Endurance

 Today I read about the hungry Israelites wandering through the desert after leaving their captivity in Egypt. Right now, I can’t think of anything worse than relentless heat and a complete lack of rain.

Earlier, God had told Moses that He would provide, but about 45 days had passed, and whatever food they had brought with them from Egypt was gone. There was no sign of food on the horizon. So they complained, moaned, and wished they had never left Egypt. They yearned for something as simple as a bite of bread and some lamb stew.

Moses was angry at their whining Facebook posts. Mo, who apparently needed a course in anger management, told them that they were complaining against God Himself and not him. I guess he was trying to tell himself not to take this predicament personally.

It seems that 90% of life is spent waiting. Why does God make us wait? Wouldn’t it be better if He supplied what we need exactly when we need it?

Personally, I could name a handful of things I am waiting for right now. But I must wait. And wait. And wait some more.

This tells me there must be a purpose in the wait.

I know what children are like when they never learn to wait. They quickly become intolerable and are unable to withstand the smallest setback later in life. Even when training a dog, one of the first things they learn is self-control while they wait.

I figure it is the same with all of us.

Waiting creates endurance and builds strength of character. Waiting teaches us how to deal with cancer treatments, unending bad weather, and times of separation from those we love. It prepares us for the things in life we cannot hurry, fix, or control.

Jesus was pretty clear about setbacks in this life. He didn’t try to paint a picture of roses for His disciples. He told them that in this world they would have trouble.

I tend to think of trouble as something severe but temporary—a tornado that tears through town and then is gone, for example. But sometimes the worst troubles are not necessarily severe. They are milder, seemingly endless situations that just keep going and going.

Maybe that is why the Apostle Paul compared this life to a marathon rather than a sprint. Over and over, Scripture tells us that we will suffer. Suffering has never been presented as a short-term issue.

Our suffering may seem small compared to someone else’s, but we all suffer. And unlike the misguided saying, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” this world absolutely will hand us things we cannot handle.

But God can use even the bad things in this life to produce something good in us. Paul tells us that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope.

And ultimately, our hope is not in this life.

Here in this life, our days can seem long, but our years are short. We wait for answers, relief, healing, provision, and sometimes simply for something to change.

Eventually, the manna and quail came, relieving the Israelites’ hunger and their grumbling. But that was only temporary provision.

Ultimately, God was leading them somewhere.

And He is leading us somewhere, too.

Someday, the waiting will be over. The desert will be behind us. The manna will no longer be necessary.

Someday, we will live in the Promised Land.

God, Jesus and Who?

Snoop Dogg refers to Him as the “Gangsta’ Holy Ghost.” Recently, my morning quiet time has led me straight into a how-do-you-do with the Holy Spirit. Many different sources have all led me straight to Him, so I decided it was time to follow up on this.

After a little searching, I landed on a book by a guy named Tyler Staton called The Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality. This book was not at all what I was expecting. Namely, it didn’t make me feel guilty. In fact, it made me feel empowered!

I have been exposed to very little information about this third part of the Holy Trinity. Like Garth says, “I blame it all on my roots”—my Southern Baptist roots, that is. I always had it in my mind that getting to know the Holy Spirit would involve a more charismatic lifestyle. And Lord knows, I am not charismatic in any expression of that word. So, this excursion into the seemingly timid part of the Big Three has been eye-opening.

I guess I expected to be chastised for my ignorance of the Holy Spirit. But this book gave me a kind but authentic peek at the activity of the Holy Spirit already existing in my life. It explained many of my personally unexplained moments.

Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, I am thrilled at what the Holy Spirit has done through me in spite of my lack of recognition. I am so excited to look at each day in my life now, and I am learning to listen carefully for His “still, small voice” to lead me in His ministry.

If you are like me and are curious about the quieter part of the Trinity, I recommend pursuing it. Blessings on you all.

Susan

Diamond Cuts Diamond

I’m not sure the ability to simply hang in there is the best way to judge a great marriage. Tolerating each other for years out of habit doesn’t, in my eyes, qualify someone to give marriage advice. But whenever people hear that we’ve been married for 40 years, they inevitably ask, “What’s your secret?”, as if there’s a magic formula.

Truth be told, that question renders me speechless because I’m as surprised as anyone that I’ve completed a 40-year stint in marriage. Yes, there were people who predicted our marriage wouldn’t last. I now have the privilege of saying to them, “Hold my beer.”

But really, marriage isn’t the magical movie ending where two people ride off into the sunset holding hands as they grow old. Like any worthwhile endeavor that lasts a lifetime, parts of marriage hurt.

Marriage begins with a diamond ring. I’m convinced the deeper lesson is found in the stone, not the ring itself. Unlike the old wedding speech about the ring representing an unending circle, I think the diamond mounted on top tells the better story.

There’s a part of my life most people don’t know about. Believe it or not, I used to facet gemstones. That’s a long story for another day. To produce a beautiful faceted stone, you begin with an ugly rock. You search for one with the greatest potential and the fewest natural flaws. Then you place it on a faceting machine armed with abrasives harder than the stone itself.

Do you see where I’m going?

Step one is choosing the right rock. Among all the ugly rocks, you have to believe you’ve found the one with the greatest potential. That’s where falling in love comes into the story. And don’t fall in love with the hopelessly flawed rock. (Sorry if that isn’t very sentimental, but no one has ever accused me of being a sentimental girl.)

The faceting machine must be equipped with the proper grit. To create those light reflecting facets the hardness of grit must be equal. You can’t create a facet in a diamond with quartz. All participants must be equally invested and equally tough because the abrasive property has to be strong enough to knock off those raw edges. Your grit has to match the challenge. 

Then the grinding begins. The stone is turned at carefully measured angles as each facet is cut, all the while hoping some hidden flaw doesn’t suddenly appear and split it in two. 

At this stage, the stone still isn’t very impressive. It is still dull. It hasn’t been polished yet.

So how do you polish it?

Not with pampering creams, but with more sanding.

This time, however, the coarse grit is gone, leaving only friction.

That’s the part of marriage I compare to the daily rhythm of companionship. You can’t be polished into something beautiful if you aren’t together. The shared routines, ordinary days, hardships, laughter, disappointments, victories, and yes, even the occasional friction, are what create the shine. If you constantly go your separate ways in pursuit of individual adventures, you’ll never develop that brilliance. You have to stay together long enough for the warmth of companionship and even the heat of friction to do their work.

Eventually, that ugly rock becomes something breathtaking. You look at it with pride, fully aware of everything it took to reveal the beauty that was there all along.

So there it is; my secret to marriage.

Choose the right ugly rock.

Bring a similar amount of grit.

Encounter daily life together to generate enough friction to create the sparkle.

After all, diamonds are cut by something just as hard as they are.

Diamond cuts diamond.

Now excuse me while I go knock off a few rough edges. 

Let Him In Anyway

 A recent song by Blake Shelton tells the story of a man pleading with God to let his deceased friend into heaven anyway. I’m guessing the songwriter believed his friend didn’t always live up to his potential. As I read the comments people made about the song, I noticed that nine out of ten people seemed to wonder whether their loved ones had made the cut.

My initial reaction is to shake my head, but that response comes from the privilege of having a strong biblical foundation. Even so, I admit that I sometimes wonder whether my own loved ones will be in heaven when I get there. Still, I am amazed by how many people believe they must be good enough to earn their way into heaven. Books, movies, and television shows often reinforce this mistaken belief.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Verse after verse in Scripture tells us that salvation is a gift, not something to be earned. The Bible tells us that all our righteousness is like filthy rags before God. Let’s put it another way: all of Billy Graham’s righteousness was like filthy rags before God. Does that mean Billy Graham didn’t make it to heaven? Absolutely not. But it does mean that all the amazing things Dr. Graham accomplished on earth did not earn him a ticket to heaven. He is in heaven because of God’s grace, and I’m quite certain he would tell you the same thing.

God made it simple.

Believe God.

Believe that He is who He says He is.

Believe that even Billy Graham needed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to save him.

Believe that Christ’s sacrifice is enough for anyone who recognizes their need for forgiveness.

Jesus loves us even when we are belligerent, selfish, or cruel. He washed us with His own blood and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. Our choice is simple—believe or reject that gift. And only God truly knows our hearts.

Hear this:

God is loving and gave His Son for us. He is not looking for technicalities to keep people out of heaven.

How can you be sure?

Get to know Him.

Talk to Him.

Read about Him.

Learn His heart.

You will see.

And don’t forget the verse that follows the most famous verse in the Bible.

John 3:16-17 (NIV)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

If you lost a loved one who didn’t live up to the standard you believe is required to enter heaven, maybe it’s time to rethink your views on salvation—and on God. None of us could ever get in on our own merit. It is only through God’s grace, received by humble faith.

So, to answer Blake Shelton’s request: Of course He will let him in anyway—if his friend placed his faith in Christ. The good news of the gospel is that heaven is not reserved for people who are good enough. If it were, none of us would qualify. It is a gift of grace given to those who trust in Jesus.

We all have doubts and questions when a loved one passes away. We wonder if they believed. We replay conversations and wish we knew more. But perhaps those moments are a reminder to turn from faithless worry and choose faithful trust in Christ’s incredible rescue. Our hope is not in the goodness of the one who died, but in the goodness of the Savior who died for them.

Because of Jesus, we can rejoice that salvation is not earned—it is received. And all who call upon His name are welcomed home.

Psalm 130:1-4 NIV

Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I Now Realize

 In Acts 10:9-48, we read the story of how Peter came to realize that no group was to be excluded from God’s Kingdom. Through a series of visions from God, Peter comes to understand this new reality. 

Here are a couple of key verses from that story:

Acts 10:27-28 NIV

While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.”

Acts 10:34-35 NIV

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

“I now realize” is a pivotal phrase from Peter in the book of Acts. He had been a believer for years. He had witnessed miracles and performed them through the power of the Holy Spirit, yet he still carried a cultural hang-up about Gentiles.

God suddenly challenged a mindset that had been shaped by Peter’s upbringing as a Jewish boy. He had been taught what to eat and with whom to associate. Peter could not fathom a Christ follower who ate pork and wasn’t Jewish. It wasn’t that Peter was a bad man. His upbringing had simply taught him otherwise.

Peter had a lifetime of cultural conditioning. Because of his religious tradition and its interpretation of Scripture, he viewed some people groups as beyond the reach of God’s love. 

We read this story and wonder, How could Peter think any group of people were beyond God’s love after all he had experienced as an apostle of Jesus?