I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
(Psalm 34:1-8)
Faith is the refusal to panic.
-Martyn Lloyd-Jones
This photo is “enhanced.” The foreground in the original was a mess. Debris lay in a heap in an empty field after the land was cleared. Shadow muted colour. That was one reality. I decided to create a reflection of the upper part of the photo by flipping it and adding it to the bottom. That is another reality. You can see the photo with your own eyes.
Quite often we do the opposite; we define the kingdom of God by projecting our mess onto it. We drag the corners of our disappointment into the future.
I think we begin to see heaven when we pray the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s not about denial; it’s about possibilities. It’s about sanctified imagination. It’s about hope.
God has gone before us so we can walk in the future he has for us.
-Priscilla Shirer
My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
(Psalm 62:5-8)
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
(Psalm 91:5-6, 11-12)
Anxiety can be one of the most crippling aspects of dementia in the elderly. It is so difficult for people who have always been in control to allow others to help them.
Psalm 91 was a great comfort to my mother. Songs remain in the mind after many other memories have faded. Musical settings of scriptures full of assurance can be such a comfort. Thank God for the strength of music.
Without those treasures buried in our hearts throughout a lifetime of learning to trust, the darkness can be very dark indeed. I see the difference in my four family members who have walked or who are walking this memory loss path. We reap what we sow. The fruit of a lifetime of sowing seeds of faith and the fruit of years of sowing seeds of fear look very different when night falls.
Lord, teach us to trust you and dwell in your shelter now, so that it will always be a familiar refuge we can slip into easily.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:24)
Sometimes strength comes only after taking the first courageous step, not before. It is hope in the Lord that allows us to take one more step when we are not sure of what the next season will bring. Hope is about seeing the big picture – by faith.
Hope: vision-led endurance.
“In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day’s business.”
– William Penn
This has been a week of rush and noise. Literally and figuratively.
Actually, it’s been flat out crazy. At times the stuff happening around us has been so over the top all I can do is laugh and say, “God? It’s yours. There is no way I can keep up to this. I know you have a plan and you can use anything as raw material so here you go. Take this noise in my heart and this worrisome rushing about because you paid for it. It’s not doing me any good. If you would replace it with your peace I would be ever so grateful.”
After a night of very little sleep I got up well before dawn to pray. I was ready to go into “war mode” when I felt him say, “Be still.” I waited. “In an atmosphere of quietness and confidence you will find your trust.”
In spite of the urgency of the situation this time I sat still and refrained from giving God advice as I waited for his presence.
I realized that IS war mode. Positioning ourselves in peace and confidence in the One who is faithful is like sitting on a huge rock beside a rushing river. The water changes course. The rock does not.
Later that day I received news that He answered in a way that was better than I imagined.
We face another situation this week to which I can see no solution that will be satisfying to everybody involved. This post is another sermon-to-self. I am reminding myself to step home within myself to find the One who promised to never leave. I am learning to wait and be still. It doesn’t come naturally, but He’s working on changing me.
His good presence will carry us through.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
-Jesus Christ
Charis: Subject to Change 