The Secret To Life

Life can be a rollercoaster

Life is quite an interesting adventure. It has its highs and lows and its peaks and valleys.

We begin life as a journey, not getting to choose who our parents are or where we are born. We don’t get to choose what city, town or even country we will live in. We don’t get to choose what we will look like or whether or not we will be born with an illness. We are helpless at the beginning of our journey and need constant care.

Our very first breath begins our journey, and we have no way of knowing where it will lead.

Here’s where we can lose perspective on something really important.

God knows each of us very intimately and also knows where our journey will lead. Knowing that, is one of the “secrets to life.” King David knew this and expressed it in one of his Psalms.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:13-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God knew exactly where and when we would be born and everything else about us. He knows all the details and I would argue that He knows each of us better than we know ourselves.

Why?

Because He can see our hearts and knows the motives behind our actions that we can either try to mask or don’t fully understand.

He also knows our needs.

Jesus was prophesied to be born in a specific little town in Judea called Bethlehem and that prophecy came around 700 years before He was born.

““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭5:2-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God chose a small and insignificant town as the place for the Savior of the world to be born.

Why?

Because none of us are small and insignificant in God’s eyes.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God has a plan for our life, even if we don’t understand what that plan is or if we are feeling lost. God’s plan is our hope for the future. Contemplating that God had a plan for my life, has always made me wonder what that plan is. Am I on track, or have I gone off the rails? Am I missing out on something really good?

I often get some alone time almost every morning. Early morning coffee out on the deck with our new puppy, listening to the birds singing and a breeze rustling through the trees. That is how I start my day almost every morning now that I’m retired. I’m blessed with that quiet time and often work on my articles then because I’m at peace. But there is something that I want to share which keeps me hopeful regardless of what might be going on in my life.

I’ve been through a lot of mountain tops and valleys in life and I’m sure you have too. When you’ve lived over 50 years, you can look back and reflect on a lot of experiences. Many memories remind me of joyful times and some are painful. It’s all just part of MY STORY. Reflection is very important in my alone time. It keeps me humble and also very grateful. God has walked with me through a lot of things. I’ve learned a lot of lessons on the way but it hasn’t been an easy road. Some of it has been really heartbreaking while some of it has been exhilarating. I’ve been surprised by blessings and tragedy, both are unexpected and part of this life. It’s all been part of MY STORY.

What’s your story?

You have a story too, and it’s not only worth reflecting on, it’s also worth “sharing with others.” Both the joy and pain can be beneficial, depending on who you are talking to and maybe that’s a key part of God’s plan for your life. Maybe your plan is to help others get through similar pain and not lose hope, or to share the good times that others can relate to. Both circumstances create an opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level.

King David is a hero in the Bible for some of his great successes and demonstrations of faith. But his whole life is laid bare for us to see and even his failures are given to us as an example of the predicament we all face, during this short life. He had many triumphs and tragedies. Through it all, he clung to his faith in God that he had developed since he was a young man. The highs and lows came, some of them because of his own bad decisions, but He would seek God through it all, in order to help him understand why he was going through these trials and what God wanted him to do next. He truly was a man after God’s own heart.

“Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭13:21-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The people had pleaded with God for a king so God gave them what they wanted. Saul turned out to be a bad king, just as God had warned them about. God chose David to replace Saul as king, but it was never easy for David. There were times when David faced real tragedy and even ridicule.

“As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!” Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’ ” David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭16:5-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Shimei called David a murderer and was cursing him and pelting him with stones. Any other king in history probably would have had Shimei killed for this kind of disrespect, but David knew better. David was a murderer. He had an affair with Bathsheba and got her pregnant and then had her husband placed at the front of his army purposely so that he would be killed in battle while David was at home. He should have been leading the fight, but instead he had plotted the murder.

That Bible story is in 2 Samuel chapter 11.

David knew he deserved the condemnation and instead of punishing Shimei for his ridicule, he accepted it as his just punishment for his own actions. He was now seeking God’s blessing at his lowest point in life and God’s rescue from a curse of his own making.

That is the key in this journey.

Seek God when you are on the mountain top, just like Moses did. But also seek him in the valley when you feel lost or discouraged like David did.

Moses had developed such a close relationship with God, that it changed his appearance.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:29-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever met someone that gave off a “spiritual glow.”

Someone that stood out in a crowd because of their goodness, that you could sense? Someone with an attractive personality? I’ve met several people like that and it never surprised me when I found out later that they were Christians. It’s what I call, an “inner joy” that can’t be hidden. It’s God’s love that is constantly spilling out of them.

Moses spent quality time with God. I wish that I could say that I often do the same thing, but I don’t. Life can get pretty busy and full of distractions that make “being still” with God a difficult task each day. What I’ve gotten in the habit of doing is giving thanks for the little things each and every day. It helps me stay connected.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Always being thankful for the little things, helps to keep me grounded in my faith. But having that quiet alone time with God is very important because that is what will strengthen our faith in times of need. I need to carve out that time more.

Here’s one of the first verses I memorized and one that I think is very important.

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love this little verse. This verse always reminds me of something very important. When everything is going wrong, when I am feeling helpless or victimized in some way, God tells my heart to “be still.”

When life’s roller coaster is crashing down into the valley and things seem hopeless, God reminds us that the day is coming when He will be exalted over the entire world and proven to be in control.

That has always been reassuring to me and I can say that over all the low points in my life, where I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, God showed up in His perfect timing in order to rescue me and lead me back to the light. Those experiences are valuable because sharing them with others has actually encouraged people who might have lost hope.

Our entire life, with all the ups and downs and twists and turns, are opportunities for our relationship with God to grow. But it’s also an opportunity to encourage others in their time of need.

We were created to enjoy this gift of life but we often lose sight of that. Life may be a very hard journey, but it’s our relationship with God that is what we were created to enjoy.

I want to share one of my favorite scenes in a movie because I can totally relate. This scene is from the movie Parenthood and if you’ve been a parent, you know that life has its ups and downs.

Life is messy.

Our “Heavenly Father” watches over us and sometimes “we miss.” When we do, He helps us walk through it, loving us every step of the way. And when we “don’t miss,” God is there to celebrate and encourage us to keep going. His deep love for us never changes.

Is your life a mess?

Or have you ever been in a place where your life was a complete mess and you didn’t know what to do? I’ve been there several times.

Can you look back on it now and see the blessings and maybe the miracle that got you through it? Was there someone that stepped in to help you in your time of need that you will be forever grateful for? A divine appointment?

Sometimes we’re going to miss and sometimes we’re not. Life is going to be scary and terrifying but it’s also going to be full of joy and exhilarating.

That’s the beauty of life. It’s a beautiful mess.

It reminds me of this great song by Matthew West.

I love that line in this song: “You’re the one who looks at me and sees what I was meant to be, more than just a beautiful mess.”

God sees us in our best light and always has our best interest in mind.

Moses was insecure and didn’t want God to choose him as a leader of the people. But God can use any of us, no matter how many deficiencies we may think we have.

Moses became a great leader because of his relationship with God. That relationship grew closer through the victories and the struggles. Both can be opportunities. Moses radiant face always reminds me of several people who were “guiding lights,” leading me to Jesus. Their strong faith was what attracted me to them and the God they loved.

Are we attracting others to Jesus?

Do we attract or repel others based on how we treat people?

Are we a guiding light?

Does our face shine because of our close relationship with God and His love flowing out of our hearts to others? You can’t hide an internal joy that comes from that relationship with God and it isn’t just attractive, it’s also infectious.

Moses was a great example of the kind of relationship we can have with God and the positive effects it can have on others.

King David was very similar in his close relationship with God.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:1-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is a Psalm of King David and one of my favorites. He gives one of the keys to a close relationship with God. Here’s the key point from King David.

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

The “secret to life” is one thing.

This was one of the reasons that David was called a man after God’s own heart. He only asked for one thing from God. He wanted to dwell with God all the days of his life so he could gaze on the beauty of the Lord. In his heart, that’s what he would seek.

This Psalm really helped me during a big struggle in my life.

Have you ever been through a “spiritual midlife crisis?”

A season, where you’re just going through the motions and your relationship with God seems distant? I was there once and God helped me through it by focusing on the most important thing.

Have you ever seen the movie “City Slickers?” There’s a great scene in that movie where Billy Crystal is on a cattle drive with a few friends trying to find his smile again because he’s having a midlife crisis. The tough trail boss talks to him about the “secret of life.”

Have you figured out yet, what that “one thing” is?

I think both Moses and King David figured out what that “one thing” is.

The Secret To Life.

Here’s more from King David in Psalm 27.

“Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why was David a man after God’s own heart?

His heart told him to ALWAYS “seek God’s face.”

That’s the “one thing.” That’s the “secret to life.”

That’s a picture of a close relationship. Talking to someone on the phone is one thing, but it doesn’t come close to talking to someone face to face. That’s why both Moses and David had close relationships with God.

It was the “one thing” that was most important in their lives.

That was their “secret to life.”

There is another great story in the Bible that is both tragic and triumphant.

Have you ever read the book of Job?

Who was Job?

God described him this way.

“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Job was blameless, upright and he also feared God and shunned evil. He was highly successful and was considered the greatest man among all the people of the East.

But then something tragic happened. This story is a great reminder that we face a real enemy and it’s not just the sinful nature within us.

“One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.””

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:6-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Satan is real and he hates what God loves, which is all of us. God was about to allow Job to go through the greatest test of his faith in his entire life.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.””

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God said there was no one on earth like Job because of his faith. What an incredible man he must have been. Then Satan did what he always does, he challenged God’s truth.

““Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.””

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The enemy will always challenge our faith and do his best to turn us against God. He wants us all to curse God to His face because his mission is to destroy our relationship with God.

“The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:12-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In rapid succession, Job lost everything he valued. Satan wasted no time destroying everything in Job’s life that he held dear. Can you imagine how heartbreaking that must have been?

But did you catch the last part?

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What great faith to be mourning in heartbreak and still be able to worship God through the tragedy.

Where was his heart during his lowest point in life?

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:21-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Job didn’t blame God for the tragedy and chose to “praise the name of the Lord”in both the good times and the bad. That’s not something that is easy to do.

But when we skip ahead in the story, Job gives us some great insight into his great faith.

““Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

‭‭Job‬ ‭19:23-27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Job’s heart yearned for the day when he would see God with his own eyes. He had the same yearning in his heart that Moses and King David also had. They all, are examples of great faith in the Bible and have helped us to understand what the “secret of life” really is.

So what eventually happened to Job?

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭42:10-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Job had even prayed for his three friends that had come to comfort him. But instead of comforting him, they were trying to keep him stuck in a pity party and get him to take the blame for what had happened to him. Sometimes things happen to us that are beyond our control and are no fault of our own. We face a real enemy every day.

Job passed the test and God blessed him even more than before. A blessing is coming for us too. If not in this life, then it will surely happen in the next one.

Don’t miss the blessing my friends. Let’s draw closer to God and seek a closer relationship with Him. Let us commit today to “seek God’s face daily” and then hang on, because the ride will be unpredictable but also rewarding.

I think that is the “secret to life.”

Be encouraged.

Blessings my friends.