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God does not give us everything we ask of Him. Thanks be to God!  We think we know what is best, but often times ask for things that are wrong-headed, selfish, or even hurtful. Other times we ask for something, but our gracious God has something better in store for us!

Sometimes our lives and circumstances work us over pretty good. We feel like everyone and everything is ganging up on us. Our first instinct is to lash out and hit back with a vengeance. But will that accomplish God’s purpose in our lives?

I was wondering these things when I read Psalm 66, which is the assigned Psalm for this coming Sunday.  Here are a few verses from that Psalm.

Psalm 66:16–20 ¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. ¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. ¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; ¹⁹ but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. ²⁰ Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

How much better would our lives be if we focused on the good God has done for us and praised Him for that?  As I was pondering that question, I recalled a song by Ray Boltz entitled “I Will Praise the Lord.” He describes Paul and Silas in a prison cell after being beaten, but this is the refrain that repeats over and over again.

But I will praise the Lord
I will praise the Lord
No matter what tomorrow brings
What it has in store
I will praise the Lord

God listens and hears your prayers. He does not reject you or withhold His love from you. In fact, His love is seen in the person of Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us all. Reason, indeed, for His praise to be on our lips.

There is a guy on Facebook named Chad Sexton who gives what he calls “Expert Marriage Tips.”  Most of his advice would deserve him being hit in the head with a cast iron skillet. His wife just sits in the background, usually sipping her coffee and shaking her head in disbelief. Through humor he points out a lot of dumb things people do in relationships that cause problems.

I remember at our wedding rehearsal, my dad told Cheryl that his message the next day was going to be based on this passage:

Proverbs 21:9 (KJV It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, Than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

By the way, Proverbs 25:24 is exactly the same. If it is in there twice, it must be true! Of course, you could say the same thing about a “brawling husband.” I wonder if that passage was the inspiration for the song from the early sixties by the Drifters, “Up on the Roof.”??? And no. that was not the text of his wedding sermon.

Relationships, including marriage, are subject to conflict. Most often this happens because of a lack of communication. Many times both parties think they are doing the right thing, but they have not consulted with each other, and that is when the fight starts.

Open and honest communication goes a long way toward resolving conflict. But it needs to be a two way street, both parties sharing and listening to each other. And someone has to be willing to take the first step.

In resolving the conflict we had with God, we did not take the first step. Or the second, third or fourth. In fact, God is the one who did what was needed to resolve the conflict. He promised to send a Savior right after the Fall in the Garden of Eden. He repeated that promise over and over again, saying this Savior would come through Abraham, Jacob and David.  And then He kept His Word by sending the Word made flesh. Jesus earned our forgiveness and conquered death for us all. All we do is receive what He offers by faith. And once we are in that faith relationship, we strive to thank Him by living as the people God wants us to be. We need a good relationship with God, and part of that is working on our relationships with other people, too.

Most mornings these days find me having breakfast with my three-year-old granddaughter, Micah and her nine-year-old brother, Malachi. I have been an early riser for most of my life, and I love breakfast, so I don’t mind making it for whoever else happens to get up. When my three daughters were young, I was the one who made their breakfast and ate with them on school days.

I have enjoyed spending this time with my grandkids, especially since up until now, they have not lived in Texas. Having them live with us while waiting for their house to be built nearby is a blessing. A trying one at times, but nonetheless a blessing.

On a recent morning, It was just Micah and I sitting together in the kitchen. Malachi was ill and not going to school that day. Everyone else was still in bed. So I sat and visited with her as she ate her cheerios and mini muffins. When she was done, she put down her spoon, looked at me and said, “Papa, hold me.” And of course, I did, my heart melting inside me. She snuggled up against me with her head on my shoulder. The joy I felt in that moment is hard to describe.

As I held that sweet little child of God in my arms, thinking about how happy that made me feel, I wondered if our heavenly Father feels the same kind of joy when we willingly spend time with Him and ask Him to hold us? I believe He does. We are his dearly loved children. He wants us to be with Him forever. That is why Jesus came to this earth, to earn our forgiveness and make it possible for us to be with our Maker for eternity, redeemed, restored and forgiven.

Even before we enter the bliss of heaven, our Father wants us to snuggle up with Him in our daily lives, talking to Him with our prayers and listening to Him in His Word. I feel His loving embrace when I do that in my life.

If you are not taking time each day to do that, I strongly urge you to do so. Simply ask, “Father, hold me.”

The Gospel reading heard throughout Christendom yesterday begins with this simple admonition:

John 14:1  Do not let your hearts be troubled.

How often have you heard those words and reacted by thinking, “Yeah, right. Easier said than done!”

You have conflict with a boss or coworker. You struggle with an addiction. Family relationships are strained. A loved one has suffered a stroke or is battling cancer. All of these things are happening right now in the lives of people I know and love.  How can their hearts NOT be troubled?

Listen to the one who is speaking the words in John 14, and the rationale He provides.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

Jesus is speaking, and tells you to be confident and content in the One who is in control of everything. Regardless of how we think and act, we are NOT in control. Jesus is. Trust Him. He has already taken your sin, your guilt, and your punishment on Himself and paid for it all. He conquered sin and death and the devil for you. You can trust Him to care for you in any and all circumstances.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote about this and quoted Psalm 118:

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

We need the confidence Paul described:

Romans 8:38–39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

The first reading for this Fifth Sunday of Easter contains these words:

Acts 6:1–6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

My experience in ministry was in smaller congregations, which have been defined as those having less than 200 in worship each week. In congregations that size, the pastor is often a jack of all trades, doing lots of things that would not normally be considered “ministry.”

Over the years, I did lots of building maintenance and lawn care at the church. I was called upon to climb into the attic to relight the furnace pilot light, go up a ladder to change light bulbs in a tower, fix a stopped up toilet, set up a sound system, or fix a malfunctioning computer network.  While I am grateful God gave me the ability to do those things, and I enjoyed doing them for the most part, I sometimes felt I could have used that time better by studying, praying, preparing for worship and Bible Class, or just out visiting with the members of the congregation and community.

I share this with you today to encourage you to ask yourselves: “What could I be doing at my congregation to allow my pastor to devote more time to prayer and ministry?”

Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon is credited for writing: “Happy  is  he  who is  happy  in  his  children,  and  happy  are  the  children who  are  happy  in  their  father.”  Here is the context of those words:

Yet  a  home  must  be  well  ordered,  or  it  will  become a  Bedlam,  and  be  a  scandal  to  the  parish.  If  the father  drops  the  reins,  the  family  coach  will  soon  be in  the  ditch.  A  wise  mixture  of  love  and  firmness will  do  it;  but  neither  harshness  nor  softness  alone will  keep  home  in  happy  order.  Home  is  no  home where  the  children  are  not  in  obedience :  it  is  rather a  pain  than  a  pleasure  to  be  in  it.  Happy  is  he  who is  happy  in  his  children,  and  happy  are  the  children who  are  happy  in  their  father.  All  fathers  are  not wise.  Some  are  like  Eli,  and  spoil  their  children. Not  to  cross  our  children  is  the  way  to  make  a  cross of  them.  Those  who  never  give  their  children  the rod  must  not  wonder  if  their  children  become  a  rod to  them.  Solomon  says :  ”  Correct  thy  son,  and  he shall  give  thee  rest ;  yea,  he  shall  give  delight  to  thy soul.”  I  am  not  clear  that  anybody  wiser  than  Solomon lives  in  our  time,  though  some  think  they  are.

Yesterday I got to spend some time with my youngest daughter’s two children. My middle daughter and her family are currently living with us while waiting for a new home to be built, so I get to see those grandchildren quite a bit.

I have been blessed with three daughters, three sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren. I love the time I get to spend with them. I am happy in my children. But more than that, I know that I am blessed.

Psalm 128 A song of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, and may you live to see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.

Cheryl and I tried to raise our children to know Jesus as their Savior and keep Him first in their lives. They are doing the same with their children. To teach our children that Jesus is their Savior from sin and death is the greatest gift we can give our children. That will sustain them through whatever this world throws at them.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

For years I have had a dark, gray rock with black stripes on my desk. Before I had it, it sat on my father’s desk in his office for many years. Before that, it was in a creek near his boyhood home in Tennessee for who knows how long. That rock was worn smooth by having water run over it for centuries. Every so often I pick it up and hold it, feeling how smooth and cool it is to touch. While it is a great paperweight, that is not the reason I keep it on my desk. It is a reminder of my father, but it is also a reminder of the Biblical references to God as our Rock.

Much of the holy land is rocky or stony ground, and rocks help tell the story of faith. Noah built an altar to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving after the flood. Abram built an altar on which to sacrifice Isaac, as well as other altars. No doubt these were made from stones. Jacob made a stone his pillow when he was running away from his brother, Esau, after he had cheated him out of his birthright. And after his dream that night, he made that stone a monument to remind him that God was in that place.  Later, when Jacob was blessing his sons, he came to Joseph and referred to God as a Rock, calling him “…the Mighty One of Jacob, … the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Genesis 49:24).

When Moses stood on the brink of the Promised Land, he offered a song of praise, and made reference to God as a rock: “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” (Deuteronomy 32: 4). Just Think of all the rocks the children of Israel had seen in their 40 years of wandering in the desert.

Joshua remembered crossing of the Jordan, the entrance into the promised land, with twelve stones (Joshua 4). In his showdown with the prophets of Baal, Elijah used twelve rough stones for his altar on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:31).  David gathered five smooth stones from the brook as he went forth to do battle with Goliath.  And years later, when He was King David, He spoke of God this way: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior” (2 Samuel 22:2-3).

This imagery was repeated in the worship life of the Israelites. From Psalm 95 we find a passage that is still found in liturgies in use today: Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1). All through Isaiah we find references to God as the Rock, such as this one in Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4).

God was thought of as a ROCK because He is steadfast and firm. It is little wonder, then, that when Jesus appeared on the scene, he was called the ROCK! He is the Chief Cornerstone, the rock of our salvation. He is strong and mighty to save.

One Easter I gave everyone in worship a rock with a cross engraved on it. I told them to remember Jesus, the rock of our salvation, when they saw their rock with the cross on it. Remember He is the Son of God who laid aside His power as God to come down here as one of us, live among us, go through everything we go through, and do it all without sin. He offered His perfect life on a different kind of altar – the cross. The Rock of your salvation let Himself be sacrificed to pay for your sin.

But I also wanted them to remember what may be the most significant rock mentioned in Scripture, the stone mentioned in the Gospels. After Jesus died, we are told that Joseph of Arimathea secured permission to take His body from the cross and bury Him.

Matthew 27:59-60 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

That should have been the end. That was how life ended. With a burial. And Jesus had declared on Friday, “It is finished.” The price for sin had been paid by Jesus, the Rock of your salvation. It is finished. The stone sealed the tomb. That was it. But wait … there’s more. Jesus rocked the world — the stone was rolled away! Death could not hold Him. He burst from the tomb to announce life everlasting for all who believe in Him.

I guess you could say we are living in the Stone Age. We have monuments and headstones that speak to us and go way back, but that is not what I mean. Our stone age is all about the stone that was rolled away. That rocked the world. That changes everything. We have peace with God through Him. Death and sin no longer control us. Death is no longer the end for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus rocked the World when the stone was rolled away.

Yesterday I wrote about following the example of Jesus. If you do so, you will also be and example for others. Are you being a good example?

In the middle of scolding the Corinthians for being too worldly minded, Paul told them to follow his example: Therefore I urge you to imitate me. (1 Corinthians 4:16) And this was not an isolated instance.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. (Philippians 3:17)

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9)  (See also 1 Thessalonians 4:1-6)

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Paul commended Christians for serving as models themselves. Of course, if anyone is going to be an example, they must themselves be imitating Christ. We imitate Christ when see Him not only as a perfect model, but also as our perfect Savior. We honor Him most when we recognize that He died for our sins, making up even for our failure to model Him in what we say and do.

How did Paul imitate Christ? Sometimes he did the exact same things Jesus did.

• He went to Jerusalem knowing that imprisonment and suffering awaited him.
• He preached the Kingdom and the Word of God.
• Sometimes he quoted Jesus (Acts 20:35, 1 Cor. 7:10).

And there was also his overall attitude.

• In 1 Thessalonians he wanted the church to imitate his zeal for the Gospel and his attitude toward suffering.
• In 1 Corinthians 11 he points to his concern for the welfare of others as an example to be copied.
• In 2 Thessalonians he urges that his lack of idleness be copied.

You need to recognize that whether you like it or not, you are models: to your family, to fellow Christians, and to the unbelieveing world. I remember hearing a brother pastor talking years ago about an incident at a Youth Gathering, where a cab driver gave him too much change and he said he kept it. Not only that, but three members of his youth group witnessed it, and said, “Pastor, he gave you too much.” The pastor just laughed and tried to brush it off by saying it was good stewardship.” Where a terrible example he set for those entrusted to his care.

I try not to do that, whether anyone is watching or not. I know what God did for me in sending Jesus to pay for my sins. That is why I try to follow the example of Christ. I know I won’t always get it right, but I keep trying.

Philippians 3:12-14 ¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You need to press on toward that goal. Each of you should be able to say, or working towards being able to say, “imitate me, because I imitate Jesus.” And we imitate Jesus because we know that through his death and resurrection we have been forgiven and have eternal life.

1 Peter 2:19-25  For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Maybe you heard about the man who was in Europe and wanted to go to mass, to church, but didn’t speak the language. He decided to go anyway. Not sure of the customs and what was going on, he decided to simply follow the man in front of him. When the man in front of him stood, he stood. When the man in front of him sat, he sat. When the man in front of him knelt, he knelt. You get the picture. Everything was going just fine. However, since he didn’t understand what was being said, his mind began to wander – He was day-dreaming. Then he saw the man in front of him stand up, so he stood. Several women in the congregation gasped. The visitor looked around and realized he and the man in front of him were the only two people standing. It was very quiet, and then the place erupted in laughter. It turns out the priest had just announced a new birth in the congregation, and asked the proud father to please stand. You need to be careful who you follow.

Peter tells us in the passage above that we should imitate Christ! We imitate Christ when we look on Him not only as a perfect model, but also as a perfect Savior. We honor Him most when we recognize that He died for our sins, making up even for our failure to model Him in what we say and do. Too often, well-meaning Christians set up standards for themselves, their families and their fellow Christians that they fail to live up to. I know that is true for me. I have high expectations not only of myself, but also of my family. That can sometimes be a trap that makes you think you are somehow better than others. But none of us can imitate our Lord perfectly because none of us is perfect. We don’t have the knowledge and wisdom He has. It is not just our sinful nature that keeps us from being good imitators of Him. The limitations of our creaturehood keep us from being able to imitate Him as we would. But you need to remember that is it not your own piety or good behavior that makes you acceptable to God. Peter also wrote “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

If we imitate Jesus in our living, others will see that. Of course, you and I are imperfect models of Jesus. But God can compensate for our failures. In fact, He already has through Christ. We know that through Him we have pardon and peace. Following His example is not the cause for our salvation, but the response to it.