Happy Memorial Day
I wanted to wish all my friends a happy holiday today. I hope everyone has a relaxing day with family and/or friends. I'm looking forward to spending the day with mine.
The last two weeks have been stressful. I've had a lot of anxiety. Some of it may be physical given my age (49). But I know the stress only intensifies that. I've gotten some much needed therapy and distraction the last couple of days by working on my patio and flower pots. We have a large patio that stretches across the back of the house with French doors in every room and many windows. The patio is a lot of work to keep clean. My mother-in-law was helping me yesterday and she said, "This patio is like another house." I agree. But on days like today, it's really worth the trouble.
All that to say, I've never planted so many flowers as since we bought this house. I have more than thirty pots of different shapes and sizes, plus a big, round flower bed filled with Vincas. If you'd ever told me that I would one day enjoy digging in the dirt, I would have laughed. But it has happened. I have procrastinated this year because I haven't been feeling very energetic and it's a big task. But as of this weekend I have all but nine small pots done. The patio and furniture are all spotlessly clean. I so enjoyed going out bright and early to water this morning. By the end of summer, I'm tired of the daily watering. But at this point in the season, it's a pleasure.
I also finished the last two chapters of "The Discipline of Grace" this weekend. These chapters are about the discipline of watching and the discipline of adversity. Many of you reading are feeling pain from a variety of sources. I have pain and stress in my life that I have not even discussed on my blog in addition to the stresses I have shared. Just prior to reading this last chapter yesterday, I was thinking about adversity in the lives of others who were heavy on my mind. The question I was struggling with was "Does God send tragedies?" Some people believe He does and others reject that notion. The author writes about that question and explains that the Bible teaches us that God, being our loving Father, disciplines us through hardship. He disciplines those He loves.
Consequently, we should realize that God's discipline, which comes to us in the form of adversity or hardship, is an indication of His loving care, not a token of His disfavor.
Bridges explains that the Bible warns us against "two opposite improper reactions to God's discipline. One is to make light of, or despise, the Lord's discipline; the other is to lose heart under it...[and] one way we do this is when we count His discipline of little value -- as something only to be endured rather than as something for our profit." He goes on to say:
We also despise God's discipline of adversity when we fail to see God's hand in the hardships we encounter. Instead of acknowledging them as from God, we tend to view adversities as chance occurrences, and again, as something to be endured and passed through as quickly as possible. We do not seek God's purpose in the discipline. Instead we focus entirely on finding a way of relief.
The Scriptures tell us, however, that adversities are not chance occurrences, that they, as well as our so-called blessings, all come from the hand of God. This truth is scattered throughout the Bible, but four Old Testament scriptures will help us see the Bible's teaching:
Consider what God has done:
Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)
Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? (Lamentations 3:37-38)
When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? (Amos 3:6)
Some Christians have difficulty with this truth and even deny it, because they cannot believe that a "God of love" is responsible for either the individual or public disasters that come to us. But the clear testimony of Scripture stands against all our protestations. So we need to recognize the hand of God in all the adversities we encounter and not make light of His discipline.
...So in times of adversity, do not despise it by refusing to acknowledge God's hand in it, and do not lose heart under it by failing to see His love in it.
Bridges writes, and I agree from my own life's experiences, that "all pain has a purpose in the mind of God" even if that purpose is often -- or usually -- hidden from us.
When we are unable to make any sense of our circumstances, we need to come back to the assurance in Hebrews 12:7: "God is treating you as sons." Remember, He is the one in charge of sanctification in our lives. He knows exactly what and how much adversity will develop more Christlikeness in us and He will not bring, nor allow to come into our lives, any more than is needful for His purpose.
We are told in Hebrews 12:10 that "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." In Romans 8:28 we have this assurance: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
All pain we experience is intended to move us closer to the goal of being holy as He is holy.
Knowing this does not remove the pain of suffering adversity, but it comforts my troubled heart when I anticipate events that I fear I cannot bear. I know deep in my heart that in everything God allows me to suffer, He is using it in some way for my ultimate good and His glory. Nothing that comes into my life is without purpose. As my pastor so frequently reminds our congregation: "God is faithful. We can trust Him."
Have a beautiful day today. Take a moment to remember the sacrifices so many have made and the hardships they have suffered for us to have beautiful days of freedom like today. In spite of whatever we are going through, we are some of the most blessed people on the planet.
The last two weeks have been stressful. I've had a lot of anxiety. Some of it may be physical given my age (49). But I know the stress only intensifies that. I've gotten some much needed therapy and distraction the last couple of days by working on my patio and flower pots. We have a large patio that stretches across the back of the house with French doors in every room and many windows. The patio is a lot of work to keep clean. My mother-in-law was helping me yesterday and she said, "This patio is like another house." I agree. But on days like today, it's really worth the trouble.
All that to say, I've never planted so many flowers as since we bought this house. I have more than thirty pots of different shapes and sizes, plus a big, round flower bed filled with Vincas. If you'd ever told me that I would one day enjoy digging in the dirt, I would have laughed. But it has happened. I have procrastinated this year because I haven't been feeling very energetic and it's a big task. But as of this weekend I have all but nine small pots done. The patio and furniture are all spotlessly clean. I so enjoyed going out bright and early to water this morning. By the end of summer, I'm tired of the daily watering. But at this point in the season, it's a pleasure.
I also finished the last two chapters of "The Discipline of Grace" this weekend. These chapters are about the discipline of watching and the discipline of adversity. Many of you reading are feeling pain from a variety of sources. I have pain and stress in my life that I have not even discussed on my blog in addition to the stresses I have shared. Just prior to reading this last chapter yesterday, I was thinking about adversity in the lives of others who were heavy on my mind. The question I was struggling with was "Does God send tragedies?" Some people believe He does and others reject that notion. The author writes about that question and explains that the Bible teaches us that God, being our loving Father, disciplines us through hardship. He disciplines those He loves.
Consequently, we should realize that God's discipline, which comes to us in the form of adversity or hardship, is an indication of His loving care, not a token of His disfavor.
Bridges explains that the Bible warns us against "two opposite improper reactions to God's discipline. One is to make light of, or despise, the Lord's discipline; the other is to lose heart under it...[and] one way we do this is when we count His discipline of little value -- as something only to be endured rather than as something for our profit." He goes on to say:
We also despise God's discipline of adversity when we fail to see God's hand in the hardships we encounter. Instead of acknowledging them as from God, we tend to view adversities as chance occurrences, and again, as something to be endured and passed through as quickly as possible. We do not seek God's purpose in the discipline. Instead we focus entirely on finding a way of relief.
The Scriptures tell us, however, that adversities are not chance occurrences, that they, as well as our so-called blessings, all come from the hand of God. This truth is scattered throughout the Bible, but four Old Testament scriptures will help us see the Bible's teaching:
Consider what God has done:
Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)
Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? (Lamentations 3:37-38)
When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? (Amos 3:6)
Some Christians have difficulty with this truth and even deny it, because they cannot believe that a "God of love" is responsible for either the individual or public disasters that come to us. But the clear testimony of Scripture stands against all our protestations. So we need to recognize the hand of God in all the adversities we encounter and not make light of His discipline.
...So in times of adversity, do not despise it by refusing to acknowledge God's hand in it, and do not lose heart under it by failing to see His love in it.
Bridges writes, and I agree from my own life's experiences, that "all pain has a purpose in the mind of God" even if that purpose is often -- or usually -- hidden from us.
When we are unable to make any sense of our circumstances, we need to come back to the assurance in Hebrews 12:7: "God is treating you as sons." Remember, He is the one in charge of sanctification in our lives. He knows exactly what and how much adversity will develop more Christlikeness in us and He will not bring, nor allow to come into our lives, any more than is needful for His purpose.
We are told in Hebrews 12:10 that "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." In Romans 8:28 we have this assurance: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
All pain we experience is intended to move us closer to the goal of being holy as He is holy.
Knowing this does not remove the pain of suffering adversity, but it comforts my troubled heart when I anticipate events that I fear I cannot bear. I know deep in my heart that in everything God allows me to suffer, He is using it in some way for my ultimate good and His glory. Nothing that comes into my life is without purpose. As my pastor so frequently reminds our congregation: "God is faithful. We can trust Him."
Have a beautiful day today. Take a moment to remember the sacrifices so many have made and the hardships they have suffered for us to have beautiful days of freedom like today. In spite of whatever we are going through, we are some of the most blessed people on the planet.
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