Living in God's Shadow

Where Have You Placed Your Faith?

November 9, 2020October 28, 2020 by Tim

Everyone has faith in something. Believing in something we cannot understand or explain is part of being human. Those who live in God’s shadow have faith in God even though we have never seen Him. Atheists place their faith in their belief that God does not exist even though it is impossible to prove that belief. Some people put their faith in the idea that there are absolutely no absolutes and place their faith in that belief. Wherever we are in life, we find that we believe in something. It is this step of believing that is the starting point for our actions.

When we believe to the point we act, we express our faith to those around us. If you are someone who has placed their faith in the idea there are no absolutes, you will not make any absolute statements. Those who live in God’s shadow will allow their faith to cause them to move even closer to God. No matter our beliefs, we all place our faith somewhere each day.

We seldom recognize that we are exercising faith. Yet we demonstrate our beliefs in many areas each day. We believe that the clothes we are wearing will not dissolve in the rain. We express certainty that the bridges we cross will not collapse. We believe that our understanding of every situation is complete and justifies our opinion of the matter. These are all areas where we exercise faith each day.

Inexplicably, we struggle to have faith in God. We are not alone. Even the disciples had trouble expressing belief while they were in daily contact with Jesus. The disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles, yet at times they failed to exercise faith. Luke 8:22-25 tells of when the disciples and Jesus were in a severe storm on a lake, and their boat was filling with water. Jesus was sleeping during the storm. The disciples woke Him to help them out. Possibly they expected Him to help bail the water out of the boat. Instead, Jesus commanded the wind and seas to be calm. Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25 NRSV) I noticed that He did not ask if they had faith. He wanted to know where their faith was.

Like the disciples, we often fail to understand the power we draw on when we exercise faith in God. We may ask for grace and wisdom to deal with a difficult co-worker and then hold out a teaspoon to contain what we expect to receive. We doubt the Almighty because we lack faith. I wonder what God thinks as He holds back His ocean of mercy and wisdom to fill our faithless teaspoon-sized request? How much more abundant would God’s response be if we exercised enough faith to ask Him to supply everything we need to deal with the person?

A lack of faith is often to blame for a failure to obey. Exodus 16 tells us about when God sent bread, called manna, to the hungry Israelites. He specifically instructed them to only gather enough for one day except that they were to collect quantities sufficient for two days on the sixth day of each week. Scripture tells us that if they gathered more than what they needed on days one through five that the manna would stink and be full of maggots. It was different on day six. On that day, they were to gather two days worth because the seventh day was a day of rest; therefore, they needed to have food stored for that day. Those who did not gather two days worth of manna on the sixth day of each week went hungry on the seventh day. They had to have faith that God would provide a fresh supply each morning and keep their stored supplies from rotting on the seventh day.

I try to follow the day of rest that is proscribed in this passage and in the Ten Commandments. It is difficult to stop and rest sometimes. There are so many things that need doing, so much to be planned and scheduled. Yet I find that when I exercise faith in God and obey His command to rest both physically and mentally, I am reinvigorated physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The Apostle James writes about the interconnectedness of faith and action. He wrote, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17 NRSV) He then presents further arguments showing that it is impossible to have faith if actions are not attached. The Apostle James uses the example of Abraham obeying God because of Abraham’s faith in God, even when he was unsure of the final cost of obedience. (You can read all of the Apostle James’ arguments about faith producing action in James 2:14-26.)

When I was a child, I found out that my friends did not always know what they claimed to know. They did not always have the permission they claimed to have. This behavior caused me to hold back and let others go first. If they did it and avoided injury and reprimand, then I might join in what they were doing. The fact that they had not been truthful on every occasion prevented me from having faith in everything they said. Fortunately for us, God will not lie to us. It is contrary to His nature. We do not have to worry about being misled by God when we exercise faith in Him. We can allow our belief in Him to cause us to take action.

Living in God’s shadow requires faith. This faith produces the action of causing us to move closer to God continually. It is not surprising that the Psalmist wrote, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 NIV) May you allow God to grow your faith as you pursue a life in His shadow.

0 Shares

Have You Ever Argued With God?

October 14, 2020 by Tim

Have you ever argued with God? I have. I am embarrassed that I have to admit arguing with all-knowing God. I do not know what I was thinking. Why did I not accept that God knows everything, and there is no way I can out-think Him? Why did I not trust and obey?

I am not the first person to argue with God, and I will not be the last. Cain tried to dispute with God after killing his brother, Able. (Genesis 4:9-15) Moses tried to argue that God had called the wrong person when God told him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:7-4:17). The Apostle Peter tried to argue with God about what was clean and what was unclean. (Acts 10:9-23) While I do not know your story, I am sure that you have tried to argue with God at some point.

Part of being human seems to be that we think we know more than we do. We tend to believe that we can predict the future better than we can. It is this self-certainty that gives us the false hope that we can win an argument with God.

I recall one day I was praying in my garage, and God began speaking to me about ministering to Spanish speakers. I argued that I did not speak the language, that I did not understand their customs and culture, and did not know where to find them. (Statistically speaking, there are not very many where I live.) I thought I made a great argument. I stopped praying and walked toward my house. As I reached for the doorknob, God said, “But I do.” My arguments evaporated. If God would help me learn Spanish, and He would find Spanish speakers, and He would guide me as I learned their customs and culture, I had no argument left.

Often our arguments with God are not about things as life-changing as what I faced. It is more common to deny that we should apologize for our words or actions. Perhaps it is a bad habit that keeps us feeling defeated, but we keep trying to argue to God that the practice should stay. When we contend for a tradition that distracts us from pursuing God, we indicate that behavior pattern is more important to us than God.

Usually, when we argue with God, we indicate that we do not trust Him to do what is best. We often fail to remember that we cannot see the future. While we try to make plans for the next day, week, month, or year, God sees decades into our future. Our society teaches that we are the only person who will look after our interests. Scripture teaches us that God cares about us, our interests, and our total being far more than we ever can.

Moses argued because the task God was assigning him was outside his comfort zone. He had lived in the pharaoh’s palace; he knew the customs and the language. Moses was 80 years old when God called him. He had a regular job that he attended to each day. There was safety in the loneliness of the desert. The security of his wife and children could be disturbed if he followed God’s call. The question Moses wrestled with seems to have been, “Do I trust God enough to obey even when a comfortable outcome seems unlikely?”

Sometimes that we argue with God because we are afraid of what everyone else will say. This fear may have played a role with Moses also. He had a wife, what would she say? What would his father-in-law say when he resigned as sheepherder? We often allow these kinds of questions to stop us from obeying God. Moses went ahead and obeyed. His father-in-law blessed him, and his wife traveled with him back to Egypt. God had already prepared their hearts and minds to be receptive to what God had called Moses to do. (Exodus 4:18-20)

The Apostle Peter argued with God because God’s request was outside Peter’s paradigm. He had a vision where he received God’s instruction to make a meal of one of the animals shown to him. Peter had never eaten any of those animals because they were considered unclean by Jewish law. Peter informed God of that fact. Peter forgot that he was talking with the One who had given the law to Moses. When the test was over, God revealed that He intended the vision to help Peter not discriminate against other people groups. (Acts 10:9-33) It was a massive paradigm shift for Peter to think that God was as interested in followers who were not Jewish as He was in the Jewish people.

What amazing things happen when we stop arguing, trust God, and obey! When I stopped arguing with God about ministering to Spanish speakers, I met people I would not have met. I have traveled to countries that I would not have visited. I now have international contacts because I stopped arguing and obeyed. It is impossible to know what God will call you to do until you stop arguing and start listening. God desires what is best for us, but it is up to us to summon the courage to trust Him and obey.

Living in God’s shadow does not promise that we will see the entire path our life will take. This life of living in His shadow requires holding tightly to God’s hand and trusting Him to lead us into each step. Arguing causes us to lag behind God’s coaching, and failure to cling to God’s hand causes us to lose direction. Many times I have prayed, “God, please help me not to run ahead or lag behind. Please keep me in step with You.” It is this attitude that helps us to stay in God’s shadow. Grasp the hand of the Almighty and boldly live in His shadow.

0 Shares

Called To The Broken Ones

September 30, 2020 by Tim

I like broken things. I guess it is because I can see the potential in each fractured object. Perhaps that is why I like broken people. I grew up around broken people. I identify with broken people because they are the ones who accept me as I am. After being around those who have suffered abuse, who have had addiction problems, or were outcasts even though they did not know why I have learned that they tend to be real. They do not pretend that they are perfect people. They are not afraid to admit they could use help. They understand the reality and grittiness of life. When was the last time you saw the people around you?

I remember listening to the stories my high school friends told. They bragged about who had carved various graffiti on the walls of the jail cells in their hometown. There was a hollow lifelessness to their laughter when they told these stories. They seemed desperate to find hope that life could be better in the future.

When we live in God’s shadow, we see more than the drunk in the stairwell, the drug user looking for a fix, or the child outside the circle of play longing to be a part. We see broken humans, not prostitutes, or drug pushers, or pimps. We begin to recognize that the brokenness we see in society is an expression of others’ frustration as they search for the peace we have found in God’s shadow. When we allow God to give us His vision for humanity, we understand that we must point others to the healing found in His shadow.

Every human faces brokenness to one extent or another. Only God, Who created us, can repair us. While we cannot solve every other person’s problems, we can point them to God. He can bring inner healing and hope. God invites every individual to come to Him; their history is irrelevant. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV). Nothing stops the love of God. It is impossible to be too broken for God to want you or be able to bring healing to you.

Jesus gave us an example of offering hope and new life to people when He talked with the Samaritan woman at the well. He knew, and she admitted that she had been married five times and was now living with another man who was not one of the husbands. Her society had made it clear to her that she was an outcast and not worth anything. Then came Jesus offering her a path to God and a chance to live a new life. Jesus showed her hope for the future that was greater than she had imagined was possible. Here was an opportunity to turn her life around. Maybe she would not have to get her supply of water in the heat of the day. Possibly she could live in a way that her name would no longer be a byword. (Read the entire story in John 4)

I grew up as an outsider. It was not because I wanted to be; it was because others found excuses to exclude. At one school I attended, I faced rejection because I was a pastor’s kid; at another, it was because of my skin color; at a third, my theological beliefs did not match their religious views. My family often moved when I was young, so I never grew roots. The people around my family were continually changing, making lasting friendships almost impossible. I know what it means to be the outsider, one of the last ones picked in recess games, the feeling that you never quite measure up to the expectations put on you. I know what it is to be broken and unwanted. Then there was God, who inexplicably loved me despite the broken places. He invited me to live in His shadow and learn about Him and how much He cared for me.

One of the things that happen when we live in God’s shadow is that we desire to invite others to this place of acceptance and healing. We are broken humans telling other broken humans where we found love and repair for our damaged parts. We can tell the suicidal person where to find meaning in life and a future filled with promise. In God’s shadow, there is hope for the hopeless.

I know what it is to feel that I had to hide who I was because of what others would say. Living in God’s shadow allows me to proclaim who I am and to receive direction from God as I seek to improve my life and outlook.

While living in God’s shadow does not guarantee that we will be wealthy or never have problems; it does establish our value as a person. It gives direction and meaning to life.

Humanity faces brokenness worldwide. The broken are not just on the street corner or under the bridge. Broken humans are everywhere and in every walk of life. Yes, they can be found everywhere, from brothels to the executive suites of large companies. The calling of every follower of God is to point the broken ones to the shelter and hope of God’s shadow. When we live that close to God, we can hear God ask people to spread hope like the prophet Isaiah did. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” Isaiah 6:8 (NRSV)

My wife, daughter, and I have responded to God’s call to offer the hope of new life in Him to others. We have accepted an opportunity to move to Paraguay, South America, and serve long term with our church. We will assist others in finding God’s shadow so they can live in hope, acceptance, and healing. Provided the pandemic subsides and international borders re-open, we plan to move in the summer of 2021. If you want to know more about our work there or would like to partner with us as we serve, please contact me at tim@livingingodsshadow.com or go to our profile at Stearns Profile

0 Shares

Planted By The River

September 23, 2020 by Tim

The ideas for the posts I write for this blog come to my mind in various ways. This post came from the photo to the right. I took the picture several years ago and only remembered it recently. I took the picture because I found it remarkable that another seed had taken root in the ancient remains of a stump. I do not know what event happened to remove the original tree from standing beside the stream. Whatever that event was, the conditions are now right for another tree to grow on that old stump’s remains.

Looking at that photo, the words of scripture came to my mind, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NRSV)

When we live in God’s shadow, we find the proper conditions for growth. Growth is not always comfortable because it requires change. Growing does not mean that we leave God’s shadow; instead, we draw even more on God’s resources for us there. We will have the strength to stand during life catastrophes, even when we do not understand why things happened.

I have found that the disasters of life today provide the foundation for growth tomorrow. When the incident happened that left the stump, I doubt anyone saw the possibility of a new tree in the old remains. However, without the first tree’s death, it was impossible to imagine a young tree growing in the same spot.

When I review my life, I see many experiences. Some of those I wish had never ended, and others that seemed like fiascos. During some, it seemed like there would not be even a stump left. Yet as I look at the ashes and rot of the experiences of years now long past, I realize that I have the foundation and resources to grow today in preparation for tomorrow’s tasks.

When things go wrong, it does not necessarily mean that we have left God’s shadow. Sometimes problem areas of our lives have to be polished or removed to allow for something better. A pile of junk and broken glass surrounded by a very weathered, rough sawn, wood slab fence occupied a portion of my property when I bought it. I tore this eyesore down and turned most of the area into part of the yard. I built a new pole building with steel siding on the rest of that area. It went from being an eyesore to adding value to the property. The change brought an increase in value. When God sets about changing us, it is to increase our value to Him. He never attempts to cause our spiritual death. He makes the changes so we can see new growth and be more firmly rooted in His shadow.

My grandfather died 13 years ago. As a World War II veteran, he participated in the Allied invasion of Italy. While it was rare for him to talk about the war, I loved to hear his stories. He knew what it was to lose leaders and buddies in battle. He received three purple hearts and knew what it was to be wounded. He and his generation witnessed and fought against the devastation and horrors perpetrated by the Axis forces, providing freedom for us today. I remember him telling me, “I would not accept any replacement for those experiences, but I do not want to relive them either.” He was a giant in my mind. Grandpa helped me to realize that no generation can step into leadership without previous generations stepping down. When we think the older generation is being hard on us, they are trying to prepare us for the difficult times they know will come into our lives. While I still miss him, the things he taught me about living in God’s shadow have provided some of the foundations I have today.

God does the same thing. He uses each experience and challenging time to prepare us for the future. No one gets to a position of strength and preparation without going through hard times. I had often joked that when I graduated from college, both the college and I were relieved. Yet, I find the things I learned there very beneficial to me today. I have an attitude like my grandpa, I would not want to go to college full time again, but I am very thankful for my education. I could not see the seeds being planted in my life by God when I was battling my way through my courses. Those seeds have turned into the trees in my life today. I did not understand that God was providing the way for those seeds to grow. He supplied a well-watered environment that would allow life experiences beyond my most fantastic imaginations.

When we choose to pursue God and live in His shadow, we can rest in the knowledge that He will plant us in the area where we will grow the best. Provided we continue to look to God and pursue Him, we can be sure He will keep us growing like a tree growing beside a stream. (Jeremiah 17:7-8) God’s goal is to develop us spiritually strong and healthy as an example to everyone around us. When we are strong and healthy, others look to us as a place of security and strength. Living strong and healthy allows us to invite others to join us living in God’s shadow.

Pin1

1 Shares

Faith – Living in Expectation

September 2, 2020 by Tim

I was very nervous as I drove across the Mackinac Bridge. I was driving the most massive moving truck I could rent, loaded with all my family’s possessions. It was only my third time on this five-mile-long bridge, which links Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. All kinds of worries popped into my mind. What if the maintenance done on the bridge was not adequate? What if high winds suddenly arise? Crossing the bridge required that I exercise faith in the work of people I did not know and likely would never meet.

I seldom think about the fact that I exercise faith multiple times every day. When I get up in the morning, I exercise faith that the floor will hold me when I step on it. When I need to drive my truck, I believe that it will start, despite its 324,000 miles. We believe that each breath will come as needed and will not be poisonous gas. Faith is common in everyday life, but it seems that there is a disconnect when we try to relate faith to our spiritual lives. Suddenly believing becomes much more challenging. Perhaps it is because we have difficulty trusting things we cannot see.

Faith is a critical commodity for those who want to live in God’s shadow. It is only logical that we must believe that God exists before we can follow Him or ask Him for blessings. (See Hebrews 11:6) I do not ask Santa Claus for gifts because I do not believe that he exists. (The after Christmas bills assured me that Santa Claus did not freely give the gifts.)

Usually, exercising one’s faith is viewed as positive. I have noticed that anytime someone anticipates a poor outcome from their actions or beliefs, it is called doubt.

Faith always expects a great outcome. The anticipation of failure is not a part of faith. This confidence comes not from the fact we believe; instead, it is because our belief is in God. We believe that God is good and does good things. Therefore we can have faith in the words of Jesus Christ when He spoke of God, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV) We do not quit using common sense. Faith is not a presumptive action where we do whatever we want without fear of natural consequence. Instead, it is obedience to God even when we are unsure of the results, but we are confident that God loves and cares for us.

Living a life of faith does not guarantee a life continually overflowing with confidence and blessings. If you read the book of Job, in the Bible, you will see that Job lost his children, his possessions, and even his wife encouraged him to curse God and die. (Job 2:9) Yet we read that Job’s faith in God remained. Job seemed unsure if he would survive his physical ailments, but his faith in God does not appear to waver. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.” Job 13:15 (NIV) What an example of unwavering faith!

A real life of faith is a life of constant expectation. We may not understand the current circumstances, but we know that God is still in control and has our best interests in mind. Nevertheless, we will doubt occasionally or try to accomplish God’s plan using our methods instead of waiting on Him. Think of Abraham and his wife as they waited for God to fulfill the promise of a son. When Abraham and Sarah had a lapse in their faith, they ended up with a son from a servant girl instead of the promised child. (Genesis 15-16) About fourteen years after the promise, the promised child did come, but Abraham and Sarah had a constant reminder of their lack of faith each time they saw Ishmael, the servant girl’s son. (Genesis 21)

When we have difficulty exercising faith, it is because we are trying to rely on ourselves. The exercise of faith causes us to look to God to answer the situation and move into His shadow. Faith is like a muscle; it is the exercise of it that causes it to grow. When we rely only on our strength, our faith begins to atrophy.

If you find that your faith is weaker than it should be, move closer to God. Recognizing weak faith is not a problem; however, being content with weak faith is a problem. Jesus consistently challenged His disciples to grow in faith. On at least four occasions, Jesus directly challenged the disciples’ lack of faith. (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8) I do not believe that Jesus was trying to humiliate or discourage the disciples. These times seem to attempt to get the disciples to step up and develop a stronger faith.

The things that cause us to spend the most time in prayer, asking God to intervene, are opportunities for more robust faith growth. When we recognize that God has the answer, and we must rely on Him to work on our behalf, faith grows.

Faith is necessary, but it is not always easy. Living in God’s shadow requires that we have faith in Him and His plan for our life. Because God loves, He wants us to live close to Him, but it requires faith. In the words of William Carey, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”

Pin1

1 Shares