Jim:
The theme I found at work in the passages today, and one which means a lot to me, is that of relying on God, but doing so as part of the community of faith, not as an individual.
Jeremiah 17:5-10, 14-18
This reading contains the third personal lament by the prophet (vv. 14-18). But I focused on verses 7-8: "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 years of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit." One sign of a right relationship with God is the willingness to trust God and to rely on God's providence. I'll confess that, as someone prone to fretting, I don't find this level of trust to be easy (Just yesterday Debbie reminded me how much I worry about things!). But I aspire to trust God because I know that God has been a presence in my life all along. Often I have drunk deep from the cool waters of God's grace (very like the living waters that Jesus promised the woman by the well in Samaria) and I have felt God's hand in my life. It's just that sometimes I can't let go of my own concerns or my own ideas of how things ought to be done. Of course this passage is addressed to a community, and in our nation and in our congregations there are a lot of definitions of what it means to trust God, some of which are completely opposed to each other. In my mind, the key is to embrace the challenge, to acknowledge the struggle, and to seek community with those around us who are doing the same thing. Together, and by the grace of God, we may put down roots deeper than any one of us can alone, and together we are more aware of what God is calling us to do, and therefore more apt to trust God.
Philippians 4:1-13
In light of the struggle I mentioned above, Philippians 4:13 offers a great deal of hope. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Again, it is important to remember that Paul is addressing his letter to a community of faith, not to a number of individuals. Together, as the people of God, we can do all things though God. This too is a call to rely on God and not on our own abilities since our strength comes from God, not from within ourselves.
John 12:27-36
Here I concentrated on verses 35-36. "Jesus said to them, 'The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.'" Here, too, the call is to rely on God, the source of light, and not on our own abilities. And here again, Jesus is speaking to a community of followers, not to a group of individuals. Together we are able to walk in the light, to trust in God, and to become "children (plural) of light." Whatever we do as Christians, we really should do it together and to the glory of God.
2 comments:
The topics you highlighted from today’s passages are very meaningful to me. The idea of trusting God and relying on his providence seems crucial, but not always easy. You see, I am also one that is VERY “prone to fretting’. I have an overactive imagination and my mind always gravitates to the worst possible scenario. I also have a strong need to be in control which, as you know, can be a problem when it comes to faithful obedience. There are a few verses from the passages today that really jumped out at me and gave me something to think about.
From Jeremiah…”Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength.” I find it ironic that this statement seems to contradict what we are taught by society. In today’s world, we admire people who are strong and independent; people who make things happen, and people who can take care of themselves. It seems favorable to be self-reliant, confident, and determined. We want to be people who are in control and can get things done. Yet God warns us, cursed are those who rely on the flesh alone. Despite our best efforts, we cannot plan for everything, we cannot control everything, and we cannot do everything alone (which, incidentally, was my plan back in my youth…plan hard, work hard, control everything, take care of things myself….sometime I’ll let you know how that worked out for me!). But then we hear, “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.” It is from this statement that we see that strength, confidence, and determination must be based on faith in the Lord. Faith in human flesh can wither in tough times, but faith in the Lord can withstand the challenges of life. This takes a kind of faith that requires you to relinquish control. Jim, as you said in your commentary, “One sign of a right relationship with God is the willingness to trust God and to rely on God's providence.” Trusting and relying on someone else can be a difficult thing to learn, and it can seem contrary to what we are taught by society. Of course, we aren’t being asked to rely on “someone” else, but rather to rely on God.
In the Philippians passage I read and re-read verses 6 and 7. “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This passage gets back to the part about me fretting. I really am a worrier. If I get a headache, it must be a tumor; if Stu doesn’t call when he is supposed to, it must be a crash; etc. I try to pray for the things I am worried about, but even this is hard for me. The verse tells me…don’t worry about things, just pray to God about your desires. But, you see, I know a lot of people who have prayed and prayed for the safety of a loved one, only to have them die. So many people are praying (as individuals, congregations, and as a nation) for the safety of our troops, yet some of them are not coming home. Before Stu deployed the first time, I was a bit frantic with worry. I was afraid I may never see him again. I felt like there was no amount of praying that would guarantee his safe return. I’ve been told that God answers prayers in mysterious ways, and that we don’t always get the answer we want. So, what was I going to do…how was I supposed to breathe for the 4 months that he was gone? Well, before he left, Debbie did a sermon on the text where Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection. When he appears in the locked room and the disciples are afraid, he says, “Peace be with you”. Debbie described the fear that the disciples must have felt…how very real it must have been. And she said that Jesus’ words were not merely tokens, they were not just a friendly greeting…he was calming them with the peace that is found in the Lord. I won’t try to recreate any more Debbie’s sermon (sorry for the disservice!) but it was powerful to me. I tried to envision being wrapped in the PEACE of Christ. It is the kind of peace that verse 7 of the Philippians passage refers to. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He didn’t say that all your prayers would be answered in just the way you want them to be. He said that Christ’s peace will guard your heart. I put a lot of stock in that. It sometimes seems like the only thing I can do…rely on the peace of Christ.
To me, these passages say…Put your trust in the Lord…your trust is the Lord. Rely on him. This will make you strong. Do not be afraid. Do not worry about things. Have faith and pray with a thankful heart. Christ’s peace (the real deal) will envelope you and see you through the good and the bad.
I still struggle with worry and fear. Sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to feel His peace and rely on His providence. These passages remind me of the importance of this and give me strength.
Megan: Very nicely put! Trusting in God with all one's heart isn't easy (though I think it is like any skill that requires practice to develop--it becomes easier over time). And go figure, the nation of the world that most exemplifies the image of the rugged individualist also has "In God We Trust" on it's currency. God cares for us, as individuals and as a community, but God's providence is beyond understanding. So we pray, and we remain open to what God may be saying to us, and we do the best we can and know that in the end (as Bob Marley said) "everything's gonna' be alright."
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