Friday, March 30, 2018

Junk Mail

E
very day it’s the same thing!  I arrive home from work, stop by the mailbox and retrieve the letters, cards, bills, and whatever else the postman has left for me. Mostly, my box is filled with this “whatever else”, a conglomeration of advertisements, cards, offers for new credit cards, and discount coupons for all types of things I don’t need or want. 

I’m sure your mailbox looks about the same, always filled with “junk mail” that you didn’t ask for and that you will never use.  As if this weren’t bad enough, my e-mail box also falls victim on a daily basis to all types of junk mail.  Despite my attempts to remove myself from advertisers’ mailing lists, it seems that more and more junk mail finds its way into my inbox on a regular basis.

Although we call this mail “junk mail” we still cull through it!  We look at the advertisements, we flip through the sale papers, and we open the credit card offers just to make sure this is something we don’t need.  In the process, we are tempted to keep these items and sometimes we try them out, much to our regret later on.  Who among us hasn’t signed up for something we really didn’t need and couldn’t afford simply because a piece of junk mail convinced us a certain item was something we simply could not live without?

Have you ever stopped to consider that our lives are mailboxes and they are constantly being filled with junk mail?  Minute by minute it seems the world is sending us all kinds of messages, promising success, fame, fortune, and whatever we desire if we will simply subscribe to the latest fad or fashion.  Radio commercials, television advertisements, billboards along the road, magazines, newspapers, you name it, at every turn we are bombarded with the world’s junk mail.

Trying to filter through all this to determine what is truly of merit and what is not is a full-time job, one that leaves us not only tired but also frustrated and dejected as well.  We find ourselves wanting to know the truth, simply the truth, so that we can orient our lives to that truth and walk in its light.  Once we know the truth, we can then make each and every decision in relation to that truth and set our lives on a direct course instead of spiraling out of control.

In John 8:32, Jesus gave his disciples the most wonderful piece of mail they had ever received.  Listen to his words, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Just prior to this passage, Jesus also told his disciples that if they obeyed his commandments they were really his disciples.  The result of being Christ’s disciples is knowing the truth and consequently being free from all the ties the world places on us.

When we come to know Jesus Christ, we come to know the truth and we can see the world’s promises for what they really are—junk mail!  Only in Jesus can we find the truth and only in him can we live a life that is pleasing to God.  So, how long has it been since you checked your heart’s mailbox?  How long has it been since you went through all the mail the world sends to clog life?  Don’t you think it’s time you opened God’s letter, the Bible, and understood what the truth really is?  How about putting an end to all that junk mail today?

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Fill It Up

T
he constant fluctuation in gasoline prices resembles a bad ride on a roller coaster.  The prices go up and down and make you feel as if your wallet has been turned upside down, emptied out, and run through a series of corkscrew turns!  Believe me, I feel your pain.  Every morning I pass several gas stations and the story is always the same:  up and down prices. 

All this makes me long for an earlier time when gas was at a decent price and the cares of the world seemed as far away as the state fair both in time and distance.  Our town was no different than many other bedroom communities dotting the North Carolina landscape. We had three family-owned grocery stores, several family-owned drugstores, shops, a hardware store, a bank, a savings and loan, and of course the ever-present local police force.

In addition to all these, there were several filling stations that offered full service. I remember going with my dad on several occasions to fill the car.  He would visit the different filling stations in order to patronize all of the owners in town.  No matter where we went, he always said the same thing when asked how much gas he needed:  “Fill it up!”  Sometimes he would let me tell Mr. Seate, Mr. Beam, Mr. Odell, or Mr. Reynolds to “fill it up!”  This always made me feel grown-up, as if I had conquered some small part of the world.

Later, when I was old enough to drive and had a car of my own, I found that these men served me as they had my dad, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. In fact, they gave the same service to the entire community.

Every so often, we couldn’t stop to get gas because a huge tanker was parked, delivering a fresh supply of gasoline.  At such times, dad would turn around and go back home or head for another gas station, searching for the necessary nourishment the car seemed to need with more and more frequency as both my brother and I started driving.

The memory of those tankers is indelibly etched in my memory.  I always wondered where the gas came from.  Where did they make it?  How far away was it?  Would the supply ever run out?  How long did it take to fill the tanks?  Nothing but questions, questions, questions.  Ahhh, such is the life of a six-year-old boy who had nothing else to do but ask questions.

The tankers arrived on a regular basis to make sure enough gas was available so Mr. Seate, Mr. Beam, Mr. Odell, and Mr. Reynolds could continue to give service to our community.  In essence, the arrival of a new shipment of gasoline was a source of encouragement to these gentlemen to continue their work serving the people of Cherryville.

The Apostle Paul understood the need for encouragement.  He, better than anyone, knew that the Christian life is sometimes fraught with ups and downs, twists, and corkscrew turns!  It was for this reason in several of his letters to the various churches he sent words of encouragement both in written form and in the form of a friend.

We find one such instance in Ephesians 6:21-22Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.”

Tychicus is Paul’s tanker truck.  He is being sent to fill the tanks of those rendering service for Christ.  Notice that Paul describes Tychicus as being a faithful servant.  This means Paul could—and did—trust him to relay encouragement and strength to the Christians in Ephesus. His fuel was encouragement, something we all need on a consistent basis in order to continue our walk with the Lord.

Are you filling a little low?  Is the hand on your spiritual gas gauge heading toward “E”?  If this is the case, take encouragement from Tychicus.  God knows where you are. He knows the service to which He has called you and He will send extra fuel when you need it so you can continue to serve Him.  Just hit your knees, pull into the station, and ask God to “fill it up!” 

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

How Long Is Until?

“H
ow long do I have to clean my room, mom?”  Now you know when you ask a question like that the answer just can’t be good!  “Until it is clean”, she always replied.  I told you the answer would not be good.  In fact, I hated this answer because it meant I would be in my room a long time, and from the looks of the clutter under my bed and in my closet, I would be there until doomsday!

The lesson my mom was trying to teach me with that little word until was the importance of carrying a task through to completion no matter how long it took.  Had she told me fifteen minutes, I would have worked for that amount of time and stopped, regardless of the condition of my room.  Some things cannot be measured in time.

This is the lesson found in Luke 15:1-7, “Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

We know this passage as the story of the lost sheep, a parable Jesus told to illustrate God’s great love for those who are lost.  The attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law is still prevalent today.  Everybody, it seems, is a far worse sinner than we are and the sins they have committed make ours look like children’s pranks.  But the irony is, that while we are busy pointing out the fact that everyone else is a sinner, we neglect to include ourselves in the group.  Everybody listening to Jesus’ voice that day was a sinner.  There are only two groups of people, those in Christ, and those outside of Christ.  There is no middle ground!

But if we read very closely we will find that little word, until.  How did this shepherd search for that one lost sheep?  Just how long is until?  Is it measured in minutes, hours, days or weeks? Does it even have a measure?  That is a great question.  We read this parable as if the shepherd were gone a few hours at the most.  But what if he were gone for weeks, months or even years?  What if it took a lifetime?  That puts a very different perspective on things, doesn’t it?

We must also notice that when the shepherd found the sheep, he put it on his shoulders and went home. How long did he carry that sheep?  He carried it until he arrived safely home. In other words, he searched until he found and he carried it until the sheep was back in the fold.  The shepherd carried that sheep for the same amount of time he spent searching for it.  Both are simply covered by the word, until.

What a beautiful illustration this is of God’s love for us.  His love for us is not measured in minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years.  His love for us is measureless and his grace toward us is boundless.  How long is until?  How far is it?  We’ll have to wait until we arrive safely home to find out!

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

A Slice of Watermelon

T
he mere mention of the word was enough to cause every kid in the neighborhood to abandon his activity and come running at full gallop.  All of a sudden, saving the world from the forces of evil, laying siege to an imaginary castle, climbing to the perilous summit of a dirt mound, or crossing the finish line of our equivalent of the Indy 500, paled in comparison to this one word.  Kids weren’t the only ones affected either.  Adults got into the act, leaving their responsibilities behind, sneaking away from their desks, and putting off that important phone call for just a few more minutes.  What could make all these activities come to a screeching halt?  One thing—watermelon!

In the burning and humid heat of a North Carolina summer, an ice cold watermelon was just about the closest thing to heaven we could experience.   Usually late in the afternoon, word would spread that several watermelons had been delivered to my dad’s place of business.  My granddaddy, my parents, my brother and sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, passers by, etc. were all invited when we cut a watermelon.

I remember watching as the knife was plunged into the heart of a huge melon.  As my dad carefully cut through the heart of the melon, I could hear it beginning to separate.  It popped and creaked and then with one final snap, the melon split, exposing the luscious red fruit inside. For a moment everyone stopped.  All conversation ceased and silence fell over the whole group as the watermelon came apart.  Everyone stood mesmerized, anticipating that first bite of succulent fruit.

The pieces were cut into smaller portions and served to everyone there.  Finally, I received my piece of watermelon and I knew exactly what to do with it.  The only way to eat watermelon is to put your face completely into it.  No worries about getting sticky or having juice dripping from your chin because that’s the way you eat watermelon.  That first taste was always the best but it was never sufficient.  The more I ate, the more I wanted and the more I wanted, the more I ate.  You get the picture I’m sure; you’ve probably done the same thing yourself.  

Almost as good as the watermelon, however, was the wonderful fellowship I enjoyed with my family.  We laughed, exchanged stories, had seed-spitting contest, and spent hours just enjoying the simple pleasures of family friends, and watermelon.  There was nothing better in the world.

I believe David must have understood and appreciated the feeling of eating watermelon.  Whether or not he actually had access to the same melon we eat today, he surely captured the essence of the experience in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”  Now I know David is not talking about watermelon here but there are, I believe, some striking parallels in eating watermelon and enjoying the Lord’s presence in our lives.

David does not tell us to look at the Lord to see that he is good, he tells us to taste!  No one looks at watermelon; they eat it.  We can only enjoy the fruit once we take it into ourselves and enjoy all it has to offer us.  God is exactly the same way.  What a shame it is that we don’t experience him to the full.

Like watermelon, God wants us to cover ourselves with His presence.  He wants us to dig in until we have our fill.  God’s love, mercy, grace, and peace should drip from us, from every fiber of our being, in the same way that watermelon juice drips from us when we eat it.  It should cover us, stick to us, fill us with joy, and bring the peace and the contentment found only in God alone.  He alone is our shelter and our refreshment when life grows difficult.  He alone brings joy, security, and contentment by filling us with all his goodness.  

Like that watermelon, the more we partake of the Lord, the more we want, and the more we want the more we partake.  Taste and see, David said, not look and wonder!!  God is good, all the time.  In life’s ups and downs, ins and outs, mountains and valleys, he is our strength, he is our comfort, he is our protector, and he is our life.  Are you enjoying a slice of watermelon from God’s table today?  Go ahead; put your face right in the middle of it!  You’ll be so glad you did!

Monday, March 26, 2018

Sailing Along

T
here’s no better way to end a day than with a good slice of pecan pie and a hot cup of coffee.  One evening, while I was a student at Southwestern Seminary, I went to a local restaurant and did just that!  I ordered a slice of homemade pecan pie and a cup of coffee with just a shot of chocolate for flavor.  Normally, I would inhale the pie, gulp down the coffee, and race out the door in an endeavor to get back home and start working.  This evening, however, I decided that work and study would have to take a back seat as I took some down time to recharge my batteries and renew my strength.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, March 23, 2018

In Heavy Syrup

P
each cobbler and coffee!  A winning combination by any standards!  One Saturday afternoon while visiting one of the local grocery stores, I came across a nifty little package that just seemed to fit the bill for a quick dessert or late night snack.  Someone came up with the idea of a ready-made mix for peach or cherry cobbler (fortunately for them I love both) and packaged it in a box including the fruit filling.  This is my kind of person!   Open a can, dump a bag of mix on top, pop it in the oven, and in 30 minutes, voilà—peach cobbler!

While I love the convenience of doing things this way, sometimes there is just no substitute for doing it yourself.  So, in addition to purchasing the hocus-pocus-instant-cobbler mix, I also bought the items necessary to do it myself.  As I was rolling the cart down the aisle of canned fruits looking for peaches, something just jumped right out at me.  Not only did I have to choose which brand of peaches to buy, I had to select between light or heavy syrup.  I stood there for a few minutes knowing that the light syrup had fewer calories but that the heavy syrup had more sugar and would probably give a more full-bodied taste to the cobbler.  Armed with this thought, it was a no-brainer.  I bought two cans of peaches in heavy syrup and wheeled myself to the check-out lane.

Once in my kitchen, I hauled out the pots and pans necessary to make my cobbler the old fashioned way, by hand.  I measured out all the ingredients, pre-heated the oven, and cracked open the cans of peaches I had just purchased.  Of course, I sampled them just to make sure they were sweet enough, and they were.  As I poured them into the bowl I took special note of the heavy syrup in which the peaches had been packed. I knew that in just under an hour, that syrup would be transformed along with the other ingredients into a wonderfully sweet dessert ready for me to dig into.  When the timer went off, I was proved right!  The cobbler came out just perfect, hot, thick, and oh so sweet!

King David knew the value of sweet things.  In fact, he understood that what sweets are to the tongue and the mouth, the word of God is to the heart and the soul.  This belief is reflected in Psalm 19:7-11 as David reflects on the goodness and the perfection of God’s word, His promises, His statutes, and His precepts. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

David had a firm grasp of the power of God’s word in the life of the believer.  Every aspect of God’s promises and commands carries with it a wonderful effect in the life of his children.  By God’s word we are revived, we become wise, our hearts become joyful, and we receive better sight with which we gain understanding. And, if that wasn’t’ enough, David tells us that all of these things are sweeter than honey and purer than gold.  You want to talk about saving the best to last!!!!  What the heavy syrup is to the peaches, the precepts, promises, laws, and commands of God are to the soul!  They are wonderful.  Even in the midst of heated trials and difficult challenges, they remain pure, perfect, and serve as the bedrock of faith for all those who place their trust in the Lord.

Are you experiencing the sweetness of God’s word in your life today?  Do you know the wonderful promises and the peace that God’s commands, precepts, laws, and ordinances bring to the hearts of those who put their trust in him?  Putting your trust in God, however, does not guarantee a life free from difficulty.  In order to get peach cobbler, you have to mix all the ingredients and then put them in a hot oven to bake for a certain amount of time.  But when the dish comes out, it is bubbly, hot, delicious, and oh so sweet!  This is exactly what David meant when he said that God’s word was sweeter than honey.  Are you experiencing the heavy syrup of God’s promises today?

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Just One of Those Days

J
ames 1:2-4 reads“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  This definitely was not the verse of scripture I wanted to be reminded of one particular Monday.  I was having one of those days where nothing, and I mean nothing, went according to plan.  Oh, I had a plan, but it was absolutely worthless.  Please allow me to recap the day for you.  It’s good therapy!

The whole ball of wax actually started the evening before when I decided to download a quick and easy little program for my computer.  The download went well.  I encountered no glitches, bumps, or electronic hiccups.  The installation process was also smooth and in just a few minutes the program was living happily on my hard drive, ready to obey my every command. 

I restarted the computer, selected the newly installed program, and asked it to perform a quick scan of my computer to see if everything was all right.  That’s when it all started.  The little program located some files that to its mind posed a threat to my system. It asked if I wanted to repair or delete the programs.  I first elected to repair the files but when that wasn’t possible, I deleted them.  That was my mistake!  I deleted several files from my operating system and the computer wouldn’t work.

I tried at least three attempts to coax the computer back to life but it just wouldn’t budge. Instead, it just sat there with a beautiful sunset on the screen, refusing to go any further.  All my programs were there; I just couldn’t get to them.  Several calls to a good friend in Pennsylvania, confirmed what I already knew.  The computer was busted and would have to be rebuilt; not exactly what I wanted to hear.

During the day, my situation got better (that’s a little joke, not too funny).  On my way to the airport, everybody in the free world decided to drive below the speed limit and box me into one lane of traffic.  I couldn’t get around the car ahead of me and the cars to my right and to my left wouldn’t budge.  I thought it was some kind of conspiracy with the whole world, including the animals, decidedly against me. I wondered if Noah ever had a day like this.

A good friend called to see how I was doing.  What a loaded question that was!  I told him I didn’t feel very Christian and proceeded to share my terrible day. I called my mom and she got the full onslaught as well.  I was miserable and I determined that everyone I knew would just be miserable as well.  Ever been there?  None of this solved my computer problem, but grinding that axe seemed to make me feel better; I mean I actually enjoyed it. If what James said in the opening verse above applied to me, I had to be the happiest man alive!

It was only after I had spent the day frustrated, angry, confused, bitter, hostile, and just a little cranky, that I realized what a wasted this day had been. Replaying my thoughts and conversations from the day indicated every sentence or thought began with the word “I” or had the word “me” in it at least three or four times.  I looked at myself as the victim.  Nothing went my way, everything was against me, I didn’t understand why I was going through this, you get the picture don’t you?

James certainly hit me right between the eyes when I calmed down and remembered this little admonition.  James says that we will face trials of many kinds.  He never says they are fun but he does say they have their purpose and that purpose is the perfecting of our faith the increasing of our patience.

I wasn’t very faithful or patient on that particular Monday--I was anything but either one of these.  And that is why I missed the blessing of verse 4, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  Because of my attitude, I was lacking in several areas, not the least of which was my relationship with God.  But God’s design is to grow me to maturity so I want lack anything.  That Monday reminded me just how much growing up I still have left to do.

The next time you have one of those days, and it may be today, be thankful for it.  I know this is not something you want to hear, especially if today’s your day, but God is with us in the small trials as well as in the big ones and I think that when we have just one of those days he is reminding us of just how difficult it is to live the Christian life without him!

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

The Search Party

O
ne day, just after lunch, I stepped out on the west porch of the men’s dorm at Southwestern Seminary and watched a group of squirrels searching for nuts.  They scampered about the yard, feverishly digging, searching for nuts, or anything else that resembled food.  They took no notice of me or the fact that it was raining; the only thing on their agenda was locating and picking up nuts.  Their dedication to this task was total and was evidenced by the way they conducted their search. 

Each squirrel ran along the ground with its nose working overtime.  When they came upon a promising spot, they began feverishly digging, concentrating on the task at hand.  Suddenly, they stopped, pulled an object from the ground, and examined it thoroughly.  If they found a nut, they would scamper off and hide it, then they would return and begin the search over again.  However, if the object they removed was inedible, they tossed it aside and started the process all over again.  Occasionally, they would sit up on their hind legs, shake the rainwater from their fur, shoot me an inquisitive glance, and resume their endless and tireless search for nuts.

As I watched them, I suddenly became enthralled with their dedication to this task.  Here, on a soggy afternoon, in conditions that were anything but favorable, these squirrels methodically and assiduously continued their search for food.  The conditions outside and the presence of strangers did not deter them from the task at hand.  Instead, they gave their full concentration to one single goal, finding pecans.

This, I believe, is the kind of dedication the prophet Jeremiah was speaking of in his writing. Jeremiah 29:13 conveys a promise that God speaks to His people.  The Hebrew people have been held captive in Babylon and now the time for their return has come.  However, God doesn’t want them to be free only in the physical sense; instead, He wants them to experience the freedom that comes only in a loving and personal relationship with him.  Notice his words in this passage of scripture, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

This short statement contains both a promise and a condition.  First, God promises that He can be found.  This does not mean God hides from us, playing a game of hide-and-seek.  He is not running from us, daring us to discover his hideout.  No!  God wants us to enter into a personal relationship with him, to come to a deeper and more extensive knowledge than we have ever had.  However, for us to do this requires a decisive effort on our part. 

This leads to the second portion of the statement, that of the condition.  Notice that finding God requires two things on our part. First, we have to want to find God.  We don’t search for things unless we want to find them, unless we miss them, and unless we know that we are incomplete without them.  When these are the conditions behind our search, we look frantically, refusing to give up until we find what we are looking for.  Second, the search must be complete.  God wants nothing less than our whole person.  He will not be satisfied until he is the sole reason for our search.  Searching for God in this manner means that nothing deters us from this goal.  We pay no attention to the conditions around us nor are we concerned with the presence or the opinions of others.  Nothing is to detract us from finding God.

Like the squirrels that so diligently remained faithful to their search, we too will be rewarded. Our reward, however, will not be something temporary, our reward will be eternal.  God’s promise is that we would find him and when we find him we have all we need and all we desire.  Although the world is damp, soggy, cold, and inhospitable, we must live in it.  We must search diligently and deliberately to find God because the things of this life so often distract us from finding him.  However, when we make the decision, when we exercise our will, when we seek him with all our being, then we find him.  How is your search going today?

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Office Hours

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, March 19, 2018

Asking For Directions


O
n August 7, 1979 I finally reached that long-awaited age of 16 and that meant one thing—driver’s license!  Yep, all my friends had been driving for months and now it was my turn to join the ranks.  My parents, though, didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic about the prospect of my climbing behind the wheel of a car as I was.  Go figure!

Despite my assurance that I could now run errands for them, take my brother and sister to wherever they needed to go, and that I would no longer need them to shuttle me everywhere, they simply didn’t seem to be thrilled that I would be driving.  Something about increased insurance premiums, and not being able to relax until I was home, etc. were apparently a few of the reasons for their not-so-enthusiastic acceptance of this important right-of-passage.

Once I received that little piece of plastic giving me the legal right to operate a vehicle, it soon became obvious that I would need some help if I wanted to go beyond the city limit signs.  That help would have to come from my dad, whose sense of direction still puts any GPS to shame!

In order to have a car of my own, I had to get a job.  I worked on the weekends and during the summers to pay for it.  My job was in one of the local hospitals about 30 minutes from our home.  I remember asking my dad to give me directions which he did.  He gave the best directions, telling me how to avoid traffic, and which areas would be the easiest to navigate but also those which could prove troublesome.  As long as I followed his directions, I never had any difficulty going to work or getting home safely.

In 2 Chronicles 26:3-5 we are introduced to King Uzziah, who at the ripe age of 16 wasn’t worried about driving, his concern was in governing a people.  If ever there were a time to ask for directions this would be it.  And that is exactly what Uzziah did.  In this passage we read, “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.  He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

There are three important statements about Uzziah in this brief passage that provide great insight for us.  First, we are told that Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  This is a very telling statement for someone who is only 16 years old.  He didn’t know everything, in fact, he knew nothing about what it meant to be a king.  But he knew that as long as he obeyed the Lord, and did what was right according to him, his reign would be successful.

Second, he sought the Lord.  Before making policy, before entering into agreements, before entering armed conflict, and before making any decision, Uzziah asked God for directions.  He trusted and knew that God would make sure he avoided traffic and difficulty areas and would see that he and his people remained safe and sound.

Third, Uzziah was successful, not because of what he did and not because of what he knew, but because he consulted God in everything.  This is the great secret of walking with God.  We are to seek him daily, even hourly, because the road ahead is filled with all types of dangers we cannot see.  When was the last time you asked God for directions?  Before you start today’s journey, don’t you think you should?

Friday, March 16, 2018

In Any Condition

T
he drive to and from work has become pretty routine.  I pass the same businesses, the same houses, the same road signs, and sometimes, the same cars on the highway.  The drive has become such a way of life that occasionally I arrive at work or back home and wonder how I got there so quickly.  However, this day’s drive was quite different.  As I made my way back from teaching a French class, I noticed a new billboard on the side of the road sporting an advertisement I hadn’t seen before.  The sign simply indicated that a local company was interested in buying houses in any condition.

I almost stopped my car in the middle of the highway.  It’s not every day that someone, least of all a company, offers to make a purchase sight unseen.  Yet, that is exactly what the advertisement was suggesting.  This company would buy a house no matter what its condition.  They would refurbish it, redecorate it, and completely restore it.  Afterwards, what was once an uninhabitable structure became a home for a newly wed couple or a growing family.

All that afternoon, I found myself thinking about that billboard.  The advertising firm that created the billboard did a wonderful job and achieved their objective.  Long after I saw the ad and read its message, I was still turning it over in my mind.  Only later in the afternoon did I make the connection between the promise made by the advertised company and the promise made by Jesus as he began his ministry.

The opening verses of chapter 4 of the book of Luke record the arrival of Jesus in his hometown.  His custom was to visit the local synagogue where he would preach and teach.  On this particular occasion, Jesus entered the synagogue he knew as a child.  He was given the opportunity to lead the lesson and he took full advantage of the situation to advertise, if you will, his mission and his reason for ministering to those around him.

After receiving the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus located a certain passage and read it.  Luke 4:18-19 records the scripture Jesus read that day"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."    

Jesus says here that he has come to restore and heal people no matter what their condition.  Look at the description of those to whom Jesus has come to minister.  He describes them as poor, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed. Not what you’d expect, huh?  We don’t see Jesus ministering to the wealthy, to the satisfied, or to those in perfect health.  Instead, he spends his time among the outcasts of society, those who are rejected and considered of little or no value.

Jesus, however, is not concerned with the outward condition of a person but he is interested in the persons themselves.  He wants to enter inside the heart, to refurbish it, restore it, redecorate it, and make it as good as new.  His job is to undo all the damage that has been done so that a right relationship with God can be re-established.  This is what he means by “the year of the Lord’s favor” Jesus is saying that all of us, regardless of our condition, can become acceptable to God.  All we need do is accept him as our personal savior and lord.

What a promise this is to us today.  No matter what our backgrounds, no matter what our circumstances, no matter what we feel or believe about ourselves, God stands ready to take us, just as we are, in any condition, and to restore us to a perfect relationship with him.  He does this, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who he is and his great love for us.  He alone sees beyond what we are to what we can become and he extends his favor to us.  All we need do is accept it by believing on Jesus Christ as our personal savior. 

So remember.  Whatever the condition of your life today, God stands ready to accept you just as you are and he offers to remake you into the person he created you to be.  Won’t you let him have control of your life today?  He is waiting to make you his own, no matter what your condition!

Thursday, March 15, 2018

The Plane and Simple Truth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Be Still

L
iving in a house in close proximity to the members of your family can sometimes be a challenge.  This is especially true as little children grow older and begin to test the limits of mom and dad’s authority.  While they are encouraged to be independent, as they grow older, obedience remains part and parcel of belonging to a family.  Coming under mom and dad’s authority goes hand-in-hand with living under their roof.

Like any other kid, I too tested the limits of the boundaries established by my mom and dad.  Sometimes I would just stick my big toe into the forbidden waters of disobedience and at other times I jumped in whole hog.  I figured getting wet was half the fun and staying to swim for a while was the other half. It was usually about this time that my interests and my parents’ conflicted.  Guess who won?

I can remember so many times when I crossed the line.  My dad would then discipline me and I would just stew, believing I had been unjustly treated.  The more I thought about it the madder I got until I was just ready to explode.  That’s when daddy usually came to talk to me about what had transpired, to tell me why I had been disciplined.     

He would pick me up and hold me, repeating these two words, “Be still!”  That was the last thing I wanted I assure you!  I didn’t feel like being held, I didn’t feel like talking, and I didn’t feel like being calm.  I wanted to run!  Daddy just held me, softly saying, “Be still, Blake. Be still!”

As I look back on it now, I am amazed at the patience and wisdom of my dad.  He knew I was hurting, he knew I wasn’t happy, he knew I didn’t like the discipline, and he knew I didn’t want to be still.  But he held me anyway, rocking me and telling me just to be still.  I can still hear his voice in my ear, reminding me to calm down and be quiet. No matter what my feelings at the time, two things were true: 1) daddy loved me enough to discipline me and 2) he loved me enough to hold on to me even when I was being stubborn.

Is it any different with our Heavenly Father?  How many times do we exert our own independence, putting our agenda ahead of God’s? We never put our big toe into the water just to test it; we always jump in only to find the water is way over our heads.  Not content to admit we were wrong, however, we decide to stay awhile and get the most out of our stubbornness.
 
This is when God steps in to intervene on our behalf, even though we don’t believe it at the time.  God knows that our disobedience, if left unchecked, will only serve to alienate us from Him.  This is something he neither wants nor allows.

The process of bringing us back into a right relationship is sometimes painful but always necessary.  Afterward, we may not feel as if God loves us.  We may not understand why things turn out the way they do nor why God places us in very difficult situations.  We may be angry, confused, and more than a little dismayed.  But that is all right because we serve a God who loves us more than we can even imagine.

Even in the most difficult times, God picks us up, holds us on his lap, wraps his arms around us, and whispers, “Be still.”  This is the message of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  The purpose of our stillness is to learn that the Lord is God.  He knows what is best for us.  He alone loves us as no other can.  He loves us enough to discipline us and he loves us enough to hold us when life’s way grows hard, even when it is due to our own stubborn disobedience.

I learned so much during the times when my dad held me.  I learned that he loved me, that he wanted to hold me, that he hurt when I hurt, and that he was so much smarter and wiser than I was.  How much more, then, does our Heavenly Father love us?  How much more does He long to hold us and comfort us during the difficult times of life—even when they are the result of our disobedience?  Are you being still today?