The Bowl

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eminders and evidence of God’s faithfulness are everywhere.  The rising and setting of the sun, the rain that falls on the earth, the wind that blows through the trees, and the moon and stars in the night sky are constant testimonials to the fact that our God is faithful. 

God’s faithfulness has always amazed me.  No matter what circumstances I have encountered in life, one thing holds true—God is faithful to me regardless of my situation, regardless of my feelings, and regardless of my faithfulness to him. In all the changes of life, in all of its trials, in all of its conflicts, in all of its challenges, and in all of its joys, God has never failed me.  He has always remained true to his word and his promises are a solid foundation in a world of shifting sand!

I was reminded of this great truth just last evening.  As I dried and put away the day’s dishes, God took the opportunity to teach me a lesson about his faithfulness.  In my hand, I held a bowl.  It is not a very attractive bowl but it is my bowl nonetheless.  I purchased this bowl just after arriving at seminary.  Since I didn’t have much space in my dorm room for dishes, I used that bowl for just about everything.  I ate cereal from it in the morning, I had soup in it when I was sick, I used it for popcorn as a snack, and I ate stew from it for my evening meals.  When I finished with the bowl, I washed it and placed it back on the shelf until the next meal.

Although my life changed drastically after coming to seminary, one thing remained constant, that bowl always had something in it for me to eat.  I never went hungry, I never went without clothing, and I always had enough money to pay my bills and cover my necessities.  But every time I visited the kitchen, God always had something to place in that bowl. He always made sure I had something to eat and something to drink.  He never forgot but showed up at every meal, right on time. 

Sometimes he used others to fill that bowl.  Someone would send me money from home and I’d buy groceries or sometimes someone would invite me to dinner and pay for my meal.  Whatever the form, God always saw to it that I had something to eat and he always took care of me, even when I wasn’t sure how he was going to do it.

1 Kings 17:14 gives us the story of another bowl.  This bowl belonged to a widow who lived in the village of Zerephath with her only son.  Times were very hard for this woman. She had very little to eat.  In fact, she was gathering firewood to prepare her last meal for herself and her son. Just at that moment the prophet Elijah asked her to bring him some bread and water.  The widow told him of her plight, that she had only enough flour in the bowl for one last loaf of bread for her and her son.  What Elijah told her next is the focal point of our study today.

"For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'"  Do you see God’s faithfulness and his love in this passage?  Just when this widow thought it was all over, just when she believed there was no way out, and just when she reached the end of her resources, God stepped in.  Even though there was a drought and although there was no way to buy more flour or oil, God promised that her supply would never run out.

This is always God’s way.  When we have exhausted our resources and come to the end of our ropes, that’s when God steps in.  At that point we become totally dependent on him for all our needs.  When our relationship becomes one of total dependence on God, we experience and understand God’s faithfulness to his children. So, what’s in your bowl today?

Ripe For The Picking

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he other day some one asked me if I had a sweet tooth.  I didn’t even have to think about my answer.  “Let me put it this way,” I said. “Give me a five-pound bag of sugar and a spoon and I’m happy!”  I’m not exaggerating!  The guy who said, “Life’s short, eat dessert first” has my full support and admiration.  You’ve just got to respect someone who has his priorities in the correct order!  One of my life goals is to sashay into a restaurant and order a cheesecake and a fork. That’s right, not a slice of cheesecake but the whole thing!   I’m just waiting for the right occasion!

My favorite dessert, hands down, is banana pudding.  My mom will be happy to share that dirty little secret with you.  Whenever I’m home I bargain with her, telling her that I’ll buy the ingredients if she will make the banana pudding.  The result is always the same; she buys the ingredients and makes the pudding!  I just love this arrangement!

The ingredients for this delicacy are not difficult to find. However, in order to make a perfect banana pudding, the bananas have to be ripe.  As a small boy, I remember going to the grocery store with my mother.  She always looked for bananas that were almost black because they made the best desserts.  I couldn’t understand this.  Bananas were supposed to be yellow, not black!  All the books I’d ever read said so.  But black, or very dark, bananas were what she bought because they had the best flavor!  And since mom always made perfect banana puddings, I didn’t argue!

The Apostle Paul addresses this idea of ripeness or maturity in his letter to the Ephesians.  Paul knew that in order for God’s work to move forward with the best results, he needed and required spiritually mature workers. 

Ephesians 4:12-13 follows a list of the different duties God assigns to some of his children.  Although there are different jobs, there is only one goal and that goal is training the members of Christ’s body ending in spiritual maturity. In this passage Paul writes, “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  The role of teachers, and pastors, prophets, apostles and evangelist is to prepare God’s people for works of service.  The result is that the body of Christ will be unified and mature.  We are to be of one mind and one spirit, understanding and doing the work of God in the world around us.

Notice Paul’s words in the last portion of this passage.  In order to experience the entire fullness of Jesus Christ we must be spiritually mature.  This means that our desires become God’s desires, that our ambitions take a back seat to his will, that we see everything coming from his hand, and that we wait with patience until he is ready to use us for his purposes. 

Remember, in order to make a good banana pudding, you’ve got to have ripe bananas.  Green bananas are too bitter, yellow bananas are better but still lack fullness of flavor, but black bananas, those that are completely mature, make a perfect pudding every time.  What is the condition of your soul today?  If God were making a banana pudding, would you be chosen to add flavor and body?  Have you weathered life’s storms and difficulties, bending your will and your life to his purpose?  Are you ripe for the picking?

A Nice Cup of Tea

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 cup of hot tea is a wonderful way to begin the day!  There is nothing I like better than waking up, going into the kitchen, opening the pantry, and getting the ingredients to make hot tea for breakfast.  There is very little needed to make a cup of tea, just teabags and hot water.  Although the elements are few and simple, the result is wonderful, flavorful, and especially enjoyable.

This morning as I placed the teabags into the coffee pot and filled it with water, I realized something I hadn’t before.  The tea is made only when the water flows through them, and not until then.  I flipped the switch on the coffee maker and listened as it began pumping water through the filter and down into the carafe.  Slowly but surely those little drops of hot water transformed the dry tea leaves into a hot, satisfying drink for my breakfast.  As the water flowed through the bags, the water became a dark, robust, liquid full of rich flavor.  All the taste that had been locked in those dried leaves now came bursting forth.

When the process was complete, I let the tea steep for a few minutes to bring out even more of its flavor. In the pot, unseen to my eye, the water continued to pass through the bags and through the leaves, drawing out the last bit of flavor they contained.  Without the water, the tea was worthless. It remained in its bag, full of potential for making a good morning drink, but lacking the power to fulfill its mission.

The Christian life is analogous to making a cup of tea in the morning.  Unless the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, we are not living a life that is pleasing to God nor can we.  We do not have the ability to live the Christian life apart from the Holy Spirit.  All our thoughts, all our intentions, all our actions, all our efforts are useless and worthless unless the Holy Spirit flows through our lives.  Without him, we resemble the teabag out of water—useless and unfulfilled.

In John 3:21 Jesus speaks to his disciples about the role of God in our lives.  Too often we want to take the credit for things we have done.  Too often we want to blow our own whistle instead of giving God the glory. In this passage, Jesus reminds us just how important God is to us, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Here, our Lord leaves no room for doubt.  We do nothing in and of ourselves; it is God working through us that accomplishes His purposes.  What we need is the constant dripping of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, moving through us, drawing out everything that will create a life full of worship, praise, and truth.  Unless the Holy Spirit moves and works through us, it will be impossible for us to bless the lives of others.  The dried tea leaves can never provide nourishment for anyone unless the water flows through them.

Let us take this to heart today.  We must realize that we need God at every moment in the day, in every place where we are, and for everything that we do.  It is His power and His spirit flowing through us that make our lives pleasing to Him.  When we allow God to flow and work through us, we are able to share His love, His truth, and His salvation with those around us.  Without Him, however, we can do nothing and our lives are ineffective and incomplete.

Today, when you are having a cup of tea or coffee stop and think about the process the beans and the leaves went through to make that beverage.  Then ask yourself if God is flowing through your life.  Are you providing others with spiritual refreshment?  Are your actions, thoughts, words, deeds, and motives submitted to the working of God’s Holy Spirit?  Are His love and His power flowing through your life today?  I think I hear the kettle whistling!!

False Advertisement?

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ike most people these days, I have a collection of musical CD’s.  My tastes in music are varied, ranging from classical to James Taylor to easy listening piano selections by Jim Brickman. I love listening to my collection and find it very entertaining and relaxing to peruse my CD’s and select a series of albums to listen to while I work around the house, study, or write.

Selecting a CD is easy. I simply thumb through the different discs, looking at the pictures in the front of the case as I make my decision.  I know what songs are on each CD and depending on my mood; I either select a CD or go right past it.  This system usually works flawlessly but, as I found out a few days ago, the CD cases can’t always be trusted.

I was in the mood for a particular kind of music, something upbeat and snappy that would spurn me on as I cleaned.  After thumbing through two rows of CD’s, I finally came upon one that exactly fit the moment.  I opened the case, inserted the CD into the player, hit the play button, and got ready for some “cleaning-the-house-like-you-love-it” music!  I had the cleaning supplies all laid out and I was ready for that first note to provide the necessary mood for the task ahead. 

The very first note I heard, however, was not what I expected.  The music was more like a funeral dirge than a “grab-that-vacuum cleaner-and-go-like-mad” kind of song.  I just stood there dumbfounded, not believing what I was hearing.  I stopped the CD player, ejected the disk and compared it to the tile found on the case.  The CD was something completely different than the advertised artist.  I located its case and, sure enough, the CD I was searching for was inside.  I had switched them at some point and didn’t realize it until I placed the CD into the player.  The player read the information on the CD and reveled what was written on it even though it contradicted the cover.

There is a story in the New Testament that goes right along with my experience today.  It involves a conversation between Paul and Peter during Peter’s visit to Antioch. Let’s take a look at Paul’s comments about Peter and this occasion where what was advertised on the cover didn’t match up with what was on the inside.

Galatians 2:14 gives us a brief overview of this conversation:  “When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?” At first, it’s difficult to understand what Paul’s meaning is here.  A little background would help, wouldn’t it?

The believers in the Galatian churches were under intense pressure to conform to the law and customs of the Jews.  Since the first converts were Jewish, some of them insisted that the Law of Moses had to be followed in addition to faith in Christ.  Paul was very much against this notion and said so throughout his writings. 

Paul’s difficulty with Peter stemmed from the fact that Peter was being inconsistent.  While in Antioch, he ate with the Gentiles and acted as they did. But as soon as a delegation arrived from Jerusalem, Peter changed his tune.  He distanced himself from the Gentiles and reverted to Jewish customs and ritual.  Paul would have none of this so he confronted him.

Peter’s actions did not line up with the truth of the Gospel.  What he portrayed on the outside was not compatible with the truth that lived inside him.  When Paul saw it, he was dumbfounded and immediately wanted to compare Peter’s life with what Paul knew to be the truth.  Peter’s life did not give forth the witness that Paul was expecting. Essentially, Peter was practicing false advertisement; and he was doing so willingly.

This should lead us to examine our own lives today.  When we are placed into many of life’s situations, does the music we produce line up with what we claim to know about Jesus Christ.  Does the cover advertising our claim to be Christians measure up when we are put to the test?  Are we giving those around us cause to enjoy and consider the gospel of Jesus Christ or do they stand dumbfounded, mouths agape because what they see and hear from us doesn’t match what we claim to be?  Does the music of our lives match the cover art we show to the world? Are we practicing false advertisement today?

Come On In!

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 distinctly remember the first day my brother and I moved into our new home.  For eighteen long months we had worked, preparing the house for occupancy.  At last, the long-awaited day arrived.  With the help of our parents and a few friends, we moved our furniture, our clothes, and all our belongings into the new house, cutting the apron strings with home and taking up the reigns of home ownership.  

It was exciting and frightening at the same time.  During the previous eighteen months, we had lived with our parents but our new home was across town, waiting for us to enter and set up house keeping.  During this time we were in limbo; we lived in one place but were looking forward to another.  Although we had enjoyed living with mom and dad, the time had come for us to move on and start a new life of our own.

A few days after moving into the house, I received a reality check. You know what these are, don’t you?  They are those little moments when you understand just how big the hole you’re in is and you know the shovel you are holding isn’t large enough to dig you out.  It had never occurred to me that the money we borrowed had to be paid back.  I had written checks to pay for the plumbing, the wiring, and all the other needs we had.  But that was the bank’s money, not mine.  Now I was faced with the reality that I had to use my money to repay the loan.  Talk about scared!

I imagine this is the way Joshua must have felt as he stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, ready to make his entrance with the children of Israel.  For forty years they had been wondering in the desert, walking in a great circle, paying for their disobedience to God.  The Lord was using this situation to prepare them to take possession of the land. The wanderings in the desert would teach them about God’s faithfulness and his trustworthiness.

Finally, the day came when they were to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.  There must have been wonderful excitement in the camp that day.  The promise made to Abraham hundreds of years before was about to be fulfilled.  God had opened the door and had extended an invitation for his people to go into the land of promise.  The responsibilities for leading the people into the land and for conquering it fell to Moses’ servant, Joshua.

Can’t you just imagine Joshua’s fears and worries?  For the past forty years, the people had received their instructions and their leadership from Moses.  This great man of God had stood before Pharaoh, he had led them through the Red Sea, he had given them God’s law, and he had built the tabernacle in the wilderness.  How would Joshua ever fill Moses’ shoes?  Would the people listen to him? Would they respect him? Would they carry out his instructions?  The fear of the unknown must have plagued Joshua and weighed heavily on his mind.  God, however, had great plans for him and gave him wonderful words of reassurance.

In Joshua 1:1-3, God gives these words of encouragement to Joshua, “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.  I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”

There are three things we need to learn from this passage of scripture today.  First, Joshua must face reality.  Moses is dead!  The people can no longer rely on his leadership.  This left the people and Joshua with not only a sense of loss, but also caused them great anxiety.  Their security blanket had been ripped right out from underneath them.  But God does not stop here.  The next sentence demonstrates that God’s plans do not change. 

Second, God tells Joshua that the people will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land he promised on oath to Abraham.  What wonderful reassurance this must have been.  God’s promises are not dependent on one individual or set of circumstances. God’s promises are dependent on him and, therefore, can never fail. 

Finally, God restates his intention.  That intention is to fulfill his promise, to be with the people as they cross over and to settle them in the land just as he told Moses and just as he promised Abraham.  No matter how daunting the circumstance and no matter how impossible and hopeless the situation may seem, God’s promises remain true.  He will keep them all!

This morning, as we face the day ahead, we can, and must, draw great strength from these verses.  The events of yesterday are gone.  All of its successes, all of its comforts, and all of its security are forever in the past.  God is calling us to move forward into territory unknown to us but very familiar to him.  He is calling us to move from where we are into the promises he has given us.  We cannot dwell in the desert when God has called us to a land flowing with milk and honey.  We must get up, move forward, leave the past behind, enter the land, and possess it.

God has opened the door on this morning and he extends to us the following invitation:  “Come on in!”  The rest is up to us.  Personally, I’m going to wipe my feet on the welcome mat and go on in!  How about you?

The Sound of the Hammer

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he beating of hammers, the whir of circular saws, the loud steady thumping of a jackhammer, and the constant sound of huge trucks moving mounds of earth indicated that something big was happening next door.  Almost overnight, the bleak, vacant lot adjacent to my complex was converted into a large construction zone with people and material pouring in from all over the place.

The first few weeks witnessed a great deal of activity but it didn’t appear as if any progress was being made. Still, the sounds of construction boomed and echoed throughout the neighborhood so we all knew something huge would soon take the place of that empty lot—and soon was right!  Out of nowhere, faster than you can blink your eye, a new apartment complex sprung up.  Only a few days before there had been nothing but mounds of dirt, overturned boulders, and piles of rocks and felled trees.

The construction workers, however, kept beating with their hammers, cutting with their saws, and breaking up boulders with their jackhammers.  The sounds grew in intensity as the buildings slowly but steadily reached toward the sky.  Soon, all the frames were built and the exterior walls and roofs were attached.  I couldn’t get over the speed with which these construction workers assembled that complex.  But throughout the entire project, the sound of the hammer continued to ring out, telling everyone that construction was not yet complete.

I often wondered if there was anyway the workers could be just a little quieter, especially at 7:00 in the morning.  Even though I am a morning person, I don’t relish the sound of hammers and saws so early.  If only they could make all their cuts away from the site and assemble the buildings in silence.  The men would have enjoyed their work more and the neighborhood would have been a much quieter and saner place to live.

Now I know what you’re thinking.  Dreaming that a construction company would make all its cuts and measurements off site is exactly that, a dream!  Yet there is a story in the Old Testament where this type of construction actually happened.  The workers, however, weren’t building an apartment complex or a community of homes.  Instead, they were constructing one building, the most important building in the history of Israel, the temple of Solomon.

The task of building the temple actually started with Solomon’s father, King David.  The king wanted to build the temple himself but God would not let him.  He told David that no one with blood on his hands could build the temple and David’s hands were very bloody. However, he would be responsible for gathering all the materials for the temple but his son, Solomon, would actually oversee its construction.

So when Solomon was ready, he gave the order to build the temple.  It was to be the most wonderful building ever constructed with all the finest materials Solomon had at his disposal.  But Solomon had a little different idea about the construction of this building. So important was the temple in Jewish life that Solomon wanted the entire process to be one of honor and worship to God.  He therefore gave the order that no sounds of hammers or other tools were to be heard at the temple itself.  All materials were to be pre-measured, pre-cut, and completed before being brought to the temple to be fitted into position.

1 Kings 6:7 explains this for us, “And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.”  I have often marveled at this verse of scripture and tried to see in my mind how the workers assembled this structure.  There was a holy hush in the place, a quiet reverence that descended upon the place that would be God’s house.  No tools were allowed to break this silence and every stone placed inside was placed with precision and with purpose.

When we stop to think that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, that we are the very dwelling place of God’s presence, it behooves us to stop and consider just what types of sound are heard in our temples.  How often does silence and reverence for God’s presence hold sway over our lives?  Are we laying the stones of our lives with precision and purpose, ever aware of His presence?  Is there a holy hush about our lives that indicates we have brought every thought, word, and action under the control of Jesus Christ?  As we continue the process of constructing God’s temple, is it obvious that we are using quality materials, laying a solid foundation on which we build our relationship with Him? 

Wherever you are today in your walk with the Lord, ask yourself this question. “What sounds are emanating from the construction site of my life?”  Are you living in revered silence before God’s holiness, making sure every thing you do is for His glory or is the sound of the hammer, the saw, and the jackhammer drowning out all indications of God’s presence in your life?  Something to think about today!

Underneath It All

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s I approached my sixteenth birthday, the desire to have a car of my own became the driving (no pun intended) force of my life.  Those of you who have teenagers understand exactly what I’m talking about.  I ate, drank, and slept cars, dreaming about being my own person, going where I wanted, when I wanted, and with whom I wanted.  The only thing stopping me from owning my first car was money and that meant getting a job.  My dad agreed to my working, provided it occurred only on the weekends and my grades didn’t slip.

One of the local hospitals needed someone to work the second shift on Saturday and Sunday evenings.  This met my dad's requirements for a job and it also provided me the opportunity to work in a hospital.  This was very important to me because I was seriously considering pursuing a career in medicine.  Once the initial training was over, I settled in as a clerk and orderly for the x-ray department.  I learned how to use the computer, how to file, how take inventory of the supplies, how to help with patients, and how to develop x-ray film.  It was a very interesting job for a sixteen-year-old boy and I loved it.

Because the x-ray department was adjacent to the emergency room, we stayed busy, especially on the weekends.  There were always fender-benders, or sports injuries, and the occasional scuffle that got out of hand.  However, there were also very serious injuries and other cases that were life-threatening.  But I will always remember the case of a small boy who came to the emergency room with a very tender ankle. 

This young man had been playing football with his neighborhood friends.  The game was going well and his team was winning.  As he ran down the field to score a point, he hit a small hole in the ground and twisted his ankle.  He found it very difficult to walk and his parents decided to bring him to the hospital just to make sure everything was all right.  His ankle was not swollen but it did hurt him to walk on it.  We all thought it was a severe sprain but the doctor decided to x-ray it anyway. 

When the film was developed, the ankle looked normal.  All the bones were in the right places and there was no evidence of torn ligaments or cartilage, and there didn’t seem to be any underlying reason for his pain.  However, when the radiologist looked at the film, he discovered a small hair-line fracture in one of the smaller bones of the ankle.  This fracture would have gone unnoticed and untreated had it not been for the x-ray and the skilled eyes of the radiologist.

Our lives often resemble this young man with a hurt ankle.  Life has away of tripping us up, of causing us to stumble; and in the process, we can suffer damage.  The real danger is that sometimes the damage is more severe than we first believe.  What we need is a good, thorough examination, someone who knows what to look for, where to look, and what to do once any damage is found.  What we need is for God to examine us thoroughly from the inside out.

Hebrews 4:13 is one of the most revealing scriptures in the New Testament.  The writer of this passage understood that when God examines us, He discovers anything and everything that hinders us from living the victorious life in Christ He so desperately wants us to have.  This verse states, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  There are two basic truths in this wonderful passage.  First, nothing is hidden from God.  Everything we do, say, believe, feel, and think is open before Him.  While this may be bothersome to us at times, it is also a source of encouragement.  It means that God sees deep inside our hearts and He knows everything there is to know about us.  Nothing about us escapes His watchful eye, and His examination is thorough, discovering all the little quirks and hang-ups that life sometimes sends our way.

Second, the scripture teaches that we are accountable to God for our actions and our lives.  We show our accountability to God when we come to Him with an open and an honest heart, asking Him to examine us and to repair anything that is broken or damaged in our relationship with Him.  The outward appearance doesn’t always indicate the true status of our relationship with God.  What lies underneath in our hearts, in the hidden and secret places of our beings is the true barometer of our walk with God. 

That evening in the hospital, the doctors were able to repair that boy’s ankle and to begin the healing process.   The x-ray machine made it possible for them to see through his body and to isolate, diagnose, and repair the cause of his suffering.  God wants to do the same in your life today.  Won’t you let Him give you a thorough examination?  Won’t you open your heart and share it with Him today?  Only He is qualified to determine the areas of pain and difficulty in your life and only your Heavenly Father can heal and restore you to a right relationship with Him.  Remember, it’s what’s underneath that counts!  Have a wonderful day.

Six Hours Ahead

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 have always been a clock-watcher.  No matter where I am, no matter the circumstance, at least once during a conversation, a class, or a presentation of some kind, I will look at the clock just to get my chronological bearings.  My students are very used to this by now.  The first thing I do in class is place my watch on the table where I can see it and the last thing I do is check it before dismissing them.  In between, I glance at it several times just to make sure I’m on track and on the pace I’ve set for the class.

When I lived and studied in France for the first time, I became even more sensitive to the time both in France and back home in the United States.  I had a digital watch that displayed two different time zones so I always knew what everyone was doing back home.  While I was eating breakfast, they were sleeping.  When lunchtime came, they were just getting out of bed and as I lay down to sleep, they were sitting down to the dinner table.  We lived in the same moment of time, but we measured it differently.  No matter the day or the situation, while in France I was always 6 hours ahead of my family and friends at home.

This proved to be particularly important because my mom and dad would call on Saturdays around lunchtime.  For them, it was 6 a.m. but for me it was high noon.  It took me a while to grow accustomed to my parents telling me good morning when it was clearly afternoon where I was.  Eventually, however, I adjusted to the change and could go about my business without worrying too much as to what time it was half a world away.  I knew that if I needed my parents, I could call them, I just had to be sensitive to their time zone.

The writer of Psalm 46, however, didn’t worry about time zones.  He understood that God doesn’t carry a watch and that time is meaningless from His perspective.  We live in time, God lives outside of it.  For us the clock is always moving forward and for our Heavenly Father it is always now.  This idea is reflected in the opening verse of this psalm.  In Psalm 46:1, the writer tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Two words in this verse leap off the page at me, “trouble” and “ever-present.”  First, let’s consider this notion of trouble.  We usually understand this word to mean something bad has happened in our lives.  However, trouble can also mean we are in a difficult place, facing challenging circumstances.  For example, we may experience a difficult illness, we may find ourselves with an emotional crisis we didn’t see coming, or we may be backed into a corner where we must learn to trust God with our situation.  None of these situations is a result of something we did; it’s just that life happens while we are living it.

This is where the word, “ever-present” comes into play.  God is always with us.  He constantly knows all that we are facing.  His eyes and ears are always attentive, always alert to His children, always aware of their situations and needs.  While the Scriptures tell us God knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning and that He is all-knowing, they reassure us that God does not leave us and is not six hours away from us.  No, He is very near, as close as our heartbeat.  Whatever the circumstances are, whatever the situation, God is always present, ready to help us in our time of need, caring for us and doing for us those things we cannot do for ourselves.

What time is it where you are today?  Rest assured that no matter what the clock on the wall or the watch on your wrist says, God’s clock always reads right now!

The Point Of No Return

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hey’ve just reached the point of no return. There’ll be no turning back now!” The announcer’s voice boomed over the television set as the Saturn V rocket hurled heavenward, ferrying its cargo of three men and a landing craft toward the moon. 

Those few short words, spoken just moments before, indicated the crew had reached a critical milestone in the flight.  Attached to the very top of the rocket was a small tower equipped with three engines.  This attachment was known as the escape tower.  During launch, the commander of the flight kept his hand on a handle inside the command module.  At the first sign of danger, he could pull that lever and fire the escape tower’s rockets.  The tower would then pull the command module away from the rest of the rocket and land the astronauts safely in the ocean. 

There was, however, one catch to this procedure.  The escape tower could only be used if a problem occurred in the lower atmosphere.  Once the rocket reached a certain altitude the tower was useless. At that point, the commanding astronaut jettisoned the tower from the space craft, severing any possibility of a safe return to Earth. That is why the announcer’s words were at once both wonderful and ominous.  The announcement meant the astronauts were on their way out of earth’s orbit and headed toward their lunar destination. It also meant the crew was committed! The completion of their mission was the only safe way to return to Earth.

The disciples were faced with the same situation as the astronauts above.  They were faced with a moment of truth, a life-or-death-decision, and a choice to commit to Christ or to jettison him. The difference was the disciples had no escape tower and no guarantee of a safe return if they bailed out!

In John 6:66-69 we read these words of Jesus, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’”

Wow! Way to go Peter! Jesus gave him the choice.  Peter’s hand was on the escape lever.  He could have pulled it, he could have separated from Christ, and he could have decided to bail out right then and there.  But Peter didn’t and neither did the other disciples. Instead, they passed the point of no return, they committed themselves to the mission, knowing the only way home was to accept and complete the assignment Jesus had for them.

And what about us?  We all face moments of truth.  As Christians, there will be a point of no return when Jesus asks us specifically if we will follow him or reject him.  The choice is ours. Our hands are on the escape lever as we hurl full speed ahead into life.  At a certain moment in our flight God will inform us that we have reached the time of commitment, the point of no return.  On this side of that point we can pull the escape lever and bail out.  But where will we go?  We can also take our hand off that lever and commit to the mission ahead.  The choice is ours.  What will our decision be?  Bail or commit?  Think about it!  

Ignorance Is No Excuse

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veryone in town was talking about it. It was the topic of every conversation from the local diner, to the barbershop, to the hair salon, even to the funeral home.  Everyone had an opinion and the phone lines at City Hall proved it.  The employees couldn’t do their jobs for answering questions, listening to citizens’ complaints, writing down their suggestions, and passing them on to the appropriate department. 

The source of this entire hullabaloo was the new stoplight installed at Main and Depot Streets.  For years, there had only been two stoplights on Main Street.  Once you passed through downtown, there was nothing to hinder your progress.  In fact, if you were driving east, you didn’t stop until you reached the next town, about 15 miles away.  But this new stoplight would change all that.  No sooner would you get under way when you would have to stop at another intersection.  Change comes hard in a small town.

The interesting thing was that no one seemed to complain while the stoplight was being installed.  The workers took several days to install the metal pole that would hold the stoplight.  After erecting the pole, they installed the light and covered it with black plastic.  It stayed this way for several weeks so people could grow accustomed to the new presence of the traffic light.  After a few weeks, they turned the light on.

That‘s when all the problems at City Hall started and all the conversations began.  People were driving through that intersection without stopping and the police department was busy warning motorists and handing out citations.  Although the citizens of our town didn’t care for the new stoplight, they couldn’t deny its existence nor make and an excuse for ignoring it.  The signs of that new stoplight had been evident for months and ignorance was no excuse.

The Apostle Paul made this point abundantly clear in his letter to the believers in Rome.  He wanted them to understand that God has made Himself evident to man in many ways.  Paul clearly states that signs pointing to God are everywhere and that we have no excuse—ignorance  included—of not knowing about the creator and the sustainer of life.

Romans 1:20 stands as Paul’s testimony to this fact, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Look carefully at what Paul is saying. Just like the covered stoplight hanging over the intersection, God has placed evidence all around us demonstrating His power, His mercy, His grace, and His sovereignty.  We have no excuse for not knowing about God and for not accepting His gift of salvation.  Ignoring the stoplight doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; the same is true with God.

After several weeks, the people of my town adjusted to the new stoplight.  They recognized, understood, and complied with the law. The conversations and the complaints, as well as suggestions for improvements, finally subsided.  Occasionally, someone still runs through that stoplight and when they tell the officer they didn’t know it was there, they simply hear, “Ignorance is no excuse.”  What excuse are you using today?

Payback Time

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s I write this Tidbit, I feel a strong urgency to speak about an area of the Christian life with which we all struggle.  It is the feeling of utter frustration with life’s circumstances and an overwhelming sense that God has abandoned us in our most desperate hour.  All around us, life’s circumstances seem to be working against us and instead of one single trial we seem to be faced with a never-ending onslaught of difficult and impossible situations.

We wonder if following God is really worth it.  We wonder if we have made a mistake by taking up the cause of Christ.  Those around us who are not Christians seem to be getting along just fine, seemingly without a care in the world.  On our side of the fence, however, we find it difficult to find a moment’s peace. 

At times like this, our hearts melt within us and we become tired, weak, and dejected.  But I want to encourage you today to keep on believing, to keep on trusting, and to keep on walking with God.  There is no trial too difficult, no test too challenging, and no situation too hopeless that God cannot and will not come to our assistance.  In every situation, in every trial, in every circumstance, he has promised to be with us and his promise is true no matter what the circumstances of life indicate.

God tells us that his ways are not our ways and that means that whatever our circumstance, God is working.  Paul tells us clearly that God is working everything for our good.  The Scriptures never say that everything is good but that everything will work for our good.  I don’t understand all that when trials come and when life throws me one curve after another. I do, however, believe that God’s word is true and that everything that touches me must get his approval first.

A little-known passage of Scripture speaks volumes to us today regarding the challenging times of life.  The prophet Joel had the unenviable job of telling Israel that God was sending judgment upon them.  This judgment would come very swiftly and Joel uses the image of locusts that will attack everything and bring total destruction.  The four words he uses for locusts in Hebrew do not give a clear picture of his exact meaning regarding the locusts but judgment and difficult times are definitely on their way.

However, God does not leave his people without hope.  He gives them a glorious promise in Joel 2:25a, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten"  God’s message in this wonderful promise is clear.  After all the trials, after all the challenges, after God has prepared us to receive his blessings and to worship him and him only, then he will restore us.  His blessings and his grace will more than repay us for all the trials and difficulties we endure during the Christian walk.  God has not forgotten us and he has not forsaken us.  His love, his mercy, his forgiveness, and his grace are realities to those who belong to him through Jesus Christ. 

Wherever you are today and whatever your circumstances I want you to know you are being prayed for and that God is aware of everything you face.  You are his child and his love for you is boundless and immeasurable.  He knows everything about you and he promises that he will restore all ‘the years the locusts” of sin, and shame, and trial, and suffering, and difficulty, have eaten.  May his name be forever praised!!!!

Stand Still Or Get Moving?

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ne of the most difficult challenges in the Christian life is deciding to stand still or to get moving.  At times it seems God places us into situations where He requires us to “be still and know that He is God” and at other times He would have us hit the road at full march.

We are usually reticent to move forward where the path is uncertain and we are most unwilling to stand still when we believe we know what is around the next bend.  We have our perspective and God has His.  The key is for us to make sure we are seeing things as best we can from God’s perspective and when we can’t see we must simply trust and obey.

This was the situation facing the Children of Israel as they left Egypt and approached the Red Sea.  All was going well. Pharaoh had freed them, they were on their way to the land God promised Abraham and everything seemed to be going according to plan.  That’s when they heard a rumble behind them, not the rumble of the sea in front of them but the rumble of Pharaoh’s chariots behind them.  What had been a steady walk to the Promised Land now seemed like more of a death march.

They were trapped.  Pharaoh behind, the sea in front and they had nowhere to go.  They raised their voices in protest to Moses, demanding to know why he had brought them into the desert to die instead of leaving them in Egypt. It should be noted, however, that no one “volunteered” to stay behind and tend the brick pits.  No, everyone lined up for the long march to freedom.

In Exodus 14, we get a brief look at two perspectives on the same situation.  Moses bids the people stand still while God tells them to get going.  Let’s look at this brief passage and see what it holds for us today.

Exodus 14:13-15 reads, “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” 

After seeing God miraculously move through the 10 plagues on Egypt, Moses wanted the people to know that God would fight for them once again.  He had not brought them out into the desert to abandon them and He had not resigned from leadership.  Moses knew that whenever we take things into our own hands we frustrate and thwart God’s efforts.  So Moses, fully trusting the Lord, told the people to stand still and see God’s salvation.

God, however, did not intend for His people to remain on the shore of the Red Sea.  He had called them to enter and take possession of the land He promised to Abraham.  God’s agenda called for them to move forward and although the sea lay before them, although they did not know what was about to happen, God was testing their faith. Moving forward into a body of water with no way to cross it save through God’s intervention is a total walk of faith.  And this is exactly what God wants from us—total faith!

There are times when God asks us to remain still, to rest, and to wait on Him.  There are other times when He simply asks us to “get moving.”  Our challenge is to move when He says move or to stay when He says stay.  We are not to rely on our understanding nor refuse to change our perspective on our situation.  God sees far beyond our capabilities and bids us move forward when there seems to be no clear path to tread.

So, where are you today?  Are you standing at the water’s edge, reluctant to take the step?  Are you more comfortable on the sea shore even though you hear the thunder of approaching chariots?  If you listen very carefully you can hear God whispering in your ear, “Trust me.  It’s time to get moving.”

That First Step Is A Doozy!

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here is an old Chinese proverb that reads, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  I have often repeated these words to myself and I have often written them on a blackboard for my students to consider.  It is amazing to watch as the reality of this small statement becomes evident, especially for high school or college seniors who are standing on the threshold of a new stage of life.

But college seniors and high school graduates are not the only ones who experience the truth of this statement.  All of us, at some point in our lives, will face the truth of this old proverb. Many of us have already experienced it at least once and many more have faced it several times.  It happens when we must make a career change, or when we have to move away from familiar surroundings and set down roots in a strange place. For others, the journey comes with the loss of a loved one and they must face the road ahead without the presence of their one-time companion.

Whatever the circumstances, one thing is sure, the journey, when taken as a whole, is overwhelming and that first step is always a doozy!  In fact, the whole secret to the journey is contained in that first step. If we can find the courage to put our foot forward for that first step, we find that the rest are easier.  It is the first step that is the most difficult and it is at the first step that the enemies of doubt, fear, insecurity, and mistrust attack us the most strongly and the most effectively. 

The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who walked with God and who took great journeys with him.  Who can forget Moses leading the people in the wilderness?  Who hasn’t read about Noah and the ark?  And the story of Paul’s missionary journeys fills the New Testament pages with the history of the spread of the Gospel.

But to get a feel for the importance of the first step, to really appreciate what it means to move forward into God’s hands, to actually experience walking with God when you don’t know where you are going, we need look no further than Chapter 12 of the book of Genesis. The first verse of this passage tells us all we need to know about a man called Abraham and the journey he took with God.  Genesis 12:1 reads, “The Lord had said to Abram “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”

Notice that God’s words contain a command, “leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land” and a promise, “I will show you.”  The command part had to be the most difficult for Abram.  He knew God had called him, and he knew God would show him where to go, but taking that first step would be a difficult and heart-wrenching decision.  Not only was Abram stepping out into the unknown; he was also stepping away from the known, leaving his home, his family, his friends, his life, and his security behind him.  That first step was indeed a doozy but Abram exercised his faith and took it.

There is a great lesson here which God has been teaching me in recent days.  The life of faith is always one away from the camp of security and comfort.  Abram’s faith in God was secure but the circumstances of his life were not.  He lived in a tent, not a permanent dwelling.  He lived in a land in which both he and his neighbors referred to him as an alien and a foreigner.  But Abram learned the only way to please God and to receive his best was to walk continually in faith.

Wherever you are in your walk with God today my friend, my prayer is that you will not shy away from taking that first step.  It is a doozy in more ways than one.  That first step will separate you from the world but it will also separate you unto God.  It may take you a thousand miles away from home, but it will never take you where God is not.  The journey may have uphill struggles, rocky mountain slopes, and deep valleys, but it will also provide you with views and joys you could never experience at home in base camp.  My prayer for you today is that you will pack your bags and determine in your heart to take that first step of faith with God.  It will be a doozy, I grant you that, but it will be one that will change your life forever.  Are you ready to take that first step today?