Lakeside Baptist Church

FROM THE PASTOR

March 31, 2019

Allow me to share a secret this morning. I am content with my own company. I always have… probably always will. I can fish all-day for days on end… alone. When I hunted, I could hunt all day long… alone. For 19 years I’ve worked ‘alone ‘in my basement office and I can honestly say, “I seldom, if ever, miss being in a crowd”.

Now, that doesn’t mean I prefer isolation. I probably couldn’t spend a winter in Alaska without a companion or sail (if I knew how to sail) across the Atlantic by myself. I don’t consider myself a hermit. I love my wife and look forward to her coming home each evening and would be terribly lost if she didn’t. And my passion (and hopefully considered a ‘gift’) is teaching others which means being with others. But I still enjoy my quiet times.

Does that sound odd for someone called into the Pastorate? Maybe… perhaps a little selfish? I don’t think so. You see, this is how God has designed me. I also know that even though there is no one physically present during those times of solitude, God in 3 persons and the messengers He sends are always with me. What the ‘alone’ time has done for me over the years is allow me to clearly hear God speak and feel His impressions in my life. Again, don’t misunderstand me, others can do the same in a crowd… just not me.

To that end, the Psalmist penned God’s inspired Word in Psalms 46…

Notice first, the call is ‘personal’. “Cease striving”. The ‘you’ is implied. It’s another one of the many personal and intimate commands God makes to every one of His children. To that end, I’ve heard so many Christians over the years make 2 comments that concern me:

1. We should do every thing we can do and God will do the rest.

2. That God never brings anything into our lives we cannot handle.

Let me correct these thoughts… both are false. When we attempt to do ‘everything we can do’ before we turn to God, we rob God of the opportunity to bless us and guide us. In fact, in the process, more often than not, we find ourselves “striving” far further than we expected and create chaos where chaos was not necessary. Isn’t what the Psalmist is saying the same as what Paul is saying to the Philippians just with different words?

Because of that, rather than live through a trial in isolation, shouldn’t we turn to God first?

Second, concerning God not allowing anything into our lives we cannot handle (we get this from 1 Cor 10:13), once again isolates us from God. The truth is, God often does allow trails into our lives that are beyond our ability to cope. How else can we grow closer to Him… develop trust in Him… and increase our faith of Him? As I indicated a couple of weeks ago concerning faith… “it takes no faith to accomplish something we can accomplish on our own.” God doesn’t want us to live in isolation from Him but live in harmony with Him.

Yes, there are definitely times to be “alone” with God. But there is never a time to live in “isolation” from God.

Thank you for your faithfulness. Pastor Larry