Peace in the Midst of the Storm

Rain!  Precious rain!  We have gone weeks without rain that was so desperately needed for the plants, flowers and vegetables just planted.  A few times there has been a forecast of rain, but only a few drops actually fell.   But this week we have had the rains we desperately needed, but we haven't just had rain; we have had storms!  Today the weather app said, "Severe thunderstorms.  Storms may contain strong gusty winds tomorrow.  Have a plan and be prepared."  Be prepared?  Take in anything that might blow around  Cover any delicate or vulnerable plants.  Have a protected place where you can go if the storms change their character.  Have water and snacks there.  Have a cell phone charged.  In other words, have a plan and follow through.

These are actual storms we can expect, but life brings us different kinds of storms, emotional ones, spiritual ones, physical storms involving our bodies or those of our dear ones.  So do you have a plan?  Do you know what to do when the storms hit?  You cannot prevent the storms,  but you can have peace in the storm.

"As evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, 'Let's cross to the other side of the lake.'  So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (though other boats followed).  But soon a fierce storm came up.  High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat with His head on a cushion.  The disciples woke Him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?'  When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, 'Silence!  Be still!'  Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  Then He asked them, 'Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith?' The disciples were absolutely terrified. 'Who is this man?' they asked each other.  'Even the wind and the waves obey Him!' "  (Mark 4:35-41 NLT)

Here was an actual storm with Jesus' physical presence.  There was an immediate physical peace. So think about it.  First, there were other  boats with them.  The disciples were not the only ones affected  by this particular storm.  Their response to the storm was not the only response.  They should have had a better response than those in the other little  boats.  They had been with Jesus.  They had heard His teaching and had been able to ask questions for clarification of His words.  But out on the water, they showed their lack of faith.  But when Jesus calmed the storm, the passengers in those boats benefited too.

I have storms, as do you.  In the last two weeks two long time friends, one a friend of thirty years and one a friend for fifty years, have gone to Heaven.  I am grieving the loss of their company here, the loss of the sound of their voice, the memories we have shared, the places we will not go again.  So many things.  And I am not the only one grieving.  There are others in the little boats--family members and other friends.  Their little boats are also in the storm.  They, too, need to hear the words of peace.

How do we have a plan about our personal storms?  Prayer, yes, a first response.  Then Scripture.  I think the time spent memorizing and meditating on the Word is like having a bandaid in the medicine cabinet.  You slap it on to stop the bleeding, and then go to the emergency room for further treatment.  I could relate the times God has prepared me for what was coming and I immediately recognized it.  God prepared me for the storm.  After the initial storm had passed, I could go dig deeper for what I needed. Recognize too how important friends are in helping you through the storms of life. Sharing memories and stories help us get through the storms.  One last thing, for me, gardening is a way to handle my storms.  Working in the yard is therapy for me.  You, too, need a plan for the storms that will come.

Jesus spoke peace to me in John 14:27, (ASV)  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful."  Are you troubled? Are you fearful?  About your family?  About finances?  About surgery or other physical issues?  About losing friends and family?  He has peace available.  Just reach out and take it.

It's available.  Peace in the midst of the storm.

                                                                    ~~Faith Himes Lamb

Master, The Tempest is Raging

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQ4NHCYrmg

Satisfied

 

Recently, I listened to the testimony of Christopher Yuan, a former Moody Bible Institute professor who was delivered from the gay lifestyle and drug scene. His story of deliverance is amazing (it is on YouTube if you want to listen to it), but what really stood out to me was the persistence of his mother in prayer and fasting. For seven years she fasted and prayed for him every Monday and one time fasted on his behalf for thirty-nine days. Thirty-nine! I feel deprived if I fast to have blood drawn! I confess that sometimes food is a little too important to me. Fasting is a spiritual discipline I have never pursued. Mr. Yuan said when people ask him how they can best help unbelievers, he tells them to fast and pray.  He said it is the most powerful thing we can do. Justdisciple.com says to fast is to “…forfeit food out of hunger for God…At its best, Christian fasting is simply a heartfelt, body felt exclamation point at the end of the sentence ‘I love you, God. I need you more than I need food and drink, more than I need my life.’” Now there’s something to ponder. 

If you are interested in fasting, I have expanded on some tips from the Just Disciple website to get you started: 

Eat light a couple of days ahead of time.

Read and meditate on Scripture and pray when you would be eating – it will be your food (I tried this, and it really helped). This is a good time to pray Scripture. You could also reflect on other spiritual writings.

Journal what you are feeling and experiencing. Write out some of your prayers. Imagine yourself entering God’s Throne Room and talking with Him face to face.

Drink lots of water. Add some Apple Cider Vinegar.

Ask God to help when you are tempted to give up.

Disconnect from people and technology.

Enjoy some light exercise like a stroll in nature. Sit quietly at a scenic overlook. Dig your tootsies into some sand at the beach.

Think positive thoughts. Meditate on something you feel God has been teaching you.

Have a reason for fasting and focus on and pray about that. Is there a stronghold in your life that needs to be broken? Is there a burden you are carrying for someone else? Are you having relationship problems with your mate, children, or coworkers? Ask God for wisdom! He has promised to give us wisdom and guidance.

List your blessings and give thanks.

Consider different types of fasting other than food. Some examples might be abstaining from social media, desserts, technology, or soft drinks (broccoli lol). You might want to fast from something that you feel has become too important in your life like sports or hobbies. If you work too much, it might be time to take a vacation day.

Set a time limit. It might be only 6, 12, or 24 hours. A short fast is not insignificant.

Jesus tells us to fast secretly. We do not do it to look spiritual before others.

 Imagine being satisfied in God alone. This is something no one could ever take away from you. No one. What does that feel like? What does it mean? I cannot answer this because this is all new to me. But I am intrigued. What about you? Maybe you have done this for years. If so, I would love to hear all about it!

 Going deeper with God.

 joyce hague

Call Back

 

Years ago, when I was a very young pastor’s wife in Indiana, a dear “older” friend gave me this beautiful poem. She impressed on me the importance of always looking for ways to encourage those God brought into my life...family, friend, strangers in the store, neighbors. Sometimes it was a very quiet, unassuming person who was trying to hide difficult circumstances from others; or church members who were discouraged.

This dear lady did not know that I would be the one also who needed to “call back” to someone else to help me “along the stony track,” “through the storm, thunder, earthquake” that shook my life, when others faces “glowed with triumph” in their race.

The author is unknown, and it was probably written years ago...but so relevant today. It always brings tears to my eyes because I think of those dear friends who were there when I needed to “call back” for reassurance that I was on the right path. That my dear Heavenly Father was listening to my prayers.

"If you have gone a little way ahead of me, 'Call back'~

It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;

And if, perchance, Faith's light is dim, because the oil is low,

Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

Call back and tell me that He went with you into the storm;

Call back and say He kept you when the forest's roots were torn,

That when the Heavens thunder and the earthquake shook the hill,

He bore you up and held you where the very air was still.

Oh friend, call back. And tell me for I cannot see your face.

They say it glows with triumph and your feet bound in the race.

But there are mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim,

And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.

But if you'll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,

And if you'll say He saw you through the night's sin-darkened sky...

If you have gone a little way ahead, oh friend, call back.

It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track."

If right now you are on that stony track when you feel your very roots are being torn up, I have been there. But our Heavenly Father not only gives us His Word to speak to us through precious promises, His Holy Spirit for comfort, the Lord Jesus who says: “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden,” BUT He provides us with dear Christian friends who are now feeling the glow of “triumph” on their faces. They know the stony path and can attest to God’s faithfulness. Don’t be afraid to seek for such a dear friend.

If you are in that “glow of triumph,” look for those who need your “call back” to help them. They are right in your home, at your store, at your church. Take the time to “call back” to those who need your testimony of God’s grace in your life.  

--Maylou Holladay

Good and Perfect Timing

 

When our children were young, we had an elementary reader with a wonderful story about a missionary pilot’s adventure in snow country. Happily, we had been blessed to hear the story from the missionary himself, at our dining room table, only a couple of years prior. Garland Cofield, supported by Grace Baptist Church, was for many years a missionary in Canada. He flew a small plane in order to reach people over vast areas of the country.

On an occasion when he was flying with one other man, they were forced by a snowstorm to land the plane in “nowhere.” Seeing a light in the distance, they walked to a small cabin, wherein they found a woman past 90 years of age. In their conversation, she told them she had been praying since she was a young girl that God would send someone to tell her about Himself. Chance? Coincidence? Happenstance? Not on your eternal life! Of course they were able to provide just what she needed and she responded appropriately.

This wonderful account gives rise to several questions, most beginning with, “Why…” Sometimes our “whys” may come from a critical perspective. Why did the woman have to wait until she was nearly at the end of her life to know Jesus? Why was a near disaster needed in order to bring the Word to her? In other words, why didn’t God do things differently and better, the way we might have done them?

If we absolutely trusted God with awe, we might ask the questions from the opposite perspective. Why did God bless this woman with the knowledge of Himself, in human understanding, “just in time?” Why did He honor Garland and friend with the privilege of leading this woman to Himself? Why did he show such grace and kindness to everyone in this thrilling scenario?

He tells us that He is the one who sends every good and perfect gift. Maybe, instead of evaluating every gift to see if it is “good and perfect,” we might just go ahead and regard those same gifts as good and perfect simply because they came from God. But the real point of my wondering is answered in 2 Peter 3:8-9.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (NIV)

God is in charge of time and he does not regard time the same way we do, as evidenced by this kind of event. Sometimes we rejoice with awe at God’s timing. But often we fidget, stress or grumble at that same God’s timing. The Source of both the gifts and their timing is more eternally significant than the fickle attitude of the recipients or observers.

I’m talking to a specific person here. You, with your fingers on the keyboard, the one typing these words, listen up. The rest of you may listen in if you need to.

 

--Lynda Shenefield

The Necessity of Paul's Prayer in the 21st Century

 

When you pray for other believers, what do you pray? What is your heart’s desire for them? On Sunday evenings, a group of moms from our church is studying Colossians together. Paul wrote this letter from prison. We can piece together his connection to this church by looking at several verses in Acts and Colossians. It seems that while Paul was preaching and living in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, a man from Colossae named Epaphras heard and received the gospel and took it back to his hometown. Thus, a church was started in Colossae. Most likely, Paul never met these Colossian believers, but he heard about them from Epaphras who kept him informed about how the church was doing. And even despite not knowing them personally, they were on his heart. His letter to them is filled with words that contain deep emotion. Feel Paul’s care and concern in these verses from chapter 2:1-3: “I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to…” To what, Paul? What is your great desire for them? What do you want their hearts to be encouraged towards? Let’s read on…  “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Let’s put this in our own words: Paul wants these believers’ hearts to be encouraged by the full assurance they can have in Christ and by believing that all knowledge is found in Him. Nothing outside of Him is needed. And the knowledge and wisdom that is bound up in Him can be a source of great treasure and riches in their lives. You see, there were many voices speaking into the Colossian believers’ ears. Paul spends significant time in this letter warning them not to listen to these false teachers who were telling them they could find wisdom and acceptance with God through means other than Christ. These men spoke of the necessity of keeping festivals and special days, visions, the worship of angels, and abstaining from certain foods and drink (2:16-21). In contrast, Paul drives home again and again the sufficiency of Christ for salvation and for wisdom (2:1-15; 3:1-4). He wants them to be wise – wise in the doctrine they know which he lays out in the first two chapters, and also wise in the way they live as a result of what they know, seen in especially practical ways in the last two chapters. The words wisdom, knowledge, and understanding show up a combined thirteen times throughout this four-chapter epistle.

Don’t we need this same wisdom today? Never before in history have there been so many platforms for people to let their voices be heard. Podcasts, cable news channels, social media posts, Twitter feeds, YouTube videos, and more. Everyone is wise in his or her own eyes. The problem is that wisdom does not originate in man; no one is wise in and of himself (or herself). The only one who is truly all-wise is God, and all wisdom must find its source in Him, or it is not wisdom (Romans 11:33; 16:27). We may feel that as believers we aren’t swayed by false teachers in our beliefs of salvation and major doctrines, but we must not deceive ourselves. Lies can easily creep into the church, and wisdom is needed to discern truth and error, especially when the error sounds good. God has given us truth in His Word; we must weigh everything we hear against what the Lord says. It is our responsibility as followers of God to study the Word, put ourselves under sound teaching of the Word, and to pray for wisdom which God promises to give (James 1:5). And thus, our hearts are encouraged to stand strong. We are not duped by the latest “Christian” teaching that sounds good but isn’t biblical. We are not like the double-minded woman who is tossed by the wind (or by the latest social media post or the angry voice on cable news), who is unstable in all her ways (James 1:6-8). No, our hearts are at rest and encouraged for we know where life-giving wisdom is found: in the One in whom our very lives are hidden, the One who is our life, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Col. 3:3-4). May we join Paul in this prayer for a full assurance of Christ’s sufficiency and the wisdom found in Him, not only for ourselves, but also for our brothers and sisters in the family of God.

--Amy O'Rear