Tag Archives: faith

May 18, 2024 · 2:42 pm

Expectations

Robert W. Odom, Ph. D.

May 18, 2024

Expectations

I’ve realized lately that many of us have unrealistic expectations. I know I have them. These expectations are often revealed as demands on others. When these expectations are unmet, we get frustrated and even angry with the other person. This creates a problem for each person.

Unhealthy expectations can cause us to be rigid. We do not want to change because we want to stay the same. In contrast, we want everyone else to live up to the expectations we cannot live up to. When we believe we should not make mistakes, we may never take risks because we fear failure. We are frozen in the fear that we may fail.

Sometimes, we have expectations as to what others should do or how they should act. When these expectations are not discussed, problems can arise. A case point might be a marriage relationship where expectations are unclear. For example, it could be the expectation of who handles the finances, who does the dishes, or who does the shopping.

These may seem simple and nonissues for many, but if one partner has an expectation that needs to be communicated, and it is not, problems can occur. They can become irritated or frustrated. They can lash out because of unmet expectations.

So, what do we do? Does this mean that we should not have any expectations? Not! We need to have expectations, but these expectations must be realistic and communicated where possible. In a relationship, it is helpful to agree on these expectations so that both people are on the same page. This would include friendships, business relationships, family, and marriage.

I can remember a time in my life when I would come home and find the driveway littered with toys and bikes. I would have to stop the car and remove these things before I could pull onto the driveway. When this happened, I would get angry and not be very happy. I would take my anger and unhappiness out on my kids and wife.

Since this was an ongoing situation, I began questioning why I responded as I did. After some consideration, I realized I had a false expectation of what the driveway should be like when I came home. I was expecting the driveway to be cleared of everything. Instead of being happy that my kids had toys and enjoyed playing outside, I complained and presented a negative attitude. I had an expectation that was born from a selfish motivation. The truth is I wanted to be safe. I did not want to waste my time cleaning the driveway.

In the following days, I began praying that my attitude would change. After some time, I realized I was no longer angry that the driveway was messy. I did not get angry anymore. I arrived home with a different attitude.

To deal with false expectations, we must first acknowledge that we have them. Some of these expectations come from how we see the world. We can believe that things will always be positive and good, and when they are not, we are negatively affected.  We can think that we will be treated fairly, but that will only sometimes happen. People will hurt you, and they will cause pain both intentionally and unintentionally.

Secondly, you might have unhealthy expectations if you get angry when certain things do not happen as you believe they should. If this is the case, we may need to ascertain why we get angry. What is driving the anger? Is there a real issue, or is it simply an unmet expectation?

Thirdly, rethink your expectations. This is especially true regarding our demands on others. We expect people to act and respond to us in a certain way. When they do not, we become angry and upset. If this is the case, we need to evaluate the expectations to ensure that we are not expecting what may never happen.

Fourth, talk to someone who knows you. Ask them if they believe you have unhealthy expectations or any blind spots. Amazingly, people see our blind spots in ourselves long before we see them. We may not like what they reveal, but trust your heart and trust them to speak the truth.

Finally, respond to the revelation of your unhealthy expectations. Take steps to change. Take action to modulate your expectations. This may take time but take some action to bring about the necessary change for a better-balanced life. Ultimately, you will be emotionally and spiritually better off than without this analysis.

So let me ask you,

  1. What unhealthy expectations do you have? Be specific.
  • Where do you try to force others to live up to your unhealthy expectations?
  • Who in your life can speak to the blind spots in your life? Talk to them and allow them to reveal the truth to you.
  • Spend some time considering your unhealthy expectations and where you can modulate these expectations.
  • Continue to evaluate your life and adjust to any new unhealthy expectations that might arise.

© Robert W. Odom, 2024

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January 12, 2024 · 10:05 am

Mary and the Surprises of God

Robert W. Odom Ph. D.  

In reading the New Testament about the birth of Jesus, it is noteworthy that Matthew gives us Joseph’s genealogy. In his writing, Matthew mentions five women with assorted backgrounds. What is truly interesting is that Matthew places Mary in his genealogy. Luke’s genealogy, while he traces Mary’s genealogy, does not mention Mary.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Both Mary and Joseph were from the line of David, which was a key component of satisfying the prophecies of the Old Testament. Joseph came from the line of Solomon, while Mary was from the line of Nathan. Both were sons of David and Bathsheba. Without this connection, there could be an argument that Jesus was not the legitimate Messiah. That solved the issue and closed the door to argumentation.

What does the story of Mary teach us? While there are many lessons. One of those, I believe, is that the story teaches us that sometimes God surprises us. He certainly surprised Mary with the announcement that she was pregnant. Even she proclaimed. How could this be? In a casual reading, we may miss the meaning of this phrase. How could this be since she was a virgin? How could this be since she had not known a man sexually? How could this be when she was betrothed to Joseph? What would be his reaction? What would her parents’ reaction be? These are all legitimate questions. They are necessary for us to resolve the surprise of God in our hearts.

As we see in the story, she was visited by an angel who gave her this news, but that same angel comforted and assured her that God was with her. When we are surprised by the workings of God, we, too, need to be assured that God is with us. One of the things that we can be assured of is that if God has called us to do something incredible, he will provide the means and the way for it to take place.

Mary was an ordinary teenage girl with normal expectations. She was in the process of marrying Joseph when all of this took place. She did not anticipate this blessing. She did not ask for it, and yet God blessed her. God chose to use her not because she was special but because of God’s choice. I guess that God could have used many other women of that day to be the birth mother of Jesus, but he didn’t. He chose Mary.

When God surprises us, we can sometimes battle self-esteem and issues of worthiness because we look around and see others who are more qualified. We look and see people with a more excellent education. We look at people who are more talented than we are. I wonder if Mary did not go through this at times. But here’s the deal: if God has called you, he will equip you and put the people in your path who can help you succeed at whatever God has called you to do. I will tell you today, as the angel Gabriel told Mary and Joseph, not to be afraid. What God has called you to do, he will see it through.

Sometimes, God has to work in us before he can work through us to touch the world around us. I would encourage you today to allow God to do whatever work he needs to do, and as he does that, he will begin to work through you. I am always amazed at how God opens doors when I least expect it.

We did not know what to expect when we left our last assignment and moved to Richmond. We moved without a job or any promises. Since that time, we have seen God surprise us so many times. He continues to bless us and surprise us.

The surprises of God and life come in many different shapes and sizes. It could be a new job, a new house, or new sources of income. It could be in meeting new friends. Sometimes, life’s surprises bring pain and hurt, such as losing a loved one. But no matter the surprise, God uses them to bring about His will and purposes in our lives.

So let me ask you:

  1. Where has God surprised you?
  2. When God surprised you, what questions did you have?
  3. How did you resolve these questions?
  4. What emotions did you have to process to accept the surprises of God?
  5. How has your life been different since God has surprised you?

© Robert W. Odom 2024

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December 17, 2023 · 11:02 am

Rahab – a Story of Acceptance and Faith

Today, we continue our look at the genealogy of Jesus and Joseph. Last time, we looked at Tamar; this time, we will look at the story of Rahab, the prostitute. What I love about the Bible is that the authors do not try to hide the good, the bad, or the ugly about people. It is all included so that we find that we are welcome no matter who we are or what we have done.

I am amazed and blessed that Tamar and Rahab were included in the story of Christ. Her story was filled with deceit and rejection, but nonetheless, it is a story of hope. As we look at the story of Rahab, a few things will help us understand it. The nation of Israel had finally left the wilderness. They had been there for forty years because of their disobedience. They could have entered earlier, but they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness because of their lack of faith.

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the promised land, they were to conquer it. While in the wilderness, God provided them with everything. He provided food, water, and safety. Now, they would have to fend for themselves. They were to possess the land but had to fight for it. They had to take it.

God had commanded the Israelites to take the land and destroy Jericho, but they were to do so in an unconventional means. They were to march around the town once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to march seven times. On the seventh time, they were to blow their horns and shout at the top of their lungs.

Once they crossed over the Jordan River, Joshua sent the two spies into the city of Jericho. Jericho was a city surrounded by thick walls. There were two walls. The first was at least thirteen feet thick, and the second was seven feet thick. These walls were almost impenetrable because they were so thick.

Once inside Jericho, the spies encountered a young woman named Rahab. She is identified as a harlot or a prostitute in the story of Joshua. She befriended them and hid them in the stalks of wheat harvested on her roof. This was a big risk for her because her countrymen could have sentenced her to death for the act of treason. Since she did not know Josh, would he keep his word? As we study this, we see that she trusted God more than she feared those living in Jericho and more than her trust or non-trust for Joshua’s men. Rahab risked everything to save Joshua’s men and protect them from the onslaught by Jericho.

This is a story of grace and mercy. Rahab was an outsider. She was a Gentile. She did not have the credentials to serve God. Or so she thought. In our day, many would not have received her either. She had too many things against her. After all, she was a prostitute. For the Israelites, she was not of the Jewish faith. She was not in the right profession, and she was in the right group, but God used her. Have you ever felt unworthy to serve God because of your origin or what you might have done?

What saved her? It is because she recognized the power of God and began to acknowledge God as her king. This changed her life, and she was willing to take the risk on both fronts. Listen to her story of faith in Joshua 2:8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. She gave a testimony of the power of God to save. She recognized the power of God and gave Him praise.

As I read this story. I thought of the story of Mary Magdelene, who was about to be stoned when Jesus approached the crowd. He saw the elders of the church with their hands raised to stone a woman who they said had been caught in adultery. Jesus saw the woman, approached the woman, and then knelt on the ground. As he did this, he began to scribble in the sand.

Some would argue, but I believe that he began to write out the names of her attackers and what they had done. He made this statement. He, without sin, cast the first stone. One by one, her accusers left her. Finally, there was no one there. Jesus asked her where your accusers were. They are not there. Jesus said neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.

The stories of Rahab and Mary Magdelene are important because Jesus came to save the world. So why would his lineage not involve the world? All men everywhere were accepted by Christ and welcomed into the kingdom of God. It did not matter. What mattered was that God received them where they were.

How do we know this about Rahab? First, Rahab is included in the genealogy of Christ. Secondly, she was mentioned in two different passages that represent her faith. Listen to these.

Hebrew 11:30:31 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

James 2:24-26  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

So let me ask you:

  1. Have you felt rejected because of your past?
  2. Have you been in a place where you believed you were not accepted because you were not in the right profession or the right group? Explain how that makes you feel.
  3. Where have you seen the grace and mercy of God in your life?
  4. Where can you reach out to someone who seems on the outside but needs God’s grace? Make a list and pray for God to allow you to speak life and hope to them.                                                                

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April 6, 2023 · 12:48 pm

Death and the testing of our faith

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Robert W. Odom, Ph. D.

Over the last few days, I have had several discussions about the recent shootings in Nashville. One of the themes of the debate has been about how God can allow a child to be killed when God could have intervened and prevented it. For some, this has created a crisis of faith. The concern has been how God could allow this to occur at a Christian school when so many people prayed over the school before the shooting. When it comes to these discussions, there are no easy answers. Also, we must understand that many of our questions will never be answered. The fact is that we will not fully understand why such things happen.

Before we discuss anything else, let me say this. God is a good God. He loves us with passionate love. Because bad things happen does not mean that He has forsaken us. God is also a just God. To be a loving God, He must also be a just God. I do not always understand what God does or why He does it, but I know He loves me and this world.

That said, I will make a few comments that apply to this discussion. I desire that it generates a conversation and a journey toward truth. This is not an attempt to draw lines in the sand but to look at a couple of things that must be addressed about this issue.

My first observation in this discussion is that bad things happen to good people. Scripture defines this as the sun rising on the just and the unjust. It also rains on the just, and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Bad things happen. In most cases, we cannot control these things. Some believe that people of faith are exempt from tragedy and sadness. But the Scripture does not support this view. We have many stories where people face very difficult times. We find this with the disciples. We see this with Jesus Himself. We find this with the early church fathers.

Unfortunately, people around us will get sick, have problems, and die. This includes children and loved ones. However, it is critical to note that this does not mean that we do not have faith or that our prayers are worthless. From this perspective, Paul wrote that we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power of God belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way; but not crushed; perplexed; but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down; but not destroyed … (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). Scripture also reminds us that the inward strength for endurance is most important.

Paul was a man of faith. He was a pastor and an organizer of the early church. Paul experienced trouble. He was beaten. He was rejected by spiritual leadership. The political and social leaders ran him out of town. He was shipwrecked. He had a health issue. Friends betrayed him. As a man of faith, he was not immune from difficulties. And yet, he grew in grace. At one point, he wrote these amazing words. Though outwardly we are wasting away yet, inwardly, we are being renewed (2 Corinthians 4:16-19).

A second thought here is that, as humans, we have been created with the ability to choose and make decisions. Our decisions have consequences. These can be positive, but they can also be negative. And many times, our decisions have unintended consequences. When awful acts of violence occur, it is because of multiple choices, not just one. These are choices by the one who has committed the act and by those who have influenced their lives.

We have often seen that those who commit these acts have been rejected by society or a particular group. Many times, they have been bullied and have had unkind acts committed against them. Rather than love, one group has decided to reject another. They often do not fit the other’s mold or belief structure. Sometimes these people want to be acknowledged and recognized, even if it is through negative means.

There are several motivations for bad decisions. Selfishness is at the core of many of our bad choices. Unmet expectations, wounds, and hurt all impact our ability to make good or bad decisions. This is why we often find that the one carrying out the mass shooting has been traumatized through bullying, rejection, or abuse. These emotional deficits cause reactions and decisions to be made that are unhealthy and lead to bad decisions. Because they are in pain, they want to afflict pain on others.

The fact that cannot be denied is that evil exists and is very real. From the beginning of time, as we know it, evil has existed. Tragedy moves us to action. When we talk about mass murder, several solutions are presented. One extreme suggests that if we eliminate all guns, we will not have mass murders. The second extreme is to create stronger laws and lock people up. A third issue is the issue of mental health.

In my opinion, we need reasonable gun control laws. However, removing guns may not do as much as expected, as people will still react angrily to issues. I remember in the 60s, and 70’s when bombs were used in major cities to cause destruction and inflict as much pain as possible. We cannot forget the bombing of the FBI building in Oklahoma City in 1995, where 168 were killed, and 680 were injured. The evil intent of humankind is hard to change and eradicate.

In the mental health discussion, there is no doubt that we need to do more for those with mental health issues. I know that here in Richmond, there is a six to 12-month wait for professional counseling. Unfortunately, this does not account for those who manage to stay under the surface and are not seen or admit that they have an issue that needs to be addressed.

I finish this where I began. There are no easy answers. We must pray and seek to do good in all things. We must seek to honor God in our actions and the way we treat those who are most wounded. We need to reach out to those who are flying under the radar. As I often say, this is not easy, but necessary.

So let me ask you:

  1. Have you had a crisis of faith because of what happens in society? How have you managed this? Perhaps you need someone to talk to. Sometimes we need someone to help us process the challenges of life.
  2. Who do you know who needs a friend? Do you know someone who needs the support of friendship?
  3. Do you live in the extremes or have a balanced view of what’s happening in the world?
  4. Pray for God to help you shine His light into a dark world.

© Robert W. Odom 2013

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December 1, 2022 · 11:19 am

The Wilderness Experience

Dr. Bob Odom, Ph. D.

December 1, 2022

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Deuteronomy 8:2. “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.”

A wilderness can be defined as a place of the unknown. It is a place of uncertainty. The wilderness is that place where we are in transition and question what is next for us. It is the in-between place of where we have been and where we are going. It is a place where we encounter rugged, harsh places. I am not sure about you, but I would not say I like the wilderness. But the wilderness journey is a necessary one.

Why is it necessary? It is essential because it is where we understand more about ourselves. It is noteworthy that in the passage above, we see that the purpose of the wilderness is to understand what is in our hearts. In the wilderness, we learn that we are impatient. It is hard to wait for the unfolding of God’s will. We learn how much we try to accomplish things independently in the wilderness. Conversely, we learn how much our faith in God is needed in the wilderness.

In the wilderness, we can sometimes feel we have lost everything. There have been times when I have been obedient to respond to God’s calling and enter a time of transition. I have begun to wonder if I have genuinely heard God’s voice in this transition. I have been made aware that not much is happening at the moment. The doors are not opening. Promises have not been kept. Things can seem lost.

But, in the wilderness, we can miss what God is doing because we look into the future rather than living in the moment. In the wilderness, we can miss the provision of God. Or better yet, we can complain about His provision because we want something different. Living in the wilderness, we can become discontented with the daily provisions of God like the children of Israel. We can become bored with what God has given us.

I do not like the wilderness for several reasons! I want action. I want to move forward! I want to know where I am headed and what the future holds. I do not like the unknown. I like order, and the wilderness creates dissonance where the truth and reality I live in are tested. The wilderness comes along and turns my world upside down.

But, I have learned that the wilderness is not a bad thing. I understand my heart better in the wilderness—emotional issues surface. Our emotions are most often symptomatic of spiritual matters. I realize that my impatience is an effect of my lack of faith. It is also a sign of my desire to accomplish more than God’s will.

In the wilderness, I struggle to trust that God is hearing me or working for me! I know He is, but it is hard to understand He is! I learn patience as I do not know how long the journey will last! I have been here before, and each time in God’s timing, He has led me to the promised land, or at least my promised land! Sometimes it is an hour, a day, a week, or even a year.

But like the Children of Israel, I can easily forget what God has done. I can forget that He provided food. He kept my clothes from wearing out. He has given me food to eat. He has protected me from the enemies around me. He has given me leadership and people around me who love me and care for me. In the wilderness, He has drawn me into deeper worship.

In the wilderness, I learn to submit my will to His! We have been taught this, but it is easier said than done in the wilderness. I want to help get answers in the wilderness, so I am tempted to help God out. I am tempted to open doors God never intended to open. I am tempted to manipulate God’s purposes.

So, if you are in the wilderness, be patient. Enjoy the moment. Live in the present and look at the beauty of God all around you. You might be surprised by what you see. Several years ago, my car broke down, and I had to walk home. In the slowness of that journey, I saw things that had only been a blur when driving in the car. I saw the beauty around me that I never saw before. So, in the wilderness, look for the beauty of God and experience His grace and mercy to the fullest.

Questions for you:

  1. Are you in the wilderness now? If so, what is God teaching you about yourself?
  2. In the wilderness, can you see the beauty around you?
  3. What emotions are being revealed that need to be dealt with?
  4. How is your ability to be patient in the wilderness working out for you?

Copyright © Robert W. Odom, 2022

The Wilderness Experience

Dr. Bob Odom, Ph. D.

December 1, 2022

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Deuteronomy 8:2. “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.”

A wilderness can be defined as a place of the unknown. It is a place of uncertainty. The wilderness is that place where we are in transition and question what is next for us. It is the in-between place of where we have been and where we are going. It is a place where we encounter rugged, harsh places. I am not sure about you, but I would not say I like the wilderness. But the wilderness journey is a necessary one.

Why is it necessary? It is essential because it is where we understand more about ourselves. It is noteworthy that in the passage above, we see that the purpose of the wilderness is to understand what is in our hearts. In the wilderness, we learn that we are impatient. It is hard to wait for the unfolding of God’s will. We learn how much we try to accomplish things independently in the wilderness. Conversely, we learn how much our faith in God is needed in the wilderness.

In the wilderness, we can sometimes feel we have lost everything. There have been times when I have been obedient to respond to God’s calling and enter a time of transition. I have begun to wonder if I have genuinely heard God’s voice in this transition. I have been made aware that not much is happening at the moment. The doors are not opening. Promises have not been kept. Things can seem lost.

But, in the wilderness, we can miss what God is doing because we look into the future rather than living in the moment. In the wilderness, we can miss the provision of God. Or better yet, we can complain about His provision because we want something different. Living in the wilderness, we can become discontented with the daily provisions of God like the children of Israel. We can become bored with what God has given us.

I do not like the wilderness for several reasons! I want action. I want to move forward! I want to know where I am headed and what the future holds. I do not like the unknown. I like order, and the wilderness creates dissonance where the truth and reality I live in are tested. The wilderness comes along and turns my world upside down.

But, I have learned that the wilderness is not a bad thing. I understand my heart better in the wilderness—emotional issues surface. Our emotions are most often symptomatic of spiritual matters. I realize that my impatience is an effect of my lack of faith. It is also a sign of my desire to accomplish more than God’s will.

In the wilderness, I struggle to trust that God is hearing me or working for me! I know He is, but it is hard to understand He is! I learn patience as I do not know how long the journey will last! I have been here before, and each time in God’s timing, He has led me to the promised land, or at least my promised land! Sometimes it is an hour, a day, a week, or even a year.

But like the Children of Israel, I can easily forget what God has done. I can forget that He provided food. He kept my clothes from wearing out. He has given me food to eat. He has protected me from the enemies around me. He has given me leadership and people around me who love me and care for me. In the wilderness, He has drawn me into deeper worship.

In the wilderness, I learn to submit my will to His! We have been taught this, but it is easier said than done in the wilderness. I want to help get answers in the wilderness, so I am tempted to help God out. I am tempted to open doors God never intended to open. I am tempted to manipulate God’s purposes.

So, if you are in the wilderness, be patient. Enjoy the moment. Live in the present and look at the beauty of God all around you. You might be surprised by what you see. Several years ago, my car broke down, and I had to walk home. In the slowness of that journey, I saw things that had only been a blur when driving in the car. I saw the beauty around me that I never saw before. So, in the wilderness, look for the beauty of God and experience His grace and mercy to the fullest.

Questions for you:

  1. Are you in the wilderness now? If so, what is God teaching you about yourself?
  2. In the wilderness, can you see the beauty around you?
  3. What emotions are being revealed that need to be dealt with?
  4. How is your ability to be patient in the wilderness working out for you?

Copyright © Robert W. Odom, 2022

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October 22, 2022 · 1:32 pm

Handling Grief and Trauma in a Healthy Way

Someone has said that if you have not experienced grief or trauma, give it time. You will. The fact is, we will all experience suffering and trauma at some point in our life. The problem is that we often do not navigate either of these very well. There are several reasons for this, but I will deal with a couple of things.

We often forget that everyone will deal with grief and trauma differently. Some seem not to be impacted by their experience, while others are hit much harder. Additionally, we do not know how we might handle a specific challenge as each trauma we face, the timing, and the overall impact of one or more traumas affect us differently.

When dealing with trauma, our religious beliefs and theological positions will affect how we deal with grief and trauma. When we face trauma or severe grief, we can encounter a crisis of faith because of what we have been taught and when our beliefs are challenged. For example, we have been taught to be joyful in all things. While this is a true statement, we can struggle emotionally and not feel joyful when confronting a traumatic event in our life. We work hard to be joyful when our hearts are broken and our emotions are all over the place. The reality is that it is hard to feel joy when our world has been turned upside down.

For others, we are told that we do not have enough faith if we struggle with grief and trauma. We are told we need more faith if we feel angry or depressed during these events. We are told to suck it up and get over our grief.  For example, my wife, who was struggling with the loss of her sister, was told, “let the dead bury the dead.” This was followed by “It is time to move on and get it together.”

The result can be devastating when we try to follow this counsel and not deal with trauma or grief honestly. Many fake their feelings and pretend that everything is okay rather than processing their grief in positive ways. They bury their sorrow. But grief will be dealt with. It may not be in the moment, but grief can affect us for a long time when not processed positively. It can come out in ways that we sometimes do not expect. We can have emotional outbursts. Our blood pressure can be elevated. We can struggle with digestive issues. Sleep will escape us, and when awake, we constantly ruminate about the events(s).

When processing grief, we need to know that everyone will deal with grief and trauma differently. Some will take longer than others, and that is okay. There are no timelines for processing grief. The key is that we are moving forward. Sometimes this means doing the next thing, whatever that might be. It might be to take a shower. Clean your room. One step, one thing at a time, can lead to bigger things in time.

When facing trauma, we can receive counsel, and people can say the most incredible statements that can wound and hurt us. For example, one mother’s son died from a childhood disease before he was a year old. One of the people on the receiving line told her, “At least you don’t have to worry about potty training.” This statement missed the mark and caused additional hurt to this poor woman.

Others often assert that things will improve, but that is not always true when dealing with trauma. The issue is that people dealing with trauma are navigating a new normal. While people are coping with grief and trauma, things can worsen before they improve. One spouse whose husband had passed away quickly and without warning found that he had not paid taxes in ten years. She also discovered that their finances were a mess and that he had many outstanding debts.

Upon his death, they were, for all practical purposes, bankrupt. For almost three years, things did not get better for her. She had to sell their home and cars and pick up extra jobs to pay the bills to have a decent income. Today, things are better for her, but at first, things did not improve and did not for several years.

So how do we help someone who is dealing with grief? First, be a good listener. Sometimes one dealing with grief or trauma need to talk. Do not offer counsel or try to solve the problems. Just listen. Ask questions to clarify what they are saying. Repeat back what you think you have heard them say. This will give them a sense of freedom and security.

Second, come alongside them to offer your help. Avoid asking what they need because they will feel awkward sharing. Or they may not know what they need. Look for opportunities to serve them. Cook a meal. Cut their grass. Buy them groceries. Clean their house. Wash their clothes. Come along and help them.

Third, accept the mood swings that will be inevitable. Some days they will be happy and then suddenly very sad and perhaps even depressed. Sometimes these mood swings are because of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special dates. Sometimes there is no reason at all. There is a memory that comes and affects them. Perhaps they wake up feeling lonely and sad.

Fourth, do not force them to do anything they are not ready to do. In the first few months, they should not make any decisions they do not have to. Encourage them to do only those things that are necessary. They should not make major financial decisions for a while. Additionally, do not rush them to get rid of the clothes or possessions of the one they lost. Avoid forcing them to attend parties or events they are not ready to participate in. Give them room to adjust. If they attend an event, permit them to leave early if things are uncomfortable.

Fifth, do not criticize how long it takes them to process their grief. There is no timeline for grief; each person and event is different. Trying to force people to heal faster than they are ready can cause more significant damage. We must offer grace and mercy to those struggling with grief and traumatic events.

Sixth, do not be surprised if they respond with anger and bitterness toward the person that has caused them to be in this place. They may be angry at the person who killed their family member. They may be angry at the drunk driver who critically injured their husband or wife. They may be angry at the drug dealer who sold their son or daughter the deadly drug. There are many reasons one may be angry or bitter. Give them time. Do not force an emotion or action they are not ready to express.

Finally, sometimes the best thing to do is to be there! You do not have to say anything. Just be present. Be available! Provide a ministry of presence.

So what do you feel about grief? Have you struggled with grief or trauma? Have you been forced to do things you were not ready to do? If so, what did you do, and how did you respond to this?

Finally, did even the statements about how to help others resonate with you? Which one is the biggest challenge for you? I encourage you to consider these questions. Be honest with your answers.

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August 25, 2019 · 4:28 pm

We Dance To A Different Tune

Peninsula Community Church 

August 25, 2019 

Daniel 3:15-18 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

I have entitled this message “We dance to a different tune.” It is noteworthy that the idiom “dance to a different tune” means to change one’s behavior, manner, and attitude. This is a big deal because when we follow Christ passionately we will find that our behavior and attitude changes to match His desire for us. To dance to a different tune means that we align ourselves to His purposes and His goals. Tony Evans has stated “In order to transform what you do, you must first transform how you think.” Therefore, we could say that we need to dance to the tune of right thinking which produces right action. 

For the Hebrew Children they were passionate about following their God and they danced to a different tune. However, this came at a price, but they were willing to pay the price and dance the dance. Because of their relationship with God they had their thinking in the right place and their actions followed. Because their thinking was in the right place, the three Hebrew Children served the Lord and they were obedient to what they had been called to do. 

They did so because they knew something key to their success, we all worship something or someone. It all depends on what we choose. They chose to worship God and put the Kingdom of God first not just in their speech but in their actions. Bob Dylan the great poet and the confused religious guru understood this when he wrote the following lyrics. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes. Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody. This is a powerful truth. We all come to an intersection in our life where we must choose who or what we will worship. We will worship God or we will worship man, worship things, success or any other number of things that will seek to take the place of God.

But how did they get to this place in time. You see, because Israel had sinned and disobeyed God’s will, God allowed Jerusalem to fall into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon. Many were taken from Israel as captives to serve Babylon. Among those taken to Babylon were young Israelites who were of noble birth and from royal families. They were to be trained in the ways of Babylon. Four of those taken to Israel were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Once in Babylon, their faith was tested and they passed the faith test with flying colors. While they did learn the culture, there was one area of their life they would not change and that was their relationship with God. When asked to worship a graven image and a false god they chose to worship God and Him alone. They were not willing to change their allegiance to God. We must note that as a church and as passionate followers of Christ we are to engage the culture in which we live, but we must never compromise our faith in Christ. We must not change our dance partner as tempting as it might be to do so.  

Daniel had his lion’s den moment and now the three Hebrew Children were about to encounter their fiery furnace. It did not matter what they encountered, the fate of the Hebrew Children was sealed in favor of serving God no matter what. It is important to understand this was a decision that had been made long before this moment in time. For that reason, this was not a difficult decision. They chose to go against the tide and they refused to bow their knee to the god’s of Babylon. 

Too often we encounter difficulty and then we want to engage the disciplines that protect us, but that can come too late. We can be sucked into sinful ways if we do not engage with the disciplines of Christ. Conversely, we must be engaged in the disciplines of Christ long before we encounter difficulty. We must be people of prayer, of worship, and must have a commitment to Christ before we face difficulty. In so doing, we will be conditioned for whatever we encounter. Think about it. Before war our armed forces prepare and drill. Firefighters drill and run through scenarios during training sessions. Football teams practice and prepare for the season and for every opponent they face. They consider different scenarios they will face and how they must answer those situations. By engaging in prayer, worship, and the study of God’s word our spiritual man is conditioned for whatever scenario to be faced in this world. 

Because of their commitment to Christ and their ongoing focus on worship and prayer the question of compromise was never a thought in their decision making process. You see this as being critical since compromise begins when we do not know where we stand and we try to fake our way through the process. For many, when asked to bow could have led to compromise, but the Hebrews did not. They could have bowed in the physical as an outward show but they did not. It might have been easier, but it would have started a slide toward compromise. Those who have fallen from grace too often have been captivated by sin. They do so most often through a series of smaller steps of compromise. In general, compromise has never happened in an instant. But the Children of Israel did not compromise. They knew their God and they knew their purpose in the Kingdom of God. They refused to compromise and settle for less than God’s best. 

Second, our worship of God cannot be deterred by the fear of outside influences. Their desire to serve and worship God was greater than their fear of the king. Their desire to serve and worship was greater than their own self-exaltation. How often are we deterred from obedience to God because we are filled with fear and anxiety of what people think or a desire to make a name for ourselves? How many times do we fail to trust the outcome to God? 

Third, the Children of Israel had a confidence that God wanted to keep them and preserve them. This is seen through their response of being thrown into the furnace. They experienced a so what moment. They may have had questions but that did not deter them from obedience. What if we are burned up? What if we are just burnt and we find that we are disabled for the rest of our life? Here is a big one. What if God doesn’t show up? These were real questions, but because they had lived in the reality of God’s presence they knew God would rescue them. Corrie Ten Boom was quoted as saying. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

And now, here is the crux of the matter. Four, they experienced God’s presence in worship long before they experienced God’s presence in the fiery furnace. They danced to the music of worship and the reality of God’s presence. This holy dance of worship kept them from compromise and kept them from falling for the oldest scheme of the devil, give a little which requires a little more which leads to more and more compromise. While we see the power of the three Hebrew Children also notice the response of the king. He was filled with fear. He was angry. He was surprised at the power of God. He depended on himself. Nebuchadnezzar was dancing to a different tune. He was dancing to the tune of pride and self exaltation. 

Let’s look at the end of the story. God came through, end of story. Because the three Hebrew children refused to compromise, God showed up. Because they had committed themselves to worship and trust in God, God came through. Their world was rocked. God showed up and the men did not even smell like smoke. This is surprising for a couple of reasons. First, because of Nebuchadnezzar’s anger he had the furnace heated up seven times more than normal. Second, the men who tossed them into the furnace were destroyed instantly (Daniel 3:22). And thirdly, they were bound in their tunics, their hats, their other garments (Daniel 2:21). This alone would have caused them to be consumed by the fire, but they were fully protected by God. 

Everyone were surprised at the outcome. Everyone was changed because God showed up. As we worship God alone, we are positioned for God’s work to be accomplished through us and to experience the surprises of God. Rather than tell the story listen to Daniel’s word as he describes this event in Daniel 3:24-28. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

Their faith and their obedience changed them but it changed the world they encountered. Nebuchadnezzar in the end danced to a different tune because he witnessed the miracle of God in real time. So are you ready to worship? Are you ready no matter what comes? Are you ready to change the world as they see God at wok in you? 

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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May 13, 2019 · 4:50 pm

Moses’ Mom: A Story of Faith and Courage

Peninsula Community Church

May 12, 2019

Exodus 2:1-4 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

What is the most courageous thing that you have ever done? Perhaps it was to climb a mountain. Maybe it was scuba diving. The sky is the limit as to what you might consider courageous. The interesting thing is that one person’s courageous might be another’s normal. For some it is to do something outside the limits of who you are as a person. Perhaps the most courageous thing you have done was to be a mom to your children or your adopted children. The story before us today is just such a story of courage and faith. 

The story of Moses’ mother is a compelling story of a mother’s love, her trust in God, and her faith in the story that God was writing for her and for her son. She trusted and loved God in the midst of some very difficult situations. To understand this struggle we must see that she lived in a time where Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, had made an edict that all boys born to Hebrew families would be killed. His motivation for murder was out of the fear, that the children of Israel were growing so fast, that if Egypt were to go to war Israel would fight with their enemies.

Under these circumstances we find that Moses was born to two loving parents who knew God and served God graciously and magnificently. Little did they know that this little boy would be a great leader. But the odds were against him. With that said let me make a few observations about this story that will help us when the world seems to be against us as well. While this is a mother’s day message, this applies to everyone who is a passionate follower of Christ. God is for you and will give you the courage you need to face whatever is thrown your way.  

First of all, Moses’ mom was specifically chosen for the task of raising Moses. God purposely placed Moses into her hands. He saw something in her that qualified her for the task. He saw her faith and her trust in God. It is noteworthy that she did not know the story that God was writing. She did not know that he was to be the leader of Israel. She did not know that he would be the deliverer of her people. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that he would be the one that God was going to use in such powerful ways. Think about it. Israel had prayed for 400 years for a deliverer. In this “kairos” moment, Moses was born and he was born to be the answer to Israel’s prayer. 

This morning I want you to know something very special. You have been chosen as the mother of your children. God saw something in you that qualified you for this great task. You may not always feel it nor will you always believe it, but it is true. In fact, you may not always be as successful as you would like, but you have been called to nurture, protect, and disciple those who have been given to you. You are called to be a mother and your children have been chosen by God to be your children.

Secondly, Moses’ mom chose life. She was definitely pro-life. She could have chosen to allow the societal norms and pressures of her day to dictate what she did with Moses. She could have allowed him to be killed at the hand of Pharaoh. This would have been the easy thing to do, but she chose life. Rather than follow the law of man, she followed the law of God. She knew that He would protect them. She knew that He had a plan. Some here, against great odds, have chosen life and that is honorable. For some, the events leading up to the birth of your child may not have been the best, but you chose life and that is commendable and it is to be honored. 

Let me make a side note here. I am aware that some have made the decision to abort a child and you have struggled with that decision but God wants you to know there is grace and forgiveness at the cross. There is hope for you and it begins by forgiving yourself, as God has forgiven you. Too often, we allow the guilt of past decisions to rule our lives in the present. That is not God’s plan for you today. 

Thirdly, in this story her name is omitted. It is interesting that God chose not to reveal her name here. Sometimes we feel that we have lost our identity, but God never forgets us because He calls us by name. Let me ask you “Do you ever feel that you are not recognized for what you do as a mom?” “Do you ever feel that you are just a shadow in your home?” “Do you feel under appreciated?” “Do you feel that you have lost your identity as a person?” 

I do not know if this ever happened to you, but as my kids got older I was no longer Bob Odom, but I was Kate and Joshua’s dad. I lost my identity. But let me remind you that though you feel that you have lost your identity, God knows you and God knows your name. The fact is she had a name and it was Jochebed. The name Jochebed means “Jehovah is glorious.” She lived up to her name as she was trusted Jehovah no matter what the circumstances of life might bring or what the leaders of Egypt required. She trusted in God because He was God.

Fourthly, Moses’ mom had a courageous faith. Even under difficult odds she walked in faith. She trusted God. After all the edict to have the new born males killed had been pronounced before she became pregnant with Moses. When Moses was born, rather than have him killed, she hid him until he was over three months old. Can you imagine the fear and the stress she experienced every day? I am sure that she would worry everyday that the door of her home would be opened and in would walk the Egyptian police to arrest her and to kill her son. Even in her fear, she still trusted God. Her faith in God was stronger than the fear of the edict that had been made.

Finally, she put her faith into action. This is most vividly seen in the steps that she took. After hiding Moses for three months, she took a basket and placed insulation around it so it would be protected from the water and from the effects of the river. She placed Moses into the basket and then she walked to the Nile were she placed the basket in the bulrushes. I am sure that she had tears flowing down her face as she pushed the little ark into the water. 

This was an amazing step of faith in that the river itself was a source of death. There were crocodiles and other animals in or near the water that could easily destroy him. Even today National Geographic reports that 200 plus people are killed every year in the Nile by crocodiles alone. Not only did she worry about the crocodiles but this was also a place where the women of Egypt would come to bathe. This in itself was a threat to Moses because if the wrong person came to the water’s edge Moses could have been killed. 

It is noteworthy that the word used here for the basket is in essence the same word used for Noah’s ark. It was a place of safety and protection. When she pushed the ark into the water, I believe that her faith was revealed more in what she did not do than in what she did. Notice something in this story. When she approached the water she placed the basket into the water and pushed it into the river. As I have read this story one thing stands out to me. No where in the story do we find that she tied a rope to the basket. She released the ark with her son inside into the water but more so into the hands of God. 

This leads me to the final point I would like to make. When we walk in God’s faith and love there is a time where we have to let go and let God control the outcome of our children’s lives. She did not tie a rope to the basket because she trusted God to protect him and keep him safe. Here is the issue, too often as our kids grow we want to hold onto the them and try to control the outcome of their life. But there is a point we have to push the ark into the water and let go. In letting go, we are saying that we trust God fully and completely. This does not mean that we don’t worry. Even Jochebed worried. Jochebed was concerned. We see she had her daughter stand by the river to watch over Moses. But, nonetheless she released Moses into God’s hand. 

We need to know that our children will make mistakes. Too often their mistakes come as they test the boundaries that we have set for them. They test the waters because they want to make the truths they were raised with their truths. Sometimes we will find that our kids will try to do the right thing but they will do it the wrong way. They will fail, but that does not mean that we are failures as parents. That is a lie from the enemy. 

Finally, and most important, God loves your children more than you ever will. This is where trust comes in. We must surrender our children to the God who loves them more than we ever could. That is what Jochebed did. She trusted God. She loved God and she loved Moses. But she had resigned in her heart that God loved Moses more than she ever could. That is why she could push the ark into the water and let go. That is faith. That is courage.

How about you this morning? Do you have enough faith to let go? Do you have enough trust in God to give your children to God? It is not easy but it is right. We can still pray for them. We can still intercede on their behalf but we must let go. 

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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April 29, 2019 · 8:38 am

Mysterious Encounter!

Peninsula Community Church 

April 24, 2019 

Luke 24:13-21 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

I love to watch movies. One of my favorite genres is the mystery/thriller genre. These movies weave a tale of adventure but there are always twists and turns throughout the movie. As these movies continue to draw on the emotions of the viewer, it is sometimes hard to understand how it will end. At other times it is hard to keep up with all of the plot changes. I am a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock and M. Night Shyamalan. These movies leave you in suspense and wondering what the outcome will be. I remember the movie called “Signs.” Throughout the movie there was this mysterious something out there but before the movie is over we find that it is a creature from outer space. The twist is that we find that the aliens are allergic to water. It was quite a twist. 

If you were a follower of Jesus in His day I believe that you would have seen the times as being mysterious and that there many plot twists. The followers of Christ were in chaos. Just as they thought they had a handle on the ending of the story, it changed. Before, during, and after the cruxifixction and resurrection of Jesus there seemed to be times of great mystery and surprise for the disciples. The plot twists of the life of Jesus kept everyone in suspense and questioning what was next. But this was not a movie. It was real life. The sad part was that the disciples had already been given the outcome to the story and yet the disciples missed it. But, as always, this was an opportunity for God to teach us lessons that will impact us for an eternity. 

It is noteworthy that Jesus had several encounters with the disciples as well as many others around Jerusalem before His ascension to Heaven. Today, we will look at just one of these encounters. In the passage we find that two men headed to Emmaus, a town about seven miles outside of Jerusalem. We do not know for sure but it has been suggested that they were leaving town. They had their fill of the drama and the excitement that had occurred in the city of Jerusalem over the last several days. They were getting out of town. They were leaving. 

While our initial reaction to this is to judge them and criticize their response to the activities of the past week, we must be reminded that we have also experienced things in our life that have impacted us to the point where we have wanted to leave. We have wanted to skip town. We have wanted to hide our heads and hope that when we lifted them up that whatever the problem is, it would be gone. When we are confronted with things in our life that are beyond our control, we want to run. We want to get out of town. We want to quit our job. We want to get a divorce. We want change and we want it fast, because the burden of our heart is too hard to handle. 

Too often, when we cannot align our beliefs with what is actually happening, we want to run and hide. The reality that exists is that there are times where what we believe and the reality of our life do not match or align itself with what we know to be the truth. Psychologists call this cognitive dissonance. This is where our belief system is challenged. It is here that our faith is tested big time. This occurs when we believe that God will provide our every need, but we find that we are deep in financial debt. We believe that God is a healer and takes care of those who belong to Him, and yet we have been diagnosed with a life threatening disease. We believe that the relationship we are in will last forever. We hold to the promises we made with that person only to find that they did not hold up their part of the commitment. We believe that God will take care of us and then someone in our life is taken from us prematurely and we become angry with God. We do not understand why He would allow such a tragedy to happen, and happen to us no less. In times like this, our faith is tested. What we hold to as truth can be challenged. The result is that we begin to ask questions and sort through the results of life. 

I had a friend who was into the “name it and claim it” theology. His theological premise was that you could ask God for anything and God would have to listen to you, if you prayed the right prayer, at the right time, was righteousness enough, and had no sin. He had a very close friend who became very ill and eventually died. That event led him to a conflict in his belief structure and to a crisis of faith. He struggled to understand his friend’s death. He struggled to consolidate his beliefs with the facts. After sometime in prayer, he came to a powerful conclusion.

Robert Morris who is a pastor in Dallas Texas had his faith tested when his daughter was struggling with some major health issues. They were struggling with her illness and did not see an end in sight. Though the situation continued to get worse, He came to a powerful conclusion, the same conclusion my friend reached. Pastor Morris summarized his conclusion this way. “I believe God will, I believe God can, but even if He doesn’t I still believe God.” We pray with all of the faith we can muster. We trust God for healing and if He does not we will still trust Him. We will not give up hope and we will not lose our faith. Pastor Morris continued by saying that we should “pursue Him more than you pursue the healing and know that no matter what happens Christ will be magnified in your body whether by life or death.”

These men had lost sight of the promise that Jesus would be with them. These men who were walking on the road had seen their faith tested big time. So, let me ask you where is your faith being tested? Is there something in your life that seems to be overwhelming you right now? Is it financial? Is it relational? Is it spiritual? Is it emotional or mental? I can tell you that no matter what it is, He is with you and that if we will pursue Him more than an answer to prayer, we will see the miraculous take place.

As these men are taking their journey, notice what Jesus does. He mysteriously shows up and visits with them. The amazing thing is that they do not even know that it was Him. As Jesus encounters them, we find that He asks them what they are talking about. They are astounded at the fact that He would not know what is going on in the city. “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” They are in disbelief that He would not know what is going on. And yet, they are totally oblivious to who is standing in front of them. 

I am so glad when Jesus mysteriously shows up in every day life. Jesus met them where they were. He also meets us where we are. I love the sudden moments of the Scripture. Things are happening and we need an answer from God. In that moment, He shows up suddenly and mysteriously. We do not need to hide our hurts from Him. We do not need to ignore what we are feeling. We do not have to hide the fact that we are being tested and that our faith is weakened by the events or issues we are confronting. I love the fact that He shows up in the mundane and in the miraculous. He shows up when we least expect it to do what we can only imagine and more. 

They respond from the depths of their heart and in honesty. Listen to their own words. And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

Do you hear their heart? We had hoped! We wanted Him to deliver Israel. We wanted Him to save us. But, He did not do what we thought He would do. In essence, they were feeling like He had let them down. They acknowledged that the women had reported the resurrection but it seems that they still did not believe it, or at least they could not understand it. It is amazing that even when we have evidence that God is working, we can miss it. Then Jesus begins to share the scripture and the prophecies regarding His life. 

As they enter the village of Emmaus, Jesus acts as if He is headed on down the road but they convince Him to stay. So He did. At the meal that night He took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it with them. In that moment, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. And then He vanished. He was gone. Their hearts burned within them. They had an encounter with Jesus that would change them forever. They knew something was different in this encounter. They were so caught up in their moment, their pain, and their sadness that they almost missed Him. He was right there and they did not recognize Him. He was with them and they missed it. Let me tell you He is with you today. Do not miss Him. Do not skirt through life without acknowledging the presence of God in you today. 

They felt their hearts burn in them. Jesus will encounter you throughout your life and your heart will testify to the fact that He is present. Do not miss those moments. It might be because someone is sharing the gospel. It might be that we have encountered a God moment. It could be just a moment when you are weak, despondent, and sad. In that moment there is a sense in your heart and you know He is there. You know that He is present. When that happens acknowledge it. Give Him praise for that experience. Recognize also that even when we do not feel Him He is there. He has never left you nor has He forsaken you. This reminds me of the following poem:

Footprints in the Sand Poem

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You’d walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you.”

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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April 1, 2019 · 10:35 am

The Antidote for Fear – Trust

Peninsula Community Church 

March 31, 2019 

Philippians 4:4-6 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I wanted to take some time this morning to look at the power of fear. I am sure that we have all experienced overwhelming fear and anxiety at some point in our life. We may have experienced it for different reasons and in different ways, but we have all experienced it at some point. As a child I walked in fear because my step father would come home in a drunken stupor. He was angry at the world and he tended to take that anger out on myself and my mother. I remember that so many times I would cower in my room hoping that he would just leave me alone. Because of my situation at home, I would make up stories about my home life at school and walked in fear that someone would find out the truth. So as a child, I had fear at home and I had a fear that I would be found out and proven not to be the person I said I was. 

In my adult years, there are still times where I am driven by fear and anxiety. Paying bills, medical reports, issues that arise in my daily life, and looking into the future can drive me to fear rather than faith. In fact, as I have grown in the Lord most often my fear is a direct result of not trusting God and of not fully understanding His love for me. Conversely, my fear is diminished when I see God for who He is and I trust Him without wavering. 

In Scripture one of the most popular phrases and word choices is the phrase “Do not fear.” It does not appear 365 times as some have suggested, but it is a critically important phrase that needs our attention. The reasoning this is critical is that Jesus knew that when we walk in fear, we allow circumstances, events, and/or thoughts to control us. That was never the plan of God. He wanted to help us overcome fear and live a fearless life in Him. Jesus did not want us to be controlled or manipulated by fear, because He recognized that fear holds us back. It will get the best of us. Fear paralyzes us. Fear feeds our doubt. Fear kills the plans of God within us. You see what we fear will control us. It will bind us and it will cause us to do things that we never intended to do. To be honest, sometimes these fears are very real and based in the problems around us. Sometimes our fears are perceived and not based in reality. We are overcome with fear without any reason or basis for that fear.

Now while fear is a powerful force to be reckoned with, we need to consider the antidote to fear. As a noun an antidote is something that counteracts or neutralizes an unpleasant feeling or situation.  As a verb an antidote means to counteract or cancel. I propose that there are two antidotes to fear. The first is to trust God. When we trust God fear is counteracted and fear is cancelled. The second antidote is we must walk in His love. We do not deserve His love nor do we work for it. It is a precious gift given to us to cancel and counteract the fear that is in us. For today we will focus primarily on trust.

I love the stories of the disciples in the New Testament. Their stories show us their failures and shortcomings. They also show us how Christ accepted the disciples and loved them in spite of what they had done. When it comes to fear, we have one of those stories in Matthew 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Notice something in this story. Jesus was with them and yet they still faced anxiety and fear. They were with Jesus. He was in the boat with them. He was right there, and yet they succumbed to the fear of the storm. The problem was that they were more focused on the storm than they were on Jesus. They allowed the storm to control their emotions rather than the One who was in their presence.

Here is the reality for us. When we focus on the storm and the issues in our life more than we do Jesus, we will succumb to fear and anxiety. Notice Jesus’ response when they woke Him up. “Why are you afraid?” In other words, do you not trust me? Do you not know that we are headed to the other side and we will make it. When Jesus is with us and we succumb to fear most often we have failed to trust God to work everything out for His will and purpose in our life. A lack of trust brings fear and anxiety to the forefront of our life. Being in His presence was not enough, they had to acknowledge that Jesus was their protector. They had to trust Him. 

I love the words of Jeremiah 17:5-9. Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

How powerful is that? Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength. I would suggest that when we put more faith in anything rather than God fear and anxiety is created. I would also suggest that whatever we fear, we give power to it to control us and manipulate us. Jeremiah goes on to tell us that the man who trusts the Lord will be like a tree planted by the water. Notice the wording here, the one who trusts in the Lord is not immune from problems, but when the heat comes and there is a drought, they will not fear. 

In other words, when one trusts God, they do not have to fear when problems come. God will make a way. He will protect and guard them. Notice too that the one who trusts in the Lord will not be anxious in the year of drought. When we feel we lack the daily things we need: money, health, less conflict, less car problems, and so on, we do not have to be anxious. God has it and God is in control. 

Now back to our story. Jesus was right there with them and yet they were filled with fear and anxiety. They trusted the storm more than they trusted Jesus. They allowed the storm to dictate how they would respond to the problem. Now before we judge too harshly, we tend to do the same thing. When problems come and trials hit us we tend to allow those things to control us. The question for us is do we trust Jesus with everything in our life or do we get anxious when the storms blow in? Do we allow the storms to overtake us to the point that we miss Jesus, when He is right there with us all along? The disciples were right there with Jesus and yet they missed Him. They should have trusted Him, but instead they became fearful. 

But how do we overcome fear? How do we break the power of fear and take the antidote of trust? How do we learn to trust Him more? To overcome fear we must trust His character. We must trust His control. We must trust His care for us. We must realize that God does not fail us. Yes, we will encounter difficulty, but we must remember that God has our best interest in mind. Trusting God is simply believing that He loves you and knowing He is good, He has the power to help you, and He wants to help you.

One way to build trust is to look back to see where God has helped us before. By being reminded of past victories, we are more apt to remember that God is in control and that He is guiding our paths. I love the times in the Old testament where the children of Israel rehearsed and gave testimony to the things that God had done for them. They were reminded of His grace and His mercy. Remembering what He had done increased their faith and encouraged them to continue moving forward. 

To overcome fear we must not trust ourselves. To trust ourselves is a dangerous move because as we found in Jeremiah we will not withstand the drought that will come into our life. In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are reminded what this trust means. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

To overcome fear we must be students of God’s Word. As we read God’s word we are encouraged to trust God. Allow His word to penetrate your heart. Memorize His word so that when you feel fear you can counter that fear through the power of His word. 

To overcome fear we must be people of prayer. As we pray, trust is built as we give God our problems each and every day. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7). Prayer brings us to that place of humility and allows us to cast all of our anxiety. As a camel rolls the burdens off of his back so we too should roll the burdens we have onto Jesus, because He cares for us. 

So we can trust God and that trust will alleviate most of the fear we experience. It does not make it easy but it makes it possible. 

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/messages.

Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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