Tag Archives: faith

Praying into the Light

Praying in the Dark

Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
Isaiah 50:10, NIV*

The past few weeks have weighed a bit heavily on me. Prayers, alone and in groups, dwell on a mountain of needs: sickness, death, emotional suffering.

In one of my prayer groups, a member spoke of having a hard time “seeing God’s plan” in a heartbreaking need. Not that God caused the problem, but why isn’t He intervening with the miracle we’re praying to see?

I thought of this on Good Friday. Nobody could see God’s plan when it included Jesus dying on the Cross.

But He had a plan.

And it shook the universe.

If we know God’s character, we know we can trust Him. Even when He’s silent and everything is going all wrong.

So I choose to keep bringing the sick and wounded to Him, bringing my lack of vision too.

Father, prayer isn’t meant to dwell on the problems, but to dwell on You. Forgive us when we get it wrong. Thank You that we can bring these needs to You. Help us find our rest in who You are, in Your character and Your promises. When we can’t see Your plan, let us see You – caring, moving, sustaining.

To focus us on God, this week’s song is Chris Tomlin‘s “You Do All Things Well“.

Holy Week

Submitting to God

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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:7,8,10 NIV*

Submission… our independent natures bristle at the word, and it conjures images of weakness, humiliation, subservience. I think that’s because of how the powerful have abused their status.

The NIV titles the bulk of James 4 “Submit Yourselves to God,” and there’s no connotation of abuse at all. If we stop and think about it…

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He laid down His life for us. We can trust His love.

The Prophet Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul speak of God’s plan to work all things out for good for those who love Him. We may not see how this will happen, but we can trust His intentions.

Our God is the one who spoke the universe into being, sent and stopped Noah’s flood, and who through Jesus calmed the storm, healed the sick, and raised the dead. We can trust His ability to look after us. (Yes, He sometimes allows His people to be martyred, but even there He has a purpose and we can be sure He carries their spirits safely into His healing presence.)

Sovereign Lord, help me start each day by submitting myself to You and committing to listen for Your leading and to obey in trust. You know the end from the beginning, and You are good. Remind me when I try to go my own way, and when I falter help my unbelief. My spirit finds its rest and true purpose in You.

Let this week’s song be our prayer: “Creator King” by Irish worship leader Kathryn Scott.

Fear… or Trust?

Where Our Help Lies

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I lift up my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2, NIV*

“Circumstances and challenges are constant, but thank God we know where our help lies.” That one sentence from Canadian writer/speaker Mary Haskett pointed me to this week’s verse and song.

Our help lies with God. So do our purpose, direction, our only possibility of getting life right.

God is not a distant hope, a Divine sort of cavalry waiting in the hills to ride down and rescue us when we signal. He’s here with each of us who have committed our lives to Him. He takes that commitment seriously – as seriously as His commitment to never leave us.

It’s sad that so often we don’t remember He’s with us. In our best moments, we’re aware of His quiet presence. In those moments we have peace, joy, assurance. We live each moment in His, and it shows.

Father, help us in our weakness. Help us remember Your presence with us and depend on You. Remind us that You are bigger and more powerful than the circumstances and challenges that threaten us today. On our own we are helpless, but we praise You that by Your grace, our hope… our help… is in You.

We’ve used this song before, but what could be more appropriate than Bebo Norman‘s “I Will Lift My Eyes“?

Righteousness

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My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:19-22, NIV*

This is good advice on how to coexist, but I think James has more in mind than treating one another well.

Listening, speaking, becoming angry: what struck me about these today is they’re all responses to people and situations. According to verse 20, our goal is to “bring about the righteous life that God desires,” and that’s not something we can impose on those around us or on the world as a whole.

Instead, James asks us to look inward, to work diligently on cleaning up our own lives. Take out the trash, whether it needs an industrial-sized garbage bag or a dustpan, and fill up with what’s good.

We can’t even do this on our own, but need to cooperate with and depend on the Holy Spirit. Why do we think we can force-clean someone else? But if we’re not careful, we’ll try.

It reminds me of Jesus’ words about taking the speck out of someone else’s eye when there’s a plank blocking our own sight.

Father, You designed us to live in community and to grow up spiritually together. Sometimes You let us see areas where another needs to grow. Help us to pray instead of judging, and to depend on Your Spirit’s clear leading about whether or not to speak. Please help us see the areas where You want to work in our own lives, and help us cooperate with You in the cleanup. We can’t thank You enough that You want to rescue us from the messes we’ve been in.

Let Steve Green‘s song, “Search Me, Oh God,” be our prayer today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScP1eFFh1ro

Can I Be With You?

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Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 4:8a, NIV*

“Can I be with You?”

I woke with the question echoing in my heart like a child’s plea to shadow Mom or Dad all day. And I thought how God’s heart must warm when we come to Him in love and trust and just want to be with him.

The song, “Can I Be With You,” from Todd Agnew’s Better Questions album, is about being with God at the end of life. It’s my heart’s prayer. But I want that here, too, as I go about the day….

Father, can I be with You? Thank You for moving my spirit to ask this. Please keep it on my mind so I’ll remember. I want to be with You.

For a prayerful song, here’s “Draw Me Close to You,” as sung by Kutless.

Joy in Trial

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Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters], whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4, NIV*

I’ve read these verses over the years and always thought the “pure joy” at trials was for a level of spirituality I hadn’t yet reached. The Apostle James could do it, and probably folks like Billy Graham and Mother Theresa, but not me, not yet. Then I noticed something new: there’s no period after “trials of many kinds” – there’s a comma, an explanation.

James isn’t saying “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials.” He calls us to consider it joy because behind the trial is a test of faith. And it isn’t the pass/fail kind of test to disqualify us. It’s the kind of test that proves our faith is real and strong. It’s the kind of test that will strengthen and develop us.

So… we can consider it pure joy to see that God is using the circumstances of our current trials to prove the strength of the faith He has given us, and to develop perseverance within us. He’s completing the work He begun in us, and in that we can be joyful.

Father, You are so good to us. Thank You that nothing comes to Your children without being filtered through Your fingers. Thank You that what the enemy of our souls means for harm, You can work to good. Please strengthen our faith, help us trust You, grow us in perseverance. Because of Jesus. Amen.

This week’s song is Michael Card‘s “Joy in the Journey.”

In the Shelter of the Most High

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Psalm 91:1-2, NIV*

I confess I don’t understand how to interpret parts of this psalm, when it seems to talk about walking in total protection and yet Christians suffer and die like everyone else. But these first two verses have been my prayer for a week and I’m seeing something new here.

When I’m alone with the Lord, it’s usually easy to rest in His shelter. Then I say “Amen,” close my Bible and get on with the day’s responsibilities.

In the house, I still sense a bit of His shadow, unless things get really hairy. Put me into a store or other community venue with lots of people and distractions, and I feel like I’m on my own. Like I’m outside the compound, and shelter is on the other side of the wall. Maybe it’s an introvert thing, I don’t know.

The Lord has been enlarging my image of His shelter. Why should it just be the corner of the couch where I curl up with my Bible and blanket? Couldn’t it include my whole house? Why not the entire community, country, world? Wouldn’t His shelter fill the boundaries of His Kingdom?

Since I can’t get away from God (see Psalm 139), I can’t get out of His shelter, away from His shadow. That must mean I’m still dwelling in His shelter even if I’m in unfamiliar territory. My refuge and fortress, my God, isn’t in a location I have to run back to. He’s in all and over all.

Father, thank you for Your grace that lets me dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and that lets the Spirit of the Most High dwell in me. Help me abide in confidence in You, wherever you lead me each day.

Our song today is “Your Love, O Lord,” by Third Day. It’s based on a different psalm, but still gives the image of resting in the shelter of God.

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense