Frank’s Reflections

Details. The small things. The things that work together for our betterment. It is God arranging them one by one for our spiritual growth. Some of the big ones take a long time for everything to be in the right place. Their path may be confusing. A good example would be Joseph, in the book of Genesis. He was going to prison, not knowing it was of God to provide for his family. God is the Master of the details.

Reaching the journey’s end may be long, but achieving it is the goal. 

My thoughts go back to the Ark. The one that took Noah 120 years to build. It was all about details. It was cutting trees, transporting, shaping them, putting them in place, then sealing the Ark inside and out. But the loading of the Ark brings an intriguing observation. How long did it take the two snails to get on board? They were even slower than the two turtles. Yet the Ark did not sail without the snails. God waited for the snails to get on board before He shut the door. 

I guess I’m going around the bush to get to my point. Whatever your station in life is, God has more for you to do. In our society, as goes the old western TV show, it is expected for old people to ride off into the sunset. However, I do not believe that this is God’s desire for us. Each person can do something to advance their area of service for Him. It is all about focus. Passion is the root of pure determination. 

For any tree to grow, it needs nourishment from God and time. If the roots are deep, the tree will stand. Some of the limbs may need trimming, especially the lower ones, but the tree still stands and grows. It provides shade, maybe some fruit. It could be the tree to provide the lumber to build your house. The shelter you will use in the times of storm, cold, or heat. It could be your fortress.

God has protected you and wants to use you. The question is, do you want to be used by God? It is a question all of us must answer. Will we make ourselves available? Or unavailable? Our eternal rewards are a result of our service.

It is all about the small things—the details.

If we keep that perspective in mind, great will be our reward.

What can we do for God? Whatever it is will last for eternity? 

Producing spiritual fruit is all about decision making. Decisions determine the outcome of our lives. We can make some bad decisions. We all do. But did we learn from them? Every wrong decision can be part of our spiritual development if we allow them, even though they may hurt. The best choices are usually the result of learning from our wrong preferences and their consequences because we live with their results.

The foundation of good choices is found primarily in three areas—past experiences, advice, or observations from wise people and biblical examples. Although we cannot predict the outcome of our choices, we are sure the results will be better. The self-control of our thoughts lends themselves to the wisdom of sound decisions. 

The word for self-control in the Bible only appears in three verses in the New Testament. Each of them commands a thoughtful decision. 

Paul, now a prisoner, is standing before Felix, one of the Roman authorities in Israel (Acts 24). Felix has the power to release Paul from the false accusations of the hypocritical Jewish leaders. Felix, along with his Jewish wife, Drusilla, hear Paul’s subject matter concerning Christ. Because of this message, Felix was under conviction. In his heart, he was reasoning about righteousness and self-control (verse 25). Instead of accepting Christ, he chose to send Paul away. The Bible does not record Felix ever accepting Christ as his Redeemer. 

The second place in scripture that self-control is mentioned concerns the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22,23. It is the last of nine fruits listed. Self-control is the evidence of the other eight-character traits in action. Without the ability to restrain our emotions and practices, we are inconsistent in our Christian walk. A consistent mindset stabilizes our character. 

All of us struggle with self-control to some degree. It is an ongoing effort in our lives. Determination and effort on our part will help each of us to improve our service for the Lord.

Honesty is a struggle for all of us. It started when we were young. We learned how to lie as soon as we could talk. As the years progressed, we became better at it. That character trait followed us into our teenage years and on into our young adulthood. Somewhere along the way, most of the blatant lies disappeared. They became half-truths. What we said was the truth but not the whole truth. We justified ourselves by telling ourselves we didn’t lie, but we left off some critical details. Those missing details of information change the meaning of the real events. They gave the perception of one thing, but it wasn’t exactly the way it happened.

By now, some of you are thinking all that changed when I asked Jesus into my heart. Salvation does change our eternal destination and character. However, we live inside our flesh, and it has weaknesses. 

The fear of man is still with us. So, when we are in a bind, self-preservation supersedes the truth. We do not demonstrate total honesty because we do not want to ruin our perceived reputation. 

All of us are weak in our human body. Most of us desire to be respected. Because of that human trait, we do whatever it seems necessary to protect our sense of value. The problem is we are not as strong as we would like to be. We need help—God’s help.

We even struggle with being honest with the Lord. We all have this in common in our lives. We may not want to admit it, but it’s there. The problem, with not being honest with God, is that He knows all the truth about us. Because He knows the truth already, we may as well be open with Him. Admit our faults and weaknesses. Ask for His help. If He reminds you of some of your unconfessed sins, stop and ask for forgiveness of them. It is a step forward in our character building of being honest with God. Our Lord honors honesty.

Our journey through life stands, stumbles, or falls, on the sound principles of life. You are human, and this character development is a continual process of life. There will be times when we think we are honest by not telling lies. Silence, sometimes, is our shield for keeping those dishonest principles from the public. Outward calm still does not stop the convicting power of God. Remember who lives inside of you—the Holy Spirit. He knows the thought and the intent of every believer’s heart. So be honest with God and yourself.

Resurrection is an expectation for the saint of God. It is not a false hope. It is one of our great joys. Believers in the Lord’s time also knew the doctrine of the resurrection. So many believers knew someone who had experienced a renewed life. 

The gospels record four resurrections before our Lord. Jesus and disciples were going to the village of Nain. Upon arriving, they observed a funeral procession of a widow’s only son. The circumstances deeply touched the Lord. Jesus approached the open coffin and told the deceased to get up. The young man was then presented alive to the grieving widow (Luke 7:11-15). 

Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his 12-year-old daughter. While on the way, word came that the daughter had died. The Lord told the father, “only believe, and she will be well” (Luke 8:50 NKJV). Arriving at the house, Jesus, the girl’s parents and three disciples entered the young girl’s room. The Lord held the girl’s hand and said get up, which she did ( Luke 8:40-56). 

The third incident was Jesus’ friend Lazarus. He was sick when Jesus received word. The Lord waited before going to see His friend. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was in his grave for four days. Approaching the grave site, Jesus wept for His friend. The Lord prayed that the audience would know that God had sent Him to Israel, and then Jesus spoke to Lazarus to come forth out of the grave, and stood before them (John 11). 

When Jesus died on the cross, many of the dead believers were resurrected . Their witness in Jerusalem was one more proof of the reality of a resurrection.

The Pharisees who consented to the Lord’s crucifixion knew the Lord said He would appear after His death. They thought the disciples would come and steal the Lord’s body. To prevent this, the Pharisees asked Pilate to put guards at the Lord’s tomb. He refused and told the Pharisees to set their guards there.

The most significant resurrection of history had four different validation experiences: Mary Magdalene and Mary (Matthew 28:1); the two on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-25); the disciples (John 20:19, 20) and 500 plus believers (I Corinthians 15:6). 

The resurrection of our Savior is the most paramount event in history. Without the resurrection, our belief in God is worthless. Our Lord Jesus Christ purchased our salvation on Calvary’s cross by the shedding of His blood for the world.

Being pushed out into the cold without a coat can be a chilling experience. It may not be the winter season, but the occasion will send cold chills through you. The push outside was unexpected and hearing the door slam behind you has a vibrating memory. That memory plays in your mind over and over. You will never enter those doors again. 

The hurt did not leave broken bones or sprains or visible bruises. But the unseen pain is still there. In time, the pain and the memories will fade. A new door of opportunity stands before you. An opportunity that you would have never tried in your past. God has used the circumstances of life to get you to this place. A scary one; however, one where you have never ventured before. 

The all-knowing God has placed you on a new porch. A newly developed opportunity is right in front of you. It is there because God allowed the past to happen to you. The events of your history now seem like a fading stream of vapor. It arose and then disappeared. It made you stronger, wiser, and more tenderhearted.

The new addition to your heart has comforted you. It helped you to sleep better at night, giving you a contagious freshness and vitality. Others wonder what happened to you. The outpouring of goodness from your heart is invigorating, even infectious.

The past hurt that seemed so wrong has helped you to be in a place of peace, soul-enriching peace, that you would have never known unless you heard the slamming of the door behind you. Now you’re off to the new horizon in front of you. Do not be afraid to open the new door that God has placed before you.

Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You
“You Are Mine”

Song by David Haas

“A man’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand. I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging bread. He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing” (Psalms 37: 23-26 HCSB).

Those words are a comfort to many. They are reassuring. It doesn’t make any difference whether the circumstances are great or small.

Everything that happens in our lives has a purpose. It is up to us to figure out why. One thing is sure, He is there with us—every step of the way. 

Now that I am old, according to my daughter, I need to be more cautious. Even though I think I am, I know that God is protecting me. He has in the past, present, and will in the future. One of the big things we tend to forget is that the Lord is always with His children. It doesn’t make any difference whether His family realizes it or not; God is faithful and true to His word all the time.

The book of James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5 NIV).

Trials produce patience, and patience enhances wisdom. Trials have a way of developing more faith in God. It is that faith that enables the child of God to please Him (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Whether times are good or not, God is always with us. Prayer is our way of communicating with Him. It does little good for believers to take a long walk with a companion, and not talk to each other. Our Christian walk needs not only companionship but also conversation. So, let’s talk with God and follow His instructions.

Do you really believe this title? Many will answer no. But I do believe He is in charge of everything. All things do work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). That is a hard verse for some to understand and that includes me. When circumstances are unexplainable, beyond our reasoning ability, that’s the Bible reference for me to claim.

When finances go awry, sickness comes, huge disagreements are had with someone and the list goes on and on, how do you go on? Some just put on their shoes and start walking. Others want to analyze everything. Then, there are a few who give up. Hopefully, some will pray and wait for the Lord to answer BEFORE doing anything. Prayer helps, especially in times of tumult.

Not only can prayer help, but also reading your Bible. I can remember years ago in my spiritual immaturity, the situation demanded an answer that I didn’t have. So, I prayed a short prayer and asked God to show me His will. I picked up my Bible and just randomly opened it up and looked on the open page for His answer. There it was—a verse—that was the solution. That was the first and only time I sought His response in that way. I would not recommend it for everyone, but it worked for me that time. Since then, I wait for the Lord to work things out in His timing.

Whatever your situation, let God be in charge. The Lord knows best. He also knows the timetable in which to work. I have found repeatedly, He knows what and when to do His work so that He gets the credit for His work. That is an important lesson for each of His children to learn regardless of our age.

Interestingly, God has revealed to my heart He knows what He is doing no matter what I think. The big word omniscience (my definition—He knows everything) brings an expanded understanding to my little brain. Learning by faith to trust Him is a great thing to practice. I hope you can trust Him more.

These questions will arise if you sit still long enough to consider the future. How does my future look? Will I get sick? Will I run out of food? How will the bills be paid? Some serious questions with just a few answers. 

Uncertainty is the word for the day. What to do is the question. The instructions to students, workers, and everybody in between is to stay home. Most are complying. Some are not. Specific vocations are essential—health care is an example. As the situation goes from bad to anxiety-driven, people are getting more concerned. 

The previous questions will call some to look to the Lord for answers. There will be many who will get serious about talking to Him to supply the items of need. 

There can be a great peace over those who walk with the Lord. Their quiet dependence and trust will appear strange to others. The silent assurance that God is in control will be misunderstood by many. The Psalmist says, “I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or His children begging for bread” (37:25 CSB). That sounds pious to many, but it is the reality of the power of prayer. That makes this real. Trust in God is faith in action. God always does what is best for His children. Yet many times, most of us misunderstand His actions entirely. 

What is the purpose of life’s events? The ultimate objective is to bring glory to God. 

Circumstances happen, and the timing of the Lord intends to assist people in their spiritual walk and for others to start a personal journey with Him.

When the events of life are totally beyond being understood, this verse comes to mind. It’s how I settle things in my heart. The verse states, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 CSB). This verse has settled issues in my heart when I want to ask why? All I know is the ways of the Lord are beyond my limitations and abilities. 

So, in times of uncertainty, all we can do is trust Him to work everything out according to His ability.

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God is in the business of causing mankind to see the impossible. To see what is not yet. Seeing requires faith. Faith, not in things or people, but God. The belief that God can do the impossible is necessary. 

To build our faith, believers need to look to the Bible for confirmation. Some do not believe that God still performs miracles today. They believe miracles do not happen today, probably because they have never had the faith to believe God answers prayer. Asking God to intercede in the events of life requires faith. Trusting God to alter the routine procedures of life requires a developing relationship with Him. 

One doesn’t need to be a famous person to see divine intervention. An unnamed man was cutting wood with a borrowed ax. Somehow the ax head flew off the handle into the Jordan River. The young servant was devastated. So, the man of God threw a stick into the river, and the ax head floated to the top where the young man retrieved it. 

Also, in the same chapter of II Kings 6, the Syrian army had surrounded the village of Dothan overnight to where Elisha resided. When his servant went out the next morning, all he saw was the vast army surrounding their village. He was scared. So, Elisha prayed that the young man would see God’s chariots of fire protecting the town. He saw the Chariots of Fire.

Jonah’s background was unknown until the Lord told him to go to Nineveh to share the good news. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because of their reputation. Their ungodly, evil living and cruelty were notorious. Jonah couldn’t see their spiritual turn-around. All he could see was the present harmful condition. Even later, the conversion of 120,000 people didn’t make Jonah happy in the Lord.

If we try and honestly put forth the effort, God will not hold us accountable for their demise. But for trying, God will reward every effort on our part. Galatians 6:9 (HCSB) tells us, “We must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” What an encouragement. We need to remind ourselves. Maybe even place a note in a prominent place to remind us often of God’s provision.

The New Testament tells us to look at the harvest fields of souls needing a relationship with Jesus. In Matthew 9:37, Luke 10:2, and John 4:35, it appears by the present spiritual condition of God’s children, no attempt to harvest the world will happen. Is it because we cannot see? Do not care? Refuse to try to obtain what God has put in front of us?

Do we still believe in the impossible? Do we trust the Bible? Our answer is yes. So, we do understand God can use us. Then we need to put our feet to our belief and trust him to do the impossible.