responding to bad news

Responding To Bad News
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Read Matthew 14
Introduction:
Typhoon Ondoy has added something to the list of woes experienced by people during the month of September. The worst in recent memory is the September 11, 2001 death of nearly 3,000 persons in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. On September 16, 1992, flood-related incidents killed 900 persons in Pakistan. On September 21, 1991, an earthquake in Central Taiwan killed 2,295 people. On September 4, 2004 Hurricane Frances devastated Florida with 40 million dollars in damage. Typhoon Ondoy cannot hope to compete with other calamities in terms of number of people killed and damage computed in either dollars or pesos. But the opposite is just true: Other calamity cannot compete with Typhoon Ondoy in the way it bruised, lacerated and wounded the national psyche; this woundedness will take a long, long time to heal. Life is such that we cannot avoid hearing bad news.
The word Provident has taken on a new meaning. Ordinarily, it means providing for future needs but now the experience of the people in Provident Village will cause people to think of Provident as disaster, death, defeat and discouragement. How do we respond to bad news?


SATURDAY: EVEN BELIEVERS ARE NOT EXEMPTED FROM TIREDNESS AND FEARS. BUT A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SITUATION WILL BRING US INVIGORATION AND COURAGE.
Matthew 14:24 But the boat was already many stadia away from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Imagine this: the disciples were rowing with all their might towards the other side of the lake. The Lord was not with them at that precise moment. They were out there by the lake by themselves. We do not know how far they were from the land but the situation was that their boat was already battered by the waves. It was the fourth watch or around 3 AM and they have not yet reached the other side.
Some of the disciples were expert fishermen and would know the waters of the lake. But there was a strong wind, and along with it, the waves. They were helpless and helplessness erodes our courage and confidence. Then, to add to their problem at hand, they saw what seemed like a ghost. They , in fact, concluded that the one walking was a ghost. It was a popular story, after all. Discouraged, tired and afraid;. What do you do? They did not know what to do. But they heard a familiar voice, an all too familiar voice. The person says: “"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Here is a beautiful truth; for those who are in the ministry team of the Lord, they might not be exempted from discouragements, tiredness and fears but the wonderful and priceless truth is this: the Lord will walk towards them in whatever situation they find themselves in. Amazing love; amazing Grace. Even more amazing is that this amazing grace and love are for us, His elect.

SUNDAY: FAITH DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. BUT WE NEED TO KNOW HOW THAT FAITH WORKS.
Matthew 14: 28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"
Peter was familiar with the waters of the lake. After all, he has spent his entire life interacting with the waters of the lake. But Peter understood quite well that no fisherman can walk on water. The best fisherman will still need a boat to cross the lake. Peter, that early morning, saw a sight that has been talked about but never really seen by anyone: Someone walking on water. Peter was on board the boat while the Lord Jesus was still out there walking on top of the waters of the lake. There was no dry ground between Peter and the Lord.
Peter was wise enough to know that his faith will not make him walk on the water. He knows that the Lord’s command responded to in faith, will make him walk on water. So he says: "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." It’s like saying, tell me Lord to walk and I will and I can walk. Tell me Lord I will not sink and drown and I will not sink and drown. The Lord responded with a single word. After all, authority does not require many words. He says: COME. ACTING in faith, or, believing in his heart that the Lord meant what He said, Peter got out of the boat and started walking on water. Of course we know the rest of the story. Peter saw the wind and he was afraid. Saw the wind? How is that possible? It means he saw the wind in the movements of the waves, the fluttering of the clothes, etc. He got afraid and doubted the reality of walking on water. He started sinking. But the Lord stretched out His hand and got him out. Here is a simple but unchangeable truth: Saving faith is different from the endurance faith of the saved. The latter means trusting the word of the Lord and making His word the basis of our confidence and courage- not the size of the waves or the strength of the wind.


MONDAY: SOLITUDE IS A GOOD RESPONSE TO THE BAD NEWS THAT COMES OUR WAY. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TAKE THIS OPTION.
(Read from verse 1). Matthew 14:13 Now when Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there in a boat, to a lonely place by Himself; and when the multitudes heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
The Lord Jesus received some visitors. They carried bad and sad news. They were a burial party and they have just buried John the Baptist- at least his body because the Baptist’s head was kept in the place of Herod the Tetrarch. John was an important person in the life of the Lord Jesus. John was not only a blood relative; he was also the instrument of God in introducing the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
How do you respond to a bad and sad report? The text tells us that as soon as He heard it, He “withdrew from there in a boat..” He was not running away. It was a deliberate move with a specific direction: He was on His way to a LONELY PLACE by HIMSELF. Often the weight of our pains and burdens tends to feel unusually heavy not because they were beyond our capacity in the first place but because we do not take the time to be ALONE with the Father. Some people can sap what little courage and energy we have. A time with the Father is always beneficial as it brings courage and confidence to us. Remember the recently popular song? “In Your presence, in Your presence, there is Joy…” Do you make it a point to spend with the Father in heaven?

TUESDAY: IN THE MIDST OF OUR SADNESS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD WORK IS A GOD-GIVEN SITUATION TO GIVE US RESPITE FROM OUR EMOTIONAL BURDENS.
Matthew 14:14 And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Clearly, the Lord went to a LONELY PLACE BY HIMSELF as a spiritual response to the sad news about the brutal death of John the Baptist. The description of His intended destination is summarized in 4 words: LONELY PLACE BY HIMSELF. Here we have an emphatic statement pointing to solitariness or solitude. The word EREMOS (lonely) describes a wilderness or a place where one can be alone because others do not normally go there. The same word is used in Matthew 4 when the Lord Jesus was confronted by the tempter in the WILDERNESS. He was going to be BY HIMSELF- no on else with Him.
But this intention was not realized immediately. Reaching the spot leading to the LONELY PLACE, He saw a GREAT MULTITUDE. It was a needy multitude. They probably raced to reach the spot where they were to see the Lord. They brought their sick with them. Remember the paralytic in Mark 2? He was carried by FOUR of his friends and this same case may have been true for the Great Multitude. They brought their sick to the Lord and the Lord “postponed” or “delayed” the last leg of His journey to where He wants to be. Sometimes, in the midst of our sadness, we see a ministry opportunity and we realize that God’s wants us to deal with our sadness by helping others. One thing more; I think it is absolutely beautiful to note that the Lord’s personal desire (to be alone) was set aside for a moment in favor of our needs. He will never be too busy for us.

WEDNESDAY: AN UNCHANGING REMINDER FROM THE LORD WHEN WE ARE TAUNTED BY OUR INABILITIES: “BRING THEM TO ME.”
Read through verse 21. Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, the disciples came to Him, saying, "The place is desolate, and the time is already past; so send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" 17 And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." 18 And He said, "Bring them here to Me."
Bad news for the disciples: The Great Multitude was there because the people followed the Lord Jesus Christ and being the disciples of the Lord, it was their duty to do something about it. The sick have received their healing but now an urgent situation emerges: 1. the people needed food; 2. The people numbered, more likely, at least 15,000. Verse 21 tells us that there were 5,000 men not including the women and children. For such an important event, a man will usually be accompanied by his wife and children. So, a 15,000 count is even a conservative estimate. 3. All that they have within reach are five loaves and two fish. In such a desperately overwhelming situation, the disciples’ solution seemed simple enough but it ran counter to the wishes of the Lord as it would be impractical and seemingly heartless; we don’t send hungry people away at that time in the afternoon. Who knows if they can still find some stores along the way?
The Lord’s reply is succinct, short and straight to the point: BRING THEM TO ME. Haven’t we heard this before? He alone knows the true answer to our needs. Bring them to me; the five loaves and two fish. It was an overwhelming situation and the problem taunted the disciples as it brought out their inabilities to do anything about it. But there was something that they were capable of doing- as we are - they brought their limited supplies to the Lord. And the rest, as they say, is history.

THURSDAY: THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE CAN BE OVERWHELMING. IT MUST NOT, HOWEVER, TAKE US AWAY FROM OUR TIME WITH THE FATHER.
Matthew 14:22 And immediately He made the disciples get into the boat, and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
The Lord attended to two groups of people: His disciples and the Great Multitude. He had His disciples got into a boat to go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake. At the same time, He sent the multitudes away. Then, He continued with His earlier plan: To go to a LONELY PLACE BY HIMSELF. Verse 23 tells us: “And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
What was it that the Lord wanted to do by being alone? Luke 6:12 helps us to understand the answer to this question: “And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” This was the Lord’s choice and a way of life. He would often spend time with the Father alone. Although truly God, the Lord was also truly human and was subjected to the many limitations of the body. That is why we read of Him resting, sleeping, and doing other acts of other human beings. But He had something we sometimes fail to see and therefore fail to use effectively: His time to be alone with the Father was a non-negotiable part of His own spirituality. Often, the task of helping others and responding to the needs of others can be overwhelming but we need to remind ourselves that we cannot and we should not compromise our time to be alone with the Father in heaven.

FRIDAY: GRATITUDE RECOGNIZES THE PERSON, PRESENCE, POWER AND PROVISIONS OF GOD. GRATITUDE GENERATES MIRACLES IN OUR LIVES.
Matthew 14:18 And He said, "Bring them here to Me." 19 And ordering the multitudes to recline on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes, 20 and they all ate, and were satisfied. And they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 And there were about five thousand men who ate, aside from women and children.
The problem was overwhelming. The ability of the apostles as well as the supplies at hand were clearly insufficient in relation to the needs and problems at hand. There were fifteen thousand or more persons needing food. Somebody had five loaves and two fish. What is that compared with the hunger of 15,000 or more persons? Of course we already know what happened. The loaves and the fish got multiplied literally. How did it happen? We see a series of steps towards the realization of this miracle.
First, the little that the people had was offered to the Lord. Next, the Lord looked up to the heavens suggesting a prayer of gratitude. Lesson: Be grateful for the little that we have. What is many comes from what is few and what is sufficient is really insufficient multiplied many times over. Next, He blessed the food. We do not normally do this but may be we should. He blessed the food. Then He started distributing the food. Gratitude does generate miracles because gratitude is a recognition of the person, presence, power and provisions of God. Get into this spiritual habit. It can and it will do wonders for us.

Making Kindness A Way Of Life

Making Kindness A Way Of Life
Proverbs 11:17. Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel. (New Living Translation)

Main Reading: Prov 3:27-31. 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.
Kindness is not as easy as it looks. Kindness is different from kind in the same way that generosity is different from generous. Kind describes a person who finds it easy to give attention and do something about the needs of others. Kindness, on the other hand, is the visible proof that the man is kind. Kindness is the gift given by the kind man. Kindness ought to be a way of life for us. But how?

Monday : RULE 1: TRAIN YOURSELF TO GIVE AND NOT TO WITHHOLD
Prov 3:27-31. 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.
DO NOT WITHHOLD; the statement points us to the common human tendency to withhold and not to give; a tendency which we are to distance ourselves from. DO NOT WITHHOLD means to train ourselves so that we do not become SELFISH which describes a man whose personal interest is the most important thing to him. The text is clear enough: DO NOT WITHHOLD; train yourself to be a willing giver and generous sharer of the blessings you have received from God. Get into the habit of doing good to others. This means asking the question: What can I do for this person?
How about applying this first in our families? Doing good focuses not on the item but on the act and its impact on the person. Is there someone in the family who can benefit from a good word or an act of kindness from you? What act of goodness or kindness have you shown your family members? PRAYER: Teach me to give willingly and to share with others what I have received from you.

Tuesday : RULE 2: TRAIN YOURSELF TO KNOW WHICH PERSON DESERVES HELP.
Prov 3:27-31. 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.
The word is full of needy people. The good news is that there are also many good people who are eager to respond to the plight of the needy. The text reminds us to do good to those who deserve it. Here is a word of wisdom from this verse: Not every needy person you see deserves the help that you might want to give. How then can I know whether a person deserves to be helped or not?
The Lord Jesus helps us with His words in Matt 7:6” "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Let’s use the mention of the pearl and the pigs as our guide since that is easier to understand. Pigs are eaters of almost anything you throw at them. Pigs, however, cannot and does not understand the value of pearls. It’s not going to be of help to pigs to give pearl although pearl is of great value to human beings. The deserving person is not difficult to identify: He is one who can truly benefit from the help you are giving. His needs are met, you will see appreciation, improvement of attitude and the like. He is the deserving person. But if you help a person and his wicked lifestyle remains the same, he is not the deserving person. If you are giving something to a person and all that it does is maintain his wicked lifestyle, he does not deserve your nor anybody’s help. PRAYER: Lord, I want to help but teach me to help the right way and the right person.

Wednesday : RULE 3: TRAIN YOURSELF TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ABILITIES AND YOUR LIMITATIONS
Prov 3:27-31. “27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.”
So far, we learned that to help the right way and to make kindness a way of life, we must: 1) Train ourselves to do good so that doing good becomes a way of life; 2) Train ourselves to identify which person deserves help, indicating that some are needy but do not deserve help. The third rule focuses on the extent and limits of our abilities. The text says: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it WHEN IT IS IN YOUR POWER TO ACT.” It’s a simple but a very wise reminder. We must be willing to do good and we must actually do good when there is an opportunity but we must also understand that we can only do good in relation to our God-given abilities.
You may want to help someone who is going to jail for a crime he has committed but it is not in your power to interfere with the judicial process. You may want to help all the beggars in Metro Manila but you do not have that capacity so don’t feel bad about it. You want to help someone recover from his wicked ways but unless he decides there is nothing you can do. The lesson is simple: Be willing to help but do not judge yourself negatively nor harbor a bad feeling over something that you really do not have a control of. When the person is deserving and when we are able, we help. PRAYER: Lord, help me to do the best within the limits of the abilities that you have given me. Keep me from feeling bad when sometimes I find myself unable to help.

Thursday : RULE 4: TRAIN YOURSELF IN THE SPIRITUAL SKILL OF GIVING TIMELY HELP.
Prov 3:27-31. “27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.”
The timeliness of your help depends on several factors: 1) The person really is in need; 2) the person deserves to be helped and 3) you do have the ability to help. The fourth one focuses on when to help the person. Do not wait for tomorrow if you are able to help today. You know you can help, you know that you have the resources right now and you know that the person truly has a need. So it tells us not to wait for tomorrow.
The issue is not to delay any good thing that you can do. Analyzed in the light of the other parts of the Bible, there are many reasons for not delaying help to the one who is in need. For example, if you have a worker in your employ, the rule is pay him at the right time; do not delay. Deut 24:15: “ Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” If you know that you must help today and you delay it until tomorrow, it is actually a sin. James 4:16-17. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. (NIV). Apply this in different areas in life. Tell your spouse that you love him/her today, why wait for tomorrow? Forgive today why wait for tomorrow? PRAYER: Lord help me to understand clearly the value of timely kindness.

Friday : RULE 5: TRAIN YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY WHILE HELPING OTHERS.
Prov 14:21. He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.
The person who is kind to the needy is considered blessed. The Hebrew word for blessed (ESHER) literally means HAPPY. Our usual understanding of the word BLESSED is that of gifts that God has given us. That is part of the meaning of the word BLESSED but it can no longer apply when we remember that even God is BLESSED (Bless the Lord Oh my soul)! BLESSED MEANS HAPPY. Happy is the man who is kind to the needy.
Happiness is both a gift, a choice and also a command. Phil 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice ! (NIV). God can give you the gift of happiness through the kindness that you have shown to someone. Then, as a matter of choice, decide to be happy in what you are doing. Understand too, that happiness is a matter of obedience. Do you know how to be happy when you are helping others? Don’t focus on what you have lost but focus on being grateful to God for giving you the chance to show God’s kindness to others. Gratitude generates happiness. BLESSED (HAPPY) IS THE MAN WHO IS KIND TO THE NEEDY. And what happens when one is happy? Do you remember this verse? Prov 17:22. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.” (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION) PRAYER: Lord, I choose to be happy, I choose to obey and I accept your gift of happiness as I extend your kindness to others.

Saturday : RULE 6: TRAIN YOURSELF TO FOCUS ON GOD’S HONOR FOR EVERY GOOD ACT THAT YOU HAVE CARRIED OUT.
Prov 14:31. “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
The wisdom is this: in helping the poor, it is not really the poor who is the main issue. It is not even you as the giver of help. Helping others is an act of HONORING GOD! It’s all about Him! The opposite is just as true: Oppressing others is showing contempt for their Maker. Food for the hungry, money for the medicine of someone who is really needy, notebooks for the poor children, a kind word to someone in your family, an encouraging pat on the back; all these are acts of kindness and if we go by what the Bible has said, these acts honor God.
If we now link this lesson with the other lessons for the previous days, we now realize that there is so much we can do to honor God. Make kindness a way of life and honoring God will be a way of life for you as a natural result. The poor benefits from your help but that is not the biggest issue. In showing kindness to others, God is honored. Will you honor God today? Do something good to someone. Say something good to someone. It is not about us or the others. It is about God and His honor. PRAYER: Lord, remind me please to honor you everyday through every act that I carry out.

Sunday : RULE 7: REMEMBER THE LESSON: KINDNESS IS THERAPEUTIC AND ANTI-AGING. PRAISE GOD!
Prov 11:17. A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. (NIV). Prov. 11:17. You do yourself a favor when you are kind. If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself. (TEV).
Prov 11:17. “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.”
(TLB)
The first translation is from the New International Version. The next one is from the TODAY’S ENGLISH VERSION and the last one is from THE LIVING BIBLE. Comparing this verse in three (3) different versions or translations helps us to see clearly what the Bible is trying to say to us. Here is the flow of the argument: Whatever you do will have an impact on you. If your act is kind, you will personally benefit from that act of kindness. If your act is cruel (hurting others), it will come back to you in the form of trouble. The old saying was: “What you sow you will reap.” In Filipino, we would say: “Kung anong intinanim siyang aanihin.”
Here is a more modern of saying it: Do good, feel good. Do bad, feel bad. There is something about doing good that is potently therapeutic. There is something about saying a good word that can nourish your own soul. But, when we withhold what is good from others, we will suffer as a result. Let’s spend time and meditate on these verses: Psalm 112:5: Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Psalm 41:1-3. Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. 2 The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. 3 The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” PRAYER: Lord, help me cleanse my soul, nourish my mind, strengthen my body and improve my outlook by honoring You through acts of kindness to others.