Solitude and Prayer

COVID-19 has changed the way we live.

Like many others, I am working from home now.

I miss not being at work and I certainly miss the friends I have made there.

I long for the day when I can attend church once more,

I think I miss my students on Sunday mornings most of all.

We were not designed to live in perpetual solitude

Yet even for those living with family, there will be times we still find ourselves alone,

But this is not altogether a bad thing.

Scripture tells us time and again that even Jesus went off to be by himself.

Perhaps the clearest example can be found in Luke’s gospel.

Luke 5:16 (NET) -  Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Notice the word ‘frequently’.

It reminds us that there were many times that Jesus sought solitude for prayer.

Another example can be found in Mark’s gospel.

Mark 1:35 (NET) - Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.

Then there is the advice He gives each of us regarding the importance of solitude and prayer.

Matthew 6:6 (NET) - But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

We are meant to pray and worship together when we can.

One day, hopefully soon, we will again,

But scripture reminds us of the importance of solitude and prayer and how Jesus often sought both.

If Jesus required solitude from time to time, what does that say for us?

We also need solitude for prayer periodically.

Perhaps recent events might serve as a reminder to us.

In the days to come there will be times when we find ourselves without another human being around.

In those times, it is important to remember that we are never truly alone.

Let us put those moments to good use.

Let us remember how even Jesus sought solitude in which to earnestly pray to the Father.

Let us follow His example as we consider what He did for all of us.

In the week to come, we will contemplate the cross that awaited Him.

Just remember that there is a now empty tomb just beyond it!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, April 10, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, April 17, 2020

Kept in the Dark

Continuing the journey toward Easter I found my thoughts turning to the hours of darkness.

An eerie and unexpected darkness occurred while Jesus was being crucified.

Mark 15:33 (NET) - Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

This reminded me of the phrase “kept in the dark”.

To keep someone in the dark currently means choosing not to inform them of your plans.

This was certainly not the case with Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples exactly who He was.

He told them exactly what He came to do.

He even told them He would rise on the third day.

But the truth is the disciples’ reactions were like those who had been “kept in the dark”.

As He was crucified, they kept to a distance.

Luke 23:49 (NET) -  And all those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw these things.

After Jesus died on the cross, these men went into hiding.

But there was one man who understood.

He was not a disciple.

In fact, one might think this man would have been the last to understand.

But He did understand.

Mark 15:39 (NET) - Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

One cannot overlook the difference between the centurion and the others who knew Jesus personally.

Those who were supposed to have known Jesus best chose to keep their distance.

They reacted as if they had been kept in the dark.

Others stood close by and some of them, even the most unlikely, really understood.

The days leading up to Easter can be uncomfortable.

This is especially true when we consider what Jesus did for us.

But He does not want us to stand at a distance,

He wants us to draw near to Him.

What better time is there than Easter to do just that?

Matthew 6:21 (NET) - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are only kept in the dark if we choose to be.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 13, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 20, 2020

Size Doesn't Matter

I watched a rather interesting program two weeks ago.

It was about a very tall communications building built in a major city in the 1960’s.

At the time it was built, it was the tallest building in the city.

Many things have changed in the almost sixty years since the building was erected.

For one thing, it is no longer the tallest building in that city.

For another, the building is now owned by a private company.

The makers of the film contacted the current owner of the building.

They got permission for a dignitary who was present when the building was dedicated to return.

They also got permission to accompany this man to the observation deck and to film his reaction.

I enjoyed listening to this man reminisce about the building, its past and his role in it.

In no time, his comments became quite profound.

He remarked that at one time the city’s cathedral was its tallest structure.

He added that in time the communications building then became the tallest.

He then added that banks and financial institutions now share that claim.

He paused to reflect a moment and added that the size of the building may indicate what we worship.

According to this wisdom, first we worshipped God.

Later we worshipped technology.

Now, it appears we worship money.

I must admit, there is a certain wisdom in his observational thinking.

I shared this with my students last Sunday and they added sports arenas to the list.

While these are not the tallest structures, some can easily seat over 100,000 people.

Fortunately for us, a huge structure is not required for worship.

I recall a time when the power was out in our neighborhood one Sunday morning.

As people gathered for worship that morning I secretly hoped the power would stay off for a time.

I would have loved for us to have had a worship service outdoors.

Where we worship God is not critical.

Even large numbers of worshippers are unimportant.

It is what is in the hearts of the worshippers that matters.

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Matthew 18:20 (NET) - For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 28, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 5, 2018

Light of the World

My electricity went out in the late afternoon.

My living room windows face the sunrise, so it suddenly became quite dark in the room.

Not knowing how long I would be without electricity, I lit several candles.

As I waited patiently for the power to be restored, I began thinking about light.

In no time my thoughts turned to light in a biblical sense.

Light is important.

It is so important that it was the very first thing God spoke into existence.

Genesis 1:3 (NET) - God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light!”

Man was meant to live in light.

God created man, but He did so after He created light for him to live in.

Once accustomed physically to light, there is little we can do in darkness.

The prophets of old understood this.

They made many references to light in the spiritual sense.

They also understood the source of that spiritual light.

Isaiah 2:5 (NET) - O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light.

Paul also made references to us as being children of light.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NET) - For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.

There are many more references made to light in scripture.

So many, in fact, that I could fill pages listing them all.

Suffice it to say that light is important.

We are meant to live in the light.

Light is also something we take for granted.

This is easily done in a modern world where we are accustomed to simply turning on a switch.

Spiritual light can also be easily taken for granted.

Fortunately for us, Christ is the ultimate source of that spiritual light.

John 8:12 (NET) - Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Thanks to the light of Jesus, we will never find ourselves walking in spiritual darkness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 14, 2018.

I’ll be back here on Friday, September 21, 2018

Country Road

There is an old country road I traveled many times in the past.

I hardly ever use it anymore.

It passes alongside farms, fields, horses and other livestock.

It also passes alongside an old country church that is still in use.

Just beyond that, the road comes to a T shaped intersection leaving you with two options.

You can turn left, or you can turn right.

Sometimes we would turn to the left and go to the home of my uncle and aunt.

Sometimes we would turn to the right and visit the home of some dear family friends.

Whichever way we went, we would always take that same country road home.

I recall a time when I was very, very young when we traveled on that road at night.

As we passed that old country church it was bathed in light.

“What is that?” I asked my parents.

“That is God’s house,” my mother answered.

I already had some idea of who God was thanks to my parents.

I took Mother’s statement quite literally.

As a small child, I honestly believed this was the one place on Earth God chose to call home.

I also thought my family, my uncle and aunt and our friends were very fortunate to live so very near God’s home.

As I grew older, I learned that this was just Mother’s way of defining a church to an inquisitive child.

My parents and my uncle and aunt are gone now.

The friends we had no longer live in that area.

So, there is no need for me to travel down that road much anymore.

In my mind I still do.

At times when I feel God’s hand upon me, I recall that church, that old country road and that night when I was so young.

I recall how special it felt to believe God was so very near.

Now, as a man, I understand that God is everywhere.

Because He is everywhere, He is always very near.

Jeremiah 2:22-23 (NET) - Do you people think that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?” the Lord asks. “Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks.

I do now.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 24, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 1, 2017

In the Small Things

There are a great many things going on in the world right now.

The leader of one nation is developing both nuclear weapons and ways to deliver them.

Leaders of other nations challenge with harsh rhetoric of their own.

Still other nations claim sanctions must and will be invoked.

That’s not all.

There have been multiple hurricanes in existence at the same time.

These have resulted in the loss of life, injury and the destruction of property.

Flooding has occurred in different hemispheres.

Meanwhile other areas suffered a combination of drought and wildfire.

Still another area experienced a very strong earthquake.

Many people are claiming that this is God’s way of trying to get our attention.

Others are stating that this is God’s way of inflicting punishment.

These claims might even come from people in prominent places.

We really must be careful when we try to use disasters, manmade or otherwise, to interpret God’s intent.

In the ninth chapter of John, the disciples encountered a blind man.

They asked Jesus whose sin caused the man to be blind - his own or his parents?

The reply Jesus gave must have come as quite a surprise to them.

John 9:3 (NET) - Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.

Jesus then cured the man of his blindness.

Jesus even spoke to his disciples about things such as earthquakes and wars.

Mark 13:7-8 (NET) - When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.

Then there was the time Elijah hid in a cave.

The LORD asked Elijah to exit the cave and stand on the mountain.

Elijah was subjected to the spectacular.

First there was a powerful wind and landslides.

Next there was an earthquake.

After that came a raging fire,

Elijah determined that the LORD was not in any of these.

1 Kings 19:12 (NET) - After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

The LORD revealed himself to Elijah in a whisper.

As human beings, it is easy for us to assume that God only reveals himself in big ways like hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes.

God often surprises us.

God quite often reveals himself in the most unexpected ways.

He came to Elijah in a whisper.

He came to us as a child in a manger.

By focusing on only the very large, we could very easily overlook Him in the small.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 22, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 6, 2017

God with Us

Genesis 12:1 (NET) - “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.

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God told Abraham to leave the familiar and step into the unknown.

God did not even say exactly where this was.

Rather, God said that He would “show” him.

Abraham was no longer a young man when God gave him these instructions.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 12:4-5 (NET) - So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him. (Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.) And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they left for the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and Abraham responded.

This would not be the only time that Abraham would answer God’s call.

There would come a time when God would ask much more of Abraham.

Genesis 22:2 (NET) - God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”

Abraham dearly loved his only son.

How did Abraham respond?

Genesis 22:3 (NET) - Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out for the place God had spoken to him about.

This time, just like the time before, Abraham obeyed God.

God called Abraham and again Abraham responded.

Abraham was prepared to do everything God asked of him.

He was even prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

In the end, God spared Isaac.

Genesis 22: 11-12 (NET) - But the Lord’s angel called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

God provided a ram for the sacrifice.

The name Abraham gave to the place means “The LORD provides”.

Romans 4:3 (NET) - For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

God was with Abraham.

I think it is more than fair to say that God was with Isaac as well.

That is the way it is.

God calls and we are to respond.

What will our response be?

If we obey God’s call then God will be with us.

The prophet Isaiah understood this.

Isaiah 7:14 (NET) - For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.

This prophecy was fulfilled.

Matthew 1:23 (NET) - Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

When my ancestors first came to the region where I now live, most of them did not even speak the local language.

They had no idea what awaited them in this new land.

But they did know one thing.

They knew that God was with them.

When they built their first church in the area 150 years ago, their pastor painted “God with Us” behind the pulpit as a reminder.

He panted these words in the language they knew.

God was with Abraham and Isaac.

God was with those who preceded me.

God is with me.

God is with us!

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 11, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, August 18, 2017

Spring Cleaning

In 2 Chronicles 34, we learn of the king of Judah and his response to a discovery in the Lord’s temple.

The repair of the Lord’s temple had already begun when this discovery was made.

2 Chronicles 34:14 (NET) - When they took out the silver that had been brought to the LORD’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the LORD had given to Moses.

The priest gave this scroll to the scribe who in turn brought it before the king.

The scribe then read the words to the king who had a remarkable reaction.

2 Chronicles 34:18-19 (NET) - Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes.

The king understood that the people had departed from the law God gave Moses.

The king ordered that an oracle be consulted.

Huldah the prophetess was consulted.

2 Chronicles 34:23-25 (NET) - and she said to them: “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: “This is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded in the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’”

These words were not easy to hear.

The words for the king that followed were a bit more comforting.

2 Chronicles 34:27-28 (NET) - ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the LORD. ‘Therefore, I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.’ Then they reported back to the king.

When the king heard these words, he first summoned all the leaders.

He then went up to the Lord’s temple in the company of all the people.

He read to them the words on the scroll and renewed their covenant with God.

2 Chronicles 34:32-33 (NET) - He made all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. The residents of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged all who were in Israel to worship the LORD their God. Throughout the rest of his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD God of their ancestors

Scripture reminds us that all the detestable idols were removed.

When we think of idols today we likely think of carvings made of would and stone.

In truth, an idol is anything or anyone that keeps the Lord from being first in our lives.

Even things that on the surface seem benign or beneficial can become idols if we are not careful.

As we enter the season of Lent we contemplate Jesus, the suffering He endured and the sacrifice He made for us,

Let us first clear away the clutter and the distractions from our hearts and minds.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 10, 2017.

I’ll be back here on Friday, March 17, 2017

I Just Don't See It

Over the past few months I have observed a building under construction.

I passed by it every day during my commute.

I observed the excavation.

I saw the foundation laid.

I watched the steel girders go up.

I observed additional concrete poured.

I saw men at work inside the building busy at various tasks.

Each day I passed by I could see the progress that was being made.

What made this interesting was that I only saw this building from a corner view.

When work began on the exterior of the building, workers started on the side of the building to my left.

That phase completed they began working on the side of the building to my right.

Once that was complete, I could no longer see inside the building.

I also could not see the exterior work on the far side of the building.

Looking at things only from my perspective, it appeared that all work had stopped.

All the while work continued.

I just could not see it based on my limited view.

That is often how it is with God.

We are certainly aware of the problems in our lives.

We are also aware of some the problems in our world.

Sometimes we can easily see God at work.

Sometimes, from our limited view, it appears that no progress is being made at all.

At such times, it is very easy for us to assume that God is not doing anything about them.

In truth, He is.

We just can’t see it from our limited human perspective.

Hebrews 11:1 (NET) - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

God is not a distant and casual observer.

He is an active participant in all our lives.

This is also true during those times when we see no progress.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 25, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 2, 2016

His Guiding Hand

A new year is upon us.

We tend to look upon each new year as a chance at new beginnings.

We promise ourselves we will do some things which will improve the quality of our lives.

We also promise to try to improve the lives of those around us.

As this year ended, I found myself looking back upon the year that sped too quickly by.

In doing so I realized that I grew considerably as a Christian this year.

I served in ways that I could not have imagined serving a few years ago.

As I reflected on these things, I recalled some of the events that led up to them.

There was the class I attended five years ago.

There was the book I read which my pastor recommended four years ago.

There were the books I taught from for the last several years.

There were special people that entered my life and influenced it.

As I considered these things, I came to one inescapable conclusion.

God used all these things and more to help prepare me for the year that has gone by.

His guiding hand has led me to the books I have read.

His divine influence placed those special people in my life.

So when the times came for me to step outside of my comfort zone this year, God made certain that I was prepared.

In fact, He spent years preparing me for them.

As I reflected on these things, something new occurred to me.

Perhaps He has used the opportunities of the year past to prepare me for future service.

After all, nothing is impossible for God.

As we enter a new year, let us remain open to the ways God desires to utilize us.

Whatever avenues of service He leads us to, He has prepared us for them.

Psalm 143:10 (NET) - Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God. May your kind presence lead me into a level land.

Father, teach us to do what pleases you in the year to come.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 8, 2016.

I’ll be back here on Friday, January 15, 2016

The More Things Change...

As I am about to turn yet another year older I find myself reflecting on change.

When I was a child television was black and white and there were only a few local channels.

Telephones required lines.

There were no computers, laptops, tablets or even calculators.

Man had not yet set foot on the moon as the space program was still in its infancy.

Now, half a century later the world is a much different place.

Television is not only in color and high definition but there are literally hundreds of channels to choose from.

With the advent of cell phones, land lines are decreasing in number.

In fact, phone booths which allowed us to make telephone calls when away from home have all but disappeared.

There have been several manned missions to the moon and we now have unmanned craft on Mars while still others orbit Earth and explore the solar system and beyond.

There are even people living and working in space for extended periods of time.

Computers have entered the workplace and it is almost impossible for businesses to succeed without them.

People are using their laptops, tablets and even their cell phones to stay connected and to access information wherever they happen to be.

Change was inevitable and I am amazed at the number that has taken place in my lifetime.

Along with these changes unintended consequences have arisen as well.

Although some television services offer hundreds of channels only a small percentage of the programs are actually worth watching.

People are using their cell phones to call, email and text so frequently that the amount of actual personal interaction between people is diminishing.

As far as space exploration is concerned, there is now a cloud of debris and space junk orbiting Earth and NASA has to monitor it constantly in order to minimize the risk it poses to today's missions.

Though it is impossible to do business without computers, identity theft is a very real threat which the headlines bear out more frequently.

With laptops, tablets and other such devices we are now bombarded with so much information that only a fraction of it is really useful.

Personally, I make use of these technological changes and would be hard pressed to do without them.

But, if one is completely honest, one must admit that the unintended consequences that came about with them have certainly complicated things.

Isn't it comforting to know that when it comes to that which is most important there has been no change at all?

In fact, there never will be.

Hebrews 13:8 (NET) - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

In a world that changes at an ever increasing pace and assaults our senses with new and more difficult challenges to overcome, it is comforting to know that Jesus Christ remains a source of constant love, strength and stability.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Parts of the Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 (NET) -  ‘For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not harm you. I plan to give you a future filled with hope.’

I will always be grateful for the mother God gave me.

Her story was not an easy one.

Her first pregnancy was extremely difficult and the child she delivered, my brother, died in infancy.

Her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

Heartbroken, she and my father must have concluded that having a child they could raise to adulthood was just not meant to be.

God’s plan was different.

Shortly after my mother turned forty years of age, I was born.

Although neither of my parents ever said anything to me about it, I concluded that I was not the result of any planning on their part.

I was however a part of the plan that God had and that was sufficient for me.

It was my mother who taught me to pray when I was very young.

It was my mother who told me stories from the Bible when I was still too young to read.

As the years passed we developed a great relationship together as mother and son.

That was also part of God’s plan because shortly after I graduated from high school, my father died.

Mother found employment and I left school to do the same.

A few years later, she was diagnosed with arthritis.

It grew progressively worse.

During a downturn in the economy, she found herself suddenly unemployed.

Because of her now debilitating arthritis, her prospects of finding another job were not good.

Fortunately, by the time this happened, I had a better job and she was able to retire.

To me, this was further evidence of God’s plan in action.

Although she remained mentally sharp, her arthritis grew steadily worse.

I tried to keep her as active as her condition would permit.

On really cold or damp days, her arthritis would be especially painful.

On one of those days, she asked for my help with a simple task.

Of course, I agreed and jokingly asked, "What are you going to do tomorrow when I’m at work?"

I will never forget her response.

She looked at me with those still beautiful hazel eyes and said, "I am going to pray."

With all of my heart, I believed her.

I also knew exactly what she meant by that.

She would not be praying for herself.

She would be praying for me and for my safe return home.

When I was young, she taught me with words.

As an adult, she taught me by example.

Again, another glimpse into God’s plan.

Mother died just a few years ago.

Since her passing, I have had many people tell me that God was going to bless me some day for taking such good care of her.

What those well meaning people did not realize was that He was already blessing me every step of the way.

That too was part of His plan.

Because of the faith she instilled and cultivated in me, I have a solid foundation upon which I continue to build and which I now share with others.

Sharing in ways that I do not believe she could have foreseen.

I certainly did not foresee them.

That too was part of His plan.

I cannot help but wonder how His plan will yet surprise me.

As human beings, we cannot see nor even comprehend all the facets of God’s plan.

He does, however, give us glimpses into that plan and even of Himself if we take the time to reflect on how involved He is in our lives.

What glimpses is He showing you?



Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Being There

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)

One of the most consoling and strengthening aspects of faith in God is the knowledge that He lives and reigns all the time and everywhere--that He is always there for us, no matter where we are or what may happen to us, and no matter how confused, lonely, or despairing we may feel. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, and is aware of our every thought, word, and deed, good or bad. He wants to share and magnify our happiness, and He most certainly feels and seeks to assuage our pain, consistently with His divine will.

Nowhere is this precious truth more fully and beautifully expressed than in Psalm 139:

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Psalm 139:1-12)

But oh, how we flee from Him!  Instead of giving thanks and praise to our generous Lord when times are good, we too often grow smugly self-confident, feeling that we need no God, and indulge in worshiping the idols of wealth, ease, and entertainment. Habits of prayer, repentance, and study of the Word are forgotten. Having taken our eyes off the Heavenly Light, we become blind to the grave moral dangers all around us on earth. Of course, that's just what Satan wants--to separate us ever further from our loving Father, until we are entirely in the Devil's clutches. Then, when times are bad, we'll despair of any help or forgiveness from above, and resign ourselves to destruction.

Don't let that happen to you!  Get in the habit of experiencing and acknowledging God's presence every day, all day. Begin and end each day connecting with Him in prayer, seeking forgiveness and guidance, and giving joyful thanks and praise. Do it at mid-day, too!  Set aside some time during the day, even if it's only for 15 minutes, to read and ponder His Word in whatever translation best speaks to you. Get outdoors and take a walk amidst God's creation and His people, and reflect how they manifest His goodness. When something good happens, give thanks right away and give God the glory. Make sure you reach out and do something good for someone else every day, and feel His love flow through you to others. And when things around you get very dark, pray for courage and deeper faith--grasp His hand all the tighter, and NEVER let go!  Hold fast to your faith in His always Being There.

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises