MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry

I just finished a short book by Max Lucado entitled For the Tough Times. In classic Lucado style, he helps those of us who have our noses pasted to the window of pain, suffering, and hardship to push back and look again at the big picture.

What could you possibly see that would help you to move forward and make it through the trying moments, and in some cases, trying seasons? For those of you who are desperately looking for answers, let me highlight a few of the chapters for you. For more detail, you’ll want to be sure to read the book…there’s so much more that will encourage you.

Chapter 1 – Where Is God?

It’s so hard to find God when the pain has you plastered up against the wall. There are times when you may not be able to see His purpose or His plan. This certainly doesn’t mean He has vacated the throne nor does it mean that He has lost control of the universe. Trust Him at those times on the basis of His nature not your perspective.

Chapter 2 – God’s Great Love

You’ll be tempted to think God doesn’t love you when you are unlovable and messy. God’s love is unconditional and demonstrates it much like a father would to his child. Lucado describes it this way, “Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on His bumper…We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. ‘I have written your name on my hand,’ he declares (Isa 49:16).”

Chapter 4 – Good Triumph

Lucado begins the chapter with a question, “How could God allow evil to bring destruction and loss into our lives? He proceeds to describe how God uses the fallen angel and enemy of God, Satan, to accomplish His plan. Three ways are identified. He uses Satan to: refine the faithful, awaken the sleepy, and teach the church. Tough times are actually necessary for us to become what we were designed by God to be. As Joseph was able to say, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. (Gen 50:20 NASB)

Chapter 7 – In The Storm, We Pray

Two important truths about prayer during times of crisis stand out to me in this chapter. The story of Lazarus dying is used to paint this picture. When Lazarus became “sick unto death”, the Bible says, “So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick’” (John 11:3) The first truth is when someone goes to Him on our behalf, Jesus will respond. We need to pray even if we’re not sure it will change anything.

The second truth is that the power of the prayer you pray doesn’t depend on the one who makes the prayer but on the one who hears the prayer. Lucado calls attention once again to the phrase in John 11:3, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” It doesn’t say “The one who loves you is sick” God’s answer has everything to do with His love for you not your feelings about Him or your past behavior.

Hopefully this book and brief summary will encourage you as you try to make sense of the things swirling around you and causing much grief.

Pastor Mike Landry