My Sustaining Hope in the New Year

Two months ago my family and I laid my father (Paul Decker) to rest, after he unexpectedly died of advanced pancreatic cancer on November 13; three days after his diagnosis.  The holidays were obviously different for our family knowing dad was gone.  It is not only unique for us, but for thousands of others who lost a loved one in 2017.

After we buried my father, and traveled back home to Kansas from Ohio, death visited again.  Within days, I found myself standing next to a friend in a hospital bed who had just lost her husband in a horrific vehicle accident, where she also received multiple injuries.  No one is immune.  If you are in a situation like this, where can you find hope in this New Year?  As you see others dancing the night away and having good times with family and friends, you may feel an emptiness, because a spouse or parent is gone and not coming back. 

On that November Monday night, at 10:00 p.m., I received a call I will never forget.  My mother, in shock and in the deepest of tears told me dad was gone.  As I hit the floor in overwhelming despair, nearly 1,000 miles away, I was soon drawn to pick up my Bible.  I flipped to 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 and read it for myself and to my mom and sisters via cell phone, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  “O death where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting.”  Within minutes, Jesus’ relationship with me and His Word were giving me grace filled hope.  The hurt did not stop, or the tears dry up.  Even so, Jesus and His Word became my Rock.  My refuge.  My sustaining hope. 

Furthermore, additional hope was found in the story of my father’s life.  On September 3, 1972, during the last night of a series of camp meeting services in New York, he surrendered to Jesus and became a new man, and then a year later was called by God to be a pastor.  For 34 years my dad pastored churches throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. 

Knowing dad trusted Jesus as His Lord and Savior and served Him gives me hope.  The grace of God that saved him, kept him and took him to his eternal home, assures me, that one day by that same grace, I will see him again.  Jesus’ relationship with me, His holy Word and the life-changing story of my dad is my sustaining hope.   

If you are facing death or grieving someone who has died where is your hope?  Start out 2018 with a commitment to Christ.  Let His grace wash you clean of all you have ever done wrong.  Surrender your life to Him.  Time is short.  Do it now.  Live each day to its fullest for the glory of God and the good of others.     

A prayer for you to pray – Lord God, as I walk through this valley of grief and pain, be my hope.  Forgive me of all my sins and become my hope for today and all eternity.  Teach me your Word that through it you will become my solid rock.  In Jesus name.  Amen.     

How Christmas Defeated Evil

As I sat down to prepare for this column, I began thinking about Christmas and the end of the year. I pondered some news headlines like the nationwide sex abuse scandals spawned by Harvey Weinstein, the Texas church mass shooting and a potential war with a nuclear weaponized North Korea. I wondered, "With all this, how can we move into a joyous Christmas season?" 

Then as I began reading the Christmas story from the Bible, a light came on. When I dug beneath the surface, I saw how history has much in common with our day.

The ruthless King Herod, who had been given the title King of the Jews by the Roman Senate, ruled over Israel during the time of Jesus’ birth. One day, a large entourage of esteemed, well educated, eastern wise men entered his city after a long journey. When they arrived they began asking, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). Unknown to them, Herod already held the title, King of the Jews, so all Israel became troubled by their questioning. Herod immediately became protective of his position, and determined to strike down his rival, employing a gruesome tactic. He knew baby Jesus could be no more than two years old, and learned from the wise men, He was from the area of Bethlehem. Therefore, he mobilized his soldiers to kill any child under two living there. Jesus was spared, when Joseph and Mary took Him and fled toward Egypt for protection.

History’s first Christmas was filled with darkness and despair, but also tremendous hope.

Jesus was born a few miles from Herod’s palace. It was intentional. God sent His Son to be born in the presence of evil’s most notorious figure, King Herod, and boldly announced His coming. Right on evil’s doorstep God came and firmly planted a flag of victory in the form of an empty cross that His Son one day would die on.

Repeatedly, Herod and other emissaries of evil have tried to vanquish what is good; time after time they have always failed. In this spiritual battle between good and evil light bursts through the darkness, love smothers hate and forgiveness cuts down the legs of bitterness.

No matter the news headlines or political spins this Christmas, there is hope waiting for you in Jesus’ manger. That hope can become yours when you decide to turn your back on the wrong things you have done, and when you are ready to give up trying to be a good person in your own power. Call upon Jesus. Ask Him to make you good, by making you a new person and giving you a new heart. Then in Him, you will find a new beginning.

A prayer for you – Lord God, open the understanding of our hearts to the real meaning of the Christmas season. Take our burden of fear or despair. Cleanse our hearts of anything impure. Come to live within us by your Spirit, and fill us with new life, hope and truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

The Sports Obsession

The ancient people of Israel escaped their Egyptian slave masters for freedom.  As they exited Egypt, Moses their leader, often spent time with God seeking Him for guidance in governing the people.  One time, he was alone with God for 40 days.  As the time passed, the people began to doubt if Moses would return, so they looked to Aaron, Moses’ brother.  He became their new leader and they sought his help in finding a new god.  He led them to craft what became a golden calf and the people said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4).

The people of Israel replaced the Lord God with a golden calf, because of their impatience.  What they once looked to God for, they now sought through their own creation.   
 
The story illustrates the human condition.  All of us are like Israel.  We are constantly looking to replace God, without realizing it, by instinctively looking to other things to satisfy our needs. 
 
As an example, sometimes sports can become one of those replacements when it evolves from a casual interest to an obsession.  It is a multi-billion-dollar world-wide industry that is a deep part of the fabric of our culture.  However, it goes too far when it consumes the family checkbook and calendar to the neglect of more important things.  When it pushes parents to yell at referees or berate their child’s effort.  When it drives big business to deceivingly entice our young people with fame and fortune that leads them down the path of disillusionment and bankruptcy.  The promises of sports are grandiose, but empty.  After a loss, injury or even the next morning following a stunning victory, it offers nothing.   

Only true and lasting joy, peace, relationships, purpose and worth can come from God through Jesus.  He came to suffer, die and rise again to show us where real life is found.  He is the way.  Every other way is a fake, cheap replacement, no matter if it is sports or something else.  Today, experience the forgiveness of all you have ever done wrong and discover what you have always been searching for – Jesus.         


A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray that you will examine the heart of each reader, showing them if they have a misplaced priority of sports in their life.  May they seek you for forgiveness if they do and may Jesus become their consuming passion.  Whether their teams win or lose or their child excels or not, may their eyes always be fixed on you.  In Jesus name, amen.