A High Wall of Safety

On Monday mornings my hubster goes to a men's breakfast very early, and because I usually can't go back to sleep I roll over and turn on the TV for a few minutes, to catch the morning news.  This morning, the headline took a few seconds to register on my sleepy brain.  50+ dead, over 200 wounded in Las Vegas?  What?  As the events have unfolded this morning, I am profoundly sad.  In fact, I'm brushing away tears as I type. 

Here in the blog, we've been looking at the topic of wealth and work.  Below are the verses I had planned to blog about this morning.  (I had actually started a draft of this post yesterday.)

The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;

they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

Proverbs 18:11 (NLT)

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7 (NLT)

My college friend, who formerly lived in a remote part of British Columbia, last month moved to Edmonton, Alberta.  Almost as soon as she arrived there, two separate terror attacks occurred.  She must wonder what she has gotten herself into.

I've been contemplating a major trip next summer, to commemorate a big anniversary.  Another friend has warned me that part of the world is not safe.  I texted her a bit ago to say it is looking a whole lot safer than Vegas at the moment.

The hard truth is that we live in a broken, sin-sick world that needs a whole lot of Jesus.

And, no physical place on earth is truly "safe" from all harm, accident, illness.

The first verse above describes the false safety that wealth provides.  But, wealthy people still die in accidents.  They still get serious illnesses.  They may even lose their wealth and become impoverished.  Wealth is not a "high wall of safety".

As Christians, what should be our attitude toward "safety"?  

1.  Our eternal future is secure.

No matter what we stumble into, or crash into, or sorrow that enters our lives, we know that after this earthly life, we will be in Heaven with our Savior.  So, no matter the hideous, horrific events along the earthly path, the heavenly destination is gloriously beautiful.  What a precious gift and promise!

2.  Nothing in this life can touch us unless the Lord Himself allows it.

The story of Job is so helpful here.  Job was a man who was well-known to Satan, the archenemy of God's people and, indeed, of all mankind.  He was well-known because of his righteous devotion to God.  We might say that he was "the best man on earth" in his day.

Still.....

God allowed Satan to physically, emotionally, and financially devastate him.  It appears the only thing left to Job were some people/relationships, and Satan used those to bedevil him too!

Job, through his unspeakable losses, grew in his faith.  He came to realize these four truths we are embracing this morning.

3.  His ways are not our ways.

God uses all things to bring glory to Himself, and this is a manifestation of both His perfect goodness and His perfect holiness.  

Because of this, we often cannot understand why He allows what He does.  Often, when we cry out an anguished "WHY?!", we get no definitive answer.  He is not required to explain Himself to us and, it is entirely possible we would not be able to understand/comprehend an explanation, were He to provide one.

Keep in mind that, when Job questioned the Lord, He did not give a specific answer.  Instead, the Lord God asked Job a series of questions designed to remind Job of the huge chasm between us humans and our infinite, incomprehensible God.

4.  His love is unwavering, and we can trust in that.

There, then, is our "safety net", our "high wall of safety".

It helps me to realize in horrible times that the love of my Savior, who cloaked His very position in the Godhead for my sake, who died a most horrific death in His earthly body for my sake - - that His love never leaves me.  That His Spirit, Who lives inside me, never forsakes me.  Ever.  His Spirit is "the shadow of His wings".

Of course, the unredeemed world-at-large thinks we are kooks for believing such "nonsense", as they continue to put their trust in different things, different idols.  But, as for me, I am content to trust in the Lord my God, and to believe with all my soul the truth of His Word.

For me, He, in all His majesty, is more than enough.

Let's meditate on His love this morning.  Here are some verses to help us do that.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth.

Psalm 86:15 (KJ2000)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

2Through him we have also obtained access by faith^b into this grace in which we stand, and we^c rejoice^d in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:2-5 (ESV)

For sure.  

Holy God, we humbly ask that You pour Your love out abundantly on those shattered by the Las Vegas terror attack.  Please lavish healing and comfort and eventually bring peace to wounded bodies and spirits.  The only answer to such horror is You.  Please give us more of You, dear Jesus.  In the Name that is above every other Name we pray, amen.

The Safest Place

Spending a few minutes in Ezekiel this morning, I came across in chapter 11 today's key verse, verse 8:

"You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you," the Lord God declares.

Ezekiel 11:8 (NASB)

In this passage the Israelites were in one of their infamous bouts of disobedience to their God.  They had strayed from His ways, substituting the ways, methods and "ordinances" (vs. 12) of the pagan people groups that surrounded them.  Their rulers and leaders were evil, in this regard.

The rulers' rationalization and justification to the people for doing so was, "If we don't do this the nations around us will ravage and conquer us!"  The bottom line was: they were trusting in their own power and in pagan methods to preserve their safety, instead of trusting in YHWH, their God.

There are many circumstances Satan uses to tempt us to fear.  If He can, after all, scare us out of following God boldly, then he has handicapped our effectiveness for the kingdom of God.

Is there a circumstance, or several, making you fearful today?  What is a Christian's antidote to fear?

And, what does it mean to be "safe" anyway?  Does it mean no harm will ever come to you?
No.

While walking resplendent (according to Jesus Christ's example) yields a life of peace and joy, it is not a life free of challenges and sometimes downright pain.   Why?

Let's tackle these questions.

1.  The Antidote to Fear
Simply, the antidotes to fear are prayer and trust in the One who "holds all things in His hands".  If we trust, committing ourselves and our circumstances to God, we can be certain, absolutely certain, that He will:

• do what is right
• guide us
• be with us through every adverse condition
• use all of our situations for His glory and the advancement of our kingdom
• work things out "for our good" (especially when things seem like crap all around us).  (Romans 8:28)

It may not be that He "works things out" the way we'd like, but we can have bedrock, rock-solid trust in His goodness and His sovereignty.
Where is room for fear in that?  No room.  He, and He alone, is our "safest place".

2.   The Answer to Pain
Why must good people suffer?
First of all, there is no one truly righteous, except God.  Christians know this, as it is the first step to becoming a Christian. (Romans 3:10)
But, I'm talking about Christians, those who love God (to the best of their flawed ability) with all their hearts, minds, souls...
Why do Christians, God's family suffer?
Apart from sinful choices which bring suffering down on our own heads, the answer is hinted at in #1 above - - -
All of our life conditions, phases, seasons, circumstances are allowed us so that we can:

• grow in our faith
• be drawn closer to His heart
• become more like our Savior
• bring about the advancement of the gospel message, be instrumental in "His kingdom come, His will be done" (Matthew 6:9-13)
• bring Him glory

So, we must not adopt the methods of the Jewish leaders in Ezekiel 11.  Their methods were to be deceived by and yield to worldly strategies and pagan philosophies to solve spiritual problems (such as dealing with fear and pain).  God's solutions trump and are superior to man's (Satan's) counterfeits every.single.time.

The question is: will we, God's beloved people, be bold and fearless, moving forward in faith and courage, to follow our King in all of life's circumstances?  Are we willing to follow Him and His ways obediently, according to the Word of God, no matter the personal cost?  Is the battle worth it?  Is HE worth it?

Yes, and so be it.   I believe He is worth it all.

Heavenly King and Father God,
"Give us wisdom.  Give us courage, for the facing of this hour....for the facing of this hour!"
In Jesus' name, amen.

The Worry Pill

When I was young I was anxious for little.  Basically, I "had it made".  My family was wonderful. My health was fabulous.  The "world was my oyster", as the saying goes.  I could not figure out why my mother complained about "her nerves".

Then, at age 16, the first hammer fell.  And, over the years, more challenges have arisen.  I have had my share of lying awake at night, unable to sleep.  Or, waking up in the night and not being able to return to sleep.  Some of the instigators of that condition have been caffeine.   But, more often, the causal factor has been worry, the state of abiding in fear.

Some of us visit fear from time to time.  Others of us camp out there, making it a permanent abode.
Regardless of your entanglements with fear and worry, Paul gives us an antidote in Philippians 4:6-7 (NET).

6Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

My friend, Donna, has a little dog named Parker.  He is cute as a button.  I had the chance to visit her in Vancouver, BC, shortly after she had welcomed him into her family.  So, I got to observe her training him, specifically, training him not to chew inappropriate objects.  This is what she would do. When he'd start to chew something inappropriate, she would stop him by saying, "Not this....THIS!" And, she'd give him a chew toy.  She facilitated an "Instead...".

Paul's "Instead" in verse 6 is pivotal.  In order to replace a worrisome habit (pun intended...I do love me some puns!), in this case the habit of worrying, you absolutely MUST replace it with something else.  Otherwise, you will remain stuck in Worry Town.

With what does Paul say to replace worry and anxiety?  Prayer:  prayers of thanksgiving and also prayers of petition (supplication, "gimme" prayers).  

I've blogged about this before, but let's do a brief recap.  There are prayers of petition/supplication (gimme), which is how most people pray most of the time.  There are prayers of intercession (gimme for someone else's need).  There are prayers of thanksgiving and confession and adoration.  Those are the basic types of prayer.  Finally, there are prayers of spiritual command or warfare; they are in a category all their own.

So, back to our verses:  Here, Paul advocates replacing thoughts of fear and worry with prayers of petition and thanksgiving, although I often run through the other categories too when worry is chasing me.

A pivot is called for.  We do a pivot when we repent.  In fact, the word "repent" means to pivot, or to turn and move in the opposite direction.  Pivoting is "pivotal" for defeating worry.  It is the "worry pill".

What happens when we pivot to prayer, instead of dwelling in Worry Town?  Well, God sends us His peace.  Notice that He does not send us "understanding".  Our prayers may not yield any greater understanding of the situation that is "worrying" us.  Trying to understand things which He never intended us to understand is a rabbit trail that diminishes our faith.  Accepting His peace, which is greater than any human understanding, builds our faith.

That supernatural peace also keeps us from moving from Worry Town to Crazy Town.  Worry can drive you slap-dab crazy, if you don't confront it and pivot.

Some pills are only required once a day, others twice or three times a day.  This Worry Pill is one that, in certain situations, needs to be taken almost continually.  Notice that Paul says, "in every situation". This means that all of life's challenging circumstances need to be covered in prayer, usually repeatedly.

Final thoughts:
1.  No Shame!  There is no shame in praying to replace worry and then falling asleep doing that. There've been times I've felt guilty because I fell asleep praying.  Ridiculous!  God grants the sleep of peace as an answer to our prayers.  So, don't let Satan steal your peace over that false condemnation.
2.  No Shame!  There's also no shame in praying over something repeatedly.  EVERY TIME you are pounced on by worry, pray.  Every.Single.Time.  Pray boldly and unashamedly!
3.  Take counteractive measures as directed.  There are times when, during times of prayer, the Holy Spirit directs us to take appropriate actions to counteract a worrisome situation.  Test those according to the Scriptures, and verify that it's the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.  And, then, be obedient to His voice.

Worry Pills:  Take as often as needed.  ;)

Father, thank you for strengthening our faith by teaching us to trust.  May we pivot to Your throne room with our prayers any and every time worry attacks us.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Titanium Humility

 

A friend today was sharing a story about a little 'ole church lady, sweetest thing you ever saw, never had an unkind word to say about anyone.  One day he was telling her all about a recent mission trip, how he did this and he did that...She rightly perceived that he was being boastful.  In response she sweetly said, "I'm so glad that God has you to prop Him up, Mark!"  As I blogged about yesterday, that was a "settin' down"!

Was this little lady a humble person?  It seems she was.  However, her humility was not one of weakness.  She knew when to have some titanium in her humility.  In this case, she called on it to disciple a younger brother in the Lord.

Today's scripture is from Philippians 2:3-11 (NET) as we continue our journey through this book.

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.

5  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6  Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7  rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8  and being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11  and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Godly humility is a very desirable spiritual trait.  I've noticed, though, that there is a lot of the fake kind around.  Let's look at how Jesus Himself modeled this trait for us.

Godly humility is sacrificial.
It requires we put those we love before our own interests - - - Jesus Christ our Savior in first place of course, and then our loved ones, our friends, seeking to build them up, to lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ or to lead them into deeper relationship with Him.
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of this.
If we look at His life, it was a picture of sacrifice, from beginning to the end.  He is our Good Shepherd, who lays down His very life for His sheep.  We see the titanium in his humility in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46).  There, after praying earnestly for God the Father to remove from Him the burden of the world's sins, Jesus obediently humbled Himself for the task set before Him.  Can you even imagine such sacrifice?

Godly humility is not self-seeking.
Humble people do not seek recognition for the good they do.  The dead give-away that someone is not humble is if they want people to recognize them for their humility or good deeds, if they seek title or position in order to receive the praise of others.  No matter how humble their words in such cases, their hearts are not humble.  Jesus talked about this in the context of giving, when he said "don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3).
I watched the principal of a school stoop to pick up trash on the grounds as he walked on an errand across campus.  It was not his "job" to do that.  He did it unconsciously, without thinking.  He saw a job that needed doing; and, he did it.  That is humility.
You'll notice that Jesus did not exalt Himself, in the verses above.  Have you ever wondered about that?  After finishing the work Father gave Him to do, He certainly had that right.....
But, you see, in every action He took, He was being our example.  He let Father exalt Him, the Son!
So should we.

Godly humility is fearless.
Sometimes, to cover our fear, we "put on humility".  But, that is a deception as well as an excuse to shy away from the opportunities we have been given.  Godly humility is manifest when God's children look at the Enemy, allow themselves to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and then pick up their swords to fight for truth, for righteousness, for the gospel.....for love.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had it (Daniel 3:16-18)
Daniel had it (Daniel 6).
Esther had it (Esther 4:12-16)
Those who have given their lives as Christian martyrs had it.
The list could go on and on.... 

Godly humility trusts God. 
After we have been obedient in doing what He calls us to do, humility then continues as it trusts God with the outcome.  (Oh y'all....this one is so hard for me!  Well, humility in all points is hard for me, but this is the hardest.)  If we walk with God, we know deep down in our heart-of-hearts when God fearlessly wants us to sally forth in battle (CHARGE!!!!!), and when He does not.  It's those "does nots" that tie me in knots.  I'd rather "fix it" than pray about it; you know what I'm talkin' 'bout?  This is especially true when it appears "evil is prospering".  You know, the psalmists had the same dilemma.
Honestly, "fixing it" (even when it's not my place to fix it) is much easier than waiting on God to move.  It's comical, really.  I'll pray, "God, glorify Yourself through this situation!"  And, then, I am tempted to act in a way that steals His glory.
But, be sure of this:  godly humility puts the spotlight on God.  It magnifies and lifts up Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, our obedience brings difficult outcomes, scary outcomes.  Look again at that list of people above.  Sometimes, our obedience brings all kinds of personal loss, even physical death.
Daniel escaped the lions' den unscathed.

²³ Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God.

  
"Unscathed", though, is not always the outcome for us, nor is it always God's will.
But, don't miss this!
When we are obedient and trusting, even when our obedience brings more trials and tribulations, we will always be safe with God.  Our eternity is safe with Him, even when our road here is rocky and rough.  

Humility is counter-intuitive, isn't it?  It goes against the way "the world" thinks.  But, it is exactly how Jesus lived.
 
Father, learning from my Savior's humility is convicting.  Even so, if I long to be like Jesus, I can't skip over the "humility parts".  If I long to "walk resplendent", I can't take shortcuts along the way.  I love that old hymn that says, "Grant us wisdom.  Grant us courage, that we fail not man nor Thee." In Jesus' name, oh yes!  May it be so! Amen.

God of Grace and God of Glory
 

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil ’round us,
Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways.
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,
To the evils we deplore.
Let the search for Thy salvation,
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving Thee whom we adore,
Serving Thee whom we adore.

                   http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/o/d/godgragl.htm

A Hob-nail Boot

Does that look like a boot to you?  Does to me.  It's a seashore scene from South Africa.  Do you know what a hob-nail boot is?  It's a boot with short nails inserted into the sole in a regular pattern. The primary purpose for these nails is to give the sole more durability, but they also serve to give traction to the boot.  No slippery soles with hob-nails.  You step on something with a hob-nail boot and whatever you step on isn't going anywhere.

I figure there are situations in most of our lives, Christians, which frustrate us.  In my case, I get very aggravated when I see .... well, let's just call it "evil prospering".  I do not like to see evil prosper. When the anti-God side wins, it makes me mad, especially when I've poured heart and soul into what "should" have been "the winning side".  Are you feelin' what I'm feelin' this morning?  Can you point to an area like this in your life and say, "uhm-hm, yeah...."

It SEEMS like God is oblivious, at times like that, doesn't it?  Paul must have felt this type of consternation because he often referenced it in his letters.  Today's text is Ephesians 1:20-23.

20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

In a moment I'm going to reference some other places Paul echoes this same theme.  But first, look at Psalm 110:1 - - 

Of David. A psalm. The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Yes, this verse has dual applicability, like a lot of OT prophetic scriptures.  It referred to David's reign, first of all, but also to God's speaking to Jesus, in one of those intra-Godhead conversations. You may recall that Jesus tied the Pharisees up in knots over this verse, in Matthew 22:41-46.  In that exchange, by the way, He was declaring his Messiahship to them; but, they were too obtuse to either see or embrace Him as such.  In Acts 2:34-35, Luke referenced this same verse from Psalms, recounting Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the very day the Holy Spirit was given.

Here, now, are the other Pauline references:

 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

1 Cor. 15:27

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:15

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Colossians 1:18

12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 

Hebrews 10:12-13

The last enemy to be eliminated is death.  

1 Cor. 15:26

This plan of God's, to give Jesus Christ the spot of King Jesus, has been going on long before Jesus was ever born as a human baby.  The same Person of the Triune Godhead who was the Creator-of-all is the same One who put on flesh (Greek: sarx) and the same One who now sits at the right hand of God the Father, advocating for us, interceding for us ... and ruling over the Church as well as this entire world.  Death - - the last enemy to be destroyed.  Oh, He triumphed over death when He rose from the grave, but He will not totally destroy death (as it still serves His plan) until "the end of time", as described in Revelation.

So, why can't we see it?  We are not designed to see God's master plan, unfurled outside of the bounds of Time.  If we could, we would not need faith, would we?  But, even then, our humanity limits our understanding.  Even in those times when God peeled back a corner of Heaven and revealed to one of us His ways, we dealt with that knowledge in incredibly imbecilic fashion, generally speaking.  He is "beyond us" - - far past our limited understanding.

Still, He rules.  He reigns.  Even when it does not look like it around here.  Even when it appears as if evil is crowing triumphantly, evil is a pawn in God's mighty hand.  Ephesians 1:21 emphasizes that NO spiritual entity or power is superior to Christ Jesus, NO matter how things appear.  Christ's "hob-nail boot" is on Satan's neck.  It is finished, Satan.  You.Are.Done.

Seeing is not believing, unless you are looking with eyes of faith.  That's what I have resolved to do, today.  How about you?

Father, Son and Spirit, You rule over all.  I choose to trust You and even to praise You today, even in the face of discouragement, disappointment and fear.   Keeping my eyes fixed on my Head, Jesus, banishes those negative, incapacitating emotions.  King Jesus is on the throne!  He has it all in His hands.  Hallelujah for that.  What a truth worth praising!  What a King worth worshipping!  In Jesus' name, amen.

When It Bites...

As we begin Ephesians we find Paul in prison in Rome, where he remained for 2 years.  During this time, he wrote the letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians and the Colossians.  He also wrote the letter Philemon then.

We begin and end with verses 1 and 2 today:

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. ² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Practically the first words out of Paul's mouth were concerning "the will of God".  Here he was, in prison, and he still testifies that he remains an apostle of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, not only is he what he is by the will of God, but he's where he is by that same divine will. God's will is still in operation in his life.

The Roman imprisonment was much more humane than others he had experienced.  Ephesians 6:20 and Acts 28:30 tell us that during this time he was "chained"; but, basically he lived in his own rented villa, under "house arrest".  (As we explore the remaining Pauline epistles we'll see that other imprisonments were much more dire.)

Still, it was imprisonment, and Paul testified that God had willed it that he should be there, for that span of time.

It is easy to embrace God's will when things are running along as we would prefer.  It is easy to "do" His will at those times also.  The true test of our submission and obedience is when His will runs contrary to ours.

Earlier this morning I was reading a fellow blogger's book review of a new book about C.S. Lewis' eventual wife, Joy Davidson Lewis.  (For time's sake, I won't go into the details here, but I'll reference her post in Sources: below.)  One of the startling facts of their relationship, however, is that they were married for only 4 years before her death from cancer, though their friendship had begun years earlier.  "How tragic!", we might exclaim.  Was it cruel of God to give them only 4 years of wedded bliss?

When God's will when it does not line up with ours, we begin to ask all sorts of questions:  "Did I do something wrong?"  "Is this my fault?"  "Why is this happening?" 
You know them because, like me, you've asked them at some point or another.

Notice that Paul did not begin his epistle with a "Woe is me" attitude, though certainly he had rather been charging down the missions trail, starting churches, winning souls.  That was the level of his zeal.  But, it was not God's will for him at that time.  Imprisoned, how could he continue to impact the spread of the gospel?  Answer: he could, by the inspiration of God, write letters to infant churches - - - letters which have endured and which still speak to those who seek the Savior, thousands of years later.

Are you in a place today where God's will is a mystery?  I am.  Today's post comes to you from the public library, because my crashed computer is still with Dr. Jim.  That's a relatively "little thing", a pebble in the shoe.  Perhaps the entire mountainside of boulders seems to be resting on you, crushing your body, soul and spirit.  Are you having trouble discerning God's will or even finding God at all, underneath those crushing rocks?  He is still there, and He is with you.

Don't fret that you cannot see or even hear Him.  Keep praying and keep trusting.  Remain faithful through the time of testing.  Your faith is being exercised, strengthened.  As you respond in obedience and trust, God will do amazing things, which may not be fully known in your lifetime.  We are not given to see the end, but we serve the One who "knows the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10) .

Even in prison, Paul sends "grace and peace" to the church at Ephesus, and in the middle of your confusion, he sends it to you as well.  Dwell in the grace and peace of Jesus Christ.  Let them roll over your spirit like a mighty wave of the ocean. God has a divine plan, and it (just like He!) is GLORIOUS!  His love is ever with you, His child, and you are privileged because you are being used to accomplish His purposes and bring Him glory! 

Father, I am not promised perfect (or close to perfect) understanding.  What I am promised is the PEACE that surpasses all understanding, that perfect peace Jesus gave. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)  In Jesus' name, may it be ever so! Amen.

Sources:

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/144-pauls-two-year-roman-imprisonment

http://www.matthewmcgee.org/paultime.html

https://michelemorin.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/joy-davidman-lewis-author/