God's Consolation

Ps. 94:19

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Some have defined an individual as having a Body, Soul and Spirit.  The body is obvious.  The Soul is defined as having a mind, will and emotions, and the spirit as being either dead or alive.  Christ makes the Spirit alive.  A person outside of Christ is considered Spiritually “dead.”

INTRODUCTION:

Life offers us many opportunities, situations and circumstances. Some more difficult than others. When we are in a position to comfort a friend in crisis, we have been given an opportunity to express God's love and our caring.

For some of us, supporting people going through a difficult time can be confusing or awkward.

By the way I have a WEB site called http://moffitt.yolasite.com/ (See MY BLOG:(Sacred Subjects)) and this message will be posted should you want to review it or use it to send to someone else. (Again the message is called: “God's Consolation.”

TEN SUGGESTIONS TO HELP IN LIFE

Here are 10 suggestions that might be helpful. Not all will apply to every situation, so use them when and if you feel they are appropriate.

1.  Make Contact - Let God Use You

Don’t avoid personal contact by putting a ministry opportunity onto someone else, such as the pastor.  Let God use YOU!  I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together.  

When you hear that someone is going through a crisis and you want to support them, make contact. Call, email, or offer to visit. People in crisis often feel alone and appreciate when others reach out to them

2.  Listen to their story

The job of a good friend is to listen. At the beginning stages of a crisis, everyone needs to tell their story in their own time. Allowing the person to tell their story is one of the cornerstones for healing.

You might say any of the following: “Would you like to tell me what happened?” “That must make you angry!” “I’m so sorry to hear that. How are you feeling?”  Avoid questions that require Yes/No answers such as “Are you in pain?”  Instead, one could ask, “Describe your situation,” or “How are you handling your situation?”  Yes/No questions don’t invite dialogue.

Be sensitive that the person may not be ready to get into deep dialogue.

3.  Be there emotionally

Allow them time to tell their story without interruption. You probably don’t know exactly how your friend feels. Be careful about saying, “I know how you feel.” When people are struggling with their own feelings, they think that you can’t possibly understand their experience unless you have been there yourself.

4.  Don’t push, rather brainstorm

People in crisis can feel completely out of control and can benefit from making choices. Rather than insisting on a course of action, offer your friend some options from which to choose. Again, be a listener.

Ask, “If you had a choice, what would you do?, or what are your choices?”  Brainstorm together.

Review:  
1. Make Contact,
2. Listen To Their Story,
3. Be There Emotionally,
4. Don’t Push, Rather Brainstorm

5.  Offer practical help, Give of yourself.

Suggest tasks you might take on such as making calls or running errands for them. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church.  Jesus showed love by sacrificing Himself. He gave all He had to give..Himself.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but shall have eternal life. What more could God give than His only begotten Son?  What greater gift can we give to someone than our most precious possession, ourselves, our time?

6.  Be Observant

See what is needed, and ask if you can assist. Especially focus on what children involved may require.  If we are focused on ourselves, we are unable to know what a person is going through, much less how to help them.

7.  Bring food

Eating is one of the first things to go in a crisis (along with sleep). Have nourishing food available so that your friend is more likely to continue eating regular meals.

Be sensitive to their needs.  Some people have allergies and some may be vegetarians.  Ask, “Do you have any restrictions?”  before delivering.

8.  Be Patient

Your friend may need to tell the story many times or may still be emotional weeks after you would normally stop assisting. Be aware that everyone’s process of recovery is unique. However, if, after giving it plenty of time, you think your friend is stuck in the trauma, you might gently ask, “How do you see yourself getting through this?  Sometimes prayer, leaving it in God’s hands, is the only option.

9.  Check in over time

At the beginning of a crisis, many people are available to help and support. However, over time, people tend to forget and return to the rhythm of their lives. Keep your friend in the forefront of your mind, and check in with them a few weeks, months or even a year later. They will appreciate that you remembered. It is a great use of a calendar, electronic or wall calender.

10.  Avoid Supporting Reckless Behavior

Some people may want to indulge in recklessness when going through a difficult time. Be the voice of wisdom by suggesting proper behavior. Remember that a crisis is a tender time for everyone. If your intention to support is clear, but you don’t get it completely right, be forgiving of yourself.

Showing up with a loving, open heart

is by far the best medicine.

John 16:22

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest (consolation) for your souls.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

TAKE ON THE LORD'S YOKE

Yoke, a well-known implement of husbandry.  It was frequently used metaphorically for subjection.  God's consolations are a delight to my soul as I subject myself to Him.

The world presents us with a multitude of worries and anxieties – too numerous for us to count.

Everywhere we turn, we see problems and trouble. God says that in the midst of all this mess, we are to look to Him for help.

He tells us to whisper his name "Jesus" as a starting point for handling life's trials. Whispering His name reactivates our awareness of His presence.

Our perspective of life's trials changes dramatically as His presence comes into the screen of our consciousness, lighting up our view of what’s going on around us.

His consolations, soothe your troubled heart and delight your soul.

If the world was perfect we would never experience the pleasure of receiving the Lord's comfort. Instead of letting problems discourage us, we are able to use them as reminders to seek the Lord, His presence and receive His comfort.

Instead of letting problems discourage us, we are able to use them as a reminder to seek Him, His presence, His peace, and His love.

These are invisible realities that are available to us any time, any place, and they provide joy that no one can take away from us.

GOD'S CONSOLATION

So, seek the Lord when you are weary and burdened

and He will provide rest for your soul.

Jesus Is the Vine and I Am a Branch

"I am the vine; you are the branches.If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."John 15:5

Our yard seems to have developed a special invitation for the growth of Poison Ivy plants.  They're all over the place.  

I noticed that one particular plant grew "unnoticed" up the side of our house to the roof-top.  How I didn't see it must have been from sheer laziness on my part.Honestly, I very seldom go to that side of the house, so I'm not surprised that it grew unnoticed.

Not wanting to touch it for obvious reasons I decided to just cut the plant at ground level in two places leaving a sizable distance from the two points of cutting.  It didn't take very long for the plant to wither and die.  

Jesus put it this way, “Without Me, you can do nothing.”  Just like the poison ivy plant, we wither and die because our spiritual nutrient source gets cut off.

How do we keep from becoming withered? Stay connected.  How?

1. Acknowledge Him
2. Talk to Him
3. Read and follow His Word
4. Fellowship with His people

Nothing really new here.  It's rather simple.  When I acknowledge Him, it's a sign of humility.  

I'm praying, “God, I know You created me and I belong to You.  I can’t do anything without You. I need You in my life."

When I show that kind of dependency on God, He will move heaven and earth to get me to where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Lord, Make Me Wise

Genesis 37:1-13

Proverbs 1:7 - Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

INTRODUCTION

As many of you may know, we recently had a problem with squirrels getting into our home. I bought a trap and the manufacturer recommended using peanut butter as bait. Strangely though, after setting the trap, the peanut butter disappeared, but the trap didn't spring. So we named the squirrels, at the suggestion of a friend, – Jiffy Smooth and Crunchy.

The squirrels were quite comfortable living in our attic until we cut off their access hole. They were not happy being trapped.

We don’t know how they did it, but they discovered how to get into the basement duct work. One found his way to our back porch and another one to our master bedroom. They were quite at home living in the attic until they were trapped. In the same way, when we feel trapped, we’ll do almost anything to free ourselves.

For some reason, the squirrels were not content being free outside where God intended for them to live. For the squirrels, living anywhere other than outside was not freedom.

Joseph’s father was a sojourner. God’s people will never be free until they reside where God intends them to be – in the “Promise Land.”

You and I will never be free until we are residing where God intends for us to reside, doing what God intends for us to do. Then and only then will we be totally free. That place for us is walking in the will of God..obeying His commands, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their home life, their parents, their brothers, sisters where they have lived, etc.,. In verse one, we see that Jacob lived in the land where his father sojourned.

As we know Joseph's life was very difficult as his brothers turned on him. Consequently Joseph didn't have the strong pull and attachment of a home base. Sometimes that strong home attachment can stop us or hinder us from following the “will of God.” Secondly, sometimes God will remove one from their homeland because of rebellion. Third, God's sovereignty will prevail to accomplish His will and we have no choice as was the case for Joseph. We need to seek God to determine which is which.

Joseph eventually said to his brothers in Genesis 50 after he was made a ruler in Egypt, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. "So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

God has given a homeland to the Nation of Israel. Because of rebellion they were removed from their homeland and one day He will call His people to go back to the land of Israel.

Going home is a strong pull for most people. For the Christian, ultimately their home is the “New Jerusalem”.. the heavenly city that will be the abode of all the saints.

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Until that time, we are sojourners in this land at God's direction. As a sojourner we are subject to what this land offers us. For Joseph, his sojourning began with the movement of his parents, just as it was for many of us.

JOSEPH'S EARLY LIFE

Joseph pastured the family's flock with his brothers when he was young. In order for children to grow and mature properly, it is essential for them learn how to handle responsibilities and develop Godly character such as telling the truth.

In the end times the Bible teaches that children will reject the biblical principles of a godly home life. In Mt. 10:21 the home is in chaos where children rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death.

God’s answer to the dysfunctional family is found in Eph. 5 and 6.  It all begins with the relationship between the husband and wife.  

WIVES

Wives are to respect the leadership of the husband (vs. 22).  The husband is the “God-Ordained” head of the family.   Submit is defined as “to present or defer to others for decision, consideration, and etc. To yield to the action, control and power of another. To give in. To be submissive is having or showing a tendency to submit without resistance; docile or yielding--to be HUMBLY obedient. The wife is to --

• Love her husband even with his flaws.
• To avoid criticism and give helpful advice avoiding being offensive.
• She is to respect his opinions, decisions, and ideas.
• She is to never make decisions that affect both without the husband knowing.
• She is to respect her husband in a cheerful manner when decisions must be made that are difficult.
• She is to avoid controlling him by controlling the family finances.
• Being a submissive wife does not mean that you are dumb. A submissive wife is strong, smart and pleasing to the lord.
• Allow yourself to learn, grow being, goal-orientated and follow your dreams. A loving marriage requires work. If you both are at war for the same spot as head of a household, prepare to be part of a quarrelsome home.

HUSBANDS

The husband’s responsibility is to sacrificially love his wife just as Christ gave Himself up for the church.  The husband is to love his wife as much as he loves himself.  If I don’t love myself how can I possibly love those who are closest to me.

• Love yourself. You must love your wife as you love yourself. A husband must first learn how to love himself to be able to righteously love his wife. Loving yourself means to take care of yourself by being in good health. Avoid substance abuse knowing that it will destroy your own body. If you love your spirit, you should take care of your personality, values and attitudes by always practicing love, kindness, humility, honesty and righteousness.
• Know your wife. You should know your wife and be able to prove that you really know your wife. Of course you know her name, but do you know her thoughts and feelings? To be a loving husband, it is essential to know those things. Knowing your wife is also your way of eliminating the false things that run throughout your mind like not trusting her shopping habits.
• Believe in her by placing trust in her. The responsibility for the wife is to avoid doing things which create distrust.
• Make your wife your choice. Always choose her over other things that can destroy your relationship with each other. Choose her over your pride, over your wrath, over your greed, over your addictions, over your parents.  Choose her to be the one woman whom you will love for the rest of your life. Avoid playing golf on your anniversary.
• Choose being with her when she has to see her doctor for a serious matter.
• Respect her. Give her a positive feeling of self-worth. To love your wife, you must be humble, lifting her up by caring for her integrity and protecting her security.
• Be patience with her by being willing to suffer for her. Love is patient.  Practice being calm demonstrating patience.
• Give her strength by showing that you are strong having abundant power, gentleness, care, love, joy, hope, and being thankful.
• Be truthful, honest, voiding deception. Don’t look for alibis; white lies are still lies. They break hearts and tear relationships apart. Build trust.
• Enjoy life with her. Laughing together over some humorous event brings strong togetherness. Though marriage offers happiness and troubles, you should always find a way to bring joy into your relationship.

SIBLINGS (BROTHERS & SISTERS)

While Joseph was still a youth, he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

Sometimes telling the truth can be hurtful to others, but you are ultimately responsible to God for standing for what is right.

Right or wrong, Joseph had trouble keeping his mouth closed.  He gave a bad report about his brothers to his father.  All things do work together for good.  His conscience couldn't be contained.  He saw his brothers behaving badly and told his father.

The next thing we read is that “his father loved him.”  I know that as a parent, even though the news may not be very good, I appreciate hearing the truth.  It may hurt like surgery, but the removal of the bad ultimately results in a healthier body

Don’t be afraid of telling me the truth - even though the news may not be all that good.  I may not be able to fix the problem, but I would rather know what’s going on so that one way or another, I can deal with it.

Jacob loved Joseph because he was the son of his old age.  He loved him and demonstrated that love by making for him a tunic that was made of many different colors.  

To the brothers, the father’s special gift represented favoritism and an acknowledgment of leadership.  That didn't sit very well with them.  Jealousy ensued.  One of their acts of retaliation was to dip the tunic in blood and present it to their father claiming that an animal had eaten him.  They absolutely hated Joseph.

Hatred is considered an animal instinct mostly brought on by jealousy.  It is often demonstrated by spreading rumors. Some people try to cause trouble simply because they see the other person as having more talent than they.

Jealousy is counter productive. Trying to sabotage someone only slows a person down in reaching their own goals in life. Jealousy is a handicap to spiritual growth.

Not only did his brothers hate Joseph, but they couldn’t speak to him on friendly terms. The very first consequence of a troubled relationship is the absence of communication.

If you’re not getting along with someone, more than likely you’re not on speaking terms with them.

“Don’t talk to me! I’m mad at you!” It’s a no-brainer! The very first step to healing any relationship is to open up lines of communication.

Wow! There’s a title for a sermon - “Opening Lines of Communication!”

CLOSING

Lord, Make Me Wise – True wisdom comes from walking with the Lord in His will, doing it His way.

Godly communication is short, simple and to the point. Avoid wordiness. In scripture we are warned that sin is inevitable when here are many words.

Matthew 5:37

But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

2 Corinthians 1:17-20 (New American Standard)

• 17-20 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?  But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us-by me and Silvanus and Timothy was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.  For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

Are you residing where God wants you?  Are you content in the place where God has placed you?

You will never be totally free until you come to the place where you can say, “Never-the-less, not my will, but Thy will be done.”

The key to total freedom is learning to be content where God has placed you and where God desires you to be.

God blesses contentment. It's the wise thing to do...be content.