Author: Amy Bulchak

Merry Christmas!

Amy Bulchak

             In our family we have a tradition that after Thanksgiving we start getting ready for Christmas, which includes listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. This year we have added to our list Spirited, starring Ryan Reyolds and Will Ferrall. It is a musical take on the classic Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol. The story explores the ideas of redemption and change. I apologize to those who may not have seen the movie, as this post will have spoilers. It is hard to discuss it, without giving away the plot.        

            The movie plot is as follows Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future have been working together for the last two hundred years, to help change humankind for the good. They accomplish this by researching a potential soul that is in desperate need of redemption. Then come Christmas Eve they visit them; the goal is that by the end of the night they will have seen the errors of their ways and will change. This will then create a ripple effect, inspiring others to change. Thus, through one soul at a time, humankind will improve. Will Ferrall character plays the ghost of Christmas Present, who is due to retire, yet year after year he puts it off. He has this nagging doubt if he has really changed, did he truly become good, and if all his work for the last couple hundred years has been enough, to pay for all the harm he caused.

            While they are scoping out their next soul, Present sees Ryan Reynolds character Clint Briggs, who is a renowned but cutthroat media consultant, who only looks out for himself. This is Present’s magnum opus, he is sure that if Clint can change, then that will signify that he also did change. However, Marley is against it, for Clint is determined to be unredeemable. This naturally intensives Presents need for Clint to be the one. Marley eventually agrees and all sorts of evants happen. Yes, Clint is difficult the crack, what usually convinces normal people does not even phase Clint. Thus, Present is forced to take drastic measures, resulting in Present taking Clint back to in the past to his life. Here we find out that the Present was Ebenezer Scrooge, he was the only other unredeemable that was redeemed. However, the catch is that Scrooge only lived 3 weeks after his Christmas Eve visit. Thus, we understand why Present is plagued by doubt over whether he has changed.

            For sake of time, I will not go through the whole movie. But I did want to highlight the ending. See after Clint did what he was supposed to do to prove that he changed, it did not work. Present is baffled by it. They went through all the steps, he tried to stop the event from taking place, surely that was enough. As they are walking, Clint turns to Present and acknowledges that they have become friends, Present agrees and then suddenly darts out into the road. For he has decided to try and figure out what is going on. Clint sees a bus hurtling towards Present and runs into the road, pushing him out of the way. Thus, saving his life. At the cost of his own. This results in the whole Marley crew showing up and clapping, signifying that Clint had changed. They end the movie with a song and dance sequence basically  encouraging everyone to try and chose good. If we all did that then the world would be a better place.

            This movie so aptly portrays what the American society thinks about humans. Yes, there are some bad ones, but deep down there is a speck of good in all of us, that if it is encouraged, or chosen then we will be good. But they also recognize that there is a reckoning, how many souls did Scrooge need to save to repay for the harm he caused. But the only tools they have is to a. try to scare people into changing their outward actions, which is what they equate to being good, and b. encourage people to try. They also in a sense explore the idea of the Prophet. One could argue that the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future, are there to awaken the soul to the fact that if they continue the same path, it only ends in death. These souls need someone to show them the error of their ways. Which is part of the truth, yet what they fail to see is that we also need someone to save us. But you may ask why? Why isn’t outward change enough? Because it does not affect the heart. You can modify outward behavior all you want, but it does not impact the heart. Not to mention the constant fear and worry if you are paying off your past indiscretions, and what about the current ones you make? Thus, you enter this never-ending cycle of trying and failing, the emotional rollercoaster of somedays you do great, and other days are an utter failure.

            While the movie correctly captures our desire to be good, and our attempts at they miss how that is not enough and will never be enough. Nor of course do they explore why we even have this desire and who determines what good is. But that is another topic for another time. Yet our hope we celebrate on December 25th in the form of a baby, although that is not his actual birthday. It is the day that is dedicated to celebrating His birth. See as much as we desire to save ourselves, it is impossible for us to achieve this due to the holiness and justice of God. Most of us think that we are a good person, but when we compare ourselves to the standard that God has given us, which is surmised in the Ten Commandments, we quickly see at how we have fallen short. Hence, we create all these ways and effort to try to win favor and appease God, but its not enough. Why? Well next time you need to clean a window, find the nearest mud puddle, and soak your rag in it, then go wipe down the window. What is the result? The window is worse off, that is how our attempts at righteous appear to God. For sin has touched every part of our being, thus when we try to do good, it is tainted with sin. Since God is holy, He can accept nothing less then perfection. Because He is just, the penalty must be paid. Yet we cannot do this ourselves, thus He lovingly sent His Son to take our place.

            This is our hope, our Savior, our Messiah was born so that He could fulfil the law of God. He achieves this due to his sinless nature, since He did not have an earthly father, therefore He did not inherit the sin nature. Hence, He could perfectly fulfil God’s law, both outwardly and inwardly. He could pay that penalty for our sin which is death (Romans 6:23). He was that sacrifice, that perfect spotless lamb that could take away our sin. (1 Pet. 1:13- 21). He bore the wrath of God, so that we might be cleansed and reunited with our Father. Hence His righteousness, His credit is now ours. If we but repent of our sins (the ways we have broken God’s law, the ways we have not loved God or our fellow man) and accept the atoning work of Christ. That is it! The work is done, we no longer have to agonize if our actions are enough. The struggle is over. Will we still sin? Yes, but He is faithful and just forgives us for our sins (1 John 1:9-10). He will never leave us, He will never forsake us (Deut. 31:6). His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3: 22-24), plus we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who aids and guides us. We are sealed until the final day (Eph 4:30).

            Now we can choose to do good, for He has saved us to do good works (Eph 2: 8-10). We often get the cart before the horse; we do not attempt to perform good and then are good. We are given a new heart, so now we can do good. We are filled with the love of Christ, therefore we can love others, we have been forgiven much, so we to can forgive others much. We have experienced mercy and grace, so we can give others mercy and grace. We were that unredeemable that Christ redeemed, so we can tell others about Christ. This is the hope that we have. Let us rejoice and be thankful, let us live a life that is worth honoring to our Lord. A reflection of the debt He paid to us.

The Throne Room

Amy Bulchak

            It is a somber and weighty day; the iron infused clouds reflect the atmosphere in the crowded room. You have been summoned to appear before the king. You pause at the entrance, two heavy doors made from the cedars of Lebanon, richly embossed with intricate gold patterns, intermixed with jewels of onyx, rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and topaz. On both sides stand two towering men, dressed in purple caps, with breastplates and helmets made of bronze, each holding an 8ft iron spear, with a sword made of the sharpest steel guarding the entrance. They make you feel small and insignificant. They barely glance at you as they open the giant wooden doors. As you pass through you are overwhelmed by the sheer size of the room. The ceiling towers above you, held up by pillars made of marble, covered in golden ivy. You walk down to the center of the room, on a purple carpet that is rich and luxurious, on either side are people in all manner of exquisite apparel. The color of the clothing is dizzying, rich purple and blues silks, mixed with vivid reds and crisp white satins. Draped in delicate veils with gold and silver necklaces, laced with pearls, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds. For such a large group, it was eerily quiet, and you could feel a sort of apprehensive tension. Every eye is upon you as you make your way through the crowd. Your heart begins to pound as you draw near to the throne. As you halt at the steps you glance up and see the king standing there before his golden throne, you drop your head and bow in a graceful but humble manner.

            A moment passes, no one speaks. You’re desperate to know why you have been summoned. From the corner of your eye, you notice movement to your right. You glance over and your heart stops. The color drains from your face, you feel weak and lightheaded. There stands your accuser. You know this man well; he appears at random times during the day just to point out everything you have done wrong and how you have failed and how disappointed the king must be in you. He is always quick to list out the many ways you will never measure up, how unlovable and unwanted you are. He seems to know how many times you have sinned that day. You could easily brush off empty accusations, but the worst part is, you know what he says is true. And no matter how hard you strive, how long you labor, it is never enough. His words and actions must have finally captured the attention of the king, and now you must face your punishment. Your mind fills with all sorts of horrible ideas. Will it be death, banishment, humiliation, the loss of all your wealth? Will you lose your position, will your family be taken from you, will you be sold into slavery? What will it be?

            Your accuser opens his mouth, but before he can speak a word the King silences him. “Be silent oh accuser, for I have chosen this man, I have chosen him to serve me and his people.”  The king turns to those standing nearby, and says “come and dress this man, take off those dirty clothes and place on him robes of satin and silk. For I have forgiven him, and placed on him a clean white turban.” You are completely dumbstruck; you hear gasps of surprise and shock sweep the room. The accuser looks utterly shocked, his mouth hangs open in a silent rebuke. Suddenly feeling out of place, he quietly backs away. Instantly you are surrounded by servants as they obey the kings’ orders, your filthy clothes are stripped from you, and placed on you is a rich green silk robe, a belt made of the finest leather with silver leaflets is placed around your waist. A pure white turban is placed on your head. Once the men finished, they stepped back. Your heart fills with the deepest gratitude, tears begin to flow down your cheeks as the king approaches you. He places a gentle hand on your right shoulder and says “If you do all I say, and obey my word you will rule my house, and have a place amongst my court. For I am going to send my servant and as I have done for you, I will do for all your people.”  Your mind continues to reel as you try to process this information. Instead of receiving condemnation, you’ve received grace. Instead of being an outcast, you are renewed and affirmed. Instead of losing everything, you gained access to the king and his court. Instead of judgment, you received forgiveness. The king then hands you a cloth to wipe your tears and invites you to join him for a banquet. You, of course, accept both the cloth and the invite, and walk with him to the hall.

            This little story is adapted from Zechariah 3:1-10. It is such an incredible piece of literature; it is one of the most vivid pictures to the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. In the text we see Joshua the High Priest standing before the LORD, with the accuser on his right hand. Since the High Priest was a representative for the people of Israel, it isn’t just the High Priest being judged, it is the whole nation of Israel, or by this time in history Judah. It was critical that the High Priest fully was fully attuned to the keeping of all of God’s law, thus it is striking that Joshua was discribed to have filthy clothes. What its showing is visual representation of the inward state of Joshua’s heart and by extension all of Israel. From what we understand, when the High Priest would enter the presence of the Lord, there were extensive purity rituals, sacrifices and special clothes that he would have put on (Ex. 28, Lev 16). Thus, I propose that when Joshua was standing before the Angel of the Lord, he would have thought he was in good standing. None of the commentaries I’ve read on this passage seem to mention this, so this may be my own opinion, but it seems to make sense given that we know God commanded His priests to do these rituals. Therefore, to be told your clothes are filthy, signifying the state of your heart before God is terrifying. For it would mean that the appropriate response from a righteous and just God is to punish Joshua. This punishment is death and eternal seperation from God, but if Joshua is judged then so to is all of Israel.

            How utterly hopeless and discouraging is this? If Joshua, the High Priest, who is supposed to attain the highest most acceptable level of righteousness, is still considered to be clothed in filthy rags, then what chance do any one of us have? Even if Joshua could have fooled God, still the accuser, whom we call Satan, was present and ready to highlight every single way that Joshua failed and remind God of His justice. Hence, we are utterly doomed. If keeping the Holy Laws of God, including the sacrifices, the purity laws, moral laws, the ceremonial laws, is not enough, then there is no hope. For it says Isaiah 64:5-9 “You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned, in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

But in that moment, when all seems lost; the Angel of the Lord, He who is the preincarnate Christ, speaks and provides the way. He takes off the dirty clothes, and places on him clean clothes. He tells Joshua that the Lord of Hosts is going to send his servant, the Branch. This Branch is the same one that Isaiah talks about in Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 53. This is the coming Messiah whose mission it is to take away the sins of the world. Just as he removes Joshua’s iniquity, so to does He remove our iniquities. This is the whole message of the Scriptures, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Going to church every time the doors are open, tithing, taking communion, participating in church activities, preaching His name, not celebrating certain holidays, clean eating, dressing modestly, refraining from movies, having pure speech, getting married, having kids, homeschooling, feeding the poor, being a missionary. All these things, although good, can never remove the stain of sin against you. That can only be done through the work of Christ. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” What glorious news is this?! We are saved by the work of Christ, our sins are removed by His blood, and we are now clothed in clothes of righteousness. Thus, we are no longer condemned, and when Satan tries to stand against us, he too is silenced. When our conscience becomes overzealous, we look to Jesus and His saving love. When we stand before the Throne of God, our hearts can be at peace, for we know that Jesus has covered us. Blessed be His name!! 

Why?

Amy Bulchak

Today I went to a funeral of a former coworker’s baby. It was the saddest funeral I have ever been too. The loss of a child is so hard to grasp. They are young, helpless, and completely vulnerable. As I sat there, all I could think of is why. Why God why? Today I read about the war between Isreal and Hamas, as the atrocities and stories come forth, all I could think of is why? Why God why?

I don’t mean for this post to turn into a discussion on good vs evil. Or to discuss God’s sovereignty. There is a time and place for that. But right now what I believe we need to hear, to remember is God’s heart. We catch a glimpse of that when look to Jesus. See one of my favorite stories of Jesus is the one involving Mary, Martha and Lazarus. We find it the the Gospel of John chapter 11. Mary and Martha, Lazarus sisters send word to Jesus to let him know that he whom Jesus loves is ill. His repsonse is odd. He says that Lazarus will not die, but that it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be also glorified. Twice we are told that Jesus loved Lazarus, this is to help us as the reader to understand how important Lazarus is to Jesus…yet instead of rushing to his side, which is the normal and expected response. We are told that Jesus tarried two days, then decides to go to Judea and see Lazarus. Now he is reminded of the danger he is in by his disciples, for there are Jews that wish to stone him, but Jesus gives them a crypted answer and then says that Lazarus has fallen asleep, and that He goes to awake him. “Well” the disciples reply, “if he is sick, then rest is the best thing for him.” To which Jesus plainly says “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go with to him” (vs 14-15).

In these first 16 we are told several things. First being how Jesus describes death…as like sleeping. Sleeping is something we can wake up from. Therefore death is not permanant, or final; but a momentary time of stillness from which we will awaken. Second, there was a reason for why things happend. Thirdly Jesus knew from the beginning what was going to happen, and what He was going to do. He even says, that He is glad this is going to happen. For He knows how it will help his disicples to understand who he is. But lets carry on with the story.

By the time Jesus had arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days, those who came to comfort Martha and Mary told them that Jesus was coming. Martha when she heard this, she went to go met him. Her immdiate response is “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” (vs 21). Look at what she says. Jesus were where you? We sent for you, we told you what was happening. We know what you can do, we have heard of your miracles, of how you healed many. Why did you tarry, why didn’t you come? She is asking why, why didn’t you stop this, but look at her faith. “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Even though she is hurt, confused and trouble, she still trusts in Him. Jesus simply tells her that her brother will rise again. Martha not understanding fully what he means agrees, say yeah in last days he will rise again. Jesus tells her something so powerful and significant. One of the most powerful statements given. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (vs 25-26). Jesus is clearly stating who he is, and what he gives. This is why Jesus can say that death is but sleeping, for we fall asleep here on earth and awake to eternal glory with our Father. Jesus is life! Not only does He bring life into our dark and deaden hearts, but its eternal life. Something we all earn for, and strive to find. Here Jesus is stating that it is He! Martha states her belief. Although I do not think she still fully understood what it all means. Not yet at least.

The story continues on, it is now Mary’s turn. Martha came and told her that Jesus was here, and calling for her. Mary immediately went to go see him. Their were those with her, who saw her leave. Thinking she was going to the tomb to grieve, they went with her to lend support. Mary upon reaching Jesus falls at his feet, sobbing. She cries out to him “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs 32). This question that we have all asked in one shape or another. God we know you see all, we know you understand, we know you hear our prayer. Why didn’t you answer? Why didn’t you heal my loved one? Why God why? Jesus seeing her tears and of those with her, is deeply moved and troubled, he askes where Lazarus is buried, and they show him. Here we get the shortest verse in the Bible “Jesus wept” (vs 35). These two simple words do not convay the emotion that Jesus felt. This isn’t simple tears, or crying. But a loud gut wrenching, soul tearing sobbing. Jesus saw, and felt the emotion of those around him. But He also felt the loss himself. Remember, we are told that Jesus also loved Lazarus. He deeply, deeply feels this loss. But don’t forget, Jesus knew what he was going to do. In a few short minutes, he was going to raise up Lazarus! But he still feels the effect of death, the complete and total loss of a dear friend and companion. Those who saw this were touched by his depth of love, but others questioned him. Here this man could open the eyes of the blind, could he not have come and healed him? Again we hear the question, why God why? Perhaps here is a subtle accustion of does he really love Lazarus, if he did why didn’t he come and heal him?

Jesus, comes to the tomb and askes the stone to be moved. This naturally raised questions. He has been buried for four days, he is going to smell horribly. Surely Jesus wouldn’t want to see him, or touch him. For to touch a dead body, one then defiles themself. Jesus reminds Martha that if she believes then she would see the glory of God. So they took away the stone. Jesus then speaks to God saying “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me” ( vs 41- 42). Then Jesus says “Lazarus, come out.” (vs 43). And Lazarus came out, with his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus then commands them to remove the buriel clothes.

This story is utterly remarkable. Because it assures us of Jesus love, of His emotions, of his understanding of loss and the unbearable pain it brings. Jesus experienced all of this, knowing that he was going to raise up Lazarus. But he didn’t minimize their suffering, or chide them for their lack of faith, or rebuke their questions. He grieves with them. Heb 4: 15-16 NIV “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may recieve mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Jesus knows our loss, we can approach him, we can ask those why questions, we can pour our heart out to him. It is only then that we can find grace to handle the unthinkable pain.

You see the story doesn’t end there, in verse 45 it says that many Jews who had seen this believed in Jesus. This event further drives the Jews to find Jesus and arrest him. Which eventually leads to Jesus being crucified. Thus allowing him to be that eternal life for us. For it is only through Jesus death and resurrection that we have eternal life. It is only through Jesus dying does he conquer death, that ultimate reminder that there is something wrong with this world.

Although there was a clear reason given for Lazarus, we don’t always get that, as in the case of my coworkers baby passing, or the horrers in Isreal. But we do know God sees, he understands and he is weeping with us. We do know that he will set all things right, that every tear he holds in his hand. So please, ask those questions, pour out your heart to him, rant and rave…then humbly trust and rest in Him.

Is God enough?

Amy Bulchak

As I have been contemplating on what to write the last couple of weeks, this thought keeps ruminating in the back of my mind. So this post might be a little different, its more of trying to process certain ideas, of reconcialing the head and heart knowledge. Therefore this post is a preaching to the choir. For I am also working through this idea. I say all of this because sometimes when we hear or read about a topic, its easy to think that the authors have it all figured out and no longer struggle with belief. Thus I am writing this saying I haven’t, and I hope that this post will help others in knowing that you are not alone when you struggle through these topics. This doesn’t mean you lack faith, or you have weak faith. In actuality the fact you struggle shows your faith. If we do not wrestle with these ideas, then are we even being challenge in what we think and believe.

Okay, time for some context. Over the years we have observed areas in which the church is lacking. The first being lack of disicpling, second lack of hospitality, and the third is a shallow understanding of God’s word. We had talked about having a group and initally I resisted the idea, I came up with a million and one excuses…our house was to small, we live in a less then nice area, we have too many kids, who would we invited, what time would we do it…and so on. Over the years the Holy Spirit gently worked on these excuses…revealing that ultimately I was scared and embarressed. That our house didn’t met the standards of what is considered successful in the world, and that no one would come. After realizing this was the real issue, I discussed it with my husband and he agreed we should host a group.

Consequently, on the winter of 2023 we launched our small group. We had planned on starting in Genisis and working through the Old Testament, with a focus on how it preaches Christ. Plus we would host it at our house, over dinner. We invited a few friends, a couple that although had been saved for a while were still young in the faith, a neighbor who was actively seeking Christ, and a friend who desired community. The first couple of weeks we managed to met and it over all went smoothly…then things began to fall apart. I kid you not, the number of evants that seem to happen; from storms, to blackouts, to sickness, was unreal. The frustation, confusion and questions that this brought were many. I was and actually still am unsure of why it played out this way. Is this God saying no, is this a sign we are doing something good and Satan is trying to stop it, is this a rough patch we are suppose to push through. Around and around the questions swirled with no clear answer given. The result was we didn’t met most of the winter and spring. Summer rolled around and we had discussed about meeting over the summer. Maybe not every week, but as a way to keep in touch…and our van broke down, people ended up going out of town, sickness happened and so on. Again confusion, again asking God why…still no answer.

Fall arrived and we once more considered starting the group, we were leaning towards the idea that just because its rough, that doesn’t mean you stop. We had also decided to change the format from doing a study, to reading through the book of John. September was busy due with school starting, so we had opted to start the group in October. Then my husband was informed that his at home day would be every Friday. Initially it had been flexible, thus we had managed to keep Friday open. Because the other factor is my work, and we coordinate our schedules so when he is home, I work. For me this was the clear answer, God is saying no. Why I can’t not begin to understand, perhaps in time God will afford clarity. But the confusion I have gone through and still have is at times overwhelming. I felt that this entire time I was being lead/prepared to have a group, my heart and mind had been changed in various areas, and then it was shut down. Discipling and practicing hositality are good things, thus why it didn’t work out, I still don’t know.

As I have written before I am studying the minor prophets. As I was in the book of Haggai what struck me was the idea that if God is not present then whatever you are doing will not prosper. See God through Haggai asked His people if they had noticed that their crops were failing, there was drought and a lack of harvest. He said this due to the fact that the work on the temple had stalled. God had allowed this to happen to get their attention. Their priority had shifted from obeying God to building their own lives. They had become discouraged from building the temple due to the opposition. But God told them that He is with them, that He will provide for them and that they should not fear or lose heart. He says “Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of host, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst.” Hag 2:4-5. God says that from the moment the foundation was built their lands would prosper, and they will have a plentiful harvest. If what you are doing is God’s will then it will prosper and bear fruit. But if God is not then it will not succeed. So was I really doing this for me? Or for God. I still struggle with the idea that unless I am doing something thats of an ministeral pursuit, then I am wasting my time and building God’s kingdom. But God has given me a purpose, I have a family, a husband, friends, neighbors and my job. That as Paul says to do in Col. 3:23-25 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will recieve the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” Thus even if I am folding clothes, or talking with my husband, or passing those meds, God sees. If this is what He as called for me right now, then He is present and active. This helped me to see, that even though a study is a good thing, if its not what God wants right now, then its not worth it. Since it is God that brings the fruit. (1 Cor 3:6-9) Is God enough? That question came to mind as I was listening to a Keller message, my immadiate answer was no He isn’t; this led to much soul searching and repentance. God has given me these gifts, and I will use them in His time and in His way. Although I am still confused to why God is saying no, or not right now. I do know that He is good, and I am not wasting my time, or failing God because I not doing something dedicated to ministry. Because my entire life is a ministry. Every time I talk with my kids, or work with my patients, or pray with my husband, that is honoring to God. I don’t have to earn God’s favor, He has freely given it through Christ, and because of that I am free from all guilt and condemnation. So yes I am learning that God is enough, and to give Him glory in everything I do.

Thanks for reading this lengthy post, my prayer is that wherever you are in your walk with Christ, that you may know the depth of love that He has for you. Even though we may not understand the why, we know He hears, cares and loves us. Don’t give up, don’t lose faith. It will all make sense in the end.

The Voice of Truth

Amy Bulchak

“But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The Voice of Truth says “Do not be afraid!”

And the Voice of Truth says “this is for my glory”

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth”

Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns.

            The idea for this post was a result of a conversation I had with a fellow nurse and resident. The conclusion of the conversation was that basically all religions are similar, they all had the same basic tenants and morality. This idea of course is nothing new, in our post-modern world this idea of truth, of right and wrong has become obsolete. Truth has been reduced to mere opinion or speculation. What is right for me, may not be right for you and that’s okay. To be tolerant and inclusive, any claim to truth is seen as arrogant and divisive. Yet by claiming there is no truth you have created an absolute and logically have broken your own claim. Instead of paving the way to freedom – by denying the truth it has paved the way to chaos and destruction.

            Let’s elucidate on this a bit more -as Pontus Pilate so rhetorically ask Jesus after Jesus claims to be a witness to the truth – “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). This is the same question that many of us ask today. “What is truth?” How do we discover it: do we determine the truth by what we can observe and measure i.e., the scientific method? This merely reduces truth to the materialistic world. It denies the spiritual, emotional and mental aspects of our world. This is the world of Darwin, and Nietzsche, it fuels the ideologies of Nazism, Communism and Fascism. We have seen the outworks of these throughout the 20th and 21st century. It reduces humans to mere potential and productivity. Thus, if someone can’t contribute then they are a burden and are expendable. It also fuels the ideologies of capitalism. The main goal in life is to produce, sell, and become wealthy. This is the driving force of the American Dream -in the most reductionist sense. But because of art, music, beauty, and religion-we see that there is so much more to humans. Now I’m not saying that the scientific method should be rejected. It has its place, it’s useful in the areas of science, of exploring the natural world. But we can’t use it in the areas of morality, philosophy, or religion. Humans are both materialistic and spiritual, you can’t reduce humans to one or the other without atrocities happening.

            What is truth? In the philosophical realm this is a vast and deep topic. Just do a search and you will quickly see it.  Truth (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) has divided the topic into six sections- exploring the different approaches to truth. Then there is the Greek approach from Plato to Aristotle. The eastern approach from Buddha to Confucius. We already mention the scientific community, there is also the ethics and morality community, and of course the religious community. See many voices. All claiming to have the truth, all clamoring for your attention – not to mention the news, and social media. With the invention of the internet, it has now opened the door to many more voices. How then, amid all this noise, are we to discern the truth?

            This reminds me of a children’s story I heard growing up. It was “The Song of the King” by Max Lucado. It is about three knights and their journey through the forest of “Hopenots” to win the hand of the princess. The king said he would play a song on his flute. He would then play it each morning and evening while the knights were away. This was to guide them through the dangerous forest. They were also allowed to bring one person with them to help them on their way. The first knight was known for his strength, the second his speed, and the third for his wisdom. Each man chose their companion and began their journey – after many days only one knight returned. It was not who they expected. The one who made it through was Cassidon the wise one. He recounted his harrowing adventure telling of the Hopenots strength and treachery. But he said that was not the most challenging part. It was that every time the King played his song, they would imitate the song. Thus, it was nigh impossible to figure out which way to go. There is no amount of strength, or speed that can withstand that. “How then did you make it through?” They breathlessly inquired. He answered simply “because of my companion.” With those words his companion entered the banquet hall and removed his robe, revealing his face. The crowd gasped it was the prince and, in his hand, he carried the flute. See in the beginning the prince had explained that there were only two flutes, the king had one and he had the other. So Cassidon asked the prince to be his companion and to play the flute regularly. Thus, when the Hopenots began their imitation, he could hear the true flute play. Because of this he was able to find his way home and win the hand of the fair princess.

            This story perfectly illustrates the truth. We have been given the truth through the Word of God. The more we spend time reading, mediating, and praying the more we will be able to discern truth around us. We will be able to weed out all the imitating voices. We know this because of the person of Jesus. Remember Jesus told Pilate that he bears witness to the truth. What Jesus is claiming is that He is the truth. In John 8:31-38 Jesus is talking to the Jews who believed in Him, He tells them that if they believe in His words, the truth will set them free. They are perplexed by this, because they are the children of Abraham, they have never been enslaved by anyone! But Jesus isn’t talking about external freedom, but internal, namely freedom from sin. This is the truth that we all desperately need to hear and cling to. That there is something deeply wrong with each one of us. And no matter how hard you try you cannot make it right. Which is why we need a Savior, we need someone to free us from our addictions, our anxiety, our self-destructive tendencies, we need to be free from our emotions and intellect. This can only happen when we abdicate ourselves, and place Jesus on the throne. It is only then we can understand why we are here, what our purpose is, and what our calling is. What is truth? It’s more than just a definition, or a philosophy, it’s a person. Jesus. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. By reading God’s Word, by filling our minds with the words and actions of Christ. We can know the truth. This will then guide and help us in our everyday lives. This is what “The voice of truth” is talking about, when doubts come, when we face different philosophies, when we hear differing opinions, when we receive outright rejection. The Voice of Truth will guide us through it all. He is our anchor in the chaotic ways of life. The more we search after Christ, the stronger our foundation will be. Take heart and read His Word.

Habbakuk

Amy Bulchak

Habbakuk  

Over the past several weeks I have been studying the minor prophets using the “Knowing the Bible” study. When I started reading Habbakuk, I was surprised at how relatable it was, I don’t normally consider going to the minor prophets for guidance or comfort during difficult seasons. But here I am, and what I learned surprised me. Now there isn’t much information about Habbakuk, it is believed to be that he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, and since he predicted the coming Babylonian invasion that this would have placed him at the end of Josiah’s reign (640-609 b.c.) or at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign (609-598 b.c.). It is unique book given the fact there is no message for the people of Israel, but rather a dialogue between Habbakuk and God. Perhaps this is what made it relatable since it was easy to put myself in Habbakuk place. Even though my questions were not exactly the same, the sentiments are-the asking God why, and how long and the questions of God’s goodness and power. Let’s dive in… This is by no means an in-depth study, more of an overview with the lessons I learned.  

Habbakuk doesn’t waste any time and jumps right in, he starts off with a question “How long oh God will you let all of this evil keep going on. Where are you? Do you even see what is happening? Where is your justice? Your people just keep on sinning, breaking your laws, hurting themselves and others.” Hab. 1:1-4.  

The Lord graciously replies. “Habbakuk – if I told you what I am going to do, you wouldn’t believe it. I definitely see what is going on and I have a plan –see I am raising up the Babylonian that proud and fierce nation they will sweep through the land, nothing will be able to withstand them. All men, nations, and kings will fear them.” Hab. 1:5-11.  

Habbakuk doesn’t like this answer, if anything it causes more confusion on the one hand, he knows that his people will not be destroyed. Due to the covenants God made with his people, but how can this be the answer? How is this justice? How can God use a nation more evil than his people to punish them. This doesn’t seem right, Habbakuk not only reminds God of this but also implies this is kindof God’s fault by asking… “God, how can you do this? I mean look around, the men have no rulers or guides instructing them. Teaching them what is right and wrong. They are like fish or crawling animals that do whatever pleases them. Now you are going to allow a nation to come and take us away? To let them abuse, use, and sell us. Thus, gaining more wealth and power? Who is going to stop them? This makes no sense God. This can’t possibly be your plan.” Hab. 1: 12-17.  

God patiently replies “Write this down so this may be persevered and shared with others. For this is good news. Don fret over the timeline of these events, it may seem like nothing is happening, or that they are winning and thriving. But I assure you their time will come. Remember, oh dear one. The righteous will live by faith. But the Babylonians-their soul is puffed up, he is greedy and arrogant, just when he thinks he is untouchable, unstoppable and invincible then I will come and judge them.” God then goes on to list 5 woes against them, because they used their wealth and power to hurt and abuse others. They used humans to build their cities, even at the cost of their lives. They mistreated the forests of Lebanon, and were cruel to even the animals. Because they also made idols and overlaid them with gold, rejecting the one true God and ultimately worshiping themselves. Instead of receiving glory they will have shame. Instead of spending their wealth, it will be plundered from them. They will be brought low, and justice will be done. For God is in His temple, He is alive and active. Let the whole world remain silent before Him. Hab 2:1-20. 

Habbakuk is now duly humbled, he begins to remember how God has moved in the past; Thus, he knows that the words God speaks are not idol threats, but that what He purposes will happen. This realization leads him to praise the Lord, and he begins to recant His mighty deeds. How he destroyed Egypt with the 10 plagues. How He showed His might over the Jordan river, and the Dead Sea. How during Joshue’s time, the sun stood still for a day. How the Lord, during the time of the Judges repeatedly rescued and defended His people. Habbakuk understands that God is a just God, that He can’t let the wickedness of Judah to go unpunished. But nor will God ignore the injustice and the cruelties done to His people. As Habbakuk realizes what is in store for his people, he is deeply shaken. Yet he places his trust in the Lord. He ends up by saying “God even if there are no more figs, or grapes. Even if we can’t make oil and there is no harvest. Even if we have no sheep or oxen, I will rejoice in you. For I now see that I can trust You, for You will be with me during the difficult and trying times.” Hab 3.  

Habbakuk went from informing and questioning the Lord on how things should be done. To humbly trusting in Him. He now sees and understands that even in the midst of starvation, of societal collapse (Lamentation will show you how devastating it is) God is active and present. Even though God raises up the Chaldeans and allows them to conquer God will also judge them and hold them accountable for their actions. Their deeds will not go unpunished.  

This is the lesson I learned from Habbakuk, that during the difficult season in your life, take it before the Lord. Pour it out to Him, ask Him those hard questions. It is not a sign of a lack of faith, nor is it a sign of unbelief. Habbakuk had to ask those questions, so he could come to the place and see that God is truly in control and working all things for our good. In the moment we may not see how. In the moment it may seem that God has forgotten us. But He is a good father, and He wants us to come to Him, to express our feelings of doubt, hurt, frustrations and yes anger. See it’s in these moments we learn where our heart really lies, what we really worship, and where we place our trust. In these moments when everything that is distracting us is removed, when we see the empty shallow trinkets that hold our attention, when our pride and self worth are stripped away. Then we can trust in Him. That He sees, He cares, and He is acting. The second lesson is, that our life is defined by faith-faith in the promises of God, in who He is, in His words and works. Thus, in the midst of our suffering, we can have joy because we trust in Him. He is our sufficiency, and He will sustain us, even when all seems lost. We can trust him, because of his track record, but also because of the work of Jesus. See Christ is the ultimate good news, the work that God told His people that he was doing, Jesus – God incarnate – who came down to be with man, to free us from our sin to restore our relationship with God. The one who gave His life for us, He is the author and guarantor of our faith. Because He died and rose again, we know that God hears and will respond to us. As comforting as these lessons from Habbakuk are, it is also sobering. God has judged his people before and He will come again. When He does this judgement will be final and complete. Now all those whose name is written in the Book of Life will be saved. Those who aren’t will be forever separated from God. Therefore, we must trust and rely on Him through all of our difficult and trying times. He sees, He hears, and He cares. Blessed be His Holy and Righteous Name.  

Uncertainty

Amy Bulchak

‘There are two things guarantee in life, death and taxes.” I recently heard this quote and of course where I heard it now escapes me, yet it resonated with me deeply, since there have been multiple events causing stress and uncertainty. In a nutshell these are changes at my work, to changes at my husband’s work, from voting in a new pastor at our church, to trying to find a house, from our van not working, and losing one of our cats. This is just on the personal level, on the global level with have the war between Russia and Ukraine, the aggression of China to Tawain, the tension in the Sudan, and the riots in Iran. Then there are the environmental concerns, with the increasingly volatile changes in weather patterns from droughts to floodings, or blistering heat to bitter cold. On the national level we have the upcoming election, the political corruption in both parties, the high inflation, and the rocky financial sector. In the technological sphere with the emergence of ChatGPT, the effects it will have on the job market, not to mention the concerns for deep fakes, the impact on education and so on. Everything right now feels influx, there are so many questions, voices, and opinions, it’s hard to know who to listen to and who to trust. What then is there left to turn too? What can be my rock during this unsettling and turbulent time?  

 Recently I spent some time reading the Psalms. It has become my favorite book to help process any difficult time in my life. The Lord never fails to speak to me through His word. This day was no different, I started reading a classic: Ps 23 – The Lord is my Shepard- verse 4 especially was poignant. It says “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and staff comfort me.” Now I won’t do an in-depth discussion of this verse. That can be for another time, but it’s the reminder that dark and trouble times will happen. Yet through those times, God is with me. There isn’t a promise of rainbows and butterflies. There isn’t even a promise of removing or stopping difficult times, but an assurance that in those moments I am not alone, that He is walking beside me, guiding and comforting me.  

  As I continued reading, I came to Ps 27 – although verses 2 and 3 mention evildoers and an army, the ESV study notes suggest that if you can trust God during these types of situations, you can trust God in all circumstances. Thus, even in the uncertainty of my work or my husband’s work.  In the question of getting a new job or waiting, in perusing a new mortgage or not, this all creates tension and fear. Resulting in stress and anxiety. Because I am depending on myself to figure it all out.  Yet its Ps. 27 which reminds me that God is my rock, he alone is the one I can trust and confide in. This psalm also reminds me that my goal and purpose is to seek to learn His ways, to wait on Him and trust Him in all situations.  

Ps 28 continues with these ideas. Starting off in verse 1 with ” To you O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” God is my rock and my foundation. Imagine how unsettling and shocking it is for the very ground under your feet to shake, move and split apart. To have what seems like immovable walls come tumbling down, to see buildings suddenly collapse, and to see cracks form in the ground. But unlike earthly rock that can move, God cannot, there is nothing that can shake Him, surprise Him, or unsettle him. He will not fail me, He will sustain, guide and comfort me -why? Because of His abundant and steadfast love which He promises to us in Ps 32:8-9. Thus, we can rejoice in God for we know that God sees our sorrows and distress Ps. 31: 7-8. There were several other verses, yet the one that brought the most comfort was Ps 34: 8-9 ” Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Even though I have uncertainty- I can do as reminded in the song Satisfied in You 

“When I am staring at the ground, it’s an in bred feedback loop that brings me down, so it’s time to life my brow and remember better days, when I loved to worship and learn your ways, with the sweetest song of praise.”  

I can lift my gaze from the many struggles and decisions and fix my eyes on the God who with the breath of His mouth He made the hosts, and by His word the heavens were formed. Ps 33: 2-9. Now this does not mean that the stressful and unsettled feelings will go away. There lingering is not a sign of a lack of faith since these feelings of stress are God given, its partly to make you aware of the situation, and partly to motivate you to do something about it. However, it’s in those feelings you do not despair, you do not curse God. You trust Him, wait on Him for as you make decisions, He will guide your steps.  

The last scripture that brought comfort was Col 3:15-17. Now the context of this passage is encouraging us to put off sin and replace it with compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, etc. But in verse 15 it says; “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…see part of the struggle with difficult or stressful times is – it makes us doubt or question God’s love, His presence, and his many promises. It can lead us to anger and frustration, to question the why. Yet it is in these very moments we are to remember Christ and what He did for us. How He fulfilled every prophesy foretold, how He left heaven to walk among man, to live the life we could not live. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus too faced uncertainty, He had difficult and stressful times. In fact, He was stressed to the point of sweating blood. As He pour out His heart to His Father, so to can we pour our heart out to Christ. Yet in all of this, His obedience did not waver, His faith did not falter. We have a high priest who understands intimately our struggles and intercedes for us. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who encourages, teaches, convicts, comforts and intercedes for us. Thus, as Col 3 goes on to say let us give thanks, let us fill our mind with psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, not the endless loop of what ifs and fears. Let us give thanks for all that God has done and will do. Resting in the knowledge that the decisions we make God will guide us, resting in the promises laid out in the Psalms and in the life of Christ. Let us lean into these times, knowing its molding and shaping us to be more like Christ, let us give thanks for the love that God has for us, that He desires good things for us. 

Both Sides

Amy Bulchak
I have been observing, like the majority of people in the U.S. the measles outbreak. Overall it has been very sobering, because I think it has revealed the state of the U.S. I saw post after post on my facebook about people being angry at parents who do not vaccinate their kids, articles calling for such parents to be put into jail, blogs about how unvaccinated kids should be banned from school, and once again a call for vaccines to be government mandated. Of course then you have the comments of those responding to these posts, articles, blogs, the anger and the hate is so sad to see. Instead of taking the time to ask those who don’t vaccinate their reasons, instead of seeing the growing trend of those not vaccinating and wondering why so many have done so, instead of calling for more studies, or debates between experts on both sides of the equation, instead of researching the data so you can come up to your own conclusion. Anger, hate, and bullying rule the day. Of course its not just one sided, the those who don’t vaccinate respond in the kind. In a nation that prides it self on embracing diverse lifestyles, in a nation that prides its self on being modern and scientific, in a nation that prides itself on being tolerant and open minded…it is once again proven that this is all a lie. And what is the bases of all of these? Fear, I get it, we are talking about our children’s lives here, the elderly, those who immune systems are compromised. I am a parent myself, and the last thing I want is for my child to get sick. But being a parent means making informed decisions, it means not given into the hype, the emotion, not getting caught up in all the hoop la. It means I must make decision that is best for my child, and not based on fear. We as a nation will never make progress if we continue to respond to issues this way. It has come to the point in our society that you cannot talk about gays, abortion, vaccines, religion, or any major topic of our day with out resorting to name calling and bullying. Is this really a tolerant nation? Or does tolerance simply mean agreeing with what the majority of people think.
This is even the case in some collages now, a place were we come to learn, were our preconceived ideas are supposed to be challenge, were we are supposed to be exposed to new ideas, we can’t talk about these issues because it gets too heated, and people get offended. Why? Fear. Its hard to look at something that perhaps you have believed your entire life and think that maybe it was wrong. Its hard to not take it personal when someone disagrees with something you hold dear, or something that defines you. Being able to discuss something with someone who holds the opposing view takes courage and maturity. But if we resort to hate, and bullying tactics to just shut up the other side we will never grow. So my challenge for you is next time you come across someone who thinks differently then you, ask them about it. See why they think the way they do. Don’t name call them, don’t hate them, don’t try to convince them they are wrong and your right. Simply discuss it. You know for yourself that as soon as you feel attacked by someone you either shut down, or attack back. So if you truly care about the other person, don’t attack them. Even if you know that they are wrong, attacking is only going to throw up walls, break friendships, and further push them the opposite way. It never works, anger generally produces anger, but a gentle response is remarkable at diffusing a situation. My second challenge is, research these topics for yourself. Talk to the experts, read books, don’t just blindly believe what you have heard your entire life, what the media tells you. Don’t just research what backs up what you already believe, but read what the opposing side says. Doing your best to give it a fair consideration. Its not easy, but it will help you to make wise decisions.

A New Hope

Amy Bulchak

It has been on my mind to blog for a while now, I have had many reservations about blogging for various reasons, but lately the pressure to blog has increased (of course I believe this is coming from God, because even though I want to speak, I would much rather not speak.) It being the New Year I thought this was a great time to start. If I think about this New Year, one word comes to mind, and that is Hope. It almost seems like we are given a fresh start, this is why so many of us do New Year Resolutions. This is the year, we say, we will be different, we will change, we hope. Yet every year, after a month or so..some may last a couple of months if they are lucky we slip back into our old habits, and before we know it the year is up. Of course by then we are feeling pretty discouraged and hopeless. Till the New Year comes, and we do it all over again. Hope is a very powerful thing, one of my favorite songs from “Moses Prince of Egypt” has the line “though hope is frail, its hard to kill”. Hope is what drives us forward, its what helps us get through the tough days, because as Annie loved to sing “The Sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there will be Sun.” Yet hope is a dangerous thing, because so often what we trust in fails us, this leads to discouragement, and after years and years of hoping in the wrong thing it can quickly lead us to giving up and finding ways to escape. We either completely give up on life, and just go through the motions of living, or we throw  ourselves at anything and everybody that comes along, with out thinking or caring. We may grow bitter, angry, disillusion, cynical, or we can turn a blind eye to the bad in life and just become super positive. Basically we try to cope, and this can look different for everybody. But is that any better? It seems so pointless, so empty, so hopeless. Because we know deep down that there has to be something, so we keep trudging day after day. This is the good news..we find our hope in a person, He is everywhere, He will never leave us or fail us, He never lies, He never breaks His promises, because He is God. He is Jesus Christ, he came to earth to die for us so that we would have hope. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer selfd is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Right before this passage we see why we do not lose heart, and that is because of Jesus, Paul says in verse 14 “knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presences.” Jesus promises us eternal life, free from shame, guilt, sadness, fear, He promises joy, peace, freedom, love. By focusing on Him, by remembering our life is but a shadow, it is but grass that quickly withers away. By knowing that Jesus sees all, and rewards all, we can have hope. We know that the hard times, the times people fail us all have a reason, a purpose, because God is in control. We know that in the end, God will comfort, heal and restore us. We know that God will send Jesus again to be the final judge, that no one will get away with wrong doing. This means that when life gets really hard, when we go through times of hardship, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, on things that are eternal, we will get through it. Because Jesus will be with us every step of the way, giving us the strength to go on. Jesus is our hope. It is not even two weeks into the New Year and my family and I already has had some hardship, its nothing serious compared to others but it did cause stress and anxiety. But Jesus got us through it, and He worked all things out so it would all come together. Jesus is my hope!!!!

Suffering

Amy Bulchak

Suffering… our lives are full of it. It comes in many shapes and forms. I believe there are different types of suffering, we suffer from the sins of others, we suffer from our own sin, we suffer from sickness and disease, and we suffer from environmental issues. See our world is broken, but we refuse to see and acknowledge that. We feel the effects of it, but we think we can fix it. And we try, for the last thousands of years we have tried. We mainly see this by relying on governments, today in the US we think the government should define marriage, define what a family is, pay for our healthcare, pay for our education, protect us, fix our roads and bridge… Another way we try is by blaming religion, so we try to completely remove that from society. Whole nations have tried this, only for it to end in udder disaster. So then we think the answer is tolerance, no one judge anybody. Whats right for you is right for me, of course we know that this attitude doesn’t work either, we see this attitude in the American society today. All this creates is an atmosphere were everyone is talking and no one is listening. I know! Education, if everybody would just go to school, would learn to read, would learn we would all make good choices. Well this was tried during the age of Enlightenment….that was a couple hundred years, and look were we are today. Two world wars, the detention of an atomic bomb, periods of unrest and spouts of warfare that ends with tens of thousands dying, and much more left homeless. See even with all of history behind us we still make the same choices and decisions that people have been making for thousands of years, and we will still continue to do so. Why? because we are broken. But we don’t want to acknowledge that, because if we do, then we have to acknowledge that there is nothing we can do to fix ourself. This flies in the face of our pride, our self reliance, our independence. We absolutely hate the fact that there is nothing we can do. Our pride, our self reliance, our independence, the lies we believe, we are so blinded that the only way to show us, is to break the only thing we hold on to. The only way to do that is to suffer, because it is through suffering God can show us, God can bring us to a point where we have to acknowledge that He is the only one that can save, He is the only one that redeems, He is the only one that can fix the broken heart. Paul in 2 Corinthains 1 talks about this. They were pressed on every side to the point of wanting to die. Why? so they would rely on God and not themself. Our purpose here on earth is to glorify God. But we are so busy trying to steal His glory that the only way to get through to our thick skulls is to bring us to the point of wanted to die. Only then, when everything has been stripped away can we see God for who He is, can we see His power and majesty, can we see our sin and understand what Jesus has done for us. This is what God uses pictures like clay, or gold and silver, how it its raw form it isn’t beautiful. You wouldn’t even recognize it for the precious metal that it is. It needs to go through fire over and over again to remove the impurities that are mixed in with the metal. This is why we have hard times, so that God can show us the impurities in our lives and remove them. We often get mad at God for allowing things to happen to us. But God sees and understands much more then what we ever could, He knows how these devastating events in our lives will produce something so beautiful and so precious that it is worth the pain. But we must be willing to learn, be open to the voice of God showing us where we need Him. This is love. He could have left us in our broken blind state. But He chose to come down, and show us that through him we can have peace, we can be made whole, we can be made new. How awesome and majestic is our God!! How wonderful are His ways!!!! Blessed be His name forever and ever Amen.