Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23

I was in Mrs. Parrish’s 4th grade class when Mr. Conover announced on the loud speaker that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I can still hear the explosion and feel the building shake sitting at my desk in Nairobi, Kenya, when the bomb blast destroyed the America Embassy and several blocks of buildings. I still can picture the images from that early morning newscast in Kenya of wounded people being carried out of the bombed-out Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. I can still picture the faces of stunned colleagues at the IMB office in Richmond as we watched as two planes flew into the NYC World Trade Center buildings. Everyone of us have asked and answered the question, “Where were you when _______?”.

These and countless other events will be etched forever in our minds. It is amazing how the most minute detail of “where we were and who we were with” can be described in detail years later. The same vivid description can be recounted of personal life-changing events. Forever etched in my mind will be the night, as a third-grade boy, I finally grasped Jesus’ invitation for Him to be my Savior. Forever etched in my memory is the day I watched my future wife walk down the aisle of our church in Oklahoma City to begin our life together. Forever etched in my memory is the birth of each one of our children. These memories are forever etched that I may remember God’s grace and goodness in my life.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote “Just as the ancient sun rises daily anew, so also is God’s eternal mercy new every morning. Being able to grasp God’s ancient faithfulness anew each morning, being able to begin a new life with God daily in the midst of one’s present life with God, that is the gift God gives us with each new morning.”

We can take these ingrained images of the past as gifts that allow us to never forget the faithfulness of God in our lives. Out of the tragedies of life events we can rest in God “and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” (Ps. 61:4) We can know “he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2) when we faced difficult challenges. Recalling these past events remind us that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (Ps. 18:2) In these captured memories of life’s special events we can “sing out with songs of thanksgiving to the LORD! Let’s sing our praises with melodies overflowing.” (Ps. 147:7)

Our storehouse of memories, when anchored to God’s steadfast and unceasing love, allow us to face the present difficulties with courage, the present tragedies with confidence, the present sadness with peace, the present blessings with thankfulness and the present moment with humility and gratitude.

Bonhoeffer wrote that “gratitude is just another word for the faith that remains unshaken even when God seems to be concealed for a short moment, faith that is joyous amid tears because it knows about Christ the redeemer, has its foundation completely in Christ, and holds fast to his good news.”

2020 will most likely be one of those pivotal moments forever ingrained in your soul. We are so often like the disciples in the boat, “Master, Master, we’re sinking! Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” Then we see Jesus turn and say, “with great authority Jesus rebuked the howling wind and surging waves, and instantly they stopped and became as smooth as glass. Then Jesus said to them. “Why are you fearful? Have you lost your faith in me?” (Luke 8:22-25)

Lord, in the midst of today’s health, cultural and political storms, I do get scared. I can’t see any way out for this nation, yet when I keep my eyes upon you I can feel the calm, I can feel the hope and I can see the morning light. You stilled the stormy sea, you can still the storm of today.

God is great,
Pastor Lynn Burton