The Titus Touch

"But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you..." 2 Corinthians 7:6-7a

Do you have friends in your life whose presence just fills your heart with joy? When you know that you are going to see them you anticipate their arrival with delight. You can hardly wait to embrace them, knowing the visit ahead will infuse your spirit with fresh hope. They are fun to be around, and time spent with them brings refreshment. This was Titus. Titus had an enthusiastic love for others that encouraged and blessed the recipients.

As a faithful servant and companion of Paul, Titus is a messenger of glad tidings and a minister of good news. Titus was a man who faithfully invested in the lives of others for their benefit. He deeply cared about their walk with the Lord and he was eager to come alongside to offer comfort.

Yesterday a very dear friend messaged me. Her world was turned upside down just over four months ago. As we have been sharing together and as I see her clinging to the Lord while walking this tremendously, difficult journey, tomorrow is going to be another milestone moment in her life. Information will be announced that has the potential of creating greater grief. Not living nearby I told her how much I longed to be with her, sitting by her side, offering that "Titus touch". She responded with this story.

My friend told me how she has been part of a small, weekly prayer group. One of the participants had recently watched a video about elephants. This gal learned that when one of the female elephants in a herd is hurting, they all form a circle around her to care for her until she is up on her feet and well again. Upon hearing this illustration, this precious circle of praying friends named themselves "The Elephant Tribe". Taking lessons from these pachyderms, they have created a safety circle for opening hearts deeply, knowing that everything shared will not go outside their "circle of elephants". My sweet friend told me that her "sister elephants" will all be with her tomorrow, supporting and loving her when this unwelcomed news is being announced.

I don't know how that depiction of bearing the concerns of others falls on your heart, but its description made me cry. Elephants are powerful and strong. The visual of their surrounding presence gives assurance that nothing is going to penetrate through to harm the one who is weak and needing time to recover. 

We all need friends like Titus who by their arrival in our life bring comfort. We need friends who step in when others shy away. Often a Titus friend appears unexpectedly to fulfill a specific calling on their lives and to fulfill a need in ours. I'll always remember my return to church after months at home due to surgery and chemotherapy. I had noticed this gal in the sanctuary the week prior, dark hair, pink spring coat, young children sitting around her, and I questioned my husband if he had ever seen she or her husband before. Now, on this second week back in fellowship with my church family, she came in and sat beside me. We greeted each other pleasantly and introduced ourselves, but really no further conversation occurred before the service started. Standing to sing the final worship song, she leaned over and whispered, "I don't generally do this, but I feel led to give you my phone number and email in case you ever want to connect with me." This began a beautiful friendship. She became a precious Titus to me in the months that followed. Her presence brought delight to my heart and her prayers carried me before our Father's throne of grace. 

The "arrival of Titus" brought comfort. Will you bring a "Titus touch" to someone today?

An Appealing Appeal

"So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us." 2 Corinthians 5:20a

As believers, we are all representatives of Christ. With the Holy Spirit's indwelling, we are called to reflect Christ's character in and through us so that others come to a saving knowledge of Him. We have also been given the message of reconciliation, declaring how others can have a restored relationship with God through Christ. This is not a passive calling. It involves initiating contacts and building connections. Our mission is to bring the kingdom of God to those around us who do not yet know Him. As Christ-followers, it becomes our responsibility, and should be our primary joy, to share the Gospel with others.

Even as I write this, my heart is sad. I'm trying to remember the last time I was with an unbeliever in such an intentional way. When have I recently engaged meaningfully in an encounter with someone who didn't yet know Christ personally? I confess I have neglected and missed opportunities.

Certainly, I grew up in a home where this vocation was modelled. My mom was the poster child for an ambassador of Christ. I have never met anyone who could so naturally bring the name of Jesus into every conversation. She made it look so easy. It was an overflow of Christ filling her heart and life. 

I will never forget the day mom moved into the nursing home. This was her decision. My dad had preceded her to this long-term care facility due to his increasing physical needs and mom wanted to be close to her husband for as long as God would gift them time together. If you have moved a loved one into a similar location you know the details of the day. Her room became grand-central-station as nurses, personal support workers, physiotherapists and a variety of other staff came to make introductions and help get her settled in her new room.

I was alone with mom when "O" walked in. He was a friendly young man who would be assisting in planning mom's physical activity. My mind holds the memory so vividly. Mom was seated in a wing-back chair beside her bed, and "O" approached her, squatting down in front of her to introduce himself. As he welcomed mom, she responded, "This would never have been how I envisioned living out the last years of my life, but I have asked God to make me fruitful in the land of my affliction." 

Sitting on the window seat beside mom, I immediately thought, "Here we go". The physiotherapist sincerely looked at mom and asked, "Where did you get that expression?" Mom quickly reached for her Bible and handed it to me saying, "Sweetheart, find the verse." Puzzled, I honestly didn't know where to begin. "O" came to my rescue. He grabbed his phone and typed in the phrase mom had uttered. Quickly Genesis 41:52 appeared. He quietly read the verse and then looked over at mom asking, "Would you pray for me?" He began to share that even though his marriage was struggling, he too desired that the challenges before him yield a harvest.

Later the sweet young cleaning lady arrived and began quietly dusting around the room. Mom had placed multiple copies of different Bible translations on the window seat beside her. Picking up each one in order to clean thoroughly she remarked to mom, "I've never seen a lady with so many Bibles." Mom did not need any more to engage in conversation. Before this gal left mom's room, she had a copy of "Our Daily Bread" and promised to talk to mom daily about what she read. (As an aside, when mom went home to be with Jesus, we gave this gal mom's favouite Bible. Praying she is still reading it.)

If we call Christ Lord and Saviour of our lives, then we are His ambassadors. Sharing His love and the hope found in Him changes lives and God gets the glory. Who can you share God's message of reconciliation with today?

Eternal Value in Pain

"Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!...We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us." 2 Corinthians 1:6a, 8b-10

Paul's second God-inspired letter to the church in Corinth begins with a reminder to praise our God of all comfort. Being no stranger to trouble, hardship and adversity, Paul reminds the Corinthian believers of the value of suffering. Affliction has more than the personal purpose it is working in us. As the unwelcomed difficulties we encounter draw us closer to the Lord, we also become an effective witness of the gospel as others watch our response to adversity and see our trust in God.

So often we ask the Lord to use us for His glory, but we don't stop to realize the invitation we are willingly extending to the Lord. This beautiful prayer of surrender often brings suffering, the instrument God uses frequently to extend the reach of our usefulness. It truly is the mountain climbs and valley lows that increase our desperation for more of Him, yet we continually set up precautions in an effort to protect ourselves from even the slightest touch of misery, missing the purpose for which suffering is intended.

Reflecting on our most memorable season of growth in the Lord, it will no doubt run parallel with the experience we most wanted to avoid. The one we prayed and cried out to God, imploring Him to please give us a pass. It was the suffocating struggle that had us clinging to the Lord that birthed fresh faith and a reliance on the Lord that changed knowing He could, to experiencing He can. Through the winds of adversity, we see more clearly the hand of God and how He is working on our behalf.

As I recall my greatest moments with God, they have come wrapped in an awareness that the road before me was completely out of my control. Absolutely nothing I could do would change the outcome, provide the shelter, give the peace, heal the disease, calm my nerves, silence my fears or enable my next breath. Only God. And, I can testify that he never failed.

Only those who have met God in the darkest of nights understand that our desire for more of Him, for greater faith, love and joy, will most likely be delivered through a transforming process of pain. God arranges and ordains suffering so that we will not rely on ourselves, using it to awaken or increase our reliance on Him. 

As much as we long to avoid this truth, God's method to bless us with a deeper understanding of His presence, is often pain. We wish the path to experiencing God came some other way, but every life-changing God-moment usually involves wrestling with the unwanted. In His desire to see His children trusting Him in everything, He allows or creates situations that come crashing into our daily routines, not to crush us, but to grab out attention and pull us close to Him. Sometimes the hardship comes as protection. Our lives have started to chase other gods, and in tender, loving care His affliction causes us to remember where our only hope is found.

It is through suffering that God equips us with strength that gives evidence of His power at work in us. As He carries us through trials we imagined we could never survive, our lives give witness of the Promise-Keeper. Others see His provision and His Word being fulfilled in us and they are drawn to Him for their comfort and salvation, giving an eternal worth to each trial. 

"When pain and suffering come to us, we finally see not only that we are not in control of our lives, but that we never were." (Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering)

Whatever road you are walking today, reach out and hold the hand of the One who will never leave you or forsake you. His nail-scarred hands will keep, carry and comfort you as you trust Him fully. Bear in mind, it was Christ's greatest pain that opened the door for our greatest joy.

I Have Found The Book!

"I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" 2 Kings 22: 8

Have you ever misplaced an item? My mom was notorious for Christmas shopping well in advance. She would bring her purchase home, wrap it, and tuck it away secretly for safe keeping. The problem being, she would completely forget where she placed it. Many times, long past the day of celebration, she would pull out a gift wrapped in festive paper and we'd all laugh and enjoy her delight in finding it again.

This is similar to what happened while Josiah was reigning in Jerusalem. An unexpected treasure was found and its revelation impacted an entire nation, initiating a revival in Judah. There is a discovery we can all make that can not only change our lives this very moment, but also for all eternity.

King Manasseh, Josiah's grandfather, and king Amon, Josiah's father, had plunged Judah into wickedness. Idol worship was prevalent and an assortment of other gods had been introduced into the Temple of the LORD. The young successor to the throne had not seen good role models in his family, yet he still became a great king. When Josiah rose to power, he gave instruction for the repair and restoration of the Temple. Sometime during this renovation project, a treasure is found. It was Hilkiah the high priest who exclaimed, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!"

Historically we are told that it was not uncommon for a book to be found when renovating. Temples had what were called "foundation deposits" for the storage of tablets of religious and architectural significance, however, this was not any random text. This discovery wasn't any book but "the Book."

It is so sad to think that this book of the LORD was misplaced or lost in the house of the LORD, the very place where His Word should be prominent. God's Word had become neglected and undermined. It had lost its authority. Sadly, in our generation, the same can be true. "Scripture compromised in the church leads to Scripture abandoned in the home" (Author unknown). We need to keep God's Word with us, and in us.

As Josiah listened to the reading of the Book of the Law, it had a profound effect on him. Receiving God's Word, he initiated five responses:

1. REPENTED before the LORD (2 Kings 22:11, 19)

2. REQUESTED of the LORD (2 Kings 22:12-13)

3. RECOMMITTED with the LORD (2 Kings 23:1-3)

4. REMOVED opposition against the LORD (2 Kings 23:4-20)

5. REJOICED in the LORD (2 Kings 23:21-23)

Josiah's heart turned to the LORD with such conviction, scripture sums up his life and reign by saying, "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him" (2 Kings 23:25 ESV). His passion and obedience to God's Word impacted his life and influenced others.

Every time we read the Book of the Law, God is speaking to us. Like Josiah, we may need to embrace a similar response beginning with repentance and then seeking His will for us in prayer, recommitting to daily reading His Word and following in steps of obedience, and then removing anything that is keeping us from enjoying intimacy with God. But never stop there. Don't forget to celebrate and rejoice in the LORD. However God speaks, however His Word challenges, convicts or confirms, we must celebrate! Celebrate with great and exceeding great joy! We too have found the Book!

The Divine Difference

"Why should you be any different?" 2 Kings 19:11b

Recently a very precious friend informed me that her daughter-in-law just received an unwanted diagnosis. Although this had been suspected, it was now confirmed. The disease runs on both sides of this gal's family, and all who have walked the road ahead of her have passed away as the sickness has spread. The track record before her is not encouraging. This sweet gal is scared. The stats are not stacked on her side. Why should her outcome be any different?

King Sennacherib of Assyria sends a message to king Hezekiah in Jerusalem, taunting him, mocking the idea of trusting in God as his defense. He boasts, "You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way!" Total annihilation is their "modus operandi", their habitual pattern of elimination. A history of such devastation is frightening to the next target on their warpath. With a previous performance of 100%, the outcome seems inevitable.

We far too often place our confidence only in what we can see. When the situation looks bleak, we break. Hope is hard to hang on to when the ground seems shaky and the battle appears lost before it even begins. We seem to believe that if something has always ended a certain way prior, we might as well surrender to the inevitable. Nothing is going to change.

Hezekiah's response to king Sennacherib's insults and boasting is such an example of how we should all respond when we feel up against a wall. After reading the letter from the messengers, he goes up to the Temple of the LORD, places the document before God and lifts his voice in prayer. He acknowledges God's sovereignty and sufficiency. He doesn't deny that the Assyrian king has blazed a path of destruction, destroying many nations, but Hezekiah recognizes a truth that Sennacherib does not. The LORD alone is God and He has the final say!

When hit with a crisis, often panic follows, but instead Hezekiah focuses on the power of his God. If the LORD is God, there is absolutely nothing He cannot do. Not one thing is beyond His control. Although repeated actions do normally result in the same outcome, that is not true of God. Just because a previous pattern has been established in the past, it does not mean the end will be the same the next time. Sennacherib, in asking, "Why should you be any different?" removed God from the equation. The Lord does not fit into any box or standardized testing. He cannot be assessed on a principle of consistency. Although His character and attributes never change, His ways are greater, higher, and bigger. Everything should always be different with the Lord!

We can't give up or throw down our weapons in defeat when circumstances appear desperate. If we set our minds on collapse, the agonizing realities of life will overwhelm us. We must train our hearts to focus on believing that it is only God who controls the outcome of our days. Scripture tells us that every single day of our lives was written by God in His book before even one came to be. God is not surprised by what startles us. He carefully plans and specifically controls each detail. When a detour, distraction, diagnosis or disaster shakes our resolve, God is not surprised and He has a plan of rescue in place. 

Through the prophet Isaiah, God said, "This is what the LORD says; Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against Me from the Assyrian king's messengers. Listen! I Myself will move against him..." God is setting Himself up to move against the "Assyrian king" in your way. And when God moves, awesome things happen!

Why should you be any different? I'll tell you why. Because God in you makes all things new!

At a Crossroad of Trust

"What are you trusting in... Who are you counting on...?" 2 Kings 18:19b, 20b

The answer to those two questions is the foundation of every moment of our life.

These inquiries were presented to king Hezekiah of Judah, a king with a reputation of trusting in the Lord. In fact, it was said of Hezekiah that "There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time." (2 Kings 18:5) It certainly seems like Hezekiah's faith is strong and his confidence in the Lord unwavering. Could he not reply with assurance, "I'm trusting in God; I'm counting on the Lord!"

Sadly, this godly king gave in to pressures and shifted his trust. Trying to control his own destiny, he paid off the enemy king with silver from the Temple of God and from the palace treasury, hoping his efforts would pacify the Assyrian ruler, but instead it only increased this rival's efforts against Judah. Placing the full responsibility of the outcome on himself, Hezekiah, in a lack of faith, takes measures into his own hands instead of trusting in God's defense. 

Why did Hezekiah transfer trust to himself? Why didn't he keep trusting God? For the same reasons we succumb to self. Hezekiah had just seen King Sennacherib of Assyria attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquer them. It appeared God hadn't protected them, so Hezekiah felt he had to act quickly to save himself and his people.

What draws my thoughts is that Hezekiah was such an acclaimed follower of God. Scripture tells us there was no one like him...faithful, obedient and successful. Even this renowned, godly man struggled with trust at times. Like us, he sometimes chose to momentarily depend on his own ability when feeling overwhelmed by circumstances. Although this decision is never right, God still used it to strengthen Hezekiah's faith, and He can do the same with us as well.

I think one of the biggest reasons we struggle with trust is because we want to wrap every situation with a big bow and end each story with "And they lived happily ever after". The problem being, some circumstances come unwrapped and unwanted, and some narratives end negatively. When a journey appears too hard and God hasn't intervened, we want to do something, do anything to change the trajectory towards tragedy. Fear chokes faith.

I heard a sad response from a young girl recently, who after receiving an unwanted diagnosis asked, "Why does God hate our family so much?" She was not the first in her lineage to face suffering and hardship. My heart aches for this precious teenager. She's been taught God is good, just, and loving yet her health crisis and the challenges within her extended family, to her, lack the evidence of these attributes. She is struggling to trust a God who seems unfair. What does one say? How do we respond?

You see, a question of "fairness" implies God owes us something more than wrath. He doesn't. Do you know what else is unfair for us undeserving sinners? His grace. His forgiveness. His unconditional love. With all He has showered on us, how can we not trust and count on the One who will rescue us for all eternity? Choosing to trust God, we reach for His promises, holding tight and standing firm.

When we're struggling to trust God, confess any unbelief and sit with His Word. Talking to other believers and sharing the wrestling in our heart and mind can bring encouragement. Pray as the disciples did, asking God to increase our faith. Throughout life we will encounter multiple crossroads of trust. When fear and anxiety are fighting to consume us, will we lean on God and His faithfulness or on self? Don't let feelings control. Trusting God is a continual choice we have to make. He is now and forever trustworthy!

 

Healing Words

"The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking..." Proverbs 15:28a

There is a saying I'm sure we are all familiar with that goes: "Think before you speak." It is important to consider our words before responding to another's comments or entering into a conversation. Careless answers can cause harm. 

My husband could have written this proverb. He thinks long and hard about all things before speaking, often to my impatient frustration. I remember when our son was young, Chris would ask his dad a question, and as the response from his father lingered, I'd watch our son open his mouth, about to add to the inquiry, filling the silent gap. My look from across the table would try and stop him. Any interruption would delay the reply. Gord is never in a hurry to speak.

It is not only what we say that is important, but how we say it. In fact, our delivery can have more of an impact than the words themselves. It is why text can be misunderstood when we are missing the tone. Innocent emails can be misinterpreted easily without any intentional, hurtful implication. The sender and receiver can be on two different wavelengths without hearing the intonation of the voice and seeing body language. We speak with more than our vocal cords.

My first full-time job, right out of High School, was working in the Children's Department of a local Library. I loved that job! I had always wanted to be "Marion the Librarian" from "The Music Man" production. The Head of our Department would post our work schedules monthly. Every now and then something would come up when I, or my co-workers, would need to ask for a shift change. There was one gal who rarely had her request fulfilled. She would march into the boss's office, speaking of the modified schedule as a "done deal". Her demands were not received with favour. I, on the other hand, would approach our boss with humility, willing to pick up extra shifts, offering to even work Saturday if my proposal could be arranged without too much difficulty. I was never refused.

A well-chosen word, whether of encouragement, direction, correction, rebuke, comfort or sympathy can be healing and life-giving. Sometimes in the pause to ponder what to say we will even discover silence might speak the best. I will confess that over the years the Lord has instructed me more and more to remain quiet. We do not need to engage in every discussion. Often the most valuable word is the one not spoken. There are many times I would love to jump into a conversation to recount a similar situation as the one being shared, but in doing so, would it shift focus away from another? Sometimes holding our tongue prevents heartache. The word might be right, but the timing might be wrong. Listening well is part of thinking carefully before speaking. There is a deeper understanding that can flow beyond audible communication. Comfortable silences can have a power that speak louder. Tender, loving care has its own language. Steven Wright wrote, "The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had." 

Last summer my friend Bev Foster released a CD entitled, "Hope Seeds". She wrote every song after a season of deep intimacy with the Lord. I'm reminded of the lyrics to "Healing Words". The song affirms how life-giving, compassionate words can spring from broken places. Careful words, spoken purposefully, can bless a sister and forgive a brother. These words are so much more than saccharine platitudes, flowing like a gentle stream bringing a calm presence. Bev writes that our words can be a channel of profound refreshment, as we take the time to allow God to use our voices as an instrument of peace, love, care, truth, and hope.

Won't you choose to think carefully before speaking, sharing words that heal hearts with His love today.

"Hope Seeds" CD, Bev Foster, Producer Philip Janz, copyright 2023