Just One Of Those Days

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's In The Freezer?

 

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ne Labor Day, I went one a cooking binge.  The day started off overcast, just the perfect weather for staying indoors and working in the kitchen.  A quick perusal of my pantry and cabinets indicated I would need a few items before I settled in to an all-day cooking bonanza.  So, I made a list, went to the grocery store, fought the incredible hoards storming the shelves, and finally jockeyed myself into a decent position at the check-out counter where I paid for my items and promptly left.

Once I was outside the store, I was able to breathe a little easier and I actually felt sorry for those oblivious shoppers who were about to enter the fray of battle.  I could have warned them as to the hazardous conditions awaiting them on the inside but then I figured I had to face the dragon, so they could as well. I arrived at my car, placed my groceries in the trunk, and headed for home.  I spent the rest of the afternoon cooking food for the coming week, placing it into containers destined for the refrigerator and the freezer.  When I finished, I had quite a stash of scrumptious items for the coming week and beyond.

My hard work paid off Friday afternoon. I arrived home early in the evening, walked over to the freezer, took out some chicken, and placed it in the microwave.  From the refrigerator, I removed some beans and some wild rice that I prepared on Monday.  In fewer than 15 minutes I had a complete meal, all because I had spent time making preparations for the week ahead.  Had someone dropped by unexpectedly for dinner or if I had decided to invite a guest over to eat, I would have been prepared, not having to stop and worry about what I would offer him/her to eat.  I would have been ready for any situation requiring the preparation of food.

           

Preparation is an idea that is key to our walk with the Lord.  Indeed, we are encouraged on more than one occasion to be prepared, ready to share the gospel at any moment, with any one, at any given place and time.  No where is this more evident than in Peter’s admonition to the reader’s of his first epistle or letter. In 1 Peter 3:15 the Apostle encourages us with these words, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 

This passage is actually composed of two different commands that Peter wants his readers to follow and understand.  The first command is that we set our hearts on Jesus Christ.  We are to dedicate our hearts, our very lives, to Jesus Christ.  We do this by accepting him as savior and lord and looking to him as our only means of salvation.  When we set our hearts apart to his service, when we make him the focus of our lives, then we want to share him with those around us. 

This is where Peter’s second command comes into play.  Peter encourages his readers to be ready at a moments notice to share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all who ask.  Peter knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope to the hopeless and brings a true sense of belonging and purpose to the life of the believer.  These attributes cannot be hidden and will attract people from every walk of life who will ask us about this hope we have.  

But if we have not spent time with our lord, if we have not studied his word, if we have not experienced the depths of his love and mercy, then we will find it difficult to share with those around us.  Peter tells us we are always to be ready.  We do this by spending time in God’s presence on a consistent basis and feeding on His word.  We are to be about the business of storing up these glorious truths so we can take them out and share them regardless of the circumstance, the place, or the time of day.

I had a wonderful dinner last evening and I will be able to have many more because I took the time to put things in my freezer.  There is a supply that I can draw from for several days before I have to replenish my supply.  And therein lies the secret.  As long as I continue to prepare food ahead of time, I will always have something to eat and something to share with others.  

The same is true about my ability to share God with those around me.  As long as I spend time with Him, learning from His word, feeding on His promises, storing up His truths in my heart, I will have a vast reservoir from which to draw.  From this reserve, I will be able to share my faith and my hope with those around me.  However, if I don’t spend time with God and study His word, there will be very little in my freezer and my ability to share with others will be greatly compromised.

So, what’s in your freezer today?  If someone unexpectedly dropped by for a spiritual meal, would you have anything to offer them?  Would they go away hungry or satisfied?  

The Road of Service

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ne afternoon on my way to work, I passed a sign on the Interstate that I had seen several times but never really noticed.  Sound familiar?  I always “see” things but only take “notice” of them later.  This sign was not extraordinary; in fact it was very simple and plain.  It bore a simple message:  Entrance to Service Road.  That was the message, a mere set of simple directions with an arrow indicating where people should exit if they wanted to take the service access.

The problem was that very few, if any cars, were taking that exit.  Most of the cars zoomed right by the sign, not even giving it a minute’s notice.  Yet, that sign stood faithfully there, displaying its message for the few people who would dare venture down this road. 

As I glanced down the exit, I noticed that the service road paralleled the Interstate.  It had a few twists and turns and the surface was not as smooth as the one covering the main highway.  In addition, there were fewer lanes and they were closer together and the service road contained traffic lights.  This would mean more stops and a slower drive for those on the service road than for those taking the faster, more convenient Interstate.

What a message for us today.  In life, we are always in the fast lane.  We always want to get where we are going as quickly as possible and it doesn’t matter whom we pass in order to get there.  We change lanes at will, jockeying for a better position so we can save ourselves the trouble and the hassle of contending with traffic jams and slow drivers.  Whenever we make plans for our future, they always contain the fast track and rarely, if ever, do we take a side road.  We zip down life’s path at blinding speed, passing all the exits for service roads, taking them only when our path is blocked and there is no other option available to us.

This is exactly the opposite of Christ’s command for our lives.  Jesus always took the service road, never the main highway!  He always encouraged his disciples to serve others, never to be served themselves.  He taught them that the way of salvation was the straight and narrow path, not the main thoroughfare.  His example showed them that the service road always parallels life’s main highway.  It has more stops, more turns, and its lanes are more narrow.  Jesus also pointed out that the road of service is always open because so few choose to follow it.

How long has it been since you got off the main highway and onto the service road?  Are you barreling down life’s highway today trying to get ahead of the guy in front?  Are you so intent on the road ahead that you miss the signs telling you of your opportunities to serve others?  Let the words of Jesus in Mark 10:43-45 serve as your invitation to get off the main road and onto the road of service today:  "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The Balance of my Time

 

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he floor of the United States House of Representatives can, and usually is, a lively and animated place.  Here, decisions are made that potentially affect every man, woman, and child on the face of the planet.  In recent years, television has made it possible for people around the globe to watch our government in action.  When I have time, I like to watch the debates, the discussions, and the brawls that occur in this chamber.

I have noticed, however, that no matter from which side of the aisle a speaker hails, certain protocols are always followed.  The members always address the presiding officer as the “Speaker” and they always use the phrase, “I yield the balance of my time to…”  I find this phrase very interesting as it applies not only to the political process but to daily life as well.

Psalm 90 addresses this issue of time and how much we have of it.  This psalm was not written by David but is instead a prayer of Moses.  It is a wonderful piece of scripture and I invite you to read it in its entirety.  However, only one verse is the focus of today’s Tidbit.  In Psalm 90:10, Moses makes the following statement, “The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”  In this brief passage, Moses reveals just how short our lives are and how little time we have to impact the world for Jesus Christ.  But let’s put this in a more familiar perspective.

Although math is not my strong suit, I am able to do simple multiplication.  If we multiply 70 (the number of years promised us) by 365 (the number of days in the year) we arrive at the total of 25,550 days.  I am leaving out extra days for leap years because that is higher order mathematics, fully beyond my ability!!  Now that still sounds like a rather large number.  So let’s continue to make this more concrete.

If the total number of days represented dollars and your account was filled with $25,550 you would think yourself wealthy indeed.  However, if you spent $365 per day, you would have depleted the entire amount in only 70 days, a mere two months and 10 days.  Once depleted, there would be no more deposits made to your account; you would be out of money and flat broke.

The analogy is not too far off, is it?  What we don’t realize is that our bank accounts were filled with this many days at the moment of our birth.  The question is not will we spend them but how?  Each day finds our account total less than the day before and each year lessens our total by 365.  Isn’t it amazing that we would watch over that $25,550 with the utmost care yet we spend our days as if there were no tomorrow!  The truth is that today represents one less tomorrow than we had yesterday!

Returning to the statement made by the members of Congress and using the number of days in our lives form above, we can now ask ourselves the following question:  To whom are we yielding the balance of our time?  How much of our time do we give to God and to the furtherance of His kingdom?  How much of our daily time allotment do we yield to Him?  God has yielded all of eternity to us, given us all of His time, and made provision for us to live forever.  How much time are we giving Him?  Will we yield the balance of our time to God or will we be like Belshazzar who was weighed in the balance and found wanting? (Daniel 5:27)  

Wht Do I Do Now?

 

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he end of the semester is always a hectic and challenging time.  People are cramming for final exams, working hard to complete final papers, and trying every so hard to get the next phase of their lives in order.  In fact, what happens after graduation causes more stress than in preparing for it.

After spending years in the books, the graduate is faced with an even more difficult question.  The years of preparation, all the time logged in the library, and all the knowledge gained are not sufficient to answer this simple question, “What do I do now?”  Standing on the mountain top of accomplishment only means that the valley of further challenges lies ahead.

The top of that mountain, while invigorating and exciting, is also very unnerving.  Once you are at the top, the only other direction is down; but down into what?  That is the great question and that is the great challenge.  Fortunately, as children of God, we do not face this question or this situation alone.  The Old Testament story of Joshua is a good example of preparation, graduation, and continuation in the plan God has chosen for those who love him.

For forty years, Joshua had been under the direct leadership and instruction of Moses.  He and Caleb were the only spies who believed the land could be taken and encouraged the people not to abandon God.  They people didn’t listen and they wandered in the desert for forty years.  When Moses set up the tent of meeting where he talked to God, Joshua was chosen to guard that tent.  So, whenever Moses spoke to God, Joshua wasn’t too far away.  He both saw and heard all that went on between Moses and God.

In addition, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, Joshua was the only person to accompany Moses on the mountain.  You see, all this was preparation for the role Joshua would play after Moses’ death.  He was in training, learning how to lead, learning how to trust God, and learning how live in God’s provision.  This requires much study and much time spent in the classroom alone with God.

Deuteronomy 31:23, however, shows what happened on Joshua’s graduation day. The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."  Can’t you just see Joshua, diploma in hand, a smile on his face, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment?  Then God informs him that he is to replace Moses.  He goes pale, gets a lump in this throat, and says, “Okay, now what do I do?”

We need only look at God’s words to Joshua to get the answer to his question.  God told Joshua to be strong and courageous.  In other words, Joshua was to be strong by depending on God and trusting in him.  The result of this action is twofold: 1) Joshua will bring the people into the land God promised.  In other words, he will have a definite role to play in God’s plan for his people, and 2) God himself will be with him; Joshua will not go alone!

Today you may be wondering what to do next, what step to take, and which direction you should choose.  Believe me, you are not alone!  Many Christians find themselves in Joshua’s situation, asking the same question he did.  God’s answer is the same.  “Be strong and courageous and I will be with you.”  The view from the mountain is wonderful, but the real test of leadership, the real test of faith, and the real test of trust come when we leave the mountain and follow God into the valley.  Do you have your hiking boots on today?

Instant Mashed Potatoes

 

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unday afternoons were always a wonderful time at our house.  After church we would rush home, change clothes, and assemble in the kitchen for Sunday dinner.  Since I grew up in the southern part of the United States, dinner was always the twelve o’clock meal while the evening meal was, and still is, referred to as supper.  Some Sundays, instead of going home for dinner, we would go to grandma and grandpa’s and eat with them.  Our whole family would go and I enjoyed the food, the conversation, and the laughter. 

I always loved going to grandma’s house for Sunday dinner.  Usually, she would have steak and gravy, green beans, corn, fresh biscuits, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and mashed potatoes.  No matter what else she served, there was always a bowl of mashed potatoes on her menu.  My brother loved grandma’s potatoes and would usually eat more than his share.  Every time we would go, he would expect her to have mashed potatoes and he was never disappointed.

Grandma had a secret recipe for her mashed potatoes; they were an instant brand.  Instead of having to wrestle with cooking the potatoes, peeling them, and mashing them, all she had to do was boil water and add the potato flakes.  In a few short moments, we had mashed potatoes and if we ran out, it took only a few moments to replenish the supply.  My brother often referred to her as instant grandma!  He thought it was neat the way she could just whip up potatoes on demand, even if we dropped in unexpectedly.

I have often thought about those potatoes and the wonderful times we had as a family around the dinner table.  Of all the wonderful things to eat, the potatoes stand out in my mind as I write this Tidbit.  They represent the fashion in which most of us live our lives today.  We have grown accustomed to instant gratification in our society.  We want to eat, so, instead of preparing a meal, we order out or get fast food. We get impatient with our computers or with the fax machine if they take more than one minute to download our information and when we ask a question we expect an immediate response.

It should come as no surprise, then, that we live our spiritual lives with the same expectations.  We have a Polaroid mentality when it comes to our Heavenly Father.  We put in a request and, in sixty seconds, we expect to have a fully developed plan of action with nothing negative thrown in.  Our prayer life resembles very closely the process of making instant mashed potatoes.  We pray real hard for a few minutes, bringing the spiritual water to the boiling point, and then we expect God to throw in a pre-measured answer, ready for consumption in five minutes.

However, the Scriptures don’t reveal this to be the normal way that God’s people relate to Him.  Yes, God does answer prayer instantaneously, but God is far more interested in relating to us, in talking to us, in communicating with us, than He is with just handing us a quick answer.  The prophet Habakkuk, had learned this lesson.  After praying to God, asking Him some very straightforward and difficult questions, Habakkuk waited on God’s answer.  Look at his words as recorded in Habakkuk, 2:1: “I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint.”

After praying to God, Habakkuk didn’t expect overnight delivery of God’s answer to his prayer.  Instead, after praying, after doing all he could do, after making his request known, Habakkuk climbed up into the watchtower to wait for an answer.  It is very interesting that he went to the tower.  The watchtower was the place for standing guard, for being on the lookout for an attack or for a messenger delivering a dispatch.  Habakkuk’s visit to the watchtower was an indication of his faith that God would answer his request.  He went to the tower to watch!

So often, we bring our requests to God and expect Him to open heaven and parachute an answer right to us.  We need to understand that the purpose of prayer is not to constantly bring our wish lists to God and tell Him what we want.  Instead, it is the means by which we talk to Him and He talks to us.  It is in prayer that we can tell God what’s on our minds and our hearts.  It is in prayer that He can communicate His word to us and teach us the things we need to know in order to deepen our relationship with Him.  In the watchtower, there is time to think, to reflect, to read God’s word, to be still and to know that He is God.  So, are you in the watchtower today or are you in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil?

Walking in Daddy's Shoes

 

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addy’s closest was always the most fascinating place to explore!  For a little guy, that closest was as big as a house.  There was room to enough to play in and room enough to hide in if the situation ever called for it.  The closet was divided into two different levels with a huge shelf separating the upper portion from the lower.  The upper part of the closet contained all of Daddy’s shirts and the bottom part held his suits, jeans, work pants, and his shoes.  Daddy kept his ties and belts hanging on a rack attached to the closet door so when the closet was open, everything was readily accessible, even to little hands!

Now, daddy’s shirts, ties, and belts were always out of reach.  It’s hard for a little tyke to reach up and grab stuff off of a high rack on the door or to remove a shirt from way up high.  However, the lower level was in full reach and easily attacked!  I remember climbing into the closet, using it for a neat place to hide from my mom or my brother.  I also remember how daddy never liked for us to play in the closet because we always rearranged his shoes.  But I paid very little attention and hid in the closet anyway.

On several occasions I would select a pair of daddy’s shoes, put them on, and walk around the house.  They were obviously way too large for my little feet so I shuffled more than I walked, dragging my feet and the heels of those shoes all over the house.  I would leave scuff marks on the kitchen floors, something my mother always fussed about, and you could hear me coming from a mile away.  But it didn’t matter to me.  As long as I was wearing daddy’s shoes, I felt all grown up, I felt as if nothing was impossible, and daddy’s shoes gave me the right and the privilege of being just like him.

Ah, how often the joys and lessons of childhood soon escape us!  Not long after children enjoy walking in daddy’s shoes, enjoying the thrill and happiness of that moment, they grow up and begin stepping on his feet!  Instead of walking like daddy and walking with him, they get shoes of their own and they walk another path.  Sooner or later, though, they realize that daddy’s shoes represented more than just bigger feet, they also represented a deeper understanding and appreciation for the important things in life!  The bigger the shoes, the bigger the responsibility and the more need there is for a personal walk with God.

1 John 2:6 is a very short verse, but it gives us a great insight into being a Christian and walking with God on a daily basis.  John writes, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”  Pay very close attention to the two claims John makes in this passage.  First, this passage is addressed to those who “claim” to be followers of Jesus Christ.  Many of us invoke the name of Jesus Christ or use the term Christian whenever it is convenient to do so.  We are quick to assure others that we are Christian but we need to understand exactly what that means.

John finishes his thought by emphatically stating that if we claim to be a Christian, we better “walk” like a Christian.  In other words, we better walk just as Christ did.  How did Jesus walk?  He walked in utter obedience to the commands of God.  His walk did not deviate from his words but it was in line with everything he claimed to be.  Every step Jesus took, every thought he had, every motive of his heart, and every word from his mouth had but one purpose—to glorify God. 

This is how Jesus walked.  This is how Christians must walk.  However, it is impossible to walk like this on our own.  We must get into the prayer closet and hide, closing out the world and opening ourselves to God.  We must then emerge wearing, not our shoes, but our Father’s shoes.  They are too big for us, but they give us the strength we need, the confidence we desire, and the wonderful knowledge that there is someone much bigger than we who can take care of every need we have.  Are you walking in daddy’s shoes today?

When Time Stands Still, God Doesn't

 

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n July, 2013, I spent the vast majority of a day at 35,000 feet, returning to the United States from France where I had spent the previous six weeks working for our university’s study abroad program.  After boarding the aircraft, buckling my seat belt, and arranging my carry-on underneath my seat, I turned my attention to the viewing screen to watch the information about what to do in the event of a crash landing.  Honestly, this is my least favorite part of traveling.

A few moments after the video, the captain greeted us and informed us that we would be in the air for the next ten and a half hours as we made our way across the Atlantic to eventually land at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.  I briefly glanced at my watch, took a deep breath, let the reality of what I was about to endure settle in, and then enjoyed the ride.

Every time I travel abroad, I am intrigued most by the difference in time between one place and another.  We all live in the same moment but how we measure it is different.  In France, the clock is 7 hours ahead of the time here, in Fort Worth.  Going to France I lose time; coming from France, I gain it.  Gaining time is the most difficult for me because it seems that time just stands still.

This is the way, I believe, Joseph felt when the chief cupbearer forgot him in prison.  Joseph had done nothing to deserve the circumstances in which he found himself.  His brothers betrayed him because they were jealous, he was imprisoned because Potiphar’s falsely accused him, and, after promising Joseph he would remember him, the cupbearer forgot his promise to speak to Pharaoh about Joseph to get him out of prison.

Genesis 41:1 records in a few words Joseph’s plight, “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream…”  The first six words tell it all, don’t they?  Joseph remained in prison for two years after the cupbearer was freed.  For Joseph, time stood still. In fact, he had been sold into slavery by his brothers when he was 17 years old and when we find him here, he is 30 years old.  For 13 years this man’s life was put on hold.  He had no news of his family, of his homeland, and did not know whether he would ever see them again.

But although the cupbearer forgot Joseph, God didn’t. God did not stop caring for Joseph. He didn’t stop listening to him, he didn’t stop loving him, and he didn’t stop working in his life.  In fact, unknown to Joseph, God was at work for 13 years preparing both Pharaoh and Joseph for the purpose that brought him to Egypt.  God’s purpose in doing so was to fulfill the promise made to Abraham before the birth of Isaac that Abraham’s descendants would be strangers for 400 years and would then come into the Promised Land at the appointed time.  Although time appeared to stand still, God was moving forward!

The same is true for us today.  You may be in a holding pattern today.  You don’t know where God is and you wonder if, like the cupbearer, he has forgotten you.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  God is working so far ahead of you, preparing the way ahead, and making sure you are ready for what he has in store for you.  Remember, when time stands still, our God doesn’t!

A Slice of Humble Pie

 

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essons in humility are not fun and they never come at a convenient time in life!  The instruments used to teach these little gems are varied.  In fact, anything and anyone can be used to bring you to your knees.  Who among us hasn’t had the unpleasant experience of apologizing to someone because we wronged them or because we used them as a sounding board to air our frustrations even though they did nothing to cause our anger? 

During one Christmas holiday vacation, however, my lesson in humility came at the hands of my family’s dishwasher.  Yes, you read that correctly, the dishwasher, and oh what a lesson I learned!  Now you may be wondering how on earth a dishwasher could teach a lesson in humility.  Well, I’ll let you in on my lesson, a lesson about serving with humility that as a Christian, I should have learned by now.

When I am home, I like to help out around the house.  I vacuum, clean the kitchen, wash an occasional load of laundry, and run errands.  The thing is, I sometimes forget that I am in North Carolina instead of in Texas and that I am staying in my parents’ home and not am not in Fort Worth. 

One evening after supper, I cleaned the kitchen.  The first order of business was to empty the dishwasher so I could place our dirty dishes inside to be cleaned.  I began the process of placing the clean dishes back into the cabinets and drawers. For the most part, I knew where everything went.  However, when I encountered a pot or a utensil about which I was a little unsure, I “guesstimated” its placement.  This means that I looked around for a place that looked good and put the item away.  In no time, I had cleaned the dishwasher, loaded it again, finished the kitchen and joined my parents in the den to watch television.

The next morning, however, it was time for my humility lesson.  Unknown to me, my mom had been in the kitchen looking for a few things I had put away.  She had some things sitting on the counter that I knew I had put away the evening before.  When I asked about them she said I had misplaced them and she had had a difficult time trying to find them.  She continued by suggesting that I ask her when I was uncertain about putting something away.

At first, I was just a little upset.  I mean, after all, I had cleaned the kitchen and I had put away the dishes.  I had helped her out and I had given her an opportunity to relax and to rest.  How dare her point out my mistakes!!  How about all the dishes I had put away correctly?  What about them? Didn’t she care? Wasn’t she thankful?

As you can see, my focus was not on my mom; it was on myself. I really didn’t seem to care that I had not helped her out as much as I thought.  What I had done was make her task more difficult because she had to go behind me, discover my hiding places, and set everything back the way it was supposed to be.  I should have done things the way she wanted them done instead of how I thought they should be done.  This was the humility lesson I learned.

We’ve all been here, haven’t we?  We want people to appreciate what we’ve done for them and we want them to approve our work no matter what!  However, this is not the mark of servanthood that Jesus commanded in John 13:15-17, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

The example Jesus is speaking of is the washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper.  All twelve, including Judas Iscariot, were in that room when Jesus removed his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waist, got on his hands and knees, and washed their dirty feet.  He washed each of the disciples’ feet but no one washed his!  When he finished, he told the disciples to follow his example.  He underscored the fact that no servant was greater than his master and if the master had washed feet, they should do the same in keeping with his example.  The result was blessings for them if they obeyed what Christ had commanded and if they did it in a manner consistent with his example.

This is the lesson of humility.  We are to do things in a manner that pleases God and God alone.  The one who is serving, the Christian, must do things according to the wishes of the one being served, God.  The servant cannot do things his way.  His will cannot enter into the process at all.  He is a servant, which means he follows and obeys the commands of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  Washing feet is not always fun but it is a good reminder that our will is not our own; we must seek to God’s will as we serve others.

This is the lesson Jesus expects us to learn and to follow.  It is a lesson we learn daily and sometimes on a moment-by-moment basis. True service for God means we do things the way He wants them done regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the person, and regardless of how we feel about the situation.  We don’t get it our way; we get it His way. Realizing this should drive us to our knees in humility before God’s throne.  Have you had a slice of humble pie today?

Curvy Road Ahead!

 

T

he Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina are absolutely breathtaking. This is especially true during the month of October when the leaves are changing colors.  Nestled among the valleys, dotting the mountainsides, several small towns and communities provide various opportunities for tourists to visit the sites, sample the local charm, and try their luck on the slopes.  Everything about the area is charming and beautiful.

During the autumn, scores of people make their way up the winding mountain roads to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a highway built along this mountain range which provides large vistas, and awe-inspiring views of the mountains in all their splendor.  The mountains become a giant canvas onto which God spatters bright shades of orange, yellow, and red.  On a clear, crisp day the mountains stretch out before you, their various hues and shades of color playing and dancing with the sunbeams that bring them to life.

When I was living in North Carolina, I would sometimes make the one-and-a-half -hour journey to drive the Parkway and enjoy the sights and the wonders of the mountains.   After spending several hours in this wonderland, I began the long journey out of the mountains, winding my way toward home.  At many points along the way, several road signs warned of dangerous and sharp turns ahead.  The signs read something like this:  Caution! Curvy Road Ahead!! 

Boy, they weren't kidding.  Going straight down the mountain was not an option so the road turned back and forth and zigzagged down the mountain.  The sharp bend of the curves forced everyone in the car to one side and then everyone would shift to the other side of the car as the direction of the curve changed.  Doing this several times made for very interesting seating arrangements, especially if you were sandwiched between two or more people in the back seat.  It was always fun but after several miles of curvy road, it was nice to regain a flat, straight section of highway.

In a very similar way, this jaunt in the North Carolina Mountains directly resembles our walk with God.  God takes us into the mountains of his mercy and shows us some of the most incredible sights there.  On these peaks we learn valuable lessons, we refresh our souls and our strength, and we gain encouragement to continue our journey.  But then, it is time to leave the mountains and descend to the valleys below.

The descent down a mountain always involves curves.  The side of the mountain is too steep and any attempt to go directly down would end in certain disaster.  So God provides curvy roads to gently lead us down the mountain’s side.  It appears that we will never go to a smooth surface.  We are jostled about from one side to the other and just when we think the rough ride is over, the whole process starts over again.  We wonder if God knows what he’s up to and if the curvy road is indeed the only way down.

Rest assured that God knows what he’s doing.  Although it takes longer and is a little more cumbersome, going around the mountain is far superior to charging straight down its side.  The Children of Israel had this experience in the desert when they left Egypt.  Exodus13:17-18a says, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt."  So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.”

Did you notice God’s reason for the curve?  So they would not lose heart and change their minds about following him.  God fully intends for you to follow him faithfully and he has designed the road ahead so that you will not grow discouraged, frustrated, or be overly burdened.  He knows what he is doing.  Just remember, when the sign reads, “Caution!  Curvy Road Ahead!” God is in the process of gently bringing you down the mountain so you will be ready to go up the next one and receive the blessing he has waiting there for you.  Remember to hold steady in the turns!

Listen!

 

L

ast June I had the privilege of working with 250 other French teachers as we graded some 23,000 Advanced Placement (AP) French Exams.  Now you may be thinking that this doesn’t sound like a swell time but I assure you, that although challenging, the work was both satisfying and rewarding.

The exam has both written and speaking components.  I worked on the speaking portion which required me to sit in front of a computer and listen to recordings of students speaking French in an attempt to successfully describe situations placed before them.  Some of the exams were outstanding, representing the culmination of years of hard work and practice.  Others were good and some needed work; but they all had one thing in common, all of them required our team to listen to what they were saying.

There is a great difference between hearing and listening.  Last June anyone could have put on a headset and “heard” French, but only by “listening” could s/he discern what was being said and to what level of success. It is not enough to hear; you must listen closely to what is being said.  Hearing means your ears are working; listening means your brain is engaged and you actually understand the sounds flowing into your ears.

This is the message Moses wanted the Children of Israel to grasp before entering the Promised Land.  In Deuteronomy 30:19-20 we read his solemn admonishment and warning to the people to “listen” to what God’s voice was saying to them.  “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Notice the choice Moses sets before the people. It is literally a choice between life and death.  Life meant the people would remember the Lord their God and listen to his voice.  They would not only hear his words, they would understand them and obey them.  This is what it means to listen. The people had heard God’s word since leaving Egypt, they had seen his wondrous works, and received protection and guidance from his hand.  Now, they were to take what they heard, digest it, think on it, understand it, and obey it.

We are no different today.  This morning you may be sitting in front of your screen reading this with an open Bible. Perhaps you have read your daily devotion from the Scriptures or perhaps you will do that after you read this.  Reading, however, is only half the process.  Are you taking God’s word into your mind and heart? Are you drinking it in?  Are you listening to what God is saying?  His words are life.  His way is perfect.  His truths are sure.  His love is everlasting.  Listen and hold fast to him.  Are you hearing or listening today?

Wipe Out

 

O

ne of the most important lessons that any teacher can learn is the proper use of the chalkboard.  This is the most invaluable weapon in the instructor's arsenal.  It is here that the war against ignorance is waged.  Carefully mapped strategies and battle plans are drawn on its surface with one goal in mind--the education of the student.  Working in conjunction with the chalkboard are two more indispensable items.  These are the chalk and the eraser.  With these three items, the teacher provides the necessary environment for learning to occur.

As a new teacher, one of the first lessons I learned concerned the chalkboard.  Instead of focusing on the various ways of teaching with the board, I learned that the most important thing to do with a chalkboard was to clean it!  This was especially true if I shared another teacher's classroom.  Unless I removed the information I placed on the board, the next teacher would have to take valuable time removing my charts, diagrams, and assignments before using it for a new class.  On more than one occasion, I have been annoyed to find that someone failed to clean the board after using it.

The telltale sign that a chalkboard has been frequently used is the amount of chalkdust in the tray.  An accumulation of chalkdust and a dusty eraser indicate that information has been passed from teacher to student.  Likewise, the absence of chalkdust and a clean eraser testify that a small exchange of information has occurred.  Since I love to use the chalkboard, chalkdust has become part of my wardrobe.  Sometimes, it appears I am wearing eau de chalkdust because it is everywhere, even in my pockets.

Occasionally, I send students to the board to work with French grammatical structures.  They approach the board, write their assignment, sit down, see a problem, get up, erase the error, and correct it.  When they are satisfied with their handiwork, I approach the board and survey their work.  When I find an error, I discuss it with the student, then I take the eraser, remove the incorrect answer, and replace it with the correct one.  When the entire process is finished, the student understands where he or she was wrong.  However, there is no trace of the error, only the correct form is displayed on the board.

Have you ever stopped to consider that our lives resemble a chalkboard? We fill them with all kinds of information, thoughts, ideas, and our own solutions to life's problems.  We also fill them with our wants, dreams, wishes, and goals.  Like a good teacher, God lets us finish our turn at the board.  He waits very patiently, observing our work, noticing where we are wrong, but never interfering until He is asked.  Then, when we finish, when we make all the corrections we deem necessary, He approaches the board, eraser in hand.  Our Heavenly Father looks at what we've done, He lovingly locates our mistakes, He patiently explains and shows us where we're wrong, and He carefully and methodically demonstrates why things don't work the way we think they should.  Then, He does something absolutely wonderful.  He takes the eraser, removes all our mistakes, corrects them, and makes our work acceptable!

King David learned this lesson well.  He learned that a trip to life's chalkboard is necessary so that God can show us our mistakes, our sin, and then He wipes them out.  Psalm 51:1 addresses this idea with the following words: "Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions." David's trip to the chalkboard had divulged several areas of error in his life.  Not only had he committed adultery with Bathsheba; he was also responsible for her husband's death.  When confronted with the truth, David's errors became obvious.  In this psalm, he asks God to show mercy and to wipe out his errors.

This is a common occurrence in every-day life.  We are constantly writing on life's chalkboard, believing we have all the correct answers.  Most of the time, we are extremely proud of our work, thinking it to be perfectly acceptable, not only to our peers, but also to God.  That is when God approaches the board, takes His eraser, shows us our errors, and wipes them away.  He does this in love, in mercy, and in justice.  Errors, no matter how small, are still errors and they must be corrected if our work, if we, are to be acceptable to God.  However, when God erases our sin, when He wipes out our mistakes, He does so forever.  There is nothing left on the board to indicate our faults, no long list of wrongs committed, and no record of the number of times we didn't get it right.  When God finishes grading our work, it is correct. He does this out of His love for us; not because of anything we do nor because of who we are!

When was the last time you took a trip to the chalkboard?  The eraser is waiting! 

Behind the Curtain

 

E

very morning, people go through the same routine. The alarm clock sounds, rousting them from a wonderful deep sleep, and they throw back the covers and start the day.  They head to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast and after cleaning up after themselves, they start the second most important part of the day—a shower! 

 

A lot of showers have a curtain that keeps the water inside instead of on the bathroom floor.  It really is a wonderful invention.  They pull back the curtain, climb in, close the curtain, and start the cleaning process.  What happens behind that curtain each morning ensures they are ready to meet the day ahead.  Anything preventing the body from being clean is washed off behind that curtain and they emerge better and cleaner than when they entered the shower. 

 

The only downside is that they have to perform this ritual every day. It would be nice to have to shower only once and then be done with it.  But this is just not the way things go here in the workaday world!  So, every morning they hit the shower to face the day ahead. 

 

Would it surprise you to learn that the idea of the shower curtain can actually be found in the Scriptures?  Long before hot water heaters, massaging shower heads, and ceramic tiled stalls, the idea of getting clean behind a curtain was already in force.  We need look no further than the Old Testament to discover the importance of a curtain behind which cleansing took place.  This however was not a shower curtain but a curtain that separated the Holy Place in the Temple from the Most Holy Place, also known as the Holy of Holies!   

 

It was here that the Ark of the Covenant was housed, and it was here that the High Priest entered once a year to sprinkle the blood of the atonement sacrifice on the top of the Ark.  To enter the Holy of Holies, the High Priest had to pass through a large curtain.  Behind this curtain he met with God and offered the atonement sacrifice to cover the people’s sins for the coming year.  Behind that curtain, the people were made presentable to God and their sins were covered.  The next year, however, the priest performed the same ritual, and this continued from one generation to the next. Each year the priest went behind the curtain and each year the people were cleansed. 

 

What was needed, however, was a permanent cleansing, a way to remove the grime and stench of sin instead of just covering it up. That is what we are celebrating as Easter Sunday approaches.  God provided a way for there to be a permanent solution and that way was found in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. 

 

Hebrews 9:3-7 gives us a picture of what happened behind the curtain: Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.  When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 

 

So now we can plainly see what happened behind the curtain.  Once a year, the High Priest went behind the curtain to cover up his own sins and the sins of the people.  But when Jesus came, he went behind the curtain, offered his own blood, and cleansed the stain and the stench of sin!  He removed it—permanently!  This is the wonderful news and the wonderful work of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Behind the curtain, once and for all, he cleansed the stain of sin, he eradicated the barrier that separated us from God, and he made it possible for us to come to God directly by accepting his sacrifice on our behalf. 

 

What wonderful news this is.  Are you still going behind the curtain, trying to wash away your own sins?  Are you trying to do as many good deeds as possible in order to earn your way to God?  You will never be able to do it. But Jesus has already gone behind the curtain for you and offered his own blood for you.  All you have to do is confess your sins and accept him as savior and lord of your life.  You will emerge clean, acceptable to God, free from the stain and the stench of sin. So, isn’t it about time you took that shower? How about right now!