Luke 8:4-15

Luke 8:4-15

Getting Out The Big Digger
August 23, 2009

Last in summer series on “You’ve Got Questions – God Has Answers”

Life is filled with things that bother us and that are problems for us – questions we might wish we had answers for.  These things can range from how to deal with the economy and the way it affects our daily living to how to be a Christian parent to how to deal with “difficult people” to how to deal with emotions such as anger to how to keep from saying things that we know are not things God would have us be saying to how to respond when things are moving a lot slower that we would like for them to to how to deal with feelings of loneliness and the questions of how we can be sure of God’s love to questions about if God hears our prayers to questions about why we don’t seem to be growing in our faith.

The Bible is our guide to living life in God’s ways – and contains God’s answers to our questions in life. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that:

^“16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

This summer we’re looking at some of the issues and questions we may face in our lives – and how God would have us deal with them.  Today we are going to end this series as we look at an issue that many people deal with – the question of why we don’t seem to be able to grow in our faith.

I don’t know about you – but there seems to be times in my life that I just can’t seem to grow in my faith.  Yes – it’s true – even ministers have times when their faith seems to be stagnant.

What do we do at times like that?

Sometimes what we have to do is inspect our lives – our hearts – and see what’s in there that may be choking out the growth God wants us to have.

Jesus told a parable about a farmer who sowed some seeds – and what happened to them.

Listen to God’s word as Luke records this parable in Luke 8:4-15:   Read Scripture

When I graduated from Seminary I began serving a two church field in North Carolina.  Sally and I moved from the big city of Atlanta to rural North Carolina – and were at a loss as to how to do things like farm, have gardens, or what to do with vegetables people gave us.  Both of us had grown up in towns – all we know about fresh vegetables was that we ate them.  We had no idea what “blanching” meant – or what it meant to “put up” vegetables.  We still don’t know a whole lot – but we know more now than we did then!

The first spring I got the bright idea that I would be like the rest of the folks in the community and grow a garden.

Not the brightest idea I ever had – but I was determined that I was going to plant some corn, beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  I ended up with a pretty good size garden.  Folks said that the fact that it was planted where a horse stable had been years before and the ground was well fertilized didn’t hurt!

When I decided I was going to plant my garden, I asked one of the church members if he could come and plow up the ground with his tractor.  He did – and I thought it looked pretty good.  He, however, had also brought another tool with him I was not familiar with.

“What’s that?”

I asked him.

“Some folks call it a mattock – but we call it a big digger”.

“What do you do with it?” I asked.

“You dig.”

“Oh”  I responded.

I finally began to understand that I was supposed to go through the plowed garden plot with the big digger and break up clots, get out weeds and rocks, and get out grass.  This had to be done before the seeds and plants could be planted.

So I started digging. And digging. And digging.

I began to wonder why I had wanted a garden in the first place.

As the spring and summer wore on I continued to be a reluctant user of the big digger.  It seemed that every day I would have to get out the big digger and dig up weeds – more rocks – and more grass.

Sally even found jobs for me to do with the big digger.

Flower beds needed to be created in places where there were no flower beds – and she would call out “Bill – get out the big digger.”

Trees needed to be planted where there were no holes for them – and she would call out “Bill – get out the big digger.”

Plants would need to be planted – and she would call out —- well, you get the picture.

The big digger and I became weekend companions.  Try as I might, I could not get away from it on most Saturdays.

My friend let me borrow his big digger – but before long he gave it to me and got himself a new one.  His wife had grown up on a farm – and said that every spring her dad would have to go to town and buy a new big digger because he had worn the old one out.

I must admit that the big digger I still have is almost 25 years old – and not worn out yet!

Big diggers – or mattocks – are great tools to have around.  They can help you clear ground, get up weeds, get up rocks, dig holes – a number of things can be done with a big digger.

But – here’s the thing – sometimes we need to take a big digger to our hearts – our souls.

Sometimes there can be weeds – rocks – and thorns in our souls that we need to get out  because they are choking out our spiritual growth.

The Parable of the Sower that Jesus tells in our passage for today is a very familiar portion of scripture. It can be very tempting to think to yourself, “I’ve heard this story a hundred times and there is nothing new for me to hear.” It’s possible for us to think that we know this story so well that we close our ears to what the Lord wants to say to us. In fact, that is one of the points of the parable. Right after Jesus told the parable He called out:

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

You know — how we listen and respond to God — as He speaks to us — will determine the amount of growth and spiritual fruit we will have.

Another way to say it is this: the condition of your heart will determine what God’s Word can do in your life.

The condition of your heart will determine what happens to God’s Word in your life – and determine what God can do in your life.

I believe that your heart can take on one of the four characteristics Jesus talks about in this parable.

First of all — you can have a hard heart.

You can hear God’s word – but not respond – not let it take root and not let God work in your life.

One example of this is that when other people attack you, malign you, abuse you, gossip about you, slander you, or hurt you, the natural response is to protect yourself. You will either rise up and lash back, recoil and put up a wall to shield yourself from continued attack or you will run in order to escape. Whether you rise up, recoil or run, you will have a tendency to hold on to the hurt and play back in your mind the scenes of attack and hear over and over again the hurtful words that were spoken. As you harbor those images and words, if you do not allow God to bring you healing and help, you can become hardened by bitterness. Through unforgiveness and resentment, you can become so hard that your heart is unresponsive to God’s Word and your life never changes.

Yea – one way to respond to God’s Word in your life – and what God is trying to do in your life – is to be hard hearted and not allow God’s Word to take took in your life – not let God work in your life.

For God’s Word to take root in your life and for God to make a difference in your life, sometimes you have to get out the big digger  and soften up your hard heart so God’s Word can take root.

Secondly – your heart can be like the stony ground.

This is when God’s Word comes to you but it does not have a lasting impact — for there is no root that goes deep into your heart.

An example of this might be if you come to church looking for an emotional lift – and you hear the Word of God and accept it with joy — but you don’t do anything more with it after you leave the Church.

Jesus says about this type:

“They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”(v.13)

A lot of times people complain  church is no longer meeting their needs and they feel empty. But if you ask them if they are reading their Bible or praying, not many would say that they were. You see — if you are only fed or expect to only be fed on Sunday mornings, you will starve spiritually. You can’t feed your sinful nature six days a week and expect to hear from God and receive all you need to grow spiritually from a one hour service. You might feel emotionally uplifted for awhile because God’s Word is good every time you hear it, but you cannot grow as a Christian without getting rooted in God’s Word.

For God’s Word to take root in your life and for God to do something in your life your  heart has to be fertile and deep — not shallow and rocky under the surface.

For God’s Word to take root in your life and for God to make a difference in your life, sometimes you have to get out the big digger – and remove the things that are blocking your growth – blocking God’s Word from really working in your life.

Thirdly – your heart can be like the thorny ground.

This can happen if you are distracted and anxious.

Instead of having your mind and heart devoted to pleasing God and pursuing righteousness, your heart might be divided.

Remember that Satan’s battle cry is, “Divide and conquer.” A divided mind and heart will always prevent God’s Word from producing a bumper crop in your life.

Maybe you need to ask yourself:

“What is it that I’m really living for?”

“Am I living for myself or for God?”

“Am I in control or is God?”

“Will I strive to meet my own needs or will I let God take control?”

“Do I really trust God when trouble comes?”

If your focus is on worldly wisdom, earthy pleasures and personal ambitions, then your heart will be full of thorns and God’s word might be choked out.

For God’s Word to take root in your life and for God to make a difference in your life, sometimes you have to get out the big digger and remove the thorns that are choking your growth – choking out God’s Word from really working in your life.

Fourth — your heart can be good soil where God’s Word can grow and God can make a difference in your life.

If your heart is good soil where God’s Word can grow and God can make a difference in your life you’ll hear God’s Word, apply it to your life and receive a harvest of spiritual fruit. Your heart will be like good soil — fertile ground for God to use.

God wants to see His Word produce fruit in your life.

God wants to produce change in your life — and desires to make your life fruitful and Christlike.

It all depends on the condition of your heart.

Every time God’s Word comes to you, the condition of your heart will dictate how you will respond. Since God wants you to have a heart that is good soil for him to use – the question is how can you  cultivate a ready and rich heart—a heart that is rich soil for God’s Word to grow in and produce fruit?

In other words, how can you  have a good heart for God to plant His Word in?

Sometimes you have to get out the big digger – so to speak – loosen up the hard heart – taking out the stones that can block the roots from going deep – and taking out the thorns that can choke out the growth.

Sometimes you have to get out the big digger.

I’m going to suggest four steps here – four ways to “get out the big digger” and have your heart ready for God’s Word to take root in your life and God to make a difference in your life.

The first thing you might have to do is to turn your heart over.

Like new ground has to be turned over with a plow – or a big digger – before you can plant – your heart has to be turned over before God’s Word can take root and God can make a difference in your life.

How do you do this?

You have to repent of any known sin.

It is no mistake that the word repent means, “to turn.” Repentance means to turn away from sin and pursue righteousness. To repent means that you make a 180 degree change in your direction. You don’t say that you are sorry and you will try to do better, you confess that you have sinned and you need God’s forgiveness and grace. In order to cultivate a heart that is good soil for God to plant His Word and for it to grow in, you need to plow up your heart and mind and turn control over to God. Ask God to break up the hard rocky surface of your heart and turn over the bitterness and unforgiveness that has made you unproductive and useless in the past.

Get out the big digger – and turn your heart over.

Next – you have to fertilize the soil of your heart.

Like you have to work in fertilizer into the soil – using the big digger to work the fertilizer into the soil before you can plant seeds and expect a crop – sometimes you have to fertilize the soil of your heart so God’s Word can take root in it and grow.

You can do this by spending time in God’s Word so that the life-giving truth of scripture can soak deep into your heart.

You can allow the Bible to fill your heart and mind so that it permeates your thoughts.

As you do this, you are literally washing away the negative, deadly ingredients that result in doubt, fear and defeat — and they are replaced with faith, confidence and victory.

Sally uses bottles of Cheer in her pottery work – but before she can use then she has t get all the Cheer out. The only way to do that is to run fresh water continuously into the bottle and dump it out until the Cheer is gone. Sometimes you have to continually run God’s Word into your heart and dump out everything else that’s in it so God’s Word can take root in your life and God can mae a difference in your life.

Get out the big digger – and fertilize your heart.

Next – you need to sow God’s Word into the situations of your life.

Like you might use the big digger to sow the seed into the soil – you need to sow God’s Word into the situations of your life.

Jesus tells us to not just be hearers of God’s Word — but doers as well.

If you want God to be able to reap a harvest from your life, you have to apply the truth of the Bible into your life and do what it says.

You need to apply God’s Word to the things you face everyday.

You need to look for what the Bible says about the situations you face and follow the principals of scripture.

In other words, you need to put your faith into practice and live what scripture teaches.

Don’t just say you believe it — live it.

Paul Harvey once said:

“If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”

How true that is!

Get out the big digger – and work God’s Word into the situations of your life.

Lastly – you need to weed the garden of your heart.

Like you have to use the big digger every day in your garden to keep the weeds out, you need to keep weeds out of the garden of your heart that will keep God’s Word from growing and producing fruit – keep God’s Word from making a difference in your life.

Weed out from your heart the thorns of anxiety, worry and the cares of the world.

Don’t allow weeds of evil to grow, but remove them from your heart and life.

Be careful what you watch, listen to and read. Don’t let weeds take root in your heart.

Protect your heart and your relationship with God – and keep the standard of holiness and purity always before you. With your eyes on God and your trust in Him, live to please and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Get out the big digger – and weed the garden of your heart.

Friends — God wants to produce change in your life — and desires to make your life fruitful and Christlike – but it all depends on the condition of your heart.

Every time God’s Word comes to you, the condition of your heart will dictate how you will respond. God wants you to have a heart that is good soil for Him to use – but you need cultivate a ready and rich heart — a heart that is rich soil for God’s Word to grow in and produce fruit.

If you will get out the big digger – and turn your heart over, fertilize the soil of your heart with God’s word – sow God’s word into the situations of your life – and weed the garden of your life – your heart will be ready soil – soil that is good for God to use –and with good soil that is daily cultivated and ready to receive His Word God will produce a harvest and your life will be changed. Amen.

Matthew 7:7-12

Matthew 7:7-12

“Keep On Praying”

August 16 2009

7^th in “You’ve Got Questions – God Has Answers” Series

Life is filled with things that bother us and that are problems for us – questions we might wish we had answers for.  These things can range from how to deal with the economy and the way it affects our daily living to how to be a Christian parent to how to deal with “difficult people” to how to deal with emotions such as anger to how to keep from saying things that we know are not things God would have us be saying to how to respond when things are moving a lot slower that we would like for them to to how to deal with feelings of loneliness and the questions of how we can be sure of God’s love to questions about God hears our prayers.

The Bible is our guide to living life in God’s ways – and contains God’s answers to our questions in life. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that:

^“16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

This summer we’re looking at some of the issues and questions we may face in our lives – and how God would have us deal with them.  Today we are looking at an issue that most of us face from time to time – the issue of God’s answering our prayers.  Sometimes it may seem that God is not listening to us – but despite how it feels – God says to us:

Keep on praying!

Prayer is a vital part of our lives as Christians – we know that God wants us to pray – but – how do we know when to keep praying – and when to give up?  We might believe that God wants us to pray – then find ourselves in specific situations where our prayers don’t seem to do a bit of good.

There may be times when we all may wonder:

Should I keep on praying?

Jesus addresses this in Matthew 7:7-12.  Listen to what Jesus says about the fact that God answers prayers.  Read Scripture

You know — there is nothing that reveals more about how you feel about God than your prayer life. How you approach God and what you’re willing to ask for reveals how you view God.

When we ask people for things we tend to frame our requests with what we know about them in mind.  For example, if  a child knows their father loves and cares for them they may not fear to calmly ask him for things – having the assurance that the father has greater wisdom and experience than they and would not give them anything that would be harmful to them. However, a child with extravagant but uncaring father might arrogantly lay down their demand — knowing their every desire will be met. On the other hand, a child with the stingy, ill-tempered, or abusive father might not dare to ask for anything — fearing it would bring on another emotional explosion from the father.

This is also true spiritually.

When we pray we make our prayers with our understanding of God in mind. I think sometimes our view of God can be influenced by the kind of earthly father we have had. An individual that believes God is arbitrary will be fearful and on guard. The individual who believes that God is vengeful will be fearful. But the individual who believes that God is gracious will come boldly.

Jesus gives us some guidelines about how to come to God in prayer. Listen again to what He says in verses 7-11:

⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be      opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who  knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

All three verbs in verse seven, Ask, Seek, Knock are commands. These are not only commands to do these things – to ask – seek – and knock – but they are also commands to not stop doing these things!  We are told to ask and keep on asking, — to seek and keep on seeking – to knock and keep on knocking. In fact, the words: ask, seek and knock seem to suggest an ever increasing intensity in prayer.

1.Asking. There are some things that we must ask for.

2.Seeking. Seeking is a deeper level of  prayer than just asking. Sometimes we may not know exactly what to pray for and we many need to first seek God’s will before we know what to pray for. But God has made provision for us even in such times.  In Romans 8:26-27 Paul writes:

²⁶In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what  we      ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

3. Knocking. The knocking here illustrates seeking entrance, or desiring fellowship.

Keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking – keep on praying.

Keep on praying!

Within this command to pray I think we can see four general principles about prayer.

1. 1. We are expected to ask for the things God has promised.

“ask and it shall be given.”  Jesus says.

This same principle is stated in the negative in James 4:2

“… you do not have because you do not ask.”

I’m afraid this principle describes many of us. It has bee said that we do not live in a praying age – and that is true.  We live in an age of hustle and bustle, where we depend on our own efforts and determination and have too much confidence in ourselves and our own power to achieve things.  We believe too strongly in our ability to organize and get things done — and if we can’t get things done we believe that we have the technology to help us figure out how to get things done – or do things for us.  We believe too much in our own abilities  and our own achievements.  We don’t think to ask God for anything – because we think we have – or can get – or can create – anything we need.  But Jesus makes it clear – we are expected to ask for the things God has promised – and if we do so will be blessed in ways we never imagined.

Too many times we don’t accomplish things for God because we don’t ask God to help us accomplish things for Him! W need to ask God for the things He has promised – the ability to reach others for His glory – the ability to do His will – instead of just sit in idle mode and wonder why we can’t seem to get things done for God!

James is right – we don’t have because we don’t ask.

Jesus is right – if we ask it will be given.

If we ask – God will richly bless us with abilities to serve Him and grow into the people He wants us to be.

But – we have to ask.

That’s the first principle we need to understand about prayer.  We are expected to ask for the things God has promised us.

Keep on praying!

Keep on praying!

The second principle is:

1. 2. God hears and answers every prayer.

In verse 8 Jesus says:

“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will     be opened.”

There are two certainties when we pray. One is that God hears every prayer.  The other certainty is that God always answers. This verse says for ‘everyone who asks receives,” Maybe you’re wondering if you heard that right – but yes – it says that everyone receives! But here’s a problem — we have the misconception that the only possible answer to prayer is yes. There are two other possibilities. God can say, No or he can say, Not Yet.

However God answers, God hears and answers every prayer  – so keep on praying!

Keep on praying!

This leads to the third principle about prayer:

1. 3. Sometimes God gives us what we need — and not what we ask for.

In verses 9-11 Jesus says:
“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?     (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Even earthly fathers give good things to their children. We wouldn’t give a child a red-hot chili pepper just because they ask for it. Well – some might think it would be funny – but not many!

I did hear of a father who got their child to hold on to a spark plug of a lawn mower so he could see if it was firing. It was firing alright —  it knocked the fire right out of child.

Generally speaking, though, we do not give things to our children that we know will really harm them. And if this true of us — how much more true it must be of God!

I’ve heard it put this way: “If we ask for God for good things, He grants them —  if we ask for thins which are not good (either not good in themselves, or not good for us or for others, directly or indirectly, immediately or ultimately) He denies them — and many times only He knows the difference.”

Maybe you’ve heard this saying:

“I asked for strength that I might achieve; he made me weak that I might obey.                                I asked for health that I might do great things: he gave grace that I might do better things.    I asked for riches that I might be happy; he did not give them so that I might be wise.            I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel a need of God.                                                                                                                                     I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;                                                                                                      I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.                                                                                                    I received very few of the things I asked for; but I received the things I had hoped for.”

Yea — sometimes God gives us what we need and not what we ask for…

Keep on praying!

Keep on praying!

So – we have 3 principles about prayer:

We are expected to ask for the things God has promised

God hears and answers every prayer.

Sometimes God gives us what we need — and not what we ask for

Here’s a fourth principle about prayer we need to remember:

1. 4. No prayer is ever wasted.

The underlying principle behind the significance of persistent prayer has to be the truth that no prayer is ever wasted effort. Howard Hendricks a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, relates this story about how now prayer is ever wasted. Dr Hendricks writes:

“The phone rang and I greeted a young pastor friend from Arlington, Virginia. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Studying,” I replied. “Nothing special.” “Are you sitting down?” “Yes, why?” “Your father just trusted Christ this evening.” “He what? You’ve got to be kidding!” I blurted out. Such an inappropriate response grew out of long detours in our father-son journey. Ever since I received Christ as a boy my concern has been for the salvation of my family and loved ones. On repeated occasions I had broached the subject of the gospel with dad, but his response was less than excited.
My father has always been a very important person to me. Not that I approved of everything he said or did or that I imitated him consciously in any way. We weren’t really close friends, either. But he was important in my life because of the indirect impact he made upon me.
Dad was a military man. He had seen action around the world. During the periods when he was embroiled in battle, I would become very sensitive to his spiritual need. I and my family prayed for him, but at times I’m afraid my faith sputtered. His response was always the same: Son, don’t worry about me. I’ll work it out with God (as if God could be manipulated like a Pentagon official). God brought a man into my life, a man with a passion for men. His name was Butch Hardman. One day before we knew each other Butch was boarding a plane in Detroit when a friend handed him a cassette tape. “Ever hear Hendricks? Here’s a tape you should listen to.” On that tape I related my father’s spiritual need. Butch listened and something about the anecdote reminded him of his own father with whom he had shared Christ shortly before he died. He began to pray for this unknown man, George Hendricks.
Some months later Butch attended a pastors’ conference in Philadelphia where I was the speaker. He shook my hand afterward. That was the only time our paths crossed before a remarkable incident in Arlington.
Butch was driving the church bus down the street, having discharged all his passengers. He saw a man standing on the corner who reminded him uncannily of Howard Hendricks. Could it possibly be…? He backed up the bus, stopped, got off, and went over to the man. “Are you by any chance Howard Hendricks’ father?” It is easy to imagine the startled response. “Er-ah (I can envision my father’s critical once-over with his steely blue eyes) yeah—you a student of my son?”
“No, I’m not, but he sure has helped me. Got time for a cup of coffee?”
That encounter began a friendship, skillfully engineered by the Spirit of God. Butch undoubtedly sensed dad’s hesitancy when he discovered he had met a preacher. For a long time Butch did not invite him to attend his church. He simply suggested that dad drop by the office for coffee. Patiently he endured dad’s cigars and his endless repertoire of war stories. Before long he also learned that dad had been diagnosed as having a terminal throat cancer.
Months later Butch was at his bedside. “Mr. Hendricks, I’ll be leaving shortly for a Holy Land trip. Instead of my listening to you tonight, would you let me tell you a story?”
Butch had earned his hearing and he began simply to relate the interview of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus as recorded by the Apostle John. At the conclusion dad accepted Butch’s invitation to receive Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior. Then dad got up out of bed, stood, and saluted with a smile. “Now I’m under a new Commander-in-Chief!” That night Butch called Dallas.
The last time I saw dad alive I could not believe he was the same man I had known. His frame was wasted, but his spirit was more virile than I had ever known.
In accordance with dad’s specific provision in his will, Butch Hardman conducted the crisp military funeral in Arlington cemetery where the gospel of Jesus Christ was presented to the small group of family and military attendants. As the guns saluted their final farewell, I knew God had vindicated forty-two years of prayer.
[Howard & Jeanne Hendricks. FootPrints. (Multnomah Press, 1981) pp. 16-19 –

You see — no prayer is ever wasted

Keep on praying!

If  you think you’re not doing what you should for God – keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking – keep on praying. We are expected to pray for the things God has promised.

If  you wonder if God hears your prayers –  keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking – keep on praying. God hears and answers every prayer.

If you’re not sure God has given you what you’ve asked for — keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking – keep on praying – for sometimes God gives us what we need and not what we ask for.

If you feel your prayers are a waste of time — keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking – keep on praying – for no prayer is ever wasted.

Here’s the truth, friends – we may experience “dry spells” in our prayer lives – but God wants us to keep on asking – keep on seeking – and keep on knocking –

God wants us to on keep praying!

Amen

Hosea 2:14-20

Hosea 2:14-20

God Loves You!

Sixth in summer 2009 series on You’ve Got Questions – God Has Answers

August 9, 2009

Life is filled with things that bother us and that are problems for us – questions we might wish we had answers for.  These things can range from how to deal with the economy and the way it affects our daily living to how to be a Christian parent to how to deal with “difficult people” to how to deal with emotions such as anger to how to keep from saying things that we know are not things God would have us be saying to how to respond when things are moving a lot slower that we would like for them to to how to deal with feelings of loneliness and the questions of how we can be sure of God’s love.

The Bible is our guide to living life in God’s ways – and contains God’s answers to our questions in life. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that:

^“16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

This summer we’re looking at some of the issues and questions we may face in our lives – and how God would have us deal with them.  Today we are looking at an issue that most of us face from time to time – how to know that we are loved – important – and cared for.

Knowing that we are loved – important – and cared for is a basic human need.  One of the core things we need to know to survive and thrive in the world is that we are loved – that God loves us – and that someone else loves and cares for us.

If we know that we are loved we are on the way to being the happy, well balanced, loving life God created us to live.  If we know that God loves and cares for us – and that others love and care for us – we are well on the way being a happy person.  However, if we don’t feel that God or anyone else loves and cares for us – we have a hard time in life.

The wonderful truth is that God loves you – and there are probably many others that love you also.  You just have to accept that – know that — celebrate that – and live your life in joy and praise because of that.

But – how can you know that God loves you?

Listen to God’s word in Hosea 2:14-20:

Many of you know that I serve as a volunteer Chaplain at Carolinas’ Hospital. The volunteer Chaplains play a vital role at the hospital as we visit patients and their families – many of whom do not have a minister – and listen to their stories and pray for them.  We are a vital part of the healing team that includes doctors, nurses, therapists, and a whole host of others who make a difference in the lives of the patients and their families.

When Sally and I lived in North Carolina I served as a volunteer Chaplain at 2 community hospitals.  I never will forget an experience I had one week that I was on call at one of them.  One night when I was on call the hospital called me and said they had the body of a man who had committed suicide – and his family was asking if the Chaplain could “bury their brother”.  I felt very sad for the family – they seemed to have no one else to turn to — so I agreed to do the service.  I didn’t know anything about the man whose funeral I would be conducting – but I knew that God loved him.                  For the purpose of this illustration I’ll say his name was John Smith. The service wasn’t held in a church — it was a graveside service.  The family had no Church home. When I arrived for the service, it was raining hard – and before long the rain turned to sleet. The funeral director told me where to stand to lead the service. I said, “That’s fine, but when will the casket get here?” The funeral director pointed to a tiny box and whispered, “There are Mr. Smith’s remains.” The funeral home director couldn’t tell me much about Mr. Smith – except for that he had lived a very hard life, had been in prison, and had committed suicide a few weeks after his release.

When the time came for the service to begin, only four people had showed up. I had planned to offer them words of comfort, but it soon became obvious that none of them were experiencing grief. Instead, they seemed irritated to have been inconvenienced to come out in the sleet for the service.  At one point his sister said, “You know, it’s just like John to do something like this!” I stumbled through the ceremony, and closed with a prayer. On my way home, I couldn’t help but feel sorrow for Mr. John Smith. He had lived a tough but short life that ended as tragically as a life can end, and I didn’t see evidence at the service that anyone in the world even cared. Maybe that’s why he committed suicide — he felt unloved and all alone.

You know — there is no greater feeling in the world than to know that you are absolutely, completely, and unconditionally loved. And there’s no greater emptiness a human can experience than to feel—either rightly or wrongly—that no one loves or cares for them.

Through the years a number of people have expressed this to me, and it doesn’t come from just ex-cons and other down-and-outers. People from all walks of life feel this way. Some are married, some have families, some are surrounded by acquaintances, yet they live with an  emptiness—a loneliness—that cannot be ignored.

Not too long ago I read about a successful entertainer who said:

“In all my fame, I’m all alone. No one really loves me. I provide security for some people, I’m a source of entertainment for others—but if I were ever to become unable to do those things, no one would have any use for me.”

Maybe you feel this way.

Maybe for months or years you’ve been going through motions of life with a nagging sense of emptiness, wondering “Does anyone love me?”

The journal of a noted criminal – someone who seemed to be “tough as nails” and who seemed to hate everyone – was uncovered.  Many times in that journal the words “Somebody, please love me” were written.

People will do just about anything in order to feel loved. Some people think: “If I succeed enough, people will love me” or “If I have a relationship with this person, he or she will love me” or “If I am pitiful enough, people will feel sorry for me and begin to love me” The problem is, none of these strategies work. Those who pursue love by means of success usually end up feeling used and unappreciated. The same can be said for those who try to trade sex for love. Those who use a pity as a means of earning affection usually find that pity soon turns to contempt, and they end up feeling alone and abandoned.

The thing is — most people who feel unloved have a distorted view of reality. They aren’t really completely unloved—they just don’t recognize the love that is in their life. Their emotional pain blinds them to the fact that they have friends and family who love them very much – and a God who loves them.

Here’s a truth I hope every one of you will always remember: If you sometimes feel unloved, or if you are in a position in life where you feel that there is no one at all that loves you – God loves you – and there is hope for you.

God loves you!

If you feel unloved, you are in the right place – because the Church can offer you hope today. This is the hope we can offer you today: The hope that there is someone who loves you, and to Him you matter very, very much — and He has gone to amazing lengths to prove His love for you.

God loves you!

Most of you have heard that statement thousands of times throughout your life–maybe so many times that the statement has lost some of its impact. Some people think:

“Yeah, God loves me. So what? He has to—he loves everybody.”

I want to make something clear: God loves you with all of His heart, and it’s not because He got stuck with you. He doesn’t love you just because you’re part of this big mass of humanity. He loves you individually. He loves you as if you were the only one in the world to love. No matter what you have done, or no matter what your life has been like, God loves you – and He wants to share His love with you.

Our scripture passage for today is a story that illustrates God’s love for you — and it shows to what length He will go to keep on loving you. It’s the story about a man named Hosea. It begins with God telling Hosea to marry an adulteress woman named Gomer. That’s right—her name was Gomer. Don’t get side-tracked by her name. I’m sure she was a very beautiful woman, and I doubt seriously that she looked anything like Jim Neighbors. Who knows, maybe in those days Gomer was considered a beautiful name.

Well — God knew that Gomer would be unfaithful, and yet God wanted Hosea to marry her anyway.

Why?

Because Hosea’s marriage to Gomer symbolizes God’s love for you. God  loves you even though he knows in advance there are going to be times when you are going to be unfaithful to Him.

After Gomer gave birth to three children, she left Hosea and became a prostitute. Hosea  stayed home and raised the children alone, while Gomer traveled throughout the world, selling her body to strangers. Years passed, and Hosea began to search for his wife. He wanted her back. Finally, he found her on an auction block. For a few pieces of silver and a few bushels of barley, Hosea bought back the wife who had deserted him. He took her in his arms and he said to her, “Come home. You’re to live with me now, and I will live with you.”

This story of Hosea’s love for his “runaway bride” is the story of God’s love for you. Whether you feel unloved a little or a lot, some of the time or all of the time, this story has much to tell you about the relationship God wants to have with you. It matters more than any other relationship in your life. Once you grasp God’s love, you will never spend another day feeling unloved — because you will be filled with love from the one who matters most.

God loves you!

Our passage from Hosea 2 describe in more detail the extent of God’s love for you.

1. First of all — God loves you – and directs His love to you — personally.

He doesn’t love you as “part of the crowd” — He loves you as an individual. He knows your name. He knows your needs. He understands your hurts and fears. His relationship with you is based not on what you do for Him, but what He does for you.

Listen to what he says…

(v. 16) In that day…you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’

You see — God doesn’t want to treat you like a slave — He wants to treat you like His loved spouse. God wants a relationship with you based on love — not based on the law.  God wants a relationship with you based on devotion, not based on duty. The relationship isn’t to be one of tyranny, but one of tenderness.

Listen to what he says about Gomer, — and realize that it can be said about you as well…

(v. 14) Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

You may feel unloved because you have done some things that are unlovely, but God loves you anyway. He wants to have a tender, loving, devoted relationship with you — as a husband should have with his wife. And even if you are the worst spouse in the world, he will buy you back, just as Hosea bought back Gomer.

God loves you with all of His heart, and He directs His love toward you personally, as an individual.

God loves you!

He loves you like you’re the only person in the world — it’s a personal love.

That’s the first thing you can know about God’s love.

The second thing you can know it that:

2. God promises to love you forever.

His love is permanent.

Listen to what he says…

(v. 19) I will betroth you to me forever.

The word “betroth” means engagement — in Hosea’s time it was a binding, unbreakable promise to marry. In fact, in those days it was easier to get out of a marriage than it was to get out of an engagement. So, God uses this phrase: “I will betroth you to me forever.”

God’s love lasts forever. It is permanent. It doesn’t come and go. He loved you as a newborn baby, he loves you today—and he will always love you.

In the seventies there was a song by the band “Pure Prairie League” that went:

Falling in and out of love with you, Falling in and out of love with you, Don’t know what I’m going to do, I keep falling in and out of love with you.(Falling In and Out of Love © 1974 Craig Lee Fuller)

This might describe how we sometimes love one another, but it is not how God loves us. His love lasts forever—it doesn’t get bigger on your good days or smaller on your bad days.

A few years ago there was a Wendy’s commercial that began with a mother saying:

“Kids.  Most days you love them, but other days, well…”

Then the commercial went on to say that Wendy’s was a great reward for good kids, or something to that effect. When I first saw that commercial, I couldn’t believe it. Wendy’s pulled it after a very short run — I guess they realized the message it communicated. Any parent knows that even on their worst days, you don’t stop loving your kids. And even on your worst day, God doesn’t stop loving you. His love is forever. In Jeremiah God says…

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you up with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

God loves you!

God loves you with all his heart–and his love lasts forever.

The third thing you can know about God’s love is this:

3. God gives his love to you without holding anything back.

Have you ever been in a relationship where you were afraid to give 100% of yourself, because you knew you were going to get hurt? Of course, it usually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy —  if you can’t give love in a relationship, the relationship cannot last. But if you don’t trust the person you’re in a relationship with, you have to be careful. If you allow yourself to be too vulnerable, you end up getting hurt.

God takes a completely different approach with you and me. He knows from the start that He will be hurt. He knows that we will sin — and our sin will break His heart. And yet He loves you anyway — and He doesn’t hold anything back.

Most people are capable of loving you only half-way. We may try to love others unconditionally, but there is no way we can love one another as perfectly as God loves us — because we’re not perfect. God’s love for you is different than any other love you will ever experience.

Others may love you for what you do — God loves you for who you are.

Others may love you temporarily — God loves you forever.

Others may love you for the things they see on the surface — God loves you even though He knows the deepest, darkest parts of your life.

Others may love you in an on and off manner — God’s love for you is always on. He doesn’t hold anything back. Listen to what he says…

(v. 19-20) I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness…

Righteousness – justice – love – compassion — faithfulness.

God’s not promising Hs eternal love to you because you have these qualities – God’s promising His eternal love because He has these qualities. He is saying, in effect:

“I am completely righteous, and I will put my righteousness on the line for you. I am completely just, and I will put my justice on the line for you. I am always compassionate, and I will make my compassion available to you always. I will forever be faithful to you.”

When God loves you, he holds nothing back. He’s not watching you from a distance with His arms folded, waiting to see if you can become worthy of His love. He already loves you, and He always will– no matter what you have done. No matter what others think of you, and no matter what you think of yourself, God views you with a heart full of love.

You’re not unlovable — not according to the one who matters most.

God loves you!

God loves you with all His heart.

You.

Forever.

Completely.

Without holding anything back.

In fact, 2000 years ago, in a manner far more dramatic than Hosea buying back his wife, God sent His son into the world to die for the sins of the world. He did it for one reason: Love.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…“

He doesn’t hold anything back.

No matter how alone you may feel, you are not alone. No matter how unlovely you may think you are, you are not unlovable.

God loves you.

There is nothing you can do to deserve that love – all you can do – and all you have to do —  is accept it.

When Hosea found Gomer being auctioned in the town square, she could do nothing to save herself. She couldn’t undo the past and she couldn’t suddenly make herself worthy. All she could do was allow Hosea to pay the price, and then go home with him and start a new life.

That’s all you can do.

You can’t change the past, or undo any of the things that caused you to feel unloved.

You can, however, reach out and accept God’s love, and go on your way with Him by your side – knowing that you are loved.

Yea – God loves you! Amen.

James 5:7-12

James 5:7-12

Lord Give Me Patience — Now!

August 2, 2009

Part 5 of summer 2009 series: You’ve Got Questions – God Has Answers

Life is filled with things that bother us and that are problems for us – questions we might wish we had answers for.  These things can range from how to deal with the economy and the way if affects our daily living to how to be a Christian parent to how to deal with “difficult people” to how to deal with emotions such as anger to how to keep from saying things that we know are not things God would have us be saying to how to respond when things are moving a lot slower that we would like for them to.

The Bible is our guide to living life in God’s ways – and contains God’s answers to our questions in life. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that:

^“16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

This summer we’re looking at some of the issues and questions we may face in our lives – and how God would have us deal with them.  Today we are looking at an issue that – like controlling our anger and taming our tongues – most of us face –a battle that most of us have to fight – and most of us need help with – the issue of how to have patience.

Patience is indeed a virtue –but one that many folks do not have! I know that there are many times in my life that I become impatient with someone or some situation – and I want to shout out:

“Lord – give me patience – and give it to me now!”

Any of you ever felt like that – like you desperately needed patience – and you desperately needed it – right then?

Lord – give me patience – Now!

What do we do?

How can we build patience – and be more patient?

Good question – especially in today’s instant society where we are used to  getting fast food – can instant message folks on the computer – can send a text message on our cell phones and expect an immediate response – get impatient if someone does not respond to our e-mail in 5 minutes – and expect folks to be waiting for us to call them and return our call in short order if they don’t answer it immediately.

How can we be more patient – and build patience?

Listen to what James writes in James 5:7-12.

A young Dad pushed his son’s stroller down the street as the youngster  howled in rage and displeasure. Folks could hear the father telling himself:

“Please, Bernard, control yourself… Easy there, Bernard, Keep calm! Everything will be alright. “

“Congratulations Sir,” said a woman who had been watching. “You know just how to speak to a child… calmly, gently, and with great patience.”

Then she added, “Did you name little Bernard after a family member? I really like that name.”

“Ma’am, you don’t understand,” the father said, “My son’s name is Jeffery, I’m Bernard.”
All of us — at one time or another — have had to talk to ourselves – trying to convince ourselves to be patient.

The Bible has a lot to say about patience.

There are many references that talk about waiting — and there are over 30 verses that speak specifically about being patient. We know that “Patience is a Virtue.” Yet, because of our hurried up society, many of us seem to pray to God:

“Lord — I need more patience — and I need it now.”
In the passage we just read James emphasizes the virtue of patience. We certainly understand that patience is needed in our daily tasks and our relationships with others — but here in this passage James zero’s in on an area that applies to us all.

James writes that we must develop patience so we can get through hard and trying times.

One of the most challenging times to exercise patience is when life hands out what we feel is unjust, unfair or undeserved treatment – and I’m sure some here today feel life has treat them unfairly. Maybe you’ve lost your jobs – or recently ended a relationship – or are suffering physically — or who are living under great financial stress. Well, God wants to help you by teaching you how to react to suffering – with patience.  So, let’s – patently — study what James has to say because even if you are not going through suffering right now, you will at some point — and we all can use Godly advice on how to be more patient.

First, James explains patience by telling us to do a very difficult thing, in the face of trying times.  In the face of trying times, James says to wait.

Wait?

Yes – James says in verse 7 —

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming..”

Patience — in this context — is simply the ability to stay steadfast under trial.
OK – let’s admit it –we have a difficult time being patient under ordinary circumstances – don’t we? Waiting has probably always been a difficult virtue for people to master — but it is particularly hard in today’s society. We live in a rapid pace culture. We have fax machines, microwaves, the internet, and hands free cell phones. I saw a sign the other day that read: “Ears pierced, while you wait” – as if you could drop your ear off – they’d pierce for you – and you could come back for it!  Indeed, we are a society of fidgety, impatient people – and it is very difficult for us to be patient.

It is no wonder we think that James’ admonition to be patient while suffering is close to impossible for us.  Even our pain medicines promise us “Fast – fast – fast” relief and the various products vie for who can relieve you the fastest. Whether it’s Richard Petty advertising Goody’s headache powder or someone else advertising Tylenol – Advil – Motren – or whatever the product is – they all advertise fast relief from pain.  And if we are seriously ill — emotionally distressed — or under financial pressure — we want a remedy in a hurry.

But James says, “Be patient, endure, persevere.”

There are times in when there is little we can do except wait – and practice patience.

We all know that.

So – we all might want to cry out to God:

Lord – give me patience – Now!

Of course, it might be a little thing to have to wait for a meal when you’re hungry– but it’s a whole different matter when James tells us to exercise patience even in times of severe stress and affliction. But — James adds some encouragement at in vs.7:

“Be patient” – he writes –

To which we might want to ask “Why”

Because the Lord is coming – he replies!

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming:”

Sometimes you have to wait – but what you’re waiting for is worth it!
Let’s say you’re baking a chocolate cake and your 4 year old child is watching for the first time.

You might begin by sifting some flour.

“Uuoo,” they say, “that’s dry and looks yucky.”

You say, “Just wait.”

Then you put in some baking soda and sour milk.

The batter really looks uninviting now.

“I’m not going to eat that!” your child says.

“Be patient,” you tell them.

Then you put in a raw egg.

“That’s gross,” they yell.
You smile and say once again, “Just you wait, you’ll see.”

You know how surprised they’re going to be when later, after all the  ingredients are in and the mix is baked in the oven, they’ll taste a delicious chocolate cake.

The spiritual lesson is obvious isn’t it?

Often in life we encounter “dry stretches” which are tasteless as flour. We also meet with “sour” experiences like the milk and even some “raw dealings” like the egg; but after we have gone through the oven of affliction, many times something beautiful in our character, in our inner soul is the result.

We still might want to cry to God:

Lord – give me patience – Now!

James gives a couple of clues to help us tell when we are not practicing patience. He gives us two evidences of impatience.

The first is – grumbling

James writes in verse 9:

“Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged”

Ever noticed that – when you get impatient – you start grumbling?

It’s natural to grumble when you get impatient!

“Why won’t the Dr. call me with my lab results?”

“Why did God allow this?”

“I can’t believe the Coach picked him to start as QB!”

James says grumbling is a tell-tale sign that we are not practicing patience. In fact, it tells us just the opposite – it tells that we’re on edge — we’re mad. You can even hear it in the word..  “Grrrr-umbling.”
And God considers grumbling or complaining a very serious matte because it is an indication that you really don’t trust Him. Our impatience is an indication that we really don’t believe that He is going to care for us — that He’s going to provide what is ultimately the best for us. That’s why Paul writes in Philippians 2:14:

“Do everything without complaining or grumbling.”

The second indication of impatience is swearing.

Look at vs:12:

“Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.”

As we saw last week, James admonishes us a couple of times to control our tongues. But James is not stressing the absence of profanity here. He is cautioning about oath taking. He is saying that our impatience sometimes we can use something sacred for the purpose of supporting what we’re saying.

“I swear to God, I’ll never do it again.”

“I swear on a stack of Bibles that I won’t do that again.”

James reminds us that we are to simply say,

“I’ll never do it again. “

“I’ll try to not do that again.”

Simply put – James is saying — Mean what you say.
In other words just be so credible in your speech — even when you’re under stress — that you don’t grumble, swear or lash out — or blame God for your plight.

So – instead of saying

God – give me patience – now!

How can we truly acquire patience?
James gives us some help here.

James cites 3 positive examples of patience in this passage — and there are three lessons from these examples that we can learn from.
The first is the faithful farmer.

Look at vs.7:

“See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains”

When Sally and I moved from Seminary I Decatur, GA to rural NC I decided I would plant a garden.  The following year I had a nice garden filled with corn – corn that grew tall.  When our nephews and nieces came to visit that summer, they could not believe that Uncle Bill and Aunt Sally had corn that was 5 feet tall!  As we were looking at the corn we noticed some early sprouting ears and I explained that they were not ready to eat yet. Well, they wanted to know why they couldn’t just take them off the stalk and find out if they were ready or not.   I explained that to do that would kill the ears because they were not ready to be picked.

You know — if you’re going to be a farmer you can’t be impatient. The farmer has to be patient. He plants the seed but depends on the rains to mature the crop that he has planted. And the point here is that the farmer has no control over the rain.
You know – there are a whole lot of circumstances in life that are beyond your control — and there is nothing that we can do about them. The farmer can’t count on the rain, he can only hope for it. It’s the same way with us sometimes. There are times when things happen in our lives that we can’t control. It’s no one’s fault – they just happen. There is no use worrying — there’s no use grumbling — there’s no use swearing — there’s no use making life miserable for all those around you. All you can do is wait, but you can also place your trust in God to take care of it.

So here’s the first lesson: Some suffering is beyond your control.

So, trust God and do what you can.

Don’t just sit and do nothing, that increases your anxiety.

You do what you can.

You go to the Doctor if it’s a physical ailment you’re impatient about – or you take your medicine – if it’s a job you’re impatient about you send out resumes – in almost any case you can  read the Bible and pray.

In other words, you do your part.

But if there are circumstances beyond your control — then turn the matter over to God and trust Him to take care of it.

Psalm 27:14 reads:

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

Sometimes life deals you blows where you have to be brave and courageous.
But in those times who are you going to trust?

When the Doctor says, “There’s nothing else we can do.”

Or the boss says, “I’m sorry we have to lay you off.”

Or you learn of a loved one’s death –

who you going to depend on then?

Yourself?

This world’s solutions?

James says about farmers:

“they wait for the land to yield its valuable crop or the precious harvest to ripen.”

The farmer knows there are circumstances beyond his control, so he’s patient and trusts the Lord.

So must we.

Instead of saying to God:

Give me patience – now!

We need to learn to be patient – do our part – but also wait for the Lord.

There’s another example Janes gives:
The second example that James gives is the OT prophets

In vs:10 James writes:

“as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”

The prophets were God’s spokesman — the preachers of that day — but they were not exempt from hurting. In fact, the Bible tells us they were right in the middle of it.

The prophet Hosea, had a wife who was unfaithful.

Jeremiah was called the “weeping prophet” because his people were so mad at his message to turn from their sin that they beat him up.

So many times when things go wrong we want to cry out-

“Oh, God, why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong? Why are you punishing me like this?”

But these prophets were walking in the will of God —  and yet they suffered.
So, here’s the second lesson we can learn:

We can learn from the things that we get the most upset about – the most impatient about – and learn to not give up on God.

Listen to what Jeremiah said to the people after they were taken by enemies and made slaves in Babylon. Jer.29:5-

“Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce. Get married, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so that they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there; don’t decrease. Work for the good of the city where I’ve taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.”

God was saying to them: “I know this is not where you want to be, I know that you would rather be in Jerusalem, I know you want to be free. But you’re going to stay there for awhile so make the best of it.”

Now, maybe you’re not living where you want to live, maybe you don’t have the job you’d like, maybe your situation isn’t ideal. But, more than likely it’s not punishment, it’s just circumstances – so don’t be impatient – make the best of it – and serve God in it.

The important question is — what are you doing until things get better?

What are you doing between the time you’re sick and the time you’re well?

What do you do in the meantime.. between the time you lose your job and the time you get the next one?

What do you do in the meantime.. between the time your daughter announces she’s getting married to the guy you don’t like and the time when she has that grandchild whose the prettiest and smartest child ever born?

The Old Testament prophets remained faithful — even though they were persecuted.  James encourages us to do the same.
One other example of patience that James gives is of Job.

In vs. 11James writes:

You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.

Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good. I don’t care how much you’re hurting today, none of you hurt as much as Job did. I don’t care how much you have to be impatient about, none of us have as much as Job did. Job’s cattle alone were estimated to be worth $6 million and in one day he lost, not only his cattle but all of his possessions. And then a worse blow came. Job had 10 children and one day they were feasting in the oldest son’s home and a wind storm came and killed them all! And then his health broke to the point where he would try to scrape boils off his skin. Anything to get rid of them. But Job stayed faithful. He asked a lot of questions – he was not exactly sure what God was doing — but he didn’t lose his trust. In the end God blessed Job.

So, here’s the final lesson about patience. All suffering – everything we can get impatient about — is temporary — the best is yet to come. God has promised that no matter how bad it gets God has the ultimate reward.

James says you are blessed if you persevere.

You’ve seen what the Lord did for Job and He is full of compassion and mercy.

You may have heard the story about the woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She was getting her things “in order” – and contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her funeral. After discussing what she wanted for her service she then said:

“There’s one more thing, this is very important. I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The pastor looked at the woman — not knowing quite what to say.

“Does my request surprise you?” the woman asked. “

“yeah,” said the Pastor, “I’m very puzzled.”

The woman explained:

“In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the main course dishes were being cleared, someone would often say, ’Folks, keep your fork.’

It was my favorite part because I knew something better was coming… like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ’What’s with the fork?’

Then I want you to tell them: ’Keep your fork…the best is yet to come.’ ”

God promises that he will reward those who persevere through pain – through problems – through the things we many times become impatient about.  That’s not my promise — that’s His — and you can trust it.

So – when you feel like screaming:

“God give me patience – and give it now!”

Remember these three lessons:

Some things are beyond your control, so trust God and do what you can about it.

Most things we become impatient about are just the way life is sometimes – and in the midst of them we can still be faithful to God.

And – all things we become impatient about are temporary — the best is yet to come.
When Napoleon fought Wellington of England, all England waited patiently for word of the decisive battle at Waterloo. When the message came to London it was relayed by the flags on top of the Winchester cathedral. The flags on the cathedral began to spell it out: “Wellington defeated…” But before the message could be completed, a heavy fog moved in. Gloom filled the hearts of the people as the fragmentary news spread throughout the surrounding countryside. But when the mists began to lift, it became evident that the signals of Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out the triumphant message: “Wellington defeated the enemy!”

When you feel defeated and find yourself  a fog of growing impatience– I urge you to look to the clear promises God gives us and see “how the Lord’s plan finally ends in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.”  Amen.