Christmas Melancholy
Adapted by Truth Seeker (Yours Truly)

mel•an•choly adj., causing or tending to cause sadness or depression of mind or spirit.  Merriam-Webster, (Eleventh ed.)Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

There’s a “funk” that I often find myself in during the Christmas season, and it  happened again this year. As Christmas Day gets closer, I catch myself stewing about the year, mentally cataloging my regrets of the past, my concerns about the future, and the reasons I have to be melancholy in the present. Of course, that’s when the “funk” level begins to rise. (Just to be clear, I’m not talking about a  “Soul Train”-type funk here. Although that would be weird, I might actually enjoy it.  I might embarrass some family members but my grandsons would say “Cool, Papa!”). “Melancholy” is a funny, old-fashioned word, but it does describe the feeling, this “funk.” And there’s another reason to be in a “funk;” I’ve reached the age where I’m perfectly comfortable using a word like “melancholy.” (A good friend of mine said that since I have white hair, I can say most anything I want.  Hmmm…)

So anyway the “Christmas funk” once again crept up and I started fretting over some health concerns, a strained relationship or two, a shortage of money for gifts, and the security of my retirement in this miserable economy.  Add to that the persistent crick in my back, my dear sweet wife’s unrelenting leg pain she tries to ignore, and the 747-like noise the dishwasher is now making, I figure this year’s “funk” is certainly justifiable.  (My attempt to make light of the situation by telling my wife that our entire gift budget would be “going into the cat’s litter box” didn’t go over well. I tried though.) “Merry Christmas?” Yeah, right. Whatever.  I’d just as soon curl up in a fetal position under a blanket if my stiff and sore back would let me. I’ll just sit here and stew… sort of stew in my own juices.

I discovered a long time ago that it’s impossible for me to read the Bible for any length of time without coming away in a better mood.  Really – impossible. So I opened it up and played some “Bible roulette.” It worked before.  Well, OK once – but that was (and still is) an excellent one! Thank You, Lord.

So what do I get today? “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”

Not much Christmas spirit from Solomon with the opening verse of Ecclesiastes.  Ten verses later it’s “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who  are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” (sigh)

The wisest man to ever live is now rubbing salt in my wound by basically telling me “Life’s a drag, then you die and no one will care.” Thanks pal. What should I have expected from a guy that had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Some “wise” man.

Bible roulette! That was a dumb idea! Whatever … I guess I’ll keep reading though.  “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.”

Okay…that’s a pretty good one. I’ll give him that.  What else?  “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.”

All right! Now THAT’S the Christmas spirit! One smart man that Solomon. (And I’m going to breakout in “halleluiahs” if he tells me to have a cigar and brandy after dinner.) “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun …”

Wow. Even twenty-eight years later, it’s impossible for me to look at my wife and not fall in love all over again. Sure, there have been some rough spots over the years, (maybe still one or two things I can’t quite get the hang of) but honestly, she still makes me crazy, in a good way.

Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon talks a lot about how many “under the sun” are “meaningless,” that so much of the stuff we fill our lives with just doesn’t  matter.  The tree, the gifts, the lights, the carols, the concerts, the decorations … sure, we all enjoy it, but don’t you think Solomon might say … “meaningless?”

Here is the “bottom line” for Christmas (Us engineers like bottom lines … it’s the “getting there” that drives me up the wall): A Christmas without Christ just doesn’t matter.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.“
You know, now that I think about it, my “Christmas funk” just doesn’t make sense.  Heck, I guess it’s been a pretty good year, really good in fact. And in spite of the way everything looks on the surface, things are really  looking up.

Think I’ll have eggnog now.  Maybe with a teeny bit of brandy – just for medicinal purposes, of course.

———-
Many thanks to freelance writer, Mike Wright, for describing (and naming) the mood I found myself in this Christmas.  And thanks to Bill Perkins (author of Six Battles Every Man Must Win) for allowing Mike to share this bit of wisdom.

Mike Wright and his wife Deborah live in West Linn, Oregon. He has five children and three grandchildren. Mike grew up in California where he had long careers as a radio DJ and in the auto body industry. With a passion for Men’s Ministry, Mike committed his life to Jesus Christ in his early 40’s.

What is Pride 2

Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 (NASB)

To “deny himself” means to give up your self-rule. This “self-rule” is one and the same as “pride” in Isaac Watt’s “Wondrous Cross”, and to deny it is to give Jesus the right to reign over your life – over ALL of your life. Jesus’ death on the Cross will set you free (from what?) and He will give you a new, eternal Life – your “richest gain”. You will become a Prince or Princess of God, a precious and royal member of God’s household, and you will receive His amazing, never-ending, love. You must choose the Life He wants for you. God paid a very high price for YOU.

The cross is a thing of death. To “take up your cross” is the complete and total destruction, and yes, the death of your self-rule, the death of your depraved old life.  But it results in a new Life – not a new start, but a NEW LIFE if you will choose Him.  This Life is the Life that Jesus spent over three years showing us what it looks like.  You cannot crucify yourself.  Jesus did it for you.  You may choose not to “take up your cross”. He will not have only part of you – He will not share Himself with your self.  He will not compromise.  The cross does not compromise or yield.  No one will get a pass because she thinks herself to be a good person.  By this world’s standards she may indeed be a “good person” who always does the “right thing”.  By God’s standards she rules over her own life and is destined for Hell.

God searches the heart – the prideful heart is a corrupt, sinful, contemptible thing to Him.  The prideful heart is a stench in the nostrils of God and He will blot it out from His sight.  There is only one way out of this predicament – out of the deep dark hole you are in, even though it is not your fault.  There is help.  Jesus will get down into that dark hole with you – because He knows the way out.  He prepared the way out just for you and He paid a very costly price for it.  But (there’s always a “but” isn’t there?) Jesus is a gentleman.  He will not force you to follow Him out of the darkness.  And it is indeed “darkness”: all of your “stuff”, all of the sex, money, power, promotions, fancy titles, awards for “good deeds” – ALL of it – will fade into absolutely … nothing.

IF you do not wish to “come after Me”, if you don’t believe you’re in darkness, if you do not choose Him – you are doomed to darkness.

Is this too hard?  Is this too difficult? Is there another way out of this jam?

Sorry – no.  The cross always kills.  It always wins the argument. It never compromises. It never gives up.  It never yields to the one who is nailed to it.  It is a thing of death.  It always results in painful, grotesque death. Always. Totally.

“He who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” Matthew 10:38 “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” Romans 6:6-8

Did you get that?  If you died with Christ you will also Live with Him. Paul’s meaning is that you will live a new life in union in Christ. If ….  So then how did Jesus crucify you?  How did I die with Him? How can I live with Him? ….. I have no Idea – it’s supernatural.  I just believe it. It is faith.

“When I survey the Wondrous Cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”

Pray for understanding. Pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:17-19 (NASB)

Do you understand? Seek understanding – seek Truth!

The answer to our prayers are not for our comfort or convenience.

‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.’ (Ezek 36:22)

In Jeremiah 33.3-8, God says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. I will heal, I will cleanse , and I will forgive.”

In 2 Chronicles 7.14, God says “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

In Psalm 27.7-8 David says “Hear, O LORD,when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”

In Hosea 5.15 God says to us “I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

If we die for Jesus Christ we LIVE for Mighty God.  And nothing … absolutely NOTHING else matters.

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Now here’s some insight and wisdom from a friend of mine:

Isaiah 61: 1 – 3 has a list of what we need to strive for as Christian adults:

1. Bring good news to the afflicted

2. Bind up the brokenhearted.

3. Proclaim liberty to captives

4. Proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

5. Comfort all who mourn

6. Give mourners a garland instead of ashes

7. the oil of gladness instead of morning

8. mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting

As a result these people “will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

My thinking is that this passage was saying to me that I shouldn’t keep my mouth shut when there’s something to say. When the Holy Spirit prompts, I shouldn’t hold back.

Paul did say, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” but a little further into this 2nd letter to Timothy he says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be……..” Paul commands Timothy to “preach the word.” If Timothy holds back, he’s not doing what the Holy Spirit is leading him to do. In 2 Corinthians 9 Paul talks about running and boxing. These are things that he has the ability to either do or not do. This smacks of striving to me.

In Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan, don’t you think that His implication was that the priest and Levite had a choice of helping or not helping? That’s our choice, too. We can be totally born again and refuse the Holy Spirit. But we’re not Jesus who could not do that so He quoted Isaiah to his home town but you’ll notice that he stopped the quotation before he got too harsh.

The English word “strive” is used 3 times in the NASB New Testament: Luke 13:24 by Jesus, Romans 15:30 by Paul, and 1 Timothy 4:10 by Paul again. In the Luke and 1 Timothy references the word is translated from the Greek ‘agouizomai’ which means “To enter a contest: contend in gymnastic games, to contend with an advisory or fight and to endeavor with strenuous zeal to obtain something. (I like the last definition best.) In the Romans reference the word used is ’sunagouezomi’ which simply means to strive together or help one in striving.

That said, I believe that we can ‘strive’ to be and to do the things on the “list” spoken of by Isaiah and then by Jesus. Actually, though, in both cases, I really believe that the resulting production of their striving was the fruit of righteousness brought about by abiding in the Lord God most High.

I totally understand the implications of abiding in John 15:5, but …

We do have choices and part of the choices we have, even in our flesh, is to strive or not to strive, to try or not to try, to make the attempt or not to make the attempt. Granted, our success is totally based on our abiding but we don’t have to succeed (at least completely), now do we? We do have some say so in how much we allow God to guide us. When we give ourselves to him totally, he can then use us totally for his glory. When we hold back, well…., you know the result of that.

One of the things that I want men to see is that it starts with us. We have to yield to the wooing of the Holy Spirit. That’s up to us. God will give us understanding of who He is but we have to accept it before belief comes. In other words, we can believe IN God but still not believe God.

My own striving is to crucify (kill) this old flesh of mine that so easily entangles me and gets in my way of real intimacy with God. It’s not easy for me. It’s real striving, the way I see it. And it’s not the same as it has been in the past. My striving now is on a little different level than it has been. That’s because I’m more of a threat to the enemy than I’ve been before. I some kind of dangerous dude, if you get my meaning.

But, I need to keep in shape like Paul said when he talked about beating his body into submission. That’s my striving. And I have my good days and I also have my not so good days. Understand that I’m not talking about God’s ability to save or to empower or anything, for that matter. I’m not talking about His ability at all. I’m talking about my ability, my power, my strength. Of course, with Him I have more ability, power and strength, but I do have to choose to abide, don’t I? – J.H., August 18, 2008

Is every deadly calamity a merciful call from God for the living to weep, as John Piper says? “Weep with those who weep,” the Bible says. John says “let us also weep for our own rebellion against the living God. Lesson one: weep for the dead. Lesson two: weep for yourselves.  I would also say, weep for the living dead – those who want to rule their own lives!

Job was righteous before God, and  – and yet he suffered terrible deadly calamity.  Even then he was not rebellious.  So why does God allow bad things to happen to His people?  It was an example to satan – and more importantly, an example to us.  Think on that:  Deadly calamities happen to the most righteous of men who serenely suffer through it and will tell you to trust in God – for His “good ends.”  How do they do it?  Why?

David Hart, writing in the Wall Street Journal, “No Christian is licensed to utter odious banalities about God’s inscrutable counsels or blasphemous suggestions that all this mysteriously serves God’s good ends.”

These responses are foreseen in Scripture: “I killed your young men with the sword … yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord” (Amos 4:10). “They cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory” (Revelation 16:9).

Contrary to Hart’s pronouncement, the Christian Scriptures do indeed license us to speak of God’s “inscrutable counsels” and how he works in all things for mysterious good ends. To call this banal and blasphemous is like a bird calling the wind under its wing wicked.

Jesus said that the minutest event in nature is under the control of God. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29). He said this to give hope to those who would be killed for his name.

He himself stood on the sea and stopped the waves with a single word (Mark 4:39). Even if Nature or Satan unleashed the deadly tidal wave, one word from Jesus would have stopped it. He did not speak it. This means there is design in this suffering. And all his designs are wise and just and good.

Repentance is a gift! May God grant it!  Believe and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remittance of your sins. (Acts 2:38).

Jesus’ first words in Mark 1:15: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” What gospel?  It’s in the previous verse: The Reign of God is here!  God reigns in the heart of man.  Ask Job.  Ask Joshua.  The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus consummated the new covenant – our union with Him.

(Partially From John Piper’s article, “Tsunami and Repentance.”)

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/583/

“I will pay my vows unto the Lord. “ Psalm 116:18.

I come to You, most Blessed Lord, to renew my vows. My soul lies low in penitence before You, as I recall all Your patience and loving kindness, Your forbearance and tender pity, towards one of the most unworthy of Your followers. I have so often failed You, and brought shame upon Your name; I have disappointed You, when I might have given You pleasure; I have thwarted You, when I might have yielded to Your holy purpose. My only plea is Your most precious Blood. You have magnified Your mercy in saving me at all: now magnify Your grace in forgiving and restoring my souL Let me now stand again in Your holy presence and speak with You face to face.

“May there be nothing between us, Lord, nothing between us.”

From this moment, I solemnly, and by Your grace, renounce and put away the evil things which have gained an unholy supremacy over me – the companionships that lower the temperature of my inner life; the television programs, movies, und amusements which have cast a shadow on my hours of fellowship; the sin which so easily besets me; the soft yielding to sloth which has robbed me of so many seasons of hallowed communion; the desire to please men rather than You, and to succeed in this world rather than to be a humble servant in Your glorious household. All these I hereby steadfastly renounce and forsake. Other lords have had dominion over me; but henceforth by You onIy will I make mention of Your name. Especially do I steadfastly resolve by Your grace to renounce the devil and all his works; the world and all its vanity; the flesh and all its selfish and sinful desires; so that I may not follow or be led by them.

In myself I cannot keep these resolutions – my will is like a bruised reed, my desires like smoking flax; but oh, keep me true! You have kept my soul from death; will You not also keep my feet from falling, that I may walk before the Lord in the light of the living? You are able to keep me from stumbling, and present me faultless before the presence of Your glory with exceeding joy; into Your hands I commend my spirit: and I am persuaded that You do accept and will keep what I commit to You against that day.

And now, Lord, I yield myself to You – spirit, soul, and body – that as these were once filled and used by the Spirit of EviL they may henceforth be filled and used by Your Holy Spirit, who is one with You and the Father in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Never again, by Your help, shall sin reign in my mortal body, that I should obey the lusts thereof. It may tempt me by its suggestions; but it shall not reign, since I desire to present myself unto God as one alive from the dead, and my members as instrument of righteousness unto God.

In my inner life, I desire to be kept absolutely pure and lovely. O Holy and Spotless One, be in me the crystal fountain of purity! O Lamb of God, be in me the source of absolute meekness and humility! O Lover of Men, be in me a fire of unwaning, all-subduing tenderness! Make me instantly sensitive to the least taint of impurity and uncharity. Before ever the suggestion has assumed a tangible shape, may I detect it, and shelter in You. In my home life, may I be made a blessing; its sunbeam when the days are dark; its inspiration when the days are sad and hopeless; its tender comfort when the days are full of pain and tears. Always thinking of others before myself; never imposing my private sorrows or moods; washing my face, and anointing my head, and confiding my grief to You only.

In my spiritual life, may the neglect of prayer and Your Holy Word be things of the past. Wake me morning by morning to hear as a disciple. Enable me to spring up at Your call; and, like all Your true servants, to rise up early in the morning to gather the manna before the dew is gone from it. May my fellowship with You be unbroken through the day, that I may often look up into Your face, even if I have not time to speak. Draw me, and I will run after You.

In my daily calling, make me diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. May I do my work, not for the wages I may get, nor to secure an advance – but so as to please You. May it be the one object of my daily striving to do all to the glory of God – not with eye service, as pleasing men; but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord; doing the will of God, as it is indicated in the circumstances of my life, and looking for my reward from Your hand, O Divine Master!

In my use of money, may I not be anxious about the future, nor hoard up and keep for myself of that which You have given me; I want to be Your very slave, counting myself, and all I have, as Your purchased property, and using all things as Your representative and steward.

In my use of time, and health, and all the opportunities of life, I desire to act with reverent care; redeeming the time; buying up each opportunity; conserving my body as the pure temple of the Holy Ghost: so partaking of recreation, food, natural scenery, travel, and all lawful pastimes, that I may the better serve Your purpose in my creation and redemption. Show me what my talents are which You have entrusted to me, and help me to make the two, four; and the five, ten.

Now, bless me, even me, 0 Lord. I am Yours:

Your Father gave me to You before the world was made; You did purchase me for Yourself by Your most precious Blood; You have begun a good work within me by Your Holy Spirit: and now, afresh take me to Your heart, and seal me with Your Spirit. May He enlighten, comfort, and sanctify me; teaching me to pray, and opening the eyes of my heart that I may know You and the power of Your resurrection, that, as You have ascended into the heavens, so I may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with You continually dwell, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God, world without end.
Amen.

A Form of Dedication
By F. B. Myer, from his book “Saved and Kept”
Adaptation by John Brown

“Today I’m asking, “Why would someone kill 32 people, most of them kids, at Virginia
Tech? (I can’t write the words without seeing the bloody image of a victim being carried out on of a building). Behind that question lingers a harder question: Why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen?

“If a friend who’s hurting asks you that question the best answer is no answer. Just
silence and a hug, a tear, and a prayer.

“Of course, hundreds of books have been written which attempt to answer the question:
Why does God allow suffering? While no answer removes the pain of a loss, I’ve found
that with understanding comes comfort and hope. I’ve discovered in the Bible a number
of truths:

“First, life is difficult and God is good. Just as an artist uses black paint to make
shadows, without which a painting would have no contrast, so God uses hardship in
our lives. In Romans 8:28 Paul declares that God uses “all” things for the good
of those who love him.

“Second, God allows us to suffer to enable us to comfort others. The person who has been wrapped in the blanket of God’s comfort is best able to offer it to a hurting
friend. A parent who has grieved the loss of a child is best able to offer comfort
to another grieving parent. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

“Third, God allows us to suffer to show us our weakness so we can rely on his strength. Paul said he suffered so that, “we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

“Fourth, while my losses may confound and anger me, God knows what he’s doing. Job freely challenged the goodness and wisdom of God after the loss of his family, wealth and health. After God had addressed his questions, Job said, “I spoke of things
I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 41:3).

“Fifth, while God created man with the potential to do evil, God is not responsible for evil and suffering. We are. The choice to sin and walk away from God brought with it many consequences–including suffering and death. I know that when I hurt the most, while the pain lingered, the assurance that God is up to something good gave me strength. I think the psalmist said it best: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

“Be still, and know that I am God” ” (Psalm 46:1-2, 10).

- Bill Perkins, author

The key to the answer to every prayer is the same: It is that moving of the Spirit, that amount of money, that healing, that dying, that gain, that loss, that renewed relationship, that binding up of the thing that is broken, that finding of the Way, that new love, that pain, that overcoming, that revelation of the Truth – which brings honor, praise, and glory to the Name Above All Names: Jesus Christ. God answers prayer for “My own sake.” (2 Kings 19.34; Isaiah 37.35; Isaiah 43.25)

Regarding Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus told Ananias “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My Name.” Habakkuk complained that God did not hear his pleas for help. God answered, ” Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” (1.5)

Habakkuk complained again and God said, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (2.14)

There are 38 instances in the Old Testament and 32 in the New Testament that specifically tell us that God does what He does for His sake – not ours. I am struck by the words of the 23rd Psalm, “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

The Bible says to ask God. He will hear and answer. Seek God’s Face and not His hand. Pray for His presence in your life – not what He can give you. In Jeremiah 33.3-8, God says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” “I will heal”, “I will restore”, “I will cleanse”, “and I will forgive.”

In 2 Chronicles 7.14, God says “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

In Psalm 27.7-8 David prays, “Hear, O LORD,when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.“

In Hosea 5.15 God tells us “I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

Then what about the pain? The personal physical and emotional pain that we all suffer from time to time, whether we admit it or not? And why do some, especially those who love the Lord, at times seem to suffer so much more than others? I don’t know. I believe we must fight through pain – emotional and physical. When I am weakest I must seek relief by calling on the one and only True God. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51.15) When we are weakest and we trust in God – we are our strongest.

Pain may come from two sources:

There are trials from God Himself. “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 full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1.2-8 ) Note that “trials” are not the same as “temptations”.

Double-minded is literally “two souls.” If one part of a person is set on God and the other is set on this world (Matt. 6.24), there will be constant conflict within [Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary]. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt. 6.24) So what is “mammon”? It is “stuff”, the things of this world.

On James 1.12, the KJV Study Bible [Nelson] states: Mankind understandably may look on tragedy as the curse of God, as Job’s friends did. Trials are, however, the means through which God’s blessings can come. One’s endurance in and victory over trials bring God’s blessings. Christians, therefore, are not instructed to seek avenues of escape. God desires that they mature in the situation rather than move from it (cf. Rom. 5.3–5; 1 Pet. 1.6, 7). He does, however, promise to provide an escape if the testing becomes unbearable (1 Cor. 10.13). God’s people need to meditate more on James 1:12 than 1 Corinthians 10.13. The reason for this, and why God allows trials in the lives of His people, is revealed in the Mosaic Law: “That he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end” (Deut. 8.16).

How we deal with our pain may be our best testimony – God’s using us as His chosen vessels – a witness to the world of God’s love for those who trust in Him – in spite of our circumstances. Your life – a living sacrifice. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12.1)

The other source of pain is a result of our own sin nature. “He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away [i.e., lured away from truth and virtue – he takes the bait!] and enticed by his own desire [i.e., by his own temperament and habit]. “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (James 1.13-15) We must also endure temptations from the Liar. “Blessed is a man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1.12). God sees our heart. Protest as we may, He knows the intentions of our actions. God sees the internal MOTIVE of the heart of a person. (1 Cor. 4.5; Rom. 8.27; Jer. 17.10)

Life is not easy and our attempts to understand God in a particular situation are frequently futile. Nevertheless, as my Mother would say “Lord, I’m trusting.” “”And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”" (Daniel 3.15-18 ) God CAN deliver us and we may pray that He will. But even if He doesn’t, He is STILL OUR GOD, and our prayer is really that HIS will be done. (Luke 22.42)

Seek His presence (not his “presents”) in your Life. Earnestly seek His presence through your pain with a contrite heart. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51.17) Keep your eyes on the Giver and not the gifts. I pray that He will manifest Himself to you and through you to those who need Him and earnestly seek Him. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1.27)

And when should we pay? Always – about everything. “Pray at all times.” Ephesians 6.18 “Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long.” Ephesians 6.14-18  (The Message)

Psalm 51.17 refers to a “broken spirit”. We will talk about that soon.

That’s what all our “stuff” amounts to: scarecrows in a cucumber patch (Jeremiah 10.5). All of our “toys” are junk. Many of us concentrate our time on pursuing “success” only to discover we have spent the better part of our lives in the laborious doing of nothing. My god is that on which I center my attention and affection and for which I am willing to sacrifice. Show me your checkbook and I’ll tell you what god you serve. Are you driving around in your idol? Are you worshiping your idol on the golf course? Is your full attention on your job 24X7? Are you painstakingly painting, landscaping, and decorating your idol?

Don’t get me wrong. there’s nothing wrong with owning a nice car, playing golf, fishing, working hard, or having a nice home. But when your life is focused on these things – when most of your waking hours are spent devoting your attention to your possessions, your next ball game, your next promotion, your decorating prowess, or even your spouse, you are worshiping a false god created by … you. Things that in and of themselves are not sin – but when taken to excess, divert your love from the Giver to the gifts.

“Whatever we worship and serve is an idol, whether it’s an expensive house or car, the latest stereo equipment, a boat, a library, a career, or a bank account. Even a girlfriend or boyfriend, our children, or our spouse. If it isn’t Jesus Christ, then it’s an idol. If it’s other than the true and living God, it’s an idol. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). Our contemporary idols aren’t ugly as were the pagan idols in Jeremiah’s day, but they capture just as much affection and do just as much damage. A.W. Tozer reminds us that “the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.” It means worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25), the gifts rather than the Giver. The idols were senseless, and so were the people (Jer. 10:8), because we become like the god we worship (Psalm 115:8).

“Jeremiah looked around and ridiculed the idols (Jeremiah 10.1–16). Instead of separating themselves from the evil practices of the nations, as Moses had instructed (Deut. 7:1–11), Israel gradually imitated those practices and began to worship pagan gods. But these gods were worthless, manufactured by craftsmen, “like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch” (Jer. 10:5, HCSV). They can’t speak or walk, and they have to be carried around (Psalm 115.7). If only the people would contemplate the glory and majesty of the true and living God—the everlasting God who created the heavens and the earth by the Word of His power!

“The remedy for idolatry is for us to get caught up in the majesty and grandeur of God, the true God, the living God, the everlasting king. An idol is a substitute, and you would never want a substitute once you have experienced the love and power of the Lord God Almighty.

“Jeremiah looked ahead and lamented the judgment that is coming (10.17–22). Jeremiah saw the invasion of the Babylonian army and the distress they would bring. He urged the people to pack their bags and get ready to move, because they would be hurled out of the land like stones from slings. The prophet lamented the ruin of houses and families, the separation of parents and children, the scattering of God’s precious flock.

“Jeremiah pointed out the reason for this disaster: the shepherds (political and spiritual leaders; “pastors” ) didn’t seek the Lord but instead led the people astray (Jer. 10:21). The judgment came “for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests” (Lam. 4:13). A nation went into captivity because their leaders forsook the true and living God.”

[From Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1995). Be Decisive. An Old testament study. (Je 10:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.False gods: the true and living God (Jer. 10:1–25)]

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. BUT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN GOD! We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us…and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own - Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
- Abraham Lincoln
Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting,
Humiliation & Prayer, April 30, 1863

Their little life is entirely controlled by the organization of the world. They think as the world thinks. They take their opinions ready-made from their favourite newspaper. Their very appearance is controlled by the world and its changing fashions. They all conform; it must be done; they dare not disobey; they are afraid of the consequences. That is tyranny, this is absolute control—clothing, hair style, everything, absolutely controlled. The mind of the world! … Most lives are being controlled by it and governed by it, all their opinions, their language, the way they spend their money, what they desire, where they go, where they spend their holidays; it is all controlled, governed completely … by this world, the mind of the world, the age of propaganda, the age of advertising, the mass mind, the mass man, the mass individual, without knowing it. Is it not tragic? But that is man in sin … he is controlled by the mind of the world.

This is a wasted life. For freedom Christ has set us free; let’s stand firm and not submit again to a yoke of such slavery (Gal. 5:1), and not be conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2).

Quoted from Desiring God. See http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/561/ for entire article.