Office Hours

T

he sign on my office door simply read J. Blake Carpenter, M-F 8:00– 5:00.  This information also appeared on our website and provided contact information for students in the event they needed to come see me for any reason.  The university required that I provide such information for students and that I made myself readily available during times when were not in class.  In addition, I also advised our language majors and minors so I saw a lot of people in the course of a semester.  The university did not dictate the times or the days for my office hours, it simply required me to have them.

During the course of a semester several of my students came by during the posted hours or made an appointment to see me.  Most of these meetings centered around a particular area of difficulty the student was encountering in class or revolved around questions about graduation, registration, or what courses should be taken next.  It usually took just a few minutes together to identify the problem, isolate the difficulty, and correct the student’s understanding so s/he could get on with his/her studies.

Some students liked to make an appointment, reserving a certain time slot so they knew they could see me.  At such a time, the student consulted his/her day planner, calendar, or smartphone and wrote himself/herself a note about the time and date of the meeting.  Just like clockwork, s/he showed up on time, we held our meeting, and all was right in the world!  Sometimes, students missed their appointments but I usually received a phone call, an e-mail, or an explanation as to why the appointment was missed.

Psalm 121:3-4 is all about appointments.  It may not seem so at first reading but if you take a closer look at these two verses, I believe you will understand that God makes Himself available to us at all times.  Much too often in the Christian life we want to make an appointment, juggling our personal schedules so we can grab just a few minutes here or there with our Heavenly Father.  We promise to get up earlier in order to spend more time with Him but invariable something happens and we find ourselves missing the appointment.  When this happens, feelings of guilt and embarrassment can creep into our lives making us feel uncomfortable because we didn’t keep our appointment with God.

Let’s take a look at this passage today and I think we will find words of great encouragement.  David’s words remind us that “He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” To me, the most beautiful part of this passage is found in the last four words.  In essence, the posted sign for God’s office reads “Sunday-Sunday, 24 hours per day.  No appointment necessary!! I am here all the time!” 

What an uplifting source of strength, what an encouragement for me to drop my day planner.  The God who keeps Israel, the God who spins everything in orbit, and the God who holds everything together is available to talk to me any moment of the day or night.  He is never “out to lunch”, He is never too busy, and He is never tired or on vacation.  God is always in the office.  I can come to Him anytime and He encourages me to do just that.  When was the last time you dropped by for an office visit with God?  This might be a good day to do just that.  I have no doubt you will find Him in the office, ready to meet with you today!  Drop that appointment book and knock on the door!

A Talk In The Garden

I

 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.

In 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!

Cut To The Chase

A

 few years ago some good friends gave me a little book that I just fell in love with.  The title said it all, “Ten Classics in Ten Minutes.”  True to course, the book is a compendium of classics like Moby Dick, Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and seven more classic favorites that have been reduced to one page or less. The book contained a companion CD with each of the classics read by the world’s fastest talking man.  Each classic takes exactly one minute to read albeit at break-neck speed.

My parents always accuse me of talking too fast.  Usually I end up repeating what I’ve said or my dad will tell me to slow down so he can hear what I have to say.  I simply tell him to listen faster but I somehow I end up repeating myself at a much slower pace.  It just kills me!!  But this guy is fast, I mean speed-of-light fast.  He successfully tells each story in one minute, boiling down an entire novel to just the bare essentials.  We call this cutting to the chase.

Would it surprise you to discover the Apostle Paul had occasion to share the entire of story of Jesus with a jailer but instead cut to the chase?  It’s true and if you have a copy of God’s word nearby, I invite you to open it to Acts 16:31, “They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

Paul and his companion Silas were put in prison for causing a disturbance in Philippi.  The authorities had them flogged and thrown into jail.  The jailer put their feet in shackles and placed them in the inner cell so escape would be impossible.  Later that evening, however, as they prayed and sang hymns an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison.  The jailer awoke and ran to the jail and upon seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword to kill himself.  Paul however stopped him, stating that all the prisoners were still present and accounted for.

That is when the jailer asked the most important question of his life, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).  Paul how had occasion to share the gospel with this man.  He could have started at the beginning, back when God promised Abraham that all peoples on the earth would be blessed through him.  He could have continued the story up to that present moment.  Instead, Paul just cut to the chase and told the man to believe in Jesus and he would be saved along with his household.

Sometimes we get overwhelmed at the prospects of sharing Jesus with other people.  We feel we must be a preacher, a missionary, or have a seminary degree in order to communicate the gospel effectively.  Yet, Paul, a very knowledgeable and learned man simply told the jailer to believe in Jesus.  This man did and his entire household was saved.

Isn’t it amazing what cutting to the chase can do for a person?  People today need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. They need to know that he came to forgive their sins and to give them eternal life.  This is such wonderful news that we shouldn’t take all day to share it.  Salvation, eternal life, and a relationship with the living God are all just one prayer away from those who have never accepted Jesus.  So today as you have opportunity to share with those around you who are wondering how they can have the peace and the joy you experience in your life, by all means tell them.  And when you do, it’s ok to cut to the chase!

Out Into Nothing

“L

adies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages….” The Ring Mater’s voice boomed from center ring and reverberated from the walls and ceiling of the Charlotte Coliseum where my parents had taken me and my brother to see the circus.  It was everything they said it would be.  There were animals from all over the world—my favorites were the elephants and the lions.  There were clowns, jugglers, fire eaters, magicians, and something I had never seen before nor expected.

High above the circus floor, flying through the air, defying all laws of gravity were acrobats.  I was mesmerized from the moment I saw them.  The Ring Master walked the audience through their entire performance, telling us about the impossible feats they were conducting high above our heads.  I remember shuddering with fear and excitement as these men and women sailed through the air, turning somersaults, hanging upside down from the trapeze, and trusting the other members of their troupe to catch them.  It was an amazing sight and one I never forgot.

The moment of truth, however, came when the Ring Master announced that one of the acrobats would be performing a difficult maneuver high above our heads.  He would swing out on the trapeze several times, do a combination spin/somersault, and land in the outstretched hands of his partner who would deliver him safely to the other side of the arena.  As if this weren’t adequately heart-stopping for the audience, this last feat would be performed without the added safety of a net!

The two acrobats began their performance.  The gentleman who would perform the maneuver began swinging back and forth, faster and faster, and higher and higher.  His partner also began swinging but he was not in sync with his partner.  From the ground, it looked as if the two would never be in rhythm and I became very worried.  How would the one acrobat catch the other?  Would he be in a position to catch him when he released the trapeze?  Would the other acrobat release the trapeze and trust his partner?  What would happen?

Finally, I got the answer to all of these questions.  The two acrobats approached each other.  The one performing the spin/somersault had his back turned to his partner.  He swung out, released the trapeze, performed the trick and landed squarely in the hands of his partner who delivered him safely to the other side.  The audience breathed a collective sigh of relief and applauded thunderously.  What was so amazing to me was not so much that one partner caught the other.  What impressed me as a young child was that the first acrobat, without being able to see his partner, had the guts to let go of the trapeze in the first place.

The Scriptures are filled with examples of men and women who exercised great faith, trusting God to catch them when they stepped out into nothing and had no net catch them.  This is the type of faith God wants us to have. It is the type of faith that only comes from experience, from learning that no matter how high the trapeze, no matter how out of rhythm life seems, and no matter how difficult the maneuver, God will always be there to catch us! 

But there is one proviso in all this, one requirement which we must meet, we must be willing to let go of the trapeze.  We cannot put our hands into the hands of God if our hands are full.  We cannot reach out and take hold of the things God has for us if we continue to hold fast to things in the past or present.  In order to experience God’s wonderful grace, in order to understand what it means for Him to care for us, and in order for us to truly know God in all His fullness, we must let go of the trapeze.  It’s just that simple.

In Luke 9:62, Jesus, himself, gives us this requirement for being servants in God’s kingdom, “Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Look at the first two words of this passage. The words no one are all inclusive, they leave no one out!!  In order to be servants in the Lord’s kingdom, we must let go of all we hold dear, be that a job, a home, a stock portfolio, a friend, or a family.  This does not mean God will take them from us, but we must be willing to release our hold on them so He can give us His best.

Like the acrobat, we must be wiling to let go of the trapeze, knowing there is nothing below us to break our fall.  With our backs turned, without the luxury of sight, without being able to hear, we must let go in faith, knowing God will catch us.  Has your walk with God prepared you for the moment when you must let go?  Are you ready and willing to let go of the trapeze today, to step out into nothing except the hand of God and experience the joy that comes from landing squarely in His arms? When you do, you will find that it truly is the “greatest show on earth” or anywhere else for that matter!

             

Hot Dogs At 2 A.M.

B

eing the first house on the block to own the latest gadget is one of the best feelings in the world.  It gives the kids bragging rights and they waste no time in informing the other neighborhood children what has happened at their house.  No sooner is the seal on the box broken than little Johnny is telling Tommy all about the new arrival.  The one-sided conversation goes something like this: “Guess what we’ve got at our house?  My dad just bought one of those new thingamabobs that does whatchamacallit!  (You fill in the blanks)  It cost a lot of money too! (The most important point of the whole conversation) I’ll bet you don’t have one! ” (This is the rubbing-salt-in-an-open-wound part of the conversation).

Yep, that’s pretty much the way it is and pretty much the way it was when my dad came home with one of the first microwave ovens.  Both my parents love gadgets (is it any wonder that places like Best Buy are my favorite haunts?) and when the microwave oven hit the scene, my mom said she’d like to have one.  I distinctly remember the day the oven was delivered.  It was huge and its box was even bigger.  That gave me more ammunition to use with the rest of the kids.  “Hey guys, guess what we’ve got at our house?  One of those new microwave ovens that cooks hot dogs in two seconds! (I admit I was a little over zealous but this was big news!!!) You should see the box it came in!  I’ll bet you don’t have one do you?” 

As time went on, I learned to be more discreet with my friends and with the sharing of family secrets!  The microwave, however, proved to be much better than I even imagined.  We could cook all kinds of things in a fraction of the time and anyone could use it.  That was the best part!  If I wanted a snack, I could just pop it in the microwave and voila, instant junk food!  This proved especially helpful on Friday and Saturday evenings when the cool thing to do was watch TV until two in the morning. Why everyone did this I don’t know, but it was cool!  I would visit the refrigerator, rummaging around for something to eat and I would find a hot dog.  I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and in no time at all I had a great snack to tie me over until breakfast!

What amazed me most was the change in the hot dog.  When I removed it from the refrigerator, it was cold and unappealing.  But when I placed it into the microwave, a wonderful change occurred.  What I took out of the microwave was not what I put in!  The hot dog had been thoroughly cooked.  It was sizzling, its color had changed, and it smelled wonderful.  I wasted no time.  I dug right in and satisfied my hunger.  What a difference a trip to the microwave made.  What was unappetizing just moments before was now a gourmet meal!

If you think about it, the Christian life is much the same way. Now, I don’t mean that all your problems will be solved or that all your prayer requests will be answered in a matter of seconds.  That won’t happen.  What will happen, however, is that a great change will take place.  After an encounter with Jesus Christ, things can never be the same again.  Just like that hot dog I took out of the fridge and placed into the microwave, we will not be the same after coming to Christ as we were before we came to him.  One of the best places to see this in the Scriptures is with the story of Lazarus, a man Jesus raised from the dead.

John 11:43-44 is the crux of this story, “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." You want to talk about instant change?  Lazarus entered the tomb a dead man. On top of all that he had been in the grave for four days.  But after a few seconds with Jesus, everything changed.  Life returned to Lazarus’ body and he walked out of that grave.  Notice the last sentence of this passage.  When we enter into a relationship with Jesus, the former things of life have to go.  Lazarus was no longer dead so the grave clothes and strips of linen had to be removed. He was freed from his former condition (death) in order to embrace the change Jesus brought to him (life).

This still happens today.  Outside of Christ we are cold and lifeless.  We exist but we do not live.  Nothing about life is appealing or even appetizing.  As long as we remain outside of Christ, as long as we refuse to accept him and his salvation, we are useless.  But once we accept him, once we turn our lives over to him, and once we let him change us from what we were to what he wants us to be, we can never be the same again.  Just like the people who witnessed Lazarus’ return to life and just like the kid whose parents have a new gadget; we can’t wait to tell everyone about it. 

One last thing about that microwave, it was ready to do its job at any moment of the day or night.  All I had to do was place whatever I wanted to eat inside.  Nice parallel isn’t it?  Jesus is ready all the time to change our lives and to help us when we need him—and we need him all the time!  But we have to make the choice to put ourselves inside so he can change us.  Isn’t it amazing what you can learn from hot dogs at 2:00 a.m.?  Have you used the microwave lately?

Dimmer Switch Christianity

O

ne of the most exciting events about refurbishing our home was turning on the lights!  We had worked for several months replacing all the old, tattered wiring with new copper wire placed safely in aluminum conduit.  Finally, when all the conduit was in place and most of the wire was threaded, we made the connections, took a long extension cord, and “plugged” the house into the temporary electrical service installed for this purpose.

I will never forget our excitement as three or four lights suddenly sprang to life.  Where once the house had been in total darkness, it was now bathed in bright spotlight.  This meant we could now work during the day or night finishing the restoration, transforming the house into a comfortable living space.

Later, when the house was completed and we put in all the light fixtures, we installed dimmer switches in the bedrooms.  This allowed me to adjust the amount of light in my bedroom according to my mood.  Reading a book, writing, or studying required all the available light the lamps could muster.  However, listening to soft music, taking a nap, or just relaxing, meant less light or no light was needed and I adjusted the lights accordingly. The dimmer switches worked wonderfully and allowed me to control the amount of power flowing so the room became as bright or as dark as I wanted.

Unfortunately, we often apply the principle of the dimmer switch to our walk with God.  We tailor our witness to reflect the mood of the person with whom we are sharing our faith or the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Instead of sharing from our hearts, we step back and worry how we will be received and we adjust our witness so as not to offend or cause discomfort.

 

Too often we water down our testimony or we refuse to speak about Jesus at all because we fear being rejected or ridiculed for our beliefs.  In essence, we dim the light of our witness, trying to control just how much of Jesus others can see in us.  At times we shine so brightly while at others, the light hovers just above a slight glow.  The result is an inconsistent witness, one that is different for different people and circumstances.  This simply must not be!  Jesus has not called us to take a dimmer switch approach to sharing the gospel.

In Matthew 5:15-16 we read, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7.  In this sermon, Jesus explains his ministry and brings new insights and understanding to the Law given through Moses and the way in which the believer is to conduct himself in his relationship to God.

The verse tells us very plainly that our witness is to be very bright, using the full power of Christ to share God’s love and salvation with all those around us.  Dimmer switch Christianity is not an option!  Jesus never selected his words or represented the power of God’s love in order to reflect a mood.  He spoke the truth to everyone he met and his witness was always the same no matter the person or situation.  This is what he has called us to do as his followers.  We must present the gospel at full power, never compromising its message regardless of the situation, person, or our mood at the time.

Are we shining examples of God’s love, mercy, and grace today?  Are we allowing our lights to shine full force in the darkness, drawing others to God and His son, Jesus Christ?  When we flip the switch to the “on” position, is it evident that the love of God burns brightly within us or do people have to search very hard to find it because we are using a dimmer switch?  Are we practicing dimmer switch Christianity today?

How About A Little Fruit Salad?

M

y grandmother loved fruit salad. Every time we had a family gathering, we could always depend on her to provide one of her famous fruit salads.  That fruit salad was more popular than any of the desserts lined up on her counter and no family gathering was complete without it.  

I can remember standing in line behind my uncle, cousins, and other family members, waiting for my chance to dig into the fruit salad.  Although I worried it would all be gone by the time I reached the bowl, there always seemed to be an ample supply.  In fact, there was always some left over and we would take some home to eat later.

Not only was the fruit salad good by itself, but it was great over cake or ice cream.  Personally, I like it best over pound cake but I’ve been known to eat it over vanilla ice cream as well.  We just couldn’t get enough of it and the more we talked about it, the more we bragged on it, the more grandmother made.  And, of course, the more she made, the more we ate! In fact, we all asked for the recipe and we began making it for ourselves and for gatherings we attended.  No matter the occasion, that fruit salad was a hit every time and the bowl always came home empty!

Would it surprise you to know that the Scriptures have much to say about fruit salad?  Its true! This salad, like grandmother’s, is very popular and one that everyone loves to eat.  The recipe is very simple.  It has only one ingredient and everyone has it in the pantry!!  Interested? Let’s take a look at this very popular, very easy, but oh so dangerous fruit salad spoken of in the book of Proverbs!

In Proverbs 18:21, King Solomon gives the following recipe for fruit salad, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  Kinda makes you lose your appetite doesn’t it?  But Solomon is right on target.  Think about the number of conversations we hold on a daily basis. Now think how many of those conversations are spent discussing other people.  Ouch!!! Those raspberries are rather tart aren’t they?  How many times do we slander other people?  Watch out for those boysenberries (poison berries)!

But let’s be perfectly honest!  We seem to love the stuff because we keep dishing it up, don’t we?  We gather around water coolers, get on the phone, pass notes, hold discussions over lunch, or even take time away from our families to discuss other people’s problems or circumstances.  All the while we operate under the false assumption that if what we’re saying is true, it ain’t gossip! 

Rubbish! It is always gossip and what we are saying is rarely the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! Solomon is very clear on this point.  Our tongues can bring life or death to another person or to ourselves.  We decide how they are to be used, to uplift or tear down.  But Solomon also gives us a sobering and solemn warning.  We better be able to eat what we’ve dished out on our plate.  The Scriptures are very clear, whatever we put on our plate we will have to eat!  Notice that the last part of the proverb is a promise.  We will eat whatever our tongues dish out.  The amount we eat is determined by our own tongues and most of us stay pretty hungry all the time!

So, the next time you eat fruit salad, stop and think for just a minute.  Do you love it enough to eat it all the time?  Given all the other things on the table to enjoy, would you simply settle for plate after plate of fruit salad?  I’d venture to guess the answer to those questions would be a no!  That being the case, ask yourself these questions:  How much fruit salad have I eaten today?  Do I really want another helping?   Only you can decide whether you will push away from the table or dish up more on your plate!  What will it be?

Straight To The Top

L

ike most people, Cindy did not appreciate getting the “run around”, especially when she was in a hurry.  The events of the last few weeks had proven overwhelming and everywhere she turned it seemed she ran into a dead end.

All she wanted was an explanation about a $2.00 “surcharge” on her phone bill.  It wasn’t the $2.00; Cindy could afford to pay that. Instead, it was the principle that bothered her.  Why did a charge appear on her bill that she had not authorized and had no indication that any new service had been offered for her account?

She started out calling the number printed on the statement for inquiries into billing issues.  She got a computer!  She waited and waited but no one ever answered.  A few minutes later she tried again but had the very same experience.

The next day she called reached a live voice on the other end but that person put her on hold while they discussed Cindy’s inquiry with a supervisor.  After 15 minutes of waiting, Cindy became frustrated and hung up the phone.

Later that afternoon, she tried again and was greeted with the cheery little computer voice assuring her that her call was important but due to heavy volume it would be a twenty-minute wait before someone could field her question.  That’s when the dam holding back all her frustration burst!!  She picked up the phone one last time and called the corporate office, refusing to hang up until she spoke with someone at the top who could answer her question.

Ever been there?  The world, for all its modern conveniences, is becoming less and less hospitable.  It takes forever to receive a response to even the smallest of questions and when the answer comes, it is always complicated and requires us to jump through a series of hoops.

In the Christian life, it is no different.  We get frustrated.  Friends, teachers, pastors, etc. sometimes can’t provide us with the answers we need and we become frustrated with them, with ourselves, and with God.

Cindy was frustrated and her frustration led her to take her question all the way to the top.  It should come as no surprise that the Scriptures tell us to do exactly that—take it to the top!

In Jeremiah 33:3 we read, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  God’s command here is simple.  We are to bring all our questions, all our frustrations, all our difficulties to Him, straight to the top!

Instead of digging through commentaries, countless books, or endless self-help remedies, God invites us to bring our questions directly to His throne where He promises to teach us.  The lessons we will learn there will be far and above anything we can imagine or hope.

Are you frustrated today?  Do you have something that just won’t give you peace?  If so, open your Bible, hit your knees, and take your issues straight to the top!  God is always open for business!

The Sun Is Moving

T

he window in my study faces east.  Each morning I sit at my desk and watch the sun rise over the houses in the neighborhood.  It is a peaceful time of day.  There is little movement, little noise, and very few people are up and milling about.  Slowly the sky turns from a velvety black to a deep shade of purple.  The first streams of light herald the approaching arrival of the sun and streaks of orange and yellow splash across the sky as the sun makes his entrance.  It is a spectacular sight—one without parallel and God does it every morning!

For the past several months I have noticed that with each sunrise, the sun moves just a bit further toward the north.  Since December, it has moved a good distance across the sky and on the 21^st of next month it will reach its most northern position.  At that time, it will start its long trek to the south, reaching its most southern point on December 21^st.  We use these two days to mark the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter respectively.  But the sun never stands still and continues its dance across the sky.

Now for those scientific types among you, you are well aware that the sun itself is not moving.  The movement of our planet along with its slight tilt gives the appearance of the sun’s displacement from north to south.  However, from our perspective, the sun does indeed seem to move, not only across the sky on a daily basis, but also across the sky throughout the year.  While we plough at breakneck speed through our days, we take little or no notice of this great light in the sky except to complain about the heat.  We never give it a moment’s thought or stop in awe at the immense power of that light nor the one who created it.

But in the book of Joshua there is a passage that reminds us just how powerful, just how awesome, and just how wonderful our God is.  Joshua 10:12-14 records the following miraculous occurrence: “On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!”

Wouldn’t you have loved to have seen that!  I love the last two sentences in this passage.  There never had been a day like that in history.  Notice that God listened to a man, Joshua, and did what he asked.  Doesn’t that make you stop and think what kind of relationship Joshua had with the Lord?  Doesn’t it make you stop and reflect upon your own relationship with Him?  On that day, God listened to Joshua and He who made the sun, the moon, and all there is fought for Israel.  Is the one who causes the sun to move and stand still fighting for you today?  If you belong to Him, its as sure as sunrise and sunset!  Have a great day!

Under The Covers

T

he blanket on my bed is one of my best friends.  Now it may seem odd to you that I have befriended a blanket but we have a very close relationship!  Each night I stretch the blanket over my bed and hop it.  The weight of that blanket reassures me and gives me a wonderful feeling of security and protection.

Whether in January or in September, the blanket faithfully covers me. It keeps me warm and guards against anything that would disturb my sleep.  When I go to sleep the blanket is there and when I awake in the morning, it is still spread across the bread standing guard over me.  The faithfulness of that blanket has shielded me through many nights and I know it will do so in the many nights yet to come.

David, the shepherd king of Israel, fully understood the protective comfort of being shielded by God.  In Psalm 91:4 he penned the following words, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Can’t you just feel the comfort, warmth, and security of God’s wings in David’s words?  Throughout his life and trials be it in front of Goliath, being chased by Saul, or facing down his enemies, David knew the comfort and assurance found under the protection of God’s wings.

He says very plainly that God’s wings provide refuge and that God’s faithfulness, not ours, will be our shield.  God is always faithful. His eyes are always on us and he fights for us even when we are unaware of the enemy’s presence.

Are you living under the covers today?  Do you know the wonderful privilege of being gathered under God’s wings?  Do you feel the warmth and security of his presence in all of life’s situations?  If not, it is my prayer that today you would ask God to come into your heart, to be the king of your life, and to surround you with his wings today.  There is nothing like being under the cover of God’s wings.  Won’t you ask him to cover you today?

Plane and Simple

O

ur house on Main Street grew with our family.  When mom and dad purchased the house in the early ‘60’s, it had only two bed rooms, one bath, a kitchen, a den, and a central hallway. Then, as my brother, my sister and I came along, the necessity to enlarge the home was a foregone conclusion.

We lived through and survived three remodels on that house and with each upgrade several lessons in patience were just waiting to be learned.  One of these lessons stands out in my mind and the older I grow the more I realize its truth.

During the second remodel, mom and dad altered our large den into a new bathroom and a hallway with a pantry, two closets, and a laundry area.  As the construction drew to a close it was time to place the doors on the closets.  The carpenters arrived with the doors, measured the openings, measured the doors and then took them outside.

A large table with vice grips had been set up in our backyard and the lesson began.  The carpenter placed the door into the vice grips so that it could not move.  Then he took a plane and began shaving off thin slivers of the door.  With each pass of the plane, more wood fell to the ground.  It wasn’t long before there were wood chips everywhere. It looked as if we were starting our own mulching business.

Every once in a while, the door was released from the clamps and taken inside.  The carpenter set it in the frame, took more measurements, and returned to the back yard to shave off more wood. I wondered if there was going to be anything left of the door.  Finally, after several trips inside to see if the door fit the opening, and after several more passes of the plane, the carpenter set the door.  It was a perfect fit!  All those measurements and all those passes of the plane to remove the unwanted wood were necessary for the door to fit into its opening.

In Romans 8:28-29, Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

We don’t have to look very far into this passage to see the “plane” and simple truth of God’s work in our lives.  In the middle of the verse you will find the word, conform.  The word simply means with form.  In other words, when we conform something, we cause it to take the form of something else.  In this instance, God says plainly that His works to conform us to the image of Christ and that means we have to undergo the plane.

Every trial, every temptation, every circumstance in life is really God’s plane shaving off unwanted and unnecessary areas of our lives that prevent us form perfectly fitting into the image of Christ.  God puts us on His table, fastens us where we cannot move, and then shaves us down until we conform to the very image of Christ so that our lives and our attitudes reflect him in every way.

Wherever you are today, know that God loves you. He will not remove anymore from your life than is necessary so that you reflect the very image of His son.  If you are on the table today you are there because God is working on you, perfecting your life, removing blemishes and areas that prevent you from being all He knows you can be.  That is the “plane” and simple truth.  

And Now For The Retainer!

Y

ou can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  I know from personal experience.  Like so many other teenagers, I wore braces on my teeth for almost three years.  I had a cross-bite that needed to be repaired and so I sat still while my orthodontist wrapped my pearly whites in tinsel and wire.  At first, they were a novelty but I soon understood why they told me to get something to eat as quickly as possible.  In just a matter of a few hours, my mouth was very sore; so sore that chewing bread was impossible.  What had I gotten myself into, I wondered.

For the next three years, I visited the orthodontist regularly and endured all the changes and adjustments he made to my teeth as we marched toward that elusive day when the braces would be removed and my teeth would at last be straight.  Finally, the long-awaited day came.  The braces were removed, my teeth were cleaned, and I was able to eat apples—not apple slices—once again.  I remember biting into a big Granny Smith apple, sinking my teeth in and pulling a huge chunk away from the core.  It felt great!!

But my ordeal wasn’t quite over. On my next visit to the orthodontist I was fitted with a retainero

I was I that I wore for the next two years.  As I understood it, the retainer’s job was to hold my teeth in the proper position, discouraging and preventing them from moving back toward the wayward condition in which we found them.  It all came down to my willingness and my faithfulness to wear that retainer.  The success of all the hard work done beforehand rested on that retainer and my decision to heed the instructions of my orthodontist.

It should come as no surprise to us that Jesus spoke about the importance of the retainer.  He knew the value of learning and retaining the truths of God’s word.  Without the retention of these truths, the Christian is tempted to move back toward the wayward condition of sin in which he existed before he accepted Jesus as savior and lord.  Jesus’ words concerning this truth are found in his parable about the farmer who sowed seed and the types of soil into which the seed fell.

This parable is found in Luke 8:1-15.  However, it is verse 15 which is the focus on today’s devotional.  In Luke 8:15, we read this explanation of believers who are considered to be good soil into which God’s word is planted, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”  Please take a moment to read this verse in the context of the parable and then read it again by itself.  Don’t read through it too quickly but let the truth of Jesus’ words sink deep into your heart and soul.

Notice that Jesus says the good soil represents those who have a noble and good heart.  He continues by explaining just what those of a good and noble heart do.  They do three distinct things.  1) They hear the word.  Believers in this category listen to God’s word. When they pray, they focus on what God has to say to them rather than on what they to tell Him.  They enter into prayer and into their daily walk with the Lord eagerly anticipating all that He has for them both to learn and to do.  2)  Those in this group retain the word.  They don’t merely read God’s word to feel better about themselves.  They don’t memorize God’s word to impress others, quoting chapter and verse in any and every situation.  These individuals, internalize God’s word.  They meditate on it, the obey it, and they apply it to their lives.  It becomes a part of them so that instead of quoting it, they live it!  There is a vast difference in quoting the Word and in living the Word!!  3)  They produce a crop by persevering.  They trust God in all things, knowing that He is always faithful and that He is always in the process of conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ, even when life is at its most difficult and most challenging.

Of these three steps, the second, I believe, is the most important.  Many people hear God’s word but go no further.  They never make it an integral part of their lives.  They never internalize it or apply it.  They simply open their Bibles, read a passage, say a quick prayer, and go about their lives.  The seed falls on the ground but never enters into the soil!  In addition, unless the word is retained, believers have no incentive or desire to persevere and produce a crop.  It is God’s word in us, applied to our lives, that is the bedrock of our very existence. It causes us to persevere and produce a crop for Him.  But no crop will grow where no seed has been planted!!  It’s just that simple.

Yes, you can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  The work and labor of the braces and the wires is all but lost if the patient refuses to wear the retainer to preserve all the work that has gone on before.  The same is true of the believer.  God has done all the work beforehand.    The question is: Are we now ready to submit to the discipline of the retainer?  The answer is either yes, or no!!

From Deep Within

T

he first time I visited a museum I was in elementary school.  The museum was located in our county seat and boasted a rather nice display of plants, animals, and various exhibits about the different trees found in our area.  But the best part was a small black room which became my backyard as the lighted dome faded away into night and the stars came out.  Although it was the middle of the day outside, it was night inside as the stars rose and comets flashed across the dome. This first visit to a museum also introduced me to the planetarium, a place I love to visit to this day.

A few years later, my mom and dad took my brother and me to New England.  One of my uncles was in the navy and was stationed in Rhode Island.  I had never been north before so the idea of traveling “way up there” excited me.  On the way, there were several first experiences in my life.  It was the first time I had ever seen a tollbooth, it was the first time I had ever gone under a river in a tunnel, it was the first time I had ever crossed an expansion bridge, and it was the first time I had ever visited our nation’s capital.

One of the most exciting things on that trip was the Smithsonian Institute.  Yep, another museum!  But what a museum this turned out to be.  Whole buildings were dedicated to just one type of exhibit.  There was the Air and Space Museum, my personal favorite where I saw, not only the Wright Brother’s airplane that had flown in my home state of North Carolina, but also the command module for the Apollo 11 mission that put Neil Armstrong on the moon.  I watched the moon landing live so you can imagine how pumped I was to actually see the command module that took the astronauts there.

The next building we visited was the museum of natural science.  In this building were huge skeletons from dinosaurs and a huge Mastodon, complete with fur and tusks.  Just inside the door were headphones you could rent to learn more about the exhibits.  As I approached each exhibit, the headphones picked up a radio signal from deep inside the display and played the information directly into my ears.  What a neat toy this was!  The same thing happened when I approached a blue whale, and other exhibits in the museum.  The transmitter, embedded inside the animals, could not be seen but they could be heard.  From deep within the heart of the exhibits came the full explanation of what they were like.

Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus alluded to this very concept over two thousand years ago?  Long before the radio transmitter or the headset receiver, Jesus explained that by listening to a person, you knew exactly what he or she was like.  Let’s look at a brief passage of scripture that explains this important biblical truth.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  The last sentence in this passage is the truth Jesus wanted his listeners to understand. 

As with the Mastodon at the Smithsonian, I could only hear what the exhibit was transmitting to my ears.  In the same way, when we speak, and we can speak volumes, we communicate what we’ve stored in our hearts.  The essence of who we are, our character, is displayed for everyone to see.  So when people listen to us, what they hear is a direct link to our hearts and they know what we are filled with.  Jesus said the mouth speaks from the heart’s overflow.  In order for the heart to overflow, it must first be filled and the words we use and the actions we perform directly reflect the contents of our hearts.

This is a sobering thought, isn’t it?  As soon as our mouths are open, our hearts are revealed.  Even when we don’t speak, the decisions we make, the friends with whom we surround ourselves, and the actions we perform tell everyone around us what we believe, what and where our priorities are, and what we value most in life.  From deep within, our true character shines forth.  What message are you sending today?

Raise Shields

I

n the mid 1960’s television audiences in the United States were introduced to a series that would become legendary.  The voyages of the star ship Enterprise, its crew, and the long list of its explorations quickly became an integral part of American culture.

As a kid, I remember the familiar strains of the theme song as the series played over our television set.  But since the show came on past my bedtime, seldom, if ever, was I allowed to watch it.  Nevertheless, I was able to see the episodes when I started high school because the show was put into syndication.  Not long after, the ever-popular Star Trek movies were produced and an entire new generation of fans was born.

I remember my best friend, David Bame, and I seeing Star Trek, the motion picture.  We loved every minute of it, especially seeing all the old cast members still playing their roles, still predictable as ever, and still using the same lines that had won us over years before. 

One line contained in almost every episode belonged to Captain James T. Kirk. Whenever the Enterprise entered dangerous territory or when the ship and its crew were threatened, Kirk would tell his navigator (Mr. Sulu) to “Raise shields!”

The star ship’s shields were not visible to the naked eye but were in fact a type of force filed surrounding the vessel protecting it from attack.  On several occasions, the shields prevented an enemy from blasting a hole in the vessel or from disrupting its normal operations.  But the shields also failed on a consistent basis, leaving the Enterprise vulnerable to enemy hostilities and leaving the audience holding their breaths until the shields were repaired.

While the neither the technology nor the crew nor the episodes involving the Enterprise were real, the concept of the protective shield is one that has spiritual implications for us as children of God. In fact, we can look at the life of Abraham and learn a great lesson concerning the shield God placed around Abraham and how He can be our shield as well.

Genesis 15:1 reads, “After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."  God gives this promise to Abram following his refusal to accept tribute from the King of Sodom for helping in the defeat of several kings allied against him.  Abram refused the tribute, choosing to rely on God to supply his every need.

Notice that God tells Abram not to be afraid.  This command appears over and over again in the Scriptures because it is human nature to be afraid, especially of the unknown.  Everything ahead of Abram was unknown but God assured him that He was already in Abram’s future.  God does not tell Abram He will be his shield; He says that He is his shield. In other words, God’s presence, His very self surrounded and protected Abram at all times.  God wrapped Abram in the mantle of His protection and promised to keep him in all situations and to safeguard him from all sides.

Perhaps you feel as if you are under attack today.  Everywhere you turn you see the enemy and you seem to be under constant attack!  If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, God is your shield.  He has promised to protect you and keep you safe in all of life’s situations and trials.   But keep this in mind, shields protect us in battle, they do not remove us from battle.  The Scriptures never promise we will be removed from the cares of life; but they do promise God will be with us through them all.  Do you know the peace and do you have the assurance that God’s shields are raised around you today?

            

You're Going To Be Sick!

“B

lake Carpenter, you’re going to be sick!  Get in this house right now and put on a jacket!”  If I had a dime for every time I heard these words, I would be a very rich man!  Wearing a jacket was never a priority with me.  As long as I had on a sweater or sweatshirt, I was just fine.  The cold wouldn’t bother me; after all, I was just going to be outside for a few minutes. 

My mom and dad, however, saw things just a bit differently.  Every time I left the house they would always ask if I had a coat or a jacket on.  Reluctantly, I would head to my closet, open the door, pull out a jacket, put it on and then leave.  Most of the time, I wouldn’t zip up the jacket, just to be a little rebellious and stubborn. 

I never understood why wearing a jacket was so important.  I felt good, I wasn’t’ sick, and it really wasn’t all that cold outside.  Despite my best efforts and my eloquent arguments, my parents always trumped my hand and insisted on my wearing a coat.  On those occasions when I “forgot” to wear my jacket and came down with a cold or the flu, my mom would then say the words no one likes to hear, “I told you so!”  There simply was no way to win unless I heeded my parents’ advice.  Which is exactly what I should have done!

The Apostle Paul wanted his readers in Ephesus to know that jackets and protective coverings are very important to our spiritual walk as well.  Paul understood that being in the world without spiritual protection leads to sickness in the soul and causes our relationship with God to suffer and grow cold.

In Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul admonishes his readers with these words, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

In this passage Paul uses the image of armor to stress the importance of protecting our journey in the world.  Please take note that the soul’s enemies, just like bacteria, viruses, and other germs, are not visible.  We do not have an enemy we can see, we have one who remains invisible and for whom we are no match without protection.  Paul, therefore, commands us to dress ourselves completely in God’s armor—not our own armor—so that we can stand against the constant attacks coming against us.

Wherever you are in your walk today I pray you are wearing your armor.  I trust before you left your home you dressed yourself in it, leaving no part of your life exposed to the enemy’s attack.  The world in which we live is filled with danger and if you are not protected and well covered, sin’s germs can and will creep into your life.

So, are you wearing a jacket today?  No matter how nice and inviting it looks on the outside, without your jacket—that is your armor—you are going to get sick.  Grab that jacket before you leave, and please remember to zip it up!  Have a great day!

When Time Stands Still, God Doesn't

I

n July, 2013, I spent the vast majority of a day at 35,000 feet, returning to the United States from France where I had spent the previous six weeks working for our university’s study abroad program.  After boarding the aircraft, buckling my seat belt, and arranging my carry-on underneath my seat, I turned my attention to the viewing screen to watch the information about what to do in the event of a crash landing.  Honestly, this is my least favorite part of travelling.

A few moments after the video, the captain greeted us and informed us that we would be in the air for the next ten and a half hours as we made our way across the Atlantic to eventually land at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.  I briefly glanced at my watch, took a deep breath, let the reality of what I was about to endure settle in, and then enjoyed the ride.

Every time I travel abroad, I am intrigued most by the difference in time between one place and another.  We all live in the same moment but how we measure it is different.  In France, the clock is 7 hours ahead of the time here, Fort Worth.  Going to France I lose time; coming from France, I gain it.  Gaining time is the most difficult for me because it seems that time just stands still.

This is the way, I believe, Joseph felt when the chief cupbearer forgot him in prison.  Joseph had done nothing to deserve the circumstances in which he found himself.  His brothers betrayed him because they were jealous, he was imprisoned because Potiphar’s falsely accused him, and, after promising Joseph he would remember him, the cupbearer forgot his promise to speak to Pharaoh about Joseph to get him out of prison.

Genesis 41:1 records in a few words Joseph’s plight, “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream…”  The first six words tell it all, don’t they?  Joseph remained in prison for two years after the cupbearer was freed.  For Joseph, time stood still. In fact, he had been sold into slavery by his brothers when he was 17 years old and when we find him here, he is 30 years old.  For 13 years this man’s life was put on hold.  He had no news of his family, of his homeland, and did not know whether he would ever see them again.

But although the cupbearer forgot Joseph, God didn’t. God did not stop caring for Joseph. He didn’t stop listening to him, he didn’t stop loving him, and he didn’t stop working in his life.  In fact, unknown to Joseph, God was at work for 13 years preparing both Pharaoh and Joseph for the purpose that brought him to Egypt.  God’s purpose in doing so was to fulfill the promise made to Abraham before the birth of Isaac that Abraham’s descendants would be strangers for 400 years and would then come into the Promised Land at the appointed time.  Although time appeared to stand still, God was moving forward!

The same is true for us today.  You may be in a holding pattern today.  You don’t know where God is and you wonder if, like the cupbearer, he has forgotten you.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  God is working so far ahead of you, preparing the way ahead, and making sure you are ready for what he has in store for you.  Remember, when time stands still, our God doesn’t!

Let's Face It

I

 simply love to read quotations. On the Internet, in a book, in magazines, you name it; I love to read the profound statements others have made.  This provides good food for thought and causes me to see things in a different perspective.

A few days ago, I was visiting one of my favorite Internet sites which boasts literally thousands of quotations. You can look them up by subject matter and author.  The site also provides several quotes at random on a daily basis.  One quote I found really caused me to stop and think: “Facing it, always facing it, that's the way to get through. Face it.”  The quote is from English novelist, Joseph Conrad.

I really like this perspective and for anyone who has ever faced a challenge or any of life’s difficulties it is understood that there are only two options from which to choose. We either turn and run from the situation or we face it—there simply is no other possibility open to us.

The prophet Isaiah knew all about facing difficult situations in life but he also knew that we do not, and should not try, to face them alone.  In Isaiah 43:2 we read, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Notice that the word through is mentioned three distinct times in this passage.  The writer speaks of water, rivers, and fire and at every turn he assures us that God will be with us.  We don’t face anything as God’s children on our own.  He is always with us in every trial, in every challenge, and in every one of life’s uncertainties.  They are uncertainties to us; not to God.

Jesus, himself, reminded his disciples of this fact just before his death. In John 16 Jesus promises his disciples two things: 1) that they would have trouble in the world, and 2) that he had overcome the world.  This does not mean that we, as Christians, will lead a worry-free life.  On the contrary, that we will have trouble is a promise but Jesus equally assures us he will be with us and that we will face no problem he has not overcome.

Joseph Conrad is correct.  We must face things in life to get through them and Isaiah reminds us that in every situation, every trial, every difficulty, and every pain that God is with us, through it all!!  Are you ready to face the challenges of the day ahead?  God is waiting on you!

Sailing Along

T

here’s no better way to end a day than with a good slice of pecan pie and a hot cup of coffee.  One evening, while I was a student at Southwestern Seminary, I went to a local restaurant and did just that!  I ordered a slice of homemade pecan pie and a cup of coffee with just a shot of chocolate for flavor.  Normally, I would inhale the pie, gulp down the coffee, and race out the door in an endeavor to get back home and start working.  This evening, however, I decided that work and study would have to take a back seat as I took some down time to recharge my batteries and renew my strength.

I left the restaurant and decided to go home a different way, leaving behind the busy avenue I usually drive and opting instead for a leisurely drive through several residential sections, finally returning to the seminary.  As I did this, I left the radio off and I just asked God to speak to me, to teach me something new and refreshing about Him and His word.  Somewhere, a few blocks away from the seminary campus, God came through.

The past several days had proved very challenging in several ways.  My schedule had been very hectic, my studies had been challenging, and my quiet time with God had been a real struggle.  Writing the Tidbits had also proven very difficult this particular week.  However, I was reminded that at times such as these, God gives us added grace and strength to push through them and to learn more about His love, His mercy, and His sufficiency.  That evening, God taught me this lesson again in one verse taken from the book of Genesis and I’d like to share that with you as today’s Tidbit.

The story of Noah and his ark is one of the most famous in the Bible.  All of us know that God called Noah to build a huge boat.  All of us know that the animals came to Noah in pairs. All of us know that before this time it had never rained on the earth.  And all of us know that it rained forty days and forty nights.  We are very familiar with the larger elements of the story but its real message is in the finer points, often overlooked when it is told.

Genesis 7:18 is a small nugget of gold buried deep within this wonderful story.  In this one statement, God shares with us one of the greatest truths about His grace, His love, His protection, and His mercy.  This small verse reads, “The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.”  There are two great truths about life couched in this little statement.  First, life is full of difficult and trying times.  The first half of this passage describes the waters of the great flood.  They increased and they rose, finally covering the whole earth. 

In the Christian life, the waters rise.  Almost from nowhere, they come and they just keep coming.  We look for a break in the clouds, but there is none.  We hope that the waters will subside, but they only seem to increase.  They beat against us, they surround us, and they swallow everything and remove it from sight until all we see is water; water above us, water around us, and water over us.

However, God does not leave us to fend for ourselves, depending on our own strength to carry us through life’s torrents.  The second lesson is this: the ark floated on the surface of the water.  Think about that for just a minute.  This huge boat, weighing several tons, housing the animal life of the planet, carrying within it God’s promise to rebuild the earth, was worthless on dry land!  The ark was made to float, not to stay in dry dock.  In order for it to rise above the earth’s surface and above the mountains, the ark needed water, and lots of it.  The rain, the wind, the floods, and the crashing waves were all necessary for the ark to perform its function; and that function was to float.

Is it any different with you and me?  Life’s sea often becomes rocky and threatening.  The waves crash against our ships and wash over their bows.  We are rocked back and forth, almost to the point of capsizing.  Yet, through all of this, we float on the surface of the water.  True, we are jostled and tossed about, but we do not capsize and we do not founder!  God has placed us in His ark where we are safe and warm and dry.  No matter how much water there is around us, no matter how strong the winds blow, no matter how tall the waves are around us, God makes us float on the surface, withstanding all the storms life sends our way.

Noah floated on the surface of the water because he had faith in God and because Noah put his trust in Him.  Can that be said of us today?  Although the storms of life are raging all around, can you say with confidence that you are sailing along?  When the waves crash against you and the wind rips your sails, do you rest in the assurance that God has made you to float on the surface of the water?   Rest today in Christ, our ark, our protection, and our shield.  He alone makes it possible for us to float on the surface life’s stormy sea!