comfort

Trouble Spotted Ahead

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

I believe Jesus could return at anytime to take his followers home with him. We’re seeing prophecies being fulfilled. We’re witnessing the changing of the guard as it relates to morality and acceptance of blatant sin. There is military unrest throughout the world. Countries once thought enemies have shaken hands. Countries once thought friends have parted ways. Citizens of countries throughout the world have been put on notice that the clamp is tightening on personal freedom and autonomy. Privacy is pretty much a thing of the past. Food shortages are said to be coming soon.

I read an article recently that caused unwanted anxiety. If the warning is true, a catastrophic event could occur soon and you may never read what I’m writing. Or the supposed event may have already passed without fanfare. If the warning is false, life will continue as normal for the time being. All future stability in the world is up for grabs. Some call these warnings conspiracy theories. Others note them as plain conspiracies that will eventually play out in front of our lives. I’ve read that we should pay attention to what is being said about future catastrophic events. I assume we should consider ourselves warned. If the crazy words are being said, then someone has possibly planned to cause destruction. And many lives will be endangered or ended. Only time will tell.

Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen, at the moment, all our hearts are still beating. The sun is shining. The weather is muggy in my neighborhood. And American flags are flying. It looks to be a good day. No one knows at this point what the end of the week will look like. But isn’t that the case for any week?

It just so happens that I was reading in Psalms this morning and came across some chapters that were like a salve to my anxious heart. My soul is at peace, but my physical being is at times shaken by the news and speculations that I read. Perhaps I shouldn’t read them, but I want to be in the know. I’m not one for surprises. But I also know that I can’t plan for every disaster.

But back to the Psalms. The soothing words were written long ago by men facing uncertain times of their own. Their nation, too, had turned its back on God. They too were facing known and unknown enemies. Yet there were some who were faithfully serving God. They were obeying his commands and following his lead. But because their leaders had bowed to false gods, the nation was unstable.

What we must remember is that the enemy we’re facing is unseen. He’s lurking. He’s pushing. He’s gaining power where he once would have none. And he’s being allowed to expand his reach further and further into civilization. He wants full and total control. And there will be a day when that happens. But it isn’t today. Yet he still causes major friction and turmoil in hearts and in homes. In leaders and in followers. In cities and in countries. Yet he is not the savior of the world. He is the world’s worst enemy. But he wants the world to think of him as friend and savior. That he is not. He is Satan. The enemy of our soul.

So during the times of turmoil in my heart, these Psalms are a balm of peace. The one constant, unchanging element of life is God. He is always present, even when times are uncertain. And these Psalms speak peace and comfort in those uncertainties.

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Psalms 42:1-2

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. Psalms 42:8

For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies? Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. Psalms 43:2-3

Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Psalms 44:5-8

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalms 46:1-3

The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalms 46:6-7

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalms 46:10-11

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

Jim Bailey

Reach Out

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

She had been struggling with her job ever since the day she started. Two and a half years ago. She doubted herself. She felt inferior to her coworkers. She thought they talked about her behind her back. She never felt comfortable doing the job. She never spoke up. She tried to play by the rules. She wanted everything spelled out to her in black and white. She was afraid of the gray areas. She didn’t trust herself. She was afraid she would get fired. And last week, her worst fear came true. She was fired.

She’s embarrassed. She’s confused. She wants answers but doesn’t want to ask the questions. She wants to move on. But mostly, she’s relieved. She knows the position wasn’t right for her. But as she said, the demon you know is better than the demon you don’t know. So she never tried to find another job. Because sometimes, the fear of starting over is worse than the fear of continuing on a familiar, yet uncomfortable path.

She was told she was being let go because of performance issues. But no one in management had ever told her that her performance was lacking. No one had ever pulled her aside and shared their concerns. No one had ever rated her performance as below par. But, apparently, people had been talking behind her back. And not to her face.

Now she’s out of work.

I sat down with her this week. For four hours we talked. I shared my story with her. I let her know that I too had once experienced the same type of job loss. I too was told after years on the job that I was no longer good enough. I no longer had the right skillset. And in an instant, my job was gone. Unexplained. Unexpected. Unemployed.

I knew she needed to talk it out. To rehash the past two and a half years. What she did right. What she did wrong. What she might have misunderstood. We laughed about the fact that she never had to do that job again. And she sighed with relief. She is ready to move on.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I had another conversation this week. The grandma house sitting for her son’s family, who are on an extended island vacation. She’s the friendly sort. Even though she lives hours away, she knows more that’s going on in my neighborhood than I do. We always try to chat when she’s in town.

She said she doesn’t think her 70’s are going to go very well. She has diabetes. She now suffers from vertigo. She has glaucoma. And she’s undergoing tests for Alzheimer’s. If the Alzheimer’s test comes back positive, she will start to make alternate plans for her remaining years. She said she will give some of her money to her children. She will have to make arrangements for her house and other possessions. She’s afraid she won’t live to see 80. She’s in for an uncertain future.

And she still takes care of her elderly parents.

She seemed calm about the prospect of might lie ahead. But who knows the thoughts that go through her mind as she lays her head on the pillow each night. What fears race through her mind? What worries keep her awake? What disappointments cause tears to flow? What dreams will she never realize?

She says she’s lived a full live. She had a good marriage and children she’s proud of. She sees hope and promise for the future of her grandchildren. She believes they will have opportunities that she never had. She’s happy that her son found a good wife. She notices the physical strain placed on her daughter, due to the adoption of a special needs child. She worries about the health of her children and the choices they make. Yet she says she keeps these concerns to herself, because she doesn’t want to rob her children of happiness.

I told her that I would pray for her. She seemed to gain comfort from those words.

We never know what life will throw at us. And these two women don’t have the comfort of calling Jesus their Lord and Savior. They haven’t repented of their sins and committed their lives to following Jesus Christ. They don’t have the calm assurance that God is with them in every good and bad day of their lives.

Perhaps I’m called to be the light in their moments of darkness. Perhaps I’ll have the opportunity to share my faith and my trust in a loving God who knows their every thought and fear. He sees the paths of uncertainty they face. He holds their future in his hands. And he can hold them, too.

We see hurting people everywhere. We don’t always know the hurts they’re carrying. Because most people choose to remain silent. They suffer alone. But when someone opens up in a moment of raw need, those of us who have the hope of a certain eternal future must share the hope that we have. We can’t keep silent. We know the hope for our future. We must not be shy about sharing our faith. We can offer to pray for someone who is hurting or without hope, because God is attentive to our prayers. Our hope lies in Jesus Christ. Let’s help turn a hurting world to the source of all healing.