Several months ago, I was called in to work unexpectedly for a looming hurricane and had to miss Sunday church services at Bold City Church. Luckily, as our Serve Team Coordinator, I was able to swing by to say hello to our teams and help out during our tear down after the 11am service. Just one of the many perks of being a mobile church! During that time, I was talking with Pastor Jason and his young son Liam had wandered off just a short distance away to check out a large rain puddle. Pastor Jason kept saying "Don't do it, Liam,” while Liam looked back at him with a look any of us parents recognize. He was away from his father and the temptation was too great. Liam proceeded to jump right into that puddle and stomp and dance all around in it. 

I jokingly said, "Well that is a perfect analogy of our relationship with our Father, isn't it?" We can be led to ignore God's will and do what we want to do, usually bringing us immediate pleasure and satisfaction. That's the human, sinful nature in us, right? But I also sensed there was more to the story as God brought this analogy to mind. 

Soon, Liam left his puddle and was off to demolish another one when all of a sudden, he slipped and belly-flopped right into the second puddle. Like any toddler, he began to cry for help. He laid in his puddle sobbing and wet, not knowing just what to do. Pastor Jason walked over and lifted him up to comfort him and let him know that he was going to be okay. 

That is a beautiful picture of what our Father does for us as well. God's love and grace is there for us in the middle of our mess, despite our disobedience. How often we find ourselves soaked in our sin and mistakes, and our Father picks us up right where we are and comforts us, showering us with love and grace. 

We don't have to remain in our puddles nor do we have to keep returning to them. We simply have to listen and heed our Father's voice when He speaks to us. It is important to note that I couldn’t hear exactly what Pastor Jason was saying to his son in his moment of need. See, God speaks to each of us in the same way. His voice is found in the whisper, not the shout. That’s why we have to stay close to Him and in His Word! I encourage you to get in your secret place, in the Bible and prayer, every morning and seek His voice and His will for your life. When the Holy Spirit leads us, we can dance and flourish in the rain and maybe even avoid a few of the puddles that life throws our way.

Getting Up After a Season of Mourning

(Check out “Part 1 - A Season of Mourning” before you read this post.)

Last week, I talked all about allowing yourself to mourn your loss. Now, I want to talk about how to get back up after loss. By “getting up,” I mean simply picking your emotional (and sometimes physical) self up and getting back to the Father's business after grief. If you read part 1 last week, you know that loss is inevitable. Mourning and weeping are not a problem, there is a time and a season, though. So what does getting up from a season of mourning look like? 

Getting up from repentance.

Accept the Lord’s forgiveness and forgive yourself for the wrongs you have committed. Don’t allow unforgiveness of self to stifle what God wants to do through you.

• David did not forever live in the anguish of his sin. He repented to the Father and then got back to the Father’s business. In Psalm 51 he prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.” He not only asked for forgiveness but asked for joy and declared that he would teach others.

• After Peter denied Christ, we see in John 21:15-17 that Jesus reinstated him. Jesus shows us here that not only did he forgive Peter but he told Peter to get back to the Father’s business.

Getting up from the mourning of a loss.

Allow God to heal the brokenness from loss (loss of a loved one, a dream, a possession). Don’t allow the sorrows of life to keep you down and out from what God has for you. 

• 2 Samuel 12:20-25 “Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.”

4 Things that come with getting up:

1. Peace

In our own strength it is difficult to go on when faced with the sorrows of life. But when we go to God, He brings peace. After David mourned, repented, and got back up God gave him Solomon (seen in 2 Samuel 12). Solomon’s name means “peace.” 

• 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

• Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

• John 16 Jesus tells his disciples that they will weep and mourn, they will have grief, but their grieving will turn to joy, a joy that no one can take away. In verse 33 he says “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

2. Blessings

The Lord gave Solomon the name “Jedidiah.” Jedidiah means “blessing.” 
Luke 6:21 says “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

3. Miracles

John 11:35-44 shows us that Lazarus was raised after Jesus got up from weeping. Jesus felt the weight of losing a friend and once we got up from mourning a miracle came.

4. Ministry (the Father’s business)

Ministry is feeding and taking care of the sheep. As we read earlier, in John 21 when Jesus reinstated Peter he told him to feed and take care of His sheep.

5. Salvation

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead John 11:45 says “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” 

No matter what your processing looks like there will be a time to mourn and a time to dance. 

By “getting up” I mean cleaning yourself up and getting back to the Father's business. This does not mean that you now have no attachment to that which you have lost. It means you have allowed the incomprehensible peace of our God to overcome you. 

Other scripture on peace: 1 Peter 5:6-7, Philippians 4:6-7, John 16:33

“Let it work for you.” This was a phrase I heard often from the director of the women’s and children’s ministry that I served at during my internship in bible college. I was a twenty-something with a big heart to serve God combined with a truckload of attitude that had yet to be dealt with. I was working in a ministry whose purpose was to help women who had been caught in the grips of life-controlling behaviors and substance addiction be set free, so they could begin to walk in freedom and be able to be the women God had called them to be. Much of the teaching and training was on heart issues - like pride, envy, jealousy, deceit, anger, rebellion, etc. that lay at the root of their life-controlling problems. 

Our director was a straight shooter. She had a strong Jersey accent and didn’t have time for nonsense. She knew the power that the truth of God’s word held, and she wanted to see it activated in the lives of the women she served and led. She didn’t sugarcoat much and could see through excuses that the ladies made for not making important changes. Newsflash: she was consistent and would shoot straight to the staff and interns as well. Let’s face it, we all have issues and hurts that need to be healed. Some of us, more visible than others, but all of us need healing. I was also a straight shooter, but much of my shooting was through an undisciplined mouth who always had an opinion about everything. (I know, I’m still a work in progress.)

I struggled with God often and the environment of structured rules (because many of these women needed structure) caused my rebellious heart to want to speak out on every issue. I didn’t always use my words, but in my heart I would rage against ‘dumb rules’ and processes that didn’t make sense, seemed outdated, or I thought were irrelevant. I didn’t fully embrace the reality that God was using this time to expose the issues in my own heart. 

In almost every interaction I had with our director, whether it was one-on-one or in a group setting she would say things like: “that’s just your pride,” or “let it work for you” or “it only hurts because your flesh doesn’t want to die.”  I would get so irritated by the trite phrases that felt minimizing to the significant issues my heart would raise. Didn’t she care that changing your life hurt? Where was her compassion for my concerns? 

Hit Fast Forward

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT

I’m now in my forties and if you’d have told me even two years ago that my life would look like it does now, I would laugh at you and say, “NOT A CHANCE!” Nothing in the last several years has turned out like I had planned. My path hasn’t been anything I predicted, and I’m currently doing things I said I would never do. Sure, I could blame it on a global pandemic, if I believed that what we see is all there is, but I believe that God is working something much deeper in my heart. I would guess you believe that as well. 

I have heard the phrase “Paula, let it work for you,” in a thick Jersey accent echo in my heart more times than I can count these last few months. I know that Holy Spirit has brought it back to remembrance because He is reminding me of a truth and promise that He is working all things (even the stuff I hate, would never choose on a normal day, and the disappointments) together for my good.  Good rarely feels good, but it is beneficial. 

I looked up the word “beneficial” and this is what I found: favorable or advantageous; resulting in good.

Resulting in good….meaning the starting point may not be good. The middle may not feel good. However, the end result will be good. This reminds me that we’re in a process of growth. Whether we are starting something new, navigating challenges or needed changes, transitioning from something or facing what seems insurmountable, we can be sure of this: it is working for our good. 

So what is our response? Let it work for you. What seems like it’s working against you, what feels wrong because it hurts, the season you’re in that you hate, LET IT WORK FOR YOU. Ask God what it is that He is trying to remove, resurrect, or begin in you that feels like it is against you. Reaffirm your confidence in Him that He is for you, and then, let Him do his work in you. Embrace it. Trust His process. Let him root out the things in your heart that need to go to make more room for Him.

It’s going to be good. You can trust Him. If nothing else, You will gain more of Him which is the goal anyway. So hear me, in a thick Jersey accent say to your heart, “Friend, let it work for you.”

Who else loves road trips? I mean really loves a good, adventurous vacation? I do!

Honestly, it really doesn’t matter to me if I’m headed to a place just two hours from home or setting off on an adventure for ten hours or more, just the thought of getting in a loaded down vehicle with those I love most makes me smile! It gets me excited just thinking about the adventures that await us as we gear up and head out. 

Will we possibly try a new route? Maybe we will miss our exit and discover something new! I know that probably drives some of you crazy, but I love the sense of adventure it brings. Or maybe we’ll be taking the same route as we have many times before and the trip will be a chance to relax as we head to our destination. This time, I might even stop at a new cafe or, my personal favorite, discover a new coffee shop that turns out to be incredible! (I discovered the most delicious cinnamon hazelnut latte you’ll ever have the pleasure of tasting in Beaufort, South Carolina once...but that’s a story for another time.) 

Whether it’s my annual trip up to the Smoky Mountains or just a few days right on the beach a little closer to home, I’m all about the journey. You see, it’s the actual process that gets me to my destination that I love. Don’t get me wrong, we need to get to our destination - without it, we will lose our focus! But, I think more often life is about the journey. 

 “Life is a journey, not a destination.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson 

While our destination is important and the goal of where we are headed, we should remember that joy is found in the journey...breathe in the journey! 

You’ve probably read all the bumper stickers and heard all the quotes...but still it remains true - life itself is a journey. It will be full of encounters, twists and unexpected turns in the road. We’ll face hills and valleys and we may even trip and fall along the way. After all, rarely is this journey called life “easy.” At some points, we may even find our faith challenged. In times like this, there is a verse I’ve often turned to in 1 Peter in The Message translation: 

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG 

There is a destination in front of us that is beyond our imagination, that is truly indescribable! But until then, I choose to enjoy this life journey with God. I’ll travel along wherever He leads me, overshadowed by His presence, following his lead, knowing it’s never perfect by any means, but that He establishes my steps. I think back on life and I like to think this path I’ve walked with Him for so many years, this journey I’ve been on, has reaped a bit of a harvest along the way. I’m grateful for all He has led me through and what He will lead me to! 

I think of all the sweet memories I’ve made while on journeys: Maybe we were being silly singing along with whatever is playing on the “Oldies'' station or eating way too many snacks in the car. I think back on the time we were at a rest stop and I met someone new and started chatting about where they were headed as I found out that we have common interests and created an unlikely friendship. (I’m laughing even now as I think about the look on my sister’s face! She is truly embarrassed that I will stop and chat with just about anyone.) I love thinking back on all the wonderful friends and family members that have joined me on so many adventures! Oh what crazy and wonderful times I’ve had. 

When we recognize that our lives are not just a literal journey, but a spiritual one we all must go on, we can see the places God has given us to have influence. When we sow seed into the lives we have influence over on this journey, including those we love and those that we come across along the way, we have an opportunity to share the gospel. In your journey, don’t forget the destination and remember at every stop to be a light that reflects the good and loving Father who set you on your path. And if you think your journey is over, find hope in knowing that the Father can do abundantly more than anything we could ask, think or imagine! Perhaps He’s not finished with you and your journey has only just begun. 

Recommended listening:  “Hills and Valleys” by Tauren Wells 

“So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature. Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the Anointed One living his life in us. And we are free to live, not according to our flesh, but by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit!”
Romans 8:1-4 TPT 

Your repentance is valid. 

Have you ever felt a condemning voice coming against you in your life? Maybe it was the last time you lost your temper with your kids, got into a fight with your spouse, broke a promise to yourself or someone else, or went back once again to that same old vice you thought you’d finally given up. 

Your repentance is valid. 

You see, to repent is a sincere sign of remorse. But, it’s also so much more than that. It means to walk away from, to turn, to change direction completely. When you become a Christian, this repentance is validated through the life and death of Christ Jesus. When we ask for forgiveness, it is immediately extended to us by our Father in Heaven. Forgiveness from the Father moves faster than the speed of light. It’s why He’s so insistent that we be forgiving, too. 

But, even after we repent and forgiveness is fully given, we still feel...well, bad. Why is that? What is that feeling that makes us feel yet still distant from God if it’s true that He’s already forgiven us the second we thought about true repentance? We feel separated. 

Therein lies our great cosmic conundrum; the mystery of the human condition. Sin separates us from God in His holiness and Satan uses the tool of shame to drive home the point of our ineptitude and all our failures. As the enemy of our souls, he wants us to be in league with him, separated from our Heavenly Father. Luckily, God knew this is where we would find ourselves, so He left us a few reminders just in case (undoubtedly when) we forget. 

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 NLT

Maybe it’s because I’ve always had a penchant for justice (somewhere my Mom has a photo of me on career day in Pre-K in which all the other kids were teachers, firefighters…ya’ know, great, normal jobs for a toddler to be thinking about; I was dressed up like Sandra Day O’Conner) but this verse gives me a vision of Satan and his demons like a team of attorneys with the worst losing record in history. It’s as if they spend all their time in the court of heavenly appeals, to no avail.

You see, against me, God’s child, the CASE IS CLOSED. The second you and I decided to live a life of repentance, we won. It’s like the best plea deal in the universe. As soon as we can come to the end of ourselves and realize our helpless spiritual nature without God, we can admit guilt and walk into unfettered freedom, never looking back. The thing that’s trying to condemn and shame us might as well have never happened. The record of our guilt has been expunged, wiped clean, utterly forgotten. 

The enemy has no standing. His grounds for continuation are unsubstantiated. His objections are overruled. Whatever motion to proceed he might consider filing next already has the stamp of denial on it...because JESUS. 

Best of all, God remembers this. We are the ones who forget who we are and what we’ve won in Christ Jesus. Maybe we’re more like the sheep Jesus often compared us to in Scripture than we realize - forgetful creatures that need a shepherd to guide them to safety, community, and shelter. (John 10:11-15, Matthew 18:12-14) 

I see a picture of Jesus, our Great Shepherd, telling us to turn around, repent, decide to turn the other direction from the sin that seeks to bind us. He’s warning us off, “Don’t walk back into the courtroom, child. I’ve already shown up in your place. You don’t even have to show your face here.” 

Don’t give Satan the dignity of condemning yourself when the priceless, precious, holy blood of Jesus has already covered your conviction. The sentence has been served. 

The tool of the enemy is to tempt you into sin, not to stop there, but to shame you. The very second the act is done - as soon as the fit of rage is over, right after you send the text or close your web browser, the moment the words you would give anything to take back escape your lips - he sends in the demonic forces of shame. 

“I can’t believe you did that. Who says that? What kind of ‘Christian’ are you anyway? Do you even love God? What would the people at your church say if they saw you right now? Best to not even go back. Just. Give. Up.” 

It’s a shame lie. And he does this all the time. Same story, different day. Same tool, different tactics. This lie is meant to trap you in a pattern of sin and self-loathing. But, all the while, Jesus is reminding us, with love in His eyes, that the price has been paid. Simply ask and your repentance validates your acceptance. You are free to go, child. 

As I see this picture more clearly in my mind, I envision the God of Heaven and Earth standing up from His Heavenly judge’s seat in His celestial courts turning to leave because the evidence is clear, as Satan frantically screams “Just one more thing!” But, Jesus steps between them as He joins His Heavenly Father, walking away our Victor, having won the case again. Satan is thrown out of the court and back into the bellows of hell for his contempt, where you and I will not be joining him. Case closed. 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2

---

I recently came across a video clip from a well-known, widely popular news source and in the closing of this particular segment I was watching, the anchor ended with this statement;

“If you believe in one another, and if you do the right thing for yourself and your community, things will get better in this country. You don’t need help from above. It’s within us.”

As I listened to his words, I felt a pang in my chest. Seeing and hearing a statement like this broadcasting through the airwaves in our country gave such a clear representation of the cultural climate we’re living in. As I thought more about it, I realized his soundbite brought to light two things that didn’t sit well within me:

• The blatant disregard of our need for God. 

  As this particular anchor said, “We don’t need help from above,” and proceeded to point upwards, my initial thought was the scripture above from Psalm 121. As Christ-followers, we not only recognize our deep and desperate need for God, but we also place our trust in Him wholeheartedly. We depend on Him in every sense of our being. Our help actually does come from above. Not only is calling on God through prayer the lifeline of the believer, but it is blasphemy to suggest that there is any other reality. 

“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” 
Matthew 12:32-33

The problem is, this wasn’t just a singular statement from one person’s paradigm. More and more, this is the perspective of a vast population all around the world. One of the greatest lies the enemy tries to convince us of is that we can do this alone, that we are somehow self-sufficient apart from God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and provision. 

Droves of people have believed the lie that they can get through this life in their own strength and abilities and because of that, sacrificed the blessing of walking in all that God has for them. Instead of living “more-than” lives, they settle for “just enough.” But, because they don’t have an existing relationship with Jesus, many of them don’t recognize the void deep within them that only He can fill. Instead, they attempt to fill that void with anything and everything that makes them happy. 

Isn’t happiness the goal? To do what makes you, as an individual, happy and fulfilled? It doesn’t actually matter how you go about accomplishing that as long as “you do you” and follow your heart, right? That’s the second part of the lie the enemy whispers in our ear. He inundates us with messages of self-love as the pathway to true and lasting happiness. Satan suggests this is the way to “find yourself” and never have to make apologies along the way. But, that message is contrary to the one that Scripture teaches us.

Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” This means that all of those selfish desires and ambitions are to be denied if they don’t edify and honor and serve Him. 

We have to be so aware of our complete and utter dependence on Jesus that everything we say and do reflects that. Even when everything we read and watch tells us otherwise, we have a responsibility to call out what is false even if it’s popular because what is popular isn’t always what’s true. 

• The thought that we alone can be the difference.

There is a belief that it is “within us,” as the broadcaster claimed in this anchor tag. You know what is actually in us? Deceitful hearts. Sinful nature. Selfish motives. None of which would bring us any closer to peace if given the chance in our own abilities. We see the chaos of the world currently all because people want to solve issues that are much bigger than themselves by themselves. It doesn’t work. 

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” 
Jeremiah 17:9

What people sometimes miss is that we are all sinners who have fallen short and who have to turn from sin daily. There is no good in us outside of God. You never arrive to a coveted level of sinlessness where you can do no wrong and the entire purpose of your existence is to serve yourself. The world preaches that you are what matters most and therefore you can do it all, have it all and be it all and you don’t need anyone else to do it. As Christians, we know that to be completely untrue and, truth be told, entirely unappealing. I don’t want to do anything apart from God. I know that when the hard times come and the darkness is suffocating, He is the one who will equip me for battle because there is no good in me. 

“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
Romans 7:18

I don't’ know where you are in life right now. I don’t know what your relationship with Jesus looks like. I don’t know if you’ve fully embraced your need for Him. What I do know is that the promises of God are “yes and amen” and that the countenance of God is unchanging. 

He is for you. 

He is with you.

He is your protector.

He is your refuge.

He is your strength.

He is your peace.

He is your friend.

He is the lover of your soul. 

He knows exactly what you need when you need it and He is faithful. He has covered your past, protects your present, and has more than enough grace waiting in your future if you’ll choose Him. 

If there’s one thing I have learned in ministry that I empathize and relate to the most...it’s that a lot of us are walking around with father wounds. Not a week goes by in my role as a Connections Pastor that I don’t have a conversation with someone about depression, anxiety, relationship issues, substance abuse and more roadblocks, especially around the holidays! I’ve often found that the culprit is an unresolved and deep hurt or a complete lack of relationship with their earthly father. That lingering hurt can manifest itself in so many different ways. But, at the root of all of it, we all crave a father that loves us unconditionally. We were created to want a father to tell us he’s proud of us and to accept us even with all of our faults and shortcomings.

I can speak to this because I’m a product of divorce. My parents broke up when I was two years old, so I never was able to see a mom and dad in a loving, healthy marriage (that’s another blog for another day). I went to ten different schools, yes ten, growing up. My mom mostly raised me and my younger brother and we would see my dad about every other weekend. He was a good father, for the most part. He never abused us and was physically around most of the time. 

That’s important to note because most of us understand the ills and trauma that come from having an abusive or absent father. But, I read a book on parenting once that introduced me to a third option, “Anonymous,” and it completely shifted my thinking. While my father wasn’t abusive or absent, he was definitely anonymous. One definition of anonymous is “lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction.” My dad was there physically, but he was never there emotionally. He never said things like “I love you” or “I’m proud of you.” He never showed me how to treat a woman one day. He was truly an anonymous father. Through the years, I have learned I am not alone in having an emotionally absent dad. Many of us have grown up with these types of fathers and experienced this hurt. 

If that’s you, I have good news to share! Whether you grew up with an abusive, absent, anonymous parent or even if you had none of those and your dad was amazing, we all have access to a Heavenly Father that loves us beyond what we can fathom.

William Paul Young, the author of The Shack (amazing book on forgiveness by the way, yet another blog for another day) said the following: “My relationship, for example, with my father -- very difficult, and very painful. It took me 50 years to wipe the face of my father off of the face of God.” 

How many of us continue to do that today? We take our relationship with our father, whether good or bad, and we place his character onto the character of God. But, our earthly fathers, even the great ones, pale in comparison to our Heavenly Father. In fact, you can’t even compare them at all. The Bible says we are all evil compared to God! Jesus gave us a glimpse of this in Matthew Chapter 7. 

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

The Bible records two times where God speaks directly to Jesus in an audible voice. The first time is in Matthew 3:16-17. God says, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The second instance is recorded in Matthew 17:5 when Jesus took Peter, James and John to a mountain to speak to God. This time God says, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Sound familiar? God says the exact same thing in two entirely different instances. I personally believe that these weren’t the only two times God said this to Jesus. I believe this is something He would say over and over, because that’s the kind of Father He is. He’s the kind of Father that will constantly give us these three things; acceptance (you’re my son/daughter), adoration (whom I love) and affirmation (I’m well pleased with you). 

So whether your dad was always there for you physically and emotionally, you had an absent father (which sadly applies to 1 in 4 children in our country right now), an abusive father, or anonymous father, know this: You have a Heavenly Father that loves you more than you can ever imagine. He wants to take all your pain and hurt and heal you completely. Why? So that you walk in freedom and purpose. So that you can find other hurting brothers and sisters and lead them to the only Father that can truly give us what our heart longs for.

Here’s a worship song to help you enter into God’s presence today and lean on Him to be your Heavenly Father: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHQOcUizZuQ

The first thing you must know is that I was a tried and true church kid growing up. Like if you click the hashtag #churchkidz, my face would probably pop up. During that time in my childhood, I was involved in something called RA’s (Royal Ambassadors) and we would have periodic track and field days and other outdoor activities. My favorite part of all this was race day. You see, I was prepared for race day. I was excited for race day. I had all the gear: shoes, sweat bands, running shorts, everything you need! And I thought I was truly ready. Come to find out, I wasn’t even prepared.

We got to the starting line. As the whistle blew, I took off running! But, about halfway through the race, I started to get a cramp and I didn’t get to finish. Anti-climatic story, I know. But, it taught me something. One thing I can tell you for sure that no one celebrates is not finishing something you started. No one is happy to leave a story untold, a goal unaccomplished. 

You might not be stretching your hamstrings for your next track and field day, but we’re all in a race of some kind! Everyone’s race is set at a different pace. Some of us are lazy and some of us are unaware of the goal and purpose of our lives. Some of us are even busy running the wrong race. All the while, the world around us is also racing - trying to see how fast and how much they can accumulate and gather up for themselves. 

It’s important to know your lane as a believer and run the race that is marked out for you!

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 
Colossians 4:2 NIV 

For example, let’s look at the apostle Paul’s race. Paul (then Saul) was busy killing Christians until Jesus saved him and then he went everywhere telling people this good news of Jesus. He faced extreme difficulties as a result of that. Even still, he often cautioned believers to remind themselves, as he did, of what Christ Jesus saved them from. 

“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” 
Acts 20:20-24 NIV

Good news is not good news because someone else told me about it...it’s good news because it changed me! Paul knew he was graced to run his race. And you are graced to run yours! 

How was he able to do this? Paul stayed thankful. He was committed to finishing his race with a spirit of gratitude and thanks. 

I don’t know your circumstances. But, I do know it can be hard to keep a posture of a grateful and thankful heart when life’s difficulties come calling. Here’s a few ways you can make sure you finish it thankful this year like Paul. 

1. Keep perspective (never get over being saved) 

If you want to remain thankful heading into the end of 2020, remind yourself what He saved you from. I was saved at a young age, but I still got the revelation that God could save me from what I haven’t even gotten to yet! 

You see, God is the Author and Finisher. This means that God has written the course of your life. Now you have a choice to stay on that course or run away from it. And yet, God is so good that He can redeem our bad choices that derail us and put us right back on course. He even knows where the finish line is.

The amazing part of all this is that God also doesn’t choose to run our race for us! In fact, Jesus came and ran His own race that we all should have had to run. But He did it instead so that we could be graced to race in our own lane for his glory. Your race is unique. It’s not about finishing first. It’s about finishing well. One way to do that, is to finish it thankful. 

Jesus said the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 

 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” 
Matthew 20:16 NLT 

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 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. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT

2. Know that it’s not trying...it’s training. 

Thankfulness isn’t something we just come by naturally, unfortunately. You don’t TRY it and have it, you TRAIN for it and express it.

Our training is different in the spiritual realm than athletes in the natural. Our training is not duty, but devotion. But, devotion does not come without discipline. Don’t abandon (quit) the race, because you won’t be thankful!

3. Get the right people in your life.

I’m not running a lot of footraces anymore like I did as a kid, but my friends know that I am an avid cyclist. If you’re passionate about the sport like I am, you know that there is a significant difference between cycling alone and cycling as a group. This is because of the concept of drafting.

Drafting is when a group of riders of three or more will ride in a single file line. The farther back you are, the easier it is to ride because you’re relying on the team in front of you to take the brunt of the wind working against you. Also, copying the rhythm of another rider’s pedal helps you to stay in cadence and in step as a team.

It’s crucial when riding together that everyone does their part and the benefit of thinking as a team and supporting one another can’t be overstated. But, when you get out of pace with the rest of the group, it not only slows you down, but it impacts the rest of the group as well. Now, everyone has to work harder. You need a team.

Trust me, when you’re about eighty miles into a bike race and you’re all alone, you’ll probably want to quit. You’ll question your endurance and start to feel like you’re in the wrong place. But, if you have a team around you encouraging you and supporting you, you’ll go a lot farther than you could’ve gone alone.

So don’t run your race alone! The people you run with will help you to finish thankful. You can’t live the right way with the wrong people! I’d rather be in the wrong place with the right people than to be in the right place with the wrong people.

Just take a look at Paul and Silas. They ended up in prison cells, and yet God used their trial for His glory because they knew how to praise and thank their way out of their circumstances. I don’t know where you find yourself today, but surround yourself with people who know how to be thankful in the good times and the bad. 

“Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”
Colossians 3:15–17

4. STAY IN THE WORD OF GOD!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

We run with endurance by keeping our eyes on Jesus. To do that, we have to be in the word of God to have a life of endurance! You can’t know God's will (course for your life) if you don’t know God's word.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

You won’t be walking in God’s will for your life and not be thankful! For the Christian who doesn’t know the importance of a grateful spirit, it’s time to adjust your course if you are not choosing to express thankfulness today.

Be thankful at the start. 
Thankfulness will get you through the middle.
And finishing the race is only worth it when you do it thankful!

I have learned that more often than not, I don’t need my situation to change to be thankful. Instead, I choose thankfulness and it changes me until I myself begin to get better. And that’s what God was wanting for me all along.

I pray you find the strength and grace to remain thankful for the rest of 2020, no matter what circumstances may come, as this is God’s will for your race! 

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I prayed. I believed. I quoted scripture. But the answer was still no. 

See, I’ve been told “No” in my life - by my mom, my boss, even my kids on occasion. But when God said no, it crushed me.

On May 12, 1997, five hours after her last doctor's visit, my wife died. She was twenty-eight and our son was only fourteen months old. We were the new youth pastors in a new city with our whole life to live. When cancer gripped her body, we tightened our grip on God. For eight months, we pressed in and claimed the promises of God. We believed with all our heart that God would heal her. But the reality of God’s answer came as we locked eyes that day and she stepped into eternity with the Lord. In that moment, everything inside of me died. I was crushed. 

So, how do you respond when God’s answer to your prayer is a resounding “no?” My life was shaken to the core: emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The waves of sorrow, anger, and doubt fueled both my desire for more of God and my confusion over why in the world He would say no and allow her to die. I felt like I had failed her, failed at my faith, and failed God, because it was not supposed to end like this. But, I would soon learn that with God…there is always more to the story. 

As I stared into the unknown of what my life would become and felt the heavy weight of being a single parent, the Lord comforted me and called me out of the cold empty darkness of my grief and regret. Healing was a process of working through my hurts and grudges towards God. God’s presence, scripture, and my church family reminded me that I wasn’t alone. I remember telling God, “What do I do now? My best friend is gone.” His response not only shook me, it captivated me. Our Heavenly Father said, “Randy, I thought I was your best friend.” 

I have learned that God’s no often means that God knows. The Lord has an answer for all your questions, because He has all the facts. When I criticized God for not healing my wife, His response was simple, “But, I did. I gave her the ultimate healing; she is with me.” It was in that moment that I realized God has no obligation to do things my way. Every believer in Christ should know the four main answers God gives to our prayers: yes, no, not yet, and not me (meaning this is your responsibility). Each answer has a purpose, because God knows there is more to your story. 

When God said no to my prayer, I began to re-examine His promises. What did God really say and mean? I found there is more to faith than getting what you want. After God said no, instead of giving up, I pressed in and eventually got a greater revelation of my perspective, trust, source, and desire - what I call a case of godly PTSD! Perspective is about seeing the bigger picture with God, because His ways are not our ways. Trust is about being all-in with God, no matter what happens. It is about acknowledging His ways and not leaning on your own understanding. Source is about relying on God, not yourself. Finally, Desire is about wanting what God wants and realizing He should have first place in your life.* It took time, but I realized that God knows how to work it all out. 

The night my wife died is etched in my memory forever. With the paramedics, police, and funeral home attendants going in and out of my house, my pastor showed up and spoke a comforting, honest, and timely word to me. “Randy, I don’t know why this is happening, but I know Who will get you through it all,” he said. He quoted Mark 9:49 which tells us that every Christian’s life will be salted with fire. And that fire will refine and strengthen you. As painful as that experience was, God’s “No” did not mean that He was giving up on me. 

Because God knows what is next. During this same season, a beautiful woman named Gina was also grieving the death of her beloved husband and God’s apparent “No.” In time, she would move to my city and attend our church. Our friendship has turned into an amazing twenty-years of marriage. She adopted our son and raised him as her own. She is great friends with my first wife’s mom and has been intentional about helping our son know as much about his mother as possible. We are partners in ministry, and together we have a daughter. God’s “no” means that God knows what is next and will work it out, even if we never fully understand how or why.

Maybe God is saying no to you today because He knows more about your story than you do.

*Isaiah 55:8-9, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:13 and Matthew 24:13, Colossians 3:1-2 and Philippians 2:5-9

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (GNT)

Hope isn’t just wishful thinking -  it’s confident expectation. I don’t know about you but I EXPECT TO SEE THE LORD MOVE this week! I believe the Kingdom of God is still advancing, no matter what happens here on election day or anywhere else. 

Remember, hope comes from the Lord - not from a political candidate, not from policy, and not from anything else for that matter! The Bible says that God is our source of hope. Therefore, I place my hope in Him alone. No matter who wins today, no matter what happens, I expect to continue to see the Kingdom of God advance!

Here are two good signs that your hope is growing in these days: 

1. You are filled with JOY. Joy comes when we delight ourselves in the presence of the Lord. To be filled with joy means it runs over. If we are filled with joy, we can’t contain it. So, others around us will notice it and even be impacted by it. The Bible tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength! Come on! If you are excited about the presence of God today, I bet your hope is growing!

2. You are filled with PEACE. Peace is the ability to rest and fellowship in the middle of a war. It has nothing to do with the absence of a battle and everything to do with trust in God in it. For believers, peace is remembering that the battle isn’t ours, but rather His! And I have good news, He’s never lost a battle. If you find yourself walking in peace during these uncertain times, I bet your hope is growing!

The Bible also tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Feel sick living in days like these? There is hope. Here are three things you need to do today to get your hopes up:

1. Pray: Be honest with God about how you feel. Repent for focusing more on the problem than the Problem Solver. Then ask God, more specifically, Holy Spirit, the source of hope, to fill you with joy and peace. 

2. Worship: Begin to sing worship songs… out loud! Turn the tunes on and begin to love on God. Give Him your undivided attention and watch your hope grow. Put on a song that you love to sing to the Lord. I’m listening to “Get Your Hopes Up” by Josh Baldwin while I’m writing this. 

3. Find a scripture and meditate on it. Try to memorize it. The enemy will plant lies in your mind in an attempt to make you hopeless. The only way to combat a lie is with a truth. His word is the truth! Romans 15:13 is a pretty good one. So is Hebrews 6:19, Jeremiah 29:11, and a whole bunch more! You go take a look for yourself. 

Father, I thank you for being our source of hope today and every day! Holy Spirit, help us to get our HOPES UP, filling us with peace and joy today. No matter what happens, your kingdom shall continue to advance!