Quiet Desperation

O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: 

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 

For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. Psalm 88:2-3 (KJV) 

  

  I can think of many times in my life that I would not have survived if not for the Lord. When I hear of tragedies, deaths, horrible accidents, and those who gave up to despair, I know that if not for Jesus it could have been me. 

  What if the Lord had not had His Hand upon me at a young age? Some of my friends growing up went to jail or prison. Some that I talked and laughed with ended their youthful lives early. We were similar in many respects. We went to the same school, lived in the same neighborhood, and played the same games. 

  It is hard to imagine what is in the heart, or what goes through the mind of another. 

  

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” ---Henry David Thoreau 

  

  Yet we all have struggles in common though they may differ in our individual experiences. 

  What makes the difference in who survives and who succumbs to difficulty? I believe it is directly tied to who has the Lord in their life and who does not know there is a Lord they can turn to in their troubles and trials. 

  When you have no strength left, how do you go on? You find new strength in Jesus. You call upon Him, depend upon Him, and find peace and help in knowing and relying on Jesus. 

  Whatever you are facing right now you need to know that you are not alone. You have a friend in Jesus. You may be weak, weary, and have no strength left. Yet if you call upon the Lord you will find new strength in Him. You are not as desperate and helpless as you feel. Not when Jesus is in your life. If He is not in your life, then call upon Him. Ask Jesus into your heart and into your life. Leave your desperation behind as you find victory in Jesus Christ. 

  Prayer: Lord Jesus, life throws many obstacles in our path. At times we feel scared and desperate. Help us to never forget that we have help and hope in You. Amen. 

Faith Is The Antidote To Fear

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 

  

  I have always liked the following acronym for Fear: 

  

False 

Evidence 

Appearing 

Real 

  

  So many times throughout my life I have worried and been fearful needlessly. It was indeed false evidence that appeared real. 

  Our imaginations often leap to the worst possible outcome. We naturally think about the most awful thing that could happen to us. It takes real discipline to overcome our foolish imaginations. 

   

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) 

  

  When our emotions carry our thoughts away, we need to anchor our thinking with truth and knowledge. Wisdom and reason are our friends when our fears run amok. 

  Yet the greatest antidote to fear is faith. Nothing destroys fear quicker than faith placed in the power, provision, and deliverance of a caring God and ever-present Savior. 

  Our thoughts can drift into unhealthy territory quickly. Anxiety can fill us and lead us away from our Anchor and Hope. But reading and focusing upon scripture, meditating upon certain Bible verses, and always praying in fearful circumstances are important practices for the believer. 

  Ultimately, overcoming our fears depends upon trust in God. Igniting our faith in the Lord gives us the strength to overcome our fears. Remember your faith, and also remember that faith in faith is useless. Our faith is in Jesus. He is the object of our faith and when we focus upon Him, we have the antidote to our fear. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, fears often come against us, and circumstances can cause fear to run amok. We need You. We trust in You. And we have faith that You will take us past our fears and into Your peace. Amen. 

A Letter From The Grave

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 

  

  

  We recently celebrated my granddaughter’s first birthday. Our daughter asked us all to write a letter to be read on my granddaughter’s eighteenth birthday. 

  To me it felt like a grim duty. While it is possible that I will still be alive seventeen years from now, I think it highly unlikely. Between my health issues, and my increasing age, I will be happy if I’m still around ten years from now. Seventeen years feels like a stretch. I realized I might be writing my granddaughter a letter and advice “beyond the grave” so to speak. 

  How does one pack a lifetime of love and advice into a single page letter? How can I influence my then grown grandchild? I admit I have been putting off the task as it seemed daunting to me, but I finally finished the letter. 

  In the letter I put both encouragements and cautions. I advised dependence upon God, and an optimistic outlook on life while being wary of its pitfalls. It was indeed a daunting task. Nevertheless, it may be one of the most important things I’ve ever written to a loved one. 

  What would you say to your loved ones if it were the last thing you would ever say? What advice, encouragement, guidance, and hope would you seed into the lives of those you love? 

  In a very real sense, the Bible is the “final letter” from God to lost humanity. Filled with warnings, wisdom, advice, and love, the Bible can influence the lives of all those willing to heed its advice.  

  Each and every day we live on this earth may be our last day. We have no guarantee of years or even days to come. Because of this fact, we must do our best today to leave not just a letter, but a life that positively influences those who come after us. Let us be known for our love, joy, hope, and faithfulness. Let us reflect Christ as our letter that lives well beyond the grave. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to represent You well on this earth. And guide us as we live a life to lead those who come after us. Amen. 

God Made Us Resilient

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4 

  

  Every time I hear a story about how someone overcame an incredible impediment, I am amazed. People who have lost their limb in a shark attack, soldiers who suffer physical and emotional trauma yet survive. Those who have lived through numerous deadly accidents, animal attacks, fires, there is no end to the people who have survived and overcome deadly situations. 

  I don’t have to look far to see and understand how resilient God made us. I’m living without a large bowel and all my back door plumbing is removed, even to me that seems impossible. Yet God made us strong and able to endure impossible situations. 

  God made both the human body and the human spirit resilient. We are God-made miracles. 

  When I see someone who is a quadriplegic I wonder how they have the courage and strength to live with such a challenge. All around us are people living with incredible challenges and yet their strong spirit carries them through it.  

  I recently watched a show about animal attacks. Over and over again there came a point at which the surviving individual had to make a decision to live on, to muster their spirit to live. 

  It did not surprise me to see that the will to fight and live was often the key to survival. I had to make the same decision back in 2011 when I was circling the drain due to the destructiveness of Crohn’s Disease. I was weak, worn out, dying by degrees. It was tempting to just quit. But my stubbornness rose up and I fought on. And I would need that stubbornness in the years ahead. 

  You are stronger than you think. The survival instinct resides within us all. God made us resilient, and we must call upon Him to help us overcome and survive our various challenges and afflictions. 

  You may not be dealing with the after effects of a war, or shark attack, or deadly accident, but whatever it is you are facing, remember that God made you resilient, and strong. With His help you can survive seemingly impossible situations. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, there are times when it is tempting to give up, but with Your strength and the resilience You have given us we are overcomers and survivors. Thank You Lord! Amen.