A Good Drink Of Water

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hen it comes to plants, my thumbs are any color but green!  My brother, however, can make anything grow and draws so much pleasure and enjoyment from making things grow.  It is quite remarkable, then, that I have managed to keep two plants alive in my home for several years.

One of the plants lives in my study. Her name is Tracy and the other lives in my bedroom and his name is Spencer.  Now don’t ask me why I named them, I just did.  As I walked through the house on Saturday morning, I glanced into my study where Tracy stands guard, making sure everything is in order.  I noticed that her leaves had begun to droop, a sure sign that a good drink of water was needed.

So, I stopped my house-cleaning chores and attended to her.  I picked her up, took her to the kitchen, placed her in the sink, and gave her a good drink of water from the faucet.  As I carefully guided the stream of water so that all the soil in her container was dampened, God spoke to me and reminded me of a great biblical truth.

I knew that Tracy needed water. I also knew that she could not get that water on her own. There was no way she could make it to the kitchen, put herself in the sink, turn on the faucet, and get the water she needed.  She is my responsibility and her life is in my hands.

It was at that time that God reminded me that I am just like Tracy. I am totally dependent on my Heavenly Father for everything in my life.  As the water poured from the spigot into Tracy’s container, this is what I heard God saying to me: “I know what you need.  I know when you need it. You are my responsibility and your life is in my hands.  I will see to it that you have everything you need exactly when you need it.  Trust me!”

Water from the spigot wasn’t the only water flowing in my kitchen on Saturday morning.  Tears ran down my face as I felt God’s presence so real and His loving arms enfold me.  He reminded me of the truth that Paul shared in his letter to the believers in Philippi.  In Philippians 4:19 he writes “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Wherever you are today, it is my prayer for you that this truth will become so real in your life.  God is our father. We are His responsibility.  He will see to it that our needs are met, right on time.  He knows when we need a good drink of water.  Have a great day!

Your Call Is Important To Us!

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ou know how it goes.  You need some information so you spend several minutes trying to find the correct number in the phone book.  Of course, the number you're looking for is always listed in the most illogical way and when you do find it, there are several numbers from which to choose.  You always select the wrong one and then begin eliminating numbers until you find the one you're looking for.   On a scale from 1 to 10, your frustration level is a 5. You take a deep breath, dial the number, and wait.  As luck would have it, the line is busy, so you hit the redial button, not once, but several times.  Finally, the line is clear and it begins to ring and your frustration eases off to level 2.

That's when it happens.  The phone on the other stops ringing and you hear the all-too-familiar recording telling you how glad they are you called.  The message goes something like this:  "All lines are busy.  You're call is important to us.  Please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order in which it was received." 

You roll your eyes, take a deep breath, check your pulse, and bite your lip.  The frustration monitor is now at 8.  You begin questioning the sincerity of the recorded message that is now playing for the fifth time.  If your call were really that important, someone would be on the phone speaking with you, assisting you, and listening to you.

Several times a day, we find ourselves spending more time in conversation with a machine than we do with those closest to us.  What is amazing is that we actually spend time listening to and believing the machine

However, it is not the machine's message that upsets us as much as it is the fact that we feel unimportant.  Instead of receiving priority treatment, we are assigned a number, placed in long line, and our call is addressed by someone we don't know, in a place we've never heard of, asking questions we can't answer, helping us with a problem we didn't call to report.  No wonder we get frustrated!!

Isn't it wonderful to know that God does not work like this?  In the book of Psalms, David gives us example after example of God's interest and care for his children.  He refers to us as sheep receiving constant care from our great shepherd.  In the Psalms, we come to know God as our defender and protector, one who knows us intimately and who knew us before we were even formed.  Here, we understand that God planned all our days and that he seeks a deep and meaningful relationship with us.  In the Psalms we find strength, courage, reassurance, peace, comfort, and grace.

In Psalm 34:15, David writes, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry."  What a wonderful promise this is, especially when placed against the background of our world today.  God is never too busy to listen to us or to understand our situations. 

The first part of this verse speaks to God's awareness of his children.  His eyes are on us, no matter where we are, no matter what we are facing, no matter how difficult the trial.   We are precious to him and considered righteous, not because of what we've done on our own, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for us and because of who we are in him.

The second portion speaks to God's availability.  He is always aware of our needs and listens when we pray to him.  He gives us his undivided attention and is always open to our requests.  We have direct access to his throne, and can reach him at anytime, from any place, concerning anything, speaking any language, even the language of tears and silence.  His ears always hear us because God listens to our hearts.  No request is too large, no prayer is too small, no cry is too soft, and no praise is too loud.  Our God hears us, no matter what.

God does not own an answering machine!  You will never receive a message requesting you wait.  Instead, you will be speaking directly to God himself, not on the second, third, or fourth ring, but on the very first try!

A Tried & Trusted Friend

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y friend Larry has been around for as long as I can remember.  In fact, we have pictures of him dating back to my very early childhood, around the age of two or so.  Although every member of my family knew Larry, he and I were especially close and practically inseparable.  If I was watching television, Larry was with me.  If I decided to take a nap, Larry stood guard over me while I slept and sometimes he would even make it to the table for supper.  After eating, he and I would dart off to my room or somewhere else to play or just to talk.

Larry was a good listener.  I could talk to him about anything and he always listened, never interrupting, letting me get it all out in the open.  Larry gave great hugs as well.  He was never too busy and never too tired to comfort me.  He was always there; ready to listen, hug, laugh, and play when I needed it most.

As I grew older, Larry and I saw less and less of each other. In fact, for several years, I didn’t see him at all.  I almost forgot about him but from time to time he would cross my mind and a flood of wonderful memories came rushing back.  Finally, one day in August of 2002, Larry showed back up at my place.  He found me in Fort Worth, TX and has once again become a constant companion.

Ok, I have to make a confession.  Larry is not a person.  Larry is a lion, a talking toy produced by the Mattel ® Toy Corporation in the early 1960’s.  He is the first toy I remember and we have stayed together all these years.  When I pull Larry’s string, he talks.  His messages are few, simple, and always the same.  But those words that I heard as a boy still make me smile and laugh.

Larry is a tried & trusted friend.  He has been present during crises and triumphs, during skinned knees and skinned hearts, during times of sickness and times of excellent health, and on more occasions than I can count, he has stood watch over my bed while I slept, a lone sentinel in the night, protecting me from harm.  In all these years, Larry has never changed and as our friendship continues I know he will continue to be the same in the years ahead.

I have another friend who is even more constant and more trusted than Larry the Lion.  This friend is real and his name is Jesus.  He also has been present during every stage of my life, even before I was born.  He saw me when I was still a secret to my mother.  He was there at my birth, he was there when I accepted his gift of salvation, he was there in all of life’s challenges, during all of life’s joys, and during all of life’s disappointments.  Every night and all day long, he keeps watch over me, protecting me from harm, providing food, clothing, and shelter and meeting every need I have.

He is a good listener, understanding all my disappointments, hurts, and fears.  He is a great hugger, opening his arms wide to enfold me when I need it most, giving me the reassurance that he is still in control and that he cares for and loves me just as I am.  But when he speaks, his words carry such comfort, such strength, and such love.  At every turn, Jesus reassures me that just as he was with all those who walked this way before me, he will be with me as I walk it today and he will never leave me no matter how dark or steep the road grows in the days ahead. 

The writer of Hebrews 13:8 expresses this great truth like this, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Do you know him as your tried and trusted friend today? 

Zero Down, Zero Interest!

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 never knew buying a car could be so easy!!  I always remember my mom and dad discussing the purchase of a new car and the endless car payments that came with it.  Nothing about this process seemed fun or easy at the time, especially for my mom.  But today things are very different, or at least they seem to be.  It is impossible to watch television without being bombarded by dealers wanting you to buy a new car from them. They have great rates, can work with almost any credit rating, and they promise to do whatever it takes to get you behind the wheel of a new automobile.

My personal favorites are the commercials offering new cars for zero money down and zero interest for the life of the loan.  I usually stop what I’m doing just to try and do the math in my head.  On the surface, it seems that the dealerships are rendering a great service to the consumer.  But somewhere along the way, they are making money. The bottom line is that the consumer, in one way or another, is making up for the dealer’s revenue loss from the low interest rate on the loan.  You don’t get something for nothing; it’s just a basic principle in business.

Would it surprise to learn that the no-interest-loan is not a new concept?  In fact, it is the way God intended all along.  He instructed His people to lend without interest to those in need because when God gives, He does so freely with no strings attached. However, there is a place in the Old Testament where a man named Araunah tried to offer King David a very good deal on a threshing floor.  The terms were very easy, zero down, zero interest, and zero payments.  David, however, refused the deal and his decision provides our lesson today.

In 2 Samuel 24:24 we read, “Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing."  David’s battle days were over and Israel enjoyed peace all around.  The king wanted to construct the Temple so people could come and worship God.  God, however, refused David’s request.  God would not permit anyone with blood on his hands to build the temple.  David had been involved in war and was guilty of adultery and murder.  So God did not let him build the temple.  However, God did permit David to make all the preparations so his son, Solomon, could build it.

This passage of scripture marks the transaction where David purchases the plot of land where the temple will stand.  Araunah owned the land and wanted to donate it to the king so that David could prepare for the temple.  David, however, would not agree to Araunah’s generous terms.  David did not believe his relationship with God should only move in one direction.  He wanted to actively participate in God’s work, so he bought the land from Araunah.

What a wonderful example this is for us today.  David’s question is right on target and cuts to the heart of our relationship with God.  David knew that following God would entail cost.  He also knew that the more of himself he placed in God’s hands, the more of God’s love, grace, mercy, and joy he would receive.  He also knew that when making an investment, interest is a very good thing.  If you put no money into the bank, you will earn no interest on your money.  Zero down, zero interest, it’s just that simple.

Far too often, we live the Christian life cutting deals like the car salesman in the television ad.  We want to put little or nothing into our relationship with God and we certainly don’t want to pay any interest into it.  Yet, we expect God to generously meet our needs and our WANTS.  We get upset, disappointed, and downright angry when God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we think they should be answered and heaven forbid we should ever face any challenges in life.

We want to pay zero down, zero interest, and receive 100%.  It just doesn’t add up, does it? David wanted to sacrifice for the Lord. He knew how much God had promised him and how much God had blessed him during his life.  For him to give back to the Lord that which required no effort or sacrifice on his part, meant that he would actually give nothing to God.  Had David accepted the terms, it would have been Araunah making the sacrifice, not David.

As we walk the threshing floor of life today, let us ask ourselves these probing questions.  Are we living our lives for God by paying zero down and zero interest?  Are we offering to the Lord for His work that which costs us nothing? 

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 counter top 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 counter top 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 inEgypt 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 eyeing 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!

The Pilot Light

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he last time my parents remodeled our home on Main Street, they made several drastic changes.  Not only did they alter the house structurally, making two new rooms and cutting a hole in the front of the house for a bay window; they also made changes in the heating system of the house.  Mom and dad decided to change from electricity to natural gas as a source for their heat, hot water, dryer, and cooking appliances in the kitchen.  We knew several families who had made the switch and mom and dad decided this would be a good move for them.

I distinctly remember the day the workers completed their task.  Our family was so excited and we moved all the furniture back into the house and mom spent weeks getting everything just as she wanted it.  No matter how much time you spend in construction, it’s nothing compared with the time spent arranging the house and its furnishings until everything is just perfect!

Not long after the remodeling was completed, I was in our basement.  It was always dark down there and as a kid I was convinced the whole place was haunted and inhabited by a host of hobgoblins.  You know how it is, a kid’s imagination just runs away from him and he imagines all kinds of things and all of them are real.  Anyway, on this particular day, I was convinced the goblins had returned to set up housekeeping in our new home.  In the basement, I saw an eerie blue light glowing from the furnace.  I wasn’t sure what this was but decided to investigate.  As I approached the furnace, I was very surprised to see an open flame burning, shedding a small glow in the basement’s darkness.

I immediately panicked, not knowing what to do.  I mean, there was a fire in our basement, an open flame that needed to be extinguished.  However, as I watched that flame, it just continued to glow, flickering harmlessly in the darkness.  Then I remembered what my dad had told me earlier.  Gas appliances have a pilot light, a flame that continually burns to prevent natural gas from building up in the house.  The pilot light also serves as the source of fuel for the appliances, supplying the necessary spark to run them when they are called into action.

As Christians, we have an ever-present pilot light in Jesus Christ.  John 1:5 gives us a wonderful description of this light that came into the world to dispel the darkness of sin.  “The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” This is one of the most beautiful passages in all the Scriptures.  Before the coming of Jesus Christ, the world was completely immersed in darkness.  There was no light to bring man to God and the darkness of sin left man without hope, without the ability to see where he was going.  But when the time was right God sent Jesus into the world to shine the light of His mercy and grace, to provide a way for man to come to the light of salvation and come out of his sin.

Notice that John writes this verse in the present tense.  The light always shines in the darkness.  It is always there, always glowing, always providing the spark that brings us into the light of God’s salvation, and the darkness of the world is powerless to put it out.  No matter how dark the storm, no matter how gloomy the way, no matter how thick the night might be around us, the light of God’s love and salvation shines in the darkness and the darkness can never put it out!

How long has it been since you noticed the Pilot Light of life?  When was the last time you were in a dark place?  How long has it been since the darkness made you realize and be thankful for the light of God’s salvation, the light that can never go out and that will never, never grow dim? Don’t you think it’s time you checked your heart’s pilot light today?

The Power Bill

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nce a month I receive a nice little reminder in my mailbox.  It comes in a neat little envelope with my name and address appearing prominently in the window.  Just like clockwork, the mailman brings it at the same time and each month I open it, peek inside, pull out the papers, and look at the lovely charts, numbers, and explanations printed on the face of my power bill!

First, there is a billing summary of my charges complete with a reminder of how much I spent on power the month before, as if I want to be reminded of that!  Next comes the current usage and finally at the bottom is the total amount I owe for my power bill.  To top things off in a decorative manner, my electrical company provides a chart displaying my usage for the past twelve months.  The little bars go up and down showing me where I saved money as well as the months where I spent money--lots of it—for which the power company is very grateful!

A quick gander at the chart reveals that most of my power consumption occurs during the hottest and coldest months of the year.  This should come as no surprise to me or to anyone else.  It is during the winter and the summer months that I am powerless to ward off the biting cold or the sweltering heat.  So, I run my heating and my air conditioning units to protect and comfort me during these months.  The spikes in my power bill represent those times when I must use the resources available to me to make it through both the heat and the cold.

How much of God’s power are we using in our daily walk with Him?  If God presented us with a power bill indicating the amount of His power flowing through our lives would the spikes on the graph be high or low?  Would there be months when no power was used at all, a flat line as it were, indicating the times when we didn’t want or use God’s power?  Or would there be an even row of spikes showing that we call on God’s power all the time, realizing that we need Him on a daily basis if we are ever to live the Christian life as He intended?

For those Christians who maintain a close relationship with their Heavenly Father, the spikes on the graph would be pretty even.  Still, there would be times when the bars on the graph were very high, indicating a greater need to call on God’s power and strength to see them through.  No doubt these spikes would coincide with times of great struggle, trial, pain, disappointment and growth.  It seems that at those times in life when the road grows steeper, the way grows more difficult, and the path grows weary, that God gives us an extra portion of His grace to strengthen and sustain us.

The Apostle Paul knew this all to well.  In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, he reminds his readers, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In this passage, Paul is speaking of a “thorn in the flesh” that plagued him during his life. On three occasions, he asked the Lord to remove it from him and each time the Lord said, “No.”  God, however, did not leave Paul without an explanation.  This entire passage is one of great encouragement to Paul and to us.  God explains that our weaknesses are actually opportunities for Him to display His power through us.

In moments when we face tragedy, in moments of medical crises, in times of all types of difficulties, we find that God’s grace is indeed our strength, the power we need to continue.  It is during the times of our greatest weaknesses that God’s power reaches its greatest levels in our lives.  That is the promise of this passage.

Notice Paul says he is able to persevere in all types of struggles because he realizes that when he is weak, God becomes his strength.  So how would you rate your usage of God’s power in your life?  Is there a steady flow running through your life on a daily basis?  Are you constantly in contact with your Heavenly Father, drawing your strength and energy from Him for every situation in your life?  Are you thanking Him for the times when you need extra power and He provides for you in your moments of weakness, in the face of overwhelming odds and insurmountable circumstances? 

His grace is sufficient for your every need and His power is perfected, made complete, in our weaknesses.  Whatever you are facing in life today lay hold of the promise that God knows where you are. He understands your situation and He stands ready to provide all the strength you need to meet all the challenges life throws in your path.  What does the power bill of your life tell you about your usage of God’s power today?

Underneath The Pavement

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nderneath the large esplanade in front of Notre Dame in Paris lies a large collection of ruins, memories of days gone by, witnesses to what used to be.  In order to visit these ruins, it is necessary to descend a small set of stairs and enter into the past.  Here, in this well-lighted museum, far below the bustling streets above, the foundations of buildings, houses, and streets lie uncovered in plain view.

There is a walking tour that guides you through this maze and all along the walls are written explanations about the ruins in front of you.  Models and maps at the entrance to the gallery provide a vivid representation of Paris as it grew and changed from one century to the next.  Yet, here below the streets, the past speaks to the present, reminding us of what once was and causing us to consider what will be.

As I mused through this gallery, one area in particular caught my attention.  In the back of the museum, not far from where the cathedral is standing were the ruins of a home built in the first century A.D.  The ruins clearly showed an arched doorway, a staircase, and several foundations for walls that divided the dwelling into rooms.  Although the actual walls and roofs were no longer visible, the foundations of that structure were as clear as the day they were cut from the stone before me.

I began to play a type of game during the remaining portion of my visit.  At each exhibit, I located the foundation of the structure, be it a house, a building, a cellar, or a street.  Each foundation was the same as the one I had seen earlier in the back portion of the crypt.  The stones, perfectly cut and expertly laid, were fashioned to bear the burden of the structures placed upon them.  What better picture could there be of Jesus Christ, the foundation upon which we must build our lives, than these stones?

In 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, the Apostle Paul writes these words, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 

As we can see from this passage, Paul understood the importance of the foundation.  He knew that in any construction project the foundation plays the pivotal role.  If the foundation is poorly fashioned and laid, then the structure, no matter how elegant or sound, is doomed to destruction.  Without a firm foundation, no building will be able to withstand the wear and tear that comes from being exposed on a daily basis to the weather and other forces of nature.

If this is true for a building, how much more true is it for a life?  Paul also understood that in order for our lives to have meaning and purpose they must have a solid foundation and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  Look at Paul’s admonition that one must be careful how he builds.  The only foundation upon which we must build is Jesus Christ, and only on him must we anchor and build our lives.

This is nowhere more true than in the church.  We must understand that the church is the churchof Jesus Christ.  It belongs to him, not to us.  The foundation of every church must be Jesus Christ.  Neither the pastor, nor the Sunday school teacher, nor the deacons, nor a doctrinal statement, nor a building, nor traditions, nor particular families, nor the members of a church can be considered as the church’s foundation.  We sing the hymn, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…”  How true this is.  Jesus is the only foundation the church has, any other foundation, no matter how appealing or convenient, is unacceptable to God.

 

What are you building your life on today?  Is it the sure foundation found in Jesus Christ?  If your life were excavated and laid bare, what type of foundation would be found?  Would it be like those found underneath the Paris streets, still solid, still visible, still as robust and strong as the day it was laid?  Would it show evidence of having endured the hardships and challenges of life while still maintaining its steadfastness and strength?  This is exactly what your life would resemble if Christ were the foundation.  What is under the pavement of your life today?

Until The Finger Work Is Done

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ne of my fondest memories from childhood centers around the back hall of our home on Main Street.  Much like a magnet, everyone in the house was drawn to the back hall, usually at the same time, creating a traffic jam which made New York City look tame.

Our back hall contained the washer and dryer, which were always in use, the pantry, the most popular spot in the house, the utility closet, daddy’s closet, the dog’s box, the back door, and mom’s sewing machine.  As you can see, there was always a constant stream of traffic in the back hall and, although congested, it was a place I thoroughly loved to be.

Several times during the year, mom sat in the back hall at her sewing machine doing what she loved best, making us clothes.  She loved the challenge and I could always tell when she was working on a project because it was the only time she tolerated any kind of clutter in the back hall.  Since it is impossible to sew without making a mess, mom tolerated piles of cloth, balls of unused thread on the floor, scraps of pattern paper, and the presence of the ironing board which effectively blocked traffic flow in the back hall, forcing us to detour through the rest of the house.

As Easter rapidly approached, I remember seeing her in front of her sewing machine, making clothes for all of us. Every Easter I remember the clothes mom made for me, for my brother and sister, and for herself.  Daddy always had suits but mom wanted to make clothes for us, and make them she did.  Beautiful clothes, ones that made me feel very good about myself, and one’s that made me very proud of her.  I still have several shirts mom made for me in my closet.  Even though I can no longer wear them, I will not part with them!

The most important part of mom’s sewing was the finger work; it was also the most tedious.  This involved hemming pants and skirts, sewing on clasps and snaps, working buttonholes, and placing buttons.  Mom finished all her projects up to the finger work.  Usually, she worked well into the night sewing buttons and placing decorative stitching for that added touch.  While the rest of us slept, she sat in the back hall, listening to the radio, singing as she worked, her hands expertly working the needle and the thread until the job was done.

Many things I have learned from my mother but this example of her diligence in the details speaks volumes to me about the love of my Heavenly Father and His care for me.  God is very interested in the finger work of my life and of your life.  He pays close attention to every detail and leaves nothing undone or unfinished.  Working while we are resting, working while we are asleep, working so far ahead of us we can’t even fathom the things He has planned for us. God does not rest until the finger work of our lives is done.

In Psalm 139:13-16, David reminds us just how important God’s finger work is: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Notice the words David uses to describe how God works.  God created, He knitted, He made, He wove, He saw, He ordained, and He wrote!  Every one of these activities requires thought and planning.  Every one of these actions speaks about God’s will and desire to create and to make us down to the last detail.  It is impossible to knit without touching the yarn.  It is impossible to weave without first conceiving a pattern.  It is impossible to ordain without giving a purpose.  Yes, God’s finger work is most evident in us because He loves us and He cares for us and He wants us!  Of all the things God created, only man was given the opportunity to have a relationship with God.  Only man has the opportunity to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and the redemption of man from his sins is the reason Jesus came to die on Calvary’s cross.

Wherever you are today in your walk with God, know this.  As His child, He loves you, He has plans for you, and He is constantly working on you to bring you into conformity with His son, Jesus Christ.  God will keep working in your life until He has accomplished His purpose for and through you.  No detail will be neglected because God will not finish until the finger work is done!  You have His word on it today!!

Daddy, Carry Me!

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s a little boy, it was sometimes hard to get around, especially if it required walking!  Somehow, my little footsteps were never able to keep up with daddy’s. For every step he took, I had to take at least four so, as you can imagine, our progress was a bit slow.  But daddy was patient. He held my hand and waited for me to take four steps to his one and then we would do it all over again.  We slowly, but surely, ambled up Main Street toward his place of business or to buy something at Nell Beam’s store.

But when I grew tired or when he just wanted to have fun, daddy would pick me up and carry me.  He would hold me high over his head or put me on his shoulders and away we would go at, what was to me, break-neck speed!  I was no burden to carry and daddy drew as much delight from this as I did.

But daddy didn’t always carry me into places that were fun.  Sometimes he carried me into hospital wards for an extended stay while doctors operated to repair my kidneys, my heart, or my leg.  At these particular times, the ride in daddy’s arms wasn’t always pleasant and I didn’t fully understand why he would carry me into certain places.  I didn’t realize until I was much older just how difficult these carries were for him.

The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, understood the idea of being carried away to an unpleasant place.  The Children of Israel were carried off to Babylon for seventy years of captivity.  The Babylonian army took them from their homeland and resettled them in a place that was foreign, hostile, and completely unfamiliar to them.  Yet, God was there and his instructions through Jeremiah were meant to bring comfort and encouragement to his people.

In Jeremiah 29:7 we find these words, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” There are several important lessons packed into this small passage from Jeremiah.  Please notice that God has carried his children into exile.  Although they are not at home, although the circumstances in which they find themselves are unpleasant, challenging, and confusing, he has led them there.  It is impossible to carry someone without touching them.  Even in exile, God’s hand is there.

The Children of Israel are also told to pray for the city where they are held captive.  This seems almost impossible to believe but notice the end of the passage.  If the city prospers, God’s people will prosper.  It is the difficult circumstances of life that God uses to grow us and teach us more about himself.

Wherever you are today in your walk with God, please know that he is there with you.  He has not forgotten you, he has not abandoned you; he has carried you.  He is aware of your present circumstances and his promise is that every situation you face, no matter how unpleasant, challenging, or difficult it may be, will be used for his glory.  Won’t you let God carry you today?

Uphill Both Ways!

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dults love to tease children.  It just seems to be the natural way of things and when I was a little boy, I took my share of teasing.  My grandfather owned and operated Carpenter’s Funeral Home in Cherryville, about 40 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The back room of the funeral home was a regular stop for many of the local men and they would come by to sit and talk with my grandfather and with each other.  I wouldn’t want to suggest that any tall tales were told during these sessions, but then again, I wouldn’t want to suggest that everything related in these conversations was exactly the truth.  My best guess is that it was somewhere in between these two extremes.

In any event, I was subjected to all varieties of teasing, ribbing, and all around fun.  I remember complaining about having to walk to school.  My second elementary school was located across town and there were at least two big hills to climb on my way there.  One of the gentleman in the funeral home that day said I didn’t know anything about hard walks to school.  He proceeded to explain to me that when he was small, he had to walk 10 miles to school and it was uphill both ways.  Now, understanding a distance of 10 miles wasn’t all that difficult.  However, I could never quite grasp the concept of walking uphill in two directions.  Every hill I encountered had a downside which made climbing the upside worth all the effort.

As I have grown older, I never have figured out how to climb uphill in both directions; but I have used the example to tease a number of young people.  Yet, the concept of the uphill climb is real and at least in our spiritual walk with the Lord, it sometimes feels that we are always climbing, always pressing toward higher ground with no relief and no downward slope in sight.  Let’s take a brief look at a man who knew all about the uphill struggle to obey God.  Let’s pay a visit to Abraham as he prepares to climb the most difficult mountain in his life, the mountain called, Moriah.

Genesis 22:1-3 records God command to Abraham to take his only son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice on a mountain that God will show him.  Now we need to understand that Isaac is the son God promised to Abraham, claiming that his covenant would be with Isaac.  God made this promise to Abraham when he was 75 years old and Isaac was born when Abraham was 100.  After a twenty-five-year wait, God now tests Abraham, asking him to make the most difficult journey of his life.

God’s command in Genesis 22:2 is clear, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."  There are a few things we must take notice of in this scripture.  First of all, Isaac is referred to as Abraham’s only son.  Now, Abraham had another son, Ishmael, whom he had fathered with Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant.  However, Isaac was the only son born to Abraham according to God’s promise.  Second, Abraham loved Isaac and he loved him deeply.  Not only was he the only child, but Abraham had waited a long time for his birth.  Third, God instructs Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, to give him up.   Finally, the fourth element here is that Abraham had no idea where he was going.  He knew it was in the region of Moriah but he didn’t know which mountain.

So, off he started, the very next morning, with his son, a donkey laden with firewood, and two of his servants.  Can’t you just see this father, on the burning desert floor, walking with his son who was probably firing questions in rapid succession about their journey?  With each question and each step, Abraham’s heart had to grow heavy, to the point of breaking.  And yet, for three days, no conversation is recorded between God and Abraham.  The entire journey was an uphill climb.  For Abraham, the return journey would also be an uphill climb because he would have to forever contend with the fact that Isaac was no longer living.  What an impossible situation.

Finally, God showed Abraham the mountain and he and Isaac went as God commanded.  Just as he was about to complete the sacrifice, God called out to Abraham and stopped his hand.  Abraham had passed the test, had been obedient to God, and had been found faithful to God’s command.

From the outside, this looks cruel on God’s part.  Why would he give Abraham something and then take it away from him?  Why would God play such a cruel game?  These are questions we have all asked, especially when we find ourselves in an uphill struggle where it seems there is no way out.  Perhaps you are in a similar situation today.  Perhaps God is asking you to give up something or someone who is so dear to you that any path you take seems uphill.  Take heart, my friend.  At the top of Moriah, God is there.  You see, Abraham didn’t know which mountain he would climb, but God did.  Abraham didn’t know how God would arrange the test, but God did.  Abraham didn’t know what to expect, but God did!  God was the constant in this test and he is the constant in yours as well.

Whatever you are facing today, however great, however challenging, however difficult, and however impossible it may seem, God knows all about it.  He is there, and just when you think all is lost, he will step in to provide all you need.  That is his promise.  Our job is simply to trust and to obey.  What mountain are you climbing today?

Around The Clock

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here is always something to do, it seems, around the house.  My mother particularly enjoys it when I make this statement because she is constantly working in her house, making sure everything is clean, maintained, and operating at premium levels.

Honestly, I don’t know how she did it with 3 kids and a full-time job.  No matter her schedule, our clothes were always clean, our house was always tidy, and meals were always served warm.  How I wish I could match her efficiency. Even today she can, and does, work circles around me.

This was very evident in just the past few weeks as my parents and my sister visited with me for two weeks.  I arrived home from my trip to Europe on Friday, March 19^th. On Sunday, March 21^st, my family showed up.  It didn’t take mom and dad long to get to work, tidying up the yard and attending to a few things in the house.  I arrived home from work to find one less thing on my “to do list” and supper was hot, just as I knew it would be.

What amazed me was my parents desire to work even when they were on vacation.  Every day they had things to do and every day when I arrived home I found them done.  In my absence work—and plenty of it—had been done.

Have you ever stopped to think just how busy God is on a daily basis?  He is constantly watching out for you, making sure that you are protected, that you have food, that you have a job that your heart keeps beating, the list just goes on and on.  Yet he never tires and he never fails to attend to the tiniest detail.

Jesus, himself, underscored this idea in the 5^th chapter of John’s gospel.  The Pharisees were strict keepers of the law and when Jesus performed a miracle or if his disciples ate grain on the Sabbath, they were quick to point it out.  Jesus never grew impatient with them. Instead, he wanted them to understand that God always works, even when we are unaware of it.

In John 5:17, Jesus simply says, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."  Notice that Jesus wants his listeners to understand that his Father is always at work.  But Jesus takes it one step further by stating that he is also at work.  His work was to do the work that God sent him to do.  In other words, we are to be about God’s business and we are to be about it on a continual basis.

When I was growing up, I was amazed at the amount of work my parents turned out.  The house was always clean, the grass was always mowed, clothes were always washed, folded, and put away, and there was never a lack of things to be done.  In our walk with the Lord, we need to understand that the work is constant.  Whether we are reading our Bibles or having a conversation with a co-worker, we are to be about God’s business.  He is always working.  How about us?  

Because I Said So!

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he teenage years are anything but a joy ride for parents.  The darling little children who used to be so cute and sweet suddenly metamorphose into people hardly recognizable by their parents.  Their taste in clothes begins to change, their taste in music becomes more interesting, and the time they spend on the phone seems to increase daily.  In fact, the only people who receive phone calls are the kids and they call each other about everything, at any time of the day or night.

I remember these years very well.  They were challenging for both my parents and me.  The one thing I wanted most was to be independent, to do my own thing, to be my own person, and to make my own decisions.  This led, at times, to a contest between my mom and me.  She always won, by the way.  When she would tell me to do something, I would question it, wondering why I had to do what she told me.  The response I often got and liked the least was, “Because I said so!”  Although I didn’t know it then, she was teaching me a very important lesson.  That lesson was listening to and obeying those in authority.

That was a hard lesson for me to learn, not because my mom wasn’t a good teacher, but because I wasn’t a good student.  I wanted to believe I knew what was best for me when all along my parents were far wiser and more insightful than I.  If I had learned this lesson earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache and difficulty.  But part of learning is discipline and discipline is never fun or easy.

This is a lesson that spills over into our Christian lives as well.  We often find ourselves holding conversations with God about things happening around us.  We want an explanation for our situations or we want to know exactly why God requires us to face a certain trial or to do a certain task.  We also believe that we know what is best for us and we do our best to be independent, to exert our will above our Heavenly Father’s.  But we learn, through much heartache and difficulty, that He is much wiser and more insightful than we.  He is the parent, we are the teenagers. 

In Deuteronomy 6, God addresses the Children of Israel before they cross over into the Promised Land.  He impresses upon them the importance of keeping His commands and teaching them to their children.  The commandments He gives serve to protect them, to preserve them, and to give them the means to live a life pleasing to God.  Deuteronomy 6:24 provides the reason behind God’s instructions.  This verse reads, “The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.”

Notice Moses’ words here.  God gave them commands for them to obey!!!!  That’s the rub.  We are to listen to God’s voice and obey His leading because He says so, and for no other reason.  He knows what is best for us, He knows the road ahead, and He alone knows what we need to face all of life’s circumstances.  However, Moses continues by giving the result of following God’s commandments.  God’s decrees always give life.  Notice the closing part of this verse.  Obeying God’s commands insures prosperity and keeps us alive. Prosperity here does not mean hitting the jackpot.  Instead, it means the ability to continue living and to continue in the relationship we have with God.

So, the next time a teenager challenges your authority by asking why, simply say to them in all love, “Because I say so!”  Then, when you are alone with God, practice what you preach!