STABILITY

…he will be the stability of your times…  Isaiah 33:6  ( ESV)

When we were children, Papa decided it was time to find a larger house for his growing family.  We settled in a beautiful new home, and Papa’s diligent gardening made our lawn the envy of the neighborhood.  It wasn’t long, however, when hairline cracks began to appear in the walls of our dream house, and Papa announced that we’d be moving again.

This time Papa didn’t trust a ready-built house for his family.  Not at all.  He and Momo found a one-acre lot in a suburban neighborhood, and Papa and a friend built our forever home from the ground up.  When it came time to put in the landscaping, it was clear why Papa had chosen this particular neighborhood:  under the few inches of topsoil, there was solid rock.  The house is still standing, and when last I was inside, there still wasn’t a crack.

2020 was a year none of us will forget.  Perhaps, with me, you celebrated New Year’s Day with anticipation of a better year—a new vaccine for the dreaded Covid and the opportunity for our country to return to work and to life as we know it.  Perhaps we might even look forward to planning a family trip or a reunion with loved ones we haven’t seen since shut down.

Just barely into January we saw that relief would not be coming soon.  From any quarter around us.  UNLESS we look to the Rock.  Isaiah (51:1-3) from of old exhorts us to:

 ” Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD:  Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn…  For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.”

The foundation of our lives, the Rock on which we are built is the only stability that will see us through these stormy times.   And he is sufficient.  He IS the stability of our times; he will not be shaken; he will not be broken; he will not disappear.  Anchored to him, we can weather the tempests, and when they are over, we will still be standing.

              My hope is built on nothing less
              Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
              I dare not trust the sweetest frame
              But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

              On Christ the solid rock I stand
              All other ground is sinking sand
              All other ground is sinking sand.  (Robert Critchley)

Father, save us from ourselves and the false notion of self-reliance.  We stand in you.  In Jesus, our Lord.  AMEN.

STRENGTH

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

I’ve just returned from a mission trip on which the youngest member was looking forward to his seventieth birthday; the oldest was nearing seventy-seven; and all others were somewhere in between. Sounds like a herd of dinosaurs. And the assignments with which we were tasked all included hard manual labor: hauling trash, digging drainage ditches, installing an irrigation system, digging large holes for planting trees and berry bushes. I didn’t mention that all but two were retired professionals who had spent their working lives sitting at a desk or conferring or researching.
I’ll confess that every evening I prayed for strength to continue the next day and for no one to be injured. One of our team members had arrived with a compression bandage on his knee in preparation for surgery; another had his right arm in a sling; a third had a “trigger” finger. You get the idea. A motley crew. And yet, all our tasks were completed; no one was sidelined; and there were no injuries.
On the final night prior to departure, one of our teammates confessed that at the end of the first day he thought he would have to ask me if he could return home because of his weariness and strain. And then he prayed for strength for one more day. At the end of that day, he thought for sure he’d have to leave, but he prayed for strength—for one more day. And he made it. All through the week he prayed, and he found that at the end of the mission, he was stronger than ever.
God promises us, “as thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25). I believe this promise can apply not only to our physical needs but also to our spiritual, emotional, and mental needs. Have you sometimes needed strength to persevere or to address a difficult person? We’re told, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13); “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” (Isa. 41:10); and one of my favorites, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:31).
With these and so many more precious promises, there’s no need for us to lag or fear when he’s already given us everything we need to do his will.

 

Father, we acknowledge you as the source of energy, inspiration, and strength. Let your will be done through these weak vessels. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

JOY

…the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Every morning of the year, my little next door neighbor burst out of his house with unrestrained singing. I came to look forward to a serenade each day as Ben made his way through the garden to school or to play or to the day’s activity. Throughout the years, Ben’s singing matured and blessed me until he decided to grow up, go to university, and finally marry. And he also went into ministry, no surprise.
The people of Judah who had experienced long years in exile finally returned to their homeland (as God had promised) and settled in to reclaim their heritage. Nehemiah led them in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall that had been destroyed by the Babylonian invaders. Many families and tradesmen committed to restoring a section of the wall, and as they all united, the wall and doors were all put back in place.
It was time for celebration. But first, Ezra the priest brought out the Law of Moses, which had been neglected for many years. He read aloud to the people from daybreak until noon, and as the people understood the words, they began to weep. Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra halted their mourning with, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep” (8:9). These wise leaders knew that grief would suck the victory from the long weeks of effort the people had faithfully put into rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Instead, Nehemiah instructed them to bring out the party food, to send treats to those who had nothing prepared. They were not to grieve, for “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (8:10). Scripture records that the people celebrated with “great joy.” In fact, their celebration had not been as intense since the days of Joshua. As the Word settled into their hearts, Ezra was able to continue his teaching (and reading), and the people heard the words and rejoiced.
Think of what a little joy could do in our lives. God’s joy (based on our righteousness in him) brings great freedom and empowers us to live, celebrating his Kingdom at work in and through us. Let’s practice “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among [ourselves], and making music to the Lord in [our] hearts” (Eph. 5:19). Bring out the joy. It might even help to restore some of the brokenness in our own lives.

 

Sweet Father, thank you for your joy that is not based on happenings but on your realities. Stir up a song within us all. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.