Lord, bless this day. Bless this food. Bless our efforts. Bless our worship. Bless the pastor as he delivers the message.

Lord, give us Your peace, Your comfort, Your healing, Your tender mercies. Enlarge our territory. Be with us and stay close beside us. Keep us from harm. Keep us free from pain.

Lord, give us Your wisdom, Your understanding. Lead, guide and direct us. Show us Your face. Reveal Your mighty hand.

We cry in anger…

Sometimes life is difficult. Sometimes we have to do without. Sometimes our efforts are futile, our worship is empty, Your word doesn’t inspire us. Sometimes no matter how hard we pray, we can’t find peace, comfort, healing. No matter how fervently we seek Your face, the way seems unclear.

It’s as if You’re not even there. Lord, don’t you even care? Can’t You see I’m suffering? Can’t You see I’m at the end of my rope?

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea…

“I am weary of my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
while I wait for my God” (Psalm 69:3).

And long that we’d have faith to believe…

“Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1-2).

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us…

There’ve been so many who have called us “friend” only to turn on us, abandoned us, deeply wound us, family members who’ve inflicted such hurt, such pain. The ache seems so unbearable, the darkness so hopeless, so endless.

We know the pain reminds this heart…this is not our home.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).”

Oh, how I long for home.

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ (Revelation 21:4-5)”

And what if trials of this life…

“My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3).

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights…
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Are Your mercies in disguise.

Thank you, God, for your many blessings.

Blessings
Copyright © 2011 Laura Story

Words to live by. I know it’s been weeks since I’ve written anything. And it’s not like I haven’t tried. I’ve started at least three different posts and have ideas for three or four more, but I just can’t seem to get a minute to do any writing. It’s been a busy summer. We went to the beach for a week; that was good. There was summer camp with the youth group; that was exhausting. I picked out Christmas music for the choir; that took a couple of weeks. My son came home for a week; that was fun. Then there were the renovations at work. And now summertime’s nearly over and it’s back to the grind. Whew!

I always look forward to summer to kind of get a break from the normal grind. Having a break is a good thing, as long as you’re not just exchanging one rat race for another. You know what they say, “All work and no play…”

This morning I saw the most beautiful sunrise while I was out for my morning run. Thank you, Lord, for a broken treadmill. The air was crisp and the sky was clear the way it usually is right after a storm. My driveway runs east to west and I could just see the horizon over the treetops beginning to turn red with the dawn. The gravels in the driveway crunched beneath my feet; the sounds of nature were all around.

In the distance I could just make out a squadron of indistinguishable black dots flying in perfect formation coming directly toward me. As they drew near I realized I was seeing a flock of geese. How on earth do they know to do that, to fly together like that so perfectly? Not the product of evolution; surely this can only be evidence of the hand of God.

My driveway is exactly two tenths of a mile. Five laps up and back equals two miles. With each successive turn the light of the sun got a little brighter, its warmth radiated a little more. By the end of my run it had risen a full finger above the trees and I basked in its glow. Thank you, Lord, for keeping me injury free yet another day. Thank you for the beauty of your creation.

What did Jesus do when He was feeling stress? After the feeding of the five thousand, certainly a very stressful day of ministry, we’re told in Mathew chapter 14 that He immediately loaded the disciples into a boat and sent them across the Sea of Galilee. Verse 23 says, “And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.”

Ever wonder what Jesus talked about to His Heavenly Father? Did He ask for direction? Did He ask for strength? Wonder what He saw up there on the top of that mountain? Did He see the sunset? Surely He saw the storm clouds forming that lay ahead. I can almost picture Him sitting on a rock somewhere under a sycamore tree and just worshiping in the beauty of the Father’s creation.

When we’re tired and feeling stressed, that’s the time when we can be the most vulnerable…vulnerable to temptation, vulnerable to discouragement, vulnerable to despair. On my GPS there’s a place up in the mountains on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park about forty minutes from my house that I’ve labeled “Best Sunset”. My wife and I found it together on our anniversary. While amusement and relaxation has its place, sometimes what I really need more than anything is to dismiss the crowds, the cares and concerns, the sources of stress and go up on the mountain, and watch a sunset, and worship the Lord, and pray. Life moves pretty fast, ya know.

The really unfortunate thing is that it seems like those who are the worst at admitting when they’re wrong are those in positions of authority. We see it in politics all the time. Whenever there’s a problem in government it’s never my fault. “It’s the other party’s fault. It’s the fault of my predecessor. It’s the press’s fault. Somebody hacked my Twitter account. The dog ate my homework.”

Sadly some pastors are guilty of this as well. They become real adept at splitting hairs and parsing words. “Oh, I never said that. You misunderstood. Oh, I never did that. My motives were completely honorable.” After a while they become masters of political spin. And the really troubling part is that you find yourself mindlessly swallowing whatever it is they’re trying to feed you, because you don’t really want to think badly of a pastor.

Parents are sometimes guilty of not admitting they’re wrong. Like so many others in authority, the danger of such an admission might make you appear weak. Some parents make excuses for their children. Admitting that my child has a behavioral problem is a reflection on me as a parent. So we blame the school or the organization, or we blame the other children or the other children’s parents, or we blame the circumstance or the environment or a thousand other things rather than admitting that my child is in the wrong. We dodge the bullet. We fix the blame. We deflect culpability all in an effort to save face. But in the end what are we teaching our children?

In 1 Samuel chapter 12 God had appointed Saul to be king over Israel. Now that Saul was firmly established as Israel’s leader, this was Samuel’s cue to pass the baton and bow out of the forefront. Samuel was old and had served the Lord faithfully since his youth. He uses the occasion of Saul’s coronation to give his farewell address. In his opening remarks he challenges the people to give testimony against him for any wrong doing that he may have done throughout the course of his ministry. “Testify against me and I will restore it to you,” he says. Samuel was willing to admit to any wrong doing and to right any wrong he may have committed. How refreshing is that in a leader?

But then in the next chapter we find King Saul doing exactly the opposite. With the Philistine army mustering for battle and Israel’s forces dwindling out of fear, Saul had been instructed to wait seven days for Samuel to arrive to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people. Out manned and out gunned, Saul grew impatient and decided to offer the sacrifice himself. Of course, as everyone knew, this was simply not done. The king was not permitted to offer sacrifices.

As soon as he had finished making the sacrifice, low and behold, who should appear but Samuel. “What have you done?” he asks. Oops! But rather than admit wrong doing, what does Saul do? He makes excuses. First he plays the “I’m okay, you’re okay” game by going out to greet Samuel as if there was nothing wrong. Then he plays the blame game. He blames the people, “The people were scattering from me.” He blames Samuel, “You did not come.” He blames the circumstances, “The Philistines were coming.” He feigns spirituality, “I had not sought the favor of the Lord.” And he feigns good intentions, “I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

I think there’s a glaring conclusion that must be drawn when it comes to a person’s inability to admit when he’s in the wrong. And this goes way deeper than simply determining how big a man you are. This is a matter of character. This is about integrity. This is about honesty. Because when it’s all said and done, a person who can’t admit when he’s wrong is a person who’s being intellectually dishonest. And the sad thing is that this is a problem that usually only gets worse. The more habitual the excuses, the more brazen the lies. A person who won’t admit when he’s wrong is a person who can’t be trusted.

It’s a hard thing to admit when we’re wrong. Obviously Saul is a worst case scenario. Not everyone who struggles with this issue is as morally bankrupt as he was. But it should at least give us all pause to stop from time to time and make an honest assessment of our own shortcomings and, rather than make excuses and deflect blame, ask God for His forgiveness and strength to overcome. And then go out and make amends for any wrongs we may have committed.

“Lord, help me see myself the way you see me. Please give me the strength to resist the temptation to make excuses. Help me have the courage to accept the truth about my many weaknesses and deficiencies and the strength to overcome them and make things right.”

Happiness is a gift from God. I know it’s hard sometimes to imagine, but God really does want you to enjoy life. An old man who had lived a long life and learned a good many difficult lessons the hard way once wrote:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)

Happiness is not the result of circumstances. It’s not found in gratifying your desires. No relationship, no thing, no thrill will ever really make you happy. Happiness is something only God can give.

I wish for you blessing…

Blessings are the reward of obedience. God wants to bless you. He wants you to experience His blessing, His power. He wants to use you as a channel, a pipeline, a conduit to be a blessing to others. The psalmist once said:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

God will bless you in ways you can’t possibly imagine as long as you faithfully obey Him.

I wish for you wisdom…

Wisdom begins by fearing the Lord. A wise father once wrote to his sons:

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life. (Proverbs 10:9-11)

The world’s way of thinking is warped, it’s a kind of matrix that on the surface seems so real, but in reality is all a sham. It’s fake. It’s a trap. The world is not your friend. It’s devised by Satan to destroy you. Be wise, my daughter. God knows what we cannot know. God sees what we cannot see. Don’t settle for the lie. Let truth be your guide.

I wish for you success…

Success is the result of a right use of wisdom. God told Joshua:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

Your future is before you. Only God knows what you will make of it. Standing here at the beginning of adulthood, the opportunities seem endless. Where will you go from here? What will you do? What will you become? Wherever you go and whatever you do, one thing I know for sure. You will experience success, “good success” if you remember to do one thing. As James put it, don’t just be a hearer of the Word, be a doer (James 1:22). You’ve been taught God’s Word since you were a little child. But it’s not enough just to understand it. To be successful in this life you’ve got to put it into practice. You’ve gotta do it.

Be real. Be authentic. Be the child of God that you were created to be. That’s my prayer for you, my daughter.

What motivates you?

Most days I enjoy what I do. I enjoy leading God’s people in praise. I enjoy directing the choir and the spirit we share. I enjoy teaming with other musicians to play and sing music. I enjoy listening to songs and searching for just the right pieces that will inspire praise. I enjoy planning and executing our times of worship.

But sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I’m too tired. Sometimes I have other things in my life that are crowding in to steal my joy, personal things, relational things, conflicts, crises, troubles, trials all fighting for my attention and making it difficult to praise. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it.

So I plow ahead as always. I put on my happy face and do my duty. I hunker down, man my post, keep on keepin’ on…

Why? Because it’s what’s expected. It’s what good soldiers do.

But is that wrong? Is it insincere? Am I being dishonest? Am I living a lie? And what if I were to be completely honest? “Ya know, folks, I’m just not feelin’ it today. I’m gonna sit this one out.” Would that be more acceptable? More authentic? More pleasing to God?

Sunday was one of those days. I know I shouldn’t admit such things, but it’s true. I’d had a long, hard week on top of some personal struggles that I’ve been dealing with, and to be quite honest, I needed a break. So when the weather man began predicting on Friday the possibility of snow on Sunday, I couldn’t help getting maybe a little bit hopeful.

It was kind of strange actually, seeing as how it’s spring and all, and we had just had a couple of days of seventy degree weather. The blooms were budding; the grass was growing. It’s not supposed to snow now. And yet, what if…

“Maybe we can sleep in on Sunday and have a nice, quiet day at home.” I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high because, number one, pastors aren’t supposed to feel that way about Sundays. And too, the weather man has pretty much missed the boat all winter long. Why should he get it right this time? Still I found myself only really going through the motions of my Saturday night preparations for Sunday. I’m getting ready because I have to, not because I want to.

And then it was Sunday, and as “luck” would have it, we barely got little more than a light dusting. “Looks like it’s business as usual,” I thought. And so we got ready and trudged on in, kind of like when we were kids the first day back to school after Christmas break. And there we were once again, manning our post, doing our duty.

Paul said, “God loves a cheerful giver.” But does that mean if we’re not feeling cheerful we shouldn’t give? That doesn’t seem right. There are plenty of times when we don’t feel married, but does that mean our love is insincere? Of course not, because love is more than just a feeling. Maybe cheerful giving is like that as well. We give not out of guilt or compulsion, but because we love God and because we love His people. Regardless of how we “feel” we give cheerfully because we know it gives pleasure to the One we love, to the One who loves us and gave Himself for us.

Paul told the Philippians that their giving was “a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). True worship originates in the soul. It is an act by which we offer praise to God. This is the worship that is acceptable to God. When our giving reflects a heart of thanksgiving to God, this is our reasonable act of worship. It’s not a feeling or an emotion; it’s an act of love.

So I went through the motions, not because I was being in any way insincere, but because of love and humility. I determined to count others more significant than myself and look not only to my own interests, but to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4). And somewhere in the middle of all that I found myself being ministered to by the Holy Spirit. Maybe it was the offertory special that moved me to close my eyes in worship. Maybe it was the sound of instrumentalists literally pouring themselves into a time of praise. Maybe it was the heart with which the choir sang to the glory of God. Even though I didn’t feel much like serving on Sunday, I did it anyway. And you know what? God used it in return to nourish my own thirsty soul. And before I knew it, I was “feeling” cheerful again. Go figure.