Tag Archives: Strength

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 21, 2015
Tags: , Strength   

What Is Your Story? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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November 21, 2015

“The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said. So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ Genesis 24:28 – 38

“By the time the servant had told his story again, the food must have been cold. He left no stone unturned to make sure Laban and Bethuel knew exactly what had happened. He was making sure there was no room for misunderstanding. He said, ‘Whatever your decision, let me know so I can act accordingly’. The decision that follows is remarkable in its contrast to the labored words of the servant: ‘Since this matter comes from the LORD, it is not for us to make a decision. Here is Rebecca; take her and go.’ If it is God’s will, which they believe it is, the decision has already been made. How often do we get worked up about and make heavy work of something that God already has decided? How often must he sit shaking his head sadly as we tell him all about the situation and make sure nothing is missed out? Because he already knows.  It is good to be well prepared. It is good to work things through. But, when we take our cares to God, it is good to remember that he knows what we need better than we ourselves do. We can trust him to make the right decision.” (Spare me the details – Genesis 24:28-38,49-51. Written by: Lutheran Media)

I listen to the story of the servant, and his need to share his quest repeatedly, and it reminds me of my decision to go into the ministry. When you make such a decision, especially as an older student, people want to hear your “story”—and so you tell that story over, and over, and over again. At seminary they want to know why you are here. Within the walls of your home, your family wants to know why you are leaving, leaving your job, your security, even most of the things you love to do. What brings you to this place? What is your story?

It is good to tell our stories. It is good for all of us to tell our stories to others, for explanation and for perpetuity. There has been a move recently for children to sit with their parents and get them to record their stories. Our society is losing our stories as we lose our sense of place. So we should record the stories, record them in oral, written and in video format so we, and others, can hear the stories, and learn from them. For in listening to the stories, we may learn some deeper truths about the world, and about ourselves.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 18, 2015
Tags: Strength   

The Crosshairs of Evil — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image               November 18, 2015

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:8 – 16

“In January 1915, the ship Endurance was trapped and crushed in the ice off the coast of Antarctica. The group of polar explorers, led by Ernest Shackleton, survived and managed to reach Elephant Island in three small lifeboats. Trapped on this uninhabited island, far from normal shipping lanes, they had one hope. On April 24, 1916, 22 men watched as Shackleton and five comrades set out in a tiny lifeboat for South Georgia, an island 800 miles away. The odds seemed impossible, and if they failed, they would all certainly die. What joy, then, when more than four months later a boat appeared on the horizon with Shackleton on its bow shouting, “Are you all well?” And the call came back, “All safe! All well!” What held those men together and kept them alive over those months? Faith and hope placed in one man. They believed that Shackleton would find a way to save them. This human example of faith and hope echoes the faith of the heroes listed in Hebrews 11. Their faith in the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” kept them going through great difficulties and trials (Heb. 11:1 nkjv). As we look out upon the horizon of our own problems, may we not despair. May we have hope through the certainty of our faith in the One Man—Jesus, our God and Savior.”
(Our Daily Bread, All Safe! All Well! October 14, 2015, Randy Kilgore)

Whether you are a pastor, or a butcher, a banker, or a shepherd, or even an engineer, no matter who you are and what you do, all of us will face some of the same life and death struggles. No, we may not be faced with the same experience as suggested in the story about the ship Endurance, yet a life of faith and service does not guarantee a life of happiness and harmony. I would argue for just the opposite – living a life of faith puts you in the crosshairs of evil every day.

Abraham is a good model for all believers – a model of perseverance, a model of trust, a model of hardship, and a model of faith in the face of tremendous odds. Not many of us will be asked to sacrifice our only child, yet Abraham went up the mountain to do just that. When the Lord saw his faith, he knew Abraham trusted and believed. Not many of us would trust the Lord’s promise of progeny when we are well beyond the age of giving birth, yet Abraham heard and believed. Our friend Job also was a faithful believer, and in the midst of horrific tragedy, he blessed the Lord saying, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes.” May we all reach that level of faith, and even if we do not, maybe we can learn from those who modeled faith in the face of terrible odds, so that we too can persevere in the faith.

Pastor Dave