Have you noticed how easy it is to be caught up in the stress of always striving, seeking to accomplish something? It represents struggling or fighting for something. There is no question there are more than one or two principles, values, and causes that are worth fighting for or on behalf of, but in our Christian experience have we balanced out when we are to cease from that?

 

Everywhere I look there appears to be struggles in abundance as so much in our lives and world is being shaken. We can easily be thrown off balance and our natural instincts kick in and we either flee or fight. The key we must not lose sight of goes to the foundation of our Christian experience and what informs the decisions we make as we live in the world while seeking to be not of the world as His sons and daughters. I hear often that we need to stand in the midst of all that swirls around us.

 

One of the books I read long ago is that “little” gem by Watchman Nee entitled Sit, Walk, Stand. In less than sixty-five pages, he lays down the foundational principles Paul lays out for us in Ephesians as succinctly as anything I have ever read. If you have read it, you know what I mean. If you have never read it, put it on your book list.

 

It struck me that our difficulty of standing in the midst of challenge is perhaps because we have not first learned to sit, as Watchman Nee makes clear. Standing suggests we are in conflict or warfare and we cannot begin to consider warfare unless we have first learned to truly rest in Christ, in who He is, and what He has done for us and already accomplished on the cross and through resurrection. When we can sit and rest in that truth, we have greater clarity on the reality of the victory that was already accomplished and will be accomplished for the rest of all time.

 

That gives us the beginning of clarity on what it means to cease striving. If we get caught up in constant striving, I am not so sure the enemy is not gleeful when he senses that we are not certain that Christ’s sacrifice has counted for much of anything. Have we also lost sight of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us?

 

I am not suggesting there are not attacks of the enemy from a broad range of options available to him, but rather do we rightly discern what is an assault from him and what is a consequence of some poor choice or sin in our own lives? Our discernment is key.

 

Nee makes clear that if we have a solid understanding of our position with the Lord that we will be able to learn how to walk with Him before the world! In Ephesians Paul makes clear we are to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand against the wiles of the devil. Paul doesn’t suggest at that point that we are to march into battle, but rather to stand. Am I, are you, remembering why Paul exhorts believers to do that? It’s key to the foundation that leads to a cessation of striving.

 

Watchman Nee put it this way:

“The word ‘stand’ implies that the ground disputed by the enemy is really His, and therefore ours. We need not struggle to gain a foothold on it.”

 

The weapons described in Ephesians 6 are by and large defensive except for the sword that can be used both defensively and offensively. That gives a metaphor for the truth that we have the ground because of Him. We are not, I am not, trying to get the ground if He dwells within us or me. Jesus took the war to the enemy at the cross and defeated him there. That is what allows us to know and be assured that we can stand and in fact, to know that He is counting on us to stand and not be shaken as the world around us starts to come apart.

 

Let Paul’s words encourage your heart today:

 

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

 

Is what He called us to do easy? Absolutely not! We need to depend on Him and that is as it should be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, I watched our oldest granddaughter toss college notes onto a fire in a fire pit as she came to the end of a grueling BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program. I am not so sure our oldest grandson who is finishing finals of his sophomore year in college in pre-med wouldn’t like to do the same except that he may need them in the years ahead. I have watched, as these first two of our six grandchildren have poured themselves out and fallen at the foot of the cross for the only One who could sustain and provide for them in the midst of exhaustion, doubt, discouragement, and sometimes disappointment. I have also watched as they have been stretched in trust and faith in the Jesus they have both believed in for quite a few years.

 

I have watched their parents, our children, as well who have poured so much into them stood with, exhorted, and comforted them as they take a step closer to adulthood and the responsibilities and challenges that wait for them on the other side of the door of their college life. It speaks of a big transition, a time of letting go of small things, small ideas, and small dreams and learning what remains. It is the first major sifting process of adulthood where the urgent clashes with the important.

 

It can be easy to make the urgent a villain in the mix and sometimes it can be, but life does not let us escape attending to the urgent many times. Our challenge is to discern the truly urgent from the nagging things at our elbow that may seem urgent, but are not.

 

It is our challenge to also remember that we are being molded and shaped by the Potter according to His design. The process of being spun on a wheel and molded and pounded into the shape He intends is not going to always be a picnic or a lot of fun. It will often hurt and we will want to pull back from the hands of the Potter, but we must not forget that He sees beyond what our human eyes can see and he knows well the finished product He intends. He knows what must be eliminated and what must be added and His hands are sure and full of grace and mercy.

 

God, the Father, shaped His son as well as Jesus grew up in human form, walked through the wilderness testing, and then the ultimate testing on the cross. He submitted to the process despite the shame and pain, the agony and the grief. He knew what remained and in Him the result was the manifestation of that.

 

What remained? God’s love.

 

Jesus became God’s love demonstrated in the flesh so we wouldn’t miss it. It was what He wanted us to have confidence and assurance in. When we get confused about that or if we do, it is likely because we understand so little about what love, His love, is all about. Paul reminds us in that famous ending of Romans 8:38-39 NLT:

 

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

We hear it again in powerful lyrics and words in the song, “One Thing”, heard so often at Passion conferences and sometimes during our worship services. I love singing it in worship and allowing the words to resonate deeply in my spirit.

 

“Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me. Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me…On and on and on it goes. Yes, it overwhelms and satisfies my soul; and I never, ever, have to be afraid ‘cause this one thing remains…your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me…”

 

The very best news about it is that it was and is not based on who I am or who I’m not.

 

Love is just who He is!

 

 

The uncertainty of the time we seem to be living in can create a great deal of concern for us at times. We wonder what the future holds and sometimes worry about it as well. Wanting to pull back the curtain to see what lies ahead from the beginning of recorded history has long fascinated us. People sought out seers and prophets to that end. Many still look to astrologers and others who practice the occult to get answers for what may lay ahead. I wonder if we do so because of anxiety or because somehow if we find out we will steel ourselves for whatever it is and feel a bit more in control.

 

Whether we like to admit it or not, when things appear to be totally out of control we can start to shake a bit. Perhaps that is based on the faulty premise that we might be able to change something to alter what is ahead if it is not to our liking. I suggest it is faulty because the very worst things that may happen to us often appear to happen randomly even though we can potentially impact small things like what we eat, how much we exercise, where we live, and how much we spend.

 

Does the Lord really want to keep us in suspense so we have no way of preparing for the future? It might be tempting to think so and there are some things He has clearly said will not be revealed to us such as the date and time of His reappearing. But even then, He has given us clues and information we can read and reflect upon regarding that. Additionally, He has filled the Bible with a huge chunk written by prophets and too often we skip over those books or get bogged down in trying to sort out Daniel’s visions or John’s unusual images in Revelation. Sometimes we also try reading those books without any context or attempt to study what excellent commentators reveal or to lean into the Holy Spirit to guide and open our hearts to see.

 

Have you considered Isaiah? I know you likely know the passages we hear and associate with Christmas, but there is so much more in the book of the Bible that bears his name. My pastor is currently teaching through the entire book and he has noted how often Jesus quotes Isaiah in His words in the gospels. My pastor’s admonition? “Know Isaiah. It will settle your heart. So far, everything he has said has come true so far.”

 

Reading carefully shows us Isaiah’s words encompass at least four kings and we see how his prophetic messages have come to pass regarding these kings and their kingdoms. But there is more to learn because some of his words extend beyond his time into our present time and speak to what will yet be. Some of them align with things John writes in Revelation. His job as a prophet was to challenge the people and speak the words of God, to warn and call the people back to God.

 

Perhaps you wonder about what lies ahead in heaven or hell. No, we don’t have a video of either one, but the Bible speaks clearly about both destinations. It seems He wants us to know and I don’t think He wants us to fear death as believers but rather to see it as a transition and change of address. He tells us about both places because He wants us to choose heaven and the way to get there.

 

Yes, bad times will come and always be with us in this life. Yes, we will not escape disappointments and wounds. BUT that does not mean He is absent! He also promises that His righteousness will prevail and judgment will fall upon evil and those who have rejected Him. Would you like to see an example of His faithfulness to His chosen people?

 

Look at Isaiah 14: 24-27 to discover God’s faithfulness. I will not quote all the verses, but here are a few phrases to whet your appetite: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand….For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it?”

 

God is looking at how Assyria has besieged His people and through Isaiah tells them in essence, “Rest easy. I’ve got this.”

 

How do I know I can apply that to our current day? Because the writer of Hebrews says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 ESV

 

So when you are tempted to worry about the future, consider reading Isaiah 14: 24-27 and remember…God’s got this!!

 

 

 

 

 

It seems no matter where I look or whom I am listening to, I hear people speaking about confusion. So often I hear the words, “I am so confused!” It would be one thing if it related to the news headlines that bombard us from every source, but it doesn’t stop there. Over and over again I hear it about “the big rocks” like values, principles, beliefs, and choices. I hear it as well from brothers and sisters in the body as they appear to be trying to sort out what they believe about what their faith rests upon or how to apply it to the postmodern world we live in.

 

A dictionary gives the following definition of confusion: “lack of understanding; uncertainty; a situation of panic or breakdown of order; a disorderly jumble; or the state of being bewildered or unclear in one’s mind about something.” Yikes! If that definition is accurate, what does that say about us, about me? Have I, have we, lost all of our moorings? Where has all this confusion come from and why is it such a major factor in our lives?

 

My thoughts quickly recall Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:33a:

“For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace…” Those words clearly tell me that the confusion is not from God, but what is the true source? What is the root?

 

I was blessed to hear a recent sermon at our son’s church by his pastor whom I greatly respect. Tucked into the message, he answered the question I just shared with you:

 

“Confusion comes from rebellion, idolatry, and self-devotion. Where these three are, there will be confusion in an individual or a nation.” Pastor Steve Berger, Grace Chapel, Leiper’s Fork, TN.

 

As I heard those riveting words, I knew he had nailed it. I think we have been looking in all the wrong places to resolve the matter of confusion. It can be far easier to look and point to so many things, people, and institutions as the source or fault of the problem and they may well bear some blame or even a great deal of blame, but I think we/I need to look a bit closer to home first. Institutions, businesses, organizations, and nations are made up of and guided by individuals. If individuals are not grounded in the truth of who they are and whose they are, they will surely fall prey to spreading the confusion in them throughout whatever entity of which they are a part.

 

The enemy (Satan) is an expert in rebellion and he exports it regularly into humanity. It started in Eden, but he has not stopped with Eden. We see that beyond Genesis throughout the entire Bible and it didn’t end when John finished writing Revelation. Something inside us rankles at the possibility of constraint of our own desires to do whatever we want when we want. We call for freedom when often we are really rebelling against a set of values and principles that do not suit us at the moment. It happens in little ways all the time and dulls us to its influence. It happens when we choose to go a little faster than the speed limit says because the limit doesn’t make sense to us or we are in a hurry for our busy life. It happens when our doctor has warned us that we cannot continue to eat certain things because of one health condition or another and yet we do it any way.

 

Rebellion? Yes, we are all guilty to one degree or another. Then Satan accuses us of the very thing he has tempted us to do and fogs our understanding of how we got into the accident, the emergency room, or wherever else the rebellion may lead us. And make no mistake: rebellion is deadly. God speaks through Samuel to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:23a: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination (witchcraft in King James), and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry…”

 

So perhaps you can agree about the issue of rebellion, but idolatry? That might be tougher to swallow. We immediately think of bowing to idols of stone, actual objects that are revered and imbued with power in our own belief system, but looking at the meaning more closely might give us pause. Idolatry also is defined as “extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone”. When those things exist, we may well be tempted to do or become anything to please or appease that something or someone and leave the truth of who we are behind without recognizing we have been seduced once again to put someone other than the Lord in first place in our hearts. It can so often happen as believers as we “look up to” and then move a step further in our devotion to a pastor or Christian leader that we overly-idealize and then follow without question.

 

Perhaps that makes the line easier to see the issue of self-devotion. We are far more devoted to ourselves than we may recognize. We want what is convenient to us and what we like far too often versus what is best for us or what is right. We want what will boost our position more than how we support and lift up someone else. We want. We believe we deserve.

 

How is it that we can so easily find ourselves lost somewhere along “the yellow brick road”? Have we really fallen prey to the magical devices of the wizard?

 

I cannot answer that for you, but the sobering reality the pastor’s words have created for me is the importance of the absolute unshakable foundation I must daily stand on.

 

That foundation is God’s Word. It answers all the questions and gives the only hope. It points to mercy and grace. It gives light and truth to the darkness of this world.

 

How much I immerse myself in that foundation determines how successful I will be in fending off confusion. I am the one who is responsible to secure and defend that foundation with the help of the Holy Spirit. I am the one who is responsible to place myself under the wise teaching of a pastor whose messages are centered on that Word. But that does not change my personal responsibility to read and study to strengthen that foundation.

 

Are we willing to face the source of confusion and be God’s change agents to defeat it? If so, how would that change our circle of relationships, our church, or even our nation?

 

 

 

 

Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist, loved her job working in London for the World News Syndicate. Investigative reporting suited her perfectly. She had recently written a series of articles about the influx of refugees in England. Her current assignment to discover the truth about an American citizen who had married into a wealthy, upper class British family during World War II intrigued her. Few people knew of how ordinary British citizens and even those of the upper class had supported Nazi Germany during World War II.

 

Quenby’s story’s focus was Lady Ricker, who was suspected by the British government of assisting the Nazis during World War II. Sorting through stacks of documents had not given her any solid proof that Lady Ricker had operated as a spy despite more than a few coincidences and hints that she had.

 

In the midst of her research, Lucas Hough, a handsome attorney from a prestigious law firm, contacts Quenby. A mysterious client wants her to research another story of two young German children, Dietmar and Brigitte, and is willing to pay handsomely for her work. The client has hired multiple detective agencies without success. After reading numerous investigative journalistic pieces written by Quenby, he is convinced that if anyone can find the little girl, Brigitte, it is Quenby.

 

Quenby has no interest in any distraction from her current assignment. But when her editor puts a halt to her work after citing possible legal risks if she pushes to discover the truth about Lady Ricker, Quenby agrees to meet with Lucas and later his client. She still has no inclination to accept the offer and challenge. As she learns the client, Daniel Knight, has an exhaustive dossier on her that reveals the secret of her own mother’s disappearance when she was a child Quenby experiences anxiety as well as curiosity.

 

The linchpin that finally seals her decision to take the assignment is learning Daniel Knight is actually Dietmar who is searching for his friend, Brigitte who was separated from him in their attempt to flee Nazi Germany.

 

Melanie Dobson, author of Catching the Wind, writes a powerful and captivating novel with many twists and turns that include a collision of both of Quenby’s assignments. What Quenby doesn’t expect is coming face-to-face with her own story that she has tried to avoid for her entire life.

 

I love a good story and this surely is one! The backdrop Melanie Dobson paints of true information about what was happening in the heart of Britain during World War II was of special interest to me as a lover of history. I look forward to reading more of her stories and couldn’t put this one down.

 

To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review.