JUST ANOTHER DAY
Friends, I would like to share an email my brother, Doug, sent to his Sunday School class. Our Lord remains in control, steadfast, and faithful! Praise be to our Lord! -Langston
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Dear friends,
Have you ever had a day, a week, or a month, or even longer when you felt tested--maybe confused--maybe irritated? Just when things looked like they were finally getting in order, another shot came flying by you from a direction--or maybe from a person--you never expected. The harder you prayed, the more afflicted you felt. You began to wonder why your prayers weren't being answered. Eventually, you felt like you were running out of rope, and you really didn't know how you were going to survive the storm.
I think back on Noah. The Lord gave Noah what would appear to be an impossible order. Build a boat by hand that is so large it can contain 2 of every kind of animal. Yes, Noah, I know you don't need a boat, and I know you don't have any idea how to round up a male and female of every kind of animal. I know you're old, I know you don't have the resources to quit work and build this boat, and I know people will think you're nuts. But build the boat.
The people were merciless in their ridicule of Noah. I imagine there were few days that Noah woke up and felt good. He was probably stiff, sore, worried about putting food on the table, overwhelmed by the scope of the job before him, weary of a task that seemed to have no end, and suffering unbelievable ridicule from everyone else who watched him do something that appeared to be very foolish by worldly standards.
Yet Noah stuck it out. Noah was much more interested in his relationship with his Creator than he was with other men & women who were busy doing "their thing" in life. I would guess Noah had a taste of the eternal. He knew God could be trusted even when a God-sized task given to a small man appeared to be impossible. Noah believed in his Maker so much that he was willing to be a fool by worldly standards in order to obey God's calling on his life.
You see, no one had ever seen it rain for 40 days and nights. Only God knew how bad the storm would be. Only God knew how high the flood waters would get. Only God knew how Noah and his family could be protected. Keep in mind, Noah built a door on this ark that only God could close. Now that's faith.
Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." It would take a man such as this to trust instructions to build a boat 450 feet long with a door that only God could close and on a spot that had no water. No wonder God chose to save Noah.
God chose to save you. Only this time, an ark of wood wouldn't be good enough. This ark had to be even bigger, because it had to have room for every man and woman who would be saved. And it had to be perfectly made--something only God could do. That ark's name is Jesus, The Christ, Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
I want to speak to those of you who have accepted Christ as your Savior--especially those who are facing trials right now that seem to be overwhelming--maybe even unending. This is for you.
Some people seem to go through life with few problems. I suspect most have the same problems we face; they may just be better at disguising them. But there's no getting around that some of us seemingly encounter more trials than others. Because we're human, instead of remembering how much better off we are than ANY lost person, we can grow depressed because someone else seems to have an "easier" or more "prosperous" walk through life than we do.
Stick with me a minute... Susan and I have had the privilege of enjoying a cruise vacation before. The ships today are huge and fancy. The higher you go on the ship, the nicer and usually larger the room is. Some staterooms have spacious balconies. Others are in the depth of the ship without even a window and with very little room other than the bed you sleep on. Whether your cruise experience is one that enjoys the privileges and ease of the royal suite or the smallest, deepest, darkest room aboard, the important thing to remember is every passenger is on the ship! The royal suite doesn't get to the final destination one second faster than the smallest inboard stateroom. All passengers eat from the same "table." They all have equal access to all facilities and activities on the ship.
What fun would it be to go on a cruise if your focus is only on what you don't like about it? Is the best use of your time to focus on how someone else has a nicer room than you do? We know the answer to this is "no." Because literally billions of people on this planet don't know where their next meal is coming from. In our own town, we have thousands of homeless people living in the woods and alleys. We have people who are being beaten every day when an abusive spouse comes home drunk and angry at the world. Most people in the world can't even dream about the concept of a cruise vacation. Just getting on the boat would be a fantasy for them even without a room or a reserved seat at the dinner table.
If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, YOU ARE ON BOARD the "ship" that is heading to a heavenly destination. Nothing else really matters, does it? Being on board is what counts.
Now getting back to Noah, much of his earthly experience was one of hardship and plain, old-fashioned, self-denying obedience to his Maker. I'm sure Noah hated the ridicule he faced each day. I would imagine he wondered why he (of all people) was the one chosen to do the back-breaking work of building a boat that common sense told him wasn't needed--and was being built in the wrong place even if it was needed. I can imagine Noah asking God, "why me?" "Why now?" "Why here?"
What Noah couldn't know until the rains came was what he considered to be his trial in life was actually his lifeboat--literally. While Noah trudged through hard work, disappointment, doubt, and probably disillusionment at times, Noah was saving himself and his family one board at a time.
Today we have more prayer requests including new "unspoken" needs that are very serious. As we seek the Lord's intervention, leadership, and mercy, let's remember the most important thing. No matter how many storms batter our "boat" in this life, the key is we are on His boat. No matter how difficult or confusing those storms may be, for all you know, God may be directing you to build a "lifeboat" of experience during those trials that will save you or your family down the road from a storm that is much more serious.
The older I get, the less I understand. But I realize now that my comprehending everything on a god-like level is not only impossible, it is unnecessary. Praise the Lord, I'm on the "ark" named Jesus. I'll never be a "royal suite" kind of Christian. I guess there aren't too many Billy Grahams walking this world (and he would choose the lowliest room for himself). But at least there is a spot for me, and at least I know that when this "life cruise" is over, these eyes of mine will behold beauty that cannot be described in human terms. I will feel a warmth that is one million times more comforting than a crackling fire on a cold winter night. No joints will ache. There will be no bills to pay. And I will be wowed with an indescribable awe of being in the presence of the Great I Am. My ears will hear sounds that could never be imagined on this earth. I will see Jesus. In an instant, I will understand just how much He loved even me. I will be reunited with my loved ones who have preceded me in physical death. And in an instant, I will have no concept of time, limitations, struggle, or pain.
If I have to wash dishes in the kitchen along the way during my life's "cruise," if I have to swab the deck, or chip paint, or serve others who are sitting at the dining table, that's okay. God didn't call me to a lounge chair, and He didn't promise there would never be a wave on the sea of life or a storm in the sky during my journey. He simply invited me to come on board and leave the steering to Him. There is only one Captain on His ship, and I'm not it. None of us is captain of our life if Jesus is our Lord.
Christian, don't allow the storms of this life to overwhelm you; to fill you with fear. That is one of satan's oldest tricks. Remember who is standing at the wheel. Remember who built the ship we are on. We spend way too much time, energy, and effort trying to be captain when we should be asking our Captain what assignment He has for us today. Take courage, press on even when it's not easy, and stay on board. Jumping off the ship of relationship, faithfulness and trust will leave you bobbing up and down with each wave that hits you in this life. Stay close to the Lord even when you don't understand. Build your life one board at a time, one nail at a time, and one day at a time.
I love you.
In Christ,
Doug Rogers
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