Grief Observed, and Pollyanna Positivism

This year has been quite a journey, mostly full of what you might call "grief sandwiches," in which upsetting turnarounds layer themselves with bright spots of joy and victories small and large. In the midst of this, I've felt a lot of pressure to only write hopeful messages here, especially since so many people I know are going through some rough times. Maybe that's why I have been silent so often over the past few months. I mean, who wants to read a depressing blog, anyway?

But really, I can't always be Pollyanna. There comes a time when grief needs to be brought out into the open, so that mourners know that it's okay to be sad, and that God doesn't despise them for their tears.

Society, and even many Christians, stigmatize grief. Those who have suffered a loss are supposed to wave the magic wand of the Bible (or self-actualization, or whatever) at the situation, and never hurt or cry about it again. If they do, it must mean that they are weak.

So people eat their grief and confusion and guilt, or binge and starve themselves, or surgically alter themselves, or engage in cutting, or become secret alcoholics, or spend their life savings on clothes and possessions, just to try to manage the turbulent emotional storm on the inside. All the while, they are presenting a falsely positive front to the critical world (at least until the mask cracks under the pressure). Essentially, they are punishing themselves because other people have been mean to them!

But Christ Himself said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," (Matthew 5:4 NIV).

And it is written, "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise," (Psalm 51: 17 NIV).

And finally, there is the prophecy concerning Christ, in Isaiah 61: 1-3 NIV:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

What is the message? That tears over an impossible grief are not shameful to God. He will not call us weak if we cry, or fly into a rage if we confess to Him that in all honesty we can't handle this situation on our own any longer. God does not expect us to be superhuman automatons who ask nothing and feel nothing, and who can bench press overwhelming trouble with one hand tied behind our backs.

God is the only superhuman! He can handle it, but He doesn't expect us to. God doesn't want us to heal ourselves. In fact, He would rather we acknowledge our enemies (whoever or whatever they are), take ownership for our weakness and frailty, and welcome the healing His capable hands have offered. When we acknowledge that we are His sheep--His needy, bleeding, crying, hungry, frail, imperfect, impractical, stumbling sheep--and trust in the capable arms of our Shepherd--our honest, trustworthy, dependable, heroic, creative, loving, generous, patient, long-suffering, sacrificial Shepherd--we are on the road to healing.

Why am I still talking about this? I have some friends who are presently facing the fact that the envisioned perfect, happily-ever-after outcome to their problems is not coming, and though my heart bleeds for them, I don't have any words of great comfort for their situation. I can't make the impossible, terrible thing not happen, since it already did. I am not superhuman either, you see.

I do know that God can bring comfort, even when words and efforts fail, and I'll keep repeating that even when no one asked me! He never promised us only happy endings (I mean, the end of the world in the Bible isn't exactly what I would call a happy ending for this planet!), but He did promise us that He would be there with us and that He would heal our wounds.

Go back and read those promises over again if you haven't committed them to heart yet. What did Christ say about grief? What did He say about how He deals with grief? What can we infer about how we are to deal with grief? It seems that if we want to recover from the impossible, we can only do it through His impossible strength, His other strength, not our own strength, not through self-abuse and self-medication, or from going to any other source for comfort.

How do you give your grief over to God? It's as simple as getting alone and just telling Him about it, out loud (that's why I said to get alone, so you don't have to feel self-conscious). I said out loud, not because there's a rule for that, but because it seems to help to not carry it inside any more. You have God's ear, so what are you waiting for? I can't tell you everything He will say, but I know that it will begin with, "I love you...I see your heart...I know your pain...I'll make it alright...trust Me."

When God Thunders from Heaven, Everything Changes

The past few months have been strange ones...come to think of it, 2013 as a whole has been full of unexpected changes. Sometimes those changes were bittersweet. My friendship circle was rearranged as people have moved away and others have been added to my life; my neighborhood was rearranged by a devastating tornado that hit my hometown; my daily routine was rearranged by the sudden departure of my beloved dog at the beginning of the year; and my plans for the future of my novel trilogy project have been temporarily stalled out after several rejections (but, as the famous line goes, I have not yet begun to fight).

Add to that the part-time job I'm starting tomorrow and I think you get the picture. It has been a dizzying sort of year for me. Frankly, I don't know if I've reached the end of the roller-coaster ride at this point or if it's still climbing one last big slope. What I do know is that God is somehow at the helm of all of this.

I can't help but reread my prophetic words in my very first post of the year with a little wistfulness: "The new year is going to be a time of completion, of finishing projects I've begun, of following through and turning plans into action, particularly the plans God has for my life. Believe me, I have a lot of things to get done this year."

I see clearly now that what I had in mind when I penned those words was far too small.  I knew that where I was then, from a spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial standpoint, was not a place where I could linger and thrive, and I had asked God for some help. Still, somehow, I was only thinking of washing the windows and adding a new coat of paint and maybe some hedges, while God was rolling back clouds, moving mountains, and picking up the chainsaw and the sledgehammer.

I'm not complaining, although I felt like it at first. What is now taking shape is something beautiful, with space to grow and live, and a new horizon, with many of the old threats and fears removed from their shadowy nooks where they had bothered me for years. Sure, there is loss, and I have accepted that, but as David wrote in the Psalms, "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me," (Psalm 18: 19 NIV).

David was, of course, talking about the field of war and prophetically speaking from Christ's perspective, but the point still works for this part of my life, and perhaps for my readers, too. When a Christian asks God for rescue (no matter what variety of trouble he or she is dealing with at the time), God moves to respond, with fury and seriousness, either tossing aside obstacles or ripping us out of them. It can be a stunning process, but it's still what we needed.

Leading up to verse 19 in Psalms 18 (which you really must read in its entirety), we see just how seriously God takes the call. From the moment He hears our request, His reactions range from getting furiously angry on our behalf (verses 7 and 8), to "part[ing] the heavens and c[oming] down," (verse 9), to "thunder[ing] from Heaven," that is, shouting (verse 13), and many other definite actions. The bottom line is that God takes it very seriously and acts immediately (even if we can't see everything He is doing) when we say, "Something has to change. I need help!"

I believe what I've been describing as "2013 so far" is the clouds parting and the earth shaking as God moves me somewhere, out of the familiar (but rather unlivable) circumstances and into something I know will be better. Maybe that strikes a chord with someone out there. Sure, change can hurt, but I still believe it is for the best. It's too soon to tell where I'm going, but I believe God is there, and I take comfort in that.

Question: Have you seen God changing things in your life recently? Can you find the good in your new circumstances? I welcome you to share your thoughts below.

Be Thankful for the Wait

I've been thinking a lot this week about how it seems that most of life is a period of waiting between the start and the finish of something, whether it's the time between graduation and getting a job, or between the work and the paycheck, or between engagement and marriage, or even between diagnosis and the cure.  It seems like we're always waiting for those God-ordained endings to the waiting period, and many times, we feel they can't come soon enough...but aren't the wait times also ordained by God?

Don't get me wrong; I believe that God is good, kind, and abundantly generous, but sometimes He teaches us things by delaying gratification, so to speak.  I personally know that I wouldn't be the person that I am now if God had not worked on me over a period of years.  Sometimes learning and growth doesn't happen without pressure.

This reminds me of a passage in first Peter, explaining why trials (and that can include long waits) are a good thing, that we should be thankful for--not take for granted!  I'll leave you with that passage, since I'm short on time this evening. I hope it is something you need this week!

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Peter 1: 6-9 NIV)

Tackling the Mess with Faith

Today, I have to admit that I am suffering from an acute case of mental clutter that has lapsed over into real life. I look around and see a whole bunch of unfinished projects and half-run errands, like that craft project I bought the stuff for but didn't make, or things I didn't quite put back in their places because I would have to move too much furniture to do it.

I'm talking about it today because I think this is a common problem, and that it is often a testament to a kind of underlying fear (the type and origin of the fear depends on the situation).  Now, those who know God don't have to be afraid, because He's given us freedom from fear, but I can personally testify that once we've gotten into the habit, it is very difficult to stop.

Some people call fear a sin, condemning it as doubt of God, but I think it's really doubt of the physical world, such as doubt of our own strength. That doubt is something God can use to build our faith, if we let Him, or it can be a doubt that cripples us.

 I'm speaking of myself, too, as you recall.

Sometimes clutter, including mental clutter, comes from a deep need to avoid further trauma, but God is bigger than that trauma, and can use the situation to prove to us again that He can heal us, and that He is with us as we deal with the situation.  Sometimes clutter comes when we feel we need to prove ourselves, so we hyper-focus on that one aspect of our lives, letting the clutter build up elsewhere. In this case, God can build our faith by showing us how He gives us value and sustains us, and how He is worthy of our trust. God can make our efforts meaningful and adequate, even when we feel we haven't done enough, and He can stay on the job, taking care of the situation when we need to go do something else.

Sometimes fear-induced clutter has a different origin, which I might not have described, but I can say that whatever it is, God can meet that need. He can deal with the problem. We just have to have that tiny bit of faith that opens the door for Him to work on it with us. This is something God has been teaching me lately.

I am reminded of the verse in Hebrews that defines faith as a belief built on proof of God's power, which gives substance to the things we can't see yet. It says in the NIV, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see," (Hebrews 11: 1).  This verse sort of describes that middle time we are now living, between the thing God did that first gave us confidence in Him, and the thing God is going to do next, which will reassure us of that confidence.  The verse also points out that faith is generalizable; that is, it may have started when God proved His power in one situation, but it looks forward to a point when God will deal with something that came up later. In other words, faith believes that the same God who fixed us long ago can fix us today, and tomorrow, too, no matter what comes up.

So, wrapping this up, how can we deal with the fear-induced clutter of the mental and physical variety?  A lot of people say, "Just face it. Just start the process of cleaning up." Maybe that's all it is going to take for some people, but if fear is too crippling to allow us to "just start," I would say that we have to start by renewing our faith.  We need to remember God's strength, goodness, healing, or whatever answer He holds for our present need.  If we're going to face our fear, we need our confidence back, and that confidence is found in the unseen, but very real, power of God. Then, we can tackle the mess.

Are you dealing with fear-induced clutter today?  Here are some questions for reflection.

1.  Sometimes clutter is the physical sort, like dirty laundry or junk mail. Sometimes it's mental, like social media and television, which can keep us from dealing with pressing issues in our lives.  What kind(s) of clutter do you feel you are dealing with today?  Is fear involved in the situation?
2. In Psalm 77, David looked to the past to refresh his faith. What has God done for you in the past that inspired faith in Him? What was He teaching you about Himself in those circumstances?
3. How can God's actions in the past give us confidence in our present circumstances?
4. As we begin to tackle the clutter in our lives, what can we do to keep our confidence--our faith--strong throughout the week?

Be Anxious for Nothing

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.--Philippians 4:6 NIV

My friends and I have a lot of reasons to be anxious, lately, ranging from a desperate search for jobs and income to fears about striking out alone on a new venture, moving, family troubles, starting a family, and health problems.  Add to that stack a pile of worries about the economy, politics, the state of society, and world events, and it seems we are running the full gamut of troubles right now. It can get overwhelming.  In fact, it seems like stepping back and looking at the "big picture" only makes it more overwhelming and frightening. It looks a bit like the whole world is coming to pieces.

But the Bible says "Do not be anxious for anything," so...

There are advice coaches out there who tell us to put our fears out of our minds and "focus on the goals" instead, as if we have a superhuman ability to forget the big scary thing bearing down on us.  Maybe some people have this ability.  I, for one, do not.  If I am able to keep moving, I only make slow progress, pausing frequently to measure the distance between me and my goals, and me and that crazy, charging bear called fear.  Yeah, it's still there, and it still seems a lot closer than the next paycheck, etc.

In fact,  it seems that, "Objects in mirror are closer than they may appear."  Ever been there?

However, if we look at this verse in Philippians a little more closely, we see that it isn't a rebuke, criticizing us for feeling afraid.  It doesn't minimize what we are going through, although we may someday look back and say, "What was I afraid of? Little did I know that good things were just around the corner."  That verse doesn't tell us that those aren't scary things, as if feeling fear is an insane response. It just tells us that we ought to spend that time and energy we are devoting to wholesale worry into doing something better--praying.  

Prayer, by the way, is not a self-induced hypnotism, in which when we say the words, just saying them is calming and soothing.  Prayer is not like a breathing exercise, or eating a piece of chocolate.  Prayer has real power to those who know the Lord (James 5: 16).  It doesn't just temporarily change our mood; it actually changes the situation, even if we don't perceive it at the time.  Why?  Because we are actually speaking to the real God who can fix our problems, and He is actually listening! He is taking extensive notes and collecting every one of our tears (Psalm 56: 8-9).  And because He has heard, He will react.  We can be confident that things are going to change, and that this big, scary thing (whatever it is), has finally met its match! 

Sometimes, God takes away the obstacle immediately, and sometimes He makes us wait for reasons only He knows at the time.  The waiting is the hardest part, after a prayer, because we can't see God or hear Him taking steps to correct the problem (usually), and people tell us we are silly for believing, and more often than not, we feel a bit silly, too.  Despite all of these things, we need to hold on.  Sometimes that is just what God wants to see us do.  We need to remember that we didn't speak to an imaginary God, or a weak power.  He can handle this, and He is handling this.

This is what Philippians 4:7 (the verse that follows the one at the start of this post) is talking about.  It says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  So the full instruction in Philippians 4: 6-7 is (1) when you have a problem that makes you feel anxious, (2) deal with it by presenting it in prayer to a real God, (3) and feel peace beyond what your mind and your heart tells you to feel, because (4) God personally reassures your spirit, demonstrating that He is acting on your behalf.

A friend of mine, a fairly recent convert to Christianity from Hinduism, told me about her recent experience that proved that God hears every prayer.  She said she was lying awake at night, praying about some big things in her life that are not going well, and crying about it.  Finally, she said to God, in her heart and not out loud, "Lord, I just need a hug right now."  She is living with a family currently, and they have a little boy who is not even school age, yet. The next morning, after this silent prayer, this little boy approached her and said, "God told me that I need to hug you," and gave her a big hug!  So, in this way, God sent her the message that He heard the whole thing (even the silent parts), and that He is taking care of it, from the smallest requests to the biggest ones.  I have faith that God is taking care of this situation, though we haven't seen it all, yet, because He has demonstrated that He is already actively taking part in her life.

Likewise, I have faith that God hears and that God is working in all of these other situations that my friends and I are going through, because He already has worked miracles in our lives. These present circumstances are just another situation in which His power can be known.  So I leave with a call to everyone reading this: Don't spend your energy worrying--just pray! Your fears may seem big and strong, but God is so much bigger and stronger.  Hang in there, and give all of your troubles to Him, so that He can lift you up, even in the midst of them.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." --1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Trusting God's Guidance Through the "Fog"

There is something secure about being able to see what is directly ahead of us. We feel somehow better able to handle the situation (even if that is just a delusion), as long as we know which direction it is coming from.  I think this feeling of helplessness is what makes fog so disturbing to us, even on a spiritual level.  At least, I feel I learned a few spiritual lessons from fog during my recent nighttime drive through it!

The Dark Heart of a Cloud

On the way to Colorado Springs, my fellow vacationers and I drove all day in heavy rain, but we didn't feel alarmed or even troubled about the weather conditions until it got seriously foggy that evening.

As the sun set...

Really, really foggy.  We snapped these two pictures through the car windows, half an hour or so apart, before and after sunset.

We were literally driving through the heart of a cloud at that altitude. Traffic slowed to a walking pace, as weird white arms of cloud slid across the road ahead like giant snakes.  Visibility was at zero; we could only see about half of a car length ahead of us at times.  We even passed a large-eared fox and later a bunch of mule deer waiting beside the road to cross.

Fog bank at night.

Unable to pull off anywhere, I kept edging the car slowly down the steep mountain slope.  Conversation in the car shrank to hushed monosyllables.

Then our radio started playing what I would call "Christian Anthems" about walking bravely with the Lord. We spontaneously turned it up and sang along, and suddenly we felt better, even though it would be another hour before we escaped the fog bank.

Guidance Through the Fog

Frequently, life is like driving through that heavy fog bank with zero visibility! Strange things seem to come at us from out of nowhere.  Sometimes they are threatening, and sometimes they aren't, but either way, we feel off-balance and terrified when they suddenly appear.  The thing that shrouds them from our view becomes itself a kind of enemy--an ally with our fears.

We can give in to a fear of "fog" in life, like changing circumstances (which makes planning and foresight impossible), impending money and resource shortages, health issues, and personal relationships, but that fear will soon destroy us.  Thoughts of ways to defend ourselves against any threat will consume our thinking and snuff out everything else.  Fear might even cut us off from God when we allow ourselves to think that God has abandoned us to the fog.

There is an alternative.  We can choose to lean on the Lord and go forward without embracing those fears.  I'm not saying that God has asked us to live without feeling the sensation of fear (it is perfectly natural and good for us at times), but God wants us to leave the worrying about what we cannot predict and the constant scanning of that foggy horizon to Him.  When the darkness really presses in, we need not focus on it, but should instead remind ourselves in praise of His past victories while He works another one in our lives (2 Chronicles 20: 15-28).  He can see what lies ahead, after all, and He isn't afraid of it.  Because He is with us, we shouldn't be, either.

Our task is to trust His guidance, and that is far easier than trying to create our own.

 The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path," (Psalm 119: 105 NIV). Instead of overloading us with worries and revelations about what might lie ahead, God has given us His guidance for this present moment (His Word, the Bible, and Christ who models for us the way [John 1: 1-5]), and a firm and irrefutable promise that He will save us from every alarm if we follow Him (John 3: 16; Joshua 1: 9). We don't need to fear the fog, or what might lie ahead.  We will face those things when we come to them, and we won't be alone!  God will be with us in the future, just as He is with us right now. We just need to trust Him, and He will guide us home.

Choked by the Weeds

I hate to admit it online, but in the spirit of writing toward the interests and needs of real people, I'll admit that I have a problem lately of over-multi-tasking.  With all of the projects I've started, it is sometimes amazing that I'm able to finish them well, or at all.  Since at this moment I can't really stop any of them altogether, I've been looking for ways to make the less-important tasks drop into the background while I try to develop and improve my lifelong goals.  I think it's important, even for the sake of my spiritual development.

I bring this up here because I've noticed that when I'm constantly switching between tasks, I tend to spend less time with God and His Word.  This results in more anxiety and stress, and a loss of peace.  How about you? Is life beginning to keep you from the spiritual growth of your dreams?

In Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Sower, I see a warning when Jesus said, "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful" (Matthew 13: 22 NIV). I don't want to be unfruitful! I don't want to waste my energy worrying, since that usually comes to nothing. I certainly don't want to make money (or any other kind of advancement, for that matter) into some kind of god that I serve at the loss of everything.  Nothing on my super-long to-do list could possibly be this important.


Studying this plant symbolism further, I see that the key to overcoming the choking weeds is to focus on God, not on peripheral things. Just like the seedlings growing among the thorns, we have to look up (keep our eyes on God) instead of looking to either side (at our scary-looking neighbors).  Plants that focus on the sun will eventually rise above the weeds, through growth.  Similarly, if we stay in constant contact with the Lord, He will make us grow spiritually, until we can look down at our worries and say, "My God is bigger than you!"


So, today, I'm going to take a few minutes to read the Bible in the middle of the day, when nothing is quite done and it's kind of inconvenient.  I'm going to close my eyes and pray during one of those moments when it looks like the whole world is going to fall apart if I don't keep both eyes riveted on the problem at hand.  If I really believe that God is in control and that He will take care of me, I need to act like it.  That means catching myself when I'm trying to hold up the weight of the world on my own, and just believe that God is going to take care of me, even when I'm not "on duty" or "totally with it" today.

God is not going to let His own interests in me get choked out by the weeds. He put too much work into my salvation already when He sent His son, Jesus, to die for me.  If He's not afraid of these things, why should I be? If He has overcome every trouble in this life, I know I can do the same, by His strength.


I'm reminded of a memory verse from children's church when I was small. It's good to return to what I knew first, so I'm sharing it here:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3: 5, 6 NIV)

Let Nothing Move You

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. --1 Corinthians 15: 58 NIV

I must confess something. The year 2012 has so far been a pretty discouraging year for me.  I started it out at a watch night service, in which the pastor preached the message, "No Fear This Year."  Right there, I resolved to finish some projects God had put on my heart, and to keep up some great things God had been doing in my life.  No sooner had I made those plans, and even while the words of the sermon were still in my ears, something dreadful and fearful rose up in my path to block me.  After that knocked me off my feet, something else rose up.  I feel like I've spent every day this year either dusting myself off from one crisis or bracing for impact as the next one begins.

I don't say all that to discourage you, but rather to call attention to this kind of scenario, in case this describes you.  It seems like life is telling me to give up, labeling me as ineffective, and generally filling me with fear.  I've been told by well-meaning people that this is not the empowered life I am supposed to be living.  I've asked God many times to help me through, but rather than marching into battle and watching my enemies scatter at my glare, I've been barely pulling through.  Talk about your Pyrrhic victory.

If this is you, I'm writing here to tell you to stand firm in your faith and in your relationship with God.  This is a supernatural situation, whether it is an attack of Satan or a test of your faithfulness.  It will pass.  Don't let discouragement, fear, trouble, pain, or chaos move you from the path of serving the Lord, that is, the path you know He has set your feet upon.  Maybe you don't see the results today, but your labor in the Lord is not in vain!

If you feel like tomorrow might be your last defeat, I've got news for you--it won't be. There are so many Biblical examples of people who had nothing left to give, but when they leaned on God for strength, they were successful (for example, see Nehemiah 6:9-16).  When you seem to have nothing but God, you are strongest, because God is stronger than you, and He can do what your spent strength failed to do (2 Corinthians 12: 9 NIV). Don't give up!  Your enemy is defeated already if you commit it to God's hands.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6: 15-17)

Weekly Snippet: 5 Verses to Guide and Encourage

No matter what happened this week, there was probably at least one moment when you needed some encouragement, deliverance, or guidance from God.  If one of those situations is still weighing heavily on you at this moment, I hope you'll take a moment to read each of these verses slowly and carefully, really analyzing what the tell you about God and about the circumstances you are facing.  Each of them has helped me at different times this week, and I hope they will help you, too.  Pray over each one, asking God to help you understand it and apply it to your life.  When you reach the end, I hope you will walk away feeling refreshed and encouraged as we head into the weekend.

• "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
• "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love" (Psalm 33: 4, 5 NIV).
• " Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.  My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend" (Job 16: 19-21 NIV). 
• "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he [God] will give eternal life" (Romans 2: 7 NIV).
• "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1: 7 NIV). 
• " Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4: 6 NIV). 

Be at peace and rest, my friends. Put your life, your future, your plans, and your cares in Jesus' hands, and let Him carry you through anything life puts you through.  Until next time, stay savvy and may God's face shine upon you (Psalm 67: 1-3)! 

The Habit of Obedience

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” (Daniel 3: 4-6 NIV 1984)

No one really knows the origin of the expression " to face the music," but I find this biblical scene to be the most evocative of the meaning of the phrase.  Every governmental official--except for three--bowed down to the idol when the music started.  There were three men who chose to face the music, rather than bowing their heads to what it stood for.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's decision began years before, when they were violently taken from their homeland and chose to remain followers of God.  For those of us who might dream (maybe just a secret wish) that we could have a similar chance to heroically stand up for God, we have to realize that the strength to stand in this kind of extreme circumstance comes from years of trials and tests which had prepared these men for this moment.  It didn't start when the band started playing.

The Bible only hints at these tests, but we read that these men were children of nobility, and likely orphaned by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1: 1-6).  If that trial wasn't enough, they next risked death to defy the king and refuse his food, which may have been sacrificed to idols (Daniel Chapter 1).  They also had probably been challenged to abandon integrity many times in their positions of leadership in the government (Daniel 2: 48-49; 6: 3-5).  They could have given themselves excuses to disobey God because of their circumstances, but they had decided not to. So how did they find the resolve to refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's giant idol?  They simply continued in the pattern they had established for themselves.  Resisting sin had become a habit!  They faithfully believed God would supply the rest of the miracle (Isaiah 43: 2).

 If you want this kind of opportunity to stand up for God and really show the world who He is in your life, it starts with daily, smaller decisions to obey, whether or not anyone is looking.  Create in your life the habit of obedience, and God will supply the strength necessary to overcome the challenge you are facing.  Obedience is difficult, but habit makes it easier.  God supplies the rest of the miracle.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. (Philippians 1: 27-28 NIV 2012).

Do Not Be Deceived; Christ is Risen!

In college, I had one professor who told the class that he would accept any written interpretation of the poems we were reading, as long as we could find sufficient proof of our point in the text itself.  In other words, if we wanted him to believe our take on it, we had to find a lot of things that supported what we were saying, and explain away all of the things that seemed to disprove our point.  This task is a lot trickier than it may sound.

Last night, I discovered that the old second-hand paperback novel I've been reading for awhile was actually an attempt to disprove Christianity.  I suppose I suspected it all along, but I had been withholding judgment until the end.  Less than fifty pages from the end, the author suddenly began clumsily trying to explain away the miracles of Christ, His crucifixion and resurrection, and even the calling of Paul.

My outrage over the distortion and omission of evidence throughout this anti-Christian diatribe has led me to talk about such things today.  I don't want to mention this author's name, or the name of his book, because I don't want to give notoriety to people who disseminate false information.  I will, however, address the author's theories, because they are commonly propagated thinking:

•  Parables and even non-miraculous prophecies concerning Christ are accepted as having really happened, but problematic prophecies are neatly avoided.  For instance, it is easy to accept the prediction that Christ would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey's foal (Zechariah 9:9). That can be arranged by human effort.  It is much, much harder to accept other Messianic prophecies, such as Christ's virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14).  A good theory should have an explanation for every prophecy; it should not be so easily undermined by additional information.
• The claim that Jesus did not die at the crucifixion, but rather fainted, was put forth.  I have heard this many times, but it always omits a vital detail from the crucifixion--the account of the Roman soldier piercing Jesus' side (John 19: 33-35).  The soldiers had come to break Jesus' legs to hasten His death, but they found Him already dead, according to the Biblical account.  Obviously, based on the story in the Bible, the bloody water gushing out meant that the Roman soldier hit something vital with his spear, as he intended, because he, too, wanted to make sure Jesus hadn't just fainted.  It was his job to ensure there were no survivors of this execution.  I've read some medical theories put forth that said the organ punctured was the pericardium, the watery sack around the heart.  It makes sense to me that the soldier would have aimed for Jesus' heart in this killing blow.
• The claim that this was a small group of isolated people, who all believed in Jesus anyway, and thus saw what they wanted to see at the time of His crucifixion.  The only way this could be believable is if there had been no evidence that could convince an outside skeptic.  This means overlooking the supernatural occurrences on the night of Jesus' death, which even Pharisees and Romans observed and could confirm.  For instance, there was three hours of darkness during the daytime, from noon until 3 o'clock (Matthew 27: 45), a serious earthquake that tore a very thick curtain (about a foot thick) that hung in front of the Holy of Holies, and a lot of dead people who came back to life and entered the city, appearing before many (Matthew 27: 50-53).  Even pagan Romans are recorded as having spoken out their belief that Jesus was no average man, to have died with such signs around Him (Matthew 27: 54).  To say early believers made these things up is ludicrous, since they could easily be proven or dismissed.  The fact that they could so easily been dismissed is itself verification that they did happen.
• The claim that the apostles and even Paul were naive, having been deceived by Jesus and several "co-conspirators," including Judas.  Considering the context and the penalty of joining in lies of this magnitude or believing in them, I think this is at best an arrogant insult to human intelligence--both mine and these early Christians.  Concerning their alleged naivety, though the apostles were uneducated men (Acts 4: 13), they did not lack the ability to think.  Paul, in contrast, was one of the best educated men among all of Israel; he knew what scripture said and could not be tricked by a few twisted scriptures, or even a multitude of them (Acts 22:3).  If they were in any way not acting in a clear, well-informed frame of mind, they had to be crazy, not merely naive.  Furthermore, this theory is ridiculous because, when faced with the threat of death, most people take stock of what is important to them.  People don't die for something they doubt themselves, and certainly are not inclined to die for something they know is a lie.  Maybe a few might try such a thing, but at least one person who is "in on it," will talk. 

I could go on analyzing the book and these commonly-held false theories about Jesus, but I think that is enough to make my point.  There is far too much evidence supporting the deity of Christ to easily dismiss this claim with a few half-baked theories.  Any good theory would have to answer all the evidence presented, or it would fall short of being believable.  Well, at least, that's how it should be.

Anyone can believe in theories without hearing the opposing evidence.  This is done all the time, and it attracts a large readership of people who don't check their facts.  These theories leave readers in jeopardy, because one well-aimed fact will undermine all that they believe.  I pray that for the sake of the deceived, the facts will destroy these theories before too many are taken in by them.

It is best that Christians should not be numbered among the gullible masses.  As my banner for the site reminds you, Christians are warned to be, "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, " (Matthew 10:16 NIV).  My mission with this site is to inform Christians and encourage them to analyze these tricky theories, rather than fall victim to their entanglements.  The truth needs no defense, because it defends itself.  Our minds need defense, so we should arm our thinking with the truth.

Until next time, this is my reminder to stay savvy and hold on to Jesus.  He is worthy.  He really came, He really rose from the dead, and He really is coming again soon!

When God Trains You for Bigger Things

"When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned," (Genesis 39: 3, 4 NIV).

Joseph knew, early in life, that he was meant for big things, but he didn't begin life with the skills and abilities already developed.  God carried him through hard training, so that one day he could juggle the responsibilities of a nation as well as those of his own household.  Joseph started managing Potiphar's household, moved from there to managing the prison where he lived, and from there, he went on to manage all of Egypt.  The superior organizational skills he had developed probably saved countless lives during the drought the region experienced in his day, and the consequences are still being felt through the modern-day descendants of that generation.

What can we take from this?  I've been thinking about that today.  I see that the struggles we are going through in life today may be God's way of developing our "muscles" for the responsibilities we will have to shoulder in the days ahead.  Remember, God doesn't make the problems, but He is always making solutions out of our problems.  As Paul put it, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," (Romans 8: 28 NIV 2011).

Joseph was called and raised up for a purpose--to save many lives, including those of his own family.  However, he didn't get there by himself.  He had to submit his will to God and continue to trust God, even when it got tough.  Because of his steadfast faith, God was able to equip and use him!

Similarly, many of you today may feel called for a purpose, but you may feel unable to accomplish it.  Take heart!  If you put your trust in God, He will equip you with the abilities you need.  An earthly teacher can lead us to harm, because he or she can't see what lies ahead, but God has proven Himself to be a God who gives sight to the blind, and who prepares us with the knowledge to stay out of trouble. Any student who trains with Him will grow to be like Him.  That is a good thing!

"He [Jesus] also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?  The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher." (Luke 6: 39, 40 NIV)

This isn't a passive, learning-by-osmosis equipping; you will have to apply yourself to the task of learning.  When life brings a challenge, put your trust in God and ask Him to guide you and to reveal the lesson.  Pair that with a thorough study of Scripture, because, "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3: 16-17 NIV).

More than likely, God is already at work in your life, training you for bigger and grander things.  Today, learn the lessons He sends!  He is teaching you righteousness and building virtue, so that you will be ready to handle whatever life brings.

Prioritizing Prayer

In C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, the senior demon advises the novice that the best way to defeat people in their prayer life is to lead them to feel that they have to be in the right mood or frame of mind in order to pray.  It is true that I have often thought that I was too tired, overworked, or stressed to take time out of my schedule to pray, or that it was "just not the right time." As a consequence, I can confess to some dry, defeated periods in my personal prayer life.

The truth is really that we should always be willing to pray.  Always.  The Bible literally says, "Pray without ceasing," (1 Thessalonians 5: 17 KJV).  God is always ready to hear from us, whether we are in a bad mood, happy to the point of distraction, harried and scatterbrained, contentedly busy, or deeply upset about something.  He is a friend who likes to talk to us, and He always has time for us.  Honestly, we all can be hard to talk to, at times. What human friend do we have that is this available, and patient with us through our most extreme moods?

Now, that said, it is easier to quote Bible verses like this than it is to put them into practice.  Because of our human weaknesses, we often forget to talk to God.  It frequently is not meant as a deliberate slight...we just...forget. Or maybe, at the heart of the matter, we don't prioritize prayer.

Daniel had a daily routine for prayer.  Though he was one of three administrators over one of the greatest kingdoms of ancient history (the Medo-Persian Empire), he took time out of that busy office and court schedule to pray three times a day, every day (Daniel 6: 1,2; 10).  We don't know when he started doing this, but the Bible reports "he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before," (Daniel 6: 10 NIV). He already had a routine when the edict was passed.  It could be that he had specially built his house with windows that opened toward Jerusalem, so he could pray toward the temple there, as Solomon had taught, to acknowledge God's living presence among his people and attentiveness to their requests (2 Chronicles 6: 18-21, 36-39). However long he had been doing this is not as important as the fact that Daniel considered these prayer times such an important routine that he was willing to disobey a royal edict to keep to it.  He put such priority on speaking to God that he risked death to pray!

What can we derive from his example?  For one thing, the tenacity in Daniel's faith and prayer life is something I think we should try to match.  He suffered great hardship, and even the things he did well were not without their hazards.  In the midst of all of this, he learned that persistence in his relationship with God was beneficial (both to himself and to others).  Whether things were going well or going south, he was consistent in his obedience. He prayed because it pleased and honored God, who was constantly watching him.  More than once this humble but stubborn prayer habit saved his life and lifted him above disaster.  Because of what he had seen, he valued prayer and refused to neglect the opportunity, for any reason.

Daniel was a captive of an invading enemy, living far from home in a land where his faith and lifestyle were not generally accepted (and sometimes prosecuted).  Today, most of us are not living in such times.  I know we may not have the same obstacles that Daniel faced, but I won't say that persistence in prayer will be easy.  Our flesh, our attitudes, and our schedules will constantly work to disrupt this habit, if we let it.  Prayer is not even considered politically correct, so we might encounter some persecution.  If we can overcome these things, with God's help, and hold prayer as our highest priority, we will be rewarded in our life, and most importantly, in the depth of our relationship with God.

Can we manage this?  Let's try.

"[P]ray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people," (Ephesians 6: 18 NIV).

A Thanks to the Laborers in the Field

Today is Labor Day in the U.S., a special holiday to recognize workers in their work.  I just wanted to drop in here on a holiday evening to thank God's laborers in the field, from the missionaries to the regular people who testify daily about the power of the Lord in their lives.

Thank you for pressing on, through hardship and persecution.  Thank you for sticking your neck out and speaking the truth, because it was necessary, even to those who didn't want to hear it.  Thank you for putting your whole life on the line for the kingdom of God.  He will richly reward you--I have no doubt about that--so please hang in there and keep glorifying God in your words and deeds!

Here are some of Paul's words, from a missionary and written to the next generation of missionaries.  He couldn't have said it better:

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.  You know how we lived among you for your sake.  You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1: 2-11 NIV 1984)

Weekly Snippet: Don't Forget the Face of the Enemy

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand," (Ephesians 6: 11-13 NIV 2011)

Sometimes it seems that the enemy is people.  While it is true that people can be motivated to do evil things, in essence, making themselves an enemy of God and believers, the true enemy is Satan.  He is the motivator for evil, and people are merely his pawns.  People can be changed, won over, or swept out of the way by the superior power of God, and the defeat of Satan began at the Resurrection and is already assured.  Therefore, we should not be afraid to stand our ground for what is right, even when it seems like a fruitless struggle at the time.  The Lord will defend our case, and the reward for a tenacious faith is worth the trouble!


No sin can stand against the blinding light of the truth.  Though trouble might knock us flat seven times over, the Lord will lift us up if we are faithful to Him (Proverbs 24: 15, 16).  When we have done everything else, we can still stand, grounded in the Word of Truth and strengthened by the Spirit of God.

Weekly Snippet: 5 Verses to Strengthen You

It's the weekend, and like usual, it is a little bit hectic around here.  Today I watched a friend successfully defend her master's thesis (yay!), and it made me think of a few verses that might encourage and strengthen my readers throughout the weekend and into the coming week.  I call these "power verses," because they remind you, not of your own human power, but rather, of God's power over any situation you might be facing.  So, without further ado...

• "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4: 13 KJV)

• "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." (Psalm 91: 4-7 NIV 2011)

• "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1: 9 NIV 2011)

• "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1: 7 NIV 2011)

• "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27: 1 NIV 2011)

The Truth that Never Gets Old

Today, I mailed a package to Australia and realized as I left the post office (only 5 minutes later) that I have become an old pro at international shipments for my business.  What used to be a nerve-wracking hour-long business went over so smoothly I hardly felt it.

As I drove home, I reflected on how the excitement and newness fades from most things with repetition.  For the most part this is a good thing (who needs to stress out over the same situation over and over again?), but when it comes to our personal relationship with Christ, it is a dangerous situation to find ourselves in.

The Bible cautions us to keep our relationship with the Lord new and fresh.  It is not enough to hate evil and try to live righteously, although these things are commended by God.  We must cling to our "first love," that is, that kind of faith that is full of passion and energy, like a new romance (Revelation 2:2-6).  We cannot treat our relationship with God like an old habit or a well-worn shoe.  If we let our feelings grow stale, we could eventually lose them.  We especially run the risk of forgetting God when other things come along that seem more "exciting."  At some juncture, we could find ourselves disillusioned and lost, wondering how we got here.

The recommended cure for a weakening faith is to seek the personal presence of the Lord.  This comes through prayer and revisiting the words of the Bible.  Unlike other things that seem to fade with repetition, the Bible works to strengthen our love for the Lord, like a deep heart-to-heart conversation.  The more we read, the deeper the relationship becomes, as we come to understand how much God loves us and how far ahead He planned for us.

The Bible was written thousands of years ago, but it addresses the concerns of today, and each time we look into it, we see a fitting answer.  I speak from experience!  The Bible reveals unchanging truth, but that truth is living and dynamic, like our relationship with the Source of that truth should also aspire to be.


This brings me back to my first point, about how we should have a relationship with God that is not unlike a new love, a new romance.  A friend on Facebook reminded me the other day of the verse, "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips," (Proverbs 24: 26 NIV 2011).  The Bible is full of honest answers about us, about our questions, and about what God thinks on every issue.  I can't think of a clearer revelation of God's feelings for us, and if we approach Him with the same honesty, I can't think of a clearer way to convey our feelings to Him in turn.  He wants the truth from us, and we need the truth from Him, just as even old human relationships benefit from the special intimacy of a kiss.  It's no coincidence that God made human relationships to reflect deeper truths about Himself.

If your relationship with God seems to be suffering from a lack of freshness and strength, I encourage you today to seek out those honest answers from the Lord.  Spend some time reading and contemplating the Bible, and you will forget all the interceding things that could draw you away into loneliness and ruin.

Until next time, this is me reminding you to stay savvy and seek out that first love you have had with the Lord!

Diamonds in the Deepest Deep

Think of your biggest fears...you know the ones.  They are so horrifying even to imagine that you never have allowed yourself to fully do so.  They might include fears of being penniless and homeless, of losing a loved one to sickness, or of being abandoned by a spouse.  They might range from being unloved to being unlovable, or from being too successful to being a total failure.

So ask yourself this.  What if the worst case scenario came?  Would it mean that God had left you?

I can tell you that human beings are never the same after a disaster comes, and I've come to believe that they can never, by their own power or craftiness, heal themselves.  However, I have hope that God can heal what a man cannot, and that even the worst case scenario cannot separate Him from us.  There isn't a pit so deep that God cannot reach the bottom of it.  In fact, the lowest place we can sink is still held in God's hands (Psalm 95: 3-4). God is bigger than the worst disaster.

Apparently David's worst-case scenario was his fear that Saul would catch him and kill him.  David wrote often about feeling that God had cast him into a pit, in other words, that he was at the lowest point he could be without being dead.  In fact, the imagery is like the grave. 


Even at that lowest point, David demonstrated the attitude that God wants from us--a dogged hope and trust in Him.  David understood that God could stop Saul, yet had chosen not to.  Though he couldn't understand this, he didn't lose faith in God's goodness and power, because even in the depths of his pit, God was still with him.  David could face the greatest fear in his life because he knew he wasn't alone.

That's the kind of faith God wants in us when He goes to the depths with us.  He is capable of lifting us instantly out of the deepest depths, but sometimes He lets us go there to test the genuineness of our faith. In these depths, He can refine dirt into diamonds.  Can we stand with Him in the process?

Furthermore, He has promised to raise us up from the last and greatest of our fears--that is, death--so that even at those depths we will be with Him.  In fact, Jesus was already there, and by the testing of His faith and obedience, salvation came to all who would believe.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things.  Who is like you, God?  Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.  You will increase my honor and comfort me once more....My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion. Psalm 71: 19-21; 23-24 NIV 2011

Will you, like Christ, praise God in the deepest depths?

Weekly Snippet: Keep Rowing

For centuries, one of the things sailors most dreaded was to find themselves in the doldrums.  When the winds died on the sea, death often followed.  Without wind to push their ship, it seemed they were just sitting there, eating all of their rations and drinking their fresh water supply, waiting for the moment when the hot sun beating down on the water finally cooked them, too.  The usual solution, as far as I know from my reading,  was to send one or two guys out in a dingy to tow the ship out of the doldrums with their feeble rowing efforts.

It wasn't fast, but eventually, with dogged persistence and a whole lot of effort, they could escape the doldrums and head toward their destination with a fair breeze in their sails.

Sometimes life is a bit like rowing in the doldrums.  This is such an old metaphor that it almost doesn't need repeating, but I thought I would today.  If you are there today, don't get discouraged!  This too shall pass.

Don't Grumble Before Dawn

Yesterday, I heard a great sermon focusing on the symbolic significance of Jesus' resurrection before dawn on the third day (John 20: 1).

I find myself reflecting more on that topic today.  It seems that with God, there is always something new and beautiful planned for the morning, to be revealed dramatically like the rising sun.  The Bible is sprinkled with such stories, from the morning Joseph was summoned after Pharaoh's bad dream, to the manna in the desert that settled with the dew, to the besieging Arameans who abandoned camp when the footsteps of lepers sounded like approaching chariots (Genesis 41; Numbers 11: 7-9; 2 Kings 7: 3-16).  In each situation, God turned what seemed like a hopeless situation into an almost unbelievable surprise.

Don't Be Caught Grumbling Before the Sun Comes Up

Somehow it seems that most of the time, people didn't want to believe how God was going to fix their problems.  They looked at how they would correct it, and overlooked the fact that God doesn't have to operate by their rules.  Even the most vigilant and faithful were asleep when the decisions were being made or the miracle was happening.  And in every situation, God's solution was out-of-the-box creative, like He is.

When the sun comes up, are we going to be caught grumbling?  How strange our words will sound on our lips when we discover we were upset about nothing, and our problems have already been dealt with while we were sleeping.  Can we stay silent and hold on to hope while we wait for God's next creative solution to unfold?  Because it will come.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. (Lamentations 3: 22-24 NIV 2011)