When Life Gives You Lemons . . . Pray

One might ask, “Which is more important, breathing in or breathing out?”. Of course, they are both equally necessary for the continuation of life. In terms of our spiritual life, studying scripture may be viewed as breathing in while prayer and worship represent breathing out. Both aspects are necessary for a complete and fulfilling relationship with our God and our Savior. To abandon either leaves us weak and vulnerable. Previously, we looked at the benefits of scriptural study - our spiritual inhale. Now we turn to the examination of one aspect of our spiritual exhale.

I’ve heard it said, “When life brings you to your knees you are in the perfect position to pray.” In fact, it is our ability to kneel before God that gives us the comfort and strength we need to stand before the world in times of struggle. Right now our nation, indeed the whole world, is struggling. We must acknowledge the risks of the COVID_19 pandemic. Yet, there is also the reality that economies can't stay shut down forever. So many are finding it difficult to provide for themselves and their families. And, there are a plethora of opinions as to the right course of actions. One of the best things we can do right now is pray for our leaders, both secular and spiritual.

James tells us, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (5;16). And, Peter reminds us “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers” (I Peter 3:12). In prayer, we run to God. We seek Him out. As He tells Jeremiah, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29: 12-13). Through prayer we seek an intimate relationship with God. We acknowledge that He is our Creator; we lay our fears and worries at His feet and trust that He will guide us in all things. We know that God is on our side and that the victory is His. But, He's not interested in a one-sided relationship. Take the time to enter into that "sweet hour of prayer".

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By Thy return, sweet hour of prayer

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
The joys I feel, the bliss I share
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for Thy return
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face
And gladly take my station there
And wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer

Sweet hour of prayer
Sweet hour of prayer
And wait for Thee
Sweet hour of prayer

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Alan Jackson

Sweet Hour of Prayer lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

When Life Gives You Lemons . . . Turn on the Light

The great philosopher Albus Dumbledore once said, “Happiness can be found in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”  Physical light has many useful qualities.  It allows us to see clearly the path before us.  Objects hidden in darkness no longer impede our progress.  Instead, we have the ability to view them and move around them.  Light gives warmth.  Is it not a splendid sensation to feel the warmth of the sun on one’s face in the midst of a cold winter’s wind?  And, light gives life.  Children learn in the early stages of grammar school about the process of photosynthesis – whereby, plants utilize light to produce the “fuel” necessary to live.  There is, however, an even greater light source.  

The spiritual light guiding true believers is found only in God’s word which is Jesus Christ.  This spiritual light is eternal and life giving.  “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).  Our lemons, our struggles are ultimately the consequences of a sinful, chaotic world.  The light of Jesus Christ brings order to the confusion.  In His first recorded act as creator, God literally turned on the light.  To see our way through the darkness that so often encroaches upon our lives we too must have light.  As the psalmist wrote, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (119:105).  Christians find help and hope in Jesus who is the Light in a world full of darkness.  This light shines for us through God’s word and we reap the benefits with diligent and consistent study of the scriptures.

To understand just how important God’s word is, look no further than Psalm 119.  This psalm is the longest chapter in the entirety of the scriptures.  It’s sole purpose is in extolling the virtues and necessity of God’s word in the lives of believers.  Psalm 119 is composed of 176 verses compiled into 22 paragraphs.  And, it should be noted that each paragraph begins with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  They appear in order, as we might say, from A to Z.


We cannot know Jesus; we cannot have His light in our lives if we do not turn on the light of His word in our hearts.  Moreover, without the light of Christ, we’re adrift in a lost and dying world.  Peter writes in II Peter 1:19, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place . . .”  If we hide the word of the Lord in our hearts, the sufferings and darkness of this world will not overwhelm the light of Christ in our lives.

When Life Gives You Lemons . . . Do Not Fear

This weeks topic is definitely apropos.  Fear is perhaps the strongest tool in the devil’s arsenal; and the current circumstances under which we are living give us plenty to "fear".  The word “fear” appears over 500 times in the King James Version; and the phrase “fear not” is the most uttered command in the scriptures (http://www.soulshepherding.org/2010/07/fear-not-365-days-a-year/).  It's certainly natural to be afraid - even under normal circumstance.  We contend daily with finances, emotional and physical trauma, concerns about our future and the future of our loved ones.  Just to name few.  The current Coronavirus pandemic can easily magnify these fears.  But where faith begins fear must end.  Christ tells us in Matthew 6:25-34, "do not worry".  Why?  Because worry doesn’t rid us of our lemons; it only robs us of our joy.  

Let us consider the example we find in Numbers 13.   Here we find Moses and the children of Israel preparing to enter the Promised Land.  Before they enter, Moses sent out twelve spies among whom were Joshua and Caleb. Ten spies brought back a negative report causing the children of Israel to become fearful and desirous to go back to Egypt.  But, Joshua and Caleb didn’t see the vast armies of the enemy; they didn’t see the giants of the land.  They saw the promises and the power of God!  We must all recognize that power in our lives.

Paul reminds us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”(II Timothy 1:7).  God, our originator, our creator who made us in His own image has given you and me a spirit of power!  By placing our trust in God and His son Jesus, we choose courage over cowardice. We might not understand what God has in store for us or understand the suffering all around us.  But, we have a God who is never afraid.  We have a God who is never worried.