Author: Psalm37

Photo Credit: Kim Clayton Lance

CONFIDENCE IN APPROACHING GOD

I John 5:14-15 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to HIS will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

I was in a discipleship class about 25 years ago and had to memorize this scripture. I remember thinking then, as I do now, that this is an amazing promise and responsibility. It is amazing that Jesus makes us members of God’s family, the Father’s inner circle, because we know Him personally, and not just about Him. As believers, we have a God-given appetite for the Holy Spirit’s presence and we have precious communion with Him when we “remain” or “abide” in Him (John 15).

To abide in Him, we commit ourselves to a relationship whereby God speaks to us through His Word and we speak to Him through prayer, and the Holy Spirit draws us into the divine conversation between Father, Son, and Spirit. Although not beyond comprehension, this is still hard to grasp.

The responsibility we have is to “abide” or “remain” in Him. I am not sure which word carries more weight. But, I am sure that our store of spiritual power evaporates with the passage of time, daily distractions and spiritual warfare. Therefore, praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit needs to be a continuous activity of the heart, daily and nightly, personal and corporate.

Depending on the Spirit for comfort, counsel, wisdom, understanding, teaching, convicting, prompting and guiding is an essential activity for “Family of God” tightness, and so that we can be sure that we are praying in God’s will. From a corporate perspective, Charles Spurgeon has said that a church’s true spiritual condition can be gauged by its prayer meetings. He calls the measurement of divine working in God’s family a “grace-ometer” reading, and that slothfulness in prayer is surely indicative of God’s absence.

How precious are our prayers to God! Psalm 141:2 says, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” And Revelation 5:8 says, “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

When I was a student in Christian high school many years ago, students were taught to remember Jeremiah 33:3 as “God’s telephone number.” Although there is no need for any technology to call on God, the scripture says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” What a mighty and powerful God we have! Unsearchable things will be disclosed. I will have power against the world in prayer. Out of my tears, fears, and need I can call out, cry out, implore aid and know that I am heard.

Jim Cymbala, Head Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, wrote a book called Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, published in 1997, and in it he said, “God will manifest himself in direct proportion to our passion for Him. The principle he laid down long ago is still true: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13).” Pastor Cymbala writes that when believers bring their needs to God, that the wind of prayer takes root as a gift of the Holy Spirit. The result of the deeper joy and power of God’s presence brings the reality of “greater things will be done” (John 1:50).

“Abiding” or “remaining” in Him is a serious responsibility. We know that our spiritual vitality, our fervency in prayer, and our closeness to the Lord are what bring glory to God. So, Hebrews 4:16 becomes our key to the divine unsearchable: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” As God’s children, we are given this gift, this key, and the tremendous reality that we are in God’s inner circle, and therefore in His will.

 

 

 

 

 

Psalm 37: 5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.”

There is a haunting question in scripture that Jesus asks an invalid (John 5): “Do you want to get well?” The obvious answer is yes. Who wouldn’t want to be healthy again after 38 years of disability? But, below the surface, the deeper meaning of wellness is provocative and may not always render easy yeses like we would imagine.

My pastor preached on this recently. (Check it out – Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2-26-17). He challenged listeners to think deeply about the diagnosis of un-wellness, or better yet, un-wholeness. I looked in the spiritual mirror and wondered why I and others choose to be satisfied with surface healing and push down our places of misery far away from our “wired in” longing for wholeness – spiritual, emotional, and physical? Why do we settle for forgiveness, but want nothing more? Especially after what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross?

Eternal life starts here. But, we look at it far off in the distance and forget that healing is available now. Hindsight has reminded me that my youthful profession of faith was seriously blind to what healing Jesus had already accomplished. But, by His grace, He enabled that first precarious faith step in my life. Like the invalid at the pool, I got up and knew something was different and even public, but I didn’t recognize the Healer yet. Like the invalid, I got to skip the expected pool path (“angel-touched healing waters”) and just move forward quietly with Jesus. In the meantime, God reached down through my Christian parents to plant me in a faith-fertile place so that I could eventually recognize the Healer for Who He is.

Against the backdrop of adult life and the wooing of the Holy Spirit, I finally recognized the Source of Wholeness – Jesus. Don’t get me wrong. I still chase after things to supercharge my sense of wellbeing – the next women’s conference, the next audio or video sermon, the next prayer meeting, the next theology book, the next ministry position. That just makes me a collector of Christian trappings, not a Christ lover. Real healing is in Christ alone. Be advised.

I have to trust Him in the brief steps and seasons without really knowing what He is up to behind the scenes of my life. Then, hindsight shows me that He has been adding grace upon grace to my life and has formed in me a longing for true wholeness. Like the invalid, I often want to grow comfortable with my familiar affliction surroundings. But, like a Christ lover, I want to risk it all and allow the maybe painful movement of the capable Healer in my brokenness. I want to get really well.

Psalm 73:23-26 “Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

 

Psalm 37:39-40 “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

A few minutes of media exposure and you may wonder. When did appropriateness disappear? What examples are out there for our children to emulate in the future? What is everybody fighting about? Where can we find true peace?

Somewhere along the line the “adults” have forgotten to model respectful adult behavior for the younger generation of onlookers. The next generation is imprinting on what? My husband and I have raised three children by God’s grace. We now have four granddaughters to enjoy! And, we have lived long enough to know that human reproduction is so much more than bringing new life into the world. What we pass along to our children is how the world may hope to be renewed or not renewed.

Psalm 62:7 says, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” If my salvation and honor depend on Him, then surely the salvation and honor of my children and grandchildren depend on Him, too. The Lord has transferred His purposes into my heart through my faith. It is His Truth, His Person, Who removes the futility from our days and gives the next generation One to follow.

While the world is clamoring for a strong man or ideologue to clean up all the messes made, we know that the Savior has already come. We already have One Who is our mighty Rock. His intentions inform all matters, public and private. He is our refuge. He is our salvation. He is our hope of renewal.

As Jesus graciously prepared his disciples for his departure back to the Father after his soon-to-be death and resurrection, he knew they would be perplexed until sometime later and that they would be pretty shaken in the meantime. They had formed a strong bond spending time together. Even with preparation, He knew they would be taken by surprise.

This is often the earthquake that our faith encounters. Jesus is very close to us. But, then we experience a great loss. Circumstances. Horrific news. No answers. Confusion. Heavenly peace that is severely threatened. Sudden happenings. Life.

Jesus promised the disciples that he would send them the Holy Spirit and provide the kind of supernatural peace that the world would never comprehend (John 14:25-27). He also promised this Counselor (Advocate) to all believers, then and now. What I want to pass on to my descendants is just this – Him alone. I want to see Jesus Christ reproduced in them through the Holy Spirit. I want them to have the peace that doesn’t make any sense except to believers. I want them to intimately know their Heavenly Father. I want them to pour out their hearts to the Father like the children they are – giving Him their tears, questions, frustration, exhaustion, and yes, angry railings.

I want young people to open God’s Word and see a real hope and future. Turn the audiovisual devices off. Turn the “divisive” off. Turn the whiners off. Turn the bad examples off. Let the Holy Spirit invade their thinking and their souls. Let reproduction be all about Jesus, in children and their children. In me. In you. I only want the children to say to their children, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God…(Psalm 62:6-7).”And mean it.

 

Psalm 37:1 starts with “Do not fret…”

Isaiah 44:8 says, “Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

The image here is symbolic. It calls into mind great strength, support, and large presence. It calls into mind stability, impregnability, and might. Some years ago, I was standing in a hallway near my office when an earthquake actually happened (really shocking for the Hampton Roads area) and walls and floors actually moved. There was nothing substantial to hold onto. It passed, thankfully, and no one was hurt and no damage was observed. Maybe a crack or two in the sidewalks and parking lot. But, experiencing an earthquake will surely make you think. Where do we find safety?

Then there was that time when I tripped on a local side street and broke my arm. Wobbly shoes, uneven pavement, rushing, progressive lenses. A bad combination. I saw stars. I still feel that injury on rainy days. I learned to appreciate solid footing, supportive shoes, physical therapy and cautious steps. That injury surely made me think. Where do we find safety?

Then there is life in general. Pretty unsafe, I’d agree. Many are over-distracted with home security, car security, school security, retirement security, health security… You name it. Where do we find safety? Jesus Christ is the Rock of our faith, but we often like to back up our fragile faith with dependence on other security measures. We build our protective fences, thinking we have a measure of control. We get paralyzed by worry and may forget the strong foundation that Jesus provides. Walking by sight instead of faith leads us to make fear-based decisions. This leads us away from God’s truth.

Yet our Savior is always present to provide firm eternal footing. The only basis for security is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jeremiah 10:12 says that God founded the world by His exquisite power and wisdom and understanding. Then, He sent His Son to be the surpassing, rock strong foundation of our faith. Because of Him, we are spiritually safe.

Let me backpedal. Practical plans to ensure the physical and financial protection of our families have an appropriate place in earthly life. But, God says that we have no need to tremble and no need to be afraid. If we are the Lord’s witnesses and if heaven is our eternal home, then we give our tears, cares and fears to him. He is our Rock.

Here’s where we land in faith. From the familiar hymn by Edward Mote, we pledge, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.” I am a witness. It’s true. There is no other Rock.

 

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”

I’m not going anywhere today. I can’t. The new fallen snow, though beautiful, boxes me in at the very back of a heavily wooded neighborhood. Ugh!

However, having unhurried time, no places to be in particular, and no deadlines that won’t be moved due to inclement weather… Well, there’s a real silver lining in this predicament. Stillness. Patient waiting. Radical. Though costly in a consumer world, though foreign in a distracted world, though unplugged in a techno-world. It is quiet in God’s world today. Snow is a beautiful reminder of the wonder of stillness. Stillness before the Lord.

Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Noah was a true hero. In stillness, he was able to hear from the Lord. In patience, he was able to build and build and build for over 100 years and endure whatever ridicule went along with it. He heroically, but soberly served the Lord. And it was costly.

Arthur Ashe once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Sometimes serving the Lord involves being still. Sometime serving others involves being still. Sometimes it involves waiting patiently.

Today is a good day to be still. A good day to wait patiently on the Lord. A good day to be grateful for real heroes. My hero husband has already knocked the snow off my car – because he knows how my mind works (I don’t usually want to be still)… I am very grateful that he knows me so well.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” So, I’m at a standstill today, but glad for it. Grateful today for my Holy Hero – Jesus Christ. Thanking Him for the beautiful snow that commands stillness and reminds me of Him.

I’m not going anywhere today. I can’t. I’m going to be still and wait.

Photo Credit: Kim Clayton Lance

Psalm 37:11 says, “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” The meek. The quiet. The gentle. The obedient. 2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” The humble. The yielding. The submissive. 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

I was driving my dad to a doctor’s appointment a few days ago and we were reflecting on the convoluted pathway to making things right between two estranged people or entities. Together we have 140+ years between us and similar thoughts about what step one looks like. It is tiny. It is timid. It might backfire. But it is possible. Only possible because of God’s grace and mercy. The kind of grace and mercy that removed the spiritual blinders of our hearts and revealed the power of redemption through Jesus Christ, to me and to my dad.

So here’s the thing. One courageous text, one courageous phone call, one contact, one gesture, one meeting – can be a good step one. Many “start overs” can be involved. Not like a New Year’s resolution, but an honest attempt to lay down our lives again and again. Pain is required. Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book Necessary Endings, says that pain is supposed to move us to do something. Step one. That something should reflect hopefulness. That something should encourage forgiveness, but not be confused with reconciliation, because the two things are different.

We can be whole even if reconciliation with a brother doesn’t happen. It takes only one to forgive, but two to reconcile. Reconciliation between humans is the dream, but forgiveness by the one is a wonderful step one. Step one gives you peace and it doesn’t hinge on the other one. And real peace comes from the One Who literally gave His life so that we could be reconciled with the Father. Through the Power of One (Jesus) – the One Who opened our spiritual eyes to know Him as the Loving Reconciler of our broken relationship with God, we have the only reconciliation that really matters.

But don’t stop trying. Take step one. Release the thing that someone owes you. The apology, the correct version of the truth, the acknowledgement of responsibility, the return of property, damage-fixing, comfortable togetherness, kindness, love, respect… Forgiveness doesn’t require a response from the other party. Step one. Endure the hurt and give God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your reaching out. Release your expectations. Except – always have the expectation that Jesus is continually at work doing His Father’s redemptive work. Always have the hope that reconciliation may occur through the Power of One – Savior. Always believe that forgiveness may lead to reconciliation.

Step one. Chase away the fog of brokenness. Attempt to mend fences. The meek are gentle while obedient. Colossians 3:13-14 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

 

Psalm 37:37b says, “…There is a future for the man of peace.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” That peace. I want it.

A FaceBook post by Timothy Keller on Black Friday challenged me. He said, “To learn and digest the Word of God requires a fight – we must fight our busy schedules, our distracted minds, our stubborn hearts, and the world’s opinion and disdain.” No kidding. But, I still want that peace. I still want His Word. I’m willing to fight.

The Peace Jesus gives comes with a fight. Our busy schedules. Our lists. Our calendars. Our checkbooks. All the things that expose who we are and where we are heading. With no room for spending time with God in His Word, no room for really hearing Him, no room for knowing the condition of our hearts, Peace comes with a fight.

The Peace Jesus gives comes with an upstream battle. The Black Fridays of our distracted minds, the mania of holiday gift-buying, maybe even slavery to perfectionism – all stand in our way. God’s Word promises to help us replace those frenzied thoughts. Romans 8:6b says, “…The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”  It is the diet that really counts. And has eternal ramifications. But, a fight is required.

The Peace Jesus gives comes with a difficult journey. Our stubborn hearts interrupt forward movement again and again. Romans 3:10-12 reminds us, “…There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away… there is no one who does good, not even one.” But, thankfully, God sought us when we didn’t seek Him. He sent us a Savior and a King. He redeems our stubborn hearts, but a fight worth fighting is required.

The Peace Jesus gives comes with a great struggle. The world’s opinion and disdain. Surely the world’s a very hostile place, spiritually dark, divisive, dying. Opposition to believers is the world’s standard operating procedure. John 8:12 promises, “When Jesus again spoke to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” Still, a fight is required. There is still time to invite the King of Light into our lives. Not marginally, but fully.

There are so many implications regarding that special baby in that manger so long ago – the King of our hearts. I John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Only made possible by the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ. God’s one and only Son Who made it possible for us to be God’s legitimate children. The perfect Lamb, the perfect Savior, the perfect Lord, the perfect King.

God freely gives us His Spirit to gradually transform our hearts to resemble King Jesus (the ultimate reason for the Christmas season). Hearts to resemble the thoughts, attitudes, and actions of the Son of God. Unloading our appetite for worldly things. Ending our doubt of God’s goodness. Throwing off sinful habits. More and more love for Him, His Word, and people. But, a fight is required.

Against all the odds, come to the King of Hearts – King Jesus. Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37b-38).

Finally Peace. Believe, drink. Flow with living water. Let Jesus be the King of your heart.

The real occasion is life on earth, life that is difficult and full of heartbreak. Life that is a constant reminder of need. Life that is a constant reminder of death. Shattered dreams all over the place. Rising to the occasion is an act of tremendous love and courage, sometimes against all the odds…

Like any special occasion, planning is required. Special protocols, special attire, and special energy are required. At this writing, I am excitedly anticipating the birth of my 4th granddaughter in December. I am also hosting a baby shower for my daughter-in-law/second time mother-to-be Margaret. This is indeed a special occasion wrapped in hope, including the hope that her due date doesn’t lean too close to the shower date. 🙂

If every occasion could be like a baby shower, it would be easy to rise to the occasion. But instead, most occasions come unexpectedly and are adverse. These invite us to do something to exhibit our faith, knowing that God has allowed them. Rising is jumping over them properly. Psalm 18:29 says, “With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” (BTW, I’m not a baseball fan, but I appreciate the courage and skill it takes to overcome gigantic barriers on the road to victory.)

Today, America has elected a new president. No matter what the outcome brings out in us, rising to the occasion means giving God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus Christ in the responses of His people as poured out wine and broken bread – to nourish others. I can’t help but recall Philippians 1:27-29: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ… stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him.” Rising is delivering worthy conduct.

The special protocol is love. The special attire is kindness. And the special energy comes from unity in the Body of Christ by God’s Holy Spirit.

After many months of loving the wisdom of Psalm 37, I can honestly say that rising to the occasion is refusing to fret. Psalm 37:37 says “…there is a future for the man of peace.” Let life happen. It will happen whether we let it or not. Let the wine spilling begin. Let the bread breaking continue. With love and kindness and unity in faith, let us rise to every occasion to nourish others.

 

Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

Ezekiel 37:14 ” ‘I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken and I have done it,’ declares the Lord.”

My own land is basically eastern Virginia, but I sometimes extend that to include Kill Devil Hills, NC. The beach is close enough to feel like it is a part of my home territory. I claim it. I love to share a small beach cottage with five of my dear friends twice a year. I’ve mentioned these girlfriends before. In a post on April 11, 2016 (“Creativity Unleashed”), I introduced them.

Our recent trip reminded me of our “Mary-likeness.” I am thinking of the wedding in Cana during which Jesus performed his first miracle – turning the water into wine. And not because of the wine miracle, but because of the way Mary knew enough to place all matters of concern at the feet of Jesus, even if misunderstanding God’s timing on things. The six of us have put many situations at the feet of Jesus, and still do. We have trusted Him in crises and we have enjoyed spiritually safe pasture. Dwelling in Christ has been the key.

While working a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, we banded together to do it in one day (crazy idea, but got it done). Just like we banded together to pray for one grandson recovering from surgery for a brain tumor. While playing the Phase 10 card game, we happily contemplated luck versus strategies. We gave up on luck and strategy, but laughed a lot. We have acknowledged that neither luck nor strategies have pushed our lives forward in Christ. He has probably laughed at our crazy human plans. Only Christ has pushed us forward. Only God has put His Spirit in us. Only God’s Sovereignty has caused our lives to unfold in His grace. Not by any kind of luck or human effort.

We always do joyful things. Sometimes we joyfully sit and talk. Sometimes we silently read or sleep on the beach. Also, great enjoyment comes from the great food we share – oatmeal cookies, M&M’s, ABC cake, tuna salad, lots of coffee, lasagna (or something Italian), and breakfast casserole. This isn’t the half of it. I’m not kidding.

But, our favorite moments are when we share devotionals with each meal for which we are individually responsible. At our recent retreat, we spent some time on Ephesians 2 as it references believers as God’s masterpieces – His workmanship. There is a uniqueness that comes with our individual geographical locations – a blooming where we have been planted. Most of us are blooming in eastern Virginia, one in Tennessee, and one getting ready to do some blooming in Louisiana for two months. We were reminded that God does immeasurably more through us than we can think or imagine. Because He put His Spirit in us.

We have stories. Each of us. In our shared “Mary-likeness,” we have regularly renewed our faith and friendship at the beach land, and when the wedding wine of life seems to be running out (which is often), we have learned to trust Jesus like Mary did. We have moved beyond the miracles that pointed to Him, to just Him. Our hope became bigger. The good times and Kodak moments come and go. But, our perpetual reality is that Jesus has entrusted Himself to us.

We know and live these verses. John 2:23-25 “Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name. But, Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.” By God’s grace, we moved beyond knowing the gospel and participating in all the trappings of worship. It became real. We got to know Jesus Himself. And He knew what was really in our hearts.

Years ago, we participated together in Master Life (a 13-week discipleship training course) at a local church. It forever changed our lives. We stopped going through the motions of belief, and instead, God put His Spirit in us and settled us in His land. We were transformed. It was a turning point that has kept us connected for over 25 years. While the beach trips are more recent, the fellowship of shared faith that we experience is a longer term gift. We call the Outer Banks at Mile Post 7.5 “our beach.” It’s really not, of course. Only a reminder…

We really dwell in God’s land. We know the Lord has spoken. And we know He has done it.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 37:1-2 “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”

Considering those evil men (and women) in our lives…There is that brand of evil which is not “run-of-the-mill,” but comes from people who were once considered close friends, even those who shared common faith in Jesus Christ. Especially blistering! Like Psalm 55:12-14 says, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.” I fret greatly when Christian friendship erodes or a ministry partnership dissolves. Suppressing the compulsion to return to the past and help everybody get the facts straight (according to me of course), hoping to build consensus on the straight record (again according to me), I have questioned how it is possible not to fret.

And then God has reminded me… After the many afflictions of Job and the “pile on” from his naysaying wife and so-called friends, Job had to ignore their errant counsel to blame himself and/or curse God. Job expressed his fretting in Job 30:15: “Terror overwhelms me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.” I can imagine Job also saying, “to top it off, my dearest friends and family members have betrayed me in the worst ways so that I am in unending shock!”It is at times like these when the Lord seems very silent – when we believe we have excellent reasons to fret. We experience fretful sleepless nights, self-pity, fatalistic thoughts, emotional stress, and thoughts of would-be retaliation.

When we prayerfully settle down and breathe deeply and are finally silent ourselves, listening… God whispers through His Spirit and written Word and still small voice saying, “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him (Job 40:2a)?” When Job has reached the answer to this one question of his many questions, he concludes, “My ears had heard of You (God), but now my eyes have seen You (Job 42:5).” He understands that God can be fully trusted in and through afflictions. His faith has been tested. He has heard God speak. He has peace. He knows Who God really is.

Jacob’s afflictions were different from Job’s, but God similarly walked Jacob through a painful process whereby he (Jacob) stopped his striving and recognized what God was up to. Jacob was afflicted with rebellion and a demanding spirit. He ended up walking with a limp the rest of his life after a strenuous wrestling match with God. Yes, with God. Unlike Job, Jacob had been a cheater all of his life. God chose to use different tactics with Jacob, taking on a human body to struggle with Jacob and displace his hip. A wounding of a different kind was required to get his attention and transform his life. All for God’s glory.

For God to get our attention, does it have to be a severe wounding? I think the answer is mostly yes. The way God Sovereignly reshapes our lives is not usually smooth. The way He leads us to become new creations is by His design and deep pain seems to be a great vehicle for spiritual transformation. Fretting hinders trust in God. In fact, fretting may only feed and prolong the problem we have of doubting that God is even attentive to our perilous circumstances and shenanigans.

Scripture says evil plotters will wither like grass. That’s a good thing. But thankfully, so will our own old natures wither when we encounter and receive the reality of Who God really is. Sometimes we are the evil plotters. Rebelling, trying to fix or control things on our own, wrestling with God repeatedly. Self-centered plans pointed against us come to a natural end – it is only a matter of God’s timing. But this includes our own self-centered plans against ourselves, too. Sometimes we are the enemy. Many times we are the evil plotters against ourselves.

But, God… God makes us a new creation. When we are reshaped by God, like Job and Jacob, through the wrestling, the wrenching, the tossing, the turning, the agonizing, the questioning, the shaking, the shattering – if we will only gaze upward, as Job and Jacob finally did, our eyes will finally see God and His purposes. Sure, we have heard of Him. But now we will truly see Him. We will surrender to Him. We might even lose the use of a hip. We might even have to start over and have a new family or new friends.

Trusting God, I know I cannot ever be the same again. He will transform me. When I really see Him, my dignity and safety can only be tied to His Providence and provision, not the wind. I will depend on Him alone.

Yes, I have heard of God many times. But, in the shattering, I see Him oh so clearly.