I'm seeing it now

How well do you know me? How well do you know the guy or gal who lives next door? How well do you really know your coworkers? Chances are we 'know' each other in some manner, but do we really 'know' each other? Occasionally as I am watching some news story on the TV, I will observe people being interviewed after some horrendous crime or accident that took a life. The news reporter will interview them for their "perspective" on the criminal's history, their "impression" of the victim's life, or some such. It is as though these individuals come out of the woodwork, claiming some sort of acquaintance with the criminal or victim. Sure, they live six streets over in a totally different subdivision, never worked or went to school with them, but "they knew them well". Silliness! I wonder how God feels about some of the reports we give of "knowing him well"? Do we really 'know' him, or is that just a facade, too?

Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. (I John 2:2-63)

Pretty plainly stated, isn't it? If we claim to know him well, we will keep his commands - period. No arguing the fact - our life needs to match our words - not just when we feel like it. We all have probably heard the saying, "Do as I say, not as I do". No wonder we are confused about this "life matching words" concept! Words - actions - more words - do they align? If not, maybe it is time to rethink this obedience thing in our lives. If the image we behold the most is contrary to what we aspire to be, how can we truly follow the pattern? I am learning woodworking and am far from an expert. I make all kinds of mistakes and have to 'redo' things from time to time. As an artist or woodworker creates a new work, he tries to follow the pattern of the model or pattern provided. Unless he is into abstract art, the image of what he is trying to create comes reasonably close to what it is he beholds in the pattern. The model serves as a "pattern" to follow - we see the image and then we know what our finished product is to resemble. Yet, if you have ever tried to draw something that reasonably resembles the model, you know just how hard it is to have what you are putting on display match the original! That piece of woodwork will be 'close', but it will not be identical!

This concept is not dissimilar to the Christian walk. We have a model - Christ Jesus. We see him displayed for us in others who know him well. We also have a good impression of him in what has been recorded of him throughout all of the scripture. Yep, we probably don't match the image of the model! Our "display" of what has been "modeled" is likely to be kind of abstract! We all display God in some "abstract" manner to begin with. We are "generally" following the form, but we don't "specifically" match the image of the one we have as our model. The more we follow his commands, the more the image changes. The lines become more apparent - closer resembling his lines. In time, the "immature" display of God's "lines" in our lives is replaced with a "mature" display of who and what he is. We cannot rush this process any more than we can become instantly excellent at drawing overnight, or extremely gifted at this woodworking thing. We are reminded - it is in the day by day steps of obedience (repeated steps) we become more and more mature in his love (the lines of who he is becoming more apparent in us).

Just as the artist has to practice his skill, so we have the same opportunity in displaying Christ in our lives. It is in the daily choices to obey his commands we are "perfecting" the image of Christ in us. We truly don't "practice" obedience without it affecting us deeply. The more we practice - the more obedience becomes a true "art form" within! The "lines" become more defined and the image of our model becomes more apparent. We call this maturity. God calls this awesome! It is the last day of the year and a new one is upon us in just a few short hours. This would be a good time to begin to adjust our focus so we are seeing the 'model' in perspective and then allow those steps of obedience to be repeated time and time again until we match what it is we see. Just sayin!

Here's the hammer

Spent a couple hours in the workshop this morning making a project for my BFF. It wasn't anything fancy or particularly hard - she needed a large frame for a photo booth. Even the small projects make me very relaxed and I so enjoy building this stuff! I wonder how many times we think we are building "good stuff" in our lives, only to look back and see how little we actually "built" - maybe we would be surprised at how many times we'd say what was "built" was little more than a scrap heap. We always seem to think the endeavors of our lives are totally worthwhile - but in retrospect, how many of them really produced what we originally believed possible? The most amazing thing happens though when we set out on an endeavor with God - usually MORE than we believed possible on our own!

If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn't guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (Psalm 127:1-2)

I have certainly done my share of "shack building" - producing little more than what some may label a 'scrap heap'. I am not a skilled builder, by any means. I can drive a nail, even cut some wood, but I don't understand the "principles" of architecture that actually help a building to be secure against shifting earth and heavy wind! In terms of erecting a "building", I'd defer to those who have actually studied how it is to be done! Yes, I can follow their plans, but I am not the architect of the project!
The same principle holds true in terms of our Christian walk. We are all able to take baby steps on occasion, but are we able to lay a solid foundation of principled values, honorable choices, or rock-solid emotions? I am thinking the answer to this question may be "not so much", and definitely "not with much consistency". We lack the "principles" of building these into our lives - they are ideals, but we don't know how to actualize them without the "plans". This is why we need to get into the Word. We need to "study" how it is done in order to understand how we are involved in the building!

God actually is the builder and the architect - he looks to us to "relinquish" the control of our "building projects" to him. He is like the general contractor on a building site. He oversees each and every task undertaken that will ensure a great finish to the project. If he has a "rogue" builder out there on the site, just building away, oblivious to the plans for the building, who knows what will be produced! I have seen some pretty weird "building projects" in my life. I have observed some very "amateur" attempts at adding a new room, or remodeling an existing room. I have installed a few ceiling fans, crawling through the attic and "tapping into" wiring in order to accomplish the task. I guess since the house never burnt down, I did an "okay" job! But...I am not an electrician. I don't proclaim to be "comfortable" with the schematics of how the "load" of each wire in the house was planned. This is where I need the assist of the architect, contractor, and builder.

In terms of my family life, or my Christian development, I definitely need someone who knows the "schematics" of how this all works! I don't have it all down yet - despite what some may see on the outside, the inside is still a mess - so I need the "general contractor" of my life to have full control. God desires nothing more than to be given this control. How about you? Has there been some "rogue" building being done in your life? If so, it is not too late - relinquish control to the Lord and see just what he has planned. A little "de-constructing" may be necessary, but in the end, the finished product will be a whole lot more secure than anything you could put together on your own! So, God - build on in our lives! We are watching what you are constructing! Just watchin!

Scribble, Scribble, Scribble

I think I have shared this before, but I had a friend encourage me to write a book. The idea of having to put into words my life experiences almost intimidated me. Yet, when I began to really think about it, we all are writing a book of sorts - maybe not with paper and pen, but a 'book' nonetheless. We might call it the "book of decision". You see, each action we take is somehow "writing the next chapter" of our lives. Our response to today's events go a long way in determining the events of tomorrow. We here of horrific tragedy every single day - murders, auto accidents taking lives, suicides, and innocent victims in the wrong place at the wrong time gunned down without warning.  The events of those few moments in time have such a ripple-effect on all the families involved. Spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and even their neighbors who knew them - all impacted by the events of the day. The events of that one "chapter" open up many other chapters of tragedy, loss, and grief for many more. The same is true of our obedience - although it seems to us as less likely to affect as many or to be as profoundly impactful, don't ever discount the power of a decisive moment. We never know when today's choices will launch the deliverance of a nation!

And then the People of Israel were back at it again, doing what was evil in God's sight. God put them under the domination of the Philistines for forty years. At that time there was a man named Manoah from Zorah from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren and childless. The angel of God appeared to her and told her, "I know that you are barren and childless, but you're going to become pregnant and bear a son. But take much care: Drink no wine or beer; eat nothing ritually unclean. You are, in fact, pregnant right now, carrying a son. No razor will touch his head—the boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression." (Judges 13:1-5)

There are two groups to consider in our passage today. The first is the People of Israel. The "chapter" they were writing was one of "being back at it again" - doing what was evil in God's sight. Seems like a familiar "writing", does it not? We see ups and downs in our own lives similarly writing passages that describe our 'less stellar' moments. Moments of close attention are recorded in our "book" as moments of obedience. Then moments of inattention lend themselves to being recorded as "chapters" of disobedience, self-will, and compromise. Much like we see with the nation of Israel. See, we really aren't much different down through the ages, are we? Then we see a "new chapter" dawning for the nation - through the actions of one mother and one father - not of great stature or position in society, but common folk just living life on God's terms. Manoah and his wife would be instrumental in changing the course of a nation - by their obedience. As this couple were going about their normal routine, an angel of the Lord appears to them. No trumpets sounded announcing his arrival, or revealing his identity. He just came in a simple way, almost unnoticed because of his "ordinary" appearance. You know, I wonder how many chapters in our own lives have been opened in just such a manner? God coming to us in an "ordinary manner" - almost unnoticed for the significance he brings.

The woman was barren - unable to bare children. A tragedy by all accounts in the community in which she lived and worshiped. In fact, others may have looked upon her and made the assumption she was somehow not in right standing with God since she had not been blessed with the gift of life from her womb. Others may have been writing her life story as a "chapter of rejection" or "pages of judgment" in her book of life. God was going to change all this by one simple action of "opening" a new chapter for them! The angel announces they will have a son. Yes, they had a part to play - begin to nurture him well, even while he is in the womb. Then after he is born, raise him as a devotee of God (a Nazarite). Indeed, a new chapter was dawning - simply by the actions of one moment in time. The chapter goes on to describe Manoah and his wife spending some time questioning the angel, wondering how this boy should be raised. Still not recognizing this individual as an angel from God, they ask for his name. How many chapters of our own 'life' book have been opened by God without us recognizing it was God who was actually doing the "writing" upon our pages - starting a new chapter within us?

At the very end of this chapter, we see the words, "The woman gave birth to a son. They named him Samson. The boy grew and God blessed him. The Spirit of God began working in him..." The boy grew and God blessed him. A new chapter is indeed being written for the nation of Israel. If you know anything at all about Samson, you know his life and actions were instrumental in delivering the nation from the hands of the Philistines. He was raised to be a "deliverer" for the nation. His life was to be dedicated to this purpose and each "chapter" written in his life reveals the actions which God used to accomplish his purpose. I wonder how many chapters of our lives will be found to add up to a story of God's grace and actions within us which he uses for his glory in the lives of others? Probably more than we think! Don't discount the small decisions of today. They begin to write the chapters of tomorrow in multiplied ways! Let God write upon your "page" today - it will be the beginning of a great chapter for tomorrow! Just write on, God!

Cart - Horse, not Horse - Cart

I have to ask this question, mostly because I have to ask it of myself from time to time, but how many times do you actually need help with something, but refuse to ask for it? We all have times when we feel ready to face the world head on, then in a moment's flash of time, our brains begin to ask the question, "Who's gonna go with me?" "Will there be anyone there to help me if I go this direction?"  We falter for just a moment or two as we realize if we go it alone, we are a sitting duck and may quickly realize we are not well prepared for the things we will encounter. If we have someone at our side, we are less likely to have to share the brunt of anything "negative" or "too hard for one person" on our own. The opposite is also true - when we are accompanied on our journey offering a helping hand along the way, we share the joy and glory with the one accompanying us! We all need someone to be there from time to time with just the right tool, answer, or support - the fight is just made a little easier by the companions we choose in the battle!

Who will take me to the thick of the fight? Who'll show me the road to Edom? You aren't giving up on us, are you, God? Refusing to go out with our troops? Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good. (Psalm 108:10-13)

Take me and show me. Two very descriptive actions. Who's going with you and I into the very thick of whatever fight or challenge we face right now? Here we observe David, a great warrior, being directed to take his troops into battle against the nation of Edom - a huge nation of raiding and highly skilled warrior nomads. They had fiercely resisted the people of Israel upon their entry into the Promised Land - forbidding them to pass through their rather large territory, making the nation of Israel take the long way around to get to their destination. David knows it is time to deal with Edom - but he doesn't want to go it alone! I can imagine his concerns because I have faced fierce opposition myself and the furthest thing from my mind is 'going it alone'! David describes it as a "hard task" - one for which he needs help. I think we all face those moments when the task seems a little daunting - we just don't want to rely upon our own efforts - doing it alone surely means defeat! We are always wise to recognize the difference it makes to have God directing our steps, giving us the wisdom for what is to be encountered and dealt with.

Look at the assurance David has - in God we'll do our best! I have had days when I have felt I was not "at my best", much less "doing my best". I don't think God is subject to those kind of days - he is always at his best! It is his "best" which gives us the ability to always be at our best! God delights in his children asking for his help. The timing is what we need to see here. David did not wait until he was smack-dab in the middle of the battle to cry out for help (something I am known to do from time to time). He asked before the task was undertaken (something I forget to do more than I'd like to admit). He wants to know God is going out with the troops - directing their steps, not just "involved in" them. "Involvement" isn't bad, but "direction" is much better! We see this example repeated throughout David's reign - get God's directive, then act. If we begin to recognize the value of this pattern, we will indeed be wiser by the moment! It is indeed a matter of timing - seek God first - THEN move. Get his agreement for the steps ahead. Too many times we take all the steps and then ask God to bless them. I think they refer to this putting the cart before the horse! God's goal is to get us to seek him first, then....all these other blessings are added.

This is more than a "bless this God" kind of seeking. It is a committed "I am not gonna make a move until I know you are with me in this" kind of seeking on David's part. His armies might be ready, but he needed to be assured God was leading his steps and guiding his actions. Now, let me just say, this requires some effort on our part, doesn't it? We have to still the forces that rage within us long enough and well enough to actually stand still long enough to hear from God. Indeed - harder said than done! Yet, it is the pattern which assures us of the best companion and plan for the venture ahead (and maybe we will realize it is not the venture we are supposed to be taking)! Hard tasks lay ahead. Have you consulted God for his direction? Are you committed to not make a move unless he goes with you? If not, maybe it is time to just stop and listen. Stop long enough and you will get the direction you need. Then, make the move - just know, you are no longer going it alone - God is with you! Just don't get the cart before the horse like I do at times! Just sayin!

Content with what I have right now

No matter how had we try to avoid it, we all have moments when we just "envy" the other guy a little bit, don't we? As hard as we try to resist the green-eyed beast we call "jealousy", it rears an ugly head and suddenly we are seeing things through eyes of envy and self-defeat - wanting more, believing we deserved better, or just plain thinking we didn't get whatever it was we should have received. It is an age-old problem, indeed. Did you ever stop to consider just how blessed you are, even if you don't possess all the luxuries the other guy seems to possess, didn't get that promotion as quickly as the other guy, or just don't seem to live as 'worry free' as he does? Blessing isn't just material - it can be emotional, spiritual, and even a sense of just 'being all right' in the midst of what some may think is a bad situation.

When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again. But I'm in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! (Psalm 73:21-28)

Just like our writer had one of those moments of self-pity, we can drift into those mully-grubs, as well. The shadows of deepening depression engulfing him as he stopped to consider the "people at the top" - those we'd say have finally "made it". They live pampered lives - styling the latest fashions, sporting the newest fads and trends, not a care in the whole wide world. Yet, he describes several characteristics of these individuals which tell us a great deal about what is like for THEM, but that may actually reveal something about how they see and treat US. 

They use words to kill. They have a huge outward show of importance, elegance, and pompous sophistication, yet their words betray the emptiness of their hearts and the lack of connection within their spirit to anything or anyone outside of what will satisfy and meet their own motives. They are full of hot air. They talk big, but really have very little substance in their emotional and spiritual make-up. They get away with everything (or so it seems). He sees the riches amassing and thinks God must be looking the other way, or worse yet, allowing them to amass all this 'stuff' in lieu of others having it. In dealings of the everyday business, they succeed - honest and trustworthy, or not. They just don't "play by the rules" and it has seemingly "worked" for them.

Oh, how easy it becomes to envy those who seem to have it made, huh? Yet, if we stop to consider the true "emptiness" of their lives, we might just turn that envy into pity - not for ourselves, but for them! A little later, he says, "When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache!" This stuff just doesn't make sense to one who serves God! We see the wicked exceedingly at ease in their success and the righteous facing struggles. It is easy to get confused about who is really blessed, huh? Take the message in context and you will observe that our writer tells us of the conundrum we all face - understanding how the wicked succeed and the righteous struggle. He seeks to help us unravel this mystery by changing our perspective - how we view the success of the wicked and the blessing of the righteous. As one who might be struggling with envy, we are described as "dumb oxen" in the presence of the Almighty God. What do oxen do? They pull! What does envy do? It pulls us! Does it pull us closer to God, or farther away? I daresay, it pulls us in the opposite direction than God would have us to travel!

In the presence of God, we find ourselves undone. As we change perspectives - seeing the success of the wicked through the eyes of God - we see things we never really saw before. Things like the abuse of power, the painful inflicting of wounds with words, or the insincerity of their heart. Then we feel the hand of God - taking us gently, guiding us closer to him. There we find something the wicked don't have - foundation! We might envy the "glamour" of the wicked - the glitz, the showy pretense - but we've got something they don't possess. We have rock-firm foundation - the presence of God in our lives. It may not seem like much at first, but when we let that sink in, really beginning to settle our minds, bring stability to our emotions, and to strengthen our resolve to live pure lives, we begin to display "fine-linen" attire that far "out-styles" the trendy clothes of the wicked! We find the words of our lips to be far more "elegant" and "uplifting" than those of the "big talking". We may not always "get away" with stuff, but we are made stronger by what God encounters. Truly, like the psalmist, we can say, "We are in the presence of God - how refreshing it is!" Just sayin!

Is anyone actually listening?

Right now in our country, there is a great deal of discussion, or perhaps debate over the issue of who should hold the highest seat of political office in our government. There are supporters on each side of the debate, but it is hard to tell which way the issue will end. The two parties oppose each other - one trying hard to have an impact on the other until whoever finally 'wins'. Have you ever wondered if your life could ever make an impact - if you could ever be a positive influence in the lives of others? Perhaps you have listened to people of your past or present who repeatedly belittle you, tearing you down every chance they get, making any hope of "impacting" the world in a positive manner a little less than a 'probable' vision for you. Maybe you have tried to make an impact, having ventured out in one area or another, only to find yourself running into brick walls and resistant forces.  Impact can be positive or negative - two possible outcomes exist. Impact is really nothing more than being an influence. It doesn't matter what we do (or don't do, for that matter), we are "impacting" someone! It may not be in a positive way, but we are always going to impact this world - we choose what type of impact we will make.

The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it — rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers. (Jonah 3:5)

Jonah told himself he could never impact the city of Ninevah - a huge city which took nearly three days to traverse. He was one man, on a mission, across a huge city, with only one voice to proclaim a very important message. Let us never forget that the impact of one faithful and committed life can influence the masses - when the steps of the one are ordered by God. Imagine being in his shoes for a moment. This is a huge city, made up of probably hundreds of differing beliefs than his - all 'sides' trying to make their 'side' known. He is about to enter into some pretty "unfamiliar" territory. Isn't this one of the hardest things we are asked to do - going where we are the least familiar and maybe the least welcomed? I'd like us to consider that God often sends those who are least familiar into places where they are least welcomed because they are less likely to make excuses for the actions they see! In fact, God often uses the one who comes with "new eyes" into the situation because they have no preconceived "limitation" on how they can alter the situation.

He goes one day's walk into the city limits. The crowds are gathering around, listening as this one solitary preacher delivers the message of God's condemnation of this entire city of people. Imagine the impact this message had the potential of making in Jonah's life - or on the outcome of how long that life might still be lived! Here he was, a foreigner with a very unpopular message, proclaiming it just as God had asked, in a land with traditions and customs he was actually saying were not 'right'. I'd be trembling in my sandals, folks! I trust God, but come on! One small 'preacher' against an entire heavily armed city? The odds don't seem fairly stacked, do they? Oh, did I forget to mention it was one OBEDIENT soul against a city? God can do more with one obedient soul than he can with a million wishy-washy, mamby-pamby pew-warmers! Uh oh! Gone to meddling now! Whenever we get "real" with God, he gets "real" IN us. This reality of God's presence with Jonah was definitely an influence within the city of Ninevah. It was more than the message - it was the evidence of God within this preacher which made the difference! The presence of God determined the impact! It is the presence of God in your life that has the greatest potential to alter the lives of those you are called to influence today!

The story goes on to tell us even the king was touched by the message this one faithful 'preacher' brought to this city. The entire city is called to a fast - a time of mourning for their sin, deep repentance, and seeking God's mercy in their lives. Look at who God used to accomplish this - a man who struggled with obedience so much that he tried to actually run away from what God asked him to do - a man who had just experienced afresh the mercy of God, finding restoration and renewal at a time when he was at his lowest point! Nothing speaks louder to those we have the potential to influence others than the mercy of God evident in our own lives - never discount the power inherent in your example! If you think you have nothing to offer a hurting world - think again! The mercy of God speaks clearly even when we think we have nothing "good" to offer! Just sayin!

Get me to shore again!

I know it is Christmas morning and this may not seem like much of a 'Christmas' message, but I think it may just be the one 'gift' we all need in our lives. In our moments or seasons of rebellion, there comes a time of realization - the moment in time when we realize just how far we have drifted from what God would have wanted for our lives. Those moments are described as being as low as one can go - being as far away from obedience as one can manage to get. In those moments, there comes a realization of where we are and we often find ourselves looking up - simply because there is just no help in looking down or in looking around! If we looked down - we'd only see our problem! If we look around - we'd see others right there with us, as helpless and lost as we are. When we look up - we see our hope for deliverance!

I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O God, my God! When my life was slipping away, I remembered God, and my prayer got through to you, made it all the way to your Holy Temple. Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds, walk away from their only true love. But I'm worshiping you, God, calling out in thanksgiving! And I'll do what I promised I'd do! Salvation belongs to God! (Jonah 2:6-10)

As far as we can go - a description of the distance we have placed between God's purpose and direction in our lives and our obedience! Doors slamming shut forever - or so it seems in our finite understanding of the place we find ourselves. Yet...in the midst of our despair...God is never far from us. It is indeed a shame for us to get to the place where our "lives are slipping away from us" before we realize how much our disobedience has cost us. Jonah is an example to us of redemption - grace where it is least deserved. In the place of rebellion, we don't realize how much of "life" is slipping away from us. It may not be our literal "life", but it is indeed our spiritual life. We don't sense the loss associated with all the actions in between God's direction and our continual resistance to his will (directives) for our life. Yet, this "drift" is real - and it has a way of "distancing" us from God, and sometimes even from others.

Jonah was in such a place. I have no idea what type of fish swallowed him up - nor am I going to speculate on this one. I do know scripture says God prepared a place for him - a place for him to come to the realization of his need. This is God's way! He knows the exact point our turning will come and he prepares the exact place for the "dawning" of our awareness of our intense need for restoration - for being on the right track again. We may not get swallowed by a big fish, but I am sure we have all experienced some "big fish" moments! The "stuff" we are in just isn't all that pleasant - it smells awful, it makes us feel awful, and it gives us a sense of darkness which just envelops us. We don't need a whale to swallow us to come to the awareness we are not where we need to be!

The "big fish" moment may be what some refer to as "coming to an end of our rope" or "reaching rock bottom". Whatever the expression, the heart need is the same - deliverance! David finds himself in the misery of covering up his sin with Bathsheba, torn apart by his compounding it with the murder of her husband. His bones ache, his mood is foul, and he has no joy in all the luxuries he is surrounded with as King of Israel. Sin has this effect - it robs us of every one of the pleasures we once took so much for granted. It is actually God's mercy that allows for us to get to "rock bottom". In allowing the "rock bottom" moment, he also provides a way for us to get on solid ground again! The very next part of the passage states, "Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore." Out of darkness and foulness, God brought sound footing again! Look at when God does this, though. It is not when Jonah first goes overboard - there has been a passage of time in which Jonah comes to a place of realizing he has been running from the very thing God desired for him. David had this same "span" between his disobedience and God's sending Nathan to him to tell him the story of his sin and the hope for his deliverance.

We often need the "span" in order to come to a place of submission. We just don't recognize our misery until it has become our complete and total undoing. Truly, this is a sad reality, but something we see played out in life after life - including our own lives. There is hope beyond our imagining, even in that miserable place of absolute rebellion! In the moment of "rock bottom", God is prepared with the next move in our lives! In the moment of our cry for help, his actions are swift on our behalf. This is the God we serve - merciful, moved by compassion, and swift to provide for his children. It is far better to never reach the place of distancing ourselves from God - but if we have, we can rest in the absolute assurance of his grace! I don't know what "whale" has swallowed you whole, but I do know the seashore of God's deliverance awaits! All it takes is a cry for forgiveness! He does the rest! Just sayin!

So, you will even use my rebellion?

Picture the scene of seas out of control - waves tossing you about like you were a pin pong ball on the surface of the water. The sailors, all highly skilled in their task of steering and controlling the ship with rudder, sail, and their knowledge of the seas - trying desperately to return to shore, making absolutely no headway as they attempt to navigate the churning waters. They look for a "cause" for their present circumstances. They seek out Jonah in the hull of the ship, having "discussed" their circumstances with each other, they were told by him that he was clearly the "cause" of their present danger. Yet, they choose to attempt any other alternative than what he proposed. His proposal - throw me into the sea. I don't know about you, but I have been asked a few time to "throw someone under the bus", but I find the internal struggle with this whole concept just a little unnerving! Giving into the desire to be free of the circumstances and struggling with what may be an 'easy alternative' are common struggles for all of mankind. These sailors did what most of us forget to do - they prayed!

Then they prayed to God, "O God! Don't let us drown because of this man's life, and don't blame us for his death. You are God. Do what you think is best." They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down. The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows. (Jonah 1:14-16)

God never ceases to amaze me with the many and varied ways he uses to get the message of his power and protection across to his creation. We often don't realize the means God will use until we look back "after the fact" and realize how much God was displaying his power AND his protection in our lives. It is in the "hindsight" where our hard-learned revelation occurs. In all their efforts to escape whatever calamity awaited them if they remained in the storm, they return to Jonah one more time. His answer is the same - throw me overboard. Not exactly the answer I am sure they hoped for at that moment, but the seas are getting more and more miserable to navigate - they are at the end of their rope. They are in a quandary and the only option they have is to PRAY!!! Imagine that! So, they turn to the one they "think" might be willing to listen - the God of Jonah - the one he appears to be running from. After all, it his God which is responsible for the sea's upheaval - at least according to Jonah.

Let's see their prayer a little closer. They turn to the God they really don't serve, but who seems to be in control of their present situation. Many times God uses circumstances to reveal himself - especially to those who don't know him personally already. God had asked Jonah to go to Ninevah because the people there were in need of him and here he stands in the hull of the ship, surrounded by sailors most likely in just as great of a need. Even in Jonah's running away from God, God is using him to touch the lives of people! How is it God can use even our disobedience to speak into the lives of others? I don't really fathom how he does it, but I see it recorded for me over and over in scripture - so I believe it is possible!

They still don't want to throw their newest acquaintance overboard, but he seems to insist this is the only course of action. Look at how they seek to be forgiven even before they take their next step to do as he suggests. Jonah could have said, just turn the ship around, I am heading for Ninevah so God will make this storm quit. It is quite possible his repentance could have calmed the seas. Nope, he insists they throw him into the crashing waves. Why do we find our rebellion such a stronghold in our lives - something we just cannot let go of, getting ourselves deeper and deeper into the thick of it as we continue to hold onto what we clearly need to let go of in the first place? I don't imagine Jonah is alone in his "firmness" of stubborn rebellion. In our rebellion, we frequently don't see any way of escape but to be consumed by that which is a result of our rebellion!

They all agree - it is time to trust Jonah's God to do what "he thinks best". Heathen men, praying to the divine God of the Universe, trust him to "do what he thinks best"! Now, isn't this awesome? God immediately calms the seas and they all stand on the deck of the ship, totally amazed at the power of Jonah's God. I wonder how many actually had the seed of salvation "planted" that day? The power of God on display - the hearts of men changed forever! I don't encourage our rebellion, but I am encouraged God can use even our rebellion as an instrument of grace in the life of another. In the openness about my own rebellion (running from God), others have been touched by the grace of God. I can only imagine how many times God has used our "cumulative" rebellion over the years! We cannot lose sight of what comes next - the sea does not consume Jonah. Herein is where we find our hope - our sin may get us into some pretty wicked messes, but it need not consume us! In our rebellion, God even provides for OUR protection! Run as we might, God still watches over us! Just sayin!

When the boat is a rockin' ...

Are you a 'runner'? You know - that one who finds something just too hard, or totally unimaginable for the asking - so instead of embracing what is right there in front of you to do, you turn tail and run the other way. The worst form of 'running' is when it is away from God - away from obedience. Running away from God is seldom the answer to our problems. In fact, the harder and farther we run, the worse the problems seem to be magnified in our lives. Try as we might, God really cannot be escaped! There is just no hiding place from God! That said, why do so many of us try to get away from what he asks of us? It may be stubbornness (AKA pride), fear (AKA mistrust), or apathy (AKA not really caring). The worst part about 'running' from God is that others usually get wrapped up in the results of our 'running'. We may not have intended it to happen, but they are affected by our actions - even when they result in inaction!

Then they grilled him: "Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?" He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship God, the God of heaven who made sea and land." At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, "What on earth have you done!" As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from God. (Jonah 1:8-10 The Message)

After boarding the ship to Tarshish, in clearly outright disobedience to what God had asked Jonah to do, there comes a huge storm that overwhelms the sailors and they are about to lose everything as a result of the tormenting seas. Amazingly, Jonah is able to sleep through the calamity his disobedience seems to be bringing into the lives of all the others around him - there is not one iota of guilt he has about his disobedience - at least not enough to keep him awake in a harrowing storm! Have you ever stopped to consider this? As I read this passage today, I had to stop and pause over this one. Look at where we find Jonah - in the depths of the ship - down deep into the hull of the ship. He is not just content to "get away from God", he is in deep hiding from those around him, as well! This is probably more telling about what really happens when we run from God - we feel the need to "duck and take cover" wherever we think we will not be discovered! This has been the pattern observed since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve ducked into the bushes and "made cover" in order to take cover! What comes as a surprise to me is just how comfortable Jonah was in his disobedience! He actually slept through the storm!

It is truly a dangerous place to find oneself - so comfortable in our outright disobedience that we just don't see the effect it has on those around us, much less the effect it has on us! Sometimes we think our disobedience only affects us, but I want to challenge each of us here just a little bit. Our disobedience has far-reaching effects, sometimes quite unrealized by us until it is too late to do much about it. We may not fully appreciate the impact it has on those God has placed in our lives - our loved ones, our friends, and even those God just brings across our paths for brief periods of time. Jonah did not know these folks on his trip to Tarshish - they were just innocently headed to the next sea port, unaware of the hazards which were just ahead for them. The truth is quite plain - no man is an island unto himself! Sin has an effect - on us and others! Here's the thing I want us to see this morning - Jonah was discovered (found out) by those on the journey with him. The moment comes when we will be discovered - the question is really who will do the discovery. Will it be God, personally touching us, and us responding to him? Or will it be someone God brings across our path, opening our eyes to our "running"? Either way works, but I tend to think the first way is a little better!

The grace of God cannot allow us to hide forever - God will find a place, a time, and a way to bring the discovery of our "running" to light for us - we cannot stay in the hull of the ship forever. I know this for a fact in my own life - every time I have "run for cover", the discovery of my hiding place is pretty much assured and it will be in pretty short order. I also know this - God's grace is sufficient! Whenever we realize we are running from God, the opportunity also exists to run "directly into his open arms" of grace! No sin is too great - no amount of disobedience too far reaching for his arms to encircle us. No shame is too deep - no amount of sin's effect too hard for him to restore! It may be your moment of uncovering your sin - your moment of being "discovered" today. If so, don't turn and run - reach out and be embraced! His grace awaits. Just sayin!

Hold my hand, God

Ever run the other way when you know the right way to be going is exactly the opposite from the one you have chosen? You see or hear something, then without a moment's hesitation, you turn and run, hoping to avoid the confrontation, escape the demand, or just plain ignore the situation? I think we could all answer in the affirmative to this one on at least one occasion in our lives, but probably more frequently that we'd truly like to admit. It is sometimes more "convenient" to pretend we did not hear what was asked - but what is the cost of hearing and then not doing? It is probably less "costly" to just ignore the need someone has at that moment - but who will meet the need if we were the ones designed to do it? I imagine it is less of a "relational intensity demand" to avoid the confrontation - but what walls will be built by avoiding the difficult discussions? Most of the time, running the other way means we are running away from what God actually expected us to deal with in one way or another!

One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get. (Jonah 1:1-3)

Jonah finds himself in one of those "I heard this, but I am gonna do this" moments in his life. He turned and ran! Have you ever wondered why God put all the "stories of struggle" in scripture? I think it is because God wants us to realize he knows we ALL struggle with stuff - especially obedience! This struggle doesn't make God any less "interested" in our obedience - in fact, it strengthens his resolve to bring us to the place where we stop running! God tells him the need of a nation - Niniveh is in "a bad way" - they have a need and God wants to use Jonah to meet it. Too many times, we are the ones "in a bad way" and our need is SIGNIFICANT. What if the one God designs to come to our rescue resists his call or ignores it entirely? We'd be left there "in a bad way", without any rescue because the one God asked to meet the need is running from him! Oh, maybe God would raise up someone else, but the fact remains, the one God burdened first is likely to be the one God designed specifically for OUR need!

In looking at Jonah's response to God's request, we probably see a lot of our own struggle with obedience at times. We clearly hear the voice and intention of God - there is no problem with our 'hearing'. He wants us going one direction - we choose the other - the problem is with our 'acting' on what it is we hear. Does it ever surprise you how much you and I are willing to actually "spend" on running the opposite direction from what God wants in our lives? Look at Jonah's flight - it cost him a monetary fare on a ship headed to Tarshish. In trying to get as far away from God as he could get, it cost him! We are about to see it cost him much more than a few coins, though. The same is true whenever we attempt to resist the thing God asks of us. The sad truth is obedience "costs" us something - but disobedience may actually cost us so much more! I don't know what steps of obedience God may be asking of each of you today, but I do know we have two choices - go WITH God, or go AWAY from God. On the ship to Tarshish, Jonah had no traveling companion - on the journey to Nineveh, he was held by the hand of God. Somehow, the "going WITH" seems a whole lot more appealing to me than the "going AWAY" does! I really don't like to be in alone in a crowd of strangers - especially in a close environment like the confines of a ship! There is truly no escape if we find ourselves in company we'd rather not keep!

As a child, someone always took my hand as I crossed the street. Why? To keep me safe! Imagine the journey of obedience as one that is walked hand in hand with God. Maybe we'd be less inclined to run if we reached out to take his hand a little tighter, when the things seemed scary and the threats were real in our lives! We'd certainly be a whole lot safer - in his hands we are secure - our obedience is somehow made easier when he is there to help us navigate those steps! Just saying!

Is THAT me?

Most of us will be a little guilty of jumping to conclusions on occasion. We don't possess all the facts, but somehow we think we have the whole thing figured out in our minds and we are ready to tell the world how things should be. We form some type of "story" in our minds we latch onto. In plain language, anytime we don't have all the information (the facts), we are jumping to conclusions which may not be well-founded. We open up the door for a lot of problems whenever we 'jump' before we think things through and spend time getting the facts we need in order to for well-designed plans or response.

Don't jump to conclusions—there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw. (Proverbs 25:8)

The stories we tell ourselves (and eventually others) are often more important than we think! An inaccurate story will only lead to inaccuracies in our actions or the actions others take in response to what they hear! Learning to tell ourselves the correct story is most important. There are many sources of "input" our brains receive each day. The very nature of each source of input lends itself to "interpretation" of data which gets added to the mix of all the other stuff we take into our minds each day. For example, if we rely only upon what comes in through our sense of sight, forming conclusions based on how things appear in the image we behold, we might miss other evidence which speaks louder! What do I mean by that? Well, if we look in a mirror at how our body appears to us, we might point out the flaws of this dimple, the extra inch of tissue here, and that scar over there. Yet, to a blind person each of these "flaws" or "points of uniqueness" adds to the "image" they form of us all without the advantage of the sense of sight! The blind have learned to rely upon the sense that aren't impaired!

I wonder what stories our bodies tell. Many bear scars which are hidden from view. Some cleverly cover them with make-up, while larger, or more 'personal' scars are covered with items of clothing. In the privacy of the bathroom mirror, they are all visible to us, aren't they? When you and I behold the scars, there are memories associated with each one - that fall from the bike, the tumble from ladder, the time we ran into the tree. I have some from surgeries, others from tumbles, and others from just having my body in the wrong place at the wrong time. These are not the serious scars, though. In fact, it takes a different set of "eyes" to really see the scars that have deeply impacted my life! Those are the scars so cleverly concealed by the stories we have told ourselves through the years. Some of those stories start out with the seed thought: No one wants a failure - all I do is fail, so what is the use of trying. I always let people down. Other stories may start out a little bit like: They didn't mean to hurt me - they just lost control. I drove them to the point of their rage. I need to try harder next time. Then there is the story that tells us: I've done too much wrong for anyone to ever want me - to ever need me in their life.

Regardless of the story behind the scar, the truth is quite different from the story we often come to "interpret" as reality in our lives. Take the first story - I know of one really big God who gave his all for more than just one "imperfect failure" in this world - in fact, we are ALL imperfect failures. If we never try, we never have the opportunity to succeed. It often takes a whole lot of failures to succeed. In fact, the scar on my chin was the result of not knowing how to turn the big two-wheel Schwinn bike I was forced when learning to ride a bike! Guess what? I ride a bike pretty well now! Despite the bike being 'ill-fitted' to my small body, it was possible to learn how to maneuver it - but not without some ups and downs. In looking at the second story, the real story centers not on us, but on what is being done TO us. We are NOT the cause of another's anger - the abuse of the other is NEVER our fault. In fact, scripture is plain - we each own our own sin! Control of our emotions is the responsibility of the one expressing the emotion, not the one on the receiving end of them! Nothing covers over these scars of abuse, right? Maybe not in the natural sense, but in the spiritual and emotional sense, God's grace, his love, and his compassionate "putting the pieces back together" touch will!

Our last story, although common to many, is really a lie we tell ourselves to cover over our fears of relationship. We have been rejected - so we reject ourselves, as well. I am so blessed to know God never came to the cross for perfect people. He came for me - a wholly imperfect person, riddled with all kinds of stuff I had done "wrong" throughout life (and still do wrong on occasion). He came for you - equally imperfect and carrying your own set of baggage! In unloading the baggage of our past, he sets us up to reach out in relationship again. I am not sure how he manages to do all this, but I do stand here today confident of what he has done in my life and totally assured he can do it in yours, too! Yep, the conclusions we jump to in the moment of the "mirror experience" may be telling us the wrong story! We might want to see ourselves through the mirror of God's Word - it is a much more reliable source of truth! Just sayin!

Purpose and Intent - Prerequisite to Learning

Mindless pursuit is really not pursuit - it is just us being there without being present in the moment. The more we engage in mindless pursuit, the less we remember what it is like to really pursue with a true passion. If we really stop long enough to consider why we go to church, we'd all probably enjoy the experience a whole lot more! If going to church was more about us 'being the church' than about us 'attending' church, we might actually walk away a different person! Yet, most of us go to church in a kind of "mindless" manner - not really passionate about it, but more or less there because it has become routine for us.

Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

There is an importance in "entering to learn" - not just to be able to "check off" one more thing on our list of weekend experiences or 'to do's'. Why does this come with a "warning" to watch our step as we enter? The reminder is to be cautious in what we might commit to doing - because a vow spoken in haste is really a thing we will trip on in the end - it will be like a weight tied around our neck! The three words "enter to learn" tell us a great deal about how we should "approach" church. First, we enter - we go in. This suggests more than mindless entry, but rather an active engagement in the process of moving from one spot to another. In entering, we are joining with others. Now, imagine if we were all there with only one purpose in mind - to praise God with our whole heart, body, and mind. What could be accomplished if there was such unity in worship?

To enter also implies actually being "let in" or "welcomed in". In fact, as it relates to the church, God tells us where two or three are gathered in his name, there he is in the midst of that gathering. In going with prepared hearts, prepared to worship with all we are, God welcomes us into his presence - celebrating with us, not just being on the receiving end of our celebration! 'Being the church' means more than hands raised and singing songs of worship. It means we 'enter' to serve - to 'be' the church as Christ would move in and through us. One of the most unused meanings of the word "enter" is the most telling part of how we are to "do church". It carries the idea of penetrating or piercing. In fact, as we gather together with specific and heart-intent purpose, we are driving back the gates of hell. Satan's forces take a real blow when worship and service is done with intent!

We are to enter to "learn". If we are actively engaged in the process of joining with others, there is a greater opportunity to learn, isn't there? I am not an independent learner - neither are you! We learn from each other's "schooling" in the things we call "life". As one navigates the path ahead of us, we "learn" where to walk and what steps to avoid; what lies in our path that might be both good or bad for us; and what it takes to get from where we are to where we are headed. If we are welcomed in, it is for a purpose. We are "designed" to be in a place where we can be taught from the Word - not only to hear, but also to "do" - to 'be' the church (putting action to our learning). Something which serves no purpose other than decoration we refer to as a nick-knack. God's churches are full of nick-knacks every week simply because we come to hear without the interest or intention of doing. How much more could God do with his church if we actually entered to learn of him? In doing warfare, we are learning of our enemy's varied tactics. We experience afresh the plans of our Lord for his church - to push back the gates of hell. We enter to become effective in warfare - learning of each other, listening intently to the "plan" of our Commander and Chief, and then we walk out what it is we learn. This is warfare indeed! Don't know if this might just change how we approach church this week, but it just might for some! Let's enter to learn - challenging one another to do the same - with intent and purpose! We have no idea what might just be accomplished in the purposeful "entering to learn" rather than the passive "attending to earn". Just thinkin!

Circling the drain?

I have some friends who are cool, calm, and relaxed no matter what comes their way. I have others who seem to get more and more frazzled by each mounting stress in their lives, until they are 'spinning' in absolute frenzy. We all have times when our days just seem to spin out of control. It is not an easy thing for many of us - we don't like to have the control of our days in the hands of anyone else! Whenever control shifts, we feel "out of control" - anxiety creeps in, frustration mingles with our anxious thoughts, until we end up on the edge of wanting to just scream, "Give me back the reigns, fool!" Okay, if this has never described your day, don't read on! If it has...maybe you'd benefit as much as I do from pondering the words of the 23rd Psalm.

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. (Psalm 23:1-3)

The 23rd Psalm - most of us associate the 23rd Psalm with a portion of scripture frequently read at funerals - it is probably the one most commonly read at the graveside. So, why am I directing our attention to a psalm about "death" or "graveside" testimony today? Well, the very first three words say it all! "GOD, my shepherd." GOD - you may remember as I have taught before of the meaning of these names of God in our Bibles written in all caps. LORD and GOD both stand for the name Jehovah, the name Israel knew referenced God Most High. In the simplest meaning, it is translated, as "The unchanging one". In fact, whenever we see the name GOD or LORD in scripture (in all caps), we can count on the passage speaking something of his being totally unchangeable in his promises, permanent in every way, and becoming all we have need of in that very moment. In fact, it is his intense compassion as a loving and unchanging God which moves him into action within our lives. This should be something that helps us find comfort when our world seems to be 'spinning'.

As this psalm opens, it starts with what we all have need of in our lives when things seem to be spinning out of control - a shepherd to watch over, guide, and protect us from any and all harm! When things are spinning out of control - we need not only wise guidance, but we certainly need protection from what others can do to us and what we can do to ourselves. As our psalmist says - "I don't need a thing". We stand in need of so much...but when we recognize the Shepherd of our souls is in control...we can confidently say, "I don't need a thing". Did you really catch that one? When WE stand in need, things in chaos around us, we don't NEED a thing - not one thing! All we NEED is found in Jesus! As if being in control is the aim, the next part of the passage settles this little misconception. It is God who "beds us down" - puts us to rest. I don't know about you, but as a mother, whenever I managed to rein-in the kiddos, get them all washed up and ready for bed, those first moments of peaceful sleep I'd observe as I looked in on them before I called it at night absolutely melted my heart. Those peaceful little ones, all innocent in their rest, just took away my breath. I imagine this is a little of what God feels whenever he finally gets us to settle into his rest!

He provides lush meadows - because we don't know our lack of comfort until we experience it as he provides it. He gives quiet pools to drink from - simply because we don't know how parched life leaves us until we drink deeply from something so satisfying. Spinning out of control takes its toll on our physical bodies, but also on our spiritual reserves. No one appreciates comfort until the pain gets too great to handle. We don't appreciate a cool drink until we experience thirst. I guess pain and thirst are really early warning signs of needing to look for the Shepherd in the midst of our 'spinning'! Don't forget the purpose of the rest and the refreshing - it is in order to catch our breath so we can "live to fight another day". But...we fight from a new vantage point when we find our rest in God alone! As we let God take us into his rest, we learn from the master planner of our lives - the one who knows the ins and outs of the chaos we face. The next step we take is one with him in control. It is in yielding control where we find the best "control" we could ever bring into our circumstances. Spinning? Maybe it is time for a little rest. Just sayin!

Ad Infinitum

How many times do we venture into things without thinking? If you are anything like me, you have probably undertaken a few things you'd look back on now and admit freely you had no business getting involved in that task or doing whatever it was that got you into the muddle it did. If you were to ask me to describe a characteristic about God which most could understand, I'd have to say my first inclination would be to describe him as a God of "second chances". He has many attributes, but the one which speaks to me the most is his grace. Grace is undeserved favor - it is God giving us a second chance (and often a third, fourth, fifth, ad infinitum). Do you know what 'ad infinitum' means? Again and again, in the same way, forever! Whether it is one of us that finds ourselves 'in a bad way', or another God brings across our paths, the answer is always the same - we need his grace!

Next, God spoke to Jonah a second time: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying God's orders to the letter. (Jonah 3:1-3)

Jonah did not listen the first time. Sound like anyone else we might know? He preferred his own way over God's and look where it got him! First, there was this huge, almost overwhelming storm. Then a whole bunch of guys he didn't even know turn on him, afraid for their own lives, and certain his actions were causing their discomfort. If that was not enough, he ended up overboard, swallowed by a some kind of huge, stinky fish! Our running from God may not have landed us in such an "interesting" place, but I guess we have had some of those moments we'd all call "God putting us right where we need to be" in order to get our undivided attention! It is only when God gets our attention that we actually realize we even need a second chance! We have to recognize we have acted wrong if we ever expect to act right! Unfortunately, the point between the wrong choice and the realization of how far it has taken us off-course may be longer than we realize. It may produce a lot of 'smelly', 'uncomfortable', and 'undesirable' outcomes before we come to our senses.

In the period of time between the choice to do wrong and the actions which lead up to us realizing the wrong choice, a whole lot of things may happen. We may make a whole series of wrong choices - leading to a whole series of wrong actions. We may engage others in our journey - or at least see them affected by the choices we have been making! The good news is God cares enough about each of us to prepare a point in time for our second chance! The grace of God pursues us until we actually realize we have need for it - something called love actually motivates that tenacity, my friends! Grace and love are really "intertwined" character traits of God. Where you see his love, you also observe his grace in action - grace is an action on God's part - it is the 'setting things right again' part of love. Where grace abounds, his love is up close and personal! To be embraced by grace is to be embraced in God's love! To realize God's love, you only need to look as far as his grace - as his 'setting things right' actions in our lives.

How far have you traveled from where God intended for you to be today? Regardless of the distance you have placed between yourself and God's plan for your life, the road is clearly marked with all kinds of "grace markers". They are like little direction signs back to the place where we got off track! When we look close enough, we see his "grace" all along the way. He has pursued us all along the way - those "grace markers" are actually his evidence of his pursuit of us - he placed those markers there so we'd know the way back! I understand God's grace because I have needed it so often. I appreciate his love because it has embraced me over and over again. The tendency to need his grace is still there in my life, no matter how many times I have experienced it! I still make wrong choices - but I hope the distance between the first wrong step and the realization of my need to turn back into his arms is not as far! He is indeed a God of second chances - rich in grace each time we need it! If you find yourself in need of following his "grace markers" right back into his awaiting arms, don't hesitate today! You know what a second chance is? It is kind of like when we are given a "do over!" We are getting a second chance - not because we deserve it - but because he loves us enough to let us take those steps back into obedience! Isn't it just like our loving God to grant us a "do over" when we need it most? So, if you hear his voice extending "do overs" today, take it - you need it more than you realize!  Just sayin!

I need a little therapy here

If you have ever engaged in the pastime of "extreme" people-watching, (the kind where you sit with a cup of coffee and just watch), you soon realize there are many "styles" of walking, dressing, doing one's hair, and even talking. When it comes to walking, some take slow, meandering steps, not appearing to have a care in the world. Others walk at an "all-out" pace you'd imagine it would be a marathon runner you are viewing. Still others seem to "strut their stuff" as they swagger along, pretty doggone sure of themselves. As any physical therapist will tell you, your "gait" (walk) tells a whole lot about what is going on in a person's entire body. For example, if you shuffle a lot when you walk, it could be an indication of a lack of muscle strength, or perhaps a neurological deficit which is keeping the person from performing the normal "heel-strike" type of gait. The therapist observes a person's gait for signs of other things going on - knowing a limp on one side of the body affects so much on the other - called an antalgic gait (you are protecting one side with the work of the other).  A waddling or duck-like gait might cue the therapist to consider the effects of muscular dystrophy. One simple action on our part telling so much detail to someone who is willing to watch!

Fools on the road have no sense of direction.  The way they walk tells the story:  "There goes the fool again!"  (Ecclesiastes 10:3)

Did you ever consider the "fool" as having a particular "walk" or "style" of movement? Even their "steps" manage to display so much about them! Their "gait" is one without definite direction - they may start out well, but very soon veer off course and across rough terrain in pursuit of who knows what. Guess what? We all have a "gait" in a spiritual sense - a walk of sorts which reveals much about us. A walk that may reveal more about us than we are willing to admit ourselves! A sense of direction is something many just seem to be "gifted" to have without seeming to have to 'work for it'. It is like they possess some kind of "radar" which gets them anywhere, in the shortest distance possible, without having to stop to ask directions. When it comes to "spiritual radar", these kind of people seem to walk without any real sense of trouble, lack of faith, or seeming effort in their continued and determined obedience. They make most of us quite "jealous" in a "spiritual" sense of jealousy (if there was one).

What is it about some folks - they just KNOW where to go, what to do, who will be their support, etc.? It is like they have an "insiders" track on life. No wonder we have a tendency to envy their seeming "ease" at walking out this Christian experience. If you know me well enough, you realize I suffer from some arthritic changes in my joints - having nursed a bad knee from the age of 19, it made my hips do extra work - something I pay dearly for today. On a good day, I can "clean up" my gait, walking with only a slight limp - almost able to fool anyone into thinking I've got this pain mastered. On most days, my limp is obvious to even the blind! My gait betrays the pain I experience with each step I take! Believe it or not, our walk betrays much about what is really on the inside of each of us - the condition of our heart, our minds, and our emotions. On a good day, we can seemingly walk without much effort - "Limp Free". On most days, our "limp" is pretty evident, isn't it? The truth is, I can do a whole lot to "try" to convince myself, and others, that I am not in pain. As much as I try, the truth betrays itself in my "walk".  he same is true in our spiritual lives, my friends. Our walk betrays the condition of our heart, mind, and emotions to anyone who is willing to take the time to notice!

I have learned to be an observer of the "walk" of others - simply because it tells me so much about the other person. Some say the eyes are the window to the soul. I'd have to say your walk is the true "betrayer" of what is really going on inside! It is hard to mask an "imperfect" gait in the physical sense - it is even harder to do it in a spiritual one! So, I wonder if you've ever considered what your "spiritual gait" says about the condition of your spiritual life. It may be filled with all kinds of "halting" steps - spurts and starts, but just kind of spastic in nature. That's okay! God can work with spastic! It could be like the shuffling feet of one suffering from a neurological deficit such as Parkinson's. Why do we shuffle? It may be because we are just not "sure" of our step any longer and need to stay as close to "grounded" as we can in our uncertainty. We haven't learned to trust God enough to take the bigger, wider steps which resemble a steady and sure walk. Regardless of our "spiritual gait" - God can work with it! The fact is - we are walking! It is the fool who never realizes the inefficiencies of his gait or that he needs help to correct it! It is truly a wise one who realizes the "faltering" of their steps and turns to the one who can help! Just sayin!

Be a gift giver

There are times when I come into my office to find a bottle of my favorite soda, or a small snack that will help me make it through a long day. They aren't 'expensive' items, but they mean the world to me. Have you ever just left a small gift on someone's desk while they were out of the office - no note, no explanation, just something which might bless them on a day when nothing seems to be going right for them? What happens in the moment the person notices the gift upon their return? They ponder it, don't they? It gives them "cause to pause". There is this period of time between the "shock" of receiving the gift and the moment their curiosity causes them to ask, "Hey, who put this here?" For just a brief period of time, they stop focusing on the issues which made them so irritable in the first place, don't they?

A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper. (Proverbs 21:14)

Have you ever been on the receiving end of this type of "blessing"? If you have, you will definitely understand what I am about to say. The undeserved kindness of another "shuts you down", doesn't it? In the moment where you "pause" and "consider" the blessing, something "transforming" begins to happen inside you. In the tiniest of gifts, there can be the biggest of rewards! It would be easy to discount the moodiness of a coworker with huge deadlines looming, plans not coming together as they should, and "issues" just cropping up at every turn of the clock. Yet, isn't there something awesome in figuring out one small way to bless their day?  I have been on the receiving end of these types of blessings more than once. It may have been a lovingly written note just letting me know they were standing by me during the rough patch - thinking of me, there for me. It could have been the bit-sized candy bar labeled with "Break wrapper, savor the richness, and feel the stress melt away". At other times, it was just the nudge of a friend saying, "Let's go to lunch - you NEED lunch!"

Stress increases irritability, does it not? Do something to relieve the stress in a positive manner and it is a wonder how much of the irritability seems to "melt away". There is much we can do to 'de-stress' our days, but nothing quite does it as well as just finding center again. Irritability is a condition in which we are "readily excited" - almost to the point of being impatient and often to the point of being downright angry. It is not a good place to be. No wonder scripture reminds us of the "cooling effect" of touching someone with our "heart", not just our hands, but our true, unselfish heart. It is not the "gift" which releases the frustration and irritability - it is the "heart" behind it! So, the next time you can share a little of your heart with someone who is "readily excited" - do it! Your "gift" of heart can make all the difference to them! Just sayin!

But...I am afraid right here!

We all have probably experienced at least one of those moments when the "mess" of our present "muddle" seems like more than enough to handle. As though our life energy or soul's determination were limitless, someone comes along telling us to get "deeper" into the "muddle" we are in! I think we all probably might have responded similarly to the ill-fated one who tells us to get ourselves into a deeper muddle - it probably went something like, "Are you nuts! Things are more than I can handle right here and you want me to do what?" Hey, this is not a new response to human issues all around us! People just don't want to 'deal with' more so they are constantly trying to find ways to just unload the mess they presently have - not to take on "MORE".

But David's men said, "We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?" So David went back to God in prayer. God said, "Get going. Head for Keilah. I'm placing the Philistines in your hands." (I Samuel 23:3-4)

David was the one asking for them to get "deeper into the muddle" and the entire army of men responded back in a rather 'un-army-like' manner, "We live in fear of our lives RIGHT HERE!" If we just look at this portion of the passage, we might feel like David was an insensitive leader, or perhaps one that is completely self-centered. When we look a little deeper, here's what we find - David did not act alone! He consulted God first! He took what he knew about the present 'helpless' or 'hopeless' circumstances he and his men were in to God - the Philistines were attacking the region of Keilah and raiding the fields of grain. He asked God what to do with what it was he knew - "Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?" He received his confirmation before involving others in these plan - God said, "Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

We have all responded at one time or another with the admission of living in fear right here in the present muddle we find ourselves in. The things we face seem insurmountable to us - because we can only see our own mess, the impact it has on us, and the impression we have of being "surrounded" on all sides. These things can seem to overwhelm our faith at times. David was probably not immune to this same fear at times - especially when the enemy he faced seemed to be unrelenting. He hid in caves, trying to escape the pursuing armies. He escaped in the dead of night, to get a running start on his enemies. He knew the wisdom of retreat as a sound plan at times. Yet, he also knew if God was for him, none could stand against! We often don't realize the impact of our actions. David clearly did not move ahead of God's plans here. He FIRST consulted God - then he ENGAGED others in the plan. Whenever we do this the other way around, we get the cart before the horse. We all know how well that one works! David's men were honest - they were living in fear right where they were! In their present mess of trouble, they were fearful for their future state. They were surrounded on all sides - Judah was under siege. The enemy was unrelenting. I don't think there is anything wrong with their honesty of a very real "faith-struggle". It is often when we are honest about our struggle that our deliverance is made possible - it is like our honestly opens us up to possibilities.

David knew their next move - but he had to overcome their present fear. He doesn't just plunge ahead. He regroups with God. The most telling thing we do with our fear is revealed in who we take it to when it comes upon us! We have a tendency to take our fears to other men - those with similar fears. What does that do for us? If we were honest - we all just have one big pity-party with our combined fears! When we take those same fears to God, what does he do with them? He clarifies and confirms the steps we are to take! David received the confirmation from God - "I'm placing the Philistines in your hands". The first time around, God said to David, "Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah." This time around, he confirmed the victory! In feeling doubt, we often shrink away. In finding faith, we plunge ahead. Whenever we find ourselves shrinking back, we would do best to admit how the enemy's attack (the muddle) is impacting us. When we "feel" surrounded and under siege, chances are our faith is taking the blunt of the blow! The only place to have our faith "settled" and "made sure" again is at the feet of Jesus. If we don't get it the first time, then we need to go back again until we do! In the midst of the muddle, we are often involved with others experiencing the "muddle" with us. There is great wisdom in walking with another through the muddle. We do better with having our flanks covered with other warriors. Yet, we need to be sure we have right "order" to our battle. First - seek God's plan. Then, engage others! When we engage first, we are open to all kinds of "advice" which may not be exactly what God intends for the present battle. God's advice comes in the quiet place of prayer - his battle charge comes in the presence of others of like faith! The battle charge begins in the quiet of his confirming counsel! Just sayin!

Pure and simple

Some days, I am on top of the world - sailing along without worry or hindrance. Others I am in the pit looking up - barely able to keep my head above water, really uncertain about the way things are going to turn out that day. The ups and downs, twists and turns of life just keep us in knots, wondering what is coming next, not sure we will be able to 'keep up' or 'make it through'. It is one thing to feel these various emotions because of another's action within our lives - quite another to feel them because of our own poorly prepared and 'dumbly executed' actions, isn't it? One brings a sense of anger, mistrust, fear, and perhaps even the desire to retaliate a little. The other brings a sense of frustration, guilt, remorse, and if we are being totally honest here, even a little bit of what we call shame.

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Romans 12:3)

The main reason we experience these ups and downs in our emotions is our viewpoint or vantage point in life - it colors our interpretation of all life sends our way. I wonder if we really know what it means to live in "pure grace". I think we might have an idea of grace, but I think most of us actually do not fully appreciate the depth of grace in our lives - going to the deepest places of hurt and sin in our lives. We don't understand its breadth - reaching into the periphery and uncovering what only festers where it is secretly hidden. Amazingly, we do understand how to cover up, run from, work to be free of, and involve ourselves in all kinds of spiritual contortions in order to "feel forgiven". Yet, that 'feeling' is a waning thing - probably for about as long as it takes for us to do something else that is kind of dumb, or poorly executed in our lives! Paul writes to us about the grace of God - pure and simple - we are incapable of adding nothing to it! It is this grace which sets man right with God - pure grace - nothing 'mixed into it' that we can add on our own merit. This same grace restores hope to the hopeless soul - the soul that keeps doing the same dumb things time and time again. Nothing is quite like grace. Grace is indeed not fully understood, but I wonder if we were ever supposed to 'understand' grace, or to simply accept it, allow it to regenerate us, and then walk free of the very thing that required grace in the first place?

Living is at its best when it is in "pure grace". There is nothing more fulfilling than to be aware of how much God has forgiven in our lives, the ways he has changed a hardened and unyielding heart, or the phenomenal job he does in changing our sometimes pretty 'warped' mindset. Yet, we live far short of "pure grace", don't we? We "muddy" the grace of God with the actions of our own attempts at "feeling forgiven". We want to do something to "feel forgiven" - like serving out of obligation rather than love, engaging in religious activities for the sake of how it makes us feel. Then we wonder why we just don't break free from the feelings associated with our past failures. It is almost always because we don't understand grace - a gift, pure and simple, with no strings attached. We don't bring our "goodness" to God - he brings it to us! No matter what, God's grace is ours - we just have to learn to accept the grace we have been given and stop trying to "add" to it! We only understand ourselves when we behold God. Why? He is our creator - we are created in HIS image. When we look upon him, we see exactly what he created us to be! As we behold him, we see how he sees us! It is in beholding what he is - pure, holy, loving, righteous, long-suffering - the revelation of how he sees us becomes more real. We are definitely not pure - but in Christ, we are totally pure. We are definitely not the embodiment of love - but in Christ, we experience pure love. We are certainly not very patient or long-suffering - but in each extension of God's grace, we begin to understand the limitless supply of his grace.

It is his action within us which helps to "even out" those ups and downs of emotions. It is what he does in and for us that produces "evenness" in our character. Left to our own devices, we would still ride the roller-coaster of emotions. We simply cannot experience lasting emotional stability if we are counting on any human effort of our own to make us "feel" right. Eventually, given enough time, we will disappoint ourselves! We will do something, say a few choice words, or forget our commitments. In the end, all the religious effort to be "good" or "pure" will just not "make us" so! Only grace has the ability to accomplish what grace is intended to do - to pardon, to release, to erase. Nothing is quite like grace! I have observed a trend to hand out all these 'powerful' sports drinks at soccer, football, and baseball games now. The question that comes to mind is if we are losing water while exerting ourselves, why aren't we drinking water? The drinks may be good, but if all we need is water, why do we try to put more in? I have to ask, if we have fallen from grace, why are we trying to replace it with anything other than grace? Just askin!

I need a diet adjustment

There are still a few of those 'high end' candy shops in the local malls that deliver all the delight of a richly made confection. For years, mom's favorite chocolate has been See's chocolate. She would always delight in getting the nuts and chews variety, although she doesn't do well with the nuts anymore, so she has 'converted' to the chews! If you have ever experienced the chocolates from a high end confectioner's establishment, you know this is good chocolate and the caramels are rich, as well. . It is not like buying a pre-wrapped candy bar at the grocery store. I really am not a connoisseur of chocolate - a plain chocolate bar from the grocer is fine for me! Yet, it really does not compare to the richness of the "finer" chocolates you find at the store in the mall. Some words we speak or hear are kind of like the pre-wrapped bar of chocolate - some go down easy, but they lack the "smoothness and taste" of the wise!

Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly? (Proverbs 18:8)

Idle talk and rumor are kind of like the grocery store bought chocolate - tastes good at first, but when you experience something more "gracious" or "pleasing" to the taste, you realize just how far short they fall! The one who engages in the consumption of gossip often finds they are never truly satisfied with what they take in - there is a drive for more - cheap words that don't fulfill at all. I know one equally sized store-bought mini chocolate bar does not satisfy as much as one finely crafted chocolate from high end chocolate store. Why? The fact may be as simple as the less costly one is designed to get you to eat more! This is also the case with idle talk and rumor - those words are just put out there to entice you to demand more!

When you explore the meaning of the word "gossip", you may be surprised to discover it also includes the kind of familiar "chit-chat" we all engage in from time to time. It is "light talk" - an exchange of information that no one really considers to be wrong to exchange - it isn't really 'all that bad', but it doesn't serve much of a positive purpose either. We often engage in an exchange of words without considering the impact of the content being shared! We may not even set out to share anything in a malicious, secretive manner, but in the "light talk" we share stuff someone maybe should never hear about another!

The scripture points us repeatedly toward "considering well" the words we choose. As a writer, I often "strike" the words I originally put into printed format before publishing them for public view. The "word-smithing" of an idea is at my disposal at the computer keyboard - it is editable. I have the "editing" capability when it is the written word - penned or typed. Too bad I don't also have this "editing" capability on my spoken words!!! Before we even realize it, words are spoken which we may have done well to have exercised some type of "editing" function over prior to speaking them! It's true, isn't it? We need an "editing" filter over our mouths! I have taken to learning how to carve words into wood of late and let me tell you, it is a little like those words we speak without much thought - one wrong move of my chisel or router and it is there forever!

Just as the grocery store candy seldom satisfies, idle chit-chat seldom truly satisfies either. There is always a tendency to "get into somebody's business" if the conversation continues long enough - not usually yours, but someone else's. The sharing often leaves us feeling "bad" inside. It is what scripture refers to as "junk" in the belly! We are "consumers" of words - both written and spoken. Not all carry the same satisfying effect, do they? Some are definitely designed to get us to "consume" even more - like a juicy tidbit of gossip. Others are spoken only once, yet their consumption brings deep, meaningful satisfaction to the soul. These are "wisdom words". A steady diet of these makes one more satisfied than hours of "junk words". We can learn much from what we consume. The old saying, "You are what you eat", is definitely right on the mark as it pertains to our 'word intake', is it not? Maybe it is time for a little change in our "diet". Just sayin!

Batter up!

When baseball was just starting out as a national pastime, the pitching was a whole lot different than it is today.  You'd hear the announcer say over the crackly loud speaker system, "Here comes the wind-up..." In a few quick moves, the pitcher would go through various "contortions" until there was a sudden release of the ball, sending it sailing toward home plate. It was the "wind-up" that gave the ball its speed. Without the wind-up, the ball was not likely to cross the plate, but if it did - the batter was more likely to hit it dead on, sending it as far as his swing would allow. The beginning of a quarrel in terms of this 'game of life' we play every day is something like the "wind-up" of the "pitch" that will send the entire conversation into a direction it may never have intended to go! Learning to control the "pitch" often determines if the 'argument' ball will ever reach home plate!

The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts. (Proverbs 17:14 The Message)

The leaky dam is probably not much of a threat or very intimidating until it begins to expand! Just as the ball in the hand of the pitcher is no threat until it is released toward the plate, the thoughts we think in the moment are not much of a threat until they are spoken when they probably shouldn't have been spoken at all! A small leak in a huge dam can keep a structural engineer up at nights! I wonder if perhaps a small word spoken in haste keeps any of us up at nights? Maybe they do more than we actually are aware they do! If you have read my blog for any length of time, you have probably heard me say, "Think everything you say, but don't say everything you think!" Not sure where I first heard this, but it has stuck with me for years and years. I have repeated it many times and many have their own "ah-haw" moment with this tiny seed thought about the power of words. Not everything we think is worth speaking. Some words are just not wise to speak simply because the relationship is not strong enough, the words are unkind, or the words are not meant to be spoke in this moment of time (or perhaps not at all).  

We often "wind-up" long before we launch the words which will "cross the plate". The words that quickly lead up to the "explosive" pitch are often more important than any others we speak - especially when the "pitched words" come across rather harsh or in a strong manner. In leading up to the "pitch", we often say a whole lot of other stuff that seems insignificant at the moment, but when the "pitch" is released, they ALL hit home in one way or another! The other important thing to realize is the purpose of the "wind-up". It is designed to INCREASE the velocity of the ball's delivery at home plate! If our words leading up to the "final pitch" do the same thing, no wonder the "pitch" carries such a punch when those words are heard by the others in our lives! The "build-up" to the actual words that end up culminating in a quarrel are merely those that give "velocity" to the quarrel.  

A wise pitcher learns to control the ball. A wild ball may indeed cost him the entirely otherwise well-played game. Learning to control our words is much like the control of the ball in the pitcher's hand. When we learn to understand the difference between being "set" on the mound and being in the full "wind up" mode, we learn a lot about control. The "set" is when the pitcher has an eye on all the other players in the game - he is acutely aware of what is happening on the field around him - aware of the tiniest of movement. The "wind up" is when the pitcher is set into action to deliver the ball across home plate! Each has a purpose - one has more risk than the other. Watching other players, seeing their moves, being aware of their desire to "advance" a base, are skills wisely learned by the one who takes the mound. Learning to use the pitch wisely is equally as important. A poorly executed pitch is never going to go well for the pitcher! We need to learn to be wise with the use of our words. The words we choose not to speak are just as important as those we do! As we learn what gives "velocity" to our word delivery, we also can learn what brings "control" - remembering that not every word is worthy of making it across home plate! Just sayin!

Better than the bushes

Do you remember playing that simple game of "hide and seek", running wildly around the house or yard, trying to find just the right hiding place?  Back in the day, we had a great neighborhood for hiding. We had 13 citrus trees in our yard, not to mention a huge mulberry tree, and two pretty impressive sized junipers just as you turned into the driveway to our house. All provided ample hiding space for one who could scurry up the trunk and into the cover of the leaves, or scooch way down inside the juniper's ample cover fast enough. In addition to this, we had all kinds of hiding places behind the pigeon coop, around the pool area, behind the garage, and even behind a row of shiny silver trash cans. Yet, as I recall all the places I hid, none was as safe as the place I run to now when I just need a little 'hiding out' from life's challenges!

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. (Psalm 46:1-3)

We all have "hiding places" we run to from time to time - either because we feel threatened, or we just need a good place to get away from it all. Some are more skilled at this "hiding" thing than others are - try as we might, we just cannot seem to find them when they "duck for cover" or crawl into that place of 'hiding' that they frequent. The problem with most of our "hiding" places is the "purpose" behind our need to hide in the first place! Sometimes we hide because the guilt of our sin seems too big. At others, we hide simply because the "work" of being exposed is just too much - we'd have to keep an eye on our facade of being righteous just a little too closely for our liking! Probably one of the most telling reasons for hiding is the tendency we all have to feel "inferior" to someone else - so we hide what we see as our flaws and imperfect abilities from others.

Regardless of why we are hiding, we need to recognize there is only one safe place to "hide". The purpose of hiding is to prevent something from being discovered. The only "safe" place where we can be who we really are is in the presence of God. Yet, we run for all kinds of other "cover" instead of the one place where we can just "let down our hair" and be "real". Why? I think it may be as simple as us thinking our "cover" is working! Look at our passage again. God is a safe place to hide - not to conceal us, but to help us when we are in a place of need. It is in the very presence of God where we are changed - our need to conceal becomes void because he is able to change what we desire to cover-up! He is even a safe place for one to seek! Hide or seek - he is it!

I know many of my readers face challenging times today. There are battles with cancer, the depression of significant loss of one form or another, the inward and constant pull of some secret sin, or perhaps the exhaustion of trying to be all things to everyone in your life. Regardless of the challenge we face, we have but one 'good option' - run to God. Hide in him for a while. In your "running for HIS cover", you are running right into what will meet your every need. No tree, bush, shed, or other "hiding place" really could have done the same for me back in the day as this 'cover' I can find in him today! He has truly become my place for not only hiding, but also for my seeking. We desire to stand fearless on the "cliff-edge" of the challenge before us, don't we? Courage seems to slip through our fingers as sand slowly falling through the hourglass. We just don't know how to get a grip on what has us in the fight of our lives. Here's the secret - run to God. He knows! Seems too simple, doesn't it, but it really isn't. When we run to the place where we are safe to be exactly who and what we are, we are open to receive the very thing we need to embrace to face the challenge head-on.

It is in being "real" with God, in the secret place of his refuge, that we are able to "get real" with the things and people we deal with today. God already knows we fear the "cliff-edge" - we do ourselves no favors by covering up or denying our fear. He already knows the storms are heavy upon us - we do not "ride them out" by trying to row against the winds! Instead, we "sail through them" by allowing him to direct our sails. Run to the only hiding place where all things good are at your disposal - God's presence. Afraid to? Don't be! His grace is sufficient to forgive your sin, his love fills every gap in your behavior, and his heart is always towards his children! His joy stuns our senses with the awesomeness of renewal and awakening. His peace settles the rushing waves of doubt and fear which seek to overwhelm our minds. His healing touch energizes our frailness with renewed vitality. No better hiding (or seeking) place, indeed! Just sayin!