Loss of control, disruption of plans, uncertainty. We’ve all experienced this. I think it is safe to say that for most of us, this week has taken our experience to a new level.

Let me tell you about George. At age 20, George Matheson was going blind. He was also in love and planning to get married. As if the loss of his sight was not trial enough, when he told his fiancé that blindness was inevitable, she decided that she did not want to be the wife of a blind man, and she left. In spite of all this, George persevered. He had a reputation of being joyful and had a strong faith. His preaching reached the hearts of many in Scotland. One of George’s sisters was by his side for years, helping him at home, transcribing some of his sermons, a partner of sorts in his life. When he was forty years old, that sister was getting married. Although he must have been happy for her, it meant loss for him. The night before her wedding, the rest of his family had gone to Glasgow for the night and he was alone. In the middle of deep sadness, he wrote a hymn. Of that hymn, George says, “It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than that of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.” (emphasis mine)

O Love, that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in Thee;

I give Thee back the life I owe,

That in Thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

O Light, that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to Thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy, that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to Thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain

That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross, that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from Thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

Wow. A song given as a gift in the midst of pain. And as for the song coming from the “dayspring on high”… that is the phrase used for Jesus in Luke 1:78-79, “Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

God, in His mercy, sent Jesus as rescue for the darkness and death of sin, and He sends Jesus as light in our times of darkness, to guide us to peace.

David tells of getting a song as a gift when he was struggling.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” Psalm 40:3

Songs encourage us and remind us of truth. God can use them to lift us up out of our own “slimy pits,” and to help us get our feet back on the Rock. As we live/sing our praise to the Lord, even in painful times, it points others to Jesus and the hope that is in Him.

I am blessed to be part of a group of ladies that share prayer and encouragement by texts, and often we communicate just by sending Scripture or a link to a song or even simply the song lyrics. This has been such a blessing to me, and it reminds me of Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 5: “… be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)

My prayer for myself and for you as we walk through this current difficulty, and every trying circumstance to come, and even when we walk through deep sadness and pain, is that we will, like George, know the Love that will not let us go, the Light that is always with us, the Joy that seeks to fill our hearts, and the Cross that brings life out of death.

May God fill our hearts with songs of truth and hope and joy! May we praise Him, and may many see Him because He shines through us.

Borrowing the words from another song as my prayer…

“Lord, I give my life

A living sacrifice

To reach a world in need

To be your hands and feet

So may the words I say

And the things I do

Make my lifesong sing

Bring a smile to You.

Let my lifesong sing to You.

I want to sign my name

To the end of this day

Knowing that my heart was true. “

Please help me to live this way. I pray in the powerful and beautiful and wonderful name, Jesus. Amen.

-Leah

This morning, I was doing laundry. Not surprising, really. Laundry is a never-ending task on my to-do list. Can you relate? Honestly, sometimes doing laundry makes me feel frustrated because it is never all the way done. Just about the time I fold the last article of clothing and put it away, I realize that the clothes Aaron and I are wearing will soon find their way into their respective hampers, and the whole process starts over again. Sometimes, in the middle of the week, I look at those two hampers and I think, “How can two people go through so many clothes in a few days?” And to those of you who have way more than two people in your household, you have my utmost respect and sympathy. 🙂

Dirty laundry. As I was working on the laundry this morning, I realized something. Those clothes that need washing are a lot like me. How so? As a Christian, I believe that I have been washed clean of my sin. 

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7, ESV)

When I first believed in Jesus, I was made clean. But it doesn’t stop there. You see, I still miss the mark. I find myself in need of washing over and over again. Just like that laundry. It sure doesn’t stay clean for long. Neither do I. When I see the dirt of my sin, I have to run to Jesus and say, “Please wash me again.” In His love and faithfulness, He does just that.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)

What I realized this morning is that while I often run out of patience with washing dirty clothes, Jesus does not run out of patience with washing away my sins. Over and over again, as I ‘air my dirty laundry’ to Him, He washes me clean. With infinite patience and mercy. It’s incredible, isn’t it?

It makes me think of Peter. On their last night together before His crucifixion, Jesus did something unthinkable. He took a towel and a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet. When it was his turn, Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet.”

“Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!'” (Psalms 51:7, ESV)

I’m with you, Peter. Lord, wash all of me. I want to be clean. I know that it won’t last long and that I will struggle with sin until I reach Heaven, but I’m so thankful that I can’t exhaust Jesus’ mercy and that He doesn’t run out of patience with me. His love and kindness to me amazes me. 

It’s not just for me though. It’s true for all of those who believe in Him.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27, ESV)

Pretty cool, isn’t it? He cleanses us so that He might present us to Himself one day without spot or wrinkle. He is making us more and more like Him with every wash. 

I think I’ll be pretty thankful from now on when I’m doing laundry. Thankful for an object lesson from everyday life that points me to the One who has cleansed me and will keep on cleansing me from my sin. And one day, I’ll be part of that church that is presented to Him without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. 

Jesus, thank You so much for the price You paid to make me clean. And thank You that You never get tired of washing my sins away. Wash all of me. I want to be more like You. Thank You for the promise of eternal life and the hope that one day, I will be clean forever in Heaven. Until then, please help me to be quick to confess my sins to You so that You can cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Amen.

-Dana

Do you ever feel like you’re not making progress? Like you know what you want to get done, but don’t seem to be accomplishing anything? Sometimes I feel like I am just spinning my wheels, and not only is it frustrating, but it seems to perpetuate inaction. Paraphrasing the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: A body that’s not going anywhere keeps on not going anywhere.

I was so inspired by last week’s blog, “Pile of Pennies.” I want to make my pennies count! I don’t want to waste time or let my days slip away without making a difference! But how do I turn that desire into movement? What should I do? And how can I get myself to do what needs to be done?

I’d like to share a concept I learned from LearnDoBecome, a program designed to help people free themselves from clutter. I think it applies to any big goal or project, and might even be applicable to living a purposeful life. The idea is the “next action.” When there is something that needs to be done, it often feels overwhelming, and we have a hard time getting started. The idea is to look at the goal, and identify the very next step towards achieving it. For example, the woman who has books stacked all over her living room floor. She is thinking that to resolve that issue, she needs a bookcase. Simple, right? She just has to go on line and order one. Why doesn’t she do it? When she stops to think it through, the reason she is not ordering her bookcase is that she doesn’t know what size she needs. She needs to measure the wall where the bookcase will sit. And in order to measure the wall, she needs a tape measure. So, her next action is to find a tape measure. Finding a tape measure isn’t too hard; she has one in the garage. Once she accomplishes that easy task, she has some momentum and she can tackle the next next action. Bit by bit, she moves forward. Pretty soon, the books aren’t on the floor. Success!

Way more important than a clear living room floor is a life that is being spent wisely. The years we have left are made up of days, and the days are made up of hours, the hours of moments, and the moments ruled by choices. We see the big picture of eternity-focused living, but what is our next action?

First of all, it is quite possible that our next step doesn’t feel like an action at all. More often than not, the thing we need to do is to sit with our Father.

“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child I am content.” Psalm 131:1-2

May I paraphrase? “It’s not really about me, God. It’s not about what I accomplish or how much I get done. I don’t have to understand the big picture or figure out all the details. I will spend time with You, not looking for what I can get, but just being close to You. I’m not worrying. You are in control.”

And, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Not just “be quiet,” but also “stop struggling/striving.”

A huge part of living a life that counts for eternity is drawing our strength and purpose from God and letting Him point us in the right direction.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Slow down. Stop fretting about what you should be doing and how you are not measuring up. Let your next step be letting God show you the next step He has planned. (For more on spending time at the feet of Jesus, see Dana’s post “One Thing,” from 5/25/19).

It is always more about who we are and who we are becoming than what we do, i.e. don’t take your next step without love.

The apostle Paul gives us very clear advice in I Corinthians.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” I Corinthians 13:1-3 And again, in chapter 16:14 (NKJV), “Let all that you do be done in love.”

I would venture to say that if we can get an understanding of God’s love and allow His love to take root and grow inside us, we can’t help but take next steps that are wise use of our moments and our days.

A great example of a life motivated by love, clearly not wasted, is that of Mother Teresa. Here is her advice: “Do small things with great love.”

If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, the title of a book by John Ortberg, is a great call to action. If you want to live a meaningful, productive life, take a step. Don’t allow feelings of shame or inadequacy or laziness stop you. Don’t trick yourself by saying you will do it tomorrow.

God has given us grace for today. He has a plan for our today, for our right now.

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

He hears us! He helps us! Let’s take a next step today. And then another, and another…

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” Hebrews 3:15

God, we don’t want to let our moments or our days or our years slip away. We want to live productive lives that make a difference. Hear our prayers for guidance and strength. Show us our next step and help us to take it. Transform us by Your love, so that the things we do are done because of love. Your love is what it’s all about.

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

-Leah

78.87 years. That is the average life expectancy of an American. It sounds like a lot of years, doesn’t it? That’s especially true if you’re 10, 15, or even 30. I have noticed that as I entered my 40’s, time seems to go by so quickly. Remember the opening line of the soap opera – “As sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives”? 

Time goes by so quickly. My oldest nephew, Benjamin, graduated yesterday. 18! If I close my eyes, I can see him still as an infant. Like it was yesterday. Where did 18 years go? 

In that picture, you see 79 pennies. Each penny represents one year of life. The average life expectancy of an American. The truth is, we don’t know how many years we will actually have. Some of us will have more than 79, and some of us will have less.

Here’s the picture again, but this time, I have taken out 45 pennies to represent the 45 years I have already used. It’s a little scary to look at it this way, isn’t it? If you have 79 pennies handy, I challenge you to do this. Put them out in front of you, and then remove a penny for each year that you’ve been alive. Look at what is left. Remember, what is left is not guaranteed. Some of us might be on our last penny right now. Sobering, isn’t it?

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14, ESV)

“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” (Psalm 39:4, ESV)

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

This is a challenge. To you. To me. To us. We have been given this one life. What are we doing with it? What are we living for? Each year is precious, each month is precious, each day is PRECIOUS. We don’t have time to waste. This video clip from Francis Chan captures it so well –

What are we living for? Are we spending our time focused on what we can get out of our lives here, or are we living with eternity in mind? 

Here’s the challenge. Let’s make every penny count, every year of our lives matter. It’s so easy to lose sight of just how short life really is. What we do with our time matters. There are things that God is calling us to do – let’s do them! 

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14, ESV) 

I want my life to count for eternity. I want to run the race well all the way to the finish line. Like Paul, I can’t say that I have already obtained this or that I am already perfect (far from it!). But I want to strain forward to what lies ahead. I want God to be able to use my life to the full, to be able to accomplish through me ALL the plans He has for me.

As I look at my ever-decreasing pile of pennies, I feel a greater sense of urgency. I don’t have time to waste on temporary things. I don’t have time to be bogged down by things that won’t last. My priorities must be those things that have lasting value, and my perspective must be fixed on what is eternal.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)

Will you join the challenge with me? Will you forget what is already behind and ask God to help you make every one of the rest of your days count for eternity? I know that we will have relapses and that we won’t get this perfectly right all the time, but let’s start with today. What can we do with our day today that will be eternally significant? Then, tomorrow, we can ask ourselves the same question. Life is a precious gift that we have been given – let’s not waste it!

Father, You are our Creator, and You have given us the gift of life. You didn’t give us life so that we could spend it on ourselves, living for what is only temporary. You gifted us with life so that we could live for You and do the things You’ve called us to do. You made our lives for eternal significance. Please forgive us for wasting time and for not prioritizing the eternal. Help us to understand that our days are few, and help us to have a renewed passion for using each day for Your glory. Give us a renewed sense of urgency to be part of the work that You are doing in the world, and please give us the strength to press on to make it our own because Christ Jesus has made us His own. Amen.

-Dana

Li Wen Liang.

Dr. Li Wen Liang. This 34-year old Chinese physician died from Coronavirus infection on February 7, 2020. His expectant wife survives him, and she is also infected with this Coronavirus. Dr. Liang has gained international attention, both in his life and now after his death, as one of the first to give warning about the serious new infection that has caused death and difficulty in China and worry throughout the world. Back in December, he observed seven cases of severe respiratory infection that were similar to the infections seen with SARS in 2003. He sent a message to his colleagues, outlining his concerns and advising them to wear protective gear when dealing with patients with this type of illness. According to the BBC, four days later, he was “summoned” to the Public Security Bureau and accused of spreading rumors, making false comments and disturbing the social order. A month later, he himself contracted the virus and subsequently passed away.

I had heard of Dr. Li in connection with the news about Coronavirus, but on Thursday I read an article about him that made me pause and contemplate his courage. He is said to have written a moving poem saying goodbye to his family and his community and concluding with the following passage from the Bible:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Courage.

As I spent some time thinking about it, I realized that over the last several weeks I have been surrounded by stories of courage.
The podcast on Revive Our Hearts that I listen to regularly has this week been an interview with Valerie Elliot Shepard, the daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. She has been telling their stories of commitment to do whatever it took to bring the message of Jesus to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Jim Elliot was one of 5 men killed by the Aucas on January 8, 1956, as they were attempting to make contact and open a door for the Gospel.

Last Sunday the lesson for our 4th grade Sunday school class was about Daniel and his friends, four Hebrew young men who were taken captive and brought to serve the king of Babylon in the early 600’s BC. These prisoners were bold enough to respectfully request a diet that did not violate the laws of their God.

Now go back another 400 years, to approx 1000 BC when Abigail, described as beautiful and discerning, was faced with a situation created by her foolish and badly behaved husband, Nabal. This story can be found in 1 Samuel 25 and is the subject of a group study I have been in for the last few weeks. Nabal acted and spoke arrogantly and angered David, the future king of Israel. David and 400 men “strapped on their swords,” intending to annihilate Nabal and his household and servants. Abigail stepped out in wisdom and courage and spoke truth and made peace.

Do I have courage?

The Collins English Dictionary defines courage as “the quality shown by someone who decides to do something difficult or dangerous, even though they may be afraid.”

Do I, like the Elliots, have the courage to sacrifice comfort and safety to go where God wants me to go and do what God wants me to do?

Do I, like Daniel, have the courage to hold on to what I believe is right, even when it will single me out and open the door for ridicule and worse?

Do I, like Abigail, have the courage to see the messes created by others and speak and act to bring a peaceful resolution?

Do I? Do you?

I want to say we do. We need to have courage. Our families need us to have courage. Our communities need us to have courage. Our world needs us to have courage. The courage we need comes from conviction built on a foundation of faith. It grows from knowing more and more the God who never fails.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of _____ (the text says “the king of Assyria and the vast army with him,” but insert whatever you are facing that stands in your way of doing what you know is right), for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

It takes courage to live a meaningful life. It takes courage to fight battles, some bigger than others, some more visible than others, but all important. We need eternal perspective and the assurance of the power of God. Let us stand for the truth that needs to be spoken. Let us stand for those who need our help and our voice and the message of God’s love. Let us stand for what we believe is right, even when it costs us. Let us act wisely and courageously to bring peace in stormy situations.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

God, thank You that You have promised to be with us wherever we go. Thank You that You help us and fight our battles. Help us to live our lives with the courage that comes from You. Teach us to “en-courage” the people around us to stand strong in Your power. We stand for You. We stand in You. We stand because of You.

RIP Dr. Li Wen Liang. Thanks for your example.

-Leah