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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"The Promise Of God"
October 27, 2010
I will never leave you or forsake you. That is the promise of God. He
made that promise to Moses and reiterated it to Joshua. In the Christian
Scriptures, Jesus reminds us that this promise is true. As a matter of fact,
as Christians, we believe that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that
promise. He is "Emmanuel", God with us.
The problem is that we often forget the promise or feel we have
misunderstood it when things go wrong. This past week I visited a young
lady who is battling cancer. She is a real sweetheart. At nine years old she
should be playing with dolls and playing outside with her friends. Instead
she is facing an incurable illness and dealing with things that I'm too much
of a baby to handle.
Don't ask me why these things happen? Even the Psalmist, who loved
God with all his heart, wondered why good people have to endure the trials
and tribulations of life. It just doesn't seem right. It bothered him so much
that on several occasions he wondered out loud if God was listening or even
cared. We are not the first ones to ask why God allows innocents to suffer.
Many people try to be nice and make excuses for God. Sometimes we
blame the victim. They must have done something wrong. Ask Job about
that. Do you remember him? There is a book in the Bible that tells his story.
As Job tried to figure out what had gone wrong in his life, his "friends"
suggested he better ask God to forgive him for some terrible thing he had
done. Who needs friends like that?
God never gives Job the answer he was looking for. He simply says,
"Trust me. Don't ask questions about things that you have no
understanding about. I have always been there for you in the past and I will
be there in the future. Trust me."
Sitting in prison, wrongly accused, facing a death sentence, the Apostle
Paul says, "I have learned the secret... I can do all things through Christ
who gives me strength." Paul recognized that although life wasn't always
fair, God was. God would provide the strength he needed for the trials and
the hope he needed to get by.
As I watched this young lady with her friends this week, I saw the hand
of God. He had provided some good people to walk with her and her family
through this dark lonesome valley. I saw the face of God as I looked into
her eyes. She was filled with love and readily sharing it even with a
stranger like me. She understood that this was a day that God had made and
she was going to enjoy all of it.
Maybe if we learned to measure and enjoy our days, we would realize the
gift of God's presence. I've seen it in this girl's smile and I hope I will
remember it when I am feeling lost and forgotten. For God is always with
us. That's his promise. Thank you Jenna, for reminding me.
God bless. Say a prayer for Jenna when you read this. I'll see you in
church. Cal
October 27, 2010
I will never leave you or forsake you. That is the promise of God. He
made that promise to Moses and reiterated it to Joshua. In the Christian
Scriptures, Jesus reminds us that this promise is true. As a matter of fact,
as Christians, we believe that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that
promise. He is "Emmanuel", God with us.
The problem is that we often forget the promise or feel we have
misunderstood it when things go wrong. This past week I visited a young
lady who is battling cancer. She is a real sweetheart. At nine years old she
should be playing with dolls and playing outside with her friends. Instead
she is facing an incurable illness and dealing with things that I'm too much
of a baby to handle.
Don't ask me why these things happen? Even the Psalmist, who loved
God with all his heart, wondered why good people have to endure the trials
and tribulations of life. It just doesn't seem right. It bothered him so much
that on several occasions he wondered out loud if God was listening or even
cared. We are not the first ones to ask why God allows innocents to suffer.
Many people try to be nice and make excuses for God. Sometimes we
blame the victim. They must have done something wrong. Ask Job about
that. Do you remember him? There is a book in the Bible that tells his story.
As Job tried to figure out what had gone wrong in his life, his "friends"
suggested he better ask God to forgive him for some terrible thing he had
done. Who needs friends like that?
God never gives Job the answer he was looking for. He simply says,
"Trust me. Don't ask questions about things that you have no
understanding about. I have always been there for you in the past and I will
be there in the future. Trust me."
Sitting in prison, wrongly accused, facing a death sentence, the Apostle
Paul says, "I have learned the secret... I can do all things through Christ
who gives me strength." Paul recognized that although life wasn't always
fair, God was. God would provide the strength he needed for the trials and
the hope he needed to get by.
As I watched this young lady with her friends this week, I saw the hand
of God. He had provided some good people to walk with her and her family
through this dark lonesome valley. I saw the face of God as I looked into
her eyes. She was filled with love and readily sharing it even with a
stranger like me. She understood that this was a day that God had made and
she was going to enjoy all of it.
Maybe if we learned to measure and enjoy our days, we would realize the
gift of God's presence. I've seen it in this girl's smile and I hope I will
remember it when I am feeling lost and forgotten. For God is always with
us. That's his promise. Thank you Jenna, for reminding me.
God bless. Say a prayer for Jenna when you read this. I'll see you in
church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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