No More Miracles?

We no longer see your miraculous signs. All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end. How long, O God will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them. Psalm 74: 9-11 NLT

We no longer see your miraculous signs. I hear that so often these days.

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that we have tried our best to get rid of the miraculous. We want everything explained in a well-understood scientific fashion. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't discount science. I think that science can be an instrument of God's miracles and I also think science can be a way to see God's miracles. But we aren't looking for God when we want these explanations. We want reason and logic instead.

But reason and logic don't fit too well with miraculous signs. In fact, even when miracles happen all around us we tend to want them explained. Why can't modern medical treatments and technology be considered miracles? You and I are miracles. Our inventions and creations should be miracles, too.

God help us to see all the miraculous signs that you are creating in our world and our lives each day. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

Pure Destruction

O God, why have you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your pasture? Remember that we are the people you chose long ago, the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession! And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth. Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries; there they set up their battle standards. They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest. With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling. They burned your sanctuary to the ground. They defiled the place that bears your name. Then they thought, “Let's destroy everything!” So they burned down all the places where God was worshipped. Psalm 74:1-8 NLT

I suppose this is almost a first-person account of seeing the temple at Jerusalem being destroyed – probably at the time of the exile to Babylon. This was years after King David because it was Solomon who built the first wooden structure for God's temple. Picture walking through the destroyed homes and businesses in Jerusalem. Picture seeing the wooden carvings of the temple smashed through and everything sacred ruined almost beyond recognition.

This may be hard for you to imagine. But if you picture your church destroyed as if by a tornado or vandal (and this may have happened in real life). How would you feel? Would you feel abandoned by God as the psalmist does?

God, remember us even when everything around us seems to have been destroyed by the enemy. Don't let us lose the hope we have in you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

Abandoning God

Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Psalm 73:27-28 NLT

I wonder if deserting God, in abandoning God, comes a loss of something that no punishment could ever devise. Perhaps in trying to leave God we come closer to final death. Our only future is one of destruction rather than salvation.

I wonder that because the psalmist says that being near God is a wonderful thing. God becomes our shelter and we become God's spokesperson. In God is life. Without God is death.

Perhaps God does not have to actually do anything to destroy those who abandon God. Maybe they do that on their own.

God, we pray for those we know who have abandoned you. Whatever the cause or whenever it happened, we pray for healing and renewal of your relationship with them. We name them to you in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

Ah-Ha!

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant-- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet still I belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73: 21-26 NLT

This is an ah-ha moment.

This is when you realize something about yourself that has been glaringly obvious to everyone else but you have simply overlooked it. This is when you realize who you really are deep down. This is when you see yourself as God sees you.

It can be an ugly moment. We may not look as good as we thought we did. Our makeup or stylish clothes may not cover up our true nature as much as we would like. Or perhaps we have done too good of a job in masking our true selves and have quite a time trying to recognize ourselves.

Even then we are precious in God's sight. We still belong to God, God holds our hand, God gives us advice and God leads us to a glorious future.

May we dig deeper and may we desire nothing but God.

God, whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but you remain the strength of my heart; you are mine forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

What a silly dream!

Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning. Psalm 73: 17-20 NLT

I love the imagery of God laughing at the wicked and their silly ideas, laughing as a person might laugh at their dreams when they wake up. Although the dreams might have felt real or made the person anxious or afraid, the pleasant discovery upon waking is that they were not real. “It was only a dream!” is a comforting thought. To be able to laugh at those same dreams is also very soothing.

What kind of anxious dreams have you been having lately? Perhaps you have found that your dreams are more like reality. What kind of fears has life brought to you recently? Have you been hoping to wake up and discover it was all a dream?

Think about your dreams and your life. Is there anything in the past that you can truly laugh at now? Do you think God may be laughing at those who are causing you worry and stress? What can you see about your self that you believe might give you a good chuckle later on?

God, help us to laugh at those silly thoughts we might have – about ourselves, those we know or even about you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

Why be Christian?

Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long, every morning brings me pain. If I had spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Psalm 73: 13-16 NLT

Now we are starting to really feel some self-pity! The psalmist has been complaining about how wicked people not only get away with their bad behavior but they succeed in life as well. They are powerful and wealthy. At this point the psalmist is beginning to wonder why they have kept themselves so good and pure. Was this all for nothing?

Sometimes it does seem that way. We try to understand why we must suffer when non-believers appear to live practically painless lives. God never gives us a guarantee of an easy life. In reading scripture, it seems as though most of the faithful do suffer for their faith. Christ, Paul, John the Baptist and many of the prophets lost their lives because of following God. At this point, one does begin to wonder why anyone would be a Christian.

Yet, being a believer also means the rich reward of living close to and rightly with God. When we do suffer, we have one to whom we can vent. We have one to whom we can appeal for help and protection. God is our rock, our redeemer and our strength. God also brings contentment for what we do have. And God can take away our jealousy of others.

God, thank you for your insights this day as to why the wicked prosper. We still don't understand it but we are grateful for your love and mercy on our lives this and every day. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

What does God know?

They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others. They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what's happening?” Look at these wicked people – enjoying the life of ease while their riches multiply. Psalm 73: 8-12 NLT

The psalmist continues to rant about evil people who prosper and the envy it produces. This part of the psalm also reminds us of the confusion it produces among society. If someone who is evil gets away with it and does very well for themselves, how come God allows this to happen? Maybe God either doesn't care or – gasp!- doesn't even exist.

So why does God allow wicked people to prosper?

I don't think our life with God can be measured in terms of how wealthy or powerful we are. We are blessed when we remain righteous and have more than we need. But God cares more about our hearts than our wallets. This does not mean that if a wealthy person who did evil things suddenly recanted and repented, they would lose everything. It probably would mean that they would be willing to make reparations and give more to those in need – that kind of desire comes from the heart. Just look at the story of Zacchaeus.

What is in your heart?

God, help us to put aside jealousy and focus on our relationship with you. May we share out of our abundance and be grateful for all your blessings. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

It Isn't Fair

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don't have troubles like other people; they're not plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! Psalm 73: 1-7 NLT

Who do you envy?

When I look around and see the people I envy, I notice that many of them don't even attend church. A few of them may consider themselves Christian. Most of them probably couldn't be bothered unless it got them something: power, votes, prestige, etc. Like the psalmist, they seem to have pain free and stressless lives. All kinds of good things seem to come to them with ease.

But I tell myself that I have something even more precious: a close and abiding relationship with God. And I also remind myself that the appearances of the folks I am jealous of are probably only facades of what is really going on with the proud who prosper.

God, help me to remain a person whose heart is pure. Take away my jealousy and envy. Let me be content with what I have and happy in our relationship, even when life takes ugly turns. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims