Good Judgment; August 21, 2020

Posted on August 25, 2020 by jgarrott

John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

At first glance this might seem like a pronouncement of “Mister Obviousman,” but the thing is, this is something we all have problems with, often without realizing it. We rely on our senses to evaluate things, and often enough it’s questionable whether our higher reasoning has anything to do with it at all. That’s why public media have such an easy time, often enough, swaying public opinion. As the old computer saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” All of that is compounded by the fact that we never have all the information, even if the information we have is accurate in itself. That’s why we need to rely on the Holy Spirit: God is the only one who genuinely knows it all. It’s like Jesus Himself said right before this: “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) We need to choose to be obedient to God before we “get all the facts” and make a decision. An amusing illustration of this was posted recently on Facebook, using a picture of a ski resort with the headline, “Florida Ski Resorts Not Practicing Social Distancing.” There are so many layers of intentional absurdity in that, but at least one comment on it seemed to take it halfway seriously! Not so long ago, “critical thinking” was considered a desirable skill, something to be taught by both parents and school teachers, but that seems to have gone out the window, with emotions and slogans taking its place. We need to pause, take a deep breath or two, and choose to listen to God.

I have the added risk in this (and I’m not alone in it) of pride that “I’m not like all those sheep who are taken in by fake news.” Thinking I have all the answers is even more dangerous than ignorance! I am to seek God and allow Him to show me what is beneath the surface, both of things that at first glance seem good and those that seem bad. Given my name, I was confused and then amused to hear the expression, “You don’t know jack” – which means, you don’t know anything – because I thought it was talking about a person. However, I need to remember that compared to God, I indeed don’t know anything, despite my love of knowledge in general. It’s like God told Jeremiah: “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:24) He is to be the basis for all my judgments and decisions.

Father, thank You for this reminder. With all the flood of information, both accurate and fake, none of us can keep things straight without Your help. I pray that Your truth would indeed go out and prevail, setting people free from the abundance of lies that are presented to us as truth. May I always speak Your truth in love, not relying on myself but on You, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Handicaps; August 20, 2020

Posted on August 23, 2020 by jgarrott

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

I am very grateful John included this particular story in his Gospel, because this can be a very important question. Over the years I have encountered many people with various handicaps, and they have tended to fall into two different groups: those who deal with their handicap to overcome it, and those who utilize their handicap to milk it of what they can get out of it. To illustrate the latter, several years ago I met a young man in his 20s who had a cleft palate and couldn’t speak clearly. Since I teach vocal production and pronunciation to budding speech therapists at Nagasaki Rehabilitation College, I took him to talk with one of the full-time teachers about a prosthesis, which I knew would work wonders for his speech. When the Japanese teacher assured him that making a prosthesis would be a relatively simple matter and, with a little training, he could soon be speaking perfectly normally, the young man, after leaving the school, disappeared and I’ve never seen him since. The thing is, handicapped people in Japan, when certified, receive a “handicapped booklet” that gets them discounts on public transportation, and often a monthly stipend as well. He didn’t want to risk losing that, and I think even more, he enjoyed people feeling sorry for him and letting him get away with stuff because of his handicap. He obviously gave a clear “No” to Jesus’ question! This is why we need discernment and wisdom in ministry. It is also worth noting that verse three records that there were a great number of disabled people there, but Jesus healed just this one man. It isn’t at all that God doesn’t care, it’s that we don’t know all the factors about any individual. We are to make the grace, love, and power of God available without condition, but we are to leave all the details in His hands.

This is very relevant to me, not only because I am in ministry but because this principle applies to more than just obvious handicaps. When my wife was studying sign language many years ago her teacher said, “Everyone has handicaps; some are just more obvious than others.” I find enormous wisdom in that, and it has impacted my life rather deeply, even though I only heard it through my wife. I have found that even I sometimes fail to want to get past some obstacles. For one thing, obstacles can be convenient excuses not to do something I don’t really want to do! Also, I might recognize the effort involved and be simply too lazy to apply myself. Those don’t cut it with God, and they deprive me and those around me of blessings God intends. For example, I have always wanted to be more proficient in written Japanese, but I have never applied myself to the concentrated study required to get to the proficiency I desire. Even today I have to practice reading Scriptures I will be using in messages, because otherwise I stumble badly, interfering with the impact of the message. (For longer passages, I simply ask a Japanese to read them.) There are other examples as well. I can get disgusted at people like the young man I mentioned, but I’m not really that much better. I need to be willing to do whatever it takes to do whatever God wants of me, knowing that the power comes from Him, but my will and effort are required.

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Right now we’re facing a complete update of our church website, which is something I have put off for several years now. We have a man who will do the “heavy lifting,” but there are things I need to do to make it possible for him to do his part. That involves learning new things, and part of me is drawing back. For that matter, I have wanted to be able to take aerial photos for a long time, and now have an inexpensive drone to be able to do so, but I find I draw back from learning to fly it properly. I am only hurting myself! Father, help me recognize the lies of the devil and stand firmly against them. Help me recognize my part in each thing You have for me and apply myself fully, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hearing God; August 19, 2020

Posted on August 23, 2020 by jgarrott

John 4:44 Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

John, writing years after the actual events, sometimes put things into a different chronology than the other Gospel writers, and he deliberately recorded things that they hadn’t, but he lived through the same experiences as Matthew and Peter (whose recollections were recorded by Mark). That said, this is an affirmation of Luke, who wrote his Gospel on the basis of interviews and research. This particular statement of Jesus is recorded in Luke 4:24, though He may have said it more than once. The attitude to which Jesus referred is something most of us have experienced. It’s part of the whole, “familiarity breeds contempt” phenomenon. It’s a major reason why it is very refreshing for a preacher to be invited to speak at a church other than his own, and the farther away the better. A visiting speaker can come in and say essentially the same things the pastor has been trying to get through for months, and the congregation will respond like it is new revelation. This obviously is a problem endemic to human nature, so we need to be aware of it in ourselves, and not just point fingers at others. Our focus needs to be on hearing God accurately, whether He speaks through a “superstar” preacher, your spouse, or a total stranger.

As a preacher myself, I remind myself that God used a donkey to speak to Balaam, (Numbers 22) so I’m not to be overly impressed with myself when He speaks through me. However, I’ve got to turn that around and be willing to hear Him through whomever He chooses to speak. I am grateful that I have a far larger audience over the Internet than I do here in person, but I’ll confess I don’t spend a lot of time listening to other preachers over the Internet. That may be a mistake. I am extremely grateful that He is so faithful to speak to me through the Bible, particularly as I read it early each morning, but I must not specify, even unconsciously, how He “has to” speak to me. Yesterday He used a good friend to help me organize my day, telling me to do the “weed eating” after supper when it was cooler, and use the afternoon to draw up the Scripture reading list for next month, in air-conditioned comfort.

Father, I truly delight to have You speak through me, but I need to delight to listen to You even more. Help me remember the first time You spoke to me through what might as well have been an audible voice, when I was pestering You for guidance until You finally said to me, very clearly, “Well then, shut up.” Help me not rattle, at You or at anyone, but listen first and speak only as You direct, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Suffering; August 18, 2020

Posted on August 20, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 22:41-44 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

This scene of Jesus praying in Gethsemane is one that every believer should meditate on, probably frequently. Nothing of what happened to Jesus from this point surprised Him, though we don’t know how much detail He was aware of. There have been martyrs in the centuries since then who have faced things similarly, but the emotional pressure and the strength of commitment involved are hard to imagine. In a sense, Jesus was cursed to be both fully human and fully Divine, because the tension had to be incredible. In His humanity He certainly didn’t want to go through a minute of the hours that were to follow, but in His divinity He fully understood what it was going to involve. The phenomenon recorded here, of blood mixing with His sweat, is unusual but medically recorded in cases of extreme emotional anguish. As has been said, courage isn’t not being afraid, it’s being afraid and going ahead anyway. Jesus not only endured scourging and crucifixion for us, He endured the foreknowledge of that suffering, and again, He did it for us. It was after enduring this pinnacle of emotional anguish that He performed His last act of physical healing, as recorded in verse 51. We wouldn’t be fit to do anything for anybody in such a situation! This is the Savior we serve, and He is more than worthy of all our love, honor, obedience, and devotion.

I don’t feel like I have suffered very much, and certainly not with foreknowledge, like Jesus here. I don’t look forward to the local anesthesia injections I’ll receive with my surgery on the 25th, knowing how much they hurt, but that is certainly small potatoes compared to what Jesus went through for me. I am very aware that I have no room to complain about anything in my life – but I sometimes do it anyway! In teaching Medical English, in the section on symptoms there is a footnote in the textbook explaining that some people will say, “I am suffering from a runny nose,” or whatever, as opposed to just saying, “I have a runny nose.” I always tell my students that anyone who says that has no idea of what real suffering is! Being aware of the persecution being endured by many of my brothers and sisters in Christ in many places in the world, I often feel like I have no idea of what real suffering is! My wife endures a great deal of pain because of her Parkinson’s Disease and other factors, and she is remarkably uncomplaining about it. My respect and admiration for her are very high. That’s another reason I feel like I have no room to complain about anything. Today has a packed schedule, but God will give me both the wisdom and the strength to get through it, accomplishing each thing as it needs to be done. I need to be grateful in advance, fully trusting that God will be true to His character.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thinking about all that needs to be done puts real pressure on me. Help me rather focus on the task at hand, not doing the next thing in my mind ahead of time, so that I may indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, as You have told me to do. Thank You. Praise God!

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Gratitude; August 17, 2020

Posted on August 20, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 17:14, 19 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

This is a fascinating story on several levels. All 10 men in the story evidently had faith that Jesus was able to heal them. They had doubtless heard many stories of Jesus doing it for others. Jesus didn’t touch them, or even really come near them, but just told them to do what was necessary in order to be certified that they had been healed (much like the certificates about COVID-19 some people in America have been talking about). Simply acting on those instructions was the trigger for their healing. Famously, only one of the 10 then returned to thank Jesus and praise God. Jesus told him his faith had made him well, but the other nine had evidently also had such faith. I would venture a guess, however, that this man was far more deeply blessed by his healing than the other nine, because of his righteous response. The others were so self-centered that they forgot gratitude. That is a sad weakness indeed, and it cuts us off from untold blessings. So many people have a “what’s in it for me?” attitude toward religion and faith. I have heard Japanese Christians say that is the reason so few Japanese become Christians, but I’m sure the problem isn’t limited to Japan. The English theological term would be “transactional faith,” and in my view it is sterile and devoid of true joy. It is when we worship Jesus for who He is, and not for what we can get out of Him, that we are born again. Too many Americans familiar with the outline of the Gospel want a “ticket to heaven,” to be “into bliss and out of blister,” as my grandfather used to say. My grandfather had a very dim view of whether such people were even saved, and he had a point. Gratitude to God should be a signature characteristic of every true believer.

My own story of salvation is theologically messy, since I proclaimed my love for Jesus at age five and was baptized, by my own genuine decision, at age seven, but I was 24 when the Lord showed me my pride-filled heart and I collapsed in abject repentance. That experience was so dramatic that I requested, and received, a second baptism, but I don’t know that I wasn’t saved before then. I do know that I am a child of God now, and I am deeply, deeply grateful. I see so many differences between my attitude toward life and that of others, and I have trouble understanding how they can tolerate living! Gratitude is in a sense required of us, but it is also the key to happiness. I think God genuinely wants us to be happy, and that’s why the Bible tells us so many times to give thanks to Him, even for the things that aren’t fun at the time. I have a third basal cell carcinoma surgery coming up next week, and I am grateful for many things about it. I am grateful that it isn’t a worse form of cancer, I am grateful that I have a very good medical facility very close to my home, I am grateful that it can be done under local anesthesia so I won’t have to be intubated, and the list goes on and on. I am definitely in a high percentile of good health for someone my age, and I have God to thank, and I do.

Father, thank You indeed for bringing me along this far, and for the many examples of gratitude that I have had to follow over the years. I pray that my example would in turn cause others to open their eyes to Your incredible love and grace, for their salvation and Your glory Thank You. Praise God!

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Pride; August 16, 2020

Posted on August 19, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This doesn’t specify whether Peter was present at this particular time, but he certainly got the message, because he wrote, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:5-6) Actually, this message is pretty consistent throughout the Bible. Peter was quoting Proverbs 3:34, but there were other passages he could have quoted as well. It’s all evidence that the Bible gives good advice. I have learned (from experience!) that pride makes us blind and leads us into all sorts of pitfalls. It’s not that we are always to be self-deprecating, insisting that we are of no account and can do nothing. That often enough is false humility, looking for compliments and/or seeking to evade responsibility. As Paul said, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3) He said that in the context of teaching about gifting, and how each person is to exercise the gifts they have been given. Failure to exercise the gifts we have been given is a sin against the God who gave them to us, as the parable of the talents says so clearly. (Matthew 25:14-30) However, we must never think that those talents make us more valuable as a human being than someone else. We might be “the man for the job” in one situation, but completely helpless in another, where another person would shine. As always Jesus is our perfect example. Though the highest of the high – an actual member of the Godhead – He humbled Himself to take on the penalty for our sin, as Paul expressed so beautifully in Philippians 2:5-11. We too are to have assurance of who and what God created us to be, but exercise that to lift up those around us, leaving pride out of the picture entirely.

As I am reminded fairly frequently, pride, conceit even, has been a major stumbling block for me much of my life. I have recognized how blessed I was, but too often have failed to grasp that it is all grace, and not anything I have earned or deserved. I descry the “entitlement mentality” I see so much around me, but I’ve wallowed in it myself! God has dealt with me so much in this area that at this point I’m in danger of being proud of my humility! I recognize that the human heart is quite the expert at deceiving itself, so I’ve got to keep focusing, deliberately, on Jesus Christ my Lord, and not on myself. If I will do that, I will recognize that not only can I do nothing apart from Him, (John 15:5) in Him I can do anything at all He asks me to do. (Philippians 4:13) My status is that of a child of God, and my duty and privilege is to draw others into that status with me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need it more often than I should! I ask You to guide me this morning as I contact the lady who was hurt last month because I denied her communion elements, when she has never made a public commitment to Christ, much less been baptized. She simply doesn’t understand that. It was good to hear the experiences in that area of a couple of our most recent believers, and how they avoided coming to church when they knew we would be having communion because they hated the feeling of exclusion. Help me communicate Your love and Your purity to this lady, that she may feel Your acceptance and accept Your offer of salvation by grace through faith, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Opposition; August 15, 2020

Posted on August 19, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 13:17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

It’s interesting how many parallels I see between the Bible and modern politics. Human nature hasn’t changed! Those who actually get good things done are opposed by those who just talk a lot. James’ letter comes to mind, where he stresses many times the difference between saying nice or expected things and actually doing what is right. A major factor in the opposition to Jesus was that those opposed to Him realized that the people were seeing through them, but in response, instead of correcting their own behavior, they sought to kill Jesus. Again, we see that played out on the national stage today. I would be the last person to claim that Donald Trump is a Christ figure, but Jesus did say that those who follow Him would encounter the same sort of opposition He did. (John 15:20) The reports I have read indicate Donald Trump had a powerful encounter with God at the time of his father’s death, and since then has been led into a clear-cut commitment to Jesus Christ. He has certainly been the most actively pro-life, pro-evangelical, pro-Israel president in my lifetime, which covers most of the period since WWII. His words can be all over the place at times, but his policies and his concrete actions infuriate his opposition while they delight those who see through the empty words of his opposition.

I find myself a little dismayed to have written something so political, but I strive to write what I receive. I am not to step on people’s toes deliberately, politically or otherwise, but I am not to draw back from speaking the truth in love, even when the subject seems political. For most of my life I have had very little interest in politics, but that has certainly changed over the past 20 years. I had previously seen the devil as operating mostly on a personal, individual level, but I now realize he does his damnedest to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) on the national and international level as well. I am to resist him whenever and however I encounter him! (James 4:7) In terms of America, because I am physically in Japan my activities are limited to prayer and the Internet, but I am to be faithful in whatever the Lord shows me to do. I am a man of words myself, but I must be careful that my words are followed through with action, both saying the right thing and doing the right thing.

Father, I don’t get a thrill out of political things, but I realize that You care about every facet of life, both for me and for everyone else. Thank You for the people who came to the gallery yesterday, and for those You will bring today. May my interaction with them, both in word and in deed, be exactly as You desire, so that they may be drawn to Christ for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; August 14, 2020

Posted on August 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

This verse can be both an encouragement and a frustration to those actively involved in evangelism. On the one hand, we can know that we are representatives of almighty God, and those who listen to us are indeed listening to Him, but on the other hand, we can feel like we’re butting our heads against the wall when people seem to listen and listen but never commit themselves to Jesus as Lord. This verse parallels another statement of Jesus: “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (John 13:20) That again parallels, “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40) We have the three terms: listens to, accepts, and receives. Experience tells us that there are degrees to each of those. The problem is, we aren’t the final judge of those degrees. All we can do is be faithful to the One who sends us, speaking the truth in love and giving people the opportunity to listen, accept, and receive salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is intensely personal for me, since I’ve been ministering in Japan for about 39 years, following my parents who ministered here from 1934 on. Ministry in Japan is a study in faithfulness and frustration. Missionaries – and foreigners in general – are often seen as interesting and are even sought out, but there seems to be a massive wall keeping Japanese from realizing that the things they are hearing truly apply to them, and are a matter of eternal life and death. I have no answer to that in my own strength and wisdom, so I just keep reminding myself that “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) I am to keep praying and keep proclaiming, and trust God with the results. In our current photo exhibit in the City Gallery we are having opportunities to share Christ in word and in song, and some of the people seem quite receptive. However, only time will tell whether the heart in question is a roadside, a gravel patch, weeds, or rich soil. (Matthew 13:18-23) I am not to put myself down for people’s response, or lack of it, but rather seek to be available for whatever appointments the Lord sets up, to be useful to Him in His work of salvation.

Father, thank You for this strong and timely reminder. I pray that I would look forward to Your appointments each day and not burn out over the ones that didn’t turn out as I had desired. May I be an effective representative of Christ, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Needs; August 13, 2020

Posted on August 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 9:11 But the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

In Matthew’s account we learn that Jesus went to Bethsaida to collect his thoughts and feelings after John the Baptist’s execution, (Matthew 14:13) but Luke specifies that when the crowds caught up with Him He welcomed them. (The Japanese says, “He rejoiced to receive them.”) We don’t identify very well with that level of self-sacrificial commitment. Jesus was all about doing His Father’s will, whatever that meant. After talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, He indicated that doing God’s will was as satisfying as a good meal. (John 4:32-34) This is yet another extension of what it means to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) Sometimes our needs are met in the very seeking! In contrast, we tend to categorize our “needs” and then tack “religious things” on somewhere at the end. Jesus made it very clear that is counterproductive, and Paul and others certainly discovered that to be true. It is just as true today, but society and the devil do all they can to convince us otherwise. Much of the confusion in our lives is eliminated when we get our priorities straight. First, God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Second, everything else, even including what we think of as “essentials.” We need to believe that God is more than able to supply our needs, whatever they are, and so seek Him rather than seeking those needs for themselves. That is completely counter to the way the world operates, so it takes not only faith, but daily re-commitment in order to stay on track. That’s a major reason why daily morning devotions are so important.

This is a lesson that has really been drummed into me, but I’m still learning it even so. The devil is forever telling me I “need” all sorts of things. Sometimes they are things God wants me to have, but even in those cases I am to seek Him first. In the final analysis He is all I need, and indeed, all I will have as I leave this earth. As He told Paul, His grace is sufficient for us, (2 Corinthians 12:9) After all, in Christ I have all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (Colossians 2:3) and indeed, all things. (2 Peter 1:3) I tell people all the time that God is not stingy, but I am still learning how generous He really is. It is only when I let the world and the devil define my needs that I fail to see that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your abundant provision of everything I need. Thank You for the good report at the hospital yesterday, that there is really nothing to be anxious about. (Actually, that would have been the case even if it had turned out to be an aggressive melanoma, but I’m thankful that it wasn’t.) Thank You for the contacts and opportunities for ministry that You are giving us at the gallery show. Thank You for the mother with the handicapped child who was so open to the Gospel. I ask You to bring us together again, so that I can follow up. Thank You for the old friends who are coming by, both Christians and non-Christians. Thank You for the songs we can sing to express Your Gospel that way. I pray that the remaining five days of the exhibit would produce the results You desire, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Maturity; August 12, 2020

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Matthew’s record of this parable (Matthew 13:1-23) is perhaps better known than Luke’s, but one word in Luke’s record strikes me: “mature.” Normally I consider it very risky to stress a particular word in a passage, understanding the art of translation as I do, but the Japanese likewise uses a term that means “mature, ripe.” Too many of us allow the things of this world to keep us green and immature. The list here of such things is very basic: worries, riches, pleasures. Every person on earth is tempted and/or distracted by such things, sometimes more than at other times, and to varying degrees, but it’s part of the human condition. That’s why Jesus told us, so clearly and famously, to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Everyone has moments of worry. Riches aren’t bad in themselves. God wants us to have fun, and He created us to be able to enjoy things. However, each of these things can be a barrier to our maturity and fruitfulness, if we allow them to come ahead of God in our priorities. Every human being has an innate desire, a need, really, for their life to have meaning and purpose. When we tie that with riches and pleasures, we end up with ashes in our mouth, realizing we have wasted our lives. Worries are a special category, because we gain nothing from them but they can rob us of so much. Even so, we cooperate with the robber all too readily, worrying over things we cannot change and so overlooking, or even destroying, countless blessings God has prepared for us. That’s why the Bible tells us again and again not to worry. When we genuinely seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we realize that those things are available only in and through God Himself, and so we stop striving in our own strength, and relax to allow Him to bring those things about in and through us.

This applies to me on every level. As a pastor I desire maturity for everyone in my care, and it pains me to see them struggling with these issues. However, I myself am not perfect in my response to them! I too need to choose to focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, so that God may grow me to the fruitful maturity He desires in me. It’s been many years since He told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, but I’m still learning! Right now I’m in the middle of another practicum, having had a CT scan yesterday, with assorted pre-surgery tests today and a consultation with the surgeon about a skin cancer, right in the middle of a photo show that started yesterday and will run through the 17th. God continues to grow my faith, but the stretching process isn’t always comfortable. I am quite used to dealing with my wife’s medical issues, but I’m not used to being the one to make her anxious! We both need to place and keep our focus on our Lord, who will never allow anything He can’t use for our blessing and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that we were fully set up by opening time yesterday, and for the many friends who came by to see the show. Thank You for the sales we’ve made already. Thank You for showing us the adjustments we need to make. Help us get those done without hassle. I pray that things would go smoothly this morning, both at the hospital and at the gallery, and that things would go well at the gallery this afternoon. Help us keep our hearts at rest in You, even as our bodies are busy, so that we may bear the fruit that You intend, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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