It's Time to Come In

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rowing up in my neighborhood was never boring.  There were kids everywhere and we always had something to do.  Whether what we did was always the best use of our time is still open for debate!  Nevertheless, we found plenty of things to do and an endless number of reasons to do them.  Sometimes we would gather at a friend's house for a game of touch football, or we would ride skateboards up and down the sidewalks on our block.  Other times found us riding our bikes, and sometimes we'd just sit around and talk.  The neighborhood was safe and we never feared anyone would harm us, or ride by and kidnap us, and no one ever worried about drive-by shootings.  Things have certainly changed!

During the summer months, we would stay outside until the last possible moment.  Our mothers knew we were in the neighborhood, which meant we were within earshot of their voices.  As soon as dark began to fall, the nightly ritual of mothers calling us home began.  There was no confusion as to whose mother was calling.  We were all attuned to the sound of our own mother's voice and would hear and respond only to that call.  Sometimes, one of my friends would take his leave, stating he had heard his mom's voice although the rest of us hadn't heard it.  When my turn came, I stopped what I was doing and headed home.  No matter in what part of the neighborhood I was playing, I knew my mom's voice and recognized it when she called me home.  I remember the distinct sound of our back-screen door as it opened and closed.  I can still hear her voice as she called saying, "It's time to come in!" 

What a wonderful memory this is.  Her voice carried with it all the wonderful feelings of home.  There was comfort in her voice.  There was reassurance, care, happiness, love, and security in mom's voice.  Hearing it always made me happy, and listening to her voice, taught me many things over the years that I still remember and that still guide me today.  Mom's voice spoke not only to my ears, but to my heart.  Just the sound of her voice filled me with such wonderful emotion that I couldn't wait to get home.

In John's gospel, Jesus uses a very touching truth to teach this lesson.  In chapter 10, verse 27, he says, "My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  Jesus was exactly right about sheep.  The bond between a sheep and its shepherd is very strong.  In fact, the sheep grow to recognize the voice of their shepherd and will not respond to another.  On a hillside full of different flocks, a shepherd didn't worry about losing his sheep to another, because he knew they would respond only to his voice.  The shepherd's voice, like that of a mother's voice to her children, meant warmth, safety, love, care, and confidence for the sheep.  As long as they listened to his voice, there was no reason to fear, no reason to worry, no reason to feel threatened. It is also in this chapter that Jesus says of himself, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me." (John 10:14)

Isn't this a beautiful picture of Jesus?  His voice is the one we listen to.  His voice is the one that calls us to safety.  His voice reassures us.  His voice sustains us.  His voice gives us the hope we need.  Although the world is full of voices, none delights the heart like the voice of Jesus.  Only his voice is the voice of one who knows us.  Who better to lead us, who better to love us, who better to comfort us, who better to call us than the one who made us and the one who knows us?  Jesus is our great shepherd.  Do you hear him calling your name today?  Do you hear him saying, "It's time to come in, to spend time with me, to learn from me, to rest in me."  Won't you answer his call today?

I Gotta Take This Off!

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ne Monday morning, I entered the Modern Language Department as usual and greeted my colleagues with a hearty, “Hello."  Needless to say, the response I got on a Monday morning prior to coffee being made was less than enthusiastic.  So, I made my photocopies and went downstairs to the little room that four of us shared as our office.  After a few minutes, I returned upstairs in search of that ever-necessary first cup of coffee.  One of our secretaries was checking messages and I asked her how her weekend had gone.  She said one word that immediately told me that her weekend had been overly hectic.  That one word was prom.

For those Tidbitters who may be unfamiliar with the American custom of a prom, I'll briefly fill you in.  It is a formal dance attended by high school students in their last two years of school.  It is the social event of the year and most students spend a considerable amount of time preparing for it.  Such was the case with our secretary's daughter.  She had a wonderful time, she went to a fancy restaurant, she wore a lovely black gown, and she came in very late.  That is the standard ritual and it does make for a hectic weekend.

As a former high school teacher, I remember chaperoning seven proms myself!  The most amazing thing about the evening was watching the great metamorphosis that had occurred in my students.  They all looked wonderful and so very grown up.  The girls wore beautiful gowns and the guys looked extremely dashing in their tuxedos.  However, by the end of the evening, the guys had removed their ties and the girls had taken off the high-heeled shoes.  When asked why they had done this, the reply was one word, comfort.

Today's tidbit is about David, the shepherd boy who would become king.  He, too, knew what it was like to wear uncomfortable clothing to an important event. In this particular passage, David has volunteered to face Goliath, the mammoth Philistine champion.  King Saul, reluctant to let David go at first, decides to dress David in his own armor.  David is outfitted with a bronze helmet, a coat of mail, and a large sword. 

Now, all of these things are necessary for battle, and they all have their purpose, but a soldier, who cannot move, is a dead soldier.  Look at David's response to Saul's generosity. In 2 Samuel 17:39 he says, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” It wasn't that David didn't appreciate what Saul had done for him, nor was it that David rejected Saul's offer.  David was a shepherd boy; he knew the armor would prevent him from accomplishing his goal.  Therefore, he took it off. This may seem like the most illogical thing he could have done, but it was actually the wisest. 

Too often, we find ourselves in Saul's position. We know what God has called us to do but we equip ourselves with weapons of our own making.  We approach the day or the situation at hand with a preconceived plan of attack.  We think we must have a certain kind of experience, or that we must use a certain vocabulary, or that we must act a certain way in order to accomplish our goal.  What we end up doing is encumbering ourselves, weighing ourselves down so that instead of becoming effective witnesses and ministers of the gospel we become sitting ducks and easy targets for the enemy.  David's claim must become our own.  We must go forward, like David, in the confidence and comfort of our loving Heavenly Father.  We must remember David's own words as we go out to meet the day:

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

Only by claiming this truth can we ever hope to defeat the Goliaths in our path. So, what are you wearing into battle today?

A Word of Warning

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t happens every Wednesday evening promptly at 6:00 p.m.  No matter where I am in the house, or even if I am not at home, the weather radio in my living room sounds and alarm followed by an explanation that the weather service is conducting its weekly test to make sure everything is in working order.  I have grown accustomed to the sound and sometimes, unless I am really listening for it, I miss the test altogether.

One weekend, however, the alarm sounded on at least three occasions as severe thunderstorms passed through our area bringing with them much-needed rain but unwanted wind and hail.  Early Saturday morning, at approximately 2:00 a.m. the alarm sounded. It pierced the silence and set my nerves somewhat on edge.  A few of the surrounding counties were being warned of severe weather in the area.  My county was mentioned and the voice coming over the airwaves indicated that heavy rain and light hail would be in our area within the half hour.

As if on cue, thirty minutes later the wind grew stronger, the rain fell in torrents, and the clicking sound of ice pellets against my window indicated that hail had also joined the party. The alert instructed us to remain in our houses and if conditions worsened, to seek shelter in the center of the house away from windows.  The wind did not grow that strong and the entire storm passed by in just under forty-five minutes.

Here in Texas, the weather is very uncertain.  It can be gorgeous one minute and life-threatening the next, you‘re just never sure what the next fifteen minutes will hold weather wise.  That’s why I invested in a weather radio so I could be aware of any potential weather threats and could take appropriate action in order to remain safe and sound.

The prophet Ezekiel knew about sounding the alarm in order to alert people to God’s will and commands.  He understood that God had called him to serve as a watchman and to make sure the Children of Israel understood the dangers that surrounded them and the need to heed God’s warning.

In Ezekiel 3:17 we read God’s conversation with Ezekiel, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.”  Ezekiel’s role was clear.  He was to serve as God’s spokesman, to make sure the people of his day understood God’s directives and commands and to communicate them so the people could live in obedience with God’s commands.

So, what does this have to do with us today?  Actually, it has a lot to do with us?  As Christians, we are to set an example for those around us.  We are to share the good news of Jesus Christ on a daily basis, not only by what we say but also by what we do.  People looked to Ezekiel, to the watchman, for God’s direction.  And today, people look at us to see if we are consistently following God and serving as an example for him.  Are you serving as a good watchman on the wall of life today?

Wrinkles in the Bedcovers

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hen I was a teenager I had some real quirks and odd habits. What teenager doesn’t?  I spent more time in the bathroom, I ran too much hot water, I spent more time on the phone, and I bugged my parents incessantly about letting me drive the car.  While all these things go hand-in-hand with adolescence, there was one habit I had that no other teenager experienced.

Every night before going to sleep I would get into bed and smooth down the covers.  I wouldn’t tolerate one wrinkle in the bedspread.  Sometimes it took me as long as thirty minutes before the bed covers were to my liking.  Why I did this is beyond me but I remember spending several minutes smoothing out the bedspread, making sure no wrinkles or pleats of any kind occurred in my bedspread.

When I was finally satisfied all was well with the bedspread, I would go to sleep.  However, when I awoke, things were not as I left them.  My bed covers were no longer wrinkle-free.  Instead, it looked as if the world championship of sumo wrestling had taken place in my bed and I had definitely lost.   All that work, all that attention, all that smoothing of the sheets just for them to end up in a knotted and twisted roll.  No matter how good my intentions, I simply could not change the fact that I slept, as my father so eloquently put it, “like a goat!”  I’ve never understood what that meant exactly, having never observed the sleeping habits of goats.

The prophet Isaiah understood that no amount of work, smoothing, or good intentions was enough to remove our sins from us.  He had a fundamental understanding of sin, knowing it to be a filthy, smelly, twisted, and knotty pile of rags that can never be straightened or smoothed by any human effort.  In Isaiah 64:6 we read, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

In this passage, Isaiah uses the word “all” three times.  It is clear that no one escapes sin’s hold and that no effort on our part, no matter how well intentioned or helpful it may be, can ever remove the stain and filth from our lives.  Paul echoes this same idea in his letter to the Romans,“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

This is why we need Jesus Christ.  He came and shed his blood and became the sacrifice for our sins.  There is no other way to God but through him.  All our attempts, no matter how noble, how helpful, or how kind they may be can ever remove the filthy stain of sin in our lives.  The only thing that can make us clean is to be washed in the blood of Christ.  Are you still trying to smooth out all the wrinkles in the bedcovers of your life today?

A Walk On The Nature Trail

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ast Elementary School was located just two blocks from my house on Main Street.  Every morning I would set out for school, walking when the weather permitted, which was almost every day.  I left the house each morning with my head full of dreams, my heart full of excitement, and my book satchel full of papers, tablets, pencils, and homework. 

My first grade classroom was the furthest away from everything.  It took forever to get there but Mrs. Avery was ready to start as soon as the bell sounded.  We all took our seats, opened our tablets, and started learning to read and write.  After an hour or so of work came the best part of the day—playtime!  East School had a large blacktop area where we went to play.  There was a set of monkey bars, several basketball goals, and a large circle that was used to play dodge ball. 

Very close to the school, just behind the teacher’s parking lot, was a large stand of trees.  We simply referred to it as East Woods, a foreboding and intimidating place, especially for six-year-olds.  A group of men had come to the woods and constructed a nature trail so we could see the plants and the animals that lived in the woods.  The trail started at one end of the school and ended at the playground.   Today, this distance is a matter of 10 minutes walk, but back then, it was a journey to the other side of the planet.

Mrs. Avery gave us very explicit instructions about visiting the nature trail.  We were to stay on the graveled path.  We could look all we wanted but we could not leave the path and under no circumstances were we to touch anything.  Poison Oak was also an inhabitant of the woods and one we could do without.

I remember our first jaunt into the woods.  It was a pretty day but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy, as if the whole world had disappeared and only we were left.  There were all kinds of movements in the woods, and different noises from the chirping of birds to the knocking of a woodpecker in the distance.  I remembered what Mrs. Avery had said and I stuck to the path.  No way was I going to wander off the graveled path and risk being eaten by some wild animal or something worse.  Finally, we reached the end of the nature trail, exited onto the blacktop and had a wonderful game of dodge ball.  The woods weren’t so foreboding from the other end but they sure were horrifying while we were in them.

In many ways, the Christian walk is similar to my experience on our school’s nature trail.  There are many things along life’s road that are harmful and deadly to us.  Jesus gave us full warning that we were to be in the world but not part of it.  There is also a distinct path laid out for us that takes us safely from the beginning to the end of life.  It winds through this world, taking us around temptations, safely bridging the waters of adversity and trial, and giving us shelter from the scorching rays of life’s sun.  As we enter the forest of life, we hear Jesus give us this strong truth and warning found in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”   

Along this road of life, we are in desperate need of a savior, one who will go before us and show us the way so that we don’t get off the narrow path.  Jesus is such a savior.  He goes before us and bids us follow him.  He walks the path with us and makes sure we understand that we are to remain on the narrow strip of road that leads to eternal life.  All around us are things that would lure us off this little pathway.  There are broader roads that look easier but in the end they lead to ruin.  There are roads that seemingly have better views and inclines that are less steep but they only lead us astray, in the end, going nowhere.  Only the strait and narrow way will provide us safe passage through life’s forest.

Only that narrow gate will lead us to our heavenly home.  While we are here, let us determine, dear Christian, that we will not leave the narrow graveled path that God has provided for us.  Let us remain faithful to walk within the boundaries of the road God has made for us.  Only by remaining on the path can we ever hope to arrive safely at our destination.  Only by walking with God and following the example of his son, Jesus Christ, can we ever hope to safely walk through life's treacherous forest. Are you taking a walk on the nature trail today?  Don’t get off the path!

Across The Miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Water Water Everywhere

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ne of my favorite movies of all time is The Hunt for Red October, a movie based on the Tom Clancy novel by the same name. The story is rather straightforward.  During the height of the Cold War a Russian admiral decides to defect to the United States.  The whole thing is complicated by the fact that the admiral has stolen the latest and most advanced submarine in the fleet and intends to turn it over to the United States when he defects. His actions prompt the Soviets to track him down with the goal of destroying him while theUnited States desperately tries to locate him and give him political asylum. 

In order to avoid detection, the Russian admiral orders his crew to take the submarine to great depths. As they descend, the vessel moans and groans as it acclimates to the pressure changes it encounters on the way down.  The deeper the vessel sinks, the greater the pressure on the outside hull.  Although the submarine makes noises, the metal skin holds, protecting the men inside.  They go about their business, knowing they are safe within the protective arms of the submarine.

The Christian life is exactly like this and the Apostle Paul knew it only too well.  After his conversion to Christianity, Paul had several opportunities to experience the kind of persecution he himself had inflicted on the followers of Jesus.  He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, rejected, and hunted throughout his life.  He knew what it was like to be tired.  He knew what it was like to be in great pain.  He knew what it was to have plenty and he also knew what it was like to live with nothing. Paul understood the pressures and the demands that walking with Jesus can require of his followers. And he was all too glad to suffer all things for the cause of Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, Paul shares his faith and confidence in Christ with his readers.  He writes,“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”  What a resounding statement of faith this is.  Paul wants his readers to understand that we are simply jars of clay.  Paul wants them to understand that whatever is accomplished in his life, it is accomplished by the Spirit and the power of God.

But notice the wonderful list of opposites that follows.  Paul says that he is hard pressed from every direction.  The mounting pressures of life are all around him.  There are those who seek his life and there are those in the churches he founded who are doing their best to cause upheaval and discord.  Yet, Paul is not crushed.  He finds it difficult to understand the why’s and how’s of his situations but he is not in despair.  Even in persecution he clings tight to Jesus’ promise never to leave or forsake his own and although he is struck down again and again, Paul refuses to be destroyed!

This is the life of faith and of confidence in Jesus Christ.  This is what it means to come to the end of one’s self and to know that no matter what happens we are resting safely in the hand of God.  Like sailors hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean where the crushing pressure of the water is at its greatest, the all powerful hand of our God keeps and protects those who are firmly rooted and established in him.

We can never know just how strong God’s love and care for us are unless we plummet to great depths and endure great pressure.  When the walls of your heart moan, when you feel as if you can’t go any further, and when your prayers seem no more than mere whispers, that is when God’s presence, his power, his strength, and his love are the most evident.  Pressed on every side we may be, but we are still afloat!!! 

Whether You See It Or Not

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umor had it that, beginning around 10:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, a full eclipse of the moon would get underway.  It was to be the first full lunar eclipse visible in North America in three years. The newspapers talked about it, the television news rooms gave specific details about where to look and what to look for, and I even received an e-mail from somewhere reminding me not to miss out on viewing one of nature’s most spectacular displays.

But if seeing is believing, I would have to say there was no eclipse that evening.  In fact, I would be hard pressed to say that the moon or stars even existed.  I went outside on two occasions,  looked toward the east where the moon should have been, and saw only thick cloud cover which veiled the moon and its celestial dance with the earth and sun from my view.  Yep, as far as I was concerned no eclipse took place and there was absolutely no evidence out there that anything wonderful, spectacular, mysterious, or unusual was occurring.

Now anyone listening to my line of thinking would at once believe me to be just a little off center if I actually believed no eclipse occurred.  It started and ended at the precise moments predicted by scientists all around the globe.  It is preposterous to even think that nothing happened and it would be even more preposterous to stand on the rooftops and announce that everyone who believed an eclipse had occurred was somehow out of step with reality.

Yet, when it comes to professing belief in God and His son Jesus Christ, the vast majority of the secular world will cry foul!  Immediately they will spew forth one argument after another claiming there is no God because there is no physical evidence of his existence. Or they claim if God existed, he would do something about all the evil in the world.  In addition, most people think that those who do believe in God’s existence and that he actually seeks a personal relationship with them are just a little out of step with reality. 

Doubt, it seems, is just part and parcel of the world in which we live.  However, the twenty-first century certainly doesn’t have the corner on the market where doubt it is concerned.  As a matter of fact, we need look no further than a few days after the resurrection of Christ and among his hand-picked followers to find this thread of doubt sewn into our human nature.  Let’s visit a man known as Thomas, one of the twelve disciples who found it difficult to believe Jesus had risen from the dead.

Like the other disciples, Thomas had been witness to Jesus’ arrest and he knew of the events during the evening and following day that culminated in Jesus’ crucifixion.  He understood that his friend and master had been killed on a Roman cross and his heart was broken.  Now, a few days after this event, people were speaking of having seen Jesus and were talking of his resurrection from the dead. The other disciples also claimed to have seen the Lord but Thomas wanted incontrovertible evidence. In John 20:25, we find the account of Thomas’ doubt: “So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

As we said, Thomas wanted proof, unquestionable, concrete proof that Jesus was alive. He wanted to touch the wounds and see for himself that Jesus had risen again.  A week later he got this opportunity. Jesus appeared and told Thomas to touch him and when he did, Thomas worshiped him.  In John 20:29 Jesus answers Thomas’ doubt with this statement, “Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Since the time of Jesus’ ascension, the number of those believing without seeing has grown enormously.  All professing Christians today have never physically seen Jesus but they will tell you he exists and that he has made and continues to make a great impact on their lives.  When pressed for a reason for their belief they will point to their personal relationship with Christ and the wonderful sense of peace and fulfillment he gives.

The fact of Jesus’ resurrection was not based on Thomas’ acceptance of it; and Jesus’ existence was not affected by Thomas’ doubt or faith.  However, that doubt or faith made the world of difference to Thomas.  Notice that Jesus does not scold him for his lack of faith but he says that all those who believe in him without the advent of physical sight are indeed blessed.  Jesus was speaking about faith, believing when we can’t see and knowing when we have no physical proof of God’s existence.

Yes, there was a lunar eclipse on that night. The moon, earth, and sun once again danced as they have since the dawn of creation.  God continues to work in the lives of people today as he has since the dawn of time.  He is still on his throne and he exists just as surely as does the screen on which you are reading this Tidbit right now.  The truth of God’s existence is not the truth only if I believe it; it is the truth whether I believe it or not.

Wherever you are today, I pray that God’s presence and his love will be very real to you.  I pray that during your time with him you will have the opportunity to understand that he loves you, that he cares for you, and that he is real and close to you whether you see him or not!

Worth The Price of Admission

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 trip to the Holy Land is something a lot of people dream of.  What a wonderful opportunity to visit the places where Jesus walked and to see first-hand the locations of all those wonderful Bible stories we learn as children.  It is an opportunity rarely afforded most eight-year-olds and one that I turned down when I was that age. 

Our church sponsored a trip to Israel and my mother and grandmother decided they were going.  My parents both agreed that I could go and initially I was very excited about traveling.  There was enough fuel to fire my imagination for several weeks.  I dreamed of seeing Jerusalem, of visiting the Garden ofGethsemane, of seeing the walls of Jericho, and of taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. 

All these things got me very excited and I was very eager to take the journey.  However, there was one thing that kept me from going, shots!  Yes, when I learned I had to take a series of shots, the beauty and the romance of the trip rapidly faded.  All I could see was those needles and I decided the price of admission was just too high.

My mother allowed me to make up my own mind. She did not influence me one way or the other.  As the time approached for her to leave, I began regretting my decision.  I really wanted to go but the window of opportunity closed and the time for her to leave came.  All during her absence I imagined the places she was seeing, wishing I were with her, but the idea of taking those shots was just too frightening.  It was a price I was not willing to pay!

When mom returned home, her pictures and stories made me wish even more that I had gone with her.  For her, taking those shots, paying the price of admission, had been worth it. I promised myself that someday I would make that trip and experience the wonderful things she had seen and done. If the opportunity ever presents itself again, I'll go and, this time, the shots won't stop me.  I'll pay that price.

The Apostle Paul understood the idea of paying the price of admission.  He was imprisoned, beaten, starved, and shipwrecked.  He depended upon the generosity of others and his own industry for the daily necessities of life.  Sometime he had plenty and sometimes he had very little. But Paul knew the true value of living for Christ.  He understood that the greatest fulfillment in life is living for Jesus Christ and working to further his kingdom. 

That is why in Romans 8:18 Paul writes, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  He knew that present trials and difficulties were no comparison for the things God has prepared for us. Paul never focused on his present circumstances but always looked to the future gain reserved for God's children.

Today, let me encourage you to keep looking forward to what God has in store for us.  Every trial, every disappointment, every unkind word spoken to us, and every impossible situation we face will be worth it.  Every setback, every tear, every frustration, and every heartache will be worth it.

For Noah, the 100 years of building the ark were worth it. For Abraham, leaving home was worth it. For Moses, the wanderings in the desert were worth it.  For Joseph, the years in Pharaoh's prison and the false accusations were worth it.  For Daniel, the lion's den was worth it.  And for us, my dear brothers and sisters, when we hear God say to us "well done," it will be worth it.  It will all be worth the price of admission!  We have his word on it!

While You Were Out

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he stack of papers on my desk indicated that a bevy of activity had taken place during the brief hour I took for lunch.  Honestly, the desktop covered with pink slips of paper and the computer’s monitor covered with notes, reminded me of the movie entitled, “Pretty in Pink.” 

As I gingerly approached my desk, I grew more and more enthralled with the amount of paper placed their by my co-workers.  Although each note carried a separate message, they all had one thing in common.  The top of every note was imprinted with the same message:  While You Were Out!  From the looks of my desk and the number of messages to which I needed to respond, it would have been better not to have gone to lunch at all.  However, instead of bemoaning the number of calls I had to make, I started at the top of the pile and began to work my way through the messages.

Since I was working in the counseling center of a local community college the calls were mostly academic in nature.  Most of them were from students requesting an appointment to discuss their transcripts for transfer to a particular university.  A few notes were from students requesting a conference to discuss prospective career choices and others were requesting general information about our programs.  The time required to complete these follow-ups was more than the time I had spent eating lunch.  Although I had been gone for only an hour one thing was abundantly clear.  The work had not ceased during my absence; in fact, it had continued full force and there was ample evidence pointing to that fact.

All of us in the work-a-day world have had similar experiences.  We find our desks covered with important items requiring our attention and we find ourselves snowed under with work.  This is especially true when we return from a nice, relaxing vacation.  We enter the office, or open our mailbox at home, only to find that the work didn’t stop in our absence and the bills just kept on coming despite our escape from the daily grind.  The stacks of papers and mounds of items requiring our attention testify to the fact that the work of life goes on all around us whether we are in or out!

It is not too far a jump to apply this situation to our walk with God.  No matter where we are, no matter what we face, and no matter the time of day, our Heavenly Father is constantly working, continuing to draw men and women to him for salvation; constantly caring for the needs of his children.  Jesus made this point abundantly clear in John 5:17, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."  There is both great truth and great comfort in Jesus’ words.  Let’s consider for a brief moment the implications of his statement.

Jesus says that God is always working.  The proof of this is as close as your wrist.  If you place the fingers of one hand on the opposite wrist you will feel your pulse.  This is evidence that your heart is beating yet you can do nothing to keep it going.  Every beat comes from God and he alone keeps it pumping.  While you are out, away from your family, he keeps them safe until you return to them at the end of the day.  While you are out in the hectic world, he keeps vigil over the number of hairs on your head, the number of breaths that you take, and he even keeps record of the tears you cry.

When you are asleep, out of the mainstream of life and away from consciousness, even there God works keeping your body functioning properly and giving you the rest you need.  Before the day starts, God is already working, making sure all your needs are met in accordance with the promise He has made to you.  Yes, while you are out, God is working.  He is working every moment of the day and in every hour of the night, turning trials into triumphs and difficulties into dramatic victories.  This is the kind of God we serve, one who does not stop working when we check out and one who knows all about us and loves us anyway.  What has God done while you were out today?

All Along The Road

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s I drove the more involved, scenic route back to the Interstate, the evening sun was sinking low in the west.  It splashed everything with a wonderful wave of orange-red light that reflected off the windows of houses I passed.  The metal trailers of passing trucks looked as if they were on fire, giving the impression that the tractor trailers were pulling great plumes of fire behind them instead of metal containers filled with different goods.  As I crested a small hill, I took notice of the many telephone poles lining the highway.  Like everything else in the path of the setting sun, they wore an orange mantle, taking on the reddish color of the great California Redwoods.  But what caught my eye was not the poles themselves; it was the lines that connected them that became the focus of my attention.

All along the road, these sentinels stood guard over the Interstate, faithfully performing their mission.  Between each pole were draped several lines over which literally thousands of messages were passing.  Those wires carried news of marriages, births, engagements, and conversations of reunions between old friends.  All of these were traveling much faster than my car and the poles made sure all the messages were successfully delivered.  What type of messages, I wondered, is my life transmitting?  Is the message of Jesus Christ being faithfully communicated to all those crossing my path on a daily basis?

The Apostle John was very much concerned with the message of Jesus Christ and its successful transmission to everyone he met.  John was known as the “Beloved Disciple” and shared a very close relationship with our Lord.  John also wanted his readers to understand that there was only one message that he and the other followers of Jesus Christ wished to communicate. We find this message recorded in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” 

In this first letter, John goes to great lengths to stress to his readers that he was among those who personally knew Jesus. John heard him, saw him, and touched him.  He saw the feeding of the five thousand, he witnessed the raising of Lazarus from the dead, he was present at the Last Supper, and he witnessed the crucifixion.  John also encountered the resurrected Lord and saw him ascend into heaven. No wonder he wanted his readers to understand that he and the others had received this message first-hand and wanted to pass it on down the line to those who had not seen Jesus in the flesh but who believed in him through faith.

That is why John writes that they received this message from Jesus, himself.  The message is that God is light.  What a wonderful promise and truth this is.  In a world that is dark, cold, and uncertain. In a world where wrong is seemingly rewarded and right is punished, John wants us to understand that the light of truth does burn brightly and that light is found in God.  Our job is to make sure this message is passed all along the road to everyone we meet.  No matter where you are in your walk with God, the message is still the same and everyone needs to hear it.  People need the Lord; won’t you be one of the lines of communication all along the road of life today?

Everything's Upstairs

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othing tests a family’s mettle more than going through a remodeling project.  I should know because I survived three such projects at our home on Main Street.  Every time our family grew, the house grew right along with it.  We added rooms, divided rooms; carpeted, painted, wall papered, enclosed porches, and added a driveway.  For the twenty five years I lived there though, no change was more dramatic than our last remodeling project.

This project involved enclosing a carport to make a den, enclosing our sundeck to create a sunroom, installing a bay window in our living room, installing a spiral stair case to connect the upstairs and the downstairs, and remodeling the front room of our basement into a bedroom for me.  The house also received new carpet and new paint from ceiling rafter to floor joist.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, was overlooked.  This was a complete overhaul of our home and when we were finished it looked much different from the house I grew up in.

Finally, after twenty-five years, I had my own room and my brother had his.  We shared a room through college but when this last project was completed, I had control of the downstairs.  The front room of the basement, converted into a bedroom, was mine and the new den was adjacent to it.  The backdoor provided me with my own entrance and with the exception of a bathroom and a kitchen; I had my own little apartment.

The novelty soon wore off, however, because every time I needed something, I had to climb the stairs.  If I wanted to eat, I had to go upstairs to the kitchen or the pantry.  If I wanted to see my parents, I had to go upstairs to their room or to the sunroom to talk to them.  My brother’s and my sister’s rooms were on the main floor so I had to climb the stairs to pay them a visit.  When I needed a shower, I went upstairs and so on and so forth!

You get the picture don’t you?  Everything I needed was upstairs and I spent the vast majority of my time working out on that spiral staircase.  It really wasn’t that bad.  I enjoyed my time downstairs but several times during the day, I had to go upstairs in order to take care of all the necessities of life.  Food, relationships, and provisions were all upstairs which meant I spent a lot of time there!

There is a great lesson to be learned from my childhood home.  It is a direct parallel to life and the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father.  Far too often we are content to live our lives on the ground-level of existence, comfortable and content with the circumstances life has afforded us.  The sad part is that everything we need, all our necessary provision, the need for relationship, and the very staples of life are to be found upstairs!

Our Heavenly Father wants us to live life on a higher level than the ground floor.  His plans for us are so much larger and greater than we can ever imagine.  The provisions He has for us are far beyond our ability to imagine and the relationship He longs to share with us is far deeper and richer than anything we have ever known before.

Jesus spoke of this in Chapter 5 of John’s gospel.  In one of his many conversations with the Pharisees, Jesus stated very plainly that he had come to bring life but that men refused to come to him to receive it.  In John 5:39-40, Jesus says the following, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” 

There is a determined sadness in this statement.  The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their day. No one knew the Scriptures better than they and no one should have been more aware of the Messiah than these learned men.  Yet for all their searching of the Scriptures, for all their knowledge of God and His ways, they completely missed the boat.  They searched the Scriptures diligently, looking for signs of the Messiah’s coming and all the while he stood before them. 

The real tragedy here is that these learned men refused God’s invitation to have life.  They were content to live on the ground floor while God had so much more waiting for them upstairs.  With the coming of Jesus, God installed a staircase which allowed them direct access to all His provisions.  All they had to do was climb the stairs but they refused to do so.  All they needed was standing there, staring them in the eyes, and they refused to accept God’s invitation.

My mom and dad have built a new home and moved away from Main Street.  However, when I am home, I ride by the house and look through the windows.  The people living there don’t know me and I don’t know them.  Yet I wonder if they ever stop and think how important that spiral staircase in the back of the house is.  I wonder if they realize that without it they would have no access to any of the provisions necessary to life in that house. 

Then my thoughts turn inward and I ask myself if I understand the importance and the significance of the staircase God has provided in Jesus Christ so that I can have direct access to the throne of grace.  Am I content to live on the ground floor of life or do I understand that everything I need is on the next level?  All I have to do is climb the stairs.  I think I’ll do that right now!  How about you?

Dig Deep

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ohn Black always had a shovel in his hand.  I never knew a time when John wasn’t covered in red dirt and clay.  John worked for my grandfather and for my father digging graves whenever one was needed.  At that time, graves were dug by hand.  It was a grueling job but one that John performed to perfection, always ready with his shovel to dig a hole six feet deep in order to return someone to the ground from which they came.

As a young boy, I would sometimes ride with my dad to the cemetery where John and his partner, Parnell, were digging graves.  It always amazed me the amount of dirt these two men piled up as they dug deeper and deeper into the earth.  I begged my dad to let me go with John to help him.  I was convinced my help would speed up the process and render John a great service. 

Finally, one day, my dad gave me permission to go with John.  I jumped into the truck between him and Parnell, and we headed off to dig a grave.  I was so excited because I knew we’d be done in an hour or so and then I could come home and brag to all my friends that I had helped John Black dig a grave in record time.  Boy, was I mistaken, misled, and completely off target! 

When we got to the cemetery, it didn’t take me long to figure out that this would take some time; that it was much more difficult than my little eight-year-old mind had dreamed.  Dirt is heavy and there is a lot of it to remove in order to create a six-foot pit that is rectangular in shape.  After three shovels full, I was spent, ready to throw in the towel, looking for my dad to come and rescue me from the sun, the dirt, and the work.  John and Parnell, however, continued to dig, going deeper and deeper into the ground.  They stopped only occasionally for a drink of water and a breather and then it was back to work.

All the while, John gave me a hard time about the three shovels full of dirt I had moved.  He said he didn’t know how he would have managed if I hadn’t been there to help him.  John always liked to joke and he loved giving me a hard time.  This is one of the reasons I liked John but I really liked him because he knew how to dig and he didn’t stop until he was finished!

What a picture of the Christian life this is.  Far too often, we stop digging for the deep things of God because it requires time and effort.  We are content to remain near the surface, believing that a little bit of effort moves a lot of dirt. We want the blessings God has to offer us but we don’t want to dig for them.  After moving three small shovels full of spiritual dirt, we are ready to quit, hoping God will bless us in the same manner as if we had removed six feet of it.  Guess what, it just doesn’t happen that way.  In order to learn and experience the deep things of our God, we must dig and dig deep.

Jeremiah 29:13 reminds us of this great truth, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  This is one of the great promises of the Scriptures but it carries with it one condition.  This was given to the people of Israel as a promise that God would bring them out of exile and would once again be their God.  But the people had to seek the Lord, and they had to seek Him with all their hearts.  You can’t find something unless you are looking for it and looking for something means not resting until you find it.  This is what God wanted Jeremiah to communicate to the people.  When they made the search for God the most important thing in their lives, when they refused to stop after just three shovels full and continue to the very end, then and only then would they experience the true rapture of finding the Lord.

The same is true with us today.  We must seek the Lord with all our heart, not just some of it.  We cannot afford to put the shovel down after we have removed a small amount of dirt.  We must stick to the task, digging deeper and deeper until we plumb the great truths and promises God has for all those who seek after him.  It always amazed me—and still does—that John spent hours digging a hole in which to place a dead person.  How much more should we delve into God’s word to find the eternal truths that give us life?  Are you digging deep today?