THE GOOD LIFE

THE GOOD LIFE

One of my favorite songs is the version of Tony Bennet’s classic rendition of the Song , “The Good Life”. The lyrics begin with describing the “good life as full of fun, seems to be the ideal “; the “good life lets you hide all the sadness you feel.”

Some would define the good life as having no financial worries, good health, a beautiful home with a beautiful spouse, smart kids, cars in the garage, successful business or profession.

We need to think and ponder how God provides what is good for His children. The unbeliever who denies the existence of God or plainly rejects God, thinks that whatever good life he enjoys is the result of his determined effort and ability and God has nothing to do with it. But to God’s people like the Shepherd King David, who wrote practically most of the Psalms in the Bible, God is the Giver of everything good. He tells us how our loving God and Father gives us the kind of good life if we choose to live under His care.

David Israel’s king, testified that when he called on God, He listens and responds. David said, “I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called and the Lord heard him. He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.”(Psalm 34:4-7)

David was delivered by the Lord from his fears, troubles, and shame. What a mighty testimony. This is a powerful testimony  because as humans we are often hounded by fear, trouble, danger and deprivation. David experienced these, that he called upon the Lord and the Lord delivered him. David showed that those who trust in the Lord are saved out of their troubles, are not put to shame, and instead they are radiant with joy and satisfaction.

To whom does the Lord provide deliverance and protection? Like David, those who seek Him, who call upon Him, and those who fear Him.

A stupendous thing happens to the people of God who trust and call upon God. Those who fear and reverence God. According to David, Israel’s warrior king of great renown, the angel of the Lord encamps around God-fearing people. This is one of the few passages of Scripture which mention Angels, or Angel of the Lord. Angels are supernatural beings who act as messengers of God.  They are also sent by God to protect or deliver His people. They act as guardian angels. At times, they intervene in our affairs for our protection. In terms of Theophany, (manifestation of God that is tangible to human senses) God Himself may manifest as an Angel to humans. At times, Angels are invisible helpers and protectors. At other times the Bible records that Angels may show up visibly like a man, to perform tasks which the Almighty God commands them to do.

Has God ever responded to your needs when you called upon Him? The people of God can testify with great conviction that He did and He does. He provided for your financial needs, gave you wisdom to  make the right decisions, gave you assurance and encouragement through His Word. Or maybe He healed you of your diseases or opened up opportunities for your advancement. Like David, there are hundreds of testimonies describing the goodness of God and the good life bestowed upon them.

David proclaimed that those who take refuge in God, are blessed and could taste and see that the Lord is good. And those who fear the Lord will lack nothing, even those who seek Him will lack no good thing. What wonderful promises.

AT THE RIGHT MOMENT ONE DAY AT A TIME

AT THE RIGHT MOMENT ONE DAY AT A TIME

We live in a fast paced, hurried, noisy, and stressful world.

I met a friend who came from the big city, relocating his work and family in a rural town. The first thing he observed was the laid back tempo which, he found hard to adjust because he was used to the pressure loaded, edgy, and time conscious frenetic activity. 

I remember reading about a Christian missionary who visited the Bedouin nomads and lived with them for a few days. The tribe did not have the modern conveniences. They live in tents. They did not have electricity. They follow the natural rhythm of nature. They tend their flocks by day, and sleep soundly at night. They get plenty of sun, fresh air, and burn up calories  through physical work. They simply flow with the natural cycle of rest, sleep, eat, work, and fellowship.

The missionary noted the absence of debilitating stress in their way of life. 

Modern society doesn’t operate that way, anymore. It is not surprising that we have become a generation of stressed out,  irritable, high strung, impatient, unkind, and  anxious people. 

Surely there must be more to life than this. 

There is no better guide to life than God’s Word, revealed in the Bible. 

Before modern Psychology and Psychiatry, became special disciplines the Bible has already laid out the principles which could help us cope with life’s stressors.   

God designed the mind to be a very powerful force, which could bring healing and balance, if it is fully focused on the right virtues.

In his exhortation to the Christians in Philippi, St. Paul taught them to think or meditate on the things which are true, noble, just pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8)

Every day we have no control over the circumstances that come in our way. We are likely to be exposed to negative and depressing people or situations, even distressing or hurting life events.

St. Paul reveals to us this nugget of divine teaching. He says we should not allow these things to overwhelm our thoughts. To let our thoughts helplessly dwell on  life’s unwholesome stressors, would only mean a troubled, fearful mind. 

The Saintly Apostle tells us take control of our thoughts, by directing the mind to dwell outwardly on the good and godly virtues. This is the best prescription to take when we suffer from the  ill effects of seemingly unbearable stress. A mind that thinks of pure, noble, true, lovely and praiseworthy thoughts, has no place to entertain negative, fearful and harmful thoughts.

Most people are too proud to accept help in times of trouble. They are the best candidates headed for emotional and mental breakdown if they are not careful in dealing with stress.

It is not God’s will for our lives to take more than we could ever carry. When the load is too heavy, cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7). The problem for most hard driving people is they often plunge and get ahead adding the worries of tomorrow to the cares of today, in a telescopic effort to be in control.

The problem is, no one can ever claim to be in absolute control, even with the best laid out plan. Only God Almighty is in control. We don’t need to get ahead of Him, because the Lord Himself goes before us. He dispenses His mercy and grace at the right moment one day at a time.   

The Captain And The General

Do Not Fear

A story is told of a Captain who in the field of battle ran to his General and exclaimed, “General, Sir, we cannot hope to win, we are overwhelmed! The enemy is far too numerous!”

The Captain was almost crying.

The General in measured tones,  glared at the terrified Captain and said, “Captain, we are not here to count the enemy but conquer them, and conquer them we must. Go back to the front-line and fight!”

This world is frightening world, and in the battlefield of life, sometimes we are gripped with  paralyzing fear.

Abraham Lincoln once, said, that we are not to take counsel of our own fears.

The spirit of fear could weaken our faith. Once fear takes hold of us, we are defeated. Human capacity is inadequate to wrestle with the troubles we face. But time and again God has proven His faithfulness and power to win victories in our struggles if only we could trust Him fully, and rely upon His strength. 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble, therefore we will not fear (Psalm 46:1-2) declares the Psalmist. In ancient times, God through the prophet Isaiah spoke mightily to His people: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, not will the flame burn you(Isaiah 43:2)

Three analogies are presented here: water, river, and fire.

Passing through the waters speaks of the depth of our troubles. Passing through rivers speaks of the force and turbulence of our troubles. And passing through the fire speaks of the intensity of our trials. The God, Creator of this Universe, and the Giver of life assures His people that though they had to go through the waters, rivers and fire of testing, He will be with  them, and they will not be overwhelmed.

What a comforting thought.  

Gideon, The Hesitant Warrior

Gideon, The Hesitant Warrior

From the Book of Judges Chapter 6

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told  us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family

The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

The call of Gideon, deals with the subject of fear, doubt and insecurity. It also deals with the feeling of hopelessness and despair. All of us at one point have experienced, self doubt, fear, and  despair. Some of us might have felt forsaken.

As we go through these life experiences, God’s word is as relevant today as it was during the time of Gideon. We can draw a lesson from Gideon, a man, who came from the lowest class among the tribes of Israel, obscure, insignificant, and hopelessly insecure.

The story of Gideon happened at a time when Israel, did what was evil in the sight of God, so for seven years, God allowed Israel’s enemies the Midianites to overpower and oppress them. So cruel were the Midinites that the Israelites hid in mountain caves and clefts. They were bereft of any courage to go against their oppressors, they simply despaired of life, losing all hope. 

God’s anger against his people soon waned. It was now time to liberate them from their enemies, and to show mercy to His people, who thought the Lord had abandoned them.

The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, who was threshing wheat in a wine press. Gideon was simply doing a menial task. All he cared for was to do his work, so he and his family would be able to survive. He had no other ambition. Then an angel came, who greeted him, “The Lord is with you Mighty Warrior”. Gideon was surprised, because far from being a warrior, he was a worker in the field. He also thought the greeting was absurd, because he thought how could God be with him, when even the entire people of Israel have been abandoned by God?

So Gideon spoke to the angel with a hint of disappointment, saying, “ Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

Gideon’s reaction was a natural reaction, characterizing the general sentiment of his people, who thought God had forgotten them. Losing all hope ever escaping from the clutches of their oppressors, Gideon, was full of self doubt.

We too have experienced the feeling of being hopeless and forsaken. And like Gideon we doubt God’s encouragement, and promises, belittling ourselves. The angel’s greeting was heartening. The angel greeted Gideon with words too superfluous for him to believe.

Here is an ordinary obscure workman described by the angel as a mighty warrior. Not only this, the angel said that the Lord was with him. And yet Gideon doubted if he ever amounted to anything the angel said of him. The spirit of timidity has taken control of Gideon.

God had chosen Gideon despite his moral weakness. God commanded Gideon, with the assurance that He is sending him to go and save Israel out of the hands of their enemies.

And yet Gideon still full of insecurity and self doubt put up excuses. He said he was weak, and least among his clan. He appraised himself and felt  was not up to the task. Fear had overcome his will. Gideon looked at the circumstances surrounding himself that he lost sight of the fact that the God of his people is an all powerful God upon whom he should completely trust.  

Again God reassured Gideon, saying, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

In today’s world, we face hard and difficult circumstances, even as we fight the fierce battles of life. All too often we draw strength upon our own resources. We are apt to follow Gideon’s poor and gloomy outlook, that we forget we have a great and powerful God, who declares, “I am with you, go, Am I not sending you? I will be with you.”

My friends, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and self-discipline.(2 Timothy 1:7)

Think about it.

LESSONS FROM A STORMY BOAT RIDE

LESSONS FROM A STORMY BOAT RIDE

Mark 4:35-41

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(B) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(C)

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

It was at the end of the day, the beginning of night fall that our Lord asked his disciples to cross the other side of the lake. The day proved to be fruitful but tiring. He had taught the multitudes, eager to hear His message.

When evening came, He called it a day. To get away from the strain of the crowd, He asked his disciples to make arrangement so they could cross the lake of Genesaret, also known as the sea of Galilee.

The disciples took Him in one of the boats which were berthed there and they sailed. The account of Saint Mark of this incident, reveals that there were other boats which followed the vessel of Jesus and his disciples. Once on board, Jesus found a place in the stern of the boat where He peacefully fell asleep. He was not simply lying down half awake, He was in deep slumber. It was a deep night time sleep, following the natural rhythm of daytime and nighttime where man would normally work during the day and sleep at night.

This tells us quite a lot in the modern world. Our Lord did not waste his energy staying awake like most workaholics do. He did not overload his day sacrificing a restful night of sleep just to beat the deadline, or surpass the output.  

This Universe follows a natural course, and man is designed to live in harmony with this design. The invention of the electric light practically removed the  natural division of night and day, and man’s worldly activities now go on and on regardless of days or nights.

The act of Jesus in leaving the crowd to escape the pressing demands of the people is a lesson in relaxation and rest. Sleeplessness has been considered a badge of achievement for the hard driven businessman, political leader, or professional, who put in a lot of frenetic activities in the hours of long and extreme wakefulness.

The image of our Lord Jesus sleeping peacefully like a baby, secure the arms of His loving Father, without the slightest worry, or care, is the most  inspiring antidote to worry, fear and anxiety.

As we follow the account of Mark, the boat ploughed through the waters, while Jesus slept, in the stern. The waters were calm at the start of the voyage, and there were other boats following. Mark did not reveal who were the people in the other boats. They were probably the boat owners who were part of the crowd.

Then in the course of their journey, a furious squall came up. The storm brought big waves beating at the boat. The waves broke over the boat and swamped the boat with water. The master, crew, and passengers of the boat who at first were confident because of the good weather, ran into a panic. This was no ordinary turbulence, it was a windstorm, the big waves battering the boat.

We live in a world where storms visit us with regularity. We have stormy months. The viciousness of storms, tornados, hurricanes, heavy rains, leaving untold suffering  destruction, and death, in their wake are  part of our earthly lives.

Man is exposed to the vagaries of nature. Figuratively man may face other storms like sickness, financial ruin, bad experiences, disappointments, failures, frustrations, and physical disabilities. These are storms of life which visit both the believer and the unbeliever, the good and the bad, the wicked and the righteous.  

The people in the same boat with Jesus, were not spared of the storm. They cried out in fear. They were desperate. They saw the big waves, they felt the boat reeling and squeaking. They were afraid they will perish at sea.

If you were in the same situation who wouldn’t be?

So they probably asked the Captain of the boat what he would do, they called for the crew to do something, until they realized that Jesus was the only one who wasn’t in a panic because he was sleeping despite the tossing and swaying of the boat.

The frantic disciples awakened their Master. When He awoke, the disciples blurted out in unison “Teacher don’t you care if we drown?”

There was the sense of hopelessness, and doom. Jesus knew their fear.

This is the same cry that reverberates in this fallen world. Doesn’t God care? In times of trouble doesn’t God care? “Don’t you care?” they cried out to Him. Implicit in this question is the thought that somehow Jesus was to be blamed for the situation they were in. After all it was Jesus’ idea to take them for a ride.  

Jesus got up, looked out to the raging sea, and talked to the rampaging winds, “Quiet! Be still!”

The most amazing thing happened which the disciples had never seen in their entire life. The wind and waves obeyed Jesus.  The wind died down then it was completely calm.

The Creator of this earth had spoken and commanded the sea to be calm. Here the entire creation bends in complete subjection.

Then it was His turn to ask them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples became more terrified and afraid of their Master. They knew that they were no longer in the presence of an ordinary mortal, but of an awesome God, the only One to be feared, not the storms, not the wind and the waves of the sea, not even the greatest and most powerful of men on earth.

The Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the elements of nature, “Quiet! Be still!” like a father would  rebuke his unruly child. But in far higher plane, it was as much a rebuke of the disciples’ state of agitation, fearfulness, and ambivalent faith.

In times of crisis our Lord reminds us to be quiet and to be still. To put our confidence in Him because He is in absolute control, no matter what happens.

(Photo from brooklynmuseum.org)

My Struggle Against Anxiety

I have been suffering from chronic attacks of anxiety for which I refuse any medication. My lifetime struggle against anxiety begins in the mind which imagines dreadful things of foreboding doom. Tension, edginess worry and fear have been constant companions. Uncontrollable intrusive thoughts of disaster, trouble, and misfortune would overwhelm me with dread.

     

Anxiety is slightly different from fear, in the sense that the cause is vague, and none-specific. One may know the object of his fear but the anxious person is frightened or worried by feelings of dread or uneasiness as a reaction to a perceived stressful situation. This psychological condition could bring about physical symptoms affecting one’s health. About 25 per cent of the world’s population are anxiety sufferers.

When I became a Christian I discovered that the  Bible has a lot to teach about this general malaise.   

John Piper sharply observed: "if it is right to feel grief and anguish at some loss, then it would seem right also to be anxious about the possibility of that loss."

It is normal to be affected by life’s distressing events. I have come to deal with this problem by trusting God’s promises and assurance.

The words of St. Paul to the Philippians could far surpass any professional counseling:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7)

Nothing more could be uplifting by meditating upon these words. They are more effective than any pill or medication. Like medicine the words are healing to the anxious soul. They come in four separate prescriptions but may be taken in a single dose. These are: Praying, Asking, Thanking, and Presenting to God all of our cares and anxious thoughts. The effect is Peace, which no one can really explain.

The great Apostle has revealed to us the secret of overcoming worry and anxiety. It is faith in a Powerful God who is far bigger than any of our concerns. “The beginning of true faith.” said George Mueller, “is the end of anxiety.”

The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to this issue today.

He said,  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? ²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

³⁴"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."(Matthew 6:24-34)

“The implication of the message” of Jesus,  writes Richard Beaton,  “is that much of what matters to us today, the material aspects of our lives ought not to be taken seriously and can be completely entrusted to God who cares for us.”

If instead  of worrying, we have confidence and faith in God’s provision then we need not worry about worldly cares. Deep and strong attachment to worldly pleasures, possessions, or position and desperate grasping at one’s life are usually the marks of the anxious and faithless person. A life of simple faith produces a detachment which drives away worry and anxiety. Our Lord calls our attention to look at the birds of the air or the lesser creatures in the forest. He provides for all their necessities and they neither worry a bit. They simply trust in the bounteous grace of their Creator.

The command not to worry does not mean careless abandon or to be thoughtless about anything. The implication is not to be passively idle or apathetic to the concerns of life. Our Lord is not teaching that we stop from planning or working. As the Lord declares in the Gospel of Mathew, to be not anxious about our life, means to keep away from faithless  anxious thoughts fearful apprehension about possible danger or misfortune. Christ is saying if we trust God we will not worry. God is all there is. He is the Giver of life and we can entrust our lives to Him. He promised to take care of us, even as He cares for the lesser creatures, under any and in all circumstances. He positively declares that absolutely nothing, not even death can ever separate us from His love.(Romans 8:38-39)