by Chad Lewis on February 11, 2010
I came across the following in a devotional I am reading. It is an excerpt from Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.
Years ago I came across this sentence in an old book: “Never indulge, at the close of an action, in any self-reflective acts of any kind, whether of self-congratulation or self-despair. Forget the things that are behind, the moment they are past, leaving them with God.” This has been of unspeakable value to me. When the temptation comes, as it mostly does to every worker after the performance of any service, to indulge in these reflections, either of one sort or the other, I turn from them at once and positively refuse to think about my work at all, leaving it with the Lord to overrule the mistakes, and to bless it as he chooses. I believe there would be far fewer “blue Mondays” for ministers of the Gospel than there are now if they would adopt this plan; and I am sure all workers would find their work far less wearing.
by Chad Lewis on December 1, 2009
As I have been on an illness sabbatical, God has been teaching me tons and dealing gently with my heart. I’ve been blessed reflecting on the following prayer so I wanted to throw it on the blog for others to see and reflect upon.
A Soldier’s Prayer
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better better things…
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise…
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God…
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things…
I got nothing that I asked for– but everything that I had hoped for,
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed!
(Written by an anonymous soldier)
by Chad Lewis on July 14, 2008
A few of our pastors had the privilege to be treated to dinner by Paul Tripp this past week. Paul and his friend were in town teaching a quick class at Southern Seminary .
As dinner rolled on, we began talking about love and Paul mentioned Amos 4. We discussed how God tells the people all of the tribulations that He brought their way but they did not turn back to Him. The list includes holding back rain, smiting their crops with mildew and blight, sending plagues and even killing some of their young men with swords. If you read the chapter, these are not things that God allowed, but rather, these are things that God directly brought about from His own hand. We might ask ‘Why?”.
When we think about God’s love, do we consider that He is willing to do anything to give us what is best. Is God willing to break our legs, bring heartache, suffering, discontent, along with huge lists of other things in order for us to have what is best? The answer that we find in Scripture is a resounding “YES!” What would it profit for us to gain the whole world, all it’s riches and comforts and then lose our souls? What good would it do for us to become a child of God and then never grow past being a babe in Christ? How would this bring glory to God and how could this be best for us?
So what is best? Is happiness best? Is our comfort best? Is an easy life best? All of these things are not best. They actually fall so short of what is best that it would be like comparing the chance to live in a kingdom as a son of the King along with all it’s riches with having the chance to walk out alone into the dessert to die a long, slow, painful death. It’s a no-brainer right?
So why do we choose what we don’t really need? The problem is that we have short term vision. If we can look with eternal eyes, we can see that we would always trade the temporary in order to gain the eternal. As Paul writes, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
Are you looking at your trials as gifts today? Are you hoping to be released from their midst as quickly as possible? If we look at these questions with eternal eyes, we might answer these questions differently. Ask God to help you view the circumstances that surround your life today with eternal eyes.
by Chad Lewis on June 20, 2008
Eugene Peterson writes, “The person… who looks for quick results in the seed planting of well-doing will be disappointed. If I want potatoes for dinner tomorrow, it will do me little good to go out and plant potatoes in my garden tonight. There are long stretches of darkness and invisibility and silence that separate planting and reaping. During the stretches of waiting there is a cultivating and weeding and nurturing and planting still other seeds” (From Traveling Light).
As I reflect on this thought today, I am reminded how easy it is to always take the short view and to forget the long view. We are such a fast food and microwave society that we want things and we want them now. However, God is not bound by our definitions of success or timing and we should be thankful for that.
Where are you right now? Are you content in the place that God has you? Are you seeking to grow where He has planted you or are you dreaming about getting to the place where you can really thrive? Do you believe that God is going to finish the work that He started and that right now and that He is using the circumstances of your life to accomplish His goals? In reality, if we believe Romans 8:28-29 and have a proper theology of place, we must believe that God has planted us exactly where we need to be. The only place we can be is wherever we are right here and right now. We can daily miss opportunities to love those in front of us, experience God’s grace, and lose precious moments to truly live. I know because I’ve spent countless days in some nebulous future that will never exist. I must be where God has planted me and live in the now for that is where I am.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
Remember that we can’t just flip a switch and appear in the land of contentment. We must own our lack of contentment and take it to the Father. We must pray and ask that He would teach us and draw us to believe what is true. We need to surround ourselves with believers who can speak truth in our lives, and ultimately, we must trust ruthlessly in the goodness of our Abba Father. He is always faithful. He is always good. He always knows best and He is doing a work that is beyond our understanding.
by Chad Lewis on January 21, 2007
After living a gazillion places, having a thousand jobs, being up in front of people playing music and speaking, mopping floors, having money and being dirt poor, receiving accolades and awards, and being made fun of, I have realized that none of this earthly stuff is ever enough. One might think that after having experienced earth shattering lows that are so painful your teeth hurt that you would truly appreciate the highs where the whole world seems to be affected by you, but it is never enough and it was never meant to be.
We were created to never be truly filled by anything but God alone. If we believe the Scriptures, God has us where we are for His exact purposes and to fulfill a greater plan. I have seen the green grass on the other side of the fence and moved to the neighbor’s yard only to desire to go back because the shades of green seemed to change.
With all of this, I think of Paul’s words in the epistles. He counted “ALL” loss compared to knowing Christ. He counted everything as rubbish and refuse compared to knowing Christ. And he also found contentment in all things. Whether he was hungry or full, warm or cold, in safety or in danger, in all these places he was in Christ and Christ was in him.
We were not created for this world so the next time you find yourself useless because you are thinking that being somewhere else would solve all your problems, remember that your problems and heartaches will always go with you. However, the God of our fathers will never change and He can meet us in our time of deepest need.
So I write this to myself this morning because I’ve been thinking that the grass is greener right now and my contentment in what God is providing is at a low. But, I will trust in His promises and say along with David, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures…” God has made me lie down in the green pastures that He has ordained for me at this time, and I will praise Him for it.
by Chad Lewis on October 20, 2006
I recently read a quotation from a famous pastor that relayed the following message. Those who deserve nothing should be content with anything.
We do live in an entitlement age. We feel entitled to get what we deserve. We see this on talk shows, on the news and to those desiring to get what is coming to them. The selfishness of this age should not surprise us. It just seems that media allows the message of “self” to get to the public’s ears much more readily than in any time before ours.
So this attitude seaps into our churches. We blame God for not making our lives perfect according to our standards. However, when you look at the lowest class of Americans, they are rich in comparison to the rest of the world. In our country, you can usually find food to eat and water to drink no matter how bad your plight might be.
If we are not careful, we can reach the point where we proclaim to God that we deserve grace and all the blessings of this life. We forget one enormous truth. We don’t really want what we deserve.
If we got what we deserve, we would be put on trial instantly for pointing our finger in the Creator’s face and saying “No thanks! I’ll do this life thing my way!” We would be put on trial for the mulititude of sins we commit each day as we put ourselves before God and others.
We are in the most hopeless and pitiable state. Those who do not realize this are the worst off. They do not even realize what they deserve.
If we are children of God, we should look and see that grace is really amazing. We should look and see that all we have has been given to us. We should look and be thankful for another breath to be able to even speak the Name of God and thank Him for what eternity has in store. This life is not too long to live recklessly with great contentment for the One who has given us life and Himself. Let us refocus and whose we are and what we really deserve.
by Chad Lewis on August 19, 2006
Contentment and patience – these are two difficult words to swallow. Clay and I discussed this just the other day. Sometimes we long to be used so greatly by the Lord and all of life looks like a holding pattern. Sometimes we long for a relationship and nothing seems to be on the horizon. Days go by and all seems to be the same and we wonder if God has forgotten our name. Do we believe that He is in control? Do we believe that He has us exactly where He wants us? Sometimes we need to be reminded of God’s plans because the battle rages against us everyday.
The same night I talked to Clay, my wife and I laid down to bed. I was feeling less than content. She mentioned that we should bypass our usual Bible reading for the night and read a devotion from Streams in the Desert.
So we did. It was a message in a bottle to my soul. I will post it below and pray that it ministers to you as well.
August 16
From Streams in the Desert
I waited patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 40:1)
Waiting is much more difficult than walking, for waiting requires patience, and patience is a rare virtue. We enjoy knowing that God builds hedges around His people, when we look at the hedge from the aspect of protection. But when we see it growing higher and higher until we can no longer see over it, we wonder if we will ever get out of our little sphere of influence and service, where we feel trapped. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand why we do not have a larger area of service, and it becomes difficult to “brighten the corner” where we are. But God has a purpose in all of His delays. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” (Ps. 37:23)
Next to this verse, in the margin of his bible, George Mueller made this note: “And the stops too.” It is a sad mistake someone to break through God’s hedges. It is a vital principle of the Lord’s guidance for a Christian never to move from the spot where he is sure God has placed him, until the “pillar of cloud” (Ex. 13:21) moves.
(This excerpt was from the Sunday School Times)
So as we read the above message, let us remember that God is in control. He sees all we were, all we are, and He sees all we will be. In His perfect wisdom and gentle compassion, He is bringing us through the valleys and mountain tops that we need to visit. Even though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, He is doing a beautiful work in our lives for our best and to His glory, AMEN!
by Chad Lewis on January 26, 2006
In tough times, I often flip my Bible to Psalm 63 and read words penned by David in one of his most trying times. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” (NLT)
As I pondered the first verse this morning, I told God that He is what I longed for. Even when I don’t realize it, my soul yearns for God alone. I may try to fit something in the place that only God can fill, but it leaves me lacking, discouraged and even more thirsty than before. Whether it be a relationship, job, ministry or anything else, it was not created to fill the inmost need. Only God can do that.
This world is a weary and parched place. We can watch people every day who are dying of thirst. They try to squeeze a drop of water out of a dried sponge when God has the ocean waiting for them.
So what do we do? We ask to see the One who can fill us up. And when we do see Him (and I believe we need to be reminded of who He is everyday) we can say with David, “I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You!”
When we see God with His infinite love, our response will be the same as King David’s response. Not only is God’s unfailing love better than anything this life has to offer, it is better than life itself! And then? We are are left praising God as we walk through life.
Take some time to soak in Psalm 63 today and remember God’s unfailing love for His children.
by Chad Lewis on December 5, 2005
“When good desires become demands, they turn into an idol and replace God.” As my teaching pastor said this last night, the sting made it’s way deep into my heart. I believe this statement can sum up many seasons in my Christian life – this one included.
In the past, one area that has plagued me is suffering through singleness. Some times I have soared with the wings of victory in contentment, while other times have seen me crashing in the rocks down below. During the times of crashing, too often my good desire for a best friend to marry has turned into a demand. “I must have this to truly be happy!” This is when my eyes roam and Chad becomes captain of the ship. Even during these times, God has been gracious to let me know that my mutiny is not right and I humbly give Him back the wheel.
Currently, music has become a demand. After recording four humble, self-produced albums, a few guys from my church have taking me under their wing to help me take my best stuff and make it better. Somehow as the process has begun, my good desires to have this album be useful for others has become a must. Somehow I believe if this doesn’t happen in a big way, it was all in vain and I’ll just quit songwriting altogether. I truly write music to encourage people and let them know they are not alone. This is a good desire. But when this desire turned into a demand, my focus changed for the worse.
This was not a quick process but it did sneak up on me. Last night I spent time repenting and God’s sweet refreshment came over me. I acknowledged that His ways are higher than my ways. To second guess the Creator’s plans and say my plans have to take place – that is not the Christian life. With every breath we can pray our desires to God, but they must be stipulated with “But Your will be done, Father. For You know what is best.”
I was humbled, but the fruit of peace has returned to me and I have stopped striving in this moment. However, I know that the battle will come again. When it does, we must stop and remember that He is God. We must be still and hand over the reigns again. This might be a daily thing for many of us.
Let us be encouraged that we are trusting in the finished work of Christ and our God’s mercy and grace are like the ocean. Like Amy Carmichael said, we are just tiny shells and the oceans of God can fill us over and over and over again. May we to God’s ocean and find ourselves filled in Him today.
by Chad Lewis on September 17, 2005
This past Thursday and Friday, I got to go hang out with a friend in Nashville to pick his brain about music stuff and to get some good counsel. Matthew Perryman Jones is one of the most gifted musicians I have ever been around and the rawness of his realness nourishes my soul.
As we talked about dreams and visions, he said that his mentor constantly reminds him of the following idea. It is so easy to get frustrated in our daily life because we see where we want to be in the future, but we can’t get there. The vision or dream might be great and even planted by God, but we can’t just magically appear at the end. It may seem too overwhelming to imagine the process to actually achieve the goal.
So what do we do? How can we overcome? Do we just quit or stay frustrated? The answer that resounds in our hearts is simple – we live today. The way we get to God’s desired goal for our lives (and the main goal is intimacy with Christ and a life the glorifies God)is achieved by living today.
If I desire to have a thriving ministry to reach out to the brokenhearted, what do I do? Well, today, I write a blog entry. Today is all I have.
I want to record more music and play all over the world while sharing the story of God’s redemptive purposes in suffering and to let people know they are not alone. How do I accomplish that? Well, today I simply work on one song I’m trying to make flow better and ponder different ways to communicate the theme.
If I long for marriage and have someone I am building a relationship with, what do I do today? Today, I simply try trust God with her heart and do my best to live in the now and work on being patient.
You get the idea. I need to be reminded of this daily for we only have the contents of today to work with. We only can seek God today and do that which He puts before us.
So if you’re frustrated with your plot in life, seek God and see what you should do today. And then meditate Ecc. 9:10 and do that thing with all your might while relying on the strength of God in your weakness.
Many blessings,
Chad
