Hebrews 4:14-16 reads:
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads:
I remember strongly disliking brussels sprouts when I was a child. OK, dislike is a mild way of putting it. It didn’t matter if they were steamed, deep-fried, or sautéed in butter and bacon fat…I simply could not swallow them. My dad and I used to argue at dinner. He would say, “You’ll eat your greens…and you’ll like them!” Well, I ended up eating them against my very strong will, but I didn’t like them. Looking back over the years, I realize now that they weren’t going to kill me. Besides, did you know that brussels sprouts contain about 142% of a daily allowance of vitamin C? (trivia)
On the contrary, God instructs us to be thankful in all circumstances. Sometimes life gives us buttery sweet corn, and other times we end up with brussels sprouts. What God is teaching us in this passage is that he wants us to gain our happiness from him…and him alone, not our life circumstances!
This week, ask yourself what circumstance you need to have joy in. Then pray and ask Jesus to be that joy inside of you. May you then be able to be truly thankful for whatever situation you find yourself in.
Romans 11:33 says,
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
Read the passage above again. Did you notice the statements are not questions? They’re proclamations! A close example might be that of a teen not understanding why his parents won’t let him be out later than 11 p.m. You can explain your reasons until you’re blue in the face, but he just isn’t gonna get it. It’s the same with God. Even if he tried, we just don’t have the capacity to grasp the depth of his infinite wisdom.
This week, may you continue to trust and obey God in every aspect of your life. May you also continue to ask him for understanding…and then be 100% content whether that understanding comes or not.
Let’s talk about ‘those’ kind of days for a minute. Hopefully you can relate. We’ve all had one of ‘those’ days…right? But ‘those’ days tend to come in a variety of different forms. Two of these immediately come to mind.
The first is the day in which everything goes amazingly well. You wake up five minutes before your alarm goes off. Somehow, you manage to beat the rush at Starbucks. All the traffic lights significantly turn green each time you approach an intersection. You get the picture!
The second type of day, obviously, is the one we tend to label the ‘worst day ever.’ Simply stated, it’s the exact opposite of the prior mentioned day. There are, of course, a wide array of types of days between the worst and best.
Then, there are those days when you just feel…blah. No real reason. Not necessarily a bad day, but definitely not great either. Simply blah!
I was having one of those ‘blah’ days today. Then, I was searching the scriptures and came across this passage.
Psalm 42:11 reads:
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!
In the middle of my hazy, self-inflicted pain and negativity, I found myself asking ‘why?’ Why am I NOT having the best day of my life? My hope is in my God, and I do have so much to praise him for! He is my Savior…my best friend.
This week, may this Psalm speak to and challenge you as it did me. May your days be blessed regardless of how they seem to be going. Jesus is here for you today…and he’ll be there for you tomorrow too.
Take a look at this heart cry to God from David in what is known as one of the four ‘Passion Psalms.’
Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. Psalm 22:11-18 (NLT)
Can you relate with David this week? Does the vivid and poetic imagery paint a picture that even slightly resembles a piece of your life in this very moment? Take a second to inventory your current life situation…and then read the passage above again. Does your heart feel like it’s melting away? Are you surrounded? Does your fate seem hopeless? For David, all of the above were true…but there is hope! Somehow, David transitions from this feeling of almost certain impending doom to strength and restoration. Now, take a look at what he shares with us in the very next chapter…the well-known Psalm 23.
