Life's Street Corners

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lmost every afternoon, the ladies from the office and I would take a walk around campus.   We did it for our health and also to get away from the hustle and the bustle and the “little” challenges of the office. As the weather turned nicer and warmer, all of us looked forward to that little 30-minute escape and we carved out a special time on our calendars for this one purpose.

Our walks always took us the same way but we never saw the same things from day to day.  We met different people, heard different conversations, and talked about different subjects.  We discussed the progress of new construction occurring around campus and we discussed our respective days.

Our jaunts eventually brought us to the math building which is built in the shape of a huge triangle.  We made a right-hand turn at the corner of the building and continued our walk.  On several occasions, however, that corner was a source of deep reflection.  It was not so much the corner itself; it was what it represented.

If you think about it, we are faced with corners every day and at every one of them a decision must be made.  As I leave the university, I make no fewer than seven turns at seven different corners just to get to the Interstate.  At any one of those corners, should I make the wrong turn, my journey home becomes much more frustrating.  That’s the thing about corners; you have to make a decision.  Do you go right, left, or straight?  The decisions made at a corner will have a definite impact on everything done from that point forward.

Nestled in the book of 2 Chronicles, the Old Testament records the story of King Ahaz, a man who was challenged at the street corner’s of life.  In 2 Chronicles 28:22-24 we read, “In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel. Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.”

There are many lessons to be found in this passage but three stand out above all the rest.  Firstly, Ahaz was an unfaithful man.  Notice the scripture says he grew more unfaithful during his time of trouble.  In times of trouble, in times of great difficulty, our one refuge is in the Lord. Ahaz chose not to seek this refuge and he began a downward spiral that affected not only him but all Israel.

Secondly, we see that Ahaz offered sacrifices to other gods, seeking to solve his problems by any means other than looking to the God of his fathers.  In her history, God had protected, provided for, and given victory to Israel.  Ahaz had the opportunity to continue in that tradition and he chose not to.

Thirdly, Ahaz’s decision to abandon God utterly is complete.  Notice that he took the sacred things of the temple, closed its doors, and set up altars on every street corner in the city.  Not only did he refuse to worship God, he prevented everyone else from doing so.  The decision to set up altars on every street corner tells us that Ahaz’s decision was complete and permeated every area of daily life.

What a tragic statement but one that has bearing on us today.  The Scriptures tell us that our bodies are the living temples of God.  How often do we take the sacred things of the Lord, close the temple doors of our hearts, and seek to worship and serve other things around us?  How often do we, like Ahaz, set up altars to our jobs, to our ambitions, to our possessions, and to our wants?  How many people are we leading astray by our actions? What decisions are we making at life’s street corners today? 

Go Back The Way You Came

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oday we take a look at a brief moment in the life of Elijah.  We find him in a cave hiding, fearing for his life because Jezebel has threatened to kill him.  While in this cave, God speaks to Elijah and teaches him a great truth.  God is always near and is always aware of Elijah’s circumstances.  When God speaks, it is often in the tones of a gentle whisper instead of mighty, supernatural acts.  It is always God’s still small voice that strengthens, reassures, and encourages all those who follow him.

After his experience in the mouth of the cave, Elijah receives new instructions from God. These instructions were difficult words for Elijah to hear and, I am sure, caused some concern on his part.  1 Kings 19:15-18 records God’s plans for Elijah as he prepared to leave the cave: “The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.  Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

Look at the very first sentence of this passage.  Can’t you just imagine that Elijah’s mouth dropped open!  Had he heard the Lord correctly?  Perhaps, he was mistaken.  It seemed that the Lord had just told him to go back and to go into the desert!  Surely, the Lord didn’t mean that! Back there, his life was in danger.  Back there, people wanted him dead.  Back there, he had no friends, no support, and no one he could count on.  But God’s words were clear, “You will go back there!”

Have you ever been in this situation?  You have just experienced a wonderful display of God’s power in your life and you are ready to move forward but God says, “Go back!”  Sometimes, that is the hardest thing to do.  God is asking us to retrace our steps, to walk over ground we have already covered and to buy the same piece of real estate twice.  This may mean staying on a job when you are ready to move forward, it may mean going back to a place where people reject you, or it may mean returning to a relationship which is painful.  Whatever the situation, God asks us to return to it, even though it may be a desert.

But there is also great hope in this passage.  Let’s not leave Elijah standing in the cave, his mouth opened, wondering what has happened to his world.  God continues by telling Elijah to anoint two new kings and a new prophet.  Although Elijah will return by the same road, he will not be the same man.  The message he carries and his life’s purpose have both changed.  God is at work and Elijah is now part of that plan.

You see, Elijah felt he was all alone, that he was the only one left to do battle for God.  Yet, the Lord tells him very plainly that Jehu and Hazael, whom Elijah will anoint as kings, and Elisha, who will succeed Elijah as prophet, and seven thousand others have not bowed the knee to the pagan God Baal.  Elijah is not alone and as he leaves the cave, everything has changed!  Notice that Elijah took the same way back but he did not go back the same way he came.  Think about that for a moment.  The road was the same; the man was not!!

Today you may be identifying with Elijah.  God has asked you to go back the way you came, back to the desert, back to a dry and lifeless place.  But God does not intend for you to go alone.  Although you walk a familiar path, your message and purpose are new and fresh.  God is at work ahead of you.  He knows where you are going and He knows the best way to get you there.  The road may be the same, the people around you may not change, and your present circumstances may seem dry and hopeless.  Rest assured and take courage my friend.  God never gives us an assignment, no matter how difficult or challenging, but that He gives us His own divine presence for comfort and His own strength for the journey.  Go back down that same road confident that God goes with you.  Sometimes the greatest blessings in life come when God tells us, “Go back the way you came!”

Through The Kaleidoscope

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ike most people, I have several important things in my home that I simply will not part with.  Some of them I purchased on my trips to Europe.  Some I have come across in little shops or in out-of-the-way places.  Some of them are gifts from dear friends and others are moments captured with the aid of a camera.  But perhaps the most precious items are ones that my parents have given me over the years.

There is the clock that hangs in my living room which was a Christmas present from mom and dad.  There is the clock hanging in my bedroom which they presented to my brother and me as a house-warming present when we moved into our home on Oak Street.   There is the silverware in my kitchen that mom brought and when I moved into my first apartment. It is the same silverware I used growing up and I love it.  I also have my great grandfather’s ice cream scoop and the scoop my mom used to measure sugar when she made cakes.

There are several little knick knacks around the house that mean very little, if anything, to my visitors but they mean the world to me.  One of these items is a small kaleidoscope that resides on my coffee table.  Mom and dad found it in an antique store in Ohio and brought it back to me.  It is very simple, made of three mirrors joined together to form a triangular tube.  At one end is a piece of metal that securely holds one of four differently colored marbles that rest in holes cut in the wooden base that holds the kaleidoscope.

The marbles are very unremarkable.  One is blue, one is yellow, one is red, and one is light orange.  Taken by themselves they aren’t very inspiring but once placed in the end of the kaleidoscope, they spring to life with unimaginable shapes and patterns.  What was a few seconds earlier a commonplace marble changes into a vibrant splash of color that changes formations as the marble is turned around and around.

The secret of the kaleidoscope lies in its ability to make us see an image, not for what it is, but for what it can become when seen from another perspective.  This idea was not lost on Jesus.  In fact, when calling his first disciples, he saw them not for what they were but for what they could become.

In Matthew 4:18-19 we find these words, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  Here is Jesus walking along the shore when he spots two ordinary marbles, Peter and Andrew.  They have been fishing all of their lives and have earned their living from the sea.  They are like so many others who ply their trade on the Sea of Galilee.  But if we look closer at this passage, we see that Jesus sees so much more in these brothers than is visible to the ordinary eye.

Notice Jesus words, “I will make you…”  These men are fisherman, anyone can see that.  But Jesus sees so much more. He sees them not as fishermen, but as fishers of men.  When seen through the eyes of Jesus, Peter and Andrew are no longer men who catch fish; they are men who catch souls. What they can become is unimaginable to them but is crystal clear to Jesus.

Is it any different with us?  God sees deep into our hearts and souls.  He sees us not for what we are but for what we can become through a relationship with his son, Jesus Christ.  What may seem ordinary to us becomes alive once we are placed in Jesus Christ and our lives are viewed from God’s perspective.  Wherever you are in your walk today with the Lord, rest assured his plans for you are beyond anything you can imagine.  Only when we are placed in Christ can we ever fully reveal what is inside.  What does God see when he looks at your life today?  Are you willing to see yourself from his perspective?

How Sweet It Is!

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n North Carolina, we like our tea sweet!  In fact, if you order tea in North Carolina, it’s going to be both iced and sweet.  There simply is no other way to drink it!!!!!  That’s what I thought until I came to Texas.  Here, the tea is iced but it is not sweet.  Several establishments offer sweetened iced tea but standard fare is iced tea without any sugar added.

Several years ago I was discussing the virtues of sweetened iced tea with a lady in a local restaurant.  She wanted to know exactly how sweet we drink our tea in North Carolina.  So, I explained to her that North Carolina tea had three distinct uses.  If the tea is iced, it serves as a refreshing drink.  If the tea were heated, it could be served over pancakes as syrup.  Finally, I explained that our tea had so much sugar in it that NASA is considering it as an alternative source of fuel for the space program.  She looked at me aghast!  “I don’t understand how you can drink sweetened tea!”  I had to chuckle at her comment.  She made the last statement as she dumped two packets of artificial sweetener into her tea!!

I assure you there is a point to all this rambling about sweetened tea.  During my visit home for the Christmas holidays, I had the opportunity to make sweet.  After bringing the water to a boil, I dumped in the appropriate amount of sugar and let it dissolve.  As soon as the sugar entered the water, the entire mixture took on a different complexion.  After a few seconds however, the water became clear and it was impossible to see the sugar.  It had completely melted and had become part of the water.  The two elements were now totally inseparable and indistinguishable from each other.

As I stirred the sugar into the hot water, one of the greatest truths in all the Scriptures came to mind.  The Apostle Paul understood the principle of being lost in and totally inseparable from Jesus Christ.  Paul knew that when we are “in Christ,“ when we belong completely to Him, when we accept Him as our savior and Lord, we are secure.   There is no way we can escape from His love.  Like the sugar in the boiling water, we become one with Christ, united in a bond and in a relationship that are both eternal.

In Romans 8:35; 37-39, Paul writes, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What a glorious passage this is.  Paul categorically states that in no way can we be separated from the love of Christ.  People can’t do it, circumstances can’t do it, nothing in our past can separate us from Him, nothing in our future will, no power on earth, no distance, and not even death can separate us from our God.  Once we have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the love of God completely enfolds us, surrounds us, engulfs us, and cleanses us.  God lays complete claim on us and His claim is eternal.

One more thing you need to know about North Carolina tea.  The longer it sits, the sweeter it becomes.  Isn't this the way our relationship to God is supposed to be? The longer we are with Him, the more we get to know Him, the deeper we understand Him, and the more we trust Him, the sweeter our relationship with Him grows.  So, can I offer you a tall, cool glass of spiritual sweetened iced tea today?  I think you’ll find it most refreshing!

After Sunset

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he hefty 737 airliner rumbled down the runway gathering speed in its effort to leave the ground and become airborne.  Just a few more seconds and we would leave the earth behind and begin our ascent toward the magical altitude of 37,000 feet, destination Paris, France.  The captain pulled back on the stick and the bulky piece of metal jumped into the air and gently floated aloft, upheld by the cool air passing over its wings and lifting it gently higher into the sky.

The plane continued its ascent, passing through cloud banks, playing tag with the small clouds that drifted near its wings, and shaking ever so slightly as small bumps of turbulence were overcome with ease.  After a hard right bank, the pilot evened the plane out and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport was soon nothing but a speck and a memory.  In the distance, the sun was making its way toward the western horizon, inching slowly downward, heading for the darkness of night and a well-earned rest.  All that remained was the soft drone of the engines and the conversations of passengers in the seats around me.

About three hours into the flight, I cast one last glance out my window and could see the final rays of sunshine disappear into the western sky.  The sun slipped below the horizon and night cast her velvety shawl over the clouds, bringing peace to the earth below.  What a wonderful sense of calm I experienced as I gazed at that sunset until the moon rose in the distance.  Then I closed the blind, adjusted my blanket and settled in for my journey around the world, still thinking about the sunset I had seen at 37,000 feet.

There is something soothing about a sunset, whether it is viewed from terra firma or from 37,000 feet in the air.  It brings closure and is a welcomed rest from the work and hustle of daytime hours.  Perhaps this is why Mark paints the following scene of Jesus healing the sick and possessed after sunset.  In Mark 1:32 we read, “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door,“  In the cool of the evening, after the hustle and the bustle of the day, Jesus comes and heals the people of the village.  He takes away the cares of life and replaces them with his presence, his joy, and his peace.  After sunset and in the presence of Jesus, the troubles, cares, pressures, and problems of this life simply vanish.

Jesus is aware of the difficulties of life.  He knows when friends forsake us, he knows when unexpected trials and tribulations come, and he is aware of life’s most difficult and challenging moments.  He invites us to bring our burdens and our cares to him and to place them at his feet.  Have you spent time after sunset with Jesus? Wouldn't you love to do that today?

A Watched Pot Never Boils!

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sn’t that the absolute truth?  I am promptly reminded of this little proverb every time I cook.  One particular Saturday serves as a good example.  I was preparing a rice pudding from my one of my mom’s recipes.  Everything was ready for the assembly line except the rice which had to be cooked.  However, before I could cook it, the water in the pot had to boil and boy was it taking it’s time!

Have you ever watched a pot of water, waiting for it to boil?  I believe Rome was built in less time than it takes for two quarts of water to come to a rolling boil.  While waiting for this little miracle to happen, I washed the dishes, then checked the pot—nothing.  I made my bed, then checked the pot—nothing.  I read a magazine article, then checked the pot—little bubbles.  I did a load of laundry, then checked the pot—more little bubbles.  Although I am exaggerating, you get the idea, right?  It took a long time for that little bit of water to come to a boil.

As I stood there watching the pot, trying to encourage and coax the little bubbles on their way, I remembered a lecture from one of my chemistry professors in college.  There isn’t much intellectual depth in a pot of water, so reflecting on Plato or Aristotle while waiting for the pot to boil just didn’t seem appropriate.  Anyway, the chemistry professor told us that a large amount of energy is required for hydrogen and oxygen atoms to break their bonds.  As you watch the pot, the little bubbles you see represent the beginning stages of these bonds breaking apart.  As the heat rises, more and more of these bonds are broken and the water begins to dance.  It can then be used to cook rice which leads to rice pudding, something worth waiting for!

Have you ever considered that a pot of water waiting to boil represents the Christian life?  Consider that pot filled with water.  It just sits on the stovetop, lifeless, wet, with no purpose.  Anything place in that pot will just become water logged until heat is applied.  Only when the temperature is raised will the energy be released and the pot changed into a boiling cauldron ready to be used by the cook to prepare a meal for many people.  But as long as there is no heat underneath the pot, the water inside will have no purpose.

Many Christians resemble the pot on the stove.  We get so caught up in ourselves that we are practically useless to God.  When we read the scriptures, we do nothing with them.  We don’t’ apply them to our situations, we don’t share them with others, we don’t let them change us in any way.  We sit around like pots full of water and God’s word becomes water logged because we have no initiative to internalize it, apply it, and share it with others.  Our faith needs to be stretched and we need to learn that God is who He says He is and that He cares for us and wants us to share His love and salvation with those around us.

It is just about this time that the heat gets turned up on the Christian and we encounter a challenge or trial, something unforeseen that drives up the heat, causes discomfort, but definitely makes us boil!  James wrote about this in his epistle.  James 1:2-4 tells us, “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.”

James tells us to rejoice when we face challenges in life.  He did not mean we were to throw a backyard barbecue and invite the neighbors!!  James was looking at the bigger picture, to the growing of our faith so that we could be complete in God, lacking nothing.  The boiling pot has a much greater purpose.  It will be used to cook food that will touch the lives of many people who would never be fed unless the water in the pot reached the boiling point. 

Who knows how many people will be blessed because you persevere in the challenge God has set before you today?  Who knows what God will teach you through this and how many people will be encourage and have their faith strengthened because of what God is doing in your life.  God knows where you are and he knows just how to use you for his purpose.  So, if he has turned up the heat today, know that he is doing it because he sees the bigger picture.  He knows there are things in your life that will be released when and only when your spiritual pot reaches the boiling pot.  So, what is God cooking up in your life today?

Right Under Your Nose

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o you notice anything different?”  My mom’s question caught my brother and me off guard.  A quick perusal of the room revealed nothing out of the ordinary.  There were four walls, two windows, a sofa, a chair, a coffee table, a grandmother clock, two end tables, two lamps, a television set, several pictures, and the light switch on the wall was right where it had always been.  No, everything about the room seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

She couldn’t believe we didn’t’ see it and told us to take another look around the room for anything that looked out of place.  “It’s right under your nose,” she said so I immediately looked down at the floor but the carpet I walked on that morning was still securely tacked down and had been vacuumed.   Neither of us noticed the big black box sitting atop the television set and mom had to point us in the right direction.  Suddenly, the box grabbed my attention and I proudly pointed out that it hadn’t been there earlier in the day when we left for school.

Mom was relieved we saw the big box on top of the set.  She wasn’t, however, too impressed with our investigative skills but at least we wouldn’t have to visit the doctor for an eye examination.  The big box covering most of our television set was one of those new VCR’s that permitted you to record your favorite shows and play them back.  In addition, you could rent movies and you could watch them at your leisure and as many times as you wanted.  How wonderful was that?

Yes, it has been several years since the VCR burst onto the scene and the machines now have almost gone the way of the dodo.  But the VCR is not the focus of today’s devotional; our inability to notice the obvious takes center stage today.   That afternoon in our home, my mom was so excited about the new VCR that she wanted to share the good news with us.  I was so wrapped up in the enthusiasm and excitement of the moment that I got my signals crossed.  The VCR was very noticeable and should have caught my attention.  Instead, I was looking for other things in the room like furniture, carpet, paint, new drapes, etc., anything but a VCR.

Jesus had a similar experience with his disciples in Samaria near Jacob’s well.  John 4:35 gives us the brief but revealing statement about that event, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”  This passage comes from the story of the woman at the well whom Jesus asked for a drink of water.  By the end of their discussion, Jesus had shared with her the secret of eternal life and had revealed to her that he was the long-awaited Messiah.

His disciples had gone into the village to buy food after their journey.  When they returned, they found Jesus talking with this woman but did not ask him who she was or what he had told her.  When the men offered him something to eat, Jesus refused saying he had food they knew nothing about.  Immediately, they assumed someone had given him something to eat during their absence and at this point in the conversation, they missed the big black box that should have been so obvious.

Jesus took a well-known saying and used it to make his point.  Farmers worked planting seed and once it was in the ground, they waited until the crop came in.  As Jesus stood there looking over the landscape and seeing many of the Samaritans coming to him due to this woman’s testimony, he saw an abundant crop of souls ripe for the picking.  His disciples, however, did not understand what he was saying.   Jesus told them to open their eyes, to see the work and the opportunity that was right under their noses.

Lest we be too hard on the disciples, let’s examine our own lives in light of this story.  We have opportunities every day to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.  All around us, there are people hurting, who are searching, and who just want someone to talk to them or to listen to them.  All these are opportunities for us to share Jesus Christ.  Yet sadly, we go about our daily routine, looking for just the right moment to witness to people.  All around us the field is ripe and we don’t even notice the fruit hanging on the vine.  More to the point, we believe and are searching for extraordinary opportunities and circumstances to witness for Christ.

Today, wherever you are reading this tidbit, let me assure you the opportunities are endless.  If you are at a desk, look around your office.  Your co-workers as well as the people entering your door are an opportunity.  If you are a teacher, your classroom is bursting with possibilities.  If you are a housewife, your family is your field.  If you are in business, your employees, your boss, and all the representatives from other firms and organizations that darken your door are living pieces of fruit waiting to be harvested.  If you are a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a youth minister, a janitor, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, you name it; your field is located right under your nose.  Don’t neglect the opportunities God gives you daily to gather fruit for his kingdom.  

It's Playback Time!

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arly in the summer semester, during an orientation meeting, one of our supervisors made a statement that took me by surprise. The statement reflected a greater desire to test the oral ability of our students, a move which will give us an accurate assessment of the student’s ability and knowledge of the target language. At the end of the semester, students will be given an oral test and the test will be recorded on cassettes. This change will be simple does provide a challenge given the level of today’s technology.

Someone in the group simply asked where we would find tape recorders, also known as cassette players/recorders.  At first, this seemed a very simple request until I remembered it had been years, I mean years, since I had used one of these bulky contraptions.  Technology has progressed so rapidly and we have come so far that cassette tapes, players, and recorders are all but a thing of the past.  Cars no longer come equipped with cassette players. CD players and connections for MP3 players are now standard equipment, leaving the poor cassette lying on the hill of obsolescence.

This whole episode set my mind to thinking about a tape recorder my parents owned when I was a little boy. It wasn’t a cassette player, those hadn’t been invented yet; it was one of those reel-to-reel deals that weighed several hundred pounds and required two Ph.D. degrees from Harvard to operate.  Somewhere we have tapes of me as a little boy giving the weather report like the forecasters on television.  I was enamored with the radar and drew it on my chalkboard while explaining that the radar was going “around, and around, and down, and back up!”  Radar’s haven’t changed much since my early years.  They have more colors and can do neat stuff but they still go around and around and up and down though!

The second recording that comes immediately to mind is a recording of my grandfather snoring!  If ever there were a gold medal at the Olympics for snoring, my grandfather would have been the world record holder.  On this occasion, he was enjoying a rather extended afternoon nap. Mom placed the tape recorder in the den next to him, hit the record and play buttons, and put her little plan in motion.  The tape went on for the longest time recording every sound he made.  Honestly, if snoring could be considered the equivalent of working in a sawmill, my grandfather would have cut enough wood during that one nap to build an entire housing development.

My mom captured both of us on tape so she would have a record of our activities.  Personally, I think it was for her to have a good laugh at our expense and to hold on to some special moments in her life.  I can remember her playing back those tapes and all of us having a good laugh; even my grandfather who said he never snored “that loudly!”  He sang a slightly different tune after listening to that tape.  But no matter how many times we listened to the tape and no matter how often it was replayed, the recording was always the same and always brought back the same memories and the same chuckles.

The Apostle Paul had an idea of the value of the cassette player thousands of years before its invention.  He knew that the more we listen to and playback the eternal truths of God’s word, the more familiar they become to us and the more we incorporate them into our lives.  That is he why he wrote the following in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Let us look at two kernels of truth in this passage. First, Paul wants us to understand that our faith grows and is possible only by hearing something repeatedly.  The more we hear something, the more we understand it, the more we know what is being said, the more we trust it and put our faith in it.  But Paul doesn’t stop there!  He continues by saying our faith comes only by hearing the word of God, the word that Jesus explained and demonstrated in all its fullness during his ministry.

The more we listen to God’s word, the more we read it, the more we make it the most integral part of our lives, the more we learn about our Heavenly Father and place our faith in him.  As we place our faith in him and trust him more and more we find that our faith is stretched and grows until we trust God completely.  This is exactly what he wants us to do; to trust him completely with all things, big and small.

The most important button on a tape recorder (cassette player/recorder) is the playback button. By pushing this button all those around the machine can hear and listen to what is stored on the tape.  The messages on that tape never change and can be reviewed and enjoyed at any time, in any place, by anyone.  For the Christian, the pages of the Bible are the playback button to God’s word.  We can hear it, listen to it, read it, share it, and enjoy it at any time, with anyone, in any place.  How long has it been since you pushed that button and replayed God’s word?  How about a little playback time today?

            

And Jesus Had Not Joined Them

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here was he?  He promised he would be there and that he would be there on time.  It wasn’t like Jason to be late.  In fact, he was the one who insisted on being everywhere fifteen minutes early.  Sarah remembered the time they had shown up at the corner market at 5:45 in the morning just so Jason could have his pick of the fresh strawberries.  It wasn’t like the strawberries would start to sour at 6:00, but that was Jason, no excuse, always on time.

So what could be the hold up?  Sarah promised herself there was some logical explanation and that he wouldn’t be more than five or ten minutes late at the most.  So you can imagine her shock when, after a full hour, no Jason.  She began to pace back and forth, what could be keeping him?  On at least five occasions she picked up the phone to call the local authorities but she changed her mind at the last second.

They had arranged to have dinner at their local restaurant and had made a reservation for 7:30.  But it was now 9:00 and Jason had not joined her.  Sarah was beside herself and just as she rose to leave she saw him coming through the door.  He looked absolutely fine, not a hair out of place and not one wrinkle in his suit.  And to beat it all he was smiling!  That upset her all the more but when he got to her, she was simply so overjoyed to see him that all the fear and worry disappeared.

Now, Sarah and Jason are obviously fictitious characters and yet there story could have happened just yesterday, to any one of us.  None of us like to be left wondering if someone we care for is injured or if some circumstance has caused them to delay their promised arrival.  Jesus’ disciples were no different and on the Sea of Galilee one stormy evening, they experienced in the real what was only imaginary in the story of Jason and Sarah.

In John 6:17 we read these words, “By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.”  What dejection there is in these words. The disciples had just spent the most miraculous afternoon with Jesus.  They had seen him take five loaves and two fish and feed over five thousand people until they were completely stuffed.  There were 12 baskets of leftovers and everyone knew they had been in the presence of the Messiah.

Now, they found themselves all alone on the Sea of Galilee with the darkness closing in all around them.  Hour after hour they had looked for and hoped to see their Master but alas, he had not come.  Had something happened to him?  Had some unforeseen circumstance prevented him from coming?  All these uncertainties were only compounded by the growing darkness.

The sea of life is much the same.  How often do we strain at the bough of our boat looking for Jesus only to find darkness?  How often do we seek shelter from the storm or try to hide ourselves from the blustering winds of trials only to find the waves growing in intensity and the gusts gaining in strength.  It seems it is dark and that Jesus will not join us.

But just when we are at our wits’ end, just when we are ready to give up, we hear his voice saying, “It is I be not afraid!”  Jesus, our master always comes to us.  He promised he would never leave us nor forsake us and even though we think he delays in coming to our rescue, we find that he is always on time.  No matter how dark it is around you, rest assured that Jesus loves you and will join you right where you are just when you need him most.

Always In Service

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ou can see them everywhere at the university.  In fact, they are so common that if you don’t look twice, you will walk right by them and not even know they are there.  Everywhere on campus, it seems, these little blue towers stand guard over the student body, always at the ready to lend a helping hand and put them in direct contact with the police in the event of an emergency.

The little towers are more noticeable at night when a blue light near the top illuminates and all the towers begin to glow, bringing a sense of safety and security to those walking the campus at night.  However, there was one tower I passed several weeks in a row that was distinctly different from the rest.  In addition to its blue color and its lamp, this tower also bore a swatch of brown and that swatch made all the difference.

The swatch was a piece of cardboard with a message scribbled across it. The message simply read, “Not In Service.”  Now, I ask you, how effective was that tower going to be had someone required immediate assistance?  It stood ready, but it was incapable of rendering aid of any kind in the event of an emergency.  The tower was unreliable and, therefore, was of no help.

In Psalm 46, David reminds us that God is always in service.  He is always standing by, ready to help us when we need it; and we need it all the time.  Psalm 46: 1 reads, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. “ Who better than David to remind us of this truth?  David knew what it was to depend on God as a refuge.  He also knew God to be a constant source of help in times of trouble.  David had many troubles in his life and he also had many enemies, but he had learned to depend on the one who offered shelter and safety in the middle of life’s crises.

Do you find yourself in need of help today?  Do you need refuge from the world around you and are you running low on strength?  Look for God’s blue tower.  You probably have several of them lying around your house or gathering dust on coffee tables or bookshelves.  Pick up his word; open its pages. By doing so, you place yourself in direct contact with the one who knows you best and can help you the most.  He is always in service, ready, willing, and able to come to your aid at a moment’s notice.  So, have you visited the little blue tower lately?  Perhaps it’s time you did.

Are You A Siren Or A Foghorn?

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ate one afternoon, I was stopped at an intersection waiting for the traffic light to change from red to green.  Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a piercing sound split the air above the waiting traffic.  I jumped in my seat and almost hit the car in front of me.  Even the music of my radio could not squelch the sound coming up rapidly behind me.  A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed what I already knew.  An ambulance was making its way up the street, barreling toward the intersection where I was waiting for my green light.

The cars behind me pulled over to the left and to the right as the sea of traffic parted to allow the ambulance through. I pulled over to the right and the ambulance whizzed by on its way to whatever emergency had summoned it.  As I watched the red and white flashing lights, the siren continued to cut through the air.  I can still hear it and feel the cold chills on my skin and the erect hairs on my arms.

Today, the sound of the siren is associated with danger and fear by all who hear it.  It is no wonder. The siren takes its name from Greek mythology.  The sirens were originally associated with the sea.  As sailors navigated their vessels through treacherous waters, the sirens would begin singing a lovely song.  So beautiful were there voices, that sailors lost their concentration.  Instead of focusing on the dangerous waters around their vessels, they focused on the lovely voices, steered toward them, and dashed their ships onto rocky shores, sinking their vessels and losing their lives.  That is how the term siren became synonymous with danger.

There is another sound associated with the seashore that also serves to warn ships of the dangers of sailing to close to shore.  The foghorn sends out a low, monotonous tone that warns ships at sea of the treacherous rocks lying in their paths.  The horns are used whenever a fog bank rolls in that obscures the lights from lighthouses and harbors on shore.  Instead of luring ships to their demise, the foghorn guides ships to safety, warning them of the dangers of coming too close to the coastline. 

The distinction between these two sounds is incredible, isn’t it?  The sirens were intent on luring ships toward shore in order to wreck them while the foghorn was used to push ships away from the shore in order to save them.  Although appealing on the surface, the sirens were deceitful and following their voices ended in destruction.  The foghorn, however, while not the loveliest of sounds, gave an accurate representation of the danger ahead and showed captains the only way to safely avoid sinking their vessels.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul commented on the dangers of misrepresenting the gospel message.  Paul knew that eventually society would prefer to hear an appealing message, one that made them feel good about themselves, and one that gave them assurance they were on a proper heading.  But Paul knew that this message, like the sirens of Greek mythology, would lead many to a false hope and would end in spiritual shipwrecks all along life’s coastline.  His words in 2 Timothy 4:3 should give all Christians something to think about. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

In light of Paul’s statement, we must ask ourselves what kind of message we are sending out to a lost world.  Are we like the sirens, sending out a wonderful and lovely message that belies the dangers of life’s rocky shore?  Are we more concerned with being accepted than we are with sharing the truth of Jesus Christ?  Or are we like the foghorn, sending out a message that correctly points out the only way to safety?  In today’s world, it is much easier to be a siren than it is a foghorn; and yet, God expects us to share His truth in a straightforward way.

How would you characterize your witness for Christ today?  If your life were viewed as sending a message to a ship lost at sea would it be a message of sirens or of foghorns?  Which one represents your life today?

                        

Never Look Back!

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adies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages….” The Ring Mater’s voice boomed from center ring and reverberated from the walls and ceiling of the Charlotte Coliseum where my parents had taken me and my brother to see the circus.  It was everything they said it would be.  There were animals from all over the world—my favorites were the elephants and the lions.  There were clowns, jugglers, fire eaters, magicians, and something I had never seen before nor expected.

High above the circus floor, flying through the air, defying all laws of gravity, were acrobats.  I was mesmerized from the moment I saw them.  The Ring Master walked the audience through their entire performance, telling us about the impossible feats they were conducting high above our heads.  I remember shuddering with fear and excitement as these men and women sailed through the air, turning somersaults, hanging upside down from the trapeze, and trusting the other members of their troupe to catch them.  It was an amazing sight and one I never forgot.

The moment of truth, however, came when the Ring Master announced that one of the acrobats would be performing a difficult maneuver high above our heads.  He would swing out on the trapeze several times, do a combination spin/somersault, and land in the outstretched hands of his partner who would deliver him safely to the other side of the arena.  As if this weren’t adequately heart-stopping for the audience, this last feat would be performed without the added safety of a net!

The two acrobats began their performance.  The gentleman who would perform the maneuver began swinging back and forth, faster and faster, and higher and higher.  His partner also began swinging but he was not in sync with his partner.  From the ground, it looked as if the two would never be in rhythm and I became very worried.  How would the one acrobat catch the other?  Would he be in a position to catch him when he released the trapeze?  Would the other acrobat release the trapeze and trust his partner?  What would happen?

Finally, I got the answer to all these questions.  The two acrobats approached each other.  The one performing the spin/somersault had his back turned to his partner.  He swung out, released the trapeze, performed the trick and landed squarely in the hands of his partner who delivered him safely to the other side.  The audience breathed a collective sigh of relief and applauded thunderously.  What was so amazing to me was not so much that one partner caught the other, but that the first acrobat, without being able to see his partner, had the guts to let go of the trapeze in the first place.

The Scriptures are filled with examples of men and women who exercised great faith, trusting God to catch them when they stepped out into nothing and had no net catch them.  This is the type of faith God wants us to have. It is the type of faith that only comes from experience, from learning that no matter how high the trapeze, no matter how out of rhythm life seems, and no matter how difficult the maneuver, God will always be there to catch us! 

But there is one proviso in all this, one requirement which we must meet, we must be willing to let go of the trapeze.  We cannot put our hands into the hands of God if our hands are full.  We cannot reach out and take hold of the things God has for us if we continue to hold fast to things in the past or present.  In order to experience God’s wonderful grace, in order to understand what it means for him to care for us, and in order for us to truly know God in all his fullness, we must let go of the trapeze.  It’s just that simple.

In Luke 9:62, Jesus, himself, gives us this requirement for being servants in God’s kingdom, “Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Look at the first two words of this passage. The words no one are all inclusive, they leave no one out!!  In order to be servants in the Lord’s kingdom, we must let go of all we hold dear, be that a job, a home, a stock portfolio, a friend, or a family.  This does not mean God will take them from us, but we must be willing to release our hold on them so he can give us his best.

Like the acrobat, we must be wiling to let go of the trapeze, knowing there is nothing below us to break our fall.  With our backs turned, without the luxury of sight, without being able to hear, we must let go in faith, knowing God will catch us.  Has your walk with God prepared you for the moment when you must let go?  Are you ready and willing to let go of the trapeze today, to step out into nothing except the hand of God and experience the joy that comes from landing squarely in his arms?  

Your Thermostat Setting

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he gentle rumbling overhead tells me the air conditioner has just kicked in.  This is an especially good feeling since the temperatures have been in the nineties for the past few days.  As the cool air circulates through my home, I find myself more and more thankful for the little box attached to the wall that keeps the air conditioner in check. Whenever the temperature rises above a certain level or whenever it dips below a predetermined limit, the air conditioner either roars to life or shuts down.

We know the little box as a thermostat, designed to regulate the temperature of a home, preventing it from growing too hot or too cold.  What I love most about the thermostat is the fact I don’t have to keep checking it.  Once I set it, it automatically regulates the temperature and provides me with cool air when I need it.  It is so accurate and so reliable that I never give the climate in my house a second thought.  As long as the thermostat remains in proper condition, the comfort level of my home remains constant.

The basic principle behind the thermostat is quite simple.  I simply select a temperature that reflects my comfort level.  When the number of degrees in the house falls below that setting, the thermostat alerts the air conditioner to turn on and send cool air into the house. When the desired temperature is reached, the air conditioner shuts off until it is needed to replenish the cool air in my home.  The thermostat stands constant watch over my house, whether I am there or not, making sure I have what I need when I need it.

The concept of the thermostat is not new; and in fact, goes all the way back to Old Testament times.  We can see it best in the life of the prophet Elijah.  1 Kings 17:7-9 gives us an enlightening glimpse of Elijah’s life and how his needs were met.  In this passage of scripture, we read, “Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.  Then the word of the LORD came to him:  "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."

Elijah has just come from telling King Ahab there will be no rain in the land for a period of a few years.  This was not a popular message and as soon as he leaves the king’s presence, God instructs him to flee and hide himself in the Kerith Ravine.  It is here that we find Elijah, sitting by the brook called Cherith, drinking from its waters and receiving his bread from the ravens who fed him daily.  Already, God has been working, providing Elijah with rest, with food, and with water.

But notice what our passage for today says, “Some time later the brook dried up…then the word of the LORD came to him.”  Do you see the thermostat at work?  Can you pinpoint Elijah’s level of need?  Do you see how God came to his rescue at just the right moment?  Let’s look at these three ideas for just a moment.

The brook provided Elijah with water in order to maintain his life.  It is impossible to go for long periods of time without water, especially in the wilderness.  But the brook began to dry up!  This didn’t happen overnight!  I imagine Elijah noticed it over a period of days or weeks.  Remember, he, himself, had told Ahab there would be no rain which meant that all the brooks would eventually dry up. 

Don’t you just know Elijah wondered what God was doing?  Don’t you just know he wondered if God had forgotten all about him?  But now we come to the words, “then the word of the LORD came to him.” Do you hear the rumble as the air conditioner in Elijah’s life kicks in?  God knew when to step in.  He knew that Elijah needed nourishment to survive and, just when it seemed all was lost, God stepped in and provided all that Elijah needed.  God sent him to a widow in Zarephath who would take care of him.  Notice that God had gone ahead of Elijah and commanded the widow to meet his needs.

Like the thermostat on my wall, God keeps constant vigil over our lives.  He knows what we need and when we need it, even when we are oblivious to this.  He has predetermined the levels of need for each of us and he has promised we would never do without.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God watches over us, that he cares for us, and that he provides for us on a daily basis, working out the difficult areas of our life even before we get there.  What the thermostat is to a house, God is to the hearts, souls, and lives of his children.  He always knows the condition of our lives, he is always aware of our circumstances, and he is always ready, willing, and able to provide for us when we need it.  Not before, not after, but right on time.  Is your spiritual thermostat set properly today?

            

Have You Been There?

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uring trips to France, most of our students spend several days shopping, trying to find perfect souvenir for that special someone.  They come armed with lists from people back home asking for everything from perfume to postcards.  Every member of our group has at least five people who all want a little piece of France, something to prove they know someone who has been there.

As for myself, I purchase very few, if any, souvenirs.  Instead, I take snapshots and try to drink in as many special moments as I can.  I visit the bakeshops, go to several cafés, visit a few restaurants, and take several walks in my favorite sections of the city.  I don’t come back with bags and pockets full of key chains, saltshakers, or little silver spoons. The only items I have that prove I visited France include my pictures, my airplane boarding passes, and the stamps in my passport proving I entered and exited the country.

I do, however, buy a few small items to bring back to the States for a very special people.  They want something from France, something that would prove the place exists so I accommodate them as best I can.  It is easy for me to speak of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, etc. because I have actually been there and have seen these things first-hand.  The fact I have been there in person causes those with whom I share my experiences to believe me.  They know I have been there and that gives them all the more reason to believe my stories and experiences are true.

Daily life is sometimes more adventurous than a trip to Europe.  We encounter all types of challenging experiences in life and we appreciate those people who fully understand by virtue of having experienced the same circumstances we are experiencing.   It is one thing to tell someone who is about to undergo surgery that you can understand their fear.  But if you’ve ever undergone the same surgery, you can give them insight and encouragement the average person can’t.  Someone who has never had surgery simply cannot empathize with someone who is facing a major operation.  What we want is someone who has been there and experienced the same thing first-hand.

There is a biblical basis for this and it is found in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth.  Paul knew that sometimes life throws us curves and he also knew the road of life frequently takes uphill climbs.  Who better to encourage his fellow Christians than someone who spent time in prison, who was beaten, who was shipwrecked, and who was himself persecuted in so many ways?  Perhaps that is why Paul writes the following in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

In this passage Paul explains why it is we go through trials and difficulties in life.  Notice his words of encouragement that God, Himself, is our comfort.  God is our refuge and shield as the Psalmist says, but He is also our comfort.  God comforts us when we are hurting, when we are disappointed, when we are sick, and when we simply are tired of the journey.  He does this so that we can encourage and comfort others who are experiencing the same things in life.  Notice that he admonishes us to comfort others with the same comfort we received from God.  This means that not only do we understand the situation in which others find themselves, but we also can share the joy of God’s comfort with them because we have experienced it ourselves.

Wherever you are in your walk with God today, know this:  God is aware of your situation and He knows everything you are feeling and experiencing right now.  He wants to comfort and he will comfort you in every situation.  But don’t be surprised to find out that he will call on you to share that comfort with someone else who is hurting or who is facing trying circumstances.  You will be a source of encouragement and strength when they look at you and ask, “Have you been there?”  You can say with all confidence, “Yes, I have been there and I know that God has been there too because he was there with me.”  Are you ready to comfort someone today?