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Redeeming Love

Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” John 13:7 ESV

I need to be honest with you. The last few weeks have been hard. People I love are hurting. Amid the usual struggles of life’s joys and hardships, loss and heartache have descended in a torrent.

A friend and sister servant in ministry at my church received a call recently that shattered her world. Her beautiful 23-year-old daughter had gone to sleep the night before like she did every other night. Only this time, she never woke up—at least not here. She closed her eyes to the blackness of this earth and opened them to the splendor of heaven and the beautiful face of Jesus.

Unimaginably wonderful for her. Devastatingly sorrowful for those left to grieve her.

Two other families close to me have lost loved ones to the ravages of cancer. And I recently received word that the disease has come calling on one of my dear family members for a second time.

Our human nature begs the answer to a desperate question: Why? Why must the body of Christ endure such pain? How do we reconcile God’s love with so much suffering?

I don’t have an answer, dear one, at least not one that will satisfy. If I did not know my God so well, I might be tempted to question Him myself.

But I do know Him well. I know the tenderness of His love. I know His comfort in my own brokenness. I know He is faithful, and I know His Word remains true.

I also know He wastes nothing and intends to bring a good work from every pain.

I recently read this quote from Christian philosopher Dallas Willard:

“Winter comes, but nothing irredeemable can happen to you. Nothing beyond the redemption of God can happen to you.”

Do you believe in the power of a God who redeems?

Beloved, God didn’t choose for this world to become ravaged by the evils of sin. Man chose it. Adam, chasing after a desire whispered into his heart by the deceiver, chose to disobey God and step out from under the safe covering of His protection. And now this world still reaps the consequence of that choice.

You see, that’s the nature of sin, dear one. It grows. It becomes stronger. Eventually it ends in death.

…desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:15

And now in this world so decayed and corrupted by sin, pain abounds. It leaves its mark on both guilty and innocent. But God never intended this pain for us; Satan did. Why? Because Satan hates what God loves, and God loves people.

Maybe we should take a moment to ponder the enormity of John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Love led God to give His Son so you and I could live. Really live. Sin and death were never His choice for us. He created us in life and chose to offer it again, poured out on a cross in love to redeem man’s mistake. Jesus suffered death Himself so He could rescue us from it. Unbelievable.

We have trouble grasping love that gives like that. We can’t wrap our mind around such utter selflessness. So we hesitate to trust it.

But you can trust it, dear one. God loves perfectly—even when we can’t see or understand what He’s doing at the time. And He will never allow a heartache that He can’t redeem and bring something beautiful from. Never.

My heart remains full of hope because I know that God isn’t working evil in this world. He’s redeeming it. We’re still dealing with the consequences of our choice, but He remains faithful.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus has overcome what we cannot. Beloved, as long as we live on this corrupted earth, we will experience suffering. But in Christ we have glorious hope! Whether we experience His healing touch here or when we see Him face to face, we win. Hope abounds. Love overcomes. Life triumphs.

And for those of us left suffering in this broken world, Jesus offers the means to overcome. When we run to Him in our pain instead of from Him, He redeems it. He exchanges our ashes for beauty, our mourning for gladness, our despair for praise (Isaiah 61:3).

What the enemy intends for evil, God desires to rescue and redeem. Will you let Him, dear one?

An Invitation to Pray

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly . . . and the Lord remembered her. 1 Samuel 1:10, 19

It’s 6:30am on Wednesday morning. Blog day.

I should have something ready to post, but I don’t. I started writing a teaching for you last week—a message on friendship with Jesus—but I never finished it. The hours I set aside to complete it were interrupted by a phone call. Instead, I spent my afternoon with a friend in the Emergency Room.

Perhaps you’ll get to read it next Wednesday.

To be honest with you, I could have finished it up last night, but that would have meant missing my son’s soccer game. And I didn’t want to miss it. Sometimes moms just need to be moms first, especially on the hard days.

You see, people I love are hurting. I’m not talking about my immediate family. I mean my church family. Dear friends of mine are struggling with some hard things. Big things. Things that desperately need God’s touch—like finances, rebellious sons, and cancer.

It’s hard watching people you love struggle. At times the feeling of helplessness seems overwhelming—and that’s just what the enemy wants us to feel. But then I’m reminded that in Christ we are never helpless. We have a powerful gift at our disposal, one that we often take for granted . . . or use as a last resort.

We have prayer.

I believe God wants to teach us a few things about prayer. I mean, if we’re going to be honest, it doesn’t really make sense to us. How can speaking a few words really do anything?

But you and I were created in the image of a God who speaks things into being. He says it, and it’s so. So it only makes sense, really, that what we speak would also be powerful.

Beloved, our prayers release what God has willed in the heavenly realms to be poured out on the topsoil of this earth. In His desire for relationship, He ordained that His people would partner with Him to see His Kingdom come where we live.

I don’t know about you, but it wearies me that it often looks like the enemy is winning. I’m tired of it. I believe the promise of 1 John 4:4,

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

I think it’s time we showed Him we agree.

So I’m doing something a little different today. I’d like to invite you to pray with me. Would you set aside some time for intercession, dear one? Would you offer yourself to Jesus today as a vessel for glory?

He only needs a few minutes of your time and a yielded heart. You don’t need to worry about what to say. You just need to submit yourself to His authority and invite Him to lead. Allow His Spirit to fill your thoughts with His desires for prayer, and then give voice to them.

Amazing things happen when God Himself becomes the source of our prayers.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

We may just start moving mountains in the name of Jesus.

Cancer – A Paradigm Shift

This week’s Word comes from a friend of mine who has spent the last three years battling colon cancer. Today Wendy Stauffer, founder of Ultimate Wellness (www.UltimateWellness.jigsy.com), shares her thoughts on her journey so far.

Recently, God changed her view of her situation. Her words stirred my soul as I thought of the many times I have found myself in a battle. I have worked and fought for a particular outcome—and I have wearied myself with all the working. After reading her words, I can’t help but consider: How many hours have I spent fighting the “enemy,” when in fact I was actually fighting against God?

Think about it for a moment. Nothing passes into our lives that God didn’t either ordain or allow. Whether we like the idea or not, Satan must have permission from Jesus to attack and “sift” His disciples (Luke 22:31-32).

When things come into our lives we wouldn’t choose, we tirelessly battle against them, determined to change our circumstances to match our will. But if God has allowed our circumstances, wouldn’t that mean that we are actually fighting Him?

No wonder we get tired. You and I don’t have the strength to win that battle.

Perhaps God’s blessing for you in your trial looks different than the one you’ve been fighting for. And just maybe, dear one, you’re missing what He wants to give because you’re fighting so hard for it.

What if the secret to your great victory lies in rest, beloved? What if surrendering to God’s choice for you and allowing Him to shape your heart through it becomes the catalyst to experiencing Exodus 14:14?

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

 

Cancer –  A Paradigm Shift

by Wendy Stauffer

People are constantly saying things like, “You are a fighter, Wendy.  You’re gonna beat cancer!” “You just keep fighting.  You are so strong.” My dearest family and friends often put out prayer requests that read, “Pray for Wendy in her battle against cancer.”  We’ve all been well programmed on how to view cancer.  I see organizations crusading in the fight against cancer with billboards and slogans properly worded for defeating or beating this horrible foe.

As I’ve had time to ponder just how this battle is going, Dr. Phil’s haunting question keeps coming to mind. “How’s it working for ya?”  Well, I need to be totally honest. It isn’t working!  I have been so consumed these past three years being afraid of cancer, being angry at having cancer, being on a crusade to wipe out cancer, (which I think is a curse from the pit of hell), trying to figure out how to avoid cancer, feeling defeated by cancer, saddened by new reports of loved ones getting cancer, being consumed trying to rid my body of cancer, being overcome with grief and tears over cancer, that I’ve wasted so much precious time and energy on it, and it is still winning! Not only is it winning; it has gotten worse!

All of my efforts to conquer and overcome cancer have sent my cortisol levels sky high, allowing cancer deeper access to me, blocking my immune system from getting rid of it naturally.   Something needs to change.  To continue to do the same thing and expect different outcomes is called insanity.

I believe it’s time for a paradigm shift. What would happen if I actually stopped fighting, stopped being angry, stopped crying, stopped trying or striving to conquer or overcome cancer?  One thing is certain.  My stress levels would go down!  What if I turned the tables on the Enemy’s strategy to engage me in this fight?  What if I accept cancer? Learn to enjoy every moment of every day – cancer and all? What if I stop fretting about having it and make peace with it? That doesn’t necessarily mean I give up HOPE and don’t do anything positive.  It doesn’t mean giving up and dying from it, but truly making peace with the situation I’m in, thanking God every day for allowing me to experience this and learn from this, viewing it as a way He is preparing me for future ways to bless others.  

You know what I think might happen? The Enemy won’t get any more evil pleasure from tormenting me because I refuse to be tormented.  Maybe he’ll just give up and move on. My cortisol levels will drop because my body won’t be constantly in a “fight or flight” mode and my immune system might actually kick in like it’s supposed to and kill the cancer cells.  It will no longer be sidetracked dealing with removing cortisol.  I will be honoring God and praising Him more, being grateful for each day, living life to the fullest as I tenderly care for my body, rather than declare war on cancer.  As I get my mind off the cancer, I get my mind on whose I am, God’s beloved daughter, treasured, worthy of health, a royal princess.  Instead of constantly being in battle-mode, I’d experience all the good things He wants me to have like peace, contentment, abundant life.  I’d let go of regret and embrace all I’ve learned through this season of life, excited for how He plans to work all things out for my good according to His good purpose. 

Cancer is not the enemy.  I believe it is being used BY the Enemy to destroy God’s precious children.  God is not our enemy either just because He allows people to experience cancer.  Cancer is something that can send you into the loving arms of God to learn life lessons, like it has me.

You’ve heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  Just like everything else we go through, this too shall pass one day, but not until I’ve been able to squeeze every drop of lemonade from it. So I don’t plan to fight anymore.  I plan to put up a lemonade stand so that all who come into my life can have a delicious, refreshing, alkalizing, life-giving drink of God’s goodness from my lemons. 

Anyone care for a cup of lemonade? (without the white sugar, of course!)