Thanks for Your Comments

When people blog, they sit in their "offices" and tap away at keys. Often, after sharing their inmost thoughts and fears, they preview what they've said (hopefully, deleting anything compromising) and hit "Send." And then their words are gone--off into cyberspace--to connect or not, to resonate or not, help or not, please or not.

Why do people blog? Why does anyone take the time . . . and the risk? Do they like to see themselves in print? To hear themselves talk? To influence? It could be all of those things. It could also be that God has given them something to say, some way to help, to encourage (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

For me, it began as a lark. I'd seen the movie Julie & Julia, and blogging for a year seemed like a good challenge. At first, I used it as a teaching tool and spent 2-3 months in the Selah passages of the Book of Psalms. But, as time went on, I began to see blogging as a way to connect with others.

In a day when people, either by choice or circumstance, have become isolated in their day-to-day interactions, social media has sprouted up to meet a need for interconnectedness. And blogging is part of that. When I would blog about life or death or pain or joy, I could generally expect a response in the comments section or on Facebook or in person.

Thank you for those comments and for the social connection you provided this writer--for writing, of necessity, involves many long hours of isolation. Your responses were an encouragement to me and are why I will, doubtless, continue to blog (though not daily) in the months ahead.

Lasting Friendships

"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

Do you have a friend(s) who sticks closer than a brother? If so, you are a blessed individual. You know the kind of person I'm talking about.

Now let's consider the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother--the Lord Jesus Christ.

• He came that you and I might have life abundantly (John 10:10)
• He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)
• He died for your sins and mine (John 3:16)
• He sent His Holy Spirit to guide you and me into all truth (John  16:13)
• He will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
• He is coming again so that where He is you may be also (John 14:3)
• He is coming soon (Revelation 22:20)

This is a friendship that lasts because it was initiated and is sustained by God Himself.

The Promise of Tribulation???

Whether you want to call it a promise or a fact of life, Jesus said "In the world, you will have tribulation." Thankfully he goes on to say, "but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

Yet, we don't like to "tribulate." In fact, we often act surprised when things don't go our way. We act as if there's been a cosmic mistake made when bad things happen to good people.

That's why I so appreciate Judy Gann's book, The God of All Comfort! In her suffering, Judy acknowledges the very real comfort she receives from a very real God, comfort she is then able to pass on to others . . . thus bringing good out of evil.

Jesus specializes in bringing good out of evil. Look at his life, his teachings, his miracles, and especially his death. The apostle Paul picked up this theme in Romans 12:21 when he instructed believers, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Who could use a dose of the comfort you have received from God? How can you bring good out of the evil you've experienced in the world?

The Promise of Power in Weakness!

As we wish one another a Happy New Year along with prayers for peace and blessings, the reality is that many among us live a life of pain and suffering. What can we wish for those people? Healing? Yes, of course. But God does not choose to heal everyone. Witness the Apostle Paul.

Paul prayed three times for his affliction to be lifted from him. Yet how did God respond? "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

This morning I was reading Judy Gann's The God of all Comfort (Devotions of Hope for Those Who Chronically Suffer), Living Ink Books, an imprint of AMG Publishers, 2005. On page 23 she wrote the following:

"I watched as my energetic coworker darted through the children's area of the library (italics mine). Familiar pangs of jealousy pricked my heart. I yearned for even a smidgen of my coworker's vitality."

Gann talks about the sting of chronic illness--both physical and emotional as she wrestles with the pain of limitations and weakness. But quickly she returns to God's promise of grace, even power, that is made perfect in weakness. "Without the thorn of chronic illness, I would miss the daily blessing of drawing on God's strength. When I exhaust my own resources, my thorn spurs me to trust solely in God's power."

So, along with our prayers for healing, let's also ask God to give those who suffer an awareness of His promise of grace so that they may experience His power in their weakness. And when it's our turn to suffer, let's remember this for ourselves.

What has your suffering taught you that you can share with others?