Where Is God?

It's at Christmas time that we are reminded of the silence between God and His people from the end of the Old Testament to the birth of Jesus. In fact, it was 400 years of silence. Can you imagine how the people must have wondered how God could allow so much evil around them? Armies traipsing through their country, taking over, bringing order but also destroying their peace at the same time. Syrians, Greeks then the Romans. Don't you think they would have asked where God was in all their misery?

Because we have 20/20 hindsight, from our perspective we can see that it was for a purpose. Without the Romans, there would not have been a census to send Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem thus fulfilling prophecy. (Isaiah 7:13-14) And, only with the Romans did Jesus die on a tree thus becoming sin so He could save us from sin, and again fulfilling prophecy. (Matthew 16:21) Later, Paul used Roman law to make his way to the capital of the greatest empire to rule the world. From there he reached many Gentiles. For this, I am thankful.

In recent days, I have reflected on the terrible things happening around the world. Crazy killings and bombings. Destructive forces that seem to be unstoppable. Are we going through another time of silence from God? Are we once again asking where is God? Is the church praying regarding the crimes being done to our fellow brothers and sisters around the world? You may wonder, is God even listening?

The message in a recent sermon I heard was: Do not mistaken God's silence for His absence.

My question now, is there a reason for the apparent silence? Is God planning something big again? The last time God was silent Jesus came as a baby. Is His silence leading up to Jesus' return? How bad will things get before they can get better? Another blogger wrote about God and His answering prayer, read it here.

The peace that the angel called the shepherds to have (Luke 2:10-14) is here for us today. My peace comes from knowing that God is watching it all. And those who are guilty will one day know the truth about God and His power. There is always hope in knowing that God has a plan and one day we will get to see it unfold.

Miracles in the Midst of Tragedy

There has been so much coverage on the attacks in Paris that I'm sure there is probably nothing new to discuss. It brought back memories of being downtown one night and hearing the sound of gunfire. As I remember, the sound bounced off the buildings, so it was hard to tell where the shots were coming from. I didn't know where to run. I can't imagine the fear and confusion the people of Paris must have felt as the sounds of multiple shots and explosions filled the night air.

When 9-11 happened the attacks were spread out, but just as confusing. The thought of all those attacks happening in one place almost simultaneously grips in a way that we did not have to deal with here in the U.S. And, may we never have to experience.

Nevertheless, I see the lesson from both tragedies as the same. In both situations there are stories of how people survived even though they should have died. If God still needs you for a purpose then nothing can stop Him from using you. He knows your time and will not let man stop Him from achieving His objective. Take the following two examples. I remember hearing of a man who jumped up and rode atop the debris as the World Trade Center came tumbling down. Miraculously, he survived. The second example occurred when I watched the news coverage of Paris. I saw a shooter taking aim at a woman on the ground, shaking his gun before he fired then walking away. The woman was reported to have said the gun jammed, so he left. He didn't attempt to bring her more harm. She also survived, miraculously.

What was the purpose of these two examples of surviving a tragedy? I don't know, but for right now I would say it's to show the world God is still in the miracle business. May all the world look to God for more miracles and comfort in this time of much needed direction.

Nothing New

I'm sorry I haven't shared anything in several weeks. Frankly, I am struggling to stay focused enough to finish the editing of my first solo book, as the woes of my circumstances threaten to overtake my emotions. Staying focused on God has been my saving grace.

God has been faithful, and through Him I find joy and direction. But still the struggle is daily. The other day as I read my devotional reading I came across a rough draft of a note of encouragement I apparently wrote several years ago. Wouldn't you know it was like I wrote a note to myself.

The first scripture I encouraged the reader to look at was Psalm 138. The verses felt like they were written for me. That's when I realized that nothing I am going through is new to God. He has been here before. Nothing that happens in today's world is new to Him. He's seen it all. He made the human body and knows how delicate it can be. How one wrong thing happening within can trigger all kinds of changes. Changes that send out ripple effects to everyone around.

Again I find that I need to stay focused on Him. Only then can I find my way through the muck and foggy state of my current situation. I encourage each of you to do the same. You don't have to be going through awful situations to look to God for direction. But I can tell you that by doing so, you will find a peace that you are not alone and that someone bigger than you or me is on our side. Let me know how it's going for you.

Navigating The Wilderness

I have been given a vision of promise for the future. A goal from God, so to speak. Have you ever been given such a word? Maybe it's the vision of a particular ministry or outreach you will be a part of. If so, then you know what I mean about seeing the possibilities of what will be.

Recently I was reading Acts 7. Stephen is speaking to the Sanhedrin and reminding them of Israel's experience in leaving Egypt and traveling to the promise land. At first the Israelites knew where they were headed - a land where sustenance would be found and the harshness of the Egyptian life could be forgotten. But they took their eyes off the promise and let the worries and discomforts of the wilderness they had to traverse cause them to look back to Egypt as though it was a good thing.

They were so unhappy with being uncomfortable and not knowing what lied ahead that they preferred to consider leaving a God who provided shade in the heat of day, light overhead in the dark of night, and, how can we forget, manna. They wanted to return to poverty and beatings. They even wanted to worship a golden calf rather than the God who had proven Himself over and over again.

You're probably thinking, "How could they ever do such a thing?" The place these people left was awful. Who would even look back when there's the promise of freedom, peace, joy, happiness just ahead? Well, I'm here to say that I was convicted of doing the same thing as I read Acts 7. Now granted, I'm not traveling away from the same terrible things the Israelites experienced. But, I was lingering on the "what if's." My understanding from God was that every time I thought about a different word or action I would've, could've, should've taken I turned my eyes from the promise land and looked back to Egypt, so to speak. I don't want to do that.

I want the better life of the promise land. Don't you? What goal has God given you? Are you just starting out? Know that there will be a wilderness before you get to the final goal. Hopefully, it won't be forty long years for us, but it may feel like it. So no matter what comes our way, let's keep our eyes on the promise of the future and leave the lesser way behind us. May God have greater mercy on you and I as we work to maintain the right focus on the goal He has set before us.

Where Is Peace?

Are you looking for peace? What kind of peace do you want? Do want peace between countries, so that the news won't be filled with who is blowing up cities and the people in them?

I've heard it said that the days of Rome were peaceful times. But if you look closely, you'll see that they used military force whenever and wherever it was needed in order to maintain that peace. I'm sure there were many who didn't think of the Romans as peacemakers.

Right now, we do not live in a time of peace. There are so many groups who want to see the great and mighty countries of the world fall so that their smaller regimes can prosper, and maybe even bring about a religious end to the world. On the one hand, we have leaders saying the current treaty will bring peace, while other leaders warn us of the ulterior motive of the treaty signers. Do you find peace in this? I don't.

So many people are looking for peace to come from their fellow man. That type of peace will always be elusive because man is finicky. He can't even trust himself. Where I do find peace is not from outside sources, but from God.

In recent months I've heard the song "It Is Well With My Soul" more times than I care to count. Each time I sang it or heard it I became more choked up over the song. You can look up both the song and the songwriter here and here. In the midst of complete sorrow and downturns in life Horatio G. Spafford wrote the words to this song. The peace Spafford held onto and wrote about didn't come from his life experiences. In fact, what happened to him would have put most people on tranquilizers nowadays. The kind of peace Spafford leaned on focused on scripture like Psalm 30:11 where God turns wailing into dancing and mourning into joy.

That's what I'm looking for...joyful dancing before God in spite of what is happening in my life. That's the peace I want. Not the temporary peace that comes from a signed treaty which can be wadded up and tossed into the wind at a moment's notice.

And how do I do that? By keeping my focus on God and the fact that the ultimate victory is His. Nothing this life can throw at us, looking at Spafford again, is greater than the peace we can find in God. I just have to keep my eyes on God's victory and off my own shaky path.

What Lies Beneath?

There is a show titled Cities of the Underworld that I was hesitant to watch simply based on it's title. But then I gave it a try when the description of an episode intrigued me. It's really a fascinating series. It plays on the fact that as people walk the streets of cities they often have no idea what lies beneath their feet.

The one episode I refer to today first aired on October 26, 2008. You can check it out here. The show takes you beneath one of London's churches. Apparently, there is evidence that prominent leaders of this church went below ground to a sanctuary decorated with features of hell. And while it is speculated that it was only used on a short term basis there is evidence that satanic worship may have occurred there.

So I have some thoughts after watching this episode.

First, I have to wonder how the church body didn't sense these things happening. Surely there was some form of awareness. And maybe there was, and that is why there is evidence that the activities below the church were short-lived. Perhaps the Godly people of the day put a stop to it and the area below the church was left alone until the show made it known.

Secondly, the show dated these happenings to have occurred during the Victorian Era. I usually think of the Victorian Era as being filled with highly moral, strait-laced people who would never have allowed a step away from God's path. But, I guess I was wrong. Don't you think it strange that even in the midst of a time when God seemed to have an upper hand on life there was still an element of people who dabbled in the ways of darkness? I wonder, did they think they were above the laws of God that they could get away with it? Perhaps that was the thinking of the Hebrews whenever they created high places to honor false gods and idols. (1 and 2 Kings)

My question today is, "Does this still happen?" Do we put on a face and go about our daily activities all the while having something sinister lying below the surface? Do we show our true selves to others so that all levels of our being reflects who we are and what we think?

What lies beneath your skin? Is it a solid foundation in God? Is it the sandy ways of the world that will falter the moment life's winds become a hurricane? These are reflective questions to help you know yourself better. We need to ask these of ourselves regularly ... like an annual medical check-up. As the world continues to head into crazier ways of thinking we need to know what lies beneath so that we are not led astray.

The Uncertainties of Life

The last three weeks of my life have been something out of a soap opera. And I had to live through it. I hope none of you ever have to travel the same steps I have traversed. Let me give you a broad overview. At a point when I felt harmony had been reached, I was jolted into a position I never ever imagined I would find myself. I had been confident that I would not be taken from my place of solidarity. Then a threat was made, and before I could catch my breath tragedy beckoned. As victory over the affliction unfolded, the original threat returned from more than one side. Accusations and intimidation led to a shift in loyalties.

It's been a nightmare. Unfortunately, it's not over.

But, in the midst of all of this I have been comforted by the prayers of many. I have seen a miracle unfold before my eyes. In the despairing moments, the shoulders of friends and family have been there to catch the tears. The whispering songs of God prepare me and see me through.

I cling to the fact that God's victory has been claimed and He will do what He has to do to bring glory to His name. In the meantime, I look to Him. Through it all, as the song goes, my eyes are on Him. The One who is a father to the fatherless, a husband to the widow, a comforter to the wounded. I could not go on if it wasn't for my Lord.

I don't know if any of you struggle with emotional upheavals but I can only say that Jesus is the key to surviving and having strength to face each new day. He's not a person we can see with our eyes, but His presence is tangible and welcoming. Call on Him. He's there for you.