"God of the Mess"

“God of the Mess”

In my hospital rounds not long ago I visited a patient with multiple health problems. As she shared her feelings with me she began to shed some tears but then smiled and said something like “I’m a mess but God’s with me”. She blessed me much more than I did her by her faith in the midst of her pain.

A couple in our Sunday School class went on a European river cruise last year and during one of the land tours the wife tripped and fell. She protected herself from a possible head injury by putting her hands out but in so doing broke a finger. Was God in this mess? He certainly was because she received treatment at a nearby hospital and a retired physician in the group kept an eye on her so she and her husband could complete the trip. The fracture eventually required two surgeries but, as she put it. “God was in the mess!”

We think of a mess as a disorderly, unexpected or out-of-the-ordinary situation or a confusing state of affairs. We’ve all been in them—some of our own making and others due to circumstances beyond our control. But if we believe the promise that “…(God) will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 quoted in Hebrews 13:5) we can be sure He’s with us in whatever mess we might find ourselves. Think of Joseph for a moment. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, imprisoned on trumped-up charges brought by a woman whose advances he resisted and was separated from his family and faith resources for many years. But God had a plan. He delivered His servant, placed him in a high position and used him to save his family. His testimony to his brothers tells it all: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20). God was truly the God of his mess! The same can be said of His prophets, Jesus’ disciples and countless others. In the words of Andrae Crouch’s great song “Through It All”: “For if I’d never had a problem I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”

What’s your mess today? Remember God’s the God of it and He’ll see you through as He has me—many times.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"When Life Isn't Fair"

“When Life Isn’t Fair”

In one of the towns in which we lived and served I was part of an Advisory Committee for the local Board of Education. It was a rural area and some resources available to larger districts were lacking in ours. As we discussed this situation one of my colleagues observed how unfair these circumstances were to our students and concluded her remarks with “I think this stinks!”

Maybe you’ve felt this way when you think life has dealt you a bad hand—I know I have. And some in Scripture thought so as well. Consider the older brother in Jesus’ story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). He was angry that his father had welcomed his wayward sibling home with great fanfare while he’d worked hard for years without receiving the rewards he believed he deserved. (As an aside, note his father’s statement “…everything I have is yours.” {Verse 31}. So the younger son had no inheritance left because of his poor choices. His actions had consequences—and so do ours!) In another parable (Matthew 20) a group of workers was offended when others hired at the end of the day received the same wage as they did after spending the whole day in the vineyards. The owner reminded them of their agreement and his right to pay as he saw fit. (I’ve always had trouble grasping this but I must recognize that God has His ways which I don’t understand {“…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways….”—Isaiah 55:8}.) And in Psalm 73 Asaph, a musician during the reigns of David and Solomon, complained that the wicked seemed to have it easy while the righteous suffered. But once he understood that God has everything under control he wrote, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Verse 26). (This truth helped me through a difficult  time in my life 30+ years ago.)

If we’re looking at unfairness let’s think of Jesus’ death on the cross, He was sinless (1 Peter 2:22) and didn’t deserve the suffering He endured but only He could meet His Father’s requirement because He alone was perfect (“…Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”--1 Peter 3:18, emphasis added). God’s justice demands eternal separation from Him but Jesus’ sacrifice satisfied it on our behalf.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” In other words, you’ll experience unfairness. But He concludes with words of hope: “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Will I remember this when I gripe about life’s perceived inequities?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"The 'Selahs' of Life"

“The ‘Selahs’ of Life”

As we read through the Psalms we encounter the Hebrew word “Selah” some 71 times. (Its only other occurrences are in Habakkuk 3 which is the prophet’s prayer in the form of a psalm.) The term is transliterated into English because even the rabbis are uncertain of its meaning. It may come from a Hebrew root suggesting a suspension of some kind leading many to believe it was an instrumental interlude in a psalm in which the vocalists were silent allowing time for reflection on the words just sung. Dr. James Stuart, the pastor under whom I began my ministry (and who officiated at our wedding 50 years ago) paraphrased it as “Think about that”. Since it usually follows a key idea this seems like an appropriate rendering.

If you’re like me we probably don’t pay much attention to this mysterious word. To my shame I’m apt not even to include it when reading a psalm aloud. But if I believe that “Every word of God is pure….” (Proverbs 30:5, KJV, emphasis added) it’s there for a reason and I’m being remiss if I overlook it. I pray I’ll learn from this shortcoming.

Scripture calls on us to pause in our activity for rest, reflection and renewal. David wrote, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him….” (Psalm 37:7, KJV, emphasis added). I shudder to think of how many times I’ve missed out on God’s best by moving too quickly. His prophet stated, “…Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.” (Isaiah 40:31, NLT, emphasis added). But I’ve often barged ahead in weakness. And in the midst of ministry busyness Jesus said to His disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31. emphasis added). He Himself needed physical renewal (see Mark 4:38) and knew His followers did as well. Taking some liberties with Psalm 37:23, we’re reminded that “The steps (and stops) of a (godly person) are ordered by the Lord….” (KJV).

Will I recognize the “selahs” God puts in my path? And more importantly, will I utilize them as He’d have me to?

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"New(s)?"

“New(s)?”

Recent years have brought a number of 24 hour “news” stations to cable TV. That’s a lot of time to fill and the outlets have done so in a variety of ways. And with this going on public figures and institutions have come under increased scrutiny. All this makes me thankful that I’m not well known beyond my immediate circles.

This past fall I became curious about the origin of the word “news”. I heard once that it’s an acronym for “North, East, West, South” suggesting widespread impact but quickly learned such isn’t the case. Another conjecture is “Notable Events, Weather, Sports” but there’s no basis for this either, Mostly likely, according to etymologists, the term goes back to the 14^th century referring to “new things” and was used in the plural. Now it’s a singular noun involving the provision of information to the public. But before it reaches us it’s gone through filters so what we hear may not accurately reflect the original facts.

It seems there’s not much “new” in today’s news—the specifics may change but most are variations of a biblical theme stated by God’s prophet: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it….?” (Jeremiah 17:9, Amplified). So maybe it’s time to call it what it is: “olds”.

Can this trend be changed? I know of only one way to bring this about and that’s by an inward action of God. Only He can work in the human heart. David recognized this truth when he prayed after committing two grievous sins, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, emphasis added). Paul shows how this takes place: “…If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, emphasis added). Once the heart is changed we become “…a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then we can “…display a new nature, because (we are new persons)….” (Ephesians 4:24, NLT), sing a new song of praise to God (Psalm 40:3) and obey Jesus’ new (in quality, not time) commandment to love each other (John 13:34-35).

As God’s people we must understand the times in which we’re living so we can fulfill His purpose to “…make disciples….” (Matthew 28:19) and be part of His transforming the “olds” into the “news”.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan