You know, when I thought of this blog post, it was merely because a friend’s post had spurred me to think again. =) Apparently, she’s good at that! Still, today, I have been reminded of the immense need for such a reminder.

Our world is tearing apart at the seems, or so it seems. It would be harsh, if not inaccurate, to say that things have always been like this. And yet, in many ways, it seems quite true! There have always been conflicts that have threatened to throw the world in chaotic turmoil! Among a few of them, the fall of the Roman empire, World Wars I and II, and even Vietnam, to many in America. And yet, when all those have been mere ideologies and minor conflicts, these days, it seems that we fight under a banner of Truth versus Lies. But perhaps I’m overstating my case. And frankly, it doesn’t matter if you agree with me on this point. The truth remains that for many of us, our worlds got crushed the day the woman we married walked out.

You know much of my story, but what I haven’t so clearly said is that when she walked out, it was like someone broke my snow-globe. In a moment, the water got sucked out, and all I once knew became subject to speculation! I began to question the loyalty and honor of everyone around me. If this woman, whom I’d known for 9 years, been married to for 7; if she could betray me, who else would? It messed with my head! Boy howdy, did it ever mess with my head!   I grappled for a handle on reality, and I found it in one, simple fact. All else around me could swirl to no end, and with this truth as my guide, I found a center and could walk in the unknown!

Once you can breathe, just able to take a breath and know the world will not suck it back out of you…heck, even if you can’t find that breath! If you can’t find that breath, I beg you to grab ahold of this truth!

God is still God! … Let that sink in. … God is still God!

“Well, duh! I knew that!” Oh, did you? Seriously, let that teardrop fall, and allow your heart to speak for a moment. Did you really know that? Because I didn’t! As the water fell and the snowflakes crashed to the ground from my lovely little world, I did not immediately think of that! But God is so good! In the weeks leading up to my spouses departure, God had ministered to me some very profound nuggets of truth. So, please let me share them with you, and let God draw out the nuggets for you within these.

1) Surrender! “Only surrender will help you now!”

God loves to use the absurd! So, here’s an incredible absurdity. The woman who was planning to abandon our marriage gave me a gift that God used to remind me of who He is! As she was planning to leave (as I would later learn), she gave me an album by Flyleaf (an alternative Christian band). On this album, there was a song called “Again.” In the days leading up to the grand departure, a major expense had hit us, and I was crying out to God one day about it. This song came on (from the CD), and I immediately fell before God (in my heart, I was actually sitting at a desk). The line that caught me was this: “Here you are down on your knees again/Trying to find strength to breathe again/And only surrender can help you now/I love you; please see and believe again.” I had no idea how powerful that lyric would become in my life, as God asked for me to surrender what little control I thought I had. (We really don’t have “control” in this life anyway; at best, we have control over ourselves.) YouTube link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbdCeWoEH1U#t=12

2) A hymn: God will make a way.

I had been trying to put this hymn together for weeks prior. As I descended a hill on the way home that fateful night, I suddenly put it together, and though I still didn’t have it quite right, it was pretty darn perfect! Here’s the right lyrics for the hymn, which became my anthem along with the above “Again”: [He] will make a way/Where there seems to be no way/He works in ways we cannot see/He will make a way for me/He will be my Guide/Hold me closely to His side/With love and strength for each new day/He will make a way/He will make a way.” YouTube link for this song too: http://www.godvine.com/God-Will-Make-a-Way-Beautiful-Worship-Video-838.html

3) 2 Peter 3:1-9

Now, if you have followed the YouTube links (or do later), you’ll quickly realize the above are so opposite in their tempos and their wording. =)   I love it! One provides direction from God, that His humbling is purposeful and effectual. The other provides hope in God, that even though my world doesn’t make sense, He is working things out. And with that, I began to argue against God (yeah. I do that! He knows I have to understand, and He is so patient!) And with that, I turned to God and asked, “Where are You? Are you even here? After all, everything seems to keep going one without any effort from You; maybe I’m a fool to even believe! Maybe You don’t exist?!?” And with that, I read the above passage. For brevity sake, I will quote only a small portion of it, but I encourage you to read all of it:

“…and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” – 2 Peter 3:4-7

SMACK! I got one right across the jaw from the Almighty. Now, understand me; this was not a vengeful slap from an angry father. Instead, this was one of those polite slaps from your Momma just as she says, “You better watch your mouth!” (No, my Momma never slapped me. {sigh}) The point is that God responded to me with my own words and led me to the truth that if it weren’t for Him, none of this would exist. And that truth has held me true on more than one occasion; the simple facts that there is a God and the Bible is His revealed Word are profound enough to keep me from going off the path, though I sometimes stumble.  (The depth of these truths, though, is equally important, though beyond the scope of this post.)

The Lord is on His throne (Psalm 11:4). He is still God of all! And He has the power to do as He pleases. The question is will you let Him be Lord in your life? Or will you try to hold your own lordship? Remember how we really don’t have control? It’s His world. Will you surrender?

My dear reader, if you are here, and you have never accepted Him into your life or if you are here, and you desperately need to walk with Him again, then may I have the privilege to give you a little prayer you may say? This prayer, itself, has no power to save you! The words you say must echo in your heart and mind. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raise Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) So, it is your faith in Jesus payment that truly saves you, but here’s a way to pray and receive Jesus’ payment for you:

God, I know I have sinned. I have failed to live as you asked me to live. I cannot be perfect. I trust Jesus paid my price by His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later. I want You to be in control of my life. Thank You for all You have done for me! Please help me to live for You.

And that’s it, dear reader! Welcome to the Family of God! But I must warn you, the Devil is real too, and he will try to steal this truth and life from you. So, I encourage you to find a church in your area to grow within. I am personally a bit biased toward Calvary Chapels since I’ve always found them to be solid churches. Still, most will work. If you’re not sure, then let me offer you three simple questions to determine if they are a good church versus a ho-hum church.

1. Do they believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God (in case you don’t know, inerrant means without errors)? (This should be and emphatic yes! =D Sometimes, they qualify it by “in the original manuscripts.”  That’s a yes, too!  =D)
2. Do you believe Jesus was the Son of God? (Again, this should be absolutely yes!)
3. Do you believe that Jesus death is ALL that saves us from eternal death? (Yes, though they may say something about how when we come to Jesus, we should naturally want to do the right things from that point on. That’s ok.)
4. Do you preach from the word, by the word, and through the word? (Yes, again.  In other words, do they let the text speak or do they try to soften the message.   Go for the text, run from the softened message!) =)

As I draw this to a close, I encourage you to press into Jesus!   No matter the pain you’re going through, the trauma you’ve experienced, or the nightmare-hell you’re walking through; Jesus has been there. He refers to the Church and Israel (collectively) as His bride. The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God speaking of how Israel has played the adulteress, how He will have to deal with His bride, etc. He knows that pain! Further, He went through a BRUTAL death (beaten and mocked – Luke 22:63-65, more mockery – Luke 23:11, beaten with a whip designed to tear the back open – John 19:1, a crown of thorns pressed into His skull and more mockery – John 9:2-3, crucifixion – John 19:17-18, and even stabbed with a spear after death to confirm he was dead – John 19:33-34). He knows the pain and torture of being in a situation where you are innocent yet condemned.  Most of us are not truly innocent, and yet, I think it’s clear that Jesus can understand having all that you have ever done is used against you, even things which are pure lies and fiction. I know that I never knew, until my day in court, how little was sacred in our household. Here’s a hint: There ain’t one thing that wasn’t opened wide!  But there’s a blessing in that; nothing is hidden to Him either!  And He still loves you!

My dear reader, God is still God. He is still on His throne, and He is still Lord of your life, if you let Him be! He may ask crazy things of you (like not having a lawyer when you go through the legal stuff or giving into her demands or…I don’t know what), but if it’s Him, will you trust Him?

I leave you, my reader, with Psalm 42. It is a profound Psalm that meets you where you are at, in whatever discouragement, and then pulls you up to the truth:

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

“Where is your God?”

 

When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

 

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

 

O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

 

I will say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As with a breaking of my bones,

My enemies reproach me,

While they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

 

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

Vires et Honorem!