When the Words Don’t Come

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 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. – Romans 8:26

When the Words Don’t Come

Give some careful thought to the following statement: The times we find it hardest to talk to God in prayer are often the times we need to talk to him the most.

If you have lived more than a few years in this difficult place, you know how true that statement is. What words do you speak to God, exactly, when you walk out of a doctor’s office with the news that your spouse has stage 4 cancer? What words do you speak to God when your finances are on the verge of collapse? What words do you speak to God when you can no longer process how stressful your place of work has become? What words do you speak to God when it feels as though a member of your family has run a sword through your soul? What words do you speak to God when your marriage begins to implode? And what words do you speak to God when all the regrets from your past begin to smother you like a heavy shroud?

These are the times when the words don’t come. These are the times when coherent thought disappears. These are the moments when you and I cannot even articulate a simple cry to the Lord for help.

Enter the Holy Spirit. He knows. He knows very well how the wreckage of this sinful world can overwhelm us, paralyze us to the point of stunned silence. In those moments he comes to us. He intercedes for us. On our behalf he speaks to our heavenly Father “with groans that words cannot express.” And to such groans God listens and responds.

You are a forgiven child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That means you possess the exclusive privilege of talking to the Lord in prayer. But when you set aside time for him and the words do not come, take heart. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what you need. What he says on your behalf will go beyond human words. God will listen. And he will answer.

Jesus is my Savior from Satan

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The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. – 1 John 3:8

Is the devil real? He doesn’t really exist, right? WRONG! The devil is a fallen angel. He is called Satan, which means “adversary.” He has one goal. He wants to literally “give you hell.” Picture him as a prosecutor standing before the judgment seat of God. He talks about your character flaws like pride, anger, and your evil desires of greed and lust. He’s very convincing. And that “father of lies” is not lying. You can’t deny what he says about you. It appears his case work will bring about an eternal sentence of hell for you.

But wait, Satan doesn’t have the last word. Jesus Christ has come to our defense. He set out to defeat the devil and put an end to his evil work. Jesus came to earth not to just hinder, slow down or frustrate the devil and his dealings with you. He came to destroy him. That is exactly what Jesus did by his death on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross in your place is the devil’s destruction. All of the devil’s accusation about you before God are stopped because on the cross Jesus won the forgiveness for all of your sins. The devil can no longer successfully accuse you before God.

So what does the devil do now if he can’t speak to God about your sins? He seeks to influence you! The devil reminds you of your sins and tries to convince you that God won’t forgive you. This is his last resort. He tries day and night to tempt you to sin and then push you to despair over your condition.

But the victory is already won! The victory belongs to Jesus and by faith it belongs to you. Resist the devil’s temptations and he will flee from you. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who died for you, and your enemy the devil can’t have his wicked way with you. The truth is that the devil’s evil work has been destroyed by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He is your Savior from Satan.

Jesus Knows How You Feel

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Remember when you were so tired that all you wanted to do was sleep, and instead your baby with an ear infection woke up every time you tried to lay her down? When you wanted to get some extra tasks done at the office, and fell farther behind? When you looked forward to the leisurely Saturday filled with college football, and ended up fixing the garage door?

Know this about God: Jesus came down to our world, and he knows how you feel. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.” Jesus was willing to deal with the poison, the sin of this world, so that he could win you for an eternity of heaven. He willingly lifted up and carried your sins to the cross. Suspended between heaven and earth he felt the white-hot anger of his Father for your sins. Filled with life—because he had no sin and paid for yours—he rose from the dead bringing with him your unconditional forgiveness.

Rejection? He knew it. Temptation? He felt it. Loneliness? He experienced it. Death? He tasted it. Stress? He could write the book on it. When you tell God you’ve reached your limit, he knows what you mean. When your palms sweat at the impossible deadline, when your plans are interrupted by people who have other plans, he nods in sympathy. There is something extraordinarily comforting in knowing that Jesus is like you in every way, just that he had no sin. It brings calm to the most frayed nerves, the most frenzied and frazzled days.

So use this Bible truth! When you hurt, go to Jesus with confidence. He will help you in your time of need. Jesus knows how you feel.

Hebrews 4:14-16
Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens. Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we might receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

When is the resurrection going to happen?

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When I was a child, one of the questions we couldn’t ask while on vacation was, “When are we going to get there?” Now that I’m a parent, I understand why. Without ground rules, children will ask that question every fifteen minutes.

Most people, certainly Christians, have a sense that this life is a journey to a place where we will spend an eternal vacation. We won’t get there in a car or even a spacecraft. Instead, God himself will bring all those who trust in Jesus to heaven. Even those who have died will come to life again when God is ready to bring his children to heaven.

But when are we going to get there? When will God raise the dead and bring them to heaven?

God does not mind if we ask the question. In fact, he loves it when people seek him and inquire to know what he has said.

One of Jesus’ friends (Martha) once inquired about the resurrection when one of his close friends died (Lazarus, Martha’s brother). Jesus comforted Martha with words about the resurrection and asked her if she believed in the resurrection. Her answer helps us identify when the resurrection will happen, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). The resurrection from the dead will happen ON THE LAST DAY.

But when is the last day going to come? The exact time when God will bring the world to an end (and raise the dead) is information he reserves for himself alone. During his life on this earth Jesus once said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 30:32).

On the one hand, we know exactly when God will raise the dead; he will do it on the last day. On the other hand, we have no idea when God will raise the dead; God hasn’t told us when the last day will come. Trusting that God will raise to eternal life all those who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins is more important than knowing exactly when the resurrection will come, is.

Only in Jesus can we be sure that when it is time we will get there – that is, to our eternal vacation in heaven!

The Pain of Loneliness

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A few years ago, the magazine Psychology Today had a fascinating article about the function of the human brain. Our diagnostic equipment is now so good that we can actually map the human brain. As we do, we can see what area of the brain becomes active when a person is facing a certain situation. For instance, one area of the brain becomes active when the person is facing danger. Another area of the brain becomes active when the person sits down to a favorite meal.

Researchers decided to try an experiment. They placed someone in a situation where the person had to face loneliness. Their diagnostic equipment lit up. What it told them was a bit jarring. It told them that the area of the brain that becomes active when facing loneliness is the same area of the brain that becomes active when facing physical pain.

Think about that for a moment. According to this experiment, our emotional makeup is such that we process loneliness the same way we process physical pain.

Then again, maybe we don’t need researchers to tell us what we already know. Loneliness hurts. Loneliness brings real pain.

Jesus knows this. He knows this from his own turn at living in this fallen world. More than anyone else, he knows what agony it is to feel isolated, abandoned, alone.

But Jesus doesn’t just feel our pain. He’s done something about it. At the cross his blood washed our sins away. He removed the wall of our sin between God and us. That means by trusting in Jesus we will never be alone again.

The pain of loneliness is real. But it’s no match for Jesus. Remember, Jesus is with you. You are never alone.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Too far?

Am I Too Far Lost to Be Saved?

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Am I too far lost to be saved?

That depends on your point of view. Are you looking at it from your standpoint or are you looking at it the way God looks at it?

From a human viewpoint, we’d probably conclude that we are too far lost to be saved. We don’t like hopeless causes. We are reluctant to keep throwing good money and time into a bottomless pit. If it is too much of a stretch, if there’s too much damage to undo, if there is too much effort that will be needed day after day to get someone to heaven, I think we’d sometimes say that person (maybe it is us!) is too far lost to be saved.

But God doesn’t look at things like that. He doesn’t look at our liabilities. He looks at his possibilities. With God, all things are possible.

Over and over again God emphasizes his love and forgiveness to all people. Jesus showed this even in his choice of disciples. One of his followers, Matthew, had been a tax collector, working for the hated Romans. He had been kicked out of the synagogue long ago. As he sat in his tax booth collecting money for the Roman occupation forces, teachers in the synagogue would often come by and tell him he was going to hell. “Don’t even bother coming to worship—it’s not going to do you any good, because you’re going to hell; you are too far lost to be saved.” The only people who would associate with Matthew were other tax collectors and prostitutes. The beaten and the damned—that was his gang.

Then one day Jesus showed up and told Matthew, “Follow me.” Matthew did. He dumped that dead-end job for one that offered heavenly benefits. Matthew was excited that someone, instead of telling him he was going to hell, told him that God loved him and had a spot in heaven waiting for him. He was so excited that he wanted his friends to meet Jesus, too, but the only way he could get them to take time out to talk to a “religious” person was to throw his own going away party! (Matthew 9:9-13)

They all got to talk with Jesus, even though the same people who had delighted in telling Matthew he was going to hell now turned their nose up at Jesus for stooping to talk to the beaten and the damned.

It’s not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Our God is so filled with love and mercy that he seeks out the sick, those who feel they are too far lost to be saved. For with God, no one is too far lost to be saved.

Read these Bible verses to affirm God’s love for you!

  • Galatians 2: 20
  • Romans 5:5
  • Romans 5:8
  • John 15:13
I am the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd

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“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” – John 10:11,14

I am your Good Shepherd

Jesus says to you and to me: I am not your typical shepherd. I am not a hired hand that cares nothing for the sheep. I am not some fly-by-night outfit that will only care for you when it’s safe. I am not going to abandon my post—and you—and run when the wolves come.

No. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Lord. I am the God who made you and cares for you and protects you. I am the Good Shepherd who laid down my life for you. But when I laid down my life, it was my choice, no tragic accident. It was my choice to lay down my life for you on the cross. I willingly gave up my life to take away your sin and to forgive your wandering ways. And it was my choice to take up my life again on the third day. I conquered death—mine and yours.

Now, nothing can separate you and me. Nothing can snatch you out of my hand. Follow me, listen to my voice, trust my promises. I will never fail you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go.

Don’t be afraid. I know you. I know your failings and sins, your regret and your shame. And I still love you. I love you so much that I laid down my life for you. Now I live again. And I know your hurts and doubts, your pains and problems, your fears and worries. And if not even death can snatch you out of my hand, neither can that problem you have with your job…or your marriage…or your health…or your friend…or your past…or your future.

I am your Good Shepherd. I laid down my life for you. And took it up again. So you know: I won’t leave you now. Or ever.

Heaven's gate

Jesus Is the Only Way

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Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. – John 10:7-9

There is a temptation to see people as thieves and robbers see people–as lunch, or as a ticket to lunch, or as a means of getting something else in this life that seems to be important. That is how the devil and the world see people, and that is how your own sinful flesh would have you see people.

That is not how Jesus, the gate, would have you see people. Jesus would have you see people as the focus of his love. He would have you see people as recipients of kindness and compassion. He would have you see people as sheep in need of a shepherd. And Jesus would have you see him as the only way. Do you want to make a lasting difference in people’s lives? Truly, the only way to bring lasting goodness and grace to people is through Jesus.

There is a temptation to live as the devil and the world want you to live–to go your own way and do your own thing, to find pleasure and satisfaction in the things of this world apart from God, to flaunt your self-reliance and independence from God. That is how the devil and the world want you to live, and your sinful flesh loves to play along.

That is not how Jesus, the gate, wants you to live. Jesus wants you to listen to his voice and trust him. He wants you to come to the Father through him. He wants you to find spiritual nourishment and strength in his word. And Jesus wants you to know that he is the only way.

Do you want to live a life that has meaning now and in eternity?

Truly, the only way to live in lasting goodness and grace is through Jesus.

Where Does Evil Come From?

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I have a two-year-old son. At times, I give him a job to do. I say, “Son, it’s time to clean up your toys.” I’d be lying if I said he listened every time. Very often he doesn’t. But there are times when he hears the command of the father he knows loves him, and he gladly and willingly obeys. When he does, my heart fills with joy. He did that for me. He must really love me. “Thank you, son.”

I also have a garage door opener. At times, I give it a job to do as well. I press a button. My garage door opens or closes. The garage door opener gets it right much more often than my son. Every time, in fact. Without fail. And yet, when the garage door opener gets it right, there is no joy. There is no “thank you.” Why is that?

People often wonder where evil comes from. Sometimes they hear an explanation that goes something like this: When God created the universe, everything was good. There was no evil. But then a good angel chose to do evil. That angel, the devil, then tempted good human beings to do evil. And they did. They disobeyed God and ate the fruit he had told them not to eat.

That explanation, true as it is, usually leads to other questions. Why would God allow that good angel the freedom to do evil? Why would he allow him to tempt Adam and Eve? Why would he allow Adam and Eve the freedom to do evil? And if God knew all of this was going to happen ahead of time (which he did), why would he have created the universe in the first place?

Those are great questions. When God created the world, he made certain things that work like garage door openers. They do what God wants by the sheer force of his will. The planets follow their orbits. The sun rises and sets. The rain falls. Plants grow. They have no choice.

But God also created people. And he made them moral creatures, not machines. He gave them the freedom to choose between right and wrong. He wanted to love them into loving him back. And did he ever love them!

That brings me to the question that really matters. Not, “Where does evil come from?” Instead, “Where does evil end up?” The evil that Adam and Eve brought into the world remains to this day. Things like murder, rape, theft, and terrorism are a part of our world. These are blatant sins that we see every day. But also included in the realm of evil are the sins of our hearts, our secret sins, our “hidden faults” (Psalm 19:12).

Fortunately, God loves us so much that he took all of the evil that has ever taken place and will ever take place and gave it a single destination: his one and only Son. Instead of giving evil people the evil they deserve, he gave his good Son the evil he didn’t deserve: death on a cross. In exchange, evil people receive the good that they don’t deserve: forgiveness, the perfect holiness of Christ, and eternal life in heaven.

God surely does love us!

And so the truly amazing thing is not that the world has evil, but that an evil world full of evil people has so much good in it. God continues to love us into loving him back. “Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).