Nothing Wavering

Two people. One a man, one a woman. One lived in bible times, one lived in the 20th century. They both faced beasts. One faced a real beast, one faced a beast called Nazism. They both rejoiced in the face of their adversity.

Wednesday night in our church’s bible study the young preacher gave a great message.
While the message was not on this topic he did get me to thinking about the similarities
between the two people. Daniel faced the lions. Corrie ten Boom faced the Nazis running the concentration camp. Their situations are so different, yet startlingly similar.

Daniel was a devout man. He was taken captive at a young age, and forced to be live in
the king’s palace. He had seen his friends placed in the fiery furnace. He interpreted the
dream for King Nebuchadnezzer, which helped to prove his wisdom and courage to the government of the day. He lived in Babylon at the time when Nebuchadnezzar went crazy, and grazed in the fields. He was present to see the handwriting on the wall, and interpret and deliver God’s message to the King and all those gathered there.

You would think that would have been enough testing and proving. But after a new King had come into rule, certain princes, who were jealous of Daniel, approached King Darius with an idea. They asked that anyone caught worshipping someone other than the king be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel knew he must still honor the Lord, and he was caught praying to Jehovah. Daniel was thrown into the den. There was no escape, but Daniel, who’s faith in God never wavered, cried out to God, and He miraculously shut the lion’s mouths, thereby saving Daniel’s life.

If I had been in Daniel’s situation, had I lived a just and upright life, my response to this
problem would have been quite different. I mean, come one, Daniel gave up everything, and he always followed God’s will for his life. My response to being thrown in the lion’s den would have been to pout and say to God “come on already! What more do I have to do before I can have a good life?!” In fact during a time of severe testing my response has sometimes been to sit down and pout like a three year old. But let’s look at Daniel’s response. When the King opened the den the next morning the first thing out of Daniel’s mouth was “O king, live for ever.” He showed reverence. Instead of going on a tirade about how much he had done for God, he praised God.

Corrie ten Boom was just protecting God’s chosen people. Yet when the Nazis discovered their involvement they placed her and most of her family in concentration camps. After suffering terrible abuses, lack of food and medical help, she even lost her sister and dearest friend. Shortly before she died her sister Betsie told her that “no pit is so deep that He is not deeper still.” Corrie wasn’t perfect. She struggled with bitterness towards the guards, she suffered from a broken heart that comes from losing a loved one. But in the end she was still able to say “Joy runs deeper than despair.”

So dear one, if you find yourself lost in the midst of the storm, don’t despair. When it seems as if you are struggling to keep your head above water just rest in Christ’s saving grace. His mercy is endless, His power is boundless, His love has no boundaries! God is never bothered with our questions of Why’s and When’s. He simply wants us to “be still and know” that He is God. I have learned through my storms that faith is a choice. Either you choose to trust Him, or you don’t. It’s as simple as that. God doesn’t promise that there will always be sunshine. But He does promise to never leave you.

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because
thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” ~ Psalm 5:11, 12

These two people both knew the ultimate ending to their story. Heaven. They both knew that someday this life, these trials, these tears would be replaced the moment they saw their dear Savior’s face. Our life is but a vapor. That appeareth for a short time and vanisheth away. Think about life in that perspective. Even if you were in the worst of the worst situations for your entire life on this earth, what is that compared to glory? If you are a Christian you will live in Heaven forever. No more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain. Forever. Our life is but a vapor. When you look at your life on this earth with the properperspective it certainly makes the future look a lot brighter, and this life a little more bearable.

My faith is not always what it’s supposed to be. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed in my
circumstances. Sometimes it feels like there is darkness pressing in all around me and I
cannot see any way out. But then I have to remind myself to keep my eyes fixed on Him. I read this quote over Christmas vacation: “Look at the world and be distressed. Look at yourself and be depressed. Look to Christ and you’ll be at rest.”

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.” ~ James 1: 2-6

Keep your eyes fixed on Him.

Urgent Prayer Request

I just found out that one of my dearest friends has spent all day in the hospital with her babygirl. Her baby is less than two months old, and has a respiratory virus, and pneumonia. Pray for this dear friend. On top of being a young mom with an infant, her husband left two weeks ago for Iraq, and will be there for a year to fifteen months. I have already been upholding this dear girl in prayer, but now I am asking all of you to cry out to God. This precious baby needs to get better, and this dear friend needs strength, courage, and peace. Please pray for Amber, Allison (the baby), and Chris. As their family is separated and going through this trial they need our prayers and support. “Dear Lord I ask you to please give Amber your peace and hope. Touch little Alli with your healing. Help the doctors to be filled with wisdom. Please just wrap your arms around this precious family, and make your love and care known to them in this time. Thank you father that you never leave us or forsake us.” Please join with me in praying for these dear ones.

1 John 5:14-16 ” And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”