1 Peter 4:19 (NLT) So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

One of the harder parts of pastoring is to have to deal with the suffering situations that people go through.  Sometimes, it seems, that there is no rhyme or reason and that some people just step from one boiling pot to the other.  I’ve always prayed for compassion and understanding in dealing with people and their needs.  And… I think, for the most part, that God has been very gracious in helping me to help others.  But it wasn’t until I faced my own place of desperate need that I began to really relate to those who are in difficult places in their lives.  I can look at those who have lost a loved one and say, “I’ve been there. I understand.”  I can stand by those who are in recovery situations and are dealing with addictions and say, “I relate because God has brought recovery to my life.”  I can stand at a hospital bed with someone who is deathly sick and tell them “I’ve been there also.”  But more than that – I can look every person in the eye and say that “no matter what they’re going through”  -it is not lost to God’s sight.  He sees every circumstance and situation that I’ve faced or that you are facing today.  He knows.  He understands.  And… He is very compassionate.  He is our creator and He has the blueprint for our lives at His disposal.  He knows everything about me and He knows everything about you.  I’ve often heard other people say, “God will never fail you.”  I believed that but it is not until you live that principle out in your life that you really begin to trust those words.  I’m 56 years old now – soon to be 57.  I’ve seen a lot in my life and in the lives of others that are around me.  However… I can honestly say with full confidence today that GOD HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN – Never!  So… as you go through that trial and that hardship today – just know there’s light at the end of this tunnel and you will get through this and God will be glorified.  Trust Him fully today.

James 3:18 (NLT) And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

I don’t have the green thumb like my dad does.  If you were to go to his house you would find that there is hardly a weed anywhere and everything that he plants grows luscious and fruitful.  He has always shown a real interest in farming and planting and growing things.  When I was a young boy growing up, my dad used to own a small apple farm in Littlerock, California that he, my grandpa, my brother and myself regularly worked in.  There was the tilling of the soil, the irrigating, the removal of weeds, the trimming of the trees and even the bird patrol.  And… eventually there was the harvest.  In between the rows of trees there would often be other vegetables and plants growing that would supply food to our table and product for the local farmers market.  My dad and my grandpa would be so meticulous in the way that they planted the seed and the place where they wanted every seed to germinate and grow. As farmers, they knew an important fact:  what you sow is what you will reap.  You couldn’t plant corn seeds and expect to get watermelons.  You couldn’t plant zucchini and get a pumpkin plant.  You only get what you plant in your ground.  I have people tell me often that they would like a different type of crop out of their lives.  As an example, someone will say to me, “I want more peace.” That’s a great prayer that I think most of us would desire that in our lives.  But peace won’t come their/my way unless they are planting seeds of peace in others.  Now, I know that God can miraculously touch us and give us that miracle of peace but somewhere along the line – we need to be planting the right seeds.  If we need a financial blessing – we need to be practicing giving.  If we need prayers answered – we should be praying for others.  If we need peace – we should be peacemakers with others.  The list could go on and on.  In other words, invest in what it is in that you need in your life.  I read about a missionary recently who was dying and was asked about what he wanted said about his life after he died.  He looked at them in the eye and said, “I want it said that when I came there was much darkness but when I left there was much light.”  I’ve been mulling over this for three days now and can’t get it out of my head.  That’s how I want to live my life and that’s how I want to define my life as I come to the end of my days.  It is then and only then that I can be assured of reaping a harvest of righteousness!

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

I made the mistake the other day of going into Toys R Us.  It wasn’t my plan or desire to do so but because my wife was under the weather I volunteered to go into the battle zone.  There’s only one word I have to describe that environment – craziness!  Even before I got in the door I met a woman coming out with a look of dismay saying, “I just didn’t get there in time.”  Now mind you, I hadn’t even gotten into the store.  With much trepidation – I pressed forward only to be met with lines everywhere.  People were rushing and grabbing the toy that they had picked out for their child or grandchild or any other kids that might have been on their list.  Fortunately, I found out that one of my daughter’s was there to hunt down some toys for one of her boys.  With cell phone in hand I called her and told her about my mission.  She immediately zeroed in on the desired toy and took it out of commission so that no other desperate adult would get their hands on it.  Adults were everywhere.  Kids were everywhere.  Everyone wanted the latest, greatest toy that was out there.  I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “Mom, can I have this?” Or… “Dad I want/need this toy.”  Showing their frustrations, moms and dads would voice their protest even though they knew that they would soon be asked about another toy just around the next counter.

The writer of Hebrews helps us out here by simply saying, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have.”  The question becomes then – How can we learn to be satisfied with what we have? It is so imperative that we learn how to live with less rather than desiring more.  We must learn the joys of giving from our abundance rather than stockpiling and accumulating more.  We must relish what we have rather than resent what we’re missing. We only become fully satisfied when we realize God’s sufficiency for our needs. Christians who become materialistic are saying by their actions that God can’t take care of them—or at least that He won’t take care of them the way they want. Insecurity can lead to the love of money, whether we are rich or poor. The only antidote is to trust God to meet all our needs – all of them.  Yes… this world is little crazy and the Christmas Season catches up with all of us every year – but, it doesn’t have to be.  You can stop the craziness going on in your life.  Don’t forget God’s promise to you today – I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

The believers that this passage was written to were facing some enormous trials and persecutions in their lives.  Slowly their confidence was being eroded away to where many of them probably felt like quitting.  Paul, sensing this, encourages them to not give up and to hang in there.  He tells them that now is not the time to lose their confidence – victory is just around the corner!  They just need a little patience and endurance and then they will receive all that God has promised them!  I think most of us relate to this.  There are times when you just feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.  You are being hammered by life’s circumstances.  You have stumbled and fallen and have failed over and over again.  You are tired.  You wonder if the effort is worth it.  Paul speaks into your ear like I’m speaking to you right now – Don’t quit – you are almost to the goal line.  As I write this, I am reminded of going to track and field events in High School.  The runners would race around the track trying to win their heat.  It wouldn’t be unusual for a coach to be standing or running along the track yelling and encouraging his team to “dig in” and to “not give up.”  It was the motivation that pushed the runners forward to give all that they could give.  God Almighty is whispering in your ear today. “Don’t throw away your confidence.  Hang in there.  You are almost there.  The prize is so worth the struggle and the pain.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT) Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Much of my time in counseling with others is spent in dealing with how people are coping and navigating through these economic times we are now experiencing.  People are losing their jobs, their homes and other things that they once were able to afford.   It’s so sad to see people you love having to deal with such major decisions in their life – losing what took a lifetime to obtain.  It’s interesting, as we sit and talk – I watch the roller coaster of emotions come and go –shock/ anger/ guilt/ depression/ acceptance and eventually hope. Then… It’s like a light that suddenly comes on in their mind that there is something they can’t lose – their soul and their hope.  Possessions are… well, exactly that – possessions.  They are not what define a person or his life.  My life is defined by my belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ.  I can lose a lot of things in this life but still have my hope in God and His promises.  Paul exhorts us in this passage to discover what true wealth is – to walk in godliness and live with contentment.  I read one time where a lady had died and wanted to be buried in her red Mercedes car.  She must have thought she could take it with her into the afterlife.  Paul tells us that we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing with us – that we just need to learn to be content here on earth.  My prayer for you today is that you would discover true contentment and trust God to take care of you in whatever situation you are in today.

1 Timothy 4:14-15 (MSG) And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use. Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!

Every day I drive to work I drive by the wealthiest place in the High Desert.  You didn’t know that we have such an area?  Well we do.  In fact – there are about 4 or 5 places that have some hidden treasures worth more than money could pay.  Still don’t know?  The answer is really quite simple – it is our local cemeteries.  They hold the unfilled dreams and visions of hundreds of thousands of people who never fulfilled them on earth and eventually took them to their grave.  These were dreams of a better life, a successful career, better health, etc.  Some of those people had ideas in them that they never acted upon.  Had they moved forward on them – they would have been millionaires in their lifetimes.  Paul encourages us to dust off our gift and keep it in use.  Don’t let your tools go dull.  Keep using the gift that God has given you.  Cultivate it.  Immerse yourself in it.  Become an expert at what you do.  Let people see how you’ve matured in that gift and how God is using you in that regard.  Don’t let excuses rule this part of your life – “I’m too old.”  “I’m too busy.”  “I’m too tired.” There will always be excuses if you let them rule your thoughts.  It’s interesting in life: There are some things that I do and it wears me out. Those things obviously are not part of my God gifting.   However, when I’m doing what I’m called to do – I have energy and strength.  I have motivation.  It’s at times like that when I feel alive and close to God.  Let me encourage you today to pray about what it is that you are called to do in life.  When you discover that gift – go for it.  Learn about it.  Prepare yourself to be an expert in it. Find a place to use it.   I like what John Piper says – “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”  That should be the goal of every person today.  When you do God’s will for your life you will be glorifying God in your midst and you as well as the people around you will be blest.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

I am always blessed by someone who lets me know that they’ve been praying for me.  I never get tired of hearing those words from friends and family.  What’s even more of a blessing is when someone tells me that they are praying for something specific that I have been praying for privately to the Lord.  It reminds me that God has heard my prayers again.  Paul, in Colossians says that he never stops praying for them – even though he had never been to their church.  Their relationship to Christ is all that was needed to tie them eternally together.  He specifically prays: 1- that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will with spiritual wisdom and understanding. 2- That they may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way.  3- That they would bear fruit in every good work.  4- That they would grow in the knowledge of God.  5- That they would be strengthened with power to His glorious might.  6- That they would have great endurance and patience.  7- That they would joyfully give thanks to the Father.  These are all good prayers but the next phrase really caught my attention “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”  Other translations use the word “enabled.”  When I think about the word qualify I think about a track meet where there are qualification races.  The top racers from each heat would go on to the next race until a winner was found.  I’m not a runner.  God never gave me the long legs needed to run races.  As I pictured this in my mind – I was racing with the very best and barely making it around the track when Jesus came along and picked me up and carried me to the finish line and qualified me for the next race.  Humorous perhaps, but real on a lot of different levels.  There’s no way that I would ever want to run that type of race or the Christian race without the help of Christ.  He is what I need.  Enough said.  The trials and difficulties I have gone through have all been part of the qualifying process to help me run the race well.   I am so blessed to be His child today and I am so blessed for people’s prayers for me on a daily basis.  I’m growing deeper and running stronger then ever because of Christ who lives in me who has qualified and enabled me today.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Sadly, it seems that one of the lessons I have to keep revisiting in my Christian walk is the lesson of forgetfulness.  I know and have memorized this scripture out of Philippians  that I need to move forward and forget the past but there seems to be something built into my system that keeps bringing up the past wounds and hurts.  I try to turn that switch off but the voice keeps messing with my head reminding me that I have a long way to go.  Past events, conversations and memories are then kept at the forefront of my thoughts making it nearly impossible to move forward with my walk of faith.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there are things that I absolutely can forget about.  When put into a difficult or stressful situation – I tend to forget about God’s goodness and faithfulness in the past.  I am like the people of Israel who had been given and had seen so many miracles, but when put into a hard place they wondered if God was even with them.  We are all fine – as long as we don’t have any problems facing us or stressful decisions to make.  But when that bill is due and that confrontation is eminent we tend to forget that God has always been there and that He promised that He would never leave nor forsake us.  Actually, if the truth be known, God, knowing that our faith sometimes goes flat and that we tend to trust in ourselves more than we do in Him – He then gives us trials and difficulties to bring us back to that place of fully trusting Him.  The process of forgetting the past and moving forward is a difficult and long journey that seems to sometimes go backwards rather than forward.  I am constantly challenged as to whether I’m going to fully trust God or I’m going to lapse back into my old way of thinking.  Thankfully, God so loves me that He also forgets some things in my life – like my past sins and my past failures.  In fact, he tells me that He will put those sins in the “Sea Of Forgetfulness” and will remember them no more.  I guess God has selective forgetfulness also.  He chooses to not remember who I was but chooses to focus on who I am and most importantly who I am becoming.  Knowing this, I now press forward for the mark that is before me.  I trust God that He is going to lead and guide me to the goal that is set before me and the prize that awaits me.  What a wonderful journey this has been.  I am so looking forward to what God has in store for me today.

Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

As a young boy, I lived in an area where butterflies were in great abundance. Every spring we would take our makeshift butterfly nets outside and catch butterflies of all different colors and species. I was always fascinated by the beauty and the variety of butterflies that were out there. It may be hard to believe that a beautiful creature like a butterfly was once an ugly, worm like creature like a caterpillar, but this is exactly how the colorful, graceful butterfly’s life cycle works. There are four stages in a butterfly’s life. The process of going from one stage to another is called metamorphosis. The first stage begins when the female lays her eggs, usually on a plant which will provide food. Soon, a caterpillar, called a larva, begins to form inside each egg. After a few days, or a few months-depending on the variety of butterfly, the caterpillar is large enough to break out of the shell and continue growing outside. It begins by eating its shell, then goes on to eat the leaves of the plant on which its egg was laid. The full-grown caterpillar gives off a thin stream of liquid from glands below its mouth. This liquid hardens into a silky thread which the caterpillar attaches to a twig or leaf. With this thread it spins a shell-like covering around its body. Inside the shell, the caterpillar changes into a pupa, or the body of a butterfly. This stage can take from ten days to several months. When the pupa has grown into an adult butterfly, it gives off a fluid which softens the shell. Then it expands its body and cracks the shell. Within half an hour, the butterfly has pumped air into its body, its blood begins to circulate, and it is ready to fly away. It’s interesting, that this passage of Romans also talks about the “Metamorphis” that each of us will go through in our Christian walk. We are always changing, growing and becoming what God wants us to become. Our natural tendency is to stay in the same place and be content with that but God wants us to move forward in our Christian growth. The problem is this: it won’t happen unless we are prodded a little bit. God allows hardships, trials and difficulties to help us through the process of transformation. I remember as a kid watching a caterpillar struggle to get out of its cocoon . I wanted to help the process move faster and opened up the cocoon which only caused the butterfly to eventually die. It needed the struggle to build up its muscles and wings. We can’t short circuit God’s plan for our lives. We must trust that God knows better what is best for us and stay the course. The struggle teaches us endurance and character. It makes us strong for those stormy parts of life. It gives us a hope that we can make it because we’ve made it before. God is not a fool and He knows exactly what is best for you and I. Trust Him today to see you completely through and make you to be the man and/or woman that God wants you to be!

Romans 4:18-23 (NLT) Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping…And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, … Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous…

It’s kind of interesting how words and their meanings change over time.  What used to mean one thing over  100 years ago has an entirely different meaning now.  Hope is one of the words.  It used to mean “an absolute confidence in something or someone.”  Now, it means things like “I hope so.  I wish for, etc.”  When the scripture says that Abraham kept “hoping,” it refers to a confidence that would not be persuaded by any obstacle or situation that was out there. As an example, I read in yesterday’s paper that the price of gasoline is going up 62 cents per gallon after the first of the year.  Some would say, “I hope God helps me and takes care of me,” – indicating that they weren’t sure if He would or not.  But as Christians we should be saying it this way, “My hope (confident assurance) is in God and I trust Him to take care of me no matter what the price of gasoline is.”  The newspapers and news stories on the TV look very bleak right now.  We read about things like the war games going on off the coast of Korea and a person who was just arrested for trying to set off a bomb in a Christmas lighting ceremony in Oregon.  If I live by those stories alone – I would never come out of the house and enjoy life.  My confidence is in God’s hands today.  I trust Him now more than I ever have.  I have watched His faithfulness over and over in my life. He has taken care of me and my family and He will continue to do so.  I have a reason for hope today.  It’s not my bank account nor is it my health or life insurance plan or even my retirement savings.  My hope today is in Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior.  I am fully convinced that God is ABLE to do what He promises.  He has never let me down and I KNOW that He will continue to see me through.