I’m writing this blog on Tuesday, November 5…election day.  There are a multitude of uncertainties swirling around this evening.  Who will win?  Who will accuse whom of voter fraud?  More than one pundit anticipates some level of civil war or some never before seen political gymnastics to keep a winner from being seated in the White House.  It may actually take some states days to tally votes and if the election is as close as some believe, we may not know who our new president is for a week.  Meanwhile tensions will rise and accusations will fly.  It seems that we are navigating extremely stormy seas.

There are several responses to this dilemma.  We can convince ourselves that none of this matters and ultimately it will not affect us. Life will go on as it has.  But these things will affect us.  Our freedoms, our finances, our security will all be touched by these outcomes one way or another.  Another response may simply be days of anxiety, fear and, perhaps, anger.  In our hearts we may be looking for someone to blame for the way things turned out and our anticipated losses and pain due to these outcomes. A third response, a better response  can be faith.

We all remember the account of the disciples crossing the sea of Galilea one night.  In that part of Israel, violent storms can come up quickly and without warning.  That night was such a night. It was dark, the wind suddenly howled, waves began to build and break over the boat Jesus and his disciples were in. Their  concern was not unfounded.  They were in true danger.  Galilea is not huge nor unfathomably deep, but many men have drowned in those storms.  Several of Jesus’ followers were fisherman on Galilea and they knew when they were in real peril.  

As their anxiety grew, they began to look to their leader for courage. But, their leader was unavailable.  Jesus was sound asleep.  Perhaps, they thought he had no grasp on how much danger they were in.  After all, he was a stone mason not a fisherman. They shook him awake and asked if he even cared if they were about to die.  Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and the storm immediately dissipated.  He also gently rebuked them for their lack of faith. To their credit, their impulse to cry out to Jesus was on target. He is always the one to run to. 

However, his rebuke about their lack of faith concerned two things.  First, they had little faith that their heavenly father was aware of their predicament or that he would protect them in the face of that danger.  We usually expect God to keep us from the storms rather than seeing us through the storms. So, when storms arise, we assume his care for us has failed.

Secondly, Jesus may have been reminding them that he had given them authority to do what they were asking him to do.  He said on several occasions if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can command a mountain or a mulberry tree to be cast into the sea and they will obey our command.  Sometimes our faith fails in remembering who our Heavenly Father is and sometimes it fails in remembering who we are in Christ…his beloved children.

In the midst of stormy social and political seas, we must remember both.  God can and will protect us and provide for us in the storm. He will not always keep us from the storm but will see us through it.  Jesus slept soundly because he was totally convinced his Father’s care for him was greater than the storm. Tonight, he invites us to sleep soundly as well.

If you grew up in church, you probably know the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three young Hebrew men were deported from Judea to Babylon after an invasion by King Nebuchadnezzar, and pressed into his service. Part of the Babylonian strategy of conquest was to take the young nobles, the best and the brightest, from a nation that had just been conquered and simply absorb them into Babylonian culture through education and training. They were actually given positions of significance in Babylon in an attempt to make them willing “citizens” rather than insurgents.

In Daniel 3, we are told that Nebuchadnezzar made a huge image of gold and required every person in Babylon to worship the statue at certain times. Of course, Jews who believed in only one God could not do so with good conscience and so the three young men refused to worship. They were reported and brought before the king who threatened to burn them alive in a furnace if they would not worship. Their response was, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 

You know the rest of the story. Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated that these young Jews would dare to defy him. In a rage, he had the furnace stroked seven times hotter than normal and they were, indeed, cast into the furnace. However, Nebuchadnezzar saw them strolling around in the fire, unconcerned and unharmed, with a fourth party that was described as looking like “a son of the gods.” The astonished king called them out of the furnace. They had not been touched by the fire and even the smell of burning wood was not on their clothing. The king recognized that an angel had protected them from him, and was so amazed that he gave each of them promotions in his government and prohibited anyone in his kingdom from saying anything against their God.

There are dramatic moments like this throughout scripture in which men and women stood in faith against overwhelming odds. The obvious lesson is that, in many cases, the expression of faith will put us in a position that, if God doesn’t show up, we are toast. Think about it. Most of us pray for lives that are so ordered that we are never at risk, but where there is no risk, there is little opportunity to grow in our faith. If we do walk in faith, we will have moments when we will have to choose to trust God for good outcomes.

There are amazing moments like the one above recorded throughout scripture where faith clearly placed men and women in life-threatening situations. If God didn’t come through, they would be lost, destroyed, or cast out. What if it hadn’t rained after Noah spent years building an ark? What if God didn’t show up for Moses after he returned to Egypt where he had been a wanted man for forty years? What if fire had not come down on Mt. Carmel in response to Elijah’s prayer as he stated against the prophets of Baal?

Again, what we learn from a quick overview of scripture is that an act of faith nearly always makes us vulnerable to harm or loss. We also need to recognize that It’s not always in big dramatic moments like the ones just listed. The “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7 is full of directives that have the potential to place us in harm’s way on a daily basis. If we love our enemy and turn the other cheek, will our enemy not see that as weakness and take advantage of us or bully us all the more? If we forgive those who have betrayed us, won’t we simply be reinforcing their bad behavior because they experience no real consequence from us? If we lend to others without demanding that they return what they borrowed, won’t we end up with an empty bank account or a vacant garage? If we speak well of others while they are speaking evil of us at the office, will we not be damaged? Won’t they ruin our reputation and undermine our position, even though we are innocent? What if we step out of a love relationship that is causing us to compromise our faith? Will there be another one who loves us or will we inevitably face a life alone?

Even the basic teachings of Jesus, put us at risk if we truly follow what he says. The only way to follow these commands is to believe that God will bless us, uphold us, and provide for us when we are attacked or taken advantage of because of our obedience. That simple expectation takes faith. Maybe we are not facing a fiery furnace, but we can face hurt, humiliation, and loss on many levels. To follow Jesus, often means that we can’t act in ways to protect ourselves but will have to make ourselves vulnerable while trusting God to protect us, reimburse us, vindicate us, and so forth…and on his timeline. Even tithing when inflation is rampant and we worry about our budgets takes faith. To give to the Lord can make us feel financially at risk. What will we choose?

Sometimes we are disobedient out of our flesh’s propensity for rebellion and stubbornness. But more often, I think we are disobedient out of fear that God will not be there for us if we put ourselves in a risky position through our obedience. Sure, we would like to think we would have the courage and faith of Elijah or Moses or David running toward Goliath, if the moment arose. But it is in the smaller moments of loving an enemy or forgiving your betrayer or refusing to speak badly of the one who is slandering you at work, that we develop the faith to tackle our giants.

The lesson is that every time we feel afraid, vulnerable, or exposed, we probably have a chance to step out in faith to see what God will do in response to our submission. It is in those moments that we learn that God is our rock, our deliverer, our provision, and our vindication. I believe the time may be coming soon when we will need more faith than we ever imagined, as the world becomes more and more hostile toward followers of Jesus. We will feel more and more pressure to compromise or to deny the truth of scripture in order to maintain our friendships, jobs, or even family connections. Perhaps, I need to begin to choose vulnerability over self-protection now, in order to prepare for a moment when I cannot protect myself by any means, but will totally have to trust the Lord if I am not going to deny the faith.

The good news is that the same God who parted the Red Sea for Moses, who gave Elijah victory over 800 prophets of Baal, who guided the stone from David’s sling, and who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den is the same God who watches over you. Let’s begin to choose vulnerability and risk in expressing our faith in the little things now, so that when we face our giants in the days ahead, we can remember, like David, all the times that God delivered us from lesser risks and believe that he will be is there for us, when much more is on the line.

Imagine Israel on the day Moses climbed Mt. Nebo and disappeared from their sight. He died there alone with the Lord and the Lord buried him in an unknown place. From the moment God had called them out of Egypt, Moses had been their leader. For forty years they had known no other “father” to whom God would speak face-to-face and direct this fledgling nation. Of course, there had been tense moments when a few others thought they might be more qualified to lead Israel than Moses, but God usually sorted that out quickly. For forty years they had wandered through dessert wastelands until every adult of the unbelieving generation that had refused to enter the promised land had died except for Joshua and Caleb who were the two spies that had believed God (see Numbers 13).

Suddenly, the familiar face, the familiar robes, and voice of Moses were taken from them. The nation still stood on the east side of the Jordan and most of them must have wondered what they would do now? In Joshua 1, we are told that God appointed Joshua, who had been an aide to Moses, to now lead this nation. Not only was he to lead the nation, but he was to lead the nation across the Jordon to take the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. The same fierce tribes and “giants” that inhabited the land when Israel had failed their test of faith forty years earlier were still there. How could it be different now?

The same theme that ran through Numbers 13, when God first commanded the Hebrews to take the land, rang out again with Joshua. “As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go” (Josh. 1:9). In every circumstance of life, that is our promise and that is our confidence. The writer of Hebrews also said, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me’” (Hey. 13:5-6).

Have you ever noticed how much God wants to be with his people? In the beginning, he walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. He delivered the Hebrews from Egypt so that he could meet them at Sinai and be their God. After Sinai, he had Moses construct the Tent of Meeting where the people of God could encounter his presence. Then his glory filled the temple in the days of Solomon. Finally, Jesus came in the flesh – Emmanuel or “God with us.” Then his Spirit began to take up residence in us and finally, Jesus will return to get us and so we will ever be with him. God has gone to great lengths to be with his people.

The truth is that the Lord loves us and is always aware of us and with us. His promise is that he will always go with us…if we want him to. Jesus said that he would be with use even to the end of the age and Paul declared, “If God is for us, who can stand against us? (Rom.8:31). Our faith to face the world, evil people, disease, war, or famine is the promise that God is with us. Sometimes we sense his presence, see his hand at work, or witness a miracle. But he is also with us and for us when we do not see him or hear him or sense him. That is the essence of faith. If he said he would never leave, then I believe he is with me. If he is with me, then I need not fear any circumstance. The Father promised it, Jesus promised it, and the Holy Spirit demonstrates it by his presence in each of us.

And yet, how quickly do we start to believe that God is not there for us, or that he has abandoned ua, or that he doesn’t care about us when trouble comes? Those are the whispers of Satan. Many believers have been taught directly or indirectly that God has promised us a trouble-free life or at least when trouble comes it will be short-lived and relatively easy. So, when we get a bad report from the doctor, when we lose the job we really needed, and then get turned down interview after interview, we may feel as if God has betrayed us. When our marriage fails or our kid gets hooked on drugs, we may feel as if God has not done his job. When our prayer that we have prayed for ten years still seems to go unanswered, we may feel as if God has broken his word. In this moments, we can feel like orphans who are totally on our own with no one else to look out for us.

But God has never promised us a trouble-free life or a disappointment-free life. What he says is that in this world, we will have trouble. But he also says he will be with us in the trouble and walk us through the trouble. He did not keep Daniel out of the lion’s den, he simply kept the mouths of the lions shut. He did not keep Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the fire, but met them in the fire. Paul describes God as the God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our troubles. We meet God in the midst of trouble more often than in the midst of peace and prosperity. It is In the midst of trouble that we truly discover who God is.

The key is to look for the hand of God in the midst of our loss, our disappointment, or our discouragement, We may see the han in a big way, but more often we see it in many small ways…often through the prayers, concern, and kindness of people that God puts around us in that moment. We see it in his grace that subtly sustains us in long nights in hospital rooms, or on long nights while we wonder where a child has gone. We see it at the cemetery when a prayer for physical healing has gone unanswered but somehow we can manage a smile, despite it all.

There were times in scripture where God showed up in big ways and defeated entire armies in a supernatural moment or divided the Red Sea. But there were other times when he simply provided a little water and bread…just enough to get someone to their next appointment. Sometimes the prayer was answered as soon as it was uttered, but at other times, a promised son was not born for 25 years. In every case, God was aware and had a plan…even when some of God’s people thought he had forgotten them.

The declaration of faith is that God is with us, he will never leave us, and that God is good. And no matter the circumstance, he will always express his goodness towards us. Sometimes, when trying too find that faith, our prayer will be, “Lord I believe, but help my unbelief.” But when we are in the midst of something we don’t understand, we must stand on the things we do know, not the things we don’t know.

Decide before the trouble comes that no matter what, God is with you and will walk you through the valley, even if you can’t see the path. King David walked down many dark valleys in his life and, in reflection, he wrote, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me…surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my like…” (Ps. 23:4,6). May we stand on that truth when there is noting else to stand on.

We have been talking about the necessity and the act of forgiveness in which we decide and declare that we freely release someone from their debt to us.  Forgiveness is also a process.  Our decision to forgive is an act of obedience to God. That first step of forgiveness is a decision of the will not of our emotions.  That step takes away the enemy’s legal right to afflict us.  

When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he is not telling us to like them, approve of them, or have warm fuzzy feelings toward them.  He commands us to agape our enemies which means to “act in their best interest” or “to act in a redemptive way” toward them.  He is calling us to make decisions to act in the eternal best interest of our enemies, regardless of how we feel. That is a decision of the will because we have the capacity to choose our decisions, but not always our emotions.  

However, God does not leave it there. The second part of forgiveness is a process of bringing our emotions in line with our decision to release the judgment of the matter to God.  The key is found in Luke 6.  There Jesus says:

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love yourenemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. 

In this section of Luke’s gospel, Jesus reveals the real key to letting go of the past.  It is not enough to refrain from making others pay for what they did to us, we must also choose to do good, even while they are still doing harmful things to us.

Our emotions will only follow our decisions after some time has passed.  Typically, we will decide to no longer require payment for wrongs done to us, long before our emotions agree with that decision.  Our emotions will follow only after God’s Spirit has moved in our hearts, and after we have consistently chosen to act positively toward those who have hurt us.   We may have to recommit to the process on numerous occasions.  Our motivation is to duplicate in our own lives the mercy that has been extended to us by God.

As we choose to bless those who curse us, do good to those who did us harm, and pray for those who mistreat us, our hearts change.  All I can say is that when we are obedient in this matter, God does a work in our hearts.  As we are obedient, we begin to see the people who hurt us in a different light.  We remember that our struggle is not truly against flesh and blood (people) but against spiritual powers (the devil).  We begin to see their brokenness and the way the devil oppresses and uses them rather than seeing them as the true enemy.  

Praying for our enemies softens our hearts so that bitterness doesn’t take root. Doing good to them is participating in the triumph of good over evil and we draw closer to Jesus because we are being more like him.  Again, our prayers, blessings, and doing good may or may not bring about blessings for them, but they will definitely bring about good for us.

Anger, bitterness, and resentment limit our ability to give love and receive it from others.  Those negative emotions hinder our ability to trust and to draw near to others – even those we want to love.  They hinder our capacity for intimacy and often spill out on those we are closest to, which pushes them away and ultimately robs us of the love we desperately want..  Forgiveness truly frees us from the pain we carry from our past and the bondage we have to bitterness or the crippling fear of being hurt again.  

If that is so, why do so many believers hold onto unforgiveness even though we are commanded to forgive and even though we may understand the benefits at a rational level?  I believe that we hold onto unforgiveness because we believe it will protect us from being hurt again.  We hold on out of fear.  Next week we will look at the reasons we hold on and expose the deception in those strategies to keep us from further pain.