IN THE TRENCHES TOGETHER

If you live, you know there are battles. Problems and adversities arise. Conflicts and struggles will come your way. It is not a question of IF, but a question of WHEN. Warfare IS coming your way. I know from experience. Those of us in ministry seem to constantly face one battle after another. We experience great victories only to face another battle whose enemy seems larger than the last.

Sometimes you may feel as if you are the only one facing the enemy's advance. Your marriage may be going through a crisis. Your church may be struggling. There may be financial problems, sickness and disease. At times it may be a combination of things.

I have had the Elijah complex before. Have you? Remember Elijah? He felt at one point in his life as if he was the only one standing for truth, the only one God had left. He was facing the battle, and he was isolated. Discouragement set in.

In the trench is where you go to retreat, hide, rest. It indicates a place to go for cover. The battle is raging, and you are still fighting. But you need a hole to hide in, if only temporarily. You may actually continue to fight from the trench. I don't want to be like Elijah. I don't want to be alone in the trenches of life.

I remember one time a number of years ago. I was facing deep discouragement. I had felt betrayed by a certain group of leaders in the church I was pastor of. I talked to a pastor friend of mine. He came to my home immediately to comfort and console me. I felt as if he was ready to take his spiritual weapons out and help me attack those who had attacked me. He got down in the trenches with me and strengthened me. After some wise counsel, we decided not to attack the unwise board. But it was good to know I wasn't in the trenches alone. There next to me was another soldier who understood warfare and pain. He was ready to guard my life to the point of laying his on the line.

I don't believe its by accident that you are reading this blog today. You may be experiencing some great pain at this moment. I want to encourage you. You are not in the trench alone. I am praying for you, and others are. I also want to send a challenge out for others. You are called to rescue those in need. Like the Good Samaritan, there are some wounded ones along life's hiway. They may not attend our church or be in our denomination. They may be of another culture or color. It matters not. Jesus died for them. They need someone to get down in the trench with them.

My life's aim is to get in the trenches. To reach out to the discouraged, hurting, lost, hungry. To be there for them. From one who knows pain, I can't pass by as if I didn't see.

SEE YOU IN THE TRENCHES.

It's going to be ok, Johnny

I don't remember when or where I first heard the story. Through the years I have retold it many times, many times without thinking about it in advance. It is the story about a dad and his little boy.

Dad was off work that day and mom needed to do some shopping. It was a beautiful day and daddy decided to take the toddler to the park. Fastening the little one in the swing, dad pushed him back and forth. The little one began to whine, and dad was beginning to panic. A sympathetic mom saw what was going on as the father kept repeating, "its going to be alright Johnny" while pushing the little one in the swing. The neighborly mom came to the side of the little one, looking down, and tried to calm the little one, referring to him as "Johnny". At this, the dad said, "his name is Jason, I'm Johnny."

I'll give you a minute, my joke telling and remembering is not all that strong. But the story line is that dad was encouraging himself. Sometimes you just have to do that. As David did in the bible, when he was up against great difficulty and the men who had stood with him turned against him. When no one else was there to do it, David encouraged himself. To encourage oneself is to take courage, to be strong, to stand. The bible exhorts us to having done all to stand.

We all have times when we face adversity and need encouragement. I am thankful for those moments when the Lord sends a friend along to help. It might be an email, a text on my cell, a call. It might be on facebook or twitter, or another way. I am appreciative of those moments. I just contacted an old friend this week and really didn't know why. I was impressed to encourage them. They related that they were going through a severe time of testing, and the words I shared were very timely.

Walt Mills used to sing a song, "I've got a feeling, everything's going to be alright." We sang it many times back in those years. But the fact is that everything is not going to be alright. Some marriages don't make it. Some people turn on you and leave you. You lost the good paying job, didn't get the promotion. A family member died of a disease. You can become bitter at the events going on in your life.

Yet in spite of all the pain, adversity, and sorrow, you can make it through this. You can survive. God put you here for a reason. I just want to encourage you today to hang in there, hold on. The sun will shine again. I love you and God loves you.

Be blessed!
Pastor Ronnie