Tag: weary

Strength

I must be very transparent in that as I’m writing this we are wrapping up what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend getaway with my wife’s family to Grafton, IL and while it was a great time with them..I’m still tired. I’m not refreshed and recharged like I hoped. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful that many of the recent events have not directly affected my family negatively. My prayers go out those who have been directly affected my all the crazy stuff going on in our world. When I say I’m tired…I mean I’m tired of all the sin and evil every day with so many bad things happening which also seems amplified in the news. Yes…we have had conflict since sin came into the world through the Fall and we always will until Jesus returns, but it seems as though the level of divisiveness is extremely high right now. At times I just sigh and long for us to do as Jesus directed us in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

As Jon wrote about last week https://www.biblejournal.net/2020/09/11/200-trillion-decisions/ , we make about 35,000 decisions a day. And while that can be tiring enough, it seems as though every decision we make, or don’t make, is under a magnifying glass as political or social statement these days which there also doesn’t seem to be a perceived difference right now. You are either for something or against it. If you say one thing on one side of a social or political issue..or even don’t say anything at all…you’re labeled an extremist for or against it. Even a decision whether or not to wear a mask, or what’s on the mask, seems to make an unintended statement someone may not agree with. There’s also the whole social media animal which I used to love to keep up with friends and their families. Then, there’s sports and movies. And while I’m not going to say that athletes or entertainers should be silent on issues in our world which they can potentially help make a positive impact where needed, I must admit I miss the days where we could watch a game or movie to get away from the stresses of the world without everything and everyone making a statement on something. In fact, I’m concerned as I write this that I’m going to offend someone by this prior sentence. That they might think this means I don’t care about these issues athletes and entertainers are speaking and acting on and thus I’m making a stance for or against something. Crazy, isn’t it? Please don’t misunderstand and judge me. Again, I’m not. I am just saying again I’m tired…and sports and movies were something to watch and attend as a respite for weariness..a medium to get away so to speak..and to forget about everything else in the world for a couple hours and get re-energized.

Again, I’m very blessed, and this is minor in comparison to the direct challenges others are facing due to the issues we see in the news everyday or just the everyday financial, relationship, and health challenges others are facing to name a few. I’m just being transparent with the fact that I’m feeling drained right now. Author Jon Gordon writes about staying away from energy vampires. I feel like the present times we are in are like one big energy vampire. A weekend getaway with family, scanning social media to see what friends and their families are up to, sports, and movies are not refreshing to me.

That brings me to my personal lesson in reading today’s verses and my assignment to write on which is the Lord being our “strength.” It seems as though He’s speaking to me through this topic that my relationship with Him has an opportunity to grow to look to Him to re-charge and for strength and not to the idols of this world in our everyday lives. This is the ‘what’ so to speak..I need to reflect more on the ‘how’..although their are simple steps like more time in prayer (speaking with Him), His Word (listening to Him), and worship (praising Him for His saving grace on the cross and all He’s done for me).

Please take a few moments to read the below verses and if you are just plain tired like me, reflect on if you need to turn more to your relationship with Him, and not to other idols, for strength.  Pray on how you can do so as well. As Psalm 73:26 says, when He is our strength, He is our portion. He fills us up…forever.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.”

Psalm 18:1

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”

Psalm 28:7

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:26

 

Parousia

“Parousia (greek): presence or coming. Referring to physical proximity…occurs most often in relation to the coming of the Lord Jesus as human history moves to closure.” (HCSB 2 Thessalonians)

Today’s Readings: Leviticus 15, Psalm 18, Proverbs 29, 2 Thessalonians 3

 Were you hoping I’d write about Leviticus 15 this morning? In my mind I see thin sheets of bible pages flapping furiously as folks rush to that page…not quite sure they remember what that chapter was all about! It was definitely the first read for me and after some research I was able to put a few of the pieces together in terms of the historical context. My take away from Leviticus 15 is really that fundamentally, God wants us to go through the process in order to achieve salvation. Once I got my snickers out (it helps if you actually eat a Snickers bar while reading) I really gained an appreciation for what the Israelites were going through. I learned that the frequent mention of “discharge” isn’t sexual in nature but rather refers to a chronic infection that affected much of the community. There are so many references to both men and women being considered unclean. Then there are so many steps in order to get clean. Of course the Israelites were human just like us, so surely a few short days after getting “clean” they made the same mistakes and were right back to square one of uncleanliness.

All of this ritual cleansing got me thinking about my own attempts at getting “clean.” My most recent trials have been related to clean eating. Inevitably, I last about a week scrupulously monitoring what I put into my body and making sure that I am following all the laws of clean eating. Then, when my time is up I go nuts. Sugar and carbs and high fructose corn syrup, oh my! As I think through this very real pattern that we all indulge in one way or another, I’m reminded again that I’m nothing but an Israelite in jeans and a t-shirt. I’m as unclean as it gets, stained by the chronic infection of sin. It’s all pretty overwhelming when I think it through, realizing that I’m going to continue to fall day after day. How can we change this pattern, this very human tendency that we have to fall into uncleanliness.

Then I arrived at second Thessalonians. Early on in the book this word parousia [pah roo SEE ah] appears. Paul uses it first to describe the glorious coming of Jesus Christ and the destruction of all his enemies. In today’s reading, chapter 3, he is warning the Thessalonians about irresponsible behavior. He reminds Christ’s followers to

“…keep away from any brother that is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

He goes on to say that we should not grow weary in doing good. He closes his letter to the Thessalonians by assuring them of his genuineness and that Christ is indeed near. When I think of this word parousia, I think of how I need some of it right now.

I need to feel that in the darkness of my jeans and t-shirt days that there is a feeling of parousia. We all need to feel that this process of building and testing our faith through our struggle is drawing us closer to Jesus. Sometimes, he just doesn’t feel so near. The truth is that he wants us to work and strive and fall down now and again in our attempts to be with him. This letter from Paul to Thessalonians is tangible piece of evidence to which we can hold fast. He is near. And so, friends, on this Monday morning we must not grow weary of doing good. Instead, let us continue in His work whether it be 7 acts of kindness for 7 precious lives lost here in Bloomington/Normal or just showing grace one more time when you just don’t think you have it in you. Yes, there is darkness but He is near, He is a presence in our lives and He is coming.