Month: December 2019

“Would you please pray…?”

 

As I read the message that followed my heart twisted.  The way it does each time I hear about another heartbreak, another uphill struggle, another seemingly insurmountable obstacle. It was one of those situations that leaves you asking, “Oh Lord! How could You let this happen? Haven’t they been through enough?”

 

That question echoes through history – “O Lord, how long will this go on?  Will you hide yourself forever?” (Psalm 89:46) How long, oh Lord, will you let things go on like this?  When will you do something about it?  We know God is the answer to our troubles, the way out of our weariness, and yet our eyes get tired watching for Him to reveal Himself.

 

In contrast to the ‘merry and bright’ message of retailers this season, there are an awful lot of people sitting in darkness wondering if day is ever coming. And we’re not the first ones to go there, either.  The Light came into a world shrouded in darkness, to a people waiting for a Savior to deliver them from a foreign oppressor, wishing the Lord would make good on His promises, wondering when He would set things right.

 

Because you see, the Lord had promised that things would one day be different.  “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will soon be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles… will be filled with glory.  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light – a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow” (Isaiah 9:1-2).

 

Some days I just want things to be the way they’re supposed to be.  I want to be done with struggle and trials and sorrow. Not just for myself, not just for a season, but for good. God says that day is coming, but when?  And in answer to my wondering longing is Jesus.  He’s the connecting point between heaven and earth, between things as they are, and things as they’re supposed to be. He’s the “paid in full” marker – He erased our debt once for all time and He’s the guarantee that the Lord will make good on all His promises.

 

Luke’s gospel introduces us to Simeon, a man who was eagerly watching for the Messiah, and who one day got to hold Him in his arms.  He burst into praise; “As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people.  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29-32, emphasis added).  The goodness God promises is coming is no champagne bubble, lasting but a moment, but things the way they’re supposed to be for all time.  It is surely coming.

 

On Thursdays, one of the local radio stations, #WGTS, encourages listeners to spread kindness by paying for the person behind them in the drive-thru.  It’s called the #Drive-ThruDifference. Many times someone will call in and share they had been having a terrible day until someone paid for them and suddenly they realized they weren’t alone, there is goodness in the world, and God had not forgotten them.

If you happen to be on the receiving end of this kindness, your bill is paid in full.  There’s no sense in getting out your wallet because you don’t owe anything. And that’s exactly what God has done for us at Calvary.  He paid the full amount, the entire bill. There’s nothing left for you to pay because He already covered all of it. You don’t need to add anything.

Now in the drive thru, if you get to the cashier and find your bill has been paid, you might want to pass the kindness along by paying for the person behind you.  And in a way that’s what we do when we realize the kindness we’ve been shown at the Cross. We want to pass along the goodness we’ve received. We can’t pay the next person’s debt, but we can spread the Good News that it’s possible for the slate to be wiped clean.  It’s the kind of message that can make a world of difference.