ByRev.RubyMoultrie First United Methodist Church Levelland There is so much going on in our world these days. As I struggled whether to share my heart with you this week, floods of hurt and sadness covered the news. England’s world changed with the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. That was the 8th. As the world prayed and wondered what they could do and would do to help, we came up on the anniversary of 9/11. Twenty-one years of remembering. I still remember what I was doing when the news broke. My heart ached and my students and I just made classes at the Activity Center at South Plains College to watch the news.
That’s all news from far away, but it really isn’t. All of our lives are touched by news of hurt and pain. But what we forget is that we serve a God who walks with each of us daily. There is nothing that we will face that our Father God is not already seeing. There is no place that we will go that God will not travel with us. God IS and will always be the answer to our hurts and pain if, and only if, we stop long enough to recognize and receive His presence. Psalm 32:8 gives us a message of encouragement from our God. God says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.” Think about that, if we would choose to start our day in the presence of our Father God, we might just hear His response to be with us, to cover us, and to watch over us. Think about what has already happened to you this week. After you stomped your feet in anger, you probably said “God, where were you”? After you tried fixing that problem that has been lingering for weeks, you might just say, “God, I’m waiting”. Did you hear that? We tend to invite God in AFTER the human attempts are used and failed. We want to try our way and then we might seek the help of a friend or colleague. But then, and only then, when our ways don’t work, we blame God for NOT doing what HE promised. We blame God for not being present. We utter the words that God has left us alone.
We play the blame game rather than owning up to our weaknesses and faults. We would rather point fingers than have our eyes opened by God and His caring for us. In the early part of the book of Jeremiah, God pleads for His people to repent, to seek Him. He speaks of all that we do in our wickedness and still find fault withHim.
As you continue reading through that book in the Bible, Jeremiah, you will get to the amazing gift and promise of God that is found in chapter 29:11. There is always a smile on my face when I read this promise: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”
Oh my goodness, God tells us on a daily basis that HE knows what is best for us. He knows and He already have plans in place for us to enjoy a life with Him.
When enough people tell you that you are not good enough, don’t know enough, or just don’t have everything lined up. There is pain.
When this continues on a regular basis, the pain continues. But what we’re missing is that God is already in the “make it right” business. God is already in the “Come and sit with me to find peace” business. God is already doing that thing for us that HE has been doing every day. God is loving us.
God does love all of His children, even when we mess up. God loves us through our pain and invites us to allow Him in to start the healing.
In the 57th chapter of Isaiah, we read about a promise of help and healing. It’s not bad reading, but what we need to hear from that chapter is in verse 18 and again in 19.
Verse 18 says: “I have seen their ways, but I will heal them. I will lead them and repay them with comfort.”
I wanted us to hear that statement and be reminded that God is in the healing business. God is the peacemaker! God is ever-present.
God tells us that He sees when we mess up. God knows that we are human and that life often gets in the way of daily walk with Him. However, it is not God who takes a time out in our relationship. We succumb to our situations and yet God waits for us to return to His comfort. The result is a reminder of just who we are, who we can be, and who we will be because of His love for each of us.
The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that HE gave His only begotten Son for whosoever believes in HIM will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
There is joy in knowing and serving our Father God. There is peace for us as we stop and listen to and for the helping and healing hand of God. There is love in our daily journey when we STOP and give glory to the ONE who always provides. Lately, it has been some of those times when God has had to remind me that He is ever-present. Through the changes of life, we see pain; and if we are true to our faith, we also get to witness the hand of God and see peace happening. In these last four days, I have viewed or been a part of the celebration of life. I watched as pain surrounded families and countries. You see grief on the faces of those you love. You watch as physical comfort begins to happen. You witness the sharing of stories and the powerful silence. But you, I, also was able to hear and be a part of the gift of peace that God granted when He was invited in. You see, we can’t make it by ourselves. God surrounds us and HE wants us to remember that He is the peacemaker even in our hurts. God asks only to share in this life that HE has given us, to be a part of our ups and our downs, our sadness and our joys, our pains and our peace. When I begin writing this message of pain and peace, it was not so much for you but for me to enter back into the joy that God gives. But I was reminded that we live in a town, a community, a world where the choice is often to stay in pain. Why? Is pain a feeling that rules our days. Is it something that pushes us into a corner of aloneness? What is it about pain that rules our days or weeks? What is it? While sitting at my computer, God whispered, “Pain is the result of trying to make it without me”.
I guess, no I know He’s right. The heartfelt pain that we give into is the absence of talking and listening to God. The heartfelt pain, the pain that tries to defeat you is only Satan at work. The pain driven by Satan is the absence of listening to God. There is just simply no other way to say it. Don’t put words in my mouth. God does not promise us that everyday will be perfect. God does not promise that we will not go through hard times. God does not promise that our lives will be a bed of roses. But what we do need to hear is that God will walk with us DAILY and provide the comfort that will produce peace. This peace is just an understanding that someone, God, is on our journey with us. The peace that we enjoy is actually knowing the presence of God.
Let’s take one more step in knowing and receiving God’s peace. Let’s break it down. Starting with the letter “P”, practicing the presence of God.
When the world attacks and we begin drowning, the first thing to do is to stop and invite the presence of God. I know that He is already there, but when you simply say, “Please Jesus, Come”, there can be an immediate pouring out of His comfort for you and over you. Make this a daily practice and begin to feel your pain easing.
The next step, “E”, energize and enjoy the presence as it is being poured out on you. Allow God to shower you with love and He reminds you that He will never leave you or forsake you.
Enjoy the time and conversation you have with God as He speaks peace over your pain. God is a good God and His desire for you is to be the best you can be in the life that He has given you.
There’s more, the letter “A” invites you to act on this gift of peace and His presence. This just simply means that we will be given the opportunity to share what it is that God is giving us.
We can’t do that unless we believe the healing that is taking place. When God comes to sit with you, He will not leave you as you are. He will remind you of His home in your heart.
He will remind you that you are His child. He will remind you that there is nothing that the world tries to do to you that He, in His actions and love, can not control. You see, Peace is a good thing.
The next letter is “C”. We can look at this a couple of ways. We can know and accept God’s comfort and calmness. When God is with you, His child, He always provides the comfort that we need.
These last few days, as I spoke with family and friends, God continued to provide for each of them the comfort to heal and keep moving on.
God is telling us: “If I could just sit with you awhile”, the pain will resolve and the peace that surpasses all understanding will cover you. Let Him in today as His peace begins to wash over you. Begin to feel the absence of your pain and the presence of His peace.
We get to this point and we tend to want to stop because we’re already feeling better. But like most things, if we don’t complete the process, the healing is also not complete.
So let’s continue with the final “E”. Try eating on his Word that He shares with you.
When you have a meal, you don’t just put the food in your mouth, you chew it and swallow. We need to learn to digest the Words of God. We need to take in, truly take in, the love that God allows us to feed on. We need to accept His peace. Allow it to find it’s place in us before we try to go out and save someone else. Have you witnessed pain lately? Has God been trying to use you to help a family member or someone close to you take the journey from pain to peace? It’s a constant journey. The victory is only when we speak the pain and walk the journey to and through PEACE.
Queen Elizabeth II and her family are taking the steps to be at peace. My friend Barbara is accepting the peace as it is being given to her over these past weeks. Little Morgen has a smile on his face this morning because he is surrounded by a family who shares peace and love. And maybe, just maybe, you will be better because God is inviting you to take the journey of peace with Him. Be daring, be willing, and be ready to leave pain behind as God pours peace, His peace, all over you.