Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 25 GW; Job 13-14 GW

God’s ear is listening.

Job is responding to his friends.  They are sure Job’s suffering is the result of sin in his life.  But they are wrong.  Job’s suffering is part of his life journey.  Only God knows why He allowed the events to happen that He did.  One thing I know, we all suffer in this life.  Somehow, someway, everyone you encounter in your day today is walking wounded.  Hurts exist inside of them that you can’t see on the outside.   Heartache is part of life.

Teaching a tennis camp this summer with another coach, God reminded me of this fact.  On our second day of camp, my co-worker arrived a little late, looking tired.  From the outside, my good-looking court mate’s life looked picture perfect.  Looks are deceiving.  When I asked him how his previous night was, he shared his heartache with me.  The previous night he put his house on the market because his wife left him eight months ago.  His marriage didn’t survive the pandemic.

Don’t fill the silence.

My shock at the coach’s confession was a reminder from God.  Don’t judge what you don’t know.   Every preconceived notion I had in this situation was wrong.  After offering my sympathy for his current position, I just listened.  When he told me he just wanted to have fun and make it through the day, I made his request my mission.  We enjoyed coaching the kids, forgot life’s problems for a bit, and all left smiling.

Friend’s in despair need company, not advice.  Their quarrels are with God, not us.  Job was politely telling his friends, your words are fruitless.  They had no clue why these things happened, but they wanted to act as they did.  Job knew God is the only one that knows; therefore, God is the only One with answers.

You don’t have to explain God’s actions to anyone.  God does what God wants to do.  Point them to the One who has the answers.  Going directly to the source saves time and money.

Healing begins when we talk to God.

Lord, thank You for having a plan for our lives.  Forgive us for trying to figure out what You’re doing.  If we need answers, help us seek You and no one else.  Strengthen our faith as we turn to You in our storms.  Help us survive the tornadoes that sweep through our lives.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you want to speak to God about today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Psalms 39 GW; Job 10-12 GW

God wants to hear your complaints.

Job’s relationship with God was intimate.  He was willing to tell God how he felt.  After losing everything, Job wasn’t a fan of life.  Although Job never turned his back on God, he did ask God questions.  Job lived his life “right” before the Lord, yet tragedy happened.  Why would God allow such heartache to enter into his life?  Job wanted to know, and so do we.

When I was single, I felt like Job, but mine was more of a first-world problem.  I didn’t like my life because I didn’t have a spouse.  Every failed date made me question God.  The worst weekend of my lonely life, I had a blind date on Saturday, as well as an online possibility.  The date was a bust, and my online friend closed communication. I went from hope to discouragement in 60 seconds flat.  

Did I mention Saturday morning, before the bad date and online dumping, I was maid of honor for one of my best friends? Like Job, I hated my life and didn’t know why God wasn’t answering my prayers. 

Let God have it.

Seriously, don’t let fear stop you from expressing how you feel to God. He doesn’t expect us to put on airs.  People pose in life, but God knows the truth.  God isn’t interested in posing; He wants honesty.  Releasing feelings and emotions to God allows us to process them in a safe place.  God’s healing begins when we give Him our pain.

For years I quarreled with God.  Finally, after celebrating my fortieth birthday alone, I surrendered.  “God, if Your will means I live life single, I’m good with that.” 

A YEAR later, I met the love of my life. We just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary.  God’s timetable is different from ours; trust His clock.

Honesty with God is what He wants.  God knows He makes you mad.  You aren’t telling Him anything He doesn’t already know.

Lord, thank You for loving us completely.  Forgive us for trying to hide our feelings from You.  Help us today talk to You honestly.   Search us and reveal where we aren’t honest with ourselves.  Let us tell You how we feel today, knowing, You still love us.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What are you mad at God about today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 7-9 GW; Psalms 38 GW

God doesn’t miss a thing.

Job, our hero who is in the depths of despair, wants God to leave him alone.  The tragedy of losing his children, servants, and livestock has brought Job to his knees.  If I was in his situation, the only thing I would want to do is crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head.  But life doesn’t allow us to hibernate; God forces us to engage with the world around us.  

When I was a child, living in the country of Pennsylvania, I remember standing on the hill above my house, looking up at the countless stars in the sky.   A feeling of insignificance would overwhelm me as I realized how small I was in a big world.  Yet God calls me by name and knows me intimately.  Grasping our significance to God in the vast world we live in today challenges us, especially when we’re in the grips of grief.

Let God hover.

Job’s pain caused him to want to isolate himself from God and people.  Often, our pain does the same thing.  We don’t want to hear what others have to say; we just want to wallow in our misery.  But God wants us to deal with the pain we experience, moving through it, not getting stuck in hurt’s spirally web.  The people God sends to us help us to keep moving forward, whether we like it or not.

The day after my nephew passed away, I didn’t want to get out of bed.  My pain overwhelmed me; I couldn’t imagine life without him.  But his parents got out of bed; they kept going.  If they could,  I could.  Together, we persevered through our pain.

God is intimately involved in your life, whether you believe He is or not.  You are constantly on His mind.  God calls you by name.  He loves you so much; Jesus gave His life for you.  You do matter; God values and loves you.  Allow yourself to believe God’s truth about you today.

Lord, thank You for loving us so deeply.  Forgive us for wanting You to leave us alone.  Help us believe entirely in Your love for us.  Fill our souls with the knowledge of how much You value us.  In You, we place our hope and trust.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Do you feel valued by God?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Job 4-6 GW; Psalms 6 GW

Bad things happen to everyone.

Eliphaz, one of three friends comforting Job in his miseries, is today’s speaker.  Family man and millionaire Job lost everything but his wife.  After sitting and crying for seven days and nights with his friends, Job speaks first and laments his life. Eliphaz is the first to respond.

Eliphaz’s viewpoint is Job’s actions caused the outcome.  God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked in Eliphaz’s theology.  Job sinned, and this was his punishment.  But Eliphaz is wrong.   

“Although it’s tempting to think that the righteous are always rewarded and the wicked are always punished, in this world, it’s not always true. No one was ever more innocent than Jesus, yet He perished for our sins.” Charles Stanley

Unfortunately, bad things do happen in life.  One of the most challenging events I experienced was the tragic death of my spiritual mentor’s 16-year-old son on her birthday. The only passenger, both boys, died. Monday nights, we met for Bible study.  We were studying Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.  Her son was sitting at the computer as he always was just four days before the event.  I was in my car at Home Depot when I received the call informing me of the accident.  I remember thinking, “Wow, no one I know is more devoted than my friend, yet God allowed this to happen to her.”  What truth I learned, doing everything the “right” way doesn’t mean you won’t experience heartache.

Turn to God.

Watching my friend give her grief to God inspired my faith.  The accident occurred because her son snuck out of the house.  When people flooded her home to offer condolences that evening, his mom used the moment to teach the other kids.  I’ve never forgotten her words, “This is what happens when you don’t listen to your parents.”  Giving her grief to God meant helping others not make the same mistake her son did.  In her grief, God brought her comfort.  God’s strength carried us all through those tragic days.  

Pain is a part of our lives.  Bad things happen to everyone.  Often, we don’t know the reason.  Don’t draw wrong conclusions.  Lean into God for guidance.

Lord, thank You for Jesus, who died for our sins.  Forgive us for thinking; we always need to know why.  Help us get past the why and trust You in all situations.  Comfort us today, Lord, in the areas we are grieving.  Strengthen us where we need strength.  Help us live our lives to the full today for You.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What “Why?” do you need to let go of today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 15 GW; Job 1-3 GW

Job knew God.

When disaster struck in Job’s life, he didn’t blame God.  In verse one, we learn what kind of man Job was:

“He was a man of integrity: He was decent, he feared God, and he stayed away from evil.” (Job 1:1 GW)

God blessed Job with seven sons and three daughters, thousands of livestock, and lots of servants.  He was the wealthiest man in the Middle East.  One day, Satan slithers his way into God’s presence.  During their conversation, the devil challenges God.  Satan thinks if bad things happen to Job, he’ll curse God.  As always, the fallen angel was wrong.

When catastrophe strikes, Job doesn’t curse God.  He does the opposite:

Job stood up, tore his robe in grief, and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped.  He said, “Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:20-21 GW)

Praise God in the storm.

Job knew God so intimately, in his worst moment, He praised Him.  What Job understood was the fragility of life.  Job realized life and things are temporary; only God withstands the test of time.  All of us will die, our possessions will fall away, but God is always with us.  Whatever we have is a gift from God.  Our Creator gives and takes away.  We are to cherish what we have while we have it.

Today is a gift; God doesn’t guarantee tomorrow; yesterday is gone.  Our journey through this life will include ups and downs, some lows worse than others, some highs better.  Keeping God in the center of our life will help us remain constant when the storm winds blow.  Just as God eventually restored Job to his prior position, He has a plan for you as well.

Keep the Son in your eyes.  Trust Him to help you through the storm.  Praise God for His presence that never leaves you.

Lord, thank You for the example Job sets for us.  Forgive us for blaming you when things don’t go our way.  Help us keep our eyes focused on You.  When faced with a storm, help us praise You in its midst.  In all things, the glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What can you praise God for today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezra 9-10 GW; Psalms 32 GW

Hidden sin exhausts.

When we try to disguise our misdeeds, it has physical effects.  Because we’ve judged and condemned ourselves, we can feel miserable, weak, and isolated from God.  The longer the secret continues, the worse we feel.  Groaning becomes our companion.

At this point in life, I’ve learned trying to hide my flaws is pointless.  Accepting my sinful nature helps me honestly discuss my struggles with God.  No matter how hard I try not to make mistakes, more mishaps occur.  But if I embrace my imperfections and give them to God, my weakness becomes my strength, and my groaning turns to praise.

“I made my sins known to you, and I did not cover up my guilt.  I decided to confess them to you, O Lord. Then you forgave all my sins. Selah” (Psalm 32:5 GW)

Selah means to pause or break.  After the psalmist confessed his sins, he found rest.  When we admit our faults to God, we can relax.  Instead of groaning, we can praise God for making us whole.  God cleanses us from our sins, separating them as far as the east is from the west.  But first, we must confess.

Confession leads to rest.

When we tell God our secrets, He responds with unconditional love.  No matter what the offense, God forgives.  Then He takes what was terrible and uses it for His good.

One of the most uplifting stories I’ve heard lately is about an ex-convict who turned his life over to God.  After spending 20 years in prison, he began a new life in Christ.  Now he lives on a literal mountain top where he takes beautiful photos of God’s creation and shares them with the world.  He tells his story to youth groups, hoping to deter young people from making the choices he made.  God turned his groaning into praise.

Don’t try to hide your faults.  Confess to God the heaviness of your soul.  End the groaning, turn it into praise.

Lord, thank You for meeting our sins with unconditional love.  Forgive us for trying to hide from You what You already know.  Help us become comfortable with our imperfections.  As we confess them to You, use our stories to help others find freedom in You.  Give us the courage to confess.  Let our groanings become praise.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you need to tell God today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 126 GW; Ezra 6-8 GW

Plant seeds of love.

When a religious leader asked Jesus what the Greatest Commandment is, He responded:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV)

In other words, our primary mission in life is to love God, love others. Every person we meet falls into this commandment.  Therefore, God’s asking us to plant seeds all of the time, even when our hearts ache from the trials of life. 

Hurting hearts first inclination isn’t to love.  When something happens that shatters our world, planting seeds of love becomes more difficult.  People want others to hurt with them.  But God wants us to give Him our hurts, trusting He will heal our hearts.  

Part of life’s journey is loving God in the valleys.  When God isn’t answering, we’re to trust. Even as the salty droplets roll down our cheeks, we’re to plant seeds of love.  

Hearts heal with love.

Loving others amid your pain will help heal your heart.  When my nephew died seven years ago, my life was devastated.  As God healed my heart, he led me to a new career, coaching.  Six months after Cody’s death, I taught my first tennis class.  Six years later, we’ve introduced 100’s of kids to the sport of a lifetime.  As our high school students move onto college, new kindergarteners begin their journey.  What for me started as seeds planted with tears is now my joyful harvest.

Life’s hardships will cause tears.  But trust Jesus with your pain will bring a joyful harvest.  The seeds you plant with tears will bring you eventual joy.  Trust God with your pain.  Let Him heal your heart.

Lord, thank You for healing our hearts. Forgive us for hurting others because of our pain.  Help us today; give You our pain.  As we release our hurts to You, heal our hearts.  Let us plant seeds of love, watering them with our tears.  May we joyfully sing during the harvest from the seeds we plant.  Let Your light shine brightly within us.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What seeds are you planting?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezra 3-5 GW; Haggai 1-2 GW

Carefully consider your ways.

Haggai, the prophet, is beginning a series of fiery messages for the Israelites.  God’s temple lies in ruins while people focus on their own homes.  Originally, restoring God’s house was the top priority, but everyday personal issues got in the way.  Instead of working on God’s home, they put their needs before His.  As a result, Haggai is about to call them to the task.

In reality, the Israelites are kidding themselves about their priorities.  Even though they started the temple, they didn’t finish it.  Whatever seeds they planted withered away from neglect.  Nothing satisfies them; food, drink, clothing, money all fall short of God’s presence in their lives.  Like the Jews, we get caught up chasing after the material things of this world instead of focusing on God.

The worst part of our self-absorption, we’re not honest about it.

If people were honest with themselves, they would admit, a lot of problems in life come from their creation.  No one else forces us to do the things we do.  We can try and blame God, but overspending isn’t God’s fault.  Not having gratitude for our food and clothing isn’t God’s problem; it’s ours.   

Choose honesty.

“For 24 years of my adult life, by choice,ourI weighed well over 200 pounds. I say ‘by choice’ because I have never ‘accidentally’ eaten anything, so when I choose to eat too much, I have chosen to weigh too much.” Zig Ziglar

What we do in our daily lives happens one decision at a time.  If we’re lying to ourselves, the truth will reveal itself in our actions and words.  Whether we weigh 200 pounds or have finances out of control, those things happen because of our choices.  God didn’t do those things to us; we did them to ourselves.

Become self-honest.  Consider your ways.  Look at your actions through God’s lens. Let God’s truth reveal the lies you believe.   Build God’s house; let God build yours.

Lord, thank You for reminding us of our selfish ways.  Forgive us for not considering our actions.  Help us today do an honest evaluation of our life.  Show us the areas we need to work on in the days ahead.  Help us become more like Jesus as we focus our attention on you.  Let us stay on task today for You.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you need to take responsibility for in your life today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Ezra 1-2 GW; Psalms 84 GW

God blesses innocent living.

Innocent means free from guilt; not having done wrong or violated any law; not tainted with sin; pure; upright. In this general sense, no human being that is a moral agent. Free from the guilt of a particular crime or evil action. Lawful; permitted.  

Jesus is the only truly innocent person to walk the earth.  Placed on the cross, He paid the price for our sins, not His.  When we put our faith in Jesus, we become innocent.   God forgives us of our past and gives us a future filled with hope.  Our role is to “Go now and leave your life of sin,” the same as Jesus commanded the adulterous woman (John 8:11 NIV).

Innocent living is done one day at a time.  When God convicts you of sin in your life, you address it.  Confess the misdeed, accept God’s forgiveness and try not to do it again.  If you falter, repeat the process.  

God blesses effort.

Jesus makes us innocent.  To live upright, we must follow Him. God will bless our efforts as we stumble along.  We have to learn to have grace when we falter, and we also need to accept that we will falter.

Teaching tennis camp this summer, I had a particular student that was incredibly hard on herself.  Because she expected perfection from every shot, the slightest error caused her discouragement.  Taking her aside, I asked her to do me a favor; would she please give herself a break.  The more she beat herself up, the worst she played.  I explained to her; no one does anything well the first time they do it.

Innocent living isn’t something we can do without Jesus.  Trying to leave our imperfections behind will require grace.   Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not perfect.  Instead, accept that God created you for a purpose.  God knows you will falter. He blesses you abundantly for trying to do the right thing.

Do the best you can to live innocently.  Give yourself grace when necessary.  God will bless your efforts.

Lord, thank You for giving us Jesus to cleanse us.  Forgive us for our sins.  Help us strive to do better than we did yesterday.  Day by day, moment by moment, help us live innocently, serving You wholeheartedly.  Help us have grace for ourselves.  Please bless our efforts.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you need to forgive yourself for today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 78 GW

God can!

Psalm 78 is a “maskil” psalm because of the wisdom found within its verses.  Written by Asaph, a Levite singer in David’s court, he was the son of Berechiah.  In the second-longest Psalm in the Bible, the author reminds us of the miracles God performed in the past.  Asaph reminds his readers, even though God provided food for the Israelites in the desert, they complained.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are constantly flip-flopping.  One minute they are in awe of God’s mighty power because of what He does for them; the next minute, they doubt God will provide for them.  

Even after acknowledging God brought water from a rock, causing a minor flood, they question whether He will feed them.  Really?  You witnessed water come from a rock, but you don’t think God will give you food.  Dumb questions come when we ignore what we know.  And God was angry:

“When the Lord heard this, he became furious. His fire burned against Jacob and his anger flared up at Israel because they did not believe God or trust him to save them.” (Psalm 78:21-22 GW)

Believe God can.

Faith believes God can.  The reason the Israelites asked a dumb question was that they ignored what they knew.  Instead of trusting a God that brought water from a rock, they doubted Him.  

What more does God have to do to prove He will provide?

We’re the same as the Israelites.  Even though God delivered us from storms we faced in the past, we don’t think He will get us through the current one.  We doubt God’s ability to “fix” the next crisis.  Instead of trusting God, we ask, “Can God do this?”  The answer is always, “Yes, He can.” But how God performs the miracle is up to Him.

No one expected the water to come from a rock (Exodus 17:1-7 NIV), the Red Sea to part (Exodus 14:21 NIV), or a burning bush to talk (Exodus 3:1-17 NIV), yet they did.   How God meets your needs, only God knows.  But can He, absolutely.

Lord, thank You for Your provision in our lives.  Forgive us for doubting You and forgetting so quickly what You’ve done for us in the past.  Help us today trust You more.  Remind us of how You’ve delivered us in the past.  Give us confidence. You can help us again.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What miracles have you seen God perform?