Grace for the Race

The traditional American spiritual, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” is a song which has provided joy and encouragement to children and adults alike for nearly a century. It finds its roots in the writing of the prophet Isaiah, who penned inspired words of unimaginable comfort for all those who understand them and apply them to their hearts . . .

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

The righteous right hand of the Almighty is powerful enough to uphold the entire universe and tender enough to uphold you. Notice that Isaiah specified exactly which hand God is using to uphold all things: His right hand—the hand of strength, blessing, and authority. The 18^th century “prince of preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, put it this way:

That hand, which He uses to maintain His holiness and to execute His royal sentences, will be stretched out to hold up His trusting ones. Devils cannot throw down the man whom God upholds.

When I read Isaiah’s verse, I picture God holding me in much the same way as I used to hold my children’s hands when we were crossing the street. Each one of my children would be holding my hand and thinking all the while that they were the one who was doing the holding. But in reality, I was the one holding on to them . . . and I was not about to let go, even for an instant!

The same is true of our God, who is holding us in His mighty right hand. Nothing can break the grip of our God who will never, ever let go of us, no matter what kind of difficulty we face. Not only will God not let go, but we are also told in Scripture that nothing and no one can snatch us out of His hand. As Jesus said,

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

(John 10:27-30)

Omnipotence cannot be overcome! Isaiah tells us not to fear or be dismayed, regardless of the circumstances we are currently facing, because God is for us. And if our God is for us, it doesn’t matter who or what is against us.

• Difficulties in our marriage . . . God is for us!
• Parenting prodigals . . . God is for us!
• Troubles at the office . . . God is for us!
• Loneliness in our singleness . . . God is for us!
• Struggles in our schoolwork . . . God is for us!

Remember, when God makes a promise, He keeps it every time. He has promised to strengthen us and help us get through everything we are facing in life. We shall overcome in His strength, not our own. We are held in His righteous right hand and that holy hand will carry us over every obstacle and never loosen its grip. Nothing can snatch us out of His hand!

To know He’s got the whole world in His hand . . . and you . . . is truly enough to know.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

As I’ve trained student athletes over the years, I have enjoyed asking them for their favorite memory verse. Invariably, most would use John 11:35 . . .

JESUS WEPT!

I find it quite remarkable that Jesus wept. It’s really not extraordinary that He did weep—remember that He was fully God but also fully man—but it is the context in which He wept that is striking. If you remember, Jesus was standing outside of the tomb of Lazarus, the man He was about to raise from the dead. You might well wonder: If Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, why in the world would He stand outside of his tomb weeping?

I think it is clear that Jesus wanted to enter into the pain of Mary, Martha, and their friends at the deepest possible level . . . and so Jesus WEPT!

To be sure, this is the shortest verse in the Scripture, but it seems to have the deepest, richest sense of meaning. Our Savior reaches deep into the sorrows of His saints and enters into the pain of His people. Make no mistake, we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness and grief (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV); with tears He enters into the trials and tribulations we face. What a wonderful consolation to know that Jesus is with us when we are most vulnerable!

No doubt, Jesus could have repressed His tears. Most men do just that. But Jesus refused to be unnatural at any point of contact with humanity. It is natural to weep when we are in a season of sorrow and suffering. It is natural to let our tears flow from the fountain of personal pain. It is a source of great comfort to know that Jesus did not find it “weak” or shameful to show His human weakness. Remember, Jesus got tired, hungry, and thirsty. He was just like us in every way . . . expect without sin.

As a pastor, I have found that often this is the best ministry that you can provide for someone who is in pain. The ministry of tears reaches deeply into the hearts of man and ministers in ways that cannot be matched by words or deeds. And tears translate into every imaginable language! The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep.

Regardless of where this finds you today, you have a friend in Jesus who sticks closer than a brother and who is not afraid to weep with you. Remember, Jesus wept . . . and then He commanded, “Roll the stone away” and “Lazarus come out!” Jesus met His friends and followers in their deepest place of pain first, then He demonstrated that He was more than just a man. He was the incarnate God, who had power over life and death.

So when you find yourself in a season of weeping, don’t forget that you weep in the best of company . . . because JESUS WEPT!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Samaritan woman came to Jacob’s well every day at noon. Her neighbors would come earlier or later to avoid the heat of the day, so she came at noon, hoping to avoid running into any of the townspeople. She never expected a divine appointment with the Lord God Omnipotent!

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

(John 4:13-14)

This woman was scorned by everyone in her town; she had been married to five different men and was now living with a man out of wedlock. So she deliberately came to fetch her water at the time of the day when no one else would be there. No doubt she hated the scornful looks of polite society and the whispering behind her back. She came to Jacob’s well marked by shame and disgrace. And this was the turning point in her life! Expecting to meet no one, she instead met the God-man, who knew everything about her and yet would not sneer at her or turn His back on her. He spoke the Word of life to her at the deepest level.

Every day she had come to the well alone, feeling naked and ashamed, dragging a past littered with sin behind her. But no more. Jesus changed everything for her.

Leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

(John 4:28-30)

For the very first time in her life, she was able to quench her soul thirst that could be slaked in no other way. She forgot all about her water jug; now she was filled with the life-giving water of the Word of God, and she ran to greet her neighbors—the very people she had been trying so hard to avoid just moments ago—and tell them about the Man she had just met. She had been immediately transformed from outcast to evangelist for the glory of God. The old had passed away; all things had become new!

Before her divine appointment with Jesus, Jacob’s well was a reminder of her shame and disgrace, and drinking from that well affected all those in her home whom she drank with. But after meeting Jesus, Jacob’s well became a place of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. For the first time in her life, she was naked and un-ashamed, standing before the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew everything about her and still loved her.

Regarded by her neighbors as little more than a dirty harlot, she stood before the Lord Jesus Christ clothed in radiant garments of white . . . she was the Bride of Christ! She’d gone through one husband after another, each leaving her thirstier than the one before. But now she had found the one thing . . . the irreplaceable treasure . . . the only One who would truly satisfy her thirst . . . and His name is Jesus.

So . . . what well have you been drinking from lately? Remember, the well you drink from will affect all those you drink with. Drinking from the well of living water will slake your deepest soul thirst and send you out to share the joy of your Savior with all those you meet: “Come and see a man who knows everything about me, yet still loves me unconditionally and forgives me completely!”

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Now that I have your attention, I believe today’s message will offer a word of great comfort and encouragement right where this finds you.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

(Psalm 27:14)

Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.

(Psalm 37:34)

Blessed are all those who wait for him.

(Isaiah 30:18)

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:31)

The Lord is good to those who wait for him . . . It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 

(Lamentations 3:25a, 26)

While staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.

(Acts 1:4)

When was the last time you enjoyed waiting for ANYTHING? From the check-out line in the grocery story . . . to the doctor’s office . . . to the fast food drive-through line . . . to that check you have been told is in the mail. None of us likes to wait for anything!

But what about waiting on God? The verses above are just a tiny sampling of the scores of biblical admonitions for the people of God to wait upon their Lord. We must be careful never to thoughtlessly put God in any of our other “hate-to-wait” categories. Why? Because often the blessing God has ordained for us will only be found on the other side of waiting.

WAIT is a “faith-filled four letter word” when we are waiting on God, because His timing is always perfect. God knows exactly what we need and precisely when we need it! He has ordained waiting as one of His ways to increase our faith AND our appreciation when we actually do get what we have been asking for.

Anyone who has been following Jesus for some time knows there are times we pray and God says “No.” Yet if we wait (there’s that word again!) and watch, when we look back on that situation we will see why . . . because God had something better! Then there are those times God says “Yes” . . . but that faith-filled four letter word is attached to the “Yes.” Frequently what we were asking for comes to us in a completely different way than what we were expecting. Waiting on our Lord is nothing more—and nothing less—than putting our trust in Him for what we need, knowing that it will be delivered to us in His way and in His timing.

We can all look back in life and thank God for the times He said “No” to our petitions, as well as those times He said “Wait” . . . because God alone knows what is in the best interest of His children.

Let us prayerfully seek to develop the patient understanding of the psalmist who knew God’s timing is perfect:

I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands.

(Psalm 31:14-15)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“Providence” was a term that was frequently used by America’s Founders, such as the unforgettable expression of their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence” in America’s Declaration of Independence. Providence is rightly defined as the foreseeing, benevolent care and wise guidance of Almighty God in the lives of His creatures.

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

(Psalm 25:4-6)

David’s psalm (and, indeed, all of Scripture) reveals that this life is a journey without a destination . . . until we get to the other side of the grave. We are pilgrims passing through this world, not settlers in it. Regardless of where our path leads, when it is a path of Providence it will always end in the glory of God and our good.

David deeply wanted to walk the paths of Providence, and he was crying out to God to teach him the right path to take . . . and this path will always lead in the opposite direction of the way the world is encouraging us to go. David had no interest in looking to the imagination of man as his guiding light. He sought the revelation of God (“guide me in your truth”) because he knew that God will always lead us in the right direction.

Let me be clear: the path of Providence may very well not be free of all obstacles and challenges. Often just the opposite is true! But when God is guiding us in His truth and teaching us along the way, we can be assured that we will reach the other side better than we were before we got there. God never promised us painless paths of providence; what He did promise was to get us safely to our destination. Knowing that truth, we are strengthened and comforted to press on, regardless of the cost or circumstance.

The key for successful Christian living is to hold tight to the same hope David had. He was not hoping for an easy, painless path of Providence to travel through this life. His hope was in God, morning, noon, and night. If you know the Scriptures, you might well ask, “Was David’s hope always in God?” I believe the answer is “Yes.” In his flesh, David stumbled badly on more than one occasion; he turned away from his holy hope and trusted in things smaller than God. Yet every time David did so, God would guide David back onto His path of truth and wisdom. Deep down, David’s hope was always in God.

We see this even in one of the most awful events recorded in sacred Scripture; David committed adultery and then did murder to cover it up. Yet the Lord’s great mercy and love still reached out and met David in his place of deepest need. To be sure, there would be great consequences for David’s sin, and it took a visit from the prophet Nathan to make that clear to the broken king. But through it all, God grew David up to become a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He continued to set David’s feet upon the paths of Providence all the way into glory.

So . . . what paths of Providence have you been walking lately? Is God leading you . . . or are you trying to lead God? The answer to these questions will make all the difference in how your life works out.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We live in a world filled with suffering—from natural disasters and accidents that take loved ones away from us to countless moral evils that cause unimaginable pain and sorrow. So how do we keep from being buried under the weight of suffering? It is not by thinking it is all an illusion, as the Buddhists believe. It is not by thinking that suffering is payment for sins in our past life, as the Hindus believe. It is not by thinking we need to keep a stiff upper lip, as the Stoics believe. And it is certainly not by thinking that suffering is merely a suspension to our story, something to be avoided at all costs, as the secularists believe.

Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

(Philippians 4:8-9)

The apostle Paul is telling us that we are strengthened in our suffering when we think appropriately. Appropriate thinking is rooted in what is above us rather than what is below us. We are to think God’s thoughts after Him. It is only when we look within the biblical framework that we will find the answers to the BIG questions in life, such as:

• Why am I here?
• What is the meaning of life?
• Where am I going?
• How am I going to get there?

Our Western secular society has no answers to these kinds of questions. Without God as the source of all life, we are simply a product of time plus matter plus chance. The secularists believe that we came from nothing and we are heading back to nothing, so grab all the happiness you can find right now because this is all there is! They would tell us that suffering merely suspends our story and shrouds our happiness.

But the apostle Paul is telling us to think about the BIG questions in life (questions of what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy), because it is only there that we meet with answers from the Almighty that are designed to strengthen us . . . whether the sun is brightly shining or the storm winds are howling.

Paul knew this from personal experience. His life after the Damascus Road experience was marked by continual suffering: beaten with rods; pelted with stones; three times shipwrecked; a night and a day spent floating in the ocean; knowing hunger, thirst and nakedness; imprisoned; and living under the pressure of his great concern for the church (2 Corinthians 12). Yet through it all, Paul said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12).

Contentment is something that must be learned, and we only learn it through right thinking. Fixing our focus on Jesus brings us a peace that passes all understanding of the natural mind, because Jesus brings us His peace and presence. And therein lies the key to being strengthened in our suffering: appropriate thinking put into consistent practice . . . and the God of peace will be with you!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

That’s a strange title for today’s word of encouragement, isn’t it? “When death is not death!” How is that even possible? Well, with God all things are possible!

Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

(Matthew 16:25 NKJV)

Death is not death when we are dying for Jesus. What an incredible promise from our Lord! The call of Christ to die is really a call to life . . . the only life worth living. You see, when we are living for anything smaller than Jesus, no matter how much “life” we may think that brings us, it is really nothing more than death. Jesus knows that if we are left to ourselves, we will always pursue the “stuff” of this life rather than our Savior. We pursue . . .

Our goals

Our dreams

Our agendas

Our plans

Our desires

Our wants

When we pursue what we want apart from what Jesus wants for us, we are attempting to save our life. We think we are going after true life, but it is nothing more than death wearing a mask of life. The apostle John clearly warns us:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

(1 John 2:15-17)

Make no mistake, the call of Christ is indeed costly; it will cost us everything! Jesus demands nothing less . . . and to be sure, He deserves nothing less. Our sinful hearts are actually suicidal as they drive us to seek to satisfy self rather than the Savior. Jesus has called us to lay down our lives—our goals, dreams, agenda, plans, desires, wants—and pursue Him as our first priority in life.

Remember, the Bible never tells us to seek Jesus. It tells us to seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). When we lose our lives in our Lord, we begin to find the life we were created to live. By nature, we pursue stuff that will never satisfy us; in the end, we discover we have cut ourselves off from the only source of life: Jesus Christ. We pursue what this world offers to us as “life,” but even if we get it all, we will inevitably come to the devastating realization that we have missed out on the only thing we truly need. I cannot think of anything worse than that! Can you?

So . . . what have you been living for lately? What have you been dying for lately? What changes would you need to make to lose your life for the sake of your Savior . . . only to find the life you were truly made to live?

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

(Matthew 6:33-34)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Did you know this was a leap year? Leap year has 366 days in it instead of the usual 365, which is accomplished by extending the month of February to 29 days rather than the usual 28.

What are you going to do with the extra day?

We probably won’t do anything different than we would normally do on a Monday. The student will probably still go to school; the office worker will probably still go to the office; the stay-at-home mom will probably still stay at home. I want to suggest to you that you pause for a moment today and reflect on the gift of time God has given to you; are you are investing it wisely?

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

(Psalm 90:12)

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 10:31)

Walk in wisdom redeeming the time.

(Colossians 4:5)

God’s gift to each one of us is life. Our gift back to God is how we live it. The psalmist asks God to teach us to number our days simply because they go by so quickly! I think you would agree that life is flying by. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into months; months turn into years; years turn into decades. Before we know it, seasons have come and gone, and we find ourselves staring into a mirror wondering, “Where did my life go?”

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians tells us that every moment matters. He reduces time down to the mundane activities of eating and drinking, and instructs us to do even those things for the glory of God. Whatever we are doing, we are to be doing it for God’s glory.

Paul told the Colossians that the only way to make time count (to redeem it) is to walk in wisdom—that is, to walk with Jesus. It is only when we are walking with Jesus that we are making the time count. When we walk in the wisdom of the Word, every moment matters!

So . . . with those thoughts in mind, will today be any different from any other day in February? Remember, when you spend an hour in life, you have one less hour to spend. It’s up to you; spend it wisely!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

There is a very strange passage in the gospel of John that teaches one of the most important biblical truths we need to digest in order to navigate the confusing, turbulent waters of life. This truth is contained in the story of the raising of Lazarus, and the response Jesus gave when Mary and Martha sent word to Him that their brother Lazarus was sick.

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. . . . So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” . . . Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

(John 11:1, 3, 5-6)

It is easy to miss the incredible impact of what John is saying if we are not careful. Scripture relates that Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were all friends whom Jesus loved. So what Jesus says seems to be saying in this passage might appear insensitive at best and indifferent at worst . . .

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU . . . I WILL STAY AWAY TWO MORE DAYS!

Mary and Martha reached out to their friend Jesus in their time of crisis; no doubt they expected Him to respond in some other way than He actually did! After all, Jesus didn’t need to physically come to Bethany; He could have simply said a word and Lazarus would be fully healed. If healing would not come by our Lord uttering a word, then certainly He would promptly come to the rescue of their sick brother. And if He did not “come a-runnin,” at least Jesus would begin to make His way toward Bethany and minister to Lazarus.

But Jesus did none of these things! The passage says, Jesus loved [them]. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was. He stayed away two more days! Jesus did not respond in the way they wanted or expected. And that is often the truth for every child of God.

Mary and Martha were entirely right to reach out to Jesus when they found themselves in need . . . but they were entirely wrong to think they knew best how Jesus should respond to their need. Jesus always knows what is best for His people. He knows when it is best to respond immediately and when it is best to delay. What you and I need to remember is this: LOVE THAT DELAYS DOES NOT EQUAL LOVE THAT DENIES!

Clearly it was more loving for Jesus to wait in this circumstance. He had a very special miracle planned for all of them that would be another “sign” pointing to His deity. He would raise Lazarus from the dead after he had been buried for four days. He would show them that nothing is impossible with God.

John’s account demonstrates the truth that Jesus is who He says He is. And with that truth firmly etched upon the hearts of the children of God, we can be sure that God’s timing is always perfect and His response is always what is best for us. This passage teaches us that we can fully trust Jesus . . . even when we cannot trace Him.

So . . . how well have you been doing in this area lately? Remember, God loves you so much that He will not answer every prayer in the way you want it answered. And anyone who has been walking with Jesus for some time can look into the past and thank Him for that truth.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We live in a culture marked by the passionate pursuit of pleasure, regardless of the circumstances or the cost. It doesn’t take long to discover that even when we get the pleasure we have been pursuing, it never ultimately delivers on its promises. This truth goes back to the beginning of time; the serpent in the Garden promised Eve “more” of the good things in this life if she would just ignore God and decide for herself what was best for her life, but it ended in “less” . . . so much less! Men and women and boys and girls have been rediscovering this timeless truth for millennia.

The Wise Preacher made this principle perfectly clear.

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. . . . I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine . . . Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure. . . . Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

(Ecclesiastes 2:1, 3, 10a, 11 NKJV)

When Solomon referred to “pleasure” here, he was speaking of sinful self-indulgence. He made it clear that meaninglessness comes, not from disappointment or tragedy, but from our passionate pursuit of pleasure. Solomon said all self-indulgence is vanity (that is, meaninglessness, emptiness, futility) and grasping for the wind.

Who among us can grasp a handful of wind? In other words, what we are seeking in the pursuit of our pleasure—meaning, significance, purpose, satisfaction, fulfillment—will never be found in the stuff of life, even the good stuff of life. The good things in this life are simply gifts from God, and He never intended for us to find our meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and fulfillment in the gifts He has given . . . even the very best of gifts, such as marriage and child-rearing.

God Himself is the true gift we have been given; only in Him will we find what matters most in this life. Apart from God, no matter how much we accumulate, we will always be left with less than we had hoped for. And so, at the end of his book of wisdom, Solomon gave us the most important instruction for finding meaning in life:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

(Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV)

True, lasting pleasure is found only in God. The fear of God is a feeling of reverence and awe that keeps Him seated on the throne of our lives. Placing God anywhere else, and we will live in a perpetual state of meaninglessness. He is the way and the truth and the life!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!