In the trials of life it often seems that God is far away. We wonder where He is in the midst of our pain, as if He wandered away and left us to fend for ourselves. The truth is that God never leaves us. Because He indwells us, it is impossible for Him to leave those who have believed in Him and committed their lives to Him. We are one, and nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). The Bible states that God knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). As Steven Furtick points out in his book, Crash the Chatterbox, “You can’t count someone’s hairs, one by one, from a distance.” God is always close, no matter your circumstances.
Proverbs
Hands and Feet
A reader asked if I could give some examples of ministries I’ve seen honoring God. Since I spend a lot of time encouraging us to engage in following Christ with all of our hearts, I thought it was an excellent suggestion and an opportunity to highlight some people and ministries of which I have become aware. I have added a new section on the “Resources” tab of this site that lists several ministries I support and endorse. But I wanted to highlight a few people and organizations that I have personally witnessed being the hands and feet of Jesus, walking in His footsteps and reaching out to people in need.
Life Lessons from Samson
I have always been drawn to the story of Samson. Maybe growing up as a long-haired rock-n-roll guy, I liked the “no hair cut” rule of the Nazarite vow. I love how God has recorded stories about such diverse individuals that we can always find someone who resonates with us. Samson had it all. He was the strongest man in the world. Having devoted his whole life to God, he should have been one of the greatest men in history. Unfortunately, the details of Samson’s story are more often than not very sad, and ultimately, quite tragic. Instead of living out his days as a great man of God and leader of Israel, Samson squandered his blessings and ended his life as a ridiculed slave.
30 Pieces of Silver
Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. It was a decent sum of money, enough to buy a piece of real estate (Matthew 27:3-10). It certainly wasn’t enough to set him up for life. He still was going to have to work for a living. Perhaps it would be easier to excuse his actions if he had been paid millions of dollars to betray his friend, not to mention the fact that this friend just happened to be the Son of God. Yet it only took thirty pieces of silver to convince Judas to turn away from the one he professed as Lord. We turn up our noses in disgust that such a small sum would entice Judas. It’s easy to say that we would never have done such a thing. Until, of course, we look at our own price for betrayal.
Happiness or Holiness?
I am often dismayed by preachers who teach that God wants you to be happy. This places the emphasis on us rather than on God. Life is not about you or me; it is only about our awesome creator God. He does not call us to happiness, but rather to holiness. It is through holiness that love is perfected. Perfected love brings uncontainable joy into our lives. This joy is the result of communion with our Father, nothing more and nothing less. It is not happiness we should be seeking. Instead we must long for the joy that comes from living in authentic relationship with our Savior and Lord.