by Lottie Bridges
A recurring theme has been running through my mind for the past several weeks. It revolves around “nevertheless” --- a conjunction which contrasts two somewhat opposing ideas.
Life is filled with uncertainties, with problems to which there seem to be no answers, with situations which lead to feelings of hopelessness, with actions and words which wound spirits and break relationships. The typical response is to become angry, or to give up, or to blame others ---including God.
But then I’m reminded of examples from the Bible.
King Nebuchadnezzar decreed that everyone should kneel to worship his image; those who didn’t would be cast into a fiery furnace. Three men refused. With steadfast faith in the power of the God of Heaven, their words resounded through ages to come, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, BUT EVEN IF NOT we will not [compromise our convictions].” They weren’t spared the punishment, but their stand was a living testimony to the power of their God. “They didn’t bend; they didn’t bow; they didn’t burn.”
Habakkuk was living in a time when everything seemed to be going wrong ---- crops were failing and livestock were dying. But those things did not cause him to be discouraged. In fact, he looked beyond his present circumstances with full confidence in the Lord. “EVEN THOUGH [everything seems to be going wrong], "YET I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18. No pity party for Habakkuk. He chose joy which came from an inward knowledge that all was well.
Peter and friends had been fishing all night. He was a fisherman by profession, as was his brother and even his father before him. Along comes Jesus. He’s a carpenter; not a fisherman. Jesus tells Peter to take those nets and cast them on the other side of the boat. Peter’s first thought was of the absurdity of that command. After all, he tells Jesus, their all-night-fishing venture had netted not one single solitary fish. Casting their nets again would surely be a hopeless task. But then his confidence in the Master leads him to add “NEVERTHELESS I will because you, my master, are the one telling me to do so.” Faith and obedience garnered overwhelming results.
Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was in deep agony with the foreknowledge of what lay ahead. Who could blame Him when He cried out, “Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me”? He was well aware of the coming pain and suffering, anguish beyond human comprehension, torture bestowed upon Him which He didn’t deserve but which He knew was the reason for His coming to earth. But then in humility and in complete surrender to the Father, He adds “NEVERTHELESS not my will, but thine be done.”
So how do you (and I) handle life’s challenges? When the demands of the culture of our day are in contradiction to our opinions or convictions, can we declare complete trust in God? When everything and everyone on which we depend seems to be falling apart, do we remember that our joy is found in Jesus and the salvation He alone provides? When things look hopeless and we feel like quitting, can we try again as God gives direction? When we suffer emotionally or mentally or physically, is it possible to look to God and say, “I’m hurting beyond what I can bear; nevertheless, I want your will above all else”
On our own, we can’t. But our nevertherless can be “NO MATTER WHAT, I trust in God. Trusting, in spite of _ (fill in the blank) , builds greater confidence in what God can and will do in, through, and for each of us.
If you are following our “Daily Bible-Reading Plan,” today's passages are John11 & Psalm 23.