Here Are Some Things You'l Need

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he pictures were hung, the floors were mopped, the carpet was cleaned and vacuumed, the bed was made, the clothes were hung in the closet, the dishes were washed and stacked, and all the last little touches were completed.  My first apartment was now ready to become my home.  Well, not quite.  You see, now I had to maintain the apartment and that meant stocking up on cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper products, and all the little things you need but don’t really think of when you’re moving from one place to another.

My parents, however, were one step ahead of me.  They took my car one morning and went shopping.  They weren’t gone very long when I heard a knock at the door.  My mom entered with her arms full of paper towels and told me my dad was downstairs requesting my assistance in unloading the back of the car.  By using the word “requesting” I knew she meant he needed my help pronto!

When I got to the car, I found my dad unloading all types of goodies onto the sidewalk.  The car was completely filled with hand soap, dish detergent, fabric softener, laundry detergent, a mop, a bucket, cleaning supplies, shampoo, cleaning products, napkins, and an ample supply of toilet tissue.  It was like Christmas!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes or the overwhelming feeling of gratitude that filled my heart.  All of these things I needed but I didn’t have the wherewithal to purchase all of them at once.  That is when God taught me a wonderful lesson about supplying all my needs.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul boldly and confidently assures his readers of God’s ability and desire to provide all of their needs.  Philippians 4:19 stands as one of the great bedrock promises of the Christian faith, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Read this passage again very slowly and you will notice two distinct truths embedded in Paul’s words.

First, God will supply not some of our needs but all of them.  So many times in our walk with the Lord, we believe He will supply some of our needs or perhaps most of our needs but we find it difficult to believe that all of our needs will be met.  But look at what the passage says.  Paul states categorically that God will meet all of our needs.  That means every single one of them, no matter how large or small, and no matter how insignificant we think they are.

Second, God provides these needs according to His riches, not according to ours.  My mom and dad purchased the supplies for my apartment from their own personal finances, not from mine.  This is a good thing because my bank balance resembles the widow with two mites.  The same is true with God.  God does not use our resources to provide for us because we simply have no resources to pull from.  But God’s riches are in Christ Jesus.  This means that God has an endless supply of resources and according to those riches, He can and will supply every need we have today. 

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hen my mom came into the apartment with her arms full of supplies, she looked at me, smiled, and said, “Here are a few things you’ll need.”  However, when we emptied the car, the apartment was filled and actually overflowed into the storage unit.  What a picture of God’s grace and provision this is!  God not only meets our needs, he surpasses them!  He says to us, “Here are some things you’ll need.”  He fills our lives with things we didn’t even consider and always makes sure we are fully stocked with all the wonderful things He has for us in Christ Jesus.  Are you well stocked today?

Getting Hitched

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he coffee table, the end tables, lamps, a sofa, bedroom furniture, kitchen utensils, pictures, books, books, and more books, when would it ever end?  Every time I turned around, my dad had placed something else outside the trailer which carried my things from North Carolina to Texas.  He and my brother had packed all of my things into a sixteen-foot trailer and my parents had moved the entire lot halfway across the country.  I was amazed at how much that trailer held and just when it seemed there could be nothing else to move, out came something else that needed to go into the apartment.

One week later, my dad connected that empty trailer to his truck, and he, along with my mom and sister, pulled away from the curb and started the long journey home.  I watched them as they gingerly guided that trailer over the speed bumps used to keep people from driving excessively fast in our parking area.  The trailer mirrored every move the truck made.  When the truck turned left, so did the trailer, when the truck sped up, the trailer followed suit, and when dad came to a halt, the trailer came to rest as well.

As I stood there, watching them leave, God impressed upon me a great truth about following Him.  As Christians we all know the importance of following God and obeying His commandments.  But as I watched that trailer, I began to understand that the manner in which we follow God makes all the difference in the world.  Following God means this:  we go where He goes, when He goes, without asking why, without resisting His direction.  When He stops, we stop, when He turns, we turn, and when He slows down, we had best follow suit.

In Deuteronomy 13:4, Moses records these words, “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”  A careful reading of this verse reveals the actions the Israelites were to perform in order to follow the Lord. They were to follow, to fear, to keep His commandments, to listen, to serve, and to cling.  These words are still used today by professing Christians.  We use the words follow, serve, listen, and keep when we speak about our walk with the Lord.  But there is one word that doesn’t enter into our vocabulary very often, if it enters at all.

The last action in this series tells us that we are to cling to God.  What, exactly, does that mean?  Simply this, we are to be so close to our God that whenever He makes a move, we move with Him immediately.  Our relationship to God must be such that we trust Him completely; hitching ourselves to Him, allowing Him to lead us and pull us wherever He wills, and we must have no will except His.  This is what it means to cling.  We become totally dependent on God and trust Him completely without worry, fear, or question.

The picture of my dad’s trailer is right on target.  Although it was loaded with wonderful things and although my parents had good intentions of bringing my things to me and helping me set up my apartment, unless my dad hitched the trailer to the truck, none of those intentions or the work they had done would have done any good.  The trailer, although filled with wonderful things was useless without the truck.  It is the same with us.  Our actions, our good intentions, our motives, our work, our willingness, while good, are worthless unless we follow God and hitch ourselves to Him.  We can do nothing without Him because He is the only one who knows where we are going and He is the only one who can get us there.

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oday, are you hitched to God?  Are you following Him without reserve?  Do you trust Him completely to provide all your needs and to get you to the place to which He has called you?  The next time you see a trailer on the road, remember that God wants us not only to follow Him, but He wants us to cling to Him as well.  Are you hitched today?

Follow The Recipe

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ne evening, I invited a couple over for dinner.  It is so much fun now that I have a kitchen where I can cook and bake and make my own mess!  Being domestic is great and I am enjoying it very much!  At any rate, I was wondering what to prepare.  I have very few cookbooks and the recipes that I use frequently I have memorized.  So, naturally, when I needed an idea for something new I went to the best resource I know for recipes, mom!

I called her up and told her what I was planning to prepare. I wanted to know if she could send me a few recipes via email (I just love technology) and she happily agreed.  In just a few minutes, the recipes I asked for were sitting in my mailbox, ready for the making.  I perused the list of ingredients and re-familiarized myself with the procedures.  My first reaction with one of the recipes was one of doubt.  It appeared as if there were too much of a particular ingredient and not enough of another.  But that is what the recipe called for and mom always said, follow the recipe!

I made my list, went to the grocery store, bought all the required items, then came back home to begin assembling my meal.  I put all the groceries away, leaving out all the ingredients I would need to make my salad, my main dish, and my dessert.  I got the recipes from the computer and began making the meal ahead of time so it would be less stressful when it came time to set the table and entertain my guests.

I followed the recipes exactly.  Mixing where it said to mix, stirring where it said to stir, and cooking when it said to cook. I added the ingredients in the exact proportions the recipe called for.  Even when I felt that the measurements might not be quite right, I went against what I felt and followed the instructions.  The result was amazing!  Everything turned out just as it was supposed to and all the food tasted just right.  Now, it wasn’t as good as mom’s, but things never are.  However, her recipe gave me the correct measurements and the proper instructions for making all the things I needed for my meal.  I had to trust the recipe and its author despite my feelings or questions.

Would it surprise you to discover that God has given us the exact recipe for a happy and fulfilling life?  Would you be shocked to know that if you follow His recipe, you will find your life becomes a wonderful blessing to others and a source of praise and glory to God?  To the Christian, none of this should be new; yet, our lives and our relationships with God are not always what we want or what they should be.

In Deuteronomy 6:5, we have God’s recipe for living the kind of life he wants all his children to enjoy.  “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  As with all recipes, the measurements of the ingredients are all important.  Too little of this or not enough of that leaves the dish incomplete and unsatisfying.  God’s ingredients are heart, soul, and strength.  But pay careful attention to their measurements. God does not ask for a pinch of heart or a dash of soul.  No!  He asks for all of it.  Essentially God says to us, “Empty the cupboard.  I want and require everything you’ve got.  Hold nothing back!  Do not skimp on the ingredients!”

When asked to give the greatest commandment, Jesus, himself, quoted this very scripture.  God’s recipe always calls for us to give our all.  Even when we don’t feel like it, even when we think that all our heart is too risky, even when we think all our strength is too much, and even when we think that all our soul is just too high a price.  Despite all these “feelings” of ours, God’s command rings clear:  “Follow the recipe!” 

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ow long has it been since you spent time with God in your kitchen?  How long has it been since you asked Him to give you his recipe for living a life pleasing to him?  You have the ingredients but are you measuring them out correctly? Are you following the recipe?

Flying By Instruments

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he fog was terrible.  Never, in 25 years of flying for a commercial airline, had Joe seen such a thick bank of fog.  Visibility was zero and he could barely make out the windshield wipers as they brushed aside the millions of water droplets hitting the glass panes as he sped through the clouds.  A few moments earlier the control tower had radioed that it was time to start his descent toward the airport.  The tower had also informed him that the fog was thick on the ground and that he would be landing solely on instruments.

A quick check with his co-pilot confirmed that all the instruments were working at optimal levels and that the plane was ready to begin its descent.  So Joe and his crew followed all the procedures and prepared the plane for a landing by instruments.  The last step was to set the instruments properly and to obey them, no matter what.  This was very difficult for Joe.  Although he had learned in flight school to trust his instruments, and although he had performed this procedure hundreds of times, this time it was different.  He really struggled with the last setting yet he knew that without the instruments there was no way he could land the plane.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  There are times in the Christian life when the thick fog of doubt surrounds us.  Visibility is zero and we can’t see clearly enough to know where the next step should be nor where it will take us.  Our instinct is to remain still, not moving until the fog lifts and we can see clearly enough to proceed.  That’s when God calls out to us and tells us to move forward, to take the next step.  Like Joe, we can’t depend on our eyes; we have to fly solely by instruments, and for the Christian, that means by faith.

The Scriptures are chock full of examples of great men and women who lived their lives by faith.  They placed their trust in God and when things around them were foggy and obscured, they trusted him and proceeded, trimming their instruments to his word and placing their trust in him.  One of the most prominent of all those who exercised great faith in God is Abraham.  He knew what it was like to walk according to faith, to step out when the way ahead wasn’t clearly marked, and to fly completely by instruments.

Hebrews 11:8 demonstrates very clearly how Abraham trusted in the instrument of faith and it holds for us today a great example and lesson of how we should follow God.  “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”  Notice the last six words of this text.  Abraham obeyed God’s voice even though God never told him where he was going.  The only promise God made about this journey was that he would show Abraham the place he had prepared for him as an everlasting inheritance.

So Abraham flew by instruments.  He packed up his belongings and his family and started out for parts unknown, trusting God all the way, taking one step at a time.  All around Abraham, thick fog obscured his sight.  He had no idea where he was going but his instruments always showed him to be right on course as long as he followed God’s leading and his commands.  In the end, Abraham arrived and received the God’s promise.  He landed safely because he trusted in God and kept his instruments trimmed to the proper settings.

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nd what about Joe and his passengers?  They arrived safely, landing by instruments exactly where and when the tower told them.  And what about us?  Is our walk with God such that we can fly by instruments?  When dense fog surrounds us are we comfortable to set the instruments to God’s commands and follow the course laid out for us?  Does our experience show that we can trust God no matter what the surrounding circumstances of life?  Can we say with all assurance that we are flying by instruments today?

Fly A Kite

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he beaches of North Carolina are perhaps one of my most favorite places to visit.  In the summer months, they are teaming with people from all over the United States with some people from Canada making the long journey to visit the coast.  I do not like to visit the beach at this time.  Too many people make it impossible for me to walk or sit on the beach in quiet solitude and think, read, or watch the water.

Late September or early October is my favorite time to go to the shore.  The climate is nice and cool, the beaches are almost deserted, and a sense of calm and tranquility settles over the shoreline.  It is possible to sit on the beach for hours and see no one and the crashing of the waves provides a wonderful and peaceful reminder that God in all his power is in complete and utter control.  The one who keeps the oceans of the world in their places orders my life as well and he attends to every detail.

In addition to the waves and the shore, however, there is one other element that is constantly present at the coast—wind!   Rarely have I visited the beach when it was completely calm.  The waves cause the air around them to move, creating the wind that makes it impossible to set up umbrellas or put down beach towels.  But the wind is a necessary part of life and I remember learning a great lesson at the beach one summer with my family.

Late one afternoon, I stepped out onto the deck of the beach house and looked toward the shore.  I could see the waves crashing against the sand and there were several people walking in the cool of the evening in search of those ever-elusive sand dollars that occasionally wash up on shore.  As I scanned the horizon I saw several kites soaring in the air.  I just stood there and watched them as they climbed higher into the sky.  Occasionally they would dive, swoop, and do some great acrobatics before returning to their position in the air.  The longer I watched, the more fascinated I became and I determined to get myself one.

The next morning, I went to one of the local stores and purchased a small, triangular, delta kite.  That evening, I walked to the shore, assembled the kite, attached it to the string, and launched it into the air.  At first, the kite wobbled, and crashed into the sand.  But as I turned more and more into the wind, it responded vigorously and began its long steady climb into the sky.  The more line I fed it, the higher it went, and the higher it went, the stronger the wind blew, and the stronger the wind blew, the more fun it became to fly that kite!

That is when I learned my lesson.  There are three things necessary to fly a kite: 1) string 2) someone to hold the string and 3) wind!  Is this not a picture of the Christian life?  All these elements are present as we walk with God are they not?  The wind of life is constantly blowing against us.  At every turn it seems we are faced with either gentle breezes, or strong gusts.  We enjoy those moments when the wind caresses us but inevitably, the wind grows stronger and we find ourselves face to face with an impossible force.  Forward progress is impossible, and standing itself becomes a challenge.

Just at this moment, Jesus appears and teaches us a great lesson.  Jesus doesn’t mean for us to fight against the wind, he means for us to use it to climb to greater heights with him.  He gets us ready, attaches a tether to us, and launches us into the wind.  We may shake, we may do loop-the-loops, and we may toss from side to side, but we are always in contact with him.  As our faith grows, he releases more and more of the tether and we climb higher and higher, using the wind to help us fly.  Without the wind, a kite is useless, never realizing its full potential; and we are the same way. It is only in the in winds of adversity and trial that we are able to take wing and fly.

Moses understood the power of wind and how God can use it to turn impossible situations into opportunities to experience his glory.  Exodus 14:21 says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided.”  In this passage we see a great truth.  The wind that night was fierce.  It takes wind and a lot of it to divide a sea but that is exactly what God did.  In the midst of impossible situations, God did not send a breeze, H sent a strong wind.  The result was the people walking through on dry ground.

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herever you are in your walk with God today, please remember that wind is not to be feared.  God sends the winds for our benefit, to grow our faith, and to cause us to climb higher and higher in our relationship with him.  So, the next time you are at the seashore learn a lesson from the wind.  In the midst of the strong gusts, God does not want you to run or to be afraid.  Instead, He wants you to fly a kite!!  Have a great day!!

Firm Footing

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here is a river in the south of France called the Gard.  Over this river there stands a large aqueduct left by the Romans.  The aqueduct is known as the Pont du Gard (the bridge of the Gard) and it is frequented by tourists from all around the world.  The aqueduct is indeed a feat of engineering, designed to carry water from a distant source and deliver it to large villages many miles away.  But the most spectacular view comes not from the base of the Pont du Gard, but from its top.

In 1983, when I visited the Pont du Gard, it was possible to walk across it.  Today, the privilege no longer exists; but when I was there visitors were greeted with a small sign written in several languages.  This sign delivered a solemn and sobering warning to all those wanting to get a closer look at the aqueduct.  The following message was emblazoned on a white panel just a few feet from the aqueduct itself:  “Warning!  Walk at your own risk.  Many people have slipped and plummeted to their deaths!” 

Not very uplifting is it?  Nonetheless, people read the sign and ventured forth to walk on top of the aqueduct, several hundred feet in the air, crossing from one side of the Gard to the other. The Pont du Gard is only wide enough for two people to walk abreast and since people travel in both directions, crossing over is somewhat of a challenge. In addition, the wind constantly blows and the hiker must maintain his balance lest he slip and fall to the river below.

I don’t know of a clearer example of the gospel than this bridge across the Gard River.  In Matthew7:14, Jesus states very clearly that there is only one way to salvation: “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”  There were several tourists at the Pont du Gard on the day we visited. However, only a few of us ventured forth to walk on the aqueduct and cross over the river.  The way was narrow and very small but our footing was sure and we knew the aqueduct wouldn’t give way.

From that vantage point, the river posed no threat.  Its depth and rapid currents could not harm us because we were walking above it.  The river bed was actually the support for the aqueduct and kept it in place.  The wind did blow but the solid structure of the aqueduct held us up and ensured our passage would be safe as long as we walked with confidence and did not venture too far to one side or the other.

The narrow road Jesus spoke of is the same way for all those seeking to walk with God.  The way is narrow, but it rises far above the worries, cares, and pitfalls of everyday-life.  Most people stand at the base and look longingly upward, wanting ever so desperately to climb and walk above the cares of this life.  They want to have that narrow walk with God but because of fear or doubt, they never climb to the top and walk on the aqueduct.  But for those who take that step of faith and venture forth, there is no walk as exhilarating nor as rewarding, as the walk we take with God.  True, the winds of adversity continue to blow and buffet us, but we are safe as long as we keep our focus and our steps on the way ahead.

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here are you in this picture?  Are you at the base of the aqueduct, longing to walk above the cares of this life?  Do you want to accept Jesus’ call to walk and have fellowship with him?  Perhaps you are walking on the top already but the winds of adversity have frightened you and the way ahead looks long and difficult.  Wherever you are, at the top or at the bottom, please know that Jesus means for you to walk across to the other side.  Through faith in him, you can walk across that bridge and overcome the difficulties of life.  The way is not easy, and there are few who actually search for it, but for those who decide to take it, life is never the same.  Cone on up!  Jesus is waiting for you to join him on that narrow road.  He will walk with you every step of the way!

Experience Required!

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 quick perusal of a newspaper provides insight into the worlds of international politics, business, sports, and entertainment.  You can find the latest information concerning the weather, you can read other people’s opinions in the editorial section, and you can even work a crossword puzzle, or have your funny bone tickled by the comics section.  Finally, you will come to the classified section which can prove both informative and comical to the discerning reader.

The classified section is always chock full companies’ requests for employees.  There are always jobs to be had in several businesses on a daily basis.  A survey of these advertisements will quickly show one common thread among them.  The words, “Experience required” figure prominently and either provide an incentive for someone to answer the ad or move on to something else.

Have you ever been frustrated by those two little words?  Have you ever read through the classifieds, diligently seeking an opportunity to change jobs only to be thwarted and disappointed by the need for experience?  This is the catch for most college graduates.  They have all this knowledge and training but lack the experience needed for many of the jobs in the “real world.”

What are God’s requirements?   What kind of experience is he looking for?  It is a very different kind than that for which the world is searching.  This is seen very easily in the life of a familiar Old Testament character, David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem.

When David arrives to check on his brothers, he is introduced to something very strange.  A giant, Goliath of Gath, is taunting the Israelite army, begging for a fight.  The soldiers, however, refuse to answer the ad, refuse to take up their arms, and refuse to fight.  They have all this training in war and the use of armor and weapons but they have no experience with God.

Enter David, the lowly shepherd.  He has no experience in battle, no experience in tactical warfare, and no experience with weapons. However, he does have first-hand experience of God’s might and, based on this, David answers Saul’s ad for a champion.   

In 1 Samuel 17:33-35, we find an exchange between these two men as they discuss David’s qualifications. “Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."  But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.”

Here we have a classic difference of opinion.  Saul believes David to be unqualified because he lacks the necessary training.  He has never studied war, he has never learned to throw a spear, and he has never faced an enemy as big as Goliath.  David begs to differ.  His enemies have been the lion and the bear that delighted in taunting his flock.  They attacked without warning, intent on killing as many of the sheep as possible, something David could not and did not allow.

Although David’s experience is not exactly what Saul has in mind, it is more than adequate.  I mean, David stands head and shoulders above the rest of the applicant pool who have more knowledge and more training than he.  But they aren’t applying for the job!  David’s best response is found in verse 37, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."  How do you say no to that? You can’t and Saul didn’t!

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ill you answer God’s classified ad today?  Do you have the experience of a personal relationship with him that equips you to face any of life’s circumstances?  When you read the words, “Experience required,” does this motivate you or dissuade you from answering God’s call?  All you have to do is apply, that is, apply God’s word to your life and you will have the necessary experience to answer any of life’s challenges!

Do You See The Light?

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he Outer Banks of North Carolina are famous for their serenity, for their pristine beaches, and for providing a haven of rest and relaxation to the weary traveler.  But they are also famous for the lighthouses that dot their shores.  Several of these lighthouses are famous and have been used for years to guide vessels at sea safely to harbors.

One of my end tables has a replica of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.  It has very distinct markings, black and white diamonds.  It truly is a lovely structure.  Saturday morning found me cleaning my house.  As I dusted the den, I came to that replica.  I picked up the lighthouse, dusted it and the table, and returned it to its place. As I finished cleaning up, I thought about that lighthouse. 

Now, I have never visited the Outer Banks and I have never seen the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. However, I am sure of its existence and I know that if I were to go to the Outer Banks, I would find it faithfully performing its task of warning sailors of the dangerous pitfalls of the North Carolina Coast.  The lighthouse is there and working whether I see it or not and whether I believe in its existence or not.

In John’s gospel, we encounter a well-known figure who had doubts of his own. Thomas was a follower of Jesus Christ. Like his friends, he didn’t understand the death of his friend and master, Jesus.  He was afraid that the same fate would fall to him and, like the others, he kept a low profile. 

Not long afterward, his friends shared with him that they had seen Jesus. He had appeared to them, coming through a locked door and he stood and spoke to them.  Now Thomas was more than a little skeptical.  He didn’t want to accuse his friends of spreading rumors but he wanted to see the evidence for himself.  Soon thereafter, he got his opportunity.  Jesus appeared to the group and he spoke directly to Thomas and had him touch the scars in his hands and in his side.  Thomas was overwhelmed and bowed down and worshiped Jesus as his Lord and his God.

Jesus made the following statement found in John 20:29, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Here, Jesus was speaking about all those who would believe on him without seeing him physically.  He was speaking about you and me for we have never seen the Lord.  We believe in him by faith and because we know in our hearts that Jesus is God’s son and that there is no salvation apart from him.

Today, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse stands on the North Carolina Coast looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.  Tonight, it will shine its light over the waters showing sailors the only way to arrive safely at their destination.  The light of Jesus shines today over the troubled seas of life.  His light shines in the darkness and in the storm and shows us the safe way home. 

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re we like Thomas, unbelieving unless we see for ourselves or does Jesus’ description apply to us today?  Are we blessed because we haven’t seen and still we believe?  Which situation applies in your life today?

Can You Keep A Secret?

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ne evening, after I finished teaching my conversational French class, I went downstairs to my office to drop off my books and the CD player I had used during the session.  As I exited the office I noticed one of several custodial workers responsible for keeping our building clean and neat.  There are several people who maintain and clean our building.  Unfortunately, they are rarely recognized or thanked for the contribution they make to our students’ education.

As I got on the elevator, the lady sweeping the floor wished me a good evening and a safe journey home.  She would work late into the night, mopping hallways, sweeping trash, cleaning blackboards, dusting offices, and vacuuming floors.  The offices in the morning would show the evidence of her work done in secret, out of sight of anyone else.  However, were her job not done, everyone would immediately notice and be very upset that no one was cleaning the building.

On the way home, God spoke to me as I reflected on the lady I had just left.  What impressed me most were her dedication and her faithfulness to her job.  She had no supervisor glaring over her shoulder, she had no foreman giving instructions, and she had no manager pointing out her assigned task for the evening.  Instead, she knew her responsibilities and she set about the task of making sure her job was done.  She knew people were counting on her to provide clean offices and classrooms that would help us do our jobs better.  All the while, this lady worked knowing that very few, people, if any, would take notice of her or her faithfulness to her task. However, the absence of praise and appreciation did not phase her.  She faithfully worked until her job was done.

What a wonderful picture of faithfulness this woman provides.  Sometimes God calls us to work during the night, in places that are unnoticed, unimpressive, and seemingly unimportant. He calls us to perform tasks that seem so trivial and menial.  We wonder how our efforts in these endeavors can ever achieve great things for God and further His kingdom.  God, however, sees things from a completely different perspective.  All God wants from us is our availability and our faithfulness to the task to which He has called us.  The task may be large or it may be small, but whatever it is, God has assigned and entrusted it to us.

In Matthew6:4, Jesus speaks about the work we do in secret and he actually encourages it. “So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  This is a very important lesson and one we should consider carefully.  Jesus encourages us to give in secret.  So many times we read this as only pertaining to money.  However, the Lord does not limit himself to this one area of obedience.  He clearly states that we are to give (ourselves, our money, our time, our industry, our support, our caring, etc) in secret, so that we will not receive honor from those around us. 

When we perform these acts of obedience, God takes notice of our work.  He sees everything we do, He hears every prayer we pray, He counts every tear we shed, He understands every heartache we experience, and He feels every pain we feel.  There is nothing that affects us that does not also affect Him.  His promise to us is to reward us for our obedience to Him.  God promises He will bless us and that He will bring us closer to Him if we remain faithful to Him and obey His commands.

As I turned into my driveway, I thanked God for the lady who cleans our building.  Her task is to prepare the building so the rest of us can do our jobs.  I pray that God will use us to prepare the way for others who will lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Whatever we do for God, though hidden from the rest of the world, never escapes His notice. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 

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herever your place of service is today, I pray that you will remain faithful to the charge God has given you.  He has placed you exactly where you are for a reason.  He knows your faithfulness will lead to His glory.  Work for Him with all your might, receiving your praise from God and not from men.  When God calls us into His service He asks us one overriding question, “Can you keep a secret?”  Let us remain faithful to Him who called us knowing that when the time comes, He will reward us for our faithfulness to Him.

Briers In The Woods

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avid Bame was my best friend and my next-door-neighbor.  As little boys, we would get into all kinds of mischief.  We would climb trees, play in the ditch behind our houses, ride bikes together, and play in the woods every chance we had.  Although we lived in the city, there was a large wooded lot next to David’s house.  Today, that lot has been cleared and isn’t very big.  But when we were boys, that lot was Sherwood Forest, dark, dense, filled with all kinds of ghosts, goblins, and briers!

We used to spend hours in the woods, playing, talking, planning, scheming, or just taking a walk.  The entrance to “the woods”, as we called them, was barred by a large brier bush.   I hate briers, and I remember more than one occasion where I refused to enter unless someone held that brier bush out of my way.  I didn’t want to be stuck and this fear immobilized me and kept me outside the entrance, waiting for someone to make the way safe.

This job usually fell to David.  He would go first, making sure the way was all right, moving any debris out of the way, and he would hold the brier bush back until I was safely inside.  While we were there, we would play and have a wonderful time.  When it was time to leave, however, I found that the same fear of those briers returned, keeping me locked inside the woods, unable to leave.  David again came to my rescue, holding back the brier bush until I was safely on the other side of the entrance.

This all seems so far away now.  The woods are gone, David lives in another place now, and my fear of briers has completely vanished.  Oh, I still hate being stuck; but my fear of briers no longer keeps me from walking in the woods. 

I have found that there are other types of briers in life, ones that stick and pull and block my path.  These briers are much more foreboding and much more painful than those found in that wooded lot so many years ago.  The briers of fear, uncertainty, unexpected loss, and every-day challenges continually fall across life’s path.  What I need is someone to walk ahead of me and hold back those brier bushes until I pass by.

Deuteronomy 1:29-31 assures me that there is someone who goes ahead of me and moves all the briers barring my way. “Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them.   'The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,  and in the wilderness where you saw how  the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.”

Can God make it any clearer to us than this?  Is there any doubt as to who loves us and cares for us?  Can there be any question after reading this promise as to who carries us, fights our battles, and holds our hand through the most difficult times in life?

God reminds the Children of Israel of their exodus from Egypt.  He points to the fact that he brought them out, that he continued to fight for them, that he carried them in his arms just as a father carries his son, and he continued to do this on a daily basis.  

That promise is ours today as well because God never changes.  This same God who made a way through the sea, this same God who fought all of Israel’s battles, this same God who appeared in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, is the very same God who fights for you today.  It is his arm that carries you through times of difficulty and it is this same God who walks before you and holds back all the briers blocking your path today.

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  never feared entering the woods because I knew David would always hold back the briers and I knew he wouldn’t let them harm me.  How much more will God do the same for us today?  Are you walking a thorny path today?  Does it seem that the way ahead is covered over with briers and vines?  Look ahead, just up the path, and you will see your Heavenly Father clearing your way and bidding you to walk safely ahead.  No fear!  No struggle!  No briers!    

Break Those Beans

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reen beans are my favorite vegetable, especially when they’re fresh.  When I was growing up, our family had a vegetable garden every summer.  My dad would plow the field, sow the seed, stake the tomato plants, and wait for nature to take her course.  In a very short time, the plants began to sprout and before I knew it, I found myself in the garden, bent over in the bean row, picking beans.

 

Despite my protest, I found myself several times a week in the garden, always picking green beans.  Since they were my favorite vegetable, my mom said I should be grateful to pick them.  After all, I certainly didn’t mind eating them once they were on the table.  I just didn’t like picking them.  I guess you could say I suffered from the Little Red Hen syndrome, I didn’t want to work; I just wanted to eat.

Picking the beans was just the beginning.  After our work in the garden was over, we went home to string, break, and can the beans.  My job was breaking the beans into small pieces.  I didn’t like stringing them, and when I tried, I never got all the strings removed.  So, I sat with a large bowl on my lap, breaking the beans my mom and the other adults placed there.  As soon as I emptied the bowl and got excited about being through, someone would dump a large handful of beans into it and I had to start breaking all over again.  It seemed we would never finish with those beans.

Every time I asked to do something else, my mom would always say the same thing, Blake, break those beans!”  She kept telling me to keep my eye on the goal, fresh beans on the table, even in the winter.  This didn’t help much but I kept at my goal until we finished.  Later

during the year, my work paid off as we enjoyed fresh, canned vegetables throughout the winter.

                

There is a good application to the Christian life in this story from my childhood.  Much too often Christians take on too many responsibilities.  We want to be involved in every aspect of our church. Unless we have our hands in every church-related activity or unless we support every type of religious program, we believe we fail in our efforts to live a life pleasing to God.  As a result, we do many things but we do none of them well.

This was not David’s focus in Psalm 27:4.  On the contrary, David suggests that a directed, focused, approach in seeking God provides the greatest reward.  “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”  David’s goal is clear.  The entire focus of his life is God.  He does not seek to be a preacher; he does not intend to teach a Sunday school class, he is not interested in joining committees or being an active participant in every charity drive.  Instead, his focus is on dwelling in God’s house and gazing on his beauty every day of his life.

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 am not suggesting that preaching, teaching, or volunteering are bad pursuits.  However, it does seem that until our focus becomes God and God alone, we miss the point of the Christian life.  As long as we insist on selecting our place of service, the emphasis is on us.  When we shift our attention from what we want or what we think we should do to what God wants and what he thinks, we will find that life will take on a new perspective.  Jesus himself spoke to this point when Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping her. Jesus simply said, “but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42).  Yes, we only need one thing, to concentrate on God and his will.  Are you focused today?

Basic Requirements

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n my study hangs a large shadow box filled with various patches commemorating my journey through the scouting program.  All the badges are arranged in the order in which I earned them leading up to the highest level of achievement, the Eagle Scout patch and medal.

When I look at this display, I am reminded of all the work required to obtain that rank.  I remember each merit badge, each rank patch, and each skill award I earned.  At the time it seemed I would never finish the program.  Each time I   completed one level, it was time to start on another.  Each successive rank was more difficult and more challenging than the one before and sometimes I felt like giving up.

In order to move from one rank to the next, I had to fulfill several basic requirements laid out by the scouting organization’s handbook.  Each level required a certain number of merit badges, a certain amount of waiting, and a certain level of leadership.  In the upper ranks,

participation in a service project was also required, making it more challenging to obtain that rank.

I vividly remember looking at all those requirements and being overwhelmed by them.  It seemed as though they wanted me to do the impossible in order to earn a small piece of cloth.  Reading the requirements always required a decision on my part.  That decision was to continue or to bail out of the program.  Although it wasn’t always easy, I continued and completed all the requirements for the Eagle rank.

Sometimes in our walk with God, we fall into the trap of trying to earn our way into a closer relationship with him.  We become dissatisfied and seek to fulfill more “requirements” in order to obtain a higher rank with God. 

Fortunately, God doesn’t work like this.  His word does not lay out a series of requirements we must fulfill in order to gain his favor or to live a more holy life.  We could never do enough work to earn our salvation or to merit a relationship with God.  The Old Testament law was proof of that.  It was impossible to meet all the requirements of the law and to live a perfect life before God.  That is why Jesus came and died so that we could experience God’s grace and accept his gift of salvation.

But there are certain things we must do according to God’s word. “Aha,” you say, “I knew there was a catch somewhere!”  God only has three requirements, however, that we must follow and they are found in Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

First, we act justly when we live our lives and gauge our actions according to God’s word.  Every action, every motivation, every thought we have, and every word we speak must be in alignment with God’s word in order to be truly just. 

Second, we must be merciful.  Jesus himself said that if we would obtain mercy from God, we must show mercy to those around us.  God is merciful.  The fact that he sent Jesus to die for our sins and that he made a way for us to come to him and be his children is proof of his mercy and his justice.

Third, we must walk humbly with God. We do this by first accepting Jesus Christ as our savior and lord.  Then, we walk with God on a daily basis, remembering that we are saved by his grace and by that alone.  We cannot earn it, we cannot buy it, we cannot get it by our own efforts.  This keeps us humble before God, insuring the right heart attitude before him.

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hen we fulfill these three requirements, our reward is a wonderful relationship with our heavenly father.  He loves us so much, far more than we can even imagine.  He never intended for us to earn our salvation.  Instead, he wants us to accept his gift and to enter into a loving relationship with him today.  So, where are you in this process?  Can you fulfill the basic requirements or are you still trying to add patches to your collection?

All The Way Through

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aturday morning is undoubtedly one of the best things in life.  No alarm clocks, no busy schedule, and no running against the clock.  It’s a day of leisure, a nice pause at the end of the week, and a time to relax. 

 On Saturday mornings, I wake up later than usual and make my way to the kitchen.  I open the refrigerator and usually decide to cook myself a nice breakfast.  I pull out the eggs, the bagels, and the country sausage or bacon and get ready to have a good, old-fashioned southern breakfast.

Over the years I have learned to cook pork sausage over medium heat.  It is necessary to cook the meat slow so that it gets done all the way through.  Most men believe that there is only one setting for cooking—high! The problem with this approach is that only the outside of the meat gets cooked.  It gives the appearance of being done but in reality the inside is uncooked and can lead to unwanted illness. 

Now, what in the world does under-done sausage have to do with today’s devotional?  Actually, it has quite a lot to do with it. Jesus understood the dangers of appearing to be something that one wasn’t.  He knew that if we are to be God’s followers and children, then we must be his all the way through.  Unfortunately, sometimes we do a good job of appearing to be Christians on the outside while underneath we are very much under-done.

This was a lesson Jesus taught repeatedly to the Pharisees.  He chided them for their inconsistent life style.  He exposed their hypocrisy and chastised them for failing to uphold their position as the religious leaders of the people. He had no tolerance for those who were religious on the outside but who in actuality were only half-cooked on the inside.

In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus has this to say about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Needless to say, Jesus’ words were not very popular with the Pharisees and teachers but they were accurate. But Jesus wasn’t concerned about their reputations or their egos; he was concerned about their spiritual conditions and the witness they gave. He knew that if people followed their example, spiritual sickness and death would soon follow.  Outwardly they gave the appearance of total commitment to God but inwardly they were anything but godly. 

The message and truth of God’s love through his son, Jesus Christ, is a pure message.  It must be carried in pure vessels and shared from a pure heart. We cannot simply give lip service to being a Christian; we must back it up by the way we live.  Everything we do, say, and think, must give testimony to the fact that we belong to God.

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o, today, we must ask ourselves the following questions: Are we giving a pure and total witness for Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives?  Are we done all the way through or are we merely half-baked?

Air Freshener

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his past Saturday I was in the grocery store making my weekly purchases.  Not watching where I was going, I ended up on the aisle where the cleaning supplies were kept.  There were so many products to choose from.  There were different detergents for clothes, several brands of furniture polish, all kinds of bathroom and household cleaners, and air fresheners that could be placed throughout the house or used on the carpet with a vacuum cleaner.  I stood there for what seemed like hours just trying to take it all in.

What caught my eye and mesmerized me the most was the display of products for cleaning the air.  These came in solids, liquids, aerosol sprays, candles, and powders.  Sitting there on those few shelves seemed to be every scent known to man.  As I stood there looking at the array of products, my attention focused on the powders destined to be spread over carpet and vacuumed up with the dirt.  The vacuum cleaner sucked up the dirt and the powder but left a wonderful aroma behind. In a home, that pleasant odor serves as a reminder that the dirt has been removed and that everything in the house is clean. Isn’t it amazing what a small odor can tell you about a home and about the persons who live there?

The same is true in the life of the Christian.  We are constantly giving off a fragrance to those around us.  What does the fragrance of our lives communicate to others?  Does the aroma of our witness testify to the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood in our lives?  When people encounter us at work, in the shops, or anywhere in between, can they tell that we’ve been with Jesus?

The Apostle Paul in his second letter to the believers in Corinth addressed just this issue.  In 2 Corinthians 2:15, he writes, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  Three quick truths glare out at us from this passage.  First, Paul states categorically and with out reserve that our lives are a constant aroma before God.  The aroma our lives are to put forth is that of Christ.  We can only have his aroma if we follow him and spend time in his presence.  Yes, only in his presence can we ever hope to obtain his aroma in order to share it with all those around us.

The second truth is that we share the aroma of Christ among our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Who among us has not been in need and been encouraged and strengthened by a fellow believer?  Who among us has not given thanks to God that one of our brothers or sisters in Christ prayed for us or visited us in times of great need or distress.  They shared with us the aroma of Christ and reminded us that our source of strength was in Christ alone.

The last truth is that we spread the aroma of Christ among those who are not saved.  People may receive the odor of our lives long before we have the opportunity to speak to them.  Through our actions and our attitudes we demonstrate our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  The way we lead our lives is in itself an aroma noticed by the world.  Paul is clear; we are to share the aroma of Christ with unbelievers, encouraging them by our actions and demonstrating the power and love of Christ in our daily lives.

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o, are you giving off a pleasant aroma today?  When people meet you do they see evidence of Jesus in your life?  Do your actions and your attitudes provide an inviting odor to those who are seeking Christ?  Is your life a source of strength and encouragement to those serving Christ?  Paul reminds us that our lives must give off the aroma of Christ.  What does the aroma of your life say about your relationship with Jesus today?

A Talk In The Garden

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 remember my dad telling me on more than one occasion that you are nearer to God in a garden than in any other place on earth.  It is in a garden that you really understand how patient God has to be with us.  Look how long it takes plants to grow and the constant care they require in order to mature and produce fruit.  If plants require that much attention and care from the farmer, just imagine how much more love, care, and attention God lavishes on us as He grow us toward spiritual maturity.

There is another lesson, a much harder one, the garden also teaches us.  That is learning to accept and pray for God’s will.  Anyone who has ever worked a garden knows the frustration and the disappointment of receiving too little rain.  I have seen my dad work in a garden—staking tomato plants, pulling weeds, plowing around plants—all the while waiting for and praying for rain with no results.  It almost seems God shuts His ears to our requests and our circumstances grow worse instead of better.  Then, one day, the heavens open up and send down rain, just in the nick of time. 

This sounds familiar in our spiritual walk as well doesn’t it?  We go to our knees before God and pour out our hearts to Him.  We bring our concerns for our families, our friends, our co-workers, our pastor, our churches, and ourselves before His throne.  We wet the bed with our tears and we pray with all our might for God to act and move in our behalf.  We then close the prayer by asking that God’s will be done. But do we really mean that?  Do we fully understand all that entails?

Jesus, himself, prayed this very kind of prayer.  In the Garden of Gethsemane he had a talk with God.  Jesus poured out his heart and was so full of agony that drops of blood fell from his forehead.  In unspeakable and incomprehensible agony he asked God for some other way to fulfill the plan of salvation.  Look at his request as recorded in Matthew 26:39, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."  Jesus prayed this prayer, not once, but twice that evening in the garden.  Jesus knew the difficulty of praying and accepting God’s will and in this prayer we find great encouragement to do the same.

In life’s garden there are many opportunities to talk to our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes we speak to Him of the goodness of His blessings on our lives.  Sometimes we bring requests to him on behalf of other people and at other times we bring heavy hearts and kneel before Him in silence.  But every time we come to Him, we must ask that His will be done.  This is difficult when we are facing unknown and trying circumstances.  When there seems to be no way out of a trial but to go through it, we still need to pray for His will.  God promised to be with us through every part of life; He never promised to remove all the obstacles so that life’s road would be easy.

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n the garden that evening, Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done.  This is the acid test of faith.  We must be earnest in our request for God’s will to be done, even when we don’t understand all that entails.  We must believe that God is in complete control and that He knows what is best for us because it is certain that we don’t know what is best for ourselves.  So, the next time you are in prayer, don’t be afraid to pray that God’s will be done in your life.  He will be with you in every situation, working to bring you to full maturity in Christ.  When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart with God?  When was the last time you had a talk in the garden with Him?  How about having one today!