trust

What’s the Best Medicine for Your Circumstances?

March 2021. A year ago this month, the Covid-19 pandemic shut down society. Schools went remote. Churches stopped gathering. Remote school became a thing. Daily virus updates began. The list could go on. By now, we are very familiar with the changes that have affected each of us during this past year.

For many, the change in circumstances has been intensely personal and difficult. Some of us have dealt with sickness and disease. Some with Covid-19 and some with other illnesses. Some have lost loved ones. Some have experienced isolation. Some of us have battled demons we thought were long gone. Some of us have faced new temptations. Some of us have been devastated by our fears. But all of us have been affected.

In light of the circumstances of the past year God spoke to me through my devotional reading, and I wanted to share these thoughts with you.

I’m reading through the book of Exodus. One of the most powerful verses in the Bible comes from God speaking to Moses in Exodus 12.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 

Exodus 12:12

The people of Israel have been in Egypt for more than 400 years. Most of those years they were enslaved. God sent Moses back to Egypt from the wilderness to lead the people of Israel out of slavery. At this point in the story, Moses and Aaron have been back and forth in front of Pharaoh requesting permission to leave Egypt to worship God in the wilderness. Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to relent even after 9 devastating plagues on Egypt. So God promised a final plague of judgment on Egypt’s gods. Pharaoh himself was a god in Egypt, so the act of judgment against the firstborn is God’s judgment on the worship of Pharaoh. The truth of the text is that God executes authority over false gods. The LORD alone is sovereign.

What stood out to me was considering this text in light of how the people of Israel had to feel. They were enslaved, burdened, beaten, and treated poorly. They did not have freedom. They suffered greatly even after Moses’ arrival and promise of rescue. Israel’s experiences of suffering and difficulty kept them in a place of unbelief. From the rest of the Exodus account, it is clear that even God’s miraculous interventions and judgments were not enough to keep Israel believing in the Lord.

What is the most important lesson in this text? What is the best medicine for our circumstances in life?

It is the statement, “I am the LORD.” This affirmation is the name of God, Yahweh, that God gave Moses in an earlier conversation (Exodus 3:14).

The LORD, when used in all caps in the Bible is the personal name for God, Yahweh. It is literally, “I AM that I AM.” The LORD is. He alone is God. He is sovereign. He rules. He can be counted on.

In the context of Exodus 12, God is affirming his existence, reality, and sovereignty over the supposed deities of Egypt. And the LORD proved these through the plagues and judgments on Egypt.

The Psalmist picks up on this very idea as well when he pens the beautiful affirmation of the LORD’s love and goodness in Psalm 100.

Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:3

The Psalmist uses the personal name for God, Yahweh. His point is the same as God speaking to Moses in the book of Exodus. The LORD is in control, and he wants us to know him and trust him.

Are you struggling with isolation? Know the LORD, and know that you are his. You are never alone.

Are you worried about powers, circumstances, and politics that have changed our lives so drastically? Know that the LORD is the one who defeated Egypt’s deities and rescued his people from slavery. The LORD alone is God.

Are you afraid of what’s going on around you? Know that the LORD is God. He cared for his people in Egypt, as they left Egypt, as the wandered in the wilderness, and as they entered the promised land. He will care for and keep you wherever you are.

Are you unwell and facing physical illness? Know that the LORD is Creator. He made you, and he is able to heal. And if he does, then you will be well. And if he doesn’t, then your illness cannot separate you from the Lord.

Are you confident in him today? Know that the LORD is with you. Remember that if you are his, he will never lose you or let you go.

Pause and thank God today that you know him. Pause and praise God today that he knows you. And trust that he is LORD.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Haunted by ghosts this Christmas?

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Charles Dickens made the ghosts of Christmas famous in his legendary character Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. The ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future showed and taught Scrooge how his miserly ways were destroying the Christmas spirit. No doubt many of us today are haunted by our own forms of selfishness and materialism. But in this post, I’m dealing with ghosts of a different nature—the ones that might haunt our attitudes, demeanors and relationships this Christmas season.

The ghost of life past—unforgiveness. Most of us have been hurt by others. Some of us have been hurt deeply. And in many cases the hurts of our past haunt our present. While we can never undo the experiences and hurts of our past, we can choose to forgive those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is a divine expectation for followers of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is for us not for those who’ve wronged us. Too many people this Christmas season will suffer in bitterness because they won’t forgive others. I don’t want to appear insensitive. I’m grieved for those who have experienced betrayal, hate, abuse, neglect, or any number of other deeply disturbing pains. In fact, Jesus himself is deeply grieved over your pain. All too often our pains were perpetrated by family members whom we will face over the holidays. To exorcise this ghost, you must choose to forgive those who’ve wronged you. To forgive does not mean that you can forget or that you must trust the individual again. It simply means that you must choose not to hold bitterness, anger, or punishment against them in your own hand. As I noted above, to forgive is divine. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive. And YOU need to forgive for YOURSELF. Christmas is about forgiveness—God was deeply wronged by our sin, and he sent his perfect Son to forgive us. I urge you. Please search your heart and forgive any bitterness that remains from your past.

The ghost of life present—busyness. Today’s Christmas season begins right after Halloween and drives us to shopping malls, internet deals, numerous parties, trips, and events. While many things require our attention, time, and attendance, they can often exhaust the joy out of our holiday. Why? Because we are so focused on getting things done, pleasing others, and finalizing tasks, we often fail to appreciate the simplicity of the real reason for the Christmas season. To exorcise this ghost, set aside a time to pause and celebrate the real reason for the season—Jesus. Learn to appreciate the simple quiet moments of the season—the beauty of a classic Christmas carol, the wonder on the face of a young child enamored with Christmas “twinklie” lights, or even the quiet moments you may off day during Christmas season. Make time to pause, to be thankful, and to celebrate Jesus, the Lord and Savior.

The ghost of life future—worry. Some of us (okay, probably all of us to some degree) get sidetracked by our concerns and worries. We worry about what decision we’re supposed to make, how we’re going to pay a bill (or pay for Christmas), or how we’re going to reconcile a relationship. We worry about these types of things and a lot more. Sometimes we attempt to veil our worry as a “concern,” but most often we are still being sinful by focusing on what is not ours to deal with. In Matthew 6:31-34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious—not to worry. In fact, most of what we worry about are things in the future that we have no control over. Being haunted by the ghost of life future shackles our faith and hampers our ability to focus on the God who loves us and will take care of us. To exorcise this ghost, we must replace our worries with the One who is called Wonderful. Trust must take the place of worry. Sounds a bit simple, right? Yes, it actually is simple. We trust when we begin to look at the Sovereign, Wonderful, Lord of all instead of our concerns and worries. The best way to focus on our Lord instead of our situations is to read his Word, spend time in prayer, and recount the many ways that he has already intervened in our lives.

There are certainly other ghosts that might haunt us this season. But at least in my own life unforgiveness, busyness, and worry have at times stolen my joy. These ghosts lead us to be miserly, selfish, grumpy, and generally unpleasant—picture Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch. To borrow from the Bible translation of my childhood (the King James translation) the Holy Ghost is the only One who can chase away the ghosts that haunt and strip our joy away. God have us the Holy Ghost so we could forgive, praise, and trust. May we experience a renewed relationship with God this Christmas and have an abundance of the joy he brings.