Real Rest

How do you sleep at night? In the Bible, David reveals his secret:

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
Psalm 3:5

David wrote this at a troubling time in his life. And like us, it would have been easy for anxiety to rob his sleep. How easily we obsess over our concerns, playing out all the “what ifs” of life. But real rest only happens as we recognize God’s sustaining power, and as we release control to Him.

I’ve learned this the hard way. I have trouble relaxing when my teenage kids are driving. If I’m in the passenger seat, my jaws clench. I try to steer by leaning one direction or another. I hit the imaginary brakes on the floor in front of me.

This past week we were driving home from a family trip. It was close to midnight, and I was getting drowsy. Since my wife was already sawing logs in the back seat, I ask my son if he wanted to drive. He conceded. But guess what? As soon as we swapped places, I was suddenly wide awake!

After several directional comments and coaching from the passenger seat, my son said something very important. He said, “I took the steering wheel, so that you could sleep.”

God says that to us all the time.

What a relief to know, that when it comes to our lives, there is someone far more capable, with a much higher vantage point, behind the wheel.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
Psalm 3:5

Hear the entire message here

God is able

I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the Bible. Their words inspire me. You may remember that they were about to be martyred because of their unwillingness to worship anything other than the True God of Heaven. At the last minute, the reigning monarch gives them an opportunity to change their strategy. Instead this is their conviction …

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Dan. 3:17-18

Where does that confidence come from? Their theology! It was rooted and anchored in what they believed about God!

"…the God we serve is able…"

But notice this: They were not predicting that God would deliver them (although that's exactly what happened), but that God could deliver them. That is how faith operates. It is enough to know that God is able.

And if we truly believe that God is all-powerful, then if he doesn't do what we expect Him to do, it isn't because His hands were tied, but because He has an unseen plan. It is not because He is limited, but because I am. I just don't know all the options.

None of us knows God's script for our lives. But we know that God has the power to do whatever is best for us and those we care about. That is enough.

.

I'd love to talk to you for an hour

Many people think that a pastor spends most of his time talking and meeting with people. You'd be surprised how much time is actually spent in administration, message preparation and study, research, planning, and just doing the business of the church.

Still, I love those times when I can spend some unhurried time, talking with people about what matters most - God.

Like with Ben. I met with Ben for tea yesterday. Man, I was encouraged.

Or Jacob. Jacob recommended we meet at 8:30 in the evening for sushi. I loved it. The raw fish AND the conversation about God.

In a few minutes I'm meeting with a pastor from our area that I've never met. I even think he's buying tea. I'm looking forward to the mutual encouragement.

So here's an offer for my blog faithful. If one of you wants to meet this Friday at 4 pm, I'd love to take some time, encouraging each other in our faith. Let's meet at the church. It's not that I'm not available other times, but sometimes we all just need something on the calendar to make it happen.

The first one to ask, gets the spot. You can either comment on the blog post, or if you'd rather not be that public, email me at doug@greenvalleychurch.com

Let's be encouraged!

UPDATE: Within 3 hours I got a taker! Cool.


.

Do all things work for good?

Sorry, I've been away from posting for awhile as my laptop was stolen. I'm back. Here's my latest eCouragement:
__________________________

Romans 8:28 is one of the most recognized scriptural addresses in the entire Bible. “All things work together for good.”

But is that true? Or just naïve? Deep down, if we are honest, we sometimes wonder. We think of young mothers who died of cancer, teens who were hit by drunk drivers, child victims of abuse. How can that be good?

As it turns out, the Bible never teaches that all the things we face in life are good. Certainly much is not. Rather it teaches that in all things God is working for His good purpose in us, and that good purpose is defined in the often overlooked following verse: Romans 8:29. "For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son…”

God is at work in all things to bring about the best good that is possible ... that we would become more like Jesus.

Now, no one in our generation knows what Jesus looks like. But God has seen fit to allow Christ’s likeness to be reflected in His followers. His goal is that we might become more and more like His own Son in attitude, authenticity, and action.

That is God’s greatest good for us. Whatever we face, we can know that God is always working His good in us.

A prayer you will need in 2008

I can hardly think of a better prayer than the one found in 2 Chronicles 20:12.

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

There will be many times in 2008 that you will need these words.

There are, of course, times when God gives us great clarity about the future. At such times we can pray, “Lord, I know what you want me to do; still my eyes are on You.” But most of the time a more realistic prayer is, “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You.”

Many people, if they are honest, don’t really like this prayer. They don’t like the insecurity it represents. They don’t like how dependent it makes them feel. Many people prefer to operate by this motto: “Lord, I know exactly what to I plan to do, so my eyes are not on you.” Others live by this creed, “I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on myself.”

How much better to admit our weakness when it comes to predicting the future, and put our confidence in the One who has already been there?