Innermost Being Blog

My soul hopes and groans

by Innermost Being, posted in Man of Lawlessness

My Bible study group is reading The Hope of Heaven: How the Promise of Heaven Changes Everything by Sheila Walsh. In the study guide that accompanies the book, Walsh introduced the Greek word στενάζω (stenazo) for the chapter dealing with disappointment. Stenazo means to groan or sigh inwardly. It can also mean to grumble or complain.

Stenazo perfectly captures how I am feeling these days. I cry out to God in frustration.

It’s hard to hang onto hope. It’s hard to be at peace. It’s hard not to fear the worst. It’s hard not to be angry at the betrayal by people who claim to follow Christ.

Yes, I have hope for myself because I have been promised eternal life in a place where there is no pain and suffering. But I have to live in this broken world now. On a daily basis, I hear about the cruelty and lawlessness perpetrated by a man who has rejected God’s commandment that we love one another, even our enemies, the man who insulted a woman of God for pleading with him to have mercy.

A couple of days ago, I told a Christian friend that my husband used to go to church with me occasionally. I told her that with the current political environment, he refuses to go. She said, “Really. I’m in seventh heaven.” She started to say more but stopped herself. I groaned inwardly.

My heart breaks. My soul groans.

I am disappointed in Christians who voted for an evil man. I find solace in knowing I am not alone. I have Christian allies – people who are not afraid to speak out against Trump’s wickedness, people who refuse to bow down, people who remain faithful followers of Christ.

So as I groan inwardly and cry out to God in frustration, I put my hope in Christ alone, the King of kings.

Revelation 17:13-14 NIV
They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

I groan inwardly, but trust that Christ, the Lord of lords, will ultimately triumph over evil.

Guard my heart and mind

by Innermost Being, posted in Spiritual Growth

Today, I began my day as I often do by reading news. This is not good for my mind and heart. I read about acts of injustice. I read about acts of revenge and cruelty. My heart became troubled and angry. My mind became anxious.

When I opened up my Bible app and began a guided prayer, I read a favorite verse in Philippians:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

The fourth chapter of Philippians is full of encouragement for believers. Paul continued,

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Lord, fill me with your peace. Guard my heart and mind. Remind me to start my day with you, my Savior. Focus my thoughts on good things – on truth and on love and on the beauty of your creation! I praise your holy name. Amen.

Don’t misplace your hope

by Innermost Being, posted in Living in Exile

In a recent sermon series on living in exile, two of the sermons touched on hope. One was titled, Exile is Where Hope Lives. The second was titled, Surprised by Hope, but the gist of it was to not place your hope on earthly things.

My pastor said that we are easily tempted to misplace our hope. We think we can make the world the way we want it to be. We grip the world so tightly. We need to let go.

My pastor steers clear of politics, so he can’t say things plainly. He has to be subtle and hope that his message comes through.

I am not so constrained.

Americans were easily misled. Christians were easily led astray. Millions of people put their hopes for the future in a con man. DJT promised to solve all our problems. Only he can fix it! He has promised to reduce inflation, to create jobs, and to cure imaginary social ills. He has promised to punish our enemies, to make our allies pay, and to throw out the brown skinned people who are taking our jobs and supposedly making our country more dangerous.

Millions of Americans believe that with his power, DJT can make the world the way they want it to be. Make America Great Again! Restore Christian values! (But turn a blind eye to dear leader’s immorality.)

The Bible says that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction. Their god is their appetite. Their glory is in their shame. How shameful it is to say vile, hateful things while courting Christians!

We need to let go of this world and put our hope in God. Our citizenship is in heaven.

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…

Philippians 3:18-20

Hope in Christ helps us let loose of our grip on false hopes. Hope in Christ keeps us from falling into despair when our hopes are dashed. The return of Christ is our ultimate hope.

Of course, no one knows when Christ will return. So, in the meantime, we must live in this world yet not get overly attached to it. Where the world touches us, let it be lightly.

Wear the world like a loose garment, which touches us in a few places and there lightly.

St. Francis of Assisi

It may  come as a surprise that you can still have hope when you are living in exile. But if you don’t misplace your hope in the first place, you can hang onto it no matter what happens.

God’s plans for exiles

by Innermost Being, posted in Living in Exile

To live in exile is to be expelled or banned from your native country. In a recent sermon series, my pastor compared being a Christian in America today to living in exile. One of the sermons was based on Jeremiah 29, A Letter to the Exiles.

In the letter, Jeremiah passed on the word of God to the Isrealites. God told them to go about their normal day-to-day lives. “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters…”

He told them to seek peace and prosperity for the city of Babylon. Pray for it.

The letter included a warning to watch out for deception. “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

God allowed the Jews to be exiled. The exile was part of his plan. God promised that when seventy years of exile were completed, he would come and fulfill his promise to bring them back.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29 :11

Seventy years! What would it have been like to know that you would spend a lifetime in captivity?

When you are going through dark times, the years drag on. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s hard to get through even one year of political turmoil and division.

The lesson for me in Jeremiah’s letter is to buckle up for the ride. I have no control over what happens in the next four years. I don’t know what the future holds. I could very well spend the rest of my life living in a country that is divided politically.

I do have control over how I live my life. When living in exile, I can go about my life as normally as possible. Spend time with friends and family. Continue to seek God with all my heart. Savor the beauty all around me. Celebrate the goodness.

That doesn’t mean that I will acquiesce. I will never bow down to the MAGA god. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. I will stand firm in my faith and stay true to his messages of love, grace, and forgiveness. I will seek peace, and I will pray for my country.

Hope is found in exile

by Innermost Being, posted in Living in Exile, Uncategorized

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have bowed down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s gods to avoid the furnace and save their lives. They chose to be faithful regardless of the consequences.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

Daniel 3:28

Our lives are built around ease and comfort. We do everything we can to avoid the furnaces of life – the dangerous, difficult places.

Sometimes, the places or situations we want to avoid are  the places we meet God and find hope. God is with us in the flames!

We do not need to defend ourselves. We do not need to fight the battles. God is able to deliver us in every situation.

God did not deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace. He delivered them in the furnace.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

Lord, I worry needlessly in these trying times about the schemes of the wicked. You are with me. You are my living hope.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

Psalm 23:4