Why, God?

How many times do we ask “Why” in our daily lives?  We see hate and crime.  We see a heartbreaking news headline.  We see a child mistreated.  We see disasters.  We see people pushing grocery carts in the street, and we ask “Why?”

Why, God?  Why do you not “fix” it all?  Why, God?  Why do you not make life easier?  Why God?  Why?

Do you listen for the answer?  Or do you prefer to question in a tone that sounds like you’re telling God that He’s not measuring up to your expectations?

My husband and I just finished reading the book of Job in the Bible.  Job was really facing a heartbreaking, painful time, and he and his “friends” all questioned why.  The friends seemed to think they knew the answer, but God didn’t see it that way at all.

I sometimes like to think that, if I ask God, He will straighten me out – straighten it all out - straighten the world out.  But God knows me, He knows what I need.  He knows what the world needs and much of the time the answer is not rescue from the hardships.  

Many times, the hardships are what we need to drive us in the direction of His arms.  But dear friends, your hardships may not be sent to drive just you in that direction; instead they may be used to drive others to the arms of our Father.  You, my friend, may have a major role to play in bringing others to the knowledge of God’s love through your own pain and hardships.

If I ask “Why” when skies are black and clouds spill tears

If I ask “Why” infirmities grow constant with the years

If I ask “Why” this world is up-side-down

If I ask “Why” I see not smiles, just frowns

If I ask “why” but don’t discern God’s presence in the pain,
I’ll never understand the answers
or know God’s power and majesty will reign.

Am I a Pilgrim?

Am I a pilgrim?  A pilgrim is one who is journeying – not at home. 

The dictionary defines a pilgrim as “possibly a person who is traveling to a sacred place-a better place.”


Have you heard the saying, “Home is where the heart is?"  Do you believe that? 

If I am a pilgrim - someone searching for a better place, my heart must be telling me that I am not at home.  If my home is within the arms of Jesus, then that’s where my heart will be, that’s where I will feel at home.  

 Deuteronomy 33:27 

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

We are living in a world of fear and anxiety.  Could it be that we're not sure where we really belong?  Could it be that we feel lost – or that we don’t recognize our own true home?

Perhaps it’s because it’s been too long since we’ve spent any time there.  Or perhaps what we thought was home - what we pictured in our mind, was not real, but "photoshopped."  That idea of “home” conformed not to God's design, but to the picture we see in the world. 

But if we look at the verse in Deuteronomy 33, we see that God is our home.  He is our dwelling place and His everlasting arms  will never fail us.

My home is in the arms,
the mighty arms of Jesus,

those arms that held my sins upon the tree.

My home is in the arms,
the gentle arms of Jesus,

arms that reach to comfort and to free.

My home is in the arms, the steady arms of Jesus,

who changes not and will forever be.

My home is where God's heart is,

the heart that broke with His great love for me.

See you at home, my friends.

He Caught Me.

Dear Friends, this is something I wrote quite a few years ago, but sometimes, even in our old age, we continue to feel that we're on a carousel.

Sometimes feelings of inadequacy, and of regrets for the times we've hurt others continue to dwell in our thoughts.  But, I want each of us all to remember the very last line of this poem.  He said, "I caught you my child, when I died."  

Jesus is still all powerful.  He is the one who cares. He cares so much that He died on a cross and took all of those sins, regrets, and hurts on His body.  He caught us when He died and rose again, and He continues each day to hold us tight!

“Catch me God,” I cry

from this carousel I’m on." 

The nights and the seasons, stampeding, go by.

Dark pains and dark pleasures about me all fly, 

and I cry, 

“Catch me please, God – before I die.”

“Catch me God,” I cry,

as the black in my heart edges in.

My life and my actions increasingly grey - 

the good and the perfect are further away,

and I cry,

“Catch me please God – before I die.”

“Catch me God,” I cry,

The carousel mirror cries back at me

It tells of a life full of sin beyond measure -

a self-centered life hurting those I should treasure

and I cry,

“Catch me please God – before I die.”

At once, the carousel is still.

My world has crashed.

I’ve lost the will 

to run,

I've lost the strength to hide. 

And no excuses will abide 

since the mirror has shown me what’s inside.

Then I found that

playing the game of catch-me-if-you-can

is not something our Father will do.

I had to stop running, reach out,  

take His hand. 

and listen to Him - then I knew

that He was there all along seeing my plight.
He answered each time I prayed in the night.
He hurt when I hurt and He said when I cried

“I caught you my child, -- 

when I died.”

Diane Gruchow

A letter to God

 

Psalm 51:6-13 (NKLV)

You desire truth in the inward parts, 
and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness, . . .

Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Friends, have you ever read Psalm 51 as if it was a personal letter to God from you?  Have you ever felt the strong desire to bathe in the love and forgiveness of our Father?  

As I read Psalm 51 this morning, I thought, not of the bold, overt sins that I’ve committed, but of the hidden part.  This Psalm speaks to me of that part within my heart that harbors unforgiveness, that harbors the pain of past hurts.  It speaks of resentment that I continue to hold on to.  It tells me that God wants me to recognize that truth and to know wisdom.  

So I ask Him to purge those thoughts and feelings from my soul - from my mind. and help me to feel, and to hear the joy of His salvation, of His forgiveness.

And I trust Him, as I have for all these years, to restore that joy into my heart and uphold me, because He is generous and loving.

Love, Diane

It's Almost Time

It's almost time!  Easter is just around 

the corner!  But, before we sing of His resurrection, before we glory in the Conqueror’s might, let's take a minute 

to walk with His disciples during 

those dark days of uncertainty.  

I’d like to walk with those men and women because I believe that we all have days of uncertainty.  We all have days when we wonder what tomorrow will bring.  We all wonder, at some time or another, if tomorrow will even come, don’t we?

Can you imagine the disappointment? 

Can you feel the aching pain?

Their leader is dead.  

Their hope was in vain.

Those hopes seemed to vanish, eclipsed by the roar 

of the thunder within, and the words “nevermore.”

Their plans for tomorrow were lost in the storm 

of the evil before them, 

in the winds of despair.

They questioned, “God, why, and God how could it be

that Jesus, our Savior, is no longer there?”

As we walk with the people who walked with our Lord, 

we can feel in our hearts the despair they endured.

On the other side of the cross, on the other side of the empty tomb, we can only scarcely imagine what they might have felt.  We can’t really walk in their shoes because now we know the rest of the story.  They told us! And in their words we  find our solid hope.  

I, for one, wish His friends hadn’t been required to walk that path,  But I’m so grateful that they were finally able to touch the scars and hear His voice, and know that He was truly alive after all.

May you live in hope as you consider the joy that was just around the corner for those disciples.

From my heart, Diane

 

Peter said Never

Jesus was talking to His friends after the Passover dinner as they were walking to the Mount of Olives.  And Jesus told them, 

“This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

Then Peter said, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

Jesus told him, “This very night, before the rooster crows,you will disown me three times.” Matthew 26:31

Peter said “never,” but yet, Peter did.

Peter boasts of strength, and yet Peter fled.

We promise, we boast, 

and we swear, but instead.

We run from the task.

 Our weakness is fed. 

Before we look askance at Peter, let’s look in the mirror.  We may see a picture of the many times we’ve neglected to stand up for our Savior.   Peter really thought he would be strong enough to stand by Jesus’ side facing the might of the leaders and the government, but he wasn’t.  I wonder if I am strong enough.  I suppose it’s a question we all must ask, and when we do, we also must understand that Jesus understands us. 

Did He disown Peter?  Did He hurl down wrath on Peter and the other disciples who ran away?  If we continue to read about what happened later, it helps us to see how Jesus reacts when we let Him down.  He continues to search for us and show up in our lives.  

What did Peter see in Jesus’ face?  Maybe a look of sadness, even disappointment, or pain – but I believe those looks at Peter, and at all His followers always contained love.  And I believe He still looks upon His children, His friends, His followers with love as well, even when we fail Him. 

Jesus said never, 

and He never will 

forsake His own children. 

He loves them all still.

He promised His strength.  He offers His might,

when His children face evil – the Devil’s delight.

Jesus is strong enough to love and to save.

He overcame death, 

and He rose from the grave.

There’s no need to fear.  

Jesus rose from the grave!

Hallelujah, Amen, 

Jesus rose from the grave!

• 
  

It Wasn't Taken. His Life was Given

Matthew 26:47-56

Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 

And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

The night that Satan thought he had me,

the night he planned his victory,

the night his servant Judas kissed me –
would end my walk to Calvary.

The rough arms came, reached out,
and seized me.

My dear friend drew his sword to fight.

“Put back your sword,” I had to tell him. 

“It has to be this way tonight.”

“Oh, don't you think I could withstand them

without your help if I did try?

Oh, don't you know that heaven’s angels

would be at hand with just a cry?”

And then I asked of those who seized me,

“Why did you come with clubs and swords,

while every day
I sat among you, teaching in the temple courts?”

“And on those days did you arrest me?

No, now you come in evening’s hour,

for Satan's way is always darkness

and you by hating, give him power.”

“So lead me on that way to Calvary.

We'll take the road together now.

I'll walk along, no need to drag me

for I won't use my heavenly power.”

“Oh, I could call on heaven’s angels if I wanted to be free.

It must be now, as God has planned it,

so there’s no need to shackle me.”

He gave His life.

It was NOT taken from Him.