bible tells us in Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.  As we continue to get news of the death of a friend, family member, or loved one we tend to ask “what is going on?” Job 12:10 tells us that In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 33:4 says The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Are you getting this? Do you believe this? Are you okay with this? In fact, Psalm 115:3 tells us: Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. These verses indicate to me that God is at work. God is doing something, and it is all about Him! Are you okay with that? 

Is His desire to make us miserable? In John 17:24 Jesus is talking to His Heavenly Father and He says this: Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory. If you are a follower of Jesus; if you are a born again believer; if you are a child of God; if you are a Christian; Jesus wants you to be with Him and He wants you and me to see His glory. In order for you and me to be with Jesus, unless He returns soon, we will have to die. That can be scary when you think about it, but if you are a believer, know this. The very moment that you draw your last breath here on this earth, your very next breath that you take, you will take in the presence of Jesus in heaven. 

Charles Spurgeon wrote the following in a devotional that I just read yesterday: “Stop fearing death! Ask God the Holy Spirit to grant you an intimate knowledge and a firm belief in your Redeemer’s death, so that you may be strengthened for that journey.  It is blessed to die in the Lord: It is a covenant blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment; it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones are already living. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not. We are not far from home—a moment will bring us there. When the eyes close on earth, they open in heaven.” 

Please know that there is nothing wrong with grieving. There would be something wrong if you did not grieve, but remember that we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We will be with the LORD forever. Forever! Now, please pray for one another, be encouraged, and then go and encourage someone else with these truths from the Word of God. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Blessings,
Jerry