The big talk in the past couple of weeks has been the miraculous rescue of the soccer players from the cave in Thailand. We humanly wonder what they, and their parents, must have been thinking as the waters surged in and they realized they were trapped.  At least one of them had to think:  Why me? There is really no other logical way to explain the successful rescue of the soccer players other than the hand of God.  We would be remiss not to give God the glory in recalling the events of this story.

Why me?  How many of us ask this question when something bad happens to us?  Well, this is a great question because it gets to the heart of our purpose in life.  When we ask “Why?” we are presuming intent, and therefore purpose.  This is because God created human beings with purpose.  Here’s what the Bible says about our purpose:  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-17 (ESV). So when you are experiencing problems, remember that God can use everything in your life to give glory to Himself, even the tough times.

Why me?  When we ponder the situations in life that cause us to ask this question, we should distinguish between immediate and long-term purposes.  The most famous scriptural example of this is Genesis 50:20, when Joseph’s brothers express their fear that Joseph will take revenge on him for how they treated him. Joseph responded, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”  We all probably experience difficult and even tragic events in our lives and we assume that God could have prevented them if he had wanted to.  When we ask “Why?” that means we know the foundational truth, which is that God has a purpose for what happened.  And because God is good, we know that God’s purpose is a good one because his purposes and intentions are always altogether good.  So the immediate consequence might have been caused by something evil, but as Paul said in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

So, “Why Me?” Is a great question to ask of God no matter what happens, good or bad.

God, what is your purpose in this? Lord, I know that you are to be glorified in every situation, so help me to know how I can best glorify you and be a part of the solution you working to bring about, and then give you all the glory. Amen.

Blessings,

Judy

Note:  My reference on this subject can be found at the following site from one of my favorite authors. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/purposes-god/

Satan does not want you to read this message.  He is going to do everything in his power to keep you from reading it.  I promise that if you don’t commit yourself and pray through this, you will not finish, including reading all the scripture references which are hyperlinked to make it easier for you.  The Holy Spirit has put this on my heart, and it has been a convicting message for me as I write it. I am praying that you read it to the end and take it to heart.  I would love to know what you think.

I pray that we have all accepted Christ as our Savior. The thing is, there is a war going on all around us—believers and nonbelievers alike–as long as we live on this earth.  Ever since Satan fell, even before the earth was created, he has been waging a futile war against God.  Only Satan doesn’t seem to realize that it is futile.

Satan conducts this war by trying to entice us to his side.  He presents evil as pretty and desirable.  But do not be deceived, he only wants your destruction 1 Peter 5:8, because by destroying you, he thinks he can win this war against God.  We are just pawns in his chess game, and he will use every deception possible to win us over.  Billy Graham preached a powerful message on how Satan tries to confuse us.*  However, the Bible is crystal clear that those things that Satan entices us with are sins (Mark 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). We are warned many times over, “Do not be deceived.”

Jesus’ response: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.

The GOOD NEWS is that God sent Jesus to save us from this life of deceit and eventual destruction (John 3:16). Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  You can choose life.  It’s not easy, because as we said before, Satan never gives up.  However, God never gives up on us either.  If we have accepted and truly believe that Jesus has saved us through his sacrificial death on the cross, then we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to defeat Satan and protect us from his ways.  We have to call upon this power daily through prayer.  We have to educate ourselves through Bible study.  We have to protect ourselves with the Word of God.

This message is on my heart because I sense that the Mission is a real target for Satan.  He knows about our work here and our love for Jesus, and he is targeting us.  To bring us down would be a real feather in his cap.  Many of the people who come to us for shelter, food, clothing, recovery have been exposed to much wickedness.  It’s very convenient for Satan to ride in on their coattails and to attempt to dwell among us in some form or fashion.

While this may sound scary and repulsive, that is exactly why we are all here.  This is our calling.  Others may serve as missionaries to unchurched people groups or the most impoverished third world countries.  But Nashville Rescue Mission is our mission field.  We are a Rescue Mission, which is a very specific designation with the objective of serving those who have nowhere else to go right here in our own city, and to be the light, to present the Gospel message to the hurting and helpless among us. We must commit to protect this ministry, this campus, the people we serve, and ourselves, by daily putting on the whole armor of God. The wisest man who ever lived says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23.

Paul gives us specific instructions in Ephesians 6:10-18 that we would do well to follow.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

 ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

Finally, please know that prayer warriors are meeting twice weekly and praying not only over the individual prayer requests but also that God’s will be done at Nashville Rescue Mission.  Feel free to join us if you can, and pray from wherever you are if you cannot physically be present.

Tuesday, 2-3 pm, Women’s Guest Services Chapel

Thursday, 1:3-2:30 pm, Men’s Guest Services Chapel

Blessings,

Judy

*If you did not click on this powerful message, please do so now and read it in its entirety.

I know from your comments that you really like it when I write messages that include personal stories.  Because we are celebrating Independence Day today, I would like to tell you my personal story about liberty; however, I don’t have an interesting story about my freedom.  I have heard firsthand accounts from people who have had dramatic escapes from Rwanda and from North Vietnam, and who have now made their homes here in Middle Tennessee.  I have heard stories from my dad who fought in both WWII and during the Korean Conflict.  My own story is not nearly as exciting. I grew up in the United States with all the freedoms accorded to U.S. citizens.

My story, while similar to other lifelong U.S. citizens, is far from ordinary.  Did you know that according to Freedom House, only 39 out of 100 people worldwide live in a truly free country today, and this number is decreasing?  In fact, 71 countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties in 2017, with only 35 registering gains. This marked the 12th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.

It may sound trite, but I believe it is critically important that we never take for granted the freedoms we experience as U.S. citizens, and I think that the most important of those freedoms is our freedom of religion. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances.  It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.

The Bible also speaks of freedom.  Freedom is the opposite of enslavement.  In the history of the world, people in almost every nation have suffered from slavery.  It is abhorrent to consider that slavery could have ever been legal.  It is unspeakable that slavery still exists, both legal and illegal. According to many credible sources, human trafficking is the fastest growing crime on the planet, and second only to drug-dealing.

Many of us–I hope all of us–reading this message, enjoy the freedom of religion and other civil liberties. However, the fact is that we were all slaves to sin before receiving the gift of salvation from Jesus.

Regardless of any type of civil or physical restraint on our freedom, as believers we have true freedom in Christ. As Paul tells us: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

Again, I want to say how critically important it is that we never take for granted the freedoms we experience, so what actions should we take to protect the freedom that we have as citizens of the U.S. and as brothers and sisters in Christ?

• If you have not accepted Christ as your savior, invite Him into your heart right now. Let me know if you want to talk about this decision.
• Express gratitude for the freedom we have as citizens of the United States, and most importantly, for Jesus’ victory on your behalf over the tyranny of sin, hell, death, and the grave.
• Take full advantage of these freedoms. Go to church.  Read your Bible.  Confess your faith openly. Vote, and vote responsibly for godly candidates.
• Take the initiative to protect others from enslavement of any kind. Actively support your church and its outreach efforts.  Promote the Mission’s life recovery program.  Support efforts against human trafficking.

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

In the words of Jesus paraphrasing Isaiah:  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

Have a blessed Independence Day!

Blessings,

Judy

The Chief of Staff at Nashville Rescue Mission has challenged many of us to send a note of gratitude to someone who has influenced our life and to do this daily for the next thirty days.  Here’s mine for today: I would like to thank each of you here at Nashville Rescue Mission who has been courageous and transparent enough to share your story.

I say courageous because I come from a tradition where everyone puts on a show of having it all together, which in retrospect seems rather cowardly. It reminds me of Garrison Keillor who would say as he welcomed listeners to Lake Wobegon, “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Yeah, right!

I can remember from my youth that my mom and grandmother didn’t especially like my uncle (by marriage). I would ask why, but they never let on until much later that it was because they thought he was an alcoholic. That would never have been admitted in my family. I didn’t know until she was in her later stages of life that my mom herself was on antidepressants. It just wasn’t discussed. I remember a teenage friend from church who went to “live for a year with her aunt in California.”  It never occurred to me why until much later when it was acknowledged that she had a child. And I can remember how inferior I felt when it seemed that all my acquaintances had such perfect families and all the kids were getting college scholarships to the schools of their choice, etc. etc. etc.  It was only later that I heard (and not from my friends) about drug problems, eating disorders, jail time, etc. in the lives of these same acquaintances.  However, when I did hear about it years later, it was in the form of gossip, though, and not real confrontation or edifying, transformative discussion/interaction.

How and where do you go for help when it seems that yours is the only family that is struggling?  How do you learn to help others when you have never witnessed help in action?

So just in case you are wondering because I know how compassionate you are, I am really okay now.  But I suffered depression for way too many years of my life because I refused to acknowledge it and seek help.  I had no example, no precedent.  It just wasn’t done.  And in that depression I made lots of serious mistakes.  I have learned lots of lessons from my experience.  I have learned to forgive myself; I have learned to forgive others.  I am more compassionate because I know that no one is immune from similar struggles, no matter how put-together they look and act.

The Bible tells us that a hypocrite is someone who puts on a mask and pretends to be something he is not.  “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” (Galatians 6:3). Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that as members of one body, we believers should be honest with ourselves and with each other.

So circling back to the beginning—I cannot begin to express how transformative it has been for me to work alongside you who have been so open about your own life struggles. Your honesty and your life story have encouraged me.  You are strong, you are courageous, you are loving, you are my heroes of the faith.

I thank you.  I hope you know what you mean to me.

Blessings,

Judy

Many of us have been impacted by the loss of a loved one in the recent past.  Losing someone important to us changes our lives.  It’s not something that we get over quickly, if ever.  I’ve been on a mission to learn more about grief because of my own journey and because so many of my friends and colleagues are dealing with grief.  Below are some things I have learned, or have had confirmed from the GriefShare website:

• Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is the cost of loving someone.
• “Some people think that going through the losses or crises of life are the exceptional times,” says Dr. H. Norman Wright. “I see it differently. I see the times of calm as the exceptions. Life really is going through one loss after another, one crisis after another.”
• Joseph Stowell says, “Even though your heart is breaking and tears are clouding your eyes and staining your cheeks, God does give us something worth trusting in tough times. And that’s Him, and Him alone.”
• When your heart is breaking, you can place your hope and trust in the Lord. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24).
• Anne Graham Lotz defines hope: “Biblical hope is absolute confidence in something you haven’t seen or received yet, but you’re absolutely confident that whatever God has said is going to come to pass.” She also declares that “Jesus is your hope for the future. One day Jesus Christ will come back, and He will set all of the wrong right. Good will triumph over the bad. Love will triumph over hate. Righteousness will triumph over evil. He’s going to make it all right, and you can have absolute confidence that that’s going to take place. That’s your hope.”

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

 Lord God, teach me to embrace my grief and not fight it, so that I may experience the true healing that comes from You.  Amen.

Blessings,

Judy

Death puts the final period on one’s life story.  For sure, a person’s influence can extend beyond the grave, but once death occurs there is no further opportunity for a person to change one’s life story.

Mark Twain gave us a unique perspective on this in his book, Tom Sawyer.  After one of his adventures, Tom is believed to be dead so the town has a funeral for him.  Tom sneaks back in to the church to attend his own funeral.  Can you imagine yourself at your own funeral?

Better yet, imagine how you would like for your funeral to be.  What do you hope that your family and friends and coworkers would say about you, or at least think about you after you are gone?

You know you don’t have to leave this to chance.  You can be intentional about the life you live and the impact that you have on those around you.  Stephen Covey tells us to “begin with the end in mind.”  He even recommends that we write a personal mission statement now to help us to focus on the legacy we want to leave for our family, church, friends, neighborhood, and workplace.

Don’t put this off.  God has numbered our days, but it is not for us to know so that we will focus on being ready NOW.  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

How do you want to be remembered?  What will you do with your life right now to allow those you leave behind to genuinely say of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

Blessings,

Judy

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  2 Corinthians 5:1

We have all lost a friend and ally on this earth.  Janet was a payroll expert, a loyal Mission employee, a UK (and really all sports) fan, and she was our friend.  Those who knew her realized that her body, her earthly tent, was in the process of being destroyed.  In some respects, that is no different from all of us, but her situation seemed to be on a more speedy track to destruction.

While her body was wasting, her spirit was only getting stronger.  She had such a love, such a passion, for each of us.  More importantly, she had a passion for the work of Nashville Rescue Mission, and a love for her LORD.  Janet has been such a rock for us, and such a rock for her family.  She will be missed.

At times like this when I seek understanding, it is helpful for me to turn to those wiser than I, and so in my reading I came upon this article by John Piper that I want to share with you.  Here is the reference for those of you who would like to read it in its entirety.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/plunge-your-mind-into-the-ocean-of-god-s-sovereignty

Below are some excerpts:

• “Sometimes we need to plunge our minds into the ocean of God’s sovereignty. We need to feel the weight of it, like deep and heavy water pressing in against every pore, the deeper we go. A billion rivers of providence pour into this ocean. And God himself gathers up all his countless deeds — from eternity to eternity — and pours them into the currents of his infallible revelation. He speaks, and explains, and promises, and makes his awesome, sovereign providence the place we feel most reverent, most secure, most free.”
• “Sometimes we need to be reminded by God himself that there are no limits to his rule. We need to hear from him that he is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. We need his own reminder that he is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss.”
• “Sometimes we need to hear specific statements from God himself about his own authority. We need God’s own words. It is the very words of God that have unusual power to settle our nerves, and make us stable, wise, and courageous.”
  • “Whatever I please, I do, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” (Psalm 135:6)
  • “I work all things according to the counsel of my will.” (Ephesians 1:11)
  • “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)
  • “My times are in your hands.” (Psalm 31:15)

• “And as we listen, let us praise him. There is no other fitting way to listen to God’s exaltation of God. This is what happens to the human soul when we plunge into the ocean of God’s sovereignty.”

God surely blessed us by allowing Janet to be a part of each of our lives, and for that I know I will be forever grateful.

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16)

Blessings,

Judy

Sometimes when I am feeling really low, the feeling is like being under a dark cloud.  It feels like shadows are all around, almost suffocating me.  Some important people in the Bible spoke in similar terms.

• Job said “My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.” (Job 17:7) He was suffering terribly because of all the terrible things that had happened to him, including the sudden death of his children.
• David said “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).  Even though God had anointed David as King, and Saul had taken David under his wing, David was a hunted man. Saul turned on him and tried to hunt David down. And then later on in life, David’s own beloved son Absalom turned against him and he was on the run again.  David felt as though he was walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
• Isaiah said “So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.” (Isaiah 59:9).  This is how it felt to the Israelites in Isaiah’s day when they were far from God.

Did you ever think about the fact that you can’t have a shadow without light?  So one way to put it is that behind every shadow is a source of light.

• Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
• “….the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

My Daddy used to say that the sun was always shining.  Sometimes we could not see it for the clouds, but the sun was still there, above the clouds.  He’s right, you know.  If you are feeling like you are living under a dark cloud, that you are being suffocated by dark shadows, look for the Light.  He is always there.

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27)

Blessings,

Judy

You know the stereotype about men that they are too stubborn to ask for directions?  In my family it’s just the opposite, sad to say.  My husband will stop to ask for directions whenever he is lost, which rarely happens because he has a great sense of direction.  I, on the other hand, even though I am without any innate sense of direction, am very reluctant to ask for help.  I’m embarrassed to admit it; I know that it’s pride that prevents me from asking for directions or help. And if I do ask, it’s after I’ve gotten so flustered that I can’t even comprehend the information I receive.  I know, you are surprised to hear this about me, and I’m surprised that I’m admitting it to you.

I guess this is why I like my GPS so much.  But did you realize that if you input the address inaccurately, you will not get where you intended to go? Another tip, don’t make assumptions.  Before my younger son was old enough to drive, he was invited to a birthday party on Shute Lane.  I drove him up and down Shute Lane looking for the right house number — in Hermitage.  The party was in Gallatin.  Who knew there were two Shute Lanes?  And just one more piece of helpful advice:  a map of Nashville will do you no good in Atlanta, just saying.

As believers, we sometimes get lost on our spiritual journey.  And sometimes we forget until it’s almost too late that we have an excellent set of directions in the Bible, which contains instructions and directions for everything that we need to know in life. The Bible is so much more than a nice book for our bookshelf or something to carry to church.  The Bible is the perfect resource when we need advice or encouragement.   It can be so much more helpful to intentionally study it to know what it contains so that we know where to look when we have specific questions.  Besides prayer, it’s the most important thing we can do to grow spiritually.  Don’t be too proud to rely on God’s word as the map for your life.

 “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation …” (Psalm 25:4)

Blessings,

Judy

In previous Chaplain’s Corner emails, I have emphasized reading the Bible as the most important thing we can do to grow spiritually besides prayer.  This is because the Bible is God’s Word revealed to us.  You may say, rightly so, that God can speak to us in other ways.  In a recent Daily Hope devotional, Rick Warren wrote that God also speaks to us through teachers and through circumstances.

He writes:  “Have you ever been in a church service and felt like the teacher was delivering a direct message from God to you? There’s no way I or any other teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need. But God knows. So before every service I pray, ‘God, you know the people and the needs out there. Give me the right things to say.’ Somehow, in the way only he can, God uses my teaching and the teaching of other pastors to meet the needs of people who are listening.”  And regarding circumstances, Rick says, “If you’re going to live a life of significance, God has to make constant course corrections, and one way he does that is through the circumstances that come into your life.”

While I agree that God speaks to us through teachers and circumstances, I believe we should always examine the teaching from these resources and circumstances to be sure they align with the Scriptures.  In short, the Bible is the benchmark, the standard by which all other teaching is compared.  Even when we believe that the Holy Spirit it speaking to us, know that the Holy Spirit will never contradict what is in the Bible.  As a disciple committed to spiritual growth and living the abundant life, it is essential to be in the Word, regularly and intentionally, so that we can recognize the truth when we hear it, and the false teachers when we hear them.

• Read your Bible according to a plan
• Participate in Bible Studies
• Meditate on the Scriptures

So, in summary be like the Berean Jews that Luke writes about in the book of Acts, and test everything through God’s Word as written in the Bible.  I am confident that  you will be blessed beyond measure if you do.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalms 119:105)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

Blessings,

Judy