Experience his love

So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body. So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Any delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear - that state of doubt - will keep us from fully embracing all that God has for us. How many times do we simply avoid doing something just because of our fear or apprehension? If we were honest, it may be more than we would admit. We avoid saying something when we feel impressed to do so, or don't act on what we know simply because we are reluctant to take that first step. We are fearful of what others will think, or how those steps will affect us. Procrastination is the delayed action; hesitation is the uncertainty which sometimes is the cause of the delay. This hesitation can keep us from some pretty awesome stuff God has planned for us. Stop hesitating and just come into the fullness of what God has planned for those who are bold enough (not overtaken by fear or doubt) to walk straight into his presence and spend some time getting to know him!

We find the invitation to enter boldly into what Christ accomplished by his sacrificial death. If we were to read the two chapters just prior to this one, we'd see Christ's death accomplished the end to the old ways of worship and the beginning of the new. What had been off-limits because of our inability to "clean up" our own sin under the "old" was totally declared "full access" under the new because Christ performed the "clean up" of our sin with the shedding of his blood on our behalf. If such a provision is made on our behalf, then why are we so hesitant to enter into the fullness of all God has designed for us? It might be fear, or even unbelief, but regardless of the "reason", none stands in the face of the truth that we are declared righteous in Christ Jesus. We are made righteous in Christ Jesus. We stand righteous in Christ Jesus. We cannot diminish our righteousness because in Christ Jesus we are fully and totally righteous!

Many of us spend a great deal of time being presentable on the outside. Each morning, we spend countless minutes in front of the mirror, grooming, applying this or that, putting each hair into place. Why is it we spend so much time on the outward appearance and almost forget to spend any time in the Word, prayer, or just simple worship? Maybe it is because we think what can be "seen" is what gives people the impression we have life together even when we are falling apart on the inside! What is on the inside, receiving frequent care and tender touches from Jesus will eventually trump whatever is on the outside! We can count on the faithfulness of God regardless of our behavior, although it may not be as consistent as it should be - he is consistent. His love extends beyond our inconsistencies, but to really "come into" that love we have to push past our hesitation and enter into his presence. Any delay on our part is often just because of our misperceptions - we don't understand how much God has done on our behalf to ensure we have full access to him and can boldly enter into his presence. Know what has been promised and then stand on it unwaveringly. Believe with all your ability that God does what he says. We may have learned to NOT trust because trust has been violated by some person in our lives. Truth is, God cannot lie - it is against his nature. It is impossible for him to not fulfill his promises because that would be equivalent to him telling a lie.

Encouragement by others helps us develop this comfort of entering into all God has for us. Recognize our boldness is affected by the company we keep. Those who can spur us on are invaluable to helping us enter into all God has for us - moving us beyond our hesitation and into a place of bold, bounding, trusting faith. We all need to be "inventive" in our encouragement - through loving actions and sacrificial deeds. We don't encourage each other to gain access to God - we engage in demonstrating God's love so others will develop a boldness to enter into the fullness of his love themselves. There is no room for hesitation in us experiencing God's love. We are beckoned into his love, provided a means by which we might enter into his love, and then we are given encouragement of others to help us maintain our consistency in experiencing his love. Isn't it about time we enter into what God has taken such great pains to prepare on our behalf? Just askin!

The Confession of Communion

You don’t want penance; if you did, how gladly I would do it! You aren’t interested in offerings burned before you on the altar. It is a broken spirit you want—remorse and penitence. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not ignore. And Lord, don’t punish Israel for my sins—help your people and protect Jerusalem. And when my heart is right, then you will rejoice in the good that I do and in the bullocks I bring to sacrifice upon your altar. (Psalm 51:16-19)

Old Testament worship involved the bringing of 'sacrifices' to the Temple of God - bullocks, doves, sheaves of wheat. They were part of a 'liturgical system' of worship declared under the Law of Moses. The Law given to him by God as he communed with God on Mt. Sanai. That Law was merely a 'tutor' of sorts - something meant to point us to Christ - to the one 'perfect sacrifice' for all of mankind's sins. Within these verses we find a humbled and penitent servant - having confessed the 'stain' within his heart that his transgressions had left behind. The immediate 'go to' in those days may have been to turn to some form of physical sacrifice on the altar of God - to make 'atonement' for the sin. Yet, we find King David coming before God without a bullock or a ram - he merely brings his heart. Perhaps David recognized something - that God desires a humble and penitent heart MORE than he desires the 'offerings' of any other sort. 

This is something we all could learn as we approach the throne of grace - no 'sacrifice' is greater than to recognize our sin, bring it to the foot of the cross, and then to ask God to heal the sinner's heart. A broken spirit - a contrite and humble heart - this is the 'sacrifice' God desires of us. Our hearts having been deeply 'affected' by our guilt, we come, submitting the guilt and shame of our sin to the work of the cross in our lives. I don't know about you, but to admit my shame and guilt is not always easy. I sometimes believe it is just easier to sweep it under the rug, but every time I have even considered that means of dealing with my sin, the rug is moved! I have come to believe there is no 'shame' in admitting my failures - there is only grace and goodness awaiting the acknowledgement of my sin. 

As we look again at what David tells us here, we might notice he says we 'FIRST' come with a humble and contrite heart, then we can bring our sacrifices. He didn't turn away from the teachings he had been given all his life - he merely recognized a much deeper meaning in those sacrifices. Maybe he knew the bullock or ram would be fine, but until he made things right through confession of his sin and the seeking of God's forgiveness, all the rest wouldn't really matter. God might prompt us to lay down all the 'good deeds' and 'physical sacrifices' for a bit when what he is really after is for us to recognize our need for his mercy and grace. Sin isn't dealt with by 'doing good deeds' and 'keeping the Law'. It is recognized, acknowledged, brought to the foot of the cross, and then covered by a blood sacrifice greater than any other - the blood of Jesus. 

It is when our hearts are right that we are restored to communion with God. Communion - the sharing of our intimate thoughts, our feelings, and opening of our minds, hearts, and souls to his touch. It is in communion with him that we are able to effectively and purposefully 'do good works', for it is in the confession of communion that we are made whole. Just sayin!

Desire and Delight

Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:4-6)

A heart's desires can be many - no doubt your desires differ from mine, but if we were to list them all, our lists would be long! I desire for my children to know and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. My delight will be to see my two grandsons to grow up to be morally strong, obedient to the commandments of Christ, and to trust him fully with the control of their lives. My desire to see both my children and grandchildren realize their dreams burns deeply with. I desire health, so I do what I can to preserve it wherever possible. I delight in time in the Word of God, good worship music, and the freedom to share my heart in open communion with my Lord. A heart's desires and delights - many though they may be, the one that is most important is the one that leads us to the commitment to do all the Lord desires.

According to the seed sown shall be the harvest reaped. We sow seeds that are a result of our desires - desire the good and the seed will be good; desire the unholy or impure and you know the harvest will be filled with all manner of 'weeds and tares'. I learned that the wheat seed and tare seed are very similar, producing a plant that almost looks the same in the earliest part of their growth. When you begin to see the difference is when the fruit is being produced. The seed of the wheat plant is brown, while that of the tare is purple with a black seed. While the wheat seed is good for consumption, the seed of the tare is actually poisonous, containing a soporific poison. I wouldn't want a diet of tares, would you?

Desire functions as the seed for many an action in our lives. Perhaps this is why God reminds us to examine our desires - for our desires often reflect our delight. What is it you find your greatest pleasure in? Maybe the better question is 'who' is it you find your greatest pleasure in? A boyfriend and girlfriend, captivated by young love may immediately say it is the one they are in relationship with. A father of a newborn may be absolutely delighted in the new life he holds in his arms, but his delight in his wife may actually become more profound as he observes her take such good care of that new life. A man or woman who has asked Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, finding unending and unconditional grace at the foot of the cross, may actually find their greatest delight in him. 

Desire and delight go hand in hand. One leads to the other. We desire more of Christ and are delighted to find him in the stillness of our time with him. We desire to understand his ways and are delighted to see his hand in action in so many ways around us. We desire to fully grasp a teaching from his Word and are delighted to find those words come to life in us as we are faced with a challenge too great for our human wisdom. Desire leads to delight - delight leads us to the feet of Jesus. What desire is the greatest in your life today? If it is anything other than Christ and his goodness, perhaps it is time to take a break from whatever stands in the way of us finding our greatest delight in his presence. Just sayin!

Surrounded, Sealed, and Safe

"The greatest want of the world is the want of men - men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall." (Ellen G. White) Men who will stand, not just in their own might and ferociousness, but who will stand in the power and strong might of the one true God of the Universe. We don't stand against sin without the full armor of God. We don't need armor unless there is an enemy and I want to assure you we face a very real enemy - out to devour our souls and take us down to hell. He doesn't need to make heaven fall to get us to fall into hell's gates - he just needs to distract us into complacency to do that!

The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. There I’ll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy. (Psalm 27:4-6)

It is a privilege to live in the presence of the Most Holy God. An unearned, and sometimes even an 'unacknowledged' standing we enjoy because of the finished work of Christ on the cross all those years ago. If you have an 'advantage' and don't use it, of what value is that advantage? For example, if there are two of you in the car and you have the advantage of using the carpool lane in the morning or evening traffic, but you never merge over into that lane, of what good was that 'advantage'? If we have the privilege of voting our conscience, but never use it, of what advantage is the privilege of living free? Advantage is only of value when it is accepted and used as it should be.

As a child of the living God, we are given the privilege (advantage) of living in his presence EVERY DAY of our lives - not just Sunday mornings! Start the day with him, get his Word into your heart early in the day, and see what a difference that 'advantage' brings throughout the day. The thing I seek most...what would that be today? Would we be able to answer the thing we seek most is the presence of God, or our social media feed, our games, or our newscasts? If we want God 'first' in our lives, we have to give him 'first place' in our day. It seems simplistic to have to say this but trust me on this one - choose him first and you will see that social media differently!

How do we stand in the power and might of the Lord? We are found enveloped (surrounded, sealed, and safe) in the presence of God as those troubles come. Notice that troubles come - they are certain in our lives. Therefore, we need to know how to stand in his strength and wisdom when they do come. Where will you be found when today's troubles come? If you have started this day with Christ, I daresay you will be 'closed up, safe, and secure' against each and every attack your enemy may bring! Just sayin!

Disquieted by our thoughts

 Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises. My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me. (Psalm 25:14-15)

The truths of God's Word are not easily understood by those who have yet to say 'yes' to Jesus. These truths are opened to us as we walk alongside him and learn of him. Don't friends walk alongside each other, giving a little of themselves here and there, each investing in the relationship? Do you think God would expect anything less of those who enter into relationship with him?

Reverence him - hold him in the highest regard, but not like an idol on a pedestal. We reveal this reverence by our obedience to his Word - what he asks of us, we do. We don't baulk at it but embrace it as truth that has one purpose - to set us free. The secrets of God's promises are understood best where purposeful obedience is the choice.

Ellen G. White puts it this way: "God's promises are all on condition of humble obedience." In other words, where there is obedience, good things happen. I like what she says about a quiet mind: "A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health." How's your mind today? Quiet and satisfied in God? If not, what stands in the way of that quietness and deep satisfaction?

When you can begin to answer those questions, you are on the path that turns you toward obedience more often than not. When you know what keeps you from quietness of mind, you usually can begin to see what interferes with your obedience! Those 'disquieting' thoughts are not just bothersome, they are 'obedience blockers'. Deal with them, get quiet before God, and then when you do rise to walk again, do it with him alongside! Just sayin!

But...I wanna respond that way

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

How do we best 'imitate' God? We aren't called to be 'little gods' on this earth, but we are asked to 'imitate' the love and grace of God. Regardless of how another may act, our actions should reveal the grace of God. Easier said than done because THEIR actions seem to evoke a response from US that may not always be grace-filled! The truth of the matter is that THEIR actions are THEIR responsibility - OUR actions and responses are OURS. Grace begins in OUR response to THEIR actions, remembering that grace if GIVING another what they clearly did not deserve.

I know how easily our defenses can go up when someone says or does something we don't agree with. Trust me, I have had my share of my hackles being raised by the words or actions of another. We ALL get 'rubbed the wrong way' on occasion, sometimes without us even doing anything to 'deserve' the wrong actions of another. How we respond in those moments is how others will either see God in us or observe just how ungrateful we are for the grace of God in our lives. Why do I say we are ungrateful if we don't respond with love? Because God GAVE his love to a bunch of undeserving, self-centered, pride-filled people - grace sent his Son to the cross. If we respond with anything less than love and grace in those moments when our hackles are raised, are we really revealing gratefulness for that undeserved grace?

We don't 'imitate' God by going to church. We 'imitate' him by living out grace. That means we become the living, breathing church - grace-filled individuals who have found forgiveness for our own sins and want others to experience this same freedom. Good works alone are never going to reveal Christ to a hurting world. If our heart is revealed in our interactions with those who raise our hackles aren't filled with grace and love, then all the good works are really just a facade. Our heart is revealed in our responses to those who don't deserve grace or love, but who need both in unlimited measure! Just sayin!

Celebration or Criticism?

I want to explore a miracle from the Bible today, but from a little bit of a different perspective - that of the crowd. We could look at the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, seeing the wonder of a man dead and buried for four days coming forth from the tomb completely bound in graveclothes, face muffled in a swath cloth. Unwrapped, free, alive and fully restored - now that is a miracle of astronomical proportions, is it not? I imagine Lazarus 'stood out' a little bit, as he had been to heaven and was now alive to talk about it. Yet, there were some in the crowd that day that stand out just a little bit themselves. The Jewish leaders - men of learning and intense study of the Law of Moses. Their response to this miracle? Some believed and some ran to the Pharisee religious leaders to 'tattle on Jesus'.

And so, at last many of the Jewish leaders who were with Mary and saw it happen, finally believed on him. But some went away to the Pharisees and reported it to them. Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council to discuss the situation. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “For this man certainly does miracles. If we let him alone the whole nation will follow him—and then the Roman army will come and kill us and take over the Jewish government.” And one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “You stupid idiots—let this one man die for the people—why should the whole nation perish?” This prophecy that Jesus should die for the entire nation came from Caiaphas in his position as High Priest—he didn’t think of it by himself but was inspired to say it. It was a prediction that Jesus’ death would not be for Israel only, but for all the children of God scattered around the world. So, from that time on the Jewish leaders began plotting Jesus’ death. (John 11:45-53)

There are always going to be some in the crowd that just cannot see the good in what God does when a life is restored. Standing before them is the greatest witness of the grace and goodness of God, and they just cannot accept it. Instead, they criticize, make fun of, and put down the life change. A man brought back from the grave - standing there with them in full view - and they don't glory in the revelation of God's redeeming grace - they criticize it. The world doesn't like to see transformed people - it frightens them! They cannot understand the grace of God - the transforming power of the one true God. So, God uses those he has transformed to tell his story - because all those who look on will do is criticize and attempt to squelch that message of transformation.

In bringing Lazarus back to life, Jesus showed his power. If you look at the account, you will note that Martha kind of thinks Lazarus is 'beyond restoration' because she reminds Jesus in no subtle manner that Lazarus has been in the grave four days and he 'stinketh'. In other words, the decay of death has already been at work in his body. Tombs in Israel were not air-conditioned morgues - they were sweltering pits, sealed up, and allowed to do their work. Bugs would have invaded the space, heat would have begun to speed the decomposition of his body, and he indeed would 'stinketh'. Jesus knows exactly the condition of Lazarus' body, but it doesn't matter - he knows there is more power in one word from his mouth than all the forces at work in that decaying body!

The world cannot help but point out how much a person has done wrong and just how 'impossible' their 'return' from that fallen state would be. They completely forget that though a man's life 'stinketh' because of the 'decay of sin', God's redeeming words, "Come forth", speak health, hope, and healing into the most disgusting of lives. Criticize if you want, but I am one of those disgusting lives, made whole, redeemed by grace, and fully restored. How about you? Do you hear the words to 'Come forth' from your place of captivity - the place where sin has done nothing good and left you to rot in place? Don't fear the criticism of those who won't celebrate the miracle, but come forth, be whole, stand as God's pride and joy before them. Let God celebrate that miracle! Just sayin!

Not impressed with weak excuses?

If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know—someone not impressed with weak excuses. (Proverbs 24:10-12)

Ever get that eerie impression of "being watched" - finding yourself looking over your shoulder, trying to see who may be seeing you at that very moment - almost a subtle form of paranoia brewing inside? Others are watching your every move, but you may not even realize it! What happens to us in the midst of a crisis is sometimes a matter where we are being observed by others - watching, waiting just to see if we will fall apart or keep it all together. When we actually rise above the crisis, it doesn't escape their view! When we see another struggling with a crisis of their own, stepping in quickly to render aid, do you think it escapes the view of others? Even if you think you have done it in secret, at least one other person sees the action - God himself. What makes someone fall to pieces in the midst of a crisis? If we were honest, it probably stems from a root of pride. Pride keeps us from asking for the help we really need. It centers us on our own strengths and abilities to figure out a solution to the problem, totally missing that God has another way for us to solve the issue. 

There is a bullheadedness within refusing to admit we cannot stand alone. When the crisis comes, we head into it with every intention of "showing it who is really boss" and then we wonder why we fall. It probably is because the crisis was designed specifically to allow us to see who is "really boss" in our lives! It isn't God. Pride keeps us from connecting with God and with others. It drives us AWAY from relationship, not toward it. I am speaking from experience here, my friends. There is nothing as hard to do than face a crisis with the wrong "boss" in control of the movements we take in the midst of the crisis. Several years ago, as a much younger woman, I faced the need for some surgery for what appeared to be a couple years of worsening test results. There was suspicion of the dreaded "cancer" diagnosis, and I was a single mother with two young teens. In the stubbornness of my pride, I walked alone through that crisis. God heard my silent tears in the shower that morning, as I stood allowing the water to flow over my head, the tears streaming down freely, and my heart asking "why". It was the why me, why now, why this - the kind of talk we all probably have at times. The biggest why I think God wanted to answer was "why are you trying to go through this alone"!

I didn't want to be alone through it, but I had isolated myself so much from relationship after my divorce, I was indeed "walking alone". I had acquaintances, but no one really "tight" I could just walk with through the scariness of the crisis. Within minutes of arriving in the hospital for my scheduled surgery, a fellow pastor and his wife were at my bedside, holding the hand of my daughter, loving on my mom, and praying over me for God's peace to fill me as I went into the OR. I saw first-hand how much I had been presenting the "image" of being able to "manage my own crisis", but they knew the reality of me not managing very well! Thank goodness God knows us better than we know ourselves! The procedure over, as I was recovering in my room, I knew all was at peace in my world. That day stood as a turning point for me. In just one brief act on the part of two people I had no idea were "watching me", who recognized my deepest need, God began to turn my world around.

When I was diagnosed with a fast-growing thyroid tumor sometime later, I had friends at the ready to help me walk through the crisis. I was not going through it in my own strength, because my strength was faltering terribly. It was theirs and God's which bolstered my faith, renewed my determination, and kept me positively focused through it all. Some of those closest friends weren't even believers, but they knew my faith and they were consistently pointing me toward my center (Jesus), even when I was coming unraveled and losing focus! They had been watching when the crisis wasn't there - so they knew where to point me when the crisis came! People will see us, how we respond, what we do with what we know, and how we handle life's challenges. They ARE watching - our testimony matters. We may undervalue the importance of how much pride keeps us from relationships which matter - especially those who will speak life into the midst of our crisis. We may not realize how many are watching when we aren't faced with challenges outside of our ability to handle - but they are. We may think there is no hope in the midst of the crisis - but you never really know who will come alongside to help "center you" on the one who really matters in the midst of it all. No more lame excuses - get connected! Just sayin!

That 'last thread' moment

I saw this post on Missional Women Facebook page the other day and it made me think: "I may be hanging by a thread...but it's attached to the hem of his robe, so I am not worried." How many times do we get ourselves to that 'last thread', just barely eking by because we are stretched to the max? More than some of us might want to admit - we have bitten off way more than we can chew and now we are experiencing that 'last thread' moment. Well, the good news is that the thread is indeed attached to something bigger than the issue at hand! The Lord has us 'woven' into the hem of his garment, so we aren't going to be out there on our own.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

We all might have heard these words before, but what we might not know is the 'context' of that verse. Jeremiah is receiving a word from the Lord about the captivity of Israel. They are about to go into captivity in Babylon for seventy years and God has told them to basically 'set up camp' there. They are told to build houses, marry, have children, plant crops, and not dwindle away. Too add insult to injury, God asks the people of Israel to actually 'work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon'. Their enemy - pray for them, work for their betterment, be a blessing to them!

I don't know about you, but if I were told I was about to endure seventy years of 'servitude' to someone, I might just be less than excited about that prospect! Pray for Babylon - for if she has peace, you will dwell in peace - this is the message they receive. Then Jeremiah is told that God knows the plans he has - plans for good and not evil - for a future and a hope. Not today - but seventy plus years down the road. That is pretty much 'last thread' if you ask me. The thing I take note of in this chapter is that God has seen his people fall away from 'God first' in their lives. He will allow their captivity, but not without a plan to redeem them. God just wants them to come back to him - to know they will be cared for even in the midst of the consequences of their sins.

Isn't that just like the God we serve? We do something dumb and then we pray to get out of the consequences. When they come our way, we are dumbfounded. We hoped to just sin and confess, then get away without a scratch. The problem is that sin ALWAYS has consequences - we may think we beat them on occasion, but trust me on this one, there is always a consequence. The good news is that if we turn again to God, putting him first and trusting him to help us even in the midst of the consequences, he is right there with us. Last thread or not, he never leaves us or abandons us to our own devices. He may tell us to plant, build, and settle in - but if he does, it isn't to destroy us, but to make us strong enough for the plans HE has for us. Obedience is never easy, but sin is always bad news. Just sayin!

Bad and Good Teachers Abound

How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honors. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

One does not become wise overnight - it takes a whole lot of lessons taught, grasped, and then lived out to make one wise. One thing we can learn overnight - how to live like a foolish person! We can make bad decisions quicker than we breathe. Just like that, we move in the wrong direction, and before you know it, we are speeding in the pursuit of something that we should have left alone. Don't believe me? Think about the last argument you had with someone, or the last time you gave into a craving for chocolate, ice cream, or some decadent treat. What got you there is not what will get you out of there! You need wisdom - to understand and recognize you are making a wrong move, then to turn away from that course of action, and take the steps to correct what you have done so you don't do it again.

As our passage points out, wisdom begins in learning from those wiser than us. In this case, our mother and father. Now, I know some of us grew up with great examples in this arena, while others had the parents who just weren't all that good of an example to anyone. Even a bad example is one that teach a lesson, my friends. Lessons aren't just learned from the best of teachers - sometimes we learn the best lessons from the worst of teachers. The greatest lesson we can learn is to trust God - to reverence him. Big word, so let's break it down a bit. We could say we 'admire' God, but to truly revere God, we need to do more than admire him or his actions. There should be a sense of awe in considering his truths, observing what he does, and being attentive to how he moves. When we revere God, we are indicating our allegiance with him - we are loyal to his plans and purposes. I don't always understand what he is doing, nor do I always see where he is moving, but I do know his plans are greater than I could ever imagine, so I trust him to be in control of my life.

Lessons we can learn when we begin to trust fully are far greater than those we come across 'casually'. Trust is even a learned thing - we don't just come by it naturally. As a tiny babe, we cried out and 'trusted' someone would come along, pick us up, soothe away those tears and tend to those needs we had. If we cried and cried without any response to our needs, we might form a belief that no one cared about our needs. As we got a bit older, we might not have cried out, but we had other ways of seeking to have our needs met - such as asking for a cookie from the jar, crawling up into the lap of our dad while watching TV, or riding our bikes over to our friend's house just to 'hang out'. When the cookie was rendered, the cuddle given, and the 'come on in' was heard, we learned to trust our needs would be met by asking and seeking. It is no different now - we come to God with our needs, asking and seeking - knowing there will always be more than enough to satisfy our needs. We sometimes bring all our wants and forget we don't need all we want! When it was minutes until supper time, the cookie jar was tightly closed and would remain that way until supper was served and consumed! Lesson learned!

We don't want to be fools - we want to be wise. Wisdom comes by being open to receive the lessons and then to embrace whatever learning comes from each lesson. Good or bad teacher - the lesson is being taught. What can we learn from each opportunity? If we put God first in our lives, the lessons we learn will be in alignment with his principles. We will choose to embrace the ones that align with the Word of God and the confirming urge of the Holy Spirit within. If they are not in alignment, we might just realize that as a lesson, too. Being able to identify what 'not to do' is as important as learning 'what to do'. The greatest lesson anyone can teach us is that we need to put God first in our lives. Just sayin!

Be an eagle, not a chicken

I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come? (Psalm 62:1-2)

Joyce Meyer says, "The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror." As you might imagine, standing 'silently' in the midst of situations where you can be pretty apprehensive or that evoke the 'fight or flight' response is doggone hard. While fear has a 'paralyzing' effect in most of us, we experience and immediate 'ramping up' of all those stress hormones that make us ready to bolt. Adversity comes our way, and we just don't know what to do with it. Is that really true? Don't we know we are supposed to take it to the Lord and allow him to show us how it is to be dealt with? Yes, we 'know' that, but do we actually believe it and stand firm in it when that adversity is 'tap, tap, tapping' at the door of our hearts and minds?

Tense with fear - that pretty much describes what those stress hormones manage to do to us just about every time we face something we are unfamiliar with, or that presents a challenge bigger than we think we can handle. The mind and body go into overdrive to convince us we are about to be eaten alive! The eagle has no fear of adversity - what do you think that means? Eagles are pretty much known to be the 'king' of birds everywhere. Throughout scripture, they symbolize strength, power, and authority. As an American, I know the eagle symbolizes freedom. Soaring high above the earth, they are majestic and mighty.

The eagle faces adversity after adversity and overcomes. The eagle doesn't hide from the storm - it uses the power of the wind to soar even higher and higher until it is gliding on the current of the storm. When storms come our way, do we soar or hide? As the eagle climbs to higher and higher heights, his body is growing stronger and stronger as he tears through the adversity of the storm. Eagles nest high up in the crags of the cliffs - high above threats and worries. Their nests are sturdy and sheltering. They have excellent vision - what we see as clear at 5 feet, they can see as clearly at 20 feet! Their vision is focused and intent - something that gives the advantage.

Be like an eagle and soar. See clearly when others only see things as a little 'blurry' or 'out of focus'. Be safe above all the hubbub of the day - you are 'nested' well in the crag of the rock of the Lord God himself. Just sayin!

Which voice should I listen to today?

Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. (Proverbs 19:20-21)

Queen Elizabeth II asked, "To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?" Humans turn to all kinds of things for counsel, don't we? The animals listen to the bristling of leaves, the overwhelming stillness of a moment, or the call of other wild things to alert them to danger. Some trust in the lucky rabbit's foot, or their 'lucky socks' to help them get ahead in one way or another. Others will put all their trust into what some 'medium' predicts after consulting their 'magic cards' or 'crystal ball'. It amazes me at times how easily we can get caught up in trusting these ungodly 'counselors' - believing the daily horoscope over the Word of God. Our greatest counsel is not found in any of these items or sources - it is found in the purity and wisdom of the scriptures. In fact, God repeatedly warns us NOT to even consult these other sources or put our faith in any form of 'idol'. He is the one who holds our purpose in his hands, and he is the one to orchestrate the outcomes as he sees fit.

God's purpose prevails - some may try to 'predict' the outcome, but God's plan is seldom known to the 'mediums' and the 'predictors' of the stars as they align or move into misalignment. I know I may be stepping on a few toes today, but I will not apologize. These 'methods' of predicting our daily course of action are not to be trusted, nor are they to even be consulted. God tells us to NOT consult 'omens' or 'tell fortunes' (Leviticus 19:26) From the beginning of time, humans have sought to have 'inside knowledge' - being able to know why things are happening, or what is about to happen. That has left the door wide open for those 'consulters of the spirits' to dupe many a person into 'playing with the enemy' of our souls. Be very, very careful with opening yourself up to this type of influence in your life, as you are inviting in a darkness you really don't want to have inside the temple of the living God!

While most of us don't go to the 'darker places' for our counsel, a good many of us seek counsel in the wrong places, such as trusting in the counsel of someone who is not in relationship with Jesus. I seek financial counsel from my advisors at the investment firm I deal with, but I never just trust their counsel as 'wise' or 'right'. It is counsel in an area I am not as well-versed in as they are, so I listen and ponder their counsel. I always take it to God FIRST and then make decisions on how to proceed based on HIS counsel, not theirs. There are times what they say 'rings true' in my heart and I accept it willingly. The reason in 'rings true' isn't because it 'feels good', but because I have allowed the Word of God to get into the fibers of my being and when I hear wise counsel, it 'rings true'. The wisest counsel we can seek is that of the Word of God. Trusting any other source of counsel can be dangerous if we have not taken the time to learn what God says on the matter. Just sayin!

Awake again?

God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.” That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (I Samuel 3:8-9)

Samuel is eager to respond to the voice he hears. Why? He was simply trying to fulfill his everyday tasks, ready to learn what he could as he went about his routine in the temple, in service to the priests. Sometimes we get a little confused as to what we are to do with what it is we are hearing - we think we hear one thing, but could it really be something else? There are probably many times we hear God's voice, but because we aren't sure of the source, we go to what is familiar to us - as Samuel did when going to Eli. His was the voice he was most familiar with - to go to Eli was a natural response. Some of us get the impression someone is speaking to us - but we don't know it is God himself pulling us toward himself in order to reveal himself in or through us. We go where we are most familiar - friends, family, small group members, a counselor. Not an unrealistic response when you really think about it. We use them as the sounding boards - bouncing what it is we are "hearing" in our heads until we feel we have come to a place of clarity.

I don't necessarily think this is wrong, but sometimes God just wants us to respond directly to him - to answer him with, "Speak, Lord. I am ready to listen." The idea of speaking directly "with" God is frightening to some, but it is the plan God has for each of us. Notice I did not say it was us speaking directly "to" God, but "with" God. Sometimes we initiate the conversation - at others God does. Either way, it is a conversation. If one party speaks and the other just sits and listens - it is a lecture! If both engage, it is conversation - sometimes filled with good cheer and warm feelings, other times with hurt, sorrow, and the words which express how deeply we need each other. God desires direct and frequent conversation with us, and I am grateful he doesn't stop with the first call! Some of us take a little longer to figure out it is his voice calling us - others will get it on the first try. The good news is that God calls and keeps calling until we finally hear!

At first, God may initiate the conversation a little more than we do - until we become more comfortable with this idea of listening to his voice and hearing his revelation. Little by little, we grow "comfortable" with picking up the conversation right where we left off, anytime and anywhere. I have a good friend who is like that with me - we always just pick up where they left off, like no time has passed at all. God wants this closeness with us - entering into relationship with him isn't for the lazy or half-hearted. In fact, if we look at Samuel again, we see he arose from restful sleep to respond - not once, but three times! That is a pretty amazing thing, considering he was likely a teenager! I don't know about you, but when I finally get asleep - something escaping me as I age - I really like it when I can stay asleep until my rest has been reached. 

When I awaken in the night, one of the first thoughts I have is to turn my attention to listening. Sometimes I only hear the faint whirring of the fan overhead, but at others I hear words of a psalm or song beginning to fill my heart, or the needs of a dear friend or family member beginning to bring me to the place of prayer. Either way, it is in listening that we discover the moment of revelation God intends for us. Maybe God has been calling to you a little more frequently these days and you may not have been as "aware" of the voice you were hearing. Next time you hear it, try doing as Samuel did and saying, "Speak God. I am listening." You might just be surprised what conversation might just ensue in your 'readiness' to listen. Just sayin!

Hey...you there...yeah, you!

Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (I Samuel 3:10)

Wisdom dictates we listen more than we speak - but I have to honestly tell you I don't always do well with that one requirement. Listening is an art - learned not because we really want to learn it, but because if we don't learn how to listen, we will eventually get life pretty much as we like it, but we might just be the only ones left in the picture once we do! I suspect there is much to this listening "art" which many of us have yet to perfect. In fact, learning this "art" of listening requires we not only learn how to "tune into" the voice we hear, but we learn to "recognize" the voice we are hearing. I think many of us hear those "voices" in our heads - hopefully not too many of them - but we don't always know which one is the one we should be listening to. 

If you have ever seen one of those commercials or cartoons where there is a little guy in white on one shoulder and a little guy in black on the other and someone is trying to figure out if which one to listen to, you probably understand what I mean. We hear "sides" to the stories in our head, and then we must determine which "side" we will respond to - we will be 'obedient' to at least one of those voices. There are probably "shades" of white and grey on both sides - not just the lily white and the deep, dark black. It is the "shades" of white and grey which present us with the most difficult challenge of sorting out the voices inside our head. 

Samuel was a young boy, probably in his early teens, or just about to enter his teens. He has been dedicated to the work of the Lord in the Temple, doing daily tasks within the Temple right alongside the priests. One day, he hears a voice call out to him. Thinking it was the priest, he hustles off to see what Eli wants, but it wasn't Eli. Did you ever stop to consider why even the priest didn't recognize the voice Samuel was actually hearing until the same call occurred the third time? The first two times Eli just sends him away, telling him it was not him who called. The third time, it "dawns on" Eli that this might just be God trying to get through to Samuel - to have a personal conversation with him or give him direction for his life! I wonder how many of us are kind of like Eli - just drifting along, getting all kinds of reminders of God desiring to speak with us, and then one day it finally dawns on us that he has been the one speaking to us all along - we just didn't recognize the voice!

Samuel knew he was hearing something - yet he didn't have clarity about what it was he was hearing. In the Old Testament times, the revelation of God's voice came to very few - those anointed to be his spokesperson were often the ones to receive the revelation. Today the voice of God is really something we can ALL hear - since Jesus opened the way for ALL of us to hear God's voice plainly and on an ongoing basis. The purpose of God's voice is to bring revelation - to disclose or uncover something not previously known. It might come in the form of direction, or perhaps as words of specific encouragement. 

There are times when God speaks directly to us to keep us safe - as when he gives us a quick warning which alerts us to pay attention to the traffic when we are drifting a little into daydreaming. It that split second of moving from daydreaming into attentive awareness, we narrowly avoid the collision which could have cost us dearly. Other times, he speaks to build us up or to encourage us to move ahead despite what we see on the outside. It seems he isn't getting through to his kids at times, but he knows he is touching something deep within us which will carry us through our day if we just listen closely. Just sayin! 

Permanent isn't casual

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (I John 4:17-18)

Have you ever found yourself complaining about something that is not permanent in your life just because it gives you a little extra pressure or work or resistance? I think we forget where OUR permanency really is - IN God and therefore, IN a life of LOVE. Truth is, we all have a tendency to have a "semi-permanent" commitment in this Christian walk simply because we cannot seem to settle into what God has declared to be our place of "permanency". Since God lives IN us and we live IN him, we don't "pick up roots" every so often and just wander off into some region of life where the grass looks a little greener! We settle in and honker down in this life. That may mean some winter storms, but it also means some pretty beautiful springtime growth and summer maturity! If we are constantly picking up roots and moving to where life always seems to be a little easier to endure, we miss the "tension" of the "winter season" in our lives. This "tension" almost forces growth - we don't get to the point of desire without a little "tension" being created.

Semi-permanent doesn't really produce the same things as permanent does. I could get a semi-permanent hair color added to my hair to cover over some of my grey strands, but the fact is, the more I wash my hair, the less "permanent" that "added color" really looks! Why? It doesn't change what is at the root. When something is "permanent" it changes what is at the root - you cannot really change grey hair - it will always be gray right down to the root! For us to really see love become the way we live and breathe, we need to take up "permanent residence" in Christ's love - in relationship with him - deep, intimate connection. In other words, we let the roots sink in and we see what "permanent roots" will produce. It soon becomes evident that he puts "in order" the things otherwise "out of order" in our lives. The idea of someone or something "having the run of the house" suggests there is a comfortableness in their presence. When I go into a friend's house, I ask before I look in cabinets to find the water glasses. The second or third time, I may just let them know I am thirsty, and they will direct me to "help myself" since I know where the glasses are stored. In time, the more I visit my friend's house, the more comfortable I get finding things, but this is still not my "permanent residence", so I am still not given the "run of the house" like I am in my own home. The more comfortable we make Jesus in "our bodily home", the more he begins to "have the run of the house". He has the freedom to go where he wants, do what needs to be done, and then enjoy time with the one who is with him "in residence" - us!

Once we allow God permanency in our lives, his love begins to affect us deeper than if we only casually "visit with" him on occasion. Love is free to have its way IN us, so it is free to flow OUT of us. If we find it difficult to "put down roots" in Christ, we probably just haven't experienced his love as deeply as he desires. When we begin to experience his love, especially if we haven't known much love in our lives, we might find it a little difficult to allow anyone to be this "close" to the "real" us. This type of intimacy is a little intimidating at first, but trust me, it is worth the exploration! In determining where, and with whom it is we will commit everything to, we begin to actually feel our roots being affected. As long as we are just casual in our relationship with him, our roots will never have a chance to be challenged by the tension of life. No tension - no growth. You want to see change in your life, set down roots deep into his love. Then allow his love to begin to affect you at the deepest points. Nothing will ever be the same once we determine to "root deeply" in his love. Just sayin!

Settled, Sure, and Sane

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7)

When we are presented with alternatives, we are being given a choice. If you have ever gone into a restaurant with pages and pages of menu items, bound together in a spiral bound book of sorts, you probably have been so frustrated by all the choices you just chose your old "stand by" because you couldn't read through them all before the waitress returned! When the choices are many, the anxiety associated with making the "right" choice is significantly higher than when the choices are simply this or that. At least we stand a 50/50 chance of getting our choice right with the latter example, but with the spiral-bound menu of choices, who knows what the odds might be? There is something to be said about "limiting the choices", isn't there? I don't give small children a litany of choices - I present one or the other. Why? When presented with each choice, they usually want them both - when presented with fifty items, they want them all - but they can only have one! It is much easier to teach right choices when the options are fewer! God knows this, too! So does the enemy of our souls! He knows presenting us with so many choices which baffle our minds is a good place to get us in the middle of a muddle. He likes it when we are in a muddle!

Increased demands are just as befuddling to us as are too many choices! When the demands on our schedules, skills, or services are many, the anxiety associated with the increasing demand increases. If choices and demands can increase our anxiety to fever-pitch, maybe it is time we learn how to collaborate with the only one who can really direct us to the right choice and settle us into a place of inner peace in the midst of the chaos. Learning to shape our choices and stressors into prayers is fundamental to keeping ourselves out of the middle of the muddle. Too many think prayers have to be these elaborate, well-orchestrated, divine sounding, stop all activity, get on your knees kind of words lifted to the heavens. The Lord has heard more "fly-by" prayers from me in my times of increased demand and uncertain choices than I can shake a stick at! If I waited to get down onto my knees, I'd never get things sorted out! All God desires is for us to make our concerns known to him - he doesn't care if it is on the "fly" or on our knees! He just wants the opportunity to connect.


I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the middle of a mess of stress and just asked him to give me guidance - short and sweet. Right there, he begins to settle in around me with his peace and I can focus on what matters, getting direction on how to proceed and then it seems like the stressors get put into the right perspective. When things are in the right perspective - or at least I can see them from that perspective - they look a lot less "anxiety-laden" than they did before! "It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Life happens at a pace we can barely manage sometimes. In those moments of "over-activity" and "increased anxiety", it is good to re-center, re-connect, and re-commit. We change our focus from the increasing demand and innumerable choices toward Christ and his leading in those moments. We take a moment or two to just offer up those prayers and then just listen. We may think we don't have the time to listen but remember this - the amount of time you invest in listening equates to less time in the midst of the muddle. Re-committing is really the outcome of the first two - when we get our focus right and allow our hearts to be connected to the one who knows the answers, the ability to make the choice in front of us or deal with the demand which is the most urgent becomes apparent. Most of the time it only takes a moment to allow the sense of God's wholeness to permeate our inner core and settle us right down. Just sayin!

Is this the right direction?

Are you one of those folks who need to "have it all together" in order to "do life"? I bet you have been pretty disappointed with just how much you find yourself struggling to even get it together in the first place - let alone keeping it together! We constantly limit our potential whenever we think "perfection" is the goal and WE are the ones to actually accomplish this goal! My friends, perfection IS the goal (Christ), but WE are not the ones going to accomplish the goal (salvation and all the "clean up" that comes with it). All we can do is head toward it - Christ is actually the one beckoning us on and he will be the one who gets us over the finish line!

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14)

All Christ expects of us is to get "underway". In nautical terms, when the ship is said to be "under way", it has begun to move. It may not be traveling under its own power or at lightning speed! In fact, in the old days, before we saw the advent of diesel turbines, ships were powered by the elements of nature such as the wind and the flow of the current. It was an external power of wind and current they had to tap into in order to move. It really isn't much different for us - we need an external power to affect us in order to get us "underway". Once that "external" power becomes something we allow to move us, we find we begin to embrace this power as the means by which we make progress in our lives.

It is not the power of suggestion, or even the independence of will-power, getting us across the finish line. It is the external power of Christ brought inward within our lives until it affects us, moving us little by little in the right direction. If you have ever seen a baby learning to walk, it is important for them to have things they can reach out to as they take the next step. If there isn't anything near enough, they won't venture away from what they have in their reach. They toddle back and forth on the object they hold onto, but as soon as they reach the end, they just don't go further. They need the stability of whatever gives them the sense of "standing strong". We need the stability of whatever we think will give us strength and help us to stand strong. As soon as we reach the end of whatever it is we are holding onto, we just freeze. What we often fail to see is the hand reaching out to us to beckon us forward - to take the step of faith we need to take in order to reach the next phase in our lives. As long as we hold tightly to what gives us "anchor" we won't ever be able to "get underway". This is why it is important to look at what might be anchoring us in the present position we occupy. It could be fear - or even pride. Either way, neither of these will help us reach our destination.

These religious pursuits some of us have only anchored us into a life of futility - walking back and forth across the same path, unwilling to let go of what gives us anchor. Religion is just like that - it gives us anchor, but to the wrong stuff! It anchors us to what we can do ourselves and doesn't stretch us beyond our capacity, nor does it build our faith. It isn't until we are willing to let go of our hold on religion and enter into the freedom of relationship that we recognize we are finally "underway". Nothing puts more "wind in our sail" than relationship - nothing anchors us right where we are more than religion. All religion can do is keep us focused on the rules and develop frustration inwardly each time we don't adhere to those rules the way we should. What relationship can do is to begin to lighten the load - so we can finally get underway! Religion is us working our way TO God; relationship is God working his way TO us. If we are to make any positive movement, we have to let go of the things we have held so tightly to and stretch for the hand just in front of us. It isn't the lack of movement on our part which gets us bogged down - it is the lack of movement in the right direction! Just sayin!

Start small and see the bigness of God

Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. 

(George Eliot)

It was Eliot who reminded us, "Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." Small things add up, don't they? We may not see the effect of one small action today, but in the far off 'tomorrows' that one action may mushroom into a far greater outcome than we ever thought possible.

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

We can grow weary in doing good at times. We plug along, taking all the right steps, doing all the right things, being as 'right' as we are able to be each and every day. Fatigue in 'doing' is natural - we get tired when we are active. Yet, contrary to what we might imagine, it is that action that actually keeps our bodies healthy. Might it just be that 'good actions' in a spiritual sense are also making us 'healthier' spiritually?

Work for the benefit of all - not just the benefit of one. This is a hard concept for some, as all they can think about is how the actions will benefit themselves. They find it hard to see beyond their own needs and wants. Unfortunately, if that is the case, they will often grow wearier and weaker. Why? God intends for us to look beyond our own needs, seeing the needs of others, taking action to meet those needs with whatever means we have at our disposal. 

It may be an extension of our time or talent. It matters not that you don't have money - give your time, energies, and abilities to another and God will bless what you have given. Do you know what I have discovered? When I give my time, energies, and abilities to another, God actually gives me greater energy than I expended. Sure, I get tired in 'doing right', but it is in doing that we are built up for the next thing we are called to do. So 'don't grow weary in well-doing' - for God's blessing awaits you at the end of that doing. Just sayin!

What if?

Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. (Isaiah 55:6)

"When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice." (William James) We are all broken people - all of us have our weaknesses and we all make mistakes. We all need to make the one supreme choice - will we serve self or Jesus? Seek God while he's here to be found - while he is close at hand, cry out. If we want healing in this world, we all need to abandon our desire to live by our own set of rules. Seek - go in search of; question so as to obtain; go to that place where you can meet a holy God. Where is that place? At the feet of Jesus. There is no other way to God except through trust in the one and only Son of God - Jesus.

Lavish with forgiveness - think about the immense love of God and you will be brought to your knees time and time again. His love is unending and undeserved. It seeks even when we don't. His power is greater than any of what we deem to be our enemies. His grace is deeper than any depth of the pit we can dig for ourselves in pursuit of selfish ambition. Our deepest pain is not beyond his healing touch. But...we must seek him - seek his grace, be open to his healing, and be willing to be lifted from that pit. When something is 'lavished', it is given in great amounts - without limit. God's forgiveness is without limits - it is given and given and given again. The seeker finds unrelenting grace at the foot of the cross.

You have a choice to make - accept the love and grace of God or reject it - you must choose wisely. To walk away from the lavish grace and love of God is kind of foolish, isn't it? Given without measure to those who don't even know how desperately they are in need of it. Making a choice is simple, but we complicate it with our 'what if' scenarios. What if God asks me to leave...? What if he asks me to give up...? What if God says I need to...? What if the path takes me a different way than...? What if...the two most dangerous words in our vocabulary that we could utter when faced with the choice to say 'yes' to Jesus. I have one more 'what if' I'd like you to consider today: What if you don't say "yes"? Just askin?

Are you a little 'unstable'?

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." (William James) It was Mr. James who also reminded us that one can alter our life by altering our attitude. Attitude can range from pretty positive to absolutely negative and everything in between. We can be consistent until our attitude gets a little tweaked over something and then we just let things go awry. We can commit when we are soaring high, but as soon as things get tough, our attitude toward our commitments can turn pretty negative. Amazingly, attitude can determine what we spend our time doing - what we invest ourselves in the most. If we are use our life well, we are to spend it on something that will yield good results and our attitude can go a long, long way in helping us to realize that goal.

Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. (Proverbs 27:1)

Maybe we have been going through life thinking we will always have a tomorrow, then when things hit us that we didn't expect, it throws our plans all out of whack. We get a negative attitude because OUR plans were interrupted - interference is most commonly viewed as 'negative' and sometimes even crippling. If we rely upon our feelings to determine our attitude for each day, we will be sorely defeated in a very short amount of time. As we have discussed many times, feelings are a bit too 'fickle' to rely upon. Our attitude is likely to change, especially due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; it becomes casually changeable - where our attitude goes, so go we!

How is it we can maintain the right attitude, so we aren't so easily swayed by the instability of our emotions? I think the easiest answer to this is to be consistently in God's Word and to allow his Holy Spirit to guide us into the understanding of that Word. When we allow the Word of God to begin to guide our lives rather than the emotion of the moment, we might just realize a more 'stable' attitude. Why do we struggle with taking God's Word into our lives? It is likely that we haven't really asked God to open it up to us - to reveal himself to us through his Word. As I walk each morning, I ask God to reveal his plan for my day - I have one, but I want to be sure I am within his as I pursue the passing hours. As I sit to study each morning, I ask for guidance to the passage that will speak into my life - I can read volumes from scripture and still feel as though I received nothing from it. 

It isn't the volumes we consume as much as the frame of mind we assume. When we humble ourselves to sit at his feet, listen to his voice, and hear his Word spoken to us, we begin to see our attitude is affected. Maybe not totally at first, but the more we settle into this place of meeting with him in consistency, the more we begin to see the peace of God settle our unstable emotions. Our feelings become less and less likely to guide our steps, and our attitude is less 'labile'. As the Holy Spirit begins to place little checks and balances in our lives, we must heed them. As we do, we find our plans align more and more closely with God's. That in and of itself is enough to bring the greatest attitude adjustment we could ever want. Just sayin!

A life healed and whole

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole. (I Peter 1:3)

This was one of those verses I'd remind mom of anytime she'd worry over her many aches and tremendously haunting neuropathic pain. We'd just sit for a bit and imagine her walking upright, without pain, able to see perfectly once again. She had a hard time imagining it, but she held onto that promise time and time again - life healed and whole. Sometimes all we have is the hope - we cannot let go of it no matter how long the answer may be delayed - because the day is surely coming! I don't know what you delay may be, but trust me on this one, the day is coming!

Too many times we think the 'future' begins at some point in the distant 'future', but as God reminds us - the future starts now. God's plans for us may not be at the point of fruition yet, but if we hold onto the promise of his purpose in our lives, we won't be disappointed. His plans will always come to pass - hold on. Whenever I feel like my 'hopes' are dipping a bit, I remind myself how blessed I am to have a God who loves me enough to fulfill his promises. I also remind myself that timing is everything - God's timing is way more important than mine. I may not see the things I am hoping for as evident right now, but is that any reason to doubt his plan? No, in fact it is a reason to ask God to help me continue to have my faith built up, made solid and sure, leaning heavily upon his arms as I wait.

Plans don't just 'happen' - they unfold. That is the nature of a plan - it is laid out, orchestrated, then put into action. I don't plan a vacation by just getting on the road and heading somewhere, who knows where. I plan the lodging, route to take, things I might do while there or along the way. Then I know the day I will leave, but I don't settle on the time to leave until closer to that day. I plan my wardrobe based on the weather forecast for that time away, but don't pack until the day before the trip. Plans in our real, ordinary, everyday life unfold - little by little. Why would we think God's plans would be any different? The future begins now, but the culmination of the thing we hope for so much may take some orchestration by God - and that takes time. Time for us to be ready. Time for the things that need to be put in place around us to be complete. Time - the four-letter word we have the hardest time reconciling! No matter the timing, a life healed and whole is my goal. How about you? Just askin...

The God of Compassion

For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, my love won’t walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart. The God who has compassion on you says so. (Isaiah 54:10)

I actually heard this passage today on my walk. No, God didn't shout it down from the skies above - it was part of a devotional I was listening to online. My love won't walk away from you - take notice of those words because they speak volumes in uncertain times. God's love, intense and grace-filled, will not walk AWAY from you. In fact, his love walks TOWARD you even when you are walking away from him!

We serve a God of compassion - for compassion is the basis of grace. We get what we do not deserve - not because we earned it, but because his compassion makes a way for us to receive it. The way? Christ Jesus. The amount of his compassion that would make such a way? The life of his Son, Jesus. To whom is this compassion given? You and me.

God's covenant commitment to his children remains solid even when everything else around us seems to be 'hitting the fan'. We observe gas prices soaring higher and higher. Grocery budgets are blown with the higher price of food items at the store. Natural disaster after disaster leaves devastation and insurmountable clean up in their paths. How can we still have solid footing when all else seems to be crumbling around us?

Remember his compassion - it reaches into the darkest of places on brings the boldest of lights. It softens the hardest of hearts and opens the minds of those who say he cannot be real. It indulges the dreams of the young and imparts the wisdom of the aged. It creates where only dust and ashes remain. It answers when spoken to and calls out when we fail to listen. His compassion will never fail us. It will never leave us. Trust his love to be your strength, even when all else seems to be against you at the moment. He won't abandon ANY of his children in their time of distress. Just sayin!

Traveling well

Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)

Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk. (Psalm 25:4)

Which path have you taken - the one less traveled by, or the one that has been traveled well? It is fine to follow a well-worn path for a period of time, but it could just be the 'wear and tear' of that path is greater than your life can handle. The one less traveled by may be a little scarier at times, but I have found the discoveries along it are greater than I could have ever imagined.

There is a 'right road' for us to travel - it is seldom the easiest, nor is it the most 'frequented' by the masses. Does it make us 'odd' for choosing that path? No, it might just mean we are a little more 'intimidated' by the one everyone is taking than we are when we step onto the one that is marked with 'faith markers' all along the way. Why do I call them faith markers? There will be much faith required to take the path because it might not be as 'well-defined' as the other path.

While it is not 'well-defined' on maps and charts, it is 'well-marked' by these 'faith-markers'. God will meet us at each and every one of those 'faith-markers' as we travel this path. In those meetings with him, we find there comes this process some call 'sanctification' - but I shall refer to it as being set right so we can walk right. In meeting with him along each leg of the path, we find he challenges our beliefs, thereby increasing our faith. He opens some doors, leaving others closed, thereby bringing assurance we are on the right path.

I cannot say I have always been consistently following this path 'not well traveled by' throughout my days, but I have chosen it much more than I have the well-traveled one. Sometimes it seems like I am traveling it alone, but even within the solitude of these travels, I am joined at various junctures by others who have chosen this path, as well. We bolster each other and continue our walk. Along the way, we learn from each other, encourage one another, and help each other remain consistent in following the path. We may not be on the 'well-traveled' one, but we are 'traveling well'! Just sayin!

Is that tug in the right direction?

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-10)

What does it mean to 'learn to love appropriately'? If we follow what Paul is teaching here, we will realize reliance upon feelings is not good. We need to 'test' those feelings - making sure they are leading us into actions that are wholesome, upright, and on track with how God would love. If they aren't leading us in that direction, they need to be rejected or refocused. Sometimes we rely heavily upon how we 'feel' toward another person or a situation, but then find ourselves not 'feeling good' when the interaction doesn't go well, or the circumstances seem to change. What we didn't do was combine our heartfelt 'feelings' with the things we have come to 'know' about God in our minds. Heart AND mind need to be on the same page. 

True or 'exemplary' love is able to distinguish between right and wrong pretty well. Why? There is a determination of heart and mind to listen intently to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives - not acting out of selfish ambition, stubborn pride, or foolish interest. Learning to love 'appropriately' begins with learning which emotions (feelings) can be trusted and which ones need to be rejected. We don't do this on our own, but by the power of the Spirit of God that lives within us. He helps us 'sort out' those things in our mind and emotions that can get us caught up in all kinds of silly pursuits. It gives us stability even when there is a 'heart tug' to do something we know might not be all that 'good' for us. It is these 'heart tugs' in the wrong direction that God is really trying to get us to see, my friends. It isn't that he says we cannot have emotions (feelings), but that there needs to be a continual submission of those emotions to truth in the Word of God, the wisdom and direction of the Spirit of God who indwells us, and the past lessons we have learned when we have gone both the right way with our choices. 

Love is a growing thing - so if we want to be good examples of God's grace on this earth, we need to manifest that grace through love. Exemplary love, in fact. Tall order, I know, but one I am certain God will 'back up' with all the weight of heaven behind us when we get this 'testing of our emotions' thing down pat. Just sayin!

Toward the Sunrise

This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is. (John 3:20-21)

A crisis is a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined - some call this a turning point. It can represent a condition of instability or danger, leading to a decisive change - not always for the best. Equally so, it can represent one of those events where there is a lot of dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life - leaving one to sort out the pieces when all is said and done. When a person is not interested in pleasing God, their entire life may seem like one crisis right after another - barely bailing out of one and stepping into another. Darkness is like that - you stumble around a lot, not sure of where you are going, and doing a pretty poor job of avoiding all the obstacles in your path.

We can observe all manner of folk around us who are 'addicted to denial and illusion' - believing whatever the 'fad of the day' is at the moment. Their illusions are fed by the media - their denial is spurred on by all manner of imaginary belief formed on nothing more than opinion. They could be what some refer to as 'naysayers' - never having a good word to say about anything. It is quite possible they are well enough educated, just 'dumb' where it comes to the things we call 'spiritual'. They need to understand, or they will not believe, but spiritual things are not always easily understood. What a way to go through life! I don't want to see the dark side of things, much less experience them! I want the light to show me how to live, where my thoughts aren't quite right, and what choices I should make. I don't want to live from one crisis to another - how about you?

When you reject light, you are left 'running for the darkness'. I do just the opposite - I run for the light, fleeing the darkness whenever I can. I like to walk early in the morning as the sun is coming up, but as the fall and winter season is upon us, the sunrise comes a wee bit later each new day. That means I may start my walk in a bit of darkness, but I head toward the sunrise so the light will be upon me, leading my steps as I go. It is like that when we say 'yes' to Jesus - we leave darkness behind and begin to walk into the light. We begin to see our path illuminated by that 'spiritual light' and as we take each step, it is more certain, solid, and taken with conviction. If I ever take a step that is without conviction, I usually know it is away from the light, not toward it! Just sayin!

A spiritually symbiotic relationship

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14)

Trying to understand God with your earthly intelligence? Won't work! God isn't meant to be known by our earthly intelligence, but by our spiritual 'self' communing with his Spirit. Open communion - meaning open and honest two-way conversation. Not just us telling God what we need, how he needs to work in our lives, and what he should be doing for others, but us actually listening intently for what he wants to reveal to us in those times of communion. I walk each day and see all kinds of things that make me think about him. Nature has a way of revealing God in wonderous ways, but as I walk, I see others, head hung down, looking a little worried or deep in thought. I can lift up a quick prayer for them. I pass the fire department doors and pray for their safety on each call of the day - strength for what they face, security for their families, and rest for their sometimes very weary bodies. We all have the ability for two-way conversation, but when we are open to what God wants us to be thinking on as we are sharing that communion with him, we might just see things we have sometimes missed. I walk with earbuds in, Christian worship both elevating my spirit and drawing me into the presence of God. It isn't that I am blocking out the world - I am inviting God into mine.

  

I like the part of this passage that reminds us we cannot be judged by unspiritual critics. If you have ever lived with the concern about others 'judging' you for your walk with Christ, making a bit of fun for your choice to live a little bit 'holier' than they do, you know what it is like to be criticized by the 'unspiritual critic'. God reminds us we CANNOT be judged by those critics - their 'judgment' holds absolutely no weight in his eyes. Christ knows what is behind our outside appearance - every choice we make and why we make it. He knows our motivation and our even our discouragement. Try as others might, they cannot destroy this closeness we hold with Jesus. He is part of us, and we are part of him - it is a symbiotic relationship on more than a physical plane as symbiosis would suggest - it is a spiritual symbiosis. We have Christ's Spirit indwelling ours - bringing us into a closeness that can be both felt and known, but not with our earthly intelligence. It is more like a 'spiritual intelligence' - the mind of Christ helping us to see how he moves, what he desires, and where we need his help in our lives. It is time to stop listening to the 'unspiritual critics' in your life. It is time we remember that we are indwelt with the Spirit of Christ and nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from his love and protection. Just sayin!

Time for a little relaxation

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:33)

Everyday human concerns - we all have those, don't we? What to eat for dinner tonight - what to wear to that upcoming special event - where to get our car repairs done so you don't get ripped off by some untrustworthy mechanic - common human concerns. We spend so much time with the everyday human concerns that we sometimes miss the very important message that they ALL have already been met! The best move we can make when these concerns surface is just 'relax' into Jesus - he has it all under control. 

That doesn't mean the dress will magically appear in our closet, or that there will be blinking neon lights telling us this is the mechanic we should use, but it does mean we don't have to fret over these things. God will help us sort all of them out - when we relax and find our direction in him. Fussing over things - no matter what they are - isn't going to make them come faster or be any better than when he provides as he will provide.

Sometimes we are so preoccupied with the 'everyday stuff' that we forget God in the mix of all that preoccupation. We forget he is with us. We forget he goes before us. We forget he hears us even before we cry out. Why? Where there is preoccupation, there is no room for occupation! We need to rid ourselves of all that 'preoccupies' the space in our lives that he desires to indwell. When we are finally 'empty' of what preoccupies us, he is free to bring his peace and relaxation into our lives.

Fret if you must, but I have come to realize it matters very little - I have wasted precious time fretting. I have filled my life with useless actions, all in the name of 'everyday human concerns', only to find there will be tons more tomorrow. Worry isn't going to make the answer come quicker. Relaxing into Jesus just might bring what we don't expect, when we least expected it. Relaxing into Jesus is really just a way of showing him how much we rely upon him. Just sayin!

Missed it...

Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised. His coming will not be delayed much longer. And those whose faith has made them good in God’s sight must live by faith, trusting him in everything. Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them. (Hebrews 10:35-38)

My BFF told me some prognosticators predicted some major solar flare taking out earth and the end of the world coming about a week ago. In case you haven't figured it out, it didn't happen! We are still here, and life goes on. They totally missed it! There have been these 'predictors' of the world's end for as long as I can remember - people who think they know the day and the hour when all will go up in a puff of smoke. Truth be told, no one but God himself knows when he will send his Son back to earth and things as we know it today 'come to an end'. It doesn't mean we all go up in a puff of smoke, but there will be a change in 'rulership' over this earth. Satan and his gang of thieves will be bound up, cast into the Lake of Fire, never to heard from again. Christ will rule and those who have said a resounding 'yes' to his rule in their lives will rule right alongside him. Until that time comes, we press on, doing what we know to do, celebrating his goodness, and sharing this faith we have been given. 

Do God's will and let him take care of the rest. This is kind of like a life's motto for me. I could go through life fretting about this and that - all things that are clearly out of my control or even my circle of influence. There would be no sense in living that way, though, for God has ordained that his children live in peace, obedience, and surrender to his will. That is the best any of us can do as we await his return. God's kiddos aren't to live in fear, but to live victorious lives. Where his presence reigns, his peace is felt. Live by faith, feeling his goodness all around you - this is how we are to live. To fear the unknown is silly, for God is in control of even the unknown. To fear the present evil around us is worthless, for God isn't about to let one of his kiddos be overtaken by evil. Can his kiddos experience bad stuff? Yes, but it doesn't change who they are in Christ Jesus. They are power-filled, peace-indwelt, grace-embraced individuals who are cared for by the Creator God himself.

The last verse of this chapter of Hebrews: "But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way." Words to live by - stick with it - stay the course - be on the path God has called you to walk. Do what he has called you to do. Be who he has made you to be. Don't quit just because the times are hard. Trust him in all things, with all things, and though all things. Those prognosticators of doom have nothing on you when you do. Just sayin!