Day of Praise

Wed, 03/22/17, "Day of Praise"

"He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name." - Amos 4:13

There are very old sayings, "Pain is the gift that nobody wants," and the related teaching, "Everyone will live with the pain of self-discipline or the pain of regret."

God really, really wants us to go the way of the pain of self-discipline, which is the way of the cross of Jesus Christ. From the pain and cross of Jesus, new life sprang forth, both Jesus' own resurrection and also abundant life, today and forever, for all of us who will receive Jesus personally through faith. 

God really, really wants us to have life...today. 

And God teaches us plainly in John 12:24 that life springs forth from death. The pain of self-discipline is a death to self that leads to life in Christ.

For a Christian, a simple way to understand the pain and reward of self-discipline is this: If we do what God asks us to do in the strength that God promises to give, then we'll be able to see what God promises to do.

And what does God promise to do? Well, as God says in today's verse, God forms mountains, creates wind, and reveals his thoughts. It's almighty and supernatural stuff. And if we do what God asks in the strength of Jesus, we get to see God do almighty and supernatural stuff.

Like the girl at a camp, who was hiking a high mountain section of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is like the Appalachian Trail but on the west coast. The girl was overtaken by a severe asthma attack at the heights of the mountain. She had her Epi-pen, asthma medicine, but it had tragically expired and proved to be unhelpful.

Panic and sorrow could have reigned.

But God, who formed the mountain, climbed the mountain. 

Two strange hikers inexplicably appeared along that high stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail as if sent by dIvine appointment. Doctors. With wisdom. With faith. With asthma medicine. 

Stories like this are hard to believe. I realize also that most, if not all, people have stories where God didn't show up.

I just have one question, namely, "How do you know?" How do you know that God didn't show up? Do you say, "God didn't show up," because you tasted some brokenness, pain, or even death?

I remember years ago on a retreat and then more recently at a Christmas Day worship service at our church, I heard my daughter Calley thank God for the pain that she and our family have tasted. She thanked God for taking all that pain and using it to bring her and other believers to the top of a mountain, from which the huge trees below looked minuscule, just like the pains of life that look minuscule compared to the God of life, who entered and shared and healed and conquered our pain through the pain and cross and resurrection of His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

So, just as God will, two young ladies will tell you that pain is inevitable for people who live in this world. But they'll also tell you that it doesn't have to be a pain of regret. It can be a pain that, like the cross of Jesus, leads to life.

It all depends on faith. Trust God, and you will see.

Praise God!