Truth That Helps Us Soar

(This devotion was adapted from Chapter Three of the book Defying Gravity – How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry. We think you will find it encouraging and applicable to your life as you seek to embrace the value of God's Word in providing fresh perspective and practical help in the midst of life's storms.
To order a copy of this book, go to: http://tiny.cc/x0xZu

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In the course of daily living, all of us experience deep disappointments, hurts, and setbacks. Some eventually lose altitude and crash for lack of the powerful and objective guidance and strength of God’s Word. Others learn to trust in the things that are true, reliable, and authoritative as revealed in the Bible. They tend to “soar” through the power of applied truth.

The Hope and Help of the Scriptures

Biblical leaders boldly affirm the powerful encouragement and endurance they receive from the truth of God’s Word – in both Old and New Testaments.

We are all familiar with the incredible trials and perplexities Job encountered. In the midst of his pain, Job affirmed his source of strength: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet” who carried many burdens and endured incredible afflictions, still declared, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). Treasure. Nourishment. Joy. Affirmation of our calling. These are only a few of the powerful benefits of the truth.

Hope and healing always flow from the power of God’s Word to the heart of a leader. Over and over in Psalm 119 the writer affirms the practical help of scriptural guidance with words like, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:114) and “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:14). Psalm 130:5 echoes the same conviction: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” Psalm 107:20 speaks of the sinful rebellion of Israel in the desert but then declares, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

The New Testament speaks often of the effectiveness of the Scriptures to work powerfully in our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:13) by transforming our minds (Romans 12:2), revealing our deepest issues (Hebrews 4:12), correcting wrong thoughts (Titus 1:9), causing us to grow (1 Peter 2:2), and keeping us strong (1 John 2:14). Romans 15:4 offers encouragement to leaders about the helpfulness of the Word: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

Getting Out of the Truthless Tailspin
Yet, we have to be honest and admit that most Christian leaders who have experienced a disastrous crash have not lacked Bible knowledge. Some of the nation’s greatest preachers have produced the most disconcerting scandals. Clearly, it is not mere Bible knowledge that produces the power to stay on course and in flight. Rather, it is a consistent and authentic application of the knowledge to the mind, heart, and life. Even Christian leaders can become “hearers” rather than “doers” and deceive their own hearts as they sit among the commentaries and study guides of their Christian library.

As a pastor for over 25 years, I have experienced countless moments when the truth has infused my life with hope, wisdom, and resolve. I’ve also had my share of “dry” seasons where I am going through the motions – staring at the gauge of truth and feeling like it is not helping me in my leadership flight. What do we do to keep our interaction with God’s revelation to our hearts fresh and vibrant?

Evaluating the Soil – All four Gospels present Jesus telling the story of the sower and the soil. Without getting into all of the meanings and application, we can agree on the basic principle that quality soil is essential to spiritual fruit, springing from the seed of God’s Word. What was once fruitful, and had the potential of bearing fruit thirty-fold, becomes unfruitful because of a misguided focus of the heart. I believe that for a Christian leader, the “cares,” “deceitfulness,” and “desires” that damage the fertile soil of the soul are issues like busyness, distraction, fatigue, overwork, and hurry. Soon these manifest in neglect and superficiality as we interact with the truth. We are losing altitude but the gauge of truth has been clouded over by a driven, disheveled life.

Recalibrating Spiritual Hunger – If our soil inspection reveals these troubles, I have found there is great need for a recalibration of hunger. One of my great regrets in ministry is that I have never taken a true sabbatical (which is especially crazy when I look back at the unusual and intense assignments God has placed upon me). But I have found the value of periodic retreats that included several days of solitude, silence, fasting, prayer, and massive doses of reading.

I have found that spiritual hunger and physical hunger are opposites. Physically, when you are hungry and you eat – you become satisfied or “full” as we say it. When you are hungry and you do not eat, you become hungrier (and probably grumpy). Spiritually, it works in reverse. When you are hungry and you eat, your appetite increases. When you are hungry and you don’t eat, you become satisfied and your passion for the Word wanes. That is why we sometimes need a recalibration – where we get away and just “feast.”

Beyond a “Tool of the Trade” – Those in full-time vocational service can easily be “in the Word” without the Word being in them. The Bible simply becomes a means to the end of saying something witty and insightful at the next event or church service.

As I speak to Christian leaders across the nation I remind them that the easiest thing to do these days is to preach a clever sermon or present a compelling lesson. All we need in today’s world is the right downloads, memberships to on-line resources, and a couple video clips tailor-made by some company for our subject of the day. But I warn that, in the long run, the PROCESS is much more important than the PRODUCT. It is the process of “laboring in word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17) that shapes character, out of which a life-changing message flows.
God’s Word must work in us before it can work in others. We’ve heard the adage many times: “A sermon prepared in the mind reaches minds. A sermon prepared in the heart reaches hearts. A sermon prepared in the life reaches lives.”

Welcoming Evaluation – During a conversation on this subject, mission leader Hans Finzel noted that the honest and consistent inquiry of a few close friends helps him to stay on track in his engagement with God’s Word. He notes, “We all need some friends who will question, prod, and encourage us in our consistency in staying in God’s Word. Sometimes it is hard for a wife to rebuke a husband for his waning godliness – but some loving and strong friends can get in our face. I have even found that my grown children inspire me with their love for God’s Word and are free to ask me about mine.”

Whatever it takes, may we each act today to rekindle our hunger and renew our hope as we receive the powerful help provide by God’s unchanging truth.
Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.