The Water Cooler

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ummertime in a small town has to be one of the best memories a boy could have.  It seems there was always something happening to keep your curiosity peaked and your desire for mischief at an all-time high.  I remember summers as a time when families came together for reunions, when crowds cheered as the local baseball team won the state pennant, and when churches gathered their congregations on lazy Sunday afternoons for the all-important-and-ever-essential dinner on the ground.

Whenever anyone was having one of these events, my dad usually received a phone call to reserve equipment we provided whenever people were in need.  In addition to conducting funeral services for our community, we also provided tents, chairs, and water coolers to the public.  I remember going on trips with my dad as he delivered equipment to people, organizations, and churches that were planning events for large crowds.  Whenever the city had any type of event, they always called dad for tents and water coolers.  No matter the occasion, I have fond memories of watching my dad erect tents bearing our family name and placing water coolers in strategic locations so people would have a cool drink to slake their thirst.

Of all the equipment we loaned, the water coolers stick out in my memory.  They sat approximately knee-high, were made of metal, were gray in color, and had light blue plastic interiors that were designed to keep water at a cool temperature.  On the outside of the cooler at the bottom was a spout for dispensing cold water.  Ice filled the inside and as it melted it provided enough cold water to quench the thirst of a large number of people.  A church gathering or a large event required several of these coolers and we were more than happy to provide them.

Matthew’s gospel reminds us of the importance of small gestures, like providing water coolers.  In fact, in Matthew 10:42 Jesus speaks specifically about the importance of providing a cool drink of water to those who are thirsty.  “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” 

This is a wonderful passage of scripture because there are so many truths packed into it.  First, Jesus reminds us that even a cold cup of water given in his name brings great reward.  So often we believe we must do something great for the Lord.  By great, we usually mean going above and beyond the call of duty, accomplishing a goal no one has ever done or would ever dream of doing. 

Second, Jesus reminds us of the importance of doing these “ordinary acts” to those people who are around us on a daily basis.  We are to share the good news with everyone, especially those with whom we work and live from day to day.  When we do this, Jesus says we will not lose our reward.  He is not speaking of monetary compensation; rather, he is speaking of the reward God has for those who simply obey Him and share the truth of His son by word and deed.

I can still taste the water coming from the spout of those old water coolers.  They were by no means the center of attention at any of the events they attended but those events would have been incomplete without them.  People would not have stayed long had there not been something there to satisfy their thirst. 

Today, wherever you are, I pray you are playing the role of the water cooler.  The world is a hot and dry place, zapping the life from people on a daily basis.  Everywhere you look, you see people looking for ways to cool and quench their thirsts.  Remember that Jesus said that if we provide just a cool cup of water in his name to those within our reach, our effort would not be in vain.  Are you providing people with the cool, clear water that quenches their souls?  Are you pointing the way to Jesus Christ, the living water?  Are you being a water cooler today?

Just One of Those Days

J

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wasn’t very faithful or patient on that particular Monday; I was anything but.  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!

The Caterpillar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leg Cramps

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here is nothing fun about waking up at 4:30 a.m. Early one morning, I was wrested from a peaceful sleep, not by an alarm clock, not by a bad dream, nor by an unexpected knock at the door.  Nope!  This particular morning, I woke up with a terrible pain in my lower left leg—cramps!

It doesn’t happen often but when cramps hit, they hit me extra hard!  I was just lying there, not bothering a soul, and suddenly all the muscles in my lower leg decided to head north!  It was a rude awakening.

At first, I thought the cramps would subside if I did nothing but this strategy proved to be a complete failure.  The cramps continued and increased in intensity.  What I needed to do was to stretch my legs but that would involve more pain as I forced my leg muscles to do a U turn in order to head in the opposite direction.

So, I gritted my teeth, counted to three, and began stretching my legs.  Yep, it hurt, but after a few minutes of stretching, the cramps subsided and my muscles returned to their normal positions.  By this time, the alarm clock had sounded and it was time to get out of bed. 

James, the brother of our Lord, knew a little about leg cramps.  In fact, Timothy understood that life just sometimes throws all sorts of things our way that are unpleasant.  But he understood that everything—including leg cramps—has a purpose.

In James 1:2-4 he writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Three things stand out in this brief passage from the Scriptures.  First of all, life is full of trials.  Isn’t this a comforting thought?  All of us know the little opportunities we have every day to experience this opening statement.  No matter what day it is, no matter where we are, and no matter the time of day, something always seems to crop up to test us.  But James says we are to embrace these little opportunities with open arms and welcome them for they have a purpose.

The second notion is that trials come to test our faith.  Can you feel the muscles cramping?  I don’t know about you, but when God tests my faith, there is always pain involved on my part.  Trials come when we least expect it, when everything is going well and we are in control of everything.  That’s when our spiritual muscles cramp and we must work them, even though working them is difficult.

The last point gives God’s reason for trying us.  He wants us to be complete, perfect (meaning whole), and lacking in nothing.  The only way we can achieve this is to put our faith to work and the only way we can exercise that faith is to be placed in uncomfortable situations where it must be stretched.

Are you experiencing cramps this morning?  Are your spiritual legs being tested?  If so, exercise them.  It is the only way to get moving down the road God has laid out for you today!

Leave The Light On

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 grew up in a small town nestled in the Piedmont of Western North Carolina.  Our house on Main Street was the place I called home, and the place where I learned so many of life’s important lessons.  At the time, I didn’t know how important they were nor did I understand the role they would play later in life.  But now, as I look back on those years and on that house, so many sights, sounds, and experiences come sharply into focus and I see my childhood in such a different light.

Our home was wonderful. I always felt secure and safe within its walls, especially at night when I had climbed into bed and daddy closed the front door.  I can still hear that door and remember how deeply I slept, confident that that door would remained closed and that mom and dad would take care of me.

Before going to bed themselves, mom and dad would check in on each of us and they made sure that the bathroom light was always on.  Although the sleeping arrangements changed for me as my brother and sister came along, that light in the bathroom never changed. It burned each night, standing watch over us and no matter how dark it grew outside my window, the light from our bathroom reassured me that everything was and would be all right until sunrise the next morning.

The gospel of John has much to say about light and darkness. He mentions the word light no fewer than 15 times in his gospel. It is here that Jesus says of himself that he is the “light of the world” and John begins with the notion of a “light shining in darkness” that the “darkness can never put out.”  What a wonderful promise this is because, not matter our age, we are all afraid of the dark.

In John 12:46 Jesus says, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” Please notice the two truths that are in this statement. First and foremost, Jesus makes it very clear that the world is a dark place.  We need look no further than the front page of our newspapers to understand this truth.  But Jesus does not leave us in the dark! He says that his purpose in coming was to be the light to dispel the darkness so we would no longer have to live in fear or in the darkness of sin.

Back on Main Street, if I woke up during the night because of a bad dream, or if I needed a drink of water, or if I just thought there was something lurking in the corner of my room, the bathroom light provided comfort, reassuring me that all was well, that nothing in the darkness would harm me and, that if I needed to get out of bed, I would be able to see where I was going.  What a wonderful picture this is of Jesus.  He watches over us constantly, protecting us from things we can’t see, providing light so we won’t stumble, and making sure that when we feel alone and afraid, that we see and feel the comfort of his presence.  Do you know the security of having Jesus as your nightlight today? He will always leave the light on for you!

Why Am I Doing This?

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oday’s Tidbit is rather short and to the point.  It’s not because I have waited until the last minute to type it, it’s not because I don’t have something to write about, nor is it due to the fact that I have depleted stories from my life experiences. Believe me; none of these conditions is true. I have an open Bible in front of me and as long as I am able to read, I believe there will be ample material to draw upon for many Tidbits yet to come.  As for experience, I find each day filled with more lessons and experiences than I could ever hope to write about.

It’s just that this morning, I feel very compelled to address a short passage of scripture from the book of John.  It is a passage I have read over and over again, but this time it really spoke to my heart.  It’s not about John’s preaching, it’s not about his baptizing, and it’s not about his role as the forerunner of the Messiah.  Instead, it demonstrates John’s faithfulness as a servant and the purpose of his ministry, a purpose he didn’t seem to realize until Jesus came to him to be baptized.

In John 1:31, John the Baptist makes a very startling statement.  I say startling because we have, in some respects, idolized the Baptist.  Day in and day out John stood in the Jordan River pushing people under the water, baptizing them in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  If you take a close look at John’s words in this passage, you will see something very interesting as it applies to our walk with the Lord. “I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.

Like the other people of his day, John did not have first-hand knowledge of the Messiah’s identity.  He did not know that his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth, was in fact God’s son.  But this did not deter John from his ministry or from obeying the call God placed on his life.  Unlike the other religious leaders of his day who believed they were expert in who the Messiah would be, John made no such claims.  Instead of flaunting his religious credentials, instead of arguing over how ministry should be done, John just remained faithful to his call. 

On more than one occasion I’m sure he asked, “Why am I doing this?”  We’ve all been there, haven’t we?  We wonder why God allows certain events, situations, and people to enter our lives.  We want to know how they can possibly prepare us for service, and we grow impatient, just waiting on the day when God calls us to do something really big and great for him.  But look at John. This is the man whom Jesus described as the greatest of all those born of woman.  Here he is, dressed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey.

But when Jesus came to John, everything became clear.  When John realized who Jesus was, when he looked into his eyes, when he touched his shoulders, when he put Jesus in the water, and when he saw the dove descend, John knew, he knew for certain, who Jesus was and why he had been called to this place of service.  John himself says that he was called to baptize people so that Jesus would be revealed.

Is that our claim today?  Are we content to faithfully serve God so that Jesus Christ can be revealed?  On our jobs, in our homes, with our families, and with our friends, are we conducting ourselves in such a way that Jesus Christ is being revealed?  We may not know why we are called to a particular place of service and we may not understand all the reasons God has for placing us there; but we must remain faithful to the task at hand so that Jesus will be revealed.  This is all that matters in the Christian life.  Does your service reveal Jesus Christ today?

Do You Know Who This Is?

O

ne morning I returned home to find a message on my answering machine.  After putting my books down and arranging a few items on my desk, I turned my full attention to the blinking light of the answering machine.  There were a few new messages left for me while I was in class.  I listened to each message, discarding the ones from car salesmen, credit card companies offering me new cards with outlandish limits at obscene interest rates, and one from a company wanting to sell me vinyl replacement windows.  Since I lived in the men's dormitory at Southwestern Seminary, I didn't figure they'd appreciate me authorizing the replacement of the dorm's windows with vinyl ones, no matter how energy efficient they were.  Finally, I came to the last message.  It only took one initial sound to tell me that my father left the message.  The message began, "Blake, this is daddy..." He always begins his messages this way, although I know the sound of his voice from the first utterance.

It is amazing how we recognize the voices of those dear to us.  We can differentiate the sound of their particular voices even when we are surrounded other people.  Who hasn't received a phone call and known within seconds the person on the other end of the line just by the sound of his or her voice? 

Jesus taught this same lesson to his disciples.  John's gospel paints different pictures of Jesus but none so loving and endearing as the portrait of the Good Shepherd.  Jesus referred to himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10 and spoke of his relationship with his sheep.  In John 10:2-5, Jesus describes this relationship in the following manner: "For a shepherd enters through the gate. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice.”

This scripture shows just how intimately Jesus knows his own.  It is well known that sheep respond only to the voice of their shepherd.  He is the one who feeds them, who guides them, who protects them, who cares for them, and who loves them.  They will not respond to a stranger, but will only do the bidding of their shepherd.  We, as God's children and followers of Jesus Christ, are like sheep.  We hear his voice and we must follow him.  It is Jesus who cares for us, who protects us, who guides us, and who loves us. 

Not only do we know him but he knows us.  The shepherd knows every intimate detail about each of his sheep.  He understands, loves, accepts, and nurtures each individual sheep.  His voice is distinct, clearly discernible above the noise of the world.  He calls us to quiet pastures, to still waters, and to rest.  He never sends us out on our own, but always goes ahead of us, so that every situation we experience, he has encountered before us and is with us in every trial and joy.  The prophet Isaiah expressed this beautifully when he wrote, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

               How is your relationship; with God today? If he speaks and asks the question, "Do you know who this is?” will you be able to immediately recognize his voice?  I trust you can!

On A Shoestring Budget

O

ne weekend found me at the computer poring over my budget.  In order to keep track of my money, I used a computer program that would divide my income into several categories and show me the balances in those categories based on my spending.  It was a fun program to with.  Just to make sure it was working correctly, I put in $100. Each category reflected the correct percentage and the total added up to $100.  Now, this may seem normal to you, but not being good at higher-order math, that means adding anything higher than 2 + 2, I was quite proud and encouraged to see that the budget program actually worked.

Next, I began to dream really big.  I gave my self quite a substantial raise and looked to see how much money I would have in each category if I won the national lottery.  It looked really good on paper, and it would have been fun to live on that budget; but alas, it wasn't to be.  Finally, reality set in and I entered my income for the month.  The numbers magically appeared in their respective categories, indicating exactly how much I could spend on certain items. 

Although budgets are liberating in one respect, there are very confining in another.  The most difficult thing about being on a budget is staying within it.  When the money for eating out is depleted, you have to deny yourself a trip to the ice cream parlor until next month.  It's not easy, but until money becomes no object, and that doesn't seem to be anytime in the foreseeable future, disciplining myself to remain within my budget will remain a way of life.

However, what if money were no object?  What if there were no limits on spending and we had no worries about affording anything we needed?  Needless to say, our outlook on life would be different!!  We would approach life with confidence, ready to face any challenge, secure in the knowledge that we had the necessary means at our disposal to face any difficulty life threw in our path.

For the Christian, not only is this a possibility, God in tends for it to be a reality.  Now, I don't mean God is waiting to open up the coffers of Heaven and miraculously fill our bank accounts!  I don't expect to wake up tomorrow morning and find several million dollars have suddenly and inexplicably appeared in my checking account.  No, what I mean is that God intends for us to live the Christian life with no worries and no fear about living in a state of spiritual need.

God does not live on a budget. Finite resources or funds that can be depleted do not limit Him.  Instead, His resources are infinite and there is no exhausting the vast storehouse of blessings He has for His children.  In Philippians 4:19 the Apostle Paul writes, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This is a definite promise.  The Scriptures say God will supply all our need.  And what collateral does He have?  What is the source of this treasure?  It is by and through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  All the riches and fullness of God are in Him.  There is no budget, there is no deficit, there is no limit on spending, and there is no end to the supply.  We have access to God's storehouse of blessings because of Jesus Christ and because He lives in us. 

Because of this great truth, we can approach life with confidence, security, and courage.  This is exactly what God intends for us to do.  He wants us to live life in the knowledge that whatever we need, He will supply.    No request is too small or large, and no need is too great or insignificant.  Instead of supply and demand, God's economy is supply and need.  We have the need; He has the supply.  So, the next time you look at your budget, just remember this: you serve a God with infinite resources who loves you, who gave His only son for you, and who stands ready to meet your needs according to His riches, not according to your limitations!

The Balance of My Time

T

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)  

Mother, Show Me Jesus Loves Me

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t had been a very taxing, grueling day; the kind of day you wish you could toss into the wastebasket and forget it ever was!  Diane had taken the day off from work in order to prepare for a dinner party she was throwing for several members of her husband’s office staff.  He had recently been promoted and she wanted to do something special for him to show him how much she loved and appreciated him.

Selecting the day and the time for the party as well as the menu had been easy.  Diane never had difficulty putting a social event together and everyone always ranted and raved over the wonderful job she always did.  She knew that the right people, the right food, the right conversation, and the right atmosphere always led to a perfect party, especially when so much thought and preparation went into event.

But today had been anything but smooth and it looked as if the party were going to be a disaster.  The guests were due to arrive in five hours and everything was in complete turmoil.  The beds hadn’t been made, the sink was piled high with dishes, one of her cakes had fallen, the dishwasher failed to start, and the phone had been ringing every five minutes.  In addition, Jessica, Diane’s three-year-old daughter, had decided this was the day ask questions one after the other in rapid-fire succession.  Every five minutes, Jessica would run into the kitchen with a question about a book, a magazine, or whatever show was on television.  Diane felt like running away to hide but she tried her best to answer all of Jessica’s questions as best she could.

After several hours of interrogation, however, Diane was just about at her wits’ end.  She felt sure she would completely lose her composure if her daughter asked her just one more question.   She glanced at the clock just to see how much longer it would be before her guests started arriving.  It was 2:00 o’clock and the party was due to begin at 7:00 o’clock sharp.  The second cake had been redone and, although the kitchen was a wreck, she would be able to clean it and get Jessica and herself ready for the party. 

Everything was looking up and then she looked down and saw Jessica standing at the edge of the counter with a big book in her hand.  Her mouth was already forming the ump-teen-thousandth question of the day.  Before Diane could stop her, Jessica blurted out, “Mother, show me Jesus loves me in the Bible!”  Diane wasn’t sure what her daughter was asking.  Her inaction prompted Jessica to ask the question again, only louder, “Mother, show me Jesus loves me in the Bible!”  Jessica had learned “Jesus Loves Me” in Sunday school.  Since the last line of the song runs “for the Bible tells me so,” Jessica wanted her mother to show her where in the Bible it said that.

Diane looked around the kitchen, she glanced at the clock, and then she looked at Jessica.  The power of that question hit her full force.  Of all the questions Jessica had asked that day, this one had to be answered.  So Diane took Jessica into the living room, sat down on the sofa, opened the Bible, and told her the story about Jesus and the little children.  She told Jessica how Jesus always showed people he loved them by healing them, by listening to them, by talking to them, and by giving himself for them.  It was at that moment that Jessica jumped into her mother’s lap and gave her a huge hug.  “Thank you mommy for showing me how much you love me. By talking to me and by making things for daddy’s party, you are acting just like Jesus!”

This story should sound very familiar to all of us who claim the name of Christ.  Like Jessica, we are filled with questions and concerns.  It seems all we do sometimes is fire questions at God, one after the other.  He never gets in a hurry, He never gets frustrated, and He never ignores us.  He answers our questions and listens to our prayers, even when we ask Him the same thing over and over again.

In John 14:8-10, we find Phillip, one of Jesus’ disciples asking Jessica’s question. “Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?”

Phillip had heard about God all his life but he wanted Jesus to show him the Father.  We’ve all been there, haven’t we?  We want to open the pages of scripture and see God’s picture.  We want to know why He works the way He does, why He takes so long to answer our questions, and why He answers our prayers in ways we never dreamed of.  Phillip wanted to see God and Jesus told him, here He is.  When you see me Phillip, you see Him.  When I speak, you hear His voice, when I touch people, it is with His hands, and when I love them, it is with His heart.

If we would see the face of God, we need only to look at the life of Jesus Christ.  One look at him and God’s face comes into view.  When we want to see God, Jesus bids us come.  He sits down with us, talks with us, opens his arms and he shows God to us.  Not a bad way to have a question answered, is it?  

Junk Mail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Spider's Web

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uring the summer months of 1991, I was doing final coursework for my teaching certification.  I took the courses at Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina. Boone is a small college town nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the prettiest stretches of highway in the entire country.

One of my courses focused on presenting instruction, including the making of lesson plans and the delivering of a specific body of knowledge to my students.  A large portion of teaching involves reflection on the material being taught and the way the teacher intends to deliver it.  The teacher must know what the outcome will be so that all the instruction will be aimed toward that one goal.

Every day we had to keep a journal.  Our instructor wanted us to spend an hour walking in the woods, driving along the Parkway, or looking at a vista.  She then wanted us to reflect on our day and place our thoughts in the journal which she would read at the end of the course.  I wasn’t too sure about this idea at first but I soon learned to enjoy this time and I looked forward to it.

I found a beautiful trail just off the Parkway that wound through a dense grove of trees and ended at a beautiful waterfall.  One afternoon at the waterfall, I sat on a rock and just listened to the falling water.  The sound was almost deafening as hundreds of gallons of water per minute tumbled over the rock outcropping and crashed several feet below.  In the rising mist, not far from the fall itself, I saw a spider methodically building her web.  She was not deterred from her task by the falling water but continued her knitting, piecing together the various parts of her web.

I watched in utter amazement!  Very carefully and expertly, the spider joined one silk thread to another until a finished web emerged. She then climbed to the center of the web to rest and wait.  Her legs were sprawled out in every direction of the web.  Anything flying into the web or brushing against it immediately alerted the spider and she ran to that particular area of the web to take care of business. 

There is a great biblical truth to be found in the spider’s web.  Although the spider is blind, she succeeds in putting together one of nature’s most intricate architectural designs.  She knows exactly how the web is to be constructed and how it will look once it is finished.  That afternoon at the waterfall, the design was lost on me.  I had no idea what the web would look like nor how the spider would put it all together; but when she was finished, it was far prettier and more intricate than I had ever imagined.

God’s ways are just like this. He is always working, always putting things together, and always accomplishing His purposes.  Although we can’t see the end result, God knows exactly what it will be.  This fact is found in Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, "My counsel shall stand,  And I will do all My pleasure,'”

These are great words of comfort, especially when things in the world seem to be upside down.  We often wonder if everything is falling apart and we also wonder if God is aware of what’s going on!  Rest assured He is.  He knows all that is happening and He is still in control.  If He takes notice of birds when they fall, how much more is He aware of what is happening in the world and in our individual lives?  The last part of this verse reminds us of the immutability of God’s word and that everything is done in accordance with His will.

The next time you have occasion to watch a spider do her work, take a few moments and observe.  In her activity be reminded that God holds the individual threads of your life.  He knows where they should be anchored and in exactly what order they should be joined.  He is busy knitting every facet of your life into an intricate and beautiful piece of architecture that will bring glory and honor to Him.  What are you learning from the spider’s web today?

The Biggest Little Word

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f I had a million dollars…” “If I had more time…’  “If I had a bigger car…”  “If gasoline weren’t so high…” “If I had fewer bills…,” etc.  Does this scenario sound familiar?  Do you find yourself using this little word over and over again on a daily basis?  If we were honest, all of us would admit to overusing the little word, if, especially concerning the areas of our lives where we are the most dissatisfied.  We always want to change our situations.  If only that were possible!!

Please notice each of the foregoing statements creates a condition that has some type of result.  For example, “If I had a million dollars, I would buy a new house.”  The condition is having the million dollars and the result is the purchase of a new home.  But that little word if means I don’t have a million dollars and consequently I can’t buy a new home.  But if the condition were met, the result would follow.

The same holds true in our walk with God.  As we celebrate Independence Day this Saturday in the United States, it would do us well to review a passage of scripture that, although spoken to Israel, has application for us today. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

There can be no clearer call to repentance than this!  God extends his hand and sets forth the conditions for a relationship with him.  Notice that he begins with the word if.  As we said before, that word indicates that the condition is not being met.  In other words, God’s people do not humble themselves, they do not seek his face, they do not turn from their wicked ways and as a result God does not hear from heaven, he does not forgive their sin, and their land is not healed.

Now wait just a minute, Blake.  Are you saying God does not forgive sin?   No, I did not say that.  That would be contrary to scripture.  However, unless we call upon God’s name and repent, our sins are not forgiven.  God will not commune with us nor have a relationship with us as long as we remain in our sins.  That is what the Bible teaches.

This is true for nations and for individuals as well.  As long as we refuse to humble ourselves before God, seek his face, and repent from our sins we can never have a deep, abiding, personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Nations are made up of individual people and if individuals refuse to meet the requirements of God’s conditions, it is no wonder that nations—ours in particular—are in such deep peril.

The lesson of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applicable to all of us regardless of nationality.  As God’s people we must humble ourselves and seek him.  We must repent and turn from our wicked ways.  Then, God will hear us, he will walk with us, he will talk with us, and he will heal our land.  If only we will do what he says!! 

Contact!

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 few years ago I decided to make some changes in my life.  None of these was what you would call “earth-shattering” but nonetheless, they were changes.  The most dramatic of these was my decision to move from using prescription glasses to contact lenses.

For years I wore glasses.  They worked great, bringing everything in to sharp focus and helping me to see the minutest details.  They even helped me read the fine print on my mortgage but I’m not so sure I really appreciated knowing all those details.  However, they did have one set back.  No matter how good my vision, the frames restricted my peripheral vision.  This became problematic especially during driving sessions. I had to lower my glasses to see what, if anything was coming down the road.  Finally, I decided to switch to contacts.

My ophthalmologist explained to me the process of changing from frames to contacts and promised me I would enjoy the change but it would take time to find the right strength given the fact that both my eyes presented different challenges and would require two different lenses and prescriptions.  We tried all types of lenses and after three months, we finally found the right combination.

I distinctly remember the day we settled on the winning combination of lenses.  Everything was in clear focus and there was no impediment to my entire field of vision.  My peripheral vision was as good as the view straight ahead.  It was hard to believe that two small, round, flimsy pieces of film could make such a difference.  But as long as they are in direct contact with my eyes, my vision is great!

In Jesus’ day, corrective lenses, especially contacts, weren’t even a thought. Yet, just like today, there were people with vision problems. People either saw perfectly well, moderately well, or not at all.  But when Jesus met a man who was blind from birth, just the touch of his hand, changed everything from night to day!

In John 9:11 we read, “He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."  Here, the man is standing before Jewish rulers testifying about the miracle wrought by Jesus.  Everyone in the town knew the man from birth and knew he had been born blind.  Yet, here he stood with perfect vision.

Notice that Jesus made contact with this man. He made mud and placed it on the man’s eyes.  After washing, the man’s vision was restored.  There is a great lesson here for us today.  Spiritually speaking, we walk around in the darkness of our own blindness.  We don’t know which way to go and we can’t see around us.  We need someone to open our eyes, to make contact with us, and give us correct vision.  That is exactly what Jesus does for us.  He puts his hands on us, the hands that were nailed to the cross for our sins, and gives us sight.  He opens our eyes and our minds so that we may understand God’s word, his leading, and his direction for our lives.

When is the last time you had a spiritual eye exam?  Wouldn’t you like to make contact with Jesus today?  You will never see things in the same way again.

Every Fifteen Minutes

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f you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait fifteen minutes.”  Thus the saying goes by those who come from these parts and call them home.  When I first arrived in Texas, I thought this saying was a slice of Texas humor used to make those of us not from these parts feel more relaxed and jovial about our new home.  It didn’t take me long, however, to discover that this was not a propaganda ploy.  This was the honest truth, not in the least stretched or twisted out of proportion.

In the past nineteen years, I have witnessed almost every type of weather scenario imaginable.  I have experienced thunderstorms, flash flooding, wind gusts, tornado watches and warnings, hail storms, and have seen hurricanes strike our southern coast. A few years ago on a particular summer afternoon, the weatherman had predicted heavy thunderstorms during late afternoon hours.  Right on time, just like clockwork, they showed up.  The wind blew, the sky darkened, the thunder pealed, and the lightening flashed.  Everything was going just as predicted.

That’s when the unexpected happened just about fifteen minutes into the storm.  I was sitting on my couch when I heard hard knocks against the large windows in the office.  After a few seconds, the knocks grew steadily louder and one glance out the window let me know there was more to this storm than just wind and rain.  Out on the lawn, hail stones the size of marbles were accumulating.  As far as the eye could see, these stones were raining down, smacking against windows, bouncing off cars, smashing into the sidewalk and bouncing off the roofs of neighboring houses.  The sound was deafening as the hail continued to fall.

Right on schedule, after fifteen minutes, the hail stopped, the rain slowed to a drizzle, and the wind grew calm.  It was as if nothing had happened and had it not been for the hailstones littering the front lawn, no one would have ever believed frozen precipitation had fallen from the sky. 

Life sometimes resembles the weather patterns in Texas.  Every fifteen minutes it seems something new crosses our path.  These changes often come in the form of unexpected situations, difficult challenges, and down right inconveniences.  The car breaks down, we get sick, there is a death in our family, money gets tight, and myriad of other things find their way into our lives.  It seems that life throws us one curveball after another and that every fifteen minutes, the conditions of our life change. 

At times like this we often found ourselves discouraged, frustrated, dejected, and ready to throw in the towel and give up.  We feel there is no stability; nothing to hold to, our family, our friends, and any form of security seems to be all but lost.  Sometimes we feel that even God has forgotten us and has somehow found something else to do rather than pat attention to our situations.

If this sounds familiar to you or if life is tossing you one curve after another, I would like to share a word of encouragement from the book of James.  In James 1:17 we read, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

At first glance, you may think I have misread this passage.  You may be hard-pressed to find anything good about your situation, let alone consider it a perfect gift.  Nothing about heartache, financial difficulty, relationship problems, or a host of other challenges seem to be good or encouraging.  But read on to the end of the passage and you will see the wonderful hope in this verse.  At the end of this passage James reveals such a wonderful kernel of truth: God does not change!  That’s right!  God does not change.  Unlike sand which shifts and is blown by the wind, God stands firm and protects us in all life’s trials.  He never leaves us and will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we can stand.  No matter what we are facing, the same God who spoke everything into existence, the same God who parted the Red Sea, the same God who appeared in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, this same God is with you in every situation of your life—good or bad!  He has promised to use every situation in your life to bring about good and that is exactly what He is doing even when it doesn’t feel like it. 

God is always at work molding His children into the image of Christ.  Situations in life may change every fifteen minutes but our God is the same hour after hour, day after day, month after month, year after year, from now throughout all eternity.  Do you have fifteen minutes to spend with Him today?  Find out what a change this can bring about in your life.  The clock starts now!

Still Under Construction

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or a little over a year a construction crew had been working at a feverish pitch to erect a new science building on campus.  This new building just happened to be adjacent to the building where I teach and I had grown accustomed to the sounds of cranes, jackhammers, and forklifts as well as the all the accoutrements that accompany a construction site.

The speed with which the workers had constructed the outer shell amazed me.  The previous spring the workers had dug a huge hole, making provision to pour the concrete slabs and pillars that would form the building’s foundation.  Now they were laying brick on the outside, closing in the walls, giving the building its final appearance.

But the construction was by no means complete.  The entire inside had to be built.  There were no walls yet, none of the electrical connections were made, the air conditioning and the heating systems weren’t yet in place, and it seemed as if they had as much work to complete on the inside even as they were finishing the façade.  No matter how complete it appeared on the outside, construction was still necessary on the inside in order to finish the building.

This concept is also directly applicable to the Christian’s walk with the Lord and was a major idea Jesus wanted the Pharisees of his day to understand.  These men were the most religious men of their day.  The kept all the requirements of the law and devoted their lives to following God’s commands.  But somewhere along the line, they misconstrued God’s intentions and were more concerned with outward appearances than inner purity.  Like our building, the outside look great but the construction was far from over.

In Matthew 23:25-26, Jesus warns them of the danger of their hypocrisy, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”

This passage from Matthew’s gospel comes for a list of woes that Jesus directed toward the Pharisees. He wanted them to understand the importance and the seriousness of ensuring the inside of the bowl, the human heart, was clean before God.  Jesus knew and spoke of the roel the heart played in man’s relationship to God.  Man’s live is based on the condition of the heart and its purity; if it is clean, the man is clean.  That is why Jesus says here that the inside of the cup and dish should be clean.  If they are clean inside, they are also clean outside.  God is not interested in outward appearances; He sees the heart and He knows whether we are clean or not.

The construction workers continued laying brick and completing the work on the outside of the building.  The real work, however, was still to be completed.  The project would not be completed until the last nail was placed on the inside of the building.  Then, once it passed inspection, the facility would be open for business. 

And what about you today?  Are you still under construction?  Is God working in your life, completing, molding, and shaping the different areas of your life today?  I hope so!  God knows that the important work is what’s on the inside and He will not stop until our lives mirror the image of Jesus Christ.  Please let him continue His work today.

A Car Wash Lesson

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ne particular Saturday morning, the weather was perfect.  The sun was shining, there were no clouds in the sky, the temperature was very mild, and there was little humidity to speak of.  It was the perfect day to tend to some much-needed errands before jetting off to attend a wedding Saturday evening.  So I got up early, made a few phone calls, ate a late breakfast, dressed, and headed out the door to tackle the day ahead.

First stop, the car wash.  My car was in desperate need of a bath and I don’t mean a quick suds and rinse.  What it needed was more like a blast from a water canon in order to remove all the “little surprises” left by several flocks of birds passing through the area.  So I headed down the road to visit a brand new car wash that opened only a few weeks ago.  I had a coupon and figured it couldn’t hurt.  Anything would have been an improvement in the appearance of my car.

I arrived at the car wash, spoke with the attendant who explained the different levels of service offered, made my selection, and drove around to wait my turn in line.  Finally, I was given the go ahead to maneuver my car into position.  I approached the entrance very slowly until the attendant motioned for me to stop my vehicle.  I complied with his request and he immediately applied a thick coat of suds and gave my car a thorough hand washing.  He then instructed me to inch forward and place my front tires into an automatic conveyor system that would conduct my car through the remaining portion of the wash.  He was very clear with his instructions:  “Place the car in neutral.  Take your hands off the wheel.  Don’t apply the brakes until you reach the end of the line.”

It had been a long time since I remained in the car while the car wash machines did their thing.  I noticed that as the conveyor system took charge, the car moved forward on its own.  The steering wheel moved but the car maintained its steady, forward pace.  I was no longer in control.  A sudden noise jolted in my seat.  Strong water jets pummeled my car with pressurized streams removing all the dirt and grime caked on the outside.  Then I was under attack by several blue swirling brushes that scrubbed the dirt from the sides of my car.  The windshield was also a prime target as huge, soapy strips of material covered it, totally obscuring my view.  The car continued to inch forward in spite of the fact I didn’t know where I was going and could see nothing. Finally, I arrived at the end of the line where my car was dried by several strong automatic fans.  When I exited the car wash, my car was clean.

As I drove a way, however, I realized I had just experienced something the Apostle Paul spoke of over two thousand years ago. In his writings, Paul used the term “in Christ” on numerous occasions.  I use this term myself at the end of every Tidbit. But I wondered if I really had a true grasp of what Paul really meant.  After the car wash, I believe my understanding of that term has greatly deepened.

Like the car wash, being in Christ has certain elements that go along with it.  The first is relinquishing all control of our lives.  Jesus must take the wheel, steering us in the proper direction, even though we can’t see where we are going.  There will be sights and sounds along the way that frighten and worry us.  The path ahead may be completely obscured and at any moment the rough circumstances of life may brush against us, causing us pain and discomfort.  But none of these things can harm us as long as we are in Christ.  As long as I remained in my car, I didn’t get wet, I wasn’t’ beaten around by the brushes in the carwash, the killer soapy strips didn’t beat me about the head, and although I couldn’t see where I was going, the conveyer system had a firm grip on the car.  As long as I remained in the car, I was safe.  Although I was aware of all the commotion and the scrubbing action against my car outside, inside I was safe, comfortable, and dry.

In 1 Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”  This is such a comforting and revealing statement by the Apostle Paul to his readers.  Paul makes two wonderful observations in this sentence. Paul speaks of God’s grace and being in Christ in the same breath.  He rightly observes that we only receive God’s grace when we are in fact in Christ Jesus.  Being in Christ means that we have placed our lives in his hands and that we relinquish utter and total control to him. We go where he leads, when he leads, and obey his commands, trusting in him at all times.  When we place ourselves in Christ, he surrounds us and protects us from the things in life that would separate us from God.  This does not mean life will never be difficult.  It does not mean we will never be tempted again or that we will never have any trying circumstances in life.  But it does mean that we will never go through these times alone and it does mean we can and will come through them with God’s help.

On that Saturday, I did indeed learn a lesson about God’s grace and being in Christ.  Had it not been for the car, I would have been soaked, sprayed, scrubbed, soaped, and washed up.  However, inside the car, although aware of all the commotion on the outside, I was safe and calm on the inside.  The ride may not have been one I would have chosen on a daily basis, but I was able to sit back and enjoy it.  I was not upset by it because I knew that I was secure in the car and that nothing on the outside could penetrate its protection.  Keeping this in mind, we must ask ourselves one question:  Are we enjoying our ride down life’s highway today?  If we are in Christ, the answer is yes.  If not, help is just a prayer away!