In the Midst of the Fog

Often times in life we question why certain things happen. Why did I lose my job? Why did my girlfriend break up with me? Why did my parents get mad at me? The list goes on, from the smallest inconveniences to some of life’s greatest struggles. One thing stays the same- we want to know the reason for these hardships. Surely there has to be one, there is nothing that happens that is meaningless. We know this because we know that God designs our lives with purpose, therefore putting meaning into each event that happens. However, in the midst of the struggles we are faced with, we often lose sight of this. Instead, we get angry or upset with God, and can’t imagine why he would ever let anything like this happen. We let the fog of current circumstances shroud our vision, not realizing that this fog is thin and temporary. We let it blind us from God, and hold us back from reaching out to him. But God is here in the fog, no matter how dense and extensive it may seem. Even when you can’t see him, he is there, and his purpose does not change even when our circumstances do. God is almighty and sovereign, surely he knows what he is doing when he allows certain things to happen in our lives, and surely we can trust him in that. Because the fact of the matter is, we are human and God is God, we will never be able to fathom his incredible plan in it’s entirety nor understand his ways completely. But, we do get the glorious experience of being apart of it. So we have to remind ourselves that just because our human minds can’t comprehend the reasons behind the hardships placed in our lives doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Whenever we are faced with difficulties, we are to run to God, for he is our safe place and our light, able to lead us through the fog. Trying to find your way on your own will just lead to becoming lost, becoming more and more confused as you go on. But no matter how far you stray in the fog, no matter how lost you get, God is always with you- no matter how many steps you take away from God, it only takes one to return to him. When we look through the stories of the Bible, people’s lives are far from perfect (apart from Jesus of course). Daniel, God’s faithful servant, got thrown in a lion’s den for obeying God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were placed in a blazing furnace for refusing to bow down to an idol. Paul was stoned, thrown in prison, and ultimately killed for spreading the Gospel. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, and then thrown in jail for false accusations. Jesus was tortured, nailed to the cross, and humiliated because he was the son of God. The most important part of these people and their stories occurred after these hardships because they were necessary in order to achieve certain things. Daniel’s faithful actions resulted in the King acknowledging God and beginning to follow him, the same with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Paul was able to help save thousands of people, establishing and growing numerous churches. Joseph eventually became the Pharoah’s assistant, interpreting his dreams and in charge of food during the famine. Jesus was able to save all of humanity from God’s wrath, conquering sin and death once and for all. Hardships occur because God is working in our lives, giving birth to something new. And although this is painful, its fruits will always be worth it. So whenever you are faced with obstacles in your life, instead of asking God how he could allow this to happen, ask him why, it will help you learn and grow. Go to God, he is your light in the midst of the fog, and will guide you through it.

In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord. -Isaiah 66:9

He’s STILL Got The Whole World In His Hands

Today was a monumental day- Inauguration Day. A whole new president, whom many have doubts about, and 4 years filled with the unknown. Looking at it like this is absolutely terrifying. However, that’s not the end of the story. I want to tell you about someone- his name is God. And he has a plan that includes you, and he knows every little thing that’s going to happen. Doesn’t that feel great? But you see, the problem is, we believe in God, but we don’t alway believe God. What I mean by this is that we may believe in the existence of God, but we don’t always believe what God says, or even know what that is. So, what does God say about the future and trusting him?

  • Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
  • Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
  • When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17
  • If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
  • Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
  • Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26
  • For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:11-13
  • The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. Psalm 145:18-19
  • Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
    • Here’s a little background on this. So Philippians is a letter Paul wrote to the Philippi church to thank and encourage them, but here’s the kicker- Paul was in jail. He was in jail and he instructed them to rejoice, not once, but twice. He also reminds them to not worry, to thank God, and to be at peace- all while in chains for proclaiming the Gospel. You see, the reason why Paul was able to do this despite his horrendous circumstances was that he trusted God. Paul realized that God has a plan, and while the peace given to us may not solve all problems, it will give us the strength to go on, and the ability to be content and joyful in all times. God will meet our needs, but we don’t always realize what it is that we really need, but he does and will meet it with his plan.

So, as these verses clearly show, God has a plan, and we can always go to him. However, those are the key words- go to him. If you look back at the verses above, they specifically say we have to seek God, we have to present our requests to God, we have to cry for help, we need to ask God, we need to approach God. If we don’t go to God, how can we expect to hear him, or be given peace from him? We have to be in the Lord, not in our circumstances. This means spending more time focusing on God instead of how difficult life is.

I started this talking about Inauguration Day, something many people are worried about. Around it are millions of questions and concerns, but God still has the whole world in his hands. No president will ever change that, because at the end of the day, they’re just a human, and God is God. No mere man will ever have more authority than God, nor will they ever be able to change his plan- for they are actually apart of it. It’s not a question of whether or not God is in control, it’s a matter of whether or not you acknowledge it.

Hebrews 11:6 says that it’s impossible to please God without faith. Yes, the future is scary and the unknown is big, but our God is bigger. Instead of looking into the future with uncertainty, look to God with confidence. He is always there, if only we choose to seek him, but that is up to us. Let go of your worries, and look up to God. He will give you the strength to overcome any obstacle in your way, and everything necessary to accomplish what he has called you to do. Trust in God, not your heart. Listen to him, not the world. Follow the word, not Twitter. He knows so much more than we could ever imagine, and loves you with an unchanging love- and that is what we should focus on this year.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

Identity in Christ.

     Throughout our lives we often fall into the trap of putting our value and therefore our identity in things other than God, whether this be friends, relationships, other’s opinions, how much money we have, etc. This is easy because we constantly see these opinions and ideas everywhere, but how often do you see what God says about you? To do this you have to go to the Bible, something we have to get better at. Our identity is found alone in God, and who he says we are. But what does the Bible, and therefore God, say we are?

     First- whenever we become Christians, we are a new creation, not defined by our sin anymore. So, our identity is no longer in our sin or how many times we mess up, but in how we are saved. When Jesus died on the cross for us, he paid the price for our sins and put his righteousness on us, so that whenever God looks at us, he no longer sees our sin but Jesus’ righteousness. (Hebrews 8:12, 10:10, Romans 4:22-25)

Here’s a list of things God calls us in the Bible:

  • He calls us chosen. (Colossians 3:12)
  • He calls us beloved. (Deuteronomy 33:12)
  • He calls us His child. (1 John 3:1)
  • He calls us friend. (John 15:15)
  • He calls us His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
  • He calls us His treasured possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
  • He calls us His daughter. (2 Corinthians 6:18)
  • He calls us His heir. (Romans 8:17)
  • He calls us holy and blameless. (Ephesians 1:4)
  • He calls us the apple of His eye. (Psalm 17:8)
  • He calls us blessed. (Psalm 65:4)
  • He calls us redeemed. (Ephesians 1:7)

     He calls us all this, and more. That is who you are, not whatever the person in seventh grade said about you, not what that negative voice in your head says you are, not your insecurities- you are who God says you are. He is the King of Kings, the Creator of ALL things, doesn’t that make whatever he says about you incredibly important? You see, whenever we go by what all those other things call us, we are listening to them instead of God. Our identity is NOT in our sin, it’s NOT in how many things we own, it’s NOT in people’s opinions of us, because if it is, are we not making them gods? Whenever we put our value and therefore identity in such things, we will always be disappointed, because they’re constantly changing. God doesn’t change like the shifting shadows of this world, and he is where your true identity lies.

     God loves you so much, he even knows how many hairs on your head. You are His, and that’s the best thing you could ever be. So now, maybe instead of letting yourself be defined by what everyone else says, listen to what the one, true God says. I promise, it’ll be worth it.

Purpose In Pain

Every person goes through hardships in their life, and often we find ourselves questioning why these things happen. We constantly talk about how good God is in the good times, but it becomes so much harder in our trials, and we can begin to turn on him. However, God does nothing to deserve this. You see, God literally cannot do wrong. He is completely perfect, meaning he can’t sin, he can’t do any bad. (Psalm 18:30). So then, why does God allow these horrible things to happen to us? And the answer is this- God values our holiness above our happiness. (Hebrews 12:3-11). Every trial shapes us and strengthens us if we allow it to. There have been countless times when I only see why something had to happen after it already occurred. You have to step into the light to see around the darkness. (1 Peter 1:6-7). When you go through the bible, no one had an easy life, not even the most obedient servants. Job, an amazing man of God, literally lost everything. Paul was beaten and thrown in jail time and time again for his faith, and had a “thorn in his side” that God would not take away. (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. (Genesis 37:23-36). Daniel was thrown in a den of lions for praying. Jesus was belittled, hated, tortured, nailed to a cross, and killed because he was the son of God. God never said life would be easy, especially as a Christian. Life is hard. But what God does promise is that he has a plan for us, and that he will be found when we seek him (Jeremiah 29:11-13). And when you look at the full story of all those people I just listed, you can see the bigger picture. You can see the purpose for the pain. You see, Job got everything back and more because he stayed true to God. Paul was able to impact thousands through his brave faith and was made stronger in his weakness. Joseph became the Pharaoh’s assistant, and was able to provide food and forgiveness to his family during a famine. (Genesis 50:20). Daniel wasn’t hurt by the lions because God shut their mouths, and the king finally believed. Jesus rose from the dead 3 days later. All these people faced things that seemed would never end well, they faced the impossible, they faced unimaginable pain. But they made it through, and were stronger for it. So if these people, facing these things, could make it through; if they were grown through it, why can’t you be? The same God that helped them through, the same God that grew them, the same God who saved them, is the same God that lives in you. It’s the same God that you believe in, is it not? (Hebrews 13:8). He has a plan and a purpose for everything you experience just like he did for these people. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to be easy, and you won’t always end up being the Pharaoh’s assistant, and it will take some of us much longer to get through and see the purpose than others, and that’s okay. God’s plan works in God’s time and in God’s way. We can never understand this, as his ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9). But what we can do is trust in God, in what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do.

God’s Love For Us

“I love you.” This phrase is often heard these days. From parents, girlfriends, boyfriends, siblings and even just friends. However, we forget the most important person who says this- God. He loves us, and not with any ordinary love- but with an incomprehensible one. It’s so great that words literally cannot describe it. The only way to really experience it is to feel it. And what an amazing experience that is. His love is unlike any other- it’s unconditional, never-ending, sacrificial, and so much more. He loves us so much he sent his son down to save us. We hear this all the time. Yeah yeah he sent his son and he loves us, so what, right? Wrong. His son, Jesus, was in heaven, which is an absolutely perfect place filled with so much joy it can’t even be described. He goes down from the most amazing place ever to this broken, sinful, dirty, awful world- all for love. Not only that, but he knows his whole life that it is to lead to his torture and death. Would you do that? Possibly for family, maybe for friends, but for strangers? For people that hate you? For the very people who were torturing you? No way. But that’s exactly what Jesus did and what God sent him to do. The Bible says in Romans 5:8 that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. We were still ignoring God, we were breaking that relationship. Jesus sacrificed himself out of love for every single person out there, even though he knew we would still reject him, even though those he died for killed him, even though we don’t always love him. We are loved with that kind of love. So no, it’s not “so what”. It’s not “no big deal”. It’s the biggest deal ever. He loves us though we reject him. He loves us though we hide from him. He loves us though we hate him. He loves us though we blame him. He loves us though we forget him. He loves us though we don’t deserve it. So how long are you going to continue to run away from this love? For how much longer are you going to deny it? He is right there, loving you, waiting for you to see it, wanting you to experience it. Stop running, and fall into his love, it will catch you.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. -John 4:9-12

Love, Hope, and Light

In times like these, the world is desperate for love, hope, and light. We as Christians are called to be that. The Bible calls us a city on a hill and the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Just imagine that- a city giving light to all those around it. That is what we are supposed to be. We have this light that God has given us, and who are we to try hold that back from the world? These are dark times and this is a dark place without God’s light. People need this light, otherwise they’re lost. He calls us to shine it in the darkest places, showing them the way to him. God also calls us to love. Jesus said that they will know we are his disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). We are to love everyone- Christian or not. This itself points to something otherworldly, God- and that’s what this world needs. They need our love and God’s love through us. Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:38). That’s how important loving others is. Right now, there is so much negativity and hate in the news but we can counter that with love that God has put in us. People should look at us and see Christ, and his love. We need to be that image because that’s what the world needs to see. And not only his love and light, but the hope he offers. He offers something after this life. He offers true, unconditional love, one that is invaluable, one that never changes. He offers somewhere to always go, someone to always be there. He offers peace. This world needs to see God’s hope, and he calls us to show them. Who are we to deny that? To say no? To sit in our comfort zones while there are people out there who don’t know what we do? Who are we to deny people the right to know about God because we’re too scared to tell them? I mean, if you truly believe all this, all this hope and love and light, why don’t we tell everyone we know about it? Because it’s amazing, it’s life changing, and everyone should know, and needs to know, about it. We should not only hope everyone experiences all this, but go out of our way to show it to them. Because that is what God tells us to do, and we have no place to deny that. This world needs the love, hope, and light of God, so go show them.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Peace in God

Life is hectic and full of troubles. Finding peace among all of it’s trials and tribulations is seldom possible. However, it’s one of the many things you can find when you go to God. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”. We are able to find peace when we go to God and speak to him. Not only do we find peace, we find peace that transcends all understanding. How amazing is that? We can’t even fathom how great this peace is- there are no words to describe it. It eases our fears and worries. It doesn’t make our lives easier, but when things get hard, we don’t have to freak out. With God’s peace enveloping us, we can get through anything with grace and stability. His peace reminds us of his presence and love, and that’s all we need. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus tells his disciples this after revealing to them that he will be gone but that their mourning will turn into joy. Jesus gives them this knowledge and reminds them to find peace in him. Notice that he doesn’t tell them that life will be a breeze from there on out. Instead, he reminds the, that he has already overcome the world so they have nothing to fear. Once again, with God’s peace our trials are not erased, but we are strengthened while experiencing them. When we search for peace in God, it is found in abundance. Instead of searching for satisfaction and rest in the things of the world, go to God- you won’t be disappointed.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up. During this time of year, I always see girls pining for a boyfriend to spoil them. Sometimes they even get one, but they eventually break up because all the girl wanted was someone to give her stuff or just to say she wasn’t single on Valentine’s Day. But let’s take a step back. In the big scheme of things, Valentine’s Day is just that- a day. So what if you’re not in a relationship? That shouldn’t determine your happiness on any given day. Yeah sure, it’s nice being able to have someone spoil you or whatever, but that shouldn’t be your main focus or all you want. There really are more important things in life, like, I don’t know, GOD. He’s the only man you need. If He leads you to someone else, that’s great. But since God is all-knowing, he knows what is good for you, and that includes relationships. You should be so wrapped in God that a guy has to seek Him first to find you. He’ll lead you to the right guy, so you don’t have to worry about any of that. The guy he has set apart for you will be so much better than any guy you could possibly meet. Relationships aren’t a bad thing, but just remember the true purpose behind them and that God has a plan for someone in your life. So this Valentine’s Day, instead of crying over the fact that you don’t have a boyfriend, rejoice in the fact that you’re in a relationship with God, and that’s all you need.

***

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Psalm 46:5)

Thanksgiving

Thankfulness. It’s a word we hear often, especially during this time of year. However, seldom do we stop to consider what it really means. We may stop and give thanks for shelter, food, clothing, etc. But when we do, have we really put on a spirit of thanksgiving, or is it just routine? True thankfulness is much deeper than a half-hearted thanks.

According to dictionary.com, thankfulness is “feeling or expressing gratitude”. In other words, appreciating something. The Bible goes in a little more depth. Ephesians 5:20 says “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Here, Paul was talking about how we shouldn’t be unwise and make the most of every opportunity. In his list, he includes that you should always be thankful for everything. And not just that you should always be thankful, but you should be giving thanks to God. A lot of the time we fall into the trap of being thankful for something, but never turning to the one who gave it to us. The Bible says that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17) so shouldn’t God be the one whom we give thanks to? He gives us the things we ought to be thankful for, therefore we ought to give him thanks.

There are countless things we can and should be thankful for. There are some obvious ones, though we tend to take them for granted, like clothes, food, house, etc. However, we should be grateful for small things too. From the wind to music, bees to sports, there’s nothing too small or big to thank God for. Like Ephesians 5:20 said, we give thanks to God for everything. Sometimes we don’t realize the things we should be thankful for. We see them as bad things, however God can use them for good. For example, I knew someone that had cancer. Instead of being bitter, he thanked God for it because he was able to use it to further God’s kingdom. God says his “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is talking about a “thorn in his flesh”. He prays to God three times to take it away, but God says that his power works best in weakness. Paul’s response to this is “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, on difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10). What Paul is saying is that we can be thankful for our weaknesses, hardships, etc. because God will use them for greater things. And I can’t think of a better thing to be thankful than that.

We humans take things for granted a lot. We tend to forget that we have some things others do not. However, there’s more to it than that. People that don’t have much are often more joyful than those who have more. When I look at pictures of African children that may be starving and sick, the first thing I notice is their smiles. They don’t focus on all the bad things, but rather on joy and the fact that they have God. And I think that it what we should be the most thankful for; that God loves us and we can have a relationship with him. So this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be thankful, and not just of material stuff, but of all that God has given you.

 

picture from https://volunteerguide1.wordpress.com/.

Grace

Grace. What a wonderful thing. We often forget what grace really is and take it for granted. Grace by definition is “unmerited divine assistance given to humans” (Merriam-Webster). It’s not something we can earn, it’s not something that we deserve. It is a gift given to us by the holy, perfect God. Now God is just and righteous, so the only way for us to be saved from his wrath would be through the perfect sacrifice, Jesus. This is exactly what he did. He gave up his only, prized son, for us. He gave us this before we accepted him. He gave the ones putting his sons on the cross a chance to be made right before him. That is true, amazing grace. While we were in sin, while we had our backs to God, while we severed our relationship with him, he sent his son to save us. Imagine trying to do that. Imagine sending your only child to save people who were eager to kill him, to people who hated you, to people who wanted nothing to do with you. Imagine giving your son to such people and saying, “Here, let him save your life. Take this gift.” God’s grace cannot be fathomed. We haven’t nor can we do anything to earn this. And this grace, is just a small glimpse of how incredible our God is.

But what do we do when we receive this grace? We forget it. We are ashamed of it. We withhold it from others. We try to change it. We only want part of it. We don’t take it all, everything that comes with that grace. We don’t shine it like the bright beacon it is. We don’t treasure it as we do earthly things. We don’t tell others about it, like we might about some new movie. This grace is meant to be shared by the handful. This grace is meant to be loved, not forgotten. This grace is meant to be shown, not hidden. This grace is meant to be real, not altered to our preference. This grace is meant to be treasured, not thrown to the side. This grace is meant to be our hope, not our shame. This grace is meant to be our everything, not just something we think about on Sundays. This grace is powerful, and should never be contained, concealed, chained, or changed. It has the power to save lives. Who are we to withhold this? Should we not be shouting about this amazing grace that has saved us at the top of our lungs? This grace is able to restore what is lost, give hope in despair, and so much more. So what will you do? Will you be ashamed, or go exclaim?