End of the Rope
Father, we place ourselves in Your hands. In reality, it should be no different than any other day, but in these days of uncertainty, it brings great comfort to remind ourselves that You are in control. All praise to You!
Luke 8:40-48 (<<click to read the passage)
If you will, in your mind’s eye, picture a twelve-year-old girl. It is a little easier for me, in that in a time of normalcy I get to see twelve-year-old girls a couple of times each day. And for some reason, twelve-year-old girls give me a lot less grief than twelve-year-old boys – at least at this point in my bus driving career!
I cannot imagine being in Jairus’ shoes, having to deal with my child being so ill that she was close to death. All in all, the twelve-year-old girls on my routes over the past two years have each had a pretty sweet demeanor. Just picturing any of them in this position, tugs at my heartstrings for sure!
Depending on where their birthday falls, twelve-year-olds would be in the 5th or 6th grade. They are starting that transition from being children and will soon be entering their teen years. They are solidly coming into their own as individuals. Their futures are ahead of them and for many, it shines brightly.
Now stop…
If you will, in your mind’s eye, picture a much more mature woman. We don’t really know how old she is but let’s say she was in her 30s or 40s. As long as Jairus’ daughter had been alive, this poor woman had been dealing with a serious issue of bleeding.
Where at one point her life, too, had been full of promise, she now found herself at the end of her rope…and at the end of all hope. But then Jesus went before her (providentially!) and believing that He would be the one to restore her, she took a big risk in reaching out to touch – not His arm or shoulder or elbow – but just the very “fringe of his robe”.
Her act of faith brought immediate healing! And I am sure that though she believed in Jesus that she thought that she could just slip back into the crowd with Him being none the wiser. But…that was not the case!
There is not even a gap in Luke’s writing! Without a single pause, Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”
Everybody was like, “Good grief! There are all kinds of people touching you!”
But Jesus knew…not just that someone had intentionally touched Him and not just that “healing power” had gone out from Him, but he most definitely knew who had touched him and all the circumstances of why she had done so.
She knew she had been found out and, trembling, fell to her knees before Him, and in her pent-up anguish gushed out the entirety of her story to Jesus and the “whole crowd”.
So, knowing all He knew, why did Jesus call her out? He had given her a wonderful gift in eliminating her affliction but isn’t Jesus so much more than that? He wanted to make sure that she clearly understood His healing wasn’t just some cold “surgical procedure” – just one more act of compassion by a man of great power – but with her act of faith, she had received Him, as well.
“Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).” (AMP)
Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus would proclaim,
Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] John 14:27 (AMP)
And, my friends, Jesus has not changed one bit! May you this day find His peace. May you embrace Him as He surely embraces you. Amen.
Mar 26th, 2020, Thurs, 6:14 pm
No Light at the End of the Tunnel
Sovereign Father, I yield myself to You. Guide my thoughts as we come together this evening. Open my eyes and my heart that I may hear You clearly. Give me the words to communicate your message to all who will hear. Amen.
Luke 8:26-39 (<<click to read the passage)
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could’ve had a Paul-Harvey-The-Rest-of-the-Story moment after Jesus’ encounter with the man possessed by Legion? When he begged to go with Jesus after he was set free,
Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.”
Just imagine what he did!
First of all, what was going through his mind? For so long he had not been in control of…well, of anything! Verse 27 says,
For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.
I cannot even begin to comprehend his lostness. His loneliness. The insanity he must have felt and the hopelessness that came with it! From his perspective, there was no light whatsoever at the end of the tunnel, just day after day of impenetrable darkness.
People had tried to help him, or more than likely control, him but,
Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power. v29
And suddenly…there was no more tunnel – only Light!
Jesus would later proclaim,
“I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 (AMP)
And, all praise going to God, that’s where he found himself!
Secondly, as he traveled, he had to have shocked everyone with whom he came into contact! Jaws dropped and many probably ran. There were probably many who just couldn’t comprehend it. “This just doesn’t make sense! This is that crazy dude! But he’s dressed and in his right mind!” It had to have freaked them out!
But he didn’t let any of that stop him! He had a story to tell! That may have been him then, but it wasn’t who he was now! He had been set free at the command of his Savior! And all the world would know!
Then, what about his family? Initially, they probably had the same reaction as everyone else…but once the reality of it all had sunk in, can you imagine the joy! The celebration! The grand reunion!
It makes me think of the reaction of the father at the return of the prodigal.
“…for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:24 (AMP)
Lord Jesus, may we always find hope in You. The darkness may seem never-ending, but surely You are Light! May we personally experience Your Light each and every day and may we draw others to You by reflecting that Light in the way we live our days! May we be the one that points those with no light at the end of their tunnel, to the One True Light! Amen.
Mar 25th, 2020, Wed, 7:49 pm
Make Us Squirm
Heavenly Father, may we reflect You in all our actions in these up-and-coming days. That should be our goal every day but guide our thoughts, and tongues and actions. Amen.
Luke 8:26-39 (<<click to read the passage)
This is one of the passages that can make us squirm. Some may write it off as superstitious folly. Others go to the other extreme, embracing all things of the occult – TV shows and movies are replete with demonic characters. Some of them enjoy the “entertainment” aspect while others seek the power which they believe they can obtain by feverishly taking it all to heart.
So where does that leave those of us who have given ourselves over to the lordship of Jesus? Do we not take it seriously and pretend it doesn’t really exist? Or do we give the devil and his minions credit for every bit of evil, depravity, and disease that runs amuck in our world? Running to either end of the gamut is dangerous.
First of all, let me assure you, it is all real. There are too many instances throughout Scripture to discount the reality of demonic activity in the world.
But I must also stress that we must not credit the devil and his cohorts with having enough power to be behind all the evil that we find around us. They are active but we, in our sinful state, don’t need a whole lot of help perpetuating evil on a multitude of fronts!
So why didn’t Jesus just destroy these demons – or send them to the bottomless pit? Because the time for such work had not yet come. He healed many people of the destructive effects of demon possession, but he did not yet destroy demons. The same question could be asked today – why doesn’t Jesus stop all the evil in the world? His time for that has not yet come. But it will come. The book of Revelation portrays the future victory of Jesus over, Satan, his demons and all evil. * (emphasis mine)
Lord Jesus, so often the weight of this world is overwhelming, and we feel that we cannot take much more without our knees buckling under us. The pain is real. Evil and all of its personifications are real.
The Apostle Paul encourages us by saying,
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Ephesians 6:12 (AMP)
May we come to You, for You told us,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Amen.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Mar 24th, 2020, Tues, 6:31 pm
The Greatest Fullfillment
As we settle into the new “normal”, Father, I would ask for our protection as we drive and as we interact with families that we all would be shielded from the virus that is running amuck among us. May we be beacons of hope and encouragement to those around us. Amen.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
At the encouragement of a friend, Karen and I watched the movie The Greatest Showman on TV last night. It is loosely based on the life of (Phineas) P. T. Barnum, famed founder of Barnum and Baily Circus. It was filled with soaring ballads, wonderful choreography, and it was definitely entertaining.
This is not a review and I am not even encouraging you to watch it, though I did enjoy it, but I wanted to say something about…love.
I missed the beginning but watched it to the end and with another showing immediately after the first ended, I watched a portion of the beginning, too.
As I did so, I was touched by the relationship between Phineas and Charity, the woman he eventually married. Although they were from opposite ends of society – he with little, she with anything she wanted – a connection blossomed between them. She is sent to finishing school and though they are apart, their relationship thrives.
They are inseparable, though Phineas strives for more, Charity is obviously content with him, regardless of more or less. He loves her dearly as well but is driven to make something of himself, to provide for her – proving to her father that he can do so.
As the movie progresses Phineas becomes enchanted with a famed Swedish opera singer. Always looking to move onward and upward, he convinces her to travel in America under his leadership. She does and they depart on a whirlwind tour across the country.
As they journey together, she begins to fall in love with him but, although he remains enchanted by her, the feeling is not mutual. Their relationship dissolves when at the end of her final performance she kisses him firmly on the lips. He realizes the fool he has been and even though there was no impropriety on his part, he makes a hasty departure home to a disenchanted Charity.
OK, here is what impacted me as I watched the beginning after I had seen the end. Eventually, Phineas and Charity reconciled and he, realizing the err of his pursuits for fame and fortune, devotes himself to his loving wife and two daughters. At that point, with all he had been through, he grasped the importance of what he had and let go of what he thought he needed. By far the former was so much more valuable than the latter.
In our lives, how many times do we push ourselves to obtain what we think will bring us happiness, forfeiting that which grants us the most fulfillment of all? How many of us have those in life that love us just the way we are, but we are not content? We may have good (or bad) intentions but we are determined to find that which will truly meet our expectations of satisfaction.
The grass is never truly greener on the other side of the fence. God’s hand has placed us where we are. We mustn’t let the real source of contentment and happiness slip through our grasp as we reach for things that will pass through our hands like grains of sand blowing in the wind.
And, honestly, the same is true in our relationship with Jesus. We are so enchanted by the offerings of the world that we forfeit the blessing of His presence which is right before us. And if anyone loves us just the way we are…it is He.
Jesus proclaims in Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT),
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Lord Jesus, may we treasure the gifts with which we have been blessed. And most of all may we find our greatest fulfillment in You. Amen.
In the Midst of the Storm
I come before You tonight, Father, listening to what You would say to me. May I give You my full attention. Amen.
Luke 8:22-25 (<<click to read the passage)
Wow! As I was reading through the notes of my study Bible*…well, let me let you read it yourself first.
When caught in the storms of life, it is easy to think that God has lost control and that we’re at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the history of the world as well as our personal destiny. Just as Jesus calmed the waves, he can calm whatever storms you may face.
Does it feel like we are in a storm…and a huge one at that? Across our globe, we are dealing with an overwhelming viral storm…and death and destruction follow behind in its wake. Uncertainty. Panic. Fear. Anxiety. Many, if they even believe in God at all, probably feel that He has “lost control” and that even with all of our attempts to shield ourselves from its onslaught that “we’re at the mercy of the winds of fate.” It may feel that way but it most certainly is not the case.
First of all, as I have now lived for over half a century (!) I believe, more firmly today than ever in my life, that God IS in control! Each one of us has a free will. Individually, we can choose if we will accept Jesus as our savior or if we will refuse His offer of salvation. No one can make that decision for us and though He longs for us to do so, even God Himself will not force us to do so. We alone must choose.
That being said, we have absolutely no choice in what transpires in the world…or for that matter what transpires in our own lives. We try to control those things, but they are beyond our grasp.
I wrote a post back in September of last year entitled God Is Sovereign (<<click to read the post) which touched upon this reality. But when all is said and done, God is in charge of it all…not us.
I am not saying that God brought this horrific pandemic upon us, but He has allowed it. He did not stop it. Since the beginning of time, God has allowed us to pass through all kinds of storms – some from the natural course of life and some storms that are of our own making. In doing so His goal is that those “storms” impact us in ways that will hopefully draw us (or push us) to Him.
And for those of us who have sought Him out for our salvation, even in the midst of these storms, we find our refuge in Him. We may feel like crying out as the disciples did, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” But His response to us is the same as it was to them. He calms the storm and brings about “[a perfect peacefulness]” And we are asked as well, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?”
So…what is your answer? Has the uncertainty of the future – that storm howling about you –petrified you with fear? Or are you placing your faith – your confidence – in the Master for the perfect peacefulness found only in Him? He truly is Sovereign of all, and our only place of refuge is by His side.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Mar 22nd, 2020, Sun, 7:30 pm