Living In The Outfield

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hen I was a little boy, summer was my favorite time of year.  School was out, so no more books, it was hot outside, so we went barefoot all the time, and my best friend lived right next door, so we spent all our waking moments together.  Yep, summertime was the best time there was.  No cares, no worries, and all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted.  I didn’t realize how good I had it until I grew up!

Summertime also meant baseball and every kid in town tried out for one of the little league teams or one of several other minor teams sponsored by one of the local charities or civic organizations.  Every summer, I played ball and every summer I had the same position, left field! 

Playing the outfield on a small team in a small town isn’t very exciting.  Most of the hits never made it past the brown swatch of dirt separating the infield from the outfield. I watched as the pitcher delivered the ball which was either swung at and missed, or popped up, or tapped foul.  Occasionally, one guy would hit the ball hard enough so that it wondered into the outfield and for a few seconds there was a bevy of activity and then everything grew quiet once again.

I remember feeling that I had somehow been treated unfairly by being relegated to the outfield.  All I could do, it seemed, was watch the game go by with all the excitement happening on the infield, as the ball was thrown, hit, scooped, tossed, and thrown to the pitcher, the catcher, the shortstop, and to the guys playing the bases.  I felt like an outcast, being a part of the team but always seeing the game from the fringes.

Now believe me, it wasn’t at all as bad as it may sound.  I enjoyed my time and I played for several years.  But let’s face it, if you’re going to play baseball, you want to be in the game, to touch the ball, and to be apart of the action.  But in time, I grew to understand that playing in the outfield was a very important part of the game.  That as we grow older, the ball ventures further and further into the outfield and the ability to keep the ball in play becomes more and more the responsibility of the outfielder.

Would it surprise you to learn that the concept of playing the outfield can be found in your Bible?  It shouldn’t!  One of the most important events in all history happened in the outfield and if you’ll open your Bible to Luke 2:8, you can read all about it for yourself.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”  Each year as we approach Christmas, these words are repeated over and over.  Luke gives us a wonderful description of the announcement of Jesus’ birth as received by the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem.  But there are a few things we need to consider as we discuss this miraculous event.

First, please notice that the shepherds were professional outfielders.  The passage tells us that they lived in the fields and made their homes there.  While the hustle and bustle and the excitement of every-day life occurred in the streets of Bethlehem and other towns, these men were relegated to the outfield where seemingly nothing was happening.  They were on the fringes, literally, of the city but also of society.

Shepherds were considered one of the lowest rungs of society.  They weren’t trusted, they weren’t welcomed, they didn’t enjoy any social standing, and no one was filling out multiple job applications for shepherding positions.  It was a lonely existence and one which was neither appreciated nor coveted by society.

And yet, these are the men to whom God fist announced the birth of the Messiah!  For while shepherds weren’t the types of people growing businesses sought, they were the very kind of people ready to receive God’s message and His gift.  Shepherds were loyal, humble, patient, gentle, and would give all they had to protect and defend their flocks.  Their one thought was for their sheep, not for themselves, and they understood what it meant to live a life set apart from the rest of the world.

It is no wonder, then that God chose them to first hear the good news.  Throughout his ministry, Jesus preached that the last would be first.  Perhaps no where else in Scripture do we see this principle than at his birth when the last of society were the first to hear and share the good news.

I want you to take heart from this passage today.  Your place in God’s plan may feel like the outfield.  It may seem to you that others are experiencing great growth, multiple blessings, and great spiritual activity.  You might feel you are on the fringes just waiting for your opportunity to “get into the game.”  Just remember this:  there are no unimportant positions on God’s team.  Those who play the outfield are as important as those closer to the action.  God knows where you are and He is using you, even when it seems He is not.  Are you faithfully living in the outfield today?

Holding Hands

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he parking lot of the local grocery store is somewhat of a hazard especially on Saturday afternoons.  Honestly, it looks more like a flock of vultures circling a fresh kill as car after car makes the rounds ready to strike on the fist available parking spot within 100 yards of the front door.

I voluntarily entered this fray, joining the merry-go-round of cars looking for that perfect place to park.  Twice I was deprived of prime parking space by drivers who were better positioned than I.  One of the spaces was premo, I mean right at the front door.  But I buried my frustration and opted for an available spot further down the way.  It required me to walk a short distance but I figured it would be good for me to get some exercise.

Inside wasn’t’ much better. In fact, it downright was worse. At least the parking lot has lines showing you where to park and just where your limits are.  Inside the store, it was total mayhem as dozens upon dozens of shoppers vied and jockeyed for positions in the aisles, clawing and grasping at whatever was on the shelves.  I spent the necessary time to find my items and then, after a long wait in line, I exited the store, packed my trunk, backed out of the parking space, fought those still-circling cars of prey, and headed home.

Right in front of the store was a crosswalk and several people were standing there waiting to cross from the battlefield of parking to the battlefield of shopping.  Driver’s courtesy maintains that the pedestrian has the right-of-way so I stopped to let a young mother and her three children cross over.  She had one child on her hip and held the right hand of another.  Before crossing to the other side, she told her young son to hold on to his sister’s hand so they could safely cross.

That’s when it hit me.  Right there in a busy parking lot God showed me a wonderful picture of His love for me.  I don’t know how many times my own mom and dad have told me to hold their hands until we safely crossed a busy street, or wondered through a congested mall, or walked the halls of a hospital, new school, or some other scary place!

If this is how parents protect their children, then how are we to understand God’s protection for us?  Does the Bible give us any indication of just how close and personal God’s protection is?  Does God really take the time to hold our hand in times of trouble, distress, fear, or confusion?  The answer is yes and we need look no further than that wonderful prophet Isaiah to find our answer.

In Isaiah 41:13 we find the following words of assurance, “For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.”  Now I ask you, with a promise like this should we ever worry about crossing the streets of life?  No matter how busy, no matter how dangerous, no matter how impossible the way may seem, God says He will hold our hand and that He will help us.  For this reason, we are not to fear, we are not to worry, we are not to fret, and we are never to lose hope.  Are you holding hands with your Heavenly Father today?

From Sleeping Embers to Roaring Flame

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t was on one of my first overnight camping trips with the Boy Scouts that I learned to build a fire.  This was one of the requirements for both the cooking and the camping skill awards. Both of these skill awards were themselves requirements for merit badges which were required for Eagle Scout!  Already I was sick of requirements! I wanted to have fun and build a fire and that is exactly what I did without thinking about the requirements.

My fellow initiates and I gathered as much wood as we could find. Fortunately, we were camping in a large patch of woods so there was plenty of fuel for the taking.  Finally, the big moment came when we arranged the kindling, lit the match, and started the fire.  From a humble spark, a huge fire soon grew.  The more wood we piled on the higher the flames grew and the more successful we believed ourselves to be.

It soon became blatantly apparent that we could not cook our dinner over such a huge fire.  The scoutmaster then explained we needed to let the fire die down and cook over the glowing embers.  That’s where the real usefulness of the fire was anyway, in the embers.  These were the bits that remained after the inferno.  They glowed red and could easily cook our food in record time.

After dinner we stoked those embers and built the fire back up.  It provided warmth and we sat around it telling stories and talking.  Occasionally, someone would chunk another log on the fire and the flames would jump to life, eagerly consuming the new source of fuel.  As the night waned on and the time for sleep approached, again our scoutmaster told us to let the fire die down.  When the flames were gone and glowing embers were all that was left, he taught us how to bank the coals for the following morning.  He insisted we would be able to resurrect that fire from the embers we protected overnight.  I was skeptical but in the morning I found his words to be very true.

I have thought about that first camping trip often.  Only in later years did I realize all the important lessons about life I learned in that patch of woods just a few miles out of town.  Over and over again in my mind’s eye I see that fire and stare once again into those glowing embers and I remember how they grew into a fire even after a long, dark night.

In 2 Timothy 1:5-7 Paul also teaches Timothy how to build a roaring fire from sleeping embers.  In this passage he writes, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. “

Here, Paul pays homage to the faith evidenced by Timothy’s grandmother and mother.  The same faith lives in Timothy but Paul wants him wake up those glowing, sleeping embers and fan them into a flame.  In order for effective embers to be made, there must be a roaring fire.  In order for there to be a roaring fire, sleeping embers must be uncovered, stirred, fanned, and fed.  This is what Paul encourages Timothy to do with his faith.  Paul wants him to stir up his faith and use it for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.  The fire in Timothy’s life will attract others to its warmth and provide the comfort and security found only in Jesus Christ.

What does your life look like today?  Is it a roaring fire or are the embers sleeping?  It’s time to wake those embers and fan them into roaring flames that will encourage and warm others along life’s road.  Have you learned the lesson of building and maintaining a good spiritual fire?  Is your heart’s fire roaring or sleeping today?

            

A Multiple Choice Test

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s a teacher, one of the “perks” of my job is making and administering tests.  My students believe I take some sort of sick pleasure in testing their knowledge—and they’re right!  But honestly, giving tests means work both for me and for them.  They take the test only once while I have to make it out and then take it for as many times as I have students.  They, however, never think about that.  If the test is four pages long and there are thirty students in the class, I have the privilege of touching one hundred and twenty pages to their individual four.  You want to talk about an uneven playing field?  Let’s talk!

The most popular test by far, and the most difficult to construct, is the multiple-choice test, a.k.a. the multiple-guess test.  It has been so dubbed because the answer is visible to the student provided he or she knows how to read the question and can successfully select the appropriate answer from a field of distracters.  As a student, this was my worst kind of test because I always thought too much and was easily distracted by the similarities of the possible answers.

One afternoon as I was driving home in the “predicted winter storm” that never materialized—don’t even get me started on that one—I turned on the radio to one of my favorite stations.  The speaker at a particular conference was speaking about the difference between believing in God, believing about God, and believing God!  You want to talk about a spiritual multiple-choice test?  Let’s talk and let’s see what the Scriptures have to say about it and just how much this will probably shake our convictions concerning what we believe. In Galatians 3:5-7, Paul writes the following words:  “Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.”

In this passage, as well as in the book of Galatians, Paul tells his readers that the life most pleasing to God is the life of faith.  Abraham knew this and lived his life by believing God.  Most of us today would make the following statements:  “I believe God is good, kind, loving, etc” or “I believe in God.”  While both of these are accurate statements they are not the type of faith Paul speaks of nor the type of faith Abraham displayed.

A person making the first statement indicates what he or she believes about God.  Likewise, the second statement indicates a belief that God exists. As regards this last statement we do well to remember the Scriptures tell us we are right to believe in God because the demons also believe and they tremble (James 2:19).  But neither belief in nor belief about God caused God to credit righteousness to Abraham.  What made Abraham’s life unique and what put him on intimate terms with God was that Abraham believed the Lord.  He simply took God at His word—end of statement!

Because Abraham believed God, he was able to climb Mount Moriah with Isaac knowing God would either raise the boy from the dead or provide His own sacrifice.  We see this belief when Abraham tells his servant that he AND the boy would return after worshiping the Lord and when he tells Isaac God would provide Himself an animal for the sacrifice.  It was not his belief in what Abraham perceived God to be nor was it his belief in God’s existence that sustained Abraham in his climb up that mountain.  It was the fact that Abraham believed God and knew Him.

Do we have this kind of faith today?  It is possible but so very rare.  Every day we take the test of faith.  How we answer it speaks volumes about our relationship and understanding of our Heavenly Father.  So do you A) Believe in God?  B) Believe about God?  C) Believe God?  What is your choice today?

            

Brick and Mortar

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n the summer of 2006, I developed a new afternoon routine.  On my way home from work, I would drive by my new house just to see if more progress had been made toward its completion.  Instead of driving to my apartment, I would exit the Interstate early, drive through a large neighborhood, and finally arrive at the house.

From the outside it didn’t appear much work had taken place and a peek through the windows revealed that the inside hadn’t seen much activity either.  Nonetheless, I still spent about an hour walking around the house, looking at every little nook and cranny just to make sure everything passed inspection.

The story at the house next door, however, was very different.  An entire team of brick masons was busily applying one course of brick after another, turning the wooden frame into a lovely bricked home.  From the looks of it, they had been at work most of the day and would have at least two more days of straight work before their task would be completed.

There were four masons working on one side of the house.  They worked as a beautifully orchestrated team with each one finishing his section of the wall in concert with the other masons working beside him.  No matter their position on the scaffold, each man performed the same task in exactly the same manner. 

When starting a new course of brick, each mason would place a generous layer of mortar on top of the previous row of brick.  He would then put a new brick into the fresh mortar, make a few adjustments to align the brick, scrape off the excess mortar, do the same with another brick, and so on.  The wall rose rapidly and in the 45 minutes I stood and watched them, these men placed 3 courses of brick on that wall.

What fascinated me the most, however, was not the number of bricks in the house; it was the mortar used to hold them in place.  For two weeks the bricks had been sitting on site, waiting for the masons to place them.  But without mortar, the bricks were useless.  They could be stacked against the house to form a wall, but without mortar that wall would fall and be unable to support or protect the house.  Without the mortar filing the gaps and cementing the whole wall together into one structure, the house would never hold together, much less pass inspection.

As I watched the interaction between the brick and the mortar, Jesus’ words from John 15:5 came to mind.  Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  This is the secret of the Christian life, knowing we can do nothing on our own.  We need Jesus to fill the in the gaps in our lives, to strengthen us, and to provide the means for us to weather the storms of life.

Without the Lord, we are useless, like bricks without mortar.  At the first sign of trouble, at the first strong breeze, at the first splash of rain, without Jesus, we crumble and fall.  No wonder we make so many mistakes and experience so many heartaches in life.  We try to do things on our own and in our own strength, realizing only too late that we have no strength save the strength Jesus gives us.        

It takes a lot of bricks to build a house and it takes a lot of days to build a life.  No one would ever purchase a house built with bricks and no mortar.  How is it then we settle for a life built the same way?  Jesus words are clear.  Without him, we can do nothing.  With him, we can do everything.  It’s all about brick AND mortar.  How strong are the walls of your life today?

A Frank and Open Disucssion

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 love good conversations and if a cup of coffee is involved, so much the better.  The subject matter can cover a wide range of topics and as long as the discussion is engaging, I’m in!  The important thing to remember about good conversation is always to include people in the conversation who know more than you do.  Fortunately for me, this isn’t difficult!!  By talking with people who know more than you do, you ensure two things.  One, you will not dominate the conversation and two, you will learn something which is the goal of good conversation anyway.

If God invited you to have an open discussion with Him, what would you choose as your topic?  This is a very deep an probing question and speaks volumes about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  “But God would never ask anyone to converse with Him on any subject” you might be saying.  If this is what you think, I’m going to ask you to pick up your Bible and just look at.  What do you think it is?  It is the recorded conversation of God with man throughout history.  This conversation is ongoing and includes you and me.

In the Old Testament we find an invitation to join God in a conversation.  Let’s open the invitation and see what it says.  It is found in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  Wow, what an invitation!  Would you accept it?

In the opening chapter of Isaiah, God makes His case against Israel, giving example after example of how she has wondered away from Him.  They have consistently chosen their own way and tried to do things according to their own desires and the result has been exile, slavery, etc.  But now God speaks of restoration and bringing the people back to their relationship with Him.  That is why He offers them this opportunity to talk with Him.

Through this frank and open discussion, Israel learns that God wants to heal the wounds, that He wants to be a father to them, and that He loves them more they know, understand, or could even imagine.  Notice in the above passage that God invites them to “reason” with Him.  He wants them to understand, to see, to experience the salvation He offers them.  No matter how dark the sin, no matter what their past has been, no matter what the have done or failed to do, God says they can be clean, as white as snow!  I don’t know about you but to me that’s pretty clean!

Although Isaiah wrote this passage thousands of years ago, its message still rings true for us today.  God still invites people to talk with Him.  He wants us to understand what sin is and how it keeps us from having the relationship God wants to have with us. He also wants us to know that sin prevents us from being the people He intended for us to be all along.  How conversant are you with God today?  Do you want to talk to Him?  He wants to talk to you, He says so in His word.  Are you ready for a frank and open discussion today?

New Or Used?

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here is nothing like the feel and the smell of a new car.  Several years ago I bought my first new car since moving to Texas, not out of the desire to have a brand new vehicle but out of necessity!  The cost of the needed repairs for the old car exceeded its value so I decided to take the plunge and purchase something more reliable with a good warranty.  So one Saturday morning, I ventured forth, hit the road, and selected a new car.

The following Monday, I took delivery of my new vehicle.  I drove it out to my friend’s house where all afternoon everyone in the family took turns riding in it.  The air conditioner worked, the radio sounded great, and the inside of the car smelled wonderful.  That smell, by the way, disappears as soon as the first payment is made, just in case you’re wondering!

I now had to do something with my old car.  I decided not to trade it in but to sell it.  So the following Saturday, I climbed behind the wheel, shifted into gear, and headed for the used car dealership to sell my vehicle.  As soon as I got in, I noticed so many differences between the two vehicles, especially in the ride.  The old car didn’t drive like the new car.  Its gears were more difficult to maneuver, the ride was much rougher, the steering didn’t handle as well and the car took more time to respond than the newer one.

As I drove the twenty-five or so miles to the dealership, I had time to think about that older car.  For years I had been satisfied with it.  It provided transportation, it hauled my groceries, it took me places when I needed to go, and it was fun to drive.  However, it also cost me a lot of money just to keep it going.  The longer I thought about it, the more I wondered why I hadn’t replaced it sooner.  Given the choice between the two cars in my possession, I knew I would never be satisfied with the older car.  But it took the experience of a new car to teach me that lesson.  Hmmm, could there be a lesson for us to learn from this today?

The answer to that question is yes and we need look no further than the book of Numbers to find our answer.  The Children of Israel left Egypt and slavery behind.  They followed Moses into the desert and toward the land God promised to their forefather, Abraham.  There was nothing like the feel and the smell of freedom.  No longer were they under Pharaoh’s control.  There were no more whips, no more mud, no more bricks, no more burdens, no more humiliation, and no more forced labor.  They were freed from all of that by God’s mighty hand and they were going to a new life.

But several times during their travels, they looked back and longed for Egypt.  When things became difficult, when the road ahead took an unexpected turn, when they didn’t advance as quickly as they wanted, they longed for Egypt.  They spent more time longing for their old life in Egypt instead of enjoying the new life of freedom God provided.

We can see this in Numbers 14:4. “And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."  Can you believe they would make such a choice?  Can you believe they would opt for slavery instead of freedom?  Can you believe they would consciously choose their former life over their new one?  Well, believe it!  They did and so do we every single day.

The new life God promised His children required them to leave their old life behind.  They had to venture forth and walk across unknown territory to a place they had never seen.  The terrain was different but the ride was so much better.  They had manna in the morning and quail in the evening. Their clothes didn’t wear out, and all their needs were met.  Yet they longed for Egypt and wanted to choose another leader and go back.  In essence they chose a used car over a new one, with all the problems, costs, and insecurity that came with it.

Funny how we do the same thing.  We are afraid to step out and enjoy the new life God has given us in Jesus Christ.  Our old life always costs us and the costs always exceed the value.  A life without Jesus is worthless because it ends in destruction.  Moreover, there is no joy, no peace, no intimacy with God, and absolutely no freedom.  Why would we choose to cling to such an existence when God offers us something so much better?  Why do we, like the Children of Israel, insist on clinging to our former way of life when God, in Christ, offers us something so much better? 

What kind of life are you living today, used or new?  Believe me, there is no comparison between the two!  

I Need A Stepladder

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n August of 2002 I moved into my first apartment in Texas.  After living in the men’s dorm at seminary, I needed just “a few” items to set up house keeping.  My parents drove 1000 miles, dragging all my worldly possessions in a trailer behind my dad’s pickup.  He said he the next time he visited Texas it would be in a car and that he would bring nothing with him.   That is a promise he kept.  The next time they visited me, he drove his car and brought nothing with him from home.

Anyway, back to the first apartment.  We all hit the stores, searching for the items I would need in my new home.  Some of the items made perfect sense to me:  pizza cutters, potholders, non-stick cooking pans, etc.  Other items made sense but just weren’t on my list of “must-haves” for the apartment.  One of those items was a stepladder that my mother insisted would be of invaluable service.  So what do you think I did?  Like the dutiful son, I got the stepladder and it resides to this day in one of my closets, ready to help me whenever the need arises.

The need arose sometime later.  I needed to hang something in my apartment and I simply couldn’t reach it.  I went into my study, opened the closet where my books were stored, took the stepladder from its resting place, returned to my work area, opened the ladder, and used it to successfully finish my task.  As I climbed down, it dawned on my just how valuable that stepladder had been to me.  Without it hanging a fixture in my apartment would have been impossible.  The stepladder did what I could not.  It lifted me off the floor, raising me to a higher position from which I could complete the work I had to do.  What a wonderful picture of God’s provision in our time of need.

The Old Testament book of 2 Samuel tells the story of Mephibosheth, King Saul’s grandson.  Mephibosheth’s father was Jonathan, David’s best friend.  Jonathan made David take an oath that he would show kindness to Jonathan’s family after David became King.  In honor of that promise, King David learned that Jonathan had a son living in the town of Lo-Debar.  Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet because his nurse dropped him when he was five years old.  This is the background to the story found in 2 Samuel.

In 2 Samuel 9:5, 13 we read, “So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel…And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.”  In these two short passages we see the entire life of Mephibosheth.  This passage also contains a great truth that demonstrates much God has done for us because we have accepted his son, Jesus Christ as our savior.

Mephibosheth lived in Lo-Debar which means “not a pasture.”  Not a very promising name is it?  Coupled with the fact that Mephibosheth was lame, all indications point to the fact that he was not a successful farmer.  When David learned a member of Jonathan’s family was still alive he sent for him.  From that day forward, Mephibosheth ate at the kings table.  He was raised from a place that was “not a pasture” to eating from the king’s table.  You want to talk about a stepladder.  I’d say Mephibosheth received a pretty good boost!

But we need to see ourselves in this story about Mephibosheth.  Before coming to Christ we were dead in sin, living in a place that “was not a pasture” and had nothing to offer. Our sin also meant we were lame, incapable of walking the strait and narrow path God expects His children to walk.  But while when we accepted Jesus as our savior, everything changed.  Because we know Jesus, God raises us up to eat at His table.  We belong to Him and no longer live in a barren wasteland, going through life lame, stumbling and falling with every step we take.  God knows we need a stepladder to raise us and position us to live lives that are holy and pleasing to Him. He provided that stepladder through the death of Jesus on Calvary’s cross.  When we accept him as our Lord and Savior, we receive a great boost!  We eat at the king’s table instead of wandering around in a land that is “not a pasture.”  Are you in need of a stepladder today?  Just open the pages of your Bible to John 3:16 and you will find one there!

The Message In Room 234

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hile a seminary student I worked for the Housing Office of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary conducting inspections of dorm rooms, running errands, filing documents, answering the phone, confirming maintenance requests in apartments slated for new tenants in the coming months, and a whatever else needed to be done.  This was my kind of job because there was always something new and you were never quite sure what the next five minutes would bring to your day.

I had one of those surprise experiences as I inspected several dorm rooms that had been recently vacated.  My job was to verify all necessary items were in the room as well as to assess any damages incurred during the previous tenants’ occupancy.  I had a checklist indicating all areas that needed to be examined with guidelines for determining how much labor the room needed to ready it for the next student.

When I made it to room 234 I had no idea the surprise that awaited me just behind the door.  I placed the key in the lock, turned it, and entered the room.  Everything was in order!  There were two beds, one large double desk, two bookshelves, two chairs, a double dresser, a sink, a medicine cabinet, and three closets.  I scanned the carpet, looked at the walls, tested the mattresses, checked the light over the sink, and made sure there were no leaks.  I quickly wrote down the maintenance requests and turned to leave the room.  That’s when I received a surprise and a blessing all at the same time.

Tacked to the back of door was a hand-written note, a reminder left by the previous tenant of God’s faithfulness and His abiding love in the life of the believer.  The passage from Psalm 62 reminded me that God is indeed my strength and my refuge. Only in Him can I place my trust and only He provides shelter and comfort in times of storm.

Here is the text of the note I found in room 234.  I removed it as a keepsake and a reminder.  I believe you’ll understand why when you read and apply the truths found in this passage:  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 62:5-8)

I placed the note in my pocket and continued my inspections.  I read that note several times during the following weeks and found that the truths of this passage provided comfort and strength in times of challenge and difficulty.  I will never know who lived in room 234 but I will forever be grateful for their obedience to God’s call and for their witness.

We never know what a day will bring forth and we never know how our lives will influence and impact others.  All we know is that we must use every resource available to us to share the gospel and God’s love with everyone around us.  Have you visited room 234 lately?  You never know what you’ll find just behind the door.  What are you waiting for?  Go on in!

How Do I Get There Daddy?

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y dad has one of the best senses of direction of anyone I know.  No matter the destination, no matter if he’s been there or not, he isn’t at all intimidated by driving across unfamiliar territory or blazing a path into the unknown.  This is one aspect of his character that drives my mom crazy!  Daddy never returns by the same route that he took to arrive at a destination.  So, as you can imagine, this has led to some very interesting trips in the family car.

Several years ago, I flew to Detroit, Michigan to purchase a car from a friend I met at seminary here, in Fort Worth.  Getting to Detroit was not at all difficult; the pilot did all the work.  I wasn’t concerned about which direction the plane needed to take to arrive in Michigan.  Once on the ground, however, it was a completely different story.

Fortunately for me, daddy was on the job. In fact, he had been on it for several days, studying maps, plotting out the most direct and the safest route for me to take. All I had to do was ask a simple question, “How do I get there daddy?’ and he did the rest.  I have a good sense of direction and I know how to read a map.  What I lack, however, is the years of driving experience my dad possess and whenever I travel, especially to unfamiliar places, I defer to a higher level of expertise.  Daddy possesses that expertise and he has never steered me wrong yet. 

From Detroit, he laid out a way home that was both enjoyable and low key.  He knew that driving a different car would be stressful and driving a manual transmission after having been accustomed to an automatic one, would require a greater level of concentration and attention.  He plotted a way home whereby I made good time but covered roads that were not heavily traveled.

The writer of the book of Proverbs understood what it was like to defer to a higher authority for directions.  Instead of a road across the country, he needed directions for his life.  In lieu of asking his earthly father for these instructions, he took his request directly to God, himself.  The writer preserved this wonderful piece of advice for us in Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” 

Please take a very close look at this passage.  In the first half of the verse, we are reminded that we can, and do, make decisions in life.  The writer says that in our hearts, which is in our inmost being, we determine what path we want to take.  We submit our plans to God and then allow him to work out the details of that plan.  The Scriptures are filled with examples of this.   Consider Abraham who wanted a son and God worked out the miraculous birth of Isaac. And how about Solomon who asked for wisdom and received much more because he submitted his life to God’s plan?

God cares very much about us and about the choices we make.  He alone knows what path we must take to fulfill the purpose he has for us.  God directs our steps and we must follow. Sometimes these paths take us into places we have never been before, but God goes on ahead of us.  At other times, the path grows steep and hard to travel, but God gives us the strength to persevere.  God knows what is best for us.  He will not make our path more difficult or more challenging than is necessary to ensure our safe arrival at the place he has for us.

The trip from Detroit was pleasant.  Taking the road my dad picked wasn’t always understandable.  At times, other roads seemed to be more direct and much easier to travel.  But daddy knew what I needed.  He understood my situation and he took it upon himself to make my travel the best it could be so I would arrive home safe, sound, in one piece, and more confident than I was when I left.  If this is how our earthly fathers lead us, how much more will our Heavenly Father direct the paths we walk every day?  Are you submitting your life and your way to him today?  Is he giving you traveling instructions and are you traveling by them today?

Finding God In The Fridge

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leaning out the refrigerator is no fun!  I remember Saturday mornings when mom decided it was time to clean out the fridge.  The space on the counter top grew steadily smaller as dish after dish and container after container made its way from the fridge to our cabinets.  Honestly, I thought we’d never finish washing, drying, and putting away all those dishes!

My job was to tell her what was on the refrigerator’s shelves and she would decide whether or not such and such a dish needed to be washed or remain in the refrigerator.  Now when I clean out my own refrigerator, memories of those Saturday mornings spent with mom in the kitchen come flooding back.  Today, just as it was back then, cleaning out the refrigerator is still no fun!

I also remember checking the box of baking soda in the refrigerator to make sure it was still good.  Mom kept a box sitting on one of the shelves.  It was there to absorb any odors that might spoil the inside of the refrigerator.  Boy did that little box of soda work!  I never remember our refrigerator having an unpleasant odor thanks to that box of soda mom kept in the refrigerator.

In a very real sense, that box of soda is an excellent example of how Jesus works in the life of the believer.  Sin, like the inside of a refrigerator full of outdated food, produces an unwanted and unpleasant odor in the life of the nonbeliever!  No matter how rich, no matter how successful, and no matter how popular we are, without Jesus, our lives are spoiled, rancid, and ready for the garbage.  Only by accepting Jesus Christ can we hope to rid ourselves of sin and its detrimental effect in our lives.

1 John 3:5 tells us that Jesus came not to cover up sin, not to excuse it, not to tolerate it, but to take it away.  “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”  Unlike that box of soda which needs to be changed every so often, Jesus offers us eternal life once and for all!  His sacrifice removes our sin, takes it away so we can enjoy a personal relationship with God.

That box of soda kept the fridge fresh for several months.  It absorbed all the unpleasant odors and kept the fridge fresh.  However, after working for a long period, the soda became saturated and was no longer able to purify the air.  So, we had to replace it with a fresh box.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, he takes away our sin.  Unlike the soda, however, Jesus’ salvation never wears out, never becomes ineffective, and must never be renewed!!  This is wonderful news!

It always amazes me how God uses the small things in life to teach us wonderful and life changing lessons about Himself.  The next time you open your refrigerator and you have a box of soda inside, stop and think about the wonderful gift of salvation God provided through His son, Jesus Christ.  You will never see the inside of a fridge or the inside of your life in the same light ever again.  We can find God anywhere, even in the fridge!  All we have to do is look for Him!

A Grater Experience

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ll of us have pictures from our childhood that shape the way we view the world around us.   The kids we used to play with, the streets we used to walk, the games we used to play, and the secrets we used to share are indelibly etched in our memories. All of us, from time to time, venture back into the past to relive those wonderful experiences and to return to a time when life was much simpler and carefree.

Like all of you, I too have fond memories of my childhood.  Each time I pass the house where I grew up, memory after memory floods my mind and I am transported back to the days when nothing really mattered except being home for supper.  I remember long summer days when my friends and I played until late in the evening, milking every ray of sunlight from the sky until darkness fell.  I also remember the bitter cold of winter, shuffling through heavy snows, dragging my sled, on the way to join my friends who were already having loads of fun on one of the hills in a nearby neighborhood.

But one of my fondest memories does not involve sun, snow, sleds, or friends.  It has nothing to do with a particular game, a conversation, or a prank played on someone in the neighborhood.  There is one particular item that always takes me back to our home on Main Street, to the kitchen where I watched my mom cook so many meals, bake so many cakes, and turn common items into wonderful dishes as if by magic.

Our kitchen was a wonderful place and it was the exact center of our home.  I can still see my mother standing at the counter making one of a number of her specialties.  She made Cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pudding, and wonderful pies that sometimes called for the zest of lemons, oranges, or limes. 

All of these dishes required ingredients that had to be grated.  She would stand in the corner where our cabinets joined and vigorously rub a head of cabbage, a block of cheese, an onion, an orange, or anything else to be shredded against a grater.  She would work and work until enough cheese, or sweet potato had been shredded.  The job of that grater was to turn large portions of the ingredients into smaller, more useable pieces.  I can still hear the sound of cabbage rubbing against that grater as it was shredded into the right consistency for Cole slaw.

Isaiah the prophet wrote of this very process.  He knew that sometimes God has to work with us and place us against His grater in order to render us useful for His purposes.  Sometimes God places us under the heat, baking out all the impurities of life.  At other times, He grinds, cuts, beats, and mixes us until we are ready to be remade into something that will bring glory to our Heavenly Father.

Look at what the Lord has to say in Isaiah 48:10, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”  At first glance, there is little that is appealing about a furnace or affliction.  Furnaces are hot places where heat is generated by burning and affliction always means difficulty and hardship.  But these are the very means and the very tools God uses to produce in us what we cannot produce in ourselves.  In the furnace, everything that is unnecessary and everything that is impure is burned away.  Only through intense heat can we be purged and prepared for God’s purposes.

Likewise, afflictions and difficulties come because they teach us to rely solely and completely on our God.  When we are faced with trials, when the circumstances of life are overwhelming, when fear, doubt, confusion, and problems crash down upon us, what are we to do?  Where are we to go?  It is at times like this that God wants us to run to Him.  He bids us jump into His arms and cling more tightly to Him.  He is our comfort and shelter in times such as these.  He tests us in the furnace of affliction because He knows what the end result will be.  God is always after the end result, never the present set of circumstances.  If you are in the furnace today, rest assured God is working to change your life into something that is more beautiful than you could ever imagine.

Mom’s grater is now sitting in my cabinet.  I asked if I could have it and she agreed. She has one of those new-fangled ones with a fancy handle and metal tray to hold all the shredded material inside.  It is a nice grater but I prefer the old one, the one she used to use, the one that taught me so many lessons. 

One last thing I should mention about the grating process.  Whatever is being grated is constantly in the hand of the person doing the shredding.  When enough of the ingredient has been shredded, the process will stop but not one second before.  Is God shredding you today?  Are you ready to have a grater experience?  I truly hope so!

South By Southwest

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nlike my parents, I have always known the luxury of having a television in our home.  For as long as I can remember, television played, and continues to play, an important part in my life.  I was five years old when Neil Armstrong took his famous steps on the lunar surface and I was right there in front of the television to watch it all.

In those days, cable television was a dream in someone’s imagination.  All the television sets had aerial antennas for reception.  The antenna was controlled by a box that sat on top of the television.  This box had a directional dial that was used to change the orientation of the antenna to improve reception for a clearer picture.  I can still hear the hum as the drive motor kicked in and I can still see our old television screen changing as the image came more and more into focus.

We received our signal from Charlotte, located to the east.  In order to get a perfect picture, the antenna needed to point southeast to pick up the signal. On more than one occasion, I can remember my mom or my dad standing beside the television while the other one gave directions until the picture was just right.  Sometimes, just a fraction of a degree was all that was necessary to improve the picture; at other times, it was necessary to run through every direction until the signal came in strong.  But it didn’t matter whether the antenna needed to be moved a little or a lot, one thing was certain:  unless the antenna was pointed in the right direction, there would be no signal and that meant the television couldn’t function properly.

The prophet Daniel understood the importance of receiving a strong signal.  He also understood that turning his heart toward God was the only way that his life would function properly.  Let’s take a look at an interesting piece of scripture and understand more about this man named Daniel.

In Daniel 6:10 we read: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel was exiled from his home and lived under the reign of King Darius.  Darius issued a decree that anyone praying to any god or man other than the king would be thrown into the lions’ den.

For the Jewish people, the Temple in Jerusalem marked the place where God dwelled.  When Daniel prayed, he faced Jerusalem, lining himself up with the Temple and praying to God.  From his location, Daniel would have looked southwest in order to face the Temple.  He did this three times a day despite the edict issued by Darius.  Although conditions were less than perfect and not at all safe, Daniel continued to turn the spiritual antenna of his life toward God, receiving a strong signal from his Heavenly father that enabled him to walk and live in a way pleasing to God.

How is the reception working in your life?  Are you able to receive a strong signal because your heart and your mind are turned toward God?  Is your life oriented in such a way as to receive God’s direction and will for your life?  Can others look at the screen of your life and receive a clear picture of the Lord because you are lined up with Him?  If not, perhaps it is time you turned the dial and adjusted the spiritual antenna of your life.  It must be facing in the right direction in order to line up with God.  How about making the necessary adjustment today?

Make Sure They Touch

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 few years ago I received a large package in the mail.  I was not at home when the package arrived so the carrier left it for me in the apartment complex’s office.  On Tuesday afternoon, I found a yellow notice slip hanging on my door, informing me the package had arrived and I could retrieve it from the office at my earliest convenience.  Since the office didn’t close until 6 p.m., I had time to drop my stuff in the apartment and make my way to the office and take delivery of my package.

Once back in my apartment I opened the large envelope.  The outside was simply marked, “Medical Equipment, Open Immediately.”  As instructed, I removed the outer wrapping and unzipped the blue case containing a small heart monitor. Because I have occasional irregular heartbeat episodes, my cardiologist likes to keep tabs on my EKG’s and sometimes she has me carry a recording device from time to time.  This is one of those times.

I am constantly amazed at how much smaller these devices come with each passing year.  The first one I used was the size of a large cassette recorder and required a shoulder strap to carry it.  This one is about the size of a credit card and easily fits into the pocket of my jacket or pants. 

The instructions for recording a baseline EKG were very clear.  I was to hold the device to my chest, making sure the four electrodes on the back of the device touched my skin.  They were to be placed against my chest and held firmly there until the recording tones indicated the instrument had successfully registered my heartbeat.  As instructed, I held the device against my chest, applying steady pressure until the recording was completed.  I then called the monitoring company and transmitted via the telephone.  The computer on the other end of the line captured the recording and showed a strong, regular heartbeat.  In order for a good recording of my heart, I had to make sure the electrodes were touching my chest completely, leaving no gaps that would disrupt the recording.

As I reflect on those instructions, the words of Proverbs 7:2-3 resound in my mind. “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” In this passage, Solomon reminds us of a great biblical truth that has everything to do with making sure God’s word touches our lives. 

God’s promise is that we will live if we keep His commandments and write them on our hearts.

The image of writing something on our hearts tells us that we are to do more than just hear the word of God; we are to apply it to our lives.  Hearing the words and never putting them into practice makes our lives and our witness for God ineffective.  God is more concerned that our hearts are right with Him.  The human heart is the seat of the character which determines the kind of people we are.  Unless we apply God’s word to our hearts and unless we make sure those words touch our inmost being, we will never live the life God wants or expects us to live.

The device I received in the mail only worked when placed in direct contact with my chest.  All of the electrodes had to make solid and consistent contact before a true reading of my heart could be taken.  How much more important is it to be certain that God’s word touches our hearts, making sure that they are  in keeping with His commands and precepts?  Wherever you are today in your walk with God, ask yourself this question:  Are you making sure the truths of His word are touching your heart today?

A Little Dirt On The Coil

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ne evening around 8:30 I was reminded of the joys of home ownership.  I made my way trough the house, turning on lamps, pulling shades, and making sure all the doors were locked and the outside lights were on.  Everything was set for a relaxed evening of reading in my study.  That’s when I noticed something in the guest bedroom, something that wasn’t there yesterday morning or perhaps even when I came home earlier in the evening. 

What I saw was water, water that had leaked through the ceiling and the wall and was running in small rivulets toward the floor.  Now don’t get me wrong.  The amount of water didn’t require me to replicate Noah’s plans for the ark, but there was enough of it to cause the sheetrock to stain and slough off some of the decorative texture.

I immediately called the air conditioning company.  The told me to turn off the unit and they would send somebody right away.  About 30 minutes later, a technician rang my doorbell and the hunt for the leak was on!  What we found caused me to really think and provided the subject for today’s Tidbit

It appeared that something was clogging the primary drain of the unit in my attic.  Whatever this was caused water to escape down the secondary drainage pipe and when it arrived at the wall, it leaked.  What caused the clog was indeed a mystery.  There was nothing in the primary drain blocking any water.  The tech checked the outside unit and its coolant levels and everything was perfect; no leaks of any kind.  The last thing he did was to clean the coil.  Sometimes, it seems, small amounts of dirt can adhere to the coil, pulling water away from the main drain, sending it down another path to exit via the secondary drainage system.

As we wrapped up the visit, I began to think about how long that dirt had been there.  How long had it been building up, just waiting for the perfect moment to ruin my wall and my evening?  This led me to think of the words James wrote in the first chapter of his book.

James 1:15 tells us, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James explains for us the process of sin in our lives.  Sin doesn’t happen all at once, taking us by surprise.  No, it is an active process in which we are active, willing participants.  Sin beings with a desire and as that desire grows, so do the damaging effects in our lives.  Then suddenly, the dam bursts, and everything spills over and destroys everything in its path.  A little dirt on the coil, if left untreated and unchecked over time, will eventually cause a leak that will damage the walls an the interiors of our lives.

When is the last time you had the systems of your live and the condition of your heart checked?  Could it be that there is dirt on the coil, dirt that will eventually lead to a damaging leak in your life?  All that is necessary is for you to ask Jesus to cleanse the coil and remove anything that would block the flow of his love and his spirit in your life.  Don’t you think its time for a service call today?

Lug Nut Faith

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hen it comes to cars, I’m not too mechanically minded.  Oh sure, I can crank the thing, I can have the oil changed, I can put gas in the tank, and I can make sure it gets washed.  Other than that, I have no clue about how cars operate.  I can’t hear noises the engine makes, I don’t know how liquid gas explodes in an engine to make it go, and you can forget about me understanding the inner workings of fuel injection systems, hydraulic brakes, or anything else pertaining to a car that has more than one syllable in the word.  Gas, oil, start, stop, go, crank, shut off, that pretty much sums up my knowledge of the automobile.

In late November, I saw a car in the distance with its flashers going full-tilt.  Beside the vehicle, on his hands and knees, was a man trying to remove a flat tire and replace it with another.  He was at the fun stage of unscrewing the lug nuts in order to remove and replace the flat.  He didn’t look to happy about his current situation, especially since it was raining.  Nonetheless, the tire had to be changed and he continued removing those lug nuts in the hopes of soon being back on the road.

As I continued my drive back to Fort Worth, I turned off the radio and thought about what I had just seen.  It wasn’t the first time I had witnessed someone changing a flat. In fact, that is a pretty common occurrence in a place as large as this.  But it was the first time I had actually thought about the role of the lug nut and how important it is to all of us who drive cars on a regular basis or on any basis for that matter.

If you think about it, the entire driving process comes right down to the effectiveness and the integrity of the lug nut.  No matter how expensive the car, no matter how much leather and wood is on the inside, no matter the brand, and no matter the dealership’s name emblazoned on the trunk, unless the lug nuts hold the tires on the wheels, the car will go nowhere.  It will in fact be useless to the driver.  Isn’t it something that a car with a price tag reaching perhaps twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars is only as good as the lug nuts holding its tires?

So what does all this have to do with the Christian faith?  Everything!  What the lug nut is to the car, faith is to the believer in Jesus Christ.  It doesn’t matter where we go to church, it doesn’t matter how many committees we serve on, it doesn’t matter how many church functions or socials we attend, it doesn’t’ matter how much money we put in the plate on Sunday morning, nor does it matter that our family has belonged to that church since the corner stone was laid.  Without faith in God, all of that, and I do mean all of that, our walk with Him is nonexistent. 

The writer of Hebrews 11:6 reminds us of this fact, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  The emphasis placed on faith here is clear.  Without it, we cannot be pleasing to God.  This is the lug nut of the Christian life—faith!  It is the foundation of our walk and the very essence of our relationship to God.  With faith, we have full access to our Heavenly Father but without it, we are as helpless as a car with no lug nuts. 

Today it is not very popular to talk about faith in God or faith in anything for that matter.  The world operates on fact, not on faith we are told!  Yet, I see thousands of people on the highway each day who have placed their faith and their lives in a little piece of metal that keeps their tires on their cars and their cars on the road.  How strong is your belief in God?  Are you living with lug nut faith today?  I surely hope you are!

From Start To Finish

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appy New Year!  These words will be repeated thousands upon thousands of times over the next several days as people return from holiday vacations and settle back into their daily routines.  Well-wishers the world over will call friends and relatives to express their hopes that the new year will bring peace, health, and prosperity.  It really is a wonderful way to start the new year but as we stand on the threshold of 2017 with hope, we are very much in the dark of what this year will unfold.

For over four hundred years the Children of Israel had spent every new year in captivity and bondage to Pharaoh and his task masters.  Each new year resembled the year before and God's people, those whom He considered that apple of His eye, remained captive and enslaved with little reason or cause for hope.  But they clung to the promise that one day God would deliver them; and deliver them He did!

He had promised to lead them into a good land, "a land flowing with milk and honey" but in order to enter the land, they would have to learn to trust the Lord, to follow Him faithfully, and to look to Him to supply their every need.  God honored their faith and fulfilled His promise even though they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and wondered in a circle for forty years.

Still, God assured them that He would fulfill His promise.  In Deuteronomy 11:12 God makes the following statement, "It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."  What wonderful words of assurance and promise and we can claim this same assurance and promise today as we embark on a new year.

The Children of Israel had no idea what the land looked like.  They did not know what the land contained but they knew that God had promised to provide for them and to bring them into this land.  Like the Children of Israel, we do not know what 2017 will bring.  We cannot see all the circumstances that will come our way.  But we do know that God sees it.  We know that He is already there and that He cares for us.  He has promised that every circumstance, every trial, every blessing, and every triumph will be for our good because He loves us.

Notice the last line of today's passage.  God's eyes were continually on the land from the beginning of the year to its end.  The same is true today.  God knows where we are.  He sees everything we do and is aware of everything we are facing.  His eyes and His presence are with us not only on January 1 but also on December 31 and every day in between.  God is continually with us, continually leading us, and continually working for our good.  That is His promise and it will not fail.

So as we take the first steps into this new year, let us do so with confidence, knowing that we serve a God who is faithful, who will fulfill all His promises to us and who stands guard over us every moment of every day of every year.  God is continually with us from start to finish.  Forward march!