The Blue Church

I start to get ready for work at one-thirty in the morning.

I make more preparations for work at two-thirty five in the morning.

Some of my last efforts to head to work are completed at three-fifteen in the morning.

Then, my alarm goes off and I wake up …

One of the most challenging verses in the Bible is:

“3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others..” – Philippians 2: 3-4

This week I have been thinking about the terrible circumstances that people face. In particular, I have been thinking about the traumatic past experienced by many of the offenders I have worked with.

I have a question for you.

Are all the verses in the Bible comforting?

The answer is no.

But Rob, I thought that God’s Word is supposed to bring comfort.

Well … God can bring comfort through His Word, but reading the Bible can also bring conviction, concern, confusion, and regret.

Things looked glum. The King of Judah was outnumbered. A vast army was headed toward his land, bent on destroying everyone and everything in its path.

I am going to tell you how things turned out, but as I do, please consider all that Jehoshaphat did serves as good advice for us when we are feeling overwhelmed.

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”– Psalm 94:19

I have a question for you.

Who cheers you up?

Okay. Now a few more questions …

Why does this person cheer you? Are they funny? Light-hearted? Have a positive outlook? Always smiling? Do they routinely offer encouraging words? Does it seem as if when the cares of your heart are many, they cheer your soul?

I hope you have someone in your life who is like that.

I hope you are that person for someone.

Maybe you are thinking, “No one would list me as cheerful”. That can change. But first it has to happen to you. You need to be cheered.

God’s Word says that He can be that cheer-giver for us even in the midst of our many cares. Perhaps that is where you need to start. Allow Him to cheer you so that you may cheer others. This reminds me of a few verses in the Bible that contain this idea.

He had a certain glow in his eyes as he talked about retirement. He kept counting the days. He had only a few weeks more until the big “R”. He kept talking of his plans and all that he was looking forward to doing. Now he is gone. Just like that, he passed away and now all of his plans have come to naught.

I have a plaque on my desk at the prison. It reads, “Tetelesti”. It is Greek for “It is finished” (John 19:30). Because it is in Greek, many staff and inmates have inquired as to its meaning.

Have you ever seen how sharks behave when there is blood in the water? They attack the wounded creature in a frenzied manner. Sometimes, they lose complete control, and even attack one another. They won’t stop until the compromised sea-creature is devoured. Then, they all disperse until the next incident.