Nothing To Wear

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k, how many times have you opened up your closet and just stared?  You have been invited to go out to eat, or to a party, or over to a friend's house and you have absolutely nothing to wear?  If the truth were known, your closet is probably hanging full of clothes that are both attractive and fashionable but for some reason you don't wear them because you don't like the way you look in them.  Moreover, you are worried what people's reaction to you will be in a particular outfit.

We spend way too much time worried about our outward appearance.  We spend both time and money to find just the right apparel so we will be accepted by our peers.  Someone once said that we buy things we don't need at prices we can't afford with money we don't have to impress people we don't like. I believe this comes pretty close to the truth for most of us.

John the Baptist's wardrobe would have driven any modern-day designer crazy. The scriptures tell us in Matthew 3:3-4 that "John's clothes were made of camel hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan."  Pardon me, but John doesn't sound like someone you'd invite to a nice restaurant, or someone you'd probably have in your home as a dinner guest.  Yet, people from all over the region went out to see John. 

What was it about him that caused people to travel such a great distance to see him?  It definitely couldn't be the clothes or his diet.  Could it have been John's message?  Could it have been the fact that John's words and actions spoke of a man who knew God and spent time with him? I believe it was for this very reason people went to see him.  John came preaching repentance, telling people that what they needed was to be forgiven.  He came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.  His message was real, timely, and touched the lives of those around him.

We are called to do the same thing.  People should be drawn to us because of the message we share.  What is it about your life today that attracts people?  Is it what you wear, or the person you are underneath the clothing?  Is it the words you use or the message you send?  Is it the claims you make or the actions you perform?  John had no great store of clothes in his wardrobe.  There were no Armani suits or Oscar de la Renta ties.  All he had to give and to present was the message of God, and that can be worn anywhere for any occasion.

Not A Significant Source Of Nutrition

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ne afternoon, I went to the snack area to buy a soft drink.  After spending several hours on the computer, I needed a break and decided it would be a good time for a pack of crackers and something cold and wet to wash them down with.  Buying the crackers came easy; deciding what to drink didn't. 

There were three drink machines to choose from.  Two of them dispensed soft drinks in the can and the other one gave soft drinks in larger, plastic bottles.  I opted for a canned drink and, just to make myself feel better, I selected one of the popular diet sodas.  I sat down at one of the tables, opened the crackers and the drink, and began eating my snack.

About half way through my break, I read the labels on the crackers and the drink.  There was the usual information, calories per serving, number of fat grams, the percentage of all the vitamins, etc.  In addition to this information, the soft drink's label included a different statement.  Just underneath the chart of nutritional information was a statement indicating that the contents of the drink were not a significant source of nutrition.  What, I wondered had I put into my body?  Although the drink tasted good and addressed the need to quench my thirst, it contained nothing that would benefit my body.  Instead of the soda, I should have selected fruit juice which would have both satisfied my thirst and been good for my body.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul provided them with a list of ingredients for a healthy spiritual life.  He called these the fruit of the Spirit, the tell-tale signs of God's presence in our lives.  Galatians 5:22-24 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  Paul lists those qualities which mark us as true believers in Jesus Christ and those who seek to walk as he did.  Everything in this list is good for us spiritually.  These qualities demonstrate the presence of God's Spirit living within us, supplying all our needs.

The last sentence of this passage underlines a very important aspect of our spiritual walk with God.  Notice that Paul states that if we are in Christ, we have crucified the flesh, our past lives, and have adopted Christ's example.  In other words, we have adopted a new lifestyle, placing into our hearts only those things which are good for us and our relationship with Jesus.  Although other things look appealing, they don't really satisfy or meet our needs.  They meet our wants for a while, but leave us thirsting for something else. 

People all around us are reading our lives, much like they read the ingredients on the products they buy.  What do our lives say about the content of our hearts?  What do our actions say about the content of our characters?  What information do our lives convey today to those reading their content?  Do they resemble a container of fruit juice, full of vitamins and necessary nutrients to sustain life, or do they resemble that statement on my can of soda, "Not a Significant Source of Nutrition"?  That is the question for today!

Not Even Close

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oday was the day!  After a week of discussions, preparations, decisions, and brainstorming sessions, our dream of building a tree house would finally come true.  My best friend, David, and I had discussed building a tree house for a long time.  Occasionally we would talk about the project, dreaming about the design and what we would do there once we had built it.  Finally, we decided we had talked enough!  What we needed now was action and a firm resolve to build that tree house.

David had the perfect spot.  There was a large tree with thick, heavy branches located beside his house.  It was just begging us to build a tree house in it!  Our fathers had plenty of hammers, saws, and nails we could borrow.  What we needed now was wood.  This was a major concern of ours but it didn’t stop us from making our plans.  We were convinced we would locate some wood, it was just a matter of time.  Finally, the day before we began the project we found a stash of wood perfectly suited for the job.  All that was left to do was to get my father’s permission to use it.

Our family ran the local funeral home and every few weeks a shipment of caskets would arrive.  The caskets came in large wooden crates that were discarded once the caskets were removed.  David and I found a large stack of broken-down crates outside the funeral home’s garage.  When we saw those discarded containers, we knew we had found our wood supply for the tree house.  He and I went straight to my dad and asked for the wood.  My dad gave it to us.  We made plans to meet early the next morning and build the tree house.

When morning came, David and I met in my backyard.  We went to the funeral home and carted all the wood to his back yard.  After a few short hours of dismantling the crates, we determined we had enough wood to do the project.  We decided to build the floor first and then add the walls and roof.  We chose the best branch in the tree and set out to construct our masterpiece.

It wasn’t long before every kid in the neighborhood caught wind of what we were doing.  They came to David’s house with their fathers’ saws, hammers, nails, and sandpaper.  Everyone wanted to get in on the action.  What started out as a friendly project for David and me turned into absolute mayhem.  David’s backyard looked more like a war zone than a construction site.  Finally, the construction started but none of our plans turned out the way we hoped.  Instead of a tree house with several rooms and a nice roof, the neighborhood kids succeeded in building a seat. 

All the planning, all the dreaming, all the gathering of materials, and all the creativity in the end came to naught.  David and I had good motives.  Our plan was good, our hopes were high, we had the best materials, and we believed in what we were doing.  However, what we got wasn’t even close to what we had envisioned.  To make matters worse, David’s dad was not pleased to come home and find his tree full of nails.  He called David inside for a brief discussion.  When David came out, he informed us that the seat had to come down and we helped him dismantle it.

There is a great lesson for us in this story from my childhood.  Although David and I had good intentions and a good dream, the end result was disaster.  We had thought everything out, we had gathered the materials, and we had designed the tree house.  However, we neglected to recognize that neither of us had the know-how or the ability to build a tree house.  Without this ability, all our efforts, no matter how wonderful, were doomed to failure.

The prophet Isaiah understood man’s inability to live a life pleasing to God.  No matter how noble his thoughts, no matter how lofty his dreams, no matter how well intentioned his actions, man simply cannot please God on his own merits.  In Isaiah 64:6 we get a good understanding of how our actions stack up against God’s standards for righteous living. “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.”

What a sobering statement this is for us today.  Isaiah states here very plainly that all our efforts to live righteously are in vain.  It doesn’t matter that we have good intentions, that we perform noble acts, or that we give to worthwhile causes.  The Scriptures tell us that all our good works, all our good attempts, all our wonderful intentions, are counted as rubbish next to God’s requirements and standards for those who follow him.  Our works will never be good enough, our thoughts will never be pure enough, and our intentions will never be honorable enough to secure salvation for us.  There is no way we can earn God’s favor or his salvation. 

What, then, is left for us?  How can we ever hope to live a life that pleases God?  Is there any way we can be acceptable to him?  The answer is yes, by God’s grace.  Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve so that we can live a life that is pleasing to God and have a personal relationship with him.  When we were without hope and dead in our sins, God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for us.  He did this because we could not pay it ourselves.  Our sacrifice would have been just like us, filthy.  Instead, Jesus sacrificed himself in our stead, making all those who receive him acceptable to God. 

In our own strength and on our own merits we have no chance of coming to God.  However, when we accept his grace and the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we are made righteous before him.  With Jesus, we can enter directly into God’s presence.  Without him, we don’t even come close!

Grab Whatever You Can!

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t was the middle of the night and young Benjamin was sleepy.  He could hardly hold his eyes open.  He tried to concentrate on all the activities of the day but it was no use; his eyes simply would not cooperate.  His parents, however, refused to let him go to bed, refused to let him even lie down for a brief nap.  His mother had told him to remain dressed and to keep his shoes on because at some point during the evening, they would start on a long trip.

Benjamin had never been on a vacation, but if being deprived of sleep was the way they started, he wanted no part of one.  Suddenly, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching his front door.  Everyone in the house grew quiet, all conversation ceased, and the air became very tense and heavy.  The door flew open with a crash that sent his little stomach straight up into his throat.  Outside, his neighbors were frantically packing their belongings, placing them wherever they could find room.  It appeared that the time for the vacation to start had arrived, but Benjamin hadn't pictured it like this and he had no idea so many others were going with him.

The person responsible for knocking down his door was a soldier.  He angrily ordered everyone to get out within 10 minutes because they were leaving.  Now Benjamin was certain that the time to leave had come.  His mother looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Grab whatever you can, and hurry!"  Benjamin obeyed, grabbing a sack full of raisins, his favorite snack, and a stuffed toy he liked to sleep with.  They joined the others in the street and the throng began moving quickly towards the outskirts of the settlement.  His mother held his hand tightly so they wouldn't be separated in the crowd.  She hadn't had time to grab some of the most important things in the household.  All she had taken was a few clothes and a large mixing bowl of bread dough.  "What an odd combination," Benjamin thought, "but at least she will look nice and we can eat!"

Although Benjamin and his family are not real people, the event portrayed here is!  The Hebrew Exodus from Egypt stands as one of the most miraculous events in Jewish history.  After 430 years, God brought forth his people in a mighty way, using miraculous signs and wonders to display his power and his love for them.  On the night before their departure, the children of Israel had been told to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice.  They were to eat their final meal fully dressed, ready to leave as soon as the word was given (Exodus 12:10).

Our scripture verse today speaks about God's provision for his children.  Exodus 12:39 says, "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves."  When God was ready to move his children out of Egypt, he did so with haste.  Although they knew they were leaving, they didn't know exactly when.  At the last minute, they had to grab whatever was available and leave Egypt.

Sometimes as Christians, this is exactly how we feel.  God calls us suddenly to change directions, to change locations, or to change our area of service.  The call comes so quickly, or an event happens so suddenly, we barely have time to get our thoughts or any provisions together.  We feel hurried, bustled, and the unfolding events are not as we envisioned them to be.  Like Benjamin who didn't like vacations because they deprived him of sleep, we are hesitant to follow God because we are unsure of the immediate circumstances.  But dear Christian, grab what you can, pack your bags, and go!!  The destination God has chosen for you is flowing with milk and honey. 

In the desert, God was their provision.  It was he who gave manna and quail daily and provided water for them to drink.  It was God who kept them from being sick and who didn't let the soles of their sandals wear thin, even when they insisted on wandering in the desert for 40 years.  It was never God's design for his children to provide for themselves; instead, he wanted to do it for them all along.

So, if God is pushing you into a new area of service and you are concerned about having shelter, food, clothing, employment, etc.  Remember the children of Israel on the desert floor.  Each morning they walked out and picked up bread, and each evening they ate quail.  They had water to drink, and they had shelter.  Jesus himself said that the birds of the air don't work or store provisions but God still feeds them.  How much more will he provide for us!  Take Benjamin's mother's advice when God begins to move you and "Grab whatever you can!"  It's time to move on!!

Going Solo

T

here are several rites of passage for children.  Parents take great notice of these events and know exactly when each occurred.  Some of these rites include, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking, and my favorite, talking.  Then there is the graduation from diapers to training pants, from baby food to table food, and the list goes on from there.  However, one of the biggies, one of the crucial rites of passage from a “little person” to becoming a “big boy or girl” comes with the arrival of the first bicycle.  This crucial stage of development heralds the growing desire for independence and self-sufficiency.

I remember my first bike.  It was a beauty!  It was wine in color with large sloping handlebars and a silver saddle.  It came equipped with all the standard equipment, a chain, two tires, brakes, reflectors, a seat, handlebars, and, of course, training wheels.  I couldn’t wait for sunrise so I could get outside and learn to ride that bike.  My mother promised she would go with me and help me and after breakfast, she and I went outside with the bike, determined that I would learn how to ride that very morning.

Actually, I was much more optimistic than mom.  I felt sure that I’d be riding within a matter of minutes and that we would be able to remove the training wheels by sundown.  You’ve heard of being just a little over zealous?  Well, that is exactly what I was.  It didn’t take long for me to learn that learning to ride a bike required more than I initially bargained for.  My mom was very patient, understanding, and a great encourager.  She let me go at my own pace but always kept her hand on my back, assuring me she was there when I needed her and that I didn’t have to do this alone.

After I became comfortable with my bike, I asked my dad to remove the training wheels.  Once again, I found myself needing help from my parents.  Gaining my balance wasn’t that easy and I was very afraid of falling down.  Both my parents encouraged me to keep trying.  Even now, I can still feel my mom and dad’s hands at my back, assuring me I wasn’t alone and that I would be able to learn to ride by myself.  I learned more than riding a bike from them, I learned to depend on them, on their ability to care for me and to support me whenever I fell down.

Learning to ride a bike is easy compared to the other lessons we learn in life.  The bumps and bruises resulting from falling off a bike pale in comparison to the bumps, scratches, knocks, and down right wounds that life throws our way sometimes.  As children, we are forever trying to gain our independence, to spread our wings, and to fly on our own.  As adults, however, we look for relationships, someone to cling to and someone we can depend on.  Funny, isn’t it?  If life teaches us anything it is that we must learn to depend on people rather than being independent from them.

This is a hard lesson to learn spiritually as well.  From the beginning, God intended for mankind to depend on him.  He placed Adam and Eve in the garden to dress it and look after it.  But God provided all they needed.  However, when they decided to eat of the forbidden fruit and exert their own independence, that’s when all the problems started.  Throughout both the Old and the New Testaments, we see time and time again how man chose to be independent from God rather than dependent on him.  And repeatedly, the story is the same.  Man makes a mess and God has to clean it up.

Would it surprise you to discover that dependence is actually the biblical model for our relationship with God?  Would it surprise you even more to know that Jesus spoke directly of his dependence on God, admitting that independence from God cuts across the grain of what we were meant to be?  Look at Jesus words in John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  Here, Jesus states very plainly that by himself he can do nothing; He can only do what he sees his Father doing.  Jesus is totally dependent on God for everything. Now I ask you, if Jesus Christ states that he can do nothing without God, what excuse do we have when we attempt to go solo in every circumstance?  We can’t do it and we were never meant to!  That’s why Jesus says further on in John’s gospel that we are also dependent upon him. 

In John 15:5, Jesus makes the following observation, “apart from me you can do nothing.”  This is not only a statement of fact, I believe, it is a promise.  Essentially, Jesus promises that unless we become dependent on him, we can do nothing at all.  Everything we do will fail if we neglect to lean heavily on God and cast all our cares on His shoulders. 

On that Christmas morning, taking my bike out all alone was not an option.  I couldn’t handle it by myself and my mom never intended me to.  She stood beside me all the way, coaching me, holding me, encouraging me, and catching me, throughout the whole process.  Without her help, I could never have managed that bike on my own.  This is what God wants to do for you today.  He is there right beside you, coaching you, encouraging you, and catching in every circumstance of life.  Won’t you lean on him today?

The Bump Bump Truck

             

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t was simply known as the Bump Bump Truck and we loved it for two very different reasons.  My dad loved the old truck because it ran well and because it was useful.  We thought it was fun because every time we rode somewhere the truck bumped and jostled, especially when daddy took us down one of our area’s many dirt roads on the way to the garden or to visit one of his friends.

I was only four or five years old but I distinctly remember laughing and giggling as that old truck jumped and bumped its way through the back roads of my hometown. No matter if the road looked smooth to me, the Bump Bump Truck found a way to make me jump, bounce, and laugh.  When my brother and I were both in the truck it was twice the excitement, twice the fun, and twice the noise.  I’m sure my dad would agree with the last point but not with the first two.  What was fun for us was just a normal drive for him; but then again, children find excitement and joy in almost any situation.  Sadly, this is something we lose the older and more mature we become.

I have thought about that old pickup truck and the roads we used to drive back home.  What a metaphor for life those roads have become as I have grown older.  Every bump, every rut, and every pothole, serves to remind me that the road of life is anything but smooth.

All of us have experienced bumps and knocks along life’s road.  Sometimes the bumps are intermittent, spaced far enough a part to remind us that every once in a while, life gives us a jolt. At other times, the road is one long washboard with seemingly no smooth sections at all. But no matter, smooth, somewhat bumpy, or rough, the road of life goes on and we must go on with it.

The disciples were not unfamiliar with bumps in the road and they walked with Jesus, himself.  They saw him, heard him, and lived with him every day.  Yet, there were times when they experienced “bumps” in the road, times when things grew difficult and sometimes down right scary.  One such instance is recorded for us in the book of John.  John 6:18 simply reads, “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.”

It should be noted that this passage comes in between two great miracles.  Immediately preceding this passage Jesus feeds the five thousand with the five barley loaves and two fishes supplied by a young lad.  Just after this passage, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water and they are frightened out of their wits.  But the present passage carries for us two great truths that we need to be aware of in our own walks with the Lord.

First, take note that the wind was blowing.  The wind didn’t kick up all of a sudden, agitating the waters into a swirling vortex.  No!  The storm had been developing, the winds had been gaining strength, and the waters had been growing more and more turbulent.  The further away from shore they went, the more bumps they encountered.

As if the wind weren’t enough, the water now gets in on the act. The waves grow rough, they toss the boat around as if it were only a fleeting thought.  The spray of the sea, once gentle and refreshing, has now become angry waves crashing over the boat.  In the midst of all this, they notice a man walking where it is impossible to walk.  Bump!  Bump!  Bump! The road just grows bumpier!  No matter what they do, they simply cannot find a smooth stretch that brings them peace.

Have you been there?  Have you felt the bumps in life’s road?  Have you wondered if there would ever be a smooth section again or if the road you’re walking has turned into nothing but a series of potholes?  Take heart!  It is when the bumps of life come that Jesus comes to us.  The disciples saw him walking on the water and not long after they were safe.  And it is the same with us.  

Jesus knows where we are on life’s road.  He knows the bumps and jolts we face and he promises to be with us through every single one of them.  Nothing comes into our lives, no pain, no challenge, no difficulty, no blessing, unless he first allows it.  Life’s road is bumpy, but God’s presence makes it bearable and enjoyable.  Would you like to take a ride in God’s Bump Bump Truck today?  

Eat What's On Your Plate

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ugar in any form has always been one of my many weaknesses.  Whether straight from the bag or in piecrust; the sweet taste of sugar ranks as one of my all-time joys in life.  My doctor recently reminded of that fact and encouraged me to release my death grip on sweets in exchange for things that are “good for me.”  He has no idea just how much of an uphill battle this is going to be.  Why is it that everything that’s “good for you” tastes like shoe leather and never really satisfies that craving for a chocolate-covered banana split sundae with caramel topping, whipped cream, and a cherry on top?

This is not some trend I’ve developed in recent years.  Oh no! This goes back, way back to my childhood when I spent more time eyeing the cake or pie on the countertop and less time eating my green peas, potatoes, roast, and pickled beets.  Now don’t get me wrong, those all tasted great but they were nothing when compared to mom’s homemade strawberry cobbler!  Mom always knew what I was thinking and each time she saw me mulling over my vegetables or throwing glances at the countertop she made the same statement, “Eat what’s on your plate!”  Problem was, I didn’t want to eat the food in front of me, I wanted to dive head first into that cobbler and eat my way out!  But mom wouldn’t allow it so I choked down the meal in order to get dessert!

I suspect that most of you reading this today have had the same experience. Perhaps you are fighting this battle right now, deciding between broccoli and apple pie.  Your initial reaction is to go with the pie but the broccoli is the better choice and we need look no further than the Old Testament book of Numbers to learn a great spiritual truth.

The Children of Israel had left Egypt behind.  Gone were the days of slavery, gone were the taskmasters with their whips, and gone was the grinding toil of turning mud and straw into bricks.  The people were free and ready to follow the Lord to the land promised so long ago to their father, Abraham.  Yet despite all the miracles they witnessed, despite the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, they still found reason to complain against Moses and their situation. 

This was nowhere more evident than in their request for food.  God knew their food situation and He sent manna each morning to sustain them on their journey.  Manna fell each day without fail except for the Sabbath. The day before this a double portion fell so the people would not go hungry.  All they had to do was pick up the manna and eat it.  What could be simpler?  What could be more wonderful than not having to worry about food?  Yet worry is just what they did.

The people came to Moses complaining they had no meat.  They pined for the food they had in Egypt refusing to remember that the price for eating that food was slavery.  Now they wanted meat and the Lord granted their request though not as they wanted.  He sent quail, enough quail so they would have to eat it each day for over a month.  As they began to eat the quail, the Lord broke out in anger against them and many died by His hand. 

In Numbers 11:34 we read this chilling statement, “Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.”

This is a very hard passage of scripture to read.  All these people wanted was something to eat! Why would God strike them down?  Let’s take a closer look at this passage and understand what took place. 

God provided for his people’s needs.  The manna sustained them and gave them the nourishment their bodies required.  However, they were not satisfied with this; they wanted more.  Essentially what they said to God was, “Your provision is not enough for us!  It’s not what we want!” 

If we are honest with ourselves, we will recognize that we too make this statement concerning things in our own personal lives.  We ask God to provide but we want to dictate the ways and means of that provision.  Rather than meet our needs we expect God to meet our wants and in this respect, we are no different from the Children of Israel who wondered in the desert for 40 years.

God has never promised to meet our wants.  The Bible does not say nor does it teach this notion.  Instead it requires us to place our faith in God and to rely on him to meet our needs.  Moreover, we don’t know what our needs are and we often confuse the concept of need with the idea of want.  The two terms are not synonymous!

Because they craved other food instead of enjoying and appreciating God’s provision, they suffered the consequences.  The name Kibroth Hataavah means “graves of craving” and that is exactly what happened to them.  They perished because their want got in the way of God’s provision for their need.  They were eying dessert instead of eating what was on their plate!  How like them we are!

God has nothing against dessert!  He wants us to enjoy our walk with him and to understand that we must trust him to provide all our needs.  We sometimes suffer in our walk with him because we confuse our wants with our needs, passing up what is best for that which never fully satisfies our cravings!  As you walk with the Lord today trust him to provide all your needs.  He knows where you are and he knows everything you are facing.  Be content to eat what’s on you plate now because there will be dessert after!  We have his word on it!  Bon appétit!

Cleaning The Basement

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he huge dump truck parked at the entrance to our basement told me everything I needed to know.  Daddy was once again cleaning out our basement, trying to reclaim the space our toys, bikes, and other important “stuff” had invaded during the past several months.  It seems that daddy was always cleaning the basement, making it neat and clean just so we could junk it up again.

I always had the same feeling each time I saw the dump truck parked outside the basement door—panic!  Toys I hadn’t touched in months or years suddenly became important and things I hadn’t taken notice of in months I suddenly couldn’t do without!  Everything and I do mean everything in that basement was a necessity.  Had I not wanted it, I would have thrown it away instead of hiding it deep within the recesses of our basement where no one, not even me, could find it!  That’s why I hid those things there so no one would find them and throw them away!

But daddy didn’t buy that argument and he wasn’t persuaded by all my nifty explanations and reasons for wanting to hold on to things I clearly had very little or no interest in.  He wanted the basement cleared of all debris so the space would be useful.  Before daddy went on his cleaning binge you couldn’t even set foot in our basement.  This was due largely to the fact that when told to put something in the basement I just naturally opened the door and set whatever the item was inside taking no heed of the clutter that was accumulating just inside the door.  When daddy finished, however, I could never get over the amount of room and useable space in our basement.  It was so large and so empty that I couldn’t wait to fill it again and thus the vicious cycle continued.

Cluttered basements and cluttered lives have a lot in common.  In fact, our lives can become so junked and cluttered with “stuff” that there is little or no room for God.  This is when God decides to take a broom and clean our spiritual basements. He wants to remove all the junk and clutter so he can have room to mold us and shape us to conform to the plans he has for us.

The book of Genesis speaks to the fact that we must rid ourselves of the clutter in life that prevents us from having a proper relationship with God and from receiving all the blessing He wants us to have.  The story of Jacob and his wrestling match provides the backdrop for our devotional today.

In Genesis 32:23-24 we read, “After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.  So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”  When we catch up with Jacob he is on his way to see Esau, his older brother from whom he stole both the birthright and the blessing of his father Isaac.  Jacob has become wealthy but still he is worried about the reception he will have when he meets his brother.  Jacob is not sure what Esau’s welcome will bring but he suspects it will not be smooth.  To that end, he has divided his family and his possessions for safety and he has sent a handpicked gift to his brother to appease him.  This is the point where we find Jacob at the river Jabbok on the night before he meets Esau.

Just before he beds down for the night, Jacob sends all his possessions across the Jabbok and is left alone.  This is a very important truth and one we must not overlook.  It is only when Jacob is alone, only when he has divested himself of all his possessions, only when he removes the clutter from his life, that he has an encounter with the Lord.  Until everything standing between Jacob and God is removed, no blessing, no fulfilling relationship, and no growth can take place.  As long as his life is filled with other thoughts, other ambitions, other things to do, and other concerns, he has no place for God and no usable space in his life.

However, when Jacob sends his possessions over and is all alone God can then begin the cleaning process and put his life back in order.  This is what happens as the man, the Lord, wrestles with Jacob all night long.  During this wrestling match, Jacob holds on for dear life.  He wraps his arms around the Lord and refuses to let go until he obtains God’s blessing.  He has nothing else to hold onto and nothing else to which he can cleave.  It is God and God alone that Jacobs grabs and, in the process, learns that only the Lord can meet the deepest need of his heart.

How is the basement of your life today?  Is it filled with clutter?  Are there things stored there you haven’t paid attention to in years?  Have you stuffed things in and jammed your life so full of meaningless things that God has no room to work?  Don’t be surprised to find the Lord showing up in your life, ready to clean your basement.  He will not be interested in hearing excuses or arguments for holding onto things that you don’t need.  Instead, He wants to know if you will permit him to clean out the junk, set your house in order, and make use of the space in your heart for his glory.  What do you say?  Isn’t it about time you let the Lord clean your basement today?

The Lamppost

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uring one of the many remodels done to our home, mom and dad purchased and installed a lamppost.  I remember how excited they were as the workers set the lamppost in place, wired it up, and tested it.  Of course, the real test of that lamp came with sunset.

Instead of wiring the post directly a switch just inside our front door, the electrician installed a light sensor, programmed to turn on the light when as the sun’s rays vanished into the west.  Without fail, that lamppost shined its light over our driveway and sidewalk in all weathers, hot or cold, dry or wet, calm or stormy.  Every night when I came home, the lamppost was there, faithfully keeping watch over our home and when I awoke in the morning, the light was still shining, proof that we had been guarded and protected during the night.

The light from that lamppost and from the streetlight across from our house meant that it was never completely dark!  There was always a light shining somewhere that provided safety and security for our family. I can remember lying awake in my bed at night, watching shadows dancing on the wall, courtesy of the light pouring in my window.  On many an evening when sleep was a longtime in coming, I would walk into our living room and see that lamppost shining faithfully in the dark.  It brought comfort and peace to my mind and I was able to return to bed and fall fast asleep.

The Apostle John understood the importance of light, especially as it applies to our walk with the Lord.  In 1 John 1:5 he writes, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”  In these words, John gives us a wonderful sense of hope, assurance, encouragement, and peace.

John’s message is clear:  God’s light always shines!  The world is a dark place and sometimes we feel as if there is no way out, no hope, no light, and no one who cares about us. These are all lies for the Christian.  God is always with us and his light always illumines our path.  There is nowhere we can go to escape from God’s presence.  In the darkest of nights, he is there.  He is in every hospital room, comforting and healing those who are sick.  He walks the halls of nursing homes, visiting those who are lonely and feel the world has forgotten them.  God is in our schools, guarding our children, protecting them from dangers we know nothing about.  And God is right where you are today.  He knows all about you and he is with you in everything you are facing, no matter how difficult or how challenging it may be.

As a Christian, you are one of God’s children and he has promised never to leave you nor to forsake you.  Just like the lamppost at my parents’ home, his light is always shining.  The darkness cannot put it out!  His light shows watches over us and faithfully shows us the way home.  He is there, even when we are asleep.  We are never out of his sight and we are never out of his mind.

If you feel you are in the dark today, please take heart and be encouraged.  Light is best seen in the darkness!  God’s light is shining, faithfully guiding you and watching over your steps today.  It is my prayer that you will look to that light and draw from its strength.  Along the road of life, God is the lamppost that safely lights our way and leads us through the darkness.  God is light, and where there is light, there can be no darkness.  Have a great day!

The Carpenter's Plane

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uring my time at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, I worked for the housing office performing various tasks. One of those tasks involved performing inspections of seminary housing.  On one particular day, I was confronted with the following statement: “My door won’t close properly!” It seemed that when the weather changed, the door to this man’s apartment swelled and became more difficult to close securely against the elements outside.  The door would shut; it just took more effort to push it closed and pull it open again.

When asked what the procedure should be to repair the door, I informed the gentleman to report the problem to the seminary’s maintenance department and they would make the necessary repairs to the door.  He was relieved.  As a new tenant, he didn’t know whom to contact about the door and was hoping against hope he wouldn’t have to live with a difficult door or do the repairs himself.  He was like me, when it comes to repairing something—all thumbs.

As I left his apartment for my next inspection appointment, I couldn’t help but thinking about that door and how much it resembles our walk with the Lord.  Sometimes the doors of our lives just don’t shut properly. They change their shape according to the elements around us and sometimes small gaps appear around the edges where the cold winds of the world outside work their way in.  In addition, the unwanted and unwelcome little bugs of life crawl through spaces and gaps that occur when our doors don’t close properly.  Left unattended, we soon find ourselves, cold, uncomfortable, and infested from the little critters life sends our way.

But there is a means of repair and God takes it upon himself to effect those repairs so that our lives are airtight against all the elements that keep us from being all we are meant to be in Christ Jesus.  James 1:2-4 describes a process by which the doors of our lives are realigned by the Master Carpenter, “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.”

At first, James describes a process which doesn’t seem all that appealing.  Words like trials, testing, and perseverance (patience) don’t give much encouragement.  But we must look behind the words and understand the process in order to apply this great truth to our lives.

The picture I have here is of a door in a carpenter’s shop or on a workbench.  During one of the remodels of our home on Main Street, I witnessed a carpenter preparing to hang a door.  The door wasn’t quite the right size and needed to be adjusted so the fit would be perfect.  The carpenter took the door, placed it into a vice, took a plane, and began sanding the door’s edge.  With each pass of that plane, slivers of wood fell to the ground.  Some of these were almost unnoticeable while others were fairly large.  I continued to watch in rapt fascination as his hands glided back and forth across the surface of that door.  The wood continued to fall, and though the final adjustment was barely noticeable from my perspective, the door was repaired and made to fit.

When the carpenter completed his task, the door was perfect.  It hung perfectly on its hinges and there were no gaps in its seal and it did not sway when he opened or closed it.  I have always remembered that image and think about it from time to time, especially when I read this passage.  I can see and hear that plane as it passed across the wood, removing everything that kept the door from closing properly and fine tuning everything that needed to remain.

Today, I submit to you that we need to spend time on the workbench under the carpenter’s plane.  The trials in our lives reveal the gaps in our hearts’ doors where we are vulnerable to the elements outside.  The Master Carpenter longs to make the necessary repairs so our hearts’ doors close properly.  He knows how to use a plane and he knows just how much needs to be removed so that the doors of our hearts hang correctly, close securely, and fit perfectly. 

Wherever you are in your walk today, know this one truth:  the Master Carpenter loves you with a love you cannot understand or fathom.  He is not willing that the door of your life should have one defect in it so he sends trials to reveal the areas of weakness so that you will call on him to make the necessary repairs in your life.  Are you willing to submit to the carpenter’s plane today?  It is my hope and prayer that you are!  Have a great day!

Picture Frames

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ike me, you probably have them sitting in various rooms of your home.  They adorn coffee tables, end tables, nightstands, dressers, desks, bookshelves, and adhere to the refrigerator in the kitchen courtesy of the magic of magnets.  I’m talking about picture frames and no matter where you go, stores are selling them and people are buying them!

The hard part is finding just the perfect frame to fit your personality and to make sure it doesn’t clash with the decor of your home.  But all in all, the frame is destined for just one purpose:  to display the photograph of someone we hold very dear and who is very precious to us.

I remember my grandmother’s home.  In her living room was a table covered with picture frames.  Each frame was different but each one held a picture that was particularly precious and important to her. There were pictures of my mom and her brother as children, there were wedding pictures, graduation pictures, family portraits, and pictures of all the grandchildren in various stages of development.  She kept all of these because they reminded her of her family and of important moments in her life.

It should come as no surprise to us that the Scriptures themselves demonstrate just how important God’s people are to Him.  Throughout the pages of the Bible, we find example after example and passage after passage which remind us of God’s faithfulness and love for those who have placed their faith in Him.  But every once in a while, a certain passage is worded in such a way that it just grabs you.  That is what I want to discuss with you today as we look at a small verse from Deuteronomy 32.

In this chapter, God recounts to Moses His care for His people.  God refers to the people as Jacob for it is from him that Israel takes its name.  Jacobs’ name was changed to Israel after his wrestling match with the angel.  As the chapter progresses, He explains in greater detail how He cared for and protected Jacob in all his wanderings.  One of the prettiest passages comes in Deuteronomy 32:10, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, “  

The apple of the eye is a description reserved for the most precious of possessions and is used in conjunction with someone or several people we hold dear.  Here, however, God says that Jacob is the apple of His eye because the Lord cared for him, protected him, and nourished him.  It was as if God had a picture of the people in a prominent place and looked at it several times a day.

I understand that this is a poor analogy, but all analogies we make when speaking bout our God are poor.  There is no way we can even begin to understand His greatness or His love towards us.  However, here in this passage we see a great truth that God cares for His people, not only Israel, but also all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as savior and lord.

Does God have a picture of you?  If you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, the answer is yes.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to know that we are indeed the apple of his eye.  That’s how important you are to him today.

            

Out Of Balance

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 have a ritual which I perform on almost a daily basis.  I come home, turn on the computer, get on the Internet, check my e-mail, visit by bank’s website, and download my current banking information into my computer.  My records are updated and I know at any given moment that my records are in balance with the bank.  At the slightest hint of a discrepancy, I check my records or call the bank to resolve the issue.  Technology has really made it easier to keep my finances in balance.  Now, if only there were a computer program that would limit the amount I spend on books and coffee, I’d be set to go.

All joking aside, the Internet has made my banking much easier and much more enjoyable.  Before the advent of computerized banking and keeping in constant touch with the bank’s computer, balancing my checkbook was a hassle and a chore, not to mention an impossibility.  I would invariably forget to write a transaction down or I would put off balancing the checkbook until the very last minute and then it took hours, sometimes days, to arrive at a true balance.  It was a nightmare! 

On more than one occasion I’d call for reinforcements.  My mom kept the books for our family business so when I got into trouble, I called for the cavalry.  She would take my checkbook and pour through my entries and check my math.  I was always convinced the bank was wrong and she always insisted my math was wrong!  She was right!  My math skills are still questionable to this day so I am so very thankful for my little buddy the computer who does all those wonderful calculations for me and keeps me in balance.

The principle of keeping a balanced checkbook is directly applicable to maintaining a balanced life.  Far too often, we live as if there were no accounting necessary for our actions, our thoughts, or the motivations behind them.  Yet, the Scriptures are very clear that we need to maintain constant contact with God so that our lives remain balanced and in keeping with His standards and commands for our lives.  A life out of balance with God is neither a pretty picture nor an enviable position.

The book of Daniel gives us the example of Belshazzar, King of Babylon. One evening, Belshazzar threw a party for one thousand of his nobles. He sent for the gold and silver goblets that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar, his father, exiled the Israelites to Babylon.  The goblets arrived and the king and his nobles drank from them.  A human hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall, a message that Daniel interpreted for Belshazzar and one that showed how woefully out of balance his life had become.

Daniel 5:27 reads, “Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”  You want to talk about balancing a checkbook?  Belshazzar’s account fell terribly short of God’s accounting.  Notice that Daniel says God weighs us in His balances, not in ours.  Belshazzar, as do we, believed that his actions carried no consequence and that as far as he was concerned, his life was in perfect balance.  But balance is not based on position, power, prestige, or fame.  It is based on God’s Holy Word and upon His principles and precepts.

If we don’t spend time in God’s word, if we don’t spend time on our knees in prayer, if we never check in to see how our lives measure up on His scales, we are destined for a rude awakening.  God has given us the means to keep our lives in line.  The statement of His accounting is found in His word yet we do not spend time on a regular basis checking in, making sure we are in balance.  Today, we can connect to banks and other financial institutions and survey our economic standing at a glance.  But when was the last time we took a survey of our spiritual checkbooks?  Are we living according to God’s requirements or are we out of balance? How do we measure up today?

Only As Good As The Speakers

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 few years ago, after my return from the Christmas holidays, I went shopping!  My parents had given me money for Christmas, (just what I asked for) and now it was up to me to make a purchase.  Not wanting to disappoint mom and dad, I took myself to the mall and had a blast!  After all, it’s always easier to spend someone else’s money as opposed to spending your own!

I already had a few things in mind.  Some I needed, and the others I wanted and what I wanted soundly defeated what I needed.  I strolled through the mall, winding up at an electronics store looking at a small shelf stereo unit that caught had my eye back in September.  Clothes you buy on the cuff, stereos take more time and research, requiring several visits to the store just to make sure everything works the way it’s supposed to.

The research process was practically finished.  All I needed was to have one more look, plunk down the cash, box it up, take it home, and fill my study with wonderful sound.  I entered the store and spoke to one of the nice salesman who left me alone to “play” with the stereo for just a few minutes.  He knew, as did I, that the more I pushed the buttons and played with the remote, the faster I would buy the stereo! 

However, before I made my final decision, I wanted to have one more listen to the speakers.  Although the stereo looked good, the real test came from the quality of sound produced by the speakers.  After all, this should be the only criterion (well let’s not mention a petty thing like the cost) that determines the worth of a stereo system.

It isn’t a far jump to apply this to the Christian walk, is it?  The message we share doesn’t change and it’s not going to. What does change, however, is the quality of that message as it passes through different speakers!  Playing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on an expensive system using cheap speakers does not have the effect on the listener that Beethoven intended. The speakers have the responsibility to reproduce the sound just as the composer intended.   

This is exactly the issue Malachi was addressing in his day.  In Malachi 2:7 we read the following words, "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction-because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty.”   This is a solemn warning concerning all those who would share the truth of the Scriptures with others.  That means whenever we open our mouths to share the gospel, need to make sure that we faithfully reproduce the message just as God intended it to be.  Too much is at stake for us to water the message down or to put our own twist on it.  We need to be quality speakers, faithfully sharing God’s message in accordance with the truths found in his word.

The message of God’s word is timeless and unchanging, however, the way that message is delivered has everything to do with the way it is received.  Are we being faithful to share the truth of God’s word with those around us?  Are we faithfully communicating the message of salvation found in Jesus Christ?  How effective are we as speakers today?  Are we inviting people to listen to our message or are we turning them off to our message?  What kind of speakers are we today?

Merging Traffic

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very morning I leave my house and head toward the university to teach my students and work in the office. Like my mother, I am a morning person so getting up early is just a natural part of the day.  I might also mention that it is the calmest part of the day as well.

I leave the house about 6:30 a.m. and drive to the Interstate.  To this point, the drive is very tranquil.  There are few cars on the highway this time of morning and most of the homes I pass are still sleeping, their occupants wringing the last drops of sleep from the night before the stark light of day gently pushes over the eastern horizon.

I make a right-hand turn onto the access road and ease my way onto the entrance ramp.  This is just about the time my morning turns into a battle zone.  Suddenly, I am surrounded by all types of vehicles barreling down the Interstate at break-neck speed.  Inside, people are drinking coffee, listening to the radio, or talking on cell phones (guilty as charged!!).  It really is a dog-eat-dog mentality on the Interstate but the best part is yet to come.

After successfully entering the flow of traffic, I settle into one of the lanes and begin the twenty-minute drive to the city of Arlington. Along the way, I pass several entrance ramps and as luck would have it the whole state of Texas is attempting to enter my lane.  Although the signs clearly indicate there will be merging traffic ahead, they never prepare me for the number of entering cars nor the mentalities of their drivers.  I just have to keep a keen eye open and make my way, dodging and swerving when necessary, through the merging traffic and on to my destination.

If you’ve every driven an Interstate or if you drive one frequently, you know exactly what I am talking about, don’t you?  Yet, we never stop to think just how closely Interstate driving and traffic mirrors the road of life which we walk every day.  The signs along this road tell us that from time to time we will encounter merging traffic, situations that come into our lives for which we are unprepared and which cause us to dodge and swerve when we would rather remain in the comfort of our lane.

The book of Job is perhaps the best place to see this phenomenon in action.  This book is not the most uplifting book of the Bible, especially if several difficulties occur in our lives at once.  However, it is a great book to demonstrate that God is aware of our situations and that his faith in us extends to every situation which he allows in our lives.  The promise that God will not place more on us than we can bear is borne out in Job’s story.

This morning, I would invite you to open your Bible to Job1:13-22, or you can simply click on the scripture link to read the verses online.  Please notice these verses record several unfortunate events that happened simultaneously in the life of Job.  Job’s day started as all the others had.  He was enjoying life’s road, secure in the lane he was taking when all of a sudden four huge semi’s merge into his lane.  Notice that four messengers arrive, each bearing bad news and that the news grows steadily worse as the messages arrive.  This merging traffic into Job’s life forces him to change lanes, to weave around heartache, disappointment and grief.

Job’s reaction is one of deep sorrow.  He shaves his head and tears his robe, outward signs of his inward turmoil.  Yet, Job states in the closing verses of this passage that God is in control, that it is the Lord’s right to give and the Lord’s right to take away and Job blesses the Lord’s name.

Sometimes I don’t believe we quite appreciate Job’s deep faith in God.  When the car breaks down or if we lose $100 in a parking lot somewhere, we often quip “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.”  While this is true, we need not think that our present condition mirrors that of Job’s situation.  Job knew the Lord. His knowledge came from worshiping and walking with God on a daily basis.  Job wasn’t making a flippant statement or trying to be profound.  His statement reflects a man full of confidence in God because he knows God to be his confidant, his sustainer, his provider, his defender, and his friend.  Do we know God like this?

Wherever you are today along life’s road, be ware of merging traffic.  It will come.  The signs point to it but it usually shows up when we least expect it.  It is my prayer for you today that you will rely on God when traffic is merging and that you will let him lead and guide you through all the circumstances of your life today!

            

I Was Just Trying To Help!

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 don’t discuss politics; in fact, I hate them.  Now don’t get me wrong, I do keep up with who’s doing what and I do cast my ballot when election time rolls around.  But I avoid like the plague any political debate or discussion.  I’ve often wondered from where this distaste for all things political stems and I’ve come to the conclusion that it all started way back in my childhood when the political process left me with a rather sour taste in my mouth.

My grandfather was running for sheriff of our county.  Pawpaw loved politics and would discuss them at length at and will.  Many a night I’ve sat in his den and listened to stories about his favorite political leaders from the past.  In an effort to be fair to both sides of the political spectrum, he also had many things to say about the candidates in the opposite camp.  Let’s just say that neither time nor space will allow me to elaborate his viewpoint.  Suffice it to say that he had his own ideas about politics and no one was going to change them. Lucky for us, no one tried.

In any event, pawpaw was running for sheriff and he asked if I would distribute cards for him and ask people to cast their ballots for him in the upcoming election.  I was very please and proud that he asked me to help and I decided to devote one afternoon to visiting neighborhoods and spreading the good word about my grandfather.   

So, one day after school I came home, did my homework, took a huge stack of his campaign cards, enlisted the help of one of my cousins, and began knocking on doors.  I rode through our immediate neighborhood enlisting everyone in my grandfather’s cause.  I expanded my territory to include neighborhoods I had visited in my parents’ car but never by myself. 

My dad didn’t mind me helping pawpaw but he had been specific.  I was to be very careful and I was to be home before supper.  When I left, I fully intended to abide by his wishes.  But as the afternoon wore on, I found myself further and further from home with the sun sinking lower and lower in the sky.  Finally, I wound up in a nice neighborhood but didn’t recognize any of the houses.  I sallied up to a rather large house, knocked on the door, and was pleased to find one of my schoolmates on the other side of the door.  When she answered, I realized I was a good bit farther from home than my father intended.  I gave my pitch about my granddad, left a few cards with her mother, and headed home.

Not far from our house, my uncle pulled us over on the side of the street. It seems an entire search party was out scouring the town looking for us.  My uncle informed me my dad was looking for me and that I’d better head home.  I grudgingly headed that way.  When I arrived home, my mom told me to go to my room and wait for daddy.  It wasn’t long before he came home.  I knew I was in trouble.  All I could say was, “I was just trying to help.”  Daddy, though, didn’t see it that way.  He simply said, “I know, but you disobeyed my instructions.”

I learned a valuable lesson that evening, one that I still remember to this day.  I thought that because I was helping my grandfather that gave me free reign to go where I shouldn’t and disobey my dad’s instructions.  I had put my own interests above his and that was something he simply could not allow.  My actions, no matter how well intended, simply did not justify my disobeying my dad.

1 Samuel 15:22 is an exact illustration of what I experienced only King Saul’s punishment was much more severe than mine was.  In this passage we read, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”  Samuel had just returned from fighting the Amalekites but he had not obeyed Samuel the prophet’s instructions.

Samuel had told Saul he was to spare nothing.  No one and no thing was to remain alive, not even an animal because the Amalekites refused to help Israel when they left Egypt under Moses’ direction.  Saul, however, spared the lives of the King and some of the nobles as well as animals.  When Samuel arrived to see him, Saul insisted he had obeyed the Lord’s wishes and had only spared the animals to sacrifice them to the Lord.

That’s when Samuel set King Saul straight in his understanding of God’s priorities.  God desires and wants obedience, not sacrifice.  He wants us to obey him, not try to help him.  God does not need our help nor does he expect it.  He does demand our obedience to his commands, however.

When my dad corrected me for helping my grandfather, he was teaching me the importance of listening and obeying his instructions.  He knew that if I failed to learn this lesson early on, the road ahead of me would be a long one to travel.  If there is one lesson that God wants us to learn, it is the lesson of obedience.  We simply need to listen to God’s word and obey it so that we can be all he wants us to be.  So, the question we must ask ourselves to day is this:  Are we obeying God or are we just trying to help him out?  How well are we listening to his voice today?