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Daily Devotions - Entries tagged "When the Bottom Drops Out"

FriFridayNovNovember4th2011 Friday, November 4

Posted Friday, November 04 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Mourning When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

This coming Sunday Pastor Rob will finish the sermon series based on his book, When the Bottom Drops Out. In preparation we will spend some time this week exploring a biblical and practical perspective on grief change, drawing from Scripture as well as Pastor Rob’s personal experiences and observations. How can you offer the most comfort to a grieving friend or family member? What should you expect if your world has suddenly been turned upside down? What is often the most overlooked aspect of change?

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on several verses from Joshua 1:1-9. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . . ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

When someone undergoes a great loss, we expect them to grieve. Too often, however, we ignore or underestimate the disequilibrium and pain that come from adapting to the transition and change that follow a major trial.

In his book, Pastor Rob talks about the night in a hospital hotel room when he first realized that Carol’s disease had already robbed them of the many simple, everyday pleasures they had enjoyed during their married life. He was grieved over this realization, but he also realized he was being forced to walk through a painful transition to a life without his best friend—a journey he never wanted to take.

Even good changes can cause anxiety. For instance, Joshua was charged with leading the Israelites through a major transition—entry into the Promised Land—just after Moses’ death. After wandering for forty years in the wilderness, one might expect Joshua to be charged up to lead the Israelites into this land of milk and honey.

Notice, however, the Lord’s command to him: “Be strong and very courageous.” Notice too that he didn’t say this once, but three times. Humanly speaking, the idea of defeating the Canaanites, who outnumbered the Israelites, seemed daunting. In fact, like all change, this major move would be hard. Joshua had to face that reality; yet he could also rest in God’s promise to go with them and give them victory.

Change is difficult; no wonder then that change also requires faith in the God who can do the impossible. Scripture, in fact, is full of God’s promises to be with us, to fight for us, to redeem us. Because God is constantly faithful, we can relax in the knowledge that God never changes and nothing takes Him by surprise. Just consider His promise to Joshua: ^“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . . No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (vv. 3, 5).

A few verses later, God reveals the secret of successful change: “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” Don’t make the mistake of assuming our heavenly Father is asking us simply to memorize a list of dos and don’ts, however. He added, “Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (vv. 7-8).

As Pastor Rob explains, our anchor in change is the Word of God. Yes, we must obey God and trust Him, but that will be possible only as we spend time in God’s Word. Pastor Rob writes, “Over and over I have told our church that it’s not so much what you do in the moment of crisis that determines how you will come out of it, it’s what you do in the months and years leading up to it.”^{^[1]}

You are either in the midst of a major transition now or you will face one at some point. Either way, don’t neglect your time in God’s Word. It will comfort you in trials and build the faith and confidence you need to survive any change that will come. Don’t fear transitions; be strong and courageous, knowing God stands with you!

Heavenly Father,

When change comes, my temptation may be to recklessly charge ahead or cower in fear. Instead, I pray that Your Spirit would remind me to turn to You and Your Word. Each morning, as daily pressures and worries press in on me, draw me to your Word, which offers hope and help, and which is my anchor in times of change.

In Christ’s name,

Amen.

[1] When the Bottom Drops Out, page 191.

ThuThursdayNovNovember3rd2011 Thursday, November 3

Posted Thursday, November 03 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Mourning When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Proverbs 25:11. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

While serving in the House of Representatives in the 1840s, Abraham Lincoln became friends with a Georgia congressman named Alexander Stephens. As tensions increased between the North and South, their relationship became strained. Wanting to save the friendship and, more importantly, preserve the Union, President-elect Lincoln corresponded privately with his old colleague.

Responding to Lincoln’s appeal that Stephens assure his fellow Southerners that he did not consider himself their enemy, Stephens wrote, “I would have you understand me as being not a personal enemy, but as one who would have you do what you can to save our common country. A word fitly spoken by you now would be like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Though the two continued to disagree on the best way to resolve the North and South’s differences, Lincoln seems to have kept Stephens’ paraphrase of Proverbs 25:11 in mind as he led the United States. He is known to have carefully considered his words before speaking or writing—a trait that may have helped preserve the Union.

When God nudges us to reach out to a grieving person, sometimes we must use words. Solomon encourages us to be as careful in voicing our thoughts as the craftsman is as he forms precious metals into a beautiful piece of artwork. Just as a fourteen-carat golden apple set in a solid silver frame is pleasing to the eye, so a timely and thoughtful word is pleasing to an aching heart.

Pastor Rob encourages us to choose our words carefully when responded to those who are hurting. Of course, that requires really listening to our grieving friends rather than trying to come up with some nugget of wisdom to pass along while they are still speaking.

When a person’s heart is breaking, offering a simple but sincere “I’m sorry” may be enough to ignite a glimmer of hope. Acknowledging a person’s loss can be a great comfort in itself. And sometimes, if you’ve walked through the same painful path that your friend is now on, you may be the one to help them believe that they’ll make it through too.

Apt words are always welcomed. As you think through your circle of family and friends today, who could use a word of encouragement or kindness? Talk with God about how you might communicate His love to someone who needs it today.

Lord Jesus,

You once told Your disciples that “the words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). Thank You that You chose to speak to us before we ever knew how much we needed You. May we share that love with others through our words today.

In Your name,

Amen.

WedWednesdayNovNovember2nd2011 Wednesday, November 2

Posted Wednesday, November 02 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Mourning When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Job 2:11-13. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

¹¹When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. . . . ¹²When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. ¹³Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Most of us long to reach out and comfort grieving friends, coworkers, or family members, but fear often holds us back. What if we do something wrong and make the situation worse? As a result we often stay away or suggest they, “call us if they need anything.”

Job’s friends may have been wrong about a lot of things, but their initial response to his suffering was spot on. As soon as they heard about his misfortune, they visited Job so they could express their sympathy directly. While we wouldn’t wail, tear our clothes, and throw dust in the air as they did, such actions were common expressions of grief in Job’s day.

What did Job’s friends say? Apparently they remained silent for the first seven days, the standard period of mourning following a death or disaster. Instead of talking, they simply sat with Job, offering the comfort of their presence. They didn’t try to lighten things up by telling jokes or try to comfort him by offering platitudes about God’s perfect will. No, they just made sure he wasn’t alone.

Thousands of years later, when urging the Romans to really love one another, the apostle Paul suggested a similar approach: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. . . . Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:10, 15, NLT). When we want others to know that we hurt for them, the most powerful thing we can do is sit with them, walk with them, or perhaps even hug them.

Several years ago, one man did that in a most remarkable way. After a milk deliveryman opened fire on several young girls in a one-room Amish schoolhouse before killing himself, the Amish community rallied around the gunman’s family. One of the most stirring reports to emerge: that of an Amish neighbor who reportedly held the gunman’s sobbing father in his arms for an hour. There’s no record of words being exchanged; just of a man entering the pain of a father who’d lost his son.

In his book, Pastor Rob calls this “listening with the heart” and the “ministry of presence.” He recalls how comforted he was by friends who came to the hospital in Houston to sit with him. They didn’t say much; they simply let Rob and Carol know they weren’t alone. And when Rob needed to talk, they really listened to what he was saying from his heart.

If you’re grieving today, are you willing to let those who know you best comfort you just by being there? If you push them away, you may miss out on one means God has arranged to bring you a sense of peace. If you know someone in deep pain, have you allowed fear or discomfort to keep you away? If so, ask God to help you discern how best to communicate your care and concern to that person—whether through a visit, a phone call, or even a simple card or e-mail.

Lord Jesus,

The night before Your crucifixion, You asked a few of Your closest friends to sit with You while You prayed. That tells me that You understand how much we need each other when we’re hurting. Please help me to accept the comfort others may extend to me today. And if I’m the one who needs to reach out to a grieving friend or family member, I ask that You help me offer the ministry of my presence in a way that truly comforts him or her. Use my actions to remind them of Your great love and concern for them too.

In Your name,

Amen.

TueTuesdayNovNovember1st2011 Tuesday, November 1

Posted Tuesday, November 01 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Mourning When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Psalm 34:17-19. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

Grief often makes us uncomfortable. No wonder we assume (perhaps hope is a better word) that once a person has gone through the recognized stages of grief, he or she will “get over it” and move on with life. Yet, as Pastor Rob points out in When the Bottom Drops Out, grief is profound and disorienting. It comes in waves and can be triggered again when least expected.

Clinical data supports this assessment. Any significant loss brings up feelings of longing and sadness over a long period. While the intensity of feelings generally lessens over time, a person cannot erase emotional memory. He or she cannot forget someone or something of great importance.^{^[1]}

Accepting these feelings of loss is key. But to whom can we go with our grief? Sometimes we are truly isolated, with no friend or family member available to ease our pain. Psalm 34 is a great reminder that God always opens His arms to us.

David penned this psalm while on the run from King Saul. David had sought refuge in Gath, the hometown of Goliath, but the officials were not happy about his being there. Out of fear, David “pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13). In his distress, he had a choice: knowing he was innocent, he could turn from God in anger or he could turn to his heavenly Father for help.

David chose to cry out to God. In this psalm, he affirms that God hears, that He rescues, and that He is close to the brokenhearted and those who have been crushed by life. We don’t know exactly how God reached out to help David. We do know, however, that David’s troubles didn’t end once he’d left Gath. He would run to many other hideouts, nearly escaping Saul a few times, before Saul was killed in battle and David was crowned king. Yet Psalm 34 is full of hope and praise.

When we’re grieving, God doesn’t promise to magically erase the pain. He does, however, promise Himself. If you or someone you love is struggling today—perhaps even turning away from God because of anger, guilt, or pain—prayerfully read Psalm 34, asking the Lord to speak words of comfort to your soul and to the hurting souls close to you.

Heavenly Father,

Help me to realize that I am not alone today. You hear me as I cry to You for help, and I trust that You will somehow rescue me from my troubles. May You enable me to share that same hope with someone else who needs it today. I praise You, even as I hurt, for Your faithfulness, love, and compassion.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

[1] Mary C. Lamia, “Grief Isn’t Something to Get Over,” Psychology Today, May 1, 2011.

FriFridayOctOctober28th2011 Friday, October 28

Posted Friday, October 28 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

This Sunday Pastor Rob Bugh will continue his sermon series based on his book, When the Bottom Drops Out. This week’s sermon will focus on the example of the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament. For several decades, Jeremiah warned the kingdom of Judah of its impending destruction if the nation did not turn back to God.

When Jeremiah began his ministry, Judah was relatively prosperous and secure; however, its fortunes turned once Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gained power in the region. The book of Jeremiah is full of God’s warnings to His people, urging them to return to Him. Lamentations, which Jeremiah composed just before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., mourns the fall of the city through a collection of five emotionally charged poems.

Today we are reading and meditating on Lamentations 3:40. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

Let us examine our ways and test them,

and let us return to the Lord.

The fifth and final characteristic of people with persevering faith is: complete obedience to God. Just as Jeremiah urged the Jews to come humbly back to their God, so Christ calls us, His disciples, to take up our crosses and follow Him.

Does that mean we must live perfectly? Of course not. If it did, all of us would be doomed, since none of us meet that standard. And yet we are called to confess, repent, and return to God after we’ve blown it.

What does repentance look like? Joel Rosenberg recently explained how he illustrated this concept for his youngest son, Noah. First, he asked Noah to stand next to him. Then he said, “Noah, start running away from me, out of the family room, through the kitchen and to the dining room. Ready? Go!”

As Noah was running, Joel suddenly called out, “Stop, Noah!” Then Joel added, “Repent, Noah.” And the little boy turned around. Joel invited him to “come back to daddy!” Noah ran right back to his father’s arms, and Joel gladly picked him up, hugged, and kissed him. Joel says,

That’s repentance. God is telling to stop, because we’re running in the opposite direction, away from Him. He tells us to repent—to turn around—and to come running back to Him so that He can forgive us and dust us off and restore us. And that’s why He shakes us. He is trying to get us to let go of anything and everything we are holding—every form of ideology, or philosophy, or religious beliefs, or political beliefs, or material possessions—whatever we’re holding onto that we think will give us hope and peace and security other than Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.^{^[1]}

Though Christ followers aren’t perfect, when the bottom drops out of their lives, they persevere in their faith. They learn not to blame an angry outburst on stress or give in to sexual temptation to relieve loneliness. And yet when they do fall, they turn right back to Christ, asking Him to forgive them and put them back on the right path.

Dear Heavenly Father,

As much as I long to follow You, I confess that too often I blow it. Today I ask for Your forgiveness for _____________________. While I know I will not be perfect in this life, I long to be conformed to the image of Your Son. Please help me to develop in my obedience to You.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

[1] Joel Rosenberg, “Four Reasons Why God Is Shaking America and the World,” a sermon given on September 11, 2011. See http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/four-reasons-why-god-is-shaking-america-the-world-text-of-wake-up-call-sermon/.

ThuThursdayOctOctober27th2011 Thursday, October 27

Posted Thursday, October 27 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Lamentations 3:26-32. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

²⁶It is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

²⁷It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is young.

²⁸Let him sit alone in silence,

for the Lord has laid it on him.

²⁹Let him bury his face in the dust—

there may yet be hope.

³⁰Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,

and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹For men are not cast off

by the Lord forever.

³²Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,

so great is his unfailing love.

There once was a prophet from a privileged family who spoke out against the ruler of his nation and called his people back to obedience to God. The tyrant, angered by what he considered the prophet’s insurrection, had the prophet imprisoned. The prophet did not give in to despair; instead, he urged his countrymen and women to walk in faith and hope.

This prophet certainly sounds like Jeremiah. When the Babylonians finally sieged Jerusalem, Jeremiah was charged with treason and insurrection and imprisoned in the royal palace of King Zedekiah.

The opening paragraph describes a modern-day “prophet” as well: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German who stood up to Adolf Hitler. Both Jeremiah and Bonhoeffer exemplify the fourth characteristic of persevering faith: total submission to the plan of God.

Unlike many in the upper military and professional classes of Germany who justified their tolerance of Hitler out of deep-seated loyalties to German culture, Bonhoeffer resisted the Fuhrer from the beginning. Just two days after Hitler gained power in 1933, Bonhoeffer made a radio broadcast in which he warned the nation about the dire consequences Hitler’s policies could bring. A year or so later, he joined with other Lutheran theologians in Germany to form the Confessing Church, which opposed the Nazi-controlled state church.

As war became imminent, concerned friends urged Bonhoeffer to seek refuge in the United States. He refused, submitting to God’s call to stand with the true church in Germany. Just a few years before, in his book The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer had written, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”^{^[1]}

And yet Bonhoeffer’s submission didn’t reflect a sense of despair. Consider the words he wrote in January 1943, just three months before his arrest:

There remains for us only the very narrow way, often extremely difficult to find, of living every day as if it were our last, and yet living in faith and responsibility as though there were to be a great future. It is not easy to be brave and keep that spirit alive, but it is imperative.^{^[2]}

Like Jeremiah, Bonhoeffer didn’t sugarcoat the extreme difficulties of a world in which the bottom seems to have dropped out. At the same time, he knew that a sovereign God would never abandon his people.

Hitler personally ordered Bonhoeffer’s execution in April 1945. From a human perspective, his death may seem tragic. Yet Bonhoeffer had found eternal freedom even before his nation began its slow liberation from Nazism. In fact, Nazi Germany had become the laboratory in which Bonhoeffer worked out his understanding on the true meaning of grace:

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because . . . it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.^{^[3]}

As you face your own challenges today, remember the grace Christ poured out for you. And pray for God’s help in modeling just how rich and costly that grace really is. As your submission to your loving Creator grows, so will your hope!

Dear Jesus,

Your grace to me came at such a high price to You. May I never cheapen it by taking it for granted or refusing to extend grace to others.

In your name,

Amen.

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone, 1995), 89.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison (New York: Touchstone, 1997).

[3] Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 45.

WedWednesdayOctOctober26th2011 Wednesday, October 26

Posted Wednesday, October 26 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Psalm 63:1. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

Years ago, author and Christian psychologist Larry Crabb was driving his seventy-nine-year-old father home after an extended hospital stay. They drove along in silence until his father said: “I’m grateful for all the friends who came to visit me in the hospital. But the visitor I most wanted never came.”

“Who, Dad?” Larry asked.

“God,” his father said wistfully.

Dumbfounded, Larry said nothing. A few seconds later, his dad spoke again, this time with a voice trembling with joy: “I’m so grateful.”

“For what?” Larry asked. “God’s absence?”

“Oh, Larry, God gave me the privilege of trusting His Word in the absence of His felt presence. He must see a kind of faith in me that I can't see in myself. I was able to rest in His written promises. I think that pleases Him.”

It’s quite possible that one of the Scriptures Larry’s dad turned to was Psalm 63, which King David wrote when his enemies had forced him out into the wilderness. Like Larry’s father, David spoke as one desperate for connection to his heavenly Father.

Both men modeled the third characteristic of those with persevering faith: they have unquenchable passion for God. When we allow God to refine and build our faith even as the bottom drops out of our lives, we will notice a marked increase in our passion for God. Notice that David opened his psalm, not by pleading for God’s help, but by expressing his desire to find God. “Your unfailing love,” he wrote, “is better than life itself; how I praise you!” (v. 3). David possessed one of the greatest riches of a persevering faith: intimacy with God.

And how do we know that we have persevering faith? In his book, Pastor Rob says our desire for God’s presence will lead us to stop and listen to Him through prayer and Bible reading.

Of course, anyone can seek after God with a passionate heart; hardship just seems to position us better to develop that desire. “Regardless of your circumstances,” Pastor Rob writes, “my prayer for you is that God will give you the grace to seek Him and to run after Him.”^{^[1]}

Lord God,

Much as I would like to avoid difficulty and struggle, I thank you for using them to show me that You are the priceless treasure in my life. Help me to run after you with the fervor of King David and the elderly man in the backseat.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

[1] When the Bottom Drops Out, page 126.

TueTuesdayOctOctober25th2011 Tuesday, October 25

Posted Tuesday, October 25 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Lamentations 3:25-26. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

²⁵The Lord is good to those who depend on him,

To those who search for him.

²⁶So it is good to wait quietly

For salvation from the Lord.

Back in 1985, Alena Strickland was a typical suburban mom. Then her world turned upside down when her third child contracted a brain infection shortly after birth. Baby Jamie was hospitalized for months. While her own daughter’s situation might have seemed enough to push her over the edge, Alena actually found herself drawn to her infant daughter’s roommate, a baby girl suffering from severe intestinal problems whose parents had walked out on her.

About eighteen months later, Alena learned that the abandoned baby would soon die. She recalls, “At that point, I heard God telling me, ‘Take her home and let her die at your house.’ . . . For weeks I wrestled with God, and I gave Him all my excuses and fears. It got to the point where I couldn’t sleep. God just kept putting it in my head and my heart, every second of every day: ‘Take her home. Take her home. Take her home.’”

Finally, Alena relented. She asked medical workers at the hospital to teach her how to care for the little girl and lovingly cared for her at home for a month, when she died.

That wasn’t the end of the story, however. Hospital workers now called on Alena to care for other terminally ill children in her home. Since 1985, in fact, Alena and her family have taken in and cared for well over 100 ill children, including six whom she has adopted and a couple of other children for whom she serves as guardian.

Alena epitomizes the second characteristic of those with persevering faith: they are dependent on the faithful character of God. As Alena says, “I encourage others to step up and do whatever God calls them to do. You can do it. After all, I’ve been able to do something that is certainly beyond what I know how to do.”

Incredibly, Alena followed God’s call even after her first husband left her, overwhelmed by the serious illness of their own daughter. “I’ve done most of this while I was single. God met me at every point and has helped me handle each new disability and every new challenge. Whatever God calls you to do . . . He will meet you there and give you what you need to do it. . . .”

“You’ve got to be willing to basically lose everything, and then God gives it back to you when you answer His call and when you walk in His will, said Alena.”^{^[1]}

If God is stretching you today, know this—if you lean on Him, He will develop your perseverance too.

Lord Jesus,

Don’t let me waste my challenging circumstances. Help me to see beyond my own pain and struggles to your presence and help in my life. May I become ever more dependent on You.

In Your name,

Amen.

[1] Alena’s story is told in The Cause within You by Matthew Barnett (Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2011), 79–84.

MonMondayOctOctober24th2011 Monday, October 24

Posted Monday, October 24 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Lamentations 3:21-23: The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

²¹Yet this I call to mind

And therefore I have hope;

²²Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed

For his compassions never fail.

²³They are new every morning;

Great is your faithfulness.

For centuries, God had appointed prophets to remind His people, the Israelites, of His covenant with them. He had promised to be their God, to bless them and make them a great nation. In return they pledged Him their love, faithfulness, and obedience. However, God had pledged that if the Israelites followed other gods, He would scatter them throughout the nations. By the time God called Jeremiah, the Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdoms of Israel, who long before had rejected God.

Jeremiah was born into a family of priests. He ministered during the reign of Josiah, who ruled the southern kingdom of Israel. King Josiah followed God faithfully; unfortunately, he was the last king to do so. His son and successor, Jehoiakim, renewed pagan worship. Jeremiah continued to urge his countrymen to repent, to turn back to God and serve Him with all their hearts. Instead, they sank ever deeper into idolatry and relied on Egypt, not God, to protect them from the Babylonians.

Just as God warned, the southern kingdoms were conquered by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Because Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, was favorably disposed toward Jeremiah, the prophet was permitted to remain in Judah with the small remnant of Jews who were left behind. Even then, however, his countrymen largely ignored his pleas that they turn back to God.

If anyone has ever had a right to say, “I told you so,” it was Jeremiah. No wonder Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet”—he had so much to grieve. And yet the book of Lamentations illustrates that, even as his sorrow grew, so did Jeremiah’s faith. He illustrates the first characteristic demonstrated by people with persevering faith: they have clarity about the character of God.

Despite his nation’s flagrant disobedience, Jeremiah knew that God was faithful. No doubt he remembered the words of Moses to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land: “If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. . . . For the Lord will scatter you among the nations. . . . But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him” (Deuteronomy 4:26-27, 29, NLT).

If the bottom has dropped out of your world, Jeremiah’s laments and praises can be a great source of comfort, reminding you that God’s character never changes. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).

Heavenly Father,

When the bottom drops out in our lives, it is so easy to fall into despair. Rather than wallowing in sorrow, please help us look up to you and grab hold of your promise never to leave us or forsake us. Like Jeremiah, may we recognize your mercies, which are new every morning.

Amen.

FriFridayOctOctober21st2011 Friday, October 21

Posted Friday, October 21 2011 @ 5 AM byJonathan Ziman Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Adversity strikes at the worst times in our life. Two weeks ago Pastor Rob recalled that it was during one of the most intense and stressful times of his life as a Senior Pastor that both his best friend and his wife were struck with cancer and died.

Abraham was a man whose life, like ours, was full of adversity. How did he respond? What can we learn from his example? Two weeks ago, Pastor Rob explored the first of two crucial episodes in Abraham’s life that demonstrated his faith (as recorded in Heb. 11:8-10). This week we’ll explore the second two (Heb. 11:11-19).

The devotionals this week were written by Jonathan Ziman, Community Life Pastor for Singles here at Wheaton Bible Church.

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:17-19. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from the dead.

This issue of sacrifice is hard to swallow, especially when circumstances force our hand and we find ourselves caught in a situation where sacrifice becomes a necessity. Yet, despite all our concerns and fears and doubts, despite whatever hesitation we may have, it’s ultimately the most satisfying way to live. As Pastor Rob says in his book, When the Bottom Drops Out,

Sacrifice is counterintuitive; it’s winning by losing, gaining by giving, living by dying, doing without now so you can be rewarded later in heaven. It’s seeing yourself as an alien and stranger in this life. For some, sacrifice means living more simply and downsizing; for others, it’s ministering to the poor and the needy, serving when no one notices; it may mean loving and advocating for your handicapped child; it’s taking care of the sick, the widow, the orphan; it’s staying put in a tough marriage; it’s significantly upping what you give of your time, talent, and treasure to the cause of Christ; it’s giving up a cherished dream; it’s standing up for Christ when others aren’t.

When we chose to follow Christ we signed up for a life of sacrifice. We chose to set aside our self-centered, selfish desires in order to submit to His Lordship over all aspects of our life. Now the moment is here, how will we respond? Will we go back to doing things according to what we want, or will our lives reflect the model set before us in the life of Jesus Christ, who willingly gave up everything so that we might be redeemed?

Heavenly Father,

This week has been filled with tough teaching and probing questions. My heart weighs heavy and my head is spinning, but I know that you are good and whatever else is happening in my life right now, you alone have the power to bring healing and hope. You alone can be my rest. For that I thank and praise you now,

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

ThuThursdayOctOctober20th2011 Thursday, October 20

Posted Thursday, October 20 2011 @ 5 AM byJonathan Ziman Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

The devotionals this week were written by Jonathan Ziman, Community Life Pastor for Singles here at Wheaton Bible Church.

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:17-19. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

In Pastor Rob’s book, When the Bottom Drops Out, there are countless examples of men and women who endured all kinds of adversity. Fatal illness, chronic disease, emotional turmoil…we would never choose any of it. Yet we are called to walk through it nonetheless, and, as Pastor Rob has argued, “In the hands of God, there is always advantage to adversity.”

However, among the great acts of faith recorded in Hebrews is another kind of situation entirely. After waiting years and years for the child of promise to be born, God presented Abraham with a test, asking him to sacrifice “his one and only son.” As Pastor Rob explains in his book, the ethical/moral problems involved here are not the concern of the author of Hebrews. The question is rather one of faith. What will Abraham do? How will he respond? He has shown great faith in the past, but what about now? Can he give up his most treasured possession, his one and only son?

“Sacrifice,” Pastor Rob says, “is saying no to something you prefer, so you can say yes to God.”[1] It’s a straight-forward concept to teach, but something altogether different to live out. For Pastor Rob it involved a willingness to let go of his wife Carol and his friend Tom, releasing them into God’s hands. Was it easy or straightforward or unemotional? Of course not. But it was an act of faith to realize that the path through the pain was not to be found in clinging tightly to those he loved, but trusting completely in the One who loves him.

Abraham’s life teaches us that we must, “by faith, sacrifice for God, even when it costs [us] everything.”[2] Who or what might God be calling you to let go of today?

God,

This is a hard lesson for me to live out. I can give up little things like my TV or my phone, but you know the big things I have a death grip on. Help me to relinquish control; help me to let go; help me to give it all to you, trusting in your perfect plans.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

[1] When the Bottom Drops Out, 101.

[2] When the Bottom Drops Out, 100.

WedWednesdayOctOctober19th2011 Wednesday, October 19

Posted Wednesday, October 19 2011 @ 5 AM byJonathan Ziman Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

The devotionals this week were written by Jonathan Ziman, Community Life Pastor for Singles here at Wheaton Bible Church.

TueTuesdayOctOctober18th2011 Tuesday, October 18

Posted Tuesday, October 18 2011 @ 5 AM byJonathan Ziman Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

The devotionals this week were written by Jonathan Ziman, Community Life Pastor for Singles here at Wheaton Bible Church.

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:11-12. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

We live in a culture that thrives on beating the odds. We love to root for the underdog. We’re convinced that mountains are made to be climbed. We can do anything, be anything, go anywhere…nothing can hold us back.

But then reality comes crashing in. The cancer doesn’t get better, but worse. The loneliness of being single for twenty years starts to weigh more and more heavily and we find ourselves wondering if God even hears our prayers anymore.

When prayer has gone on for years, seemingly without any effect, how does God expect us to respond? How have you responded in your life?

Now, look back at these verses from Hebrews. What seemed impossible to Abraham and Sarah?

Despite the incredible promise of God, after twenty-five years they were still without children. How would God provide so many descendants without even one child to get them started?

Pastor Rob, in his book, When the Bottom Drops Out, refers to this as “waiting in the middle.” It’s messy and difficult and even frustrating at times, but nonetheless a part of life that God has ordained for us to experience. The way through, Pastor Rob says, is to “By faith, stay confident in God, even when the situation seems impossible.”[1]

What is the “messiness in the middle” that you are struggling through right now?

Lord,

I praise you because you alone are holy. You alone are good. You alone can bring healing and hope. Please help me to remain confident in you, even as everything around me seems to be crumbling away. I need you Lord today—please let me feel your presence as we walk through this together.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

[1] When the Bottom Drops Out, 97.

MonMondayOctOctober17th2011 Monday, October 17

Posted Monday, October 17 2011 @ 5 AM byJonathan Ziman Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

The devotionals this week were written by Jonathan Ziman, Community Life Pastor for Singles here at Wheaton Bible Church.

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:8-10. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Erik was born with a genetic disease that led inexorably to total blindness when he was in college. Karl was living a normal healthy life until a freak accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. Carol Bugh (Pastor Rob’s first wife) was an otherwise healthy woman until a rare form of cancer took her life.

Tragedy surrounds us at every turn. In this broken, fallen world it’s not so much a question of “if” we’re going to experience suffering, it’s a matter of “when.” And when that moment does come, how will we respond? With anger? Rebellion? Confusion?

In his sermon a few weeks ago Pastor Rob made the counter-cultural claim that “In the hands of God, there is always advantage to adversity.” In a world where we do everything we can to avoid suffering, this hardly seems to make sense. Yet, for Pastor Rob this was a clear way through the astonishing grief he was battling. What about you? What adversity have you experienced recently? How might God be turning it to advantage?

Pastor Rob then turned to the story of Abraham as a Biblical example of someone who lived through some significant challenges and yet responded with incredible faith. Specifically, Pastor Rob made two observations that apply to our sufferings today.

First, “Life isn’t merely seeking and getting answers to our questions; life is obeying God in the face of daunting, unanswered questions.”[1] Our questions, Pastor Rob argued, may never get answered this side of Heaven, yet we are called to trust in God anyway. How might this principle change the way you see your current struggles?

Second, “By faith, wait for God, even when it appears He’s forgotten you.”[2] When prayers for healing and/or provision appear to go unanswered, it can seem as if God has put out the “Do Not Disturb” sign. Yet, Abraham is an incredible example of a man who continued to have patient faith in God despite the seeming lack of God’s presence in his life.

Obedience, patience, trust and faith do not come naturally to most of us. Yet with the help of the Holy Spirit we can persevere, remembering always God’s promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Lord,

I want to be brave and strong and obedient and faithful and patient, but I feel like I’m drowning right now. Please help me. Send your Spirit and lift me up, setting my feet back on solid ground.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

[1] When the Bottom Drops Out, 86.

[2] When the Bottom Drops Out, 92.

FriFridayOctOctober7th2011 Friday, October 7

Posted Friday, October 07 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

When we’re in pain, particularly when it’s not a result of anything we have done, we often feel either like shaking our fist at God or burying our head back under the pillow and asking, “Why, God? This isn’t the life I signed up for.” This week, we’ll consider Pastor Rob’s response to such sentiments in his book When the Bottom Drops Out. While acknowledging that such reactions are universal, he uses the story of Abraham to illustrate that God really does turn adversity into our advantage—when we allow Him to do so.

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:17-19. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from the dead.

Little old ladies weren’t the only Christians living behind the Iron Curtain. Unlike these praying women who were viewed as harmless and largely left alone, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand and his wife, Sabina, had to make many sacrifices in order to live out their faith in Cold War Romania.

When one million Russian troops arrived in Romania after World War II, Richard and Sabina began evangelizing these troops and encouraging their oppressed countrymen. While such activity was frowned upon by the government, the Wurmbrands sealed their fate when they refused to swear allegiance to the new communist regime.

In early 1948, Richard was arrested on his way to church and placed in solitary confinement. Two years later, Sabina was also arrested and sent to a labor camp. Their son, Mihai, was expelled from his university and neither permitted to enroll elsewhere nor to leave the country. Meanwhile, Richard was tortured repeatedly. During his imprisonment, his captors broke four vertebrae in his back and burned or cut eighteen holes in his body. He saw many other Christians tortured in the same way. Years later, he recalled:

The following scene happened more times than I can remember. A brother was preaching to the other prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase. They hauled him down the corridor to their beating room. After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him—bloody and bruised—on the prison floor. Slowly, he picked up his battered body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, “Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?” He continued his gospel message!

These determined Christians were living sacrifices who suffered willingly. Wurmbrand explained:

In our darkest hours of torture, the Son of Man came to us, making the prison walls shine like diamonds and filling the cells with light. Somewhere, far away, were the torturers below us in the sphere of the body. But the spirit rejoiced in the Lord. We would not have given up this joy for that of kingly palaces.

In 1964, Richard was given amnesty after Western nations pressed the government for his release. Though reluctant to leave his homeland, he and Sabina finally left for Europe and eventually the United States, committed to publicizing the plight of persecuted Christians. In 1967, Richard released his book Tortured for Christ and the couple founded the organization known today as The Voice of the Martyrs.

Sacrifice is nothing new to Christ followers, who are called up to give that which won’t last for that which will endure forever. In his book, Pastor Rob reminds us that we, too, must sacrifice for God by faith, even when it costs us everything.

Once again, Abraham serves as a powerful model. When God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham obeyed at once. Though the Bible doesn’t tell us what inner turmoil Abraham felt, we can imagine that only his love for and faith in God enabled Abraham to obey a command that seemed certain to mean the death of his beloved son—and God’s promise to him. What joy Abraham must have felt when God stopped him, saying, “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Genesis 22:12).

The sacrifice God calls you to make certainly will be different from that of Abraham or Richard Wurmbrand. Yet God is still in the business of transforming our sacrifices into something positive for all eternity.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the example of men like Abraham and Richard Wurmbrand, who teach us something about both the agony and the joy of sacrifice. Most of all, thank you for sacrificing Your Son, Jesus, so that we may live with You forever.
In His name we pray,
Amen.

ThuThursdayOctOctober6th2011 Thursday, October 6

Posted Thursday, October 06 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:11-12. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11-12)

I’m old enough now that I feel as if I’ve lived through some meaningful history. One of the most unbelievable periods occurred just after I’d graduated from college. For all the years I’d been in school, I’d learned about the history and the ruthless government of the massive Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Though I’m not old enough to remember the bomb shelter drills held at the height of the Cold War, it seemed pretty clear to me that the communist bloc of countries, led by the U.S.S.R., would never crumble.

And so in 1989 I watched in awe as governments in eastern Europe began to fall like dominoes. There was Poland, liberated under the leadership of a Polish electrician turned labor union activist named Lech Walesa. Then there was nineteen-year-old Daniel Gavra, who helped spark a revolution in Romania. An unremarkable face in a huge crowd of Christians who gathered to protest the exile of a pastor, Gavra began distributing candles to the other protestors shortly after midnight. Soon the flames of hundreds of candles illuminated the square where they had gathered, and film footage of their silent protest generated support worldwide. Not long after, Romania’s brutal dictator, Nicolae Ceausesev, was forced from office. Hundreds of miles away, East Germany’s communist government had just opened the Berlin Wall so its citizens could visit West Germany for the first time in decades. Thousands of East Berliners passed into West Berlin as border guards stood by, even as newly liberated young men began tearing down the wall. Unbelievably, the Soviet Union itself collapsed in December 1991.

Once the U.S.S.R. had expanded rapidly after World War II, it seemed invincible. Its rulers had declared that there was no God, and at the very least, it appeared that He had abandoned their country. But of course He had not, and behind the scenes He was at work in the hearts of His followers.

In his book, Pastor Rob quotes from Mark Buchanan’s book Your God Is Too Safe, where he tells the story of a Christian who was sent to Russia in the late 1970s as a delegate with the World Council of Churches. When he returned, he reported that the Christian church there had little life left to it. “The church is just a bunch of little old ladies praying.” As Buchanan wryly notes, “Beware little old ladies praying.”[1]

Like Abraham, who waited decades before God fulfilled His promise to give him and Sarah a son, the faithful believers in the former U.S.S.R. lived out this third lesson: By faith, stay confident in God, even when the situation seems impossible.

Perhaps you face a problem that seems insurmountable or are losing hope that a wayward son or daughter will return home. Maybe you were just given a frightening prognosis from your doctor or a layoff notice at work. As Pastor Rob notes in his book, life is often messy in the middle; we will face painful challenges. Just like those elderly praying Russian women, however, we press on, keeping our “faith in the character of God, faith in the plan of God, faith in our future with God. Spiritual confidence leans into God, all of God.”[2] We may not know when, we may not know how, but we can be sure that God is at work behind the scenes, bringing good from every impossible situation.

Lord Jesus,
The psalmist tells us that You rule over all nations. Thank you for the way You are at work in our world, and thank you for working in my life as well. Remind me that, as chaotic or messy as my circumstances are today, you will never fail me or leave me. Help me to rest in this truth today.
Amen.

[1] Mark Buchanan, Your God Is Too Safe (Sister, OR: Multnomah, 2001), 235. Quoted in When the Bottom Drops Out, pp. 209-210. [2] When the Bottom Drops Out, page 99.

WedWednesdayOctOctober5th2011 Wednesday, October 5

Posted Wednesday, October 05 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:9-10. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith [Abraham] made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

About two months after Gracia Burnham and her husband, Martin, were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf, a militant Islamic group in the Philippines, she reached a low point of despair. Her captors marched them through the jungle all day yet Gracia was unable to sleep at night. Her mind was tormented by thoughts like, “You trust in the Lord, but you’re still here.”

While sitting with her husband by a river one day, Gracia told him that while she still believed that God was the Creator and Savior, she no longer believed that He loved them. Gently, he responded, “It seems to me that either you believe it all, or else you don’t believe at all.”

While she wasn’t ready to accept Martin’s words right then, she kept thinking about what he had said. A few days later, while sitting by the river again, she realized she had a choice: She could either give in to her resentment or, by faith, she could choose to believe God’s Word. She felt as if God was telling her, “If you’re going to believe that I died for you, why not believe that I love you? Why don’t you let me put my arms around you and love you?”

Gracia gave up. She turned over all her pain and anger to God. “From that day on,” she writes, “the Lord somehow let me know in my spirit that he was still faithful.”[1]

Gracia Burnham was able to live out the second principle that Abraham teaches us: By faith, wait for God, even when it appears He’s forgotten you. Gracia had to trust God during a year-long captivity—and even more so when her husband was killed by the crossfire during a gun battle.

And what was the secret of Gracia and Martin’s faith? Neither engaged in positive thinking for its own sake; instead, like Abraham in today’s passage, they were “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” They were focused on heaven, our ultimate destination, the place where we will meet our Lord face to face.

Both also chose to listen to the voice of God. Apparently God spoke directly to Abraham. While Gracia neither heard an audible voice nor even had a Bible to read while in captivity, she reflected on the words of Scripture passages and hymns that she had memorized in years past.

Perhaps you wonder if God has forgotten your situation today. You might even question if He really loves You. If so, ask Him to put His arms around you and love you. Invite Him to fill you with joy and hope at the thought of heaven.

Lord Jesus,

I confess that in the midst of my pain it can be easy to listen to the voice that tells me I should doubt your love. Please break through that today and help me feel Your love. Fill my spirit with hope as I consider living with You forever in heaven one day.

Amen.

[1] Gracia Burnham, In the Presence of My Enemies (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2003), 141–143.

TueTuesdayOctOctober4th2011 Tuesday, October 4

Posted Tuesday, October 04 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Hebrews 11:8. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

About one hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton, a famous Antarctic explorer, ran this ad in a London newspaper: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful.” Amazingly, the response to his ad was overwhelming. Despite the certain hardships and hazards to come, many men vied to make the trip with the explorer.

Abraham also received a call to head out into the unknown. When we first meet him in Genesis 12, God has just called him to leave his family and his country to go to. . . . Actually, God doesn’t hand Abraham a road map, instead, He asks him simply to trust that He will lead Abraham where He wants him to go.

While this is not the most interesting part of Abraham’s story, it is clearly the point at which his faith begins to be formed. Likewise, in chapter 4 of his book, Pastor Rob encourages us, first, to obey God by faith, even when He doesn’t answer our questions.

No doubt Abraham (and his wife!) had questions. It would have been easier to pull up their tent stakes if they’d known where they were going and what to pack. Yet through his obedience, Abraham teaches us that life isn’t merely about finding answers: it is about obeying God in the face of daunting, unanswered questions.

And at no time are we more likely to have questions than when we are facing insurmountable trials. In his book, Pastor Rob says openly that he and Carol had lots of questions . . . and he still does. After all, how could it be good for a fifth grader to lose his mother to cancer? There’s just no way to answer that. However, one truth about which there is no question is this: God’s character is perfect, and He is fully deserving of our trust. That is why by faith, we can obey God, even when He doesn’t answer our questions.

The men Shackleton recruited knew they were in for both adventure and adversity. In fact, two months after setting sail for the Antarctic tundra, they had to abandon ship when it became trapped in shifting ice and began breaking apart. And that was just the beginning of their harrowing adventures.

Are you willing to follow God, even when He doesn’t explain where He’s leading you? May God give us the courage to step out in faith, like Abraham, like Shackleton’s men, so that our lives might be full of adventure and meaning.

Lord,
So often I think life would be easier if only I had answers to all my questions. This week help me to become more like Abraham, willing to trust Your call on my life even when I don’t see where you are leading. Help me to hear Your voice clearly and to move forward in faith.
Amen.

MonMondayOctOctober3rd2011 Monday, October 3

Posted Monday, October 03 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Abraham When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

When we’re in pain, particularly when it’s not a result of anything we have done, we often feel either like shaking our fist at God or burying our head back under the pillow and asking, “Why, God? This isn’t the life I signed up for.” This week, we’ll consider Pastor Rob’s response to such sentiments in his book When the Bottom Drops Out. While acknowledging that such reactions are universal, he uses the story of Abraham to illustrate that God really does turn adversity into our advantage—when we allow Him to do so.

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-9. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

This past Saturday I joined hundreds of other parents, coaches, and high school runners at a cross country meet held at a forest preserve. As the athletes began rounding a bend in the woods to begin another leg of the race, I craned my neck looking for my son’s red and white tank top, clapping and cheering wildly for him as soon as I saw him approach. As I jogged from one spot to the next, I remembered how my dad, still dressed in his dress shirt and tie after a day of teaching high school English, would run from point to point on my high school cross country course to cheer me on.

As parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, isn’t it fun to encourage our kids when they’re doing what they love to do? Isn’t it easy to thank God when our kids achieve a personal best on the track or ace their science exam? In light of that, this passage from 2 Corinthians sounds a bit strange. Paul, the spiritual father of so many early Christian churches, is praising God for what He is doing, not in their triumphs, but in their troubles. Paul clearly understands the advantages of adversity: when we face difficulties, God comforts us, equipping us to comfort and strengthen others later on (see vv. 3-5 above). When we have no one else to turn to during our darkest nights, we learn to be completely dependent on God (v. 9). In other words, while troubles themselves aren’t good, when we turn to God in the midst of them, they grow our faith, as well as our confidence in God and His promises.

As Pastor Rob continues his series this week, he will invite us to look at a hero of the faith in a new way. Despite his earthly wealth and esteemed place in the line of Christ, Abraham lived with many unanswered questions and troubles for much of his life. In his confusion, Abraham sometimes made foolish choices, yet God remained faithful and gave him a glimpse of the role Abraham would play in His global plan of redemption.

By faith, Abraham persevered and earned a place in Hebrews 11, often called the Hall of Faith chapter. If you’re in a difficult spot today, you may not feel like rejoicing. Yet just like Abraham and the apostle Paul, you can thank God for how He will use your troubles to make your faith flourish.

Heavenly Father,
Because You are sovereign over all and loving to all, I know I can trust you despite my pain and my questions. Yet I am human, prone to doubts and the pull to go my own way. Thank you for loving me despite my weaknesses, and please grow me through my times of trouble, that I might comfort others and cling to You.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.

FriFridaySepSeptember23rd2011 Friday, September 23

Posted Friday, September 23 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

On Sunday, Pastor Rob will continue his sermon series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he is sharing the lessons he and his family learned about God’s grace in the midst of profound disappointment. As we prepare our hearts for the next message in his series on God’s grace in the midst of disappointment, we will take a closer look this week at Joseph from the Old Testament, and how he models what living well in the light of adversity looks like.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts . Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 from the New Living Translation:

11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

Have you ever had a paper cut? If so, you might have been surprised at the intense, throbbing pain caused by such a tiny wound. Sensitive nerves are concentrated in the hands, particularly in the top layers just beneath the skin. It takes very little to activate these nerves, so while paper cuts usually pose little danger, the affected nerves in your hand or finger scream for attention.

Likewise, our natural reaction to intense suffering -- whether from physical pain, emotional trauma, or disappointing relationships -- is to howl in pain. We may lash out in anger, sink in despair, or plot our revenge.

Given the magnitude of his trials, it would be hard to fault Joseph for reacting in any of these ways. Instead, he modeled a counterintuitive response, one that led to healing and glorified God. His ability to remain strong wasn’t due to his own goodness or power; it was possible only because of his vision of God. Because he saw God as holy, he was pure; because he saw God as all-powerful, he was bold; and because he saw God as sovereign, he was content, gracious, and unusually forgiving.

In other words, Joseph was able to see beyond his circumstances to God’s goodness and His larger plan. As a young man, he might not have known where God was leading him, but he knew better than to stray from the course set out for him. In fact, Pastor Bugh points out in When the Bottom Drops Out that the best indicator of how well someone will cope with adversity is his or her view of God. Does he or she continue coming to God in hope and expectation, or does the person turn away from God in anger or despair?

One of the psalmists expressed the outlook Joseph maintained in lyrics he wrote for pilgrims to sing as they ascended the hills around Jerusalem: “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal” (Psalm 123:1-2).

As with Joseph, the Lord has a path for you and me. The way may get rocky at times with twists and turns that seem to lead nowhere or even backward. That’s the time to take our eyes off ourselves and look up -- to our holy, all-powerful, sovereign God.

Father,
Today please keep troubles from tripping me, temptations from enticing me, and my to-do list from distracting me from the sound of Your voice or the sight of Your footsteps in front of me. May all my steps bring me closer to You
Amen

ThuThursdaySepSeptember22nd2011 Thursday, September 22

Posted Thursday, September 22 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Genesis 50:19-20 from the New Living Translation:

Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Realizing she was far more moved by stories of forgiveness than of revenge, British freelance journalist Marina Cantacuzino joined with photographer Brian Moody in 2003 to create an exhibition of words and images exploring the topics of forgiveness and reconciliation. The Forgiveness Project, a website devoted to collecting and sharing stories that explore the nature of forgiveness, grew out of the enthusiastic response to the exhibition.

One remarkable story that doesn’t appear on the website is that of Joseph. Years after his brothers sold him into slavery, he came face-to-face with them again. Now the tables were turned. This time, they were at the mercy of Joseph, who was second only to Pharaoh in power.

Instead of throwing them into prison or even denying their request for food, Joseph tearfully extended forgiveness to his brothers. Why? Because he recognized that God had allowed his suffering for a higher purpose. He had come to rest in the sovereignty of God.

Not all of us will have the privilege in this life of seeing why God has permitted great loss, suffering, and pain. Certainly Pastor Rob cannot explain why God chose to allow his wife, Carol, and his good friend, Tom Williams, to die at such relatively young ages. Yet they, and all of us who are God’s children, can rest in the assurance that God is in control of both the good bad times; that He is always working out His plan; and that He works all things together for the good of those who belong to Him (see Romans 8:28).

Because of our fallen nature, the “default setting” of our hearts tends toward anger, resentment, and bitterness. Unfortunately, these natural responses lead only to more pain and bondage. How much better to look up at God and rest in His holiness, His power, and His sovereignty. In what circumstance do you need, like Joseph, to acknowledge, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good”?

Sovereign Lord,
Help me to trust that Your thoughts and Your ways are higher than mine, even when I struggle to understand how good and righteousness can come from pain and suffering. May Your name be glorified as I respond to difficult circumstances from this perspective.
Amen.

WedWednesdaySepSeptember21st2011 Wednesday, September 21

Posted Wednesday, September 21 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Genesis 41 Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating Genesis 41:15-16 from the New Living Translation:

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

As a young man, Andy van der Bijl didn’t seem to have much going for him. His father was a deaf blacksmith; his mother was a semi-invalid. He didn’t finish high school, and even his stint as a commando in the Dutch army came to an abrupt end when he was shot in the ankle.

God began drawing Andy to himself through the kindness of the Fransciscan sisters who tended to his wound in the hospital. Eventually he gave his life to Christ and, during the height of the Cold War, felt God calling him to help Christians behind the Iron Curtain.

Not long after, he decided to smuggle Bibles into Romania. Driving to the checkpoint, he pulled up behind several waiting cars. As he watched the inspections, he began to worry. The soldiers were stopping each driver and carefully checking every inch of the cars for contraband.

Andy knew that they were sure to find the Bibles he’d hidden, so he began praying, “Lord, I know that no amount of cleverness on my part can get me through this border search. Dare I ask for a miracle?” So that he would know that God, not his own cleverness, had protected him, he took out a few of the Bibles and placed them in the front seat.

When he reached the front of the line, Andy handed the guard his documents and prepared to exit his VW. After a cursory glance at the papers, however, the guard waved him on. As Andy drove away, he saw the driver of the car behind him get out as the soldier opened his hood.

This Bible smuggler, known today as Brother Andrew, says, “My heart was racing. Not with the excitement of the crossing, but with the excitement of having caught such a spectacular glimpse of God at work!” [Open Doors, “Brother Andrew’s Story,” http://www.opendoorsusa.org/about-us/brother-andrew/.]

Thousands of years ago, Joseph got a similar glimpse of God’s power when he was asked to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph’s first words to the Egyptian ruler were, “It is beyond my power to do this. . . . But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease” (Genesis 41:16).

What is your response when trouble comes? Do you fret and stew, or like Brother Andrew and Joseph, do you immediately acknowledge your weakness and then ask God to show His strength? Whenever you face a challenge today, why not make your first response a prayer that Christ would work His power through you for His glory?

Heavenly Father,
I ask for the privilege of seeing Your power at work around me today. I praise You because You are all-powerful -- my rock, my fortress, and my shield in times of trouble.
Amen.

TueTuesdaySepSeptember20th2011 Tuesday, September 20

Posted Tuesday, September 20 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Genesis 39 Joseph Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Genesis 39:6–9 from the New Living Translation:

Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.

But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

A few years ago, the Ethics Resource Center surveyed 2,852 workers and found that about 15 percent of the respondents said it’s acceptable to call in sick when they are not actually ill. [Sarah Needleman, “‘The Cat Hid My Car Keys’ -- Excuses Workers Make,” Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2010.] How did the employees rationalize this? Many workers said they deserved more time off than their companies gave them.

What if Joseph had followed similar reasoning when approached by Potiphar’s wife? What if he had decided he was entitled to a little human affection after being rejected and treated so miserably by his own brothers? Or what if he had determined that he deserved some “relaxation” after working so hard to advance Potiphar’s interests and increase his wealth?

If the ERC took another survey in which they asked whether Joseph should have been excused for giving in to the advances of Potiphar’s wife, I suspect a fairly high percentage of respondents would give him a pass. And yet Joseph stood firm. Why was that?

Interestingly, he doesn’t mention fear of being caught or indicate that Potiphar’s wife was unattractive. Rather, his response to her advances makes clear that Joseph recognized God’s holiness. Refusing her invitation, he said: “How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God” (Genesis 39:9).

When the bottom falls out of our own lives, we are vulnerable, just as Joseph was. We may distance ourselves from God out of anger and hurt. That makes it easy to rationalize sinful behavior. Joseph stood strong because he revered God. He was willing to delay gratification but unwilling to violate God’s standards -- even in difficult circumstances.

That allowed the Lord to work out His purposes for Joseph’s life. Before elevating Joseph to a high position of honor where he “could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased and teach the king’s advisers” (Psalm 105:22), God refined his character through servitude, temptation, and imprisonment.
Not surprisingly, Joseph is included in the “faith hall of fame” found in Hebrews 11. He is commended because he remained confident in God’s promises all his life. Perhaps the writer of Hebrews still has Joseph in mind when, in chapter 13, verses 5 and 6, he quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12: “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves.” In verse 11, he adds, “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.”

Sharing in God’s holiness? May that be true in our own lives as we invite the Spirit to give us a glimpse of God’s purity, even today!

Heavenly Father,
Today I praise You for Your holiness, purity, and majesty, though they are far beyond what my mind can comprehend. Remind me that sometimes Your love comes in the form of righteous discipline designed to refine and shape me. Give me the grace to turn to You for strength in times of trouble.
Amen.

MonMondaySepSeptember19th2011 Monday, September 19

Posted Monday, September 19 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Acts 7:8-10 Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

Today we are reading and meditating on Acts 7:8–10, Stephen’s testimony before the Jewish high council after he’d been accused by lying witnesses of speaking against the Temple and the law of Moses. When asked if the charges against him were true, Stephen walked them through key events in Israel’s history to illustrate how the nation had a long history of resisting God and his servants.

Today’s reading, which comes from the New Living Translation, focuses on Joseph’s life:

8Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation. 9These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him 10and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

In the early 1960s, the classic children’s book Fortunately hit the shelves. On the cover is an illustration of a little boy named Ned floating down from the sky in a bright white parachute. For decades kids have been delighted by this tale in which Ned, fortunately, is invited to a birthday party.

Unfortunately, the party is being held a thousand miles away. Fortunately, a friend loans him a plane so he can fly there. Unfortunately . . . well, you get the idea.

In the Old Testament, we meet Joseph, a man who might have been the model for Ned. Fortunately, Joseph was given a colorful coat because he was his father’s favorite. Unfortunately, his jealous brothers stripped him of that coat, threw him in a cistern, and then sold him to some nomadic traders.

Fortunately, God was with him and, as a result, his master, Potiphar, prospered and put him over everything in his household. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape and he was thrown in prison.

Fortunately, the warden was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of all the other prisoners, which put him in position to correctly interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker. Unfortunately, the cupbearer forgot Joseph’s request that he tell Pharaoh about his plight. And so Joseph’s saga continues.

Sometimes Christians make the mistake of treating Joseph a little like the fictional Ned -- a memorable character for a kids’ story that ends on a happy note. Yet in his book, When the Bottom Drops Out, Pastor Rob urges us take a closer look at Joseph. The reason Joseph triumphed over enslavement, false accusations, and imprisonment wasn’t because of his good looks, winsome personality, or raw intelligence. Instead, the Lord entrusted him with increasing responsibility and wisdom because of the way Joseph viewed God in the midst of his many troubles.

For the rest of this week, we’ll consider three of God’s attributes that Joseph focused on -- even in the grimmest of circumstances. Because of his confidence in God, Joseph did nothing to dishonor the Lord and refused to give in to despair.

Unfortunately, like Joseph, we will encounter trials in this life, and we may be hurt by people who envy us, misuse us, or ignore us. Fortunately, we have a God who is close to the brokenhearted; who saves the crushed in spirit (see Psalm 34:18).

Father,
When I encounter trouble or pain today, help me to see that You are far bigger than anything I might face. And let me respond with compassion to those around me who are weighed down with difficulty.
Amen.

FriFridaySepSeptember16th2011 Friday, September 16

Posted Friday, September 16 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

On Sunday, Pastor Rob will continue his sermon series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he is sharing the lessons he and his family learned about God’s grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based “theology of suffering” that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we’ll examine four biblical truths that we see playing out whenever we face trouble of any kind.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts . Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 in the New International Version:

17If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When my sons were younger, our family often watched Extreme Home Makeover together. The high point for us -- and certainly for the family whose home had been rebuilt -- was when Ty Pennington raised his megaphone and belted out, “Move that bus!” As soon as the gigantic tour bus drove forward, Mom, Dad, and kids got the first glimpse of the beautiful new home that had replaced the worn-out house they had left just a week or two before.

I wonder what would happen if the show adopted a slightly different format and became Existing Home Makeover. What if, instead of building dream homes, the construction crew merely renovated each family’s home? Think how much time and money could be saved if Ty and his crew simply replaced the porch lights; patched the cement steps; maybe even painted over any mildew they found creeping along the foundation.

Okay, maybe not. Such a change would definitely take away the “wow” factor. The difference between Extreme Home Makeover and the fictional Existing Home Makeover is similar to the difference between the transformation the Holy Spirit works in us and our attempts to make ourselves over.

Most people express a desire to be better human beings -- more patient, more generous, more courageous. Yet the truth is, resolving to be less selfish on our own is like slapping bright white paint over mildew: we might look better temporarily, but the mildew is bound to reappear. God is the only source of the grace we need to be transformed into His likeness and prepare ourselves for Truth #4:

Whoever believes in Jesus will live with Him in heaven forever.

In When the Bottom Drops Out, Pastor Rob encourages us not to allow the troubles we face to obscure the reality that Christ’s death and resurrection solved the biggest problem we ever faced -- eternal separation from God. Paul, the once-proud Pharisee who later called himself a slave of Christ, reminds us that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV).

God’s gift of salvation is wondrous enough in itself, but Paul goes on: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10, NIV). If you haven’t yet accepted God’s gift of salvation, do that today. If you have, will you invite the Holy Spirit to continue to transform you into God’s masterpiece? That, truly, is the only extreme makeover that will last.

Lord Jesus,
I often feel so unlovely and wonder how You could ever use me. I ask that You would transform me -- that You would not allow me to be content with surface change but would re-create me through the Holy Spirit’s power. Help me to remember that He will not waste my troubled times but wants to use them to make me more like You.
Amen.

ThuThursdaySepSeptember15th2011 Thursday, September 15

Posted Thursday, September 15 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Matthew 16:24-27 Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

On Sunday, Pastor Rob will continue his sermon series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he is sharing the lessons he and his family learned about God’s grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based “theology of suffering” that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we’ll examine four biblical truths that we see playing out whenever we face trouble of any kind.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts . Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on Matthew 16:24-27 in the New International Version, but feel free to read from another translation:

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”

Because all eyes were on China as it prepared to host the 2008 summer Olympics, restrictions on unregistered churches in the host city temporarily eased. In fact, one Beijing house church began meeting openly each week in a large rented building.

However, once the games had ended, the government resumed its crackdown on unregistered churches. Soon after, the house church found itself locked out of its rented building by a fearful landlord who suggested they go back underground. Instead, the first Sunday after their lockout, thousands of believers gathered for worship in a city park.

In their book The Privilege of Persecution, Carl Moeller and David Hegg use this illustration to point out what the persecuted church has to teach us: “When [members of the persecuted church] come together to worship, they are coming to an outpost of heaven; they are experiencing a foretaste of what it may be like to be standing before God’s throne. They don’t want to leave, because when they do, what they go back to is hell.” [Carl Moeller and David Hegg, The Privilege of Persecution (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 63.]

In the United States, we often lose sight of eternity in our rush to get all we can from this life; in closed countries, believers keep their eyes on eternity because they expect to get very little from this life. In fact, they find great hope in Truth #3:

The believer is not home yet.

Although you and I may not suffer intense persecution, we will not escape this life without trouble. If this life was all there was, that would be terrible news. However, heaven is coming. And not only that, the difficulties we experience now actually prepare us for forever.

In chapter 2 of his book, Pastor Rob says, “As soap is to the hand, suffering is to the soul.” In fact, suffering is generally the only agent that will wash away the selfishness and pride that keep us from loving as God intended. Only when we have become perfect in love -- a process that God begins in this life but that won’t be completed until we reach our heavenly home -- will we be all that He created us to be.

Father,
Thank You for the promise of heaven. Please help me to number my days, to remember what a short time I’ll spend on this earth, and to look ahead to my heavenly home. In hard times, help me to remember that You are with me and want to use those circumstances to cleanse me and make me look more like You.
Amen.

WedWednesdaySepSeptember14th2011 Wednesday, September 14

Posted Wednesday, September 14 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Job Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

On Sunday, Pastor Rob will continue his sermon series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he is sharing the lessons he and his family learned about God’s grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based “theology of suffering” that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we’ll examine four biblical truths that we see playing out whenever we face trouble of any kind.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts . Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we read and meditate on Job 1:20-22 in the New International Version, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice:

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Several familiar passages became especially significant to Pastor Rob during his wife’s illness. One of them is Job’s response after he’s been told that his vast herds of livestock have been stolen, his servants massacred by raiders, and his children killed by a freak windstorm: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Note that Job doesn’t hide his grief. The messengers who delivered the terrible news would recognize that by tearing his robe and shaving his head, Job was expressing great sorrow. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a grieving man fall on his face either -- but notice why Job prostrated himself: he was deep in worship.

Was Job in denial? Or perhaps in shock? No, Job chose to hold fast to what Pastor Rob points to asTruth #2:

God is wonderfully and completely sovereign.

When we face troubles of our own, our heavenly Father invites us to rest in the confidence that He is in control and that nothing happens to us that He has not permitted.

Tom Williams and Carol Bugh both clung to God’s sovereignty. Though they didn’t like losing their health and facing the prospect that they might die at relatively young ages, they didn’t give in to despair. In fact, when e-mailing friends and family before undergoing major surgery, doctors’ final effort to keep his cancer in check, Tom wrote, “My life is, as always, in His hands.” He died just a few weeks later.

If you wonder if God expects too much from hurting people, remember Jesus’ fervent prayer in the garden of Gethsemane: “Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Knowing He would be betrayed and sentenced to death that very night, Jesus acknowledged His preference yet chose His Father’s will above His own.

If you are hurting, come to your heavenly Father. Don’t be afraid to express your raw feelings and your deep desires, yet ask for the grace to put your complete trust -- your very life -- in God’s hands.

Father,
When I bring You my doubts, my fears, my questions, You may not give me the answers I want, but thank You that You always offer me Your presence, Your peace, and Your comfort. Please give me the grace to grab hold of those today.
Amen.

TueTuesdaySepSeptember13th2011 Tuesday, September 13

Posted Tuesday, September 13 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Romans 5 Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

On Sunday, Pastor Rob will continue his sermon series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he is sharing the lessons he and his family learned about God’s grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based “theology of suffering” that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we’ll examine four biblical truths that we see playing out whenever we face trouble of any kind.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts . Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

This week we are reading and meditating on Romans 5. Today we will read verses 6 through 8. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

6At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If you’ve ever spent any time around a two-year-old, you can probably vouch for the following unspoken property laws that dictate toddlers’ behavior:

1.   If I want it, it’s mine.
2.   If I’m holding it, it’s mine.
3.   If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
4.   If it’s broken, it’s yours.

Whether your reaction to watching two toddlers tussle over a toy is annoyance or amusement, what you’re witnessing is evidence of original sin -- the inborn propensity we all have to turn from God and put ourselves first. The good news, according to our reading for today, is that God has provided a solution for the sin that would otherwise destroy us: “Christ died for the ungodly.” And notice that He acted “when we were still powerless.” We deserve eternal separation from God, yet even though sin blinded us to our need for Him, Christ came to die for us.

And that’s not all: When we repent and admit our utter dependence on God, the Holy Spirit works in us so that we are no longer helpless to sin. Yes, we will still fall, but we are no longer unable to resist sin.

Still, we can’t escape the consequences of selfish decisions and evil actions, let alone flash floods, biting dogs, or cancer. They are a consequence of what Pastor Rob, in his book, identifies asTruth #1:

We live in a fallen, sinful world.

In chapter 2 of his book, Rob acknowledges our tendency to get angry at God when we or someone we love suffers because of an illness, accident, or other misfortune. In fact, unbelievers often point to suffering as proof that either God doesn’t exist or is powerless in the face of evil.

Yet when we understand the magnitude of God’s work on our behalf, we no longer need to live like screaming toddlers, out to get what’s ours. We no longer need to shake our fists at God or try to make life work on our own terms.

Because of Christ, there is hope. Even through our tears, we can “rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:11).

Lord Jesus,
Thank You that You loved me so much that You were willing to suffer and die so that I could find freedom from the weight of sin. Thank You for shouldering the penalty for my sin on the Cross. Help me to look to You for the strength I need to move past the difficult things of this life, filled with joy as I look forward to living with You forever.
Amen.

FriFridaySepSeptember9th2011 Friday, September 9

Posted Friday, September 09 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged Matthew 28 Psalm 116 When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are again reading and meditating on Psalm 116. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

1I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. 2Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! 3 Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Please, Lord, save me!" 5How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! 6The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. 7Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. 8He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

Yesterday we considered what this psalm reveals about how God reaches out to us when we bring Him our pain. Today, let's consider what the psalmist tells us about our response to God's initiative in our lives.

Throughout this psalm, we read several descriptions of the prayer of someone who is desperate: the psalmist asks for mercy (verse 1); he pledges to pray "as long as I have breath!" (verse 2); and he prays even when he can see nothing but trouble and sorrow (verse 3). The writer doesn't give us details about the danger he faced or how God delivered him, but it is clear that God responded. In fact, the psalm opens exuberantly: "I love the Lord because he hears my voice."

Spurgeon put it this way, "Answered prayers are silken bonds which bind our hearts to God. . . . When prayer is heard in our feebleness, and answered in the strength and greatness of God, we are strengthened in the habit of prayer, and confirmed in the resolve to make ceaseless intercession."

In fact, as Pastor Rob explains how he experienced God's grace in the midst of his own trials, we will see how central prayer became. Not only is it our lifeline to God, many times it appears to move God to act on our behalf. It is not that our Father is waiting for us to grovel or beg; however, He wants us to recognize our utter dependence on Him. Apart from Him, we are lost.

Not sure how or what to pray in the face of your disappointments? Don't let that stop you. After all, God in His graciousness has even provided an Advocate to intercede on our behalf:

"The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" (Romans 8:26)

So don't stop praying today. Remember the Father is waiting to hear from you -- and to show you His mercy.

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for reaching out to me in love while I was still a sinner. As difficult as it is to accept my struggles, I thank you for using them to help me see how much I need you. I trust that You will deliver me in the time and way that is best.

Amen.

ThuThursdaySepSeptember8th2011 Thursday, September 8

Posted Thursday, September 08 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on Psalm 116. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

1I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. 2Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! 3Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Please, Lord, save me!" 5How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! 6The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. 7Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. 8He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

After Jesus and His disciples had eaten their final Passover meal together, it is likely they sang Psalm 116. It is one of six psalms (Psalm 113-118) that form the Egyptian Paschal Hallel, a collection of hymns of praise sung during the Passover celebration.

During her illness, Psalm 116 also had great meaning for Carol Bugh. She recalled that, the night before receiving her cancer diagnosis, a woman from our church was awakened in the middle of the night with a strong sense that she needed to pray for Carol. She got up and studied her Bible, particularly Psalm 116, and repeatedly prayed for Carol without knowing why.

What a fitting song for all of us to consider when we face trouble of any kind. Just consider what it tells us about how intimately our Heavenly Father responds to our cries. Not only does He hear each of our distinctive voices and our specific requests for mercy, he actually bends down to listen! When my boys were toddlers and became upset, I remember kneeling down in front of them to comfort them. I wanted to be sure they knew I was listening, and I wanted to let them see how very near I was. If that's the natural response of a parent to her child, how much more powerful is it when our infinite, all-powerful God stoops down to us.

No wonder that in verse 5 the psalmist describes the Lord as kind, good, and merciful. He is the reason we can be at peace, even when the bottom seems to drop out of our lives. Commenting on verse 8, eighteenth-century preacher Charles H. Spurgeon wrote,

"The triune God has given us a trinity of deliverances: our life has been spared from the grave, our heart has been uplifted from its griefs, and our course in life has been preserved from dishonour. . . . Death is vanquished, tears are dried, and fears are banished when the Lord is near."

Regardless of what trouble we face today, let us say to the Lord: "Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me" (verse 7).

Father,

Thank You for bending down to hear me when I cry out to You. What a comfort to know that You not only know my troubles, You are concerned for me. May You help me rest in Your goodness today.

Amen.

WedWednesdaySepSeptember7th2011 Wednesday, September 7

Posted Wednesday, September 07 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged John 16:28 John 32-33 When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we read and meditate on John 16:28, and 32-33. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

28"I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. . . . 32The time is coming -- indeed it's here now -- when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Imagine you are one of the twelve disciples seated in the Upper Room. You have been looking forward to this evening -- the Passover feast -- for weeks. Every year you delight in this celebration of God's deliverance of your enslaved ancestors from Egypt.

This Passover, however, begins differently. Not long after you are all seated, the Lord Jesus stands up, removes His robe, ties a towel around His waist, pours water into a basin, and begins washing the feet of the disciple sitting next to Him. As He moves toward you, everything within you resists. Like Peter, you want to protest that you are not worthy. You keep silent, though, because Jesus tells Peter that unless He washes him, Peter won't belong to Him. And then, a few minutes later when the Lord smiles at you as He bends down and takes your dirty feet in His calloused hands, you sense His love for you in a deep, new way.

The joy you feel is tempered when Jesus, seated again, announces that one of you will betray Him. You steal uneasy glances at those around you. Jesus goes on to explain that He will soon be going away, though He promises to go and prepare a place for you. Someday, He says, He will come back for you and all who are His will be together with Him forever.

You are baffled by much of what Jesus says; so much so that you don't even know what to ask Him. He speaks of sending the Holy Spirit to comfort you and guide you into all truth. Clearly, He knows He is about to face agonizing trials. He says that all of you will scatter, leaving Him to suffer with only His heavenly Father to comfort Him.

And He promises that you, too, will experience trouble in this life. How is it, then, that as your Master finishes speaking and bows His head to pray, you feel a warmth flowing through you that you could only describe as peace?

Of course, we weren't at the Last Supper, so we can only imagine the emotions Jesus' disciples felt. Like them, however, we may have trouble balancing two truths about life's trials: (1) Each of us will face loss and disappointments, some of which will be horrific; and (2) God's plan for us includes pain. He uses our troubles to strengthen us and equip us to offer His comfort to others. These are the realities that Pastor Rob learned to embrace during his ordeal.

Like His disciples, we may not comprehend how God is moving in the heartaches of our lives. However, we can stand strong in the knowledge that He is in control: "You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy" (John 16:22).

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for willingly enduring the shame and pain on the Cross. Your death and resurrection show me how much You love me and remind me that You know what it is like to suffer and feel abandoned. Fill me today with Your peace so that I may see beyond my current troubles.

Amen.

TueTuesdaySepSeptember6th2011 Tuesday, September 6

Posted Tuesday, September 06 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Matthew 28 When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we continue our meditation on 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

17Our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever

When life hums along pretty much as we think it should, we tend to keep our eyes on what is right in front of us -- a pressing work project; the upcoming game against our big rival; a child's struggles at school. That's not to say we love God less or don't long to know him better; it simply takes great commitment to think beyond the here and now for very long.

In the upcoming series, we'll learn how the Bugh and Williams families coped when their lives were invaded by health crises they didn't see coming. Both Tom Williams and Carol Bugh had busy lives filled with work, volunteer, and family responsibilities. In the years leading up to their cancer diagnoses, however, they had also immersed themselves in God's Word and made themselves available to Him.

When the bottom dropped out, then they understood what Paul meant when he urged believers not to look "at the troubles we can see now" but to "fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen." That is what they had been doing for years. Tom was never shy about telling other people about the good news available to them through Christ. Carol's children knew where they could find her when they got up each morning -- down at the kitchen table with her Bible open and her prayer list spread out in front of her.

When trouble comes, we have a choice: we can allow our situation to fill our field of vision so that we give in to panic and fear. Or, as Paul recommends in verse 18, we can "see" with the eyes of faith. That is, we can grab hold of what we know about God and His promises to us: "The Lord is my light and salvation -- so why should I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1); "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you" (Hebrews 13:5); "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7).

That is what Carol chose to do. Not long after she received word that her cancer was continuing to spread, she wrote a letter to her e-mail supporters in which she quoted our passage for today. She added, "I believe God is able to heal completely, and He is also able to use our troubles for His glory. We can trust Him, no matter what the outcome, that He will always love us and always be intimately involved in our lives."

The outcome for Carol was not the one her family longed for. Likewise, God may not address our disappointments in the way we would like. Yet we can rest in the certainty that our loving God is in control and that "no eye has seen . . . what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). That is seeing with the eyes of faith.

Lord Jesus,

When I think of the price You paid so that my relationship with You could be restored, I am filled with awe and gratitude. Help me to fix my gaze on You today, and open my eyes to opportunities to share this hope with others. In Your name, I pray.

Amen.

MonMondaySepSeptember5th2011 Monday, September 5

Posted Monday, September 05 2011 @ 5 AM byKim Miller Tagged 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Matthew 28 Suffering When the Bottom Drops Out 0 comments Add comment

This coming Sunday, Pastor Rob will begin a six-part series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he will share the lessons he and his family learned about God's grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based "theology of suffering" that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we will begin to consider two truths: the inevitability of trials in this life and God's sovereignty over everything that happens to us.

We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reflecting 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

17Our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

The apostle Paul makes a striking claim in verse 17 -- particularly when you consider that later in his letter, he enumerates the trials he had already endured as an apostle: numerous imprisonments, death threats, whippings, beatings, stonings, nights adrift at sea, hunger, thirst, sleeplessness, and cold, all because he was a servant of Christ (see chapter 11:23-27). Did he really believe his troubles were small and relatively insignificant?

His list of trials may leave you wondering if you can even relate to Paul. If I compared my troubles to his, I'd feel like the daughter who complains about having to walk two blocks to the bus stop, only to hear her dad respond that when he was her age, he had to walk two miles to and from school -- and the path was uphill both ways.

Yet Paul is not making light of his troubles or our struggles. He's not suggesting we just grin and bear them. Nor is he suggesting that we deny our pain. Instead, he offers an invaluable perspective on how we should view trouble.

Notice, first, that in light of eternity, our troubles won't last long. Not only that, but God is using the problems that so often discourage us to shape and mold us into Christ's likeness even now. And the joy that can bring far exceeds the greatest trials we face.

C. S. Lewis described that delight this way: "To please God . . . to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness . . . to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son -- it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is." [C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, New York: The Macmillan Co., 1966]

If you feel burdened today, be open with God about your struggles. You might even express your pain in writing. Then rest in the knowledge that Christ will never leave you -- nor will He waste your pain.

Father, Thank You that, as difficult as some days are, You are using every one of my struggles to prepare me to spend eternity with You. Help me to see Your glory in the world around me today. Amen.

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