“U” is for “Unto you who believe…”

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“Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious.” –1 Peter 2:7a

It would be difficult to expound on this short verse without looking at its context. This chapter in 1 Peter talks about how dearly loved, how precious we are to God. Peter refers to Christ as “the living Stone,” and then compares us whom He has chosen to living stones that “are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” In verse 6, he alludes to Isaiah 28:16: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” This verse sets the stage for verse 7 that demonstrates the significance of Christ to believers: He is like a cornerstone to a building. He is integral to the foundation and is, therefore, precious to all who have built on that foundation.

Not only does Peter include this metaphor of the building, but he continues with the symbolism of the stone. For believers, Christ is the irreplaceable foundation upon which our faith is built. On the other hand, for those who don’t believe, He represents a stumbling block. Peter writes in verse 7b-8, “But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become…a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.” The last part of verse 8 explains the metaphor of the stumbling block–people “stumble” due to their rejection of Him and the message of the gospel, the good news. 

The concept of Christ as the Stone demonstrates a paradoxical relationship. For believers, He is foundational; for unbelievers, He is an obstacle. Why? Reread the end of verse 8 where Peter alludes to the plight of unbelievers:  “…which is also what they were destined for.” God doesn’t want any of us to perish. He gave His Son to save every single person, past, present, and future; everyone has the free will to choose to believe, so all are “destined,” so to speak, but unfortunately, not all choose to believe. Peter continues into verse 9 by addressing believers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Here, he states our purpose as believers, to praise God Who has blessed us and enlightened us, and is, therefore, precious to us.

“T” is for “Trust in the LORD…”

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”–Proverbs 3:5a

This verse is so commonly spoken and memorized that I think we often overlook the importance of what it says. It’s easy for people to say that they’re trusting the Lord or advise others to trust the Lord in what they’re facing, but what does that phrase really mean? How does one practically put this phrase into effect? 

I have meditated on this verse much more over the last five years since I’ve moved halfway across the country from where I had lived most of my life. I wrestled with what it means to trust although I’ve considered myself fairly accustomed to trusting the Lord throughout my life. The funny thing is that just when I think I’m well aware of what a concept like trust means, I begin to learn that there are significant facets of which I haven’t even scratched the surface. This can be disheartening on some levels, but also incredibly enticing. 

I recently read a devotional on this subject of trust. The author referenced the fact that we cannot simultaneously think negatively about a situation and trust God; we cannot fear the worst and look to Him with a sense of anticipation at the same time. Trusting requires us to conscientiously put aside the troublesome thoughts and intentionally grab ahold of God’s promises in His Word, which leads me to another verse I’ve been meditating upon: 2 Corinthians 10:5. We can decide to make our thoughts obedient to what we believe; that’s part of the beauty of how we are made. He endowed us with free will to make good choices.

As much as I can ponder and process the first part of Proverbs 3:5, the second clause has held my attention more than ever over the last five years: “lean not on your own understanding.” So many times I have tried to make the wisest choice in a situation, only to find that there were details that I hadn’t considered to be even remotely related. God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9); I’ve alluded to this before, and I am deferring to this verse again because there will always be pieces of this life that won’t make sense to us in the realm of our own understanding. That is why we shouldn’t “lean on” it when we should be consciously putting things in God’s hands–sometimes I’ve had to put situations in His hands every few minutes, over and over, because I take it back and try to figure it out or resolve it myself. Yes, we should use the resources, knowledge, and wisdom that God grants us, but we must remember that our expected results may look nothing like what God has ordained for us. 

“S” is for “Sing unto the LORD…”

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“Sing unto the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”–Psalm 96:2

When I was young, I had some Kid’s Praise cassette tapes that included music and stories, some of which I remember to this day. The main character was Psalty the singing songbook, who could, or course, sing. In one of the stories, Psalty encountered another character who loved to praise the Lord but wasn’t able to sing on key. The moral of the story involved the idea that not everyone is given the same gifts, but we can all praise the Lord, and He enjoys our praise regardless of what it may sound like to our earthly ears…just like there is much that we observe in the physical world that is nothing like how God sees it–His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Whether we are gifted musically or not, this verse tells us to sing, praise, and proclaim God’s salvation. How we go about doing these things varies by the myriad number of people living on earth and who have gone before and who have yet to be born–evidence that God truly loves variety! This idea also confirms that we should not be caught up with comparing ourselves to others, whether it be their gifts, circumstances, relationships, or anything else we may be tempted to covet. 

Believe me, I am preaching to myself here; it’s difficult for anyone to observe someone else easily achieve something that we strive to accomplish ourselves and yet we seemingly meet with insurmountable odds. We never know, however, with what other people are contending behind the scenes, and we must always endeavor to keep that in mind. Every one of our lives forms an intricate tapestry of circumstances, incidents, trials, victories, and challenges, but God is the designer of it all. He weaves together the perfect combination of threads that only He knows to bring each one of us to the place of trust and reliance on Him.

Music is powerful. It is a precious gift for us that we can also turn around and give back to God in praise. When my son was an infant, I sang to him when I rocked him to sleep, and there were some songs that made him smile, while others brought him to sadness. His bottom lip would push out and tremble whenever I’d sing “Hush, Little Baby,” and it wasn’t because of my lack of quality singing–it had to be from the mournful tone of that particular song because it was only that song that brought about this sorrowful response. Once I realized the cause and effect of that song, I chose not to sing it to him and only sang ones I knew would bring him joy. In the same way, we can sing, praise, and proclaim with how we live our lives–striving to love others with our words and actions, which in turn brings glory and praise to God.

“O” is for “O, give thanks unto the Lord.”

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“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endures for ever.” –Psalm 118:1

Why do we thank God? This verse tells us simply, “for He is good.” The Bible doesn’t tell us to thank Him when things are going well or the way we expect. There are several verses that direct us to thank Him regardless of the circumstances. There are also many verses and songs about the goodness of God. The difficulties arise when the awful circumstances arrive in our lives. Clinging to the fact that God is good when everything seems to be falling apart is no simple undertaking. People often ask questions like, “How can a good God allow this?” or “Why would this happen if God is truly good?” 

There’s never a hard and fast response in such situations; the many intricacies of life are all working together in ways that we typically will never see, let alone comprehend. Isaiah 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Even when it seems that God is doing nothing in these circumstances, we know that He isn’t a God who stands by doing nothing; He is always at work, even when we can’t see it. No one likes to be caught up in the folds of discouragement or grief or loss; these aspects of life are merely a matter of when, not if. Eventually, we all face these hard scenarios, and then we learn about faith. We are driven into the arms of our Savior. 

Often in the midst of betrayal or tragedy or other life-altering events, the only safe place is in a refuge–a place where we can express all of our pain and disappointment and hopelessness. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What is a refuge? It is a place that provides shelter or protection from danger or distress. We have to choose to enter a refuge, to seek shelter, and God will do what He says–even when the storms of life roll in relentlessly. The following verses in Psalm 46 say, “So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.” 

Life will throw us into challenges we don’t want to face–crumbling mountains, roaring oceans, quaking ground. Like the man who built his house on the rock, we defer to our foundation, our refuge who is always with us and for us and working behind the scenes for our good, even when life doesn’t look good. Because He is always good. 

“M” is for “My sheep hear my voice”

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“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” –John 10:27

I raised sheep for about ten years. Whenever I would approach the barn, I’d call out their names, and they would come running and bleating toward me. Sometimes I’d be singing or talking to myself as I approached, and they would still come running and bleating. They knew my voice. They would follow me if I was walking across the pasture or along the fence or into the barn, whether I was there to feed them or not.

It’s challenging for me to think about this verse from the speaker’s perspective. I have a tendency to get distracted by what it is I’m listening to or whom I am following. That is why I find it helpful to revisit what I’d learned from raising sheep. Those animals would hear me and follow, no questions asked–that is, of course, if they could ask. Throughout the Bible, we are often compared to sheep, and often it is not for flattering reasons. But when I think of how this verse is phrased, it is more about our role as followers of Christ and our relationship with Him. 

There are times I feel like I’m struggling to figure out what I’m supposed to do, what path to take, what decision to make–I’m struggling to hear His voice. I’m in a season like that right now. I’ve often tried to decipher the big picture, to understand the purpose of what is happening. Most of the time I have no resolution, and I have to continue forward in faith that God is the master of my journey in this world though I’m stumbling along blindly. I’ve allowed my mind to descend into the depths of discouragement and heard my own voice taunting me with accusations that I’ve made irrevocable mistakes, and anything I believed was the goodness of God was really only a coincidence.  It’s truly exhausting.

The concept of hearing His voice and knowing Him used to seem so straightforward to me, but I’ve allowed myself to become jaded on many levels. I’ve struggled with bitterness. I’ve come to the end of myself, which is where He is able to make the most progress in my life. When a potter molds clay, he applies significant pressure. Jeremiah 18:4 says, “But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Some versions use the phrase that the jar “developed a flaw” or was “spoiled” in the hands of the potter. Whatever the cause, the idea of being crushed to be reshaped cannot be without a significant level of discomfort. 

I tend to operate on the premise that everything has to be status quo in order for me to move forward. I’ve been stuck in a state of limbo for so long now, I don’t recall what the old status quo looked like. People often say enjoy the journey and don’t let circumstances dictate your contentment or lack thereof. Of course, it’s easier said than done. Though a resolution isn’t in sight and I’m nearing the end of myself, I have no choice but to cast all of the cares, anxiety, disappointment, and whatever else is in the pile on the Lord. This is faith; sometimes the testing really pushes me to acknowledge the basics of my faith. I have to believe it’s for a purpose and walk on even when I can’t hear His voice, following Him because He loves me, He knows me, and He is my shepherd.

“L” is for “Look to Me…”

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“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” –Isaiah 45:22

I have just come through yet another time of transition in my life–for nearly three months I have been “homeless” as I’ve had to rely on the generosity of friends and family for the roof over my head. After conceding to the fact that my renovated home was not ready when my apartment lease ran out, I initially approached this time with energy and optimism thinking that I’d be in my house in a couple of weeks…but as the weeks wore on, my momentum wore out. If I’d known in the beginning that I still wouldn’t be settled three months later, I don’t know how I would have survived. Sometimes it’s better not to know what lies ahead.

Isaiah 45:22–This verse reminds me of when Moses erected the bronze snake on the pole in Numbers 21. The Israelites had been murmuring against the Lord, and consequently had been smitten with a plague of poisonous serpents. They eventually confessed their sin and begged Moses to intercede with the Lord on their behalf. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live” (Numbers 21:8-9). The Lord is righteous; He demands justice for sin. He also is merciful; He provides a way through the consequences of sin–but we first have to repent.

This Old Testament event must have been momentous to say the least. Imagine a plague of snakes overtaking society as we know it, with no reprieve, and knowing that we had brought it on ourselves…hmmm–could that happen in modern times? Maybe not snakes, but contemplate the metaphor. Back to the point I’m trying to make: we often do not see a problem transformed instantaneously like this moment when God provided a means of remedy for the horrible situation; it is enough to know that He can. Most of the time, we are plagued by problems that drag on for days, weeks, months, or even years. If there is no bronze snake to look to, how do we cope? How do we wake up every morning and press on?

This question brings me to the principle upon which I have been meditating over the past three months. “Give us this day our daily bread” has been on the lips of my mind nearly every day. I am reminded of how God provided manna for His people in the wilderness–just enough for the day at hand (Exodus 16:11-21). This concept has been difficult for me to accept as I’m sure it is for many others. I want to be prepared for the future; I want to know what to expect and not to be surprised by unanticipated problems. Yet, for 40 years the Lord provided for His people on a daily basis, and they came to expect His provision. I would hope that I wouldn’t take 40 years to learn to trust, but as I’m approaching 50, I realize that there are plenty of lessons with which I’m still wrestling. I’m still persevering to “Look to [the Lord]” as the verse states, and how not only to survive on His daily “manna,” but also how to hunger for it and thrive on it.

“J”–”Jesus Christ the same…”

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“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8

An ancient Greek philosopher named Heraclitus is credited with saying, “The only constant in life is change,” and no one who has ever lived on earth and is of sound mind would disagree. Change can be a good thing; for example, we have the option to change how we approach anything in life, like focusing on blessings rather than problems. More often than not, however, changes (particularly major ones) in our lives are the impetus behind most of the stress we face. Because change is inevitable, it’s especially comforting to know that Jesus does not change.

When I was young, I listened to several tapes with stories and songs that helped shape my childlike faith. One song I remember with clarity included this line: “Change your thoughts, and you can change your world.” The capacity to change is an aspect of our God-given free will. We don’t have to live as victims or wallow in self-pity or blame others for our terrible situations; we can choose to live victoriously and face our problems and love from a place of strength in Christ.

Life isn’t kind to anyone, and we all have our crosses to bear. I’m preaching to the choir here; part of the reason I have continued to revisit that song in my head over the decades is to point myself back to the truth of the Bible when I feel helpless or hopeless or overwhelmed. I find wisdom and direction in verses like Romans 12:2:  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Also, James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” 

Our heavenly Father has always been the same; everything and everyone else changes. People often struggle with accepting this aspect of His character because we are so accustomed to this changeable world. The Lord may work in a variety of ways to bring about His will, but all of what He does and allows is ultimately for our good (Romans 8:28), and that does not change. 

“H” is for “He leads me…”

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“He lets me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside still waters.” –Psalm 23:2

As a child I had learned the song, “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart,” and one of the verses included the line, “I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart.” It was a fun line to sing when I was little, but I really had no concept of what it meant till much later. There’s a peace that surpasses our human capacity to describe; I have since experienced this many times over the years. It is analogous to the tranquility of lying in a lush green meadow beside a quiet lake, as this week’s verse describes. Referring back to my shepherding days again, I picture the sheep lying contentedly in the field complacently chewing whatever it was they’d chew for days, and their heavy eyelids falling drowsily as they relaxed in utter peace. 

God made us different from the animals, however. I can imitate sheep and lie peacefully in a field, but in reality, I may be subtly stressed out in my mind, pondering the events of the day or worrying about the possibilities of the next. Giving these thoughts over to God is a life-long learning process. I have mentioned before that I have handed problems over to Him on many occasions only to immediately take them back into my own hands. It usually depends on what I consider to be the severity of the issue; surely, something that is my responsibility requires my attention to worry, or at least, that’s what my mind tries to convince me. God doesn’t need to be bothered with my every dilemma; He holds the entire world, the universe, in His hands, so why should I expect Him to pay attention to my often petty and irrelevant concerns? Because He loves us so very much–how do I know? Well, to quote another childhood song, “The Bible tells me so.”

The first passage that comes to mind is Luke 12:6-7, which reads in the NLT, ““What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” This idea of God’s omniscience, His complete sovereignty over everything, including individual birds, reveals a credence that is extremely difficult to grasp for us as human beings. Children seem to have an easier time accepting this attribute of God. If the Bible says, He knows how many hairs grow out of our heads, then who are we to question Him? Of course, the older we get, the more challenging it is for us to trust God with whatever we may be wrestling with. 

In 1 John 3:20, John wrote, “Even if our own hearts condemn us (with guilt), God is greater than our feelings, and He knows everything.” Allowing Him to dictate truth in the midst of our hardships when we are trying to control the situation in our own strength can be very difficult indeed; nevertheless, trusting Him and His Word over our feelings is what we are called to do. Again, it usually isn’t easy, but it is the way to this peace that passes understanding.

The entire passage of Psalm 23 is a beautiful picture of God as our Good Shepherd. From protecting us in “the valley of the shadow of death” to providing comfort with His “rod and staff,” the imagery produces a sense of peace and safety like nothing we can otherwise understand. Verse 3 begins with, “He restores my soul.” This verse reminds me again of Revelation 21:5 that says, “Behold, I make all things new.” When I can abide in the knowledge of the sovereign Creator Who loves, guides, and protects me, that is where I find the peace that I can’t put into words. Dear child, I pray that you will experience it early on as well.

“G”– “God is our refuge…”

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“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”–Psalm 46:1

Sometimes, life deals blows that feel beyond hopeless that there’s any way to salvage some semblance of contentment ever again. It’s debilitating when our world falls apart. I can attest to this sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and vulnerability. In these times, it seems even more difficult to accept that God has everything under control, primarily because His plan isn’t necessarily obvious, and what I think makes sense is nonexistent. I have often struggled with trusting His sovereignty in these times despite what I know to be true.

One of the most challenging times in my life was when I found myself in a position that I’d never imagined I’d be in–raising a child by myself. I had placed my trust in a person who was not deserving of my trust, and once I began down that road, I couldn’t find a way to detour at all. That man stole from me, taking what didn’t belong to him without my permission, and rather than run the other way, I blamed myself for being in the predicament and accepted it as my fate. God intervened, however, and after even more painful experiences, I was finally free from him and focused on raising my son in peace, though I was very much alone. Unfortunately, there are always consequences for the decisions we make.

I know much of what I’m saying here may seem vague–what I want you to understand is that sometimes God allows the mountains in our lives so that we will believe when He moves them. I could not see how life could continue after the mess I’d made, and that wasn’t the only one I’d make, of course. It’s taken this much of my life to even begin trusting God as my refuge and relying on Him for my strength. He is present in the midst of our trouble. He never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Even when it seems He is unaware of our situation, we can trust that He is in the midst of it, working even our worst mistakes for our good. 

“E” is for “Even a child…”

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“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” –Proverbs 20:11

I remember learning this verse when I was very little; I particularly recall thinking the term “doings” was a funny word. Again, I didn’t have any problem accepting the truth of these verses in the ABC book when I was young. I understood that I was supposed to behave, and people would know I knew Jesus because of how I acted–this was another truth that I believe helped shape my childlike faith and establish its foundation in the Word of God.

This verse reminds me of other verses that allude to our bearing fruit if we are abiding in Christ. John 15:4 states, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” In other words, adults, too, are known by their “doings.” I have struggled at times with what “remaining” in Him looks like, but in reality, when I revisit the simple origins of my faith, it is clear that I just have to take Him at His word. He says to read His Word and pray–sounds simple enough. Of course, life presents a thousand ways of distracting from this all-important focus.

Just prior to this verse in John, Jesus said, “Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” Pruning has never been a desirable experience for me; He allows this often painful ordeal in order to bring about an ultimately valuable result. None of us like painful experiences, but they are a fact of life. I cling to the credence that there is a purpose for it all, regardless of whether I get to see the outcome or not.

I have gardened most of my adult life, and therefore, have pruned many types of plants, shrubs, and trees. Sometimes I didn’t know what on earth I was doing, but I typically learned from my mistakes, though sometimes the plants didn’t survive my ignorance. Thankfully, I know I can trust that when God does His pruning, He knows what He is doing and has a plan for my good (Jeremiah 29:11). He doesn’t waste any of the pain He’s allowed in my life, and though I’ve struggled through so many times of pruning and may not get to see the ultimate results, I still believe He is good. Life would be a dismal prospect indeed without the foundation of His goodness.

Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” I love this verse; it reminds me that not only is He with me through the hard times, but He will also restore me when the time is right. This is a lifelong learning curve; sometimes in the midst of the “weeping,” I’ve had to give the pain back to Him as often as every five minutes. From the physical pain of an abscessed tooth to the emotional pain of losing someone I thought I couldn’t live without and every type of “pruning” in between, God is faithful. I take comfort in 1 Corinthians 10:13 as well: “But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” I pray, little one, that you, too, will know God’s goodness from a young age and unwaveringly trust in Him.