Reminder

It’s Monday... I thought you might want to be reminded...

God is there -- “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.” (Heb. 13:5)

God will protect you -- [to Abram] "I will protect you, and your reward will be great." (Gen. 15:1)

God walks with you -- "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God." (Isa. 41:10)

God is there to help -- "I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." (Isa. 41:10)

God knows the way -- "After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice." (John 10:4) 

God has a purpose for your life -- "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) 

God provides rest -- "Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) 

God forgives -- "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9) 

God gives grace to the undeserving -- "For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.  The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right." (Psalm 84:11) 

God is faithful -- "The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people." (1 Sam. 12:22) 

God’s ways are the right ways -- "He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way." (Psalm 25:9)

God’s has a plan -- "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Rom. 8:28) *

When the world is whispering to you... to give up... to quit... 

When they say that you don’t have enough talent.

That you aren’t beautiful.

That you’ll never rise above it.

When they say that winning is an impossibility...

If you ever hear any word that makes you feel like less than the masterpiece that God created you to be.  

Never forget... if you are a Christ-follower... you have God.

And He is enough.

His promises are true.  

His character is consistent. 

His grace and mercy are renewed each day.

He created you with a purpose.  You may have stumbled.  You may have faced setbacks... to the point where you even wonder where He is.  He hasn’t left your side and He still hears your prayers and counts your tears.  

Life can be hard

God is good.

You are loved.

A Tough Conversation

Depression.

Anger.

Bitterness.

Run away... retreat... hide.

But the problems don’t dissolve.

Time passes.

Words remain unspoken.

One person withers inside while the other never knows how much pain they’ve caused.

A relationship is broken and it hurts.

If only they knew...

If only I could bring it up.

If only they would be receptive to it.

What if we fight about it.

What if they deny it.

What if it can’t be fixed.

Should I even try?

Yes.

But what if it’s not possible?

The sand finishes its run through life’s hourglass.

One person walks into the sunset of eternity while the other is left holding onto words that could have changed things.

regret.  pain.  

Begging God for another five minutes... or a reset button... or relief from the overwhelming question of…

what if.

There may be someone in your life right now that has hurt you.

Thinking about the conversation you know you need to have with them makes you cringe in pain.

You’ve got plenty of time to talk.

Besides...they probably will deny it anyway.

They won’t understand.

After all, living with bitterness is easier than the pain required for breakthrough, right?

No.

Because when you can no longer have that conversation...

When it becomes impossible to see them face to face...

When you are here and they are no longer...

The pain of regret can feel overwhelming... debilitating... crippling.

One conversation.  One challenging and temporarily painful conversation.  

And it could change everything.  

If you have an opportunity to make things right with someone... take it.  

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”  Hebrews 12:14

If that chance has passed... and communication is no longer a possibility... 

Ask Christ for forgiveness... forgive yourself... and put that first foot forward to start walking free again.

I’ll be praying for you as you do.

Someone Cares

Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games. It was the Braves versus the Reds in Cincinnati. But the great Ruth was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out and headed toward the dugout, a crescendo of yelling and booing reached his ears.*

Some days we strike out.  We make errors.  We take our eyes off the ball or play hurt.  For whatever reason things don’t happen the way they are supposed to or even close to the way they did in times past.  It causes us to doubt our calling, snap at our closest family members, or wonder why God doesn’t seem to care.   

Life seems to be booing at us from all sides.... from the bleachers to the box seats.  

Ever have a day [a month... a year...] like that?  Ever struggled to get out of bed in the morning for fear of rejection, ridicule, or retaliation?   

Even hall of famers have those feelings.  

Even the best have rough days.

Look at Paul... He wrote most of the New Testament... was the greatest Christian missionary the world has ever seen...  and he wrote what happened to him.

“But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.  I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”

All of us (even Paul) have challenges.  Sometimes the world hurts us... and sometimes we miss the ball on our own.  And what are the typical reactions? 

Stop trying.  No risk... no hurt.   

No body cares... so why should I?

No fair.  I’m trying to do the right thing and getting picked on because of it.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that somebody cares.

Let’s look at the rest of the Babe’s story...

“Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate for one second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet, patting his head gently. The noise from the stands came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly there was no more booing. In fact, hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the fans saw two heroes: Ruth, who in spite of his dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy; and the small lad, who cared about the feelings of another human being. Both had melted the hearts of the crowd.” *

Even though what Babe did at the plate was disappointing...

Even though what Paul suffered was crippling...

Even though what you woke up to seems too big to overcome...

Even though failure and pain happen... 

Someone cares.  

God cares.

Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Isaiah 41:10

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Philippians 4:7 “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Finally, Jesus tells us:  

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

You are cared about, loved, and watched over every minute of every day.  Thank God for that… keep your head up… and praise Him in the days of the home run AND the strike out.  You’ll be back up at bat soon enough…  

*Ted W. Engstrom, The Pursuit of Excellence, 1982, Zondervan Corporation, pp. 66-67.

Let's Do It Again!

Not long ago, there was a commercial for Kodak where a dad takes his little girl to a public pool with the purpose of teaching her how to dive off the diving board.  As she climbs the high ladder and looks down into the water...she freezes.  It’s a long way down... the water looks intimidating...  What will happen if she leaps and lets go?  

She looks over the edge of the board.  And can’t move.  Legs solidly in place.  Unmoving.  Unsure.  Dad tells her to jump.  He reassures her it will be fine.  That she will be safe.  That he would never let anything happen to her.  

Doubt is a powerful entity.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to jump but often....

We need reassurance.  We need security.  We need proof.  We need God to do something first…  And so we stand in the same place.  Expressing our needs at the end of a great leap... 

But need doesn’t move God’s heart.  

“Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.’

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. ‘Tell her to go away,’  they said. ‘She is bothering us with all her begging.’  Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.’  But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, ‘Lord, help me!’  Jesus responded, ‘It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.’  She replied, ‘That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.’  ‘Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”    Matthew 15:21-28

This Gentile woman needed her daughter to be healed... she begged and pleaded.  And interestingly enough... Jesus didn’t say a word to her.  Was He being mean spirited or cruel?  Of course not.  He was on task... doing what He had been sent to do.... serve God’s chosen people, the Israelites.   He knew He couldn’t (and wasn’t meant to) get to everyone who asked for His time.  

She persisted.  Crying her needs into the air... seeking reassurance... a guarantee... proof that miracles still happen.  She expressed her needs to God... but it wasn’t what she said that made Jesus change His course of action.

It was her faith.  

It wasn’t what she needed that moved Christ... it was what she believed. 

Faith is what God is looking for.  Persistent and unshakable faith.  Belief that...

That the pool will be deep enough....

That your prayers will be strong enough...

That your God is big enough...

Faith moves God’s heart.  It defeats doubt... eliminates fear... and reminds us that we are never alone or uncared for.  This Gentile woman believed Jesus could heal... With her whole heart she knew she could count on Him.   And, because of her faith, Jesus granted her request.  Instantly her daughter was restored.  

God knew her needs...but it was faith that healed that little girl.  

At the end of that Kodak commercial, the girl closes her eyes and jumps... trusting in the depth of the water and the words of her father.  Splashing down and quickly popping back up, she looks over to the deck and tells her dad... “Let’s do it again, daddy!”

God will always be enough.  Don’t doubt.   And remember, God knows your needs before you even have them... but it’s not His knowledge of your needs that fixes things...

It’s your faith in His ability to do it.   

And when you take that leap... and God catches you... you’ll tell Jesus the same thing...

“Let’s do it again”

Rhythm of Life

“The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.”  Mark 6:30-32

You can imagine the scene.  Every city they entered...crowds gathered...waiting for hope and healing.   Jesus told them to take care of the people...  cast out demons, heal them from their sicknesses, and preach the good news to all who would listen.  And they did.  With everything they had!  Jesus’ chosen disciples were changing the world one miracle at a time.  Excited, they sprinted back to their Teacher to tell Him the great news.  They eagerly shared...waiting for a jubilant pat on the back or the call for a party.  Jesus‘ replied... but not in a way that many would understand. 

Jesus told them to rest.  Rest?  But Jesus... there are thousands who are sick!  There are hundreds who need to hear your message of salvation!  Dozens of hurting and hungry children!  Jesus... are you sure you want us to rest?

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing.  He knew the value of pace.   Of rest.   Of being healthy to be effective.   Christ heard their stomachs growling... He heard their words and looked into their tired eyes.  The Lord knew that there would always be people in need... but a group of exhausted shepherds would do them little good.  They wanted to keep pushing... Jesus knew what was better for them.  He understood a truth that many today do not.

Rest is a spiritual discipline.  

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”  Psalm 127:2

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.”  Hebrews 4:9-11

Lots of resting in scripture.  But don’t confuse resting with laziness...

“I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”  Proverbs 24:30-34

The discipline of resting isn’t meant to replace hard work.  It isn’t an excuse to abandon the needy... or avoid your calling.  It’s not an off-ramp... leaving the hard work highway....

Rest is pulling over to the roadside and replenishing.   It’s reflecting on what you’ve done.  Pausing long enough to gain perspective, rejuvenation, and renewed focus.  The devil will try to convince those alongside the road that their delay means that they’re lazy.  He’ll argue that if you truly loved people you’d just keep going.  

The devil is a liar.

God the Father rested.

Jesus rested.

The disciples rested.

Pushing past your threshold doesn’t make you more spiritual... it tends to make you less effective.  It abandons the model that God gives us.  It buys in to the myth that the truly Godly people are the ones that are dead on their feet.  Untrue.  Tired people make foolish decisions.  Exhausted people are far more susceptible to temptation.   

Why did Jesus make His disciples take a break?  

Because He knew that life has a rhythm.  It has notes and rests... purposeful pauses that help us stay our sharpest.  Find yourself too busy to stop once in awhile?   Re-evaluate your priority list and work in some time to recharge.  Not only will you be better at what you do... able to help more people... serve with renewed vigor... you will be modeling the One who breathed life into you.  Now go get some rest... :)

Gold Not Bronze

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 Olympic medals in 5 consecutive Olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic record and tying the world record for the event. As if that wasn’t accomplishment enough... her first medal was in the 1996 Summer Games making her the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting. 

How does this happen?

In an interview with the New York Times, Rhode answers the question of how. She shoots anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds every day of the week year around. To save you the math, this is 3,000,000 plus shots with a shotgun. That’s 600,000 rounds per medal.   Over three million practice shots.  Time after time.  Every single day on her calendar.  

Kim would be the first to tell you... it’s all about the preparation.  What you do on your own time is as important (if not more so) than what you do in the spotlight.  Her excellence on the range is due to her diligence, discipline, and perseverance.  In other words... there are no shortcuts.  Gold medals don’t hang around the necks of those that wing it... that hope for the best... that count on good fortune or a favorable breeze.  Champions don’t materialize... they are made.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this type of preparation.  

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”  

All of us run the race of life.  We lace up our shoes each morning, get on a bus or in a car, and head somewhere that requires us to make a difference.  We make decisions, contribute to relationships, communicate ideas, raise children, and live out the life that unfolds in front of us.  But are we successful?  Do we make the most of every opportunity or do we find ourselves reacting... flat-footed.  Underprepared for the challenges...

Which brings us to the next important question... how much training do we do?   How much of our day is preparation?  How many minutes are spent intentionally trying to better ourselves?  Are we living on purpose?

- How much time is spent reading and meditating on the scriptures? How many Bible verses have I memorized and keep on my heart?

-  How many people do I hold grudges against?  Why haven’t I forgiven them?  

 Am I raising my children in a way that honors God?  How much quality time do I spend with them?  Do they know God?

 Am I being the husband/wife that God wants me to be?  Is most of my energy spent trying to change my spouse or is it spent becoming a better one?

 Do I spend my day blaming others or confessing my shortcomings to God?

When was the last time I asked for forgiveness?  Given forgiveness?

Am I living out what I claim to believe?   Or do I tell people I believe it because that’s what they expect me to say?

We can avoid these questions or we can run toward them.  Don’t settle.  Bronze is a beautiful color... but you were created for gold.  The eternal prize Paul was talking about?  The everlasting salvation found in Christ...making a Kingdom difference in the lives of those around you... changing the destiny of someone bound for eternal separation from God into a life-changing eternal relationship with Him.  Growing in Christ... Not surviving life but really living it to its fullest.  That’s what we’re after.  That’s why we train.  To reach the potential that God has placed in our hearts... to fulfill our destiny... to become the men and women that change the world.... and give all glory to God in the process. 

But we can’t do it if we aren’t prepared.  It isn’t easy.   Christ never promised us ease of lifestyle... He promised eternal reward.   The challenges will be hard... the competition fierce... and the opposing team?  An enemy that prowls like a lion just waiting for us to stop growing and start settling.   Ready to win?  Every race... every result... the path to every gold medal was all began the same way.  

Deciding to start.   

The Rest

“Be still, and know that I am God!”  Psalm 46:10a

There may be no greater killer of progress and joy than stress.  Busyness and fatigue lead to discouraging thoughts and eventually the demise of your commitments to yourself.  Take some time during your week to pray... meditate on scripture... take a deep breath... get alone... 

Even Jesus did this.  He knew the value of getting away and regrouping.   I can already hear you screaming at your iPad... “Pastor.. my day is WAY too hectic for meditation or solitude”  

Then I would say that your day is way too busy.  

I have found in my 20+ years of ministry that people do what they want to do.  If they think it’s valuable enough, they’ll make the time no matter what they have to adjust.  You must first value “being still” before you’ll make it part of your day.  Trust me... once you start, you’ll wonder what took you so long.   Remember, as I’ve said before in my teachings, life is rhythmic.  There are notes and rests... and if you only play all fast notes... the music of life becomes noise.  Rests are as important in beautiful melodies as tones... play both.  In doing so, your blood pressure will improve, you’ll find the margin to accomplish more, and those things that used to drive you crazy will seem less important than they used to.  

Sometimes the most holy thing you can do is sleep.  Pace yourself friends… this marathon we run is meant to be taken in 24 hour chunks.  Don’t borrow trouble from next week or even two hours from now.  Stop.  Breathe.  Rest.  If you don’t intentionally do it, nobody is going to stop you and make you.  No more kindergarten nap times or chances to put your heads down on your desks.  You’re running very hard.  Stop along the way to not only smell the roses… but enjoy their beauty.  Soak in life… make memories… and remember that your Heavenly Father has got your back no matter what.  

Now THAT’S a reason to rest easy!

Three Strands

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”  Proverbs 27:17

One is too small of a number for greatness.  We simply weren’t created to do life alone.  When we try, things get unnecessarily difficult… and we miss out on the benefits of partnering with others to help us achieve goals, dreams, and ultimately our destiny. But how do we do this?  How can we better work with others to get us through the valleys that we face?

First, find a friend with a similar issue.  Hold each other accountable... post your running results to Twitter... pray with each other on the phone... compare notes or journal entries... whatever it takes to know that your behavior will be looked at and challenged.  

Second, bring in some professional help.  Need some help sorting things out in your mind?  Enlist a Christian counselor.  Want to learn how to lose the extra weight?  Hire a trainer.  In a financial knot and resolve to get out?  Enroll in a class and get with a financial advisor.  The benefits are priceless.  They have worked with hundreds sometimes thousands of other people and their insight as a neutral third party will help greatly in your success.

With these in place... your chance at being successful over the adversity you face will be much better.  

Remember, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12

Who are your three strands?  First God…then you… and then others.  But who?  I believe that God has specifically put people in your life for this purpose.  Who are they?  When you find them, be bold enough to include them in your circle.  And when you do, you’ll realize that the load you are carrying is lighter as a result.   Dare to partner with people to reach your God-given potential.  Connect.  Grow.  And very soon, you’ll find yourself out of the valley and overlooking a lifetime of joy, success, and blessing.  

The Mind

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5

The mind is a powerful motivator.  It can push us beyond what our muscles tell us is too much... steer us through confusing situations... and help us to understand complexities and nuances that we otherwise might miss.  

It can also cause us to stumble.  To succeed in what we’ve decided to do we have to capture and control negative thoughts.  You’ll hear your own mind say  “You aren’t good enough”  “You’ll never lose the weight”  or  “Nobody else is doing it.”

Don’t believe those thoughts.  Scripture tells us to “capture rebellious thought” when it comes to things that derail us from being the person Christ created us to be.  Decide today to replace those dream crushers with reassuring notions and memorized scripture that will help you through when it gets tough.  Your brain is the critical part of sustained habit-development.  Re-train it... control it.. and use it to push you forward.

Keep Racing

    In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Derek Redmond of Great Britain was considered a favorite contender for a medal. It was the evening of August 3, 1992 as Redmond was pitted against seven others in a semi-final in the 400 meters. Redmond knelt poised, waiting for the race to start. As the gun went off, his body was translated into a human locomotive, feverishly charging against the other runners.   As Redmond prepared to round the curve after the halfway mark, however, he suddenly heard a pop. It was his right hamstring. Redmond soon found himself trapped by the searing pain of his leg. 

The other runners finished the race as he desperately continued his painful trek to the finish line. 

Derek saw his olympic medal dreams shattered.... the finish line seemed miles away... each step hurting more and more... He knew he shouldn’t quit... but the pain... That searing pain.  You can only imagine what must have gone through his mind.

“They would all understand if I just quit.”

“Nobody would blame me if I tapped out.”

“When will this pain stop?”

“Has anybody ever hurt this badly?”

Have you thought any of those things? I have.  

You’ve been through so much:  A painful divorce.  A bitter family fight.  Bankruptcy, failure, a diagnosis that wasn’t expected.  You’ve been told you can’t have children and it hurts.  You’ve been told by your children that you’ve been a rotten parent.  You’ve been called loser.  You’ve been rejected.  You’ve been knocked down...pushed aside...picked over...kicked down by life... and left with shreds of your dream where the whole picture used to be.  

The world is watching you down on the track.  Writhing in pain.... looking skyward and wondering why God would allow this to happen.  

But your story (and Derek’s) isn’t over.

Derek waved off the stretchers for as long as he could... the burning in his legs intensified to an unbearable level... it looked as though he was done.

From the stands, his father had been watching. He pushed his way past security guards to meet his son on the track. He then reached his weeping son. “Look, you don’t have to do this.” 

Redmond then replied: “Yes I do.” 

His father then said: “Well, if you’re going to finish this race, we’ll finish it together.”

Can’t you just picture it.  Derek’s father lifting his son’s tired body up to full standing position... bearing the weight of both his child’s muscle and the heavy disappointment in each fiber of it.  The father was not going to let his child quit.

You are God’s child.  

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.”  Ephesians 1:4-6

He’s not going to let you quit either.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

Your blessing is coming...

“So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.”  Galatians 6:9

You are not defeated.  The race is not over and you have not lost.  God has not abandoned you and you are not alone.  You are His... and God’s family doesn’t quit.  You are so close to a breakthrough... within reach of the finish line... almost at the place where pain becomes gain.  

God is right there to pick you up.  Together you will both finish the race... just like Derek Redmond and his dad. 

And finish it they did.  Derek and his father agonizingly limped the final 394 feet together arm in arm.  The sound of the crowd was deafening.  Tears flowed.  People screamed words of encouragement.  And Derek Redmond finished the race...not as a last place finisher... but a persevering champion.

You are a champion too.  God isn’t sitting in the stands idly watching you suffer.  He’s right where you are.  Those prayers you don’t think He hears... He has them memorized.  That suffering... it isn’t in vain.  Your heavenly Father is there carrying you when the weight of the world seems too much.  

Don’t quit.  Don’t give up.  Hear that sound?  That is the cheering of all that have run the race before you... Heavenly voices of believing relatives, friends, and family that have gone home before you... encouraging you as you finish the final 394 feet of whatever long race you find yourself in.   

So many quit right before the victory.  Be bold.   You can do it.  I’ll be in those stands cheering you on as you do.

Begin the Walk

At Potential Church, we talk to so many people who are suffering.  Maybe they experience a dating break up, a failed marital relationship, or just an overwhelming sense of failure or loss.  I turn to this scripture as I provide counsel...

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

I love this verse.  Simply put, it says that when we hurt... God is there.  But lets look at it a little closer.   More specifically...the word “brokenhearted”.  Ever felt that way?   Have you ever had your heart broken?  Maybe she said I do... but really didn’t.  Maybe you risked it all... and lost it.  Perhaps you were abused, misused, or accused and it hurt.  You’ve cried all you can cry and now look skyward... desperately hoping for a sign from God that everything will be ok.

Today’s verse is for you... the brokenhearted and crushed.  God is near.. He saves you from the pain.  This scripture doesn’t say that He’ll get to you... or that He’s thinking about you... it says He’s NEAR you.  Next to you.  With you.  His loving arm over your shoulder and His eyes filled with empathy and concern.

But God is there for a reason... not just to comfort... but to strengthen you.  God wants to remind you that you weren’t created to suffer.   You weren’t knit together to be a victim.  You weren’t designed to be in pain forever.   So what can you do to feel better?

Choose.

Walter Anderson writes, "I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have -- life itself."

Every day that our lungs take in air is a blessing.  Every new set of 24 hours is a fresh opportunity to begin the journey back.  If your heart hurts today... choose to give it to God.  Decide on joy over sadness.  Focus on counting blessings not burdens.  God will be there.  Always.  When you are wounded... He heals.  Remember, you are far too valuable to this world... don’t let your pain define, restrict, or outright stop you from accomplishing the destiny for which you were created.  

Find yourself in an emotional pit today? Allow God to strengthen and heal you... and then choose to begin the walk out of it.  You can do it.  I’ll be praying for you as you do.  

He Felt It Too

God knows you.   After all, every single cell in your body was by His design.  You are intentionally made and have a purpose that is as unique as your fingerprint.  Isn’t it comforting to know that God not only made you...

He cares about you.  

Not in a “hope everything works out” kinda way.  God cares specifically...intimately... in a way that only He can.  

But how?  How does an infinite God know how a finite human feels pain?  How can an everywhere-at-one-time God relate to how much we hurt at times?

He became one of us.   He felt our pain.  

He was crucified and sacrificed Himself for all of us.

John 19:28-30  “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

But Jesus’ time with us was far from over... 

John 20:11-18  “Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.”

All-powerful God...coming to Earth as a baby.... spending time with His creation... feeling the pains of the human condition... being nailed to a cross for the sins of the world... and walking triumphantly from a tomb three days later.  

All of that so He could look into our hurting eyes and say...

I know how you feel.  I felt it too.  

I know what it feels like to have your friends walk away.

I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.

I know what it feels like to cry.

I know what it feels like to feel alone.

I know what it feels like to be accused of something you didn’t do.

I know what it feels like to hurt.

  

Without sinning, He did it all.   Just so He could feel what we feel.

While we wonder if anybody in the whole world... all seven billion of them... understand or have ever felt like we do.

Jesus does.  

Christ isn’t sympathetic to what’s hurting you today.  He doesn’t tell you that He hopes you feel better and then goes back to running the universe.  It’s not a passing sentiment... or hollow words of comfort sent your way... or empty rhetoric that everybody gets.  

He’s been there.  He’s been hurt.  

He’s empathetic.  

He feels it WITH you.  He hurts WITH you.  He goes through it WITH you.  He doesn’t abandon you to your challenges and turns a semi-understanding ear in your direction.  He runs to you with scarred arms wide open... ready to embrace you as you suffer.      He not only understands your pain... is not only working ahead of you to relieve your pain... He wants you to know that He himself has suffered your pain.  

He knows it hurts.  He also knows that it may look dark now... but the sun is about to rise on the shadows in your life.  Stay strong and remember...

God restores.

God empathizes.

You are loved more than you’ll ever know.