Homesick!

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t was a terrible evening. My second day at church camp had gone well but as the sky began to darken and the time to go to sleep in a strange bed approached, I found myself feeling less and less well. Yeah, I was suffering from my first bout of homesickness and boy was it ever a textbook case. The church camp was located about three hours from my home. I was very excited about attending church camp but that evening just thinking about my room, my parents, and good food, made me want to go home. So, I did what any kid would do. I called my dad at 10:00 in the evening and said, "I want to come home." Do you know what he did? He came after me!!!!

We all face times of loneliness in our lives. Sometimes these feelings stem from a sense of loss, or we feel that others just don't understand us. At other times, distance between people makes them feel lonely because they are separated from friends and loved ones. Sometimes this separation is emotional and sometimes it is physical. And, the worst of all scenarios, sometimes it is both. That was the case with me, as a seven-year-old boy, far away from home.

The Apostle Paul experienced similar situations in his life. Not only did he know what it was like to be away from family and friends, he also knew what it was like to be imprisoned, hungry, beaten, abandoned, betrayed, and shipwrecked. Yet, he writes what may be the most beautifully penned words of assurance in chapter 8 of his letter to the Romans. Verse 35 reads "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" This is a very important question because sometimes we feel that Christ has forgotten us. We feel there are so many things separating us from him and getting close to him seems impossible.

Fortunately, Paul has a wonderful answer to this question in verses 38 and 39. He writes, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." What a promise!

That night, long ago at church camp, I was very lonely and felt very separated from my family. Yet, I knew that if I called my dad, he'd come and get me. Although there was physical distance between us, nothing could separate me from his love. This is God's promise to you and to me. He who watches over us and cares for us with a love far richer than our earthly fathers will be there to answer the phone and come get us when we are lonely. We have his word on it, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." 

Tossing And Turning

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wo o’clock in the morning is not a pleasant time to be awakened from a sound sleep, especially for no apparent reason.  And yet, there I was, wide awake, alert, and trying to figure out why I was staring at the ceiling instead of the inside of my eyelids.  The house was still, no one was stirring, and the only sound was the muffled ticking of the clock as its pendulum swung steadily back and forth.

Slowly I became aware that the blankets and the bed sheets were not in the same arrangement as they had been several hours earlier when I retired for the evening. Instead of being neatly draped over the bed and tucked in on the sides, they were twisted around my legs and feet in a most interesting and perplexing knot.  Any attempted move on my part caused the bedclothes to become entangled all the more around my body.

The entire source of the problem stemmed from the fact that the sheets and blanket on one side of the bed had pulled free while the covers on the remaining side were still firmly tucked between the mattress and the box spring.  Had this half of the sheets pulled loose, I would have continued to sleep, unfettered and unhindered.  However, because half of the sheets were still tucked under the mattress, I found myself fighting against the covers.  The more I struggled, the greater my challenge to get a good night’s sleep.

In Hebrews 12:1 we find these words, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Please notice the last part of this passage.  We are told in no uncertain terms that sin wraps itself around us, invading every area of our lives, effectively entangling us in its web.  The result of sin in the life of the believer is evident. It prevents him from running the race God has set before him.

Like the covers on my bed that were half loose and half secure, sin prevents us from resting.  There is always an internal conflict because we are constantly struggling and wrestling with sin. As long as it remains the chosen way of life, there is no rest, there is no peace, and there is no assurance in our lives.  Only when we choose to turn away from sin and accept Jesus Christ as our savior and lord are able to experience the “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

After I understood the problem with my bed covers, I corrected it.  I freed the sheets and the blanket from underneath my mattress.  I was then able to move freely and throughout the rest of the evening I slept peacefully.  Not once did I wake up to find the sheets and the blanket wrapped around me and my bed didn’t resemble a battlefield when I got up the next morning. 

Jesus wants to do the same in our personal walk with him.  He wants his followers to know that true freedom can be found in him.  Through his grace, his mercy, and his sacrifice, we find the ability to throw off the mantle of sin that entangles us and prevents us from running a victorious race.

Are you tired of tossing and turning in your spiritual life?  Are you longing for the peace that only God can give?  If so, remember the lesson of the bed covers.  As long as we hold on to any area of sin in our lives, we will have struggle and conflict and peace will never come.  However, when we allow God to remove all the sin form our lives, when we relinquish our lives to him, he can and will give us his peace and the ability to run life’s race in such a way that we win the prize!

The Stronghold of En Gedi

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t was a dry, arid wasteland with little protection from the elements.  During the day, the sun beat down on the land with a fury; and at night the cold, frigid air of the desert wrapped everything in its mantle. There was very little water, practically no food, and caves were the only haven from the heat and the cold.

This was the wilderness of En Gedi where David hid from the relentless pursuit of Israel’s King Saul.  From the time of his victory over the Philistines’ towering champion, Goliath, Saul had been in pursuit of David, intent on taking his life.  Whenever he learned that David was in a certain location, Saul pursued him.  Finding and killing the son of Jesse had become an obsession with the king.

On two occasions, David had the opportunity to take Saul’s life. His men encouraged him to do so; believing God had delivered Saul into David’s hand.  Everything was to David’s advantage.  Saul was alone.  He did not know David was near.  The king was unarmed and would prove easy prey.  But David refused to act because Saul was God’s anointed, his chosen king over Israel.

While Saul was in a cave, David approached him and cut off a portion of his robe.  Saul was unaware that David had been that close to him.  He had no idea David could have killed him had he chosen to do so.  As he left to rejoin his men, Saul heard a familiar voice calling to him.  David’s voice was distinct and he recognized it immediately.  David asked the king why he wanted to take his life.  When he held up the piece of Saul’s garment as proof he could have killed him, Saul realized David had acted justly toward him.

Saul praised David for his righteous behavior and asked a favor of him.  Saul had David swear that he would not do away with his descendants when David became king over Israel.  David swore an oath to Saul he would remember his descendants and not wipe them out.  After David became king, he kept this promise to Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth 2 Samuel 9.(click on the scripture reference to read about this)

In 1 Samuel 24:22, we have a very interesting passage of scripture. “So, David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.”  Take notice of the two directions taken by both men.  They couldn’t have been more opposite!  Saul went home but David returned to the stronghold of En Gedi.  Although he had made peace with Saul, David remained in the desert stronghold, staying there with his men, living in the desert and taking shelter and refuge in the caves.

Sometimes in the Christian walk, God places us in desert strongholds.  These places are removed from everything with which we are familiar.  In the stronghold, David had no comfortable surroundings. He did not sleep on a soft bed, he did not eat the finest cuisine, he did not drink the best wines, and he did not dress in the latest fashion.  The stronghold was not adorned with fine decorations and it had no central air conditioning or heat.  All it offered was sand, heat, cold, and safety.

You see, the stronghold was David’s haven.  It was here he learned to lead his men.  If he were going to lead a nation, he would first have to lead his men and what better place to learn how to lead than in an environment that demanded a leader.  In the desert stronghold, David was molded and fashioned into the great leader that would shepherd the flock of Israel.  In the En Gedi wilderness, he learned to depend on God and on him alone.  In the stronghold, he was safe, he was cared for, and he was under the constant surveillance of God, himself.

Today, it may seem God has taken you away from your familiar surroundings.  He may be asking you to stay in the desert instead of returning to the comfort of home.  If this is your situation, take heart.  God never calls us to En Gedi unless he has great plans for us.  In the stronghold, he is able to mold and shape us according to his plan for our lives.  In the stronghold, we are totally dependent on him which is exactly the lesson he wants us to learn.  In the caves of En Gedi, God forged Israel’s greatest king and taught him to place his faith and trust solely in God.  When David emerged from the desert, he wasn’t the same man he was when he entered.

 

The same is true for us.  If God has called you to the stronghold today, be patient and be encouraged.  He is in the process of conforming you to the image of his son.  In the stronghold, you will learn to lean on him, to trust him, and to cast every care you have on his shoulders.  Yes, in the stronghold is where God works, molding and shaping us until we are ready to be used for his purposes.  Won’t you enter the stronghold today?

Six Hooks And A Crate

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he old adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention” rings true just as it did the day the phrase was coined.  When we are in a pinch, when we really need something, when it seems we are at the end of our resources, that is just time we become creative and inventive.  Who hasn’t found themselves in the basement, the attic, or the garage, looking for a hammer, a nail, some twine, and anything else, in order to make something useful?  Some people, however, are far more creative with everyday-things than others.  They just seem to have the knack for taking the ordinary and making something extraordinary out of it.  My dad is just such a person!

In August of 2002, I moved into an apartment.  After five years of living in a dorm room, I was kind of excited to have my own place.  My parents were gracious to bring all my worldly possessions from North Carolina.  They spent weeks cleaning furniture, going through storage units, packing up kitchen utensils, books, sheets, towels, etc., and getting me ready to move into my new place.  They did all this without my assistance and I am eternally grateful for their willingness to help me.  Actually, they wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Finally, the big day came and I moved out of the dorm and into my apartment. Several friends came to help move all of my stuff from the trailer and the dorm room into my new home.  Everything went very well and we moved the entire contents into the apartment in a matter of just a few hours.  That’s when the fun really began!  Once all the boxes, crates, containers, books, pictures, and pieces of furniture were placed in the apartment, the task of arranging them and making a home began.  Within the space of a few short days, the apartment was finished, with all the pictures hung, all the utensils placed in the kitchen, and all the towels neatly folded in the linen closet.

That’s when I discovered just how prepared, versatile, and creative my dad could be.  Dad had brought an assortment of tools with him.  In addition to his drill, hammer, and screwdrivers, he also had a collection of nails, screws, bolts, tacks, hangers, etc. that proved invaluable!  Each time we needed to hang a picture or repair something, dad had just what we needed.  No matter what we threw at him, dad always rose to the challenge and found just the right screw, bolt, or nail to address the task at hand.

The best example I can share is the letter holder he made for me.  I needed a place to keep my letters, keys, unpaid bills, etc.  I mentioned that to dad and he jumped right on it.  All I had was a small wooden crate used to hold music CD’s.  Since I had a place to store my music, I no longer needed the crate and it was destined for the trash heap.  Dad, however, had another idea.  He took the crate, went to the toolbox, found six hooks, and in a matter of minutes he created a hanging letter holder with hooks to hold my keys. When I had no idea what to do, dad stepped in and took care of everything!

Our Heavenly Father works just the same way.  He knows all about the changes in our lives and he knows that moving from one place to the other can be stressful and chaotic.  God always stands ready to supply our needs, to take the ordinary things in our lives and make the extraordinary out of them.  He is always working, always creating, always providing for us when we don’t know what to do nor how to approach the difficult situations in our lives.  Our Heavenly Father is always working on behalf of His children, constantly meeting our needs and providing for every situation in life.

Sometimes we have no idea how God can use the broken, discarded, and neglected areas of our lives for any good purpose.  We cannot understand and we cannot see things from His perspective!  What we would throw away, God uses.  What we would overlook, he notices.  What we would consider junk, he sees as a treasure.  What we see as a difficulty and impossibility, he sees as an opportunity!  When we don’t know what to do, when we reach the end of our resources, when we are overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, God steps in.  He reaches into his toolbox and takes out his instruments and lovingly begins the process of transforming our lives, bringing wonderful order out of impossible chaos!

2 Corinthians 5:17 demonstrates this idea for us: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” What a wonderful promise.  God does not leave us among the empty hopes and broken dreams of our former lives.  Instead, He starts over, making something new and wonderful from the various items strewn across the floor of our lives.  He patiently and lovingly unpacks all that we have, all that we are, and all that we hope to be and he begins working.  He drives a nail here, places a screw there, and uses crates and hooks to create something completely new.  When he finishes, we have a new purpose, a new identity, and a new relationship with him.  Won’t you let Him work on you today?

In And Behind Your Ears

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oap and water are the sworn enemies of all children!  There’s just something about the words “bath time” that strikes fear into the heart of any kid, no matter how big, brave, or dirty he or she may be!

I remember how much I hated taking a bath.  I would always find some excuse to avoid the dreaded march to the bathroom. I argued that I wasn’t that dirty, that I had just had a bath the night before, or that, following up on a conversation I overheard between my parents, our water bill was just too high and that by not taking a bath, I was actually “helping” keep costs down.  I had no idea what that meant but it sure sounded good!

None of these arguments, however, swayed or even phased my mom!  When she said, “bath time,” that is exactly what she meant--no negotiations, no appeals to dad, just the obedient death march to the bathroom.  Once in the tub, I had to make sure all the dirt, grime, and filth was completed washed away.  Just about the time I finished this “burdensome task,” mom would call from the kitchen and remind me to “make sure you wash in and behind your ears!” On more than one occasion she had informed me that we could probably produce a good crop of potatoes from the dirt in my ears!

Washing behind my ears, I could understand, but washing in them was beyond me. Who, besides mom and the doctor, was going to be looking in my ear canal?  Who wanted to?  But, in order to avoid any confrontation, I took the washcloth and dutifully washed both in and behind my ears.  Who would have thought that a little dirt would be such a big deal?  But mom knew that keeping my ears clean, especially the inside, would avoid infections and all kinds of not-so-fun stuff.

The idea of keeping the outside and the inside clean and protected can be found in the story of Noah and his ark!  Don’t believe me?  Then just take a look at this brief, but very important passage found in Genesis 6:14, “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”

God’s instructions were clear, Noah was to use cypress wood to build the ark and he was to make sure it was coated, both inside and out, with a substance called pitch. Why would God make this demand of Noah?  Let’s find out!

Pitch was a resin that could be made from any of a number of substances, such as coal tar, plants, etc. It was used as caulk to waterproof sea-going vessels.  Putting pitch, both on the inside and the outside of a ship ensured the vessel would be waterproof and stay afloat.  Noah, had to make sure that pitch covered every joint and seam of the ark, whether they were inside or outside.  The outside pitch prevented water from seeping in and the inside pitch was used to stop any water that might get past the outside resin.  The inside pitch, although unseen from the exterior, guaranteed the security of the ark.

The application to the Christian life is clear.  Jesus, in Matthew 23:27 warned the Pharisees of having cleaned behind their ears, so to speak, but having neglected to clean them on the inside, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

Our Lord knows the hearts of men.  He knows that outward appearances are no indication of the inward condition.  The outside may appear clean but the inside is dirty, dark, and sinful.  Only the saving blood of Christ can pitch and seal the human heart both inside and out.  So, how clean are your spiritual ears today?

Peace In Our Time

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ike most kids in most neighborhoods we had our little disagreements, our arguments, and our skirmishes.  Usually these lasted no more than a few hours unless a siege was declared in which case we could make it perhaps two days before a truce was called.  War in a neighborhood is rough, especially when you want to play outside and no one will join you because you’ve drawn battle lines over who has the best tennis shoes.

Honestly, I can’t believe the things we used to argue over.  But it wasn’t long until we found some way to bury the hatchet and get our friendships and our relationships back on track.  Usually, the peace treaty took the form of a simple I’m sorry.  But if the stakes were really high, candy, potato chips, a ride on someone’s bike, or some type of trade was involved.  The result was peace in the neighborhood until the next squabble came along.

Isn’t it odd how behavior among neighborhood kids reflects the greater neighborhood of the real world?  Unfortunately, though, neither a bike ride nor a candy bar can resolve these problems.  Even a formal declaration of peace between countries is no guarantee that the peace can be maintained.  The world learned that lesson during the Second World War.  Neville Chamberlain, England’s Prime Minister, returned from the 1938 Munich Conference with a declaration of peace with Nazi Germany, confidently stating that he had obtained “Peace in our time.”  Sadly, there was no peace and the treaty signed between these two powers was worthless. The scuffles in Europe’s neighborhood continued until the entire world was at war.

Peace is a very popular word in vogue today.  With all the conflicts around the world, it seems that every diplomat, every government leader, every political party, and every social movement has a solution for the world’s problems.  The cries for peace around the world sound like a verse from the children’s song, Old MacDonald had a farm.  It would sound something like this, “Here a peace, there a peace, everywhere a peace, peace!”  History teaches us, however, that permanent peace is seemingly beyond mankind’s reach as a whole.

Would it surprise you to learn that the word peace appears 292 times in the Scriptures?  From Genesis to Revelation, from the beginning to the end, we find mankind looking for peace with his enemies but also peace for his soul.  Fortunately, God’s word makes it crystal clear that mankind can achieve peace.  This peace is not between countries or individuals.  It is not based on a document or on a trade of goods.  It is based solely on God’s grace and His gift of salvation for a lost and dying world.

Micah 5:5a gives us this following statement on peace: “And he will be their peace.”  In this portion of scripture, Micah looks forward to the day when Messiah will come.  Notice that Micah does not say that Messiah will bring peace; he says that Messiah is peace. What a wonderful truth this!  The words of Jesus, spoken hundreds of years later, guarantee this peace for the human soul.  Jesus says in John’s gospel that he gives us his peace.  This is not the peace offered by the world but the very peace of God.  Paul also writes in his letter to the Romans that believers in Christ have received peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Do you have this peace today?  In a world that is rocked and torn by turmoil, hatred, war, and fighting do you have the assurance of God’s peace?  When your personal situation becomes difficult, when your family life is tense, when your future is uncertain, when it seems the burdens of life are more than you can bear, and when it feels as if you are being attacked from every side, cut off from all help, do you have God’s peace and assurance that passes all understanding?  If so, I pray that you will continue to walk in this peace today.  If you do not know this peace, I want to invite you to bow where you are now and accept Jesus Christ as your savior and lord.  He truly offers us “Peace in our time.”  Have a great day!

             

My Aching Feet

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or two years Jeremy, had been planning this hiking trip in the high mountains of the American Southwest.  Several of his friends had agreed to go with him and they had spent the last twenty-four months purchasing the correct equipment, planning out the exact route their hiking adventure would take, training and conditioning their bodies, packing and repacking their gear, and making sure everything was in order. 

When the group finally arrived at their destination, they wasted no time in getting started.  After giving all their gear one last check, after filling all their water bottles to the brim, and after flexing and stretching their muscles, they hoisted their packs onto their shoulders, adjusted the straps, fastened the harnesses around their waists and started off on their trek across the awaiting peaks.  The early morning sun greeted them as they made the last turn out of base camp and began their upward ascent.  At last, the journey had begun!

Things progressed smoothly during the first several days of the trail.  The weather cooperated, the friends made good time hiking from one destination to another along their itinerary, they experienced beautiful sunrises, sunsets, several encounters with mule deer and elk, and they were captivated by the differences in the countryside laid out before them.  Everything went perfectly and it seemed the trek would go off without a hitch.  That was before day four.

On the morning of the fourth day, Jeremy awoke with a dull ache on the outside of his right foot.  He didn’t think anything of it, chalking it up to the steep climb they had made the day before in order to reach their current location.  The group broke camp, threw on their packs and started the next leg of their hike.  About thirty minutes after leaving camp, Jeremy found himself in excruciating pain.  The small toe of his right foot felt as if someone were working on it with a sledge hammer.  Each step he took sent waves of pain shooting up his leg.  He gritted his teeth and doubled his determination but it was no use.  Every step of his right foot brought discomfort to his whole body. 

Finally, after an hour and a half of painful hiking, he stopped, removed his pack, sat down, took off his boot and sock, and stared in disbelief at his foot.  There, on the outside of the toe was a festering blister.  It wasn’t much to look at but the slightest touch made him wince.  The pressure of his boot rubbing against it coupled with his continued walking caused the blister to grow and to turn his hike from a glorious adventure into a torturous experience.  Nothing else, not the weight of his pack or the stiffness in his legs, caused him as much grief as that little blister.  It affected not only his foot but his whole body.

The Apostle Paul made a similar observation in 1 Corinthians 12:26. In this passage of scripture, Paul makes the following observation, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”  Instead of talking about a blister on the foot, Paul’s comments address the relationship we are to have with our fellow believers.  In this chapter from 1 Corinthians, Paul describes the different roles believers play in the body of Christ.  We don’t all have the same functions, gifts, or responsibilities but we all make up one body, the body of Christ.

As members of the same body, we are inextricably linked to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Even though our relationships with God through Jesus Christ are distinct and separate, we are connected and related to our fellow believers because we are all in Christ.  This means we have a responsibility not only to Christ but to each other.  We are to care for all the members of the body so that the entire body can function properly and in unison.  This is what Paul means when he says that the entire body of believes suffers when one believer suffers and all are glad when one of us rejoices.

Knowing that one of our brothers or sisters in Christ is having a difficult time should have the same effect on us as the blister on Jeremy’s foot had for the rest of his body.  Although his heart still functioned, his legs still worked, and his eyes could see, his entire experience was painful due to that small blister.  His entire body suffered because one part was in pain.  Likewise, when he cared for his toe and bandaged it, the pain went away and his experience was pleasant and enjoyable.

This is what it means to be united to the other members of Christ’s body.  We must realize that we are our brother’s keeper and that we are to care for the other members of the body when they experience difficult and painful times. When they suffer, we suffer as well and when they are happy, our joy is full and complete.  Do you know someone who has a blister today?  Are you willing to share his pain and encourage him until he experiences the full joy of Christ?

According To The Pattern

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hirty-four years ago, I was in the back hallway of our house on Main Street.  I was there at the behest of my mother.  The back hallway had so many different uses in our house.  The pantry was there, the washer and dryer were there, my dad’s closet, the back door, and access to my mom and dad’s room could also be found in the back hall.  But thirty-four years ago, I was in the back hall for another reason.  This was also mom’s sewing room and whenever she had the sewing machine cranked up, we all spent a fair amount of time trying on the clothes she was making.

So, in 1983, I spent a lot of time in the back hallway with mom as she made several shirts for my upcoming trip to France.  Trying on the shirts while she made adjustments was not one of my all time favorite things to do.  It required me to stand still, which my mom will tell you is still impossible for me to do.  But, like the dutiful son that I am (well, sort of) I spent my time with mom as she cut, snipped, and pinned the material to conform to the pattern she was making.

Of course, mom took this seriously and arduously worked to make those shirts fit perfectly.  I, on the other hand, was cracking jokes, pretending to be stuck when she placed a pin into the material, and begging her not to cut me when she trimmed the material to make an adjustment.  It’s a wonder she didn’t cut or stick me just to teach me a lesson!

But all in all, we made it through, the shirts were finished, and I packed my bags and headed to France for a full year.  But whenever I wore those shirts some 5,000 miles away from home, I remembered the times mom and I spent together as she worked and worked to make them according to the pattern she used.  I always felt she was with me and I could feel her hands and arms around me as I put on those shirts.  I was aware of the detailed stitching and her meticulous finger work that made the shirts complete.

When Moses was on Mt. Sinai, God showed him a pattern for the tabernacle and all its instruments.  He told Moses to build the tabernacle according to the plans he had seen on the mountain.  The pattern was the most important thing.  It revealed the exact size and shape of everything God wanted in the tabernacle.  Moses’ job was to follow that pattern and make the materials he had conform to it.

We can see this in a passage from Exodus 25:40 “See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” God’s instructions were clear.  Moses was no to make the items according to what he thought they should be but according to God’s design, his pattern.  The tabernacle was a foreshadowing of Christ and the plan of salvation.  It was not Moses’ plan; it was God’s and therefore it was his pattern.  Moses was simply to follow the pattern and to make the tabernacle exactly as God wanted it to be.

What a great truth this is for us today.  God has given us the pattern of Jesus Christ to follow.  We are to pattern our lives according to his commandments and follow his instructions with no alterations of any kind!  He is the pattern we are the material.  Our lives must be tailored, altered, pinned, cut, and trimmed so that we resemble the pattern exactly.  Moses did not have a choice about following the pattern and neither do we. 

The shirts now live on a shelf in my closet in dust-proof bags. They don’t fit like they did thirty-four years ago!  They are, shall we say, a little snug in some places.  But they look just as good as they did that day in the back hallway of our house on Main Street.  They stand as a testimony to my mom’s faithfulness, a faithfulness she continues to live out daily, a faithfulness that has taught me so much about God, his love, his mercy, and his grace.  Are you living your life today according to the pattern?

Daddy, Carry Me!

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s a little boy, it was sometimes hard to get around, especially if it required walking!  Somehow, my little footsteps were never able to keep up with daddy’s. For every step he took, I had to take at least four so, as you can imagine, our progress was a bit slow.  But daddy was patient. He held my hand and waited for me to take four steps to his one and then we would do it all over again.  We slowly, but surely, ambled up Main Street toward his place of business or to buy something at Nell Beam’s store.

But when I grew tired or when he just wanted to have fun, daddy would pick me up and carry me.  He would hold me high over his head or put me on his shoulders and away we would go at, what was to me, break-neck speed!  I was no burden to carry and daddy drew as much delight from this as I did.

But daddy didn’t always carry me into places that were fun.  Sometimes he carried me into hospital wards for an extended stay while doctors operated to repair my kidneys, my heart, or my leg.  At these particular times, the ride in daddy’s arms wasn’t always pleasant and I didn’t fully understand why he would carry me into certain places.  I didn’t realize until I was much older just how difficult these carries were for him.

The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, understood the idea of being carried away to an unpleasant place.  The Children of Israel were carried off to Babylon for seventy years of captivity.  The Babylonian army took them from their homeland and resettled them in a place that was foreign, hostile, and completely unfamiliar to them.  Yet, God was there and his instructions through Jeremiah were meant to bring comfort and encouragement to his people.

In Jeremiah 29:7 we find these words, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  There are several important lessons packed into this small passage from Jeremiah.  Please notice that God has carried his children into exile.  Although they are not at home, although the circumstances in which they find themselves are unpleasant, challenging, and confusing, he has led them there.  It is impossible to carry someone without touching them.  Even in exile, God’s hand is there.

The Children of Israel are also told to pray for the city where they are held captive.  This seems almost impossible to believe but notice the end of the passage.  If the city prospers, God’s people will prosper.  It is the difficult circumstances of life that God uses to grow us and teach us more about himself.

Wherever you are today in your walk with God, please know that he is there with you.  He has not forgotten you, he has not abandoned you; he has carried you.  He is aware of your present circumstances and his promise is that every situation you face, no matter how unpleasant, challenging, or difficult it may be, will be used for his glory.  Won’t you let God carry you today?

Course Correction Needed

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unday afternoons are made for relaxation and rest and sometimes there is no better way to rest than to be among friends while watching a good comedy. A few Sundays ago I had the good fortune of doing both of these.

The movie was a parody on the space program and a manned mission to mars.  At every turn something went amiss and our hero, a computer nerd, always exclaimed that he had nothing whatsoever to do with whatever went haywire.  And believe me, just about everything went haywire!

Very early in the movie, NASA encountered its first problem when one of the lead astronauts kept crashing his landing module into the Martian surface.  He complained that the programming was faulty and the machine was feeding him incorrect information.  So, the powers-that-be took the problem to the programmer, none other than our hero.

During a brief simulation, the programmer discovered that the pilot had replaced the original programming with his own calculations.  This resulted in disaster.  Each time the simulator encountered the faulty programming it displayed a warning, course correction needed.  The pilot chose not to heed the warning but to use his own programming and each time the result was the same, a crash landing with no survivors.

Although presented in the guise of a comedy, this is a very sobering lesson for us as Christians and one addressed in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.  No, Isaiah was not a computer nerd and he certainly had no idea that traveling to another planet would some day be a possibility.  But he did know that relying on our own ideas and instincts always spells disaster.

He penned these words in Isaiah 50:11 and we would do well to heed their warning and take them to heart, “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is that you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

Isaiah’s message could not be any clearer.  When we insist on having our own way, when we refuse to heed God’s warnings or follow his leading, and when we step out on our own along a path we have chosen without consulting him, we run the great risk of crash landing.  God has promised to lead us in the right paths and to be with us all along the way.  But we must listen to him and adjust our lives when a course correction is needed.  Are you following His flight plan or are you maneuvering by your own program today?

That Don't Make No Sense!

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hat don’t make no sense!”  Movie aficionados among you may recognize a quote from the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou?”  I must admit, the first time I saw it at my parents’ home I fell out in the floor laughing when I heard this line.  What could be more nonsensical than a band of three convicts, having escaped prison, searching for a buried treasure which doesn’t exist and in the process getting into more trouble than you can imagine?

Watching their exploits, I wondered what would happen next that could make the situation they were presently in seem harmless.  And, just about that time, I received my answer.  Something more fantastic, far beyond anything you can imagine occurred, and the boys found themselves in another fix, much worse, more complicated, and more serious than the preceding predicament.  In all honesty, the movie could be have been subtitled, “The Predicament du Jour!”

We are all familiar with this scenario, especially if we are living a life of faith.  Just about the time we have the next step figured out, just when we have the master blueprint all drawn, when every “T” is crossed and every “I” is dotted, that’s usually when the unforeseen happens and all our plans go up in smoke.  We look at the new situation life throws our way, we scratch our head, we may even shed a few tears, and we say, “God, that don’t make no sense!”  I’ll bet you didn’t know God spoke Southern, did you?

Well, lest we believe we are all alone when this happens, let us look at the life of a man who lived a long, long time ago; who understood that life “don’t make no sense” and that sometimes even our best and most noble attempts often fail.  The don’t fail because they are bad or wrong, they fail because God has something better for us, even though we can’t see or understand it from where we are now standing.

Genesis 41:1 gives us a very straightforward look at the life of Joseph.  The passage simply says, “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream…” The whole of Joseph’s life can be summed up in this statement.  His was a life of waiting, of not understanding the difficult circumstances.  I am sure Joseph never understood why his brothers betrayed him, why Potipher’s wife tried to seduce him, why he was unfairly imprisoned, or why the cupbearer forgot him.  In fact, the Scriptures never tell us that Joseph ever received any of this information.

After trying to orchestrate his own exit from the prison by asking the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf, we find Joseph waiting two more years until Pharaoh had a dream.  But once Pharaoh had his dream, Joseph was positioned and ready for God’s use.  After all that had happened to him, after all the false accusations, after all the betrayal, and after all the long nights in a lonely prison wondering what had become of his world, Joseph found himself second only to Pharaoh in all the land of Egypt.

My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to take great encouragement from this passage of scripture and from this man Joseph.  The last verse of Genesis 40 tells us the cupbearer forgot Joseph.  The cupbearer did; God didn’t.  For the next two years, he was with Joseph and he was already making preparations for Joseph’s promotion two years down the road, a promotion Joseph never dreamed of!

This is the way God works.  Whatever your present situation today, I pray you will know that God is not only above it; he is working beyond it!  It’s when life just “don’t’ make no sense” from our perspective that God does his greatest work in us and through us.  Stay the course! Hang in there! Trust God’s heart even when you can’t see his hand.  One day it will all make sense!  Who knows, that day just might be today!

Meeting God at Hemphill Street

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he drive home from the university was pretty much the same as every day before it.  I passed the same houses, the same businesses were peddling their wares on Cooper Street, the same construction zones were still under construction and probably always will be, and the same houses that were there on Monday, were there on Tuesday.  Yep! All in all, the drive home wasn’t all that spectacular, just routine!

As I neared Fort Worth, I began lining up my car to exit from the Interstate.  During the ride from Arlington, about 20 minutes, I had to maneuver from one side of the Interstate to the other in order to follow I-20 West.  At several points, other roads diverged from the Interstate, forcing me to change lanes in order to stay on course.  As I neared Fort Worth, however, I had to maneuver again, back to the right side, in order to exit the Interstate.  The fun just never ends!

I maneuvered through traffic with relatively little hassle.  I passed Campus Drive and came upon the south mixmaster, that’s what Texans affectionately call the junction of several major roads.  It looks more like the arms of an octopus and if you’re not careful those arms can make your life a living nightmare!  Just beyond the mixmaster, I saw the exit for Hemphill Street, my exit from the Interstate.  As I changed lanes, something happened in my car, something very exciting.

There were no flashing lights, no bells and whistles sounded, the horn didn’t start honking uncontrollably, nor did the radio go haywire.  For all intents and purposes, everything was normal inside the car except for me.  As I took the exit for Hemphill Street I felt God’s presence so real and so near.  The only word that came to mind to describe it was joy.  It wasn’t a giddy happiness or a knee-slapping laughter kind of joy but a warm sense of peace, contentment, and reassurance that comes from knowing you are securely in the center of God’s will no matter what the circumstances of life tell you.

A passage from Nehemiah came to mind as I reflected on how good God is.  He is good all the time, not just when things are going well, but all the time and even more so when life’s road changes from a smooth path to a minefield.  Nehemiah fully understood this feeling when he penned the following from Nehemiah 8:10: Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah had gained the permission of the King to return from his exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.  As the construction proceeded, Nehemiah also had the word of the Lord read to the people.  Upon hearing it, they began to weep and mourn with sadness.  Nehemiah wanted them to be joyful, to dedicate this time to the Lord and to rejoice in His provision.  His enthusiasm can is especially felt when he tells the people the God’s joy is their strength.

The people were to rejoice with God’s joy, not their own.  They were to stand in His strength and to walk in His light.  These are the things God provides to those who follow Him, who have accepted His son as Savior and Lord.  In the middle of a construction project, with enemies all around them, with no written guarantee for tomorrow, Nehemiah encouraged his people to rejoice in the Lord.

I want you to know that Nehemiah’s word is still good and applicable to our lives today.  Wherever you are in your walk with God, know that He loves you, that He cares for you, that He is working even now to provide your needs, and He wants you to rejoice in Him.  God’s strength and joy can be found in your office, in your home, while paying bills, in the grocery store, at the car wash, etc.  Yes, you can even meet with God on Hemphill Street!  

Sounding The Alarm

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very morning at 4:45, my alarm sounds.  No matter the weather outside and no matter how restful my sleep may or may not have been, that alarm sounds telling me to get out of bed and start my day.  As I lay in bed this morning listening to that alarm, I began to think about all the different ways I receive warnings and alerts throughout the day.

My computer at work has an alarm informing me of the arrival of new e-mails.  This alarm sounds all the time as you can imagine.  Outside my office door there is a fire alarm to alert everyone in the building of impending danger.  My car is equipped with an anti-theft system that will send out a blaring shrill should anyone attempt to climb in without permission and, like most of you, my home has an alarm to alert me of a fire or an intruder.  I constantly set off this alarm by opening doors without first turning off the alarm.  I’ll bet this happens to many of you as well.

It should come as no surprise to us that the Bible speaks of the alarm found in the human heart.  This alarm sounds to alert us of the potential dangers in our thought lives, in our actions, and in our reactions to the various situations life brings our way.  This alarm is found in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

You want to talk about an alarm!  My morning alarm hurts my ears but God’s alarm goes straight to the bones, joints, marrow, and the heart!  It leaves nothing to chance!  It touches and affects every fiber of our being and it judges our thoughts, our attitudes, and our intentions.

If you are like me, you hear this alarm several times during the day.  God continually warns me of thoughts, of reactions, of words I’d like to say but shouldn’t and of attitudes I have that are unpleasing to him.  That is the purpose of the alarm; it is to wake us from our slumber in order to face things in the proper frame of mind and spirit.

Is the alarm sounding in your life today?  If so, listen to it and obey it.  Don’t roll over and hit the snooze button, hoping for a little reprieve.  Instead, let God search your heart and alert you to the changes that need to be made in order to face life’s situations in a way that is pleasing to him.  Have a great day today!

Daylight Savings Time

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ell, this past weekend marked the arrival of a long-standing ritual.  Newscasts, radio announcers, newspaper ads, flyers, and word of mouth advertisement were all put to full use to remind us to set our clocks ahead one hour.

I’m not sure where you were when you advanced your clocks but I was in my kitchen cooking dinner.  Around 7:15 in the evening, I decided to go ahead and adjust my clocks.  Immediately, my dinner hour almost ran into my bedtime.  That quick sweep of the clock made all the difference in the world.  Sunday morning, however, really demonstrated just how much daylight savings time impacts our lives.

My alarm sounded at 5:00 a.m.  Normally, it is getting light outside as the first tendrils of the sun’s rays splash across the eastern horizon.  Sunday morning, however, it was still dark when my alarm woke me up.  At first I thought I had made a mistake in setting my alarm clock, but the time on the clock as well as on my watch was correct.

The real proof came in the late afternoon.  As I made my way home, the clock in my car read 6:45.  On Saturday evening at this time, the sun was well on its way to bed, sitting just above the horizon.  But on Sunday afternoon it was still shining brightly in the sky with at least another hour or better before setting.  In this “extra” daylight people had more time to tend to their outdoor activities or responsibilities.  That “extra” hour made all the difference in the world!

Jesus knew that the most opportune time to perform any type of work was daytime.  The sun provided the necessary light and made it possible for people to perform their every-day tasks.  Also, in a figurative sense, Jesus also knew that as the light of the world, he had to accomplish the task God the Father gave in a brief period of time. Jesus referred to this time as daylight and he spoke of it in John 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”

There are two key ideas Jesus communicates in this passage.  As we have already seen, daylight represents the time when we can work for God.  It is that moment when we have the opportunity to share our testimony with those who have never heard about Jesus.  It is the opportunity we have to help someone, to speak a kind word, or to hold their hand as they face a difficulty moment in life.  When these moments are over, so is the daylight; and night falls.  Jesus tells us plainly that when night comes, the work is over.  When opportunities pass us by, they may never come again.

Take a lesson from this past weekend’s activities.  Let the longer daylight period remind you to use every waking moment to cease every opportunity to share the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ with those around you.  Never fail to take every chance you have to tell others about Jesus.  While it is daylight, share the truth of the gospel.  Are you using daylight savings time wisely today?

What A Dump!

             

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he look on my mother’s face confirmed that my words had hit their mark and had drawn blood.  As most kids do, I had made a simple observation.  My statement had been blunt with absolutely no tact and no compassion, going right for the jugular.  Little did I know that my comment actually echoed a very famous line from a Betty Davis movie.  Her line was simply, “What a dump!” my line was, “What a shack!”

I was commenting on our home which was anything but a shack! My mom and dad worked very hard to provide a nice house for our family.  Our home was always clean, it was attractive, the yard was well maintained, and everyone who visited us was always welcome.  However, I didn’t quite see it that way. 

I had been visiting one of my friends in another neighborhood where all the houses were made of brick.  Our house was constructed of wood with siding.  Our house had to be painted at regular intervals while brick houses always looked as if they had just been constructed.  The point was, I thought that those living in brick houses were more well-to-do than those of us who lived in wooden houses.  When I shared my observation with my mom, she was not pleased and had an interesting solution to this situation.

She shared my convictions with my dad, who himself was just a little displeased with my observation.  She suggested he take me and show me a “shack” so I could see the difference. I will never forget that ride into the country to see a shack. When we got there, I was greatly embarrassed because in front of me was a dwelling that was not at all attractive.  There was no yard, the siding was discolored and falling off the structure, the windows needed replacing and the roof was in desperate need of repair.  Nothing about the structure looked comfortable or inviting and I was ashamed that I had hurt my parents by not appreciating or respecting their hard work to provide me with a good home.

There is a great parallel between my observation as a child and the way we view ourselves daily both as Christians and as people.  The world’s system does its best to convince us that we can always improve ourselves and be better.  Advertisers constantly bombard us with products to make us look better, to make us feel better, to remove unwanted wrinkles, to give us 20/20 vision, and to remove all signs of aging.  These ads are filled with “beautiful people” who don’t need the products they are advertising.  Does it bother you that people in perfect shape are selling diet pills?  Or how about the people without one shred of fat selling liposuction surgery? 

All this is geared toward making us believe that our bodies are indeed shacks, old, worn out, unattractive dwellings that no one wants or cares about.  The problem is we believe them.  We buy the notion lock, stock, and barrel that we are not good enough, that we are substandard, that we have little, if any, worth.  What a vast difference there is in our perspective and the way God sees us!

Isaiah 43:7 simply says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."  This verse is part of a larger passage where God promises to bring the children of Israel from the four corners of the globe and to re-establish them in their own land.  But I also find great comfort in the words of this small verse.  Three things we need to understand from this statement pertain to who we are and what our purpose in life is.

First, we are called by God’s name.  Think about that for just a minute.  All of us have a name and that name carries with it all the character of the person who gave it to us.  If that is true on a social level, how much more wonderful it is to know that God has given us his name and calls us his own. 

Second, we were created with a purpose and that purpose is to glorify God.  Every aspect of our lives is to glorify him because when we live life according to his plan and his will we are happy and satisfied and when we live life this way we glorify God.  This means we fulfill the purpose for which we were made. 

Third, and my personal favorite, is the fact that God says he made us and formed us.  Have you ever watched someone working with clay?  It is a fascinating process.  To make something from the clay, it must be formed.  Forming means to give shape to something. The craftsman must get his hands dirty and work and mold and gently rub the clay until it becomes what he intended.  Can you grasp the truth that when God created you, he got his hands dirt? He molded and worked and shaped and rubbed until you became you—a masterpiece!

The God we serve does not make junk and he does not make shacks!!  He is in the business of making masterpieces.  The Scriptures also tell us that we are God’s temple, his dwelling.  God does not live in a shack—he lives in you.  If you are one of his children, there is no way you can ever look at yourself as a shack!  That is the world’s perspective while God’s is completely the opposite.  Which perspective are you living today?

Underneath The Pavement

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nderneath the large esplanade in front of Notre Dame in Paris lies a large collection of ruins, memories of days gone by, witnesses to what used to be.  In order to visit these ruins, it is necessary to descend a small set of stairs and enter into the past.  Here, in this well-lighted museum, far below the bustling streets above, the foundations of buildings, houses, and streets lie uncovered in plain view.

There is a walking tour that guides you through this maze and all along the walls are written explanations about the ruins in front of you.  Models and maps at the entrance to the gallery provide a vivid representation of Paris as it grew and changed from one century to the next.  Yet, here below the streets, the past speaks to the present, reminding us of what once was and causing us to consider what will be.

As I mused through this gallery, one area in particular caught my attention.  In the back of the museum, not far from where the cathedral is standing were the ruins of a home built in the first century A.D.  The ruins clearly showed an arched doorway, a staircase, and several foundations for walls that divided the dwelling into rooms.  Although the actual walls and roofs were no longer visible, the foundations of that structure were as clear as the day they were cut from the stone before me.

I began to play a type of game during the remaining portion of my visit.  At each exhibit, I located the foundation of the structure, be it a house, a building, a cellar, or a street.  Each foundation was the same as the one I had seen earlier in the back portion of the crypt.  The stones, perfectly cut and expertly laid, were fashioned to bear the burden of the structures placed upon them.  What better picture could there be of Jesus Christ, the foundation upon which we must build our lives, than these stones?

In 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, the Apostle Paul writes these words, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 

As we can see from this passage, Paul understood the importance of the foundation.  He knew that in any construction project the foundation plays the pivotal role.  If the foundation is poorly fashioned and laid, then the structure, no matter how elegant or sound, is doomed to destruction.  Without a firm foundation, no building will be able to withstand the wear and tear that comes from being exposed on a daily basis to the weather and other forces of nature.

If this is true for a building, how much more true is it for a life?  Paul also understood that in order for our lives to have meaning and purpose they must have a solid foundation and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  Look at Paul’s admonition that one must be careful how he builds.  The only foundation upon which we must build is Jesus Christ, and only on him must we anchor and build our lives.

This is nowhere more true than in the church.  We must understand that the church is the church of Jesus Christ.  It belongs to him, not to us.  The foundation of every church must be Jesus Christ.  Neither the pastor, nor the Sunday school teacher, nor the deacons, nor a doctrinal statement, nor a building, nor traditions, nor particular families, nor the members of a church can be considered as the church’s foundation.  We sing the hymn, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…”  How true this is.  Jesus is the only foundation the church has, any other foundation, no matter how appealing or convenient, is unacceptable to God.

 

What are you building your life on today?  Is it the sure foundation found in Jesus Christ?  If your life were excavated and laid bare, what type of foundation would be found?  Would it be like those found underneath the Paris streets, still solid, still visible, still as robust and strong as the day it was laid?  Would it show evidence of having endured the hardships and challenges of life while still maintaining its steadfastness and strength?  This is exactly what your life would resemble if Christ were the foundation.  What is under the pavement of your life today?

Want To Or Have To?

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uying my first brand new car was quite an adventure, especially since I was purchasing out of necessity instead of want.  My brother, however, also decided to buy a car, but his motivation was one of desire.  But anyway you sliced it, we were both looking for cars, eyes wide, mouths gaping, and checkbooks at the ready.  Not a very good combination if I must say so myself.

One Saturday afternoon after a rainstorm, my parents, my brother, and I loaded up in mom and dad’s van and went in search of cars.  We arrived in a town about 20 minutes away that had row upon row of car dealerships.  It was an automotive smorgasbord and we were just salivating, waiting for our chance to sample all the delectable dishes. 

We first stopped and looked at some cars my brother was interested in.  Specifically, he was interested in a fire-engine-red-two-door-convertible sports car!  We took it out on the road for a test drive and it was a blast.  While we were out joyriding, the salesman asked my parents if both of us were looking for cars.  My mom said, “Yes.  One is looking because he wants to and the other is looking because he has to.”  The salesman confessed he didn’t know which was worse!

The test drive proved to be fatal!  Kevin fell in love with the car and decided to buy it.  As for me, we continued on to a few more dealerships before my checkbook was critically wounded.  But I was happy with the car I’d found and after a few days of wheeling and dealing, it was sitting in my driveway right along with the payment book!!

It shouldn’t surprise us that in the Christian life, we perform our acts of service from one of these two standpoints.  We serve God because we want to, or we do it because we feel we have to.  God, however, is very clear concerning the type of service He wants from those who call themselves His children.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul makes the following observation, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. “ Most people believe that this verse concerns only money and I would have to say that for the most part, pastors use this verse in this manner.  However, I believe there may be broader implications than we are at first aware.

First, please notice that giving begins in the heart, not the head!  The heart is very important to God because it represents the motives and the reasons behind our actions.  God always looks at our intents to see why we do the things we do.  Thus, performing any task, no matter how noble or spiritual it may appear, if it is done from a spirit of obligation, reluctance, or under compulsion, God is not pleased with our service.  Which do you appreciate more, a gift someone gives you because they want to or a gift they give you because they feel as if they have to?  Hands down, we all would rather receive a gift given because someone wanted to serve us rather than a gift from obligation.

How are your serving God today?  Is your heart in the right place? Have you determined that the gift you will give to God will be given willingly and cheerfully?  It may be money, it may be time, it may be service, it may be visiting someone who is sick, or it may be showing love to someone who isn’t particularly lovable.  What ever your gift, remember that God wants and expects you to give it cheerfully.  Are you a want-to or a have-to-giver today?