Hitherto Hath the Lord Helped Us!

Some may already be into the first day of 2011, but here we are in the last day of 2010.  As I reflect over the past year, I think of I Samuel 7:12, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us!"

I don't think I can blog a better message than what Charles Spurgeon wrote back in the 1800s.  I'd like to share it with you today:

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."-1 Samuel 7:12

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto."
 
But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-

He who hath helped thee hitherto
Will help thee all thy journey through.

When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

GOD WITH US!

Imagine the King of all kings and the Creator of heaven and earth leaving His eternal throne to be  born on this gloomy, sinful earth. Inexpressible, unfathomable love!

 

The Owner of all riches born as a poor one with no conveniences in the manger of an animal in a stinky stable, because He wanted to dwell with sinful, thankless us. 

The Light of the World being born in darkness and obscurity so that HOPE may light our way back to Him.  Immanuel.  GOD WITH US!

As we celebrate Christmas, may our hearts overflow with the blessings of our Savior's lowly birth.  May the peace, love, and joy in Jesus Christ be within us on Christmas day and always!

Whatever You Say, Lord

Can you imagine an angel suddenly appearing in front of you?  Telling you something will happen to you that is so incomprehensible that no one on earth can ever understand it?

What a shock it must have been for Mary, the mother of Jesus!  She would be with child and give birth to a son while still a virgin.  What a mystery we will never be able to solve!  God would come down to be born as a vulnerable child dependent on his mother's nurturing.

What would this illegitimate birth mean for Mary in the culture in which she lived?  Her father might have cast her out and forced her into begging. She would be scorned and could even be put to death, but God took care of all this and told Joseph to go ahead and marry her anyway.

Even married to Joseph, she would still be under suspicion.  It would be a difficult life where many people would cast blame on her.  Perhaps she even lost some friends because of it.

That didn't matter to Mary.  Instead, she rejoiced in God her Savior.  She believed anything is possible with God, and she replied, "I am the Lord's servant.  Be it unto me as You have said."

Mary's humble attitude amazes me.  She freely offered her body and soul to God, no matter what the consequences in her life.  It was more important to her to have God's favor than any human's favorable opinion.

I search my heart today and ask, "God, am I that available to You?  I'm afraid I haven't given You my whole heart and life, both body and soul.  Make me open to whatever You have in mind for me in this life, no matter what.  I know the pain of slander, and I'm afraid I try to guard my heart too much.  Enable me to throw myself into Your hands with a childlike trust as Your servant, ready to do or be whatever You ask me to!"

Negative Thoughts Begone!

Have you ever had days when negative thoughts rampage your mind?  Some days it can be tough to kick those stuck records out of sight and out of mind: "I'm not good enough," "I'm fat and ugly," "I'm stupid," and many more.

Satan has a heyday with negative thoughts.  He gets a thrill out of driving us into despondency.  As Kay Arthur says in her Lord, Heal My Hurts: A Devotional Study on God's Care and Deliverance, "Satan desires to sift us as wheat, to make us weak and ineffectual servants in the kingdom of God.  Having lost us to God, he knows that we are God's forever, yet the reality of that truth does not stop him."

When we are saved, the battle does not end.  Where God builds His church, Satan builds a chapel. Once Jesus has gathered another lamb to His fold, Satan will try whatever wily way he can to turn that heart from living for Jesus.  He is enraged that his power is broken by Jesus' blood and he prods us to doubt who we are in Jesus.

In Jesus, we are good enough.  In Jesus, we are beautiful.  In Jesus, we are intelligent and brave.  In Jesus, we are pure and undefiled.

Let's remember that the weapons we fight with have divine power to demolish every argument Satan sets up against the knowledge of God.  Let us boldly confront Satan and all those negative thoughts with the blood of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 10: 4-5
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Stepping Stones

One of my favorite places I visited as a child was Island Park in a small town in NW Iowa.  I especially enjoyed the challenge of crossing the river on stepping stones at the bottom of a waterfall.  At that time two or three missing steps left wide gaps of uncertainty.  As I sat on a step and reached my bare toes underneath the water, I could still feel the missing step's slimy, slippery foundation.  Some days I didn't dare to proceed, depending on the rushing of the water.  Some days I braved stepping on the gaps to continue crossing with a shout of exhilaration if I reached the other side.

This morning I was comparing my life to taking small steps of faith.  It's kind of like crossing those stepping stones.  Step by step, ever filled with challenge, often fearful.  Not always knowing when I step in the gap if I will slip and slide into the rushing water, yet trusting that my Rock Christ Jesus is steady enough to get me to the next step or strong enough to lift me from the waves if I slip.

Sometimes a flood drowns out Island Park and obliterates all traces of any steps at all.  Likewise in the devastating and overwhelming times in my life, I didn't have the slightest idea where the next step was, and I was too afraid to venture forward.  But many times I had to take the risk and step out anyway, blindly hoping it was the right one.

Stepping stones of faith.  Step by step I reach my toes ahead to the next one.  Sometimes I falter, and sometimes I rejoice, but one day I will reach the other side of the river of life.  One day I will forever raise my arms in praise.  Dancing.  Singing.  Shouting "Victory in Jesus!"

^{Isaiah 35:3-4}
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.”