Hard Times

"Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.""  Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

There are those hard times that come at us as followers of Christ that strip away something that we've come to rely on as a stable part of our life here. Those times can be a good thing when it comes to stripping away something that has inhibited our drawing nearer to Christ or has stymied our growth as His followers. Even so, those occasions may hurt initially, but at some point we may likely be able to look back with gratitude and recognize how the Lord has used these things to prosper us in His eternal economy and change us further into His likeness.

There are other hard times that come though. Those are times that may leave us feeling like our hearts have been drop kicked suddenly - times when we may be left gasping from an unexpected, heavily impacting shock. It's my thought that it's important at all times, but even more so then, that our belief and our trust in the God who created us is so important to hold steady and faithfully, because it's in those moments that the inner truths of that trust and belief that we've professed are revealed to our Father God in real time. We have to continue to trust God to be the Father that we've come to know Him to be and to carry us through. And we need to remember that those hard times will be times when He feels our pain also because of His close connection to us and reach out to Him - not draw back. 

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"  Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

Sometimes when those hard times are centered around the death of someone so very close to us, maybe even someone who passed from this life so completely unexpected and without warning, those may be the times when the enemy of our souls may come calling in an attempt to shake that trust and belief in everything that our Lord has told us. But the "father of lies" is no match for the immoveable God who honors every word that He speaks and has ever spoken. I assure you that when there seems to be any difference between what we see and what God has said, the misconception and misunderstanding lay strictly with us and our limited capacities. But the enemy of our souls will do his best in an effort to destroy our faith in moments of unguarded weakness. So holding tighter to what we know is true and calling out to Christ in those moments to help carry us is our best defense.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

Our faith and belief in God, held first above all other things - even in those moments of angst and desperation of heart, continue to tie us to the promises and truths of our God that form the path of our own future securely and that reinforce our connection in relationship with Him as we go forward toward Home. 

I don't say these things lightly, without conviction, or without having felt and passed through those seemingly hardest of moments myself. I've passed that way before a number of times over many years, but never more painfully than now through the passing of our youngest son very recently at his age of 29, without warning. The youngest of seven children, our son carried with him the most tender of hearts that touched the lives of so many people for the better and none more so than those closest to him. I know that he believed God and in the aftermath of his passing, as I confessed to someone else recently and quite truthfully, "I know my Lord's faithfulness is not determined by our circumstances and that His faithfulness carries us through the circumstances that would otherwise be unbearable. I have no cause toward Him but to praise Him and to thank Him for the gift of a son that was so deeply loved". I meant it when I said it and I mean it now. I praise God for the life and love I would have otherwise never experienced had our Father not loaned him to us for a time. In the end, though we called him ours, he was always and is always, God's. My heart may be broken for myself and those others that I hold dear that are left behind, but not for the one now resting at Jesus' feet. These are matters of the true perspective and well examined conviction.

Of all of the things that we might find to make this life about, we're given life for one purpose and that is to walk with God. I've said it before and I believe it fully, that the most important thing that we do in all of this life is to respond to God. So holding that relationship above and through all other relationships, circumstances and potential matters of importance, as He's instructed, only makes sense - eternal sense. So often our perspective is what fails us and if it's not built completely on the truth of God as He's authored it, our perspective will be lacking. If you struggle with this, pray asking for the Lord's perspective and spirit to become your own and hold the truth through any storm because the God who created you will not forget His children and their hearts, especially in their hardest moments and trials. He will be your reward beyond anything other that you might consider if you immerse yourself in Him as He requires.

Keep the faith no matter what comes.

I pray that in every hard moment in what remains of my temporary life here, my response and yours also will always be something like this...

How awesomely awesome you are my Lord! Nothing in this life, even those things that seem to crush my heart, can diminish my love and respect for all that you are. Even in the darkest, most trying of my own days you are still my All-In-All. You're closer and more able than any other to comfort me, to raise me up out of my grief. 

You owe me nothing, but provide me everything. You carry me over chasms and raise me high above mountains. Where could I go that you would not precede me to care for me? Your faithfulness is unwavering and reaches far beyond my unworthiness to restore me. When overcome with agony of heart I have no recourse but to rest in your great hand. You do not change, You are not moved by the winds that blow across this life in my journey, so I am held fast by Your presence and unmoved. 

 All praise, honor, glory and strength be to you my God and Father, for Your works and Your being are awesome and without equal! Your character is without blemish, but perfect in every facet. Your humility is staggering, your love without a boundary to measure, Your generosity is unparalleled and completely undeserved. My Lord, there are none to measure against you, for there are none worthy to to compare even to your shadow. There are none like You. 

You made me, You saved me, You're constantly with me to keep me. How could any disaster in this temporary life ever turn me away from You? In humbleness before you, I declare again my loyalty, my love and devotion. Even here and now, with a heart aching with loss, I will praise You, because no matter what comes to me in this life, You are still all that You are, my God.

Psalm 19 (NKJV)
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."