I think my favorite moment from my latest trip to the DR came in an unexpected way and place. I have done many special things in the DR. We have impacted schools and families, we have ministered to young children, and we have reached out to seniors. This time though we were reaching out to teenagers.
On Thursday afternoon we were at this amazing center in downtown San Pedro. We were spending time with lots of kids, encouraging them and playing games with them. In a room off to the side were about a dozen or so beautiful young ladies from the DR. I feel that way about all the Dominican people that they are beautiful. When you see this video you will understand.
One of the ladies on our mission trip brought with her a couple of sewing machines from home. She also brought a lot of material to sew with. She cut out patterns and was ready to teach. The question for us was who will her students be. It turned out to be a group of young ladies anxious to learn these new skills.
So often in life we think we need to do ministry a certain way, this is a fallacy. Ministry can happen in many ways and through various means. On this day these girls were ministered to by learning how to use sewing machines. If the girls could learn how to use these machines, they could then make their own clothing and they could make things to sell to others. It may be the one opportunity they have to escape incredible poverty.
I watched these girls and saw a joy come over their faces that I have never observed before. It was beautiful, and I was so blessed to be a part of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apa_PD6LvLQ
After we were finished the sewing machines were left at the center, the patterns were left, the material was left and more importantly our hearts were left there too. I cant wait to go back and see this budding designers. God is so good!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thoughts from DR Part 2
One of the nicest places I have ever visited from a beautiful structure, one that was clean and full of life was a place that I least expected to see.
You need to understand that much of the DR suffers from incredible poverty. In the midst of this poverty was a beautiful seniors home, one run by an amazing nun. When I saw this precious lady I was instantly reminded of Mother Theresa. Here standing before me was a lady with an incredible passion for others. The joy on her face was incredible. She referred to the 24 seniors under ministry as her babies.
She had helped to run this seniors home a number of years before and had been called away for a number of years to Venezuela. While she was away, she heard that the home had fallen into disarray and her heart was broken at this news. She made a decision to return to the DR a few years ago. Upon arriving back she was greatly saddened but determined to make things different.
She gathered together the support of others and appealed to the government to take care of her babies. People began to respond and she has now brought this incredible place to a level that would rival any seniors home in Canada. Her heart for the people, and the hearts of her fellow nuns was very evident. She thanked us over and over for coming and bringing additional supplies.
I was reminded again of my favorite saying, "to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world". To those who were loved and cared for by her and others, they have seen the difference one person can make.
You need to understand that much of the DR suffers from incredible poverty. In the midst of this poverty was a beautiful seniors home, one run by an amazing nun. When I saw this precious lady I was instantly reminded of Mother Theresa. Here standing before me was a lady with an incredible passion for others. The joy on her face was incredible. She referred to the 24 seniors under ministry as her babies.
She had helped to run this seniors home a number of years before and had been called away for a number of years to Venezuela. While she was away, she heard that the home had fallen into disarray and her heart was broken at this news. She made a decision to return to the DR a few years ago. Upon arriving back she was greatly saddened but determined to make things different.
She gathered together the support of others and appealed to the government to take care of her babies. People began to respond and she has now brought this incredible place to a level that would rival any seniors home in Canada. Her heart for the people, and the hearts of her fellow nuns was very evident. She thanked us over and over for coming and bringing additional supplies.
I was reminded again of my favorite saying, "to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world". To those who were loved and cared for by her and others, they have seen the difference one person can make.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thoughts from DR Part 1
I love the Dominican Republic! I love the ministry we do there! I am blessed!
It was so refreshing to return to the nation that has stolen my heart. This is my third trip to this beautiful land. It is beautiful because of the people in it and the weather and joy in their culture makes it so attractive. Yet it is very sad for many of those folks.
On Tuesday afternoon we traveled about an hour outside of San Pedro de Macoris to the town of Hato Mayor. It is a small city that houses 200,000 people. One the outskirts of Hato Mayor is an impoverished village (barrio) called Chine(cheeneh). Chine was incredibly sad. We had to drive about 2 miles over dirty broken roads before we stopped in the middle of the barrio. What we saw was truly heartbreaking.
We saw poverty that took my breath away. Children played in squalor in their two room homes. There was one bed in the homes that sometimes housed up to seven people. There were no lights, no running water, no place for anything. They had very little food, very little in clothing and no money.
In one home we met a beautiful young girl that was just 15 and she was taking care of her one year old child. I couldn't help but think that if she just had an opportunity to live elsewhere she would have a different life. What could ever change her future? What about her daughter, how would she live the next 70 years? Is this all she would ever know?
Sadly she was not the youngest pregnant girl that we met. One girl we met was just 12 years old and had a child on the way. The question was asked, "why don't they stop having children?" It is a good question and here is the sad answer, they can't because they don't understand. They need to be educated and taught about birth control issues, but even if they were taught, how could they afford it?
Poverty is disgusting! Poverty is ugly too, but the people are so wonderful.
We walked the roads in Chine stopping to talk with as many as we could. Wow, what beautiful people. They were so willing to talk and greet us. One of the local "store owners" was very skeptical at first of us but by the end had grown to trust us. He joked with us and thanked us for coming. I know that what we did was small in the scheme of things but for one day, yes one day, we made an impact on Chine. I will go back there again. I have to!
It was so refreshing to return to the nation that has stolen my heart. This is my third trip to this beautiful land. It is beautiful because of the people in it and the weather and joy in their culture makes it so attractive. Yet it is very sad for many of those folks.
On Tuesday afternoon we traveled about an hour outside of San Pedro de Macoris to the town of Hato Mayor. It is a small city that houses 200,000 people. One the outskirts of Hato Mayor is an impoverished village (barrio) called Chine(cheeneh). Chine was incredibly sad. We had to drive about 2 miles over dirty broken roads before we stopped in the middle of the barrio. What we saw was truly heartbreaking.
We saw poverty that took my breath away. Children played in squalor in their two room homes. There was one bed in the homes that sometimes housed up to seven people. There were no lights, no running water, no place for anything. They had very little food, very little in clothing and no money.
In one home we met a beautiful young girl that was just 15 and she was taking care of her one year old child. I couldn't help but think that if she just had an opportunity to live elsewhere she would have a different life. What could ever change her future? What about her daughter, how would she live the next 70 years? Is this all she would ever know?
Sadly she was not the youngest pregnant girl that we met. One girl we met was just 12 years old and had a child on the way. The question was asked, "why don't they stop having children?" It is a good question and here is the sad answer, they can't because they don't understand. They need to be educated and taught about birth control issues, but even if they were taught, how could they afford it?
Poverty is disgusting! Poverty is ugly too, but the people are so wonderful.
Friday, November 19, 2010
You never know the impact you make
I received an email from a good friend of mine today, his name is Jack and we were chaplains together in the Olympics and again in the NFLD hurricane relief. I am going to be staying at his home this Saturday night as I have an early morning flight on Sunday.
Back to the email. Jack tells me that he was talking to a girl from Fredericton today, she is a student at Acadia Divinity College. Her name is Sarah and in conversation she was talking about how she became a Christian about three years ago. She told Jack that I had led her to Christ at that time and her life has never been the same since.
I had to call Jack as I couldn't remember Sarah specifically right away. Then he explained her conversion and where it happened and then I remembered. She had called and made an appointment to see me, God had been working in her heart and she wanted to talk to a minister. We met and I explained God's love to her in a simple way she could understand and she gave her heart to Christ in my office. I remember the joy on her face!
Now Sarah is training for ministry! You and I never know who we impact and how God is going to use that person! I can't wait to talk to Sarah myself. This is going to be very cool!
Back to the email. Jack tells me that he was talking to a girl from Fredericton today, she is a student at Acadia Divinity College. Her name is Sarah and in conversation she was talking about how she became a Christian about three years ago. She told Jack that I had led her to Christ at that time and her life has never been the same since.
I had to call Jack as I couldn't remember Sarah specifically right away. Then he explained her conversion and where it happened and then I remembered. She had called and made an appointment to see me, God had been working in her heart and she wanted to talk to a minister. We met and I explained God's love to her in a simple way she could understand and she gave her heart to Christ in my office. I remember the joy on her face!
Now Sarah is training for ministry! You and I never know who we impact and how God is going to use that person! I can't wait to talk to Sarah myself. This is going to be very cool!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Upcoming trip to DR
I have a desire on this trip to not only minister to those we are there to help, but I also desire to get a bigger picture of what it is that God is asking me to do, and the Boaz ministry to do in the long run. I feel like we are barely touching the surface at this point and there is many more ways we can help those less fortunate.
I found out last night that one of the opportunities I will have on this trip is to share the gospel with a group of teens on Monday night. I am praying that the lord will clearly direct me as I share. After my last trip to the DR, I felt like they had more to say to me than I could ever begin to share with them.
I desire to impact this nation not just by being there and encouraging but also by giving financially. I feel like these two villages are where God is asking me to invest His resources that He has entrusted me with. I am not sure what that means yet, but I wan't to be open to whatever He desires.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
New believer
Tonight was a special night at youth. It had a beautiful ending as one of the teens in our youth ministry made a decision tonight to give her life to Christ.
Jennifer is a young lady that is very new to our church. Her family has recently started to attend on Sundays and Jennifer has been in our Sunday school class. She is a very quiet young lady and often I felt like some of the girls made little attempt to make her feel welcome, yet she still came.
Samm, one of the girls in our youth group invited Jennifer out to our Wednesday youth night a couple of weeks ago. Tonight was the first night she came out to our mid week ministry. When she walked in the door some of the girls made her feel welcome right away. I love when that happens!
At the end of youth as teens were leaving Jennifer came up to me and said, "I want to be a Christian!" That my friends is so powerful. I asked 5 of our teen girls to gather around her and one of them shared how she became a Christian. Right there at the front of the church Jennifer gave her life to Christ. Samm then prayed over Jennifer, that is also powerful as Samm is just a new Christian herself (she celebrates her spiritual birthday on Dec. 23rd)
The other girls then gave Jennifer a hug and told her how excited they were for her. After they had exchanged email addresses it was time to head home.
Since last December we have had ten teens give their lives to Christ. I am so thrilled to watch God move! I guess the angels are celebrating in heaven tonight, I know I am!!!
Thank you Lord for what you are doing in Jennifer's life!
Jennifer is a young lady that is very new to our church. Her family has recently started to attend on Sundays and Jennifer has been in our Sunday school class. She is a very quiet young lady and often I felt like some of the girls made little attempt to make her feel welcome, yet she still came.
Samm, one of the girls in our youth group invited Jennifer out to our Wednesday youth night a couple of weeks ago. Tonight was the first night she came out to our mid week ministry. When she walked in the door some of the girls made her feel welcome right away. I love when that happens!
At the end of youth as teens were leaving Jennifer came up to me and said, "I want to be a Christian!" That my friends is so powerful. I asked 5 of our teen girls to gather around her and one of them shared how she became a Christian. Right there at the front of the church Jennifer gave her life to Christ. Samm then prayed over Jennifer, that is also powerful as Samm is just a new Christian herself (she celebrates her spiritual birthday on Dec. 23rd)
The other girls then gave Jennifer a hug and told her how excited they were for her. After they had exchanged email addresses it was time to head home.
Since last December we have had ten teens give their lives to Christ. I am so thrilled to watch God move! I guess the angels are celebrating in heaven tonight, I know I am!!!
Thank you Lord for what you are doing in Jennifer's life!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Praise reports
I love when I can report good news to all of the blog followers. Let me share these awesome stories:
I was talking with a gentleman tonight who wanted to share with me an amazing story. This older gentleman has been praying for his granddaughter for years, she is close to 30 years old. For many years she has struggled with making the wrong decisions. Many times she felt like a failure and her grandparents would talk to her on the phone and encouraged her.
Over the past few years life has been very challenging for the granddaughter and her husband. He has been to Afghanistan a couple of times and has experienced lots. A few months ago he made his way back home, but during his time away the grandparents continued to pray for them and encourage them and talk to them about God.
Last week the husband was at work and told his boss he needed to leave work during his shift. He then called the local pastor and set up a meeting for he and his wife. They walked in and talked to the pastor and both of them gave their hearts to Christ. As soon as they walked out of the pastors office the granddaughter called her grandparents to thank them for always being there for them and for praying for them. She said thanks for never giving up. I love that, what a story of perseverance in prayer and love.
We started our downtown Tsunami Bible Discussion this morning at Trinitea's Cup. We were blessed to have six people around the table including myself. It is a great start, and we hope to have more join us on a regular basis. We will be meeting weekly, except for next week as I will be in the Dominican Republic, at 9:30 and we finish at 10:30. Bring a friend, it is awesome doing a Bible discussion out in the open as people walk in.
Be encouraged, never, ever give up. At just the right time God moves.
I would ask for your prayers as well for Carol, one of our board members. It looks like she has a recurrence of her cancer that was healed 4 years ago. Lets join together in lifting up Shawn and Carol as they face this trial in their lives.
I was talking with a gentleman tonight who wanted to share with me an amazing story. This older gentleman has been praying for his granddaughter for years, she is close to 30 years old. For many years she has struggled with making the wrong decisions. Many times she felt like a failure and her grandparents would talk to her on the phone and encouraged her.
Over the past few years life has been very challenging for the granddaughter and her husband. He has been to Afghanistan a couple of times and has experienced lots. A few months ago he made his way back home, but during his time away the grandparents continued to pray for them and encourage them and talk to them about God.
Last week the husband was at work and told his boss he needed to leave work during his shift. He then called the local pastor and set up a meeting for he and his wife. They walked in and talked to the pastor and both of them gave their hearts to Christ. As soon as they walked out of the pastors office the granddaughter called her grandparents to thank them for always being there for them and for praying for them. She said thanks for never giving up. I love that, what a story of perseverance in prayer and love.
We started our downtown Tsunami Bible Discussion this morning at Trinitea's Cup. We were blessed to have six people around the table including myself. It is a great start, and we hope to have more join us on a regular basis. We will be meeting weekly, except for next week as I will be in the Dominican Republic, at 9:30 and we finish at 10:30. Bring a friend, it is awesome doing a Bible discussion out in the open as people walk in.
Be encouraged, never, ever give up. At just the right time God moves.
I would ask for your prayers as well for Carol, one of our board members. It looks like she has a recurrence of her cancer that was healed 4 years ago. Lets join together in lifting up Shawn and Carol as they face this trial in their lives.
Monday, November 15, 2010
New ministry starts tomorrow...Tsunami
I am not sure what your life is like right now, but mine is BUSY. It seems like every moment of every day is committed to something. Just when I think things are slowing down, they somehow get sped back up. One of the ways to slow it down is to invest time in Him.
Tomorrow we will launch one of those types of ministry. We begin a Bible study at Trinitea's Cup at 9:30 in the morning, I am calling Tsunami. We desire for people in the business of their lives to be able to slow down for an hour and come and focus on God and His Word. Every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 we will meet together.
Who will come out and join us? I am not really sure. I guess if the truth be told I am not too worried about stuff like that. I believe if we have just a handful of people join us that it can be fruitful. The point of this is to get people in the Word and to reach out to those with questions about God.
If people come in to the cafe and want to join us, I say come on in and have a seat. If you are a skeptic have a seat. If you are a person who has been burned by the "organized church", we have a seat for you. If you feel that God has let you down. You are welcome at our table.
We are not running a Bible study for the person that thinks it is cool to be in every Bible study going. Our goal is to reach out to the unchurched or the doubting Thomas' of life. We want people to join us that have lots of questions about God and who He claimed to be.
How do we promote a ministry like this? Well probably not on a Christian radio station. I don't think we will find a lot of our target audience. Probably not by putting up a sign in the local church, since we are not looking for them to add another thing to their "religious calendar". The answer to this question is that I am not sure where to promote, but maybe we can invite some questioning friends.
If you are reading this, consider this your invitation. Jesus said, "come to me all you who are burdened down, cast all your cares on me, and I will care for you". Invite others to join us where we can learn together in a loving and caring, non judgmental atmosphere.
Hopefully we will see you at Tsunami! Come on out and I will tell you why it is called Tsunami!
Tomorrow we will launch one of those types of ministry. We begin a Bible study at Trinitea's Cup at 9:30 in the morning, I am calling Tsunami. We desire for people in the business of their lives to be able to slow down for an hour and come and focus on God and His Word. Every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 we will meet together.
Who will come out and join us? I am not really sure. I guess if the truth be told I am not too worried about stuff like that. I believe if we have just a handful of people join us that it can be fruitful. The point of this is to get people in the Word and to reach out to those with questions about God.
If people come in to the cafe and want to join us, I say come on in and have a seat. If you are a skeptic have a seat. If you are a person who has been burned by the "organized church", we have a seat for you. If you feel that God has let you down. You are welcome at our table.
We are not running a Bible study for the person that thinks it is cool to be in every Bible study going. Our goal is to reach out to the unchurched or the doubting Thomas' of life. We want people to join us that have lots of questions about God and who He claimed to be.
How do we promote a ministry like this? Well probably not on a Christian radio station. I don't think we will find a lot of our target audience. Probably not by putting up a sign in the local church, since we are not looking for them to add another thing to their "religious calendar". The answer to this question is that I am not sure where to promote, but maybe we can invite some questioning friends.
If you are reading this, consider this your invitation. Jesus said, "come to me all you who are burdened down, cast all your cares on me, and I will care for you". Invite others to join us where we can learn together in a loving and caring, non judgmental atmosphere.
Hopefully we will see you at Tsunami! Come on out and I will tell you why it is called Tsunami!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Drop In Started
Drop in night was very encouraging. Even though we only had a couple of young folks drop in we had fun. The food was great and the atmosphere was even more incredible.
We had a couple of folks drop in after we were up and running for an hour or so. Joe and Jessica spent close to 45 minutes with us. They had some warm food and desert and spent some time just hanging with us before they had to catch a bus. They wondered if this was our first night doing this and we told them it was. They thought it was great.
An older couple that are part of another drop in for adults stopped in to say hello and we had a nice visit with them. They were very encouraging and enjoyed watching the hockey game with us. They had a little bit of the desert we had for the evening and they talked about the drop in they go to.
Two other girls came in around 9:30, they are non Christians and friends of a mutual friend. We decided to play a game of monopoly and it was surprisingly fun. I am not a big monopoly fan but they made it fun. After a long game and the building of some new friendships it was time for us to close up for the night.
I am excited because of a couple of comments that were said during the night. The first was, "this is so much fun. It takes me back to the fun I used to have before I got messed up in drugs. It is so nice to be sober and have a good time." The second was said as people walked by on the sidewalk, who were drinking, " I am in here having lots of fun, and I don't need to be doing what you are to have fun". Don't worry the people on the sidewalk couldn't here what was said as they were outside and we were inside.
We are looking forward to next week!
We had a couple of folks drop in after we were up and running for an hour or so. Joe and Jessica spent close to 45 minutes with us. They had some warm food and desert and spent some time just hanging with us before they had to catch a bus. They wondered if this was our first night doing this and we told them it was. They thought it was great.
An older couple that are part of another drop in for adults stopped in to say hello and we had a nice visit with them. They were very encouraging and enjoyed watching the hockey game with us. They had a little bit of the desert we had for the evening and they talked about the drop in they go to.
Two other girls came in around 9:30, they are non Christians and friends of a mutual friend. We decided to play a game of monopoly and it was surprisingly fun. I am not a big monopoly fan but they made it fun. After a long game and the building of some new friendships it was time for us to close up for the night.
I am excited because of a couple of comments that were said during the night. The first was, "this is so much fun. It takes me back to the fun I used to have before I got messed up in drugs. It is so nice to be sober and have a good time." The second was said as people walked by on the sidewalk, who were drinking, " I am in here having lots of fun, and I don't need to be doing what you are to have fun". Don't worry the people on the sidewalk couldn't here what was said as they were outside and we were inside.
We are looking forward to next week!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Persecuted church
This week is one where we focus on thinking of others who have paid and are paying a great price for our freedom and for the ability to keep us free.
Today is Remembrance Day the day set apart to be grateful for the sacrifice of so many soldiers and their families. Without their willingness to serve us, our lives would be so incredibly different. Think of all the freedoms we enjoy: travel, enjoy friends, vote, have food, speak, read and worship. This is a short list it could be so much longer. I AM SO THANKFUL!!!
This week in Christian circles it is the week to remember the persecuted church. There are so many people around the globe that do not have the freedom to serve Christ. The only way they can serve Him is to risk personal loss, torture, and life.
Last night in youth we talked about some of those who are being persecuted today because of their faith. The statistics say that 200,000,000 people are persecuted on a daily basis. Sadly 300 people on average lose their lives each day as they are murdered (martyred) for their faith in Jesus Christ. Those people are not necessarily trying to convert people to Christianity, they are treated this way simply because they carry a Bible. Many today are being abused and tortured in horrific prison cells around the world.
Will you join me in praying for those who are so committed to Christ that they will not denounce Him!
We played a game last night to simulate what those who endure suffering for Christ. It was called "Underground Church". We hid 12 specially marked Bibles in the sanctuary. When the teens found these Bibles they then needed to smuggle the Bibles to another location in the church. We had two individuals that were police, their job was to arrest those who were caught smuggling. Those arrested were sent to jail and the only way out for them was to endure a mental challenge. (It was good as they had to memorize a scripture about persecution)
All told it took 47 minutes to get the Bibles found and smuggled. Close to half of the teens were thrown in jail during that time as they were caught smuggling. It might sound like a "pointless game" but it wasn't. The teens talked about how they felt as they were trying to smuggle God's Word. They talked about how it felt to be arrested for trying to do something basic. They also talked about the process of getting the bible to the right location and how they had to plan things out to do it.
I hope that we never take for granted the freedom we have. One of the greatest blessings we have in our country is to be able to worship God freely. We may not always have this freedom! I would challenge you to read Matt 24:3-13 to see why I say this.
Today is Remembrance Day the day set apart to be grateful for the sacrifice of so many soldiers and their families. Without their willingness to serve us, our lives would be so incredibly different. Think of all the freedoms we enjoy: travel, enjoy friends, vote, have food, speak, read and worship. This is a short list it could be so much longer. I AM SO THANKFUL!!!
This week in Christian circles it is the week to remember the persecuted church. There are so many people around the globe that do not have the freedom to serve Christ. The only way they can serve Him is to risk personal loss, torture, and life.
Last night in youth we talked about some of those who are being persecuted today because of their faith. The statistics say that 200,000,000 people are persecuted on a daily basis. Sadly 300 people on average lose their lives each day as they are murdered (martyred) for their faith in Jesus Christ. Those people are not necessarily trying to convert people to Christianity, they are treated this way simply because they carry a Bible. Many today are being abused and tortured in horrific prison cells around the world.
Will you join me in praying for those who are so committed to Christ that they will not denounce Him!
We played a game last night to simulate what those who endure suffering for Christ. It was called "Underground Church". We hid 12 specially marked Bibles in the sanctuary. When the teens found these Bibles they then needed to smuggle the Bibles to another location in the church. We had two individuals that were police, their job was to arrest those who were caught smuggling. Those arrested were sent to jail and the only way out for them was to endure a mental challenge. (It was good as they had to memorize a scripture about persecution)
All told it took 47 minutes to get the Bibles found and smuggled. Close to half of the teens were thrown in jail during that time as they were caught smuggling. It might sound like a "pointless game" but it wasn't. The teens talked about how they felt as they were trying to smuggle God's Word. They talked about how it felt to be arrested for trying to do something basic. They also talked about the process of getting the bible to the right location and how they had to plan things out to do it.
I hope that we never take for granted the freedom we have. One of the greatest blessings we have in our country is to be able to worship God freely. We may not always have this freedom! I would challenge you to read Matt 24:3-13 to see why I say this.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Who better to encourage
This afternoon I spent some time with Jerry one of the teens we have been helping out over the past year or so. Jerry is working right now, and he has talked to me about understanding life even more now. As we were talking I told Jerry that someone had mailed him a letter and that it was at my house so he came over to my house to get it.
As we were walking downtown, on the way to my house, we passed a father and daughter. The daughter was probably about eight years old and she skipped along the sidewalk. She had a big smile on her face as she looked up to her dad and the big buildings around her. I made the comment to Jerry that it would be nice to have our kids not have to get older than eight or so because at that age life can be so easy. The reality for a lot of kids is that as they grow older life is not so easy. Jerry agreed that life was much less difficult when he was little.
Back to the story. Jerry and I arrived at my home and I gave Jerry the letter addressed to him. It was from a girl he knew from the past year. Jerry had talked to this fellow teen who was struggling with addiction about checking herself into rehab. Jerry opened the letter and read it very quietly. He asked me if I wanted to read it. I said I would if he wanted me to. He insisted that I do.
It was a beautiful letter. In it she thanked Jerry for always being there for her. She thanked him for being such a close friend and for believing in her when no one else did. She thanked him for pointing her to rehab and thanked him that her life was now on track. She went on to encourage him to do the right things and to surround himself with good friends that don`t use drugs. It was powerful!
I thanked Jerry for being there for her. I was very proud of Jerry for his input in this young ladies life. I thought to myself who better to encourage Jerry than someone who has walked that same road. Never, ever give up on people.
As we were walking downtown, on the way to my house, we passed a father and daughter. The daughter was probably about eight years old and she skipped along the sidewalk. She had a big smile on her face as she looked up to her dad and the big buildings around her. I made the comment to Jerry that it would be nice to have our kids not have to get older than eight or so because at that age life can be so easy. The reality for a lot of kids is that as they grow older life is not so easy. Jerry agreed that life was much less difficult when he was little.
Back to the story. Jerry and I arrived at my home and I gave Jerry the letter addressed to him. It was from a girl he knew from the past year. Jerry had talked to this fellow teen who was struggling with addiction about checking herself into rehab. Jerry opened the letter and read it very quietly. He asked me if I wanted to read it. I said I would if he wanted me to. He insisted that I do.
It was a beautiful letter. In it she thanked Jerry for always being there for her. She thanked him for being such a close friend and for believing in her when no one else did. She thanked him for pointing her to rehab and thanked him that her life was now on track. She went on to encourage him to do the right things and to surround himself with good friends that don`t use drugs. It was powerful!
I thanked Jerry for being there for her. I was very proud of Jerry for his input in this young ladies life. I thought to myself who better to encourage Jerry than someone who has walked that same road. Never, ever give up on people.
Monday, November 8, 2010
God's faithfulness
First let me say that I am sorry for not blogging these last couple of days, I have been in lots of pain and continue to be today. Unfortunately it is my other shoulder and arm that are causing me the problem, which is discouraging.
We had a moderately successful fundraising dinner. We ended up with only 20 or so people, we had hoped for and prepared for another 12-14. The good thing about our evening was new exposure to our ministry for some new folks unfamiliar with Boaz.
I was able to share about our upcoming Friday night teen drop in and before the night was over I was given $100 to be used for our first drop in. I also received a commitment for the sponsorship of two other nights for the drop in, so that was a positive. All told the night generated another $235 over and above the money for the drop in.
Special thanks to those who ministered on this evening through music. Steve Patterson was first rate and showed again his humble spirit. His daughter Taylor and friends Kaitlyn, Rachel and Rebecca entertained us with their talents. Thanks girls!
Lynn and Patrick along with Amanda and Eric did a great job providing an amazing meal for all of us. The spaghetti and sauces as well as the strawberry shortcake was incredible. I trust that even more folks will get on board with Trinitea's to support their ministry in our city.
So the countdown is on until Friday night where we launch our Boaz teen drop in. I am praying that we will make a difference in the lives of teens who are hurting and in need of encouragement. Will you join us in praying?
We had a moderately successful fundraising dinner. We ended up with only 20 or so people, we had hoped for and prepared for another 12-14. The good thing about our evening was new exposure to our ministry for some new folks unfamiliar with Boaz.
I was able to share about our upcoming Friday night teen drop in and before the night was over I was given $100 to be used for our first drop in. I also received a commitment for the sponsorship of two other nights for the drop in, so that was a positive. All told the night generated another $235 over and above the money for the drop in.
Special thanks to those who ministered on this evening through music. Steve Patterson was first rate and showed again his humble spirit. His daughter Taylor and friends Kaitlyn, Rachel and Rebecca entertained us with their talents. Thanks girls!
Lynn and Patrick along with Amanda and Eric did a great job providing an amazing meal for all of us. The spaghetti and sauces as well as the strawberry shortcake was incredible. I trust that even more folks will get on board with Trinitea's to support their ministry in our city.
So the countdown is on until Friday night where we launch our Boaz teen drop in. I am praying that we will make a difference in the lives of teens who are hurting and in need of encouragement. Will you join us in praying?
Friday, November 5, 2010
How important is this ministry
Whenever we do ministry we need to be sure that we understand why we do it and what our motivation is for what we do. I thought it would be good to remind ourselves of a couple of things.
Why do we do Boaz Ministry? The simple answer is to minister to at risk teens and young families and help to improve their lives. We want to meet their physical needs and to also meet other needs including the spiritual needs.
What is our motivation? God! We do not serve God so that He will love us more or to gain His acceptance, we serve Him and do this ministry because we love Him and love others.
I continue to work through the scripture of Psalm 16 and the second part of verse 3 says:
"They are the majestic ones in who is all my delight."
Have you ever wondered what someone who is a King or Queen would look at as majestic? I would think it would take a lot for them to be impressed. If you think about it they can pretty much have whatever they want. If you look at our queen, every where she goes people lavish her with gifts. I wonder how many flowers and teddy bears can one woman handle.
Sometimes we look at the "rich" people of life, people like kings and queens, or athletes and actresses, singers or the Bill Gates' (some treat them like they are royalty) and wish for all the things they have.
King David wasn't impressed by the latest "bling", but there was something to him that was truly majestic. The word "majestic" used here refers to something powerful or amazing or of great value. David says what is "majestic" are the true saints of God. (see yesterdays blog for a description about saints)
The King was dearly blessed or delighted when he saw people, Godly people, honoring God and taking care of their fellow brothers and sisters on this earth.
Somehow I think the God I serve delights in seeing this too. He is not impressed with all the money I have or don't have, He is not impressed with all the things we can accumulate. He is impressed with those who choose to serve others in obedience to His command to "love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself."
I believe He delights in how we treat others and how we use the resources He has entrusted to us. He has blessed us to bless each other, not to focus on ourselves all the time.
If King David was living during our time would he be delighted in us? Our King Jesus, sees what we do, and I believe He is delighted!
Why do we do Boaz Ministry? The simple answer is to minister to at risk teens and young families and help to improve their lives. We want to meet their physical needs and to also meet other needs including the spiritual needs.
What is our motivation? God! We do not serve God so that He will love us more or to gain His acceptance, we serve Him and do this ministry because we love Him and love others.
I continue to work through the scripture of Psalm 16 and the second part of verse 3 says:
"They are the majestic ones in who is all my delight."
Have you ever wondered what someone who is a King or Queen would look at as majestic? I would think it would take a lot for them to be impressed. If you think about it they can pretty much have whatever they want. If you look at our queen, every where she goes people lavish her with gifts. I wonder how many flowers and teddy bears can one woman handle.
Sometimes we look at the "rich" people of life, people like kings and queens, or athletes and actresses, singers or the Bill Gates' (some treat them like they are royalty) and wish for all the things they have.
King David wasn't impressed by the latest "bling", but there was something to him that was truly majestic. The word "majestic" used here refers to something powerful or amazing or of great value. David says what is "majestic" are the true saints of God. (see yesterdays blog for a description about saints)
The King was dearly blessed or delighted when he saw people, Godly people, honoring God and taking care of their fellow brothers and sisters on this earth.
Somehow I think the God I serve delights in seeing this too. He is not impressed with all the money I have or don't have, He is not impressed with all the things we can accumulate. He is impressed with those who choose to serve others in obedience to His command to "love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself."
I believe He delights in how we treat others and how we use the resources He has entrusted to us. He has blessed us to bless each other, not to focus on ourselves all the time.
If King David was living during our time would he be delighted in us? Our King Jesus, sees what we do, and I believe He is delighted!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Saints in the earth
Have you ever been out with a crowd of people and there is that one person that will do anything they can to get others attention. They need acceptance of others and they will do anything to get it.Those need can sometimes lead to some pretty compromising decisions. I think of teens and the years that they spend trying to fit in and be accepted. It is during those times of insecurity that life altering negative decisions can be made.
Last night in youth we were talking about the word compromise, and how it can lead to tragic consequences when people do it. I was thinking about the oil spill in the gulf, and how 11 people lost their lives because of inadequate concrete (compromise). I reflected on Hurricane Katrina, which saw over 1000 people lose their lives because the levies were compromised and gave way. Compromise leads to destruction.
Instead of choosing to do what others are pressuring us to do, we should stand up for what is right. We need to choose well. We need to love others and serve them, encourage and support those who are willing to stand out for God. They give me great joy!
Those are the people David is referring to in Psalm 16:3 when he writes "as for the saints who are in the earth".
In verse 2 David was making a declaration to the Lord. In verse 3 David is making one to the "saints in the earth."
In some traditions sainthood is a serious thing. It is a title that is put on someone because of "what they can do". Someone is declared a saint because they are believed to have healed someone. The reality is that no man has ever healed another man, God is the healer not man. David is not talking about those man made at all.
I believe that there are present day saints, as in people who have committed their lives to Christ and honor him. David is talking about Godly people and how they have chosen to live their lives set apart for His kingdom.
As a pastor I love to work alongside others who are set apart to do His work, in the earth, or another way to put it is on this planet. Anyone that is truly committed to helping others here,in Christs name, and without looking for personal fame, are people we might refer to as "saints". It is not a title with a capital "S" like Superman but I sign of respect.
I think that some people want to receive titles in this life and that is what they strive for. To be honored as a saint is not something we should strive for.
Davis uses the word saints not Saint. Many times in scripture the word saint is used to describe those who are set apart to do His work here on earth.
To me one of those modern day saints was Mother Theresa. She did this by serving humbly and sacrificially in order to fulfil God's call on her life to the poor and neglected of Calcutta. She understood her calling and loved the unlovely. That is beautiful.
David was so blessed to see those around him that had set themselves apart to honor God and minister to others. He wasn't impressed by other people that had wealth. He knew that is not what defined a saint. He wasn't starry eyed at the great athletes of his day. He wasn't blown away with the neighbour who had the biggest and best Iphone (just kidding, I know they didn't have those).
He was impressed, blown away, and touched in his heart by those who were deeply committed to God and through their actions loved and served others humbly.
What do you think David would say about our lives? More importantly how does God view us? Are we saints or are we...?
Last night in youth we were talking about the word compromise, and how it can lead to tragic consequences when people do it. I was thinking about the oil spill in the gulf, and how 11 people lost their lives because of inadequate concrete (compromise). I reflected on Hurricane Katrina, which saw over 1000 people lose their lives because the levies were compromised and gave way. Compromise leads to destruction.
Instead of choosing to do what others are pressuring us to do, we should stand up for what is right. We need to choose well. We need to love others and serve them, encourage and support those who are willing to stand out for God. They give me great joy!
Those are the people David is referring to in Psalm 16:3 when he writes "as for the saints who are in the earth".
In verse 2 David was making a declaration to the Lord. In verse 3 David is making one to the "saints in the earth."
In some traditions sainthood is a serious thing. It is a title that is put on someone because of "what they can do". Someone is declared a saint because they are believed to have healed someone. The reality is that no man has ever healed another man, God is the healer not man. David is not talking about those man made at all.
I believe that there are present day saints, as in people who have committed their lives to Christ and honor him. David is talking about Godly people and how they have chosen to live their lives set apart for His kingdom.
As a pastor I love to work alongside others who are set apart to do His work, in the earth, or another way to put it is on this planet. Anyone that is truly committed to helping others here,in Christs name, and without looking for personal fame, are people we might refer to as "saints". It is not a title with a capital "S" like Superman but I sign of respect.
I think that some people want to receive titles in this life and that is what they strive for. To be honored as a saint is not something we should strive for.
Davis uses the word saints not Saint. Many times in scripture the word saint is used to describe those who are set apart to do His work here on earth.
To me one of those modern day saints was Mother Theresa. She did this by serving humbly and sacrificially in order to fulfil God's call on her life to the poor and neglected of Calcutta. She understood her calling and loved the unlovely. That is beautiful.
David was so blessed to see those around him that had set themselves apart to honor God and minister to others. He wasn't impressed by other people that had wealth. He knew that is not what defined a saint. He wasn't starry eyed at the great athletes of his day. He wasn't blown away with the neighbour who had the biggest and best Iphone (just kidding, I know they didn't have those).
He was impressed, blown away, and touched in his heart by those who were deeply committed to God and through their actions loved and served others humbly.
What do you think David would say about our lives? More importantly how does God view us? Are we saints or are we...?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
BE SIDES
I have a good buddy that lives out west now. He is a guy that struggled for much of his life with addiction and sell esteem issues. His journey on this earth was filled with constant turmoil. No matter where he turned in life, he surrounded himself with questionable people. He thought they were friends who would walk beside him and have his back so to speak.
Well they did have his back as long as he was supplying them with drugs. They really were not friends, just users: in more than one way. To deal with his despair he turned to drugs because as long as they were by his side he wouldn't have to think about the so called friends that were abandoning him. The further he went the more desperate he became. He tried to fill that with buying lots of expensive things but that let him down too.
Finally after messing up and messing up he found himself in prison for a long time. It was during his time in prison that he discovered this truth. It is a truth we all need to discover in life. It is found in the second part of Psalm 16:2, "I have no good beside you" These words were penned by King David. Here is what God spoke to me about as I meditated on His Word.
Psalm 16:2 "I have no good beside you"
It is powerful to be in a relationship with the creator of everything.
How much value to I put on things? Is what I have in possessions that determines my worth? David who had everything at his disposal understood that he had absolutely nothing of great value except his relationship with God. Maybe that is why he would dance naked before God. It was just God and Him and that relationship that had real value.
David starts this portion of scripture with the word "I". Whenever I start to say something and I begin it with the word I, it means I believe in or stand behind what I am about to say. If I say I believe in this product, I am endorsing it. If I don't believe in something I am not going to attach my name to it.
David could have said "they" have no good besides you which would show he was talking about others issues. It is always easier to talk about others issues, right? He could have said "you", if he didn't believe it himself. Thats not what he said though, he said "I"
Then he uses the word "have", which represents the present tense. He is making an action statement, think again of all the things King David has: position, money, fame, investments, people at his whim, nice clothes, all the latest stuff. Yet he says all of this compared to having God is NOTHING. It is no good!
It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 2:10 where Solomon, the wisest and richest man who ever lived said, "all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor." Then he says "it was all in vanity."
What is it that we have tried to put beside us to make us feel good, only to see that without God it is meaningless?
There are many things in life that are "no good" for us. They consume us and take our focus off of God. Maybe it is how we use our time. Do you and I ever stop to consider how we use our time? Do we ever look back at the end off the day and see that what we spent much of our time on was "no good". What about our money, are we investing in good things or God things? David realizes even though he has it all that it was meaningless without a close relationship with God.
The word beside is a compound word. BE and SIDE, BE/SIDE. I want BE by my side! I want Jesus to be near me in all I do. He has promised to be near to me. I choose whether I want to be close to Him. I want Him more than anything in my life!
King David finally declares who he knows is the absolute best for him. It is You! It is God! Are we walking BEside You? We need to be sure not to put our possessions, our money our investments, other people, the latest gadgets between us and God! That way we can agree with King David and declare, "I have no good beside you."
Well they did have his back as long as he was supplying them with drugs. They really were not friends, just users: in more than one way. To deal with his despair he turned to drugs because as long as they were by his side he wouldn't have to think about the so called friends that were abandoning him. The further he went the more desperate he became. He tried to fill that with buying lots of expensive things but that let him down too.
Finally after messing up and messing up he found himself in prison for a long time. It was during his time in prison that he discovered this truth. It is a truth we all need to discover in life. It is found in the second part of Psalm 16:2, "I have no good beside you" These words were penned by King David. Here is what God spoke to me about as I meditated on His Word.
Psalm 16:2 "I have no good beside you"
It is powerful to be in a relationship with the creator of everything.
How much value to I put on things? Is what I have in possessions that determines my worth? David who had everything at his disposal understood that he had absolutely nothing of great value except his relationship with God. Maybe that is why he would dance naked before God. It was just God and Him and that relationship that had real value.
David starts this portion of scripture with the word "I". Whenever I start to say something and I begin it with the word I, it means I believe in or stand behind what I am about to say. If I say I believe in this product, I am endorsing it. If I don't believe in something I am not going to attach my name to it.
David could have said "they" have no good besides you which would show he was talking about others issues. It is always easier to talk about others issues, right? He could have said "you", if he didn't believe it himself. Thats not what he said though, he said "I"
Then he uses the word "have", which represents the present tense. He is making an action statement, think again of all the things King David has: position, money, fame, investments, people at his whim, nice clothes, all the latest stuff. Yet he says all of this compared to having God is NOTHING. It is no good!
It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 2:10 where Solomon, the wisest and richest man who ever lived said, "all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor." Then he says "it was all in vanity."
What is it that we have tried to put beside us to make us feel good, only to see that without God it is meaningless?
There are many things in life that are "no good" for us. They consume us and take our focus off of God. Maybe it is how we use our time. Do you and I ever stop to consider how we use our time? Do we ever look back at the end off the day and see that what we spent much of our time on was "no good". What about our money, are we investing in good things or God things? David realizes even though he has it all that it was meaningless without a close relationship with God.
The word beside is a compound word. BE and SIDE, BE/SIDE. I want BE by my side! I want Jesus to be near me in all I do. He has promised to be near to me. I choose whether I want to be close to Him. I want Him more than anything in my life!
King David finally declares who he knows is the absolute best for him. It is You! It is God! Are we walking BEside You? We need to be sure not to put our possessions, our money our investments, other people, the latest gadgets between us and God! That way we can agree with King David and declare, "I have no good beside you."
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
You are my Lord
I often wonder how teens get themselves into the challenging situations of life. They find they are somewhere that they never thought they would be. I guess in many ways it is because they think they know more than others. I guess that is really human nature. It is not just teens but adults too.
I think that one of the hardest things to discover in life is that we are not invincible. Nothing bad could ever happen to us they think. I work with firemen who talk about getting older and realizing that they are not "10 feet tall and bulletproof." It is not always easy for the young firemen to understand, until they go down that hard road themselves.
Until we come to that realization, we will always be vulnerable to others suggestions. When a teen is offered alcohol, drugs, sex or other vices, most of them probably have a check in their "heart" as to whether it is the right thing to do. Then they are able to convince themselves that they are stronger than what is laid out before them. They are believing a lie.
As Christians we need to understand something important too. Here it is...are you ready for it? I am going to look at the next line from Psalm 16:2, King David is sharing his heart with God.
Psalm 16:2 "I said to the Lord, 'you are my Lord'."
It is amazing what one 2 letter word can make. The word "my" implies possession of something. David says, "Lord, you are mine." Not as in a you are mine and I can tell you what to do and how to do it, but as you are mine and you can lead me.
He doesn't say you are my brother, because that would make him an equal and on the same level as God, though it would sound good.
He doesn't say you are another one of my possessions (remember he had lots of those) because then he would have thought he had superiority over Him. He could then use God however he wanted.
He declares you are my Lord!!!
He also uses the word are, present tense. It wasn't that He used to be or will be in the future, but right now. In the midst of life He is! Sometimes we look back and say "He was Lord then, but I am not feeling Him right now." He still is. He is I AM, or maybe we think I will let Him be Lord in the future, but right now I want to be Lord of my own life.
Who did he make this declaration to? He made it to the Lord! This is important because sometimes we say to others, "He is my Lord" and we can fool other people. When we say it to the Lord we can't fool Him.
In life it does come down to a Lordship issue. Who is the object of our worship? If we want to know what we worship, we just need to look at where we spend our time, talents, money and thoughts.
I have said alot of things to the Lord over the last few years, but I say to the Lord again, you are my Lord. I acknowledge that you are Lord.That for me means acknowledging that I am not. I see myself compared to Him. I know that He alone is my refuge. He alone is my source of provision. He alone is the one who speaks truth to me. He alone loves me, because I AM his.
Lordship means me stepping off my throne and once again inviting Him to His proper place!
I think that one of the hardest things to discover in life is that we are not invincible. Nothing bad could ever happen to us they think. I work with firemen who talk about getting older and realizing that they are not "10 feet tall and bulletproof." It is not always easy for the young firemen to understand, until they go down that hard road themselves.
Until we come to that realization, we will always be vulnerable to others suggestions. When a teen is offered alcohol, drugs, sex or other vices, most of them probably have a check in their "heart" as to whether it is the right thing to do. Then they are able to convince themselves that they are stronger than what is laid out before them. They are believing a lie.
As Christians we need to understand something important too. Here it is...are you ready for it? I am going to look at the next line from Psalm 16:2, King David is sharing his heart with God.
Psalm 16:2 "I said to the Lord, 'you are my Lord'."
It is amazing what one 2 letter word can make. The word "my" implies possession of something. David says, "Lord, you are mine." Not as in a you are mine and I can tell you what to do and how to do it, but as you are mine and you can lead me.
He doesn't say you are my brother, because that would make him an equal and on the same level as God, though it would sound good.
He doesn't say you are another one of my possessions (remember he had lots of those) because then he would have thought he had superiority over Him. He could then use God however he wanted.
He declares you are my Lord!!!
He also uses the word are, present tense. It wasn't that He used to be or will be in the future, but right now. In the midst of life He is! Sometimes we look back and say "He was Lord then, but I am not feeling Him right now." He still is. He is I AM, or maybe we think I will let Him be Lord in the future, but right now I want to be Lord of my own life.
Who did he make this declaration to? He made it to the Lord! This is important because sometimes we say to others, "He is my Lord" and we can fool other people. When we say it to the Lord we can't fool Him.
In life it does come down to a Lordship issue. Who is the object of our worship? If we want to know what we worship, we just need to look at where we spend our time, talents, money and thoughts.
I have said alot of things to the Lord over the last few years, but I say to the Lord again, you are my Lord. I acknowledge that you are Lord.That for me means acknowledging that I am not. I see myself compared to Him. I know that He alone is my refuge. He alone is my source of provision. He alone is the one who speaks truth to me. He alone loves me, because I AM his.
Lordship means me stepping off my throne and once again inviting Him to His proper place!
Monday, November 1, 2010
A trust issue
I was saddened today to learn that a young man from our city committed suicide at the age of 20. It is always a tragedy to hear of these things especially when it is so close to our own homes and in our city. This young man graduated from Leo Hayes High just a year and a half ago. My thoughts and more importantly my prayers are with his family and friends as they grieve this tragedy.
I was spending some quiet time tonight in God's presence, asking Him to show me more of Himself. I have been thinking a lot recently about the word trust. How much do I trust God? Do I trust Him or just talk the talk? I asked the Lord to teach me what it means to truly trust Him. I feel that when we truly trust Him, we don't have to worry about things or try to fix them for Him. I asked the Lord to lead me to scripture that I could meditate on. He led me to Psalm 16.
I have been reading a book called "I am not but I know I am" by Louis Giglio. In it he focuses on the fact that he knows he is not God, but that he knows "I AM". When we place "I AM" in front of our challenges we can face anything, Why? Because "I AM" is greater than all our problems, fears, setbacks, losses and victories. "I AM" of course refers to God.
In this book, Giglio teaches a method of studying the Bible by just focusing on one word or verse and meditating on it. I have decided to take on that challenge and apply this to the scripture in Psalm 16
Pslam 16:1 "Preserve me, Oh God, for I take refuge in you"
Let me share with you what God has shown me from simple prayer and meditation on His Word.
King David asks God to do something for Him right away, to protect him, cover him and watch over Him. In this life we are unlikely to ever ask anyone to watch anything or protect something unless we have a deep trust in them. David is making a declaration, "I trust you." That is why he can take refuge in Him.
So often in life we need to find a safe place. It is easy to go to a lot of different places to find protection, but there is no place better to turn to than "I AM"
At times people will tell us about a safe place to go, but how can we know if it really is a safe place? I think there are two ways:
1. We have had to experience it ourselves and found out that it is true, or
2. In times of an emergency in our lives, we are willing to trust what others say and run to it.
What confidence we can have when we find that place of real refuge. On the other side what fear and worry we have when we can't find that place of real refuge and trust. It is sad when we turn to so many other places for refuge. It can feel safe for a moment or so, but then it loses it's protection.
In King David's situation and life he seemingly had all he needed for refuge, but he knew they were not true places of refuge. Here are some faulty places to put our trust: (remember that King David had all of these but he knew he couldn't trust in them)
I was spending some quiet time tonight in God's presence, asking Him to show me more of Himself. I have been thinking a lot recently about the word trust. How much do I trust God? Do I trust Him or just talk the talk? I asked the Lord to teach me what it means to truly trust Him. I feel that when we truly trust Him, we don't have to worry about things or try to fix them for Him. I asked the Lord to lead me to scripture that I could meditate on. He led me to Psalm 16.
I have been reading a book called "I am not but I know I am" by Louis Giglio. In it he focuses on the fact that he knows he is not God, but that he knows "I AM". When we place "I AM" in front of our challenges we can face anything, Why? Because "I AM" is greater than all our problems, fears, setbacks, losses and victories. "I AM" of course refers to God.
In this book, Giglio teaches a method of studying the Bible by just focusing on one word or verse and meditating on it. I have decided to take on that challenge and apply this to the scripture in Psalm 16
Pslam 16:1 "Preserve me, Oh God, for I take refuge in you"
Let me share with you what God has shown me from simple prayer and meditation on His Word.
King David asks God to do something for Him right away, to protect him, cover him and watch over Him. In this life we are unlikely to ever ask anyone to watch anything or protect something unless we have a deep trust in them. David is making a declaration, "I trust you." That is why he can take refuge in Him.
So often in life we need to find a safe place. It is easy to go to a lot of different places to find protection, but there is no place better to turn to than "I AM"
At times people will tell us about a safe place to go, but how can we know if it really is a safe place? I think there are two ways:
1. We have had to experience it ourselves and found out that it is true, or
2. In times of an emergency in our lives, we are willing to trust what others say and run to it.
What confidence we can have when we find that place of real refuge. On the other side what fear and worry we have when we can't find that place of real refuge and trust. It is sad when we turn to so many other places for refuge. It can feel safe for a moment or so, but then it loses it's protection.
In King David's situation and life he seemingly had all he needed for refuge, but he knew they were not true places of refuge. Here are some faulty places to put our trust: (remember that King David had all of these but he knew he couldn't trust in them)
- money
- buildings
- fame
- investments (he had lots of gold)
- great career
- lots of friends
Brothers and sisters, who or what are you taking refuge in? Is it something you can truly trust? Put your trust in Him, just like King David did when he said, "I TAKE refuge in you!!!"
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