Tag: faith

Where Is God in My Suffering? (Psalm 22:23-31)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Crucifixion, by Georges Rouault, 1937

“Praise him, you servants of the Lord!
    Honor him, you descendants of Jacob!
    Worship him, you people of Israel!
He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering;
    he does not turn away from them,
    but answers when they call for help.”

In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done;
    in the presence of those who worship you
    I will offer the sacrifices I promised.
The poor will eat as much as they want;
    those who come to the Lord will praise him.
May they prosper forever!

All nations will remember the Lord.
    From every part of the world they will turn to him;
    all races will worship him.
The Lord is king,
    and he rules the nations.

All proud people will bow down to him;
    all mortals will bow down before him.
Future generations will serve him;
    they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.
People not yet born will be told:
    “The Lord saved his people.” (Good News Translation)

I find that a great deal of truth and reality in this world is something of a mystery and a paradox. Christianity, especially, is a religion of paradox, in my opinion. For example, God is Three – Father, Son, and Spirit – but God is One. Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine, at the same time, all the time. And when it comes to the spiritual life, suffering exists, and God is sovereign and in control of all things.

This then, is what prompts many people to question if there is really a God – since so much suffering exists throughout the world. Yet, it’s necessary to maintain the tension that hard circumstances, adversity, and difficulty in the form of awful suffering, and the preeminence of the Lord God almighty, both exist without taking anything away from either of them.

The severity of suffering, nor the supreme majesty of God, need to be watered down in any way in order to try and make sense of our existential situations.

“Suffering” is a word we would like to avoid. Even saying or reading the word might make some folks cringe. Suffering? No thanks. I think I’ll pass on that. Yet, something inside of us instinctively knows we cannot get around it. Everyone suffers in some way. It is endemic to the human condition that at times we will suffer physically, financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 

That’s why I believe there is so much talk within some Christian circles about miracles. It’s more than understandable:

  • a chronic pain sufferer wants relief, so she prays for a miracle of health
  • a small business owner is bleeding financially, and looks to God for an immediate miracle of wealthy clients
  • a beloved senior saint knows she is afflicted with Alzheimer’s, so she prays for the miracle of deliverance, even to be taken home to be with the Lord
  • a young adult finds himself in the throes of depression and has tried everything to cope and get out of it, so he petitions God for a miracle out of the deep black hole
  • a believer in Jesus keeps experiencing a besetting sin and cannot get over it, so she looks to God for the miracle of not struggling any more with it

These scenarios and a thousand other maladies afflict people everywhere. There are a multitude of stories out there. Folks who have experienced a miracle tell of their wonderful deliverance. But what about the rest? Those without the miracle? Do they have a lack of faith? Has God forgotten them?

Oh, my, no! God sees, and God knows. God is acquainted with suffering. Jesus knows it first-hand. Remember that it was Jesus who said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46)

Even Jesus cried out in his suffering. But there was no deliverance coming for him.  There was, however, deliverance coming for us.

Sometimes the greatest miracle and deliverance of all is to be freed from the need for a miracle. The reason God doesn’t just offer immediate relief from everyone’s suffering and bring a divine miracle is that the Lord is doing something else: Walking with us through our suffering. God oftentimes has plans and purposes for us that are well beyond our understanding. 

We simply are not privy to everything in God’s mind.

We may not get the miracle we desire. Yet, what we will get without fail, is God’s provision and steadfast love all the way through the suffering.

Where is God in your suffering? Right beside you. Jesus is suffering with you. You are not crying alone; Christ weeps with you.

Let, then, those who suffer, eat and be full. Let them be satisfied with the portion God has given them. And, what’s more, let them offer praise to the God who is squarely beside them in every affliction and each trouble.

God Almighty, you are the One who knows suffering and affliction better than anyone. I admit I don’t often understand what in the world you are doing or not doing in my life and in the lives of those I love. Yet, I admit that I have found in you the comfort, encouragement, and strength to live another day in my trouble. For this, I praise you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How Do You Interpret Suffering? (Job 5:8-27)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
“Job,” by French painter Léon Bonnat, 1880

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God;
    I would lay my cause before him.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.
He provides rain for the earth;
    he sends water on the countryside.
The lowly he sets on high,
    and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
He thwarts the plans of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.
He catches the wise in their craftiness,
    and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
Darkness comes upon them in the daytime;
    at noon they grope as in the night.
He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth;
    he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
So the poor have hope,
    and injustice shuts its mouth.

“Blessed is the one whom God corrects;
    so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
For he wounds, but he also binds up;
    he injures, but his hands also heal.
From six calamities he will rescue you;
    in seven no harm will touch you.
In famine he will deliver you from death,
    and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,
    and need not fear when destruction comes.
You will laugh at destruction and famine,
    and need not fear the wild animals.
For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
    and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
You will know that your tent is secure;
    you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.
You will know that your children will be many,
    and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
You will come to the grave in full vigor,
    like sheaves gathered in season.

“We have examined this, and it is true.
    So hear it and apply it to yourself.” (New International Version)

“The Vision of Eliphaz,” by John Linnell (1792-1882)

I personally find it rather annoying whenever someone gives me unsolicited advice. It is especially loathsome when it comes with a lot of useless verbiage which is offered as gospel truth.

Eliphaz was a “friend” of Job – which brings to mind the old adage, “With a friend like that, you don’t need any enemies!” Eliphaz was also full of himself, believing that he had all the answers to Job’s terrible suffering.

The unhelpful speech of Eliphaz became harmful words that cut into Job’s spirit. You see, Job knew with a settled confidence that his personal integrity was intact. Yet, his trouble abounded. We need not, like Eliphaz, rush to the conclusion that something is wrong with the suffering person. It may be the Spirit of God thrusting us into a desert experience to test and approve our faith.

Eliphaz offered one of those tired age-old arguments that bad things only happen to bad people. He came at Job with the inexperience and absurdity of making misguided assumptions. He rhetorically asked if there were ever innocent people who were trashed with trouble, or upright folks who ever got cut off from God? 

The concluding judgment of Eliphaz was bound to be off the mark – believing that some sort of secret sin must surely be the culprit behind Job’s awful misfortune. Certainly, Eliphaz thinks, Job cannot possibly go through such terrible suffering without having done something to anger God.

Times change, but the basic nature of people, not so much. In today’s church and world, the same notions still endure. If I had a quarter for every time I heard crazy comments, like the following, I would be a rich man: 

  • “He’s poor because he is lazy and doesn’t want to work.”
  • “She keeps having chronic health issues. God is punishing her.”
  • “The pandemic is God’s judgment on us for not having the Ten Commandments in our courthouses.”
  • “If you just confess your sin and have faith, you’ll be healed.”
  • “They’re in big trouble. They obviously did something evil.”

On and on the wrong-headed statements continue, ad nauseum.

The Apostle Peter understood how to view trouble in a healthy way. He said we all suffer – both the good person and the wicked. It’s just a matter of whether we will suffer for doing the good and right thing, or suffer because of saying shallow, illogical, and stupid comments that offend God and hurt others. (1 Peter 3:17-18)

Even Christ suffered. And it wasn’t because of his own sin. It was because of ours. Jesus suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. 

Since Jesus suffered, the follower of Jesus will suffer. There is a big picture only God sees. Whenever we suffer, there is something going on behind the spiritual scene. We must allow God to do divine work, and then, trust that the Lord bends all human suffering for good and redemptive purposes.

“Where there is no love, pour love in, and you will draw love out.”

St. John of the Cross

So, let’s change the rhetoric. Instead of jumping to judgment, reflexively hop to grace with comments like these:

  • “He has poverty of spirit. He’s blessed and will inherit the kingdom of God.”
  • “She’s in chronic pain. God has allowed her the privilege of suffering in solidarity with her Lord.”
  • “We’re in a pandemic. Here’s a chance for us to live out the Ten Commandments.”
  • “If we confess the world’s sins of pride, hate, and injustice, perhaps God’s mercy will deliver us.”
  • “We’re in a big pickle. No better time than now to grow in grace.”

Where is God? Beside you, quietly and confidently holding you up in your suffering. For me, that’s one of the best ways to interpret hard suffering.

Lord God, I entrust myself to you because you know what you are doing. Thank you for the trials of life which humbles my heart to pray. Do your work in me so that my faith is fortified for a lifetime of service in the church and the world, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Saved for a Reason (Ephesians 2:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.

However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Common English Bible)

Humanity is spiritually hard-wired to do good in this world. 

From a Christian perspective, we live in a fallen world and experience the evils of disasters, diseases, and decision-making that is off, as well as personal and corporate corruption. However, this is not our original design. 

In the Christian tradition, believers in Jesus are not delivered from sin, death, and hell so that they can idly sit in a worldly holding tank until Christ returns. Deliverance is the initial dimension of God’s plan – and not the end game. We are saved for good works to be done in the here-and-now.

Christians know that they are saved from individual and systemic sin through the forgiving work of Jesus Christ. It’s an act of sheer grace on God’s part. A believer in Jesus is not spiritually reborn through her effort any more than a baby’s birthed because of her own doing. It is thoroughly the work of God. Even the faith needed to believe is a gift graciously provided by God.

This, however, is far from the whole story. God has plans and purposes in mind for people. Christians are birthed into a new spiritual community with new commitments to do all kinds of good deeds. It’s as if sin is a weight or an obstacle that has been removed, so that living a life full of goodness can now move forward and do its work. 

To be saved is to be freed for a vigorous moral life that is deeply concerned with altruistic actions in a world full of need.

There is a profound spiritual wound which underlies the great problems of our world. Behind so many of our world issues are matters of the spirit. The unseen world is just as real as the world which is seen. Just as we know germs are present, are real, and we must account for them – so there is spiritual world very much real, and we ignore it at our great peril. 

And so, it seems to me that spiritual people, including Christians delivered for the purpose of good deeds, are to agitate for earthly change graciously, wisely, and lovingly. Expecting human governments or corporate systems to take the lead in moral transformation is like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

I will admit to you that I don’t much have the stomach for what seems to me to be useless emotional debates amongst some Christian communities about all sorts of political issues and religious dogmatic opinions. As redeemed people, delivered for a purpose, I believe it is sage to put our focus on discovering how we can support and bless the essential services laboring to keep humans surviving, and hopefully, thriving. God has raised us up for this, that is, if we have the spiritual eyes to see.

Christians, churches, and spiritual communities must labor at the gates of hell for the lives of women caught in sex trafficking; provide uplift and the tools to a better life for those in grinding poverty and hunger; challenge the idolatry of a materialist culture; and, hundreds of other realities of living in a fallen broken world.

As Christians, God has delivered us from sin, death, and hell so that we will do good in this world. God has sovereignly placed you and I in places and positions for just this time so that we will do good works, both big and small, tackling immense issues as well as little acts of kindness. 

Doing good comes in all sizes, and all of us are to share our lives for the betterment of humanity. After all, we really are our brother’s and our sister’s keeper.

God Almighty, I pray that your people may not lose heart in this world. May you strengthen your church with spiritual power so that the words and ways of Jesus will ground them for faithful service to this planet you have created. May Christians everywhere be rooted and established in the divine love which supports good works done in the humility of a gentle spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

A Desert Spirituality (Mark 1:9-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year B1 Comment

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (New Revised Standard Version)

40 Days of Desert

We are in the season of Lent in the Christian Year. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, Christians take a forty-day journey, leading to Holy Week and Easter. Jesus spent forty days in the desert being tempted by Satan. So, the Church remembers this event with the season of Lent.

This is the season in which many Christians give focus to the temptations we face on a regular basis. We intentionally practice spiritual disciplines, such as fasting, and give up something for six weeks, so that we might become aware of our attachments to other things and how much we rely on them, instead of trusting God.

It was important for Jesus to be in the desert; and it’s necessary for us, as well. Jesus retraced the steps of the ancient Israelites, who wandered in the desert for forty years before entering the Promised Land. The people needed to re-connect with God, after having failed in their faith. Trust had to be strengthened and developed before they could be ready to receive God’s promises.

Jesus accomplished what others did not: He faced down the devil and overcame temptation in the desert. 

The forty days were a necessary preparation for the upcoming three years of ministry that would culminate in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Before any of that could happen, Jesus had to experience the desert.

We, like Jesus, need a desert spirituality. The desert forms us into followers of Jesus by learning to overcome temptation, so that we will not be shaped into followers of Satan. God desires to strengthen our faith, and facing down the temptations of Satan are crucial to our spiritual development.

For Christians, the desert becomes the gymnasium where we are broken down through the stress of temptation, so that we might become spiritually stronger in our faith. Without this kind of spiritual training, we become vulnerable to Satan’s accusations, and easy prey to his temptations.

Christ’s Desert

After the baptism of Jesus, the Spirit flung him into the desert. There was real danger in the desert, wild animals and all. Yet, put in that situation and having come through it, Jesus was able to deal with the crafty pursuits of Satan to distract him from his mission. 

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, after tossing demons out of people, Jesus commanded the unclean spirits not to tell anyone who he was. Part of what was going on, is that Satan wanted to tempt Jesus to gain fame and power through popularity and accolades. But that was not the way of Jesus. He was not going to bring in the kingdom of God through the avenues of careful marketing and brand recognition.

Another practice of Jesus throughout his ministry was to seek places for solitude and prayer. The needs Jesus daily faced were large and vast and never ended. Yet, he resisted working without any rest or guidance in prayer. 

A temptation could have been to please people and never get away to pray. Yet, through solitude and prayer, Jesus connected with his Father; he moved from place to place proclaiming the good news of God’s rule and reign. Jesus did not succumb to the temptation to settle in one place and build a petty kingdom of his own, apart from the Father.

As Jesus walked the countryside telling people of repentance and faith, he often spoke in parables that were designed to foster thought and reflection. Jesus was not duped by the temptation to always be black and white about everything, merely giving the bottom line of his teaching to people. 

Christ did not teach in order to get immediate results, or to let people know which side he was on concerning the issues of the day. Instead, Jesus was about the business of building something permanent that would far outlast his short three years of ministry.

Because of the desert, and through his Father’s affirmation, Jesus lived a unique three years on this earth that has never been equaled before or since.

Our Desert

Years ago, I went on a leadership retreat in the Canadian wilderness. We were so far out in the sticks that we needed special first aid training before leaving, because if someone got severely injured it would be hours before he could receive any medical attention. There was no cell phone service, no towns, no anything except mile after square mile of wilderness. 

We were continually vigilant to not attract bears. The wilderness can be a dangerous place. One day, we were each dropped off on our own personal islands for an entire day, alone. Being face to face with yourself can be hard to deal with, which is what a desert experience does – it exposes the idols of our hearts and the ways in which we are tempted.

A person does not need to be in the Canadian wilderness or in the actual desert to experience the effects of desert life. The Holy Spirit has a way of throwing us into the desert through a change of circumstance, so that we will exercise our spiritual muscles and get in spiritual shape. 

The top three temptations that people face on a daily basis are: 

  1. Worry and anxiety
  2. Procrastination and putting things off
  3. Gossip and other sins of the tongue 

So, how do we face down those temptations and retrace our steps back to the path of God? Here are some lessons I have learned in my own desert experiences:

  1. Know your weaknesses. Know yourself, and the temptations directed at you. The three I just mentioned all come from a tendency toward perfectionism. We worry about the future, of not saying or doing something perfectly. So, we procrastinate for fear of screwing up and not being perfect. And we gossip to others about their faults and weaknesses because it maintains the illusion that our perfectionism is intact, at least as compared to others. Perfectionism is slavery. For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1, NRSV)
  2. Understand the importance of timing. When are you at your weakest, and vulnerable to temptation? What triggers you to sin? Whenever kids act up, we first wonder if they are tired or hungry or have some other need. It’s the same with us. Carrying sleep debt, skipping meals, or eating junk food because we are in a hurry, will set us up for temptation. Elijah faced down four-hundred prophets of Baal, then fell apart when one woman, Jezebel, went after him. He needed food and rest. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NRSV)
  3. Look to God and others. Don’t rely solely on your own willpower; or believe that you can resist temptation all by yourself, all the time. Even Jesus looked both to his Father and his disciples. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:36-41, NRSV)
  4. Have a plan. Flying by the seat of your pants will not always work. The clever see danger and hide, but the simple go on and suffer for it. (Proverbs 22:3, NRSV) One of the ways I personally resist temptation is by having a daily plan of worshiping God, praying, and reading Scripture at set times throughout the day. For me, it’s significant to have more than a few minutes of “quiet time” in the morning.
  5. Overcome evil with good. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21, NRSV) Applying this to the top three temptations people face, that means worriers will love their enemy and pray for those who persecute. For the procrastinator, it means to take intentional steps of faith and risk, being real and vulnerable with others through accountable relationships. For the gossip, they will seek to speak words of encouragement that build others up.
  6. Know that you are never alone. Angels attended Jesus. Even the Son of God was not on his own.  Whatever you are facing is likely not unique to you. Others face it, too. Our brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of problems when they seek to walk with Christ.

Let the desert shape and strengthen your faith. If the Holy Spirit has thrown you into a dry place, then instead of bucking the situation and complaining about it, learn all you can about resisting temptation so that you can come out the other end a stronger, more faithful follower of Jesus Christ. 

May it be so, to the glory of God.