The Name of God; January 3, 2018

Posted on January 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalms 144:15 Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

This verse really makes sense only when you understand that LORD (as the NIV renders it) is actually YHWH, the covenant name of the Creator as revealed to Moses. Most Western countries are far removed from formal polytheism, so specifying the Name of God doesn’t really click. Most Americans think they believe in the God of the Bible, whether they are particularly obedient to Him or not. Perhaps the recent resurgence of militant Islam could give people more understanding, since the militants’ concept of Allah is far removed from that of Yahweh, much less Jesus. This brings to mind the story of a friend of mine, Benjamin Berger. He was born and raised in New York City after his parents refugeed there, but all four of his grandparents were killed in the holocaust. He was in such a devoutly Jewish community that it wasn’t until university that he had his first conversation with a Gentile. As is all too common, his university experiences led him to essentially abandon religion entirely, and he graduated a confirmed secularist. After graduation, because of his language skills he got a good job in Europe, and moved there on his own. One day after coming home from work he was sitting in his apartment reading a newspaper when he had the feeling someone was in the room with him, though he lived alone. The feeling kept getting stronger and stronger, until he heard a voice that said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I am your God.” He then had an extended conversation with God, without ever seeing Him with his eyes. Later in that conversation, God told him, “By the way, my name is Jesus.” That absolutely shocked him, because he had been raised to believe that “The Christians killed your grandparents.” The story of course goes on from there, but the point is that names are important. Of course our image of Who that Name represents is also vitally important, as is clear when we realize how many Americans have a concept of God that is far removed from the Bible, but this verse is about names. David was distinguishing his God from Baal or Ashtoreth or Marduk or any of a number of other gods. It is as we realize Who it is we say we worship and then learn to worship Him alone, in spirit and in truth, that we move into all the blessing that He intends for us.

This is an acute issue for me as I minister in Japan, which is almost more pantheistic than polytheistic. With Shinto making a deity out of every impressive natural feature and Buddhism requiring the worship of everyone who has died, it is no wonder that the majority of Japanese abandon religion entirely, except as a cultural thing. I need to help them understand that Jesus is different from all the rest before I hone in on Jesus being the only one that is real, and all the rest are counterfeits. A major problem is the entrenched xenophobia of the Japanese. They often admire foreigners and even want to be like them, but they fear becoming “un-Japanese.” When they say, “I am Buddhist,” they are speaking of identity rather than personal faith. After all, how many Americans think they are Christians, but never read the Bible or pray? Cultural religion certainly shapes world view, but it’s not the same thing as faith. My challenge is in helping Japanese understand just who Jesus is, and how He is worthy of their total obedience, devotion, and love.

Father, thank You for making my task so clear. It’s evident I can’t do it on my own, but as our verse for this year says, nothing is too difficult for You. I ask You to move powerfully through me to remove the veil that covers the understanding of the Japanese so that they may see You, repent, and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Gratitude; January 2, 2018

Posted on January 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalms 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Not knowing Hebrew, I don’t know the original term used in the recurring refrain of this Psalm, but different translations render it as love, (NIV) mercy, (KJV) and grace. (Japanese) That would indicate it’s a pretty desirable thing! This whole Psalm is focused on giving God thanks, both for who He is and what He has done. The repetitive refrain was probably spoken or sung either by a choir or by all the assembled worshipers. That can be a powerful experience, and brings out the benefits of group worship as distinct from private devotions. It has been pointed out that thanks needs to progress to praise in order to lead to full worship, which is true enough, but gratitude is at the foundation. It is only as we appreciate how incredibly gracious God has been to us that we relate to Him rightly. It is no accident that when Paul was listing characteristics of godlessness, ungrateful made the list. (2 Timothy 3:2-5) Genuine gratitude will produce action. Those who only want God to give them more good things don’t appreciate the things He’s already given them. I am reminded of the famous line from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” When we are grateful for all that God has already done for us, we will not only enjoy it a lot more, we will be seeking ways to serve God in response. It’s not that we could possibly earn God’s favor by our works, but that even a rudimentary understanding of how much He has already done for us will produce obedient devotion. As Jesus said so clearly, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)

Even in writing this I realize I have room to grow in gratitude, love, and obedience toward my Lord. As a pastor I regularly preach to others, but if I fail to live out the truth I speak, I am a total sham. It’s not that the words are any less true, it’s that I don’t get the benefit of them. In this new year I desire that this church grow in thanks, praise, and worship to God, but for that to happen, I need to grow too. It has come out that I tend to make what are felt to be high-level demands of the believers. That response indicates I haven’t been laying the foundations sufficiently, and the first foundation is gratitude. I need to help the believers understand how good God has already been to them, so that they will naturally want to spend more time with Him, and the idea of daily devotions will become a delight rather than a burden. When that happens, they will develop the intimate, personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that I desire for them because God desires it for them. Small or shallow faith will no longer be an issue! As always, I don’t have the wisdom to accomplish that on my own, but since God desires it, I can count on Him to use me in bringing it to pass, if I will be yielded and obedient.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing in me these days. Quite a few years ago a brother from Malaysia told me prophetically that for the church to change, I had to change. At the time, I had no idea how I needed to change, but you are taking care of it. Thank You. Help me indeed grow into the vessel You desire so that the treasure within may be fully effective, (2 Corinthians 4:7) for the salvation and blessing of many, and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Serving an Omnipotent God; January 1, 2018

Posted on January 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

The Bible has several examples of people praying God’s words back to Him, and that is an excellent practice. However, there aren’t many where God quotes people’s words back to them, as here. In verse 17 Jeremiah has just prayed this same content to God, because he knows it in theory but still, what he has just done at God’s direction, buying land when the nation was overrun by the Babylonians, seemed the height of absurdity. That’s when God quotes Jeremiah back to himself. He’s basically saying, “You know the words, but do you really understand what you are saying?” He goes on to explain to Jeremiah why the nation is in the fix it is in, but then from verse 37 on through the next chapter He gives Jeremiah wonderful promises of restoration and blessing. We are so quick to forget that God always knows the end from the beginning, and from our perspective there’s always more to the story. That’s where faith and trust come in. God had Jeremiah buy land he couldn’t get to because it was occupied by Babylonian troops precisely to declare that the destruction of Jerusalem at that time wasn’t the end of the story. Frankly, it wasn’t that Jeremiah would ever need the land or even use it. To Jeremiah, the purchase probably seemed like a huge waste of silver, but God is never at a loss for finances, and physical things are simply His tools to teach us what we need to know.

This couldn’t be more applicable to us right now. We have just completed the purchase of a building plot next to the church, ostensibly for parking, when current attendance doesn’t fill the parking lot we have. Some people were so against the purchase they left the church. That’s painful, but the loss is more theirs than ours, however depleted we might seem at this point. The thing is, God is telling us that He’s not through with us, and His plans for us are bigger than we can currently imagine. Just like Jeremiah, we have made a land purchase that doesn’t necessarily make sense from a strictly human perspective, but God said to do it, and we did, at personal cost on various levels to us. In last night’s service the Lord gave me an idea of something He wants us to do to reach out and get a fresh beginning with fresh people, and I was infused with faith and anticipation. As the pastor, I am charged with communicating that faith and anticipation to all who are still in the church, so that I won’t be charging off on my own but will be leading the flock, enabling them to receive the vision as their own and rejoice to participate. As I have learned in the past year, I can’t just preach at them, or even just model the desired behavior and attitudes myself, I’ve got to coach them gently until they grasp God’s truth for themselves and understand how it applies to them.

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Last night was one of the best watch-night services I can remember, not so much for what we did as for Your presence in it. Help me follow through indeed, taking active steps not only to do what You indicated but to explain it all first to the believers, getting their agreement and participation from the ground up. I pray that this year would be one of continued growth, not just for the church in numbers but for me as a pastor and for us all as disciples, so that all of Your purposes for us, individually and as a church, may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God; December 31, 2017

Posted on January 3, 2018 by jgarrott

Lamentations 3:21-23 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations was written in a time of almost unthinkable tragedy. The Jews had brought it on themselves by their persistent rebellion and idolatry, but that still didn’t negate God’s choice of them as His people. Jeremiah was understandably heartbroken, but here in chapter three he reminds himself of God’s character, and that gives him hope. We do well to learn from Jeremiah. Everyone goes through times of difficulty and even tragedy, but that doesn’t mean that God has forgotten them. When difficult times come, we need first of all to ask God what part we might have had in bringing them on. Most of the time there is at least something, and sometimes a great deal, of which we need to repent. The good news is, repentance and forgiveness are possible. The devil does all he can to convince us that’s not true, but his lies don’t change God’s truth. At any moment, complete restoration of fellowship with God is possible. The devil hates that in us, and he is desperate to hide it from us. That’s why we need to get God’s Word into us to counter the lies of the devil. As Jesus said, the truth will set us free. (John 8:32)

This is a very good reminder for us right now. The tension over moving out of the status quo and into something new has caused people to leave our already very small group. That is very painful, but it doesn’t change God’s faithfulness. Whereas it is certainly true that the Church is people, and not land, buildings, or anything else, it is made up of disciples, and sometimes God does things to prepare a specific, limited group to accomplish His purposes. He famously did that with Gideon, as recorded in Judges 7, and He has done that again and again in various situations. We have heard a lot over the past several months about disciples vs. “guest members,” and there is no question which God is after. For many years quoting John 16:33 has been almost a habit with me: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God’s plans for the new year are without question good. (Jeremiah 29:11) I am to rest in that assurance and look forward with joyful anticipation to what He is going to do.

Father, thank You for this comforting reminder. I pray that all of the activities of today may be as You plan and desire, so that we may enter the new year with hearts focused on You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priorities; December 30, 2017

Posted on January 2, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 2:49-50 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Jesus wasn’t being deliberately disobedient to Mary and Joseph, and He certainly wasn’t being “smart ass,” though the words alone might give that impression. What was going on was a disconnect in priorities, with Mary and Joseph unable to understand those of Jesus. Actually, believers encounter this sort of thing all the time. The world can’t understand us when we genuinely seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) It bothers them when we don’t gush over Gucci and the like, or even choose to go to church rather than to a party. That can create opportunities to share the Gospel, but as Peter said, we must do so with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-16) Believers get called all sorts of things by people who feel bad in comparison and so try to put those believers down so they themselves will be lifted up. That’s a common phenomenon among all people, but it never really works. Putting others down actually diminishes the speaker, even if they don’t realize it. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He prayed about believers being “in the world but not of it.” (John 17:14-16) That status isn’t always comfortable, but as has been noted, God is far more interested in our character than our comfort.

I have been in the middle of just such a situation. The saddest pert of it all has been the Christians who haven’t had their minds renewed sufficiently to be able to understand what I was doing. (Romans 12:2) Far too many Christians take the world’s ways of thinking for granted, not realizing that their own thought patterns should be different. I’ve done too much of that myself, but fortunately I was at least raised in a home with a genuinely Biblical world view, and that made it much easier to lay hold of such a world view myself when I was old enough for genuinely independent thinking. God is in the process of validating my choices, for which I am deeply grateful, so at this point my concern needs to be with the believers who rejected me because of their worldly thinking, that they would not completely abandon faith. I need to be an instrument and agent of grace, allowing the holy Spirit to convict people and not trying to do it myself. I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, not just for my own sake but for the sake of all those with whom I interact, so that their eyes too may be opened to God’s provision and His priorities.

Father, thank You for Your grace. May everyone in this church accept that grace with great joy, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Dealing with Danger; December 29, 2017

Posted on January 2, 2018 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

The Holy Family encountered very real danger. God gave them warning, but they had to cooperate to avoid the danger. This wasn’t the first and it wouldn’t be the last time Joseph made a major move in obedience to a divine dream, and the Lord rewarded his faithfulness. We aren’t told when or how he died, but it seems very clear that it was before Jesus began gathering disciples for ministry. I feel that his relatively early death was a reward for his faithfulness, because he didn’t have to go through all the mess of his younger children not accepting their big brother as the Messiah, and then Jesus being arrested and crucified. In any case, all of this serves as a background and confirmation of what Jesus told his disciples shortly before His crucifixion: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) There are believers enduring all sorts of dangers and hardships for their faith even right now. In fact, the pace of martyrdom is at the highest level ever, even though we think of the 1st Century as a time of great persecution. We must remember that the battle is fundamentally spiritual, whatever physical manifestations we might encounter. The Holy Family had to escape to Egypt because Herod served the devil, thinking he was serving himself. We too need to obey God’s guidance in order to evade unnecessary hardships, but we aren’t to be anxious about any of it, trusting that God will work it all out for good. (Romans 8:28)

I am certainly in the middle of living this out myself. On top of the stresses of dealing with church land, finances, and people, yesterday my main computer got hit by an attack that trashed the operating system, forcing me into a fresh install, which means I have to set up all my programs all over again. Had I been more wise, or prayed before acting, I might have avoided that, but my data is intact, and I have 30+ years of experience in installing software! I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in the awareness that this too is temporal, and nowhere near as consequential as the interpersonal relationships I had already been dealing with. All of that mess also caused me to go back to reading an excellent book that I need to implement in terms of spiritual warfare, and for that I am grateful. I can continue reading that book while I wait for all the programs to install! Nothing can happen to me that could in any way remove me from God’s love, (Romans 8:38-39) and that is wonderful to know.

Father, thank You for all that You are allowing me to go through. Thank You that great blessing will be the ultimate result. Help me remember that even in the heat of the moment, and allow Your peace to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 4:6-7) May I spend each day doing Your will on Your schedule, drawing many closer to You for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Guidance; December 28, 2017

Posted on December 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:2 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

The Magi are definitely a mystery. Today we are tempted to dismiss them as astrologers, and probably a lot of what they believed was a total crock, but there was enough truth in it all for them to figure out that God’s Messiah had been born to the Jews. The point to me is that when they felt they had heard from God, they acted on it, and that is something we all need to emulate. What they did was at considerable inconvenience and expense and even danger, but they were convinced they had heard from God, and that was enough. The Bible is filled with examples of people hearing from God in various ways – almost as many ways as there are people. As I keep being reminded, God indeed speaks to us all, and we need to learn to listen. The most common ways for God to speak to individuals are through the Bible and through impressions in the heart and mind. Those are often combined, and supplement and confirm each other. However, when we hear from God and then fail to act on what He has told us, it not only does us no good, it trains us in disobedience, and that is a terrible thing. (James 1:22) We have no way of knowing exactly how the Magi heard from God or how many confirmations they received, but we do know they acted on what they heard, and so played a vital part in God’s plan of salvation for all mankind.

I am very much in the place of acting on what I feel God has told me, without knowing at all how things are going to turn out. Yesterday the contract was signed and the money transferred to purchase a building plot next to the church, at considerable personal expense to me. However, that plot by itself isn’t sufficient for the elder-care facility Cathy and I have felt the Lord was leading us to build. The person who had promised funds to purchase a much larger tract of land backed out, for reasons known fully only to God, but we felt we had to do as much as God made possible, regardless. The other two building plots in the total tract remain unsold at this point. My personal prayer and even expectation is that God is going to provide the funds to purchase those as well, before anyone else does, but that is in His hands. Right now we are in a situation of people having left the church over this issue, even though there is no direct cost to the church itself, and we are exhausted. However, we have done as we were convinced God was leading, and our reward is in His hands. What the road ahead holds is at this point a mystery. We are learning things about some things He has planned for us in the year ahead, but we need clear guidance about the immediate future course as well. However He guides us, we need to be committed to obedience even before we know what His will is, so that we won’t hang back for any reason. His plans are for our blessing and His glory. (Jeremiah 29:11) That is enough to know.

Father, thank You that the paperwork for the one building plot is indeed completed. Help me know and follow Your plan for today and tomorrow. I pray Your presence, guidance, and anointing for the remaining time our younger daughter and her family will be here, and I ask for clear guidance about whether we are to attend the ministers conference in February, since the registration deadline is this Sunday. May we look at what You want us to do, rather than at what resources we think we have to do it, so that You will be free to do in and through us what You desire, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Honesty; December 27, 2017

Posted on December 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 2:34-35 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

This prophecy about Jesus is significant in many ways, but the point that stands out to me right now is the one about the thoughts of many hearts being revealed. People really don’t know how much they reveal about themselves sometimes. Some people seem better at hiding things than others, but it all comes out in the end. The thing is, God knows our thoughts even as we think them, and as Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” (Luke 12:2) We see some of that in the news today, with many people in power of one sort or another being shown to have abused that power for their own pleasure. We think we are getting away with things, but nothing escapes God’s notice, and in time He will reveal it all. This prophecy is specifically about Jesus, and indeed, how people respond to Him reveals a lot about them. There are those who seem to respond with enthusiasm and even dedication, but then are pulled away by the things of the world. The Biblical example of that is Demas. In Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24 he is mentioned along with Luke as a “fellow-worker” with Paul, but then later Paul writes to Timothy that “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10) The thoughts of Demas’ heart were revealed, and they were not good. Some cultures have made hiding motives into something of an art form. Japanese use the terms tatemae (built in front, or public face) and honne (true sound, or genuine feelings/motives) The problem is, too often we don’t really understand our own motives, and get caught up in all sorts of hypocrisy. That’s why God’s grace is essential for us all, and why we all need to walk in humility.

Ministering in Japan as I do, this is something I deal with constantly. However, I have found that Japanese are far from the only ones who will say one thing and do another. When I was in seminary in Texas one of my professors told us that in popular “theology,” it’s not a sin to lie to the preacher and say you’re going to attend church when you have no real intention of doing so. That seems to be true the world over! I was raised by a father who held absolute honesty as one of his core principles, and it certainly rubbed off. As a writer I can create fiction, but only with the understanding that it is fiction. I hate deceiving intentionally. Because that is the way I am, I tend to take people at their word perhaps more than I should. That has certainly led to a lot of disappointments. I learned long ago that only God is perfectly faithful, but I get “refresher lessons” in that far more often than I would like. At the same time, I need to let the Lord show me the difference between intentional deception and simple failure to follow through. I do plenty of the latter! Since I am so much in need of the grace of God, I need to extend that grace to others.

Father, we’ve had some painful times recently. Help me remember what Jesus went through with His own disciples, and take my comfort in You. Help me be honestly transparent so that people may see Jesus through me. Keep me from trying to convict people myself, but leave that up to Your Holy Spirit. (John 16:8-11) Give me courage to confront when that is called for, but always to do so in love, so that the Body of Christ may be built up, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; December 26, 2017

Posted on December 28, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Simeon is an interesting figure in the Bible, recorded not so much for what he did as for what he was. I doubt that he was much noted by the “movers and shakers” of his day, but he had a relationship with God that brought him to a place of rare privilege. His hope was fixed on God, and that opened him up to the work of the Holy Spirit. That in turn made him available as an instrument of blessing to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. However, he himself experienced it as blessing to himself. That’s a very interesting feature of God’s economy: we are most blessed when we transmit blessing to others. Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) This is an example of that. When we are hungry for blessings ourselves, we are rarely satisfied. However, when we get in line with the flow of God’s blessings to others, we are filled. It was Simeon’s character that lined him up with this truth, and not only the Holy Family, but all generations of believers since, have been blessed as a result. This is a principle I refer to frequently in marriage counseling As long as we are fixated on our own happiness, it remains elusive. If we on the other hand fixate on our spouse’s happiness, we find our own to be increased immeasurably. Simeon was focused first on God and serving Him, and God blessed him with an incredible privilege.

My focus has been sadly diffuse for too much of my life, but God keeps working on me. I am reminded of the Hubble space telescope, that was out of focus for some time after it went into orbit, but that was corrected to bring it into great usefulness. I am quite aware of the many distractions the devil uses to try to disturb my focus, because they are effective all too often. Right now is no exception, with widely divergent demands on my time and attention. I’ve got to make the conscious choice to focus on God, His kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) or I will be tied in knots, losing both joy and peace. That benefits no one, least of all me. Today and tomorrow are momentous in terms of financial projects, and the devil has a boatload of anxiety he wants to dump on me. I’ve got to stay submitted to God so that I may in turn resist the devil. (James 4:7) God has been speaking through me to others, but I’ve got to hear and appropriate His truth myself. I have felt sorry for others with a poverty mentality, but I must not succumb to such myself. I’ve got to remember that “My God will meet all [my] needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) As often as I quote that to others, I’d better believe it myself!

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. The devil was trying to make me feel the walls were closing in on me, when in Christ nothing could be further from the truth. Help me be faithful in all the details, but leave all the results in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Growing Faith; December 25, 2017

Posted on December 27, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

It is always wonderful to have confirmation you have heard from God. Very few people have as dramatic a visitation as these shepherds experienced, so confirmation becomes all the more important. In their case, I think they felt virtually compelled to follow up on what they had been told, and they weren’t disappointed. When we aren’t as sure we have heard from God, sometimes we are hesitant to follow through, and so miss out on what God had planned for us. At times we look back and realize what God had been saying to us, but too late. That is tragic indeed. The thing is, God speaks to us constantly, but most of the time we ignore it, or at least don’t recognize it’s God. We think we would like dramatic, unmistakable visitations like the shepherds had, but that wouldn’t be nearly as good for us spiritually. It is when we choose to act on what we think we hear God saying that our faith is stretched and grown, and as John said, faith is the victory that overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4) Weak faith only brings small victories. None of us has as much faith as we could have, but it is when we exercise the faith that we do have that it grows and grows, until it can sustain us in situations that would have been unimaginable before.

I have been very aware for the past several months that I am in a training period for faith. Things have not gone as I had imagined or would have liked, but God’s leading and provision have been evident. The attacks of the enemy are ongoing, which is all the more reason I need to exercise faith in order to experience the victory God intends for me. God told me a little while back that I needed to be the “faith engine” for the church, but some people aren’t accepting the “jumper cables” I’m offering them. That’s between them and God. I need to keep speaking the truth in love, leaving them, and myself, in God’s hands. Sometimes the victory is pretty far down the road, or even after I am off the scene, as Hebrews 11:39-40 points out. I am not to let that discourage me. Like Paul, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Father, thank You for being so trustworthy. Thank You for all You are bringing us through. Thank You that the outcome is settled, and glorious, though I don’t know exactly what it will be. Thank You for having our younger daughter with us at Christmas for the first time in 25 years. I pray that today would be all that You intend it to be for all of us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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