Just heard from my good friend, Dave Santos. He is the missionary in Brazil that I worked with when I went on the mission trip this past summer. He wanted to relay a couple of stories from the men of the church who have received one of my pens and heard my presentation of "Lessons from the Lathe". I gave Dave a supply of pens; every time he gives one away he share the lesson of how God works to shapes us into what He desires us to be. The men who have received them, in turn tell the story to those who comment on their pen. The men use the story to encourage one another when things get hard. And he wanted me to know that the church there continues to pray for me.
It is so encouraging to know that God can use this simple illustration to bring comfort and encouragement to men across the world. Who would have known when I began this ministry that God would use it to reach people around the world? God did, that's who!
Most encouraging for me is that when I get discouraged because of my cancer and all the things I can't do; God shows me what He can do through this broken vessel when I am willing to submit to His sovereignty. God is good!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
But God Rememberd Noah
I have started my annual read through of the Bible. This has become the one “resolution” that I make every year. When I first began the practice it was so that I could say I had done it; one more check in my list of things that “good Christians” do. But each year that I do this, God’s Word becomes sweeter and more personal to me. I read it now because I love the Author and I know He desires to speak to me. I would encourage all my brothers and sisters in Christ to develop a daily hunger for God’s word.
I finished the story of Noah the other day and a phrase from Genesis 8:1 won’t let me go: “But God remembered Noah…” As I have allowed that phrase to roll around in my head I couldn’t help but consider the situation in which Noah found himself when God remembered him. As the story of Noah is played out we find that he faithfully obeyed each time that God asked him to do something. God said…and Noah did as the Lord commanded.” In chapter 8 we find Noah at about the halfway point in his cruise. I have never taken the time to add up the days before and hadn’t realized that they were on the boat for 400 days or more! I can only imagine what it must have been like on the ark. There was only family to talk to and I am sure that they were like any normal family and got under each other’s skin from time to time. There where the animals that needed to be tended to; fed, watered, cleaned up after…And I think there must have been some grieving over all the loss that they had experienced: friends, home, extended family, everything except what was on the ark had been washed away by the flood. I think that maybe Noah and his family may have been feeling a bit down at this point.
Then Scripture says those amazing words: “God remembered Noah.” In the midst of all that was going on in his life, when things looked their worst, God showed up and somehow reminded Noah that He was still with them. It didn’t end the struggle, there was probably close to another 10 months or more before God called them out of the ark! But I believe that God had given Noah and his family the encouragement they needed to continue on faithfully in the task to which He had called them.
Why this impacted my life so much this year is because I have been going through a period of depression. I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be, I know that He works all things together for good, I know that He who began the work in my life will be faithful to complete it. I know that I know these facts and I trust God to be faithful to His word. I am just tired of being sick, I am tired of losing my ability to remember things, I don’t like the fact the Brenda has to work so much but would much prefer to be home with the kids. I don’t know why the holidays bring on such depression. Statistics show it to be the time of year when more people experience depression.
As I meditated on this passage, I realized just how much I had let depression creep into my life again. I realized that the fruit of the Spirit was not what was being evidenced in my reactions. I was challenged in what I allowed myself to think about and the choices that I was making. God seemed to sit next to me and say, “Scott, I remember you. I am still with you. I have not forsaken you. Now, quit your moping and get back to work. I have a job for you to do in the circumstances in which you find yourself. Will you be faithful to do what I ask in spite of how you feel?”
I am still tired of the situation and would love for it to be done. But I will intentionally choose each day to remember that this is what God has called me to. I will remember that I alone can choose my attitude and response to circumstances. I will choose to be obedient to God’s word that tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always.” “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I hope that you find encouragement in the fact that “God remembered Noah” and He remembers you too. Pray with me as I strive to allow God to have His perfect work in my life.
God is good.
Scott
I finished the story of Noah the other day and a phrase from Genesis 8:1 won’t let me go: “But God remembered Noah…” As I have allowed that phrase to roll around in my head I couldn’t help but consider the situation in which Noah found himself when God remembered him. As the story of Noah is played out we find that he faithfully obeyed each time that God asked him to do something. God said…and Noah did as the Lord commanded.” In chapter 8 we find Noah at about the halfway point in his cruise. I have never taken the time to add up the days before and hadn’t realized that they were on the boat for 400 days or more! I can only imagine what it must have been like on the ark. There was only family to talk to and I am sure that they were like any normal family and got under each other’s skin from time to time. There where the animals that needed to be tended to; fed, watered, cleaned up after…And I think there must have been some grieving over all the loss that they had experienced: friends, home, extended family, everything except what was on the ark had been washed away by the flood. I think that maybe Noah and his family may have been feeling a bit down at this point.
Then Scripture says those amazing words: “God remembered Noah.” In the midst of all that was going on in his life, when things looked their worst, God showed up and somehow reminded Noah that He was still with them. It didn’t end the struggle, there was probably close to another 10 months or more before God called them out of the ark! But I believe that God had given Noah and his family the encouragement they needed to continue on faithfully in the task to which He had called them.
Why this impacted my life so much this year is because I have been going through a period of depression. I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be, I know that He works all things together for good, I know that He who began the work in my life will be faithful to complete it. I know that I know these facts and I trust God to be faithful to His word. I am just tired of being sick, I am tired of losing my ability to remember things, I don’t like the fact the Brenda has to work so much but would much prefer to be home with the kids. I don’t know why the holidays bring on such depression. Statistics show it to be the time of year when more people experience depression.
As I meditated on this passage, I realized just how much I had let depression creep into my life again. I realized that the fruit of the Spirit was not what was being evidenced in my reactions. I was challenged in what I allowed myself to think about and the choices that I was making. God seemed to sit next to me and say, “Scott, I remember you. I am still with you. I have not forsaken you. Now, quit your moping and get back to work. I have a job for you to do in the circumstances in which you find yourself. Will you be faithful to do what I ask in spite of how you feel?”
I am still tired of the situation and would love for it to be done. But I will intentionally choose each day to remember that this is what God has called me to. I will remember that I alone can choose my attitude and response to circumstances. I will choose to be obedient to God’s word that tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always.” “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I hope that you find encouragement in the fact that “God remembered Noah” and He remembers you too. Pray with me as I strive to allow God to have His perfect work in my life.
God is good.
Scott
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