Stay Where You Are

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t all started one winter afternoon!  The weather forecasters had said that inclement winter weather was a distinct possibility and this time, at least, their predictions were right on target.  Around 2:30 in the afternoon, the skies opened up and rained down sleet.  As the ice pebbles hit against the building, all of us in the office pressed our noses against the windows, staring in amazement, mouths agape, just like thousands of school children who were no doubt doing the same thing.

The excitement from the sleet, however, soon gave way to concern about the drive home and the impending problems the ice would cause as literally thousands of people jammed the highways in order to arrive safely home before the brunt of the storm hit.  Classes were cancelled; schools and offices closed early, and people began making their way home.  My trip home from the university was uneventful and I arrived at my apartment safe and sound.

Later in the afternoon and all throughout the evening, the sleet continued to fall.  Sometimes it came down very hard, almost in sheets, and at other times it was barely noticeable. But all the while, the amount of accumulating ice continued to grow and the ground was soon covered in a blanket of white.  The next morning, I looked out and noticed that a significant amount of ice had accumulated during the night hours.  It was a beautiful view but one that was also fraught with danger.

The television news channels and the radio stations were all promoting the same warning: Stay where you are!  All of the anchormen and women repeated that message over and over, stressing the importance of remaining indoors and not braving the elements or the icy road conditions.  Although it appeared harmless, the ice was indeed deadly, causing cars, trucks, buses, etc. to lose traction and veer off the highway.  Unless absolutely necessary, everyone was urged to stay home where it was safe, dry, and warm until the icy conditions were gone.

The weather here provides a deeper understanding of a passage of scripture from the book of Isaiah.  The prophet gives us a warning which we should consider as we walk with God.  Isaiah 50:11 reads, “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

There is a solemn and sober truth in this passage of scripture.  Israel was awaiting the coming of the Messiah and had in her mind the manner in which he would appear.  They believed the Messiah would overthrow Israel’s oppression and set up God’s kingdom in its place.  But the kingdom of God did not come by way of the sword but by way of the cross.  It did not come with an overthrow of a political government but with the overthrow of sin and death.  It did not come in the manner in which they thought it should so they walked by their own understanding and completely missed God’s plan for man’s salvation.

The same is true for us in our daily walk with the Lord.  When we lean on our own understanding, when we believe we know how we are to proceed, and when we fail to stay where we are when God tells us to rest, we place ourselves in great peril.  The conditions all around us tell us to stay where we are, but instead we venture forth, losing our footing, sliding off the chosen road, landing in the side ditches where we get into trouble and difficulty.  Just as God said through the prophet Isaiah, when we do things our own way instead of obeying God we always bear the consequences of our actions.

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herever you are today in your walk with God, pay close attention to His commands.  It may be that the road ahead is covered with ice, impassable, and treacherous.  If God, who knows the way much better than you, has commanded you to stay where you are, don’t take a flashlight and strike out on your own.  Remain where you are in the safety of God’s presence until He sees fit to move you forward.  You will never be disappointed and you will never be in danger as long as you walk with Him.  Are you walking with God or ahead of Him today?

Weightlifting 101

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he weight room in our high school gym was one of the most popular places on campus.  This was especially true for the guys training for football, basketball, track and field, or baseball, a sport for which our town remains well-known and respected.  However, the weight room was not only used by student athletes.  Some of the teachers and coaches used the facilities to remain in good physical shape.

Each day after school, guys would pour into the gym, dress out, and begin their exercise routines.  Some would use free weights, others would use the available machines, and the rest would do exercises or spot for those lifting. All those using the weight room had one goal, to increase their strength, reduce their body fat, and build muscles.

The results of their labor were evident.  Not long after they started training, all the guys began taking on a different appearance.  They grew bigger and stockier.  Their increased size and strength evidenced their dedication to become physically fit.  However, there was another by -product which could not be seen but was just as real.  That by-product was pain. 

Before entering training, everyone knew that pain would be a part of the process.  In order to build muscle, you have to tear muscle.  Tearing a muscle is never fun and it is never done without pain. But without pain, without constant training and stretching, muscle does not grow, strength is not increased, and it is impossible to maintain good physical condition.

This same principle applies to our spiritual conditioning as well.  If we intend to grow spiritually, we must exercise our faith.  This is never easy and it is never pain-free.  If you've ever tested your faith, if you've every increased your ability to trust God, chances are you've paid a visit to God’s weight room.  The only way to grow more faith is to be torn, stretched, and strained so that your faith in him can grow.

This is what the Apostle James had in mind when he wrote the following, “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:3-4).  

Just as an athlete’s goal is to perfect his body, so the goal of spiritual training is to perfect our souls.  Notice that James says that the goal of the spiritual workout is perfection.  He does not mean we will be perfect, we’re human.  However, he does suggest that we will be complete, lacking in nothing. 

God’s goal for us as Christians is to be complete in him.  We achieve this only by increasing our faith and our trust in him.  In order for our faith to grow, it must be tested, stretched, and strained.  Only when this happens can new and stronger faith grow. 

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od does not leave us to go through this alone.  He is there beside us, watching us, making sure the load does not over burden us.  He knows just how much weight is needed to make us stronger in him.  So, are you up for some spiritual bench pressing today?

Step Right This Way

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ach summer, the high desert of New Mexico in the southwest United States, becomes home to a host of young people eager to hike the trails, scale the mountains, explore the valleys, and walk the meadows of Philmont Scout Ranch. Some of these crews have waited several years to visit the ranch and to experience scouting's ultimate challenge.  However, before these eager youths can begin their journey, they must first get   directions for the road ahead.  They arrive with great expectations of what the backcountry holds; but they must develop a definite plan of action before beginning their wilderness experience.

One of the most important stops the crew makes at base camp is a visit to logistics. Here, the crew leader meets with a trip planner who provides vital information on the various aspects of the hike. Before their arrival, logistics is aware of the crew’s wishes and needs. Each crew is assigned a trip planner who indicates on a map the appropriate places to get food, fresh water, and to pitch camp. Every aspect of the trip is planned out BEFORE the crew leaves base camp.  They arrive with a selected trek in mind but logistics determines the route they will take and the time period they will follow.

This process teaches us a great truth about the plans God makes for us.  In Proverbs16:9, Solomon writes, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." In this brief, but all-important passage of scripture, Solomon unlocks one of the great truths about God.  He is constantly and fully aware of our plans but he decides the paths we take to reach our destination.  How many of us have prayed for patience only to find that the pathway lies through difficulty and hardship until we learn what patience truly is?  How many times have we asked God to give us a forgiving spirit, only to be placed into situations that demanded us to forgive those who wronged us?  And how often have we asked God to teach us contentment and found ourselves removed from comforts and familiar surroundings until we learned to be at peace no matter what the circumstances?

Our heavenly father knows what we want, but more importantly, he knows what we need.  He also knows that the easiest route is not necessarily the best one or the one that will mold us and shape us according to the plans he has for us.  God is very interested in us and the paths we choose to tread; but he reserves the right to determine the paths we take to reach our destination. 

God is familiar with life's terrain.  He knows its high peaks and its low valleys.  He understands the uphill climb and the long, dusty roads.  He understands our frustrations and our discomfort with life's situations at times.  That is why he chooses the paths.  He knows where and when we need rest.  He knows how to restore us and supply us from his own, infinite resources at just the right time. 

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od's paths are not always easy; but they are always rewarding; designed to strengthen us, mature us, develop us, and transform us into the image of Christ.  Are you walking his paths today?

Giants In The Land

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t had been a long, tiresome journey from Egypt.  For centuries, the Hebrew children had awaited this day, the day when they actually learned first-hand what the Promised Land looked like.     They had told their children of Isaac and Rebecca, of Jacob and Esau, and of Joseph and his coat of many colors.  According to his wishes, the people had exhumed Joseph's body and had brought his bones to be buried in the new land. 

Forty days before, a band of twelve men entered the land with instructions to spy on its inhabitants and to bring back some of its produce.  Excitement and tensions mounted as the people eagerly awaited word of the spies' arrival back in camp. What had they seen?  What would be their assessment of the land and its people?  What advice would they give Moses for entering the land?

Everyone pressed in close to hear the report and to learn about their new home.  Not a sound was made as the twelve recounted their findings.  Two men, Joshua and Caleb, displayed a large cluster of grapes that required a large pole and two men to carry.  Surely, they had found the land to be truly flowing with milk and honey, just as God promised. 

But suddenly, their excitement vanished and fear gripped the people.  Several of the spies gave vivid descriptions of the land's current inhabitants.  Everyone listened intently to the report and one word sent fear and despair through the crowd.  That word was GIANT.  Yes, there were giants in the land.  Of the twelve, only Joshua and Caleb felt they should proceed.  The other ten were not so enthusiastic and their opinion carried the day.  The people refused to move forward.

What a tragedy this was for Israel.  For over 400 years, they served as slaves in Egypt, longing and praying for the day of their deliverance.  God brought them out of their bondage with a mighty hand and led them to the border of the land he promised Abraham.  All they had to do was to enter it and possess it.  However, they

stopped short of experiencing God's provision and experiencing his deliverance because they chose fear instead of faith.

Numbers 14:9 records the faithful words of Caleb as he tried to persuade the people to take the land, “Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” 

Like the other spies, Caleb had been in the land for forty days.  He had seen the giants and their fortified cities; he had observed their technology and their standard of living. But Caleb also knew God's promise.  He believed God's word to be true, that the land was theirs, that all they needed to do was take it.  The reports of the other spies focused on the giants in the land. 

Like the children of Israel, we all face difficulties and challenges.  There are always giants in the land that strike fear in our hearts.  Some of these giants come in the guise of health problems and some giants strike at the very hearts of our families.  The giants of self-doubt and discouragement loom on several horizons as well as the giants of failure and guilt. 

Today's scriptures present us with two different perspectives on God's promise.  We, like the ten spies, can look at our present situations and concentrate on the giants in our paths.  When we do this, we become grasshoppers, small, weak, and incapable.  Or, like Caleb, we can focus on God and his promise to be with us in all circumstances no matter what.  In the first circumstance we yell, "Retreat!"  In the second scenario, we yell "Attack!"

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od never intended for the children of Israel to stop short of his provision.  He never intended for them to enter or conquer the land by themselves. Instead, his plan was for them to possess the land by fighting their battles and routing their enemies before them.  And God intends us to live the same way.  He is waiting for us to decide whether we will attack or retreat.  The choice is ours; but the battle is God's!

A Backward Glance

Monday mornings were no fun for Steven.  He hated getting up early and heading to work.  Actually, it wasn't the work he dreaded, it was the traffic he had to face every morning on his way to the office.  Monday's were the worst because no one on the road was the least bit interested in being courteous.  Instead, every driver was on a self-proclaimed mission to be the dominant force on the highway. 

Such was the case with the gentleman in the car immediately following Steven. He was playing a cat-and-mouse game with the other drivers around him.  He approached Steven's rear bumper, almost touching it, and then he would back off.  He would change lanes, only to return to his original place.  He cut people off and refused to let anyone get in front of him. 

Steven spent the vast majority of his time looking in his rear view mirror, enthralled with the man directly behind him.  He was so absorbed that he failed to notice the stalled car in front of him and when he turned his attention back to the road ahead, it was too late. He hit the car squarely in the rear, bringing his car and several cars behind him, to a screeching, halt.

Many of us can identify with Steven's plight.   .  What is behind us seems to hold more allure than what lies before us.   We constantly gaze in the rear-view mirror, more interested in where we've than in where we are going. 

Eventually, if we hold to this practice, we will meet with Steven's fate.  It is impossible to move forward while constantly glancing backwards.  To continue this practice is to invite unwanted danger and to act irresponsibly

In 1 Kings 19:19-21, the scriptures describe for us the call of Elisha by the prophet Elijah.  "So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant."

 When Elijah found Elisha, he placed his mantle on him, indicating he had chosen him.  Elisha's initial reaction concerned his family.  He wanted to return and kiss them goodbye and then follow Elijah.  While this seems noble and even the desirable thing to do, note Elijah's response.  He essentially tells Elisha, "Why do you want to go back after what I have done for you?" 

Elijah had called Elisha into God's service.  In response, Elisha went back, killed his oxen, his means of support and his livelihood, made a fire with his plow, cooked the oxen, and then became Elijah's servant.  In essence, he glanced back for just a minute to his life before Elijah's call and decided to look forward.  He removed anything that would keep him from becoming Elijah's servant.

Today, God calls us to follow him, to leave our comfort zone, to leave our past accomplishments, and to join him.  For some of us it may mean leaving home and family.  For others of us it means changing careers or locations.  But all of us must change our perspective, concentrating on what lies ahead instead of the view behind us.

 Jesus used this same illustration when speaking about the cost of following him.  His call was to leave the past where it belongs, in the past, and to join him in working for God's future kingdom.  His words, as recorded in Luke 9:62, demonstrate his expectation of those he calls, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Are you content with the view behind or is your attention focused on the path ahead?  Are you looking forward or are you glancing backward?  Are you going to or are you coming from?

You May Safely Cross Over

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Today's Title: You May Safely Cross Over

Today's Scripture: Joshua 3:15-16

It was a very typical Monday morning.  I had originally planned to get up earlier than usual to allow myself a little more time to get ready for work, a second or third cup of coffee, and a pleasant, leisurely drive to work.  Well, you can guess what happened, right?  The alarm clock went off on time but I dozed just a few minutes longer than I should have.  There was no coffee and my drive was anything but leisurely.  The traffic was awful and felt more like an Indy 500 race than a leisurely drive to the office. 

 I got off the Interstate at my usual exit and began my way toward the university.  This street is always congested but this morning it seemed to be more so. This was probably due to the fact that I was running behind and wanted to get to the office.  As I made my way around the last bend, I noticed an older gentleman in an orange vest sitting at an intersection.  He had a bright red stop sign beside his chair and he sat there very calmly in the cool morning air. 

This man was one of many volunteers who work for the local school systems.  His job is to stop traffic until school children have safely crossed over from one side to the other.  The power this man yields is incredible.  No matter the color of the traffic light, if he is in the crosswalk with a child, all cars, trucks, vans, scooters, and bicycles must stop until he has safely delivered a little boy or girl to the other side of the street.

The Old Testament book of Joshua has a very similar illustration for us today.  The Hebrew children were poised, ready to enter the Promised Land and to rout their enemies before them.  On the eve of their entrance, God informed Joshua that He would provide safe passage for the people across the Jordan River. Joshua was to instruct the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before the people and the priests were to stand in the middle of the river.  What happened next is simply amazing!

Joshua 3:15-16 records this for us, “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.”

Wow!  Don’t you wish you could have witnessed this!!  Notice the condition of the Jordan River—flood stage!  Notice God’s instruction to the priest—step into the water!  Notice the course of the Jordan River—toward the Dead Sea!  Notice the results—the water upstream stopped flowing and the water downstream was cut off!  Now I ask you, what better illustration of crossing over our problems into God’s promise exists than this?  Outside the crossing of the Red Sea, nothing!

God had promised to be with His people and to provide for them.  When it came time to cross over into the land, the waters of the Jordan, even though at flood stage, posed no threat and were, in fact, inconsequential.  The priests took the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence, and entered the water.  When we take God into the middle of our trials the result is always miraculous.  If we enter the water when, how, and where He tells us, we find that we have safe passage from where we are to where He has called us to be.

In essence, God walked with the people, holding a stop sign, and the waters ceased their flow.  The waters upstream piled up while the waters downstream just drifted away.  Like the Jordan River at flood stage, a life without Christ who lovingly walks with us through all of life’s difficulties, leads to certain death and eternal separation from God.  However, when we choose to become a follower of Jesus, we are able to cross over and enter the promise of God’s love, mercy, and grace.  We are able to inherit the kingdom He created for those who choose to follow Him.

Jesus, himself, spoke to this point.  In John’s gospel, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24) 

What a wonderful promise this is.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have crossed over the Jordan River, over the river of sin, over the river of death, and we have received life!  Just like the children in the crosswalk this morning, and just like the people crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land, we can walk confidently, secure in the knowledge that Christ Jesus walks with us in all of life’s difficult paths.  He looks at us and says, “You may safely cross over with me!”  Are you enjoying this kind of walk today?

On Your Way Home...

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Friday, February 26, 2015 

Today's Title: On Your Way Home… 

Today's Scripture: Matthew 28:19

Warm, sunny, summer afternoons were perfect for riding a bike.  This was one of my favorite past times in the off-season from school and I spent hours riding around with my brother, my friends, or just by myself.  Since our town was small and relatively safe, I was free to explore all its different areas and visit with friends and acquaintances. Sometimes I would leave in the morning and spend the entire day on my bike, returning home only for lunch, dinner, and bedtime.

We lived on Main Street and my jaunts usually took me toward town.  I would ride my bike up Main Street, passing Cone Street (named for my paternal grandfather), Depot Street, Pink Street, Jacob Street, Oak Street (where I would eventually buy a home), Mountain Street, Mulberry Street, and making a left turn onto Elm Street.  My rides usually took me in this direction because my mom’s parents lived at the end of this street. Their home was the next-to-the-last house on the left.

Elm Street was (and still is) a beautiful street lined with huge trees, nice houses, sprawling yards, and very little traffic.  On my way to my grandparents’ house, I crossed over Academy Street, Carroll Street, Ballard Street, and Old Post Road.  The last stop was grandmother’s house where a cold drink and plenty of cookies, ice cream, and candy were just waiting to be eaten.  I always loved going to grandmother’s and spent quite a bit of my free time there just visiting, talking, and being with my grandparents.

It wasn't uncommon for my mom to call me while I was visiting my grandparents and tell me to pick up a few things at the grocery store on my way home.  I made sure I left in plenty of time and stopped in to pick up the items she needed for dinner.  The grocery store was on the way home so I didn't have to exert any special effort or alter my route.  Stopping by the store, while requiring a little of my time, did not affect my destination and it didn't cramp my style. It was just part of the trip home.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus makes the following statement, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” This is a very famous passage of scripture and is usually referred to as the Great Commission. Most of the time we view this passage as Christ’s command to do foreign missions, citing his directive to take the gospel “into all the world.”  But there is also another application, one that is closer to home and one that applies to every believer and follower of Christ.

One possible rendering of the Greek in this passage could be “As you are going…”  Now let’s stop and think about that.  What exactly does that mean to me and to you today?  Simply this, we are to take the good news of Jesus Christ with us everywhere we go.  As we are going to work, Christ should be with us.  As we are going to school, Christ should be with us.  As we are going to lunch, Christ should be with us. As we are going to these places, we are to make disciples.  In other words, we are to teach others what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

That makes it a little more personal doesn't it? Jesus didn't say to make disciples while we were on our way to Borneo or to the outer reaches of Mongolia, did he?  No!  He said for us to make disciples while we are on our way to the office or simply to the grocery store.  We will meet people everywhere we go who need to know Jesus Christ and we will teach them about our savior by our words, actions, and thoughts whether we want to or not. This means the way we live becomes the message of what we believe about Christ!

The Great Commission of Christ is given to all of us, whether we are going to the far reaches of the globe or riding our bike to the grocery store on Main Street.  Where are you going today and what message will you send to the people you meet along the way?  Are you stopping along life’s path, picking things up on your way home?  Think about it today?

You Must Pick The Apples

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Today's Title: You Must Pick The Apples

Today's Scripture: Exodus 14:15

Growing up on Main Street had many advantages.  We were close to town, everyone knew where Main Street was located, and my best friend lived right beside me.  We were also surrounded by wonderful neighbors.  The Littles and Busbys lived across the street, the Bames lived to our right, the Ramseys and the Beams lived behind us, and Mom and Pop Jenkins lived to our left.

All our neighbors were wonderful but Mom and Pop held a special place in my heart.  They always spoke to us and took time to be involved in what we were doing.  And if we did anything wrong or if we got out of line, Mom made sure to correct us and then she made sure our parents knew all about it.  Things have certainly changed, haven’t they?

Mom always had something good to eat in her kitchen.  Every day she would pack Pop’s lunch box with things no cafeteria or restaurant could ever match.  No matter what he had for lunch, Pop always had homemade dessert, and pie was his favorite.  It also happened to be mine and when Mom made an apple pie and offered you a slice, you dropped whatever it was you were doing and answered the call!

We had a June apple tree in our backyard.  Every summer it would blossom and produce lots of apples that usually fell to the ground faster than we could pick or eat them.  One day I asked Mom to bake me an apple pie.  She agreed but said I had to pick the apples.  Mom was willing to bake the pie for me because I couldn't do it, but she was not willing to pick the apples—that was my job.

The Children of Israel had occasion to learn this lesson, only it didn't concern picking apples for a pie.  Just after leaving Egypt, the people arrived at the Red Sea.  Pharaoh and his army pursued them.  When the people saw Pharaoh’s army behind them and the sea in front of them they began to cry out to Moses, asking why he had brought them into the wilderness to die.  Moses told the people to have faith, that God would fight for them, and that Pharaoh’s army could not harm them. 

In Exodus 14:15, we find God’s response to Moses and the people, “And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”  Look at the last word in the verse.  God meant for the people to go forward, there was only one problem, moving forward meant moving into the sea!  From their perspective, the people saw a trap.  Pharaoh and certain death were behind them and the sea and certain death were before them.  And in the face of this terrible situation God told them to move forward.

This is always God’s way.  He will not do for us what we can do for ourselves.  The people could not open the Red Sea but they could walk and that is what God asked them to do.  He simply said “Walk forward!  I’ll take care of the sea and of Pharaoh!  You don’t need to worry about the circumstances around you, I just want you to walk forward and I will make a way and that way will lead straight to me and to the promise I have made to you!”

It’s kind of like Mom telling me to pick the apples.  I didn't know how to bake.  I couldn't read a recipe. Mixing, slicing, and kneading dough, were beyond my ability.  But picking apples was something I could do and when I listened to what Mom said, the reward was great!  Is it any different with our God?  He has so many wonderful things in store for us if we obey His commands.   He will never ask us to do what is impossible for us but He will never do for us what we are capable of doing ourselves.  Do you hear God telling you to pick apples today?  If so, pick them and leave the rest to Him.  You won’t be disappointed!

Everyone's Invited

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Today's Title: Everyone's Invited

Today's Scripture: Luke 2:3

Yesterday we left Mary and Joseph preparing to leave home and head to Bethlehem in order to comply with Caesar’s dictate for a worldwide census.  They had to pack up and make their way across rough road to arrive at their destination.

Although today’s verse is very small, there is a great kernel of truth lodged within it.  Luke simply records in verse 3, “And everyone went to his own town to register.”  Please notice the word, everyone.  Status didn’t matter.  Location didn’t matter.  Bank account size didn’t matter.  Political influence didn’t matter.  In fact, nothing mattered except that everyone, regardless of station, was invited to the census party.

Once again we see God working in the daily situations and circumstances of life.  The edict applied to everyone, both citizens and non-citizens, there were no distinctions between them. And although there were many people heading to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph, the purposes of their journeys and the end results were not the same.  Everyone went to be counted; but Mary and Joseph had another purpose, a purpose not known to them.

This is God’s way with us.  We are not always aware of the present purpose of our circumstances.  God doesn’t always reveal to us why things are the way they are and why we must face the various situations life sends our way.  He does promise, however, that everything will work to our good as Paul shares in Romans 8:28.

The prophet Micah had foretold that the birthplace of the Messiah would be in Bethlehem but no one at that time foresaw Roman occupation and the census it would require in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled.  Isaiah was correct when he recorded God’s statement that His ways are not our ways.  How true this is.

And so, Mary and Joseph are now on their way with the rest of the population toward a destination that will forever change their lives and the world.  It may be that you are being moved from one place to another today.  If so, trust God’s working in your life.  He has in mind a purpose for you and when the time and the circumstances are right, He will bless you and use you for His glory.

Wherever you are on life’s road today, my prayer for you is that you will enjoy the journey, knowing full well that we serve a God who has our best interest in mind and who will never move us unless and until He is ready to use us for His glory.  Just keep walking!!!!

On The Move

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Monday, December 15, 2014

Today's Title: On The Move

Today's Scripture: Luke 2:1

At this time of year, people are in constant motion, running here and there with greater fervor and focus than at any other time of the year.  That seems to be the mantra of almost anyone to whom you speak.  “I gotta go” or “I've got to get all this shopping done” or better yet, “Where has the time gone?”

For the next several days, we will be taking a journey through Luke 2.  We will take a look at the shepherds, the wise men, and all the circumstances regarding our Lord’s birth and the purpose for his coming to earth.  So, let’s get started.  I invite you to open your Bible and join me with the opening verse of Luke 2.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  You want to talk about movement?  The entire known world was in flux with people packing up all they had to report to their various destinations to be counted and recorded.  What a time that must have been when everyone, and I mean everyone, was going somewhere with no time to spare. 

Joseph and Mary pack up and head to Bethlehem to comply with Caesar’s demand that the entire world be recorded.  What lesson are we to learn from this brief passage?  What could God have possibly packed into these 19 words that will help us today?  A lot, actually.

In life, we are seldom in control of our circumstances. Things happen, events occur, and unforeseen situations rear their ugly heads at the most inopportune times.  It was the same with Joseph and Mary.  The day before Caesar’s decree, everything was normal; but the next morning, their world changed.  Joseph had to take his very pregnant wife from their home to the town of Bethlehem to register his family.

Joseph, in all likelihood, was not thrilled about traveling in the first place and he was most certainly concerned about Mary who was due to give birth very soon.  But the circumstances of life dictated that he go to Bethlehem and to Bethlehem he went.

Here is our lesson for today.  God is in control of our circumstances.  We may not understand the events surrounding us and we may not comprehend why we have to move when it would be easier to stay put. But had Abraham never moved there would have been no Isaac.  Had Moses not been moved, there would have been no Exodus.  Had David not moved into the valley, there would have been no victory over Goliath.   We could go on and on but the lesson is the same.  In order for God to bless us and use us, he sometimes will require that we move, leaving everything behind, heading toward a destination and events we do not know or fully understand.  Whatever the circumstance, to receive God’s best, we must move.

And so, we leave Mary and Joseph on the road to Bethlehem, traveling over a rocky road, in the dry and arid climate, on their way to fulfill God’s promise that he would send a deliverer to save mankind. Does God have you on the move today?  If so, get ready for him to do great things both in you and through you.