Day by Day

 

In my recent article called "Does Being Saved Make All Your Troubles Disappear?" I wrote about the fact that the Lord does not make all our troubles go away when we come to Christ. But He does give us the grace and strength to face each day, to endure our trials, and to be of good cheer in the midst of them. 

Today I'd like to share with you a very special Swedish hymn written in 1865 by Lina Sandell-Berg, which is one of my favorite hymns. She wrote it at age 26, several years after witnessing her father,  Pastor Jonas Sandell, drown in a tragic boating accident in 1858. The hymn was written during a period of deep personal grief, serving as a testament to her reliance on God's strength and presence, taking life one day at a time just as our Lord Jesus taught us to do. Despite her tragedy, she found comfort in her faith in Christ, composing this lovely hymn that reflects a deep, personal assurance of God's care in the midst of trials.

In The Lord's Church today, we sang this hymn together, as we often have so many times before. Here is the video recording of it with the view outside our window earlier in the morning at sunrise. My son Christopher is playing the keyboard, as he usually does during our worship service.

Lyrics:

Day by day, and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,

Gives unto each day what He deems best,

Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,

He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,

So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,

That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,

Offered me within Thy holy Word.

Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,

E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

Till I reach the Promised Land.

Closing Words

Are you going through deep trials or experiencing personal tragedy at this time? Let me assure you that Jesus cares and He would like to help you through it. Just call upon His name today and ask Him for His presence, grace, and strength to get through it, and ask Him to hold your hand. I can assure you that He will do it. Then trust in Him, take it one day at a time, and don't worry about tomorrow.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Does Being Saved Make All Your Problems Disappear?, The Blessings of Being in Christ. The Love of Jesus, Having the Love of God in Your Heart, Compelled by Love, One Thing, Seven Things That Accumulate Building Materials in Heaven, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Afflictions of the Righteous

Strength in Weakness  - C.V. Lacroix

When you go through painful afflictions, the enemy may try to make you feel forsaken by God or cursed. But the Scriptures teach us that the Lord sometimes afflicts us, His servants, for our own good. So I want to encourage you today, and remind you that there is value in affliction. If you respond correctly to it, the Lord can use it in your life for good.

The Benefits of Affliction
There are many benefits of affliction in our lives. The Psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your Word.”  (Psa 119:67). He was going astray from the Lord until he was afflicted. His afflictions led him to repent and once again keep God's Word.

Again he says, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.” (Psa 119:71). This indicates that the afflictions were a good thing, because they enabled him to learn the Lord's statutes.

He recognized that it was the Lord who afflicted him, when he said, “I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.”  (Psa 119:75). He understood that the Lord is righteous in His judgments upon us, and it is in faithfulness that He chooses to afflict us.

As he was worn down in the process, he cried out to the Lord, “I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your Word.” (Psa 119:107). So affliction can cause us to return to the Lord, press into Him once more, and even lead to revival in our lives.

God Surely Afflicts Us
Just in case you still have any doubt whether the Lord actually afflicts us, I want to assure you that He does. The psalmist prayed, "Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah." (Psa 88:7). He felt the Lord's wrath like waves of affliction in his life.

And the Moses prayed, "Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil." (Psa 90:15). He acknowledged that the Lord had afflicted His people for many years, and prayed that the Lord would make them glad for a corresponding period of time.

There are many other verses in the Bible about affliction.

Afflicting Yourself with Fasting
It is possible to afflict yourself with fasting. “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.” (Psa 35:13). In this verse, the same Hebrew word is translated “humbled” which is translated “afflicted” elsewhere in the Psalms.

Affliction Weakens a Person
Whether the affliction is through your own doing, such as fasting, or the Lord's doing, it has a weakening effect on your natural man. The psalmist said, “He has weakened my strength in the way; He has shortened my days.” (Psa 102:23). In this verse, the same Hebrew word is translated “weakened my strength” which is translated “afflicted” elsewhere in the Psalms. Therefore, affliction and weakness are nearly synonymous. In fact, affliction may even shorten a person's life span.

Sickness and Disease are One Type of Affliction
One type of affliction that can shorten a person's life span is sickness and disease. Here are some verses that say so.

"For an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]" (Joh 5:4)

Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. (Act 5:16)

And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. (Act 28:8)

I also want to encourage you that if you are sick, the Lord still heals today just as He did during His earthly ministry. Please see The Power of God to Heal, Healing is in the Atonement, and When We Are Not Healed.

Affliction Can Cause Death
The psalmist indicated that the afflictions he experienced were so terrible that he was overcome by them. In fact, he said that at one point he was about to die from his afflictions. He prayed, "O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness."  (Psa 88:14-18)

Now let's consider some of the righteous people in the Bible who were afflicted.

Joseph was Afflicted
Affliction causes physical pain like Joseph experienced in his feet from shackles of iron. “He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons;” (Psa 105:17-18)

David was Afflicted
David said, "I believed when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted.'" (Psa 116:10)

A Song of Ascents. Remember, O LORD, on David's behalf, All his affliction;  (Psa 132:1)

Naomi was Afflicted
Naomi was afflicted by God. She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"  (Rth 1:20-21)

Job was Afflicted
Of course, Job was afflicted by God.  “He said, ‘Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before me.’” (Job 30:11)

Paul was Afflicted
We cannot fail to mention the apostle Paul and all of his afflictions that he suffered. He said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;” (2Co 4:8)

“For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.” (2Co 7:5)

He gave a rather lengthy list of his afflictions in his second epistle to the Corinthians:

"...imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." (2Co 11:23-27)

Yet through all of this he could still say it was worthwhile and he didn't complain. He told the Corinthians, “But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;” (2Co 1:6)

He also told the Corinthian church about his thorn in the flesh, which many have speculated about, as to what it was. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:7-10)

Some people believe the thorn was a disease in his eyes, while others believe it was an arrogant man in his life that caused him a lot of grief. But regardless of what it was, we do know a number of things for certain about that affliction. It was given to him by God to keep him from exalting himself. It caused pain in his flesh like that of a thorn. It was actually a messenger of satan to torment him. The word "torment" means to rap with the fist, so this was painful either physically or emotionally or both. It made Paul weak. When Paul prayed to the Lord to take it away, the Lord would not do so. Instead He assured Paul that His grace was sufficient and that His power is perfected in weakness. So Paul was content with weaknesses. This was one of Paul's afflictions.

The Ancient Martyrs Were Afflicted
The apostle Paul wrote about the ancient, who were afflicted in many ways: “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.” (Heb 11:37)

Our Lord Jesus was Afflicted
Even our very Lord Himself was afflicted. The prophet Isaiah predicted His sufferings hundreds of years beforehand saying:

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted…He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” (Isa 53:4,7)

God is Afflicted
The people of Israel were afflicted for four hundred years in Egypt. And whenever His children are afflicted, He is afflicted. “For he said, ‘Surely they are my people, children that will not lie:’ so He was their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” (Isa 63:8-9)

As our great high priest, the Lord is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. In other words, He is able to empathize. As the Scripture says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15, KJV).

Hope for the Afflicted
In the midst of our affliction, we need to have some hope of a brighter and better day. We find that hope all throughout the Scriptures. But here are a few verses:

“I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor.” (Psa 140:12).

“Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.” (Pro 3:34)

“Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.” (Isa 49:13)

“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.”  (Isa 54:11, KJV).

"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. "I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever.  (Mic 4:6-7)

“For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2Th 1:6-8)

“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” (1Pe 4:1-2)

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1Pe 4:12-13)

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas 1:2-4)

There is No Other Way to Enter the Kingdom of God
The apostle Paul taught that there is no other way to enter the kingdom of God than to go through hardships. “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." (Act 14:21-22, NIV)

The Pearl in the Oyster

Rare Treasure by C.V. Lacroix

The Lord has given us a wonderful illustration in nature, which we find in the way a pearl is formed inside an oyster. It all begins when an irritant gets stuck inside the oyster. Then the oyster tries to ease the discomfort by coating the speck with a substance known as calcium carbonate. That substance hardens around the speck, thus forming a pearl. The pearl is made of the same luminous substance that lines the inside of the oyster shell.

Likewise, the Lord allows afflictions in the life of the righteous, which are eventually formed into lovely pearls. These may not be seen until we enter glory, but the evidence of the pearl in our lives may be seen even now, as the Lord's own character is formed in us.

In light of this, it seems fitting that the twelve gates of the holy city, the New Jerusalem are twelve pearls; each one of the gates is a single pearl (Rev 21:21a).  When the righteous enter through those gates of splendor, rejoicing with exultation, perhaps it will remind them at that moment what a precious pearl the Lord has produced in their lives through the past afflictions they have endured on earth.

Putting it All Together
God surely afflicts us for our own good. It’s also possible to afflict yourself, such as with fasting from food and/or sleep. Affliction weakens a person and causes physical pain. Sickness and disease are one type of affliction. In fact, affliction can even cause death.

Affliction is common to all the righteous people on earth. Truly there is no other way to enter the kingdom of God. Joseph, David, Naomi, Job, Paul, and the Lord Himself were all afflicted. So were the ancient martyrs.

But perhaps the most amazing thing is that the Lord Himself is afflicted when His people are afflicted. He does not stand by coldly and watch us in our afflictions. Rather He too is afflicted to see us in that state. He hears our groans, He has compassion on us and cares deeply for us.

We can be encouraged to know that the Scriptures are full of hope for the afflicted. There is grace available to endure and a future reward for the afflicted. So if you are going through afflictions right now, I hope that this has helped you see the value of what you are going through, along with the purpose, the necessity, and the glory that awaits the righteous afflicted. Therefore, please take this opportunity to seek the Lord, to draw near to Him, to repent, to pursue righteousness, holiness, and the Kingdom of God, as well as to experience personal revival. If you do, it will all be worth it in the end.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The "Strength in Weakness" and "Rare Treasure" illustrations were done by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  If you know a believer going through afflictions, please share this article with them.  If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, The Refiner's Fire, Overcomers in This Life, Even if it doesn’t happen like we expect, God Chooses the Weak Things, The Power of God to Heal, Healing is in the Atonement, When We Are Not Healed, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, Holy Fire Baptism, The Burning Ones, The Three Elijahs, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Holding Fast the Faithful Word, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Beauty of Brokenness, The End Time Saints, and Aim for Perfection. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

The Eyes of the Lord

Do you know who has the most beautiful eyes in the whole world?  Jesus Christ, our Lord and King!  He has His Father's eyes, and His Father is the God of the Universe.

His eyes are bursting with light, blazing like fire, burning with love and compassion. With holiness they pierce right through you. 

The Living One Who Sees me
The handmaiden of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, ran away from home.  Although she was pregnant and vulnerable, she couldn't take any more mistreatment from Sarah.  But God saw her fleeing into the countryside. "Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur." (Gen 16:7)

Isn't it amazing how she was not even a Hebrew, and we have no record of her yet having a relationship with God!  But He loved her and cared for her.  He told her to name the boy in her womb Ishmael. Although he was not the son of promise, with whom God would make a covenant, He had plans for this child.  He was the child of Abraham, the friend of God, and it was for Abraham's sake that God did this. Abraham was called to be the father of many nations, and his son Ishmael would become the father of the Arab world.

God told her to go back to Abraham's tent and submit to Sarah.  So she gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. (Gen 16:13-14, NIV). Beer Lahai Roi  means “Well of the Living One Who sees me.”

God still loves and cares for the Muslim people, and wants to save them through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Many of them are having face to face encounters with the Lord Jesus today, and discovering that He is still the Living One Who sees them.  You can find more about this in the videos at the end of my post called "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus."  There is also a site called "More Than Dreams" that has some remarkable testimonies of Muslims seeing Jesus.

Finding Favor in His Eyes

In the days before the flood, the wickedness on the earth was great.  "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen 6:5) None of this was hidden from God, for He sees all, the good and the evil. And because of it, He planned to destroy the earth and all living creatures.

Those were the days of the Nephilim, the heroes of old, men of renown.  These were not kind and gentle giants, but violent and evil ones.  You can read more about this in my post called "The Evil Nephilim Giants" to find out where they came from, and the implications of that for today.

But in the midst of that evil world, there was one man who kept himself and his family pure.  "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen 6:8)  God looked at Noah's life and was pleased to see love and peace. So he and his family were the only ones who were saved from the deluge that destroyed the world. This true story has been confirmed by Ron Wyatt's archeological discovery of the ark in the mountains of Ararat (see here).

We live in a day and age when the world is even more wicked than it was in Noah's day.  I want to remain pure and find favor in God's eyes.  Don't you?

The LORD's Eyes Range Throughout the Earth
The Lord is searching for a certain kind of person on the earth today, whom He can bless.  "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." (2Ch 16:9; cf., Zec 4:10) The kind of person who is blessable is the one whose heart is fully committed to the Lord.

King Asa made a terrible mistake.  In the passage cited above (2 Chronicles 16) you can read how this king was under attack.  Instead of fully committing himself and his nation to the Lord's care, he made an alliance with a foreign king who did not serve the one, true God.  He actually purchased their help with the gold and silver from the temple and his own palace.

He could have trusted the Lord to strengthen him like He did for Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and David, enabling them to conquer kingdoms and overcome giants.  But instead he put his trust in the arm of the flesh. As a result, a seer prophesied to him that he would always be at war after that.  Instead of strengthening his position by making this unholy alliance, he actually weakened it, and made certain that the Lord would not be with him in battle.

I have fully committed myself to the Lord. There's no other way to serve Him.  Don't hold anything back from Him, or rely on any man to save you. Commit yourself fully to the Lord.

Do what is right in the eyes of the LORD
It's necessary to always do what is right in the eyes of the LORD. (Deu 21:9)  That means you must never compromise with darkness or become partners with the world.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. (Pro 5:21)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. (Pro 15:3)

Live in the light and the Lord will be pleased with you.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
I'm always encouraged when I read the Psalm that says, "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry." (Psa 34:15) 

Peter quotes this psalm in his epistle saying, "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." (1Pe 3:12)

It's great to know He sees me and hears my cry. On the other hand, if I do evil, His face will be against me.   He is no respecter of persons.

No Creature is Hidden from His sight
You can't hide anything from the Lord.  I don't care if you do your dirty deeds at night when it's dark.  It doesn't matter if you go up to the International Space Station or take a submarine to the depths of the sea, and go behind a closed door, He sees you.  You can hide it from others, but you can't keep it from the eyes of the Lord.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb 4:13)


When He Sees Sin
One thing the Lord will not tolerate or wink at is sin.  When He sees it, He's not pleased with it at all.  This happened when his disciples tried to stop people from bringing the children to Him to bless them.  "When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mar 10:14)

And the time He saw them doing business in the temple, He let them know what He thought about it. "The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, 'Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.'"  (Joh 2:13-16)

Eyes of Compassion
The Lord not only has eyes of holiness, but eyes of love and compassion.  When He sees people in trouble, He has compassion.  That's what He did for Jacob's wife Leah.  "Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." (Gen 29:31). 

He did the same thing for the Israelite nation under Egyptian bondage: 'Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; (Deu 26:7)

This is what Jesus did for the widow of Nain, whose only son had died.  The funeral procession was passing by, and there was the widow, weeping for her lost son.  "When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'Do not weep.'" (Luk 7:13)  Then Jesus raised the man from the dead and gave him back to his mother.

The same was true when Jesus saw the hunch-back lady. "And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, 'Woman, you are freed from your sickness.' And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God." (Luk 13:11-13)


There was also a lame man, who had been disabled for 38 years.  "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?'" (Joh 5:6).  He saw that man and had compassion on him.  But He didn't assume the man wanted to be healed.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, and when the man said he did, Jesus healed him.

It's so wonderful to read these passages about Jesus' eyes of compassion. But let's not forget what Jesus said to the man afterward.  "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, 'Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.'"  (Joh 5:13-14).  This an important warning to remember.  Just because He has eyes of compassion on the weak and suffering, if we want to stay well and avoid having something worse happen to us, we must not sin anymore.  That means we need to do what is right in God's eyes, obey the Lord's commands, and live a holy life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

However, if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.  We need to wholeheartedly repent of our sin, confess it to the Lord and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jo 1:9)

If you are in a terrible plight right now, you need to know that the Lord sees you, too.  He has compassion for you.  And if you cry out to Him for mercy, He will hear you.  There's no problem too small, no sin too big. There is nothing He can't do! 


He Sees You Before You Come to Him
Lastly, the Lord sees you even before you come to Him.  This was the case with Nathaniel.  You will recall that the Scripture says, "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!'" (Joh 1:47).

In the Hebrew culture, there was an expression about each man sitting under his own fig tree.  It meant that one was spending time meditating on the Scriptures, enjoying the peace, prosperity, and protection that God gives to those who meditate on His Word day and night.  Nathaniel was such a man in whom there was no guile.  He loved the Scriptures, and the Lord saw him in the Spirit before He ever saw him physically. 

If you love God and His Word, I can assure you that He sees you. Even if you have not yet come to know Him, you may be reading the Bible, praying, going to church services.  The Lord sees you and knows your heart.  But you need to know Him in order to be saved.  Your good works, church attendance, and Bible reading can't save you.

It's only through repentance and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that you can be saved.

After I shared this message with my family, my fourteen-year-old daughter wrote a poem about the eyes of the Lord, which really captures the heart of this message. I hope you will take a moment to read it at "The Eyes of the Lord."

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.


Author's note:  You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Beauty of Brokenness

Most people don’t like broken things. We prefer things that are whole. That’s why most people don’t go out and buy things that are broken, like broken cars, windows, or bicycles. It’s safe to say that most people don’t relish the thought of being broken themselves either.

Experiences that break us are not pleasant but painful, hurtful, or frustrating. We often wish these situations would just go away. But can we avoid being broken as disciples of Christ? Is this something only for a few people, while all the rest of us can live a life of ease, free from brokenness? It’s important to know the answers, and there’s a lot that God has to say in His Word about this to provide us with the answers.

All Creation Groans
Perhaps one of the best descriptions of this process is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. He wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom 8:18-21) Here we learn that the creation was subjected to futility. And this was not something creation willingly volunteered for. So who was responsible for this? God was. Paul said it was because of Him who subjected it. But why was this futility necessary anyway? It’s because the creation itself is in slavery to corruption, and God wants to set it free from that slavery. When it’s set free, the creation experiences the freedom of the glory of God’s children.

This process is not easy. In fact, we know that creation has been groaning through this process like a woman in the pains of childbirth. So it’s clear that this is something God is allowing creation to go through and it’s painful.

We Ourselves Groan
Then to be certain that we don’t think this is all about non-human creation like the earth, the animals, and the environment, he goes on to say this: “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (Rom 8:23). Paul leaves no question at all about the fact that we disciples of Christ are going through this same process. He uses repetition to emphasize it saying, “But also we ourselves…even we ourselves.” So what is it we’re going through? Well, as with the creation, God has subjected us to some frustrating experiences, and this is not willingly. This process causes us to groan within ourselves. Usually this word groaning is used of the sounds made by dying men. Isn’t that what we are? We are going through a dying process, and inside ourselves we groan. Why is all this futility necessary? Well, like the rest of creation, we were in slavery to corruption, and God wants to set us free from that slavery. When we’re set free, the creation experiences the freedom of the glory of God’s children.


As with creation, the process is not easy for us, but painful. Yet it’s the only way to experience the glorious freedom God intends for His children.

Someone will ask how born again believers could still be in slavery to corruption when the Scriptures teach we are no longer slaves to sin. When we come to Christ, He does set us free from slavery to sin, no doubt about it. But the process is both instant and progressive. We experience something right away that is real, it’s powerful, and it’s life changing. But then the process we experience afterward involves a further being set free from slavery. We’re still waiting for something that hasn’t happened yet. It’s our adoption as sons. It’s the redemption of our body. We haven’t seen this take place yet, so we’re still waiting for it. And until it does, we go through these frustrating experiences that cause us to groan. “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Rom 8:24-25) The Lord has wonderful things in store for His children. But it takes perseverance on our part and it requires that we wait eagerly for it to happen.

Brokenness Releases a Beautiful Fragrance
There was a woman that was a sinner who came to Jesus with an alabaster box or vial full of very expensive perfume. She broke the box and poured the perfume on Jesus head and feet out of love for him. When she did this, the fragrance filled the room. Some of the disciples were indignant and complained about this, saying it was a waste of good perfume. They only saw the money that could have been made by selling the unbroken box of perfume, saying that the money from the sale of the perfume could have been given to the poor. Jesus responded saying that his disciples would always have the poor with them, and they could do good to the poor anytime. But they would not always have Him among them. He said that what she did was good, and she was actually anointing his body beforehand for the burial. (Mark 14:3-9)

This is a great illustration of brokenness, isn't it? This woman literally broke a box of perfume that was worth a lot to her, so that she could bless the Lord and minister to Him. If she had not broken the jar, the lovely fragrance would not have come forth. Others could only see the value of the box while it was whole. But Jesus saw the value of it when it was broken. That's the way our lives are, too. Many can only see how they could be valuable if they were whole, but the Lord appreciates the love and beautiful fragrance that flows from our lives when we are broken.

Jesus once said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." (Joh 12:24-25). In order for any seed to bear fruit, it has to go down beneath the clods of earth into that dark place and die. Its hard outer shell has to crack open, so that the life that God has placed within it can come forth and break through the soil to bear fruit. That's the way our lives are, too.

Twentieth century Chinese author Watchman Nee wrote: "The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to Him. Brokenness is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfulness, but it is also a path sprinkled with blood. Yes, there is blood from many wounds." (The Release of the Spirit, p. 13). Are you willing to be broken, so that the fragrance and fruitfulness may come forth?

He Who Falls on This Stone Will Be Broken
Jesus Himself said that He is the Chief Cornerstone, "And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." (Mat 21:44). So there are two kinds of people in life. There are those who reject the Stone and it falls on them. And then there are those who fall on this Stone and build their lives on it. The Stone falls on those who reject it, and it smashes them into fine dust. As Solomon wrote: “A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.” (Pro 29:1). On the other hand, those who fall on the Stone are broken to pieces. When we put our trust in Jesus, it breaks us. But I’d rather be broken to pieces by Him than be scattered like dust.

King David went through many experiences that brought about brokenness in him. Some of these breaking experiences were a result of his own sin, like when he sinned with Bathsheba. Afterward, there were consequences to live with. For one thing, the baby she became pregnant with died after it was born. And other breaking experiences were the result of things other people did to him. For example, since Saul sought to kill David, he lived as a refugee on the run for many years. And later on after he became king, his own son Absalom usurped the throne. David prayed, “I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.” (Psa 31:12).

Yet David responded well to it. When Nathan the prophet pointed out his sin with Bathsheba to him, he repented before God. He felt like God had broken his bones and he prayed, “Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.” (Psa 51:8). He knew that God was pleased with a broken heart when he prayed, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psa 51:17). At another time of great national loss, when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab killed twelve thousand men of Edom, he prayed, “O God…You have broken us.” (Psa 60:1)

His character grew through the breaking process, and he continued to follow the Lord all the days of his life. We know David as one of the greatest kings of all time.

Job also went through a breaking experience. He lost his children, his health, and his property. And in the midst of it all, he said, “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.” (Job 17:1). But in the end, God restored Job. He had more children later and was richer than he had ever been before he suffered the huge loss.

Don't Run from the Process
Some believers who experience the breaking process run from it. They walk away and go looking in the world for comfort. But the world can’t satisfy them. It never will. Others go looking for spiritual leaders who will tell them what they want to hear. It’s like the prophet Jeremiah said of the false prophets who were greedy for gain, "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14). People like to hear a peaceful message, and many will gather to hear a leader who speaks that way. But it's only superficial help that feels good for the moment. It doesn't address the deeper issues that God wants to deal with.

We know that a true man of God will not preach false peace when God is dealing with people. The prophet Jeremiah saw how the Lord was dealing with his people for worshiping idols, and he mourned over it. He was broken himself to see this happen to them. "Harvest is past, summer is ended, And we are not saved." For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?” (Jer 8:20-22). Like Jeremiah, we sometimes feel like we’ve waited for a long time, and we’re not delivered from the situation causing so much grief.

We need to know that the Lord doesn’t just break us and leave us. He helps us and heals us. “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” (Psa 147:3) While it may be painful, the Lord is not far away at all, but near to the broken: “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psa 34:17-19).

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote about our present sufferings and the pain it brings. We covered this here already. Yet he went on to assure us that God will not forsake us. He will not abandon us in the midst of our suffering. Paul wrote about the way God always works things out. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28). So when we’re going through a breaking experience, we need to hold onto this promise, knowing the Lord will work all these things together for good.

Who Shall Separate Us from the Love Of Christ?
When we go through breaking experiences, we may wonder if God loves us. We might pray, “God, don’t you care what I’m going through?” But whatever may happen to us, we can be sure that God still loves us. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom 8:31-35).

That’s a great question: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Here’s the answer: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39).

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ going through a breaking process right now, take heart. Be encouraged. Jesus loves you and will work this all out for good. You are in good company with people like David and Job. In fact, every believer who puts his trust in Jesus will be broken. It’s not optional. God wants us to experience complete and glorious freedom from slavery and corruption. That's the beauty of brokenness. Remember, Jesus said, “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.’”(Luk 9:23-24). So it’s a daily thing where we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. He said, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Mat 10:38).

If you are not a disciple of Jesus and you are not building your life on the Rock, then you need to know He loves you and wants a personal relationship with you. The one thing standing in the way is your sin, and we’ve all sinned. Jesus has taken care of that by dying on the cross for you and paying the price for your sins, so you don’t have to. He has risen from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and sits at God's right hand.

It all begins by falling on the Stone
It all begins by falling on the Stone, Jesus Christ. Humbly and sincerely repent of your sins before Him, and ask His forgiveness. He will forgive you. And then surrender yourself to Him and invite him to come and live inside your heart. The life you’ve always dreamed of lies in this thing you dread. What are you waiting for? There’s nothing to dread. Your other option is to remain stiff-necked until the day you die, and ultimately be scattered like dust by the Stone. But now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

I hope this has helped you, whether you are a mature believer or a new one, to see the beauty of brokenness.

If you'd like to watch a music video related to this message, click here.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.