So much to be thankful for; for those who are called children of God! In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" and again in his letter to the Ephesians he wrote, "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father". It is God's will that His children be ongoingly thankful and have Him as the focus of that thankfulness.
If we were to make a list of all that we are, or should be thankful for, such a list would be extensive in length. Perhaps at the top of our list would be the words written by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church where he wrote, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" All that we have to be thankful for finds its existence in light of this "indescribable gift", the gift of His Son, Jesus.
I am so thankful for the gift of salvation that I have in Christ. Forgiveness of sin is a privilege to treasure. I am thankful for my beautiful wife and the two wonderful children God has blessed us with. I am thankful for my job and for all that God provides each and every day. I am thankful for our church family. I am thankful for the privilege to serve Him. I am thankful for answered prayer. The list goes on and on but it is really something else that I wish to speak of today.
How is it that I can be thankful at all? Why can I thank God for anything? Why can I sit here now or at any other time and write this or any other thought regarding the things of the Almighty? The answer to these questions is found in a single word; Grace. I know that Jesus is the "name which is above every name" and that it is "the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" that I have been justified in. As stated above, it is in His name that we are to give thanks. His name is truly the "sweetest name I know".
But besides His name, grace is the sweetest word I know. Perhaps there is no other word in scripture that would alter the course of humanity more significantly if it were to not be found in our bibles. So many words have other words that could take their place. But what could take the place of grace? In 2 Corinthians 4:15 we read, "For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God". You see, it is grace that causes the giving of thanks that abounds to the glory of God.
In closing, in the 5th chapter of the Book of Romans, we find a glorious truth that the Apostle Paul was inspired to speak of regarding our Lord Jesus Christ when he wrote, "through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand". Salvation is not the end of grace, but our introduction into it!
Father, we have so much to be thankful for. But today I will simply say, "thank you for grace". If it were not for your grace, I could not know or thank you for your Son. I would not know how to thank you for forgiving my sins, for my family, for answered prayer, for my church family and for the many things I have to be thankful for. So at this time of thanksgiving, help me, help all your children, to be thankful for your grace. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we pray that grace, "which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks" by all who have experienced it.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Weary, Heavy-Laden and Thankful
Circumstances have prevented me from posting Part II of "Jettison the Cargo!" this week. Lord willing, I will do so in the weeks to come. My heart and mind have been occupied with other matters these last few days and I feel compelled to share some other thoughts.
Today, I found myself in a courtroom full of people with heavy hearts. Many tears were shed amidst the sounds of deep sobbing. Some were there mourning the loss of a woman who was their mother, their sister and their daughter. Others were there mourning the woman's death and learning that the young man who caused it would be going to prison for several years. They were his mother and father, sister, aunts, uncles and friends. I was in this second group. Early this past summer, my nephew had made a most unfortunate decision to drive while he was intoxicated. This afternoon he was hearing the court's verdict against him that will result in a minimum prison sentence of 75 months being imposed.
Over the past several months, many prayers have been prayed by God's children for my nephew, his family and the family of the woman who died in this incident. In Romans 8:26 the Apostle Paul wrote, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has interceded so, time and again in this matter.
Not only have His people prayed; He has faithfully answered prayer. I know my nephew's life will never be just as it was prior to the tragic incident he will now serve time for. But before he was taken into custody he was given one of the most gracious gifts I have seen given by men. He was offered the forgiveness of those who had been so hurt by his actions. At the conclusion of his trial yesterday, the father of the woman who was killed gave him a hug and offered his forgiveness. Others told him they forgave him also. And today the father stood in the courtroom affirming his forgiveness and encouraged my nephew to forgive himself. He spoke of his faith in the Lord and his sincerity was undeniable. My nephew was overwhelmed with grief and spoke of his sorrow for what he had caused and his wish that he could undo it all.
We all found ourselves experiencing the consequences of a most tragic incident that has effected so many lives. My nephew will be formally sentenced next week, the day before Thanksgiving. As difficult a time as this is, and today was, I found myself thankful for many things. Foremost of all I was overwhelmingly thankful for our loving God. I was thankful for the faithful prayers of His children. I was thankful for the ways that He had answered prayer. I was thankful for a thoughtful, fair-minded judge who presided over the case. I was thankful for my nephew's desire to accept responsibility for his actions and his obvious remorse for his actions. I was thankful that God was working in the lives of members of this woman's family and my nephew's family to ease their hurting hearts. I was especially thankful for how He used the father of the woman who had died to speak to the heart of my nephew like no one else in the courtroom could have done.
It wasn't audible, but today I heard the echo of words spoken long ago by the Lord Jesus when He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Praise God that there is a place for the weary and heavy-laden to go and to be given rest. May we heed His bidding to come and may we receive the rest that He offers. I would ask that you continue to pray for all involved in this matter. So many different people with so many different needs. I would specifically ask that you pray for my nephew's salvation. This is the most important rest that he needs. The forgiveness of sins. And pray for his safety while he is in custody. Pray that he would make the best of the positive things offered and that he would reject the negative influences. Pray for his family. Especially pray for his mom and dad. Their hearts are very heavy. May they look to the Savior for His grace, strength, love and mercy. And pray for the father and other family members who will continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. Especially pray for them during this holiday season. May each one go to the One who wishes to give rest to the wear and heavy-laden.
Father, it is at times like these that we simply say, "thank you for being there for us". At times it can be a mystery how you work in the lives of people but we are so thankful that you do. Help us to rest in the truth that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We ask that you take these tragic things that have happened and cause them to work together for good. Thank you for being "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort".
Today, I found myself in a courtroom full of people with heavy hearts. Many tears were shed amidst the sounds of deep sobbing. Some were there mourning the loss of a woman who was their mother, their sister and their daughter. Others were there mourning the woman's death and learning that the young man who caused it would be going to prison for several years. They were his mother and father, sister, aunts, uncles and friends. I was in this second group. Early this past summer, my nephew had made a most unfortunate decision to drive while he was intoxicated. This afternoon he was hearing the court's verdict against him that will result in a minimum prison sentence of 75 months being imposed.
Over the past several months, many prayers have been prayed by God's children for my nephew, his family and the family of the woman who died in this incident. In Romans 8:26 the Apostle Paul wrote, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has interceded so, time and again in this matter.
Not only have His people prayed; He has faithfully answered prayer. I know my nephew's life will never be just as it was prior to the tragic incident he will now serve time for. But before he was taken into custody he was given one of the most gracious gifts I have seen given by men. He was offered the forgiveness of those who had been so hurt by his actions. At the conclusion of his trial yesterday, the father of the woman who was killed gave him a hug and offered his forgiveness. Others told him they forgave him also. And today the father stood in the courtroom affirming his forgiveness and encouraged my nephew to forgive himself. He spoke of his faith in the Lord and his sincerity was undeniable. My nephew was overwhelmed with grief and spoke of his sorrow for what he had caused and his wish that he could undo it all.
We all found ourselves experiencing the consequences of a most tragic incident that has effected so many lives. My nephew will be formally sentenced next week, the day before Thanksgiving. As difficult a time as this is, and today was, I found myself thankful for many things. Foremost of all I was overwhelmingly thankful for our loving God. I was thankful for the faithful prayers of His children. I was thankful for the ways that He had answered prayer. I was thankful for a thoughtful, fair-minded judge who presided over the case. I was thankful for my nephew's desire to accept responsibility for his actions and his obvious remorse for his actions. I was thankful that God was working in the lives of members of this woman's family and my nephew's family to ease their hurting hearts. I was especially thankful for how He used the father of the woman who had died to speak to the heart of my nephew like no one else in the courtroom could have done.
It wasn't audible, but today I heard the echo of words spoken long ago by the Lord Jesus when He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Praise God that there is a place for the weary and heavy-laden to go and to be given rest. May we heed His bidding to come and may we receive the rest that He offers. I would ask that you continue to pray for all involved in this matter. So many different people with so many different needs. I would specifically ask that you pray for my nephew's salvation. This is the most important rest that he needs. The forgiveness of sins. And pray for his safety while he is in custody. Pray that he would make the best of the positive things offered and that he would reject the negative influences. Pray for his family. Especially pray for his mom and dad. Their hearts are very heavy. May they look to the Savior for His grace, strength, love and mercy. And pray for the father and other family members who will continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. Especially pray for them during this holiday season. May each one go to the One who wishes to give rest to the wear and heavy-laden.
Father, it is at times like these that we simply say, "thank you for being there for us". At times it can be a mystery how you work in the lives of people but we are so thankful that you do. Help us to rest in the truth that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We ask that you take these tragic things that have happened and cause them to work together for good. Thank you for being "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort".
Friday, November 14, 2008
Jettison the Cargo! Part I
I have come to appreciate more and more the illustrations we find in the scriptures that tell us so much about real life situations. Oh how His word is profitable! One of my favorites is found in the 27th Chapter of the Book of Acts where so many lessons can be learned. The focus of this article will be in verses 13-26.
Here we find the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome, a prisoner of Julius, a "centurion of the Augustan cohort". Having previously appeared before the Roman governors Felix and Festus, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar and was being taken there to bear His name. They had boarded an "Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy" and had come to port in a place called Fair Havens, which was near the city of Lasea. Having rejected the exhortation of Paul to remain at Fair Havens, Julius had chosen instead to listen to the advice of the "experts", the pilot and captain of the ship and sail on, despite the approaching of winter and unsafe sailing conditions. After all, they said that Fair Havens was "not suitable for wintering" at. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to remind us that God's ways are often contrary to the ways and wisdom of men but they are always better! As we read in Proverbs 3:5, " Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding".
Well, you may remember the story, following their decision to sail on, there blew a "moderate south wind" that, in their mind, affirmed the decision they had made. As I previously cautioned in my article entitled, "Circumstances and a Moderate South Wind", we must be careful not to look to circumstances to affirm or negate our decisions and actions. God is bigger than our circumstances and His word of truth must be our guide and measure.
In this chapter we have a great picture of what it can be like for the child of God who has wandered from the faith and how it is that he may find his way back. Not long after the inviting "moderate south wind" blew, a "violent wind" had rushed down upon them. As so often is the case when we have gotten off the path of righteousness, we are not able to stand against the storms of life or the winds of the flesh and we may "give way to it and let ourselves be driven along." Oh, how fast we can be driven far from the place God would have us to be. How our sins can become like a snowball rolling down the hill, growing greater the further it progresses downward.
To often, if we have not confessed our sins to God and have gotten right with Him, we begin to look to ourselves and the world for answers. As the ship was driven along, they looked to benefit from the shelter of an island and they fought to secure the "ship's boat" or lifeboat. Unable to resist the driving wind, they let out sea anchors in their attempt to minimize the speed at which they were being driven along. These self-efforts seemed fruitless as the following day they found themselves "storm tossed". Have you been there? To lighten their load and give the ship greater buoyancy they began to "jettison the cargo" as they "threw the ship's tackle overboard". In the context of what they were doing, I'm convinced that they began with that which they believed they could best do without. When trying in our own strength, we too will start letting go of the things we feel we can do without first, not wanting to let go of the very things that may be in our way of getting right with Him.
Despite their efforts, their situation seemed to worsen. In verse 20 we see that the storm had gotten so bad that "neither sun nor stars appeared for many days". I have long appreciated the words "no small storm", that were used to describe such a storm as this. The storm was said to be assailing them. In part, I believe it was assailing their human efforts of survival and reliance. This assault was so great that "all hope of being saved was gradually abandoned". But this hopelessness would be used by God to teach a great lesson. It is quite probable that the Apostle Paul himself was counted amongst those struggling for hope. But His faithful Lord would intervene at the right time to give hope where there seemed to be none. He can do the same in your life and mine.
An angel of God appeared before Paul and told him to not be afraid. It would only make sense that Paul had found himself afraid. But from the context, I believe that Paul had addressed his fears through prayer. The angel assured Paul that he would stand before Caesar and that God had also "granted" him all those who were sailing with him. Could it be that in this very difficult time, Paul had been praying for the safety of each man on the boat? I believe so. After a brief "I told you so" regarding their decision to leave Fair Havens, Paul shared God's promise, as delivered to him by the angel, with the other men on the ship. In light of God's promise he urged them to keep up their courage, telling them that the ship would suffer loss but that there would be no loss of life.
I will end Part I of this article with Paul's words as recorded by Luke in verse 25. "I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." This is a statement of great faith based on God's greater faithfulness. This truth is repeated throughout scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Paul wrote, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass". In Hebrews 10:23 the author wrote, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful". And in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul declared, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Father, we have so many lessons to learn as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity". Thank you again for the promised Helper. Oh, how our minds need renewing. Thank you for your word, your mercy and your grace. And yes, thank you "that it will turn out exactly" as you have faithfully told us.
Here we find the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome, a prisoner of Julius, a "centurion of the Augustan cohort". Having previously appeared before the Roman governors Felix and Festus, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar and was being taken there to bear His name. They had boarded an "Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy" and had come to port in a place called Fair Havens, which was near the city of Lasea. Having rejected the exhortation of Paul to remain at Fair Havens, Julius had chosen instead to listen to the advice of the "experts", the pilot and captain of the ship and sail on, despite the approaching of winter and unsafe sailing conditions. After all, they said that Fair Havens was "not suitable for wintering" at. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to remind us that God's ways are often contrary to the ways and wisdom of men but they are always better! As we read in Proverbs 3:5, " Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding".
Well, you may remember the story, following their decision to sail on, there blew a "moderate south wind" that, in their mind, affirmed the decision they had made. As I previously cautioned in my article entitled, "Circumstances and a Moderate South Wind", we must be careful not to look to circumstances to affirm or negate our decisions and actions. God is bigger than our circumstances and His word of truth must be our guide and measure.
In this chapter we have a great picture of what it can be like for the child of God who has wandered from the faith and how it is that he may find his way back. Not long after the inviting "moderate south wind" blew, a "violent wind" had rushed down upon them. As so often is the case when we have gotten off the path of righteousness, we are not able to stand against the storms of life or the winds of the flesh and we may "give way to it and let ourselves be driven along." Oh, how fast we can be driven far from the place God would have us to be. How our sins can become like a snowball rolling down the hill, growing greater the further it progresses downward.
To often, if we have not confessed our sins to God and have gotten right with Him, we begin to look to ourselves and the world for answers. As the ship was driven along, they looked to benefit from the shelter of an island and they fought to secure the "ship's boat" or lifeboat. Unable to resist the driving wind, they let out sea anchors in their attempt to minimize the speed at which they were being driven along. These self-efforts seemed fruitless as the following day they found themselves "storm tossed". Have you been there? To lighten their load and give the ship greater buoyancy they began to "jettison the cargo" as they "threw the ship's tackle overboard". In the context of what they were doing, I'm convinced that they began with that which they believed they could best do without. When trying in our own strength, we too will start letting go of the things we feel we can do without first, not wanting to let go of the very things that may be in our way of getting right with Him.
Despite their efforts, their situation seemed to worsen. In verse 20 we see that the storm had gotten so bad that "neither sun nor stars appeared for many days". I have long appreciated the words "no small storm", that were used to describe such a storm as this. The storm was said to be assailing them. In part, I believe it was assailing their human efforts of survival and reliance. This assault was so great that "all hope of being saved was gradually abandoned". But this hopelessness would be used by God to teach a great lesson. It is quite probable that the Apostle Paul himself was counted amongst those struggling for hope. But His faithful Lord would intervene at the right time to give hope where there seemed to be none. He can do the same in your life and mine.
An angel of God appeared before Paul and told him to not be afraid. It would only make sense that Paul had found himself afraid. But from the context, I believe that Paul had addressed his fears through prayer. The angel assured Paul that he would stand before Caesar and that God had also "granted" him all those who were sailing with him. Could it be that in this very difficult time, Paul had been praying for the safety of each man on the boat? I believe so. After a brief "I told you so" regarding their decision to leave Fair Havens, Paul shared God's promise, as delivered to him by the angel, with the other men on the ship. In light of God's promise he urged them to keep up their courage, telling them that the ship would suffer loss but that there would be no loss of life.
I will end Part I of this article with Paul's words as recorded by Luke in verse 25. "I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." This is a statement of great faith based on God's greater faithfulness. This truth is repeated throughout scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Paul wrote, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass". In Hebrews 10:23 the author wrote, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful". And in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul declared, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Father, we have so many lessons to learn as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity". Thank you again for the promised Helper. Oh, how our minds need renewing. Thank you for your word, your mercy and your grace. And yes, thank you "that it will turn out exactly" as you have faithfully told us.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Unseen
It was a great Sunday! For the first time in 11 months we met together last week as a church family in our newly renovated sanctuary. This day coincided with the church's 50th anniversary celebration to make for a wonderful day of fellowship, the proclamation of His grace and a unified declaration of "to God be the glory". This past December our church had suffered extensive damage to the portion of our church building that houses our sanctuary and fellowship hall when a very strong storm hit the north Oregon coast.
Although the repairs to the church were not 100% complete, the church looked wonderful. Following the storm last December, the church had sections of its roof lying in a nearby field. Because of the roof damage, rain water had poured into the church getting allot of things wet. Wet carpet. Wet sheet rock. Wet insulation. Wet wood framing. Things remained wet for many weeks. But now there was a new roof. New siding on portions of the building. New paint on the outside. New carpet. New chairs. New sheet rock and paint on the inside.
As the weeks and months had passed following the storm, we had many opportunities to reflect and thank God for how He had provided through it all. He had provided a general contractor to oversee the job and a responsive insurance company to provide the needed funds. He provided a local grade school as our meeting place for a short time before we were allowed to return to a separate portion of our building that was not damaged. Lessons were taught and hopefully learned regarding our great God and His ability to deal with our difficulties, no matter how great. But if we don't take some time to consider this matter further we may miss out on an opportunity to learn an invaluable lesson.
You see, if you had been in the church last December during the storm, or if you had been at our anniversary celebration this past Sunday, you would not have been able to see the real problem. Sure, in the days following the storm you could see the results of the storm caused by the wind and the rain. And last Sunday you could see the new roof, siding, paint, floor coverings, chairs, etc. But there were other things wrong that contributed to the damage and caused the lengthy time of the repairs. And this is where we find a great spiritual truth for us to ponder. The problems that would take months to correct were hidden under the metal roof, behind the siding and behind the sheet rock. There had been structural damage. There had been movement to the building that compromised its integrity.
The foundation of the church had not been moved. But starting at the foundation and proceeding upward, the building lacked the necessary strength to endure the storm better than it had. The repairs included large metal brackets that would better connect the building to its foundation. Behind the sheet rock, blocking after blocking would be placed between the wall framing and floor joists, giving added strength to each member. Shear walls would be installed with hundreds, if not thousands of nails, providing tremendous strength to the walls of the church. Plywood sheathing would cover the entire roof, tying all of the roof framing together before the new metal roof would cover it. Together, these "unseen" things would make the church building much stronger than it had ever been before. When and if a similar storm assails our church building in the future, I suspect that it is prepared to weather the storm much better. Not because of the things you can see on the outside, but because of the hidden things you can't see.
And how about you and I? Are we prepared to weather the storms of life? Will we be moved in a manner that compromizes our integrity? How firm a foundation we have in Christ! In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul wrote, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ". But the apostle was also inspired to caution us to be careful how we build upon the solid foundation that is ours in Christ.
As I looked at all of the people who filled the sanctuary and balcony last Sunday, I wondered how they had built upon their saving faith in Christ. Oh, on the outside they looked grand in their "Sunday go to meeting clothes". But I wondered how much blocking had been installed. How many shear walls had been erected with a sufficient amount of nails? Did they have a strong layer of sheathing protecting them? How were they weathering the storms of life? How many had not built cautiously and had already suffered great damage? How many families had already been torn apart because of it? What impact did it all have on the body of Christ? How many were in a state of ruin? How many were in the process of repairing and rebuilding? I was thankful for those who had built carefully, adding strength to the body of Christ. I am prayerful for those who have suffered harm or those who are struggling to rebuild.
In his farewell to the Ephesian elders, as recorded for us in Acts 20:32, the Apostle Paul said, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up". There are many of what I would call "disciplines of the faith" that God has provided us for the building up of the members of His body. His word, fellowship with other believers, prayer and each member fulfilling his part in the body are essential in the installation of spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing. We will not escape the storms of life, but by His gracious provisions we can be strong and weather them well.
Father, help us to understand the seriousness of this matter. May we sobermindedly build upon the foundation of our faith in Christ. May we look to your word, your people and yourself for the spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing that will keep us strong when the storms of life come upon us, our families and our churches. May we go to the word of your grace to be built up. We acknowledge the great truth of your provisions as spoken by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 where we read, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." It is your divine power that is our strength. As only you can, I ask that you would help those brothers and sisters in Christ who have not weathered well the storms of life. Despite ourselves, we thank you for Jesus, the One who is immoveable, our rock and the foundation of our faith.
Although the repairs to the church were not 100% complete, the church looked wonderful. Following the storm last December, the church had sections of its roof lying in a nearby field. Because of the roof damage, rain water had poured into the church getting allot of things wet. Wet carpet. Wet sheet rock. Wet insulation. Wet wood framing. Things remained wet for many weeks. But now there was a new roof. New siding on portions of the building. New paint on the outside. New carpet. New chairs. New sheet rock and paint on the inside.
As the weeks and months had passed following the storm, we had many opportunities to reflect and thank God for how He had provided through it all. He had provided a general contractor to oversee the job and a responsive insurance company to provide the needed funds. He provided a local grade school as our meeting place for a short time before we were allowed to return to a separate portion of our building that was not damaged. Lessons were taught and hopefully learned regarding our great God and His ability to deal with our difficulties, no matter how great. But if we don't take some time to consider this matter further we may miss out on an opportunity to learn an invaluable lesson.
You see, if you had been in the church last December during the storm, or if you had been at our anniversary celebration this past Sunday, you would not have been able to see the real problem. Sure, in the days following the storm you could see the results of the storm caused by the wind and the rain. And last Sunday you could see the new roof, siding, paint, floor coverings, chairs, etc. But there were other things wrong that contributed to the damage and caused the lengthy time of the repairs. And this is where we find a great spiritual truth for us to ponder. The problems that would take months to correct were hidden under the metal roof, behind the siding and behind the sheet rock. There had been structural damage. There had been movement to the building that compromised its integrity.
The foundation of the church had not been moved. But starting at the foundation and proceeding upward, the building lacked the necessary strength to endure the storm better than it had. The repairs included large metal brackets that would better connect the building to its foundation. Behind the sheet rock, blocking after blocking would be placed between the wall framing and floor joists, giving added strength to each member. Shear walls would be installed with hundreds, if not thousands of nails, providing tremendous strength to the walls of the church. Plywood sheathing would cover the entire roof, tying all of the roof framing together before the new metal roof would cover it. Together, these "unseen" things would make the church building much stronger than it had ever been before. When and if a similar storm assails our church building in the future, I suspect that it is prepared to weather the storm much better. Not because of the things you can see on the outside, but because of the hidden things you can't see.
And how about you and I? Are we prepared to weather the storms of life? Will we be moved in a manner that compromizes our integrity? How firm a foundation we have in Christ! In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul wrote, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ". But the apostle was also inspired to caution us to be careful how we build upon the solid foundation that is ours in Christ.
As I looked at all of the people who filled the sanctuary and balcony last Sunday, I wondered how they had built upon their saving faith in Christ. Oh, on the outside they looked grand in their "Sunday go to meeting clothes". But I wondered how much blocking had been installed. How many shear walls had been erected with a sufficient amount of nails? Did they have a strong layer of sheathing protecting them? How were they weathering the storms of life? How many had not built cautiously and had already suffered great damage? How many families had already been torn apart because of it? What impact did it all have on the body of Christ? How many were in a state of ruin? How many were in the process of repairing and rebuilding? I was thankful for those who had built carefully, adding strength to the body of Christ. I am prayerful for those who have suffered harm or those who are struggling to rebuild.
In his farewell to the Ephesian elders, as recorded for us in Acts 20:32, the Apostle Paul said, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up". There are many of what I would call "disciplines of the faith" that God has provided us for the building up of the members of His body. His word, fellowship with other believers, prayer and each member fulfilling his part in the body are essential in the installation of spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing. We will not escape the storms of life, but by His gracious provisions we can be strong and weather them well.
Father, help us to understand the seriousness of this matter. May we sobermindedly build upon the foundation of our faith in Christ. May we look to your word, your people and yourself for the spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing that will keep us strong when the storms of life come upon us, our families and our churches. May we go to the word of your grace to be built up. We acknowledge the great truth of your provisions as spoken by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 where we read, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." It is your divine power that is our strength. As only you can, I ask that you would help those brothers and sisters in Christ who have not weathered well the storms of life. Despite ourselves, we thank you for Jesus, the One who is immoveable, our rock and the foundation of our faith.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)