Come On In

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 distinctly remember the first day my brother and I moved into our new home.  For eighteen long months we had worked, preparing the house for occupancy.  At last, the long-awaited day arrived.  With the help of our parents and a few friends, we moved our furniture, our clothes, and all our belongings into the new house, cutting the apron strings with home and taking up the reigns of home ownership.  

It was exciting and frightening at the same time.  During the previous eighteen months, we had lived with our parents but our new home was across town, waiting for us to enter and set up house keeping.  During this time we were in limbo; we lived in one place but were looking forward to another.  Although we had enjoyed living with mom and dad, the time had come for us to move on and start a new life of our own.

A few days after moving into the house, I received a reality check. You know what these are, don’t you?  They are those little moments when you understand just how big the hole you’re in is and you know the shovel you are holding isn’t large enough to dig you out.  It had never occurred to me that the money we borrowed had to be paid back.  I had written checks to pay for the plumbing, the wiring, and all the other needs we had.  But that was the bank’s money, not mine.  Now I was faced with the reality that I had to use my money to repay the loan.  Talk about scared!

I imagine this is the way Joshua must have felt as he stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, ready to make his entrance with the children of Israel.  For forty years they had been wondering in the desert, walking in a great circle, paying for their disobedience to God.  The Lord was using this situation to prepare them to take possession of the land. The wanderings in the desert would teach them about God’s faithfulness and his trustworthiness.

Finally, the day came when they were to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.  There must have been wonderful excitement in the camp that day.  The promise made to Abraham hundreds of years before was about to be fulfilled.  God had opened the door and had extended an invitation for his people to go into the land of promise.  The responsibilities for leading the people into the land and for conquering it fell to Moses’ servant, Joshua.

Can’t you just imagine Joshua’s fears and worries?  For the past forty years, the people had received their instructions and their leadership from Moses.  This great man of God had stood before Pharaoh, he had led them through the Red Sea, he had given them God’s law, and he had built the tabernacle in the wilderness.  How would Joshua ever fill Moses’ shoes?  Would the people listen to him? Would they respect him? Would they carry out his instructions?  The fear of the unknown must have plagued Joshua and weighed heavily on his mind.  God, however, had great plans for him and gave him wonderful words of reassurance.

In Joshua 1:1-3, God gives these words of encouragement to Joshua, “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.  I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”

There are three things we need to learn from this passage of scripture today.  First, Joshua must face reality.  Moses is dead!  The people can no longer rely on his leadership.  This left the people and Joshua with not only a sense of loss, but also caused them great anxiety.  Their security blanket had been ripped right out from underneath them.  But God does not stop here.  The next sentence demonstrates that God’s plans do not change. 

Second, God tells Joshua that the people will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land he promised on oath to Abraham.  What wonderful reassurance this must have been.  God’s promises are not dependent on one individual or set of circumstances. God’s promises are dependent on him and, therefore, can never fail. 

Finally, God restates his intention.  That intention is to fulfill his promise, to be with the people as they cross over and to settle them in the land just as he told Moses and just as he promised Abraham.  No matter how daunting the circumstance and no matter how impossible and hopeless the situation may seem, God’s promises remain true.  He will keep them all!

This morning, as we face the day ahead, we can, and must, draw great strength from these verses.  The events of yesterday are gone.  All of its successes, all of its comforts, and all of its security are forever in the past.  God is calling us to move forward into territory unknown to us but very familiar to him.  He is calling us to move from where we are into the promises he has given us.  We cannot dwell in the desert when God has called us to a land flowing with milk and honey.  We must get up, move forward, leave the past behind, enter the land, and possess it.

God has opened the door on this morning and he extends to us the following invitation:  “Come on in!”  The rest is up to us.  Personally, I’m going to wipe my feet on the welcome mat and go on in!  How about you?

Anchored

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 performed my first wedding ceremony for a couple I met while working as a chaplain at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.  The ceremony went very well with both the bride and the groom repeating their vows with no fumbles and no tears.  I had been warned by a good pastor that in a wedding, something always goes wrong.  This was not my experience; the service went off without a hitch.

The evening before the wedding, however, we were all very concerned.  Severe thunderstorms passed through the area all night bringing very strong winds, keen lightning and rain.  I went to sleep with the sound of distant thunder and I awoke to the same sound several hours later.  But there had been no power outages nor any damage in the area so there were no delays in any of the wedding plans.

As I made my way back to Fort Worth after the ceremony, the sun was shining, the skies were clear, and the drive was absolutely beautiful.  I picked up my cell phone and made quick call home just to check in with my parents and to let them know I was on my way home.   That’s when I noticed it.  In the distance, just over the horizon, loomed a large cell phone tower.  I don’t know how many of these towers I pass during a given day, but I never take notice of them.  They have just become a natural part of the landscape.  This tower, however, caught and riveted my attention.

The height of the tower amazed me, and I couldn’t help but think about the seventy-five-mile-per-hour winds that had passed through the night before.  Yet, the tower stood firm, unshaken, unaffected by the wind.  Attached to it, on various sides, were large, thick cables.  They were visible from a good distance and grew in size and prominence as I approached the tower.  The wires were connected at several levels to the structure and gave the tower solid support on all sides.  These guide wires were anchored several feet into the ground, providing a firm grip, keeping the tower standing even in the most adverse conditions.

This is an exact picture of God in our lives. Like that tower, we need something to anchor and hold us firm through the storms of life.  When the winds blow, when the rains come, when everything around us is in turmoil, what keeps us standing? What prevents us from falling?  The answer is to be found in Hebrews 6:19, “ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul.” 

The hope we have is in Christ Jesus alone.  He anchors us, protects us, strengthens us, and helps us through all the difficult storms of life.  When we place our faith in him and accept him as our savior, he becomes our strength and our hope.  The more we spend time in his word, the more anchored we become in him.  Jesus is the guide wire that gives us protection and strength on all sides.

Today, the winds of adversity may be blowing.  It may feel as though the very ground will give way around you and you will fall over.  But, if Jesus is your savior, you are firmly anchored in God. The winds will come, the rains will fall, and the ground will shake, but you will stand firm, anchored in Christ Jesus.  Those guide wires held the tower in place so it could deliver its signals and allow me to communicate with my parents.  In the same way, Jesus allows us to stand firm so we can send the signal of his love and salvation to a lost and dying world.  How firmly are you anchored today?

Living Above The Chigger Line

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he Boy Scouts of America organization has played a significant role in my life, teaching me so many lessons and giving me so many opportunities that I would otherwise not have had.  In addition to learning to tie a square knot, pitching a tent, knowing how to recognize both poison ivy and poison oak, and learning to pitch a tent, there have been so many more practical lessons that I have learned, and some of them the hard way!

In the spring of 1992, I learned a very valuable lesson about a little bug that can cause big problems.  In preparation for being the program director at our local summer camp, I had to attend camp school, a required certification by the BSA in order to serve in a leadership capacity at summer camp.  Due to snowy weather, I was unable to attend our local school so I had to drive to Hazelhurst, Mississippi in order to be certified.  I had never driven that far away from home and I had no idea where Hazlehurst was located. But with the help of a good map and the assistance of a fellow staff member who also had to attend, we made the journey without incident.

Like most camps, this one was located way out in the middle of nowhere.  We had to stay in tents for the entire week and sleep on cots, something I had not done since my days in the scouting program.  Everything I learned came back to me and I soon had my tent in tip-top shape.  What I forgot, however, was to apply repellent to keep nasty little critters at bay.  The first morning, this became very apparent as I awoke scratching and clawing at the myriad insect bites on my legs and feet.  Chiggers, those loathsome little creatures that bury underneath your skin, had set up housekeeping and I was the house!

Needless to say, the next week was miserable.  Chiggers are particularly active when it is hot and humid and, no matter the season, it is always humid in Mississippi and the weather had already turned warm.  I made a mental note to purchase repellent for the next time I found myself in a similar situation.

Fast forward to 1999 when again, I was employed by the Boy Scouts to serve as a chaplain at Philmont Scout Ranch in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of upper New Mexico.  As I made my checklist, I remembered to purchase a bottle of repellent. This time, I was taking no chance.  But to my surprise, I soon learned that chiggers were not a problem at Philmont because they could not survive at the elevation at which the camp was located.  You can, I’m sure, imagine my relief.  An entire summer in the great outdoors with no chiggers!!! 

So, what does this story have to do with the Christian life?  I’m so glad you asked!  No, God does not mention chiggers in the Scriptures but there are ample places where God encourages us to live at a higher elevation where the little bugs of life, those pesky little annoyances that rob us of the life God meant for us to have, cannot survive.

The prophet Habakkuk addresses this in the third chapter of his book.  In Habakkuk 3:19 he shares the following truth about our Heavenly Father, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”  Let us take note of three brief lessons packed into this statement.

First, Habakkuk recognized that the source of his strength does not lie within himself; it comes from God.  So often we try to live the Christian life in our own strength, only to realize that we are incapable of doing so because only God can provide the strength we need. He alone is our constant source of all we need.

Second, the prophet states that it is the Lord who makes his feet like those of a deer.  Now, what does he mean by this?  Deer are sure-footed, running great distances, leaping over obstacles, and climbing seemingly insurmountable heights with ease and confidence.  This is exactly the life God intends for his children.  As our source of strength and confidence, God enables us—indeed, he intends for us—to live on the heights away from the mundane obstacles and circumstances that keep us in the valley and away from the mountain tops.

Habakkuk’s final lesson is found in the word heights.  As we just mentioned, this is where God intends for us to be.  Way up high where the chiggers of life, those pesky, little doubts, fears, and worries, can rob us of all he has in store for us.  To avoid those pests, God does not intend for us to use repellent but to scale the heights and to live where they cannot harm us.  Are you living above the chigger line today?  

Now For The Retainer

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ou can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  I know from personal experience.  Like so many other teenagers, I wore braces on my teeth for almost three years.  I had a cross-bite that needed to be repaired and so I sat still while my orthodontist wrapped my pearly whites in tinsel and wire.  At first, they were a novelty but I soon understood why they told me to get something to eat as quickly as possible.  In just a matter of a few hours, my mouth was very sore; so sore that chewing bread was impossible.  What had I gotten myself into, I wondered?

For the next three years, I visited the orthodontist regularly and endured all the changes and adjustments he made to my teeth as we marched toward that elusive day when the braces would be removed and my teeth would at last be straight.  Finally, the long-awaited day came.  The braces were removed, my teeth were cleaned, and I was able to eat apples—not apple slices—once again.  I remember biting into a big Granny Smith apple, sinking my teeth in and pulling a huge chunk away from the core.  It felt great!!

But my ordeal wasn’t quite over. On my next visit to the orthodontist I was fitted with a retainero

I was I that I wore for the next two years.  As I understood it, the retainer’s job was to hold my teeth in the proper position, discouraging and preventing them from moving back toward the wayward condition in which we found them.  It all came down to my willingness and my faithfulness to wear that retainer.  The success of all the hard work done beforehand rested on that retainer and my decision to heed the instructions of my orthodontist.

It should come as no surprise to us that Jesus spoke about the importance of the retainer.  He knew the value of learning and retaining the truths of God’s word.  Without the retention of these truths, the Christian is tempted to move back toward the wayward condition of sin in which he existed before he accepted Jesus as savior and lord.  Jesus’ words concerning this truth are found in his parable about the farmer who sowed seed and the types of soil into which the seed fell.

This parable is found in Luke 8:1-15.  However, it is verse 15 which is the focus on today’s devotional.  In Luke 8:15, we read this explanation of believers who are considered to be good soil into which God’s word is planted, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”  Please take a moment to read this verse in the context of the parable and then read it again by itself.  Don’t read through it too quickly but let the truth of Jesus’ words sink deep into your heart and soul.

Notice that Jesus says the good soil represents those who have a noble and good heart.  He continues by explaining just what those of a good and noble heart do.  They do three distinct things.  1) They hear the word.  Believers in this category listen to God’s word. When they pray, they focus on what God has to say to them rather than on what they to tell Him.  They enter into prayer and into their daily walk with the Lord eagerly anticipating all that He has for them both to learn and to do.  2)  Those in this group retain the word.  They don’t merely read God’s word to feel better about themselves.  They don’t memorize God’s word to impress others, quoting chapter and verse in any and every situation.  These individuals, internalize God’s word.  They meditate on it, the obey it, and they apply it to their lives.  It becomes a part of them so that instead of quoting it, they live it!  There is a vast difference in quoting the Word and in living the Word!!  3)  They produce a crop by persevering.  They trust God in all things, knowing that He is always faithful and that He is always in the process of conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ, even when life is at its most difficult and most challenging.

Of these three steps, the second, I believe, is the most important.  Many people hear God’s word but go no further.  They never make it an integral part of their lives.  They never internalize it or apply it.  They simply open their Bibles, read a passage, say a quick prayer, and go about their lives.  The seed falls on the ground but never enters into the soil!  In addition, unless the word is retained, believers have no incentive or desire to persevere and produce a crop.  It is God’s word in us, applied to our lives, that is the bedrock of our very existence. It causes us to persevere and produce a crop for Him.  But no crop will grow where no seed has been planted!!  It’s just that simple.

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es, you can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  The work and labor of the braces and the wires is all but lost if the patient refuses to wear the retainer to preserve all the work that has gone on before.  The same is true of the believer.  God has done all the work beforehand.    The question is are we now ready to submit to the discipline of the retainer?  The answer is either yes, or no!!

A Planter of Trees

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lthough we lived on Main Street, just a few blocks from the center of town, our yard was filled with trees.  Our backyard sported two apple trees, a cherry tree, a weeping willow tree, a maple tree, a pen oak tree, a magnolia tree, and a row of Lombardi poplars.  Our side yard was guarded by a huge maple tree and the grass and flowers in our front yard flourished in the shade of the two more maples that grew there.

What can I say, my dad loved trees and he planted most of the ones around our home.  I remember daddy replacing the two trees in the front yard.  He dug two deep holes, carefully planted the saplings, and covered their roots with rich soil.  We helped him pack the dirt by walking around and around until the soil was completely mashed flat.  Daddy then watered the young trees and continued to do this throughout the spring and into the summer.

Some of those trees are still there and when I pass by the house I remember climbing them, hiding behind them, or just lying in the grass looking up at them.  I remember daddy raking their leaves into crisp piles that crunched and snapped when we jumped in.  I remember the creaking noises they made when a strong wind bent their branches, sending their roots further down into the soil, making their trunks stronger.

But the most important thing I remember about those trees is that they were always there.  Every year found them bigger and stronger than the year before and each year their branches spread further and provided more protection from the heat in the summer and the rain in the spring.  The fruit trees in our backyard always produced fruit, especially apples that my next door neighbor Mom Jenkins turned into wonderful homemade pies. 

Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet had a lot to say about trees.  He understood that a tree could survive only when its roots went deep into the earth and drew out the nourishment that the soil and water provided. It is little wonder that he makes a comparison between a person who trusts God completely and a mighty tree that continues to thrive from year to year.

In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read these words: "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah describes an interesting description of the person who trusts God completely.  Notice the two conditions the believer must meet and the four results of his faith. According to Jeremiah, we must trust God and place our confidence in Him just as a tree places its roots deep into the soil for strength and nourishment.  This means we are to take our hands off and let God have His way.  We must let go of the reins if we ever expect to go where God wants to take us.  But trusting God cannot be divorced from placing our confidence in Him.  This means we know that no matter the circumstances, no matter what we see or think we see, hear or think we hear, feel or think we feel, we have 100% assurance that God is working on our behalf; that all things will work for our good in accordance with God’s will and on His time schedule.

When we place our faith this securely in God, Jeremiah lists four things we can expect.  We will not fear in time of trial.  We will always have all we need.  We have no need of worry and we will never fail to produce fruit for God.  Notice, however, that God does not remove us from the difficulties of life. Jeremiah states we will not fear when the heat comes.  In other words, when life throws us curves, when things don’t turn out the way we expected, we can stand strong in the knowledge that God will meet our needs.  As a result, our leaves will always be green, meaning that God will supply what we need, but not what we always want! In the year of drought, the tree has no worries.  Likewise, there will be times of drought and periods of difficulty but when we make God the source of our strength and the very means by which we live, our lives will continually bear fruit.

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y mom and dad have since moved across town, away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street.  The yard around their home is substantially larger than the one where I grew up.  We still talk several times a week and catch up on all that’s going on in our respective lives and in the lives of family and friends.  However, since mom and dad moved to their current home, you’ll never guess what my dad has done!   Well, perhaps you already know—he has planted trees, lots of them.  How many trees have you planted lately?  Are you living your life rooted in the confidence that no matter what life sends your way God will always see you through?  I surely hope you are.  If not, I invite you to become firmly rooted in Him!  Do you know the great planter of trees today?

Come On In

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 distinctly remember the first day my brother and I moved into our new home.  For eighteen long months we had worked, preparing the house for occupancy.  At last the long-awaited day arrived.  With the help of our parents and a few friends, we moved our furniture, our clothes, and all our belongings into the new house, cutting the apron strings with home and taking up the reigns of home ownership.  

It was exciting and frightening at the same time.  During the previous eighteen months, we had lived with our parents but our new home was across town, waiting for us to enter and set up house keeping.  During this time we were in limbo; we lived in one place but were looking forward to another.  Although we had enjoyed living with mom and dad, the time had come for us to move on and start a new life of our own.

A few days after moving into the house, I received a reality check. You know what these are, don’t you?  They are those little moments when you understand just how big the hole you’re in is and you know the shovel you are holding isn’t large enough to dig you out.  It had never occurred to me that the money we borrowed had to be paid back.  I had written checks to pay for the plumbing, the wiring, and all the other needs we had.  But that was the bank’s money, not mine.  Now I was faced with the reality that I had to use my money to repay the loan.  Talk about scared!

I imagine this is the way Joshua must have felt as he stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, ready to make his entrance with the children of Israel.  For forty years they had been wondering in the desert, walking in a great circle, paying for their disobedience to God.  The Lord was using this situation to prepare them to take possession of the land. The wonderings in the desert would teach them about God’s faithfulness and His trustworthiness.

Finally, the day came when they were to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.  There must have been wonderful excitement in the camp that day.  The promise made to Abraham hundreds of years before was about to be fulfilled.  God had opened the door and had extended an invitation for His people to go into the land of promise.  The responsibilities for leading the people into the land and for conquering it fell to Moses’ servant, Joshua.

Can’t you just imagine Joshua’s fears and worries?  For the past forty years, the people had received their instructions and their leadership from Moses.  This great man of God had stood before Pharaoh, he had led them through the Red Sea, he had given them God’s law, and he had built the tabernacle in the wilderness.  How would Joshua ever fill Moses’ shoes?  Would the people listen to him? Would they respect him? Would they carry out his instructions?  The fear of the unknown must have plagued Joshua and weighed heavily on his mind.  God, however, had great plans for him and gave him wonderful words of reassurance.

In Joshua 1:1-3, God gives these words of encouragement to Joshua, “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.  I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”

There are three things we need to learn from this passage of scripture today.  First, Joshua must face reality.  Moses is dead!  The people can no longer rely on his leadership.  This left the people and Joshua with not only a sense of loss, but also caused them great anxiety.  Their security blanket had been ripped right out from underneath them.  But God does not stop here.  The next sentence demonstrates that God’s plans do not change. 

Second, God tells Joshua that the people will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land He promised on oath to Abraham.  What wonderful reassurance this must have been.  God’s promises are not dependent on one individual or set of circumstances. God’s promises are dependent on Him and, therefore, can never fail. 

Finally, God restates His intention.  That intention is to fulfill His promise, to be with the people as they cross over and to settle them in the land just as He told Moses and just as He promised Abraham.  No matter how daunting the circumstance and no matter how impossible and hopeless the situation may seem, God’s promises remain true.  He will keep them all!

This morning, as we face the day ahead, we can and must draw great strength from these verses.  The events of yesterday are gone.  All of its successes, all of its comforts, and all of its security are forever in the past.  God is calling us to move forward into territory unknown to us but very familiar to Him.  He is calling us to move from where we are into the promises He has given us.  We can not dwell in the desert when God has called us to a land flowing with milk and honey.  We must get up, move forward, leave the past behind, enter the land, and possess it.

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od has opened the door on this morning and He extends to us the following invitation:  “Come on in!”  The rest is up to us.  Personally, I’m going to wipe my feet on the welcome mat and go on in!  How about you?

Anchored To The Wall

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he box of tools sitting in the back hallway was my first clue.  The hammer, nails, drill, screw drivers, bolts, washers, and other assorted fasteners confirmed what I knew to be true.  Daddy had been hanging something in the house.  It didn’t matter whether the object weighed 1 pound or 100 pounds; daddy always treated it the same way.  He wanted to make sure that whatever the object; it had zero chance of falling or coming off the wall.

The object in question was a mantle piece mother wanted mounted in the kitchen of our home.  As soon as she mentioned the word “hang”, daddy was already elbow-deep in the tool chest, getting out all the fun toys he would use to attach the mantle to the wall.  From what I understand, it was quite a production.  Not only did he use special bolts to anchor the mantle to the wall, he also drove nails in it, making sure each one was driven solidly into a wooden stud that supported the wall.  He wanted to make sure the mantle never came loose.

He did a wonderful job too.  Mother was convinced that if the house collapsed, the mantle piece would be suspended in thin air!  In fact, when my parents moved, they couldn’t take the mantle piece down because removing it would prove too difficult and would ruin the kitchen wall.  When daddy anchored something, he really anchored it!  Nothing in the tool box or in any other tool box for that matter, could remove it from the kitchen wall.  It was a permanent fixture and as much a part of the house’s structure as its foundation or walls.  Now, I’m not giving my dad hard time.  That mantle taught me several lessons, one of which is the subject of today’s Tidbit.

The writer of the book of Hebrews understood the importance of being anchored in Christ.  In fact, he used the analogy of a ship’s anchor to make a very important point about the Christian’s walk and his faith in God.  Hebrews 6:19 reads, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” What is the hope the author speaks of and what can we glean from this picture of a ship’s anchor?  Let’s take these two questions in order, shall we?

First, the author is speaking about the certainty of God’s promise to the believer.  When God promised Abraham he would have a son and that the entire world would be blessed through his descendants, He took an oath.  God took the oath in His own name because there was none greater to swear by.  Therefore, God, Himself, guaranteed this promise to Abraham.  And since we, as believers in Christ, also partake in this promise, we have a wonderful hope from God.

Second, the notion of a ship’s anchor paints a vivid picture of this reality.  A ship’s anchor holds it in position, preventing it from drifting away on the tide.  Although storms come, although winds blow against the ship, and although waves beat against its hull, the anchor holds it firmly in position, keeping it safe and secure. 

But there are other ways of anchoring things as my dad demonstrated in the example above.  It is possible to anchor one object to another by the use of strong fasteners.  These fasteners marry one object to another so that the two are inseparable.  This, I believe, is also a picture of the message contained in this passage of scripture.  When we believe in Christ and become one of his followers, we are anchored to God in him.  That means we are so closely identified with and attached to God, that nothing can separate us from His love.  No matter how rocky the road, no matter how steep the incline, and no matter how rough the seas, nothing will ever be able to separate us from God and the salvation we find in His son, Jesus Christ.

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hat day in our kitchen I learned a great lesson which I am only now beginning to appreciate.  Daddy exerted all that effort and went to such great lengths to make sure that mantle piece never pulled away from the wall, no matter what!  In a similar way, on Calvary’s hill, God did exactly the same thing.  With the same tools, the hammer and the nail, God anchored, once and for all, our salvation!  By placing His son on a tree to pay the penalty for my sins and yours, God anchored every believer to Himself.  We are securely and firmly placed in Him when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior.  Are you anchored to the wall today?

You Are Clear For Take Off!

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he DFW airport is a place of constant activity.  At anytime during the day or night airplanes take off and land at a steady pace.  The sky above the Metroplex area is always filled with planes that are either leaving the airport or are awaiting permission to land.  It is not unusual, especially at night, to see multiple sets of landing lights as the planes make their final approach to the airfield.

Driving to the airport is also an adventure.  People are always making a mad dash to catch that last-minute flight and it seems that the traffic on the ground is as congested as the traffic in the air.  Yet, amidst all this seeming confusion, the flights at DFW take off and land on schedule and, with very few exceptions, everything runs pretty smoothly and according to plan.

As you enter the airport and pick up your parking ticket, you are immediately faced with one of three traffic control towers.  These towers are the brains of DFW. Nothing happens, not one plane lands or takes off, not one plane enters or leaves a gate, without the permission or the knowledge of the people in the tower.  They stand guard over the entire complex, keeping abreast, not only of all the planes on the ground, but of every plane on approach to DFW.  One can only imagine the atmosphere in that tower as several controllers keep careful vigil over their radar screens, tracking every movement of every plane in the air and on the ground.

Would it surprise you to know that this example clearly demonstrates the way God watches over his children?  Do you realize that nothing you do escapes the loving eyes of your Heavenly Father?  Everything we do, every move we make, every trial we face, and every joy we experience captures God’s attention.  What a comforting thought this should be to us today.  When we feel as if life is upside down and that nothing makes any sense, we must remember that God is in the control tower, observing us, making sure that all conditions are favorable so that we arrive safely and on time.

Deuteronomy 11:12 speaks of God’s watchful eye and of his promise to oversee every aspect of our lives.  Before the Hebrew children entered the Promised Land, God already knew where they were heading and all of the obstacles they would face.  He had watched over the land for centuries, preparing it for their arrival.  However, God also prepared the people so that they would be ready to take the land once they arrived safely in it.  Let’s look at what this passage of scripture says. “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.”

Here, in this passage is one of the most wonderful promises God gives us.  Notice that His eyes were on the land “continually, from the beginning of the year to its end.”  That means God’s eyes never left the land.  He always kept vigil over it, knowing every move that was made in it and He waited until the conditions were right for the people to enter.  God watched over the land because He had promised it to Abraham’s descendants.  God will never break His promises and He will never forget them.

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o, if God carefully watches over the land where we are heading, doesn’t it make sense that He would diligently keep His eyes on us as well?  Yes, His eyes are on us all the time.  They never leave us and His presence is always with us, no matter what we are facing or what our circumstances tell us.  God keeps watch over us from the beginning of the year until its end.  God sits in the control tower of our lives, making sure that all conditions are favorable for us to taxi to the run way and take off.  As long as we maintain contact with Him, we can be assured of arriving at our destination safely and on time.  Are you cleared for takeoff today?

Fly A Kite

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he beaches of North Carolina are perhaps one of my most favorite places to visit.  In the summer months, they are teaming with people from all over the United States with some people from Canada making the long journey to visit the coast.  I do not like to visit the beach at this time.  Too many people make it impossible for me to walk or sit on the beach in quiet solitude and think, read, or watch the water.

Late September or early October is my favorite time to go to the shore.  The climate is nice and cool, the beaches are almost deserted, and a sense of calm and tranquility settles over the shoreline.  It is possible to sit on the beach for hours and see no one and the crashing of the waves provides a wonderful and peaceful reminder that God in all his power is in complete and utter control.  The one who keeps the oceans of the world in their places orders my life as well and he attends to every detail.

In addition to the waves and the shore, however, there is one other element that is constantly present at the coast—wind!   Rarely have I visited the beach when it was completely calm.  The waves cause the air around them to move, creating the wind that makes it impossible to set up umbrellas or put down beach towels.  But the wind is a necessary part of life and I remember learning a great lesson at the beach one summer with my family.

Late one afternoon, I stepped out onto the deck of the beach house and looked toward the shore.  I could see the waves crashing against the sand and there were several people walking in the cool of the evening in search of those ever-elusive sand dollars that occasionally wash up on shore.  As I scanned the horizon I saw several kites soaring in the air.  I just stood there and watched them as they climbed higher into the sky.  Occasionally they would dive, swoop, and do some great acrobatics before returning to their position in the air.  The longer I watched, the more fascinated I became and I determined to get myself one.

The next morning, I went to one of the local stores and purchased a small, triangular, delta kite.  That evening, I walked to the shore, assembled the kite, attached it to the string, and launched it into the air.  At first, the kite wobbled, and crashed into the sand.  But as I turned more and more into the wind, it responded vigorously and began its long steady climb into the sky.  The more line I fed it, the higher it went, and the higher it went, the stronger the wind blew, and the stronger the wind blew, the more fun it became to fly that kite!

That is when I learned my lesson.  There are three things necessary to fly a kite: 1) string 2) someone to hold the string and 3) wind!  Is this not a picture of the Christian life?  All these elements are present as we walk with God are they not?  The wind of life is constantly blowing against us.  At every turn it seems we are faced with either gentle breezes, or strong gusts.  We enjoy those moments when the wind caresses us but inevitably, the wind grows stronger and we find ourselves face to face with an impossible force.  Forward progress is impossible, and standing itself becomes a challenge.

Just at this moment, Jesus appears and teaches us a great lesson.  Jesus doesn’t mean for us to fight against the wind, he means for us to use it to climb to greater heights with him.  He gets us ready, attaches a tether to us, and launches us into the wind.  We may shake, we may do loop-the-loops, and we may toss from side to side, but we are always in contact with him.  As our faith grows, he releases more and more of the tether and we climb higher and higher, using the wind to help us fly.  Without the wind, a kite is useless, never realizing its full potential; and we are the same way. It is only in the in winds of adversity and trial that we are able to take wing and fly.

Moses understood the power of wind and how God can use it to turn impossible situations into opportunities to experience his glory.  Exodus 14:21 says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided.”  In this passage we see a great truth.  The wind that night was fierce.  It takes wind and a lot of it to divide a sea but that is exactly what God did.  In the midst of impossible situations, God did not send a breeze, H sent a strong wind.  The result was the people walking through on dry ground.

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herever you are in your walk with God today, please remember that wind is not to be feared.  God sends the winds for our benefit, to grow our faith, and to cause us to climb higher and higher in our relationship with him.  So, the next time you are at the seashore learn a lesson from the wind.  In the midst of the strong gusts, God does not want you to run or to be afraid.  Instead, He wants you to fly a kite!!  Have a great day!!

Experience Required!

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 quick perusal of a newspaper provides insight into the worlds of international politics, business, sports, and entertainment.  You can find the latest information concerning the weather, you can read other people’s opinions in the editorial section, and you can even work a crossword puzzle, or have your funny bone tickled by the comics section.  Finally, you will come to the classified section which can prove both informative and comical to the discerning reader.

The classified section is always chock full companies’ requests for employees.  There are always jobs to be had in several businesses on a daily basis.  A survey of these advertisements will quickly show one common thread among them.  The words, “Experience required” figure prominently and either provide an incentive for someone to answer the ad or move on to something else.

Have you ever been frustrated by those two little words?  Have you ever read through the classifieds, diligently seeking an opportunity to change jobs only to be thwarted and disappointed by the need for experience?  This is the catch for most college graduates.  They have all this knowledge and training but lack the experience needed for many of the jobs in the “real world.”

What are God’s requirements?   What kind of experience is he looking for?  It is a very different kind than that for which the world is searching.  This is seen very easily in the life of a familiar Old Testament character, David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem.

When David arrives to check on his brothers, he is introduced to something very strange.  A giant, Goliath of Gath, is taunting the Israelite army, begging for a fight.  The soldiers, however, refuse to answer the ad, refuse to take up their arms, and refuse to fight.  They have all this training in war and the use of armor and weapons but they have no experience with God.

Enter David, the lowly shepherd.  He has no experience in battle, no experience in tactical warfare, and no experience with weapons. However, he does have first-hand experience of God’s might and, based on this, David answers Saul’s ad for a champion.   

In 1 Samuel 17:33-35, we find an exchange between these two men as they discuss David’s qualifications. “Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."  But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.”

Here we have a classic difference of opinion.  Saul believes David to be unqualified because he lacks the necessary training.  He has never studied war, he has never learned to throw a spear, and he has never faced an enemy as big as Goliath.  David begs to differ.  His enemies have been the lion and the bear that delighted in taunting his flock.  They attacked without warning, intent on killing as many of the sheep as possible, something David could not and did not allow.

Although David’s experience is not exactly what Saul has in mind, it is more than adequate.  I mean, David stands head and shoulders above the rest of the applicant pool who have more knowledge and more training than he.  But they aren’t applying for the job!  David’s best response is found in verse 37, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."  How do you say no to that? You can’t and Saul didn’t!

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ill you answer God’s classified ad today?  Do you have the experience of a personal relationship with him that equips you to face any of life’s circumstances?  When you read the words, “Experience required,” does this motivate you or dissuade you from answering God’s call?  All you have to do is apply, that is, apply God’s word to your life and you will have the necessary experience to answer any of life’s challenges!

Do You See The Light?

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he Outer Banks of North Carolina are famous for their serenity, for their pristine beaches, and for providing a haven of rest and relaxation to the weary traveler.  But they are also famous for the lighthouses that dot their shores.  Several of these lighthouses are famous and have been used for years to guide vessels at sea safely to harbors.

One of my end tables has a replica of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.  It has very distinct markings, black and white diamonds.  It truly is a lovely structure.  Saturday morning found me cleaning my house.  As I dusted the den, I came to that replica.  I picked up the lighthouse, dusted it and the table, and returned it to its place. As I finished cleaning up, I thought about that lighthouse. 

Now, I have never visited the Outer Banks and I have never seen the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. However, I am sure of its existence and I know that if I were to go to the Outer Banks, I would find it faithfully performing its task of warning sailors of the dangerous pitfalls of the North Carolina Coast.  The lighthouse is there and working whether I see it or not and whether I believe in its existence or not.

In John’s gospel, we encounter a well-known figure who had doubts of his own. Thomas was a follower of Jesus Christ. Like his friends, he didn’t understand the death of his friend and master, Jesus.  He was afraid that the same fate would fall to him and, like the others, he kept a low profile. 

Not long afterward, his friends shared with him that they had seen Jesus. He had appeared to them, coming through a locked door and he stood and spoke to them.  Now Thomas was more than a little skeptical.  He didn’t want to accuse his friends of spreading rumors but he wanted to see the evidence for himself.  Soon thereafter, he got his opportunity.  Jesus appeared to the group and he spoke directly to Thomas and had him touch the scars in his hands and in his side.  Thomas was overwhelmed and bowed down and worshiped Jesus as his Lord and his God.

Jesus made the following statement found in John 20:29, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Here, Jesus was speaking about all those who would believe on him without seeing him physically.  He was speaking about you and me for we have never seen the Lord.  We believe in him by faith and because we know in our hearts that Jesus is God’s son and that there is no salvation apart from him.

Today, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse stands on the North Carolina Coast looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.  Tonight, it will shine its light over the waters showing sailors the only way to arrive safely at their destination.  The light of Jesus shines today over the troubled seas of life.  His light shines in the darkness and in the storm and shows us the safe way home. 

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re we like Thomas, unbelieving unless we see for ourselves or does Jesus’ description apply to us today?  Are we blessed because we haven’t seen and still we believe?  Which situation applies in your life today?

What Do I Do Now?

             

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he end of the semester is always a hectic and challenging time.  People are cramming for final exams, working hard to complete final papers, and trying every so hard to get the next phase of their lives in order.  In fact, what happens after graduation causes more stress than in preparing for it.

After spending years in the books, the graduate is faced with an even more difficult question.  The years of preparation, all the time logged in the library, and all the knowledge gained are not sufficient to answer this simple question, “What do I do now?”  Standing on the mountain top of accomplishment only means that the valley of further challenges lies ahead.

The top of that mountain, while invigorating and exciting, is also very unnerving.  Once you are at the top, the only other direction is down; but down into what?  That is the great question and that is the great challenge.  Fortunately, as children of God, we do not face this question or this situation alone.  The Old Testament story of Joshua is a good example of preparation, graduation, and continuation in the plan God has chosen for those who love him.

For forty years, Joshua had been under the direct leadership and instruction of Moses.  He and Caleb were the only spies who believed the land could be taken and encouraged the people not to abandon God.  They people didn’t listen and they wandered in the desert for forty years.  When Moses set up the tent of meeting where he talked to God, Joshua was chosen to guard that tent.  So, whenever Moses spoke to God, Joshua wasn’t too far away.  He both saw and heard all that went on between Moses and God.

In addition, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, Joshua was the only person to accompany Moses on the mountain.  You see, all this was preparation for the role Joshua would play after Moses’ death.  He was in training, learning how to lead, learning how to trust God, and learning how live in God’s provision.  This requires much study and much time spent in the classroom alone with God.

Deuteronomy 31:23, however, shows what happened on Joshua’s graduation day. The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."  Can’t you just see Joshua, diploma in hand, a smile on his face, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment?  Then God informs him that he is to replace Moses.  He goes pale, gets a lump in this throat, and says, “Okay, now what do I do?”

We need only look at God’s words to Joshua to get the answer to his question.  God told Joshua to be strong and courageous.  In other words, Joshua was to be strong by depending on God and trusting in him.  The result of this action is twofold: 1) Joshua will bring the people into the land God promised.  In other words, he will have a definite role to play in God’s plan for his people, and 2) God himself will be with him; Joshua will not go alone!

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oday you may be wondering what to do next, what step to take, and which direction you should choose.  Believe me, you are not alone!  Many Christians find themselves in Joshua’s situation, asking the same question he did.  God’s answer is the same.  “Be strong and courageous and I will be with you.”  The view from the mountain is wonderful, but the real test of leadership, the real test of faith, and the real test of trust come when we leave the mountain and follow God into the valley.  Do you have your hiking boots on today?