2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Part 2

The Outer Self Is Wasting Away - The Inner Self Is Being Renewed

When you see the word "therefore" you should stop and ask, "What is it there for?" The therefore at the beginning of verse 16 points back to that which comes before it; to the promise of our resurrection and the extension of grace to us. With our faith established in Jesus Christ we are not to lose heart but to endure the hardships being experienced. We look at ourselves and we see bodies that are wasting away for various reasons. Maybe it is simply from the process of living, as here in the west, or maybe it is from the abuse it receives from persecution, form the effects of war or natural disasters, etc. If we have been born again we are a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), which God is conforming into the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). So as the outer self waists away the inner self, the new creature in Christ, is renewed day by day as we nourish it from the Word and time with the Lord. Christianity is not about safety, security and comfort, but is a state of daily being crucified with Christ to allow him to live in and through us.

Prayer

Father, life can be so difficult for so many; difficulties caused by such things as relationships, physical, mental or emotional issues, financial or job issues, and persecution for various reasons and in various degrees of intensity. From various forms of abuse or the process of ageing, the physical body is revealing its sentence of death. How thankful I am for the living hope I have in Jesus Christ; for the new creation within me that is being renewed that will live on for ever. It is my prayer that you have been born again and are being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18 Part 1

Reading through these verses carefully one notices three comparisons:1) Outer self is wasting away - the inner self is being renewed; 2) Light momentary afflictions now - eternal weight of glory later on; 3) Things seen are transient - things unseen are eternal. It is clear these verses do not describe a state of comfort, but one of suffering and if care is not taken could result in the lose of heart, or simply giving up or giving in. Because of our wealth in the west we can secure a rather high level of comfort under most circumstances, but this is not so for one facing persecution in other countries. Sacrificing everything for their faith, being driven away as a refuge, tortured or imprisoned are examples of conditions feared or experienced by many.

This is the first of a four part series. We will devote a lesson to each of the three comparisons given above.

Prayer 

Father, I pray this study will be an encouragement for the one going through a difficult time. Jesus suffered greatly for us with joy, to secure an eternal relationship with us. Father, provide encouragement and endurance for those who are now suffering; fill their hearts with your love that they would experience joy, peace, and be able to show patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Father, have mercy on them and extend an extra measure of grace to them as they seek your face through this time of darkness.

Does God Have Needs - Bible Study

Does God Have Any Needs?

Several weeks ago I posted an entry describing a card I give to people I meet. In that post I pointed out that our primary need is our salvation. At the end of that post I asked the question, "Does God have any needs that he looks to us to meet?" Before answering that question, 13 additional post were made in which we considered the words: anxiety, blessing, calling, gifts, humble, love, praise, seeking, service, singing, thanks, waiting and worship. Each one of those words establish a connection between us and God. I wanted us to consider if any of these words established a need that God had that we could meet.

In reality, for God to be God he needs nothing outside of himself because there is nothing outside of him. Therefore, we might conclude that he has no needs that we can meet, but before we write off this study as unimportant, let us reduce the idea of need to that of desire and ask the question, "Why did God create humans in his image?"

God created us in his image, not because he needed us, but because we were part of his eternal plan. He wanted a people he could love, enjoy and provide for. He loved us so much he was willing to sacrifice his Son to provide our salvation and then to work with us as his children in the process of conforming us into the image of his Son. That is where the words given below and developed in previous posts fit in. They relate to our growth in Christ-likeness and our learning about God. All of this is happening, not because God needs us, because he desires us to lavish his love on.

Summary of Words Previously Covered

Each word is a link to the previous post for that word. The main verse(s) to the right of the word is a link to the given Scripture in three translations.The comment is more meaningful if you first click on the verse link to establish the context.

Anxiety		1 Peter 5:6 - 7
	When we are anxious God instructs us to humble ourselves under his mighty hand, casting all of our anxieties on him because he cares for us. God knows of our needs and desires to provide for us.
Blessing		Psalm 103:1 - 2
	As part of our life we are to bless the Lord and not forget all his benefits we receive from him. He gives to meet our needs and we are to bless his back.
Calling		Jeremiah 33:3
	Do you want to know God; to know things about God; to know of his love and provision for us, then we are to call on him and he will reveal great and hidden things to us.
Gifts		Deuteronomy 16:17
	The Lord our God is so generous toward us, even to the point of sacrificing his only Son for us. As an expression of our love for him we should give back to him as we are able, according to his blessing to us.
Humble		James 4:10
	Pride stands in opposition to God, thus it is wise that we humble ourselves before the Lord and if we do then in his time and under the right circumstances he will exalt us.
Love		Deuteronomy 6:5
	There are so many things we might desire to love, but he knows what is best for us and instructs us to love him with all of our heart, soul and might.
Praise		Psalm 150:1 - 2
	We will find God in his sanctuary and in his mighty heavens. We are to focus our attention there and praise him for his mighty deeds and his excellent greatness.
Seeking		Psalm 105:4
	Because of our fallen nature there is a veil between us and the Lord, which varies in transparence depending on how we live. As a result, we need to continually, intentionally and in his strength, seek him and his presence.
Service		Psalm 100:2
	“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8 – 10 ESV). Part of our service to the Lord is to do those good works and to do them with gladness.
Singing		Psalm 149:1
	We are to gather together with other godly people to sing praise to the Lord. Just as we form prayers with our words we are to put words together to form new songs of praise.
Thanks		Psalm 136:1
	If we are truly walking with the Lord, we will experience him in a great variety of daily situations and as we do we will find that he is good. We need to stop and think of what life would be like without him and thank him for his goodness toward us.
Waiting		Psalm 27:14
	In this western culture it is difficult to be still when life seems to be falling apart around us, but the Lord has things in control. We need to heed his instruction to be strong in him and let our hearts take courage as we wait for the Lord to provide in his time and in his way.
Worship		Psalm 95:6 - 7
	How important it is to take time and come to Him to worship. Let us bow down before our God and kneel before the Lord our maker. He wants to provide us with so much if only we would turn from our friendship with the world and enjoy him.

John 6:38

Jesus came down to earth from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of his Father. If the Son of God was obedient to do the work assigned to him then consider Ephesians 2:10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (ESV). We were created in Christ Jesus for a purpose; not to do our own will, but that assigned by our Father. Jesus enforces this when he said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19 ESV). We were chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1-3 NASB). The western culture provides so many distractions that if we are not intentional we will slip into living for ourselves and not for the one who chose us for a kingdom assignment. It is my prayer that when I stand before My Father one day that I will hear him say, "Well done my son." How about you?

Prayer

Father, what I have written is not a popular subject because in our western culture the world has many things to offer that provide pleasure, comfort, safety, security, self worth and the list goes on. A serious commitment to do assigned work joyfully may threaten the things we hold onto in the above list. Father, I have found doing the assigned work has resulted in a career in a Christian ministry, Bible teaching in China, ministry opportunities in different parts of the world, life group and Bible study leading, research and study needed for the support of two Christian blogs to list some of the bigger items. Father, having lived just a few months short of 80 years, I do not regret the time spent doing this work and will continue, if possible, until the day I go to heaven. The blessing has been tremendous. The people I have spent time with and the experiences I have had have been amazing. Thank you for your guidance and our relationship. 

43158 Jeremiah 17:7 - 8

The person who trusts in the Lord is one that lives in continual obedience to him and relies entirely on him for every blessing he wants for his body or soul. It is one who has a close walk with the Lord. A person who lives in this way is here compared to a tree that is growing in good soil on the bank of a river or even a stream. With its roots at a source of water it is able to endure the hot dry seasons when they come and maintain healthy green leaves and produce a good harvest of fruit.

As I think of this tree growing by the source of water, I think of the one who has the Lord Jesus living in his heart. Jesus is the source of living water. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."" (John 7:37 - 38 NKJV). Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 55:1: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." (NIV) and Isaiah 49:10: "They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water" (NIV). God himself is this source of water and thus Jesus in offering the Spirit (John 7:39), is claiming to be able to satisfy peoples thirst for God. This is so well illustrated in Psalm 63:1 when king David cry's out, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (ESV). Water is needed for life and Jesus is that source. "The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price" (Revelation 22:17 ESV). Let us come and stay close and continually drink of the water of life.

Prayer

Father, thank you that Jesus came and paid the price for our salvation. Thank you that in him we find eternal life. As Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 ESV). Thank you that in him we find meaning and fullness of life.

Mark 5:36

We need to be very careful when we select a statement like, “Do not fear, only believe.” and use it to make a point. The setting from which this was taken, we find a ruler of the synagogue had come to Jesus with a request to come and heal his dying daughter. On the way there they were delayed by a woman who wanted to touch Jesus to obtain healing. That touch drew power from Jesus causing him to determine who it was and when he found out he had conversation with her. In the meantime a person came from the ruler's house and reported that the child had died. Jesus hearing this made the statement we are considering. Those five words, seen in the photo, caught my attention and has caused me to think about them.

The statement is made us of two parts: "Do not fear" and "Only believe;" that which we are not to do and that which we are to do when encountering a difficult situation. Experience has shown me that it is easy to worry, to imagine the worst will happen, to listen to negative advice of friends or to my negative self talk, or to fear; maybe all of the above. Jesus told the father of the now dead girl to only believe; to have faith. There are other verses that support this: "And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”" (Mark 5:34 ESV); "And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’!All things are possible for one who believes.”" (Mark 9:23 ESV); "Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”" (John 11:40 ESV). In these examples it is faith that produces the results, not something else like fear, worry or imagination. This extra we add to our faith tends to destroy the faith we do have; to make it ineffective.Because of our wealth we can put forth effort to solve the problem or minimize its negative effects on us until the trial goes away, or at least becomes manageable, and not wait on God to accomplish his purpose in our life through the trial. In our culture it seems that God is second best or maybe not even part of the solution. In cultures where God is the only choice people have greater experience with God providing and thus for them it is easier to only believe than it is for us.

The father was told not to bother Jesus and return home in grief instead of continuing on to Jesus, now with the request to raise her from the dead. Fortunately, Jesus knew what had happened and reached out to the father and said, "Do not fear, only believe." How often have we sabotage our faith with some additive and miss the blessing God had for us?

Prayer

Father, how we need to learn to apply these simple five words, "Do not fear, only believe." and wait upon you for directions on how you want us to proceed and what you want to accomplish through the situation in our lives.

Psalm 105:4 Seeking

To seek is to search for or attempt to find something. To seek the Lord does not mean he is lost and needs to be found, but according to our verse we are to search for his presence and his strength and we are to do it continually. To be in the presence of the Lord is to have fellowship with him. In the beginning Adam and Eve had intimate fellowship in the in the physical presence of God, but because of there sin that physical intimacy has been replaced by his presence within us by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit. To seek the Lord is to seek the intimacy of his presence within us by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It is easy to allow distance to develop toward a friend. We may become neglectful or in some way hurt our friend. It takes effort and requires strength to maintain a closeness of friendship. The same is true with the Lord. To seek the Lord is something we must do continually with the strength he supplies. If we don't the brightness of his personal character will fade from us. We must set our mind and heart to seek the Lord our God (1 Chronicles 22:19). If we have been raised up with Christ then part of seeking the Lord is to seek the things that are above; to set our mind on those things and not on the things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:1 - 2). If we seek the Lord he will be found (1 Chronicles 28:9) and when he is found there is reward (Hebrews 1:6). He is our greatest reward because when we have him we have everything. Therefore, "Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"

Prayer 

Father, I pray that I would set my mind and my heart to seek you on a regular basis; that my relationship with you would grow and that I would have a better understanding of your will for my life. I pray for strength and desire to live according to your will; to seek the things that are above and not the things of this world. Father, thank you for revealing yourself to me and allowing me to come into your holy presence through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 33:2-3 Calling

The Lord who made the earth, who formed it and establish it, tells us to call on him and he will answer. God, whose name is the Lord, the Son of God, speaks an expression manifesting his favor and loving kindness, listens for us to call upon him with our desires. In Jeremiah 29:12 is the instruction to call upon the Lord in prayer and he will hear. It is true the Lord was speaking to Jeremiah, but God's kindness toward him reflects his affection toward the people and in general toward us. God does have our welfare in mind. For us these great and hidden things could pertain to things like the mystery of the church, Christ in us the hope of glory, hope in the midst of suffering, great power through humility, to name several; things we may need to understand as we navigate life here on earth. God loves us and wants to hear from us and meet our needs through the kindness of his grace. He desires to reveal himself to us; to make himself known to us; to have a growing relationship with us. We need to learn humility and surrender ourselves before him and call upon him and enjoy him.

Prayer 

Lord, you have sacrificed so much for us and provided a salvation, so rich and free. Your desire is that we would humble ourselves before you and call out to you, allowing us to receive and enjoy your presence and the kindness of your grace. Lord, I am yours.

James 4:10 Humble

A simple definition of humility given by Merriam-Webster is, "the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people." Jesus points out that whoever humbles himself as a child is the greatest (Matthew 18:4). Paul points out that we are to do nothing from selfishness, but with humility of mind we are to regard others as more important than ourselves. It is easy to look out for our own interest, but humility requires that we also look out for the interest of others (Philippians 2:3 - 4). Humility requires being intentional on our part. We are to put on humility like we do our clothes each day. Humility is important in our relationship with God because he opposes or is in battle against the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). If we are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling then we are to walk with all humility and gentleness, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1 - 2). In Micah 6:8, we are given three things the Lord requires of us; they are to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. God leads the humble in justice and teaches the humble his ways (Psalm 25:9) and it is in humility that we find wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). Those of us whom the Father has chosen for salvation are to be humble and pray, and seek his face and turn from our wicked ways. For me, one of the most powerful verses on humility is Galatians 2:20, where I am to lay aside my life and allow Christ to live in me and by faith to allow this to happen on a daily basis.

Prayer 

Father, in our western culture we place value on our accomplishments and our things. That value and our pride are partners and they need to be done away with and replaced with the accomplishments and things of Jesus Christ. That value and humility are partners. Father, help me in my struggle in laying aside self and its desires and embrace the reality of Jesus Christ living in me. When Jesus, the Son of God, walked this earth he laid aside his glory and was willing to wash the disciples feet and die on a cross. Father, conform me into the image of Jesus Christ.

John 17:3

If someone were to ask you why you desire eternal life, how would you answer? Is it because it appears to be a better place to go to than to go to hell? Is it because of the quality of life you think you will experience there? Is it because those you love will be there? Those may be good reasons, but according to our verse the main reason is God. Do we seek heaven for its assumed benefits or for the joy of being with God? Is a deeper knowledge of God and a growing relationship with him drawing you to heaven? You may find your answer by answering the questions: "What do you have the greatest interest in, the world or God?" "Which of those two do you love and like to spend time with the most?" Based upon your answers, are you sure you have eternal life?

What is eternal life? It is knowing the only true God, even Jesus Christ whom he sent to purchase our salvation. This Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Is Jesus the bridge to heaven for you? Remember, Jesus was sent to earth to die on the cross, to pay for and build that bridge for you to cross over. Have you received the gift of eternal life to allow you to use the bridge when the time comes?

Prayer 

Father, I thank you that ". . . by grace [we] have been saved through faith. And this is not [our] own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8 - 10 ESV).

Psalm 27:14 Waiting

When life becomes difficult and we face troubles of various kinds and intensity, we can choose to respond in one of several ways depending upon what emotion is strongest at the time. Often times this will produce a response from our sinful nature that may complicate the situation and not help us. We need to learn that during difficult times we need to pull back and "wait for the Lord" to take his place in the situation. When we settle down and wait for the him we will find growth in strength and our hearts will become more courageous. Psalm 62:5 tells us to wait in silence for God alone because our hope is from him. Those who wait for the Lord are further encouraged from Isaiah 40:31; for we are told that "the Lord shall renew [our] strength; we shall mount up with wings like eagles; we shall run and not be weary; [and we] shall walk and not faint." "The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him" (Lamentations 3:25). When we look to the Lord and wait for him he will hear us (Micah 7:7). It seems prudent, but at first it may not seem practical, to wait upon the Lord and his provision to help us in our time of need. Maybe we need to think more about this and practice waiting before him with prayer, in humility with an attitude of expectancy. Our western culture has little tolerance for waiting on the Lord, but his word instructs us to wait and when we do it provides God time to provide the help we need.

Prayer 

Father, living in this western culture where we need to find a solution now and get back to our living in safety, security and comfort, we have to be intentional, to be patient as we endure the situation we are in and wait for you to accomplish what you want in and through our lives. Father, we need to be encouraged to engage in a closer walk with the Lord in our trials so as to understand what he wants to accomplish. Help me more fully understand how those facing severe persecution wait upon the Lord, are strengthened and find encouragement to endure and not turn from their faith. 

Matthew 22:37 Just Checking In

Think about this verse as you read the following and see the difference between the man who visits the church each day and the pastor. How much do you love Jesus?

Just Checking In...

A minister passing through his church
In the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
To see who came to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
And a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw the man
Hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was torn and shabby,
And his coat was worn and frayed,
The man knelt down and bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed at precisely noon,
The preacher saw this chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
With robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop and ask the man,
'What are you doing here?'

The old man said he was a factory worker
And lunch was half an hour
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

I stay only a moment
Because the factory's far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kinda what I say:

'I Just Came By To Tell You, Lord,
How Happy I Have Been,
Since We Found Each Other’s Friendship
And You Took Away My Sin.

Don't Know Much Of How To Pray,
But I Think About You Every day.
So, Jesus, This Is Ben,
Just Checking In Today.'

The minister feeling foolish,
Told Ben that it was fine.
He told the man that he was welcome
To pray there anytime.

'It's time to go, and thanks,' Ben said
As he hurried to the door.
Then the minister knelt there at the altar,
Which he'd never done before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
As he met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed down his cheeks,
He repeated old Ben's prayer:

'I Just Came By To Tell You, Lord,
How Happy I've Been,
Since We Found Each Other’s Friendship
And You Took Away My Sin.

I Don't Know Much Of How To Pray,
But I Think About You Every day.
So, Jesus, This Is Me,
Just Checking In Today.'

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
That old Ben hadn't come.
As more days passed and still no Ben,
He began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
Learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Ben was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles and joy contagious.
Changed people were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand
Why Ben could be so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends had come to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Ben spoke up
And with a winsome smile;
'The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
He's been here all the while.'

Every day at noon He comes here,
A dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down and takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:

'I Just Came By To Tell You, Ben,
How Happy I Have Been,
Since We Found This Friendship,
And I Took Away Your Sin.

I Think About You Always
And I Love To Hear You Pray,
And So Ben, This Is Jesus,
Just Checking In Today.'

Prayer 

Father, it is stories like this that speak to my heart about having a simple loving relationship with the Lord. As I follow the Lord through the Gospel of John, I see a man fully committed to his Father and his assignment; I see a man, who spoke the universe into existence and with his power holds it together, but living with the humility of a simple child; I see a man who can stand and face the most vile, hateful and evil people and yet respond with love and forgiveness. In our story, I see Ben, who could resent his place in life, come with such love and thanksgiving each day to spend a few minutes with the Lord. Father, help me be more like Ben because he seems to be more like Jesus than I am.

Mark 4:39, 41

Imagine that you are in a small boat with a couple of friends and are overtaken by the storm you see in the picture. As the storm grows and the waves increase in size, your fear grows as you realize you might drown, but then one of your friends says, "Fear not!" and then speaking to the storm and to the sea he says, "Peace! Be still!" and there was a great calm. What would your thoughts and feelings be concerning your friend, especially since his life sets a standard before you that you can't begin to reach. Would you not wonder who your friend was and maybe now feel some fear concerning him? Would that fear not come from the fact that you have no category in which to put him and possibly what power he might have over you? Have you ever stopped and thought what you as a believer will experience when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ? What shame will you experience when the fire burns off the worthless part of your life, leaving only the part done to the glory oh God? There seems to be sections of the Bible that are not taught today because it might cause people to get upset or maybe just uncomfortable. Do you suppose this do not offend type of preaching has had any bearing on the direction this country is going? Maybe it is time we stopped being cultural Christians and learn how to live as Biblical Christians.

Prayer 

Father, when I think about Jesus and the kind of life he lived on earth and then think further what he will be like when I see him in heaven, I then wonder what we will be like when we get to heaven. Father, I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to be entirely free of my sin nature and never again in all of eternity commit a single sin, but to live a holy and righteous life like you do. I can't even begin to imagine the memory capacity and mental abilities we will have. But most of all, will be our relationships, with you, the Lord and members of our family. Father, I can hardly wait, but until then there is much work left to do. 

Philippians 2:3-4 The Bridge Builder

Nearly 50 years ago I attended an IBM conference to learn the latest about current technology that related to my career. The last speaker closed the conference with the following poem. I requested a copy and have kept it ever since. As you read the poem, look at the picture and as you see the person walking across the bridge, think about the old man who stopped and built the bridge so those who followed him had an easy way to get across. What bridges are you and I building that help people following us cross over into heaven?

The Bridge Builder 

An old man going a lone highway
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and wide and steep,
With waters rolling cold and deep.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here.
Your journey will end with the passing day,
You never again will pass this way.
You’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build you this bridge at eventide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head,
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said
“There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
The chasm that was as nought to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too, must cross in the twilight dim –
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

Prayer 

Father, like this old man, I pray I will use my time building bridges so that those who will live after I am gone will have a closer walk with the Lord, a greater understanding of the Word, and a stronger stand in the face of suffering. Father, I pray that daily I will die to self to allow Jesus to live in and through me to build those bridges for others who follow. 

John 7:17

There are times when we as Christians have to choose between trouble for our bodies or trouble for our souls when doing the will of God. To illustrate this I will choose an extreme example, which is more common in countries of persecution than here in the west. If several violent men approach you and demand that you renounce your faith or you will be severely beaten, you can choose trouble for your body and stand firm in your faith or your can avoid severe pain and experience eternal regret. I read and hear testimonies of those who were not willing or maybe able to endure additional suffering and have yielded only to spend months that become years in shame and regret for denying the Lord. Even here in America we may choose earthly security over eternal significance when it comes to sharing our faith. How willing are we to take an earthly risk that may result in spiritual gain? Remember, we were chosen by God for salvation, to love and serve him and when that service takes us outside of our safety and comfort zone, God will be there, if we seek him, to provide wisdom and strength for the situation.

Prayer 

Father, when I taught in an underground school in China, you provided me with the opportunity to learn what it was like to live under persecution. You arranged for me to spend time with students who grew up with parents who had been in prison or were there at the time. Prison time was something they considered to be part of the Christian life. With this mentality it seems easier for them to chose trouble for their bodies than it is for us here in America. Father, thank you for those eight years in China and the opportunity it provided me to experience living under conditions we would consider uncomfortable here at home. Father, I am afraid that when persecution comes it may be much more difficult for us to choose trouble for our bodies than it would be for those growing up under persecution. Father, thank you for what I am learning from my brothers and sisters who are able to maintain their faith during extreme situations. 

1 Peter 5:7 Anxiety

The text from which our verse comes from is 1 Peter 5:6-11 and is from a context of suffering. During my college days I memorized the sentence in which this verse is found ("Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV), but I never connected, until recently, that anxiety mentioned here was related to suffering due to persecution. Because of that persecution people were losing their jobs and thus their ability to keep their homes or provide the basic needs of their families. If you then found yourself among the homeless, not knowing where you or your family would sleep or where the next meal would be found, you probably would be somewhat anxious. Our verse tells us to cast all your anxieties on him,because he cares for you. This seems to raise at least two questions: "How do we cast our anxieties on him?" And "How will he care for us?"

In response to the first question, consider Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing,but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (NASB). The command given is "Do not be anxious about anything." Fortunately this command is followed by a second command of instructions. Unfortunately, that which we are to do is usually at the bottom of our list because here in the west we take pride in more practical ways like medication and practical steps of behavior, but to come before God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving seems like foolishness.

Over the years I have practiced this and found it to be the best and really the only effective way to deal with anxiety. Prayer and supplication is our focus on God not on our anxiety or the cause of it. Thanksgiving is on God's blessing to us that he will meet our needs in his way or see us through the situation. The major problem with this method for us in the west is the period of waiting upon God to respond to our request. Why is waiting important? "But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary. they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31 ESV). When suffering occurs, for some reason, and we become anxious we have to decide whether our goal is to try to remove the suffering or to grow through it. Here in the west our goal is to find ways to remove the suffering which is causing the anxiety. If that is not possible without compromising our faith then maybe we will wish we had more practice with God's method. Remember, anxiety is a signal that additional growth is needed. Another reason why God's method is best.

Prayer 

Father, it is my experience that when I am anxious it means that my focus is on me and my situation and not on God and his provision. I have also learned that when I am anxious I need to stop and get quiet before God and share with him how I am doing and thank him for his past abundant provision for me. I pray about what God wants to do in my life through this situation and not how to get over it as soon as possible. I am learning that life is not about safety and comfort, but about becoming more like Jesus.