THE STORY OF OUR LIVES - Part 1 of 3

Some chapters in our lives are marvelous mountaintops filled with joy. Recently I officiated at the wedding of a wonderful young couple. Seeing their happiness, listening to the bride’s father toast his daughter and brand-new-son-in-law, and watching the kids dance together was a moment of joy. Kids going off to college, babies being born, big promotions coming our way, these are joy-filled chapters of our lives. You may be in the midst of one of these chapters right now. You never want this chapter to end.

But any great story includes its share of conflict, challenges, struggles, and pain. Yours will include these as well, not because God brings pain into your life, but simply because pain is a part of every life.

Right now you might be walking through one of the difficult chapters in your life. Perhaps you must persevere through the death of someone you love or find hope when you have been out of work… Maybe your marriage has just ended, or you are facing a frightening illness. You don’t know what the next chapter will hold, but you trust that there will be a next chapter.

The biblical story reminds us that the difficult chapters are never the final chapters of our story. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Why? - Making Sense of God’s Will”

#5012

THE GIFT OF GOD’S PRESENCE

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)

God comes to the woman who feels in exile in her own marriage, for the man who grieves the loss of life dreams.  God comes to the child who lives on the street, for the parents who struggle to feed and clothe their children. God comes to the one whose loneliness or depression intensifies every Christmas, but especially this year of Covid-19. God comes to the one, the many, frontline health care workers who are physically and emotionally exhausted during this pandemic. God comes to those who have struggled to breath because of the virus and those families who have had to say goodbye to their loved ones by phone.

Immanuel -- God-with-Us -- is coming to us, to meet us wherever we are -- happy or sad, joyous or grieving, God comes to stand with us, whatever our condition.  And we thank God for that promised gift of presence. 

-- Adapted and updated from “Child of the Light: Walking through Advent and Christmas” by Beth A. Richardson

#4995

A PRAYER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."  (Psalm 33:12)

Most gracious Heavenly Father and Sovereign Lord:

There is no greater feeling of liberty than to experience the freedom from sin and death that You provided for us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Today our hearts and souls are free to praise You. For this, we are beyond thankful.

As we approach Independence Day, we are reminded of all those who have sacrificed for our freedom, following the example of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us not take freedom, both physical and spiritual, for granted. May we always remember that a very high price was paid for all of our freedoms. Bless those who have served and continue to give their lives for our freedoms. With favor and bounty, meet their needs and watch over their families.

Lord God, we are so thankful for this nation -- for all the sacrifices others have made to build and defend and to protect this country. Thank You for the opportunities and freedoms we have in these United States of America. Help us to never take these blessings for granted.

Help us to live our lives in ways that glorify You, Lord. Give us the strength to be a blessing in someone's life, and grant us the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can be found only in knowing You.

Help us to exercise our freedoms by being responsible and caring. Give us strength to do what is needed individually and collectively to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Give us the resolve to deal with racism in all its forms. Give us understanding to value life and protect the innocent and most vulnerable. Give us hope to work toward a future where justice and mercy are lived out every day.

Father God, we stand today as past generations have stood before You in times gone by, celebrating our history and reveling in all the great things that our country has achieved. On this day we rejoice in the favor You have graciously given us.

Yet, as a nation and people we have not always chosen the right way. We ask You to forgive us for these times. On this day we commit ourselves to wholeheartedly honoring and serving You. With everything that we are, we lay our lives before You. Make us a generous people, a holy nation, a people set aside to love You forever, for the sake of our people and our land. 

Lord God, today, we do not presume Your grace for our country. Our land is in need of You; our people are in need of You; our families are in need of You; our businesses are in need of You; our schools are in need of You; our government is in need of You. May we look only to You this Independence Day and be DEPENDENT on You.

Come now by Your glorious Holy Spirit, breathe new life into all of our nation. Cover us with Your mercy and Your grace, Your wisdom and Your will, so that we as a nation may be part of Your glory, so that we might see “the glory of the Lord.”

Amen.

-- Adapted from various sources

#4878

A PRAYER FOR DIFFICULT TIMES

Editor’s Note: The following prayer is an adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer for difficult times. My wife first introduced this to me over 25 years ago. On this National Day of Prayer during the Covid-19 Pandemic I thought it particularly appropriate for today’s SOUND BITES.

A PRAYER FOR DIFFICULT TIMES

Our Father, in spite of the present difficulty, You are still in heaven and the world is still ordered. May my response hallow Your Name. The coming of Your Kingdom is more important than my own difficulty -- so, may I not hinder its coming by my worry. Cause this event to be an opening up to Your will on earth, which I can see as clearly as if I were in heaven. I must recognize that You still provide the necessities of life; I have bread enough. May this event help me to recognize how important it is to secure Your forgiveness and to forgive those who have sinned against me. And may this not be an occasion for temptation to lose faith or respond as an unbeliever. Deliver me from any evil response or action in this difficulty. The overriding and all-important fact of life is that to You belongs the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and even this event is caught up in that fact. Amen.

--  John Killinger

#4838

WHEN DARKNESS SEEMS OVERWHELMING

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  (John 8:12 NLT)

Some time ago I read the story (Bob Woods in Pulpit Digest) of a couple who took their son, 11, and daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns. As always, when the tour reached the deepest point in the cavern, the guide turned off all the lights to dramatize how completely dark and silent it is below the earth’s surface.

The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, was frightened and began to cry. Immediately was heard the voice of the brother, “Don’t cry. Somebody here knows how to turn on the lights.”

In a real sense, that is the Gospel message: Light is available, even when darkness seems overwhelming.

There are many people these days who are feeling overwhelmed, who are struggling in the “dark”. They want to know how to turn on the light. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we know the light source. And He says of us, “You are the light of the world... Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14a, 16)

Give someone a call today who might be struggling with the darkness of the Covid-19 isolation. When you shine your light into their darkness they will not just see you, they will see that Christ is with them. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4a NIV)

-- David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#4837

LAMENTATION IN A STRANGE LAND

“How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?”  (Psalm 137:4 KJV)

Depression is widespread, but troubles are universal. People have always suffered, still suffer, ill health and broken hearts, bereavement and betrayal, financial and vocational woes. Sometimes these troubles keep us from praying. Often they drive us to prayer.

Our personal or social difficulties may be dramatic or extreme -- life-threatening illness, becoming unemployed, victims of crime. But there are many other circumstances, some of them curses of the present age, that can reduce us to states of desolation: the sheer overload of the lives of working adults, particularly if they are also parents, the despair of youth, the isolation of our elders, or the social dislocation that leads to loneliness and lack of a primary community. Many of us find ourselves in a strange land both figuratively and literally...

The prayer of lamentation is a venerable tradition: we name the suffering and groan prayerfully (or not so prayerfully), inwardly or aloud, because that is all we can do at the time. Sometimes there is no naming, only a moan…

We find hope inside our tears; yet only inside our tears could we find hope. “Have hope in God; I will yet praise Him, my everpresent Help, my God.”  (Psalm 42:12)

-- Adapted from “When In Doubt, Sing: Prayer In Daily Life” by Jane Redmont

#4827