Scripture Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31
Proverbs 31:30 NLT Charm is deceptive , and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Is this woman real? Since the passage starts out, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?” I’d like to think she’s fictitious. If you’ve met her, please don’t tell me. I’d like to think the writer of Proverbs is just giving us an ideal…someone he looked for but couldn’t find. Still, God inspired him to include this woman in His word, and He doesn’t waste anything. She can surely teach us something.
Her husband trusts in her. She does him good as long as there is life in her. Okay, I’ll aspire to that one. The New Living Translation says, “…she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him…”
Then we move on to wool and flax. And later she quilts her own bedspread. She does a lot of sewing. I’m asking God if I can still be virtuous without the sewing part.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast. I’ve got that one covered. I’ve been doing it for over 30 years now.
It looks like she must have exercised. She needed the strength and endurance to do all she had to do. The Amplified Bible says, “She girds herself with strength…and makes her arms strong…” The New Living Translation says, “She is energetic…” Regular exercise will do that for you.
Her children stand and bless her. She must have taken care of them. I consider it a privilege to be able to do that.
Why does she do all these things? I think this sums it all up, “…a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” As the Amplified Bible puts it, she “reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord.” Reverent fear of the Lord turns everything we do…the cooking, the cleaning, and all the little things we do to tend to our families…into an act of worship.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
He Knows You
O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD. Psalm 139:1-4 NIV
Is there someone whose thoughts you can almost read, whose sentences you can finish? If so, you’ve invested a lot of time in getting to know that person, haven’t you? You know God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, but have you ever considered He is also very personal? He loves you so much that He has taken the time to get to know you personally.
Remember when Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb and found He was gone? She stood at the tomb crying. She heard Jesus. She even saw Him. But she didn’t realize it was Jesus. John 2:15-16 says "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
But then He said her name. And that made all the difference.
Verse 17 says, “Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).” Jesus had taken the time to get to know Mary Magdalene. When she heard Him say her name, it was a familiar sound.
Can you believe He has taken the time to get to know you too? Yes, God wants you to know Him, but He knows you!
Look at the first line of Psalm 139 again. He doesn’t just know you. He has searched you in order to know you. The word translated “search” means to search out, find out, examine; to see through. He is familiar with all your ways. According to the Hebrew dictionary, that means “to be in the habit; to get along well with.” The New American Standard Bible says He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. You’re not just a friend of God; you’re a close friend. And that makes you special!
Is there someone whose thoughts you can almost read, whose sentences you can finish? If so, you’ve invested a lot of time in getting to know that person, haven’t you? You know God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, but have you ever considered He is also very personal? He loves you so much that He has taken the time to get to know you personally.
Remember when Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb and found He was gone? She stood at the tomb crying. She heard Jesus. She even saw Him. But she didn’t realize it was Jesus. John 2:15-16 says "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
But then He said her name. And that made all the difference.
Verse 17 says, “Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).” Jesus had taken the time to get to know Mary Magdalene. When she heard Him say her name, it was a familiar sound.
Can you believe He has taken the time to get to know you too? Yes, God wants you to know Him, but He knows you!
Look at the first line of Psalm 139 again. He doesn’t just know you. He has searched you in order to know you. The word translated “search” means to search out, find out, examine; to see through. He is familiar with all your ways. According to the Hebrew dictionary, that means “to be in the habit; to get along well with.” The New American Standard Bible says He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. You’re not just a friend of God; you’re a close friend. And that makes you special!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Father, Forgive Them
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34 NIV
I’ve been thinking about this verse since we discussed it in Bible study a few weeks ago. Jesus gave us an example of forgiveness to follow, but have you ever thought about the fact that the people who killed Him really didn’t know what they were doing? I’ve always thought they had to know what they were doing. They may not have known that was God on the cross, but they must have known that crucifixion was cruel. And they must have known that Jesus was innocent. How could He say they didn’t know what they were doing? Jesus is truth (John 14:6), so He can’t lie. If He said they didn’t know what they were doing, then they really didn’t know. There must be something in that statement that I’ve never noticed.
Could Jesus be saying they didn’t understand the big picture? You know, God uses everything that happens to us for His good purpose. I’ve spent years trying to forgive one of my son’s teachers. I’ve also had a hard time forgiving myself for letting him stay in her class. I thought, even then, that God was calling me to homeschool, but I was afraid I couldn’t do it. I know the statements “God is calling me” and “I can’t do it” don’t belong in the same sentence. Still, I wasn’t sure. My son is in college now, and we are still thankful for his first grade teacher, Mrs. Fortner, and his second grade teacher, Mr. Lilly. We’ve always considered those teachers to be gifts God gave our son. But until now, I’ve had a hard time considering one of his teachers to be a gift from God. Since Jesus looked at the big picture, maybe I should too. She didn’t know what she was doing, but God used her to accomplish His purpose.
It didn’t happen immediately, but this teacher did help us make the decision to homeschool. And God uses adversity to make us into the people He wants us to be. I tend to try to shield my children from adversity. Yes, when we look at the big picture, we can forgive anyone who hurts us because we can see it as part of God’s plan. The cruel death that Jesus suffered was also part of God’s plan.
I don’t think Jesus meant that the people who crucified Him didn’t know it was cruel. He meant they didn’t know that God was using their cruelty to fulfill His plan and offer us forgiveness for our sins. So, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death. Few of us will be called to be that obedient, but we can learn from Jesus’ prayer on the cross. We can forgive and wait to see God’s plan.
I’ve been thinking about this verse since we discussed it in Bible study a few weeks ago. Jesus gave us an example of forgiveness to follow, but have you ever thought about the fact that the people who killed Him really didn’t know what they were doing? I’ve always thought they had to know what they were doing. They may not have known that was God on the cross, but they must have known that crucifixion was cruel. And they must have known that Jesus was innocent. How could He say they didn’t know what they were doing? Jesus is truth (John 14:6), so He can’t lie. If He said they didn’t know what they were doing, then they really didn’t know. There must be something in that statement that I’ve never noticed.
Could Jesus be saying they didn’t understand the big picture? You know, God uses everything that happens to us for His good purpose. I’ve spent years trying to forgive one of my son’s teachers. I’ve also had a hard time forgiving myself for letting him stay in her class. I thought, even then, that God was calling me to homeschool, but I was afraid I couldn’t do it. I know the statements “God is calling me” and “I can’t do it” don’t belong in the same sentence. Still, I wasn’t sure. My son is in college now, and we are still thankful for his first grade teacher, Mrs. Fortner, and his second grade teacher, Mr. Lilly. We’ve always considered those teachers to be gifts God gave our son. But until now, I’ve had a hard time considering one of his teachers to be a gift from God. Since Jesus looked at the big picture, maybe I should too. She didn’t know what she was doing, but God used her to accomplish His purpose.
It didn’t happen immediately, but this teacher did help us make the decision to homeschool. And God uses adversity to make us into the people He wants us to be. I tend to try to shield my children from adversity. Yes, when we look at the big picture, we can forgive anyone who hurts us because we can see it as part of God’s plan. The cruel death that Jesus suffered was also part of God’s plan.
I don’t think Jesus meant that the people who crucified Him didn’t know it was cruel. He meant they didn’t know that God was using their cruelty to fulfill His plan and offer us forgiveness for our sins. So, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death. Few of us will be called to be that obedient, but we can learn from Jesus’ prayer on the cross. We can forgive and wait to see God’s plan.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
You Are Beautiful
The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord. Psalm 45:11 NIV
My friend, Denise, from elementary school was gorgeous. She had long, bouncy, golden brown hair, blue eyes and long, dark eyelashes. But Denise and I were not part of the elementary in-crowd, so we didn’t get to define beauty. One day my uncle and I were discussing the latest haircut, a Pixie, which I needed to make me look like the important girls. He said, “You know who I think is the second prettiest girl in school, after you? It’s Denise.” Now, I had a mirror and I knew how to use it. I knew I was not prettier than Denise, but I thought, “Bless his heart…he really believes that.”
I tend to think that beauty has eluded me. I do have two beautiful daughters and people tell me they look like me, so maybe just briefly at some point between awkward and aging, beauty found me. Maybe it was somewhere during high school and college. I remember seeing a picture and thinking, “I wish I looked more like her. Oh, wait! That’s me. Never mind…” In my mirror, I was still overweight with glasses and had braces covering my crooked teeth. It was okay, though, because I was pretty sure I was the only one who noticed. You see, I’m invisible.
When my 8-year-old played Cinderella, she was always Cinderella and the prince always found that the glass slipper was a perfect fit. When I thought of myself in the Cinderella story, I was one of the women in the crowd. I was the one who never had the opportunity to try the slipper before the handsome prince found its owner.
Today I have a knight in shining armor who would fight to protect me, and he thinks I’m beautiful. When he tells me so, he looks at me in a way that takes me back to that feeling I had with my uncle. “Bless his heart…he really believes that.” Of course, I’m not sure my husband understands beauty. He doesn’t even care if his socks match each other. Now, God understands beauty.
The King who is enthralled by your beauty is the Creator of the universe. He created beauty. What is His definition of beauty? It doesn’t matter. You and I fit that description. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The ideal body moved from Marilyn Monroe to Twiggy. The preferred look has been heavily made up, natural, and everything in between. Beautiful hair has been long and straight, and it has been short and curly. That’s why beauty is fleeting. The world’s view of it never stays the same. But the King, the One who has the right to define beauty, thinks you and I are beautiful. Let’s just rest in that and honor Him.
My friend, Denise, from elementary school was gorgeous. She had long, bouncy, golden brown hair, blue eyes and long, dark eyelashes. But Denise and I were not part of the elementary in-crowd, so we didn’t get to define beauty. One day my uncle and I were discussing the latest haircut, a Pixie, which I needed to make me look like the important girls. He said, “You know who I think is the second prettiest girl in school, after you? It’s Denise.” Now, I had a mirror and I knew how to use it. I knew I was not prettier than Denise, but I thought, “Bless his heart…he really believes that.”
I tend to think that beauty has eluded me. I do have two beautiful daughters and people tell me they look like me, so maybe just briefly at some point between awkward and aging, beauty found me. Maybe it was somewhere during high school and college. I remember seeing a picture and thinking, “I wish I looked more like her. Oh, wait! That’s me. Never mind…” In my mirror, I was still overweight with glasses and had braces covering my crooked teeth. It was okay, though, because I was pretty sure I was the only one who noticed. You see, I’m invisible.
When my 8-year-old played Cinderella, she was always Cinderella and the prince always found that the glass slipper was a perfect fit. When I thought of myself in the Cinderella story, I was one of the women in the crowd. I was the one who never had the opportunity to try the slipper before the handsome prince found its owner.
Today I have a knight in shining armor who would fight to protect me, and he thinks I’m beautiful. When he tells me so, he looks at me in a way that takes me back to that feeling I had with my uncle. “Bless his heart…he really believes that.” Of course, I’m not sure my husband understands beauty. He doesn’t even care if his socks match each other. Now, God understands beauty.
The King who is enthralled by your beauty is the Creator of the universe. He created beauty. What is His definition of beauty? It doesn’t matter. You and I fit that description. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The ideal body moved from Marilyn Monroe to Twiggy. The preferred look has been heavily made up, natural, and everything in between. Beautiful hair has been long and straight, and it has been short and curly. That’s why beauty is fleeting. The world’s view of it never stays the same. But the King, the One who has the right to define beauty, thinks you and I are beautiful. Let’s just rest in that and honor Him.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Worship Him with Dancing
Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 NIV
Follow Baal? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Did Baal create you or redeem you? What were those people thinking? Well, the Hebrew word, Baal, means “lord, master, possessor.” It seems that in Elijah’s day, each locality had its own Baal. Okay, I’m starting to relate a little more. I’m afraid I have my own “Baal” also. It’s not always the same thing. I guess I would define the “Baal” in my life as anything I allow to master me.
Is there anything that constantly takes your attention away from God? It could be a habit you’d like to break. It could be the need for approval. It could be anything that keeps you from worshiping and following God with a passion. That’s what it means to waver between two opinions.
The Hebrew word that is translated “waver” means to become crippled; to worship in a limping dance. Anything that keeps us from following God alone will cripple us. Can you just imagine wanting to worship God but having something that hangs on to you until it makes you limp? Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Now there is a heart set free to dance with God! Is there any question that the Lord is God? Then throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Fix your eyes on Jesus and get ready for the dance of your life, the one God created you to dance.
Follow Baal? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Did Baal create you or redeem you? What were those people thinking? Well, the Hebrew word, Baal, means “lord, master, possessor.” It seems that in Elijah’s day, each locality had its own Baal. Okay, I’m starting to relate a little more. I’m afraid I have my own “Baal” also. It’s not always the same thing. I guess I would define the “Baal” in my life as anything I allow to master me.
Is there anything that constantly takes your attention away from God? It could be a habit you’d like to break. It could be the need for approval. It could be anything that keeps you from worshiping and following God with a passion. That’s what it means to waver between two opinions.
The Hebrew word that is translated “waver” means to become crippled; to worship in a limping dance. Anything that keeps us from following God alone will cripple us. Can you just imagine wanting to worship God but having something that hangs on to you until it makes you limp? Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Now there is a heart set free to dance with God! Is there any question that the Lord is God? Then throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Fix your eyes on Jesus and get ready for the dance of your life, the one God created you to dance.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
I Enjoy Being a Girl
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:15-16
When I was born, my mother wanted a boy. She still mentions it occasionally. When we learned my daughter was having a girl, my mother asked if I thought that would be okay. We were all thrilled! My dad wanted a boy too. In fact, I don’t think he knows yet that he didn’t get one. He did say that when I was born and the nurse told him I was a girl, he asked her to go back and see if she could find a boy. My parents had one chance to have a boy and they had me instead. I think they got over it, for the most part, and they are pleased with God’s decision.
Knowing they wanted a boy could explain why I prefer baseball to ballet. It could explain why my best friends in high school and college were guys. They used to tell me they liked me because I didn’t act like a girl. I took it as a compliment since they said it was what they liked about me, but I’m glad I wasn’t born a boy. I love being a girl because I get to be the mom. And yet I know that in some ways I’ve never acted like most females.
God knew I would be a girl. He wanted a girl. He knew I would be born to parents who were hoping for a boy. He also knew that I would like some of the things boys like. Every bit of this was part of His plan for me.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God knew you before you were born? He had planned every day of your life before even one of them came to be. God knew everything, good or bad that would happen to you, and He has used every bit of it to shape you into the person He created you to be. God has a purpose for your life. Just relax, enjoy being you, and follow His plan. A wonderful adventure awaits you!
When I was born, my mother wanted a boy. She still mentions it occasionally. When we learned my daughter was having a girl, my mother asked if I thought that would be okay. We were all thrilled! My dad wanted a boy too. In fact, I don’t think he knows yet that he didn’t get one. He did say that when I was born and the nurse told him I was a girl, he asked her to go back and see if she could find a boy. My parents had one chance to have a boy and they had me instead. I think they got over it, for the most part, and they are pleased with God’s decision.
Knowing they wanted a boy could explain why I prefer baseball to ballet. It could explain why my best friends in high school and college were guys. They used to tell me they liked me because I didn’t act like a girl. I took it as a compliment since they said it was what they liked about me, but I’m glad I wasn’t born a boy. I love being a girl because I get to be the mom. And yet I know that in some ways I’ve never acted like most females.
God knew I would be a girl. He wanted a girl. He knew I would be born to parents who were hoping for a boy. He also knew that I would like some of the things boys like. Every bit of this was part of His plan for me.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God knew you before you were born? He had planned every day of your life before even one of them came to be. God knew everything, good or bad that would happen to you, and He has used every bit of it to shape you into the person He created you to be. God has a purpose for your life. Just relax, enjoy being you, and follow His plan. A wonderful adventure awaits you!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Laughing Always
Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:13-26
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”
Live life, love God, laugh always. I love to laugh often, but always? Not everything is funny. As my son-in-law prepares to leave for Iraq again, my family is having a hard time laughing about everything.
Proverbs 31:25 says a wife of noble character “is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” The Hebrew word for laugh is sahaq. It means to celebrate, rejoice, or frolic. It also means to mock or scoff. A woman like this is optimistic about the future, but she can also scoff at any disaster that may come. She is prepared for anything. She is steadfast. Proverbs 31:30 suggests she got that way by fearing the Lord. She understands the Lord’s ways.
How does understanding His ways prepare us for the future? Proverbs 3:19 says that God created the world by wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 8:30-31 says, “Then I (wisdom) was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” So wisdom is able to laugh always.
“By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established,” according to Proverbs 24:3. Beth Moore describes that as meaning that wisdom builds the dwelling and understanding secures it. The Hebrew word that is translated established there is kun. It means to be established, be steadfast, be reliable, be certain, be ready, be prepared. It signifies initial preparation, actual preparation for the future event. It also signifies the deep satisfaction and sense of well being which comes from the certainty that our hearts steadfastly trust in the Lord who directs our paths. Because God has made the initial preparation, we can trust Him to direct our paths.
Psalm 112:7-8 says the righteous man “will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear, in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 37:23 says, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand”.
My daughter and granddaughter love the movie Enchanted. To be honest, I’d have to say I love it too. We were watching it for about the seventh time a few days ago. It had been a difficult day. Anna was missing her dad, Livy was missing her mom. Both were out of town on business. It was raining…again. It wasn’t the happiest of days, but it was obvious they were both really into the happily ever after of the movie. After it was over, Anna said, “I love this movie. It shows there is a happily ever after even when it doesn’t look like there could be.” It’s true. God is into happy endings and happily ever afters. He sees today, but He also sees how the story ends.
So how does all this help us laugh always? How does it prepare us for bad news or disaster? How do we know that happy endings apply to us? I don’t know about you, but hearing that I need to be righteous or that the Lord needs to delight in my way for it to happen doesn’t always make me laugh. Well, my eight year old…the one who is reading over my shoulder right now says she has the perfect verse to go here. It’s John 3:16. She’s right. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” On my own I’m not righteous. I’m no match for Satan. I do a lot of things that would keep God from delighting in me. But I have believed in and continue to trust the one who built this world with wisdom and understanding.
God told His children who were in captivity because of their disobedience in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Nothing takes God by surprise. Proverbs 16:4 tells us “The Lord works out everything for his own ends…” And our history with God can tell us His own ends will be good.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” God is the Rock. Lean on Him. He can hold you up. Try leaning on anything or anyone else and see what happens. Job 8:13-15 says it like this, “Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile, what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” Beth Moore takes the spider web analogy a step further to say that we will become entangled in a sticky mess when we lean on anything or anyone but God.
So how can we laugh when nothing is funny? We can lighten up and laugh by understanding who God is. We can laugh at the days to come because God planned for them all in advance and He planned that one day we would live with Him, happily ever after.
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”
Live life, love God, laugh always. I love to laugh often, but always? Not everything is funny. As my son-in-law prepares to leave for Iraq again, my family is having a hard time laughing about everything.
Proverbs 31:25 says a wife of noble character “is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” The Hebrew word for laugh is sahaq. It means to celebrate, rejoice, or frolic. It also means to mock or scoff. A woman like this is optimistic about the future, but she can also scoff at any disaster that may come. She is prepared for anything. She is steadfast. Proverbs 31:30 suggests she got that way by fearing the Lord. She understands the Lord’s ways.
How does understanding His ways prepare us for the future? Proverbs 3:19 says that God created the world by wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 8:30-31 says, “Then I (wisdom) was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” So wisdom is able to laugh always.
“By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established,” according to Proverbs 24:3. Beth Moore describes that as meaning that wisdom builds the dwelling and understanding secures it. The Hebrew word that is translated established there is kun. It means to be established, be steadfast, be reliable, be certain, be ready, be prepared. It signifies initial preparation, actual preparation for the future event. It also signifies the deep satisfaction and sense of well being which comes from the certainty that our hearts steadfastly trust in the Lord who directs our paths. Because God has made the initial preparation, we can trust Him to direct our paths.
Psalm 112:7-8 says the righteous man “will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear, in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 37:23 says, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand”.
My daughter and granddaughter love the movie Enchanted. To be honest, I’d have to say I love it too. We were watching it for about the seventh time a few days ago. It had been a difficult day. Anna was missing her dad, Livy was missing her mom. Both were out of town on business. It was raining…again. It wasn’t the happiest of days, but it was obvious they were both really into the happily ever after of the movie. After it was over, Anna said, “I love this movie. It shows there is a happily ever after even when it doesn’t look like there could be.” It’s true. God is into happy endings and happily ever afters. He sees today, but He also sees how the story ends.
So how does all this help us laugh always? How does it prepare us for bad news or disaster? How do we know that happy endings apply to us? I don’t know about you, but hearing that I need to be righteous or that the Lord needs to delight in my way for it to happen doesn’t always make me laugh. Well, my eight year old…the one who is reading over my shoulder right now says she has the perfect verse to go here. It’s John 3:16. She’s right. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” On my own I’m not righteous. I’m no match for Satan. I do a lot of things that would keep God from delighting in me. But I have believed in and continue to trust the one who built this world with wisdom and understanding.
God told His children who were in captivity because of their disobedience in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Nothing takes God by surprise. Proverbs 16:4 tells us “The Lord works out everything for his own ends…” And our history with God can tell us His own ends will be good.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” God is the Rock. Lean on Him. He can hold you up. Try leaning on anything or anyone else and see what happens. Job 8:13-15 says it like this, “Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile, what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” Beth Moore takes the spider web analogy a step further to say that we will become entangled in a sticky mess when we lean on anything or anyone but God.
So how can we laugh when nothing is funny? We can lighten up and laugh by understanding who God is. We can laugh at the days to come because God planned for them all in advance and He planned that one day we would live with Him, happily ever after.
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