Asking God tough questions

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Initially, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.  Last time, we read God’s response – He is planning on punishing/correcting Judah by allowing the Chaldeans (aka the Babylonians) to invade Judah.

Here is Habakkuk’s response to God’s revelation:

Habakkuk 1:12-13
Are You not from eternity, Lord my God?
My Holy One, You will not die.
Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, You destined them to punish us.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up
one who is more righteous than himself?

You can feel Habakkuk’s bewilderment in his response – Lord, you know everything…and yet, You are choosing THEM to bring correction on Your people?  THEY are worse than WE are!

God is aware of who the Chaldeans are and their deserved reputation for violence and cruelty.  However, Habakkuk continues, reminding God of their arrogant conquests:

Habakkuk 1:14-17
You have made mankind like the fish of the sea,
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.

That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.
Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

Habakkuk’s tone has shifted from bewilderment to a nervous urgency.  God, if You’re sending THEM as Judah’s reprimand, then they will pillage us without mercy.

Habakkuk has made his case before God as to why he thinks God’s plan is a bad idea.  Rather than belaboring the point, Habakkuk makes an interesting, intentional choice – he chooses to wait.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me
and what He will reply about my complaint.

Habakkuk has such great confidence in the Lord, that he is willing to wait for a reply.  He does not demand an immediate answer – like many of us do with our own questions and concerns.  Instead, Habakkuk pauses the conversation. 

It’s important to note that Habakkuk’s waiting isn’t idle.  He didn’t shut down and quit on everything else in life while he waited for God’s response.  No, he is waiting expectantly, trusting that the God he serves will have an answer.  In the meantime, though, Habakkuk will continue to stand guard in his responsibilities and watch for God’s response.

That is our example – we can ask God the hard questions, bringing our bewilderment and concerns to God…but we also need to respect His timing in how and when He chooses to answer us.  We should not act like doubtful, bratty children who stomp their feet and expect God to do what we want.  Instead, God desires for us to reason with Him and look for how He ultimately responds.  Maturity doesn’t mean we stop asking questions…being mature is trusting God with however He chooses to respond.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

That wasn't the answer he expected

In this series, we’re walking with a prophet that is little-known to most of us modern-day Christians.  Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where the writings of most other Old Testament prophets were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

Last time, we heard Habakkuk confront God about the selfish, even down-right evil, actions his fellow countrymen were committing.  He was struggling to understand why God hadn’t stepped in to address the troubles in Judah.

God did reply – but His response certainly wasn’t the solution Habakkuk was looking for:

Habakkuk 1:6-11
Look!  I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter impetuous nation that marches across the earth’s open spaces to seize territories not its own. 
They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves. 
Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. 
Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from distant lands. 
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.

All of them come to do violence; their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
They mock kings, and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it.
Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through.
They are wind; their strength is their god.

The Chaldeans are not who Habakkuk was expecting when he petitioned God for a “rescuer” for his people.  In fact, these pagan foreigners are the complete opposite of who Habakkuk expected.

In Habakkuk’s situation, he asked for help…but God told him it’s going to get worse before it gets better.  This was necessary, even though it would be painful.

When looking back in our own lives, we often thank God for “unanswered prayers”, when we asked for blessings that we ultimately did not receive.  We thought the best thing for us would be to get “that job” we had applied for, or we wanted a romantic relationship with a specific person, or even safety when traveling.  Because if God had fulfilled our request and we had received what we wanted in the moment…life would have been so different that the relationships and blessings we have now would not have been experienced.

But sometimes, God’s answer to our requests is more than just a “No”.  Other times, He does allow the car accident, the cancer diagnosis, or other difficult situations to occur.  But if we’re honest, the motivation behind many our prayer requests has more to do with our immediate comfort than with our connectedness with God.

And that’s the bigger picture – both for us and for Habakkuk – going through hard times has the ability to strip away our selfishness and self-centeredness that keeps us from being who God made us to be.

If you’ve learned how to look into your past and thank God for what didn’t happen, the next step in maturity is to be able to thank God in the moment He denies our prayer request.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Why won’t God step in?

Have you found yourself frustrated with the direction the world is going lately?
Does it feel like God is allowing more evil activities to occur than you think He should?
Does it seem like justice isn’t falling on those who should really be receiving correction?

If you said ‘yes’ to any (or all) of these questions, then you can probably relate to the prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk lived in the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem.  However, where most other prophet’s writings were about God’s message to the people, what we find unique about the book of Habakkuk is that the prophet records his conversation with God on behalf of the people.

And Habakkuk was really struggling with what he saw going on in the world.

From the start, you can tell this isn’t the first time Habakkuk has brought his frustrations to God.

Habakkuk 1:2-4
How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen
or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?
Why do You force me to look at injustice?
Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Can you feel his frustration with society?

Do you hear the anguish in Habakkuk’s voice as he, yet again, points out injustice to God?

The Jews were oppressing their fellow countrymen, committing violence against their neighbors…without any real correction or indication that their behavior would ever stop.  In fact, Habakkuk points out the opposite: strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.  There is no end in sight for the depravity they are living in.

Habakkuk even goes so far as to say that God’s law – the 10 Commandments and following decrees – is ineffective.  When wicked people are in charge, justice is perverted.  Habakkuk just wants to know: Why are you allowing all this evil to go unchecked in the nation of Judah?

Here is God’s response:

Habakkuk 1:5
Look at the nations and observe – be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.

The first thing God tells Habakkuk is that his view is too small.  From his vantage point, Habakkuk cannot see the larger picture of history that God is operating in.  Where the prophet is focusing on his immediate situation, God tells him to look at the nations and observe. 

What God is actually up to will blow Habakkuk’s mind…even to the point he won’t believe it when God clues him in. 

Does that mean God doesn’t care about our suffering?  Is He turning a blind-eye to the steady stream of injustice witnessed in society?  Is God not upset that “His laws” are trampled on by those in authority?

God cares about all those things…but His timetable and His plan for history may not line up with what we think He should do.  Look at the promise God made to the nation of Israel hundreds of years before Habakkuk was born:

Deuteronomy 32:35-36
Vengeance and retribution belong to Me.
In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom will come quickly.
The Lord will indeed vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one is left – slave or free.

The people of Habakkuk’s day are still trying to do it themselves and make everything work via their own strength, rather than rely on God.  God’s justice will come, but society’s stubbornness has to run its course.

That’s our challenge, too.  Continue to live God’s way, even if evil and injustice persist in society around us.  God has a bigger picture in mind, one that includes justice at the right time.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

She knew who He was

At the end of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, God says this about when His coming Messiah arrives:

Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

We need to be aware that Hebrew word kanap, which is translated wings, can also refer to an edge or hem of a garment.  This alternate translation is used in several places throughout the Old Testament.

This verse is among the last words that God spoke to the nation of Israel before going silent for 400 years.  Then, after all that time, Jesus arrives on the scene.  He demonstrates His authority through various healing miracles and teaching unlike any the people had heard before.  As His fame grew, so did the number of people who came to Him with their various illnesses and maladies.  However, there’s one healing story that did not make a whole lot of sense to me, until recently:

Mark 5:25-29
Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors.  She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all.  On the contrary, she became worse.  Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His clothing.  For she said, “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.”  Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Her reasoning “If I just touch His clothes, I’ll be made well.” was the part I didn’t get.  I figured that’s kind of an odd thought, but it must have been ok since she was healed, right?

But read her account in light of the promise God made through the prophet Malachi – the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His garments.  This wasn’t a crazy lady making stuff up about God and hoping for the best…this was a woman who, even after suffering for 12 years, knew God’s word and was clinging to His promises. 

She recognized Jesus as the Messiah – and because she knew the Scriptures, she boldly stepped forward to claim God’s promise for healing.  Even though she didn’t make a spectacle of her approach and she kept to herself in the crowd, her actions were still bold…she approached Jesus with confidence in who He was and what He was capable of.

Jesus recognized that someone who touched Him had been healed, and He stopped to see who it was.

Mark 5:32-33
But He was looking around to see who had done this.  The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.

She was caught, so to speak.  But she acted with boldness again, even though she was scared.  As she told Him the whole truth, it would not surprise me if she had quoted God’s prophecy through Malachi.  Although the words she spoke were with fear and trembling, listen to the gentle, loving response from Jesus:

Mark 5:34
“Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has saved you.  Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”

Her faith is what saved her from her affliction.  But what was it that she believed?  She believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  She believed God’s promises in the Scriptures.  Her trust in God was what delivered her.

So how about us?  Do we believe God’s promises?  We’re told that we, too, can approach Jesus with the same boldness of the woman in Mark 5.

Hebrews 4:16
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

But…are we like the woman in Mark 5?  She knew who Jesus was because she knew God’s word.  Do we know God’s promises given for us in the Scriptures?  Faith in who Jesus is will give us the boldness to seek Him in our time of need.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

God’s incomplete story

It must have been tough being one of God’s prophets in ancient Israel.  You know that you are commissioned for an incredible work – speaking on behalf of the Creator of the Universe, and delivering His messages to humanity.  However, it is not an easy task.  Oftentimes, the people don’t want to hear what you have to say.  Many don’t want to be called out of their self-focused, sinful lifestyles.  Sometimes, the prophet had to deliver a message of punishment for Israel…and who among us likes being the bearer of bad news?

Like many other prophets, Elijah had threats on his life, even coming from the current king and queen.  Later on, Isaiah was commissioned by God to tell Israel that national punishment was coming.  When he asked God how long he should preach this message, God replied, “until the land is ruined and desolate” (Isaiah 6:11).  Not exactly a crowd-pleasing message to share.

But staying silent wasn’t an option, either.  Jeremiah was another prophet who foretold the destruction of Judah.  Here’s what he had to say about not wanting to preach any more “bad news”:

Jeremiah 20:9
I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name.”
But His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

We also have to consider that the prophets didn’t necessarily understand the full implication of God’s message.  After all, they were simply the messenger, not the originator.  In many instances, they were delivering prophecies for the people of their day, but they also often spoke of a coming Messiah…and God did not give them all the details about the salvation His Messiah would bring.  Peter also brings up this point in one of his letters:

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.  They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you.

The Old Testament prophets did their best to discover God’s plan for the Messiah, but ultimately, they were not given the full picture.  Instead, they learned that their messages and efforts were meant to serve others…and not just their own curiosities.  Although they did not get the “full story” during their lifetime, God did give them enough information so they could do the work He had for them.

The Apostle John acknowledged being in a similar situation when he wrote his gospel message:

John 20:30-31
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

There were lots of things John could have written about, including many signs that Jesus performed before ascending into heaven.  Those would have been really interesting to read about, I’m sure!  However, John selected specific stories from Jesus’ life that were all aimed at one purpose, the main thing John (and God) wanted us to know: so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. 

There is a parallel here between the Old Testament prophets and us modern believers.  We don’t have the full story of how and when God will move through history.  We don’t get to know the date when Jesus will return.  But there is still work to do.

Thankfully, the Old Testament prophets pressed on and did the hard work of delivering God’s message.  Many of them are commended in “God’s Hall of Fame” and you can read what God had to say about them in Hebrews 11.  We, too, can press on, sharing the message of the gospel to the people around us.  God will also commend and reward those who do the work He has for us now. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Does God play favorites?

If a kid has siblings, at some point they are going to wonder which kid their parents like the most.  With some parents, it’s painfully obvious that they favor one child over another.  At the other end of the spectrum are parents who express love to their children equally.  However, since we all receive love differently (see: love languages), there is a possibility that children can interpret a parent’s expression of love to a sibling as favoritism.

The same dynamic can play out in other settings when there is an authority person over a group.  Work, sports teams, and social clubs are all examples of places where favoritism can show up.  And if you’ve read even a chapter or two of the gospel accounts, you’ll notice that the disciples are constantly angling to be considered Jesus’ “right-hand man”.

Out of the 12 disciples, Jesus did have an inner circle made up of Peter, James, and John.  However, even among those three, you can find some jostling for position.  While you might assume this kind of posturing only took place early on in the ministry, you would be wrong.  Even after Jesus’ resurrection, we see expressions of concern about positions and favorites.

The setting for this particular scene is a familiar one – Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times during the night Jesus was arrested.  After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples.  During that time, He had a specific conversation with Peter, restoring him three times and re-commissioning him as a leader.  Towards the end of their conversation, Jesus tells Peter this:

John 21:18-19
“Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted.  But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.  After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me.”

On the one hand, Jesus gave Peter some good news – he’s going to live to the point that he has grown old.  But then there’s also bad news – Jesus is indicating that Peter’s death will be via crucifixion, as to stretch out your hands was a common euphemism for someone dying on a cross.  Although He just gave Peter an incredible foresight into his future, Jesus then brought his attention back to the present with His command of “Follow Me”.

However, Peter’s attention did drift elsewhere:

John 21:20-21
So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You?”  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

John was the youngest disciple, and he seemed to have a special “in” with Jesus…after all, he was the one to ask such a direct question to Jesus during the Last Supper.  In fact, it was Peter who put John up to asking the question in the first place.  Peter didn’t have the confidence that he could ask such a question…but thought John could.

You can almost hear the thoughts of Peter in this moment…Oh, so I’m going to die violently.  I wonder if Jesus’ “favorite” will face the same pain?  How fair is this going to be?

That’s always our hang up, isn’t it?  If we’re going down, we want to know how many others are going to suffer with us.  And…if someone else isn’t going to suffer like us…then we want to know WHY.

However, Jesus didn’t answer Peter’s question.  Instead, He said:

John 21:22
“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you?  As for you, follow Me.”

Jesus wasn’t obligated to answer Peter’s question.  Peter is not the one to determine if God’s plan for another person’s life is acceptable.  Peter doesn’t get to judge Jesus’ actions, looking for favoritism.  I love the blunt question, “What is that to you?”.  Peter’s focus needs to be on his own walk with God, and not on anyone else.

So, when we get full of ourselves or down on God because someone else has been blessed in ways that we haven’t, or we think that our struggles are unfair compared to the lives of other believers, I hope Jesus’ question to Peter rings in our ears:

What is that to you?  As for you, follow Me.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

You don’t get to know everything

I just wish God would tell me what He’s up to!

Sound familiar?

Usually by the time this phrase makes it past our lips, we’ve had some frustrated feelings simmering for a while.  Maybe it’s difficulty at work.  Maybe your family isn’t acting like a family.  Maybe you’ve hit every red light for the past week.  Maybe you’ve been hit by several expenses within a short amount of time.  Maybe political leaders are leading their nation where you don’t want it to go.  Whatever it is, it’s not something you’ve expected…let alone something you can see a way out of.

So, what do we typically do when we don’t understand what’s happening in the world?  We eventually allow our feelings to boil over, and we vent our frustrations to God.  But what are we really saying here?  We’re subtly accusing Him of holding out on us.

Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to sting so much…but it does sting, doesn’t it?

I just wish God would tell me what He’s up to!

Do you see that statement for what it really is?  We’re certain that we would understand our current problems if God would justify His reasoning to us.

We’re acting as if God should be accountable to us and our preferences for how we think our lives should go.

Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to give us all the details or to justify His decisions.  In fact, He tells us to expect the opposite:

Isaiah 55:8-11
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not My ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.

“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,
so My word that comes from My mouth
will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

And then there’s us…shaking a frustrated fist and trying to tell God – the inventor of the water cycle(!), which sustains all life on earth – that He’s doing stuff wrong. 

We’re comically small sometimes.  Small-minded.  Small-focused.  Small-faith.

So, what should we do when our frustrations build and we don’t understand the world around us?  The answer is in the two verses preceding the passage above:

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call to Him while He is near.
Let the wicked one abandon his way
and let the sinful one his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
so He may have compassion on him,
and to our God for He will freely forgive.

We are small, but God doesn’t abandon us to our smallness.  If we turn to Him, seeking His way instead of insisting on our own way, He will respond with compassion and forgiveness.

And, if we’re honest…we want to receive compassion and forgiveness more than we want answers and explanations.  So, seek the Lord.  Let Him handle the rest.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite - Blindsided

I received one of those calls this week - my wife was in a car accident due to the other driver’s negligence. She’s ok. Nothing is broken, but she’s feeling beat up, stiff, and sore. The car, however, is not ok. So as we deal with the fallout of this unexpected situation, I’m bringing back a post from nearly 11 years ago about Psalm 119. I often come back to it when life doesn’t go as planned. I hope it’s a good reminder for you, as well.

Blindsided
Originally posted on May 22, 2015

Blindsided.
Knocked down.
Run over.
Left for dead.

Life does that sometimes.  Just completely out of the blue, you get that phone call.  A relative in good health suddenly dies.  A friend’s child is in an accident.  Layoffs.  Divorce.  Cancer.  Any number of things can take us out at the knees without any warning.

And we’re quickly reminded of how fragile and small we really are.

In Psalm 119:25-32, the author use two descriptive phrases to relate how he feels after life has knocked him down.  First he says, my life is down in the dust.  Other translations render his words as my soul clings to the dust or I collapse in the dirt.  He feels so low that he can only relate to the trampled dirt on the ground.  Secondly he says, I am weary from grief.  Other translations relay the author’s meaning by stating my soul melts from heaviness and my soul weeps because of grief.  We can relate to the psalmist because we’ve all had times when our hearts are so heavy that even our souls are shedding tears.

Our typical reactions to getting knocked down by life is to ask God “Why me?” or, if we’re feeling mature, we’ll ask “God, what are You trying to teach me in this?”  However, the psalmist has neither of those responses.

As you read this section of Psalm 119, look for where the psalmist turns to when life has brought him down low:

Psalm 119:25-32
My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word.
I told You about my life, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders.
I am weary from grief; strengthen me through Your word.
Keep me from the way of deceit, and graciously give me Your instruction.
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.
I cling to Your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame.
I pursue the way of Your commands, for You broaden my understanding.

When life has him down in the dust to the point where he is weary from grief, the psalmist looks for life and strength though Your word.  He’s not looking for an explanation or a life-lesson, rather he is looking for God himself, as revealed in Scripture.

It is noteworthy that when he asks God to help me understand, he’s not looking for the meaning of what knocked him down to the ground…instead he’s asking God to explain the meaning of Your precepts.  Again, he’s not focused on how he got there or why he got there…he’s focusing on meeting God in the midst of it all.

When life has knocked him down, the psalmist implicitly trusts God with all aspects of the situation.  And he seeks God through the Scriptures to reinforce his faith.

So should we.

Keep Pressing,
Ken 

Enjoy this

In my 30s, I got into sprint-distance triathlons.  These mini-tests of endurance (swim, bike, run = 3x the fun!) ended up being the gateway for me to dabble in long-distance running.  While I did end up running two marathons…my favorite running distances were anything from about 8 miles up to 18 miles.  There was something special about slowly adding the miles on each week, working my way up to distances that I once thought were impossible (or, at least, only for crazy people to attempt).

Between a significant shoulder injury and then moving to a new state, I lost the running bug.  However, I’ve never forgotten the feeling of a “runner’s high” or the accomplished feeling of hitting a new longest-distance mark. 

About a year ago, I took up swimming again.  Nothing fancy, just laps in a pool.  I haven’t been following a training regimen.  I swim to enjoy the feeling of moving smoothly through the water.  Running and cycling have gravity pulling on you from a vertical position as you maneuver through the air, but swimming is different – gravity pulls at you from a horizontal position as you maneuver through the water.  Each week, my endurance has increased a little bit.  How I can tell has shown up in a variety of ways: I feel not-quite-as-exhausted after a swim, less time needed to recover the next day, or that my breaks between laps have shortened.  And lately, my weekly distance has been increasing.

This past week, as I counted each 50m lap and kept an eye on the time, I began to realize that I had a shot at swimming a distance that I hadn’t made it up to yet.  However, I knew that if I was going to hit a new distance record, I would have to focus on my technique as my arms and core became more and more tired.  Concentrating on making smooth strokes, I felt a renewed strength as I continued the laps.  And then, a two-word thought popped into my head: Enjoy this.

It wasn’t a “Thus saith the Lord” moment, but I knew what those words meant – in this moment of struggle, enjoy the ability to push beyond what you thought you were capable of before.  And I did enjoy that feeling…even as my lungs burned, my shoulders ached, and my core felt tired.  Endurance is something that you may not realize you have until you’ve tested your limits…and there is strength to be found in the moment when our ability to keep going is challenged.

Before that lap was complete, this verse came to mind:

James 1:2-3
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

I whine and grumble too much (especially internally) when life is harder than I want it to be.  Other translations say “Consider it pure joy” when trials come…and that’s always been a hard command to wrap my head around.  At least, until I went swimming this week.  Maybe you’re like me, and we’re prone to focus on the various trials…instead of what they produce in us.  I love that James points out our pity party, stating that you know this is good for you, I know that trials are good for me, because the only way to produce endurance is to test our perceived limits.

But God isn’t looking to just increase our ability to stick out tough times.  He has something bigger in mind:

James 1:4
And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Our pathway to maturity – living fully within the person God designed us to be – is paved with opportunities to increase our endurance.  Without the experience of various trials, we will be too weak to become who God created us to be.  When difficulties come – and you know they will – as you persevere through them, going further than you’ve gone before, please remember these two words:

Enjoy this.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

A personal pep-talk

Life’s been busy lately.  “Very full” would be a better description. 

I won’t list everything out for you…I fear that would not only be rather dull for you to read, but I don’t want to get anywhere near a “humble-brag”, either.  To say I have shared a lot of worthwhile time with many different people/groups, both at work and in the community, will suffice.

I’d rather we talk about how we feel when we’re dealing with a season like this.  There’s some mixture of tired-fulfilled-weary-happy-reflective-drained that I think we can all relate to.

That’s why I love spending time in the book of Psalms.  These song-writers did not hold back on sharing their life experiences with God.  You’ll find the entire range of emotions, multiple times over, as you read through them.

Here’s a portion of Psalm 42 that is really resonating with me right now:

Psalm 42:5-8
Why, my soul, are you so dejected?  Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember You
from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls;
all Your breakers and Your billows have swept over me.

The Lord will send His faithful love by day;
His song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life.

I wouldn’t say I’m at the level of feeling dejected and deeply depressed, but I recognize those feelings from other times in my life.  We all go through seasons when those are very real and very deeply felt.

The part of this psalm that resonates for me right now is the psalmist giving himself a pep-talk.  Did you notice that?  He’s talking to his own soul.  He identifies the feelings of turmoil, but doesn’t claim them as his identity.  Instead, the psalmist encourages himself to put your hope in God, insisting that despite how low he feels, I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

When we’re struggling, a dejected soul may want to just curl up in a ball in a dark room, but instead, the psalmist takes three bold steps away from the darkness:

1.       When he feels depressed, his first step is to remember the God who loves him.

2.       Next, he enjoys nature – being present in and listening to the sounds of God’s creation, like His waterfalls, can help clean out the junk we feel inside.

3.       Lastly, he looks for God by day and in the night, trusting that God will meet him there.

This three-step pep-talk helps clarify our perspective when a season of life has been so full.  However, let’s be clear – these steps don’t “work” because we simply do them.  We’re not capable of fixing ourselves.  These steps only “work” because by doing them, we bring ourselves back to the God who loves us more than we can understand.  Keeping close to Him is what we truly need, in all of life’s seasons.

Keep Pressing,
Ken