A love borne out in service

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.  --Mahandas K. Gandhi

I will confess that pride is one of the sins with which I struggle the most.  At any point of comparison with another that I feel superior, I will boast in it.  In any position in which I am placed, I instantly find others in lower positions to whom I may compare myself favorably. Had I gone into medicine, I would have been the doctor with the god complex, the one the nurses all hate to work with.  Had I gone into the military, I would have been the captain with the complex, the second lieutenant with "small man syndrome" at whose orders the sergeants would all roll their eyes.

When I got my first job in my current career, I would boast that I had a master's degree.  Most people didn't care.  The ones who were willing to engage me in conversation about it would ask where I received it from, or what my field of study was.  When I would tell them that my degree was from a Baptist seminary, in Religious Education, the conversation would suddenly stop.  No one could think of any way a seminary degree in religious education could help me in the business world, much less in the field of insurance.  So those kind people would either walk away, or would change the subject.  God bless those who would forebear my obnoxiousness.  They had more of a servant mentality than I.

That servant mentality is what I'd like to spend a few minutes discussing.  When Paul said, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves," (Philippians 2:3), he probably had Jesus in mind.  Jesus personified servant leadership.  But the way that Jesus served was not just to show us how to serve one another; it was done out of complete and utter love.  Follow me in John chapter 13.

It was just before the Passover Feast.  Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. --John 13:1a

Jesus had every right to lord it over his disciples, because he was, in fact, Lord of all.  We who are limited in human nature can barely grasp the concept of what Jesus was feeling at that moment.  He knew that he would suffer death withing 24 hours of that time.  If you or I had that knowledge, that we were condemned to die in a day, what would we be thinking?  Get away from me.  I need to be alone.  None of this matters now.  There is no tomorrow.  We would be bitter, selfish, and rude, wouldn't we.  Yet Jesus knew that he would awaken in the presence of his Father, the almighty God of Heaven.

If I was a prince, and I found myself in chains in a prison, I would be petulant.  If I were told that tomorrow I would be reunited with my father the king, and would be restored to the castle where I grew up, with all of the rights and privileges of royalty bestowed up me, I would probably be plotting revenge against my captors.  In a way, this was where Jesus found himself.  But he was not feeling any of those emotions that we would feel.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. --John 13:1b

How did he show them he loved them? Did he embrace each one and tell them all personally how much they meant to him? No. Did he promise them prominent positions in his kingdom? No.  Did he lavish them with gifts? Not really.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. --John 13:3-5

With the knowledge that he was all-powerful, and with a sense of his history and his destiny, he showed them the full extent of his love by stripping off his clothes and kneeling before each one of them.  He didn't even demand that they bring him a basin or that they fill it with water.  He likely picked up his own basin and drew the water out himself.  And as he washed the filth off their feet, it was transferred to him--he used his own hands to wash, and the towel that was wrapped around himself to dry them off.  Not only was this a foreshadowing of his sacrificial death, in which he took all the sins of the world upon himself; it was a picture of what true love is.

If we are truly committed to living the way Jesus wants us to live, and to glorify him in our actions, we will do more of this kind of work ourselves.  We will hold the hand of the sick, even those with contagious diseases; even, I daresay, those with diseases that were contracted out of sinful conduct (venereal disease, pregnancy out of wedlock, AIDS, etc.)  We will feed the hungry around us without judging--without the attitude of "get a job, and make better decisions in life and you won't be in this situation."

A famous German theologian once wrote, “By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship. This same man wrote what is now called the Serenity Prayer, which is repeated at the end of every AA meeting. Most Christians in the pews on Sunday would not think of spending Saturdays at AA meetings, or soup kitchens, or hospice.  And why not? Because we do not all have the servant-spirit of Jesus.  We would rather compare ourselves favorably to those in need than to help them.  We have succumbed to the sin of pride, and take no joy in service.

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.  This is true even if your neighbor is poor and in need.

Trials, Tribulations, and Truth

 

Do not pray for easier lives.  Pray to be stronger men. --John F. Kennedy

Tough week.  Sunday I had recommitted to God that I would be more faithful to him, that I would strive with my whole being to glorify him in all that I do.  Remembering the Sunday before, when I had worked for 10 hours running back and forth, serving with all my strength; then having to walk 1.2 miles to the employee parking lot where I had left my car.  I thought about how far it was, and how long it would take me to walk there (it would have taken even longer to wait for the employee shuttle, the line was so long.)  Then I realized that all I could do was take one step at a time.  One foot in front of the other, and soon, I was at the next stoplight; then I was at the Youth Ballpark; then I was at the parking lot, in view of my car.  That was the lesson that I have been learning--don't bellyache that the destination is too far, just start the journey and keep going.

So I had this going on early this week.  Claiming God's promise in Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee."

Then came the test.

I get a phone call on Thursday.  Emergency.  Don't leave work, but there's this thing.  Big thing.  Been coming on for a couple of days.  Needs to be dealt with.  Difficult.  Hard.  Don't want to face it, but can't avoid it.  I'm coming home.  No, don't.  But I can help.  DON'T LEAVE WORK!!! Okay, but call me.

Try to do my job, but can't concentrate on the task at hand.  Then I get another call, this time from a client. The payment I sent didn't get there.  I check it.  Yes it went out, to this address.  What do you mean that's not the right address?  And the payment that was due to you, you were going to use it to pay your rent? And to buy diapers for your baby?  And now you have nothing until the corrected payment gets to you next week? And your landlord is threatening eviction?  Hang on, my boss is saying something--yes, I know that late payments could result in fines against my company.  Yes, I know that interest payments are due if the late payment is my fault.  Yes, sir, this late payment is my fault.

Tell me again why I got out of bed this morning?

Praying hard all the way home.  A scripture is brought to mind.  Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Yes, but Lord, I should have left work to deal with this emergency.  Yet, I know that if I had left, I wouldn't have heard from the client, and I wouldn't have been able to correct the address and re-send the check.  But I feel so bad for the young mother who is in such dire straits, and it is my fault she didn't have the money she was expecting.  In a perfect world, I wouldn't have messed up the payment.  In a perfect world, I could've been available during this emergency.  In a perfect world, there wouldn't have been any emergency, and there would have been no need to leave work, and no double-bind, and no feelings of failing twice in one day.

So much is out of my control.  And when life gets complicated, the things I do have control over don't always go according to plan, so it adds to the trouble.  Yet in John 16, Jesus said these soothing words:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world. --John 16:33

Peace
He did not say there would be peace in the circumstances.  He did not say that in my own strength I could achieve peace.  He said, "In me you may have peace."  No matter what we are going through, he is our peace.  All he asks from us is faithfulness.  When Peter had the faith to walk on water, he took his eyes off of Jesus, and when he saw the wind and the waves--when he saw the circumstances of where he was--he started to sink.  We must remember the words of Jesus ("I have told you these things"), and meditate on them rather than worrying and being consumed with our circumstances.  It is hard to understand, but we know what Paul said in Phillippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Trouble
We live in a fallen world.  We don't have to look very far to see things that would not happen in a perfect world--hunger, homelessness, hopelessness and despair.  We only have to turn on the news networks to see that these problems are world-wide, not just in our own neighborhoods.  God may give us opportunity to fight injustice, or to feed the hungry, or to bring hope to the hopeless.  But if we visualize the scope of the problem, the breadth and depth and height of it, we could very easily get discouraged.  We must look only at what we can do in this moment.  One step, one day at a time.  God promises that one day, he will wipe every tear from our eyes.  Isaiah 16:5 promises, "In love, a throne will be established; in faithfulness, a man will sit on it--one from the house of David--one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of the righteous."  That is what I think of when I read the first part of the Lord's Prayer: "Thy kingdom come." Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Overcome
He is faithful.  He is powerful.  He who turned water into wine can turn chaos into calmness.  We, who are called by his Name, can overcome the world, as well.  1 John 5:4-5 says, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."  Are you an overcomer? God is faithful, and he can work through those who are faithful to him.  No one can do everything; but everyone can do something.  A tremendous journey begins with one step, and is followed by another step, then another, and another until you are in a different place than when you started.

I am pleased to tell you that the emergency was dealt with.  The crisis is not over, but by God's grace it will resolve well.  And on Friday I got a call from that client, who had informed me that I had made that error on her payment, the error the could have so many different consequences.  She thanked me for being so thoughtful and caring.  She won't get the money until next week, but her landlord has promised to work with her, and she has family that can help her buy diapers and baby food for her daughter.  Even though I felt hopeless in those situations, by God's grace I was faithful in always trying to do the right thing, one step at a time. To God be the glory, who can bring peace under any circumstance, and bring victory through my failings.

Daddy, why did he have to die?

As parents, we have all had to explain the concept of death to our children at one time or another.  Perhaps the loss of a pet has given us an opportunity to teach the biological cycle of life to our children; or, if the pet died in an accident, we may have taken the opportunity to teach children about how fragile life is, and how it is important to follow safety guidelines.  It is more difficult to explain the death of a loved one, either a friend or a relative.  Sometimes we must admit to our children, and to ourselves, that we just don't know why.

In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, some dear friends of Jesus sent word to him that their brother, Lazarus, was sick.  They begged him to come and heal Lazarus.  The sisters, Mary and Martha, had seen Jesus heal others: complete strangers on whom Jesus had compassion.  They knew he was able.  They assumed, because of their friendship, that he was also willing.

Jesus sent an answer back with the messenger that had brought the news of Lazarus' illness.

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."--John 11:4

When the disciples, who knew of Jesus special friendship with this family, heard this, they probably thought it was a good thing--the sickness would not result in death, and that Lazarus would recover.  They also knew that it was not a good time to travel.  Lazarus lived in Bethany, which was about two miles from Jerusalem.  The Pharisees and High Priest in Jerusalem had put a price on Jesus' head--they wanted Jesus dead.  So it came as no shock to them that, although "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days." (John 11:5-6).

However, on the third day, Jesus told his disciples that they would go to Judea, the region where Jerusalem is.  They strongly warned him against this move.  The Jewish leaders were ready to assassinate him.  They already knew that Jesus had said that Lazarus wouldn't die.  In fact, Jesus made a cryptic remark about Lazarus falling asleep, and the disciples totally missed the reference.  If he was sleeping, wasn't that a good thing? Wasn't rest for him just what the doctor had ordered?  Jesus had to explain to them that Lazarus had already died.  This likely confused the poor disciples--if Lazarus was dead, why go to him?  Especially since Jesus would likely be arrested and killed if he went anywhere near Jerusalem.  Nevertheless, Jesus' mind was made up, so the disciples prepared to go with him.  "Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him'."

Jesus' friend Lazarus was dead.  Jesus, if he went to Jerusalem, would probably be killed.  Thomas felt like loyalty to Jesus was a thing worth dying for, and he was resigned to his own death, as well.  But Jesus didn't go there to die.  He went there to glorify God.  Everything Jesus did was to glorify God.  Even allowing his friend Lazarus to die would glorify God.  And it would be a foreshadowing of Jesus' own death and resurrection.

See, people then, like people now, believe that death is final.  Sure, they may believe in a resurrection some day.  And if you pressed them, most who believe in the resurrection at the last day don't know whether it will be a physical resurrection, or merely a spiritual one, where "those who have fallen asleep will rise to meet him in the air."  And we certainly can't predict when that resurrection will take place.  Jesus was showing his friends and disciples that 1) death is not final, and 2) he had power over death, and could predict the day of his own resurrection.  It would be within 3 days of his death.  But the disciples didn't see that until much later.

The way that people react to Jesus, both in this story and also today, tell a lot about that person.  As we have seen, the disciples were looking out for Jesus, trying to protect his image, trying to keep him from being killed.  They probably also had a personal reason to protect Jesus: as he went, so would they.  But as we will see, those in Jerusalem would either see Jesus in faith, in despair, or in doubt.

Looking to Him in Faith
When Jesus made it to Bethany, his friend Martha met him on the way. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." (John 11:21-22).  Her faith was greater than that of the disciples.  She met Jesus in faith and hope.  The question on her mind was the same question everyone had, as we will see in a minute.  Jesus had demonstrated the ability to heal; Lazarus was sick; therefore Jesus could have healed him.  He could have prevented this death.  Why?  Martha had an idea of why.  That is why she said that God would hear Jesus' prayers, implying that if Jesus prayed for Lazarus to be raised from the dead, God would hear him and make it happen.

Her faith was relevant to the situation.  It was real.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believe in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never did.  Do you believe this?"  "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." --John 11:23-27

She knew in her heart that Jesus would do things that her mind could not conceive.  Her faith in him was real.  God would be glorified, whatever happened.

Running to Him in Despair
Jesus was still outside the village, and Martha went to get Mary, who was still mourning in the house.  With a little encouragement from Martha, Mary went out to meet Jesus.  Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by our own circumstances that we need some encouragement to even pray about it.  That's what despair does--it drives a wedge between us and our Savior.  As Martha put feet to her faith, she led Mary to where Jesus was.  Mary fell at Jesus' feet, not in worship but in mourning: she was too emotional to stand.  Her question was the same as her sister: why hadn't Jesus come to prevent all this?  "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus had compassion on her.

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see," they replied.  And Jesus wept. --John 11:33-35

Jesus was God in the flesh.  He had the power to forgive, the power to heal, and the power to even raise people from the dead.  Yet he was not without emotion.  He felt empathy with Mary, who was so overcome with grief that she could not see who was before her.  He wept with her in her sorrow.  That's what Jesus does: he meets us where we are.  Whatever situation we find ourselves in, He is there.  We only need to look for him.

Eyeing Him with Doubt
There were many from Jerusalem who had come to mourn with Martha and Mary.  Lazarus had no doubt been a pillar of the community. He was well respected, even loved by many of the Jews who had come to his memorial service four days after Lazarus' death.  They looked at Jesus, who had risked a lot to be there.  They saw him weeping with Mary.  They had mixed feelings about Jesus--his loyalty and friendship were admired, but the same nagging question ate at their hearts.

Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"  But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" --John 11:36-37

Imagine their surprise when Jesus called on Lazarus to come out of the grave.  Those who doubted before now saw Lazarus standing before them, wrapped in strips of linen with a burial cloth over his face.  Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).  God had glorified the Son before their eyes, and Jesus had glorified the Father.

Many, no doubt, believed.  Others, however, thought it was a trick--either a body double, or that Lazarus had not actually died.  This was certainly the mind-set of the chief priests and Pharisees, who convened a meeting when they heard of this.

"What are we accomplishing?" they asked.  Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."   He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one." --John 11:47-52

Some doubters can't see the forest for the trees.  Yes, Jesus performed the miracle, but he must be stopped or we will lose our place in society.  Our whole nation could be turned upside-down!  It's not just that they don't believe, it is that they don't want to believe.  They are comfortable in their unbelief, and want to do everything they can to maintain the status quo.

So whether we eye him with doubt, or fall at his feet in despair, or look to him in faith, we know that Jesus is a force to be reckoned with.  Those who try to obliterate him and his message only serve to show that he is our sacrifice.  Those who are caught up in circumstances beyond our control may become emotional, but if we have a friend who brings us to the feet of Jesus, he can lift us out of despair.  Those whose faith is strong know that God will be glorified in all things; He will fight for us, we only need to be still. (Exodus 14:14)

Again, if you are a parent, your children may hear of Jesus' birth in the coming months, as we approach Christmas.  They may hear of his death, either now or at the arrival of Easter.  What will you tell them when they ask, "Why did Jesus have to die?"  Our response should be, "So that God could be glorified."

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. --Ephesians 3:14-21 

Perseverance: The Insanity of Hope

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. --James 1:12

Conventional wisdom gives us the statement: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  This sounds like a truism.  In fact, it is specious. Hogwash, really. A complete and utter lie. Here's why.

We teach our children the nursery rhyme/lullaby "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" (also known as "The Eensy-Weensy Spider.") Why do we teach children that song? To counter any future waves of arachnophobia? Because it sounds simple and sing-songy? Because we like the hand motions? NO!!  We teach children the song because at its core, it has a life meaning.

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.

This is what spiders do.  They climb.  You never see spider webs on the ground.  They are always up high.  Why? Because spiders eat flying insects.  To catch flying insects, you have to be where they are.  Up.  Climbing, then, is vital to a spider's survival.

Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

Adverse conditions are inevitable.  The Bible says, "the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike."  In this case, the rain was a major setback to our eight-legged friend.

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.

Another universal truth: when bad times come, they don't last forever.  Neither do sunny days.  Life is full of ups and downs.  The rains may last for a season, but they do not last forever.

And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Once the conditions were normalized, the spider tried again.  He didn't give up.  He didn't say to himself, "It's no use climbing up over and over.  It's just going to rain again."  Nor did he try to adapt, hoping to evolve into an acrophobic vegetarian.  No.  Instead, he picked himself up, dried himself off, and tried again.

Over the past few weeks my posts have kind of followed a theme, with a few instances of chasing down rabbit trails.  If you have read The Curious Christian Conservative lately, you have seen admonitions against sin.  One of the arguments against faithfulness might be, "You don't know what I've been going through, or subjected to.  I've been doing the best I can, but this life has just beaten me down."

If anyone knew of life's hardships, it was the Apostle Paul.  He wrote,

[I have] been in prison more frequently (than other Christians), been flogged more severely, and have been exposed to death again and again.  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked.  I spent a night and a day in the open sea.  I have been constantly on the move.  I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from the Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.   --2 Corinthians 11:23-27

And yet he wrote to the church in Rome these words: "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)  Where does hope come from? From the character developed through perseverance in the face of suffering.  We must develop a habit of hope in hardship.  And this flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Those who continue doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results have a hopes springing up within them that the conditions may change for the better.  Like our hero the spider, we continue climbing up the water spout of life, hoping that it won't rain, and that someone will not turn on the spigot. No matter how often we get washed out, we always try again.  Foolishness to the world, but faithfulness to God (See 1 Corinthians 1:20-25).

We may not realize the difference we are making.  We try to make an impression on the world, but the world has a heart of stone.  No matter.  Think about this: "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." (Ovid).

Don't lose hope.  Hopelessness leads to despair, and despair to death.  Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly."  The more I read Hebrews 3:13, the more encouragement I get from it: "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

Thank God that my hope is not based on my history.  The devil likes to remind me of past failures, of secret sins that clung to me like a bad odor for so long that I became numb to it.  The logic is that I am not worthy of God's grace, because I am not good enough.  The truth is that "God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

We can defy conventional wisdom by keeping hope alive, for hope is what keeps us going. It is what gets us up out of bed every day.  Hope is why the spider kept climbing up the water spout.

Expect a Miracle

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus,"but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." --John 9:2

Ten years ago, when my wife and I separated, my sister gave me a refrigerator magnet that said, "Expect a Miracle."  Little did I know that nine months later, my wife and I would reconcile and re-marry each other. Those familiar with the situation at the time thought that it would have taken a miracle for us to get back together.  But by God's grace, it happened.  At many points in time since then, I'm sure my wife has thought it a curse rather than a blessing, but I have not regretted it one minute.

There are many times in life where the circumstances we find ourselves in seem insurmountable.  But we know that with God, all things are possible.  And that's what I want to visit with you about today.  My last blog post was based on the 8th chapter of John's gospel.  As we move into chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples encounter a blind man along the road.  He was probably begging, as his disability prevented him from any type of gainful employment.  Jesus looked at him with compassion.  The disciples, however, looked in judgment.  They assumed that the disability was the result of sin, either in the man's life, or perhaps his ancestors.  Having been brought up in the Jewish tradition, they had long been taught that God's wrath would be visited upon the third and fourth generations.

There is a certain truth in that.  Actions do have consequences.  Bad decisions can come back to haunt you.  "Be sure your sins will find you out." (Numbers 22:23)  If you have been caught in a sin, I encourage you to confess it and repent--commit in your heart to never do it again.  If it is too much to commit to never doing it again, ever, then commit to stand against that sin today.  Two key points in the Lord's prayer come to mind: Jesus said, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  He also said, "Give us this day our daily bread." In other words, let me not worry about tomorrow's needs; give me today what I need today.  If that is deliverance from temptation, God is able.  Hebrews 3:12-13 says,

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

The more you train your heart toward God and your head toward His thoughts, the more He will bless you.  I'm not talking about a works salvation.  I am a believer in grace, and have benefited from God's grace as much as anybody.  What I am saying is that the less God has to carve out of our lives, the more He can use us; the less we have to empty ourselves, the more He can fill us.

On the other hand....
Not all of our circumstances are the result of our sinful nature.  Sometimes we find ourselves in a predicament through no fault of our own.  We are walking with God, living our best life, and something tragic happens.  Or, like the case of the blind beggar in John 9, we are at the mercy of life from the very beginning. This man had been born blind.  He did not run with scissors; he did not play carelessly with a pellet gun; he didn't even look at too many nudie pictures.  (Each of these activities comes with a warning in our culture--"Don't do that, or you'll put your eye out" or "You'll go blind".)

What possible good could come out of this situation?  Well, if you were able to have the work of God put on display in your life, that's pretty darn good.  I'm sure this man didn't get up that morning wishing he had his sight.  He and his parents had probably given that up years ago.  They may have been resigned to their fate.  "It is what it is," they may have thought.  Or maybe not.  Maybe this man had heard of the miracles that Jesus had done, and maybe he found a place to be where he knew Jesus would find him.  We may never know.  What we do know is that when Jesus healed him, he became a witness to those he knew, and also to the religious leaders of the day.  Three times the Pharisees asked him how it was that he had gained his sight. The man did not need to study theology or religion to give his testimony--"I was blind, and now I see."  This testimony made his unbelieving parents throw him under the bus (instead of taking his side, they said, "He is of age, ask him").  It even got him kicked out of the synagogue.  But I believe this man probably thought it was worth it to be able to see clearly.

The application is simple.  Whatever situation we find ourselves in, give glory to God.  We can be a witness in poverty as well as in riches; in pain as well as in perfect health; in slavery as well as in freedom.  With God's help, we can overcome.  And in some cases, if God so chooses, we can be delivered from our predicament in grand fashion, so that our message, our testimony, can get a wider audience.  That's why it is so important to be faithful.

Don't be discouraged.  Do you think that Paul and Barnabas knew that they would be thrown in prison for preaching the word of God?  Maybe, maybe not.  But I'll bet they didn't expect to be awakened by an angel, and find their shackles undone, the chains lying on the ground and the prison doors opened for them. Look at Hebrews chapter 11.  The writer lists several Old Testament figures who could not see the future, but remained faithful so that God could use them.  Each of them was commended as one who pleased God. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).

Spend your life earnestly seeking God, and at the end, you will see that God has blessed you richly.  Maybe in ways that you didn't recognize at the time.  Maybe not in ways that the world measures success.  But you are blessed by Him if you believe in Him, and confess Him as Lord.

To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be 

When the universe fell from His fingertips
He decided He wanted some fellowship
But the man and the woman would not submit
So He made a better way
When the moment was right He sent His own Son
And He opened the way so that everyone
Could have hope and believe that when time was done
He'd be able to make us one 

Chorus 

Now I understand that there is a key
It's Jesus in me, a reality
That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me
That with faith I see what is unseen 

Chorus 

That's what faith must be