Facing Discouragement
Things are good, aren't they? Yes, in many respects, they are. I have noticed that there are a lot of people that I encounter that are having some significant problems in their lives. That is a part of life. How you go through the hard times may depend upon how you view God. I'm starting the book of Daniel in my Sunday morning messages, and it occurred to me that this book gives us an understanding of God that should encourage us as we pass through the trials of life. Daniel gives us insight into an essential aspect of who God is, and that is His sovereignty. It means that God is supreme in authority and power. He chooses to do no one or nothing can stop or change. The book of Daniel illustrates that on three levels.
First, we can see the sovereignty of God in the life of individuals. Daniel was a young Jewish man, probably in his teens. God allowed a foreign power to come into his homeland, conquer it and take Daniel and some other young men back to this country and hold him there for the rest of his life. He lived in a culture that was different from what he had known. His life was forever changed. Sometimes He provided miracles for Daniel of great magnitude, and sometimes he put him in the right place at the right time with the right people. He faced hungry lions and survived. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown into a furnace and came out with their clothes not even scorched. Why? Because God in His sovereignty took care of them and if you trust Him, He will take care of you too .
Second, God is sovereign over kings and nations. Daniel 1:1, 2 says that God gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Then in Daniel 4, God takes Nebuchadnezzar's sanity away from him, and his kingdom and then gives it back again. In Daniel Chapter 2, God foretells through a dream than there will be four successive gentile kingdoms. God could reveal that to Daniel because He was in control. History bears this out of what happened. God is sovereign over the kings and the nations of the world then and now.
Third, God is sovereign over the future. What is the future of this earth on which we live? Is it all falling apart, as some would say? If God is sovereign and He is in complete control, then does it make sense that you and I are destroying it? God has a plan and is carrying it out, and nothing will be able to alter it. Colossians 1:17 says that not only did God create, but He holds it all together. He is not going to let go; He is not going to leave it to us to destroy. His word is specific, and He has it all written in a future history book. The last few chapters of Daniel give us some of that insight.
Seeing the sovereignty of God, let's translate that into your discouragement. Some things have happened in your life, and you have even done some things you shouldn't have, but because God is who He is, there is hope for you. Everything is not out of control. There is one who is ultimately in control. He would like you to trust Him. Daniel's story is an example of how God intervenes in His sovereignty with people, in nations, now and in the future. I pray that as you experience God's work in your life that you will by faith, trust in God and His sovereignty.
Pastor Lynn Rettig
Musselshell Community Bible Church
Favorite?
I have a favorite book in the Bible and I pray that you do as well. My favorite book is Genesis, followed closely by Psalms. I love the Hebrew Bible which is why I decided to major in it in post-graduate school. The Hebrew Scriptures are a photo album of Jesus. God declared to us the coming of His Son and depicts it in very graphic terms throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.
Genesis is my favorite because it is a time of pure Grace. We now live in another time of pure Grace, but that was the first time. No matter what anyone did, they were not severely punished. Yes, Adam and Eve got thrown out of the Garden because of their unbelief and pride. But they weren’t killed. Their spirits were, but not their bodies and they lived to a very old age. Cain killed his brother, God reprimanded him, even told him what to do to regain favor, and when he refused, God sent him to a mountain to live. Jacob lied, deceived his brother, his future father-in-law (who later deceived him) but he lived, prospered, is listed among the honored patriarchs. Even the first patriarch lied – telling the kings that Sarah was his sister. Imagine! But God called Abraham His friend, and trusted him with the destruction He was about to bring on Sodom. It is difficult to see a God of severe judgment, cruelty, and meanness that is often depicted by human beings. I see a God of love, patience, long-suffering, mercy and help in time of need.
God has not changed, and when I read the Psalms, I discover that the God I see in Genesis is the God that David saw is in the Psalms. I took one class at a college of Judaica in Chicago. After a bad car accident that resulted in the death of my husband, one of the rabbi’s called me into his office and told me to read the Psalms. He said that whenever he had something tragic happen to him, he read the Psalms through every day. Well, I couldn’t do ALL the Psalms, every day, but I did read them and discovered that no matter what emotion I had at the time – ever – David had experienced the same. There is a Psalm for every emotion you may have. Abandonment, loneliness, fear, hope, excitement, immobilized, shocked, threatened, worried, strong, weak – well, I have a page of over 100 different emotions, and whatever one you are feeling, there is a Psalm for that!
One of the best ways to begin to hear this wonderful God speak to you is to sit down with your Bible (if you don’t have one – give me a call, I have lots of them and happy to share!) and try to empty your mind of all worries and cares. Then just ask God what book He would have you read. He will tell you, I promise. God is always speaking to us – we just need to listen. He will direct you to the exact place that will speak to you and whatever is bothering or exciting you at that moment. God wants a relationship with you – all you have to do is want one in return. ]
Rev. Joyce Kaplan, M.Div, Retired United Church of Christ Pastor
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