Out of the Ashes (February 21, 2021)

Ash Wednesday.  The beginning of Lent.  The start of the Easter season.  The day where a large number of folks typically walk around with some type of smudge on their forehead.  If you’re not prepared for it, those smudges can cause you a moment’s pause, and raise a concern, “Uh, ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you, but I think you missed with the mascara this morning.  You have a little something right there.”  Hopefully, this has not been your experience, but it is a possibility…especially if you grew up in a church tradition that did not focus on Ash Wednesday very much.  For many, Ash Wednesday can catch us off guard.  After all, we’re not really used to people walking around with the smudges.  It just seems so abnormal, so odd.

And yet…

Ash Wednesday stands as a reminder of what is true, of who we are, of what we are.

Though we may not always walk around with ashes on our heads, Ash Wednesday serves as a marker, as a signpost, as a reminder of the truth that we share on this day.  

From dust you’ve come.  To dust you shall return.

Ashes to ashes.

Dust to dust.

We don’t often think about it.  We don’t always like it, but Ash Wednesday stands as a reminder year after year that you, my friend, like me, are dust.  Dirt.  Plain, old, ordinary, common ash.  Not only is that our origin, our start, but it is also our destiny, what will come.  One day, our bodies, will return to the dirt, will return to the ashes, will return to the soil.  It is part of who we are, and it is part of what we will be.

From dust you’ve come.  To dust you shall return.

It’s pretty sobering when you think about it.  Typically, this idea is not in the forefront of my mind.  I usually have a higher regard for myself.  I don’t often wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think, “Hey there you big ol’ pile of dirt, you’re looking like you could use a little watering, some fertilizer, maybe a good plowing would take care of you.”  No, this is not usually how I see myself in the mirror or how I view myself throughout the day.  And yet, Ash Wednesday rolls around, and I’m reminded.

From dust I’ve come.  To dust I shall return.

Ashes to ashes.

Dust to dust.

Ash Wednesday grounds me as it points me to our origin, to the beginning, it reminds me of the truth that is found in Genesis 2:7.  “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground…”  

Want to know what I am, where I come from?  I am dirt.  Ashes.  Common.  Ordinary.  Nothing special.  Dirt.  Want to know where I’m headed (at least in terms of my physical body)?  Same place.  Back to the dirt.  Back to the earth.  I don’t know when that might take place, but it will happen for each of us (unless Jesus comes beforehand).

But that’s not all.  

Ash Wednesday also reminds me of another characteristic of my nature, that I am fallen, that I have sinned, that I have come up short.  Not only am I created out of the dust, but as dust, I have disobeyed my Creator.  I have gone my own path.  I have desired things that are contrary to God’s law, that fly in the face of God’s plan, that are against God’s love.  Once again, Ash Wednesday stands as a marker, a signpost, a reminder of my nature.

In the Bible, ashes were used as a sign of repentance.  When someone (or groups of people) were convicted of their sin and wanted to show that they have turned from sin to God, they would use ashes to indicate this change.  For example, whenever Jonah preached the word of God to the Ninevites, they demonstrated their repentance by covering themselves in ashes (Jonah 3:5-7).  They demonstrated their remorse, their sorrow, their guilt, and their repentance with this act of ashes. 

For us, the symbol of the ashes is a reminder that we, too, are in need of repentance.  We need to repent of the physical acts that we have done that are sinful.  We need to repent of the thoughts that we have entertained and have adopted that are sinful.  We also need to recognize and repent that we are sinful by nature, that it is part of our inheritance, that there is part of us that is broken and in need of healing, that we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  The ashes of Ash Wednesday serve as a reminder not only that we are made from dirt and that we will return to dirt, but also that we are dirt in need of repentance.

If that weren’t enough, Ash Wednesday can give us even more.  Not only did people in the Bible use ashes as a sign of repentance, but they were also used as a sign of grief, a sign of mourning.  The ashes, that someone would place on their head, were an outward indication of an inward state.  If you saw someone covered in ashes, you knew that they were mourning, that they were grieving, (or that they were repenting).  You knew that there was something going on deep within their heart, and the ashes were a way to express that emotion, to share in that grief.  This expression could take place individually, like when Tamar was mourning the way she had been horribly mistreated (2 Samuel 13:19), or when Job befell all of his misfortune and expressed that outwardly by covering himself in ashes (Job 16:15-17).  It could also take place as a group, like when this depiction is given as a response to great tribulation and grief in Lamentations:  

The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth.  The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 

~ Lamentations 2:10

In these and other cases, the ashes applied to the outside of the body demonstrated what was going on inside the person’s heart and spirit.  When others saw the ashes, they knew that something was going on, that there was a reason the person was expressing themselves in that manner.  The ashes were an indication of grief, or suffering, or repentance.

Currently, when we see the ashes of Ash Wednesday (even if we don’t actually see any physical ashes on Ash Wednesday this year), we, too, can be reminded of the reality of grief and our need to express it.  Life does not always work out perfectly.  Things do not always go along as planned.  Sometimes, we will each face and go through seasons that are incredibly difficult, disheartening, disappointing, sorrowful, painful, hurtful, etc., etc., etc.  Ash Wednesday can remind us that it is OK for us to express those feelings.  Not only is it OK, but it is also necessary.  We need to address the brokenness that we face in this world, the sorrow that is a result, and we need to honestly deal with our grief, our pain, our suffering.  Though we may not cover our heads with or sit in the ashes as people did during biblical times, Ash Wednesday reminds us that authentic expressions of grief and mourning are appropriate and good.

Let’s be honest.  So far, this Ash Wednesday reflection has been kind of a downer.  To summarize, I’ve reminded us that we are all made of dirt.  Not only that, but I’ve reminded us that our physical bodies will return to the dirt.  What else?  Oh yeah.  I’ve reminded us that we are sinful dirt in need of repenting.  Plus, I’ve reminded us that life can be painful, that we will all grieve and mourn, and that we should find means to express that grief and mourning.  This really hasn’t been a super peppy read to this point!

Fortunately, God does not leave us in any of these states.

Genesis 2:7 read, Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground…”. It continues, “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”  Yes, we were made from dust, but not dust alone.  God breathed into each of us.  The very breath of life comes from God, the Creator, the Lord Almighty.  We are not left as dust alone.  Instead, we are given more, we are given life, the very breath of God.

The Ninevites?  The ones who were facing destruction because of their wickedness?  After their repentance, look at how God responds:  “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10). The repentance brought about a change, a change in the Ninevites' attitudes, behaviors and feelings as well as a change in the plans of God.  God had planned on consequences.  God relented when the Ninevites' hearts were softened.  Forgiveness came after repentance.  Forgiveness is offered to us as well when we repent.

Job?  A man who spent a good period of time in grief, in mourning, in ashes.  Look at what Job 42:12 says:  “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”  God did not keep him in mourning for the entirety of his life.  Instead, he received an even larger blessing from the Lord.

Plus, there is this as a reminder for all those who may grieve:

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

~ Psalm 30:5

Oh, and lest we forget, though we are perishing, though our bodies are going to return to dust, return to the dirt, return to the ashes (unless of course Jesus returns before that happens), that is not our final status.  We’re not just destined to be a heap of nothingness.  Instead, for those who have put their lives into the hands of Jesus, God promises the following:

“And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”                                                   

~ Philippians 3:19-20

The final design for us?  Mere ashes?  Just dust?  No!  Out of the ashes the Lord Jesus Christ will transform us to be like him.  Let me say that again.  Out of the ashes the Lord Jesus Christ will transform us to be like him!!!  

Or as Paul says, 

“The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;  it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;  it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 

~ 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Yes, friend, Ash Wednesday is a welcome reminder of who we are, that we are dust, that we are fallen, that we grieve, and that we will one day return to the dust.  But, it is even a better reminder of Whose we are, and that in Jesus we are given life, that we are forgiven, that our tears will be wiped away, and that we will live eternally with him.

  ~ Pastor Chris

Will You Be My Valentine (February 14, 2021)

I can still remember the little cards that I’d take to school.  Small little perforated rectangles, enough that I would have one for every student and maybe a little larger one for the teacher.  Though I can’t remember specifically, I imagine that my young self would have chosen cards with something cool on them…like Optimus Prime from the cartoon series Transformers.  He’d be on the front, looking all awesome, saying something like “Autobots Roll Out & Have Yourself a Happy Valentine’s Day!”  (If you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about here, I apologize…I always try to have people connect to my devotionals, but sometimes I add some things just because it makes me smile.  The Transformers reference is one of those times.)  No mushy gunk from me.  No white and pink cupcakes with “love” written on them.  No extra-special cards.  No specially-selected-heart-shape-candy with “just the right” message on them, given to just the right person.  Not my style.  Not my thing.  Nope.  Each person got an Optimus Prime card, and even that was probably done out of obligation more than some extra feelings of love happening around the holiday.

As a kid, Valentine’s Day was just not my thing.  Sure, I’d be glad for an excuse to eat a couple of extra pieces of candy, but be excited about it?  Get all mushy about it?  Nah.  Not going to happen.

At this point, perhaps you’re expecting for me to say that things have changed now that I’m older.  Perhaps this is the point of the devotional where you think I’ll say, “But that’s all different now!”

Honestly, I’m not going to say that.

Valentine’s Day is still not my thing!  I’m still not super excited about it.  I still don’t buy dozens of roses, make cupcakes with “love” written all over them, or look for those heart-shaped candies with the messages.  (I still don’t mind the extra excuse to eat a piece or two of chocolate.)

Now, before you start throwing stones, let me do some explaining.  Let me do some defending.  Let me lay out my story and my logic, and then let’s see where we end up.  Ok?  Great.

Here’s the deal.  I love my wife.  A ton.  My goal?  To live my life in such a way that she feels loved and appreciated all of the time!  Now, I certainly do not succeed in this endeavor.  There are plenty of times when I fail to express my feelings, where I fail to show up, where I fail in making her feel loved and appreciated.  Still, that is the goal.  That she would be confident in our relationship.  That she would know that I love her.  That I would express my love to her consistently.  That I would be there for her and for her needs.  And, that I wouldn’t need Valentine’s Day as an excuse to make up for a year’s worth of shortcomings.  “Honey, I know I was a pretty terrible husband for the rest of the year…eat some chocolates and enjoy a new necklace.  Happy Valentine’s Day!”  Ok.  I’m being a little over-cynical.  Still, the point remains.  I want for my wife to know how much I love and value her all of the time.  Not just on one day.

Here’s the second half of the deal.  I also know my wife (hopefully pretty well, but there’s always room for growth!), and I know that typical “Valentine’s Day” things would not come across as an expression of love to her.  Let’s go through some of them, shall we?

• Heart-shaped box of chocolates?  She’s not a fan of chocolate.  Occasionally a chocolate-covered potato chip.  Once in a while a white chocolate Lindor truffle.  That box of chocolates would be for me.  Not her.
• Roses?  Not her favorite flower in the least.  She prefers daisies or wildflowers or an occasional single flower in a simple vase.  A dozen roses would benefit the flower shop.  Not my wife.
• Earrings/necklaces/jewelry?  Again, nope.  Her ears aren’t pierced.  She enjoys wearing two rings (engagement/wedding), and she typically doesn’t wear much jewelry.  Buying this type of gift would not show her that I love her.
• Cupcakes with “love” written on them?  Well, one, she has to eat gluten-free.  Two, she doesn’t like cupcakes.  Again, this would be a gift for me, not her.
• A fancy, romantic dinner?  Know one of her favorite meal scenarios?  Chinese and a movie at home.  Another favorite?  The three of us at a Mexican restaurant.  A third?  Some Thai food.  If I surprised her with Vallozzi’s?  Not going to cut it.  Why?  That’s not what she likes.  

Here are my problems with Valentine’s Day, and I have two to discuss.  

First, it, like many other holidays, has become an over-commercialized marketing push for people to spend more money.  If I followed the typical “Valentine’s Day guide,” I’d have an unhappy wife who would wonder what on earth was wrong with me.  She doesn’t want chocolate or cupcakes or roses or jewelry or expensive Italian meals or even those pop-up cards that sing songs.  She wants me to show her that I know her and that I love her.  Does she want me to show her that on Valentine’s Day?  Yes, absolutely.  I hope to show her, specifically on that day.  More importantly, does she want me to show her that on every other calendar day of the year?  Yes, absolutely.  I hope to show her that on every other day of the year as well.  I don’t need to buy into all of the marketing or hype or commercialization associated with February 14.  I need to know my wife, to spend time with her, to listen to her, to pray with her, to be there for her, to commit to her, to love her.  That, to me, is more important than following all of the typical, Valentine’s Day stuff.

Here’s my second problem with Valentine’s Day.  It has a way of making people focus on the wrong goal and feel bad when they do not achieve it.

I still remember that feeling associated with getting fewer cards than other people.  I still remember looking around and feeling shorted on my candy count, or on not getting the “Will you be my Valentine?” question, or on not having a “special someone” for the holiday.  You see, Valentine’s Day holds up an ideal, that of romantic love, of having a partner, of feeling like you are special because of that one person who says that you are special.  But what happens when that ideal isn’t reached?  What happens when you’re not the most popular kid in your grade and other people receive more cards than you?  Or, what happens when you don’t receive any cards at all?  What happens when you are alone?  On Valentine’s Day?  When you’ve never had a special someone to call your own?  Or, when there have been problems in your relationship and you’re feeling distance?  Or, when your special someone is no longer with you, when they’ve gone to meet Jesus, and your life has changed so drastically?  What happens to Valentine’s Day then?

That’s my issue.  As we understand it and celebrate it, Valentine’s Day sets up this picture-perfect ideal of romantic love.  But what about those who do not have it?  What about those who have never experienced romantic love in this life or for people who no longer have their partner?  Are those folks somehow worth less because they are not married?

The relationship that I share with Christa is 100000000% a blessing from God.  I am incredibly blessed and thankful to share my life with her.  However, even that relationship, even my relationship with my best friend who is also my wife, even that cannot be the peak, cannot be the pinnacle, cannot be the ideal or the place in which I find my worth.  There has to be more.  There has to be something that goes beyond romantic love, something that goes deeper than finding your “partner,” something that is a loftier goal than even the good that romantic love has to offer.  On Valentine’s Day (or any other day for that matter) romantic love cannot be the primary goal, cannot be the ideal, nor should our worth be based on whether or not we have found this love and met this ideal.

Instead, we need a different kind of love.  Love that comes straight from God.  We need the love of Jesus.

Valentine’s Day, much like any other day, needs to be rooted in Christ, grounded in Christ, point to the love of Jesus as the ideal.  Chocolates are fine.  Saying “I love you” is great, recommended, advisable.  Romantic love can be a blessing straight from the hand of God.  Still, all of these things need to be built on the love of Jesus so that our worth comes from our relationship with God, not whether or not we have a relationship with another.  Our contentment comes from our relationship with Jesus, not from another source.  Our joy, our peace, our happiness, our hope, our love comes from Christ, flows from Christ, points to Christ as an expression of God’s love for us, and that we are so confident in this love of God for each of us, personally, that we can make it though any day, even Valentine’s Day, leaning on Jesus.

Do you know something else?  Do you know why people began to celebrate Saint Valentine in the first place?  Because he bought the best flowers?  Made the best chocolates?  Had the perfect marriage?  

No.  He laid down his life on account of his love for God and love for others.  He ministered to people who were persecuted, cared for the needs of those who were suffering because of their faith, and ultimately, he was martyred because of his own relationship with Jesus Christ.  Saint Valentine knew the love of God so deeply, so personally, so intimately, that he was willing to give up everything he had to serve Jesus.

How about that for a new Valentine’s Day ideal?  The sacrificial love of the Father, given to us through Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to love God in return and to love our neighbors…even if it costs us our very life.

Now, that’s a Valentine’s Day message I could get behind.  With this message, Valentine’s Day could become my thing.  That’s a Valentine’s Day love that is worthy of building one’s life around, the sacrificial love of God who enables us to sacrificially love others.  Oh that I would know this love deep within my heart and that it would continue to change my very being.

Friend, I do not know what Valentine’s Day has in store for you.  Excitement.  Chocolate.  Roses.  Sorrow.  Disappointment.  Heartache.  Pain.  Regardless, I do know that there is more to love than we typically hear about on Hallmark movies or see on advertisements or are told that we need.  I pray that regardless of your circumstances on this Valentine’s Day that you will know the deep and true love of Jesus, and that you will build your life on God’s love.

After all, Paul reminds us:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”   

                                                                                                                            ~ Romans 8:35-37

No matter what we might face, trouble, hardship, persecution, famine…Valentine’s Day, know that we are more than conquerors.  Through Jesus.  Who loves us.

                                                                                                                                 ~ Pastor Chris

People Get Ready (February 7, 2021)

The time is quickly approaching!  Easter is coming!  

Granted, we have some time before Easter Sunday arrives and we’re doing whatever we do on Easter (and whatever we do this year on Easter will likely still look different from whatever we’ve historically done on Easter in the past…I imagine that masks will still be involved and the large, extravagant buffets won’t be happening yet…but that’s just a guess).  Regardless, Easter is coming!  It will soon be time when we celebrate the Risen King!

The fact that Easter is coming also means that the lead-up to Easter is coming.  The season of Lent is almost upon us.  With Ash Wednesday happening on the 17th, the Lenten season will be starting within a couple of blinks of an eye.  Yep.  The “fish fries” will be here.  Fish sandwiches will be happening everywhere.  If you want fish on a Friday, you will be sure you can find it!  Even places known for their chicken (ahem…Chick-fil-A), are sure to offer fish during Lent.  After all, most restaurants want to make sure that they, too, are getting ready for Easter, and eating fish on Fridays is how you get ready for Easter!  (This certainly wouldn’t just be a business savvy move to maintain and even boost their Catholic clientele over the Lenten season.)  

Alright.  I’m being a little sarcastic and possibly a little unfair.  I’m not trying to knock the Catholic practice of fasting during Lent.  Nor, am I inherently opposed to Chick-fil-A offering fish (though I do think this is primarily a business decision rather than a religious decision).  Still, I have to ask…what about those of us who are Protestant?  What about those of us who don’t follow the Catholic guidelines for Lent?  What about those of us who don’t even like fish?  (I like it fine, but it’s not high on my list.)  Should we even bother with Lent?  Does the season even hold any meaning?  Do we even need to “do” anything?  Some might even ask…"Pastor Chris, are you going to tell me about chocolate again?”

There’s a song by The Impressions called “People Get Ready.”  It popped into my head today as I was writing the devotional.  If you’re feeling soulful and you know the song, feel free to belt it out, but if you don’t, here are the lyrics to the first verse.

People get ready, there's a train a comin' 

You don't need no baggage, you just get on board 

All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin'

Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord

Now, I know that the song isn’t talking about getting ready for Easter, per se.  Instead, if you continue on through the lyrics, it’s speaking more about getting ready for eternity, about boarding the “train to Jordan.”  It’s talking about getting into heaven…an important destination for which one should be ready.  Historically, though, the song’s meaning isn’t limited to imagery of the everlasting.  Written in a time of great civil unrest, “People Get Ready” is also tied to the Civil Rights movement, and it can be heard as a Black American “freedom song”, a song that looks towards freedom from oppression, towards a better day.  Both of these meanings and interpretations are valid and important.  It’s important for people to get ready for the train to Jordan.  After all, death will come for all of us, and it will be good for us to be aboard the train that leads to everlasting life.  It’s also important to recognize the suffering of others, to hope, to pray, to work towards freedom for all.  Both of these applications of this song are meaningful, are important. 

Both meanings are also applicable to us in the context of Lent.

For Catholics, the Lenten season should be marked by three things.  1) Seeking the Lord in prayer & Scripture.  2) Service by giving alms.  (In other words, making an extra effort to take care of the poor & needy.)  3) Fasting.  (That practice of giving something up, of sacrificing so that something greater might be gained.  Denying oneself in order to focus more fully on God.)

I know.  I know.  I can hear you saying it, “BUT I’M NOT CATHOLIC!”

Neither am I.  

Still, I wonder if it might be time for us to get ready.  Is it possible that we could learn from these three practices of Lent?  Might this be an opportunity for us to grow closer to God?  Is it possible that the Lenten season for 2021 would be a season where we see our life in Christ grow just a bit more?  

Let’s consider each point.  

First, Seek the Lord in prayer and Scripture.  I hope, I pray, I plead, I beg, I encourage for this to be an “all-the-time” kind of a deal for you.  Not just a Sunday thing.  Not just a “I need something” time.  Not just a Lenten practice, but an all-the-time thing.  Prayer and Scripture.  Prayer and Scripture.  Prayer and Scripture!!!  Still, Lent offers us an opportunity to examine our prayer and Scripture patterns and habits.  Remember what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually” or “pray without ceasing.”  So, I ask, where in your life can you add a bit of prayer?  During Lent, where is an opportunity for you to pray a bit more?  Where can you be intentional about adding prayer and Scripture to your daily routine?  A new memory verse that you say as you walk up your flight of steps each day?  A sticky-note that you have on your bathroom mirror with a Bible verse?  A new practice of praying for the mail carrier when you get the junk mail out of the mailbox each day?  A couple minute prayer over the prayer list at the bottom of this mailing?  Prayer and Scripture.  People Get Ready.  Add it to your Lenten practices this year.

Second, Care for the poor.  Again, I hope that this is an “all-the-time” thing.  I hope that we care for those who are less fortunate than us.  Why?  Because we are earning something?  No.  We care for those who are less fortunate than us because we realize that we are unworthy of the love that we have received in Christ Jesus.  We recognize that we, too, with different circumstances, different environments, different countries of birth could have been in the exact same position.  We remember that we are called to care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the needy.  Also, as an added incentive in case we needed one, remember what Jesus said in Matthew.  

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”  (Matthew 25:35-36)  

In context, this verse is talking about those who are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, those who cross the Jordan, those who welcomed into eternity by the Father (People Get Ready!).  Those who are welcomed into the Father’s house are those who have cared for the poor, and by caring for the poor, they have cared for Jesus, himself.  So, I ask, in this upcoming season of Lent, how might you stretch yourself a little bit more in caring for the poor, for the oppressed?  Can you pack up a box to donate to the local food bank?  Can you send an extra gift to a ministry that feeds the hungry?  Is there an extra coat that you can give away?  Is there some other thing that you might do?  Could you possibly connect the first point, to pray, with this second?  Care for the poor.  People Get Ready.  Add it to your Lenten practices this year.

Third, Fasting.  Fasting doesn’t always get a lot of attention.  We don’t often talk about fasting as a practice or as something that we can/should do as a believer in Christ.  Even though that is the case, I would argue that it should fall into the “all-the-time” category.  (Not that we are literally fasting from food or drink all of the time, but that we are putting fasting into regular practice.)  Do you remember what Jesus did after he was baptized in the Jordan River?  He fasted.  Do you remember what Jesus said when he was questioned about the disciples fasting practices?  He said that the time will come when they will fast, even though they weren’t fasting right at that moment. (Mark 2:20)  Also, do you remember what Jesus said regarding the practice of fasting?  He said this:  

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  (Matthew 6:16-18)

When you fast…

That would seem to imply that we do what?  Fast.  Now, I’m not going to go into an exhaustive conversation on fasting right now.  However, I will suggest that you don’t go all “extreme” and decide that a complete, 40-day, no food, no water, Jesus in the wilderness type fast is what you want to do.  Start smaller.  Much smaller than that.  What am I suggesting?  How about adding a little bit of fasting to the Lenten season this year?  What if you took the five minutes of ice-cream time after Tuesday’s lunch and spent that same five minutes in prayer and reading the Bible?  Or even if that was in prayer for someone who is less fortunate than you?  (See what I did there?  I combined all three into one.)  Or, what if you took it a step further?  What if you skipped lunch on Wednesdays during Lent (provided that you aren’t diabetic or have other preventing health issues)?  What if you spent that time in prayer and reading the Bible, etc.?  Is there something, even if it is something small, that you can fast from and spend that time getting closer to Jesus?  A TV show you might skip?  A sports blog that you may not read for a day?  Fasting.  People Get Ready.  Add it to your Lenten practices this year.

I’m not Catholic.  I’m not going to be eating fish sandwiches on Fridays during Lent.  Still, I do not want to miss an opportunity to be drawn closer to God during this season.  I don’t want to see Lent pass me by without giving it a thought.  Instead, I hope to use the season as a reason to be more focused in some areas of my faith.  I hope to use the season as a reason to be more concentrated in prayer & the Scriptures, to be mindful and caring for the poor, for the oppressed, and to fast.  How about you?

People Get Ready.  There’s a train a comin’. 

 ~ Pastor Chris

When Stinky is Good (January 31, 2021)

Looking back over my life, I am very thankful for a wide variety of blessings from the Lord.  I have been blessed with a great family.  I have people in my life who love me and whom I love.  For my family (immediate as well as extended), I am thankful.  I’ve been blessed with experiences.  There have been opportunities to experience new things, to travel, to taste, to see, to do.  For those experiences, I am thankful.  I’ve been blessed with friends.  There have been people who have entered into my life during different seasons, those who have built me up and encouraged me to grow in Christ.   For those friends, I am thankful.  I’ve been blessed with things.  There have been gifts and purchases, material things that have made my life more enjoyable.  For those things, I am thankful.  I have been blessed with food.  I can’t remember every single cookie that I have consumed, but there have been a bunch…not to mention all of the other yummy things!  For delicious food, I am thankful.  Most importantly, I have been blessed by God.  I have been offered new life in Jesus.  I have been offered a restored relationship with the Father.  I have been offered the Holy Spirit to dwell within my heart.  For those (and so many other blessings of God), I am thankful.

Though my list could go on, I hope that with this short summary it is obvious that I have plenty for which to give thanks.  I have a large list of when things have gone well, when things have gone smoothly, when the blessings of my life have been apparent, and for those, I am thankful.  But, let’s be honest, it’s easy to give thanks for the blessings that we instantly recognize as blessings.  But what about the hard stuff?  Have I learned to see God’s hand in the trying times?  Can I be thankful for the challenges?  For the difficulties?  For the blessings that did not immediately appear to be blessings?

So, I ask, have you come to recognize that there are occasions in your life that are hard, that are challenging, that seem like they are not blessings, but in reality they are actually blessings in disguise?  Have you come to realize that sometimes the stinky stuff, the hard stuff, is not only just a blessing but can also be for your best?  Have you come to trust God to the point that you allow God to use the difficulties in your life for your good?  For your benefit?  

Whenever I was a younger man, fresh out of college, I went through a bit of a rough patch.  I had just moved to a new town, to a new area, to a new job.  No friends close.  No family close.  No church connection.  Just me off on a new adventure, wondering what would happen next.  In all honesty, it was pretty scary and intimidating.  I had no idea what lay before me, no idea what life would bring.  Still, before long, things began to happen.  I started working and was invited to go on a bike ride with some coworkers.  “Great!”  I thought.  This was an opportunity to meet some people, to share some experience, to start to establish some friendships and some life in a new town.  So, I headed off, excited for the ride.  I got the bike together, met the folks, strapped on my helmet, and we proceeded on our adventure.  It didn’t really go as planned.  Within 5 minutes of beginning the bike ride, I crashed.  Not just a little crash.  A big crash.  Apparently my Ohio-born, bike-riding self was not ready for Pennsylvania hills and jumps (even if they were smaller jumps).  I went flying down the first hill, over a little jump, and when I landed my momentum took me over the handlebars. 

So, there I was laying on the ground, and I thought, “What a great way to meet new people!”  Talk about a first impression (and a whack to my pride)!  I picked myself up, straightened up my bike, and was ready to continue the ride.  The only problem?  I noticed that what had previously been one, smooth clavicle bone now had a significant bump.  Not only that, the bone on one side of the bump seemed to move separately from the bone on the other side.  It was broken.  My biking adventure was over before it ever really started.  This time of meeting new people and beginning new relationships didn’t really work that well.  Instead, I was sidelined, told to take it easy until my injury healed.

Now, a broken bone isn’t usually the end of the world, and it wasn’t for me either.  I figured things would pick up, things would take a turn for the better.

Things picked up.  I wasn’t convinced that it was for the better.

Within the first couple of months of my solo, adult life, I had moved where I had no friends, where I had no family, where I had no church.  I had broken a bone and been limited in my activities.  I was alone with no outlets, and no great prospects of things getting better.  In addition, I learned that my mail was being stolen (pretty consistently, and I had to get a PO Box), I was robbed (not horrendously, but someone broke into my apartment and took some money and some other things), I was stalked/followed a bit by a shady neighbor (who likely committed the burglary), and I was feeling like life was pretty rough.  During this time, I was not feeling “blessed” in the least.  It was feeling quite the opposite.

But, do you know what happened?  

God used it for my good, for my best.

Now, looking back, I can point to that time in my life as a turning point, as a place of change in my relationship with the Lord.  I can point to that time as a season where God worked some things out with me, and I worked some things out with God.  Before then, I had “known” God…in an intellectual, grew up in church, believed in God kind of way.  After this time, I responded to God on a whole new level, and I came to know God in a whole, new way.  I invited Jesus into my heart, into my life, and I began to understand my personal relationship with God…instead of just following some rules and trying to live a “good” life.

God took a time that was a low point, a time that was difficult, a time that was filled with hardships and struggles, and he used it for my best, he used it as a blessing.  I don’t know if my life and my relationship with the Lord would be in the same place if it weren’t for those difficulties in that season.  Now, I am thankful for the blessing of walking through a time that was stinky.

The other day I was reminded again that “stinky” can be used for what is best.  Much like I’m not a mountain biker (still have too much Ohio in me or something), I’m not a farmer or a gardener.  I appreciate farmers and gardeners tremendously and the work that they do, but I am not one.  That said, we live on the edge of a working farm, and it does not always smell pleasant.  In fact, sometimes it downright stinks.  Right now, this week, it stinks.  

Why?

Manure.

Plain and simple.  Manure stinks.  It stinks up the whole area.

When the farmers come around with the spreader truck and they spray that liquid wonder all over the fields, I know that I’m in for a bit of a stinky season.  I know that it is not going to smell nice.  I know that if my Grandma Morris were alive to drive past our area, she would exclaim, “Smell that nice, country air?!?!”  Then she would laugh, and we would all laugh with her.  (Grandma was a city girl.  Whenever she’d take us on trips, she would always laugh and make comments about the country air stinking.  She was always thankful that she didn’t have to smell it for too long.)  

Do you know what else I know about the stink?  I know that it is best.  I know that the stinky stuff helps.  I know that as bad as it smells that it benefits the crops.  (I also know that the stink will fade…or that I will become immune to the smell, and that it is worth a little stink to live in the country.)

The stinky stuff?  It’s best for the fields.

It can be the best for us too.

Sometimes, the hard seasons, the difficulties, the challenges, the setbacks, the obstacles, the stinky things are the very things that God uses in our lives to draw us closer in our relationship with him.  Sometimes, the stinky stuff is used not only for our good but also for our best.  

One of the challenges?  Remembering that as we are going through those times.  Trusting in God even when the manure is stinging our nostrils and we are wishing that we could fly on past like we are in our grandparent’s blue, Chevy Impala, zipping down the freeway instead of being stopped, living right in the field where it was spread.  We wish we could speed through the stink.  Instead, we’re living right in it.  In those times, it is difficult to see the blessing of what God can do in the difficulties.  It is hard to see the blessing of the trials when we are still in the midst of them.  Nevertheless, we are asked to trust.

Paul said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Paul could look forward to those things that God was going to do in him, even when he was presently suffering.  Paul could look forward to the glory that God was going to reveal, even in the midst of the stink.  Paul could trust in God, even as his nose hairs were being singed by the smell of the liquid wonder being sprayed all over his fields.  Why, because it was easy?  Because he enjoyed the aroma?

No.  Paul trusted God.  Paul trusted God and knew “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

Friend, my hope is that we, too, may have this trust.  My hope is that we, too, may look past our present sufferings and recognize that they are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  My hope is that we, too, may trust in God, that God would use even the stinkiest of times for our good (and sometimes even for our best).

 ~ Pastor Chris 

Heart Check (January 24, 2021)

Have you ever done a self-check?  A self-exam?  

Now, I know that we are supposed to do them every once in a while for our physical well being, and that is good practice.  But, have you ever considered a spiritual self-check?  A spiritual self-exam?  I believe that is good practice too.

We can ask…How is my relationship with God?  Is there anything that is currently standing in the way of my fellowship with the Lord?  Any sin that I’m hanging onto?  Something that is leading me away from my relationship with the Almighty?  How about others?   How are my relationships with my friends, my family, with strangers?  Am I bearing witness to the love of Jesus?  Am I loving my neighbors?   Am I demonstrating grace?  Am I offering forgiveness?  How about with myself?  Do I know peace?  Am I living a life of joy?  How about stuff?  Have I made any idols?  Do I long for anything above God?  Am I worshipping anything false, untrue?  And money?  Am I being faithful with my finances?  

Yes, I believe it to be a good idea to have a practice of spiritual self-examination with these (and other) questions in mind.  An honest assessment of where we stand in our spiritual walk is beneficial, is good, is healthy.  It helps to highlight any areas of weakness and points us to the path that we should take.  Self-reflection on spiritual matters is beneficial.   Do you know what’s even better?  Spirit-led examination.  Instead of just asking questions and trying to evaluate ourselves, we go to the expert.  We go to God.  God, how am I doing?  What are areas that need attention?  What are areas that I have overlooked?  How can I grow closer to you?  We ask the questions, and we pray that the Holy Spirit would whisper to our hearts.  We seek God and ask for God to continue to cause us to grow closer to Him.  Self-examination is good.  Spirit-led examination is even better.  It’s even more beneficial.  It can lead us to repentance, to forgiveness, to new life, to new growth in Christ.

So, why do I bring this up?  Well, it’s probably time (or past time if this isn’t one of your normal routines) for a check-up.  A check-in.  A spiritual, God-led examination.  How are you doing?  Really?  How is it with your soul, with your heart?  (Now, at this point, I want to encourage you to resist the “I’m fine” urge.  It’s easy to hear these types of questions and just say, “I’m good.  No worries for me.  Everything is great.”  Sometimes we respond that way before we even ask the questions.  Try not to do that.  Instead, really ask…God, how am I doing?)

Besides the fact that this is good practice in general, I find that these Spirit-led examinations are particularly helpful during difficult seasons, and let’s face it.  We are still in a difficult season.  As has been mentioned in the past and as will be mentioned in the future, it has been a tough, tough season.  It has been a long road, and though we might have glimpses of the end of our present struggles, we really don’t know when this road will end.  So, it would do us some good to take a moment, right here in the midst of this season, to pause and to reflect.  How is it with my soul?  How is my heart?  How am I?

Be honest.  

If you’re filled with grief.  Recognize and express your grief.

If you’re filled with fear.  Recognize and express your fear.

If you’re filled with worry.  Recognize and express your worry.

If you’re filled with apathy.  Recognize and express your apathy.

If you’re filled with ______.  You get the idea.

Honest reflection is important.  It is the only way to deal with reality and move forward.  Even if you honestly don’t know how you’re feeling, how you’re doing, or if it is a combination of a lot of things, recognize and express that too.  Tell God, “I don’t know.  My pastor is telling me to do this, and I really have no idea!”  

Then, when you’ve honestly come before the Lord, ask God to shed light on your present situation.  Ask God to reveal that which you do not see.  Ask God to whisper to your heart.  Maybe God will whisper, “You’re actually doing better than you think.”  Maybe God will whisper, “Ooohhhh, I have a lot of work to do with you.”  Either way, know that God cares, that you can trust in the love of God, and that Jesus is gentle.  After all, Scripture says, 

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.” 

~ Matthew 12:20

This description of Jesus was first prophesied in Isaiah 42:3.  The Lord spoke to Isaiah to share a message of what the coming Messiah would be like.  Not a warrior, as some would picture warriors.  Not a conqueror, as some would picture conquerors.  Instead, One who is gentle.  One who is forgiving.  One who is kind.

“A bruised reed he will not break…”  

Are you beaten up, broken down, oppressed by the weight of your sin, feeling like your strength is gone, and that you do not know how you are going to make it through this seemingly endless season?  Are you a bruised reed?  One who has been trampled and bent, lowly and at the point of breaking?  Jesus, the Messiah, will not break you.  He will not trample upon you or beat you down further.  Jesus will not damage your already fragile state.  Instead, he will treat you with kindness, with compassion, with forgiveness, with grace, with love.

“a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…”

Are you tired, weak, and weary?  Are you at the end of your rope?  Do you feel as if you do not have the strength to take another step?  Are you like a wick that has been burning but has now run out of fuel, all that is left is a little bit of smoke at the very end?  Jesus, the Messiah, will not extinguish the tiniest bit that is left of your flame.  He will not snuff you out.  Instead, he will meet you with strength, with renewal, with energy, with joy.  He will meet you with the ability to fan even the tiniest of flames into a blazing inferno for God.

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.”

Jesus is gentle.  Jesus is kind.  Jesus is caring and compassionate, filled with mercy and love.  Jesus is also holy and righteous and the king.  Did you see what was in that last bit there?  “…till he has brought justice through to victory.”  There will be a time where every wrong will be righted.  There will be a time when sin will be vanquished.  There will be a time when justice will reign forevermore and only that which is holy will remain.  Jesus is gentle.  Jesus is not weak.  Don’t mistake the two and erroneously think that we can just carry on doing whatever sinful thing we want and that when we meet Jesus face-to-face we can settle up then.  Don’t think that we can hide what is truly going on in our lives from God and deal with it later.  Nope.  The time for honesty, the time for humility, the time for true Spirit-led self-evaluation is now.  Go to Jesus now, as you are, and trust that He will handle you with the gentlest love.  That’s way better than waiting until the day when all truth has been laid bare and justice is brought all the way through to victory.  As CS Lewis says, 

“There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it.”

There will be a time when everything will be laid bare, out in the open before the throne of Jesus.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather get to that time covered by the cross, washed in the blood of redemption, of forgiveness.  I’d rather get to that time knowing that at many, many, many points along the way that I’d laid at the feet of my Savior and have asked, “How am I doing?  What needs work today?”  Or where I’ve said, “God, I’m struggling…can you give me strength?  God, I’m faltering…can you help me to stand?  God, I can’t even put into words what is going on right now within me…can you whisper to me by your Spirit?”  I’d much rather do some Spirit-led examination now, some Spirit-led assessment now than to wait too long.  I’d rather meet with and experience the gentleness of Jesus in this life than to wait to meet and talk with him as he sits on his throne of judgment.  Wouldn’t you?

So, friend, how is it with your soul?  How is it with your heart?  How is it with you?

Are you beat up?  Bent?  Battered?  Bruised?

Remember, “a bruised reed he will not break.”  Jesus can mend your brokenness and make you whole.  Jesus can heal your wounds, can care for your injuries.  Jesus can meet you right now, where you are, and he can lead you on.

Are you tired?  Worn out?  At the end?  Without strength?

“A smoldering wick he will not put out.”  Jesus can meet you right now in your weakness, in your tiredness.  Jesus can give you the strength to carry on, the ability to persevere, the passion for your fast-fading flame to reignite into a burning passion for God.

Do you think that you have it all figured out?  That you don’t need God?  That you’re good on your own and that you can make it just fine?  Do you think there is no need to worry about your shortcomings or the plan that God has for your life?

“He will bring justice through to victory.”  Though Jesus did not come as many would have expected.  He still came in strength.  He still came as a warrior, as a conqueror.  He has fought sin and death and has been victorious.  One day, you will stand before him and every part of your life will be laid bare.  At that point, it is too late to receive, too late to believe, too late to confess.  Recognize your need for Jesus now.  Choose Jesus now.  Fall at Jesus’ feet now before that time comes.

Perhaps, you’re none of the above.  Perhaps you have been meeting with Jesus, are filled with the Holy Spirit, are abounding in the grace given to you by the Father, are walking in the strength of God.  If that is the case, praise the Lord!  Continue on in grace.  Continue on in strength.  Continue on in Jesus.

Regardless of where you might find yourself, it is good to do a heart check, to do some Spirit-led reflection.  Trust yourself in the hands of our loving Savior this day.

  

 ~ Pastor Chris

An Uphill Battle (1/17/21)

I love where I live.  I really do.  I consider myself very fortunate and blessed to get to live in such a beautiful place out in the country.  I am grateful that I have the opportunity to live there, and I am consistently reminded of God’s goodness and love through the nature (and the people) that surrounds me.  Yes, I am incredibly blessed.

Even though that is the case, even though I love where I live, it is not perfect.  There are things that make living in that place more difficult than if I were to live somewhere else.  For instance…internet and TV service.  There is basically one option.  One provider.  If you’re not happy with them?  No internet or TV for you.  It’s not ideal.  (I’m not complaining though as we mooch our internet…and a bunch of other things…off of my in-laws.  Thanks Boyd & Maggie!)  Another issue?  Road conditions.  We live off of a dirt road.  Vehicles get dirty.  Potholes happen.  Mud happens.  No nice pavement leading me home.  (I even preached a whole message related to my dirty car and appearances.)  Want another example?  Great.  Here goes.  Proximity.  We’re not really terribly close to much.  Granted, I can get to a Speedway and a Dollar General pretty quickly, but if I want another store?  Well, I’m looking at least about a 15 minute trip just to hit a Walmart.  Whole Foods?  Wegman’s?  Meijer?  Kroger?  Piggly Wiggly?  Seriously?  No such thing anywhere close.  One of the things that makes our home awesome, the location, also makes it difficult, the location.  We’re far away from things…which is good.  But, we’re far away from things…which is bad.

There is another thing about where I live that is challenging.  The topography.  The topography?  The topography.  The landscape is beautiful, but it is challenging…especially if you want to go for a walk, or a run, or a bicycle ride.

You see, our driveway is in a valley.  Beautiful.  In the spring there are flowers that line it, trees are planted close by, it even follows a small little run-off stream.  The problem?  At the end of the driveway, the valley ends.  So, if you were to leave our house, and go down the driveway, immediately at the driveway’s end you would be faced with a choice.  Right or left?  Up a hill or up a hill?  

Hill there.  Hill there.  No other option.  

Unless you just wanted to walk/run/bike back and forth up and down the driveway a bunch of times, or if you wanted to drive in the car somewhere else, to walk/run/bike from our house the choice before you is as follows:  Hill or Hill.

Would you like to run up the hill to the left?  

Would you like to run up the hill to the right?

Nice choice, isn’t it?

To make the choice even better, both are nearly equal in terms of difficulty.  The one on the right might be a little less steep at first, but it lasts longer.  Either way you turn, you’re facing a challenging hill.  Straight away.  As soon as you reach the end of the driveway.  There’s just no way to avoid it.  If you want to go for a run or a walk or a bike ride from my house, you’re going to have to deal with a hill (well, you’re really going to have to deal with more than one hill depending on the length of your adventure), there’s just no getting out of it.

Here’s my problem.  I would like to try to exercise with some regularity.  However, I do not like going up hills while exercising, nor do I want to drive somewhere else that’s flatter just to be able to sweat…remember the proximity issue that I already mentioned.  Therein lies the dilemma.  If I go out to exercise, which hill will I choose?  The hill that I don’t like to the left or the hill that I don’t like to the right?  The hill that I dread to the left or how about the hill that I dread to the right?  Which one?

When faced with this choice, I wish that I could respond “Neither!  Give me another option!”  I know that’s not possible, but that is what I would like.  Flat roads.  Smooth traveling.  Ease of exercise.  But, that cannot happen so I choose a direction, I pick a hill, but I’m not usually happy about it.  More often than not, I’m thinking, “Boy, I hate this hill.  Why are hills so hard?  Why can’t I live somewhere flatter?  Why is it so hard to breathe?”  On the way up the hill, I’m just looking forward for the hill to be over, to be out of the way so that I can enjoy some relatively level ground (for a little bit).  Nope.  I’m not usually a fan of hills.

…but that view has been challenged recently.

At the start of the new year, I began reading a new devotional book that discussed hills in the first entry.  Within this reading, it mentioned that one of the functions of a hill, of a mountain, is to collect water.  When it rains, water is directed down the hills to streams that provide for the valleys below (remember the little runoff stream I mentioned by my driveway?).  From these streams, life can bloom.  Plants can grow.  Fruits can ripen.  Blessings can flow.  The hills play a vital role in caring for the valley.  

Even though hills can be tough, even though going uphill can be undesirable and straining and difficult, hills are beneficial.  Hills are necessary if we want to have a fruitful life.

Right now, to me, it seems that we are collectively continuing on in an uphill struggle, an uphill battle…one that most of us would not have chosen if we were given that option.  Week after week the news is filled with things that were previously unimaginable.  Death tolls higher than the week before.  People breaking into buildings in the name of political protest (on both sides of the argument).  Restrictions.  Convictions.  Turmoil.  Unrest.  On and on and on and on.  The hill looms before us and no matter which way we turn, we see more hills, and we can wonder, will it ever end?  Will it ever level out?  Will we ever again see a valley or a fruit tree or a blessing?

Hills are challenging.  Hills are hard.  Hills are not always fun.  We sometimes like to complain about hills.  But, they can be necessary and provide blessing.

My devotional continued, “The hills collect the rain for hundreds of fruitful valleys.  And so it is with us!  It is the difficulty of the hills that drive us to the throne of grace and brings down the showers of blessing.  Yes, it is the hills, the cold and seemingly barren hills of life that we question and complain about, that bring down the showers.” (Nicholas Ludwig Zinzendorf)

The hills…the ones we complain about…the ones we would rather avoid…the ones we wish were flat.  They can cause us to go to the throne of grace, to kneel before the Lord, to seek God in ways that we never would have sought God in the smooth times.  Seeking God for strength.  Seeking God for comfort.  Seeking God for provision.  Seeking God for His will and plan.  Seeking God for wisdom.  Seeking God for healing.  The hills can cause us to kneel before the throne of grace and in so doing they can bring down the showers of blessing.  

Hills, even though difficult, can be more beneficial than a life that knows only the flatland, smooth and easy, never experiencing anything hard.

In the world of running and cycling, many elite athletes (of which I am not even close to being one) move to Colorado to train.  Many take up their home in Colorado with the express purpose of training to be an even better athlete.  Why?  Easier?  Better coaches?  More affordable?  Nicer views?  Nope.  None of those things.  They move there because of the hills.  They know that if they can train and beat their bodies into shape on the mountains of Colorado, every other race, every other obstacle will be like a fruitful valley.  They know that if they can persevere through the most rugged of terrains, training on elevations that deplete their oxygen levels and strain their muscles, that they can persevere and compete in any other environment that they might face.  Elite athletes in these disciplines know the benefit of hills.  They know that they can be used to usher in blessing.

Going forward, I hope to look at hills differently.  When I reach the end of my driveway and I see the hills, I hope that I will refrain from complaining.  I hope that I will not mutter and wish that I lived somewhere flat.  Instead, I hope that I view the hills as an opportunity to harvest blessing, to seek the throne of grace, to see the water collected, to witness the fruit being born in my life.  Hills can produce blessing.  This is true in terms of fitness/exercise, but it is also true in our spiritual lives as well.  Hills, though difficult and challenging, can be the very source of spiritual renewal and strength.  

Psalm 104 says this,

 

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;

it flows between the mountains.

They give water to all the beasts of the field; 

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the sky nest by the waters; 

they sing among the branches. 

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;

the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. 

~Psalm 104:10-13

Yes, God uses hills to provide.  To provide water.  To provide strength.  To provide satisfaction.  To provide contentment.  To provide reliance upon our Creator.

Friend, I ask you, what hill do you face?  What uphill battle are you fighting?  What lays before you that you are dreading and cannot even see where your path will level out?

In those times, when you are climbing a hill, let me encourage you.  Seek the throne of grace.  Seek Jesus.  With everything you have, with everything you are.  Throw yourself at the feet of our loving Savior.  Seek his strength.  Seek his mercy.  Seek his love.  Seek his healing.  Seek his comfort.  Seek his peace and know.  Know that God can use the hill, even the most difficult and challenging one that you have ever faced, to bring forth blessing, to bring forth results, to be used for your good (Romans 8:28).  Then, may you experience the goodness of God.

Perhaps in doing this, the next time we reach a hill (and as we climb this one), we will know that we can get through with Jesus and that we will be better for it in the end.

  

 ~ Pastor Chris