Here we get into the details about faith and life

Not Ashamed of the Chains

The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. 2 Timothy 1:16

When Paul was hauled off to Rome for his final imprisonment, many of his associates abandoned him. Perhaps it was out of fear that association with him might mean their imprisonment. Maybe their confidence in him failed. Maybe they decided the relationship would be too difficult, would take too much effort and too much energy to maintain with the complications of imprisonment. Paul suspected they were ashamed of him. Whatever the reason, they dropped him when he needed them.

This time of year marks an intensified season of prayer for our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s testimony reminds that we have a responsibility to them.

Paul’s words echo Jesus’s statement of the gospel in action, namely to feed the hungry, to care for those in need and to visit those in prison. According to 2013 statistics over 2 million people were serving time in the United States, or roughly 1 in every 110 people. After the first year of incarceration, they are largely forgotten. Paul prays for the mercy of God to be extended to those who would minister to those in prison.

All of us know someone struggling with a different kind of chain. We know unbelievers who live in the chains of their sins. They can be difficult to engage. They don’t think or behave or react the way we do. Maybe we’re afraid of the association. Maybe we determine it would take too much time or effort or energy to reach out. Maybe we’re ashamed of them. We can’t ignore them because we have the only key.

Finally, unbelievers aren’t the only ones struggling. There are people all around us in the pews on Sunday morning wrestling with depression and other mental illnesses, or family breakups, or financial problems or addictions or any number of issues, and we are called to “refresh” them. The body of Christ is designed to be our safety net and the support network. Think of who you would call in a 3:00 a.m. crisis. If that friend, if that circle, is not part of the body of Christ, then the rest of us are failing you. And if we haven’t made ourselves that available to others in crisis we are not fulfilling our calling.

Investing in the lives of others is often hard and messy and thankless, but it moves the gospel from the theory to practice, from Sunday morning to Saturday nights or Tuesday afternoons. Simply put, it is Christlikeness.

When God Says No

By Paula Wiseman

The king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” 2 Samuel 7:2

King David had in his heart to build a temple, a permanent temple so Israel could worship Jehovah. It was a good idea. David’s motives were honorable. Yet, God said no.

Let’s be honest, when we talk about God answering our prayers, what we really mean is God answering our prayers the way we want Him to. We rejoice and testify when He gives us what we asked for, what we want. Everything gets derailed when we don’t receive. We worry about our relationship with God. Our faith wavers. We grumble that He’s distant, uncaring, or untouched by our situation.

Scripture assures us that God hears every prayer we utter. Every single prayer. Sometimes the answer is just ‘no’. That ‘no’ and how we receive it can reveal more about our relationship with God than a ‘yes’ ever could.

It will tell us whether we love God Himself or just the things He does for us.
It will tell us whether we are surrendered to God’s agenda, or we expect Him to follow ours.
It will reveal if we feel entitled to God’s favor rather than clinging to His grace.
Do we truly believe God has our best interests always at heart?

Do we genuinely trust His plan for our lives?

Is our faith real or fake?

We find out when God says ‘no.’

Fireworks

By Paula Wiseman

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:5

Through an unusual set of circumstances, my family got to go see a fireworks show this past weekend. The pyrotechnic expert works with my husband and he wanted as many people as possible to be there. I’ve seen dozens of fireworks shows over the years, in big cities and small towns, at the beach and in the mountains, from parks and riverbanks. This one was different.

A fireworks show in October is a unique opportunity. Then throw in the fact that the 30-minute, professionally done show was taking place at someone’s residence. (But not in town.) Then factor in how close we got to be, and it made for spectacular viewing. The colors were brighter. The booms were louder. We could feel the flash of heat from the ground displays. The aerial bursts filled up the sky so that it was impossible to take in the whole pattern. At times the showers of light reached the ground like a giant umbrella before burning out and fading away.

Thinking about the show the next morning, I saw some valuable insights in those puffs of halides and nitrates.

God wants us to see His great works. Ephesians 2 explains that He wants to reveal the riches of His mercy to us, to as many people as possible. He puts His handiwork on display all around us and in us.

God can be seen at unplanned, unexpected times. Sure, we expect to hear from God on Sunday mornings, or during a quiet moment, or even during a crisis. Seeing Him at work at where we never thought to look brings a new delight, and new confidence and reassurance.

God is even more awesome up close. The more we learn about God, His power, His works and His ways, the more awesome He becomes. The worship we offer is more vital, our response is more genuine and our faith is stronger as we become more intimate with God.

Where have you seen God at work?

Unexpected Directions

By Paula Wiseman

For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Psalm 31:3

God often leads us in unexpected directions. That’s His way. I mean, think of Abraham, or Moses, or Gideon, or Mary, or any number of others. God definitely rearranged their life paths. So the question we need to settle is, how can you tell the difference between God’s leading and a mid-life crisis?

I don’t have a definitive answer, but here are some questions we’ve thought through/prayed over/studied out when God presented us with life-changers like moving 350 miles away from all our family, or publishing some books, or adopting, or starting seminary.

Will it glorify God and further His kingdom? Sometimes that glory comes simply in your obedience to His leading. Other times it’s more pronounced.

Does it suit your gifts? God gave you those gifts for a reason, namely using them.

Do you have peace? Now, this is not to say things are totally headache-free, but do you have peace about the change? Can you see yourself in the new place? Sometimes, peace even blooms into enthusiasm. Do you see the possibilities and potential?

Do your spouse and family have peace? When we moved, we both knew it was the right thing. There have been other times since then, that Jon has applied for jobs that would have required a move and the prospects made me queasy, and the kids threw down a flat-out no.

Will the change make you more self-sufficient or more God-dependent? Each of these times in our lives, we had to put ourselves in God’s hands for the outcome. With the adoption, we didn’t know where the finances would come from and we started the process anyway. (The finances worked themselves out.) Stepping out to publish a book or two, we had no idea what would happen but we put it God’s hands and He opened some amazing doors. With seminary, it was hard to see where Jon would find the time, but God has been faithful just like He has been in the past.

Change can be unsettling and nerve-wracking, but it can also be challenging and exciting. The difference is whether or not the unchangeable God is the one driving it.
Have you ever made a life-altering change at God’s direction? How did you determine He was leading you?

What I Know About Waiting

By Paula Wiseman

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Psalm 27:14

Easier said than done. The fact that we know waiting on God is a good thing doesn’t make it any easier. The fact that we’ve seen how He’s worked things out in the past doesn’t help us. And yet, the Bible says over and over, wait. Be patient.

Here are some things I know about waiting:

It’s hard.
I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. (Ps. 69:3)
Scripture is full of stories of folks who had to be patient, and who got frustrated at the seeming delay. It was 25 years from the time God first called Abraham until he saw Isaac born. Caleb waited 40 years to take possession of his inheritance in Canaan. Joseph spent 13 years in Egypt before he was vindicated in Egypt. The saints in Revelation long to be avenged. There are dozens more examples. None of them had an easy time.

It takes faith.
For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Gal. 5:5)
But everyone who perseveres, exercises faith in God who makes the promises. It is a sign of trusting God for the outcome and fulfillment. Rather than taking things into our own hands, waiting is a sign of submission to God’s plan and His timing.

God rewards it.
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. (Lam. 3:25)
Faith in God is never in vain, and He always keeps His promises.

Even God waits.
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. (Is. 30:18)
Learning to trust God’s timing actually makes us more like Him.

Contrary to our gut instinct, having to wait is not a punishment or a sign of God’s disfavor. It is a reminder that His plan works according to His time and not ours.

Quieting My Soul

By Paula Wiseman

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever. Psalm 131:1-3 (NAS)

My oldest is back at college, which means my youngest is feeling a little lonesome. In the evenings, she likes to get her pajamas, have a glass of chocolate milk then head to my bed with me to read or watch television for a little while. In that quiet snuggly time I hear her heart. Sometimes it’s frustrations with the big kids, but more often it’s about what she and her Welsh corgi puppy, Watson, will do, whenever she actually gets a Welsh corgi puppy. Occasionally, she’ll fall asleep nestled against me. No question, it’s the most relaxing part of my day, too.

This is the picture I get of Psalm 131. This Psalm is one of the Songs of Ascent, sung by the worshippers on their way to Jerusalem for the feasts. Now imagine yourself in the middle of the hectic Christmas rush, with a million and seven things to do. You know that feeling? Anticipation mixed with anxiety seasoned with exhaustion. The Israelites could have easily been overtaken by the same type of frantic preparation. They were traveling, often in large family groups, plus there were sacrifices to secure, and rituals to observe.

But in this psalm, David gives some guidance on how to approach that time of worship, how to prepare our hearts and minds to enter God’s presence.

Humility
He starts with declaration of what worship is not about. He is not proud or haughty. It is not about him, his preferences, his comfort.

Reality
David says, “I don’t worry about things that are out of my hands. I know my limitations.” He sets aside all other concerns.

Tranquility
This is good part. He has taken the time and effort to compose and quiet his soul. He’s like a child who isn’t demanding his needs be met but just wants to be near his mother, comforted by her presence, not by what he gets from her.

Security
The results: hope, and trust in God. When we come away from the quiet time in His presence, we leave knowing He is God, He is good, and He is in control.

I know the weekends are often busier than the work week, but I hope you carve out some quiet moments to simply be in God’s presence. It’s time well-spent.