Petoskey United Methodist Church
Weekly Devotional

February 19, 2008
By Jo Snedden

jsnedden@parishonline.tv

Living Out the Faith
 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Don’t cry over spilt milk!

Don’t cross your bridges before you come to them!

Everyone knows these phrases and most everyone believes them to be true.  The question begging to be asked is, “Would others looking at us see us living out these phrases?”

For people of faith those phrases might look like these:

Romans 12:21  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

James 1:2,3  Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Matt. 6:34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

How many times does life serves up a platter that forces one to examine how he/she will act or react?  When life moves along easily, it is easy to recite these life-giving secrets for living and move on.  However, there are times when the ‘going gets tough’ and one may be forced to his/her knees to find comfort. 

Sunday morning’s sermon spoke to just these times.  Pastor James asked how we find comfort when our hearts are hurting.  He made a very poignant point.  So often we seek comfort when we are hurting in ways that bring no comfort at all.  He listed a variety of ways such as eating comfort foods, looking for comfort in drink, seeking comfort in many excessive ways.  Such comforts are elusive.

God said that he would send the Comforter.  The fact is that the comfort God is speaking of is in the Strength of the Lord.  Early in my life I was introduced to a scripture that has saved me time after time.  2 Cor. 12:9-10  “His Strength is made perfect in my weakness.”   When we seek God during times of trouble, he is so faithful to supply our needs ~ which is ‘His Strength’ upon which we can lean.  He tells us in Deut. that he will never leave you nor forsake you (31:6).  So you can count on Him.

The only tricky part is to keep focused on His Word, to trust His Word, to immerse oneself in His Word, to sing His praises continually so that when one needs to hear Him, he/she will recognize His voice.  This challenges even the very mature when the road gets rough.  My mother lived her life in this manner.  Pastor James, in his sermon on Sunday (the 17^th of February) shared about how during the last years of my Mother’s life, she lived with great heart ache as my dad had dementia which turned into Alzheimer’s disease. 

Mother always kept a very positive attitude and found ways to empathize with him, looked for things to laugh about with him, talk with him about the good times, and love the man she knew.  She learned from the Alzheimer’s Support Group and then as she lived it out, she was then able to share what she had learned and offer hope for others who were living in the midst of their heartache.  When my dad died, she learned about being a widow and continually sought ways to see joy in living and share that joy with others.  Her strength was in the Lord and she always amazed us with her joyful stamina.  Her smile was ever present and she was reaching out to others, even in her last weeks. 

She lived out the scriptures.  A favorite one that we used at her celebration of life service was from Matt. 5:14-16  “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

May it be so for you and for me!  With God’s help, we can so order our lives.  Let’s let our light shine!

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