Category: Job

  • Complaining? Turn it to praise.

    We live in Abbotsford, BC, in the Lower Mainland. That means rainy winters, and it’s raining this morning. A few people at church yesterday (including me) were complaining about how wet the weather had been. So, I set myself on a quest to find out how much rain we had so far this year. Okay, not really a quest per se; I went online and looked.

    In January, we had 178mm (7 inches) of rain. That’s enough to fill 1.5 average Vancouver umbrellas. That’s a lot of moisture, but…

    The average rainfall for Abbotsford in January is 200 mm, so it has actually been drier than average. I guess we had no real reason to complain. Then I remember where we used to live and converted the rain to snowfall, about 5 inches. That’s enough to bring the Lower Mainland to a full stop if it fell at once, and it’s hardly noticeable in many places.

    Either way, there was no reason for complaining. It amazes me how often we can fall into complaining, even over first-world problems. There is something in the fallen human condition that seems determined to look at the world through darkened lenses and tell one another how bad things are.

    It’s nothing new. The Israelites in the wilderness complained about hunger. The Lord visibly and miraculously provided their daily bread. They still found reason to complain and wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt. We are fickle people.

    Compare that to the way the Bible tells us we ought to be.

     Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5-18 ESV

     “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”  Psalm 136:1 ESV

    “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” Job 1:21 ESV

    We often forget or fail to notice the many things we have to be grateful for. Some people keep a gratitude journal, where, at the end of the day, they note all the blessings, large and small, for that day. Others post an image of something they are grateful for on their social media page daily.

    There are many things to be grateful for. Even our street people have better living conditions than many people in the world. By and large, North Americans are still wealthier than the majority of people worldwide and across generations.

    If we are believers, our sins are forgiven, and we are reconciled to God. We are the recipients of His love and mercy. He walks with us in all our trials. The Spirit can intercede for us and more.

    It’s time to take some time and reflect on our blessings. As the old song says, “Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done.”

    Instead of being people who complain, let’s remember how blessed we are, despite our circumstances, and praise God.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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  • Awe – How was worship today at your local church?

    Morraine Lake

    Today’s image is Moraine Lake in Alberta. The sight always stops me in my tracks and leaves me in awe. How much more can I be in awe of God? Thinking of awe led to this morning’s Gleanings.

    Have you ever done this? I confess that I have, and too often. You’ve just attended the Sunday service at your local church, and before you’re out the door, you’re complaining. That was boring. The service was too short/long. The music wasn’t the right volume/genre, and the songs were too old/new.

    Maybe it was, “Did you see what Mrs. Smith was wearing? Or, perhaps, “Did you see that teenager who wore his hat in the service or had that rude t-shirt?” How about “Did you see who was ushering. How can they even show their face in the church?’

    The pastor spoke too long, I didn’t like the prayer time, that baby kept fussing, the list goes on and on.

    Perhaps we were focused on the wrong things. Any one of those comments might be accurate (or not), but we’ve missed the point of “going to church.”

    The Sunday service (or whatever day yours happens to be) is a time to gather in godly fellowship with other believers, to meet with the one true God and worship Him corporately. We do that through serving, teaching, singing, giving, fellowship, and loving others.

    When we go to meet with God, our focus changes. I believe it was RC Sproule who once said, “People in awe never complain that church is boring.” 

    Whenever we read of people in the bible encountering God, awe is a common factor.

    “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  Revelation 4:8 ESV

    “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.”  Job 40:4 ESV

    “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore, you are feared” Psalm 130:3-4 ESV

    Now, I’ll be the first to admit that not every Sunday service causes us to fall on our faces in awe of God. Still, if our focus and desire are to meet with the living God through the message of the Word, the singing, and true fellowship, He will meet us there.

    Our hearts and minds will be transformed.

    If you’re not happy with your local church, perhaps the first thing you ought to do is check your own heart. Maybe something about the format isn’t to your liking, but was God present? Is the congregation being transformed into the image of God? 

    The local church, with all its warts and flaws, all the people still in progress, and all its problems, is still the bride of Christ. We need to learn to love her as much as we do Him.

    Wherever you worship this Sunday, set aside everything else and seek His face with joy and awe.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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