By Josie Siler

I love other cultures. I love the diversity of God’s creation. I have been blessed with experiencing other cultures firsthand, and it makes my soul happy! You can imagine how excited I was a couple of years ago when I discovered that Epcot, at Disney World, had a bunch of different countries that you could experience. By far, my favorite place to visit was Morocco. It is a country I have been to and to get to go there again, in a sense, was incredible. We got lost in the tall walls, found a Moroccan restaurant, and had one of my favorite meals. It was authentic and delicious. The night was almost too wonderful; I didn’t know what to do with myself! I was overwhelmed by this gift from God. It wasn’t just the delicious food, or the endless glasses of hot mint tea, or the sights and smells. It was everything together that combined into one wonderful experience.

Have you ever had an experience like that with God? We read about one in Psalm 34. This Psalm is David’s song of celebration after God delivers him from a dangerous situation. It is also a psalm instructing us how to live a life with God, and the blessings that result. As we continue our journey, taking a closer look at Psalm 34, we’re going to study the words of this madman that we know to be a very sane David, King of Israel.

Last week we talked about a madman’s deliverance and how God can deliver us from fear in the midst of difficult circumstances. Today we are going to look a little more at a madman’s fear, as well as God’s blessings. Psalm 34:8-10 (ESV) reads:

“Taste and see that the LORD is good” is an invitation to experience God. It’s an invitation to become an intimate friend with the Creator of the Universe. Just like we can experience other cultures, different foods, and even different holidays, we can experience God. We can take refuge in Him, and when we do that, we are greatly blessed.

Verse nine talks about fearing the Lord. We touched on this some last week, but I want to remind us that fear of God is not the same as fear of man. To fear God is to have an understanding of His power and greatness, but it is also to stand in awe of Him and to revere Him as the Holy God that He is. David is reminding us that those who fear God – who stand in awe of Him, who worship Him, who adore Him – will lack nothing.

How can this be? How can we suffer greatly and yet “lack no good thing” when we seek the Lord? How can I still be sick when I am seeking the Lord? Sickness doesn’t seem like a very good thing to me!

The truth is God’s definition of “good” and our human definition is drastically different. God looks at human life from an eternal perspective. If there are things in this life that are going to grow us, change us, draw us closer to Him, and form us into His likeness, He is going to allow those things to happen – for our good.

I know this is a difficult idea to understand. Most days I can’t quite wrap my mind around it either. Yet it’s true. The suffering we experience today is nothing compared to the glory we will experience with God forever. So let me ask you, is your current suffering drawing you to God or away from Him? Are you becoming more like Christ as you share in His sufferings, or are you embracing everything this world offers to numb the pain?

I beg you, friends, allow the suffering you are experiencing to transform you. If you seek God, even the worst pain will be used for your good. Focus on the hope of future glory, and remember that the suffering will not last. When your time on this earth comes to an end, eternity awaits you. If you have a relationship with God, you will spend all of eternity with Him, and it will be glorious. If you don’t have a relationship with God, your eternity will be very different. You will suffer in ways that you can’t even imagine right now. What will you choose? 

Note: If you are unsure where you will spend eternity, please reach out to us. We would love to share with you the hope found in Christ and how you can begin a relationship with Him today.
 
© November 20, 2014

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

I’ve lived an impossible life. So many things have happened in my life, I used to live by the mantra, “If it’s going to happen, then it’s going to happen to me.” Looking back, I can admit that was quite a negative outlook, but in my defense, many difficult things occurred over a short period of time. From being diagnosed with lupus at the young age of seventeen to recalling a childhood trauma I had blocked out, my life has been anything but easy. It’s no wonder I went through a time when I could rival Eeyore with my melancholy disposition. Yet those who know me today would say my bubbly personality is more like Tigger. So what changed? In a word – God.

It took a while, but after years of struggling, I finally understood that my life wasn’t going to be easy. I may not have understood why, but for whatever reason, God chose to allow me to endure some major obstacles. I couldn’t change my problems, but I could change my attitude and how I approached them.

Once I had this epiphany, God showed me what has since become my favorite passage in all of Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21. It says, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I have often sold God short. Although not done intentionally, I’ve thought God wouldn’t or couldn’t intervene in my life. Maybe, just maybe, the God who created the universe couldn’t work in my life. Maybe my life and my problems were too impossible to deal with. Yet Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that isn’t true. In fact, it tells us the exact opposite.

Now, if you’re like me, you might have the tendency to be leery of promises like this. I know, maybe I’m cynical, but it just sounds too good to be true, which is why I asked God to show me the truth of these verses. I began praying this verse last year. Desperate to see God work in my life, I begged Him to do the impossible. Admittedly, it was a prayer I wasn’t sure He would answer. He’d never done the impossible in my life, but to be fair, I never dared to ask for the impossible. I didn’t trust Him enough to believe He could do it.

Yet despite my miniscule faith, God showed up in a major way. This past year has been the biggest adventure of my life. Don’t get me wrong, there have still been problems, but there have also been breakthroughs and victories, something I didn’t believe possible in my life before now.

I’ve seen my liver and kidneys, which were shutting down, begin to be restored. I’ve seen prayers answered and dreams realized. Things like launching a magazine and being published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book have become a reality, something I would have said was impossible at this time last year. But most importantly, I’ve seen this skeptic who was running low on faith begin to believe that anything is possible with God.

We’ve spent the last several months doing a series on learning to thrive, and this is the most important lesson of all. We serve a big, powerful, mighty God who wants to work in our lives, but in order for that to happen, we must take our eyes of our problems, fears, and doubts and turn them solely on to God. The only way we can see God do the impossible in our lives is if we stand on the truth and authority of His Word and refuse to listen to the doubts swirling around our heads. Our God is greater and stronger than any problem that comes our way. He IS for us!

It’s time to LIVE! So you’ve come to an impossible place? It’s okay because you know the God of impossibilities! Choose to trust Him. There may be times you have to will yourself to do this, but you won’t regret it, for it’s when this happens you will begin to experience the incomprehensible power of a truly amazing God. And that is an impossible place you want to be!

 “And looking at them Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” ~ Matthew 19:26

© November 12, 2014

*If you missed the last devotion in the series “Learning to Thrive,” click this link: http://www.erinelizabethaustin.com/blog/life-with-dignity

By Josie Siler

Have you ever been in a situation so terrifying that you knew the only way out was going to be if God delivered you? I think we have all been there at one time or another on our journey with chronic illness. It could have been when you were in the hospital fighting for your life while doctors looked on helplessly, or maybe you watched your child, parent, or friend suffer while you watched, painfully aware that there was nothing you could do except pray.  Sometimes these situations end up being the cause of great celebration when God answers our prayers and heals us or our loved one, but sometimes, it doesn’t turn out the way we prayed and we are left wondering why God has abandoned us.

Psalm 34 is David’s song of celebration after God delivers him from a dangerous situation. It is also full of instructions on how to live a life that honors God, even when things don’t go the way we want. As we continue our journey, taking a closer look at Psalm 34, we’re going to study the words of this madman whom we know to be a very sane David, King of Israel.

Last week we talked about a madman’s worship and how we can choose to worship God at all times. Today, we are going to look at a madman’s deliverance. Psalm 34:4-7 (ESV) reads:

David was terrified he was going to be killed by the king with whom he went to seek refuge, so he pretended to be insane. Because the king thinks he’s a madman, he lets him go. We can learn much from David’s response. When he was afraid, he sought the Lord. He looked to God first for deliverance – and God was faithful. It is very important to note here that David isn’t praising God for delivering him from danger; he is praising Him for delivering him from all his fears.

If I look back at my own life, there are times when I thought God didn’t answer my prayers. However, that wasn’t the case. In each of those scary situations, God did deliver me from my fears. He gave me peace and joy in Him. And that’s exactly what David says happens next. If you look to God in the midst of your terror and ask Him to deliver you from your fear, He will do it. When He does, you can’t help but be radiant; your face is peaceful instead of ashamed. So cry out to the Lord. He will hear you, and He will save you out of all your troubles.

You may wonder how God can save you from all your troubles but not answer your prayers as you would like. This is a valid question and one that is difficult to answer. I can say from my own experiences that sometimes our troubles are the very things that save us. Take chronic illness for example. There is no way I would wish this on anyone. It’s horrible. I’ve asked God to take it away, yet here I sit, still sick. Amazingly, God is slowly healing my body, but more important than that, He’s healing my heart. God has saved my soul a thousand times over through chronic illness. The things I have learned from Him because of this I could not have learned any other way. The intimacy which has developed between God and me could not have happened any other way. Illness is my terror; it is also what God is using to deliver me.

We end today with a reminder that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear God, and he delivers them. Just think, when we’re in the midst of the most difficult trial, there is an angel encamped around us. We must shift our fear of a situation to fearing the Person of God. If we can do this, our world will change. Fearing God isn’t like fearing man or any earthly thing. Fearing God means standing in awe of Him and His power. It’s like looking at Niagara Falls. It’s awe-inspiring, mighty, powerful, beautiful, and a little terrifying. You feel like a speck on the earth when you look at it. So should it be with God. We know His power, but we also know His love.

It’s important to remember that we can’t see things as God sees them. We only see part of the picture. God sees everything, and He knows what is best. This is where faith comes in. Will you trust Him, even when you don’t understand His ways? Will you allow God to deliver you from your fears today?

© November 11, 2014

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Death with dignity. This is a phrase that has become a media firestorm over the past few weeks. Brittany Maynard, an Oregon woman with terminal brain cancer, recently entered the media spotlight when she announced she planned to end her life on her own terms with the help of her doctor. This past Saturday, she did just that. And while I don’t agree with her choice to commit suicide, I can’t help but think about the phrase “death with dignity.”

We’ve discussed suicide several times through previous devotions. Quite frankly, it’s understandably easy to consider when you live with a chronic illness. I certainly thought about it on more than one occasion, yet I’m thankful I never took the step to follow-through. I would have missed so much.

No one is denying that choosing to live with a chronic illness is easy. In fact, it’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but that doesn’t mean life isn’t worth it. The things in life worth having are often the hardest to obtain.

I once met a woman in her final months of living with ALS. She couldn’t do anything for herself. Trapped in her own body, she was essentially paralyzed from the neck down, yet she could feel everything, including agonizing pain. As we talked about a variety of topics, I will never forget her attitude about life. Although she had every right to be bitter, she was filled with peace. Even though she was ready to die, she was thankful for the extra months God had given her. She was able to spend time with family and friends, see the beach one last time, reconcile with a friend, share God’s message of hope with loved ones, and see the birth of a grandchild. She lived!

The way we do this is by holding on to God’s promises. There are thousands of promises in the Bible. Merriam-Webster defines promise as “a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.”[i] God has abundant blessings He wants to give us, everything from overwhelming joy to giving us loved ones with whom we can share our lives. Yet we can’t receive His promises when we are focused on our problems. We have to choose to lift our eyes off ourselves and onto the only One who can do anything about our problems. We must stand on the promises of God.

Therein lies the secret. Living a life with dignity is possible with a chronic illness. The answer to our problems isn’t found in committing suicide. It’s found in Christ alone. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we have the power to rise above our problems, sickness and all. The problems won’t necessarily go away, but we have the freedom to live. Not only that, but we can thrive.

Christ is more than enough to help us face whatever problems come our way and live this life with dignity, grace, laughter, and hope. He is enough!

By Josie Siler

Have you ever thought of David, King of Israel, as a madman? Most of us know David as a man after God’s own heart, leader of the nation of Israel, a poet and psalmist, someone who lived a victorious life. Some of us know of David the adulterer and murderer – remember when he got Bathsheba pregnant and then had her husband killed? Yeah, that wasn’t cool. But David repented of his sins and God still used him in amazing ways. There is a lot we can learn from David’s life.

I have a favorite Psalm. It is one of many that David wrote. However, this one is special. It has been my favorite Psalm since I was a child, and in it I continue to find encouragement and challenges. The part that gets my attention every time I read are the words written before the Psalm even begins: “Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.”

These words are referring to something that happened while David was fleeing from Saul, the current king of Israel, who was trying to kill him. We find the account in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David escaped to Gath, where he thought he would find refuge from Achish the King. (Note: Abimelech was the general name of the sovereign; Achish was the sovereign of Gath.) Before he met with the king, David heard servants talking about him. They wondered if he was the same David the people sang songs about, the David who was to be king. When David heard these things, he became very afraid, so when he was brought before Achish he pretended to be insane. “Then Achish said to his servants, ‘Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?’”

Achish believed David to be a madman, so he let him go. Psalm 34 is an outpouring of praise to God, as well as instructions on how to live a life that honors God. The next several weeks we are going to take a close look at Psalm 34. We’re going to study the words of this madman that we know to be a very sane David, King of Israel. It is my prayer that as we work through this Psalm, you see God’s love and provision in a way that is so very real for all of us.

So let’s get started. Psalm 34 begins with worship – a madman’s worship. I can almost hear an audible sigh of relief as I read these words. Verses 1-3 (ESV) read:

Worship; it’s a beautiful thing. We find David filled with relief, joy, amazement, gratitude, and love. David takes time to bless the Lord, to adore Him. He’s making a statement that no matter what happens to him, he will worship the Lord.

This wasn’t exactly an easy time in David’s life and he could have easily complained to God, asking Him why all these horrible things were happening to him when he was supposed to be King. Instead, he chooses to worship. His very soul boasts not in his own cleverness, but in the Lord. David wants the humble, the needy, others who are afflicted, to hear him praise God and be glad. They can take comfort in David’s worship and God’s protection, and so can we.

David then invites others – the humble, afflicted, and needy – to join him in worshiping the Lord. Corporate worship is a wonderful thing. It joins hearts and minds in unity as we worship our Maker together. David’s love for God overflowed to the point where he wanted, he needed, others to join him. Magnifying the Lord, exalting His name, and worshiping God – together. That’s what it’s all about.

That same invitation extends to each and every one of us. Will you bless the Lord at all times? Will you bless the Lord today, even if you are in the depths of despair? There is nothing more beautiful or powerful than a broken heart worshiping the Lord. It brings glory to God and healing to the soul.

Let us all exalt God’s name together. Let’s shout His praises from the rooftops, or out our bedroom door. Let’s not let one more minute pass without taking the time to boast in the Lord and praise Him. Let’s let a madman’s worship become our worship.

© November 4, 2014