Archive | May 2020

Chaplain’s Corner – Protection

May27

Today’s Chaplain’s Corner continues from the Songs of Ascent, which are written from the perspective of a pilgrim on a journey. Many of these songs speak of dangers which travelers face during their journey. The songwriters are very conscious of the need for protection against the enemy.

  • Psalm 120 and 121 speak of lying, deceit, war, and evil.
  • The writer of Psalm 123 seeks mercy from those who hold him in contempt and scorn. Yes, we want some of that mercy, too!
  • Psalm 124 reminds us of what might have been if it had not been for the LORD’s protection. “…if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away”  (Psalm 124:2-5).
  • Psalm 129 paints a vivid picture of being run over (picture tire treads on your back). Since they didn’t have trucks back then, the metaphor was to farm equipment. “The plowers plowed on my back, they made their furrows long” (Psalm 129: 3). Ouch! I think some of us have been here.

The enemies of the Jews were real. They faced constant threats. Likewise, we face a real enemy right now in this pandemic. This Covid-19 virus is our enemy and we seek protection. The precautions most of us are taking are quite simple (not easy, mind you, but within our own capabilities)—keeping apart, wearing a mask, washing our hands, making sure our surroundings are clean, etc. We could have been taking these precautions all along but didn’t realize this enemy was out there until people started getting sick. We can also see evidence of a greater enemy, Satan, because we see the effects of his handiwork. The precautions we should be taking against Satan are also quite simple (and not always so easy). We need to stay in alignment with God, in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers.

These songs are a reminder that when we face our enemies, we can cry out to Jesus. We can seek mercy. We can seek protection. We can seek justice; to be avenged. God might not answer our prayers in the way we think he should, but sometimes what we need most is to be able to cry out to someone somewhere. And we know that God is good, and that He cares for us, and we know that He hears us when we cry. I love the words in this song, Cry to Jesus (Third Day).

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. “(Psalm 121:7-8)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Journey

May20

 “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me.” Psalm 120:1

I am currently participating with a group of women at my church in a Beth Moore Bible Study, Stepping Up, based on the fifteen “Songs of Ascents,” Psalms 120-134, which sing of the pilgrimage that the Jewish people took to Jerusalem each year to celebrate their festivals, and they also represent the journey the Jewish exiles made back to Jerusalem from their captivity.

Those pilgrimages were historical, but the application for us today is to our growth in our Christian life.  Journey, pilgrimage, and walk are all metaphors commonly used for the sanctification process which occurs from the time we are justified by Christ until the time we are glorified in Christ.

In a purposeful journey, our starting point matters. If I’m just strolling the neighborhood or the park, it doesn’t really matter, but in a purposeful journey, I must have a reason and a starting point, as well as a desired destination.  The Songs of Ascent begin with a distress call, “In my distress I called to the LORD.” Psalm 120 goes on to describe a dangerous and miserable place, both physically and spiritually. In the ESV, the writer says he is an alien in his present place. Our journey begins when we realize that we are in a dangerous and miserable place, somewhere that we don’t belong, so we call out to the LORD.

The next requirement of a purposeful journey is a destination. Psalm 121 provides that imagery of the destination for all of us. “I raise my eyes toward the mountains, Where will my help come from?” (Psalm 121:1).

We are saved by the grace of God, who sent his Son to pay the ultimate punishment for our sin. All we must do to be saved, that is justified before God, is to believe and receive that grace. However, our ongoing growth as a believer, our journey to maturity, is a cooperative process, meaning that it takes our own effort along with the Holy Spirit. One of the things we must do on our journey is to constantly look ahead to our destination. We must raise our eyes toward the mountains constantly rather than looking behind or even side to side. When I’m driving, I like to look around. It scares my husband because he says that I turn the wheel the direction I’m looking. I’m trying to do better, but it is true; we tend to veer off in the direction in which we look. And you can apply that concept to any number of things. The point is to keep our eyes focused on the goal of eternity in the Kingdom of God.

My husband and I recently purchased a roadside protection plan from our automobile insurance company. It’s kind of like AAA.  There’s a tollfree number to call if we get stranded, have a flat tire, need towing, etc. The provider will come to wherever we are, fix the problem, and get us going on our way again. Psalm 121 is also a beautiful reminder that on this journey, God will always protect us. The question in verse 1, “Where will my help come from?”  is answered by the remainder of the psalm. Verse 4 says God is 24/7/365; he “will never slumber nor sleep.” “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more” (Psalm 121:8). I don’t know about you, but that verse is tremendously reassuring to me, especially when I am facing the unknown. And I don’t even have to be concerned about paying an annual fee to keep the plan active. The cost has already been covered for my lifetime.

“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault” (Jude 1:24).

It is a wonderful thing to be on this journey with you as fellow pilgrims in Christ.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Anchor Down (Plan “A” All the Way)

May13

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I am shamelessly basing this devotional on my pastor’s sermon* this past Sunday. He knocks it out of the park every Sunday; honestly, I think every Sunday’s message is better than the one before. Many times, I have wanted to incorporate his message into a Chaplain’s Corner, but don’t want to be guilty of plagiarism. However, he started out this sermon saying that he hoped we would share the message. He might have meant share it on Facebook, but since he wasn’t specific, I’m taking the opportunity to share it with you, in abbreviated form, in this Chaplain’s Corner.

Pastor named his sermon, “Weather or not.” We have all faced storms, whether it be bad weather, sickness, financial problems, or unmet expectation. In these storms, we feel powerless, panic, and sometimes we make bad decisions which just make the storm worse. We might wonder why a God who is all-powerful would even send the storm, and there are a couple of possibilities:

  • It could be our own doing, our own fault. Our choices sometimes put us at risk.
  • It could be that God allowed the storm to strengthen our faith.

Regardless, we need never to let the presence of the storm cause us to doubt the presence of God.

Don’t walk in fear; God put us here!

Using Acts 27:14-40, Pastor helped us to see how God has demonstrated what we should do in the presence of a storm, regardless of the cause. Paul was on board a ship that got caught in a northeaster. They were in extreme difficulty, but took the following actions to weather the storm, which are also useful for us today:

  1. Brace Up: “After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship” (v.17).

The soldiers wrapped ropes around the ship to hold it together, to undergird it. Likewise, we should take steps to ensure we have the support we need. We need to be sure that we are not relying on the wrong things to brace ourselves. Money, education, etc. are all good things, but they are not what will ultimately hold us together like the Word of God, faith in our Lord and Savior, and our church family

2. Lighten Up: “Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo (v.18).”

The soldiers then began to throw overboard everything they didn’t absolutely need. What are we carrying around that we need to get rid of, to give to God? Sin? Unforgiveness of someone? Unforgiveness of ourselves? Anger? Fear? These become very heavy, and unnecessary, burdens.

3. Cheer Up: “Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship” (v.22).

Paul encouraged the soldiers with a promise from God. We know from His Word that God is still on the throne, He is in control. We need to remember the promises of God.

4. Anchor Down: “And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come” (v. 29).

Some of our anchors include:

a. Purpose: to be loved by God and to love God, and to tell others about Him.

b. Courage: to walk with boldness in the face of the storm, knowing that in the end we will win.

c. Worship: to turn off the news and turn on worship; to choose worship over whining.

d. Church: we all need a church family.

5. Cut the Ropes: “Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s (life)boat and let it go” (v. 31-32).

We need to be all-in. Remove all alternatives to our faith in Christ. Pastor cited the example of Elisha in 1 Kings 19:21 where, when he received his call as a prophet, he stopped in his tracks and burned his plow and oxen so that he would have nothing to come back to, no Plan B. It was Plan A all the way.

I know this is getting old. I know you are tired and frustrated, and so are our guests and program participants. But remember, “Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

Anchor Down!!

In Christ,

Judy

*Credits to Pastor Spencer Barnard, Life Center Church (the sermon starts at 18:55).

Chaplain’s Corner – Chosen

May6

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

The first time I really heard this scripture was at my son’s high school commencement. The speaker used this scripture to offer a challenge to the graduates, and it felt like a challenge to me personally, as well.

These are engaging words. What’s better than being chosen? Like many of you, I feared (and fear) not being chosen. Now I was a favorite among my family—I had no fear of being rejected by my parents or grandparents. However, among my friends I was always fearful of being rejected—whether it was for a sports team, for a club, for an invitation to a slumber party, the list goes on. But brothers and sisters in Christ, we have such assurance of being chosen by Jesus. I refer you to the recent Chaplain’s Corner on Fervent Prayer where I quoted Jesus telling his followers, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:7).

And we are a royal priesthood. Jesus is the King of Kings, which means that he is the ultimate royalty. We have been adopted into his family (that also means chosen), so that makes us royalty as well, with direct access to our Lord and Savior. As a holy nation, we are set apart, and as God’s special possession, we know that we are very dear to him.

We have been chosen for a reason. The Old Testament tells the story of a woman who was chosen for a reason. You know the story of Esther, the Jewish girl who was chosen to be Queen of Persia, placed in this high and influential position so that she could prevent the extermination of the Jewish people who had been forcibly taken from their homeland. She was asked to do a very risky thing, something that could have gotten her killed. She fasted and prayed over the decision, and this is what God spoke:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14.

This scripture gives me the assurance that God’s plans would prevail, with or without Esther; however, he was presenting her with the privilege of doing something great, something worthwhile for His Kingdom.

Timothy Dalrymple, President and CEO of Christianity Today, in the May/June edition wrote about a similar story. “There’s a moment in the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy when Frodo laments that a great evil has erupted in his generation. ‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ he says. Gandalf responds with compassion and wisdom in equal measure: ‘So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”

We are not here in this place at this time by accident. God does not make mistakes. We have been chosen for such a time as this. We have been made royal priests for such a time as this. It is up to us how we use this time. Someone else (I wish I could remember who) said his greatest fear was not the coronavirus, but instead that he would fail to rise to the occasion. This is my greatest fear.

The Mission has risen to the occasion. You have risen to the occasion, over and over again. Yes, these are frustrating and discouraging times; we are tired of fighting, of not being able to hug, of not being able to sit across the table from those we love, of wearing face masks and using so much disinfectant and sanitizer. But don’t give in to the enemy now. God is still in charge. Dalrymple asks, “Will we rise to the challenge history has thrust upon us?”

God tells us we have this identity in Christ, that we have been chosen, for a reason, so that we may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is perseverance. I hope to encourage you with these words to continue to persevere: to fight, to pray, to thank God, and to declare His praises.

In Christ,

Judy