“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)
Time-Warner Cable has an ad on Pandora saying, “We’ll send you out ready for your day!” The ad refers to giving you the latest news, weather, and traffic reports. I have thought about that since hearing it during some of my morning workouts.
What truly prepares us for the day ahead? Is it knowing what has been happening in the world overnight, what the weather is going to be, or how congested the morning rush hour is? I suppose this information could be of some help, but I doubt it is enough or the appropriate information to send you out ready to face whatever is ahead.
Part of the problem is this information doesn’t do anything about yesterday. It doesn’t resolve the conflict we had with a friend. It doesn’t remove the regret of a poor decision. And it doesn’t change our present circumstances if they are less than favorable.
The writer of Lamentations was in a bad place. Before his eyes, his beloved Jerusalem, the Holy City of God, was being destroyed by the sin of its people. When he woke up each morning, the latest information was not going to change that. Sleep is a great escape from our troubles, but when we awake in the morning, we are faced with them once again.
But the lamenting writer found comfort in the timeless news of the Lord’s mercies (or compassions, as the NIV translates it). They are new every morning! So no matter what you experience the day before and what awaits you when you wake up, His mercies are right there as well.
In my life, I’ve had quite a few nights where sleep brought escape from my troubles, but reality was waiting for me in the morning. After my mother passed away when I was in grad school, this passage brought me great hope and comfort. And it has in times since when I have found life almost too hard to bear. Instead of being consumed with my troubles, the hope in the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness has kept me going.
This morning, if you are waking up to the troubles that are carrying over from yesterday, know the Lord is providing you what you need to be ready for your day—His mercies, which are new every morning.
© Jim Musser 2016
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?’ My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42 NIV)
We all have them. They may change over time, but, in some form or other, they will be ever present with us. I’m referring to those things that create stress for us. I call them stress points. Working with college students, it is easy to identify at least three of their stress points—school, relationships, and the future. Every semester of every year, these three are predominant in causing stress for students. And they often mistakenly think that once they have finished school, their stress points will lessen or disappear altogether. If it were only so.
But those of us who are living life with school in the rearview mirror know this is a myth that only has legs on college campuses. We know from experience that the stresses of life typically increase rather than decrease. Financial pressures from student loan debt and just the demands of living life. Expectations of employers. The pressures that accompany marriage and having a family. Caring for aging parents. The list goes on and on. The reality is for all of us that life is stressful and, at times, overwhelmingly so.
The Psalmist, it seems, was experiencing the latter. The circumstances of his life were pulling him down. He believed in and trusted the Lord, but at the same time he was struggling to keep the faith and remain hopeful. He reminds himself of the faithfulness of God, not once, not twice, but three times. In the situation he finds himself, faith does not come easily. In fact, he is willing himself to believe, to trust, and to remain hopeful.
I find this very encouraging because I struggle with the same thing. In times of great stress, I can find myself overwhelmed and my faith in the Lord weakened. But in those times, I have tried to follow the Psalmist’s lead and not let my anxiety overwhelm me even if the circumstances of my life are doing just that. Rather, I try to remind myself (sometimes out loud) of God’s faithfulness and provision. But, as with the Psalmist, it is often a mighty struggle. And that should not be a surprise or a discouragement. Our flesh is weak and we have an Enemy who seeks to steal our joy. Life trusting the Lord will be a battle and we should expect nothing less. Yet, we have the promise of the Lord that if we trust in Him, we can overcome whatever stress we face in this world.
Today, or in the future, if you are feeling overwhelmed by life, take a lesson from the Psalmist. Will yourself to trust the Lord. He will help you overcome whatever you are facing.
© Jim Musser 2016
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13 NIV)
While I was working on my master’s degree in counseling, I worked one semester as a teaching assistant and taught my own class. It was a freshman-level class for students interested in exploring career options. As with all classes, there were projects and papers. I thought I did a decent job, but I was demanding.
At the end of the semester, the students filled out the required class evaluation forms and my supervising professor warned that students are often very negative in their critiques. When he handed me the stack of forms, he said, “Don’t take these personally.” Well over half said something like this: “Jim is a nice man, but…” and what would follow were their criticisms of how tough and demanding I was.
I was thinking about this the other day after hearing a student criticize another ministry. “They’re okay, but….” I admit saying similar things sometimes about people, ministries or situations. However, what I am also learning is grace is the bridge over the “but….”
None of us is perfect. We all have our flaws, idiosyncrasies, and shortcomings. In other words, we all need to be on the receiving end of grace. Since that is the case, Paul says, we should be quick to extend grace to others when their imperfections irritate us or even offend us. It is so easy, perhaps even natural, for us to descend into the valley of criticism, but recognizing our own need for grace can help us to take the bridge instead.
This is not to say we are to ignore people’s shortcomings. In fact, “bear with” implies a full knowledge and experience with imperfect people. Yet, despite the imperfections, we are to continue to love and accept our brothers and sisters. We are to take the bridge instead of going into the valley, remembering the words of Jesus, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV)
Today, as you interact with fellow believers and encounter their shortcomings, remember the bridge of grace is always the best path to take.
© Jim Musser 2016
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NIV)
My wife and I were walking around a nearby lake, a popular spot for both tourists and locals, when we saw this huge turtle going for a late afternoon swim. As we were watching it and marveling at its size, a mother and teenage daughter walked by. The mother, seeing us staring at something, turned to see what we were looking at. “Is that a turtle?” she asked. We confirmed her suspicions. Then she turned to her daughter, “Look at that turtle!” The girl didn’t say anything, but continued to walk and to stare at her phone. The mother tried again, “Did you see the turtle?” The girl, annoyed by her mother’s insistence, continued to stare at her phone and explained, “I’m trying to send a text, and, no, I didn’t see the turtle.” As they continued to follow the trail out of our sight, the girl never took her eyes away from her phone.
Some would say this is a modern-day phenomenon and a sign of the times, but people for a very long time have found it alluring to focus on things other than God’s creation. The phone and computer screens are only the latest distractions. Before that there were (and still are) television, radio, record players, newspapers, movies, books, games, etc. that have captivated our attention to the exclusion of what God has created. It seems our bent to be easily distracted by that created by humans and drawn away from that created by God.
Many years ago, I remember meeting some young men at a youth ranch in southeastern Kansas. They were from big East Coast cities and when I asked them what they thought of Kansas, they told me the dark and the silence of the prairie had frightened them initially. All their lives, they had lived amidst artificial noise and light, never traveling beyond the confines of the city. The countryside was a foreign and uncomfortable place for them until they grew accustomed to it. But then, they told me, they grew to enjoy it and embrace it as a place to more clearly see the awesomeness of God.
I live in a beautiful place that is a destination for many to experience the grandness of the forests and the mountains, and to breathe in the cool, fresh mountain air. But even so, I find I have to be intentional to break free from the distractions of the screens to take in what is around me, which, importantly, doesn’t just include the mountains, but also the people who the Lord also created. The allure of my devices created by humans is always seeking to divert my attention away from all He has created.
Today, consider how much attention you devote to your screens or other human-made things that allure you away from that which the Lord has created for you to enjoy. If He made them for your pleasure, then you are missing out on some wonderful blessings if you allow yourself to be allured away by other things.
© Jim Musser 2016
“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.” (Ezekiel 23:14-21 NIV)
I don’t know how it happened. I admit Ezekiel is not a book that I have spent a lot of time reading over my years as a follower of Jesus, but I have read it, a number of times. But when I read this passage a few days ago, it didn’t sound familiar. I wondered how could I have glossed over previously this little nugget—“there she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses”?! I was once again reminded how earthy and direct the Lord’s language can be.
Often I think we consider God some kind of cosmic prude, who is uncomfortable with the ways of the world with which we are so familiar. We can’t envision Him speaking in the type of coarse language we might use. Perhaps this passage can put an end to this sort of thinking.
The Lord seems to speak in such direct terms when idolatry is at issue. In this case, Israel longed to be like other nations. They had sought to form an alliance with Assyria, and when the terms proved too demanding, they then turned to Egypt. Both nations had their own gods and evil practices, such as sacrificing children. Israel turned her eyes away from the Lord and lusted for attention from these nations.
Have you ever been in a relationship where your deep devotion has been betrayed? If so, like me, you know the deep hurt that results. This was the position the Lord was in with Israel. He had shown her deep devotion, rescuing her from slavery in Egypt, providing her with her own land and blessing her with material wealth and worldly stature. Yet, she spurned His devotion out of lust for another. This is a love story gone bad, and God revealed His broken heart in the most graphic language.
We live in a different time now. God no longer makes covenants with nations, but with individuals. But His heart is no less devoted. He longs for us to have an exclusive relationship with Him. Yet, there are others lurking about who threaten the relationship, things in this life that seek to stir up our lust and to steal our devotion to the Lord.
Today, consider if there are individuals or things in your life that you are lusting after, which are drawing you away from the Lord. The graphic language He uses in reference to Israel’s betrayal can give you a sense of how deep His devotion is to you and how hurt He is when it is spurned for something else.
© Jim Musser 2016
“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 NIV)
Most of us are experienced in self-condemnation. Even those of us who appear self-confident on the outside, have no problem berating ourselves from within. Recently, I was talking with a student who does just that. It is a habit and it has been long established.
Our Enemy is known as the accuser. The thoughts in our head—“You’re no good;” “You’re unworthy;” “You’re so stupid;” “You’re a hypocrite.”—come directly from him. He wants to fill our minds with accusations, all of which, if we are followers of Jesus, are false. This is his game and he plays it oh so well.
So many of us struggle with our self-worth. Our minds are filled with the accusations cited above or ones similar. And the way we often handle them plays right into the Enemy’s hands. He wants us to continually doubt our worth in order to tempt us to resign ourselves to a life with no hope. If we are not worth much, why have hope, why try?
I have met many students like this over my years on campus. They embrace the accusations in their heads and live accordingly. They either reject God outright, spend their energy trying to prove their worth, or live in a perpetual state of guilt.
If this is you, then look at this passage, print it out and put it on the bathroom mirror, have it on a card and carry it with you wherever you go, or just memorize it. In whatever way will work, get these words into your head and into your heart. IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, YOU ARE NOT CONDEMNED! And then REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT every time an accusation comes into your mind.
The truth is the Accuser is telling you lies. He condemns you and wants you to condemn yourself. And, likely, that is what you are doing. But here is a question for you: If the God of the Universe and your Creator doesn’t condemn you, what right do you have to condemn yourself?
Today, when the accusations come and you are tempted to believe them, repeat these words: I am a child of God and loved by Him. Because I am in Christ, He does not condemn me. If you are a follower of Jesus, no truer words can ever be spoken.
© Jim Musser 2016
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 NIV)
Before you start reading this, go back and read these words from James again. Find anything surprising, or even astounding? How about (this is my paraphrase), “Consider it a joyful privilege when you have to endure various trials…”
Let’s think about that for a minute. So James is saying when you have a difficult roommate situation, you should be joyful. When you are out of a job, you should embrace the situation. When you suffer a great loss, your grief should be enveloped by a greater joy. Any trial or difficulty, in other words, should be welcomed with an attitude of hope and resolve.
In my life of faith, I have encountered numerous trials of significance—including the deaths of my parents while in my 20’s and abandonment by my first wife—and I learned a lot from those experiences, but I can’t say that, at the time I was going through them, I embraced them with joy. Yet, looking back at those experiences, I can see James’ perspective. I do find joy in what I learned and the spiritual growth that came as a result. In fact, I have grown more during the trials of my life than at any other time. And that, I believe, is the point James is making.
We should embrace trials in our lives because it is during those times when the Lord can do His most significant transforming work. His goal is to make us mature and complete. The difficulties that we face in our lives help to achieve that goal.
Today, if you are facing a difficult time in your life, don’t seek to run away from it or become embittered. Instead, embrace it with joy as an experience God will use to help you mature in your faith.
© Jim Musser 2016
