As the world around us convulses and uncertainty spreads like a cancer, it can be easy for us to tremble and fret over how we will cope with these current events. Even if you are not personally affected at the present, it is no assurance that you will not be.

These things and so many others can leave us shaking our heads if we have tried to steward our health and wealth. But you see these things are not at all new.

As I was reading in Judges about Gideon I paused when I came to a verse that echoed what so many are wondering in these current days:

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

Judges 6:13 (NIV)

And that is just one example of many we find in the Bible if we look back through biblical history. Some of you are knowledgable to be able to identify more than a few others.

Moving up the history timeline to a time not so long ago I think of the times and seasons my parents lived in and through. It can be easy to forget the challenges the generations just before us experienced.

My parents were children when the Spanish flu ravaged the world and in 1918 in the United States alone 675,000 people died. Some of these were family members I never knew. It was happening during the same period the impact of WW I was being felt across the globe, but it didn’t stop there. From 1921-1925 a diphtheria epidemic raged and at its peak 15,520 died in one year. Then polio destroyed the lives of many and crippled others between 1916 and 1955 and a measles outbreak between 1981 and 1991 killed up to 10,000.

During those years just mentioned people were living and dying through WW II and the conflict in Korea and others lost all hope when most of the money and businesses were lost when the crash of the stock market happened in 1929 and the long years of the Great Depression followed.

We can watch movies and documentaries galore about these things and if we are blessed, we might also have some first-hand stories we recall of rationing, losses, and scarcity of things we easily take for granted.

These more modern examples do not show up in the heroes of the faith we read about in Hebrews 11, but perhaps some of them should. Maybe we should also take heart for what those hard times wrought in them. Many without fame or fortune rebuilt agriculture and rebuilt cities and countries and discovered vaccines and cures for so many things most of the world do not need to worry about. They also dreamed of a “better” for those like us who would come after them and sacrificed to make education and opportunity plentiful so we might not struggle in ways so many of them did.

We have such a narrow view. I love how Debbie Wilson describes this in her book, Little Faith, Big God:

“We view life like someone standing on a sidewalk watching a parade pass by. We see only what passes in front of us. God sees the story of humankind as one looking down on the parade from a blimp. He sees the beginning, middle, and end all at the same time. His ways are better than ours. He has information that we lack. It makes good sense to trust him. Although faith relates to the unseen, it isn’t blind.”

I benefitted from the generation who lived through some of those hard times. They taught me to steward my money and possessions and never to presume they could not be lost. They also taught me to value life and liberty and the sacrifices often needed to preserve it. Education was something I learned early on was not something to be lazy about because learning from all that came before prepared me for what was ahead and inspired possibilities for what my generation could discover or accomplish to make the world better.

From them I learned that my hope could not be in the stock market or any other financial entity, nor could it be in any politician of any ilk.

I learned that “entertainment” could be as faith-building as a “hymn sing” at our local church on an evening where anyone could shout out a favorite hymn of theirs and we would all join in singing.

“Our hope rests in a loving God. Even though we can’t see his invisible hand or understand his plan, like the wind, his goodness is evident to those with the eyes of faith.

When stormy emotions cloud your spiritual vision, focus on your Pilot. Then choose to trust him with your groundings.” Debbie Wilson

Photo by Nick Schurbait from Unsplash

It seems that everyone is facing a challenge of some sort and if not, they are often feeling caught up in the mundane tasks and duties of their world. Without a doubt, most of us are either looking for or would welcome a little encouragement.

We certainly can receive encouragement from God’s Word and times with Him in prayer and reflection, but there are times when the heavens seem closed to us and the Word reads like an assignment from a literature class we are not “feeling” if we are totally honest.

What does encouragement look like?

I think it may vary depending on our personality, the season of life we are in, our gender, our love language, or the levels of relationships we have or do not have.

I probably spent a great deal of my growing up years yearning for more encouragement than I felt I received. Chances are, I entered adulthood with a deficit in that area. One of the results in early adulthood was that I often was hoping, looking, or expecting encouragement without being very good at giving it.

I also must admit that even if I tried to offer encouragement to someone else, hoping to receive some in return often tainted my motive. I am sure you guessed the result of that. They did not really feel as encouraged as they might have desired since my primary focus was on me versus them.

That nudged me to look more deeply at my motives and wants to learn what my heart was truly longing to receive. Sometimes I received words that I knew were supposed to be encouraging to me, but somehow failed to hit the mark. My primary love languages are affirming words and quality time so what was the problem? On far too many occasions, my dear husband was left scratching his head wondering why his words had not reached the place he so desired to touch with his love for me.

My personal survey enlightened my understanding a bit. Too often in those growing up years I had heard a statement such as “that’s nice” or “that’s good” followed by a qualifier of how I could have done it differently or better. As a result, the words went KLUNK!! I realized that words like “nice job” or “good work” almost made me feel worse than no words at all. It was as if they went SPLAT against a wall.

What I was looking for was positive encouragement that was specific; words that allowed me to know the person had recognized an aspect of my performance or person.

Those types of words conveyed real care for me. They also said something else: “I really see you”. The more general words of praise failed to make the mark when they came from someone who had a significant relationship with me. Those general words were ones shouted out from stadium seats to players or performers we usually did not even know. The praise was real, but did not acknowledge a relationship with the receiver.

For me, true encouragement that nourished my soul came from relationships that were meaningful to me and included something more specific. Here are just a few examples:

• I loved when you…
• What I liked most was….
• I know you can do a good job on this because…
• The color of that dress is great on you.

I could make a longer list, but I am sure you see what I mean.

The most important thing I discovered was the Lord’s whispers to me were exactly what I needed and showed me clearly that He saw me and knew me. And a funny thing started to happen, I started to encourage others by attending to who they specifically were without concern for what I wanted or hoped to get from them.

I tapped into the true source of encouragement!

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

We read often about Solomon and his considerable wisdom. He asked for this gift when he was to be anointed as king and God blessed him with it. Even so, it did not prevent him from failing to recognize the folly of giving in to the lure of beautiful women of different religions and cultures that pulled him away from the faith of his father, David.

Reading words Solomon has written points to how keen the insight was that the Lord gave him despite his challenge to follow it faithfully all his days. If only he had learned what the Lord showed him.

All these many years later we are not so different.

A verse written by Solomon that often comes to mind is this:

“Catch the foxes for us,     the little foxes that spoil the vineyards,     for our vineyards are in blossom.”

Song of Solomon 2:15 (ESV)

When I think of or read this verse it reminds me that it is the little things that get in the way of fruitfulness in my life. Solomon’s use of the word “little” brings to mind that too often little things get in the way of the important things meant to produce a rich harvest.

Reading and reviewing Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath, I read about the challenge researchers found when any of us experience “scarcity” whether that be in time or money. It’s that nagging challenge we face so often of “not enough.” It sends us looking at what to do next, but the research discovers something that lines up with the words of Solomon:

“…the harm is not that the big problems crowd out the little ones. The harm is that the little ones crowd out the big ones.”

How true!  How often we miss that or fail to learn this truth that is so valuable. But what happens when that happens?

Dan Heath quotes from the book, Scarcity, that doing this causes “tunneling.”  He goes on to describe “tunneling” this way:

“When people are juggling a lot of problems, they give up trying to solve them all. They adopt tunnel vision. There’s no long-term planning; there’s no strategic prioritization of issues.

…because it confines us to short-term, reactive thinking. In the tunnel there is only forward.”

What I think we miss in the process is how those little problems (“little foxes”) set up part of the problem with development or maintenance of the big problems. We must and do react to the big ones and miss the clues along the way so they nibble away and take time from the most important things.

We need space to increase the bandwidth to have the reserve of energy to look at the whole picture and plan so that the things that are meant to be reaped in our lives are not gobbled up or eroded.

Much of the time those “little foxes” are thoughts that nibble away and use time, energy and resources. Too often they lead us into temptation down “the yellow brick road” and on the way we lose our way. We yield to using our money, times, and gifts for impulsive choices that can upend us.

“When your emphasis is always forward, forward, forward, you never stop to ask whether you’re going in the right direction.” Dan Heath

I cannot help but wonder when I consider the wisdom of Dan Heath’s words if that was part of what happened to Solomon and so many of us in this fast-paced adrenaline pushing culture. It is so easy to succumb!

We look in the rearview mirror to simpler times when people talked to their neighbors over lawnmowers and picket fences or stopped by a front porch for a glass of iced tea. They elude most of us now unless we are on vacation or retired and many retirees keep up a steady stream of activities as well because the adrenaline addiction doesn’t always stop when we lay aside our work life.

The Apostle Paul gives us clear direction of how we address the issue Solomon talks about that takes us down too many “yellow brick roads.”

“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 (TPT)

To follow this wise admonition of Paul’s we need to give ourselves some bandwidth to identify the “little foxes” and determine if we are indeed going in the right direction.

Darkness.

What a paradox!

Darkness intrigues us, but also repels us. Darkness fascinates us and stirs up fear.

We meet darkness as young children with trepidation because our eyes cannot glimpse our parents. At those young ages, what we cannot see does not exist for us so we fear our safe place with safe people has evaporated. As we get a little older, flashlight tag and chasing fireflies on starry summer nights delight us. A bit later still, we risk riding roller coasters in the dark at Disney World and screech as we watch a Halloween movie.

When we open the book of Genesis, we see darkness, an inky blackness, at the outset and learn God separates or makes a clear distinction between darkness and light. Reading further we recognize God’s enemy has many names including “The Prince of Darkness”.

Nothing gives me more of a sense of what such an enemy looks like perhaps than the final scenes of The Fellowship of the Ring in The Lord of the Rings or the opening scenes of the sequel, The Two Towers.

The moviemaker presents a dark creature (Balrog) with some semblance of a man-shape made of shadow, fire, and flame that strikes terror into the company on the quest to destroy the evil ring of power.

Gandalf  turns to face the enemy and stand his ground on the Bridge of Khazad-dum.  He forcefully pounds his staff onto the bridge and says,

” You cannot pass. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the shadow! You cannot pass.”

We breathe a sigh of relief as he skillfully wars against the creature, but when he believes the enemy is defeated he turns his back on him to join the others. We gasp as Gandalf discovers his foe has whipped a fiery lash around him pulls him into the abyss.

The movie trilogy of Tolkien’s epic work is a favorite of mine. I confess we own the expanded version and I have watched the series more than a few times. Each time I discover another nugget of truth in the twists and turns of the allegorical tale.

Each time I learn more about the battle that not only rages on the screen, but also in the real world we all live in. Each time I realize again that I am small, the enemies of darkness are big, but God is bigger still.

The movie trilogy reminds me of a battle that is largely unseen by the naked eye but leaves evidence of its existence. The trilogy also reminds me that these foes will not be ultimately and finally defeated until our Lord returns. Yet because of the cross, each of us who call upon His name is empowered to join the fight and stand with Him.

One other message from The Lord of the Rings trilogy stands out as truth. The fellowship is tested at many junctures and begins to break apart. However, it is not the many battles and skirmishes with various creatures of darkness that begin to undo the fragile alliance between men, dwarves, and elves.

Rather an unseen foe defeats one and then another in the fellowship. The foe, unrecognized by each, comes from a place of darkness inside of them that allows a chink in the armor. That place of darkness hidden within them, recognized by the enemies outside of them, neutralizes and defeats them.

This truth played out on the screen sobers me with a clear message. To defeat the darkness outside, I must first defeat the darkness inside that hides in the corners unconfessed in shame and give the enemy no quarter or opportunity.