10272018 A Finished Race

Dear Missionary Lady,

How was the battle this week? Hopefully not so overwhelming that you feel mortally wounded! Paul's first description of his life - the good fight - can carry the idea of death and danger; the second description tends more toward exhaustion and endurance. "I have finished my course" (II Timothy 4:7). Paul talks about a race, and you know that this is no mere sprint. This is a marathon. It is a race that never ends until we reach glory.

Running is not easy. Some people really enjoy it. When I was in college, one of my friends tried to inspire me with her interest in running. Over a month or two, I began to build my stamina, until I was able to run each evening with some success. Then I went home for a week and didn't run while I was home. When I returned to campus, I never started again. I knew there would be some challenge in getting back to where I had been, and I just didn't have the heart to go through that. I've never again tried to get into running.

My health has held some significant setbacks over the years, with lots of ups and downs. A few years ago, I was in an upward surge. I was walking regularly, and one day I felt so good that I thought I would try running. I didn't go far - maybe 100 feet - and that was the end of that. I am resigned to the likelihood that this body will never run again! But there is a spiritual race that must be run by us all, whether we are physically athletic or not.

Intimidation, fear, and discomfort cannot keep us from this race. We can't shy away from the challenge. As Paul considered past and impending threats to himself, he declared, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). God had put a race in front of Paul, and he was unwavering. He was determined to run that race no matter what. Your race is also divinely-designed, and you also can have joy in finishing the race you have been given.

Paul talked again about the joy of finishing the race. "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain" (Philippians 2:16). His expected joy was to be found in knowing that his race mattered. It wasn't just running for the sake of running. It wasn't running with no destination in mind. It wasn't running his heart out only to find that the race had been discontinued or the prize withdrawn. Because the race was centered on eternal things, Paul's effort was not vain, and neither is yours. What you do today matters for eternity.

The prize makes the race worth running, particularly in the spiritual race. Paul encourages us to run not casually or half-heartedly, but with diligence and with the desire to run successfully. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly" (I Corinthians 9:24-26). The prize that awaits us is significant - not a cheap trophy that will tarnish and gather dust. No, this race matters, so we must dedicate and discipline ourselves to run it well and with firm resolve.

There is inspiration for the race. Primarily, we have Jesus as our example. He ran faithfully. The race was not easy or pleasant for Him either, but He looked past the pain to focus on the eternal glory. We are to be inspired and encouraged by His example. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him ... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:1-3). Yes, our minds get weary and faint in this race that exhausts us at a level beyond the physical, but looking at Jesus' example helps us to go on. And when we're properly focused on Him, we lay aside some of the extraneous things of life that would hinder our progress.

Wonderfully, there is even divine strength for the race. I can't run it on my own, and neither can you. We would spend most of our time fallen in the mud and with pulled hamstrings! But God can give us strength and endurance that we don't have. He can enable us to run when our resources are totally depleted. We need to look to Him, expectantly and dependently. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Indeed, God can help us to run races that we never thought possible and to overcome obstacles in that race that seem insurmountable. "For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall" (Psalm 18:29). The race is not too hard for God - or for us with God's help. Keep running - one step at a time, with eyes on Jesus for inspiration, and with a focus on the eternal reward. Runners say, "No pain, no gain." There is pain, but the result is worth it!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

10202018 A Good Fight

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings, sisters. I trust that God has blessed you this week, giving you strength and wisdom, and accomplishing His work through your labors. The results are not always visible on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis, but God is performing His work, even when we can't discern measurable advances. What you do today matters for eternity.

While we all live in the day-to-day, missionaries have to maintain a long-term view. Their commitment is long-term, their investment is long-term, and the expected results are long-term. The best motivations and the best rewards are eternal in nature. While life is made up of a long series of days, I am captivated with the idea of what will happen (by the grace of God) when I reach heaven, when those days are finally ended, and a summary statement encapsulates all they represent. In particular, I long to hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

As the apostle Paul summarized his own life, he gave three powerful statements that fit that same tone. The first of them is "I have fought a good fight" (II Timothy 4:7).

I'm not really very fond of fighting. As a child, I didn't fight much with my siblings, and I endeavored to avoid conflict. I still prefer to avoid arguments or disputes. I'm not even a very competitive person (anymore). I realize people are different, but in general fighting is a "guy" thing. Men can get excited about fights, aggression, and brutal athletic contests. They can be caught up in the drama of war and battles. They can have a strong surge of resolve that motivates them to fight for their families and for their countries.

Women, not so much. We prefer peace and stability. We try to avoid conflict, and we rarely go looking for fights. In certain realms, that is okay. In the Christian realm, however, we don't have that option. We are in a fight whether we like it or not. The Bible says we have an adversary, who like a roaring lion, prowls about seeking to devour us. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. We can't allow Satan easy victories by neglecting to fight.

This is no small foe we fight and no puny enemy. This is a major battle, and it matters immensely. In fact, we would not consider it a mere battle. In reality, it is a long-term war, one that ebbs and flows, but one that endures for years. Satan has a strong foothold in this world, and his forces are at work. Evil reigns, and its influence is evident around us every day, sometimes in frightening ways. Until we are called home to heaven, we are in this battle, and we must fight.

We must fight tenaciously. We can't back down, and we can't give up. What makes the battle so challenging is that it doesn't end. It isn't too hard to muster our strength and resolve for a short time and for brief bursts. Our emotion or adrenaline can kick in to push us through an intense situation. What is hard is to maintain our vigilance and our resistance when the battle stretches on. When the battle has left us bruised and bleeding, exhausted and weary, it is hard to push on into another battle. It is challenging to face another situation or another day.

This is when the world would tell us to dig deep, to find strength inside us, and to show that women can't be conquered. The world is so wrong. While we certainly can't lie down and quit, the strength to endure is not in us. It is in God. He can help us to continue on when our strength is gone. When our resources are exhausted, God can help us to rise up on wings as eagles, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. Yes, we can be completely worn out, feeling that we can't do another day, but God can strengthen us in our souls where we most need it. He can help us to endure. He can allow us to fight for one more day.

In addition to fighting tenaciously, we must also fight wisely. Wisdom lies in knowing that the strength is not in us and that we don't have the answers. Wisdom lies in recognizing the spiritual nature of the conflict, and in remembering that the weapons of our warfare are also spiritual. Those weapons are divinely powerful for the pulling down of strongholds. The armor is not our own; it is all of God. The defense is found in God's truth, God's righteousness, God's salvation, God's gospel. The offense is found in God's Word, as we follow Jesus' example of relying on God's written truth.

Interestingly, because the battle is spiritual, it is not our bodies that grow most weary. It is our minds and our spirits. That is where the battles are won or lost. We must renew our minds with God's truth. We must refresh our spirits with His Word and allow Him to restore our souls. We cannot allow our emotions to get the better of us, and we cannot allow discouragement to drag us down. There are opportunities every day for us to be defeated and to give up in the battle, but God is able to give the victory for each day. Because the ultimate victory lies in the future, the skirmishes will continue, but we cannot give up. With God's help and His enabling, we must fight a good fight. No surrender! Stay in the fight!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

10122018 God Supplies

Dear Missionary Lady,

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

This assurance was particularly given to people who were sacrificially giving of themselves and their resources in order to meet the needs of others, which is pretty much the definition of a missionary. Throughout Scripture, God has demonstrated His intent and ability to supply for His children. That doesn't always look like what we expect, but it is always enough.

As a single person who was used to living simply and who lived rent-free on the mission compound, I was able to get by with a fairly low support level. Generally speaking, I lived carefully but wasn't consumed with financial concerns. There was one month though …

Because of the way my support came in, I alternated between a high month and a low month. If I remember correctly, I was coming off a low month, so was looking forward to payday being a little more than normal. I always had the opportunity to call the mission board and find out immediately what my deposit would be for a particular month. I usually didn't bother, but this time I did. The information stunned me. Instead of my expected high month, my income was even less than the month before.

I knew immediately that things would be tight. Because of church ministries I helped with (and just getting to church, for that matter), I needed to keep my car supplied with gas. And that was just about how much money I had available. I went through my cupboards and inventoried my food - right down to cups of flour and number of eggs. I made out a menu for the month that utilized every bit of food I had available. When the month ended, I had no money, enough food for one meal (due to eating with friends one day), and a few gas fumes still in my car.

Did God let me down? Of course not. If anything, He showed me His ability to take care of me even when it seemed especially difficult. He assured me that even when things were tough, He was still there for me. There actually was a bit of excitement and specialness in seeing God take care of me in a situation when my stunned silence had prompted the mission board personnel to ask if I needed a loan to get through the month.

Personal experience can be powerful, as we see the practical reality of what God can do, but personal experience is not the most powerful reassurance. It merely confirms what God says in His Word, and the Bible is the best source of encouragement and assurance. In addition to promises like the one above, the Bible repeatedly reveals God's care for His children. When I think of financial or physical need in the Bible, my thoughts go to Elijah.

God provided for Elijah, who lived a fairly nomadic life, for the duration of a three-year drought. Even as he lived in isolation by a stream with no grocery stores nearby, ravens brought him food and the stream provided water. He even got deliveries twice a day. When the stream dried up, God sent Elijah to a poor widow woman who was down to her last meal herself. Yet one meal at a time, God supplied until the time of famine had passed. Later Elijah fled to the desert, where he had no resources whatsoever; he was too depressed to eat and too exhausted to fix food even if he had cared enough to eat. God sent an angel who not only prepared the food, but prodded Elijah to eat it, and then repeated the process until Elijah had the strength he needed. God made that food strengthen Elijah for forty days, far beyond any reasonable expectation. God took care of Elijah through extraordinary means and even through some very ordinary ones. He fed Elijah during times of faith and victory and during times of doubt and defeat. God faithfully took care of Elijah even when men would have said it was impossible.

God owns all the resources. "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 50:10-12). The answers may not always look exactly like we expect, but God is always able to meet our needs. At times we may need to adjust our expectations or re-evaluate our expenses, but God can give wisdom for those decisions, while supplying all that we really need.

What you do today matters for eternity, and God will make sure you have all the necessary resources to do what He wants you to do. Human resources are limited, but God's are abundant. When things get tight (or remain that way month after month), trust God to take care of you. He has an excellent track record, and He can take care of you even when no one else knows. He can open His storehouses and supply for you. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com

10052018 Psalm 27

Dear Missionary Lady,

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD" (Psalm 27:13-14).

These two verses are so precious. They acknowledge the very realistic scenario of being overwhelmed, even at the point of despairing and fainting, but they also give an anchor to hold onto. They offer hope that God can turn the condition of the heart - not always the outward circumstances, but certainly the inner turmoil. Like every precious verse, these verses have a context, and their consolation is best appreciated by examining that context.

Verses that express such hope and confidence almost of necessity come in a situation where that hope is desperately needed. Verses 1-3 reveal David's condition. He was facing war, wicked enemies that wanted to devour him, and a host that was encamped against him. He was alone (or nearly so) with an entire army of spiteful enemies besieging him. He was the leader, responsible to guide others in a war he did not ask for. David's situation could be summarized by the words "threat" and "attack."

The normal human response to such situations would be fear, but David did not fear. Instead, he said things like "whom shall I fear," "of whom shall I be afraid," "my heart shall not fear," and "I will be confident." David's response could be summarized with the word "confidence."

David possessed such confidence is his very difficult circumstance because he remembered who God is and what God does. His confidence was placed in Someone far greater than himself. He called God his light, his salvation, and the strength of his life. He remembered that in the past, God had made his enemies stumble and fall. Those past attacks were perhaps by smaller groups, but David recognized that the size of the group didn’t matter. God could effectively deal with any threat, past, present, or future, regardless of its size. David realized that God was his defender.

In the midst of his difficulty, David's desire was to be with God in His temple. He wanted to be able to behold the beauty of God, to enquire of Him, to offer sacrifices  and sing praises to Him. This desire was also based on considering how wonderful his God was. David thought about God as an effective help, as having hidden him from danger, of setting him in a safe refuge. David especially wanted to praise his wonderful God for His protection. While protection had happened in the past, David had confidence that additional instances of protection would happen in the future.

So far, David has calmly expressed great confidence in God, but in verses 7-10, he appears to be rather desperate and alarmed. His requests pile up on top of each other: hear, have mercy, answer, hide not thy face, put not thy servant away, leave me not, neither forsake me. David cries out, apparently desperate and frazzled, but an examination of these verses actually reveals otherwise. He was crying out to God only because he expected God to hear and answer him. He was able to expect God's deliverance because he was responding in obedience to what God had instructed him to do. God called David to seek His face, and David immediately vowed from his heart to do so. David prayed for God's faithful nearness with the remembrance that God had been his help in the past. David was confident in God's help, knowing it was even more sure than the help of a father or mother during a difficult time.

In the final section, David asks for two things. He first asks God to teach, lead, and direct so he can see clearly where to go to avoid his enemies. Second, he asks God to deliver and protect him, not delivering him to the false witnesses and others who threaten him. David's attitude throughout the psalm is that of confidence that God would answer his requests.

His confidence, which emerges again in vs. 13-14, does at times threaten to waver; his natural inclination was toward fainting. With so many threats around him, it is no wonder that he wanted to faint. He didn't though, and for one reason: he believed he would again see God’s goodness. He knew God was good, and he resolutely believed that God would show him that good. Without that thought as his anchor, he would have been without hope, but because of that belief, he could speak with confidence.

In the final verse, David directs a charge to other people, including us. David’s heartfelt sermon, prepared in his life and reinforced by his experience is "Wait on God." Expect His answer. Have courage, and God will strengthen your wavering heart. Without confidence in God’s goodness, we will faint. We must believe that God will show His goodness. If we have waited a long time and still don’t see it, we must listen to David’s plea. Wait. Keep waiting. Keep expecting. There is no question that God WILL show His goodness; the only question is WHEN.

In whatever situation or difficulty we currently find ourselves in, we can have confidence in God. In any situation that is likely or even possible to happen, God can deliver. Our imaginations sometimes run wild about what could happen, and God can still handle all of those situations. In fact, our future might even hold scenarios that we could not and would not imagine, and God can handle every one of those situations, too. We can be confident in Him.

If you are attacked or neglected, if you are fainting or despairing, remember that a good and almighty God is watching over you. God will never forsake you, and He can give you all the help you need. Remember, what you do today matters for eternity, and it is our good God that enables you to serve Him even in the face of difficulty. Be confident in His goodness.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com