Daniel and the Lions Briton Rivière
This Impossible Life
Gasping for breath, and turning blue at her lips, baby Sarah looks up at me with pleading eyes. "Please help me!" And so I hold her in my arms, pleading for God's mercy and healing, not knowing what else to do after medicating, taking her to the doctor, and staying up with her for 3 nights.
"We have no money left. I can't find a job. I don't know what I am going to do," Clay said after working endlessly to get our ministry up and going, and coming to the end of our finances, many years ago. This after several years of working to get our ministry and publishing established.. And so the five of us got down on our knees and sought heaven for an answer. (Before Joy)
Laying on the ground in the middle of the cafeteria, kicking and screaming and flailing so that no one could even get near, my son brought havoc to the whole room of people trying to eat their meals in peace. Walking away, I pretended he wasn't mine and sought some sanity to figure out what we were to do with this child who seemed always out of sorts with life. "God, what did you have in mind with this child?"
And so our lives went day upon day, always with other blessings, other challenges and the constant demands of overwhelming daily responsibilities.
Often, when we commit to God and say we want to serve Him and love Him and make His kingdom known, we have a hope and a desire in our hearts to see His blessing. It is very normal for us to hope for stability, security, and peace, especially when we are on the path to the Lord and Creator of our lives and of this earth--the one who is sovereign over history. God is a gracious Father, and as we read in Psalm 103:13-14, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. for He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust."
We are told in so many scriptures, that God is good, faithful, and full of lovingkindness. We hope for a kind, compassionate God, who will be gentle with us, who will show us His personal loving grace.
Yet, when we commit our hearts to Him, Satan wants to discourage us from following through with our commitment to Him. He wants to test us, to cause us to doubt in God's goodness, His faithfulness, His willingness to answer our prayers.
So, often, we find ourselves in places that seem impossible--that unless God works, we are sunk. I am often over my head. The older I get, the more I see my sin and selfishness. The more I see how little control I really have in life. I often find that I am in over my head--unless God works, I don't see how we will make it--whatever that is!
I cannot, by wishful and hopeful thinking, control the world of my children--Nathan in Hollywood--not a great place of morality. Joel in Boston, battling through school and finances. Clay and me in ministry with obstacles and challenges. Sarah, precious in heart, but in places that unless God works, there is no guidance or blessing. And knowing my sweet Joy is soon to be thrust in that very world where all of her other siblings are living.
And yet, in all of these places is our precious Lord. He is present with each one. He cares for each one. He only is my hope and source for all that is needed and He wants me to call out to him, even as our sweet infants and toddlers look to us to feed them, to comfort and protect them, to love them.
He so desires to show us His fatherhood.He brings us to the impossible that we may see His faithfulness, His provision. He brings us to points of needs so that we may long for heaven, and that He may suit us with hearts of steadfast character so that we may truly look more like Jesus and reflect Him back to this world.
It is our opportunity, from God, to show HIs glory, His mercy, His personal involvement in the lives of HIs children, HIs strength and His redemption. It is the platform from which we will be able to minister to others--because He was faithful in our lives when we needed Him.
I know so many of you feel your lives are impossible, because of your letters and knowing you personally. Yet, this is very point in which God wants us to praise Him, rest in Him, wait for Him, to behold His salvation.
The Red Sea was formidable for the millions of Israelites, but became a place of God's great redemption. Goliath was impossible, but a place to inspire all of us through the generations that God wants to use a limited young man, who in His hands and strength, can become a conquerer.
The Lion's den was not just a sweet Bible fable for us to tell to our children, but a story of a real man with real faith who saw the real and personal hand of God in his life.
Do you desire to live a faith-filled life? Then you will come across great battles. When you are serious about God, you become involved in the spiritual battle, between Satan and God, to see if there really is a remnant of faithful people who will believe in God, who will praise Him and wait for His provision..
How do we respond in these circumstances? Is today a lion's den for you? It is at these times we are tempted to provide for our own needs, even as Abraham looked to Hagar, his solution to having a child, instead of waiting on God. Saul did not wait for Samuel's blessing, God's provision and because of it, lost his kingship and the blessing of God.
But this is our opportunity to say to the world, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is faithful and that He will answer."
This is our opportunity to live out a story of faith--to have a history of how God saved us, helped us, answered our prayers, gave mercy, provided.
May our sweet Lord lead us today to live well and faithfully the impossible life He has entrusted into our hands. May our prayers open doors and our requests be met with grace to help in time of need. May God say, "There is a generation of faithful who are proving me true in a world that doubts. Well done, my faithful servant. You pleased me because you waited and believed. Enter into the joy of your master."
Blessings of His grace, mercy and peace today.
Wall Street Journal article on inspiring boys to read.
