Divine Applause

Here is a moment I would like to live over again.

It was a particularly difficult time in my life. My faith was being stretched to the breaking point.  But life goes on, so there I dutifully sat, in the bleachers at my son's sporting event, tired, dejected and on the verge of tears.

I could hardly hear myself think for the noise of the crowd; but, suddenly and out of the blue a voice spoke to my heart with words as clear as if they had been whispered to my ear in a pin-drop-quiet library.

"I am pleased with you," God said.  

His words were so immanent and personal, He didn't have to address me by name: I knew the God of the Universe was speaking to ME!

I was stunned and overwhelmed. It literally took my breath away.  Just remembering the moment years later fills me with joy.  

I want to hear that again and again, for all eternity:  "I am pleased with you."

Do you know what?  To the extent I am faithful to my loving Father in my life, I WILL hear those words again and again for all of eternity.  And so will you.


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Doing Your Duty

The LORD will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness.  (1 Sam. 26:23)

How many sermons, how many lectures from an authority; how many reprimands have you heard calling you to do your duty?

How often, on the other hand, have you been reminded that, when you have done your duty, you will receive something of great value from God's hand?

Yes, when you do what God commands of you, you will receive something in return.  For your obedience, you will forever - forever! - receive honor from God!  Let that sink in. God will honor you for your obedience. You will forever know His delight, His love; His joy in measure that is greater than it would have been without your obedience.  

God promises these benefits as a wage owed to you. (The words in the Bible translated "reward" can also be translated as "wage" or "recompense".)  God does not break His promises. Neither will He leave Himself indebted to you. He will fill you to overflowing.  

Why will He do that?  Because He loves you!  He can't wait to shower His rewards for service upon you.  As surely as I, as a father, delight to make good on my promise of ice cream for my daughter's obedience in cleaning her room, so God will delight to make good on His promises to reward you.

He doesn't have to do that. He wants to do that - because He loves you!  You will never, never out give God.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Of course, we can obligate God to nothing; but God is free to obligate Himself.  And He does obligate Himself:  They are called promises!  We honor God when we claim His promises.  How could it possibly be wrong to want and look forward to receiving God's praise?

So, yes, by all means do your duty; do it with gusto and great hope and joy because God promises to repay your faithfulness.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  (Psalm 128:1-2)


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Unbroken

I just finished reading Unbroken, a biography of World War II hero Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic track star who survived a plane crash in the Pacific theater, spent 47 days drifting on a raft and then more than two and a half years as a prisoner of war in several brutal Japanese internment camps.

Lois Zamperini’s story is riveting.  How could so much bad happen to one person?  How did he survive, not only physically, but emotionally?  During his time on the raft and as a prisoner, Louis did not put his hope in God.  He did not find his strength in the Lord.  So, how did he do it?

This biography (I have not read his memoirs), gives scant answer to those questions.  After reading the book, I believe he hung on through basic human survival instinct plus a hope that someday the suffering would end – either with his death or with an Allied victory.  One or the other was bound to come within a few years. Another possible motive (though I do not know enough to say this of Louis) was a strong pride that refused to give in to circumstances.  “I am bigger than this,” he might have said to himself.  “I will be strong.  I will survive.”

The story, through his internment, is a tremendous testimony to the innate strength of (at least some) human beings. Some people can endure tremendous hardship, even without God’s help.  However, (spoiler alert, I’m about to tell the end of the story) Louis did finally meet an enemy he cannot overcome: himself.  Upon his return to the United States, Louis became tormented with memories and dreams of his captivity and, especially, one of his most brutal captives, the sadistic monster he called The Bird, for whom Louis’s hate grew stronger and stronger.  Louis was on a path to self-destruction (through alcoholism) when he finally surrendered his life to Christ at a Billy Graham meeting.  In an instant, Louis was transformed.

You, too, may be holding on in the midst of pain and suffering.  You may not be giving in (yet) to your difficult circumstances.  Through pride or determination, you may be digging in, saying, “This isn’t going to get the best of me!”  Such strength isn’t bad; but, if you are doing it on your own, you may be gaining less benefit from your hardship than God wants for you.  He wants to walk alongside you in this journey; to know His comfort and fellowship.  He wants to assure you that, not only will your bitterness eventually end; it can produce for you something of eternal value, something that you will have only if you endure through faithfulness to Him.

Enduring your pain for the wrong motives will ultimately earn you little or nothing.  (For example, having an attitude of “I’ll show them!”)  Besides, as Louis discovered after having born pain for over 2 ½ years and finding himself unable to deal with the aftermath, you too may reach an obstacle you can’t surmount.  In the end, you may need God’s strength, even as Louis did.  So, why wait!?  Surrender yourself to God’s purposes now!  You will discover a joy in suffering with Jesus.  He will bring good out of your pain.  

And, God knows, he may choose to bring relief sooner rather than later.  So, surrender to Him. Great good will come of it!

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