Encouraging Words for Today

When I was in my early 20’s I worked at a hospital in Auburn, NY as an orderly. The floor I was on was primarily for geriatric patients, many of whom were in the final stages of dementia. You could tell where you were on the floor by the noises coming out of each room. Each patient had their own routine, often shouting the same things day after day.

There was one woman I especially remember. Hour after hour, she yelled, “Help me! He-e-elp me!” Now, she was by no means neglected. We took very good care of her, keeping her clean and bathed, gently caring for all her physical needs, so it was somewhat of a mystery why she shouted this over and over.

One day as I was caring for her, I asked, “Why do you shout ‘Help me’ all day long?” I’ve never forgotten her response. Looking up at me, she whispered, “To break the silence.”

***

Loneliness is epidemic in our society, not just in nursing homes, but also in boardrooms, churches, and school playgrounds. Thousands, as Thoreau wrote, “live lives of quiet desperation”, longing for friendship, love, or just to be noticed, to have someone show they care.

When this need is not met, they either withdraw deeper into themselves or cry, “Help me!” to “break the silence.” Too often this cry for help is manifested in self-destructive ways, such as drug or alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviors, or suicide. The truly desperate may turn to violence, breaking the silence with the sound of gunfire, as we saw recently in Parkland, Florida.

***

Jesus came to this world to “break the silence”, to “proclaim good news to the poor…to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn…” (Isaiah 61). This is to be our work too. The One “who comforts us in all our troubles” tells us to “comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4.

We all are lonely at times. We all need the comforting touch of a friend, a voice of love to break the silence of our despair. In lifting each other’s burdens, our own burdens become easier to bear. Breaking the silence for another helps us to hear the voice of God for ourselves.

As you start another week, strive to listen to the world with God’s ears. Hear the cries of “Help me!” echoing in the silence and answer the call. Be a friend to the friendless, bring hope to the hopeless, and comfort to those who grieve. Let Christ’s love fill your heart and let Him use you today to “Break the Silence” in another person’s soul.

God bless and have a wonderful day!

“My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many.” [i]

With those humble words, Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, begins his Confessio. Born to wealth and privilege in Britain, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland at 16 years old.

After arriving in Ireland, Patrick tended sheep every day and it was there he found God. Describing this experience, he said, “I prayed frequently during the day. More and more the love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved.”[ii]

There in the fields, he saw his need. He said, “I recognised my failings. So I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God, and he looked down on my lowliness and had mercy on my youthful ignorance….He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son.”[iii]

Overwhelmed by God’s love and mercy, he declared “I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity.”

Escape to Britain

Patrick eventually escaped to his home in Britain, but he had been forever changed. Echoing the words of Paul in Philippians 1:21, he stated, “If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God…”[iv]

Christ had become Patrick’s all-in-all. He expressed his heart’s desire with these words, “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger…”[v]

The Call

Although back with his family in Britain, Patrick thought often of the people of Ireland. He longed for them to know the joy he had found. In a vision one night, he saw a man from Ireland who gave him a letter from the Irish people, begging him to “come and walk again among us.”[vi]

Filled with gratefulness for God’s mercy, Patrick eventually returned to the Emerald Isle and spent the rest of his life sharing the Good News of God’s love with the Irish people.

Speaking of his decision to return, he said, “This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.”[vii]

What about you?

What about you, my friend? Will you answer the call? Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good? Has He set you free from your captivity to sin? Can you say with the Apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”?[viii]

If so, then keep silent no longer, for all around the lost and lonely beg for you to, “come and walk again among us.” They long for the peace that only God can provide, the joy and hope only He can give.

Today, if you are grateful for God’s blessings in your life, then repay Him by sharing those blessings with the world. Bring “praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven….”

As you do this, I pray you will, like Patrick, feel Christ beside you, Christ before you, Christ behind you, and Christ within you, every step along the way.

God bless and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

[i] https://confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#01

[ii] ibid

[iii] ibid

[iv] http://www.azquotes.com/author/11389-Saint_Patrick

[v] Ibid.

[vi] https://confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#01

[vii] ibid

[viii] Philippians 1:21 NKJV

“Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’ ”?  Isaiah 40:27 NIV

Have you ever felt like this, like your “way is hidden from the Lord”, like your cause is disregarded by…God”? Does it feel sometimes like your prayers don’t get past the ceiling and God is deaf to your cries?

I felt this way a little in the last week, like there was a disconnect between me and God. I kept up my daily Bible study, but the words just didn’t seem to reach to my soul. I couldn’t find any words to write. I felt down for no apparent reason.

At times like these, it can be tempting to just throw in the towel and give up on God. When your study seems to lead nowhere,your prayers go unanswered, and your life is a mess, it makes you wonder if it’s worth all the effort.

We all have days like these, but James tells us when we “face trials of many kinds,” to “Consider it pure joy…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)

If our faith is never tested it will never grow. If God’s light always shines on our path we will never learn to walk with Him in the dark.

It is when we can’t see God’s face, when He seems so far away, that we must reach out by faith, grasp His hand and never let go. We must persevere and not give up, trusting He meant it when He said, ““Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Today, if you will put your “hope in the Lord”, grasp His hand by faith and never let go, He will make you “soar on wings like eagles…run and not grow weary…walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

At this moment your world may seem pretty dark. Right now God may feel so far away. But remember, as the old Family Reunion song says, “It’s the darkest just before dawn.”

A better day is on its way! “Never give up, keep holding on!”

I have to admit, when I was a child, calling the Sabbath “a delight” would have been a foreign concept to me. Back then most of what I heard about the Sabbath was from adults telling me to “keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day.” To a young boy this was not very appealing, especially the part about not doing as I please.

Thankfully, people’s understanding of the Sabbath has changed. These days, while still upholding the importance of keeping the Seventh Day holy, the emphasis is much more on finding delight in this special day of the week.

My own attitude has also matured. Since I’ve fallen in love with God, “I delight in God’s law…” (Romans 7:22). I’ve learned when I find delight in the Sabbath, the honoring part takes care of itself. I keep it holy, because it pleases the One I love and it’s a special time He’s asked me to spend with Him.

Date Time

Spending time with people we love is something we all enjoy. That’s why we look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. For me, I look forward to father-daughter dates with my daughter, Rishana. They are some of my favorite days of the year, because I love spending time with my girl. It would take wild horses to keep me away and even then they’d have a fight on their hands!

The Sabbath is the same kind of thing. It is a weekly date with my Heavenly Father, something I look forward to every week. On sundown Friday evening I put away all my troubles and cares, the worries and work of the week, and spend the next 24 hours enjoying His company and time with others who feel the same way. The Sabbath has become a delight to me, my favorite day of the week. It’s an appointment I never want to miss.

Your Turn!

How about you? Is the Sabbath a day of delight or dread? Or maybe you’ve never tried it. Either way, why not give it a try? Today, instead of your normal routine, take a day off to spend with Jesus and see what happens. You just might find it becomes your favorite day of the week too!

Yesterday morning broke bright and sunny. The air was crisp, yet there was a touch of spring in the air. Unfortunately, by afternoon the skies had clouded over, blocking the sun, and turning our valley a depressing gray. This morning we woke to snow.

On days like today, when the sun is hidden by clouds, do we lose faith it will show itself again? When it sets at the end of the day, do we doubt it will ever rise? In the darkness of night due we question the sun’s existence? Of course not!

Why then, when the troubles of life obscure our view, do we lose faith in God? Why, when the sun seems to have set on all our hopes and dreams, do we question if He cares? Why, when we stumble in the dark, do we doubt He exists?

Hebrews 10:38 says, “Now the just shall live by faith.”

True faith is not affected by circumstances, for “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).

Even the great heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11 “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them…Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (v. 13, 16)

Saving faith continues to believe even when troubles come, all seems hopeless, and God seems to have taken a vacation. Faith is a choice! That is why Job could say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15).

Even if we do not receive the fulfillment of God’s promises in this life, even if we rest in the grave, even if we spend our days wandering “in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth” (v. 38), we will choose to trust Him, for we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (v. 13). We know our God is faithful. His promises are true and even if they are not fulfilled on this earth, we shall receive them in “a better, that is, a heavenly country.” (v. 16)

Today may be dark and dreary, but just as I know the sun will reappear, I also know that, even in the winter of my life, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2). Until then I will “…walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthinans 5:7), trusting God to show me the way.

Won’t you walk with me today?

This morning, as I looked out the window, the moon was shining brightly over our valley, nearly turning night into day. Yet, the light I was seeing was not really from the moon, but the sun. The moon has no light of its own. It only reflects the light of the sun.

In the same way, our lives reflect what is in our hearts. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” If our hearts are filled hate and bitterness and guilt, then our lives will be like a black hole sucking the light from the lives of all we meet.

However, if we will invite Jesus into our lives, He will fill our hearts with His love. When that happens our lives will shine for Him, reflecting His love into the world and lighting the path for others to find their way home.

In Psalm 110:5 David prays, “Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!” David longed to reflect his Heavenly Father in all he did.

This morning, as the sun rises in the east, may this be your prayer also. May Jesus fill your heart so completely with His love today that everything you do reflects the Son. May every place you go be brightened by His love reflecting off you.

Today, let’s s brighten the world around us! Let’s reflect the Son!

Our daughter, Rishana, ran her 5th Hot Chocolate 15K yesterday! She runs and swims in several races each year, but she seems to especially like this one (could it have anything to do with all the chocolate waiting for her at the end? Hmm!).

We are incredibly proud of Rishana! She trains very hard for these races and puts her all into every one. Has she ever won? Not technically, but the truth is she wins every day she puts on her running shoes and hits the road. It doesn’t matter how far back she finished in this race. The important thing is she gave it her all.

We are all in a race, a race with a far sweeter prize than a cup of hot cocoa at the end. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

Rishana never would have finished those 15 kilometers if she hadn’t trained ahead of time. She had to watch what she ate, make sure she got enough rest, and, most importantly, get up off the couch each day and hit the road. Without the training she could have never claimed the prize.

The same is true in the race of life. True, salvation is a gift, for the Bible promises, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31), but there is still a work to do.

Just as Rishana cannot maintain her level of fitness without daily training and proper nutrition, so we cannot maintaining the saving relationship we have with Christ without daily time spent studying His Word, without spending time in prayer and fellowship with Him. There is no other way. If we want to win the prize we have to put in the time.

Rishana ran well yesterday. She deserves our praise, but her race is not over and neither is yours. A far greater prize is within your grasp, so run “…with purpose in every step.” Discipline your “…body like an athlete, training it do what it should.” (1 Cor. 9:26, 27).

Remember, you don’t have to run this race alone. If you will commit to spending daily time with Jesus He will be with you every step of the way. Don’t forget, He already ran the race and won. What better training partner could you have?

Our world is in its final days. The race is almost over!The finish line is in sight! Don’t stop now!

Run today! Run with Jesus! Run to win!

May 6, 1954 dawned wet and windy. As Roger Bannister looked over the track, he knew conditions were not ideal for what he was about to attempt. No one had ever run the mile in under 4 minutes. Some said it couldn’t be done. Yet that was just what Bannister was there to do.

Finally the wind died down and Bannister, with two friends running by his side, started off. Lap after lap sped by under his feet. His legs ached and his heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. At last, with a final desperate burst of speed, he crossed the finish line in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds, shattering the 4 minute barrier. Bannister had done the seemingly impossible!

Today, as the sporting world mourns the death of Roger Bannister at 88 years old, I want to ask you a question. What impossible challenge do you face today?

• Is it a habit you just can’t seem to break, a relationship which seems broken beyond repair, or a career move you’ve been afraid to make?
• When you step on the bathroom scales do the numbers mock you, telling you you’ll never lose that excess weight?
• When you walk into work each day does the door closing behind you feel like a cell door locking you into a life sentence in this job you hate?
• Are you struggling to break free from debt, start a business, find a purpose for your life?

Whatever the challenge you face today, don’t despair. No matter how seemingly impossible the task, remember this promise, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Roger Bannister did not have to run his race alone and neither do you. Jesus is with you. This race you are running may seem long, the challenge more than you can bear, but Christ is by your side every step of the way. Trust in Him and He will give you the strength you need to succeed.

Today, if God has put a dream in your heart or a challenge in your path, don’t listen to the voices who would tell you it can’t be done. God doesn’t know the meaning of the word “can’t”. He promises, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

So, tie up your shoes, stretch out your faith and get into the race! Don’t listen to the naysayers. Keep your eyes on the goal and let Jesus set the pace! Keep running and never forget – with God you can do anything!

This is my least favorite day of the year. I always dread March 3rd, because of the memories it brings.

36 years ago today my brother Eddie was killed in a car accident at 17 years old. Even after all these years my family still feels his absence, especially on those rare occasions we are all able to get together. Grief is a pain which never fully heals.

However; as much as I may dread March 3rd, it is also a day for celebration, because with each passing year we draw one step closer to seeing Eddie again.

You see, one of the joys of being a Christian is we know that, for those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, death is but a rest stop on the way to Heaven. There is a better day just over the horizon, “…for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth….” John 5:28 NKJV.

On that great day “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

As the glory of the Lord splits the sky, we, reunited with Eddie and all the others we have lost along the way, will together lift our voices in a mighty shout of victory, declaring, “O Death, where is your sting?O Grave, where is your victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55.

Never again will we have to say goodbye. Never again will grief tear at our souls for “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

Today our family remembers the joy Eddie brought to our lives. Today our hearts grieve from our loss. But today, and everyday till Jesus comes, we also rejoice. Someday very soon will see Eddie again, then together “…we shall always be the Lord.”

My friends, “…do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” Instead, rejoice! 

Death is not the end – a better day is on its way!

I saw Orion last night from 30,000 feet!

Seemingly just outside my window, The Great Hunter stalked majestically through the night sky. His sword by his side and club in his hand, he continued his eternal quest for prey.

Orion has always been one of my constellations. It is an easily recognizable constant in the southern sky and I always look for it first when I look at the stars. To see it from a different perspective as I flew over California was exciting.

As I considered this beautiful constellation and the other stars in their courses, I was reminded of David’s words in Psalm 8:3-4:

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?”

I was overwhelmed by the realization that the same God who set Orion and the Pleiades in the night sky directs my steps. Whether I am on a plane at 30,000 feet or walking the streets of Wenatchee, He leads me day-by-day, moment-by-moment. I am never out of His sight, never separated from His love. And neither, my friend, are you.

He has loves you with an everlasting love and holds you always in His hand. As surely as He guides the stars, He guides your life.

So don’t be afraid, do not despair, for “He who made the Pleiades and Orion…the Lord is His name!