You've Got Mail

 

You've Got Mail

Psalm 107:20 - He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

In today’s world there are millions of transactions done every day. Packages are sent from one side of the continent to another via courier. Money is sent from one bank account to another via the internet. Letters are sent from one person to another via the mail system. Our Heavenly Father is also in the sending business and before He sends anything else, He sends His Word. If something is sent that implies that it came from a specific location, it contains a precise purpose, and it also has a definite destination.

God carries mankind in His heart; He is intensely concerned about every detail of our lives. Like a good father, He longs to bless and help and so, He fills His word with power and sends it to accomplish His will. The Word of God is sent from His heart to your heart with a purpose; indeed, God’s Word is a missionary Word. It is sent on a mission, it has an assignment from the sender, and it is designed to reach the addressee.

Most times, when we are in trouble or needing answers from God, we get our eyes on what it is that we need. If we are in trouble financially, we tend to simply ask God to send money. If we are at a crossroads, not knowing which way to turn, we might ask God to send guidance. If we are sick, naturally, we ask God to send healing. However, instead of looking for the answer itself, it may be more important to get our eyes on God and, more specifically, on His Word.

As we look closer at our verse, we notice that God did not send healing, He sent His Word. He wants us to be healed but there is something more important than the answer alone, and that is the Word of God which brings change to us as we seek Him for the answer. The Word of God is the only thing that brings lasting change to our outlook and lifestyle. As parents, we know that we do not simply want to give our children what they desire, we want them to mature and develop into responsible, contributing people. Educators do not want the student to merely get a passing grade, they want them to learn because learning a lesson brings lifelong change.

God sends His Word. This is the pattern established and recorded in the Scriptures. In the beginning, God wanted light to shine so He sent His Word of light and that light is still fulfilling its intended assignment. God sends His Word. He might send it through an angel. He might send it through a dream. He might send it through a person. He might send it through various literature. One thing for sure that we know, He has already sent His Word in the form of the Bible. We have sixty-six books which contain God’s Word. As we read, ponder, and apply that Word, we become strengthened in faith, we become matured in character, we become prepared in attitude, and we become ready to receive.

Please, friends, don’t wait for the spectacular and instant answers. No! Open the Book of God. Read it daily. Read it slowly. Take time with His Word and think deeply. Allow His words to adjust your outlook and dictate to you the next steps to take. Commune heart-to-heart with your Father through His Words. If we do, a shift will happen; we will change, we will grow, and we will receive our answers from Him. Truly, it is written and it is dependable; He sent His Word and it healed them.

 

Perfect Peace

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Fear. Disarray. Confusion. Division. Once again, our world seems to be in suspense, not knowing what the next days may bring. The hatred among political parties. The threat of higher tariffs. Economic instability. Will jobs be lost? Will our retirement be postponed? Many plans have been put on hold and barriers between people have been erected. Indeed, the future continues to feel uncertain. Into this dark and depressing environment, the light of God’s Word comes shining in. Can we experience peace during a time of chaos? Yes, we can. Is it possible to enjoy peace when all hell is breaking loose? Yes, it is.

Every good father wants his family to be kept safe. He wants his children to know the security of protection and provision. He wants them to enjoy their childhood without a care in the world. There is no greater protector and provider than our Father God, and He desires all these things for His children. He will preserve us, He will protect us, and He will provide for us. Truly, He is our trustworthy Keeper, who watches over our safety.

Underneath our English word peace, is a Hebrew word which contains multiple levels of meaning and application. Shalom is an ancient and sacred word which defies simple definition and may take volumes to describe its truth. Emphasizing its importance, Hebrew scholars have told us that Shalom is at the center of all words and all ideas. It surrounds us in our coming and in our going. It is the ultimate blessing, the container in which all other blessings are held. Nothing is whole, nothing is perfect unless it is accompanied by peace. Indeed, peace is one of God’s big words, and just as an apple seed contains within itself countless future orchards, so Shalom carries within itself the truth of the whole Bible, it encapsulates God’s heart and intention for mankind. Shalom includes the ideas of safety, security, well-being, prosperity, and rest. One of the best definitions of shalom, comes from Jewish scholar David Baron; nothing missing, nothing broken. Just imagine, friends, if nothing good ever went missing from your life, and nothing valuable was ever broken, how happy, satisfied, and fulfilled would you be?

An art teacher once asked his students to create a picture depicting peace. Some students painted a child sleeping soundly, and some, a small cabin by a babbling brook. Still others, portrayed serene landscapes with rolling hills and crystal-clear lakes, but one student’s picture showed a tree on the edge of a cliff just above the ocean. The sky looked dark and menacing, the wind was raging furiously, and the waves were splashing high against the rocks. The teacher was confused and asked the student to explain how her artwork had portrayed a picture of peace. The student replied that to discover peace in this setting, one must abandon preconceived ideas and look a little closer. Indeed, a closer look revealed that there was hidden deep within the branches of the tree, a tiny bird tucked under its’ mother’s wing, singing away, warm and dry in the nest. That is true peace; it is not the absence of trouble, or danger, or threat, it is living in a state of well-being and contentment, safe and secure in the very middle of the storm.

While it is God’s will for us to live in perfect peace, we have a vital role to play; our mind must be stayed on the Lord. Our thought-life is a key factor and will determine whether we are filled with anxiety or not. We may not have control over the situations we are in, but we do have control over our thoughts, indeed, we are the only ones that do. God, Himself, does not control our thinking for us because that is our domain and responsibility. This is where the struggle is won or lost, in the battlefield of the mind. To gain the upper hand over our attitude and emotions we must regularly read and constantly feed on the Scriptures. We must learn to trust in the One who never changes. We must learn the art and discipline of becoming a non-anxious person. As we practice this, we will begin to recognize which thoughts to keep and which thoughts to reject. Let’s encourage each other, friends, to focus on the promises of our Faithful God and keep our minds stayed on Him, and He will do exactly as He says here: He will keep us in perfect peace!

 

 

Don’t Let the Fear In

John 14:27b – Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Anxiety. Confusion. Apprehension. Suspense. The disciples were shocked at the news of what Jesus was saying. Was it true that Jesus was going to be killed? Wasn’t He the long-awaited Saviour? How could this be? Wasn’t He the one who was going to change everything for Israel? They couldn’t wrap their minds around that fact. It seemed that everything they had based their faith on was being taken away, indeed, the rug was being pulled out from beneath them. The magnitude of what the Lord was saying was too much for them to understand. Knowing that His friends were being overwhelmed, Jesus gave them instructions that would enable them to navigate peacefully through the hardships they were about to face.

When the Bible speaks of the heart, it most often refers to our inner person, the core and nucleus of our life. Those who study cellular biology tell us that the nucleus of a cell is considered the command center, issuing orders for growth, maturity, division, or even, death. Our heart is similar in that, it too, is a command center; it gives directions that we subconsciously follow. Our day to day lives will always conform to the dictates and commands issued from our hearts. What fills our heart will eventually fill our life. What we believe in the heart, either positive or negative, affects our lives accordingly.

Jesus is informing the disciples, and all of us today, that we are not to allow our hearts to entertain any anxious or fearful thoughts. The thoughts are real, and the pressures are real, but we do not have to succumb to our emotions and feelings. Have you noticed how quickly our minds can go from a place of peace to one of turmoil and panic? Do not let this happen. We are not powerless victims who must yield to every negative thought, but we are powerful victors who can calmly regulate our minds and emotions. As one survivor of a Nazi concentration camp has said, ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose ones’ attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones’ own way.’

In a time of crisis, the last thing we need is widespread panic. What we need is calm, thoughtful, guidance. All of us are called to some form of leadership, even if it is only our own selves that we lead. We must lead our emotions, not be led by them. We must lead our fears, not be controlled by them. We must lead our thought-life, not be governed by it. We must become that rare person who is called a non-anxious presence. The ones who remain calm are the ones who also remain sane; they see more clearly and make better decisions. Jesus said it to His disciples then, and He is saying it to us as well; do not allow your hearts to be troubled or upset, and do not allow fear to control you. Someone has once written that those who take responsibility during a crisis are those to whom power flows. They are the ones to whom answers come. A friend of mine told me that in one ancient Eastern language there was only one symbol for crisis, and it meant both danger and opportunity. To those who are overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, the crisis is dangerous, but to those who are calmly and deliberately governing their emotions, it is an opportunity. That is the good news, this crisis can be an opportunity to re-examine our priorities and our lifestyles. It can be an opportunity to draw closer to our Father God and closer to each other. It can be an occasion for positive change. Do not be overanxious or discouraged, friends, you are not alone in this fight. No matter how you may feel, reach out and take comfort and take courage. Do not let your hearts be troubled!

Power to the Faint

 

Power to the Faint

Isaiah 40:29 - He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. 

    The God we serve is not far off, distant, or disengaged from our lives; in fact, He is the exact opposite of that. He is the up-close-and-personal God; the greatest and most caring Father one could ever know, and this is the One of whom Isaiah says that He gives power to the faint. It is always His will and desire to give, and that is because giving is at the root and core of His very nature.

    What is it that the Lord wants to give? Power. Nothing in this life will be of any beneficial use without power. Mankind has always looked for ways to harness a greater power to produce maximum results. In the days before electrical power was dominant, there were other forms of power which were utilized by men. It might have been the power of the long branch operated to leverage a heavy object, or the power of the horse pulling a plow, or that of the rushing river turning a wheel to grind wheat into flour. Likewise, our bodies need an outside power which is greater than ourselves, and our gracious Father is in the power business.

    He gives power; we do not earn it. It is freely given, but just like electricity must be conducted, so the laws surrounding God’s power must be followed for it to flow unhindered. As was stated previously, it is always God’s will to give, but there is no giving without one to receive the gift, and the way that we receive from Him is faith. Faith is conducive to the flow of power.

   When something is referred to as being faint, then that means it is feeble and weak. A faint signal would be one that is extremely hard to hear and barely perceptible; a faint light would be a dim bulb that is on the verge of burning out; and a faint body would be one that is very fragile and without strength or vitality. God gives power to the faint; He strengthens the weak bodies of people and places them on a path of recovery. He strengthens their resolve and fills them anew with hope. Power from God does not always remove the sickness instantaneously, although it can, it often simply strengthens the body and promotes a healing process. If we are struggling with a sickness or, a chronic weakness of any kind, based on this verse, we can confidently ask and expect God to give us His power and strength to sustain us and empower us to overcome the difficulty.

    Who is it that God desires to give His power to? The faint and those who have no strength. The heart of our Father God seems to be attracted to the underdog and to those who are suffering and have no one to help them. Indeed, He says elsewhere that He will not extinguish a dimly burning wick. This is good news for all of us who may find ourselves in a dark and depressed place, without hope, for when we are at the end of our self, we find the beginning of God. Being at the end of our rope is the right time to let go and let God catch us in His loving arms, and once those arms surround and embrace us, His power is simultaneously transferred into us. He is so faithful, so reliable, and so generous; without a doubt; He gives power to the faint.