Double Trouble

Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!

– 1 Samuel 12:16

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard those great words of wisdom found in Matthew’s gospel. Aren’t they just as relevant and reassuring to his

followers today? Log onto the Web or turn on the TV, and just try to avoid the never-ending news coverage of COVID-19, social unrest and the economy. And that’s not to mention the turmoil found in every other nation of the world.

The point is that there’s trouble everywhere. And there’s no escape — even when your TV is off and you’ve pushed yourself away from the Internet. For some people, trouble comes in the form of a job loss or layoff. For others, it’s an illness or the prospect of major surgery. Or maybe your problem involves family or relationship issues such as a divorce or the loss of a loved one. Everyone faces trouble, and their obstacles are significant.

Under such gloomy circumstances, it’s good to know that we worship a God who’s much greater than any pandemic, economic difficulty or international dispute. Ours is a loving Creator who literally spoke the universe into existence, formed great mountain ranges with his hands and parted the seas with a breath.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Let’s take God at his Word when he tells us that through all things in life, he works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. We’re not immune from trouble once we turn our lives over to Jesus and become Christ-followers. But we do gain access to a Power that helps us endure any difficulty — great or small. Likewise, we also become the beneficiaries of an eternal inheritance of a magnitude that will make our current troubles fade into oblivion. The barriers and sorrows that seem so great today will become laughably insignificant tomorrow.

With that in mind, let’s consider these timeless words of assurance from Jesus:

“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.”

Troubles are indeed all around us. But when everything seems to be falling to pieces, the truth is that the pieces are falling in place.

Worth Our Salt

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

– Zechariah 14:8-9

There’s a good reason it’s called the Dead Sea.

Super-high salinity levels — about four times higher than those found in most oceans — make it impossible for fish or aquatic plants and live in its balmy waters. In fact, the Dead Sea (actually a 34-mile-long lake) is so salty that you can float in it without trying. You can actually recline in its waters and read a book!

The explanation for this anomaly is that the Dead Sea is one of the lowest points on earth. Situated about 1,300 feet below sea level between Israel and Jordan, the lake accepts

fresh water from the Jordan River. But since there’s no outlet for the flow to proceed, the Dead Sea’s moisture evaporates quickly in the heat. This renders tons of salt and mineral deposits in the water and on the shoreline, but certainly no life.

This is a fitting illustration of too many people. Like the Dead Sea receiving the sweet waters of the Jordan River, they too receive the goodness of God’s abundant blessings. However, nothing comes from it. Rather than delivering life to their neighbors and communities, these fruitless individuals retain their gifts and stagnate like the killing waters of the salty lake.

But that’s not the way God wants it for Christ-followers. He continues to bless us through our skills, incomes and life experiences. And he wants us to bear spiritual fruit expressed by love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We’re called to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet by giving back, blessing others and showing love in action.

There are plenty of ways to do that, such as by supporting the church financially with the first part of our income. It’s by giving that we reject materialism and acknowledge the true source of our blessings. Meanwhile, we should use our skills, talents (and sometimes sweat) to promote Jesus’ message of salvation and advance his Kingdom. This, too, can come in many forms — from distributing food to the homeless to babysitting a neighbor’s child to helping repair a shut-in’s home. Of course, giving back isn’t about promoting ourselves to the world and making a show of how supposedly good we are. It’s instead about letting our neighbors taste the fresh waters of God’s blessings.

There are lots of thirsty people out there parched by the heat of life’s pitfalls and disappointments. As Christ-followers, it’s up to us to offer them refreshment through living faith in Jesus. Let's therefore embrace this simple assurance from our Master found in John's gospel:

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Jesus Take the Wheel

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

– Matthew 5:22 

Comedian George Carlin once observed that an idiot is anyone on the highway who's driving slower than you. A maniac, on the other hand, is anyone who passes you in traffic.

Although Carlin's commentary was tongue-in-cheek, many people actually act out these same perceptions through road rage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines road rage as an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle, or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.

Road rage experts say the most obvious form of this criminal offense is aggressive and excessive speeding — particularly on congested highways or in bad weather.

Causes include increased congestion on the roadways, running late (too many obligations), increased levels of intra- and interpersonal stress, and the need to "save face" and overcome feelings of being disrespected by another driver. Most telling, however, is that the NHTSA also identifies chronic or pathological anger as a leading cause of this disturbing phenomenon.

Maybe that's not too surprising. After all, anger is one of mankind's earliest and strongest emotions. And it even played itself out within the first few chapters of the Bible in the form of the world's first murder. 

We couldn't control our anger back then in a quiet, agrarian setting, and we still can't today on our hectic, traffic-snarled highways. However, Christ-followers are called to a much higher standard. In fact, gentleness is one flavor of the Fruit of the Spirit that proves God is living through us. But note that gentleness isn't another word for wimpiness. Jesus was gentle — but he was hardly a wimp. Instead, biblical gentleness is the transformation of our innate anger into the power to do God's will in the world. Gentleness is therefore power focused on the positive.   

If you're a Christ-follower who's still a bit of a road warrior, take heart. The transformation from our old self into a new creation is a work in progress that's on God's timetable. It's a change that takes place bit by bit and day after day along our faith journey. But the problem is that the journey's pathway is narrow, twisting and full of unexpected hairpin curves. And when we don't keep our eyes on the final destination, we tend to end up in the ditch.

Jesus told his disciples to expect some bumps and potholes. "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come," he explained. "But woe to that person through whom they come."

Road rage is one of those obstacles of sin. But the good news is that we're free from sin's power, and we don't have to accept its dominance in our lives. It all comes down to our ultimate trust and dependence on Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. So when we slip up and give in to temptation and bad habits on the highway — or anywhere else — we can freely ask for help from the One who has already paid the ultimate price for all our mistakes: past, present and future.

With that in mind, let's take singer Carrie Underwood's advice and let Jesus take the wheel.

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart," invites the Savior, "and you will find rest for your souls."

Saying Yes to God

“Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. "God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won't sin."

– Exodus 20:20

It’s said that the admonition “Fear not” appears in the Bible 365 times: one for every day of the year. But even Christ-followers are afraid of one thing or another. In fact, it’s safe to say that many of them — or perhaps even most — are afraid of saying yes to God.

Why is that? One problem is that we too often think of our Lord as a

cosmic consultant who offers well-intentioned suggestions rather than the all-knowing Creator who made us, loves us and wants only the best for us. When we get down to it, saying no to God is perhaps the most basic definition of sin. And mankind has been doing just that since the very earliest days of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

We know in our heads and our hearts that God loves us. In fact, he loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross to pay for our many failures in life. So with this in mind, why would anyone be afraid to say yes to the Lord?

Let’s consider that saying no and playing it safe is a basic human instinct. On the other hand, fleeing from danger (real or perceived) is logical when we consider our innate desire for self-preservation. We also can say no to God when he calls us to do something that’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. And that seems to be more often than not. Maybe it’s his call to help a neighbor who’s between jobs, drive a shut-in to the grocery store or talk with a co-worker who’s approaching a spiritual crossroads. Taking that first step can be awkward, difficult -- and sometimes scary.

But maybe selfishness is the biggest reason so many people are afraid to say yes to God. After all, agreeing with God often means we’re saying no to us. But be forewarned: When we turn our back to God, we need to prepare for a certain level of spiritual storminess and turmoil. God knows what he wants and how he wants to do it. So we shouldn’t be surprised when we find ourselves in a much worse situation after our refusal. As the saying goes, sometimes we need to feel the heat before we can see the light.

Are you afraid to say yes to God? You’re not alone. And he’d like to talk with you about it.

“But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart,” we read in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. “Consider what great things he has done for you.”

2020 is already halfway over. Let’s resolve to make the most of its remaining opportunities by stepping out in faith and saying yes to God.