Make Your Bed

One day, I was watching my mom as she cleaned the house.  We were in her bedroom and she was making the bed.  Intrigued, I asked her to teach me how to make the bed.  Little did I know that I would soon inherit this responsibility for my own room.  At the time, it seemed like the grown up thing to do.  I wanted to learn to make the bed, so, she taught me.  From that moment on, making my bed became my responsibility and it had to be done every morning, no excuses!  The novelty of making my own bed soon wore off as the reality that this was expected of me settled in!   

To this day, I still make my bed every morning.  Ok, Ok, almost every morning.  I hope my mom is proud of me for listening to at least one thing she tried to instill in me those many years ago. I'm still working on keeping the space beneath my bed from becoming permanent storage.  Sorry Mom, I AM trying!!  Some lessons just take a little longer to learn!! 

Today's scripture comes from one of my favorite Psalms.  In this popular psalm, David speaks of God's presence and his care for his children.  David, of all biblical characters, knew what it was like to have a close relationship with God.  He understood and enjoyed an intimacy with God that is rare among believers.  It's not that this relationship is impossible, it's just that few of us actually pursue God to the same extent that David did. 

In Psalm 139:8 David writes, "If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there." Why, you may ask, did I choose this particular verse?  Why not address other, more positive ideas present in this psalm?  I chose this verse because I believe it makes one of the most assuring and positive claims in scripture. 

I have had many opportunities to make my bed in different places in the world.  I have made my bed in Australia.  I have made my bed in New Mexico, in Texas, in North Carolina, in Georgia, and several other states.  For two years I made my bed in France and I have also made it in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland. On several occasions, I have made my bed in hospitals as a patient and every time, I have found David's statement to be true. There has been no place I have visited where God was not.  

While living in France, God was there.  He provided shelter, food, clothing, and medical attention when I needed it.  He traveled with me to Italy when I made my bed in Rome and spoke to me of the cost of being a disciple as I visited the great Coliseum.  In Germany, I slept in the city of Munich and visited the concentration camp at Dachau, and God was there. 

Wherever I have made my bed, wherever I have lived, wherever I have visited, God's presence has been with me.  He has never abandoned me and he never will.  When David spoke of making his bed in hell, he did so to demonstrate that even in the most remote places and in the most adverse circumstances, God is there.  He knows where I am, he sees what I am doing, he is aware of my needs. 

No matter what the circumstances, no matter what the difficulties, no matter what the assignment, God bids me to make my bed in his presence and to sleep there in peace.  David, who penned the words found in our lesson today, also wrote these words in Psalm 4:8, "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."  This morning as you start your daily routine, remember to make your bed.  No matter where that is, God is there, watching over you, keeping you, guiding you, remembering you, and loving you today!!

Getting Away

T

here was once a young housewife who had experienced one of those weeks.  It had been Monday for five days straight and on this particular day, everything imaginable had gone wrong.  It started with the alarm clock not ringing at 6:00 a.m.  She awoke at 7:30 to a crying baby and a husband who was still snoozing with an 8:30 appointment with the boss looming over him.  The dog had decided to turn over the trash can in the kitchen, she burned the toast, and the hot water heater went on the blink again.  After this, her morning got progressively worse and by the time her husband came home and asked, "What's for dinner?" she was ready to blow her cool.  All she wanted was to get away.  She had this dream of getting into the car and driving until she ran out of gas; and she would have done this were it not for the fact that the car was in the garage with two flat tires and no gas in the tank!!

Wow what a day!  Nevertheless, I'm sure all of us can identify with this poor woman.  We've all had days, even weeks, when everything didn't go according to plan.  At times like this, we've all wanted to escape, to go somewhere quiet, a place where no one can find us, where the doorbell doesn't ring and the telemarketers can't reach us. 

The disciples experienced a time such as this.  Jesus had sent them out to teach and cast out evil spirits.  No doubt, they encountered days which were tiring and situations which were anything but pleasant.  There must have been times they were completely worn down and wanted to get away from it all.  When they returned and reported to Jesus all they had done, he said what had to be perhaps the most wonderful words they had heard in quite a while "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). 

Jesus knew exactly what they needed.  The Christian life can get too cumbersome and too filled with activity.  The disciples had been doing ministry, but even ministry gets in the way of our resting with God.  Notice that Jesus asks them to go away with him to a quiet place to rest.  Isn't this just like God?  Just when we can't go another step, when we can't take one more test, just at that moment he takes us to a quiet place. 

How long has it been since you visited a solitary place with God; a place where it was just you and he with nothing before you but time to rest?  God knows we are dust and he knows we need rest.  Rest is not laziness, it is restoration.  Today, if you are having another "Monday", listen to the voice of Jesus.  He is asking you to come away with him to a quiet, solitary place where you can rest.  Not only rest for your body and mind, but rest for your soul as well.  Can't you hear him saying, "Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"?   

Just Around The Bend

"N

ot much farther", Thomas told himself.  "The cabin has to be ahead, just around the next bend."  He had been hiking for what seemed like days, though in actuality, it had only been since early morning.  Yet, as the evening approached, Thomas knew he had to find shelter before dark and before the heavy thunderstorms predicted began.  He looked at the map again.  All indications pointed to a cabin, very close to his location, where he could find shelter and food for the next several days until he was rested and the storms subsided.

The trails he had taken earlier in the day had been very difficult.  His legs, feet, and back were tired and hurting.  All he wanted was to rest.  He imagined the cabin would be a rickety shack with a dirt floor.  There would be some dehydrated food and water for him to nourish himself and there would be a dry place where he cold roll out his bag and sleep.  He tried to keep his mind focused on the cabin, and even though the accommodations would be less than deluxe, he could rest and regain his strength.

Finally, Thomas reached the bend in the road and there, not more than one hundred yards a head of him, was the cabin, just as the map had indicated.  But the cabin was nothing like he had imagined it would be.  It was very large with a large, covered porch.  The back had a wooden deck and a place to relax and watch the nearby river.  Inside, he couldn't believe his eyes.  It was warm, dry, and clean with ample room to spread out.  There was food, real food stored there as well as a small kitchen, a refrigerator, and a small dining table.  There was even a cot provided and a radio powered by solar panels for contact with the outside world.  Never in his wildest imagination would Thomas have ever dreamed that such a place existed in this barren and seemingly forsaken place.

Although the foregoing story is not true, it does speak volumes to us about our walk with God.  The feeling Thomas experienced upon reaching this cabin must have reflected the same idea the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Paul is actually quoting from the Old Testament, Isaiah 64:4. 

Like Thomas, the road we take seems long.  Sometimes it appears that we have been walking it forever and that we will never reach our destination.  We look for a place along the way, just somewhere to sit, rest, sleep, and nourish our bodies.  We know that God provides resting places along the trail and our map (the Scriptures) even indicates to us where we find these areas.  But we imagine that these shelters will be sparsely supplied, and will serve only to meet the most basic necessities.

That is when God steps in and says, "Surprise, look what I have for you!"  The places that God prepares for us are beyond our scope of understanding.  Often we look at this passage from Corinthians and apply it to our heavenly home, a place we can't even imagine.  But I think God also means for us to apply this to our daily lives as well.  We can't see with our eyes, nor imagine in our hearts or minds all the things God has planned for us in our daily walk with him.  His provisions are always more than adequate.  Instead of dehydrated food, he supplies manna and quail; instead of stagnant water, he provides "streams in the desert"; instead of a hard patch of ground on which to sleep, he "makes us lie down in green pastures."  What a great and awesome God we serve!  So, if today, you are on a trail that seems very long and trying, if you, like Thomas, are looking for rest and shelter, read your map, follow the trail, and you'll find God's best waiting for you just around the bend.  

Coming Home

“Y

ou want to do what?”  I can still hear my father’s reaction when I proposed spending my junior year living and studying in France.  My college had a well-established year abroad program and several students took advantage of it each year.  Initially, my dad wasn’t too crazy about the idea but after much coaxing and cajoling on my part, he finally buckled, gave in, and I got to go.

I arrived in Europe on September 2, 1983 and began 10 months of study, travel, and new experiences.  It didn’t take me long to discover that a year abroad meant so much more than just seeing the Eiffel Tower or visiting Paris.  France was a completely different world with a different language, a different way of doing things, and different people who knew nothing about me.

Eventually, the novelty of being several hours from Paris, Rome, Munich, Geneva, Monte Carlo, and other famous places wore off.  Although I was able to adjust to the lifestyle and to master the language, I had this growing desire to return home and see my family.  As June 1984 approached I found myself getting more and more excited about the prospects of returning home and I began making my preparations.

Finally, the day arrived.  After a flight that lasted an eternity, I met my mom and dad at the airport.  My dad was the first person I saw and we hugged each other.  I will never forget that day.  The trip home went by very quickly while we caught up on the past ten months.  My dad did not take the most direct route to our home.  I didn’t think anything about it but when we crested the hill above our home, I saw a huge line of cars on both sides of the street. My mom said they decided to throw me a “little” homecoming party. 

I don’t know how many people were there but it was a wonderful surprise and a great way to come home.  All my friends and family members were there as well as food!!  I had forgotten how wonderful home cooking was, especially the taste of mom’s sweet tea!  What a way to come home!

Jesus told a similar story of a young man who also had a wonderful coming home party thrown in his honor.  He, too, had traveled abroad to live in a “far country.”  However, he didn’t go there to study or to improve himself in anyway.  Instead, he went as an act of rebellion, to prove to himself, to his father, and to others that he could live his life as he pleased.  He failed!

The attraction of the far land lost its allure for him.  He squandered his money and he had to find a way to earn a living.  He took a job, feeding hogs just to make ends meet.  Finally, he realized that he could go home and work for his father, so he packed his bags and left.

As he turned onto the road leading to his house, his father spied him.  His dad, it seems, had been looking forward to this day for a long time.  Let’s look at this father’s reaction to this son who returned home in shame and disgrace.  Luke 15:20b says, “"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

Surprised?  Instead of scolding this young man, instead of telling him, “I told you so,” and instead of giving him a lecture, this father runs to him, kisses him and welcomes him.  And that’s not all, he throws one heck of a coming home party to celebrate his son’s return.  It didn’t matter that the boy had rebelled or that he had gone far away and lost all he had.  All that mattered was his return.

Do you know of a better picture of God than this?  Before accepting Jesus Christ, we all live in the distant country of sin.  One day, sin loses its allure, we wake up to discover we are hungry with no means of feeding ourselves, and we decide to return home.  We find it impossible to believe God will forgive us and that’s when we get a big surprise.  He has been looking for us all along, just waiting for our return.  He runs to us, hugs us, kisses, us and throws one heck of a party because we have come back to him.  It is said that we can’t go home again.  Fortunately, this phrase is not in God’s vocabulary!  How long has it been since you’ve been home?

A Simple Request

J

im worked in the customer service department of a popular national retailer.  His job was simple:  listen to the customer, assess the problem, and make the customer happy.  Those three steps seemed so easy in theory. However, in practice, they were quite difficult to perform.  The entire process hinged on the first step, listen to the customer.  Fortunately, this was not a problem for Jim.  He had the reputation for being one of the most patient managers in the store’s cadre of employees and his fellow workers also knew him to be one of the best listeners around.  In fact, on more than one occasion, they had called Jim aside and asked his advice about some difficulties of their own and they had found him to be just as patient and understanding with them as he was with the customers.

Unfortunately for Jim, customers rarely made it easy for him to listen to their concerns.  They were either angry because something hadn’t gone right, or they felt they had been treated unfairly and singled out by the store, and sometimes they just wanted to complain.  When they tried to state their problems or concerns, they used vague terms and they never came out and directly stated the nature of their difficulty. 

Jim’s personal favorite was a man who wanted to return a rechargeable screwdriver he had received as a birthday present.  The screwdriver wouldn’t turn and the man was irate.  He told Jim the screwdriver wouldn’t do its thing.   He continued by saying that the little things wouldn’t fit anything and that the big thing wouldn’t turn around.  Moreover, the whatchamacallit wouldn’t close right and he thought the whole thing was just one gigantic rip-off.

After ten minutes of this conversation, Jim finally asked the man what he wanted him to do.  The man told Jim he didn’t care what he did as long as the man got satisfaction.  This left Jim in somewhat of a quandary.  He had listened to the man, he had assessed the problem, and he was attempting to make the man happy.  However, he was being unsuccessful on all three fronts.  Finally he was able to learn that the man had failed to initially charge the screwdriver (it wouldn’t turn), he was using the wrong bits on the wrong screws (the little things would fit anything), and the main shaft wouldn’t turn because he had failed to unlock the safety catch (the big thing wouldn’t turn around)!  Once he was able to decipher the problem, he told the man how to operate the screwdriver and showed him that it would work.  The man left feeling much better.  Jim, however, was exhausted.

There were only five minutes left in his shift and Jim couldn’t wait to get home.  That’s when he heard a soft, gentle voice behind him.   Turning around, he saw an elderly lady leaning on a walker, holding a small cooking dish with a broken lid.  She was looking at the clock and realized it was only five minutes before closing.  She had been in line throughout the whole ordeal with the previous customer and wanted to know if Jim would help her.  She knew he could help her; but she wanted to know if he would. 

What a difference that request made.  The lady had waited patiently at the end of the line.  She knew what her problem was and she knew that Jim could help her.  However, after working with the man with the screwdriver, she wanted to know if he would help her.  Jim’s heart melted.  He looked at the lady, gave her a seat, took her cooking dish, and he went and got her a new one.  She was very happy and grateful that Jim had listened, that he had assessed the situation, and had met her need.  She went home very satisfied indeed.

So often, when it comes to our prayer life, we are like the man with the screwdriver.  We don’t get what we want, or what we get doesn’t work the way we want it to, and the first thing we do is to treat God like the manager of the complaint department in a retail store.  We show up to our place of prayer, we get on our knees, we collect our thoughts, and then we proceed to tell Him every negative thing we can think of in regards to our situation.  Seldom, if ever, do we thank Him for what He’s done for us in the past.  Seldom, if ever do we ask Him to help us.  Instead, we just want to know how He intends to fix our problem and how He can prevent this type of thing from happening again.  We want God to listen to us and to fix every problem we have.  What we want is satisfaction, to receive our due, and to make sure that we get everything we have coming to us.

Fortunately for us, God is a good and patient listener.  He has to be because we don’t know how to approach Him in prayer.  We bring a whole litany of requests and complaints with us to the place of prayer.  We spend all our time laying out our requests and demands before God and most of the time they aren’t worded in any coherent way.  We just expect that God will understand what we are saying and give us what we want!  How arrogant we are!  God is not in the business of filling out order forms! He is after a relationship.  In a relationship two people relate, they don’t berate.

The elderly woman with the broken cooking dish exemplifies the way we must come to God in prayer.  She had a problem she couldn’t fix and she wanted to know if Jim would help her.  She never questioned that he could help her, but she wanted to know if he was willing to do so.  Jesus had a similar experience with a man afflicted with leprosy.  Mark 1:40-41 records the following story: “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!”

So simple, yet so profound.  This man, afflicted with a horrible disease, cut off from society and from the love of other people, knew how to pray.  He got on his knees, and he pleaded with Jesus to heal him.  He knew Jesus could, but asked him if he would.  How much different would our prayer lives be if we adopted this attitude?  How much more willing would God be to hear us if we approached Him in our weakness rather than in our arrogance?  How much more sensitive do you think God is to those who are humble and meek than to those who are proud and demanding?  We are able to approach God like this; but are we willing?

A Lot Of Shaking Going On

O

n February 28, 2001 an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richer scale shook the city of Seattle Washington.  There was extensive damage in several areas of the city and several thousand people were without power.  There were minor injuries and at least one fatality due to the quake, but it could have been much, much worse.

At times like these, people seem to ask very difficult questions.  Where is God when things like this happen?  Why does he allow innocent people to die or become injured? These are all good questions, but ones which have no immediate answers. However, I believe the real tragedy lies in the fact that people only seem to concern themselves with God's existence when catastrophic events occur. Yet, they only speak about his unwillingness to stop these events from happening. Rarely, if ever, do they stop and thank him for his protection and guidance on a daily basis.

Did you realize that earthquakes happen every day?  Perhaps not on a global scale, but certainly on an individual one. Emotional crises, financial difficulties, relationship problems, illnesses, -- all of these rock our world.  It seems that our very foundations are shaken and we experience great turmoil and upheaval in our lives.

The writer of Psalm 43, from where we take our text today, seems to understand what it feels like when the underpinning of life collapses. When everything we hold dear, and all we deem important is torn from us, what is left to hold on to?  The Psalmist's answer is clear and confident.  We hold on to God. 

In the opening verse of this Psalm he writes, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 43:1) Not only does God provide shelter and safety during the cares of life, he is always near us. The writer continues his praise by saying "Therefore, we will not fear, thought the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah."

There is that word again, Selah, meaning stop and think about what has been said.  When everything goes wrong, when the foundations are shaken, when everything falls away from us, our God stands. He is with us and he is for us. Though everything known to us collapses, God remains and because he remains, his promises always hold true.

As the people of Seattle began putting their lives and their city back together, they provided an example of a great biblical truth. At any moment our lives can be altered and changed. We never know what may come our way. However, we do know that God remains unchanged and his love for us is unalterable.  "Therefore, we will not fear because the "Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress." Selah!!

Across The Miles

T

hanksgiving 1983 will be indelibly etched in my mind as the only Thanksgiving to date that I was unable to be with my family.  From September, 1983 until June, 1984 I lived in France, studying at a university there with over twenty fellow college mates.  We went to Europe as part of our college's Junior Year Abroad study program which emphasized living in a foreign country to learn the language, its people and its culture.  Spending this Thanksgiving away from family taught me many things I might not otherwise have learned.

In order to celebrate the holiday, our director had taken the liberty of pre-ordering all the ingredients we would need to prepare a Thanksgiving feast.  We decided to invite our host families and professors for a little taste of Americana, à la française!!!  We cooked turkey, made dressing, prepared the vegetables, and we even had a recipe for pumpkin pie.  We had a wonderful time and, I think, our French guests did as well.

Just prior to this holiday, I received several cards and letters from family and friends back in the States.  Each of the cards and letters wished me a Happy Thanksgiving and expressed thoughts and prayers for me while I was absent from my family.  One card in particular stands out in my memory.  This card came from the parents of a very good friend of mine at college.  Across the front of the card appeared the words, Across The Miles at Thanksgiving!  I thought it was the neatest card because it stressed to me that no matter the distance, family and friends were still very much a part of my life and still connected to me.  Earlier that day, my parents and I had Thanksgiving on the phone and, although somewhat awkward, it was a good holiday because for the very first time, I knew what it was to be truly thankful for all I had.

As I hung up the phone it occurred to me that, even though my family was thousands of miles away, we were inseparable.  The distance made me no less their son and brother as it made them any less my parents and siblings.  This must have been the sentiment Paul was conveying to the believers in Rome.  The eighth chapter of Romans is a wonderful and powerful chapter.  Today's scripture verses come from there and remind us very plainly how near God is to us.  Paul writes, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."(Romans 8:38-39)

Presently, we are in this world and we may wonder where God is at times?  When difficult circumstances surround us, He is there.  When emotional stress and strain weigh down on us, He is there.  When we are pressed by financial worries, family challenges, the loss of a loved one, or health problems, He is there.  At no time in our walk with Him is God ever separated from us.  At no time is He unaware of the circumstances and obstacles we face.  At no time, does anything, and I do mean anything, touch us without His knowledge or approval.  That is how precious we are to Him.  That is how much He loves us.

In France that year, I learned the true meaning of Thanksgiving.  Although I longed for home, my circumstances would not permit it.  However, I was able to make contact with my family and express my love for them.  I was also able to share our traditions with new friends and explain to them the true meaning of thanksgiving.  Psalm 100 admonishes to enter into God's gates with thanksgiving.  Although we are not home yet, we can still express thanksgiving to God for all he has done for us.  We can make contact every day with Him and we have many opportunities to share His love with those around us. 

So today, as you continue your walk with God remember that no distance too great, no mountain too steep, no challenge too difficult, no request too large, no gulf too wide will ever keep us from our Heavenly Father.  We have His word on it!

A Bottomless Cup Of Coffee

I

 arrived in Fort Worth in 1997.  Several weeks after beginning seminary and getting situated, a few of my new friends and I began exploring our new city, discovering the many things it offered in terms of restaurants, entertainment, and shopping.  One evening, we decided to go downtown for a leisurely stroll and a visit to a coffee shop.  We selected a shop in the center of town that had several tables outside.  We went in, ordered our coffee, paid our bill, went outside, and had a wonderful time talking and people watching.  We enjoyed ourselves so much, that we began doing this on a regular basis, usually on Thursday evenings.

Texans love their coffee, and, being firm believers that one should do as the Romans when in Rome, we followed suit.  Soon, however, our visits to the coffee shop began to cost a little more than was in the budget.  We enjoyed the fellowship, we enjoyed the coffee, but we didn't enjoy straining our budgets to the limit.  So, one afternoon, one of the guys told us about a different coffee shop not far from downtown.  Not only was it larger, having plenty of space on the inside, there was also ample space outside to sit, relax, and visit.  Moreover, the management didn’t rush its customers; but encouraged them to stay as long as they wanted.  They even provided games, a reading room, and musical entertainment on the weekends.  Plus, their hours were more generous, closing later than their competitor.

We decided to visit this little place to see for ourselves.  Sure enough, everything we heard was true.  The atmosphere was inviting, the coffee was superb, the desserts they offered were wonderful (with true "Texas-sized" portions), and the employees were great.  But what really impressed us the most was the fact that you could pay $1 and get a bottomless cup of coffee.  For one price, you could have all the coffee you could drink. Needless to say, we were hooked and adopted this place as our very own.  The management further assured customer loyalty by encouraging its clients to bring their favorite coffee mugs and leave them.  They provided a rack for this purpose so when you entered, you simply took your mug off the shelf, paid $1, and settled in for an evening of relaxation and conversation.

The work of Jesus Christ resembles very closely our attempt to find a coffee shop.  Now, please bear with me here. I am not trivializing the work of Christ on the cross.  Before the coming of Christ, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat.  He did this to cover the sins of the people.  However, this sacrifice was only good for a year, forcing the high priest to perform this ritual repeatedly.  Throughout the year, the people performed other sacrifices for various aspects of their lives.  Soon, they came to understand just how expensive sin was.  The price for sin was beyond their means and no matter how often they sacrificed, each time they needed to approach God, they had to pay again by offering a new sacrifice.

When Jesus came, he did away with the sacrificial system.  By taking upon himself the cost of sin, he paid once and only once.  The writer of Hebrews stresses this important point by writing, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).  Now, there was direct access to God, Now, people could come to God without having to "pay" repeatedly.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ invited all mankind to come to God without the threat of constantly paying and without the worry of overstaying their welcome.  Instead, they found rest, peace, comfort, joy, and an endless supply of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love.  The relationship and fellowship they longed for was now possible.  All they needed to do was enter into the new covenant with God by accepting his son, Jesus Christ.

I continued to visit this coffee shop during my remaining years at the seminary.  Although my visits became less frequent due to a heavy schedule, each time I visited, I found the same system in place.  For one price, I had all the coffee and fellowship I wanted.  Each time, I was reminded, in a very tangible way, of the price Jesus paid for my sin.  All the promises of God, all his love, all his mercy, all his grace, and all his provision is mine because Jesus paid the price, once and only once, for sin.  Because of his sacrifice, I have direct access and no longer have to try and buy my way to God.  NO! For one price, I get it all.  What a great deal!  So, are you still paying for your coffee one cup at a time?  Wouldn't you rather have full and open access to God by asking Christ into your life? He is waiting for you to do that today!  The coffee shop is open, come on in!!

Through The Kaleidoscope

L

ike most people, I have several important things in my home that I simply will not part with.  Some of them I purchased on my trips to Europe.  Some I have come across in little shops or in out-of-the-way places.  Some of them are gifts from dear friends and others are moments captured with the aid of a camera.  But perhaps the most precious items are ones that my parents have given me over the years.

There is the clock that hangs in my living room which was a Christmas present from mom and dad.  There is the clock hanging in my bedroom which they presented to my brother and me as a house-warming present when we moved into our home on Oak Street.   There is the silverware in my kitchen that mom brought and when I moved into my first apartment. It is the same silverware I used growing up and I love it.  I also have my great grandfather’s ice cream scoop and the scoop my mom used to measure sugar when she made cakes.

There are several little knick knacks around the house that mean very little, if anything, to my visitors but they mean the world to me.  One of these items is a small kaleidoscope that resides on my coffee table.  Mom and dad found it in an antique store in Ohio and brought it back to me.  It is very simple, made of three mirrors joined together to form a triangular tube.  At one end is a piece of metal that securely holds one of four differently colored marbles that rest in holes cut in the wooden base that holds the kaleidoscope.

The marbles are very unremarkable.  One is blue, one is yellow, one is red, and one is light orange.  Taken by themselves they aren’t very inspiring but once placed in the end of the kaleidoscope, they spring to life with unimaginable shapes and patterns.  What was a few seconds earlier a commonplace marble changes into a vibrant splash of color that changes formations as the marble is turned around and around.

The secret of the kaleidoscope lies in its ability to make us see an image, not for what it is, but for what it can become when seen from another perspective.  This idea was not lost on Jesus.  In fact, when calling his first disciples, he saw them not for what they were but for what they could become.

In Matthew 4:18-19 we find these words, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  Here is Jesus walking along the shore when he spots two ordinary marbles, Peter and Andrew.  They have been fishing all of their lives and have earned their living from the sea.  They are like so many others who ply their trade on the Sea of Galilee.  But if we look closer at this passage, we see that Jesus sees so much more in these brothers than is visible to the ordinary eye.

Notice Jesus words, “I will make you…”  These men are fisherman, anyone can see that.  But Jesus sees so much more. He sees them not as fishermen, but as fishers of men.  When seen through the eyes of Jesus, Peter and Andrew are no longer men who catch fish; they are men who catch souls. What they can become is unimaginable to them but is crystal clear to Jesus.

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s it any different with us?  God sees deep into our hearts and souls.  He sees us not for what we are but for what we can become through a relationship with his son, Jesus Christ.  What may seem ordinary to us becomes alive once we are placed in Jesus Christ and our lives are viewed from God’s perspective.  Wherever you are in your walk today with the Lord, rest assured his plans for you are beyond anything you can imagine.  Only when we are placed in Christ can we ever fully reveal what is inside.  What does God see when he looks at your life today?  Are you willing to see yourself from his perspective?

The End Of The Line

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n the middle of a war, commanding a group of soldiers defending a strategic hill, is not where you would expect to find a college professor.  Flying bullets, exploding ordinance, and smoking cannons seem an unfit and poor substitute for chalk, books, and blackboards.  The safety and security of the classroom is the complete opposite of the danger and mayhem found on the front lines of a war and yet this is exactly the setting from which we draw our study from God’s word today.

The place was Gettysburg.  The date was July 2, 1863.  The man was Colonel Joshua Chamberlain from Maine.  His assignment was to defend a hill known as Little Round Top and to prevent the Rebel Army (the southern states) from capturing the hill.  Colonel Chamberlain was trained in the art of Rhetoric and also undertook seminary studies.  He chose to become a professor and this was his profession at the time of the Civil War.

 

His assignment at Little Round Top was simple.  He and his men were to stop the advancing Rebel army.  They were placed at the very end of the line, the extreme left flank of the Northern Army.  From this position there was no retreat.  From this position the enemy could break the line and inflict horrific casualties.  From this position, the entire Northern Army could be exposed if Colonel Chamberlain and his men failed in their assigned duty. Not a very inspiring place to be, is it?  But Chamberlain accepted the assignment with no questions and he performed his duty faithfully and admirably.

Ronald F. Maxwell captured this wonderful scene in his movie, Gettysburg, based on the book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.  The scenes of the battle show in vivid detail how the Southern Army tried several forward assaults only to be refused every time. Finally, with their ammunition spent and many of their number wounded, Chamberlain had a decision to make. He knew the enemy would advance one last time and he knew he had no ammunition with which to fight.  He knew he had to stand firm at all cost and hold that position.  He ordered his men to affix their bayonets and to charge forward in order to refuse the line.  His tactics worked perfectly and that day the battle for Little Round Top was won at the end of the line.

This scene is one with which the Apostle Paul would have been very familiar.  In fact, he was very familiar with it.  Paul knew that the Christian life is a battlefield where intense struggles and skirmishes are constantly being waged.  Paul also knew, as Chamberlain demonstrated much, much, later, that sometimes the best way to win a war is to stand firm, to hold our position, even if that means we are at the end of the line.

1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  Notice Paul’s first two sentences in this passage.  They leave little room for doubt as to his intended meaning and purpose. No matter where we are in our walk with God, no matter what the circumstances are around us, no matter what sounds we hear sights we see, we are to hold our ground and not yield.  God is on our side.  He is doing battle for us.  When the orders come to hold our ground, that is what we must do.  We must not give the enemy so much as an inch of ground or he will cause trouble and difficulty among the ranks.  We are to thwart his advances and refuse the line simply by standing firm upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.

Even when we feel as if we’ve been place at the end of the line and no one knows we are there.  Even when it feels and seems we are all alone with no help, no guidance, and no support.  Even when we have no knowledge of how the overall battle is going and it appears we are at the point of defeat.  God’s word is clear—stand firm!  He will not let you fall.  He knows where you are.  Every place on the line is important and every position is carefully surveyed by our Lord.  He knows where you are, He knows what you are facing, and He knows what you need to be victorious.  Remain in formation, dig in your hills, and stand firm.  The outcome of the battle is sure—we win!!

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herever you are today in the thick of battle, know that God is with you.  He has not forgotten you and He will never forsake you.  It doesn’t matter if you are at the head of the conflict, in the middle of the battle, or at the end of the line.  Every place is important.  Every skirmish counts.  And every soldier is always supported and accounted for!  Stand firm in Him today!

Yard Of The Week

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he sign in our neighbors’ front yard said it all.  As people drove by they would slow down to read the wording on the sign staked clearly in the center of front yard.  As they read the caption, they almost came to a grinding halt, causing somewhat of a traffic hazard right there on Main Street.  For those of us who lived in the neighborhood, the sign only confirmed what we knew to be true about the people living next door. It came as no surprise to us; no one was shocked by the display.  In fact, we were all quite pleased to see that everyone in our community had taken notice of something that was just par for the course to all who knew both our neighbors, Mom and Pop Jenkins and Mr. and Mrs. Buzzby.

I will never forget that morning.  It was late spring, warm enough to wear shorts but not yet warm enough to go barefoot, at least that what mom said.  Since it was Saturday, I got an early start, not wanting to waste any of my precious free time from school staying inside.  I wanted to be outside so I got dressed, threw open the front door, and out I went.  As soon as I stepped down from our front porch I saw it, and from the number of cars riding slowly by, I wasn’t the only one taking notice.  Right there in Mom and Pop’s front yard was a big sign with the words, “Yard Of The Week” prominently emblazoned across it.

For several weeks, one of the local clubs had been sponsoring a contest.  Several citizens in our community boasted spectacular yards complete with burgeoning flowerbeds and manicured lawns.  A quick drive through several neighborhoods left you with the feeling of being in an extended botanical garden.  In order to show its appreciation to these fine folk and to encourage other to follow suit, a contest was suggested and begun.  Each week a group of judges would ride around town and select a home with a gorgeous yard. The committee would then send one of its number to place the coveted “Yard Of The Week” sign in the yard before people started stirring.  It became quite the talk about town as who would win the award next.

A few weeks earlier, Mr. & Mrs. Buzzby, our neighbors across the street, had also been honored with this recognition.  Like Mom and Pop, the Buzzby’s yard was always beautiful and their rose garden was breathtaking.  No one was shocked when their yard was chosen either because their dedication and love for plants and flowers was evident in all they did. Mom and Pop were the same way.  They were always working in their yard even when they were into their 70’s.  I never knew a weekend when either Mom and Pop or Mr. & Mrs. Buzzby weren’t in their respective yards, pulling weeds, tending to flowers, or mowing grass.  It was simply a way of life.  The dedication to their yards was only a mere reflection of the kind of people they were.  Recognition or no recognition, sign or no sign, these people were totally devoted to keeping their homes and their yards in immaculate condition.

The writer of the book of Proverbs understood and appreciated the character of a person totally committed to an endeavor.  In Proverbs 22:29, we read these words, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”  There is both a condition and a promise in this passage of scripture.  First, notice that the man described is a man who excels in his work.  The character of this individual is one of discipline.  He sees his work as a gift from the Lord and views his work as an expression of worship to God.  Therefore, he does his best to make sure his labor is done with integrity, with discipline, and with love.

The promise inherit in this passage speaks of the recognition he receives for a job well done.  The man does not work for recognition, and that is the key to his success.  He is content to do his work away from the limelight, with no attention drawn to him, without receiving any reward for doing his work.  This is indeed rare in today’s society but I was fortunate to grow up on Main Street where Mom and Pop and Mr. & Mrs. Buzzby taught me this lesson on a daily basis.

As Christians, we must be content do work for Christ in the place he has given us.  There can be only one Billy Graham, there can be only one Charles Spurgeon, and there can be only one Dwight L. Moody.  Following the train of thought then, there can only be one of you!  Are you performing your duty for God diligently?  Are you content to work for Him at your desk, in your home, ironing clothes, or raking leaves?  Do you realize there are so many people watching your life and they see your dedication and your faithfulness not only to your job but to God as well?  Our character and integrity in performing a task always reveal the type of people we are underneath.

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he sign that day posted in Mom and Pop’s yard gave proved that others recognized their hard work and dedication.  But what is most worthy of note is that their yard looked the same years before the contest and years after it.  Mr. & Mrs. Buzzby’s, dedication, like that of Mom and Pop, was genuine with no need of a sign to affirm it.  This leads us to ask one question of ourselves today.  How dedicated are we in doing the Lord’s work today?  Are we working in such a way that the King would take notice of us?  The truth is He notices, whether we are dedicated or not?  I think it’s time I got back to work.  How about you?  

Water That Concrete

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he move to Texas brought with it many challenges, several surprises, and more than one eye-opening experience, not the least of which was looking on in shock and disbelief as people watered the foundations of their houses!  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but sure enough, in yard after yard, and from one house to another, various forms of soaking the concrete slabs supporting the houses were on display.

           

Now there is good reason for this.  In the summer months, Texas experiences very high temperatures.  My first full summer here, in 1998, saw temperatures reach 115+ in July.  When the temperature is this high and there is no rain in the forecast, or in the sky for that matter, the ground will naturally contract and crack.  This contraction will pull the dirt away from the foundation of a house, leaving large gaps between the earth and the concrete. This is not a good scenario because it leads to sinking and settling of the house’s foundation which can cause all types of structural problems.

In order to protect their homes and to prevent serious damage, the good people of Texas water their concrete slabs.  Actually, they keep the earth around the slab wet so it will not shift, contract, buckle, or pull away from the foundation.  The water that could be spent nourishing the lawn is instead applied to the foundation of the house, for if the foundation goes, so does everything built on top of it!

The application of this truth to the life of the believer is not very difficult to make.  The Scriptures speak very clearly about the importance of maintaining a solid foundation built on Jesus Christ.  Jesus himself illustrated this principle in the parable of the two houses that had radically different foundations.

But sometimes it seems that even when we care for our foundations, bad things still happen.  A brief perusal of any daily newspaper will be enough to convince you that the world is not the safest footing on which to build a life.  All around us it appears that life as we know it is being shaken to its very foundations, leaving huge cracks and fissures in society’s supporting structures.

King David felt much the same way about the day in which he lived.  He looked around him and felt that the very foundations of his life were being shaken.  He reflects these thoughts in Psalm 11:3-5, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.”

The opening statement of today’s passage may seem like a sigh of desperation and anguish of the soul.  Indeed, it is very perplexing at times to know you are squarely in the center of God’s will for your life and yet everything is falling apart around you.  On the other hand, those around you not concerned with spiritual matters seem to be plugging right along, enjoying the best life has to offer.  It can and does leave us frustrated beyond all measure, doesn’t it?

Yet, there is another way in which this entire Psalm can and should be read.  The footnote for this passage (please click on the link above and read the entire psalm) gives an alternate reading to be, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what is the Righteous One doing? The LORD, the Righteous One examines the wicked.”  What a different perspective this understanding lends to our reading today.  Please draw the encouragement intended here.  God is in complete control.  Nothing that happens in the world or to us personally escapes His attention and nothing takes Him by surprise.  God knows all about us and is well aware of everything touching our lives today, even when it seems He is nowhere to be found.

We need to commit the opening line of this psalm to memory and make it the bedrock of our walk with the Lord.  We must build our relationship with our Heavenly Father upon this foundation, a foundation we need to maintain and properly care for so our relationship with God is always solid with no cracks, buckles, or gaps.  Psalm 11:1 phrases it so well, “In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain.” 

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or the Christian, we too must water our concrete and we must do it daily, rain or shine, hot or cold, morning or evening.  We water our foundation every time we read our Bible, meditate on God’s word, and hit our knees.  It is the only way to ensure we are constantly on a firm footing with God.  Have you watered your concrete today?