When You Face Struggles

 

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.” Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (ESV) (Psalm 55:1-8; 22 ESV).

 

I hope you have never found yourself in such a difficult circumstance that you just wanted to run away. Sometimes in life, the troubles we face can cause deep inner turmoil. We may struggle with our mental health, a physical disability or disease, a relationship that feels stuck, a difficult career, a deep disappointment or loss, a cycle of poverty, or something else. Many different things can make us feel trapped. I know that such times are real. David, in our reading today was facing such a time in his life. He gives us an insight that we might find the peace we so desperately seek.

 

When David wrote this psalm, he was feeling disillusioned and stuck. He was distraught by the situation he was in, and he felt betrayed by a friend. He desperately wanted a way out and dreamed of being like a dove so he could fly far away from all his troubles. But as he wrestled with his discouragement, he grew to understand that although he did not have wings to fly away, he did have a voice to call upon God. The solution to being released from life’s burdens isn’t to escape but to give them up to the Lord: “Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you.”

 

Echoing the assurance of this psalm, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… Learn from me… and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Come too Him. He will sustain you!

 

My Refuge and Fortress

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.  “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91 ESV).

 

Look at the light in your room now. Feel the heat coming from it. See its blinding brightness—how this tiny thing can light up a room. Now imagine a small warehouse full of nothing but lightbulbs shining, lining its shelves from top to bottom—this is like the brightness of a single bolt of lighting. Lightning is a striking display of raw power in nature, stunning and destructive. People need to protect themselves from lightning. Many cultures throughout history feared lightning as a god.

 

Sometimes, we say, sudden events strike us like lightning. A sudden death or accident or disaster—even an overwhelming temptation—can grip us like a bolt from the blue. When that happens, where can we find a place of protection and safety? What is so powerful, so firm, to keep us safe from the outpouring of danger and destruction?

 

The Lord is our refuge, our fortress, our rock. This is a common theme in the psalms. The world and all the forces of evil cannot approach or destroy the safety we have in God. Whatever comes at you, God holds you in peace—safe and close in his care.

 

Seasons of Life

 

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” (Daniel 2:20–23 ESV).

 

Sometimes, as much as we want to hold on to the way things are, we must face the reality that change is a part of life. Teenagers are encouraged to “leave the nest,” and “empty nesters” gradually become accustomed to different rhythms in life as their children leave home. Still, even when it’s time for a change, we can tend to resist it.

 

The prophet Jeremiah refers to storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes, contrasting their wise behaviors with the foolishness of people who have turned away from the Lord: Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration (Jeremiah 8:7). Jeremiah laments the thick-skulled attitudes of the people around him, who lack wisdom because “they have rejected the word of the Lord.” The prophet is saying, in effect, “Even the birds know what needs to be done, but these people are so stubborn!” There is a season for everything, and it’s our task to recognize what season it is.

 

The invitation here is to consider what season it is for each of us. The wisdom of Solomon says:

 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV).

 

What season are you now in… rest in the knowledge that this is God’s best for your good!

 

Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan!

 

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. (2 Samuel 7:18–21 ESV).

 

Thanksgiving Day! I pray each of you who are reading this day’s devotional will have used the previous days to reflect on our wonderful, gracious Father in heaven who has given us so much. I’m returning one more time to Faith and Logan, as this is their birthday and they have been such an inspiration to me personally. You can see from the two pictures I’ve included a bit of the growth and development in their lives.

From young children to young adults they have given me so much to be thankful for; however, my ultimate gratitude must be centered in the work of grace in their lives.

 

Yes, they are Aggies through and through. Some might say they really didn’t have a lot of choice in that. I would say it a bit differently. They became what they saw modeled and heard taught. This is also true of their faith. They are Aggies; however, more importantly they are believers. That was also modeled and taught.

 

I am so thankful that their Mom and Dad were so intentional about that. I celebrate their accomplishments academically; and, I rejoice greatly in their journey of faith! Like King David in our reading today I echo his words: O Lord GOD! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. (v. 21). Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan! Thank God for His faithfulness in all things!

 

Have you learned to be thankful in all times… if not, begin today!

 

 

Giving Thanks in All Times - Pt. 6

 

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:12–24 ESV).

 

This day before Thanksgiving I want us to fast-forward to 2025. For those of you who are not familiar with Aggie Tradition, a little background might be helpful. Aggie Rings are one of the most important traditions we have. It is a celebration of an achievement that we pride ourselves in earning. In fact, one of the statements heard at the ring ceremony is that they are earned not given. The picture today was taken on Kyle Field of our three generations of Aggies. Faith and Logan earned their rings this year just as their parents and grandparents did many years ago. It was a wonderful moment. It was very easy to be thankful.

 

These are times when it is easy to be thankful. The other times, when it is more difficult, we often turn our attention to “being patient.” However, as the apostle Paul summarizes our attitude, he says it is God's will for us to be thankful "in all circumstances." It may help to note that Paul is not saying we should be thankful for all circumstances but in them. When things seem to go against us, I think God expects us to be grateful that his hand holds us and helps us to endure under the strain. That's a big challenge, to look for reasons to be thankful when the going is tough.

 

Sometimes it can be equally difficult for us to be thankful when things are going well. We might not think it would be that way. After all, when things go well, we have so much to be grateful for. But the very nature of human beings, even if we are Christian, is to overlook the multitude of God's good gifts to us every day. Let me suggest that today you sit still where you are and exercise the gift of noticing. Notice what you see, what you have, and who is with you. Notice the color, beauty, and variety around you. Keep noticing, and make a list of the gifts you notice. Then give thanks to God, the great giver!

 

Giving Thanks at All Times - Pt. 5

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9 ESV).

 

For today’s devotional thought I need to take you back with me to 1971, long before Faith and Logan were born. Though they have a role to play in the recognition of how God was faithfully leading me into His provision of good for our lives all along. I began my Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist theological Seminary in January of 1971 immediately following my graduation from Texas A&M. Those were very difficult years with lengthy stories that I cannot share with more than bullet points in the space available through this medium. Before my graduation from A&M Mary and I needed to reveal to my parents the change from Catholicism to Southern Baptist and my call into vocational ministry as a pastor. That did not go well. We were literally banned from their presence and told never to return home again. Hurt is much too small a word to describe the pain of that experience.

 

Over the coming months we honored their demand, though I called each week to check in, often receiving a cold or indifferent response. At the same time Mary and I began to pray for the Lord to grant us peace and calling to what we believed was the best possible place of service. We dreamed of serving somewhere in Middle Tennessee (close to our beloved Smokie Mountains) where I could pastor a small rural church and practice pastoral care and counseling full time. Over the next three years we were able to restore some relationship with my parents as they began to see the joy God had given us in preparing to serve in this calling. I graduated in December 1973. Two weeks before graduation I had not received any invitation to interview for any position. I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. It was at that time that I recognized that perhaps I simply didn’t trust the will of God working in my life. Mary and I determined that we would go wherever and whenever God deemed good. I applied for further studies in the doctoral program and was content to prepare more while we waited on the Lord. Just days later I received a call from the Texas Baptist Student Division to interview for a position as a college student minister. That was certainly never on our radar!

 

However, it was the first step God needed us to take in the journey that would take until March, 2011 for us to receive what we asked God to do forty years earlier. We went to Tyler Junior College as the BSU Director, which led to associate pastor at FBC, Tyler. There I came under the guidance of one of my three mentors, Bill Samburger, who was a great friend and mentor. Two years later I went to University Heights Baptist Church as pastor; then to FBC, Mt. Pleasant; then to Southern Oaks Baptist Church, Tyler, then finally to North Side Baptist Church, Weatherford. All of these were large churches in Texas. None of them matched our prayers of seminary days, though each played a significant role in God’s granting of my heart’s desire.

 

Health issues resulted in my resignation from North Side Baptist and a year of recuperation. Needing to stay in Weatherford so that our youngest son could finish high school where he started, I took a job offered by the owner of a large auto group. I still preached often in other churches and across many denominational lines, while at the same time learning much more about those things that would be essential for the next steps in our journey. When Faith and Logan were born these steps made it possible to make the move to North Carolina.

 

It still was not a “small rural church in Middle Tennessee with a full-time counseling ministry”; but, it was full of joy and purpose. A few years passed and Kyle made the decision to move to a position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Of course, we followed. That led to the formal development of Grace Restoration Ministries and a call to Santa Fe Baptist Church in a small community just east of Columbia, Tennessee. God had answered our prayer of forty years past! You can see from the Easter Sunday picture I’ve attached with the church in the background that church I Mary and I prayed for all those years ago. God was working that good in His time all along. All of the places I served were great places, but this church became our last church and the fulfillment of our heart’s desire.

 

This journey was not without pain and difficulty; however, it was also full of grace. If grace reveals that joy is a gift, then prayer is the Lord’s gracious means through which he daily sustains that joy. We sometimes believe we are independent, self-sufficient people. Our tired minds, aching backs, and callous hands that produced a successful career and a comfortable home seem to affirm that myth. But what if corporate restructuring takes away the paycheck, or terminal illness robs our strength and vitality? Anxiety, worry, and fear set in, taking the place of our pride.

 

Life comes from the Lord, and so does daily help. We come to the Lord through prayer, and the fruit of prayer is peace. Yet prayer is not a mantra, and we can’t use it to try to manipulate God. Prayer is a divine gift to strengthen the bonds of love between us and God. The act of prayer itself affirms our dependence on him for peace and joy. That’s the prompt for Thanksgiving. Rest in the assurance that God is working His best good in your life, no matter how strange each turn looks like! Listen to the Apostle Paul again:

 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (v. 8).

 

Giving Thanks at All Times - Pt. 4

 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever; a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136 ESV).

 

Our reading today is a bit lengthier than normal. Part of the reason for that is how the psalmist simply doesn’t end the sentence until the 23^rd verse! However, the other is a bit more practical in our application. Each of these verses carry with it a reason why we may trust the truth of the chorus: …for His steadfast love endures forever.”

 

Using the same experience as the first three of this devotional series, let me continue with a story from how Mary and I  moved to North Carolina to be geographically closer to Faith and Logan. It began with an innocent conversation with Kyle soon after their birth. Mary was still staying in North Carolina helping with some of the chores of raising two premature babies. Kyle called and began with a report of how well everything was going, though I could tell he had something else entirely on his mind. After a bit he asked, “Dad, why don’t you and mom move to North Carolina? We would love for y’all to be close to us. I would sure hate for you to miss any of the things they will do as they grow.” Well, he was right. Both David and Aaron were grown and out of the house and Mary and I could take our skills and find employment as easily there as where we were. Well, the wheels started moving quickly. Our house sold quickly, we found jobs in North Carolina quickly, we secured housing there quickly. It was an easy transition. What I didn’t know was how all the “puzzle pieces” of my life were coming together into a plan for God to do so many things in our lives.

 

We did see all the “firsts”. As you can see from the picture I’ve attached, we even saw them ride their first “rocking horse.” By the way, Kyle and I made that for them. What a joy spending time constructing it together with him; and then seeing the joy on their faces as they played with it was just added blessing. Yes, there were hard things too. Life is often littered with both joy and hardship. Just as the psalmist writes each of the experiences leading to the declaration that God’s love endures forever, so today we can learn from both good and bad that we are never left alone and every experience is used for our good.

 

I think you will see that in the coming days, as I share more of this part of the journey. Today, make your list of experiences, and look back at the journey through the lens of God’s faithful presence and provision. See if you don’t come to the same conclusion that His love does indeed endure forever!