Mid-Week Message - He Will Always Be There

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."  Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

What do you do when your world falls apart?  When friends turn their backs and family no longer wish to be your allies?  When the money in the bank dries up and your health takes a turn for the worse?  When your possessions cease to bring pleasure and you find yourself alone with nothing but the clothes on your back and the thoughts in your head?  

Nothing is for certain in this world.  Sometimes, crops just don't produce and you are left with bills to pay and needs to fulfill.  So you scrounge for other sources of provision, hoping that you run across a solution.  Maybe you have friends or family to reach out to.  Or maybe, when you ask for help, you find they are in the same situation or they just don't want to be bothered.  Great pain comes from the feeling of abandonment and in those times that is what we feel.  

In my years of walking with the Lord, I have come to understand one important thing.  No matter what I am going through, no matter what I am feeling, no matter how difficult life is or how weary I get, He is the One that will always be there.  Nothing on this earth will last forever.  We do not have the assurance of a paycheck at the end of the week, or the promise that there will always be another person to stand with us when problems arise.  But, we have the solemn promise of our Savior that He will never leave us or forsake us.  

Romans 8:38-39 tells us, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

No matter what happens or how difficult the days become, there will always be one place to turn.  We can take His hand and let Him lead us through.  God bless. 

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, Precious Lord
Lead me home  

Mid-Week Message - When the World Crashes Down

 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."  Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

What do you do when your world falls apart?  When friends turn their backs and family no longer wish to be your allies?  When the money in the bank dries up and your health takes a turn for the worse?  When your possessions cease to bring pleasure and you find yourself alone with nothing but the clothes on your back and the thoughts in your head?  

Nothing is for certain in this world.  Sometimes, crops just don't produce and you are left with bills to pay and needs to fulfill.  So you scrounge for other sources of provision, hoping that you run across a solution.  Maybe you have friends or family to reach out to.  Or maybe, when you ask for help, you find they are in the same situation or they just don't want to be bothered.  Great pain comes from the feeling of abandonment and in those times that is what we feel.  

In my years of walking with the Lord, I have come to understand one important thing.  No matter what I am going through, no matter what I am feeling, no matter how difficult life is or how weary I get, He is the One that will always be there.  Nothing on this earth will last forever.  We do not have the assurance of a paycheck at the end of the week, or the promise that there will always be another person to stand with us when problems arise.  But, we have the solemn promise of our Savior that He will never leave us or forsake us.  

Romans 8:38-39 tells us, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

No matter what happens or how difficult the days become, there will always be one place to turn.  We can take His hand and let Him lead us through.  God bless. 

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, Precious Lord
Lead me home  

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - A Little Rain Must Fall

The noted American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, once wrote, “Into each life some rain must fall.” When you think about it, depending upon your current situation, you can view that quote differently. If you are happy, you can see each drop as a blessing. On the other hand, if you are going through a horrible time in your life, you may wonder when the rain is going to stop.

I, like so many of you, have experienced both sides of that quote. There have been times when I felt those “showers of blessings” while other times, I felt that I would drown in a sea of tears and misfortune. I know that some of you are nodding your head as you think about those periods in your life. It is all about perception and how you choose to view your condition in life. You can either see the good and concentrate on it or only see the bad and dwell on it. It is all up to you.

When you really think about life, it’s just that way.  There are going to be good times and bad. Longfellow hit the nail right on the head. Some rain will fall in our lives. But, it is up to us to see the good and not dwell on the bad. 

Habakkuk, one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, wrote in chapter three of his book, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”

In this prayer, Habakkuk looks to the Lord even when he doesn’t understand what is going on or happening. In this book, we see that God will send the Chaldeans (also known as the Babylonians) to punish his people. Habakkuk, like so many of us, questioned God’s decision. When you examine his book closer, you can see that Habakkuk is trying to come to grips with the Lord’s decision to punish His people for their sins. In fact, he openly questions God’s judgment. 

Over time, Habakkuk embraces God’s decision and understands that God’s judgment isn’t simply to cause His children to suffer. He did what He did to show them the error of their ways. 

If we look very closely at the end of his prayer, we can see that Habakkuk praises the Lord no matter what happens. He knows, without a doubt, that God is his salvation no matter what the circumstance is.

When I consider my life, I have been the recipient of God’s blessings as He showered me with them and I praised Him for them. During other less than ideal times in my life, I have wondered whether or not God was there or even listening to me. I was unable to see the gift of learning a lesson.

Habakkuk, in chapter one, says, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen!”

As I traveled through the valley of darkness, I uttered those same words and felt that I had been forsaken by God. I felt alone and unloved. It didn’t take much for me to feel that way. It seemed that every problem I faced, no matter the size, was yet another time for me to question God.

But, I finally realized that I shouldn’t look at each situation as good or bad. I see them as an opportunity to praise God for His love and salvation. I know it is hard to do when you are going through difficult times. I sometimes find myself going back to my old ways and start to question God. It is at those points I stop and praise God for never leaving or forsaking me. I know that He is there with me. 

When I start to slip into my old ways of thinking and feeling sorry for myself, I remember the words of Job.

In chapter nineteen, Job responds to Bildad, one of his friends, by saying, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!”

I know that my Savior lives and I know that God loved me enough to give His own son as a sacrifice to atone for my sins. It is that salvation that gets me through the good times as well as the bad. I can never thank or praise Him enough for all that He provides me. In the end, I realize that, in time, my body will begin to fail and that I will one day close my eyes in death. It is on that day that I will see God. What a joy that will be. I will be able to behold my creator in all of His glory.

So, I say this to you, “Be joyful and rejoice in the Lord in all situations.” Don’t question the Lord. Just have faith. He has, is and will always see you through every situation. When you have a faith like that, you can rest assured that you can stand firm in His grace.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Daily Word of God - Habakkuk 2:18-19

Habakkuk 2:18-19 New International Version (NIV)

18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
    Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
    he makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;
    there is no breath in it.”

Daily Word of God - Habakkuk 2:4-5

Habakkuk 2:4-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 “Look at the proud!
    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.[a]
5 Wealth[b] is treacherous,
    and the arrogant are never at rest.
They open their mouths as wide as the grave,[c]
    and like death, they are never satisfied.
In their greed they have gathered up many nations
    and swallowed many peoples.

Footnotes:
2:3b-4 Greek version reads If the vision is delayed, wait patiently, / for it will surely come and not delay. / 4 I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. / But the righteous person will live by my faith. Compare Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:37-38.
2:5a As in Dead Sea Scroll 1QpHab; other Hebrew manuscripts read Wine.
2:5b Hebrew as Sheol.

Daily Word of God - Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Look at the proud!
    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God."

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Right from the Start

Several weeks ago, I talked about getting ourselves right with the Lord. The question is how does that happen? We all know that we are to follow God’s will and the teachings and example of His son, Christ Jesus. If it is that simple, why do we find it so very hard to do? The children of Israel thought that all they had to do was follow the laws given to them by God and all would be right with the world. But, even that proved to be too hard for them. The children of Israel, God’s chosen, would, over time, go back to their old ways or adopt the ways of their neighbors. In time, they would slip back into their sinful lives and live disobediently and contrary to God’s laws and will. So, when you think about it, everyone suffers from those moments where we slip back into our old sinful lives. It is only through our faith that we are able to go back to the Father and ask for forgiveness. By doing that, God makes us right in His sight. At that point, we are righteous and able to live a life of faith that results in eternal life.