Look Before You Leap

I

 love family reunions, especially now since I don't see my family all that often.  I am here in Texas and they are in North Carolina and it is sometimes difficult to get away to visit as much as I'd like.  But when I get the chance I take it.  My dad's side of the family gets together both in the summer and at Christmas and my mom's side gets together for the Christmas holidays at our home.

 

As with all families, we swap war stories and old tales from the past.  The stories are always the same, and no matter how often they are told, or how much they are embellished, they still are a delight to listen to.  Every one, of course, has his own version of the events and, of course, it is the only true and correct one!

Every Christmas, without fail, I become the target of laughs, jeers, snickers, and jokes for something that happened when I was roughly eight years old.  Each time this particular story is related, everyone usually ends up in tears.  So, why should I withhold this story from you guys?  After all, it does have a good devotional lesson in it.

This particular Christmas, I had asked my grandparents for a set of roller skates.  Now, these were not the fancy kind with the boot attached.  Instead, these attached to your foot and were fitted with a key.  Christmas morning finally arrived and I tore into the box, removed the skates, and put them on.  I gingerly made my way down the front steps and crossed the front yard.  I had no difficulty walking in the grass and figured skating would be a cinch.  When I got to the pavement, however, an entirely different scenario unfolded.  One leg went south, one went north, and the rest of me went straight to the ground.  I couldn't stand up, I couldn't walk, I couldn't do anything.  I had no sure footing.  In order to regain the house, I walked across the yard and literally crawled up the front steps.  My mom met me at the door, laughing so hard she was crying.  She still has the same reaction today.

My problem that day was over confidence. I was so sure that skating would be a breeze that I took no note of the difficulty it presented.  I didn't prepare myself and I paid the consequences, sore knees, sore bottom, and sore pride. 

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addressed this issue.  In 1 Corinthians 10:12 Paul writes, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." This is both good advice and a solemn warning.  Too often we, as Christians, run the risk of becoming overly confidant.  We know how ministry should be done, we know how the pastor should do his job, we know how other people should live and what decisions they should make.  Yet, when it comes to handling our own lives and situations, we fail miserably and end up with sore hearts, sore feelings, and sore pride. 

Paul is right on target when he uses the word "thinks" in the scripture.  There is a profound difference between thinking something and knowing it.  Paul did not say he wanted to "think about Christ", but that he wanted "to know Christ."  We do not make mistakes in life because we don't know something. Rather, we make them because we "think" we know.  Jesus came that we could have true knowledge about God.  In John 17:3, he says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." The questions we must ask ourselves are these:  Are we secure in our knowledge of Jesus Christ?  Do we live our lives according to what we know about him?  Or are our thoughts, words, and actions based on what we "think" we know about him?

Look It Up In The Dictionary

L

earning to read was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.  One of my aunts lived across the street from the elementary school where I attended first and second grade.  Although the school was only a few blocks from our house, it seemed as if it were on the other side of the world.  It was in that school that I had my first lessons and it was there that I first learned to love and appreciate the wonderful world of words.

A few months prior to beginning school, my first cousin taught me to read.  I was only five years old at the time but she decided that I should get a head start on my future classmates by learning to read before entering school.  We sat on her couch and opened a book.  The words looked so big and I didn’t understand what they meant. However, I soon learned that words were made of letters and that each letter had a particular sound.  As soon as I matched the shapes and the sounds together, I was able to sound out words.  Once this was accomplished, I progressed to whole words and sentences and, in a very short time, I learned to read.  My cousin was very proud of me and told me I had done a great job.  I thought it was neat and I read that book over and over.

My cousin, however, had no idea what she had started.  As I progressed through school, the material I had to read became more difficult.  I found myself constantly stopping at new words.  I could sound them out and I could read them but I didn’t know what they meant.  Each time I came to a new word, I would run to my mom or dad and ask them to explain to me the word’s meaning.  At first, they were eager to explain new words to me.  However, when I began asking questions every five minutes, my parents knew it was time I learned to use a dictionary.  My mom showed me my first dictionary. Our family purchased a good set of encyclopedias.  As a bonus, a two-volume dictionary came with the encyclopedias.  Each time I wanted to know the meaning of a new word, my mom had the same response, “Look it up in the dictionary!”

Everything I needed to know about words was in that book.  I learned how to locate words and to discover their meanings.  The dictionary was chock full of all kinds of things I never knew and I could easily spend a large amount of time learning new words and ideas.  That was the danger of the dictionary for me. Once I got into it, I found it hard to get out.  The more time I spent in the dictionary, the more I learned and the more I learned the more excited I became.

As I grew older and entered high school and college, the dictionary lost its allure.  I relied on my knowledge of words and ideas and was reluctant to search out anything new.  My college papers show the evidence of this reluctance to follow my parents’ advice and look things up in the dictionary.  A quick review of some of my papers demonstrates a slew of misspelled and misused words.  In addition, several of my professors commented that my papers were good but that they would be better if I took the time to verify the spelling of words and their definitions.

The New Testament book of John reveals the story of a man who needed a dictionary.  He was a very important political figure at the time of Christ who asked what is arguably one of the most important questions of the Bible.  History knows the man as Pontius Pilate and his question is recorded in John 18:38. “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Pilate asked this question during the course of his conversation with Jesus.  Pilate was convinced of Jesus’ innocence yet the religious and political powers wanted Jesus put to death.  The Jews could not sentence anyone to death, that power lay solely in the hands of the Roman Procurator.  That decision was reserved for Pontius Pilate.

Pilate’s question is indeed profound.  It is a question mankind has asked for thousands of years and one that is still asked today.  The poignancy and profundity of Pilate’s question, however, are lost in misfortune.  He, perhaps more than any other man in history, had the opportunity to learn the definition of truth from truth itself.  Jesus said that he was the truth (John 14:6).  All Pilate had to do was to open the dictionary and read the definition himself.  All he had to do was to wait for Jesus to answer his question. Instead, Pilate left Jesus standing in the palace.  He went outside to find resolve a problem while the solution to his real question stood only a few feet from him. 

What a sad picture this is.  We, however, are exactly like Pilate.  We constantly search for the truth, but look elsewhere for an answer.  We rely on our own knowledge, experience, and understanding to provide an answer to our question.  In the process, however, of providing our own solution, we miss the wonderful opportunity within our grasp to learn from God.  All we have to do is to open His word, read it, learn from it, and apply it to our lives.  In John 17:17, Jesus tells us that God’s word is truth.

As I write this devotional, I’m looking at my bookshelf.  Over my desk is a rather large dictionary.  Inside, all the knowledge I need about any word in the English language is at my disposal.  All I have to do is pull it off the shelf, open it, look up a word, and learn its definition.  The sad part is that I don’t use the book as often as I should and sometimes I have to blow the dust off of it before I open it.  Equally, I have several copies of God’s word in my study.  As I look at them, I realize that I need to spend more time in them, learning the truth of God.  In order to learn about Him, I must open His word and look up the things He wants to teach me.  The more time I spend in His word, the more about Him I learn. 

Do you have things about God you need and want to learn today?  Are there things about Him you wish you knew better?  Why don’t you follow my mom’s advice and look it up in the dictionary?  I believe you’ll find God’s word filled with everything you need to live an abundant Christian life.

No Charge

Y

es!  There was something in my mailbox.  A quick look through the small window in my post office box revealed one envelope and it was letter sized.  Perhaps Ed McMahon had finally come through on his promise to pay me 10 million dollars.  I quickly fumbled through the combination, threw open the door and withdrew the envelope.  It did have something to do with money.  But instead of someone giving me money, the envelope in my hand came from my credit card company and they were asking for money.

It seems my mailbox always has letters from some guy named “Bill” who is always asking for money.  He writes very regularly and he must really be in dire straights. He has several addresses and some of his stationery is quite pretty.  However, his notes are very impersonal and he always ends by demanding I send him money within 30 days.  Ever been there?

I opened my credit card statement and ran down the list of charges.  They were all correct except for the very last one.  There was a charge there I didn’t recall making.  In fact, the company’s name didn’t ring a bell.  I wondered if someone had somehow acquired my credit card number and used it.  I got back to my dorm room and called the company responsible for making the charge.  In a few moments, my fears were confirmed.  They had no record of my name or phone number but they had charged my account nonetheless.  They apologized and began an investigation.

I picked up the phone and called my credit card company.   They asked a few questions and then told me I wouldn’t be responsible for the charge.  The representative on the phone also promised a full investigation would be conducted to ascertain how this had occurred.  Before we finished the conversation, the man from the credit card company said, “Don’t worry Mr. Carpenter.  There will be no charge!.”  I was relieved and grateful.

The Apostle Paul understood what it was to be falsely accused. He knew full well what it meant to have things charged to his account that he had nothing to do with.  Each time something like this happened, Paul remembered God’s promise through Jesus, that all his debt was cancelled and that he lived his life by faith in the Son of God.  In Romans 8:33 Paul reminds us of this great truth, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.”

What a wonderful promise from God this is.  We are accountable and answerable to God only.  When we sin, we must answer to him and bear the consequences of our actions.  However, when we are falsely accused, when we are misunderstood, when others seek to tear us down by making false accusations or attacking our character, God simply reminds us that these charges do not stick.  When Satan makes his accusations, reminding us of everything we’ve ever done wrong, God simply says, “No Charge!” 

Paul is right, God does not lay anything to our charge as long as we are in Christ Jesus.  This does not mean we have free reign to live our lives any way we wish.  But it does mean that when we belong to God, when we follow after him, seek his will, and do his will, then no one can bring anything to our charge because God justifies us. 

The legitimate charges on my bill belong to me and are my responsibility.  But the faulty charges, those placed there by someone else will not stick.  The credit card company does not hold them against me.  Isn’t in wonderful to know and serve a God who also takes care of us and makes sure that our accounts are always in good standing?  Isn’t it wonderful to know that God reminds us there is no charge?!

Low On Memory

I

f you’ve worked with computers at all, whether at work or at home, chances are you’ve received the following warning.  It happens when you attempt to run several programs at once.  The computer slows down, becomes less responsive, and gives you a little warning box that simply states, “Low On Memory!”  What the computer is communicating, even with its wonderful capabilities, is that it does have limitations.  The poor little thing can only remember so much and then its brain gets overloaded.  No matter how many buttons you push, no matter how frustrated you get, no matter how many times you turn the thing on or off, once you’ve reached the limits of its memory you have only two options, buy more memory or buy another machine.

Believe me; I know how the computer feels.  It doesn’t take a great deal to overload my little brain!!!  I write myself notes so I won’t forget to do things then I forget where I placed the notes!!!!  Let’s not even talk about car keys!!!  It’s a good thing that a car comes with at least two sets of keys.  I am forever looking for mine.  I’ve tried everything, even designating a special place for them.  This works great when I remember to put the keys where they belong.  But at least twice a week, I spend my time going through pockets, searching through drawers, and looking under everything in the room in an attempt to locate my keys!  What I need is more memory.  Where do I go to buy this stuff?  I would love to have a few extra megabytes worth of memory just lying around somewhere that I could plug in. Presto!  No more problems, no more misplaced items, and no more missed appointments.

I’m sure there are those of you reading this who can easily identify with my plight.  The busier we become, the more sophisticated our world grows, the greater the frequency with which we forget things.  Some people claim that age has something to do with it.  Personally, I’m not buying that interpretation.  I’m growing more mature, not older!!!!

However, as Christians, we must admit there are times when we believe God’s memory has reached its capacity.  Sometimes we feel He has forgotten us and that He has no idea about the situations we face in life.  We pray and we pray and we study our Bibles and still our circumstances don’t change.  We know that God loves us, but we wonder if He really takes notice of us on a consistent basis. 

Moments like this often arise when we are faced with difficult circumstances like the loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, employment worries, or emotional unrest.  When we face issues such as these, we want assurance that God is near, that He still loves us, that He is aware of our trials, and that He hasn’t forgotten us.  Let me assure you, God is near.  He knows all about you today and what you’re facing.  He loves you, He cares for you, and He only has your best interest in mind.

The Children of Israel felt very much abandoned and forgotten during their exile in Babylon.  Where was God?  Why did He not answer their prayers?  Was He even listening to them? Was He aware of their existence?  God’s answers to these questions can be found in a beautiful passage of scripture which is one of my personal favorites.  The prophet Isaiah records the following words of assurance in Isaiah 49:14-16, “But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

It is apparent from the opening sentence of this passage that God is fully aware of His people.  He knows they are frustrated.  He knows they are lonely.  He knows they feel neglected and abandoned.  God is not surprised or upset when we feel this way; only when we believe this way.  That is why His words are so gentle and reassuring in the second part of this passage.  The bond between God and His people is far stronger than that between mother and child.  How aware do you believe a mother is concerning her children?  They can’t make a move without her noticing it.  If they make a sound during the night that is out of the ordinary, mother is there, checking to see everything is all right.  Any change in the child’s voice sends out a signal that something may be wrong and she immediately sees about her child.  Nothing escapes her notice, nothing escapes her ears, and nothing escapes her love.

God carries His love and care for us one step further.  Even though an earthly mother may forget her children, and that’s unlikely, God promises He will never forget us. When we sleep He is with us, when we are awake, He is with us, when we travel, He is with us, when we are in need, He is with us, when we are happy, He is with us, when we are sad, He is with us, and when we are hurting, He is with us.  There is not a moment of our day, there is not a circumstance in our lives, there is not trial that we face, and there is not a triumph that we experience that escapes God’s attention.  We are the apple of His eye!

The computer may give you a warning about being low on memory.  Your brain, like mine, may forget things, but we serve a God who is never low on memory and who always remembers us.  If you doubt this, just check your pulse!  Who remembers to keep our hearts beating?  That is how close God is to you today.  He is closer than any human parent could ever be.  Low on memory?  Not a chance!!!!

             

Hey! Look What I Found

T

he problem with basements is that they become the repositories for all the things we no longer use but don’t have the heart to discard.  Does this sound familiar to any of you?  How many of you out there have waded through the sea of endless boxes and containers in your basements looking for something you just had to have?  How many of you vowed never to “junk up” your basements only to break that promise within a week after making it?  How many of you have stored items in your basement, fully intending to throw them out within a couple of days and then never seeming to get around to that task?

Of course, there is another side to this story.  There are those times when you find a hidden treasure buried in your basement.  You might be looking for something else when you come across one of your long-lost possessions that you had totally forgotten about.  When you find it, you forget your original reason for visiting the basement and focus all your attention on your new-found treasure.  It might be a piece of clothing, an old toy, a card, or a piece of jewelry discarded many years ago.  However, when you locate it, wonderful memories flood your mind and a sense of excitement and happiness fills your heart.

I remember having such an experience in the fall of 1990.  My brother and I purchased an old office building in town and we spent 18 months renovating it.  Finally, the day came for us to move from our parents’ home over to our house.  We were only four or five blocks away from them but it seemed to be much further.  After moving the essential items and installing them in our new home, we had to address the matter of the basement.  It took several trips but finally, we moved all our important stuff from mom and dad’s and stored it in our own basement.

One afternoon, I was in the basement looking for something when I spied a small, black ring box.  I picked it up and recognized it as the box that held my college ring when it arrived.  I hadn’t seen that box in years and never thought it would end up in my basement.  When I opened it, however, I received a wonderful surprise. There, inside that box, was my high school class ring.  Several years earlier, I had misplaced that ring and had given up all hope of finding it.  Now, there it was, in beautiful condition, looking just like it did the last time I saw it.

I put the ring on my finger, dropped the box, ran upstairs, and made several phone calls.  I called my mom, I called my grandmother, I called one of my aunts, and I even called my dad at work to tell him I had found my ring.  They probably thought I had lost my mind, but I was so happy and I wanted everyone to know I found that ring.  I was so ecstatic and I wanted to share that exuberance with everyone around me.  Although it was just a ring, it was very important and precious to me.  Finding it again was one of the most wonderful things in the world.

Jesus told several stories that stressed the happiness that accompanies finding something that was lost.  However, Jesus’ stories weren’t concerned with material things.  Instead, they were concerned men’s souls and the happiness that accompanies someone accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  Three of these stories can be found in Luke 15 and involve the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coins, and the lost son. 

It is the second parable, the parable of the lost coins that is the focus of our attention today.  The story is very short and matter-of-fact but its implication and truth have far-reaching ramifications for us today.  The story is recorded in Luke 15:8-9, "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.”

Please take notice of that last line in the verse.  Jesus said the woman called her friends and neighbors and invites them to a celebration all because she found her lost coin. She was happy and she wanted those around her, her family and friends, to share in her happiness. Her excitement and joy was such that she couldn’t contain it and she shared it with those around her.  This is the same thing that happens when someone accepts Jesus as the savior and the Lord of their lives.  Just after this passage of scripture, Jesus says that there is more excitement over one soul who is saved than over all those who do not need to repent.  The angels in Heaven shout and are happy that another one of God’s children has been found and has come home.  They just can’t keep quiet about it.

I remember that day in my basement like it was yesterday.  That ring is now sitting on my dresser as a constant reminder of how wonderful it is to find the things that were lost and to restore them to their proper place.  This is exactly God’s perspective when someone accepts Jesus and is saved from their sins.  God fills Heaven with shouting, and laughter, and joy because another one has found the way home.  God knows what it’s like to find something that has been lost for many years.  He felt the same about me when I accepted Jesus and He felt the same about you when you became a Christian.  The portals of Heaven rang with the laughter of angels as you accepted Jesus.

Today, the sounds of rejoicing still echo through the streets of heaven.  Have the angels shouted and rejoiced over you?  Have you experienced the true joy that comes with accepting Jesus Christ as your savior and Lord?  If not or if you know someone who hasn’t, won’t you share the good news of God’s redeeming love and salvation with them today?  The party is just beginning!

Rolled Out Flat

C

hicken and dumplings is my favorite meal of all time.  My grandfather also loved them but he they weren’t on his diet.  Still, whenever he felt like having them, he’d call me to spend the weekend because he knew they’d be on the menu.  Now, not wanting to disappoint him and not wanting to refuse a free meal of chicken and dumplings, I always accepted his invitation whenever he offered it.

There is an art to preparing this southern meal, especially in making the dumplings.  Good dumplings don’t come from a frozen package, you can’t buy them off the shelf, and you can’t have them delivered by mail order.  They are made from scratch, using the best ingredients, a lot of elbow grease, and heaping measurements of love. 

It always amazed me to watch my mom make dumplings.  She mixed self-rising flour and hot water into a ball of dough.  Then she would flour a smooth surface, take her rolling pin, and begin working the dough into a thin sheet.  This was always my favorite part. The more she worked with the dough, applying pressure from the rolling pin, the thinner it became.  It grew in size from a small round ball to a large flat oval.  Mom always said that the secret to good dumplings was to make sure and roll the dough out flat.  The more pressure you applied, the thinner the dough, and the thinner the dough, the better the dumplings.  In all the tastes tests I’ve run over the years, I have found her claims to be utterly true.

The book of Exodus paints a vivid picture of how life pressures us both in our daily as well as in our spiritual lives.  For several generations, the Hebrew children enjoyed a good life in Egypt.  They married, built homes, developed communities, and prospered.  Everything seemed to be going well.  The Egyptians looked favorably on them because of Joseph’s role in saving Egypt during a time of great drought.  However, a pharaoh ascended the throne who was unfamiliar with Joseph and he determined to subject the Hebrews to slavery so they would pose no military threat to the Egyptians.

Exodus 1:12 records this and gives us a very interesting point of view concerning life’s pressures. This passage tells us, “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.”  It takes a few moments to digest this statement.  If anything, it would seem that the more oppressed they were, the smaller their numbers would become.  But the exact opposite of that was true.  The more pressure the Egyptians heaped on them, the more they increased and grew. Just like the dough for the dumplings, the pressure worked to produce an increase instead of a decrease.

What was God up to?  Why did he allow this oppression to continue?  God told Abraham that his descendants would be prisoners for 400 years.  Finally, God sent Moses to deliver the people.  But God didn’t wait until Moses was ready to undertake this task; He had been working for more than 400 years so that He could bring the people out with great celebration and rejoicing.  When God has plans, they are always on a big scale so that we can never take credit for what He accomplishes.

Today, you may be feeling pressure from every direction.  Your job may be putting pressure on you, your family may be squeezing you, your checking account may be pushed to the limit, and God may appear to be on vacation.  With all these pressures, you may well expect to grow smaller, to shrivel up and vanish.  However, it is during these times, when you are rolled out flat, that God does the greatest work in your life.  As the pressure continues, He is molding you into the exact shape necessary to do His will.  When He finishes, you will be able to accomplish far more because of the pressure than you ever could with out it. 

So just remember the secret to great dumplings comes from rolling the dough out flat.  The secret of a great life lived for God is the same.  We must be patient with God’s process.  He is adding the necessary ingredients, kneading the dough, and finally rolling us out flat.  He does all this so that in the end we will be used for His glory.  Are you being rolled out flat today?

Only One Wish

T

he wisdom of older adults never ceases to amaze me.  They can take any situation, any set of circumstances, any of life's challenges and find wonderful and profound life applications.  As I grow older myself, the things my parents and my grandparents told me and the life lessons they tried to teach me at a young age continually affect the way I perceive and understand this thing called life.

A story I heard as a young teacher illustrates this point very well.  A young man and his grandfather went fishing in order to spend some quality time together.  As they continued to cast their lines and reel them in, the young man took the opportunity to ask his grandfather several questions about life.  Inevitably, the young man wanted to know how he could get ahead in life and what it would take to be successful.

The older gentleman dropped his rod and reel and invited his grandson into the water with him.  The young man didn't hesitate but was understandably curious as he entered the water.  What could the old man possibly teach him in the middle of the pond?  As he came near to his grandfather, the older gentleman grabbed his grandson and plunged him under the water.  He held him there, not allowing him to rise to the surface.  The young man didn't struggle at first but as his need for air grew, he began to fight.  Finally, with no regard for his grandfather's safety, the young man wrestled his way to the surface for air.  When he had regained his composure he asked his grandfather why he had held him under the water and refused to let him breathe.  The old man simply smiled at his grandson and asked him what his only thought was while he was under the water.  The young man said that all he could think of and all he wanted was air.  His grandfather told him he would succeed in life when the desire for excellence was as important to him as the desire for air had been while he was under the water.

This is a wonderful lesson and very true.  Focus is the most important thing in any goal.  Without it, failure is assured.  The same is true for us in the Christian life. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ.  He must be our ultimate goal, our ultimate reason for living, and the ultimate desire of our hearts.  In all ways and at all times we must seek to be like him, to follow his example, and to obey his command. 

In John 12:21, a group of Greek men came to Jesus' disciples with a simple, focused request.  John records their words for us, “Sir, we would see Jesus."  In this small statement lies the secret of success for the Christian.  These men had only one wish, only one desire, only one purpose, and only one thought.  With all their hearts and minds they wanted to see Jesus.

Is that the desire of your heart today?  Do you long to see Jesus?  Are you willing to wait patiently and to search diligently until you find him?  Today we will become hungry and we will search for food.  We will grow thirsty and we will search for something to drink.  We will grow tired and we will search for rest.  At our jobs we will seek approval from our bosses, we will seek acceptance from our co-workers, and we will focus on our jobs.  But what about Jesus?  Will we focus on him today?  Can we say with all our hearts that we would see him?  When we desire him as badly as we desire food, water, and air we will find that our walk with God will become more intimate and more meaningful.  When Jesus becomes the sole purpose of our being then, and only then, will we succeed in being what God wants us to be.  What is your one wish today?

Ripe For The Picking

T

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

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

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

The Apostle Paul addresses this idea of ripeness or maturity in his letter to the Ephesians.  Paul knew that in order for God’s work to move forward with the best results, he needed and required spiritually mature workers.  Ephesians 4:12-13 follows a list of the different duties God assigns to some of his children.  Although there are different jobs, there is only one goal and that goal is training the members of Christ’s body ending in spiritual maturity.

In this passage Paul writes, “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  The role of teachers, and pastors, prophets, apostles and evangelist is to prepare God’s people for works of service.  The result is that the body of Christ will be unified and mature.  We are to be of one mind and one spirit, understanding and doing the work of God in the world around us.

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

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

Sandblasted

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here were seven boys in our neighborhood and we did all the normal things that growing boys do, namely, get into all kinds of mischief.  We all played together well but on occasion we were known to have our differences.  We were also fiercely competitive, always trying to best each other or, at the very least, making sure we were all on equal footing.

When we were very young, this wasn’t a problem. However, as we grew bigger, so did the toys we wanted to play with.  One of these toys was the motorbike.  We all wanted one and after much begging, stubbornness, and wearing down of parents, we all got one.  Mine was orange and had three different gears.  My dad thought the bike was too much for me, but I was determined to have one and I did. 

That bike taught me a great deal about responsibility.  I agreed to purchase the bike and raised money by mowing grass and doing odd jobs.  The payments were $21.63 per month, an amount I found to be astronomical.  However, I did what I could and when I needed help, mom and dad stepped in.  The engine on this bike was a two-stroke engine, meaning I had to mix the gasoline and the oil together in order for the bike to run.  My dad taught me how to do this and each time I needed fuel, I mixed it myself.

Due to the oil being mixed with the gasoline, the engine was very easy to flood.  When this happened, the sparkplug became covered with oil and wouldn’t fire.  Instead of being clean and dry, it was wet and black from the oil that covered it.  The only thing to do at a time like this was purchase a new sparkplug.  This could get fairly expensive and my dad impressed upon me the need to keep the bike in good running order and to avoid flooding the engine.  I did my best, but sometimes I flooded the engine and we had to get new sparkplugs.

That’s when our neighbor, Dennis Beam, became a lifesaver.  Dennis was a welder and he would take my flooded sparkplugs to work and clean them for me.  He used a sandblaster to thou roughly clean the sparkplugs.  When I gave them to him, they were black and messy.  When he returned them to me, they were clean, and looked brand new, as if they had never been used.  Dennis did this for me when I needed it and he never charged me a dime to repair the sparkplugs for my bike.  He did what I was unable to do.  Flooding the sparkplug was no problem, as I proved a number of times; but cleaning it was beyond my knowledge and my ability.  In order for my bike to work, in order for there to be a spark in the engine, the sparkplug had to be in perfect working order.  Dennis made sure that I had what I needed and he was always glad to help me when I needed it most. 

King David would have readily identified with this problem.  In Psalm 51:10, he cries out to God to repair his heart, to clean it up, and repair it.  David was missing the “spark” that causes us to live a life pleasing to God.  His heart was black and messy, covered with sin.  This meant that his witness and his effectiveness were at a complete standstill.  There was no life in his engine, no “spark” in his heart.  No matter what he tried, there was no way David could repair the damage in his life.  He could not buy a new heart and he could not use the old one to please God.  David needed major repairs; he needed to have his heart cleaned.  In short, David needed to be sandblasted, cleaned from all his sin until not one blot or blemish remained in his heart.

David took his problem to God.  He knew that God had the ability, not only to clean his heart, but to return it to the proper condition.  Let’s take a look at his words in this Psalm. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”  In this simple, but effective, prayer, David unlocks the secret to maintaining a life that pleases God.  First, David realized his heart was not clean.  His sin with Bathsheba (he committed adultery with her and had her husband killed so they could be together) had taken the spark out of his life. There was no fire in his soul and all attempts to walk before God and be a witness for him had come to a grinding halt.  So David asked for a clean heart, one that would serve God in every way. 

Second, David knew he possessed neither the knowledge nor the ability to correct his problem.  Only God could take David’s heart, sandblast it, clean it up, remove all the sin staining it and preventing it from working properly, and make it right.  Only God could restore David’s heart and put him back in proper working order.  All this, God does for us if we will just ask Him.  And, like Dennis Beam, God never charges us.  He doesn’t like it when we bring dirty hearts and lives to Him, but He loves us so much that He cleans us up and restores us to a right relationship with Him.

All of us have blots and blemishes in our hearts today that keep us from living a life that is pleasing to God.  Our hearts are flooded with sin.  They are black, messy, gooey, and don’t work very well.  In fact, they don’t work at all in this condition.  God is interested in the heart and He wants it to be clean and free from sin and all its influence.  That is why He sent Jesus.  His death on the cross for our sins, meant that our hearts could be clean and restored.  God asks us to come to Him, to bring Him our hearts in whatever condition they happen to be, and to let Him sandblast them for us.  When the process is over, we are clean, restored, and full of fire!  Have you been sandblasted lately?

A Way Of Escape

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t least once a week, someone will email me or ask me where I come up with the ideas for the Tidbits.  My response is always the same, I don't come up with them.  I can be in the car or taking a walk, or having a conversation and God will impress upon me how what I've seen or said or heard can be used as a Tidbit topic.  It always amazes me how God uses the smallest and simplest of things to teach me something about himself.  God, however, is like that, wanting us to know him better and using situations and circumstances to teach us if we are willing to learn.

For instance, how many times have you walked on a sidewalk and noticed the lines cut into the concrete?  As kids, we used to play games using the divisions in the sidewalks to mark off boundaries of hop-scotch, for foul lines for basketball, and to designate an are as home base for various games we played.

As I grew older, I learned that the gaps in the sidewalk have a distinct purpose.  The lines are cut into concrete to allow its sections to expand and contract with the weather.  If you observe a sidewalk very closely, you will notice that the gaps between the segments of concrete will grow or shrink in size according to the outside temperature.  This expansion gaps are necessary and prevent the concrete from bucking up and cracking.

The Christian life works under the same principle.  There are expansion gaps in our spiritual life.  Sometimes it may appear that God is stretching us beyond all measure.  We may feel there is no way we can continue under the present circumstances. Any more pressure and we will just explode or crack.  At such times, it seems that God increases the pressure, demanding even more.  What happens is that we are being stretched, we are expanding, and the spiritual heat has been turned up.

However, when we reach our limits, and God knows what our limits are, he removes the pressure.  He understands how much we can take, he knows what we can accomplish, and he also knows the circumstances under which we do our best expanding and growing.  Yes, God has put expansion gaps in our relationship with him.  If we sit for too long in the cold, we will crack, if we have too much pressure, we will buckle and warp, but with the right amount of pressure, we expand, we grow, we stay in tact, and we serve a useful purpose for God.

I don't know where you are today in your walk with God.  However, I do know that he loves you and has only the best in mind for you.  If you feel you are being tested, tried, or if you are undergoing some temptation, take comfort from Paul's words to the Corinthians. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).  God places difficult trials and challenges into our lives.  He even allows us to be tempted because he trusts us!!!  How much does he trust you today?

Planning Ahead

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 question often asked in the course of any job interview goes something like this, "Where do you see yourself in five years?  What are your plans?"  Now if you're like me, you don't have a clue what you'll be doing in the next five minutes, much less five years.  However, we spend the majority of our time looking into the future, trying to position ourselves to get the perfect job, buy the perfect house, find the perfect mate, etc.

I learned a very valuable lesson while serving as one of ten chaplains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM.  Each day, treks of hikers would enter Philmont for a ten-day adventure into the wild back country of the ranch.  Before starting on their trek, the hikers had to visit several checkpoints, get their food and equipment, and the leader of the trek had to meet with logistics to discuss the plan.  Everything had been provided as long as they followed the map and the plan given the crew at the start.  They were to pick up food on certain days at certain places and they were to follow certain trails to arrive at their various camps.  Communication was also provided at various staffed camps along the way.

What the hikers didn't know was that months before their arrival, plans had been made for them.  All the different itineraries were checked out, all the food was prepared and packaged, all the trails were prepared, and all the necessary emergency procedures had been implemented.  All this was done to ensure a safe journey and an enjoyable experience for them.  All they had to do was trust us.

God is just like this.  The prophet Jeremiah tells us in the 29th chapter of his book and the eleventh verse that God knows the plans He has for us. “For I know the plans I have for you, for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  These plans are for our good, not our harm.  They will also give us hope and a future.  Everything we need, God has already provided.  He knows where we are going, even when we do not.  Our responsibility is just to trust Him. 

Think about it.  Plans are made with someone in mind and with the full knowledge of what will happen as the plan unfolds.  In addition, every conceivable situation has been thought out and addressed ahead of time.  All we have to do is walk with Him.  The hikers at Philmont came to have a good time.  They trusted us and did not worry about the journey ahead.  How much more then should we trust our Heavenly Father who knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning and who has prepared works in advance for us to do?  And what He begins in us He is faithful to accomplish!!!

Comfort Zone

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n August of 1997, I was preparing to leave home and come to Fort Worth to attend seminary, one of the nicest things happened to me.  I had the privilege of working at a local community college in North Carolina for one year before leaving home.  As the time for my departure approached, several of my colleagues decided to give me a going away party!  I have fond memories of that day and the people who were there.  Of the many gifts I received, all of which serve as wonderful reminders of the people who gave them, one has taught me many lessons about God's love.

Several people pooled their resources and presented me with complete bedding set for my room.  It had sheets, a pillow sham, a pillow case, and a comforter which all matched!  You know how we guys are, as long as it fits the bed, we'll buy it.  But I have a very nice set of linens that goes so well together!!  The comforter was my favorite part of the set because it reminded me so much of God's love.

On cold evenings, I nestled under the comforter and felt its warmth.  When it was rainy and cold out, I took the comforter off the bed and wrapped up in it as I sat in my favorite chair.  It also proved a good listener, when there was no one to talk to, and it was a wonderful companion when I needed to be held and hugged.  It met so many needs at so many different times of my life.

God is just like this.  He is always near, always ready, and He always matches our situations.  He can hold us, shelter us from the cold, listen to us, wrap himself around us, or just hug us.  In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul writes "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  

I am so glad that God is a comfort to me.  So many times, when I have needed to be held, loved, and comforted, he has been my stay.  And he will be yours as well.  So if you are feeling just a little out of sorts remember that God stands ready to comfort you.  His arms are open, and he is waiting to welcome you into his comfort zone today!

I'm Not Wired For This

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n late August of 1983, I was frantically preparing to leave the United States to spend my third year of college studying abroad in France.  Packing for a year proved quite a challenge.   There were so many things to consider as I contemplated everything I needed to take with me for a year.  I packed enough clothes, socks, toiletries, cassette tapes, batteries, paper, pens, etc. to last me for the months ahead.  I even sent my winter clothes ahead of me so they would arrive well before the start of cold weather.

One of my last purchases was a power converter.  My hairdryer, my clock, and my radio, were all wired for 110 volts, the proper standard for the United States.  However, Europe uses 220 volts for its standard, meaning that my appliances would not work in France. A French plug-in is different from one in the United States.  Moreover, each country's electrical outlets were configured much differently from their American counterparts. This meant I had to have a piece of equipment which allowed the electrical current flowing from a European outlet to be converted into the correct voltage for my appliances.  Without the converter, my equipment would have been useless.

Although there was an electrical source coursing through the walls of my apartment and the hotels and inns where I stayed, it was of no use to me without a proper converter.  Only when the electricity passed through the converter were my appliances able to work correctly.  The converter served as the mediator between the electrical current and the appliance, providing the correct relationship between the two so that they were both able to accomplish their objectives.  The electricity was allowed to flow and the appliances were able to perform their functions properly because they received the proper amount of power in the exact form necessary to make them useful and productive.

The Apostle Paul understood the importance of a "converter."  He understood that man's life was useless without the proper relationship to God.  God's power was of no use unless it was administered to man by a mediator, by someone who could provide the means whereby God's power could infuse the life of a person, making him/her useful to accomplish the mission God created for him/her.  Much like the electrical converter served as the mediator between the electrical source and the appliance, so Christ serves as the mediator between man and God, making it possible for man to enjoy a proper relationship with his God.

In 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul writes, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."  Here Paul leaves no doubt as to the role of Christ in God's plan of salvation.  Christ serves as our mediator; he makes it possible for us to experience God's power, his love, and his salvation by providing direct access to the Father. 

When we accept him as Lord and Savior, we find that God's love and power flow into and through our lives.  We then have the right relationship with God and we are able to correctly accomplish those things God assigns to us.  Without the work of Jesus, there is no way for man to tap God's resources.  Man would forever lie on life's shelf, lacking the power to live in a manner pleasing to God.  But through the sacrifice of Christ, through his mediation, we are accepted by God, we have a correct relationship with him, and his power flows through us.  Is God's power flowing through your life?  Are you wired to receive him today?

Equal Installments

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he year was 1987.  I had just returned from France and had started teaching in a local high school.  For the first time since college, I had a steady job and a steady paycheck.  That’s when it arrived.  I came home one afternoon to find a small package, wrapped in a small white envelope, addressed solely to me.  I checked the return mailing address and, although I recognized the name, I wasn’t sure why I was receiving mail from this location.  As soon as I opened the envelope, however, I became painfully aware of the sender’s intent.

Inside were a letter and a booklet of coupons with my name and address printed on each one.  The letter informed me that the payment book for my college loan had arrived and that the fist payment was due!  Furthermore, the letter instructed me to flip through the payment booklet to verify that my personal information was correct.  I quickly flipped through the coupons and, as luck would have it, all the information was correct.  That meant I could start making payments right away.  The lending company had even done the math for me, dividing my entire loan into 120 equal installments!  That’s 10 years for you math whizzes!!!

I stared at that payment book for what seemed like the longest time.  How in the world was I going to pay that back?  For the next 10 years of my life, a certain chunk of my paycheck belonged to a company hundreds of miles away.  After the shock wore off and reality set in, I shrugged my shoulders, took out my pen, wrote the check, sealed it and the payment coupon in an envelope, and sent them on their way.  For the next several years, I did the same thing, finally paying off the loan with help from my parents.

I’m sure that many of you reading this Tidbit can identify with the story above.  All of us, it seems, are making payments for one thing or another in our lives.  We are either purchasing a house, a car, or furniture, and we are making payments on a monthly basis.  Our payments are divided into equal installments and we make them an integral part of our budgets, making sure our money is used wisely so we can meet all our obligations.

Do you realize that God also works on the installment plan?  That’s right!  Now, I’m not saying that God is a mortgage broker or a lending institution.  He isn’t!  However, the principle of making equal payments does apply to our spiritual lives.  Jesus addressed this in a conversation with his disciples concerning the cost of becoming one of his followers.  Luke 9:23 records Jesus’ words concerning the cost of discipleship. Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Look very carefully at the fourth word from the end of Jesus’ statement.  Did you see it?  Did you take a good hard look at the word daily?  Yes, you read correctly.  He said daily! These are the terms Jesus set forth as a requirement for following him.  However, unlike a bank or savings and loan, Jesus doesn’t want us to communicate with him monthly.  Instead, he wants us to relate to him on a daily basis.  He doesn’t want just a part of our lives, he wants the whole thing!

Some people, even believers, think this is a high price to pay.  However, when it comes to buying a house or a car, they are willing to sign a contract obligating them for several years, or a lifetime, in order to buy something. Making payments becomes a way of life for them, and they diligently and faithfully meet this obligation.  If we will adjust our lives to purchase something that is not permanent, doesn’t it make sense that we would also arrange our lives in order to gain that which is eternal?  God is not selling us anything.  Instead, He is offering us eternal life and, more importantly, a loving and daily relationship with Him.

So we must ask ourselves some hard questions.  How much of our lives is God getting?  As we spend our lives, do we remember to make our daily payment to God?  Do we spend time with Him by reading His word and praying?  Are we budgeting our time and resources in accordance with His will and commandments?  Are we willing to give God the payment due Him, namely, ourselves and to do this on a daily basis?  Are we living our lives on the daily installment plan, seeking God’s will and obeying Him?  Think about it, won’t you?  Have you made your payment today?

Please Wait To Be Seated

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he sign clearly read, “Please wait to be seated.”  The restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded but the hostess was methodically seating guests in an orderly fashion, making sure all the waiters and waitresses had an equal opportunity to serve the patrons coming into the restaurant. 

Since there was only one couple in front of me, I knew the wait wouldn’t be very long. I began looking over the daily specials, formulating in my head what I wanted to eat.  The meatloaf sounded good but then again, so did the chicken and dumplings.  Suddenly, I noticed some movement to my right and the couple in front of me began moving toward an empty table close by.

Now, the sign clearly told them to wait before being seated and they were reading it when I entered the restaurant so I knew they understood the procedure.  Nevertheless, they moved ahead without waiting for the hostess and they chose their own table.  The hostess came to me, welcomed me to the restaurant, picked up a menu and some silverware and escorted me to a nice table in front of the window.  She took my drink order and asked if she could bring me some bread.  The couple, who chose their own table, had no menus, no silverware, no drinks, and no bread.  They chose a table which was not in the immediate view of the hostess.

The waitress came, took my order, and before long, my food arrived.  The couple now became a little perturbed and called attention to the fact they had received no service.  The hostess and the waitress both apologized even though they had done nothing wrong.  This couple hadn’t received the service they thought they deserved simply because they refused to follow the rules.  They had no one to blame but themselves but they wanted to place the responsibility squarely on someone else’s shoulders.

The prophet, Isaiah, could well have been describing this scene from a local restaurant.  He understood that when we choose to make our own decisions without listening to God or considering what his word has to say, we always run the risk of disappointment, heartache, and grief.  Isaiah 50:11 addresses this idea with the following words, “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.”           

  

God’s words here are clear and leave no room for misunderstanding.  If we refuse to listen to his commands, if we insist on having and doing things our own way, then we are responsible for the consequences of our actions.  And consequences there will be!  In John’s gospel, Jesus says that he is the light of the world and that if we follow him we will not walk in darkness.  Yet, we choose to ignore his perfect light and walk by the light of the torches we light for ourselves. 

Our meager torches do not cast enough light to illuminate the path ahead and when we walk without enough light, we stumble, fall, and get injured. When this happens, our first reaction is to blame God for the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  We want to pin the responsibility on him; but we have no one to blame for our predicament but ourselves.

My prayer for all of us today is that we would continually wait on the Lord and walk in his perfect light.  He knows we are waiting for him, he knows we are there, but he also knows exactly where to place us so that we receive his best and can serve others according to the gifts he has given us.  Take courage, stand still, and wait on the Lord.  If not, it might be sometime before the meatloaf arrives!!!

You've Been Accepted

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pplying to college has to be on of the most nerve-racking experiences for a high school senior to endure.  I remember the process well and I still have nightmares about it and still remember the feeling of an entire swarm of butterflies living in my stomach. 

Completing the paperwork was a nightmare.  I had to provide a transcript of all my academic work, I had to secure recommendations from people who knew me, I had to take a whole battery of standardized tests, and I had to write several essays on topics my perspective colleges deemed insightful into my personality and thought processes.  In addition to all this paperwork, I also visited the various campuses for interviews which only made me more nervous and anxious.

Of the three colleges I selected, one stood out among the rest.  It was my first choice and, if accepted, I determined to attend the following fall.  The deadline for mailing applications came but my packet arrived well ahead of schedule. All I had to do now was to wait, and that was a very hard thing.

My high school had a wonderful tradition.  Each time someone was accepted to a college, they announced it over the loud speaker so the entire school knew exactly which colleges had accepted which students.  My name was announced twice for the two other colleges I had chosen.  However, the last college did not mail out notices until April 1, so I had to wait until then to discover where to move all my stuff.

Finally, on April 2, 1981 the letter arrived.  I was called to the principal’s office to speak to my mother who had received the mail that morning.  She read the letter but the first word gave it away.  That word was congratulations.  I didn’t hear anything else after that.  All the hard work, all the late night studying, and all those cram sessions before exams had paid off. I had earned the right to attend the college of my choice and I was extremely overjoyed.

In the Christian life, we sometimes approach God as if we are applying to a college or for a position with a company.  We present recommendations demonstrating what good people we are.  We sign up for every church-related program so we have a good record of Christian service, we do our best to persevere in every one of life’s tests, and we sit and wait for God’s letter of acceptance to arrive.

No wonder so many are disappointed in their walks with God!  No wonder so many do not enjoy the Christian life. They spend every waking moment trying to earn God’s acceptance, doing everything they can to ensure God will recognize their hard work and receive them based on the merits of their actions.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us plainly that God’s acceptance is not dependent upon our performance, upon our reputation, or upon our character sketch.  Instead, Paul states very plainly that our acceptance is based on God’s grace and on His grace alone. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Simply put, there is no way we can earn our way to God.  There is no process of application, no recommendations are required, standardized tests do not figure into the equation, and mounds of paperwork and stacks of forms are not part of the process.  The only requirement is that we confess Jesus Christ as God’s son, that he came and died for our sins, that we accept his sacrifice as the only means of salvation, and that we turn from our life of sin and live according to God’s commands and laws.  Based on this confession of faith in Jesus Christ we are saved and we are accepted. 

Where are you in this process today?  Do you know the joy of God’s acceptance or are you filling out forms, performing tasks, securing recommendations, and waiting on an acceptance letter in the mail?  If you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you’ve been accepted!  That’s what grace is all about, receiving God’s gift, a gift we don’t deserve, in order to walk daily with him.