Why Do I Have to be Here? - making the most of the time in the desert

“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, no grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” – Numbers 20:5

God is my Good Shepherd. I can trust Him to lead me. These words are what we want to say, but we do not always believe. It is hard sometimes because we may find that we have to go into the desert.

There is a time for everything, even time in the desert. In the Israelites’ case, they were there because they doubted God. They doubted His ability to bring them into the Promised Land and the unbelieving generation had to die before anyone could enter the Promised Land.

Maybe in your own life you are headed to a desert or are already there and you wonder why. There is a reason God brings people to the desert. It may be because of disobedience. It may be He has something to teach them. It may be to humble them or it may be that people need to give up something and refocus on God. It may be to grow them and strengthen their character and faith. It may be to draw them closer to the King of kings. 

God always has the best in mind. It requires trust on our part because we cannot read His mind. But He knows ours. He knows what we need before we even know. He knows what is best in the long run. Like a father that does not let his child eat cake for every meal because he knows what his child needs even if it contradicts what the child wants, so God knows what is best. This is where trust must be. Without trust, there is anger and confusion because we think we know exactly what is best.

What we think is best is a life without pain and suffering, a life free of heartache, a life without any deserts. What if God thinks differently? What if God knows there is something better? What if God in all His wisdom and love for His children knows that the desert is necessary for something greater?

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"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:6-9

The result of the testing? Faith. Trust in God. Trust that pleases God. Trust that God keeps His promises. Trust that God is good. Trust that God gives Salvation.
It is in trials that one knows what hope is.
It is not until reaching the other side that the importance of testing is seen.


In recounting what God has done, Psalm 66:5-12 tells of the good and the bad 
and the ultimate result of one of the Israelites' times of testing.

"For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance." (v 10-12)

Another passage about testing is found in Isaiah. Isaiah 48 is about Israel being rebellious and God's warning to straighten them out. In verse 10 it says,

“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”


This is the desert of purification. The purpose of the desert is to cleanse. God does not lead us to a desert because He enjoys suffering. He leads us to the desert because the outcome is far more important than our comfort, far greater in the long run, far better than we can imagine at the moment.

Read again the end of verse 12 in Psalm 66.

“…we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.”

God tested the Israelites and they came out to a place of abundance.
What was this abundance? The promised land. What is our promised land? God has made us many promises. The most important being salvation -the Ultimate rest from striving and sin. This is the beginning of our abundance.

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"(John 10:10).

Jesus never promised a life without hardship or pain, but He did promise us a life of abundant living. That means no matter what hardship we face God will get us through it!


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When you find yourself in a desert you can either complain because it is not where you want to be and not what you want to feel, or you can choose to trust God. Trust that He is not making a mistake in taking you to the desert, and trust that He can provide for your needs and satisfy your thirst, even in a difficult situation. He is merciful and will not forsake you even in your time in the desert. While the Israelites were in the desert, God provided them with manna (Ps 78:15 Ex16:35) and kept their clothes from wearing out (Deut. 8:4),

and if you look back at Isaiah 48 it says in verse 21

They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.

Even though God led His precious children to the desert, He did not leave them. 

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I don’t know if you’re in a place or circumstance you do not want to be in. I know I have been. Asking why didn’t change anything. My attitude needed to change from complaining to trusting God and asking Him to provide while I was in the desert and asking also what needed to be done during the time in the desert. No matter how long it is, I want to please God and be yielded to what He wants to accomplish in my life.

I cannot tell you why you are where you are. I do know that if you ask God you can find out what He wants you to do while you are there. I also know that He is more than capable of providing for you and getting you through the desert to the place of abundance.

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If the focus of life is happiness then the desert will not make sense, but if the focus is something greater, something more valuable, then the desert of purification makes sense.  


"If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad."
-C.S. Lewis

Ultimately God is more interested in building our character during our time here than our momentary happiness. We are promised an eternity of happiness, but right now character should take precedence. There are so many blessings we will experience both now and later when we live trusting in God.

For anyone who is struggling with something

If you're reading this, you're probably going through a hard time or you know someone who is going through a hard time. 

Maybe you haven’t told anyone what you’re going through or maybe you have and no one seems to understand. This song is for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB9kGC927VA

Maybe no one else knows, but there is One who does.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.” – Isaiah 53:3

This is The Savior. 

First comes death but then comes life! This is the cycle found all throughout scripture. That is where hope comes from. It comes from the promises that happen after death. You can’t have life until death occurs. (If you have time, click on the references and read the entirety of the verses below)

2 Tim 2:11  "... For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him."
Mark 8:34-35   "...whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it."
Gal 5:24  "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
Gal 2:20  "... it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."
1 Pet 2:24  "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
Col 3:3-7  "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God..."
Rom 6:11  "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Jn 12:24  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Rom 6:5-7  "... for he who has died is freed from sin."

What you’re going through is a process. It has a purpose, although it may not feel like that at the moment.

God wants so much to give you life, but to have the life He wants to give there must be death on your part. This is not a physical death but a death that is spiritual, a death that occurs in your heart. It is a death of your plans, your selfish desires, your pleasure, your everything. In exchange God will give you new plans, new desires, new pleasures, new everything, all leading to new life. A life that is sanctified [holy, set apart, one-of-a-kind, blessed] and pleasing to God. But this newness of life can only come after death. And that death is often very painful. Sometimes extremely painful. It requires giving up something. But for everything you give up, God will exchange it for something better, something that is life!

Mark10:28-30 ²⁸ Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, ³⁰ but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

The greatest life we could ever hope to gain is eternal life. That life is possible and only is possible because of death. Jesus died so there could be life for all who believe in Him. The greatest life was purchased by the greatest death. Whatever death you are facing, remember that in Jesus death becomes life!

Hang in there. He is faithful.

Worship in Times of Despair

I was looking through some old writings of mine and found the one below from March 29, 2012. I remember that being a difficult year for me, but I can't remember why I was writing this the day before my birthday. Thinking back to that time of my life I can say by God's grace I made it through that year, and all that was trying to overcome me was conquered by Him, and I can look back at that year and what God brought me through with joy. So if you're going through times of despair, hold on. There is hope. Praise God for that.

Here's what I wrote:

I don’t think worship can be any more passionate, or beautiful, or sincere, or intimate than when you’re completely destitute and broken. Because it is at that moment that you worship God not because He is able to save you, but because you realize God is still God and God is still good and worshiping Him is just natural because of who He is. I have never felt closer to God than when I am broken and reduced  to nothing. It is then I look to God and see how He does not change, and I worship Him because He remains God and in control, and it overwhelms me because I am aware of His character. I seek Him and there He is. He looks at me and listens to me, and in my pain He is there. I worship Him because He is God and then I worship Him because He is Savior.

 Indeed, He is able to save. He does not allow me to face anything that is too great for me to bear. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I cry out to God and say, “It is too much for me to bear.” And God reminds me that is not too much when I rely on His strength. Yes, it is true. It is not too much for Him, therefore it is not too much for me. Though I may be shaken or oppressed or discouraged or harassed, though I may be burdened or afflicted or emotionally distraught, I am not overcome. I am not. I feel His peace inside me. It is not loud or great at the moment, but it is there. And it will keep me from giving in to despair. His joy is also inside me. That is why I can still rejoice. I am not defeated, not ever. Jesus has defeated all, and He is greater than the one in the world that tries to destroy me. The enemy whispers lies to convince me I am a failure and all hope is lost in an effort to entice me to give up. This is when Truth needs to be pervading  my life, my soul. Not flowing by my soul in a trickle but submerging my soul in an ocean.  You need to know Truth. His name is Jesus, the Word of God. He is the One that saves.

Heartbeat of Peace

When I go through crazy or difficult times in my life, sometimes I feel like giving up. When it comes to peace, I see it like a rope you hold while dangling over a cliff. Sometimes the rope feels solid and thick, and other times it feels like it's barely a thread. But the fact is no matter how it feels, it's always there. I wrote the following poem to try and illustrate what God has taught me about His peace during those times.

I have been given life and a new heart. Alive in Christ. I have the heartbeat of peace. The constant, steadfast sound. The sounds around may be loud and chaotic, but that steady heart of peace keeps beating. Peace is still there. The sounds around may be quiet and still, but the steady heart of peace keeps beating. 

Peace does not cease for those who are in Christ. At times it is hard to hear, like when distractions are near. Sometimes subtle and faint, but it keeps beating on, beating on, beating on. This is the heartbeat: the gift of life for those who abide in Christ. For He has said, “Peace I leave you.” 

The Spirit inside keeps the peace beating. Never does it leave. So do not let go. Though some may not hear it now, the children of God have this promise assured: Peace is left to stay. The more you fix your eyes on the Savior, the louder the heartbeat will grow.

Isaiah 26:3, 4

You will keep in perfect peace

The one whose mind is steadfast

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever

For the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

 

Unexpected Wisdom from a Bowl of Cereal - Contemplating the Gifts of God

This morning while I was babysitting God taught me something from a bowl of cereal.

The boy I was babysitting was pouring himself a bowl of cereal, and I went to wash my hands. I turned around and the bowl was completely filled up with a little mountain rising up from the center of the bowl.

“That’s too much. You’re not going to be able to eat all that.” I started pouring some of the cereal back in the bag and left him with a more sensible portion of cereal.

He poked at it with his finger and said, “That’s barely any.”
“Finish that and if you’re still hungry, then you can have more.”

It made me think of the parable of the talents.

"And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’"  Matthew 25:20-21

People can say to God “Give me more talent, more money, more time.” Yet they may not fully use what they already have.

It made me think, “Do I really make the most of the time, money, and gifts that God has given me?” 

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."   Luke 16:10


If God were to let us pour out the talent, money, etc. then we would probably over do it and not even use half of what we poured for ourselves. God does not give so that the gifts can be hoarded (Matthew 6:19-21 & Matthew 25:18, 24-27). He gives what is needed when it is needed (Matthew 6:11). He pours in us so we can pour out to others (2 Cor. 9:6-15).

If I can’t fully use what I already have, why would I ask for even more?

Why is God going to give someone more of anything if He sees them wasting or not using up what He’s already given?

Using gifts from God doesn’t always mean making the most of them. It is possible to use what God has given but still waste it. If the gifts are used for unrighteous things or for self-indulgence or for selfish gain, then they are being wasted because they will never make an eternal and lasting investment. Even if they are being used they can still be wasted.
God wants us to fully use His gifts to us.

Having Joy: A Way to Bless Others

Be joyful always.

Rejoice in the Lord always...

Give thanks in all circumstances...


I was thinking today about these verses, and I know I should do these things, but today I thought about why.

I realized today that when someone is not being joyful, that person is actually being selfish by focusing only on self. If someone is not being joyful or enthusiastic about life or some situation, then he/she is probably either complaining (to him/herself or out loud) or just being "meh" or "blah" about life or that particular situation. So how's complaining or being unenthusiastic about things selfish? Think about where attention is being drawn.

When people complain, they draw attention to themselves and also surround everyone else around them with a negative attitude*.

Being just "meh" prevents others from seeing reasons to praise God. It keeps the focus on self and feelings*, not on blessings, others, or God. It is an attitude that says life is not good and there is no reason to smile. That attitude does not show or surround others with love or encourage them with joy. It also does not show them that they are a joy to be around and worth rejoicing over (It's no fun to be around someone who is not happy to see you).

Being joyful, especially during trials, is a way to bless others. They can be surrounded with an attitude of thanksgiving and happiness. Others can draw off that joy and be encouraged to find delight in what blessings they do have. Being joyful and thankful is an attitude that acknowledges blessings and blessing others and most importantly, acknowledges God.



Verses quoted above: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4 , 1 Thessalonians 5:18

* There is a time to be sorrowful and pour out your heart to close friends and share your troubles. Life has difficulties after all. Just remember to look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4).