Monday, September 30, 2019

All The Wau Through

S
aturday morning is undoubtedly one of the best things in life.  No alarm clocks, no busy schedule, and no running against the clock.  It’s a day of leisure, a nice pause at the end of the week, and a time to relax. 

On Saturday mornings, I wake up later than usual and make my way to the kitchen.  I open the refrigerator and usually decide to cook myself a nice breakfast.  I pull out the eggs, the bagels, and the country sausage or bacon and get ready to have a good, old-fashioned southern breakfast.

Over the years I have learned to cook pork sausage over medium heat.  It is necessary to cook the meat slow so that it gets done all the way through.  Most men believe that there is only one setting for cooking—high! The problem with this approach is that only the outside of the meat gets cooked.  It gives the appearance of doneness but in reality the inside is uncooked and can lead to unwanted illness. 

Now, what in the world does under-done sausage have to do with today’s devotional?  Actually, it has quite a lot to do with it. Jesus understood the dangers of appearing to be something that one wasn’t.  He knew that if we are to be God’s followers and children, then we must be his all the way through.  Unfortunately, sometimes we do a good job of appearing to be Christians on the outside while underneath we are very much under-done.

This was a lesson Jesus taught repeatedly to the Pharisees.  He chided them for their inconsistent life style.  He exposed their hypocrisy and chastised them for failing to uphold their position as the religious leaders of the people. He had no tolerance for those who were religious on the outside but who in actuality were only half-cooked on the inside.

In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus has this to say about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Needless to say, Jesus’ words were not very popular with the Pharisees and teachers but they were accurate. But Jesus wasn’t concerned about their reputations or their egos; he was concerned about their spiritual conditions and the witness they gave. He knew that if people followed their example, spiritual sickness and death would soon follow.  Outwardly they gave the appearance of total commitment to God but inwardly they were anything but godly. 

The message and truth of God’s love through his son, Jesus Christ, is a pure message.  It must be carried in pure vessels and shared from a pure heart. We cannot simply give lip service to being a Christian; we must back it up by the way we live.  Everything we do, say, and think, must give testimony to the fact that we belong to God.

So, today, we must ask ourselves the following questions: Are we giving a pure and total witness for Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives?  Are we done all the way through or are we merely half-baked?

Friday, September 27, 2019

Precise Measurements

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 ¼ cups of rice, 1 can of chicken broth, 1 package of soup; all the ingredients were carefully measured and were sitting on my counter. I rechecked the measurements with the recipe just to make sure I had read it correctly and then I combined everything.  As I mixed all these together, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the cooking process.  Here I was reading a recipe from someone I had never met, living in a distant place I had never heard of, whose name I didn’t even know.  Yet this person was giving me precise measurements for the ingredients in a casserole dish I was preparing.

As I continued to think about those instructions, an interesting thought came to mind.  Was my 1 ¼ cups of rice the same as the author’s measurement?  How could I be sure that we both were using the same standard of measure?  I mean was 1 ¼ cups in Texas the same as 1 ¼ cups somewhere else?  It had to be.  Somewhere along the line someone set the standard of measure for the measuring cup and every measurement of every recipe has referred to this precise quantity ever since.

This led to another question for me.  What standard am I using in my spiritual life?  How does my standard of measure for obeying God compare with God’s standard of measure? If I do not measure things according to God’s standard, then I will always miss the mark and my work will continually be underdone or lacking in some area.  One thing is for sure, it will never be right because I am not following God’s recipe and using his standard of measure.

A man named Achan serves as our example of not applying God’s measurement to our lives.  When the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land, the first city they destroyed was Jericho.  God’s instructions were clear.  They were to walk around the city one time for six days.  On the seventh day they were to march around seven times and with a loud shout they were to take the city as its walls collapsed.  Everything in the city was to be destroyed because it had been devoted to the Lord.  Joshua gives these instructions in regards to the gold and silver, “All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury” (Joshua 3:19).

God’s measurement here was “all.”  All the precious metals were to be set aside to the Lord.  Achan however, coveted 5 pounds (200 shekels) of silver, 1 ¼ pounds (50 shekels) of gold, and a robe.  He took these for his own and buried them in his tent.  Because of his actions, Israel was not successful in her attempt to capture the second city, Ai. When it was discovered that Achan had withheld some of the plunder, he paid with his life. Look at all the suffering that occurred because one man withheld a robe and a mere 6 pounds of metal!  When God says “all,” he means “all,” period!

The lesson from Achan’s story is clear for us today.  God wants our all, everything we have and the best of our efforts.  He is neither satisfied nor interested in anything less than our complete devotion to his will.  When we withhold from him in any aspect of our lives, we lose our ability to be effective witnesses for him.  We also fall into disobedience and our spiritual walk suffers for it.  Our disobedience also affects our relationships with those around us. We are incapable of being the blessing God intends for us to be in the lives of others.

So, how do our lives measure up today? Are we following God’s instructions to the letter?  Are our standards of measure based on his word and his commands?  Does our idea of “total obedience” square with God’s idea? He has given us precise measurements for our relationship with him! So, are our lives overdone, lacking something or right on target?  Are we being "weighed in the balance and found wanting? Think about it today!

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Rocd-a-bye Baby

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t's amazing what you can learn in an elevator!!  One Monday evening, I was preparing to give the final exam to my French 4 students.  I arrived early in the afternoon so I could proof read the exam one last time before making copies.  As I entered the elevator to take me to the main office, a young woman got on with me.  In her arms she carried a large book, her purse, and a three-month old infant who was securely sleeping in his carrier.  Despite the jostling of the elevator and the people getting on and off at various floors, the little boy just kept on dozing.  Nothing, it seemed, could wake him.  His was the quiet, deep, and confident sleep of safety.  He had no worries, no problems, no concerns, and no cares.  He was at perfect peace and rest!

Watching him sleep brought back memories of my own childhood.  Every evening before going to bed, my mom used to rock me to sleep.  My brother and I would come in from playing with our friends.  We would bathe, get our pajamas on, and then we would go into the den that was located in the back of our house.  Mom would turn off the lights and the television and she would turn the radio to a very low volume.  We took turns being the first one to sit on her lap.

While she rocked my brother to sleep, I would lie on the couch and wait my turn.  In the dark, I listened to the sound of my mother's voice as she hummed soft and low.  I can still hear the rhythmic, steady, creaking of the rocking chair, and I can remember the calm, peaceful feeling that settled over our den.  When my turn came, I climbed up on her lap, and laid may head against her, and just relaxed.  Like the child in the elevator, everything melted away.  All the cares of the day vanished, I wasn't afraid of anything, and all that mattered was that mom was holding me.  It was my time and no one else's.

The book of Isaiah paints a similar picture for the children of Israel.  During every period of difficulty, God always provided a time for them to be reconciled to him.  After the long and difficult trials, God constantly sought to comfort them and to give them special time with him. Isaiah 66:13 describes such a time: “I will comfort you there as a child is comforted by its mother."

What a wonderful picture of love this is.  God speaks here of restoring Israel, of providing for her comfort, and for giving her a time of rest.  Can't you just see God taking his children in his lap, holding them close to him, hugging them, and rocking them to sleep?  Can't you just see him as he enfolds them in his arms, letting nothing harm them, protecting them from the world outside, providing a safe haven for them to enjoy.

How long has it been since this happened to you?  How long has it been since God took you into his arms, sat you on his lap, and rocked you to sleep?  This is not an oversimplification of God's relationship to us; rather it is exactly what God wants to do for us.  This is the type of relationship he intended for us to have with him from the beginning.

As a mother comforts her child, so God wants to comfort us.  My mother never wanted me to be unhappy.  When I was upset, she made me feel better.  When I hurt, she healed.  When I was cold, she made me warm.  When I was sick, she nursed me.  When I was afraid, she held me.  When I needed special attention, she rocked me.  Why would I believe that my Heavenly Father would do any less? 

When my mother rocked me to sleep, I was the most content I have ever been.  Nothing in all the world could ever replace that special bond and that wonderful feeling of comfort and security.  That is what God has in store for us.  He is waiting for us to come to him, to climb up on his lap, to place ourselves against him, and to experience true and lasting comfort.  Are you ready for your turn in the rocking chair?

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Whether You See It Or Not

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

RechargeYour Batteries

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atteries!  The world runs on batteries!  If you don’t believe me, just look at the watch on your wrist, the radio on your desk, the smoke detector on the wall, the cell phone in your purse or pocket, and your car in the parking lot!  They all have one thing in common—they require batteries to function.  No matter how sophisticated we become, no matter how powerful new sources of energy prove to be, it seems we find ourselves increasingly dependent on the lowly battery.  What would we do without these little guys?



When I was growing up, I remember finding batteries all over the house. We stored them in drawers and there were several under my bed as well as in my closet.  The problem, however, was that when I needed a battery, the ones I found were no longer useful.  They had lost their charge through proper use, overuse, or no use.  Whenever I needed a battery for a new gadget, a new toy, or for something more useful, I usually had to go out and purchase new batteries, or better yet, tell mom I needed them. This usually meant a trip to the store, a wait in line, and being stopped by every traffic light between our house and the nearest convenience store.

But all that changed when my dad bought a battery charger with rechargeable batteries.  I remember him bringing the charger into our kitchen, plugging it in, and filling it with these special batteries.  The instructions were very clear.  The batteries had to be left alone for several hours while electricity traveled through the terminals to be stored inside.  I was fascinated by this process and walked by several times to see if the batteries were “done.” 

During this time of recharging, the batteries didn’t look as if anything was happening to them.  They simply lay there in their charger, soaking up the power being poured into them.  Finally, after several hours, the indicator panel informed me that the batteries were fully charged. I took them out and put them into one of my toys and, presto! The energy stored in them provided the necessary power the toy needed in order to work properly.  The hours of waiting during the recharging process paid off.

Jesus knew the importance and the necessity for recharging his disciples.  Long before the advent of the battery, long before the discovery of electricity, and long before the invention of portable electric devices, Jesus taught his disciples the need for rest.  He knew there must be time of inactivity and a time of drawing from God, and a time of renewing their strength.  Without this time, Jesus knew that burnout and ineffectiveness were inevitable.

On several occasions the Scriptures tell us that Jesus withdrew by himself to spend time in prayer, talking to God.  Jesus knew that in order to minister and demonstrate God’s love, he would have to spend time in God’s presence, recharging his mind and spirit for the work ahead.  Likewise, the disciples also needed times of spiritual renewal and refreshment and Jesus made sure they received them.

In Mark 6:31, Jesus tells his disciples“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” This takes place just before the feeding of the five thousand.  The disciples had been following Jesus and working with the press of people all around them.  They hadn’t even had time to eat and they were physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted.  Ever been there?  So Jesus took them to a quiet place to rest, to relax, and to refresh their souls and their bodies.

So many times in our day-to-day-struggle on life’s road, we find ourselves completely worn out.  We are so tired and irritable that the witness we give for Christ seems to do more harm than good.  We don’t feel like being Christians, we don’t feel like praying, and quiet time is completely out of the question.  God fully understands these moments in our lives. He doesn’t get angry with us, He doesn’t figure out ways to make our lives more unbearable, and He doesn’t get offended when we are like this.  Instead, He makes a place for us—a place off the beaten path—where we can rest, sleep, and recharge our batteries.  Psalm 23 provides a wonderful picture of this as God makes a place in green pastures and beside still waters for the purpose of restoring our souls.

Today, you may be completely on the edge and at your wits’ end.  If this is so, take heart.  It may be that you will soon hear the voice of God calling you to rest.  When you hear that call, obey it.  Rest has its purpose and its place in the Christian walk.  It is the time when God does some of His best and most important work on us because that is the time we are still. Is it time for you to recharge your batteries today?

Monday, September 23, 2019

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?

Friday, September 20, 2019

Stay Where You Are!

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t all started one winter afternoon!  The weather forecasters had said that inclement winter weather was a distinct possibility and this time, at least, their predictions were right on target.  Around 2:30 in the afternoon, the skies opened up and rained down sleet.  As the ice pebbles hit against the building, all of us in the office pressed our noses against the windows, staring in amazement, mouths agape, just like thousands of school children who were no doubt doing the same thing.

The excitement from the sleet, however, soon gave way to concern about the drive home and the impending problems the ice would cause as literally thousands of people jammed the highways in order to arrive safely home before the brunt of the storm hit.  Classes were cancelled; schools and offices closed early, and people began making their way home.  My trip home from the university was uneventful and I arrived at my apartment safe and sound.

Later in the afternoon and all throughout the evening, the sleet continued to fall.  Sometimes it came down very hard, almost in sheets, and at other times it was barely noticeable. But all the while, the amount of accumulating ice continued to grow and the ground was soon covered in a blanket of white.  The next morning, I looked out and noticed that a significant amount of ice had accumulated during the night hours.  It was a beautiful view but one that was also fraught with danger.

The television news channels and the radio stations were all promoting the same warning: Stay where you are!  All of the anchormen and women repeated that message over and over, stressing the importance of remaining indoors and not braving the elements or the icy road conditions.  Although it appeared harmless, the ice was indeed deadly, causing cars, trucks, buses, etc. to lose traction and veer off the highway.  Unless absolutely necessary, everyone was urged to stay home where it was safe, dry, and warm until the icy conditions were gone.

The weather here provides a deeper understanding of a passage of scripture from the book of Isaiah.  The prophet gives us a warning which we should consider as we walk with God.  Isaiah 50:11 reads, “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

There is a solemn and sober truth in this passage of scripture.  Israel was awaiting the coming of the Messiah and had in her mind the manner in which he would appear.  They believed the Messiah would overthrow Israel’s oppression and set up God’s kingdom in its place.  But the kingdom of God did not come by way of the sword but by way of the cross.  It did not come with an overthrow of a political government but with the overthrow of sin and death.  It did not come in the manner in which they thought it should so they walked by their own understanding and completely missed God’s plan for man’s salvation.

The same is true for us in our daily walk with the Lord.  When we lean on our own understanding, when we believe we know how we are to proceed, and when we fail to stay where we are when God tells us to rest, we place ourselves in great peril.  The conditions all around us tell us to stay where we are, but instead we venture forth, losing our footing, sliding off the chosen road, landing in the side ditches where we get into trouble and difficulty.  Just as God said through the prophet Isaiah, when we do things our own way instead of obeying God we always bear the consequences of our actions.

Wherever you are today in your walk with God, pay close attention to His commands.  It may be that the road ahead is covered with ice, impassable, and treacherous.  If God, who knows the way much better than you, has commanded you to stay where you are, don’t take a flashlight and strike out on your own.  Remain where you are in the safety of God’s presence until He sees fit to move you forward.  You will never be disappointed and you will never be in danger as long as you walk with Him.  Are you walking with God or ahead of Him today?

Thursday, September 19, 2019

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!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Your Call Is Important To Us

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ou know how it goes.  You need some information so you spend several minutes trying to find the correct number in the phone book.  Of course, the number you're looking for is always listed in the most illogical way and when you do find it, there are several numbers from which to choose.  You always select the wrong one and then begin eliminating numbers until you find the one you're looking for.   On a scale from 1 to 10, your frustration level is a 5. You take a deep breath, dial the number, and wait.  As luck would have it, the line is busy, so you hit the redial button, not once, but several times.  Finally, the line is clear and it begins to ring and your frustration eases off to level 2.
That's when it happens.  The phone on the other stops ringing and you hear the all-too-familiar recording telling you how glad they are you called.  The message goes something like this:  "All lines are busy.  You're call is important to us.  Please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order in which it was received." 
You roll your eyes, take a deep breath, check your pulse, and bite your lip.  The frustration monitor is now at 8.  You begin questioning the sincerity of the recorded message that is now playing for the fifth time.  If your call were really that important, someone would be on the phone speaking with you, assisting you, and listening to you.
Several times a day, we find ourselves spending more time in conversation with a machine than we do with those closest to us.  What is amazing is that we actually spend time listening to and believing the machine
However, it is not the machine's message that upsets us as much as it is the fact that we feel unimportant.  Instead of receiving priority treatment, we are assigned a number, placed in long line, and our call is addressed by someone we don't know, in a place we've never heard of, asking questions we can't answer, helping us with a problem we didn't call to report.  No wonder we get frustrated!!
Isn't it wonderful to know that God does not work like this?  In the book of Psalms, David gives us example after example of God's interest and care for his children.  He refers to us as sheep receiving constant care from our great shepherd.  In the Psalms, we come to know God as our defender and protector, one who knows us intimately and who knew us before we were even formed.  Here, we understand that God planned all our days and that he seeks a deep and meaningful relationship with us.  In the Psalms we find strength, courage, reassurance, peace, comfort, and grace.
In Psalm 34:15, David writes“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry."  What a wonderful promise this is, especially when placed against the background of our world today.  God is never too busy to listen to us or to understand our situations. 
The first part of this verse speaks to God's awareness of his children.  His eyes are on us, no matter where we are, no matter what we are facing, no matter how difficult the trial.   We are precious to him and considered righteous, not because of what we've done on our own, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for us and because of who we are in him.
The second portion speaks to God's availability.  He is always aware of our needs and listens when we pray to him.  He gives us his undivided attention and is always open to our requests.  We have direct access to his throne, and can reach him at anytime, from any place, concerning anything, speaking any language, even the language of tears and silence.  His ears always hear us because God listens to our hearts.  No request is too large, no prayer is too small, no cry is too soft, and no praise is too loud.  Our God hears us, no matter what.
God does not own an answering machine!  You will never receive a message requesting you wait.  Instead, you will be speaking directly to God himself, not on the second, third, or fourth ring, but on the very first try!

Friday, September 13, 2019

Do You Have Any Bread?

M
ealtimes at our home were always wonderful.  My mom worked during the day but she always made sure there was a good, hot meal for us when suppertime came.  I can still hear her as she would call us from play to come home for supper.  It didn't matter where we were or what we were doing, as soon as we heard her call, we came running.

As we sat down to the table, my dad would always ask the same question, "Do you have any bread?"  It didn't matter what type of bread we had, whether homemade biscuits (my favorite), rolls, cornbread, or sandwich bread.  The fact was, the meal was not complete
without it. 

Since my boyhood, I have visited and lived in several different foreign countries and I have found my dad's question to be very common.  Whether in France, Australia, Germany, or Spain, the importance attached to bread is universal.  It seems we can't eat a meal without it and no table is complete until the bread is placed in its center.

There is, however, one great problem with bread.  It is filling but it is not satisfying.  Eating bread for one meal, only means we are ready for more bread at the next one.  Freshly baked biscuits, rolls, or loaves of bread meet an immediate need and desire; but provide no long lasting solution to our problem.  Hence, my father's repeated question at every one of our meals.  It is still his repeated question at the table today.

Jesus used this very idea to teach a great truth about himself and his ministry.  Our scripture reading for today occurs just after Jesus has fed the five thousand.  The people sought to make him king, so Jesus withdrew from them and went across the lake.  The next morning, the time of our scripture, finds the people coming to Jesus, searching for bread.  Essentially, they were interested in Jesus solely for what he could do for them.

Jesus' response is found in John 6:26-35.  Notice that Jesus confronts the people by saying, “The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign."Jesus always looks for the motives behind our actions.  Why are we following him?   Is it because we want to do his will and be a part of this work? Or, are we interested in coming to Jesus only when we need something? 

Those around him that day were only interested in getting something from Jesus. What they wanted was a quick fix to their hunger.  Moses, they said, had provided food for them in the wilderness.  If Jesus could perform a miracle, then they would believe him.  Doesn't this sound so much like us?  We come to God, asking for solutions to our problems and answers to our questions.    Rarely do we come to him just to relate or converse, yet this is what he wants from us, relationship.

Jesus corrected their misunderstanding by saying, "I assure you, Moses didn’t give them bread from heaven. My Father did." Like so many of us, they failed to recognize that everything in life comes from God's hand.  Moses provided them with nothing, God rained the manna down from heaven.  Jesus continued this thought by saying, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again".  This is what God is truly like.  He sees us in a hopeless situation, eating our fill, only to be hungry again.  His answer is always to surpass our need and give us the best he has, not only to sustain our lives, but to give us eternal life as well.  When we feed on Christ and his word we need never ask the question, "Do you have any bread?"  We have our fill.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Caterpillar

A
s a kid, I was fascinated by just about anything.  On summer evenings we used to chase and catch lightening bugs in our backyard.  We collected them in a jar and watched them glow.  It always amazed me that such a little bug could produce that much light.  With the other kids in the neighborhood, I collected worms, bugs, birds’ nests, and even small toads.  There was just something exciting about catching a creature and peering at it through a glass jar.

One of the most interesting animals I collected, however, was a caterpillar.  In fact, what I found was a cocoon and my dad explained to me that inside, a caterpillar was becoming a butterfly.  Well you can imagine how excited a little seven-year-old boy can become!  I couldn’t wait for the cocoon to spring open and for the butterfly to emerge.  I was convinced that in twenty-four hours max, a butterfly would emerge and I would have something new to observe.  Days went by and still no butterfly.  I almost lost all interest in the cocoon until early one morning.

I awoke and checked the jar for any signs of progress.  I noticed that the cocoon was moving back and forth and that a small slit had appeared in one side.  Long, slender legs had emerged as well as most of the butterfly’s body.  However, it was having a difficult time pulling its wings out of the cocoon.  I wanted to help it but my mom told me to leave it alone and to watch.  The poor thing fought, kicked, pushed, pulled, and shook violently, attempting to break free from its prison.  I felt so sorry for it and wished it could just shed the cocoon and fly.  But mom said to leave it alone and after a long while, the butter fly was free.  It was absolutely gorgeous and I took it outside and released it.

I have often thought about the process of becoming a butterfly and how it applies to our daily lives. All around us we see people involved in different types of struggle.  Some struggles are physical, some are emotional, some are mental, some affect our livelihoods, and others affect our relationships.   Everywhere we look, it seems there is some sort of struggle or challenge to face.  As Christians, we are sometimes at a loss to explain why God allows things to happen to us or to others.  Why do people get sick?  Why do people die at an early age?  Does God really care what happens to us?  Why does he allow disease, death, and impossible circumstances to enter our lives?

These are all good questions and ones that have no satisfactory answers.  However, I do believe God does offer some explanation in his word to comfort us in the difficult things of life.  In Isaiah 48:10 we find a wonderful nugget to enhance our understanding of the way God works in our daily lives.  The prophet writes“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”  

There are three important words here.  The first word is refined.  The purpose of our testing is our perfection.  God will remove anything that prevents us from being conformed to the image of Christ.  The second word is tested.  When we are tested, it is always for the purpose of growing our faith and teaching us to lean more heavily on God.  The more difficult the test, the more we need our Heavenly Father.  Remember, the test is passable.  God promised not to place on our shoulders more than we could bear so we know that God trusts us with it!!  The third word is in. Precious metals cannot be refined outside the furnace.  They must go inside and be subjected to the searing heat.  Caterpillars cannot become butterflies outside the cocoon.  They must go into the darkness and fight their way out in order to become one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.

And what about us?  We are far more precious to God than gold or silver.  We are more beautiful to him than any butterfly.  His goal for us “in the furnace of affliction” is to conform us to his image.  I do believe in God’s power to heal.  I know people who have received healing from God and the Scriptures teach that God heals “all our diseases” (Psalm 103).  But the body is temporary and the soul is eternal.  God is more interested in perfecting our souls than he is in perfecting our bodies.  If trials and tribulations, if disease and difficult circumstances provide the heat necessary to refine our souls, then God will turn up that heat.  He created the body to house our souls, but his first love and his main objective is the soul of man.

Whatever you are facing today, I pray you will take courage and strength from it.  God is near you and he understands your circumstances.  He is in the process of perfecting you, of refining you, of growing your faith.  Like the caterpillar in that jar, God knows that struggle is necessary. Without it, we would never develop into what we were meant to be.  God loves you today, from the inside out; but the inside is what it’s all about.  May God’s best be yours today!

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

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, September 10, 2019

Briers In The Woods

D
avid Bame is my best friend and growing up, he was my next-door-neighbor.  As little boys, we would get into all kinds of mischief.  We would climb trees, play in the ditch behind our houses, ride bikes together, and play in the woods every chance we had.  Although we lived in the city, there was a large wooded lot next to David’s house.  Today, that lot has been cleared and isn’t very big.  But when we were boys, that lot was Sherwood Forest, dark, dense, filled with all kinds of ghosts, goblins, and briers!

We used to spend hours in the woods, playing, talking, planning, scheming, or just taking a walk.  The entrance to “the woods”, as we called them, was barred by a large brier bush.   I hate briers, and I remember more than one occasion where I refused to enter unless someone held that brier bush out of my way.  I didn’t want to be stuck and this fear immobilized me and kept me outside the entrance, waiting for someone to make the way safe.

This job usually fell to David.  He would go first, making sure the way was all right, moving any debris out of the way, and he would hold the brier bush back until I was safely inside.  While we were there, we would play and have a wonderful time.  When it was time to leave, however, I found that the same fear of those briers returned, keeping me locked inside the woods, unable to leave.  David again came to my rescue, holding back the brier bush until I was safely on the other side of the entrance.

This all seems so far away now.  The woods are gone, David lives in another place now, and my fear of briers has completely vanished.  Oh, I still hate being stuck; but my fear of briers no longer keeps me from walking in the woods. 

I have found that there are other types of briers in life, ones that stick and pull and block my path.  These briers are much more foreboding and much more painful than those found in that wooded lot so many years ago.  The briers of fear, uncertainty, unexpected loss, and every-day challenges continually fall across life’s path.  What I need is someone to walk ahead of me and hold back those brier bushes until I pass by.

Deuteronomy 1:29-31 assures me that there is someone who goes ahead of me and moves all the briers barring my way. “Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them.   'The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,  and in the wilderness where you saw how  the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.”

Can God make it any clearer to us than this?  Is there any doubt as to who loves us and cares for us?  Can there be any question after reading this promise as to who carries us, fights our battles, and holds our hand through the most difficult times in life?

God reminds the Children of Israel of their exodus from Egypt.  He points to the fact that he brought them out, that he continued to fight for them, that he carried them in his arms just as a father carries his son, and he continued to do this on a daily basis.  

That promise is ours today as well because God never changes.  This same God who made a way through the sea, this same God who fought all of Israel’s battles, this same God who appeared in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, is the very same God who fights for you today.  It is his arm that carries you through times of difficulty and it is this same God who walks before you and holds back all the briers blocking your path today.

I never feared entering the woods because I knew David would always hold back the briers and I knew he wouldn’t let them harm me.  How much more will God do the same for us today?  Are you walking a thorny path today?  Does it seem that the way ahead is covered over with briers and vines?  Look ahead, just up the path, and you will see your Heavenly Father clearing your way and bidding you to walk safely ahead.  No fear!  No struggle!  No briers!