One Of Those Weeks

 

Man, it's been one of those weeks. We've all had them, a week where seemingly a thousand things pile on top of us apply the pressure.  This week was one of those weeks.   A couple of the projects at work that are a part of my program are coming in late.  This is definitely frowned upon.  Other things seem to have crept in as well to keep the stress level up.  So many times, I completely forget to bring these stressing things to the Lord and in fact this was one of those times. It wasn't until I was reading someone's personal web journal and he was talking about how he was relying on the Lord to help him with some of the circumstances in his life that I realized I'd left the Lord completely out of my stressful situations.

With that I mind I went to my favorite Bible web site and did a search on stress.   This verse came up and I must say it spoke volumes to me.

Your justice is eternal, 
and your instructions are perfectly true.
As pressure and stress bear down on me, 
I find joy in your commands.
Your laws are always right; 
help me to understand them so I may live.  Psalm 119:142-144 (NLT)

But what does the bit about "I find joy in your commands" mean?  Should I delight in the thou shalts and thou shalt nots or is there something more?  Certainly if we were able to live our lives by the Ten Commandments, we'd be a happier lot.    However the Lord shares with  us the Greatest Command:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39 

Is this something we can do naturally? Can we love others as we love ourselves?  Our world is described as dog eat dog, buyer beware, look out for number one.  I would assert that this is not a natural tendency, but something we can strive towards through prayer and studying God's word.  Through the power of God, we can find joy and melt the stress away.

WOW- What a Question

I mentioned in a prior post that I attend a Bible Study group named BSF. A question in last weeks lesson really stopped me in my tracks.

We’ve been studying a letter Saint Paul wrote to the Romans. In a segment of the letter, Paul is distraught over the systematic rejection by his fellow countrymen of his message of Christ as the Messiah. Specifically Paul wrote:

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel Romans 9:1-4

A paraphrase of the question I was asked to contemplate was, if Christ was truly not a part of my life, what would be my loss?

I had a good friend who battled cancer for a number of years. We’d go to lunch when she was strong enough. She used to tell me that she was going to fight this disease with everything she had and if it was not enough, she would go to a place of great rest to be with her Lord. She would say to me, “Doug, I just don’t know how someone can get through something like this without God.” She did lose that battle with cancer, but was freed to go away to a time of peace and rest with her Lord, free of chemotherapy, blood platelet transfusions, radiation, pain & fatigue. Her comment was a restatement of the question, what if Christ was not a part of her life.

This BSF question really caused me to think about what it would like to be without Christ in my life. I’ve been so blessed to really not know what that would be like. Christ, in his mercy introduced his salvation and his love to me at a very early age. I had the blessing of a Christian mother, who prayed earnestly for me and taught me of His love and His salvation (Her lunch time stories complete with flannel graph and cutout Biblical characters will have to come at a later time).

My multi-part answer to this question seemed to flood form the tip of my pen once I got past the inconceivable idea of His not being in my life. While writing this answer, I had a sick feeling in my stomach that I must admit really surprised me. Although the words came directly from my heart, I’ve subsequently scanned the Bible and included supporting verses with a desire to further explain my thoughts.

Part one: I would have no hope

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18

Part two: I would not have a future, a promise of eternal life

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I John 5: 11-12

Part three: I would not have an advocate on my behalf in heaven

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15

These thoughts and feelings gave me insight into how the people around me, who have not built that relationship with Christ and have the hope, future, eternal life and advocacy in heaven must feel day after day year after year. As my late friend asked, how do they do it?

Christ’s offer is open to everyone. Jesus said himself:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

And later, Paul writes:

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

If you have not taken advantage of Christ’s gift, I would greatly encourage you to earnestly investigate and seek out what it means to be a part of his plan for eternal life. For those who have accepted this eternal gift, Paul offers these additional comforts:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

If you are interested in doing an in-depth study of the Bible, I would strongly recommend Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). Whether you’ve been studying the Bible for decades, or have not cracked the cover open, BSF offers a level playing field for everyone to join in and discuss the words the Holy Spirit has put on their heart. It’s likely there’s a BSF study group in your city or a city near you. Click (here) to see.