When Will It End?

A few minutes ago I learned that the National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for tonight for NC mountain locations above 3500 feet.  I live in such a location.  My response has been things like.....Good Grief!.....You've got to be kidding!  And similar sentiments.  Just when we thought spring had finally begun to show up here in these mountains, here comes a reminder of winter.  Again.  When will it end??

As I type, I'm listening to news reports of a manhunt in Boston, efforts to capture the remaining suspect in this week's bombing at the Boston Marathon.  On this anniversary of the bombing in Oklahoma City twenty years ago, the suspect in this most recent bombing is on the loose somewhere in Boston.  And while we in this country have not had to deal with bombings and terrorist acts on our own soil in the same way as citizens in many other parts of the world, this is all too real and too close to home for comfort.  And we wonder when it will ever end.  Is terrorism  the new "normal" in our country?  How I pray not.  But current events certainly seem to indicate that "normal" has changed.

This really shouldn't come as a surprise to us.  The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, warned us that such things would happen.  No, he didn't use the word "terrorism" or warn against IEDs and bombs.  But he did warn that difficult times would come.

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty."                (2 Timothy 3:1 ESV). 

This second letter to Timothy was the last of Paul's letters, written very near the end of his life.  I think we can safely assume that Paul was aware that the end of his life was near, as he was writing from a Roman prison.  I think we can also safely assume that, because he knew the end was near, he was not wasting words.  That he was telling Timothy the things he thought it most important for Timothy to know.  Important for us to know, as well. 

Paul was saying to Timothy, and by extension to us, that there are tough times ahead.  Would any of us argue that we are not living in tough times?  Read the next verses in chapter 3.  Paul describes what will come.....a description that certainly fits the times in which we live.

"For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."  (2 Timothy 3:2-5 ESV)

How are we to respond in such difficult times?  When will it all end?

Consider the first question.  Did Paul just forecast tough times with no clue as to how to handle it?  Not at all.  Consider some of his instructions to Timothy:

"Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you."  (2 Timothy 1:6 ESV)

"Guard the treasure which has been entrusted to you."  (2 Timothy 1:14 NASB)

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB)

"Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.......have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies."  (2 Timothy 2:22, 23 ESV)

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with complete patience and teaching."  (2 Timothy 4:2 ESV)

It is clear that we are not just dropped into difficult circumstances without a clue as to what to do.  Paul is very clear in this letter, and we have the full counsel of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit within us, so that we know what to do and how to conduct ourselves, no matter how difficult the times or our circumstances may be.

When will it all end?  We don't know, not exactly.  But we do know that it will end.  Christ will return!  We don't know the exact day of His return, but we do know with certainty that He will return!  We know that He will return because He said that He would!  ("I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am there you may be also."  John 14:2-3 ESV)

And so, until then, until Christ returns, while we are in the midst of "difficult times", what are we to do?

"As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  (2 Timothy 4:5 ESV, emphasis mine)

But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I'll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.
(-Stuart Hamblen)

When will it end?  I don't know.  But I do know, with confident assurance, that it will end. Until then, I say with the Apostle Paul, that no matter what is going on in the world around me, and no matter what my personal circumstances may be, in good times and in bad, in want and in plenty, whether in peace or in chaos, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."  (2 Timothy 1:12b KJV)

"He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon."  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"  (Revelation 22:20 ESV) 

Happy National Bookmobile Day!

I just learned that this is National Bookmobile Day.  I didn't know there was such a day!  Having learned that there is, my mind has traveled back to my childhood.  To the bookmobile that parked at the end of our street.  What memories!

We didn't have a library in our town then.  That came later.  But the bookmobile came on a regular basis, although I confess I don't remember how often.  But I do remember my delight at climbing the steps into that rolling library.  I remember the smells.  The books.  My joy at selecting the ones I wanted to take home and read over and over again until the bookmobile returned.  Then the process was repeated.

Later a library opened in town......a branch of the Spartanburg County Library.  What excitement that was!  To be able to go the library twice a week instead of having to wait for the bookmobile to come! 

A lot has changed since then.  Now there is a library open daily, with lots of books and magazines.  Even computers!

Life was simpler back then.  We weren't bombarded by 24-hour news cycles replaying over and over the trauma we would wish to forget.  We didn't have 24-hour anything on television.  In fact, many people didn't even have television!  Life was simpler.  Those were the "good old days"!

And while I would not wish to go back, I confess there are days when I miss the simplicity of life back then.  The innocence of life then.  Before we knew about IEDs and ricin and terrorism.  When we left the windows open and the doors unlocked.  And looked forward to a visit from the bookmobile.

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul."  (Psalm 94:19 NASB)

Therefore.....

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."                   (Psalm 46:1 NASB)

What was your reaction yesterday when you heard the news from Boston?

It has been interesting to me to note the various reponses across social media and in news reports.  Everything from "here we go again" or "oh no, not again" to grief and sadness to anger to numbness, and everything in between.

I read a blog post yesterday, and shared that post on my Facebook wall this morning, that pretty much sums up my feelings.  I'm tired.  Tired of bombings and terror attacks being part of "normal".  I'm weary of the numbness and the grief that accompanies these attacks.  I'm just tired.  And sad.

I'm sad that my grandchildren have to grow up in this kind of a world.  Sad that they will never know the kind of carefree lifestyle that was part of my growing up years.  Sad that they and their generation have to grow up in a terror-filled world.

And I'm tired of all the "how could God let this happen?" questions.  God did not cause this.  We live in a fallen, broken world.  People's hearts are often full of anything and everything but God.  And while God did not cause this, He was not surprised by it.  Nothing comes as a surprise to our all-knowing God.  How His heart must grieve over the condition of our world.  How His heart must be grieving with all who were affected by yesterday's senseless tragedy.  And how our hearts grieve with them as well as we "weep with those who weep."  (Romans 12:15).

When these events happen, it's easy to be overcome by them.  It's easy to let grief or fear or anger consume us.  I began this post with the first verse of one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 46.  It is a profound truth that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

The next word of that Psalm is a very important word.  Therefore.  Because it is true that "God is our refuge and strength", how are we to respond?

"Therefore, we will not fear."  That's our response.  We will not fear.  No matter what happens.  No matter how many bombs go off, or how many shootings there are, or how many terrorist attacks.  No matter what happens.  Because God is our strength, our very present help, we will not fear.  That's our "therefore".  That's our response.  We know the truth......that no matter what man does, God is still God.  God is in control.  Even when we don't understand and no matter what comes our way, that truth remains.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea."  (Psalm 46:1-2 NASB)

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  (Romans 12:21 ESV)

Consequences

My jury service is completed.  A verdict has been rendered and the judge will pronouce sentence this morning.  The defendant will learn the consequences of the choices he made.

That's a word that has been reverberating in my thoughts since I left the courthouse yesterday.  Consequences.  There are always consequences.  To every choice.  Sometimes consequences are immediate, and sometimes they are delayed.  But there are always consequences.  Sometimes they are good, and sometimes not so good.  But there are always consequences.

And consequences don't only come to hardened criminals.  Or to repeat offenders.  Or to drug dealers. 

Consequences come to all of us.  If you're foolish enough to stick your hand into a hornet's nest, you will get stung.  If you don't pay attention to things like routine auto maintenance and you never remember to have the oil changed in your car, there will be consequences!  If your car sits in the garage for months and is never started, the battery will go dead.  If you're gluten intolerant, but you decide to eat pancakes any way, you will suffer the consequences.  If you choose to spend your day on the computer playing Words with Friends, you won't get much else done.

Whatever the choice, there's a consequence.  And choices made repeatedly become habits.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing.

As an example, if you begin to make good, healthy choices when it comes to the foods you eat, and if you continue to do this, your physical health will likely improve.  If you continue to do this over time, you will form a habit of eating good, healthy food.  That's a good consequence.

But if you pursue, over time, a course of eating junk food and food filled with chemicals and additives, your physical health will decline.  In either case, a habit is formed, and in both cases there are consequences to your physical health.

The same can be said of your spiritual health.  If you make a choice on a daily basis to spend time in the Word of God and in prayer, there will be positive ramifications for your spiritual health.  As you continue to make this choice, your spiritual health will improve.  You will draw closer to your Lord.  His Word will be hidden in your heart.  And as you continue to make this choice, a habit is formed.  A spiritual discipline.  A consequence.  One that deepens your spiritual relationship with the Lord and that will, in turn, have an effect on all other relationships as well.

If you haven't already done so, why not begin today?  Make a choice that will have a positive consequence for you and for all those around you as well.  Spend some time reading the Word of God.  Establish a habit of daily time in God's Word.  You'll be glad you did!

"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways; I wil delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word."  (Psalm 119:15-16 ESV)

Doing My Civic Duty

I'm on jury duty this week.  And this is, quite frankly, not my favorite thing.  It interrupts my routine, and I don't like that very much.  Sitting and waiting for my name to be called, or not, is boring.  The seats are very uncomfortable.......and that's an understatement!

But it is my civic duty.  Or, to put it another way, the way the judge refers to it, jury duty is a privilege and obligation of citizenship.

When you put it that way, my attitude changes a little.  Yes, I'm still whining about having to be there, sitting in a courtroom on beautiful days like today.  But when I stop and think about how many millions of people around the world are denied this privilege, about how many wish they could have a jury trial, I feel ashamed to be such a whiner.

Living in this country is a privilege, a blessing.  Even with all our problems and all that needs to be changed, being an American citizen is a great privilege.  And with privilege comes responsibility.

I didn't get selected for yesterday's trial, so was dismissed early.  I, and the others in the jury pool whose names weren't called, will report back this afternoon.  I'm glad to have the morning free, to be able to ease into the day.  That always works better for me!  I'm thankful to be able to linger over another cup of coffee.  Thankful not to be rushing around.

Just thankful for so many things this morning.  Especially thankful to be an American.  Even thankful for the privilege of jury duty!

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

Perspective

This has been an unusually busy week for me.  I'm not sure exactly why......I guess all those appointments somehow got scheduled into the same week and there are all those projects I have underway and all the regular day-to-day stuff and it all just ran together.  In any event, it just seems that I have had more to do than usual.

It's in these busier-than-normal times that it seems really easy for me to lose perspective.  To get bogged down by the trivial and forget about the important.  Perhaps it's partly to do with being more tired as a result of being more busy.  Or maybe it's just having my focus in the wrong place. Maybe it's that I am tired because I have my focus in the wrong place! Focusing on all the stuff to be done instead of on the One who will give me the strength and energy to do it. 

I confess that I have had one of those kinds of weeks.  Which has made it not such a good week. 

Bogged down by the stuff.  Focused on trivialities.  As a result, tired and irritable.  That's what happens when I lose perspective.  When my focus is in the wrong place.  When I end up just going through the motions.

Do you ever have days, or weeks, like that?  Or is it just me?

We had more of the never-ending winter yesterday.  That just added to my irritability!  And we're off to another gloomy gray start today. 

In spite of that, I'm choosing to have a different perspective today.  I choose to refocus my heart and my mind and my energy away from myself and my to-do list and away from the weather and away from all the things that are skewing my perspective.  I choose to be grateful.  I choose to notice all the little grace gifts that the Lord has so generously given me.  I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus today. 

Today I choose joy!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

Finished!

I have finally finished the photo book of our recent trip to Israel!  The order has been placed, and now I just must wait for the book to arrive in the mail.

In sorting through the hundreds (thousands!!) of photos of this trip - photos I took and that Al took, as well as those shared with us by others on the trip - I discovered one that has become my absolute favorite.  Not because it's of some particularly significant holy site.  It's a favorite because I think it really captures something very special.

See that cute couple walking together in the lower right hand corner?  Aren't they just adorable??!!  I just love this candid shot as Al and I are walking along toward the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount, completely oblivious to everybody around us.  Just two sweethearts out for a stroll!

Finishing up this photo album over this Easter weekend has been so special, as the last pages of my book cover the events of the crucifixion and resurrection.  Those sites are the places we visited on our last days in Jerusalem.  In fact, on our last day there, we followed Jesus' steps from the Garden of Gethsemane, to the House of Caiphas, down the Via Dolorosa, to Golgatha and then to the Garden Tomb.  Remembering that day in Jerusalem, revisiting those places in my memory, was a special part of my Easter celebration.

All that was so fresh in my mind as we went to worship yesterday, as we celebrated Resurrection Sunday!  We looked at the events through Matthew's account in our Life Group.  The pastor's message led us through the events as recounted by Luke.  The message....the fellowship.....the music.....the worship......all made yesterday's celebration of Resurrection Day one I will not soon forget.

This morning I am still thrilled by hearing the choir and Joni sing "This Blood"......amazing! But as I reflect on yesterday, and on the Crucifixion and Resurrection, there's another song playing over and over in my head.  It's one of those new songs that isn't so new any more, one that has been set aside for newer songs.  But it's the song of my heart this morning as I remember the cross and the empty tomb.  As I remember that "It is finished!"

 

FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE
I WILL THANK YOU!
FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO!
FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE PROMISED
AND ALL THAT YOU ARE
IS ALL THAT HAS CARRIED ME THROUGH!
JESUS, I THANK YOU!

AND I THANK YOU!
THANK YOU, LORD!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, LORD!
THANK YOU FOR LOVING AND SETTING ME FREE!
THANK YOU FOR GIVING
YOUR LIFE JUST FOR ME!
HOW I THANK YOU!
JESUS, I THANK YOU!
GRATEFULLY, THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!

(-Dennis Jernigan)

 

 

 

"Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

(1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV)