August 21 Under Siege Psalm 147: 1-6
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina…“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” (Psalm 147:1-6)
Just recently, a fellow pastor friend called with some distressing news. He told me that he was considering leaving the pastorate and pursuing another avenue of service. It took a few questions, and several minutes of general conversation to get to the real cause of his distress! Finally, he said that he felt isolated and alone, and that he was struggling with the reality of ministry and the overwhelming challenges that he was encountering. My friend was heartbroken and discouraged! Sharing Jesus in the face of great opposition, both from within the church, and without! Petty issues, immature actions, non-spiritual responses to challenges and criticism of his family and their involvement in the church ministry, and a perception of isolation and a lack of assistance from fellow believers, and his failure to focus on the real and important aspects of personal ministry, conspired to create an atmosphere of gloom and despair! I, immediately, explained that everyone, every believer, feels isolated and challenged, as we serve our God. This world, we are warned, is absolutely opposed to us, our God and everything that we represent! Wow! I asked him the last time that he prayed, really prayed to God for release, guidance and for strength. He admitted that he was slack in his prayer life and that he and his wife were having troubles in their relationship, as well! Okay, here we go! First, I asked him to pray with me, right that minute! Secondly, I encouraged him to recognize his calling, define his mission, and to remember that God promised to “build us up,” “Bind our wounds,” “Provide His Power,” “Life us up,” and to sustain us, regardless of the challenges! I asked him to find one person, in the church, that he respected and that demonstrates a spiritual foundation, and ask him or her to become a partner in prayer, with him. Thirdly, to confess his challenges with his wife and to re-kindle their love relationship, based on the Love of God! I suggested a “Date Night,” each week, when he would “woo her,” and dedicate the entire evening to her (odds are that she is feeling isolated and alone, as well)! Praise God! He reported back to me that he has implemented my suggestions, and things are turning around, and church life is improving! Could this be his focus, his process, his daily procedures were off? Listen closely! When we stop praying, and when we stop recognizing that God is in control, and we seek solutions to our despair and brokenness from human, worldly sources, then we set ourselves up for failure! “Great is the Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.” My prayer, each day, is for God to heal in the difficulties of living, and to heal in the midst of every situation in which Satan attempts to bring hurt and chaos and brokenness to His Children! I shared this beautiful affirmation with him: “I affirm that God’s power is rising in me, renewing, and healing my mind and body, bringing power to my mind, giving me success in my work. I affirm health, energy, enthusiasm, the joy of life! All of this I owe to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. He has given me the VICTORY PRINCIPLE for which I thank Him every single day!” ““NOT TODAY SATAN, NOT TODAY!!” Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!