Renewed Strength (Guest Post)

Who is never tired and weak?  Who has never weary and felt helpless?  All of us have experienced it.  Is it normal?  Of course, because we are human.  We live in an endless stream of times, regardless of what our circumstances are.  There are times when we feel relieved because one problem is resolved, but a new problem is waiting.  Life continues to force us to walk, whether we are strong or not. Sometimes we want time to pause so we can put all the heavy burdens down, but that’s not possible.  Indeed, there are times when our lives are peaceful and everything is fine.  We are relieved and hope that there is no more pressure.  But that calm is only temporary, because something bad, which we never imagined and we don’t want, can happen suddenly.  When we are depressed, we cry out to God, hoping for a miracle.  But the situation didn’t change, sometimes it even got worse.  Maybe we wonder, does God not hear our prayers?  Does He not know what we are going through, or does He deliberately ignore it?  In the midst of that situation, we are still trying to survive and try not to fall, but some of us may become tired, even want to give up.

If you are weary and weak, tired due to the burdens and pressures of life, let’s read what the prophet Isaiah wrote:

Why do you complain, Jacob?  Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

(Isaiah 40: 27-28 NIV)

These verses are part of a prophecy from God written by the prophet Isaiah in his last years, to give hope and comfort to God’s people during their captivity in Babylon, 150 years after Isaiah’s time.  God’s people were rebuked for their unbelief and discouragement in the face of suffering, which they thought was so heavy and sad, as if it was hopeless.  The rebuke was also followed by God’s statement about Himself, that He is eternal God, Creator of all things, Ruler of all things.  He does not weary and he does not become weak.  His understanding is unfathomable.  There is no problem so great that He cannot solve and He is able to punish Israel’s oppressors, even though Israel’s years of captivity seem to give the opposite impression.

The same thing God says to us today.  Although sometimes God seems to allow injustice or bad things to happen in our lives, God actually cares about us.  He does not run out of ideas and ways to help us.  He has wisdom to save.  His understanding is unexpected.  He is extraordinary at arranging things to accomplish His purposes and plans, but He has His own path and timing. God’s wisdom in managing human affairs is beyond our understanding.  That’s why we need strength from God in order to live life in this world full of problems.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

(Isaiah 40: 29 NIV)

“He gives strength to the weary” in this verse is very similar to Jesus’ statement, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” in Matthew 11: 28-30.  This is an invitation to draw close to God and live by His standards, in order to obtain the strength He promises.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaiah 40: 30-31 NIV)

Anyone can be weary, weak, tired and utterly fall.  But only those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  Those who hope in God will surely wait on God. Waiting on God is not waiting passively or doing nothing.  Waiting on God is an attitude of waiting with hope, joy, patience, diligence, while still doing what has to be done, like a farmer waiting for the harvest time.  Waiting on God is an active attitude.  We can see this attitude in the parable taught by the Lord Jesus in Luke 18: 1-8 about the unjust judge and a widow who constantly urged the judge for help.  “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (verse 1)  So, the important thing we have to do during this waiting period is pray without giving up.

God promises that those who wait on Him and hope in Him will receive new strength, a divine power that renews our human strength.  A divine power that makes us energized and refreshed, in the midst of fatigue in living a life full of struggles.  With this renewed strength, we will be able to overcome the problems of this world, even enter into the sanctuary of God, like an eagle flying high into the sky on the strength of its wings.

Waiting on God to give us the ability to run spiritually and be able to move forward without feeling weary and tired, including when God suspends His help.  When we hope fully in Him, we will be able to carry out God’s commandments with joy, perseverance and persistence, because we know our waiting is not in vain.  We are human but we have a super and extraordinary God. Life is not easy, yes, but we have an eternal and powerful God, whose wisdom is unfathomable and incomparable.  It is okay if you are feeling tired, weak and helpless right now.  The most important thing is to immediately come closer to the Lord Jesus and wait for Him.  God will renew the strength of those who hope in Him, so that we will not only be able to overcome problems, but also continue to progress and our spirituality will grow even more.  Lord Jesus loves you.

By: Sella Irene – Beautiful Words

Photo Credit: Google Images ( wallpaperscraft.com ) edited with pixlr apps

Always Pray, and Never Give Up

Hello my dear readers! It’s been a while I do not write my own post. My last post (except guest post) was in July, it was due to my office work and some other activities. It has been difficult to have a quiet time to write a post. Praise God, finally I got a quiet (although short enough) time to write. My post this time will talk about prayer. This is related to exactly what I am doing. Actually, it has been last year my husband and I continuing to pray earnestly to be able to have a second child. We have gone through some medical tests and everything is well. I don’t know why having a second child isn’t as easy as when God blessed me first child. My parents just gave me a short advice, “Keep praying, and never give up”

Talking about prayer, people have several and different ways of addressing prayer. There’re people who use prayer as an alternative to get what they want. They will be glad and give thank if God has answered his prayer, if God doesn’t answer or grant his prayer, it doesn’t matter and they will simply look for other alternatives. The others think that praying earnestly and continuously just a waste of time. They think that God already knows what we want and need so we don’t have the urge to ask God again. Some are just praying perfunctory, but once their prayer isn’t granted they’re immediately disappointed, blame God, turn their back on God and think God doesn’t care, even worse, they begin to doubt the God’s Word, even His Existence.

So how do we pray? To answer the question, I took the parable of persistent widow that written in Luke 18:1-8. There was a weak widow, she portrayed as an oppressed figure, living in poverty and often being treated unfairly in society. Also there was a despotic judge. Be told that this widow continues plead the despotic judge to defend her rights. The widow said, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”(Luke 18:3) What the judge did? For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”(Luke 18:4-5) My dear friends, I’m focused to the word, “Keep bothering me…” this means that the widow, without giving up, tireless, and persistently went to the judge and continued to asking that her request be granted. So the key of the answer above implied in Jesus’ word to the disciples. We should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1) in other word, like the widow, we have to pray persistently! I strongly believe at the time the judge made decision not based on compassion but solely because the persistence of the widow made him uncomfortable so eventually the widow’s wishes being granted.

After we know how we should pray, now let’s see why we need to keep praying persistently and do not give up. My beloved friends, based on my personal experience in praying, I found that there are four reason why we have to pray persistently and tireless. Let’s look together.

Showing sooth of our faith to God

Prayer is our medium to build relationship with God. Prayer is also a form of expression or declaration of our faith before God that conveyed through the word. When we pray, it shows how our faith and to whom we put faith. The quality of our faith showed by our constant and continuous prayer. Faith must be accompanied with trust, and only those who believe will praying continuously no matter what is the result. Whether it is delighting to them or not.

Showing our faithfulness and patience

Earnest and persistent prayer also shows how deep our faithfulness and patience. When we’re facing hard problems we pray for God’s help. The question is how big our patience waiting for the answer of our prayer also how big we put our hope to God. Impatience often becomes the biggest obstacle for us to get God’s promise and answer. Initially we pray persistently but when the answer doesn’t come as fast as we want, the intensity of our prayer decreases drastically until finally completely stops and we will begin disappointed to God and immediately look for other alternatives that probably against to God. That’s why the fervent prayer become a benchmark of how big our patience and faithfulness to God.

Train us to live by faith.

As we know that faith come by hearing, hearing by God’s word. (Romans 10:17) but we will be difficult to experience faith growth if we don’t do the God’s word in our daily lives. By praying earnestly and continuously, we are already applying what God’s Word want us to do: pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) … continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12), And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18), Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41)

Showing sincerity in prayer

Our sincerity in prayer will be reflected by how big the intensity of our prayer. People who aren’t earnestly in prayer will stop quickly, easily give up and despair but those who earnest in prayer will make their life of prayer as a means to build very strong relationship and communication with God. They will not treat prayer as a “tool” like vending machine that easily can provide what they need but they use prayer to tighten their intimacy with God.

Dear friends, what about us now? I really don’t know what you are praying for this time. Maybe you’re struggling in prayer for a baby like me, or maybe you’re praying for your new job or business. Well, it doesn’t matter what are you praying for, this time please allow me to encourage all of us to pray fervently, persistently, and never give up. Please believe that God will hear and answer our prayer. It’s written in the Bible,

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

There’s no prayer that is not heard and answered by God as long as we do the right prayer, with humility, not based on personal desire, fully surrender to God, and with a clean heart. However, even though we know and believe that God hears and will answer our prayers, we must be prepared to accept God’s answer of our prayers because sometime God’s answer not in accordance with things that we expect. If God doesn’t gives the answer as we wish, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care and loves us. Let’s take a look to 1 John 5:14, there’s a word “according His will…” this means that God’s answer isn’t necessarily in harmony with our will and we cannot force God to always give what we want. When God gives a different answer with our expectation, we have to know that it means God has another better and wonderful plan for us. Maybe it’s hard for us to accept but please remember God’s plan is always the best.

I don’t know when God will answer my prayer for the second child, I also don’t even know if God will grant my prayer or not. This time, what I have to do is only pray, pray, and continue to pray tireless. I strongly believe God will give an answer of my prayer in time and also do believe whatever God’s answer is, that is the best because He knows what the best is for me and my family. I will not be disappointed and angry to God and will not think that earnestly and tireless pray that I did just a waste of time and in vain. Let’s always pray, and never give up. Just waiting for the best answer from God according His will and His time! Amen.

Related reading

Keep Asking by Queen Karen

Karina – Living by Faith

Image source: google images

Parable of Ascension Day

 

Once upon a time many years ago there was a large company which built a brand new company HQ – a big seven story affair.

The company had a lot of postal business, and so – on the ground floor, at the back of the new building – was a big post room The supervisor and the staff for this mail room were recruited locally as the new building was opened.

 The new mail room supervisor turned out to be a natural – not only organizing effectively, but also motivating his team powerfully.   It was only a matter of time before he was promoted.   He became Building Services Manager, with responsibility not only for post, but for cleaning, office supplies, and maintenance and so on. This turned out to be just the first of a series of promotions. Gradually his brief widened – including overall responsibility for IT and then HR and more…     

 The organization was one of those traditional places where the more senior you got, the higher up the building you went, the bigger your desk became, and the deeper the pile on your office carpet.

 Slowly but surely the Post Room supervisor moved up the building – till he reached the 5^th Floor reserved for Senior Management, then the 6^th, Directors, Floor. Finally the day came when the Post Room Supervisor was appointed CEO and moved in next to the Board Room in the top floor Chief Exec’s Penthouse Office.

 Meanwhile one of the others who been appointed to the Post Room staff all those years ago was also still working in the building.
Taken on as a clerical assistant, he hadn’t made the same spectacular progress- he was good at his job most of the time, but a bit erratic and unpredictable – that had held him back – but nonetheless he too had progressed, and by the time his old boss made it to the top floor, he had taken over his old boss’s job as Mail Room Supervisor.   

 Each morning the new Chief Exec came into work – 7.30 a.m. on the dot  The lift in front of him was there to whisk him to the 7^th Floor.    But those in the building knew he would never take it. Always he would walk past the lift to the Post Room in the back, say hi to those working there, and then take the stairs, stopping on each floor as he went.

 So each day Josh Davidson the Chief Exec and Pete Symons the Post Room Supervisor would talk and enquire of each other.

Josh’s power and responsibility was now vast – but of course it still included – among many other things – the post room.

And as he would often say to Pete – we have a great product here – – but where would we be without you guys in the post room to spread the word?

  I don’t want to claim too much for this story – please don’t start analyzing the detail, pushing the analogies too far,

But maybe it has something to say to us on the Sunday after Ascension Day –

  Something about Jesus ascending from one particular place in human history to rule over   all the cosmos

  Something about him moving above and beyond Peter and the Church yet still being with them

  The Bible of course uses different and more powerful images –
telling how Jesus Son of David ascended on high –
not to sit on the Chief Exec’s Chair but on the Heavenly throne – treading not deep pile carpet but pavements of gold.
And to Simon Peter and the Disciples he said:
“I may have left you in one sense, but I am with you always –
and I want you to spread the word!”

The Bible tells the story of how Christ rose and ascended to heaven – “up and over all” – he did not ascend to go away from us, but to rule over us and all people.

And it tells us, that for all his heavenly glory, Christ remains with us always, by our side in this life, calling us to share in his work.

 And it also tells us that whatever the future may bring –
whatever, wherever we may be, in this world or the world to come – no one is ultimately beyond his power and care

When we see the photos of Zimbabwean torture
or of an Austrian prison cellar,
it can sometimes seem that God has abandoned our world
to the powers of evil.

 But as the story of the ascension tells us,
even these powers will not finally prevail –
for in the end Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth –
against whom ultimately even the gates and cellar doors of hell
shall not prevail.

 So at Ascensiontide, let us rejoice in the cosmic rule of Christ,
knowing that there is nowhere beyond his power and care.

 And as we approach our Church Anniversary,
let us commit ourselves to serving and working
with our Lord in the Church here below,
as we trust that ultimately we will know and serve him
in the Church triumphant above.

 “He left them and was taken up into heaven”  (Lk 24:51)

http://www.themint.org.uk