Lament (Part 2)

Lament (Part 2)

READ: PSALM 13; MARK 14:32-36 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2013%3B%20MARK%2014%3A32-36&version=CSB] Have you ever read a psalm and thought, Wow, they’re really mad at God. Are you even allowed to say that to Him? The short answer is, yes, and it’s called lament. In fact, about a third of the psalms in the Bible are lament psalms or complaint psalms. A lament is when you bring your honest, unfiltered frustrations, angers, griefs, and disappointments to God in prayer. It says, “God, I’m not okay. This stinks. I hate it. I feel like You’ve forgotten me. Why did You let this happen?!” That doesn’t sound encouraging, does it? But lament is so important that, throughout the Bible, the prophets, the leaders of Israel, and even Jesus Himself lamented. And yet, as Christians, we often avoid lament for two reasons. First, sometimes we mistakenly think that lament shows a lack of trust in God. But, in lament, we actually entrust God with our deepest, most uncomfortable feelings. And we are trusting Him to do something about our hurts—whether it be now, later, or when He returns (2 Peter 3:1-13; Revelation 21:1-5). So lament is a faithful response to the pain and brokenness sin causes in the world. The lament psalms show us what this looks like. Almost all of these psalms end by praising God for how good He is—after the psalmists have expressed their hurts to Him. Second, we might avoid lament because, when something bad happens, we want to skip all the terrible feelings and rush to the healing. My friends, that isn’t healthy. True healing happens only by walking through the pain and hurt, relying on Jesus as He walks through it with us. Jesus loves us unconditionally. He lived among us on earth, He died for us, and He rose again—He knows our pain. He even laments on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). As we bring our pain to Him, we can know, by the power of His resurrection, suffering’s days are numbered. Today, let’s lay our laments at His feet, as loudly as we need to. God is big. He can handle it. • Taylor Eising • What do you need to lament right now? Something in your past or present? Something happening to a loved one? Injustice in the world? Bring these to God. If you’re not sure where to start, try using a lament psalm as a blueprint for your prayer, such as Psalm 44, 55, 77, 79, 90, or 142. • Do you have a tendency to rush through processing your pain with God? Why do you think that might be? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk with about lament? Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

Celebration (Part 1)

READ: 2 SAMUEL 6:12-23 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%202%20SAMUEL%206%3A12-23&version=NIV] Did you know God commands His people to party? Just skim through Leviticus 23 and count how many times God tells His people to celebrate. In fact, Jesus’s first miracle took place at a wedding celebration (John 2:1-12). And, as we can see in today’s Bible passage, sometimes holy festivities can look pretty wild. Celebration is vital to the Christian life. A birthday, a holiday, a graduation, or just a long weekend can be a reminder to look backward at all the good things God has done for us. Many of the festivals in the Bible commemorated times God saved His people, so festivals acted as regular reminders of God’s faithfulness. When we celebrate, we also look around at the good things God is doing in this moment, and we pause from normal life to acknowledge His great works. Then, we look forward to the good things He will do in the future, including our ultimate celebration with Jesus at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9). We also celebrate because we follow a God who celebrates. Zephaniah 3:17 says God rejoices and even sings over His people. When we rejoice, we are joining in with God’s perpetual celebration over us. Heaven echoes with the songs of God, and we can take every opportunity to sing along. As Christians, we always have a truth worth celebrating: we get to live in relationship with the God of the Universe because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. That’s why King David danced in the street until his clothes fell off—because the ark of the covenant, where the very presence of God dwelt, was among them. David realized this incredible truth, and his joy was so great, he couldn’t hold it in. Celebration bubbled up from within him when he was in God’s presence. Today, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus has the joy of having the presence of God with them. Jesus’s love for us is wild, so let us celebrate with abandon! • Taylor Eising • What is your favorite celebration? What about it do you find fun and/or meaningful? • How do celebration, joy, remembrance, and merrymaking help us draw near to God? • Celebration is an act of faith that acknowledges life doesn’t depend on us. In Leviticus 23, how many times does God tell His people not to work? By resting, the Israelites remembered they depended on God to provide for them. What are some ways you can practice rest in your life? [Jesus said,] “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 (NIV)

Disoriented

READ: MATTHEW 7:24-27; EPHESIANS 4:11-32; COLOSSIANS 2:6-10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MATTHEW%207%3A24-27%3B%20EPHESIANS%204%3A11-32%3B%20COLOSSIANS%202%3A6-10&version=WEB] The space weather alarm buzzed on my cruiser, Nova. I was halfway back to Earth after gathering medical supplies on Triton. Sensors indicated a dense solar wind heading my way—usually bringing a geomagnetic storm. I routed extra power to shields, retracted stabilizers to prevent shearing, and strapped myself to the chair. One minute to impact. I slid sweaty hands down my legs and took a deep breath. “Flight tracker, this is Nova. I am 2.3 billion kilometers from Earth, returning from one of Neptune’s moons, Triton. A strong solar storm approaches. May need assistance.” Before I could transmit the message, the storm hit. The sudden radiation overwhelmed my systems, and red lights started flashing all over my controls. As I whirled, I tried to track my orientation, but sensors refused to lock. The navigation screen blanked—probably fried from the magnetic pulse. The Nova spiraled relentlessly. Nausea surged through my insides. I closed my eyes and wished the dizziness away. Which way was Earth? Could I stabilize the ship? I tapped the side thrusters. The engines hissed. My rotation slowed, but the sun’s brightness still whipped around several times per second. I burned the thrusters again. Sensors showed that Nova had stabilized, but my head was still reeling. In space, fluid in the inner ears continued to spin, causing vertigo. Should I trust my disoriented brain to navigate, or rely on the sensors, possibly damaged by the magnetic pulse? Thud! Something collided with Nova’s lower deck, followed by a high-pitched grating of titanium. I reversed the thrusters and saw my communications antenna drifting away amid a cloud of space debris. I ran a systems diagnostic. Along with my ability to communicate, navigation was also down. I scanned for a homing beacon signal, but found none. I closed my eyes and prayed. Father, lead me through the storm. I breathed deeply and opened my eyes. I could see the sun through a window. At this distance, it appeared more like a very bright star, but its shining was unmistakable. That’s what I needed—something steady, something outside myself. I turned the ship toward that brightest spot and engaged the main thruster. • Michelle Cochran • Today’s story is an allegory. So many things can leave us feeling disoriented. When the storms of life throw us off balance, we may not know how to find steadiness, or how to move forward. Thankfully, Jesus is always constant. He never changes, no matter how unsteady our lives may get (Hebrews 13:8). He always wants to help us and lead us safely home. What kinds of storms have you experienced lately? • Can you think of a time when a circumstance you went through or an idea you heard left you feeling disoriented, but then something helped you find stability and clarity again? Maybe it was a Bible passage, a conversation with another Christian, a time of prayer, a hymn or worship song, or something in nature that reminded you of its Creator. Consider taking a moment to thank God for this. • God sees everything you’re going through, and He has so much compassion on you. What might it look like for you to rely on Jesus to lead you through the storms you’re currently facing? That we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15 (WEB)

My Centurion Guard

READ: PSALM 71:3; GALATIANS 6:1-10; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2071%3A3%3B%20GALATIANS%206%3A1-10%3B%202%20CORINTHIANS%201%3A8-11&version=NIV] Have you ever considered who you can count on when times get tough? For thirty years, I had an undetected brain tumor. While it wasn’t cancerous, it took over every part of my life and affected how I behaved and thought. Many people got scared of me and left me. However, my family and close friends did not…because they knew me the best. They knew how I was prior to the tumor. When the tumor was found, I had a twenty-hour surgery to remove it. My health was restored. After my surgery, I looked back and realized all the support I had received from both earthly family members and my broader Christian family—who stayed with me, encouraged me, and prayed for me. I now call those people my “Centurion Guard.” That name fits because, like the centurions of ancient Rome, they are strong warriors. My guards are my prayer warriors, and they provide encouragement. It’s been amazing to see how Jesus has used these people in my life. They helped guide and support me before and after my surgery. And, because of the prayers of my Centurion Guards, Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, answered those prayers for healing. In fact, my doctor said I had the fastest recovery he’d ever seen, especially after a twenty-hour brain surgery. What a gift to see Jesus working in this way through my doctor and through His church! When times get tough, we’re meant to share our struggles with Christian friends and pray together. As we bring our troubles to the foot of the cross, we can rest in Jesus’s love for us, trusting Him to work on our behalf—in His way and in His good timing. • Robert Keur • Who is your Centurion Guard—faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who God has brought into your life? How can you serve and pray for each other? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify people in the future.) • Illness and injury are terrible results of the fall (when sin and death entered the world in Genesis 3). Therefore, God wants us to pray for the healing of others, both for people who know Him and people who don’t. Sometimes God heals instantly or gradually, and sometimes He waits to heal someone until they see Jesus face to face (James 5:13-16; Revelation 21:1-5). No matter how God answers, we can know that He hears our prayers and He is always working for our good—and at Jesus’s return, those who belong to Him will be healed in full. (Matthew 14:14; John 5:17; 9:1-9; Romans 8:28-29, 38-39) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

Rescuing Luigi

READ: ROMANS 8:1-4, 38-39; COLOSSIANS 1:13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ROMANS%208%3A1-4%2C%2038-39%3B%20COLOSSIANS%201%3A13&version=NIV] We waited outside the pole barn on a brisk winter morning to meet our new foster dog. Cheryl, the head of the animal shelter, brought the little terrier out to us. Nearly furless, the dog cowered at the end of his leash. “Poor thing,” Cheryl said. “He’s spent the last six years in a small pen outside with little human contact. He had so many mats, the groomer had to shave him down to his skin.” We named the dog Luigi and went about the challenging job of housetraining him for a future adoptive family. In the first few weeks, the twelve-pound terror dug through the garbage, jumped up on the dinner table, had accidents in the house, and snarled at us. But as the months went by, Luigi began to scratch at the door to go outside. He laid down on the floor while we ate dinner and even snuggled with us for family movie nights. One night, Cheryl called to tell us she’d found a permanent home for Luigi. After a family meeting, we called Cheryl back to tell her we’d decided to adopt him. But here’s the thing. Sometimes, Luigi still jumped on the table, growled at visitors, pawed through the trash, and escaped into the neighbor’s yard. His many flaws made it clear: we didn’t love Luigi because he was perfect; we loved him because he was ours. The unconditional love we have for our temperamental rescue pup reminds me of the unconditional love God has for me. When I snap at my mom or tell a lie, God loves me. When I choose the easy way instead of the right way, God loves me. While I rejected Him and chose sin, He reached out in love to save me (Romans 5:8). God loves me no matter what, and He has also made me a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). His unwavering faithfulness holds me as He works in my life, transforming me to become more and more like Himself (2 Corinthians 3:18). And Jesus’s great love for me makes me want to be a part of His rescue plan for the world—by showing His love to other people who are flawed, just like me. • Sarah Rollandini • Why is it important to remember that we are all like Luigi—imperfect but loved by God? • Read John 3:16-21 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As imperfect-yet-beloved people, how can we show each other Christ’s unconditional love? (Remember, love can look like setting healthy boundaries, especially in cases of deep hurt. Who are trusted adults you could talk to about this?) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)