When Words Fail

"I ran in to a couple that lost their baby. The husband was broken. We cried together and then prayed and talked. I was a mess."

These few messy sentences summarize so much pain and emotion. I didn't have any words of wisdom for this couple that lost their child. Words failed me. I had tears, prayers and eventually some encouragements. I don't think an immediate response of anything other than that would have even been appropriate. 

Many people are just like this couple. Tragedy has hit and there are no words to comfort or settle them. We see it every day. Pain and trials are the norm. 

Recently in our nation we have seen loss and tragedy on many levels. In our social and political structures we are divided. Racially we are heading down the wrong path. In the natural realm disaster has struck and devastated lives. With our national relationships abroad the word 'tense' seems to understate the current norm. 

People are looking for answers. All these things impact people personally. Even without the things that have happened in our nation we see people living amidst personal trials. While the Christian life is not easy I can't imagine doing life any other way. How do people make it without God? 

The only hope we have in the midst of tragedy is that God is good. Some scoff and some don't believe in the goodness of God. I can't see any other option. Without it I am without hope. God's goodness is the only thing that assures me that the suffering and pain we endure in this life will be worth it all in the end. 

God is near to the brokenhearted and collects our tears as His treasures. That in itself is mind blowing. But when you think of a God who cries with us, Who listens to our prayers and Who speaks words of comfort and wisdom to us there can be no other conclusion than that God is good. He loves us and love never fails. His words are eternal and when words fail us His word stands strong. 

If you're experiencing pain or tragedy know that God is with you in your pain. He loves you and hasn't left. Your emotions are normal and it's okay to experience anger, confusion, sadness and to have questions. But when you settle in to the reality that God is good it will help you to go through the trial and the pain. 

Day 346 - For The Win

"I must have been healed because this morning I got up early and went to pray without any difficulty like the past two days."

Yesterday's post was about The Fight. We do our part with all we have. The great thing is that all we have is not enough. Why is that great? Because that is where the grace of God comes in and makes up the difference. 

Much has been said about grace over the years. I learned a simple definition of God's riches at Christ's expense" when I was young in the faith. I also learned the even simpler definition of "unmerited favor" when I got a little older. What really opened my eyes was when I leaned that grace is "God's sovereign Divine ability to get the job done on my behalf when I can't do it." It is "God's power in me to do what His truth demands of me."

All of those definitions add up to the fact that we cannot make it in life without a supernatural God. He alone makes up the difference. We may pray and fight and give but it will always be short. If we are to be more than a conqueror in life it will only be through Christ. Going for the win without Christ won't make it. Jesus is the ultimate victor and He gives us the victory. 

If you are at the end of your rope then realize that you can't do it on your own. Have you ever hear the expression "Let go and let God"? There is something to that. Tap into the grace of God. You do all you can and pray and ask God to work in and through you to make up the difference for the win. 

Have you seen the grace of God at work in your life? What scriptures deal with grace?

Day 223 - I Got Nothing

"I got up at 2 am to see the meteor shower and saw nothing."

Not every good idea pans out. It is okay. Nothing ventured nothing gained. But every venture doesn't always work out. 

I have had grandiose ideas that have taken my family through some pretty big let downs. One time we drove for hours to go and find the California poppies on the side of some hills that were supposed to 'light up the hills like fire'. Of coarse it was a low rain year and the heat had burned most of the poppies so all we got to see was was the side of hills looking like dirt. 

Or how about every time I travel to Los Angeles. Our family has actually started calling it Lost Angeles because no matter where we think we are going or where our mapping program says to go we end up lost. Now we avoid LA at all costs. 

It took me two tries to get a picture of the blood moon because I missed it the first time. Thank goodness we are in a four blood moon zone of two years. 

As I write we are prepping for a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. I have an itinerary and plans...we will see. The point is that we are still trying. Don't stop at failure. Keep going. 

Have you had any ventures where you missed out or it didn't pan out? Are you planning anything for the future? 

Day 53 - Drugs and Losses

"A man who used to be involved in our ministry met me after church. He has been on and off drugs for months. Mostly on. He was wearing a tattered shirt and he was very thin. He said hello and tried not to cuss. Eventually he did while he was talking about things he was seeing because of the drugs. I asked him if he was staying clean and he said no. He told me that God told him to smoke dope. I told him that God would never violate his Word and smoking dope was against the law and against the Word so God would not have told him to smoke dope. He kind of clammed up after that but he did ask why he was seeing things coming out of his hands and stuff written on them. I told him that the drugs had opened his eyes to the spirit realm and that he needed to get clean. He expressed his love and shook my hand. I saw him out by the burned down meth lab house by the entrance to the church sitting by the gutter drain. My heart broke for him. I recalled another drugged out guy who was standing in the lawn there staring off in to the distance. He probably had no idea I was driving by. I went into prayer and intercession for him."

I hate this post. I hate it because one of our people who had victory over drugs went back to it. I hate the devil and I hate evil. I hate the fact that this man's life and family and future have been ruined. 

This man isn't the only one. I know many who have went back to the things they left to follow Christ. We cannot afford to play with sin and evil. The old saying that he who plays near the mud hole will eventually fall in is true. If you play with fire you will get burned. 

We have to watch what we are watching, guard our hearts and make sure that we have godly relationships. Accountability, disciplines of church attendance, prayer and the Word of God are all so important. Not just going through the motions of dead religion but a personal and passionate relationship with the Living God. 

I am still praying for that man to return and the he be saved. I pray for you. I pray for myself.

How can we guard against slipping back into old ways? What has kept you strong in your relationship with the Lord?

Day 3 - Taking Down Christmas

"We took down Christmas tonight. It is amazing how long it takes to put it up but how quickly everything comes down. I guess it is as with most things in life. Things take time to build but can be torn down in an instant. Trust is built over a long period of time and faithfulness but one mistake can break it. Great wealth is earned over a lifetime but a stock market crash or real estate bubble can make it all fly away. It is the same with our interests in the season we are in. It takes us a long while to get into the spirit of Christmas and remember the birth of Christ but once the New Year comes we have lost the awe and wonder of the Christ child and are looking for vision and to better ourselves. Maybe what we need is to stay and linger at Christ and we will have vision and be better from His presence."

Have you noticed how quickly things crumble that it takes a long time to build? Even driving a long distance seems shorter coming home doesn't it?

*A fun side note: This was the day I had the idea for this blog.