10302020 Life Is Trouble

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of peace. Even in difficulty, we can have peace in Him.

Lesson #12. Trouble is part of life. We don't want it to be, but it is. Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden, sin has had an terrible impact on our world and upon the people who live in it. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (5:7). "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble" (14:1). The first quotation is from Eliphaz, and the second is from Job himself. Both realized this bleak reality regarding life.

Neither plentiful nor careful observation is required in order to arrive at this conclusion. It is said that good literature reflects life; one of the primary elements of literature is conflict. Even the most upbeat and positive writings often center around conflict. In something as benign as "Little House on the Prairie" or "Little Women" or countless other books and portrayals, the characters work through the conflicts that come as a regular part of life. The joy of the story is in working out the conflict to a successful resolution.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was most likely not a believer, although his writings are filled with Biblical content and God-centered insights. In his poem "The Rainy Day," he says:

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

The Bible writers also acknowledged "the common fate of all." Peter addressed it extensively in his first epistle. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (I Peter 4:12). "Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (I Peter 5:9).

This truth about the universality of trouble can be heavy, but God always has hope to offer, even in a world damaged and suffering under the weight of sin.

David wrote, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19). Every difficulty is an opportunity to experience the gracious, intervening hand of our mighty God.

Moses taught, "The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore eighty years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. ... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:10&12). In our short and challenging lives, we must seek to maximize the opportunities. Certainly, we must grow through the challenges so that we are better equipped to serve God during our brief sojourn.

Jesus spoke these hopeful words regarding difficulty in life: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Even in the heaviest trials, we can have peace in Him. And what hope! What reason for courage! Our Savior has overcome the world! He has conquered. Because of His victory, the day is coming when all our trials will be over. Meanwhile, the One with all the power in the universe is on our side, helping and encouraging us.

Yes, trials both large and small are part of life, but for the Christian, trials are opportunities for growth and for seeing God's power and deliverance on display. With God at our side, we can have peace, even as we wait for the victory.

May God give you peace through each challenge of this week, and may your eyes be fixed in hope upon our great God.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA 

10242020 Too Weak to Win

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of God our Strength. Aren't you glad that His strength is so much greater than our own?

Lesson #11. Man is weak, frail, and imperfect - unable to obtain victory on his own. Inaccurate philosophies abound in our times. Within counseling foundations and inspirational teachings, the idea is widespread that man is strong and can conquer anything. As society attempts to remove God from the picture, I suppose these types of philosophies have had to emerge in order for man to have any hope.

These philosophies might be worded "dig deep," "think positive," "you're stronger than you realize," "you can do anything you determine to do," "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," "a self-made man," "don't let this situation be stronger than you," "visualize the victory and fight for it," "create your own success," or "women are strong."

There certainly is a place for inspiring speech and for challenges not to give up; the Bible includes some of those, (although in the Bible, God is at the center rather than man). The idea, however, that man can conquer absolutely anything is ludicrous. Our humanity is weak and fallen, and it falters.

Job's friend questioned, "Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding it" (4:17-20).

I'm not sure if Eliphaz's understanding and observations were completely accurate, but his basic premise seems to be correct. Man is fallen and imperfect. God did judge the angels who rebelled. If angels can fall, how much easier for man to fall! In fact, as Eliphaz suggests, man does fall, sometimes under pressures that seem insignificant and in time frames so swift they seem shocking. That is reality about man.

Job himself admits such weakness. "What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?" (6:11-13). In essence, Job is saying that if it is up to his own strength to achieve the victory, he may as well give up right now. He doesn't have enough strength to get through to the end. He is not made of stone and bronze. Any hope of deliverance from within himself has fled.

It is possible to follow this line of thinking so far that one enters into helplessness and despair, and we don't want to go that far. On the other hand, within our trials, there must come a point of helplessness when we recognize that we don't have the ability in ourselves to gain the victory. It's just not in us. We have to cease striving in our own might so that we can turn to the One who actually can gain the victory.

"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. ... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is" (Jeremiah 17:5&7).

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2).

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made  perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Corinthians 12:9-10).

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (II Corinthians 4:7).

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him" (Psalm 62:5).

"But be not thou far off from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me" (Psalm 22:19).

In trials both large and small, we must be quick to run to God for our supply of strength and as the only possible source of victory. For us in our weakness, the victory is impossible, but for God in His strength, it is not even a challenge. May He strengthen you this week in every challenge.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10172020 When Self-counsel Fails

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the best Counselor. How wonderful that we always have a source to go to in our time of need!

Lesson #10. Sometimes we struggle to counsel ourselves in the midst of trials. Eliphaz acknowledged that Job had historically been a person who gave good counsel to others. "Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees" (4:3-4).

Job lived early in the history of mankind, probably somewhere in the vicinity of Abraham's time frame. It is interesting that in spite of having no written revelation from God, Job was a remarkably godly man who lived out many things that God later instructed in both the Old and New Testaments. I did not realize before that Job's habitual helping of others was recorded as an admonition in the book of Hebrews. "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed" (Hebrews 12:12-13). In this area, we are to follow Job's example.

How did Job help others who were struggling and faltering? It was by admonishing with words. Even though Job did not have the Bible, he had godly words to offer to those who were weak. What an advantage we have today to possess the completed Bible, which is filled with words to encourage and strengthen the hurting! The Bible is our source of help.

When this harsh set of trials came to Job, however, he had trouble counseling himself. Eliphaz continued, "But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled" (4:5).

Sometimes, realizing the shortcomings of Job's friends, we are tempted to throw out everything they said to Job. This would be a mistake. It is true that the friends lacked understanding of all that was happening, and it is true that they failed to adequately comfort Job. However, they did say a lot of true things. These men had knowledge about God, which is to be expected of Job's closest friends. In the midst of the hurtful and condemning words they offered, these men did include some good and true words. Anyone who reads the book of Job with any attention will realize that these words of Eliphaz are true. Job did struggle to come up with answers. Like his friends, he had moments of brilliance, but overall, he was overwhelmed and floundering.

It sure would be nice in the midst of trials to find just the right words to say to ourselves. Ideally, we should be able to counsel ourselves, just as we have counseled others. But when we are overwhelmed by the immensity of a great trial, when we are crippled by strong emotion, we sometimes struggle to come up with the right words. We might even confront ourselves with this question: "If you were counseling someone else in this same situation, what would you say?" It's a good question, and sometimes it helps us to corral our thoughts and to focus on the right truth. Sometimes, though, our answer to that question is "I don't know." Any answer seems to escape us at the moment.

Actually, most of the time we really do know the truth from God's Word that would help us. It is usually just a matter of time before we settle our swirling thoughts and raging emotions. Either on our own or through the help of someone else, we come to truth, and we say, "I knew that all along." It was just a matter of remembering it in the difficulty of the moment. This can happen even to those who have actively and routinely helped others in the past.

In this dilemma of struggling to counsel ourselves, I have considered three solutions. First, we can use truth that we have prepared ahead of time. I typically struggle with the same things over and over again. Often as I have fought for victory, I have recorded truth and have written down appropriate Bible verses. Yet when I find myself in the same struggle, I forget to pull out the truth I have ready at my disposal! It might be a challenge to come up with new truth in the intensity of the trial, but when the work has already been done in the past, and all I have to do is read what I've already written, it shouldn't seem so impossible to counsel myself correctly. Whether for ourselves or for others, we often have verse cards or Bible studies already prepared, or maybe an appropriate book sitting on our shelf that has previously guided us in God's truth.

Second, we can have a "short list" of trusted friends. "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). There is danger in struggling alone, but there is safety and support in a trusted companion. For many, the list will be topped by a spouse. It may include a pastor or pastor's wife, a close friend, or a respected counselor. Our list might not be very long, but each of us should have a few people that we know we can go to when we are in trouble - people who will listen, who will pray, and who will give God's words.

Third, we can go to the best Counselor. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). God wants us to seek Him when we are at a loss. He can easily direct our thoughts to the right Scriptures. I have had times when other counselors were unavailable, but God gave me exactly what I needed from His Word. That is a precious experience, and it's wonderful to know that even if our own experience fails us and even if no one else is available, God Himself can give us the very help we need.

Yes, when we are overwhelmed in the intensity of the moment, it can be hard to come up with the right answers immediately, but there are always right Biblical answers, and God is fully capable of directing us to them. He can meet the need of our souls. May God bless and direct you this week.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10102020 Life's Worst Trial

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our faithful God, who never leaves us, no matter what.

Lesson #9. For each of us, there is a trial that will be the hardest one of our entire lives. Humans tend to forget some of the difficulty of past trials once the victory comes (John 16:21) and as memory fades over time, so it often happens that we perceive current trials as worse than those that came before, although they may not always be. Successive trials don't always get harder; sometimes they're different, and sometimes they're just really hard again.

For Job, (at least as far as Scripture indicates) this was the hardest. He had previously lived a life of blessing, and he entered a life of greater blessing afterward, but this trial was tough. Even his friends were overwhelmed and speechless at the magnitude of Job's suffering. It seemed like too much to bear. "And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great" (2:12-13).

Job's own words speak of his immense anguish. He wished he had never been born. "Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?" (3:11). He wanted to die. "Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures" (3:21). He was in the middle of his worst nightmare. "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me" (3:25). His life was ruined. "My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart" (17:11). In other words, this was the worst it had ever been in Job's life, and apparently even the worst that he could imagine.

When we identify these worst times in our own lives, we must be anchored by remembering truth about God. This is why we have the rest of Job's story and the rest of the Bible. We know that Job did survive. We know that Job returned to a life of blessing. We know that God carried him through. We know that God is in control, that He cares, that He has compassion. We know that His grace is sufficient - even for the very worst times. Knowing that Job faced his worst and emerged gives us hope that God will do the same for us.

There is sobering aspect to this idea of a "life's worst" trial, which is that such a designation may be temporary. If we had asked Job after the third servant's message, he undoubtedly would have identified his current situation as the hardest trial of his life. And then the fourth servant came with the message about his children. Now Job could unequivocally state that this was his hardest trial. But not long after, it got even harder when his health was destroyed and he was left without support.

It happens that way in life. What we think is the worst may be only the worst so far. It frequently seems to be God's design to increase the difficulty as we go through life, as we grow in maturity, in order to bring about greater levels of growth. Not too long ago, I heard a pastor preach this concept, and something rose up inside me in protest. It made me a little angry (and not at the preacher). My thoughts were something like this: "That's not fair. If I ever make it through this challenging time that threatens to crush me, that should mark a time of relief. I want to lie on the other side of this, relieved that I made it through, that I crossed the hurdle and mounted the barrier. I shouldn't have to look up and see a greater barrier (ever again)."

But God has to be God, and I have to accept that. God knows what He wants to accomplish, and He knows how to accomplish His goal. It is truth that maturity comes through endurance, and it is truth that faith grows as it is tested, and it is truth that trials are preparation for service. God knows how hot He has to make the fire to get the desired result, and He knows that if He made it that hot the first time, it would kill us. So He gradually and progressively works up to what is needed. The help and maturity that He builds in us in lesser trials become the foundation for survival and increasing maturity in greater trials. We are equipped for the "hardest" by what God works in us through the lesser, as we realize that the same grace and truth that worked the last time still hold true.

Think of Abraham. Having to pack up and leave his family and homeland, not knowing where he was going. Hardest thing he ever had to do? No, Abraham, that was the easy one. What about Joseph, being hated and mocked by his brothers? Just wait. Or Moses, a fugitive, separated from his family, being a shepherd for forty years? Not so bad, considering what was coming. David, a lowly shepherd, barely even considered in comparison with his brothers? A minor annoyance. Each of these men faced much harder trials. Abraham was asked to sacrifice the child of promise for whom he had waited so long. Joseph, unjustly thrown into prison, languished for years, even forgotten when he thought he finally had hope. Moses, as an old man, wandered in the desert for forty years, trying to lead rebellious people who sometimes wanted to kill him. David faced civil wars with his own sons on the other side.

But if one trial is the hardest in life, that means that at some point the hardest will be past. That clearly happened for Job and for Joseph, as they entered times of prosperity and joy. As far as we know, Abraham never again faced a challenge as hard as the call to sacrifice Isaac. David reached a time of stability and even achieved peace with surrounding nations.

I don't want anything harder in my life. I don't even want more trials as hard as the ones I've already gone through. But what I really want is to be what God wants me to be. I want to have the testimony that these men had, of pleasing God, of finding His approval, of passing the test. If and when future trials come, O God, give me grace and help me to be faithful! And help me to remember that even in life's worst, You are enough.

May God bless you, my sisters, and carry you through whatever this week holds. If God allows, may it be a time of blessing, and if He chooses otherwise, may it be a time of growth.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10032020 Trust in God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of God, our Rock! There are times when we especially need a Rock to cling to, and God is always there to be that for us.

Lesson #8. A godly man trusts God in the midst of suffering.

There are things that a godly man cannot do in the midst of suffering. Almost certainly, he did not choose his suffering. It is likely that he cannot change his suffering. It is probable that he does not understand his suffering, either the reason for it or what God is seeking to accomplish through it. It would be unusual if he knew when his suffering would end.

With so much that is unknown and that falls outside his control, the godly man remembers that God chose (or allowed) his suffering, that God can change it anytime He chooses, that God completely understands it, and that God knows exactly how and when it will end. The proper and logical response to these recognitions is to trust in the One who knows and controls all.

In part, that means to acknowledge God's right to send what He sees best. "But [Job] said unto [his wife], Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (2:10). Job had received much blessing from God, and now he was receiving what was difficult, but he trusted God enough to accept differences in life circumstances. This is like the lines from the hymn "Day by Day": "He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best - lovingly, its part of pain or pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest."

Trusting God in times of suffering makes all the difference in the world. Those who don't trust God truly live in a precarious position. They are like a fragile rush, growing by the waters. "Whilst it is yet in his greenness and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish" (8:12-13). This man withers easily. Not only that, but think of what his man-centered trust is like. "Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web" (8:14). He is hanging on next to nothing and has no real support. "He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure" (8:15). This man flourishes in the sun (8:16) and may seem to be thriving, but he is nothing but roots wrapped around rocks, and he will soon be choked out. The place where he had been does not even remember him (8:18). His remains will be nothing but dust that others will build upon (8:19). Wow, we really don't want to trust in ourselves and our own strength, do we!

Even for those who trust God, our lives may seem precarious for a time, but when God is doing a work, nothing is as precarious as it seems. Look at the contrast for a man who trusts God. "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought" (8:20-22). When all is said and done, the wicked will perish, but those who trust God will remain. They will be accepted by God, will be encouraged by God, and will be upheld by God.

Job's friend Zophar gave some good truth about the man who would "prepare [his] heart, and stretch out [his] hands toward [God]" (11:13). Zophar (wrongly) did not think Job fit into this category, but his conclusion about those who do was good. "And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety" (11:18). Indeed, there is a profound level of trust that those who faithfully follow God can have. There is immense hope for them. There is security for them. Trusting God is a wonderful option.

Ultimately, there is no other option but to trust God, no matter what.  Job came to the point of saying, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (13:15). Whether Job is speaking of his illness leading to death, or of his standing before God to plead his case bearing the risk of death, the conclusion is the same. The point was that Job would trust God regardless of consequence, to the point of death if need be. In Job's estimation, anything God ever did would be right. Even if death was the result, God would be trustworthy.

Job was right. We can trust God. We must trust God. There are so many wonderful verses that reinforce this truth.

"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee" (Psalm 9:10). "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Psalm 27:3). "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Psalm 56:3). "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7). "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength [Rock]" (Isaiah 26:3-4).

When we trust God, is our trust a fragile reed? a precarious spider web? a rock-bound root? a field of empty dust? Oh, no! With God we have a faithful Defender, an unconquerable Commander, a reassuring Comforter, a strengthening Stronghold, an everlasting Rock. What a priceless blessing to have such a firm and dependable source for our trust!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA