Look Before You Leap

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 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 in the summer and my mom's side gets together at Christmas at my grandmother's 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, my mom, my dad, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, and my grandmother usually end 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?

Living In Love

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ne evening on my way home from work, I ducked into one of the local supermarkets to buy some shampoo and some bar soap.  As soon as I entered the parking lot, I knew that my visit would be a long one.  The lot was full, with all the spaces near the entrance taken and the only one’s remaining were located near the back of the lot, at least five miles from the door.  “Why” I thought “were so many people buying groceries at 9:30 in the evening?”  Then I thought that the store might be having some sort of promotional, you know, a boy-one-get-one-free sort of thing.  This thought excited me and I picked up my pace as I crossed the parking lot.

As soon as I entered the store, however, all thoughts about a sale went out the window.  The main attraction at the store last night proved to be paraphernalia for Valentine’s Day!  There were people in line with cards, candy, balloons, and stuffed animals.  Everywhere I looked, the store had erected some kind of display dedicated to Valentine’s Day, and urging people not to forget to tell the special people in their lives how much they loved them.  By the looks of the long lines, several people had forgotten to express their love and were quickly buying all kinds of tokens as proofs of their love and devotion for someone. 

I went straight to the shampoo aisle, made my selection, and joined the long line of others waiting to check out at the cash register.  As I stood there, I couldn’t help but notice how much people were spending on candy and other items.  Everywhere, people were talking about Valentine’s Day and how they had to buy a card, a flower, some candy, or all three.  The look on their faces was anything but loving as they grew impatient with the long lines.  Honestly, some of them looked as if they were on their way to an execution!  They looked more perturbed and disgusted with the holiday rather than excited and enthusiastic.

As the line continued to inch forward, I began thinking about love from God’s perspective.  God reveals His love to us daily, not just once a year.  In fact, what God wants us to know and learn about love is simply this:  Love is a lifestyle.  It is not something we do once a year.  It is not something we go to a store to buy.  And it is definitely not something that puts us under obligation.  God never intended for us to do things out of obligation.  Instead we are to do them out of love, out of a genuine concern and care for God and for those around us.

The Apostle John puts this very nicely in his first epistle, or letter.  1 John 4:16 tells us that “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”  Notice the relationship that John establishes between love and God.  He says that if we live in love then God lives in us and we live in Him.  If we don’t love others then we are not living in God and God is not living in us.  In other words, we must change our lifestyles.   Love must be something we do every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every year! 

The proof of our love will be evident in our actions towards others.  Love is hard at times and it is costly.  We must constantly give of ourselves if we are to love other people.  God modeled this for us by giving His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.  Jesus, himself said that there was no greater love than someone giving their life for a friend.  The proof of love is in giving. It does not come in the form of a card, or flowers, or candy.  It comes in the form of a person, Jesus Christ.  Is his love evident in you? Are you living in love today?

Live and In Concert

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n November of 2001, I realized one of my lifelong goals.  For years, I had wanted to hear the Vienna Boys’ Choir in concert, however, short of hopping a plane to Vienna, I seriously doubted I'd ever have the chance.  Nevertheless, the choir came to Fort Worth for one performance and I was fortunate enough to get tickets.

The concert was wonderful and met all my expectations.  I was amazed at the musical abilities of these boys who ranged in age from 10 to 14 years.  They sang all types of music from contemporary pieces to a Gregorian chant from the 14th century.  Their lyrics also represented at least 5 different languages, all sung without hesitation or difficulty.

One of their final numbers represented songs from four different countries.  In the space of 15 minutes, we heard music from China, Argentina, Austria, and South Africa.  Each of these pieces had a distinct sound, rhythm, and style that separated it from all the other pieces performed that evening.  Yet, all this music was composed from only eighty-eight notes.  The composer, whether he was Chinese, Austrian, American, or French produced his work using different notes.  However, when these pieces were played on a piano or sung by a choir, they always sounded the same.  A French composition played by a Chinese pianist will sound the same even if the piano player speaks no French.  The music, the notes written on the page, carries the same tune no matter the player or the instrument used.

As I sat there and listened to these wonderful pieces from around the world, the thought struck me that God's word is just like the music I was listening to.  The Bible has been translated into most of the world's languages.  Occasionally, as a seminary student, I would stroll through the section of Bibles in Southwestern Seminary’s library, pick one off the shelf, and just look at the words that were there.  Sometimes I would look at a copy in Spanish, sometimes in German, and sometimes it would be in French.  In addition, students from Korea, some from China, and some from many African countries studied at the seminary.  Their copies of the Bible, written in different languages using different letters or characters from different writing systems, all communicated one message!

God's word does not change!!!  The message is always the same no matter what language it takes.  When someone in Kenya reads the scriptures, the message they receive is the same as the person reading the Scriptures in Brazil or in South Korea.  Although the linguistic keyboards change, the music never does.  God's word, His thoughts, and His love are communicated to us without error or diminished meaning. 

Isaiah 55:11 reveals why this is true.  The prophet writes, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please,  And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  I like the beginning of the second sentence where God says His word will not come back to Him empty.  It will and does accomplish His purpose, whether in English, Thai, or Swahili.  Don't you find that amazing?  Don't you find that simply wonderful?  Don’t you find that to be just like God?

As I listened intently to the music, its message spoke to me.  I was uplifted and inspired by pieces of music written several hundred years before my birth.  If a piece of music, written by someone hundreds of years ago still inspires us, how much more inspiration is there to be found in the word of the living God?  We are His instruments, used for His purpose, sharing His love to the world around us.

What does the music of your life sound like today?  Is it inspiring someone?  Are the strains of God's love and mercy flowing from your life so that those around you can hear them?  Music was written to be played and shared and so was God's word.  So, pick up your instrument and play!

Little By Little

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ave you ever watched birds building a nest?  I know this may seem a rather odd question but it's amazing how many lessons God could teach us if we would just pay attention.  Early one April morning, I watched as two birds patiently built the nest that would become their home.  It would keep them warm and safe and would eventually house eggs that would hatch into baby birds.  Both birds worked diligently, deliberately searching for pieces of straw, twigs, and grass with which to build their nest. 

At first, their progress was painstakingly slow and it appeared as if nothing would ever come of their efforts. The birds, however, were not daunted by the difficulty of the task, nor did they become frustrated when their efforts were thwarted by gusts of wind that blew their meager twigs away.  When someone or something came between them and their nest, they waited patiently until the way was safe before continuing with the task at hand. Little by little the twigs, straw, grass, and mud began to take shape and finally the nest was completed. 

Here is a great lesson that God wants us to learn and it is found in the words little by little.  These are the very words God uses to describe the entry of the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  In Exodus 23:28-30 God reveals his plan for Israel's conquest of Canaan.  “I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

Read that passage very carefully and you will see how gracious and caring God is.  He says that he will not drive Israel's enemies out in a single year but that he will drive them out "little by little." Notice that God chooses NOT to drive them out in a single year.  It is not that he can't do it but he won't do it; and the reason he won't do it is to give the people time to increase enough to possess the land.

How often do we find ourselves in the place of the Children of Israel?  How often do we want God to do things for us "in a single year"?  We are so interested in setting our own agendas and placing God on our own timetables that we totally disregard the plans he has for us. Yet God's design was for the people to enter the land in a position of strength. Therefore, God' planned to drive out their enemies little by little thus ensuring both rest and victory for his people.

The scriptures tell us in Psalm 103:14 that God "knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." He knows that proceeding "little by little" is always best for us.  The promise was that Israel would possess the land.  It was theirs by right and by God's promise.  He wanted to ensure that when they entered it, they would do so in strength, not weakness, and enjoy God's provision to the full.

If you are in a place that is difficult and it seems that God is moving excessively slow, just remember his promise to Israel.  They would enter the land, it would be theirs, and they would possess it from a position of strength.  God's promises are always coupled with his desire to take care of us if we will just let him! 

Little by little God shows us the way

Little by little we learn to obey

Little by little, one step at a time

Little by little, we steadily climb.

Little by little, we rest in his hand

And little by little, we conquer the land.

A Note Of Thanks

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he post office can be a place of extreme joy or extreme disappointment, depending upon the contents of your mailbox. When I was in college, the post office was a place of extreme excitement. Around exam time, my parents would send me a care package, usually filled with homemade cookies which I stashed away in my room. I knew that if the other guys on my hall found them, they'd be gone in a flash. Hey, I'm an understanding sort of guy but when it comes to mom's homemade cookies the word share does not compute!!!

As I grew into real life, the post office began to lose its magical allure. Instead of boxes filled with homemade goodies and envelopes with spending money tucked inside, I began receiving statements and bills from various places. The phone company wrote regularly, the power company always seemed to remember me once a month and several businesses delighted in filling my mailbox with reminders of the big sales events they were hosting. Needless to say, going to the post office became less and less appealing. Instead of receiving cookies and treats in the mail, I was sending my hard-earned money to everyone. I began wondering if the mail system had any redeeming value whatsoever.

Then, one day, it happened. My mailbox was unusually full. In fact, the box was completely stuffed! There were the usual bills, some promotional flyers, the ever-popular notification that I had won $1 million dollars, and several survey forms from charitable organizations I had never heard of. That's when I spied a small envelope with my address written on it. It was almost lost in the shuffle of unimportant and mundane pieces of mail. As I inspected the envelope, I noticed it lacked a return address. Understandably, my curiosity was peaked and I quickly tore it open. Inside was a thank-you note in beautiful handwriting. A very dear friend had written to thank me for doing him a favor a few weeks before. What a breath of fresh air this was in comparison to all the other pieces of "junk" mail littering my mailbox.

Our lives, it seems, resemble the mailbox described in the preceding paragraph. They are crammed full of things that are so very unimportant. Our lives are filled with requests, notices, promises, promotions, and junk. Rarely, if ever, is there room for important things like giving thanks to God for all He has done for us. When we do get around to thanking Him, our gratitude is very small compared to the other, more "important" things taking up room in our lives.

In Leviticus 22:29, God gives a clear indication of the type of thanks He desires from His children. In this passage of Scripture, God says, “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will." Take a very close look at that requirement again. Thanksgiving must be of our own "free will" if it is to be pleasing and acceptable to God. Thanksgiving which comes from tradition, coercion, or from a sense of obligation is not true thanksgiving.

Today, the United States is celebrating its annual Thanksgiving holiday. We set aside this day to officially give thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us as a people and as a nation. Millions of people will gather with family and friends around a table filled with traditional foods. Before eating, thanks will be given for the year's blessings and everyone will sit down to eat. After just a few moments of fellowship, most people will abandon the table and will head for the nearest television to watch a football game or a movie. We give God a few minutes of thanks in return for His daily blessings and faithfulness to us. Something seems drastically out of balance here, doesn't it?

As long as our thanks to God is dictated by the calendar, the clock, or family tradition, we really aren't thanking Him. The Scripture says we are to do this deliberately of our own free will. Thanksgiving is not something that we do; rather, it is something that we are. Thanksgiving is an attitude, a fundamental part of our character. Our lives must reflect thanksgiving to God on a daily basis, not when it's convenient or politically correct to do so.

The thank-you note I found in my mailbox that day was very special to me. My friend didn't have to send it to me; he wanted to. Of his own free will, he went out, selected a card, thought about the message, inscribed it on the card, sealed the envelope, addressed it, and went to the post office to mail it. It required time and effort on his part as well as a real willingness to do it. That made the card all the more special to me.

Should it be any different with God? When we were lost in sin, God gave us His best. Of His own free will He gave us Jesus so that we could be reconciled to Him. This gift was not something God just whipped up in an instant. Instead, He planned it out before the foundation of the world was laid. Think about that. Before God created all that is, He planned ahead and made provision for us to be eternally with Him. Don't you think that requires more than just a quick prayer over a meal? Don't you believe it demands more than just a fleeting thought? What it requires, what God wants, is for us to give ourselves to Him willingly and totally as the ultimate expression of our thanks. When was the last time you sent God a real thank-you note? Why don't you do so today!!

Let's Go Shopping

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aturday afternoon I embarked on that great American adventure known as a visit to the local supermarket!  Yep!  I went in with all the prowess of a professional hunter, determined not to come out until I had a kill!  With my list in one hand and my checkbook in the other, I moved quickly forward, confident in my ability to return with a successful catch.

Now, a visit to the grocery store isn't this romantic.  Very few of us anticipate entering the store with the expectations of a big game hunter. It requires very little knowledge or skill to approach the meat aisle and simply select meat that has already been killed, dressed, and packaged.  It isn't very challenging to reach up on the shelf to find a can of soup.  The real problem is in choosing which can of soup you want.  Every aisle is simply chock full of items from which we may choose.  The supply of foods is endless it seems and every row holds something new for us to consider.

As I perused each aisle, I was able to find all the items on my list.  My cart slowly filled with the items I needed and soon it was time to leave the store.  Before I left home, my list looked incredibly long.  I wasn't sure if I could find all the items nor if there would be enough room at home to accommodate them all.  But in the checkout lane, the number of items I selected paled in comparison to the entire stock of the grocery store.  My worries about not finding certain items were simply unwarranted.  Even if I had wanted to, it would have been impossible for me to exhaust the supply of groceries housed in this store.  There was simply more there than I could ever hope to use.

The Apostle Paul would have understood my amazement at the enormous supply of the grocery store compared with my small needs.  In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses the sufficiency and overabundance of God's provision for his people.  In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul writes, "And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." 

Today in the grocery store, Paul's point hit home.  The items in my cart were as nothing compared with the overall inventory of the store.  I purchased one can of soup, and I left several hundred there.  I purchased one loaf of bread, leaving countless others on the shelf.  In no way did my small purchase drastically diminish the store's supply.

This is what God is like!  No, I'm not suggesting that God is a great big grocery store where we shop at our leisure.  But I am stating that God does supply all our needs and our needs in no way even remotely begin to tap his resources.  When we come to him in prayer and present him with the list of our needs, he never says "Let me check to see if I have that in stock!"  His supply of love is endless, his grace is boundless, his mercy cannot be measured, and his understanding cannot be fathomed.  He is ever ready to hear our requests and he openly invites us to come to him and boldly make our desires known.

When we obey him, he opens to us all his riches, and his riches are in Jesus Christ.  At anytime, day or night, in any location, we may come to God and present our lists. We can get our carts filled, confident in the knowledge that when we our needs arise once more, he will be more than able to fulfill them over and over and over again.  So, today if you are in need of experiencing more of God's love, if you feel the need for more of God's grace, if you are longing for a deeper relationship with him, or if you desire a more profound knowledge of your Heavenly Father, all you have to do is go shopping! Everything is always in stock!.

Let Me Give You A Tip

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orking in a restaurant provided dozens of opportunities to learn about people. You get to know their likes and dislikes, their preferences, their quirks, their attitudes, and their moods. Every time I waited tables, I always learned something new about my customers and, invariably, something new about myself as well.  Everything I learned was useful but not everything was pleasant or easy to accept.

One of the most difficult things to master was the concept of the tip.  Most people figure up a certain percentage of the bill and leave that as a tip.  Depending upon the level of service, the tip may be more or less.  In extreme cases, customers refuse to leave anything, expressing their dissatisfaction with the service or representing their desire not to leave a tip at all.  The danger for a waiter or waitress is judging people according to the amount of money left on the table.  I’ve seen this happen repeatedly.  Servers would become upset because a customer left a smaller tip than they anticipated and the end result was anger and bitterness on the part of the waiter or waitress.

However, if the server considered the amount of the tip as a percentage of the whole bill, he might be pleasantly surprised to discover he was well compensated for his service.  I learned this from a wonderful customer I used to wait on.  No matter what the amount of his bill, he always tipped at twenty per cent.  If he ordered a cup of coffee, he tipped twenty per cent and if he ordered a large meal, the tip was the same fraction of the ticket.  No matter what, he remained consistent in his giving and he was generous.  When I finally realized that I should look at my tips as a percentage of the ticket instead of a fixed amount, I became more encouraged and humbled.

            In Malachi 3:6a, God teaches us a very important principle about himself.  This passage of scripture reads, "I the Lord do not change.”  Yes, you read that correctly.  God does not change.  No matter the circumstances, no matter the need, no matter how small or how large our burden, God always provides generously for us. 

Our problem lies in how we perceive his gift.  We fall into the trap of assuming we know how God should address our needs and how he should resolve our difficulties.  When he doesn’t follow our line of thinking, we become bitter or angry, essentially believing He has refused to honor our request.  However, we must change our perspective and see that God’s giving is always consistent, always generous, and always available.  It is not based on our actions, works, or on our belief that we deserve it.  Our actions are never good enough, we can’t work enough to earn it, and we never deserve it. But God gives anyway, and He always gives at one hundred per cent.

The cross of Jesus Christ is proof of God’s grace and generous giving to us.  While we were still steeped in our sins, incapable of having a relationship with God, He gave His son so that we might have forgiveness and eternal life.  This must become our perspective.  We must understand that God has given us His best and that He continues to do so based on our relationship through Jesus Christ.  God did not calculate the smallest percentage needed to offer us salvation.  Instead, He gave us His all, one hundred per cent, holding nothing back.  What kind of tip are you giving God today?  Is it all you have or just a mere percentage?  

Let It Snow

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 love snow!  I love to watch it fall!  I love to catch it on my tongue!  I love to walk in it!  Are you seeing a pattern here?  I LOVE the stuff!  When I was a kid, the mere mention of the word would send me into a frenzy.  I would religiously watch the television for the promise that we would be out of school the following day.  During the night, I would wake up and check the window several times to see if it had started and how much had accumulated on the ground.  The next day, I spent with friends outside sledding, building snowmen, and having snowball fights.

As I grew older, I loved it even more.  As a teacher, I was more excited than my kids about the prospects of missing school.  You know, some habits just die hard!!  However, as an adult, I appreciated the snow's beauty more than when I was a kid.  I remember taking long walks at 2:00 a.m. while the snow was falling.  At such moments, the snow moved me to deep thought.  I remember saying to myself, "If ever one could touch silence, I believe it would be a snowflake."  During the evening hours, as the snow fell and accumulated, everything took on a different appearance.  Things that were once mundane and unattractive, became unimaginably beautiful. Overnight, the world was transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary. 

Our scripture lesson today comes from Psalm 51 and is one of the great prayers of the Bible.  Here, David asks God for forgiveness from his sins.  David was guilty of an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and of murder.  Notice his words in verse seven, "Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Could there be a more accurate illustration of salvation than this?  David is asking for his sins to be removed and for his life to be washed clean and made white, whiter than snow!

Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ can satisfy this request.  When we come to God, we do so with a heart that is black and spotted with the stain of sin.  Nothing we say or do will take away this stain.  We are not good enough and never will be.  Our good intentions aren't enough, our deeds aren't adequate, our family tree isn't impressive enough, our thoughts aren't pure enough, and our righteousness isn't good enough to make us acceptable to God.  In fact, the scriptures say in Isaiah 64:6, "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags..."(New Living Translation) When viewed this way, we can easily understand David's plea for God to wash him and make him whiter than snow!!

Like a young child who desperately wants to play in the snow, David wanted to regain the excitement and the happiness that accompanied his salvation experience. In verse 12 of this same psalm he says, "Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." David rightly recognized that his joy and his salvation came from the Lord.  He also realized that he could not live an acceptable without God's help.  Only God could give David a willing heart, only God could wash him and make him clean.  Only God's grace and

forgiveness could make David's heart whiter than snow!  Is it snowing where you are today?

Leave The Night Light On

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hen I think of home and all the wonderful memories I have from my childhood, one image in particular comes back repeatedly.  It is the image of the lights that burned during the night in our house.  My brother and I shared a room and each night before going to bed, we made sure the bathroom light was burning.  There was such a sense of security provided by that light.  As long as it burned, I knew everything would be all right.  I had no fear of the dark, of the things hiding under my bed, or lurking in my closet because I knew the bathroom light would keep me safe.

Some nights, when sleep eluded me, I would lie awake in my bed and look at the soft light coming from our bathroom.  There, in the stillness, the light would assure me that everything was okay. It provided companionship and dispelled the worries and fears I had of the dark.  The light was always faithful, ever vigilant, ever protecting, and ever present.  After a while, perhaps fifteen minutes or as much as an hour, I would drift off into a sound, worry-free sleep, secure in the knowledge the light would always be there to help me, to console me, and to protect me.

Most of us could share similar experiences from our childhood.  We all know what it's like to be afraid of the dark.  We can all identify with the child who fears the monsters under his bed or those hiding in his closet.  Even as adults, there are still monsters that haunt us late at night, and if we are truly honest, we would admit we still find great comfort in night lights.  We want something to take away the dark areas of our lives, those areas that frighten and paralyze us and prevent us from enjoying life to the full.

Would it surprise you to learn that the concept of the night-light can be traced back as far as the Exodus of the Hebrew children from Egypt?  It's true and our scripture today shows us that the children of Israel found great comfort and security in night-lights.  Exodus 13:21-22 says, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people."

The night-light God provided for his people was none other than his own presence.  There, on the desert floor, having no idea where they were headed, God provided guidance for them.  During the day, a great pillar of cloud went before them and at night, the pillar changed into fire, providing light for their journey.  Can you imagine what it would be like to open the flap of your tent and see the presence of the eternal God?  On nights when sleep escaped you, or when you were afraid of the monsters in the dark, or when your mind was filled with all kinds of worries, all you had to do was open your tent, and you would see God's night-light.  This light burned all during the dark hours of the night.  It dispelled any fear, any threat, any worry on the part of his children.  There was great security, great peace, and great comfort in knowing the light was always there, always watching, always protecting, always burning.

On the campus of Southwestern seminary, the main classroom building stays lit all night long.  While I was a seminary student, I often imagined myself as one of the Hebrew children during the Exodus.  Whenever I couldn’t sleep, whenever I was lonely, whenever I just needed someone to listen to me, I would go look at that building.  In the soft light, I could hear God say so softly, yet so earnestly, "I am here.  You can sleep because I am awake; you need not be lonely for I am your friend. Come, talk to me, for I am here to listen.  Have no fear of the dark, for my presence is with you and my light can never be put out."

During all the difficult and trying times of my life, when it seems the darkness is all around, the pillar of fire continues on before me.  God never removed that pillar from before the people and I know he will never remove it from before or you me.  When darkness falls, it is wonderful to know that God always leaves the night-light on for us.  As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 21, "He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep."  Today, as you walk with God, you have the confidence of knowing that no matter how dark the way seems, the light is always on.   

Learning To Lean

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everal summers ago I was working as a chaplain at Philmont Scout Ranch.  One of my duties as a chaplain was to go into the back country and conduct services for crews hiking the many miles of trail at Philmont.  We held regularly scheduled services for a few large camps serving as thoroughfares for a majority of the crews visiting Philmont.  We also did services by request, however, and for those services, we would pick an appropriate rendezvous point where we could meet a particular group.

It was my privilege to conduct several of these requested services during my two years at Philmont.  The young people and the adults looked forward to worshiping God in his creation.  There is perhaps no better setting in which to worship God than at the foot of a mountain, in the soft breezes of a shaded meadow, or by the cool waters of a gurgling stream.  In such a setting, you rapidly forget about the insignificant things of life and focus instead on God's glory and majesty.

On one such occasion, I had been asked to conduct services about an hour's drive from base camp.  I climbed into my suburban and drove to the camp where I found the crew eagerly awaiting the opportunity to have a service.  As I prepared my notes, I couldn't help noticing an older gentleman standing a few hundred yards away.  He was leaning on his hiking staff, looking out over a large valley.  Despite the noise of the crew members arriving for service, despite the commotion of preparing the place for worship, and despite the attempts of others to engage him in conversation, this man continued to lean upon his staff, looking intently at the beautiful scenery before him.

He did not attend our service, but remained fixed in that spot during it.  Intrigued, I approached him when the service was finished.  Whatever there was in that valley, I had to see it for myself.  This man had remained glued to the same spot for over an hour, simply leaning on his staff.  As I approached, he asked me a simple question, "Have you ever seen anything so lovely, chaplain?"  "I have been here several times," he continued, "and I never tire of this view.  I love to stand here, resting on my staff, drinking in the beauty of God's handiwork."

This man, clearly in his mid to late sixties, was talking from his heart with deep conviction.  I asked him why he didn't have a seat on one of several logs or stumps in the area. He kindly replied that he felt much better and much closer to God if he leaned on his staff.  It reminded him, he said, of God's all sustaining grace which supported him through life, even when he felt too tired to go on.

What a lesson that man taught me that day.  His words are so true and convey a lesson we all need to learn better.  This man's contentment was based solely on the ability of his staff to support him.  As long as he leaned on it, trusted it, and grasped it, the staff would hold him up, allowing him to drink in the view before him.  What a picture of the relationship we should all have with God.  1 Peter 5:7 encourages us to lean heavily upon God and to rely on his strength to support us.  The verse says, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."  

Notice the two actions contained within this verse.  First, we are to cast, that is to toss, heave, unload, dump, etc. every care we have on God.  The word all means just that, all.  God stands ready to receive all our care, all our worry, all our difficulties, all our grief, all our fears!  He longs to remove from our shoulders everything weighing us down, preventing us from enjoying his presence

. 

Second, we can cast our cares on him because he cares for us.  We will never be able to fathom the depth of God's love for us nor the extent to which he cares for us.  We simply have to trust him, to love him, to lean upon him.  Leaning on God, realizing we are weak, admitting we need help, is the greatest place to be for the Christian.  It is here that we experience and understand the full extent of God's strength in our lives.  His love and grace strengthen us when we can't go on and they rejuvenate us when our strength is gone.

Today, won't you stop and enjoy the scenery God has provided for you?  Won't you stop, rest, and unload the burdens you are carrying?  God is calling to you, asking you to give him your cares, your burdens, your worries, and your fears.  Lean upon him, trust him, and let him care for you because there is none other who can care for us like he can.  Won't you let him care for you today?

Just Around The Bend

"N

ot much farther", Thomas told himself.  "The cabin has to be ahead, just around the next bend."  He had been hiking for what seemed like days, though in actuality, it had only been since early morning.  Yet, as the evening approached, Thomas knew he had to find shelter before dark and before the heavy thunderstorms predicted began.  He looked at the map again.  All indications pointed to a cabin, very close to his location, where he could find shelter and food for the next several days until he was rested and the storms subsided.

The trails he had taken earlier in the day had been very difficult.  His legs, feet, and back were tired and hurting.  All he wanted was to rest.  He imagined the cabin would be a rickety shack with a dirt floor.  There would be some dehydrated food and water for him to nourish himself and there would be a dry place where he could roll out his bag and sleep.  He tried to keep his mind focused on the cabin, and even though the accommodations would be less than deluxe, he could rest and regain his strength.

Finally, Thomas reached the bend in the road and there, not more than one hundred yards a head of him, was the cabin, just as the map had indicated.  But the cabin was nothing like he had imagined it would be.  It was very large with a large, covered porch.  The back had a wooden deck and a place to relax and watch the nearby river.  Inside, he couldn't believe his eyes.  It was warm, dry, and clean with ample room to spread out.  There was food, real food stored there as well as a small kitchen, a refrigerator, and a small dining table.  There was even a cot provided and a radio powered by solar panels for contact with the outside world.  Never in his wildest imagination would Thomas have ever dreamed that such a place existed in this barren and seemingly forsaken place.

Although the foregoing story is not true, it does speak volumes to us about our walk with God.  The feeling Thomas experienced upon reaching this cabin must have reflected the same idea the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Paul is quoting from the Old Testament, Isaiah 64:4.

Like Thomas, the road we take seems long.  Sometimes it appears that we have been walking it forever and that we will never reach our destination.  We look for a place along the way, just somewhere to sit, rest, sleep, and nourish our bodies.  We know that God provides resting places along the trail and our map (the Scriptures) even indicates to us where we find these areas.  But we imagine that these shelters will be sparsely supplied, and will serve only to meet the most basic necessities.

That is when God steps in and says, "Surprise, look what I have for you!"  The places that God prepares for us are beyond our scope of understanding.  Often we look at this passage from Corinthians and apply it to our heavenly home, a place we can't even imagine.  But I think God also means for us to apply this to our daily lives as well.  We can't see with our eyes, nor imagine in our hearts or minds all the things God has planned for us in our daily walk with him.  His provisions are always more than adequate.  Instead of dehydrated food, he supplies manna and quail; instead of stagnant water, he provides "streams in the desert"; instead of a hard patch of ground on which to sleep, he "makes us lie down in green pastures."  What a great and awesome God we serve!  So, if today, you are on a trail that seems very long and trying, if you, like Thomas, are looking for rest and shelter, read your map, follow the trail, and you'll find God's best waiting for you just around the bend.  

Encouraging Thoughts

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ave you ever felt that God had placed an undue burden on you? Do you ever wonder if he has forgotten just how frail you really are? Do you feel like Atlas, carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders with no one to help or even to care? Then does the word of God have something for you to think about today!!!!

The book of Job is not one of those books you go to for immediate comfort. It is a book of suffering, of the trials of a man who had done nothing to deserve his fate and who seemingly was singled out by God to be picked on! But there are several things in this story that we need to see.

1.     God asks Satan if he has considered Job's righteousness. Notice that God himself testifies to Job's righteousness. What would God say about you or me?

2.     Every time Satan suggests that Job will curse God to his face, God says "No, he won't.” God had great faith in Job. Therefore, it wasn't Job's faith in God that held him, but God's faith in Job. God trusted him with these adverse circumstances. What can God entrust to me and you? Are we trustworthy in his eyes to remain faithful in the circumstances into which he places us?

3.     Job said that God knew the way he was taking and that when God had tested him he would come forth as gold. This is the statement of a mature believer who recognizes God's promise never to leave nor forsake his children. Statements like this one look forward to God's reward at the end of trials and seek to learn lessons during them.

4.     The end of Job was better than his beginning. This is always God's way. He never does anything to diminish us, but is always at work to improve us. Romans 8:28 tells us this plainly. The scripture says "that all things work together for good" it DOES NOT SAY everything is good!!

It is my prayer today for you that you let God speak to you in your circumstances. He is there with you. The very hairs of your head are numbered and if he knows when sparrows fall, then he knows the way you take today as well.

I've Got You Covered

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hen I was sixteen years old, my parents allowed me to get a job and earn my own money.  For the first time, I could buy something I wanted with my own money and it was very exciting.  However, it also proved to be very challenging because I had to decide between what I could afford and what I couldn't.  Furthermore, I had to evaluate all my purchases in terms of needs or wants.  It is so easy to spend someone else's money; but when you go to spend your own, you become very cautious and your approach to owning things takes on a different perspective.

Like most sixteen-year-olds, I had a desire for a car.  Most of my friends had one and, using teenage logic, that justified my having one as well.  My mom and dad got me a car, but told me I would be paying for it.  It was the smartest thing they ever did for me, although at the time I didn't always agree with this idea.  Car ownership was fun so long as I could make the payments and have everything I wanted.  However, when I wanted to purchase something and couldn't because I had a payment due, the car became more of a burden than a joy.  My parents were giving me a good lesson in the reality of life, that you can't have everything you want, and that the privilege of ownership comes with a price.

But it was also a good lesson about having my needs met.  Just before school started, mom and I went shopping at a local store.  I needed clothes in the worst way for school.  Problem was, I couldn't afford to buy them due to the fact my car payment was due for the month.  My job at the local hospital provided me enough cash to pay for the car and the gas to run it.  There was very little left over for entertainment or purchasing necessary items, like clothes.  So, mom and I went shopping, although I had absolutely no idea how I was going to pay for them.

At the store, we picked out several shirts, pants, a new belt, and a new pair of shoes.  As we approached the counter, my mind was filled with questions, well just one question, "How would I pay for it?"  When we got to the register, the clerk ran the total and mom opened her checkbook, wrote a check, and looked at me and said, "Let's go!"  I remember standing there in disbelief.  Mom had never intended for me to buy my clothes, she just needed me there to try them on. It was always her intent to buy the clothes for me.  She never meant for me to worry about having clothes nor did she mean for me to be concerned with paying for them.  As a parent, providing clothes for me was her and dad's responsibility and when the time came to buy them, she wrote the check, she had me covered.

This is the great truth the Apostle Paul was expressing in Philippians 4:19. The members of the church at Philippi sent Paul a gift, perhaps money or provisions he needed.  Paul accepted the gift with gratitude and used their expression of love as an illustration of a great spiritual truth.  Paul writes, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  The Philippians had met a real need in Paul's life.  Perhaps he was concerned about money for his journey.  It is possible he needed food and clothing.  Whatever the precise need, the gift from the church at Philippi adequately addressed it.

Paul realized that God uses various situations and people to meet our needs.  Paul also knew that we are never able to meet our own needs.  We are spiritually poor, lacking the funding to adequately provide for ourselves.  We consistently fall short of the mark and we find ourselves in constant need.  This is where God meets us.  He knows our needs, even before we do (Matthew 6:8), and he stands ready to meet them.  God never expects us to "pay" him for meeting our needs.  As our parent, God is responsible for providing for our necessities, and he takes that responsibility seriously.  The death of Jesus is proof of God meeting the ultimate need.  We cannot provide our own salvation.  We can never work enough, never attend enough church meetings, never give enough food to needy families, never spend enough money on the new church building, never pray enough, never visit the sick enough, etc.  We simply don't have the necessary funds to cover the cost of salvation.  But God does!!  He opens his checkbook, he takes out his pen, he writes the check, and says to us, "I've got you covered, let's go home."

Today as you spend time with God, thank him for meeting your needs.  God's promise is that he will meet all our needs, and he means all of them.  What we need to do is distinguish between our needs and our wants, which is something we find so very difficult to do.  God is not responsible for our wants; but he is responsible for our needs and he takes that responsibility seriously.  The infinite riches he has in Jesus Christ are more than adequate to provide for any need you have today.  Please don't worry about having your needs met today.  God understands, he is aware, and he will provide.  Hey, he's got you covered!

It's Time for a Pit Stop

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mericans are a sports-loving people. I don’t know of another country where you can watch sports non-stop, twenty-four hours per day. Whether you like football, hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, or water polo, there is no difficulty in finding it on television.

I am reminded of this fact promptly every weekend.  Saturday and Sunday afternoons are very popular here in the dorm as guys from all over the world gather in front of television sets to watch their favorite sporting events. In addition to baseball, football, and basketball, there is another sport that enjoys great popularity.  The sport is auto racing, affectionately known as NASCAR.  Millions of people each year make the racing circuit, following their favorite drivers around the country.  Indeed, some of these fans are so dedicated that they take several months out of their lives just to attend every racing event in the season.

All racetracks have one thing in common.  Even though they differ in their layouts and their lengths, they all have an area known as the pit.  Each driver has a pit crew, headed by a crew chief, and their job is to ensure that the driver and the car remain in top-notch condition.  Several times during a race, the driver communicates with his crew chief and tells him about the car’s status, the level of fuel, and the condition of his tires.  At certain points during the race, the driver turns off the main track and enters the pit.  During this “pit stop”, the car is refueled. It receives new tires, the windshield is cleaned, minor adjustments are made, and the driver is given a quick snack. In the event a car is damaged, the pit can be used to make repairs and return the car to the racetrack.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the concept of the “pit stop” actually has biblical foundation.  In fact, long before the advent of the automobile, and long, long before men decided it would be fun to race them at break-neck speeds, God established the idea of the pit stop.  Its purpose was to provide a time of rest from life’s rat race and a place to repair the damage that inevitably comes from the constant buffeting and collision along life’s highway.

In 1 Kings 17:3-4 we find one of the first pit stops recorded.  The prophet Elijah, just returning from a confrontation with King Ahab, receives instructions to turn enter the pit for a time of rest and repair.  King Ahab did not obey the Lord, but did evil in his sight.  As a result, God withheld rain for three years and He gave Elijah the task of telling Ahab this ominous news.  Just after this meeting, God gives Elijah the following instructions: “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. “And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

There are three wonderful pieces of advice tucked away in these two small passages.  First, we must get off the beaten path.  God tells Elijah very plainly his situation and He tells him to go away for a time of rest.  We cannot experience God’s peace and restoration if we insist on remaining in situations that constantly frustrate us and keep us under stress. 

Second, we are to hide ourselves from the world outside.  We can’t take ourselves completely out of the every-day mainstream of life, although that’s what Elijah did, but we can set aside a substantial amount of time where we get alone.  It is in this place and during this time that God can repair us and restore.  When we keep ourselves in the thick of life’s fray, we take no time to let God work in our lives.  We must get away and hide for Him to work on us.

Third, God provides all that we need.  It is not up to us to provide for ourselves—we can’t.  Just like the driver in the racecar, all we can do is communicate with our crew chief and listen to the instructions He gives.  The crew chief knows all about the car and the driver and he knows when they both need attention and maintenance. God knows even more about us.  He knows when we are weary.  He knows when we need to be repaired and when we need to be maintained.  He also knows that the only way to do this is to get us still, off the beaten racetrack of life and into the pits where He can work on us.

In the pit, the crew chief has everything necessary to maintain the car and return it to the track in perfect running condition.  Everything about that car and its driver is under his constant watch and care.  Why do we believe God would act any differently with us?  We are not pieces of metal running around a track.  We are His creation, His children, and the apple of His eye.  Today as you run life’s race, pay attention to that little voice in your ear.  Do you hear God calling you in for a pit stop?  Believe me, He’s not doing it to take you out of the race; He is doing it so you can stay in the race and see it to its end.

It's Time for a Break

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s a child, I loved the story of the tortoise and the hare.  Every time that story was read or told, I imagined myself as one of the participants in that race.  Because I don’t like to lose and am somewhat competitive, I always imagined myself to be the tortoise, always winning the race.  When I grew up, however, it didn’t take me long to realize just how much like the hare I was.

As the story unfolds, you’ll remember that the hare dashed away from the starting line, leaving the tortoise there to meander his way toward the finish line at his own slow pace.  The hare was confident that he had the race won, and he reveled in his confidence.  Near the finish line, he took a break, stretched out, and went to sleep.  When he awoke, however, he found out that during his brief respite, the tortoise had passed him and crossed the finish line first.

This is true for most people, especially when it comes to their spiritual walk with God.  Like the hare, we place too much confidence in our own ability and do not rely on God to help us or to provide for us.  We begin the race full force, assured in the knowledge that, not only can we run life’s race, but we have already won it. 

That’s when it happens.  We decide to take a small break from our spiritual walk.  We let our guard down, we neglect our time with God, we get busy doing other things, and we focus, not on the race, but on everything else around us.  We decide to take a “little” nap.  This is always our undoing because during this brief rest period, we lose the race.  Sleep over takes us, not physical sleep, but sleep that causes separates us from God, that keeps us from having relationship with him.  When we come to our senses, we discover just how far short of the mark we are.

The book of Proverbs speaks very well to this point.  Proverbs 6:9-11 says, “How long will you lie there, you sluggard?  When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.”

The spiritual application here is quite evident.  If falling to sleep and taking our ease leads to economic ruin where poverty overtakes us, how much more is this the case with our relationship with God.  When we fold our hands, not in prayer but in repose, when we sleep, not with our physical eyes but with our minds and hearts, then the enemy rushes in, overtakes us, and passes us by.  We are then left in his wake, trying to make up for lost time and lost territory, both of which are very difficult to recover.

No one would refuse to go to work on a daily basis. None of us goes to our place of employment, intent on spending the day napping.  Instead we arrive before opening time and stay well the office closes.  We do this, to get ahead, to win the race, to make sure we have done our best.  Isn’t it funny, though, that we don’t apply the same principle to our spiritual lives.  We are too much like the hare, over confident and proud.  But it was the tortoise who proved a great spiritual truth.  Slow and steady wins the race every time.  God would rather have us on a slow and steady pace with him than running at breakneck speed without him. 

So, as you run your race today, which of these two are you?  The tortoise or the hare?  How long have you been on break?  Don’t you think it’s time you got up and rejoined the race?   

It Smells Wonderful

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he beginning of summer brought with it longer days, freedom from schedules and routines, an end of books and homework, and the promise of non-stop adventure and fun.  Every kid in my neighborhood wrung every possible opportunity for fun and excitement out of each passing day.  We would start play early in the morning, surrendering at night only because night had fallen and because our parents expected us home in bed so we could be prepared for the next day.

In addition, the summer months also heralded the season for grilling out.  My mother loved this time because it meant my dad shared the cooking.  From hamburgers and hot dogs, to steaks, whenever we cooked outside, my dad did the honors.  Other fathers in the neighborhood also turned their backyards into outdoor kitchens.  On the average, someone in our neighborhood was cooking out almost nightly.

I remember several occasions when our play was interrupted by the smell of burning charcoal, lighter fluid, and the wonderful aroma of supper cooking on the grill.  It didn’t matter whether dad was cooking hamburgers, chicken, steak, or pork.  The entire neighborhood was filled with the pleasing odor and everyone knew that somewhere, someone was using their barbecue grill.  The aroma prompted others to join in and the aroma of cooking grills soon permeated the neighborhood.

The Old Testament book of Leviticus provides a brief glimpse into the sacrificial system of ancient Israel.  When God gave Moses the law, he laid down specific instructions concerning sacrifices.  There were sacrifices for everything from the birth of a baby, to atoning for sin.  The number of sacrifices required by the law underlined man’s impossibility to achieve salvation for himself.  At every turn he was reminded just how far short of God’s standard he fell.

Leviticus 3:5 presents us with an interesting statement to consider, “…an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.”  Several times, God repeats this phrase in direct relation to the giving of sacrifices.  Why does he make this statement?  What lesson does this teach us today?  How are we to understand this?

Well, God certainly does not intend for us to build an altar, slaughter and animal, and sacrifice it to him.  This was done in ancient Israel as a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice God would make to obtain man’s salvation.  The Old Testament sacrifices had to be performed repeatedly because they didn’t do away with sin, they just covered it.  The death of Jesus, however, fulfilled God’s requirement for the perfect sacrifice, eliminating the need for the law’s requirements.  When Jesus paid the sin penalty, the daily and yearly sacrifices were no longer necessary.

However, the principle of the sacrifice remains.  When a sacrificed was offered to God, it was accompanied by fire.  The fire was the means of burning away all the sin separating man from God.  The aroma rising to God pleased him because it represented forgiveness, repentance, and obedience to his commands.  Nothing pleases God more than when his children offer their lives to him in true repentance and obedience.  Not only does this aroma please God, but it also affects others, encouraging them to repent and accept Jesus as well.

Every day, our lives give off an aroma that either encourages others to come to Christ, or it prevents them from doing so.  When you are under “fire”, what aroma does your life emit?  Is it pleasing to God, demonstrating your live, faith, trust, and obedience for him?  Does it encourage those around you or does it dissuade them from becoming a follower of Jesus Christ?  When you fire up the grill, do others come running to be fed, or do they run away instead?  Think about it!

Is It Ready Yet?

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he sound of the whirring blender was the single best clue that mom was in the kitchen baking.  The moment that realization took hold, all activity came to a grinding halt.  That single sound meant there would be a bowl, a spatula, and at least two beaters that had to be licked.  Who was better qualified for this job, than my brother and I?  Since I couldn't think of anyone better for the job, we applied in person!

We entered the kitchen and discovered mom was making a pound cake.  For those connoisseurs among you, you know there is simply nothing better in the world than warm, moist, pound cake.  My brother and I, however, knew the batter was just as good and competed for the right to lick the beaters and the ever-coveted bowl and spatula.  As mom filled the cake pan, we watched in horror!  She poured all the batter into the cake pan.  Then she did the unthinkable; she scraped the remaining portion out of the bowl.  We just knew there would be none left to fight over.  Mom, however, never disappointed us and there was always batter left for us to enjoy.

Waiting for the cake to bake was the worst part.  As far as I was concerned, the batter was just fine the way it was.  However, mom didn't agree and when mom was in the kitchen, what she said was law!  We pelted her with the same question over and over, "Is it ready yet?"  And, of course, the answer was always, "In a few minutes."  Those few minutes were an eternity.  After all, all the ingredients were there, well mixed, and in the pan.  But the oven was necessary to turn the batter into the pound cake we were all waiting for.  Baking, I was to learn later, is a process which takes precisely measured ingredients and subjects them to heat so they can become what is desired, in this case, a pound cake.

Today's scripture lesson has much to do with the process of baking. Matthew 4:19 tells the story of Jesus calling the first disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He found these men down by the Sea of Galilee, tending their nets and caring for their boats.  It was in this setting that Jesus found the mixture that he would use to create his disciples. 

Notice the words Jesus used as he called Andrew and Peter, "I will make you fishers of men." When Jesus found them, they were already fishermen. Peter and Andrew made their living by fishing, they were professionals. There was nothing about fishing which they didn't know and there was no trend or idea with which they were unfamiliar.  Like the batter in the cake pan, they were pre-measured and mixed but they needed the right environment to reach the stage of "doneness".  In other words, they weren't ready yet!  Jesus wanted to place them in the oven so they would be "ready" to achieve his purpose for their lives.

Jesus does the same in our lives today. The ingredients have been pre-measured, sifted, beaten, and placed in the cake pan.  Everything is present to make the cake; the only thing lacking is heat!  Although the oven is the final stage of baking, it is the most important stage. After the batter is heated and the liquid begins to evaporate, the batter gains texture and becomes a fresh, warm, golden pound cake. 

Becoming a disciple of Christ is a process.  Jesus is about the business of "making us" to be his disciples.  It is a life-long process which, when completed, yields a beautiful creation that can be enjoyed by others.  For those of us in the oven, waiting for the transformation to take place, patience is the most difficult part.  Yet, it is only through the baking process that we "become what he intended all along."  Please be patient with yourself and God.  He will determine when you are ready and when you have completed the task he will say, "Well done!"