After a second recommendation from a CCCA board member, this week I purchased the daily devotional book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Based on Bible study and time spent praying and listening to God, she writes each daily thought from the perspective of Jesus speaking to us. Yesterday’s devotion came so close to what I’ve been reading, thinking and writing about, I thought perhaps this was what Margaret Feinberg calls a “sacred echo,” one of those messages God really wants me, and maybe you, to imbed firmly in our minds.
For Oct. 5, she writes, “Do not judge a day as devoid of Joy because it contains difficulties. Instead, concentrate on staying in communication with Me. Many of the problems that clamor for your attention will resolve themselves. Other matters you must deal with, but I will help you with them. If you make problem-solving secondary to the goal of living close to Me, you can find Joy even in your most difficult days.”
Seriously, what’s more important right now—to make that nagging problem go away or to get and stay close to Jesus?
Earlier today, we concluded our weekly staff prayer time in which we share personal prayer requests and those of members whom we’ve called during the week to ask how we can pray for them. This week there were so many requests involving accidents, cancer, death, injury and illness, it was a sobering time for us to realize the uncertainty of life. We also prayed about the challenges provided by a lagging economy, with a number of camps threatened with closure.
And yet, I’m confident that if we heed the words of Jesus to remain in Him, if we make our top goal to live close to Him, we can still experience joy in the journey—a deep, filling joy that won’t be stolen by circumstances.
Doing an extremely intensive study/research of God’s Word of the New Testament, I discovered something that amazed me. I like to research back to the root word of the original language and here’s something I found that has changed my perspective on trials, tribulations and other sundry woes.
Matthew 7:13 NASB says: Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. Then verse 14: For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
Now here’s the interesting thing. I looked up the word narrow and here’s the defenition I found: “from obstacles standing close about.” Hmmmmm.
What I’m thinking is that trials and tribulations come to ALL. But those who persever and push on through and past them, getting to the other side beyond them are the ones walking on the narrow way that leads to the narrow gate that leads to life!
And the ones who give up and give in, stay on the wrong side, never pushing through, so their way is wide. Pushing through the trials, closer and closer to Jesus is what creates the narrow way.
Probably not the typical interpretation of that passage, but it leaped out to me, along with other verses about persevering and remaining to the end, and having done all therefore, stand!
Now I use EVERYTHING as a good excuse to get closer to Jesus and get through the narrow gate. Does it make them easier, yes, in a way, because I know what’s on the other side, but the human part still has to go through them, while the spirit that is joined as one spirit with Christ, is already waiting on the other side!
After 25 years in full-time camping ministry, that is exactly where He has me right now. Sounds like the echo is reverberating throughout.
Oh, the mystery and joy of His ways…
This audio has been running through my head lately. Totally on the same line of thought: http://www.spiritualcaffeine.com/Site/Blog/Entries/2010/8/27_Skye_Jethani_audio.html
The timing of this couldn’t have been more perfect. I just had a situation this past week that normally would have sent me reeling trying to solve it.
I decided instead to lay it directly at the feet of Jesus trusting that He was going to take care of it and knowing that he loved this person even more than I did. There was such peace in that… The Lord resolved it in such a perfect way, that I stood in awe of his love, power and grace. If only we could remember to do that more often…