In it, but not captive to it

When asked what some of my favorite passages are in the Bible, I generally reference the people or writers I connect with for some reason. For me, the Pauline epistles and the Book of Proverbs are probably some of my most 'frequented' reading. I have found much that I connect with when studying the life of David and have learned much about how to connect with the heart of God through simple, honest sharing of my heart as he did. I have to say that the Pauline epistles speak to me about how we should live, treat others, and the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Regardless of where you find your greatest connection in the Word, the most important thing is that the Word is taken in regularly, meditated upon with much thought, and allowed to change you from the inside out. That is what God intended by giving us such a magnificent book - the Bible.

This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5)

Paul never flaunted his ministry position as the 'pastor' to the Gentile church, but on occasion, we find him telling us how he came to be in that position and that he was called to encourage believers to live as they were called to live, fulfilling their 'position' in Christ Jesus. All we do is for the 'building up' of other believers - encouraging them to come into faith in Christ and then helping them to learn to walk out this faith on a daily basis. Paul's writings always point us to the finished work of the cross and all that was accomplished by Christ's life, death, and resurrection. The purpose of the cross was always redemption - to deliver us from all the evil in this world. The words of his letters still resonate with the present situation we face today, evil abounding all around us. As Paul opens this letter to the Galatians, he wants them to know Christ's death brought about the power to transform us even though evil still exists all around us.

It is the transformational power of the cross - of us saying "YES" to Jesus and then choosing to live a life of obedience to the principles contained within the Word of God - this is what overcomes evil around us. It also overcomes the evil within us. We no longer find ourselves giving into temptations that we once might have pursued with a passion - all because the finished work of the cross made it possible for us to realize an inner transformation. By faith, we are made anew in Christ Jesus. We might not ever feel like the 'pull' toward sin is fully gone, but the longer we pursue the truth God gives us and allow it to transform us, the less appeal those things will have. We will indeed find ourselves rescued from this evil world in which we live. We may not be 'gone' from it yet, but we aren't held captive by it any longer! Just sayin!

Ready to do life?

 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

How do we begin to make the most of the opportunities in front of us? It might just begin the moment we take time to think through our decisions. We all make flash decisions, but that should not be our primary way of living. We need the time to bring our day before the Lord and listen to what he says to us. In the church, this is called our quiet time, but in my life, I call it my planning time. Why? It is when I take my day to him, gaining his perspective on what should have priority and what should not. It includes time in his Word and sufficient time to actually think upon it. It involves prayer - discussion with God. Maybe the most important thing is the time I take to listen, so I don't go off my own way and do things without reason or outside of his timing.

We 'take care' in how we live when we put Christ first in our day. A fool has no time to get God's perspective, but plunges ahead without much thought. The more we learn to stop and just listen, the less we will make rash or foolish decisions. There will be less missed or bungled opportunities. Have you ever been outside of God's timing? No matter how well-intentioned you may have been, you bungled the opportunity because it wasn't the right timing. We don't overcome temptation in our lives without a plan to deal with it when it raises. Do you think God tells me HOW I will be tempted each day? No, but when I have committed the day to him and sought his will for my day, I stand a better chance of recognizing it when it comes. That point of recognition is important because it is the beginning of resisting it. 

We all get ahead of ourselves some of the time, but a pattern of living like this all of the time is not healthy for us emotionally and spiritually. We must learn to take care - allowing God to connect with us before we rush off to 'do life'. When we do, we will find our decisions are ordered and our actions yield better results. Just saying!

What's at the root of this chaos?

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. (James 3:13-16)

An honorable life is not always that easy to live, especially when we are surrounded by so many choices that feed our pride. Pride has a 'second-cousin' of sorts...jealousy. These types of struggles are real and we do a great deal to cover them up because we don't like it when others see our second-cousin struggles. We forget it is easier to ask God to deal with them than it is to find a suitable mask to cover them up!

Why do we go to so much trouble to cover up jealousy and selfishness? It is probably because we feel the 'ugliness' of those sins deep within our soul. These are not superficial sins, but rather deep-seated sins that have very deep roots. We even try to cover them up with other sins, such as boasting and lying. The presence of jealousy and selfish ambition brings about more schisms in families, workplaces, and communities than we may imagine. They disturb the ability to relate to one another in love.

We find a jealous person tries hard to get what he should not ever possess, for soon what he strives to possess will become the object of his affection and that doesn't leave room for God to be his pursuit. James go so far as to say the pursuit of things out of jealousy or pride is actually like the work of our worst enemy...Satan. Jealousy leads to lust for what we don't really need, eliminating the drive to move toward what we do actually need. No wonder these two sins lead to so much disorder and evil!

We may not see our sin, but others will. Jealousy and selfish ambition are never fully disguised and they wound others in our path, not just ourselves. If there is any hope of overcoming these obnoxious sins, it is in entering into Christ's forgiveness and grace. We enter into truth and truth begins the work of unmasking our sin. As the mask comes off, love begins to do the deeper work of uprooting the nastiness of being so self-focused that we act out of pride. God doesn't just ask for the mask to be removed...he works within us until there is no need for it any longer. Just saying!

At the gate?

You can find lessons in the weirdest things or at the most unlikely spots in life. It helps us connect-the-dots spiritually to receive an object lesson. Imagine a gate that opens up for you to pass through that puts you in a cue in a long line where you are committing to stay in the line for as long as it takes because there is no other way out. One way in, one way out - no skirting the line, no turning around. It speaks of the way we enter into sin in our lives - there is some kind of gate which reminds us we are passing through into some place we may not want to be for very long, but when we do, we are there for the long haul!

Don’t blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn’t use evil to tempt others. We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead. (James 1:13-15)
 
All temptation comes with a stopping spot before we enter fully into sin. Just like the gate, there is some form of "barrier" which stands between us and sin. You see the gate, go through it and then your are following a path of your choosing. You have a moment to go the other way, but you have to choose to do so BEFORE you enter the gate. There is that moment of decision OUTSIDE of sin's full action. It is what we do at that moment that makes all the difference in what we experience after that! Once we enter into the "experience" of sin, there is no going back. Sin has a cycle. We enter into a circle of sin that takes us places where we will have to make more decisions, pay an even greater price, and then the emotional turmoil of having to go "through" what we entered into begins. Sometimes we don't have a whole lot of time to decide on which "line" will be the best one for us. Quick decisions often don't "pay off" as we might have hoped. 

There is an element of the unknown in every temptation, because we cannot know how things will "play out" since we are not fully in control when we give into sin's enticement. All of life's temptations are really designed to produce some type of "test result". We might pass some of them, but there is always the chance we will not do as well on others! Sin has a way of taking over our lives. Sin has a way of taking control of what we may not want to just "hand over" to just anybody. I don't know about you, but moving out of the driver's seat makes me feel a little like I am losing control. Temptation lures us in - desires and passions drive us forward - and eventually we find ourselves out of control entirely!

Sin gets inside our heads and messes with our thoughts. We don't always know we are being "tapped into", but trust me, sin has a thought process we cannot dismiss - it gets inside us and we find ourselves "fully committed" at some point. Satan cannot read our minds, but we certainly do "tell" him a lot by the way we respond and the stories we "tell" ourselves! The last thing I want to remind us of is the cost of sin. Sin is never free! Once we commit to the path of sin, there is a cost we will pay to escape the clutches of sin. Although it may not seem significant in the short run, in the long run it all adds up! So, if we want to avoid the trap of sin, it begins before we even get to the gate. Once "inside" the cycle of sin, we ride it out - but we rarely come through without some cost to ourselves. Just sayin!

Trials and Suffering, Oh my!

 Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. (Helen Keller)

We might desire all of life to be ease and quiet, but then we are living with unreasonable expectations. Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We will have many trials - not just a few. We may not face all of them with strength, but we can learn strength in the midst of them. It is important to remember there is no temptation 'unique' to any man - we all have faced a similar temptation at one time or another. What we might find 'unique' is that we all learn different things from trials that are quite similar. Why? God is developing some strength within us that will not only benefit ourselves, but will be a means of helping another develop strength, too.

Character is something developed when the mind learns to be at peace and the heart learns to be at rest. We don't learn this in the absence of trials - we learn it in the midst of them. Our character is a way of describing those unique qualities that set us apart from another, but it is also important to note that Jesus wanted us to take on his character. We are to develop in a loving servant's heart - taking the truth he gives to each of us and using what we have learned to influence this world and to encourage one another as we face life's challenges. Have all the lessons I have learned in this lifetime always come from good, God-fearing believers? Not hardly! Some of the best lessons I have learned have been from those who have failed miserably - their failure leaving a life-long influence in my life making me determined not to follow in their footsteps. 

We all want to be defined as men or women of 'good character', but we don't always make the choices that exhibit the best of moral or ethical standards, do we? Sometimes we just get a little too selfish or stubborn and go our own way. When we do, our 'character' may become a little 'tarnished', but take heart - Jesus stands at the ready to help bring beauty where only ashes remain. As others see how God can take even our worst failures and turn them into lessons that develop good character in us, they will be encouraged. Why? They might just come to the conclusion that God can do something similar in their lives, helping them put behind the things that didn't produce the best of character and move toward the things that will. Just sayin!

Not another opinion!

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.(I Peter 3:8)

One mind is hard to get your mind wrapped around, isn't it? We all have an opinion, and some may come close to what yours is, but does it match perfectly? Not always. In fact, there are more opinions in this world than there is truth! What does it mean to sympathize with each other? I believe we need to see things through each other's eyes in order for us to 'come into one mind'. It is never going to happen that we see things perfectly as the other person does, but we can come into a place where we don't compromise truth and that is when we become of one mind.

The outcome of being united in truth is that love flows freely - there is an outpouring of the grace and goodness God has given us. I have one brother and sister, but I have 'many' in the family of God that are my brothers and sisters. Truth should never be compromised, but if we don't keep it ever before us, we can allow the things of this world to counteract any opinion that we hold. We need to study truth, allowing it to influence our every thought, countering every held opinion that doesn't align with the Word of God. When we do, we enter into 'community' and 'family'.

As we begin to relate within community, we also begin to see our attitudes toward things changes - but only to the degree we embrace truth and allow it to influence our hearts. The heart is influenced by the thoughts we mull over time and time again. Isn't it a good thing to 'mull over' scripture - allowing truth to invade each and every aspect of our heart? Tenderhearted people aren't born that way - they allow the Word of God to influence them over and over again until the hardness of heart no longer exists. When opinion becomes less and less important, we will find it easier to resist the tendency to be prideful.

We might find it easier to 'get along' with our family if we let go of some of the long held opinions that are contrary to the Word of God. Just sayin!

I need a bit of peace here

 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

I imagine one of the hardest things we can 'learn' in life is the act of trusting when you aren't too sure what is going on around or within you. Some of our worries and anxieties are because there are numerous external forces at work that we see, but may not fully understand. At others, our worries are much more 'covert' - we 'feel' them, but we don't have a clue why they are there. These can be a result of circumstances, but they can also be a result of some internal conflict that is putting our emotions through their paces.

How does one get to the place of 'not worrying' when life seems to be creating chaos, or our emotions are in a muddle? If you are like me, your first inclination may be to withdraw a bit in the midst of emotional chaos - choosing a place of solitude until you can get through the turmoil. I find myself sending up a few quick words of prayer, seeking God's wisdom to recognize the source of my worries, and then I just listen. That may seem a bit passive to you, but God never fails to bring peace when I 'settle in' to his presence and just let him have his way.

His peace is a great guard over our hearts - this means our emotions don't have to run amuck in our lives. We can go to him, drawing close through prayer, praise, and recalling his Word, then just listen to hear his stillness 'speak' into our lives. God's voice is 'still' and it is powerful. We must not circumvent this stillness - it has more power than any amount of 'busyness' we can put ourselves through in order to 'escape' our emotions and worries. If we desire peace, we find it in him. If we want power, it is never in the things we sheme to do to counter our worries - it is found in the stillness of his presence and the 'refilling' of our lives with his love, joy, and absolute peace. Just sayin!

The past has a loud voice

 One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present. (Golda Meir)

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:21-23)

We have many choices in this life, but there is no greater one than choosing to leave our old way of doing things behind and choosing to live by the grace and love of God within our lives. We may attempt to erase the past, but we oftentimes find it hard to 'get past' what we have done, guilt and even shame haunting us about some of the decisions we have made. The one thing we can never forget is that God is all about new beginnings. We may have chosen unwisely in the past, but we don't need to make those same choices today.

When we really 'hear' the truth, we also begin to 'learn' it. Hearing is the beginning of all change - in time, the more we choose to make those 'right choices' we have been learning while under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, the more we will find those things within our past have absolutely no room in our present. We cannot 'erase' it, but God can take the many leftover parts of our past - memories, scars, and even losses - and turn them into such magnificent things in our present. We cannot allow the past to rob us of our present, but sometimes our past has great lessons we can take along with us as we walk in the 'here and now' with Christ.

As we 'hear' and 'learn', we come into a place of trusting God with those 'past mistakes and regrets'. We may still bear the scars of those choices, but God has a way of turning what we may deem to be ugly and regrettable into something of beauty and purpose. While we struggle to find the purpose in it, he does not. How is trust like this developed? In our daily times with him, discovering his truth within the Word of God, and in times of listening. One of our greatest challenges can be in choosing to listen to what he says about our past and what our past continues to tell us about ourselves within our memories. Just sayin!

Care Instructions

I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:3-4)

We all have those moments when we are just incapable of holding up any longer - we need someone to care for us because we have given all we can manage, needing God's help to make it any further. This is not a bad thing to realize - we all need him to carry us through. We might struggle through out of sheer bullheadedness, but if you have tried that one, you know just how overwhelming the experience really is. If you look into my life, you will find that I have done things under my own willpower and self-effort on occasion, but things never ended up being as good as they could have been if I would have just let God help me with it.

Who better to care for us than the one who actually made us? He knows how we will approach the issue at hand, right down to how we will perceive it - as a threat or a blessing. He knows what sends us hurdling down a rocky path and what keeps us on the straight and narrow. To put it in pretty plain vernacular - he knows what makes us tick. It should give us some encouragement to know he will care for us all the days of our lives - from the time we are conceived till the day we breathe our last - then on into eternity with him. 

Look again at our passage - he will carry you along. That doesn't leave any room for stagnation in our walk, does it? Maybe when we 'lack propulsion' in our walk we need a gentle nudge from him to get us going again. The need to be 'carried' doesn't indicate weakness - it shows our dependence upon him. We might not even realize he is carrying us at some points, but as we look back at where we were, what we went through, and where we stand today, we might just see his 'carrying' more than we realized while 'going through' whatever it was.

God doesn't make a show about carrying us. He often does it without us even being aware his hands have bolstered us, lifting us when we were about to fall, and protecting us from things unseen that could have harmed us if we stumbled into them without his care. He made us - he will care for us. If you are feeling a bit like no one is on your side today, take heart. God may not always 'feel present', but he is always present. As they say it in theological terms, he is 'omnipresent'. He is also 'omniscient' - all-knowing. Whatever you are going through today, he knows your circumstances, has made a way through them, and will be right there to take that weight upon his shoulders. You just need to give it over to him and allow him to carry it (and you) through. Just sayin!

Walls or No Walls?

We all chose a place to live. Some might have chosen to dwell in large homes in big cities, or in smaller homes in the suburbs, while others chose a remote location with lots of land around them. Where we 'dwell' indicates a choice of where we want to live. Does our 'dwelling' provide us with protection? Most of the time, it does - from cold or heat, rain or wind. There are times when we need a 'solace' - a place to go where we feel safe, secure, and able to find rest. The 'relief' we find within the walls of our homes is something akin to the 'relief' we find when we choose to dwell in the shelter of God Almighty. Not only do we find 'relief' from the things that bring us discomfort, but we also find a place to share our most 'intimate' of thoughts, dreadful fears, and deepest of needs. To 'dwell', one must make a choice - to live 'within' those 'walls of safety and protection'.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (Psalm 91:1-2)

Does every person receive God's protection? This is a hard question, but if we examine scripture closely, we will see that the decision to 'dwell' in the presence of God Almighty is the only way to enjoy his protection. We can choose to dwell 'in him' or we can decide we like the dwelling of the world just a bit better. The choice will always be ours - God never forces us into this dwelling place. We each make a choice where we will 'live' in a physical sense, but we also make a choice where we will live in a 'spiritual' sense. When we choose to dwell in the Kingdom of God, we choose to submit to his authority and live by his guidance. Some will say the 'rules of the house' are too cumbersome or restrictive when choosing to live in God's dwelling, but to choose to live by the 'rules of the world' is a much more 'restrictive' option. We may not see the 'restrictiveness' of Satan's rule, but the contrast between the two 'dwellings' is significant.

In God's dwelling, we find peace and comfort. In Satan's, we find unrest spurred on by the pride that seeks to outpace the person next to you and a definite lack of true, lasting joy or peace. In God's dwelling, we find we never walk alone, while Satan makes no such assurances. In God's dwelling, we walk with companions who have our best in mind, while in the world we have much competition. We might think living in this world is really awesome until we realize we are doing it in our own power, on our own merits, and without anyone really helping us to succeed. The way might seem easier, but choosing to live in obedience to God brings us much more than this world will ever offer. Satan's world offers no walls of protection - but God's dwelling is impenetrable!

God's dwelling is filled with love, but we won't feel 'comfortable' with that love until we have made a choice to fully 'dwell' within his protection. We can 'visit' him on occasion, but that isn't the same as making his presence our dwelling place. I go to hotels on occasion, but as nice as the stay might have been, those are not my dwelling places. I have a home I return to at the end of the visit. We might choose to live with God some of the time and then scurry off into the world on others, but until we make a heartfelt choice to dwell in the presence of the Almighty, we will never truly know the goodness of choosing to live in obedience to him. One thing we need to know about God's 'dwelling' is that is not a 'fixer-upper' dwelling. We might get 'fixed up' there, but his dwelling is perfect! Living in his dwelling is a lifestyle of choice - we actively choose to live within the 'confines' of obedience instead of choosing to live 'without walls'. Just sayin!

A bit of training required?

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. (Psalm 143:10) 

I am one who needs a lot of 'teaching' when it comes to doing God's will. Make no bones about it - we choose our own way over God's way and then find ourselves working our way back to the way he asked us to go anyway, so why do we do it? When we stop to consider how 'hard' it seems to find and walk in God's will at times, we might just have to admit how insanely hard it is to walk our way back into his will once we have decided to go our own way! That 'hardness' in choosing righteousness isn't by accident - it might just show how 'willing' we are to put God first in our lives, even when it isn't the easiest thing to do! It may not seem like it at first, but those who choose to rebel against the will of God will endure a hard ending. We might think they are enjoying life now, but I don't suspect they will enjoy it much into eternity when they find themselves facing God's judgment and their eternal damnation!

If you have ever owned a dog, you might have experienced the phenomenon I refer to as 'being walked by the dog' rather than you walking the dog. The leash is firmly attached to the collar, the dog bounds out ahead of you, going this way and that, sniffing everything in its path, and there you are being 'drug along' behind as though you were the one being walked! The dog is just behaving like a dog - it must be trained to not pull, come alongside willingly, and not follow after every stray scent in its path. I imagine it is kind of like that at times with us and God. We get out ahead of him, pulling this way and that, 'sniffing at' everything that comes along our path, not even looking back to see that God isn't at all pleased with our willful disobedience. Whenever he puts us through periods of 'training' in our lives, it isn't because he doesn't like us or that he is mad at us. It is because he knows how much more enjoyable the walk will be if we come alongside and fall in stride with him!

The dog who has been through obedience training isn't 'whipped' into obedience. They are encouraged to follow commands and then they are rewarded when they do. Is the reward always something they expected, like a piece of kibble? No, sometimes it is a bit of praise, a scratch behind the ears, or a ruffling of their neck fur. He soon realizes how much pleasure it seems to bring his master. The reward is encouragement to dig a bit deeper to obey the next command. When the dog finally learns there is great reward in following the commands, they just do it because they know it brings pleasure to their master. I wonder if we were presented with God's commands today if we'd heed them simply because we know God will find pleasure in the closeness it brings us into with him, or if we are expecting some kind of 'reward' each time we obey? Just askin!

Give us gladness

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

As a young girl, it seemed as though time passed so slowly - making any 'waiting period' almost unbearable. Summer vacation away from the daily routine of school seemed like an eternity. The coming of Christmas took eons, with Christmas Eve being one of the longest days of the year for any child. When you were waiting for a day to come, the minutes passed slowly. As I have aged, time passes much more quickly - days pass without even realizing the week is gone. Perhaps time passes so slowly for the young because of all they still dream of doing. Maybe time passes so quickly for those who are in their older years because there aren't as many dreams that remain. The best we can do is live our life well today - because we have no way of knowing what tomorrow will bring.

Moses is the author of this psalm. He spends some time rehearsing the various things God has done for Israel as a nation, but he comes to this point after remembering that even with all God had done for them, they still found themselves with sin in their lives. In other words, they didn't always act as wisely as they should have, choosing to do their own thing instead of following the wisdom of God's counsel. They sometimes found they were left to their own devices until the pain and suffering of those choices caused them to turn again to their Lord. There is wisdom found in Moses' words - because he hopes in the mercy of God and in the power of God to set them back on course with him. Why? Life is brief and choosing to live it with self-determination is no way to live it.

O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. (Psalm 90:13-15)

Even if we have chosen to pursue God's best in our lives, no doubt there may come a time when we diverge a bit from that path - not always intentionally. The choices we made in haste, or without intentional thought and God's wisdom, led us away from the closeness we once had with him. As we realize the distance growing, we may actually become quite determined to 'find our way back' to that place of closeness with him. It is not uncommon for us to actually use words like Moses did all those years ago. "How long..." "Come back..." "Replace the evil..." All our pleas stem from one thing we know about our God - he gives grace. If you find yourself on a divergent path today, know this - God is more than able to replace the evil with good. All we need to do is acknowledge our need and he is right there to restore us. Just sayin!

Hey, I want that, too!

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. (Psalm 73:1-3) 

I imagine we all have those moments when we see stuff happening around us in this world, then stop to ponder how has the world 'gone so wrong' in its actions and beliefs? We might not understand how the wicked prosper, the misguided rise to positions of power, or the righteous lose out on what appears to be so much. That doesn't mean we lose our faith in the one who holds all mankind in his hands and will eventually bring all to judgment - the good, the bad, and the worst. Moments of doubt and confusion come to all of us - we just have to press into our faith a bit harder, so those doubts aren't given any ground to fester. Emotions will surface that indicate we are struggling a bit with what we see, hear, or imagine, but those emotions don't have to be denied. They are real, so the sooner we acknowledge them, the quicker we can seek God's help in 'settling them'. What really helps during those times of struggle is our friends who come alongside us. We need each other to help us when our faith begins to weaken, or when our emotions seem to be getting the best of us. 

When we observe the wicked prosper, it is possible we have a little bit of our own battle stemming from our pride? After all, we want to prosper, as well. We want the 'good stuff' to happen in our lives - is that wrong? No, it is not, but we might not realize just how quickly our pride can be dashed upon the cold, hard ground of disappointment and failure! To become prosperous or be elevated to a position of power in this world is not wrong. We might even want our lives to be kind of carefree and without all the hurdles we could encounter along that path to success. To pursue the path out of prideful ambition is when we run into difficulties. To pursue a path that 'gives us everything we desire' may just throw us into a greater pit of emotional distress than we were in when we found ourselves with a bit of envy toward those who 'had' what we did not. If we were honest, when the wicked succeed and prosper in their ways, we might even want them to 'get what is coming to them'. Is that wrong? Vengeance is, but to desire to see righteousness succeed and wickedness decline is never wrong. 

We might just see the wicked doing the same old things - things that don't bring God honor or give way to justice for all mankind. That might even begin to bother us more and more as we see them succeed in their ways and righteous individuals seemingly 'fail' as they attempt to forward their beliefs. It is hard to stand in observation of the 'little guy' being trodden underfoot, but we must never lose sight of the 'BIG GUY' who always walks with the 'little guy' on this earth! God doesn't want us to be tempted to compromise our faith, making choices to follow after things or people who will distract us or dissuade us from our walk with him. He will always intervene in our lives any time we allow our pride to create a yearning for the path of the wicked. This is a very good thing, because we aren't always capable of discerning those two diverging paths on our own! God's presence will always help us know when pride is drawing us away from the narrow path and down the one that will eventually cause the wicked to stumble. Just sayin!

What is the lesson here?

 What exactly do hard times teach us? Many would say it helps us develop a deeper trust in God - at least, that is what they believe to be the most 'biblical' answer and the one we want to hear. Truth be told, there are more times in the wilderness of hardship that we are struggling with why we are there, what God expects us to learn, and how we are going to deal with the issues we are facing. We might not even think about God's purpose in allowing the hardship until we are waist deep in the muck and mire of it all! 

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. (Psalm 63:6-8)

If we consider the words of our psalmist here, you will observe a couple of pretty 'emotion filled' comments: "I lie awake" and "I cling to you". Something is keeping David awake - he is likely wrestling with some of the things we all face when going through hard times - fear, anxiety, doubt, frustration, and even a little bit of dwindling faith. The pressure is on, and sleep seems to allude him. Notice what he does when he lies awake - he thinks upon God. In other words, he doesn't just muddle over the mess, he begins to turn his mind toward what he knows and believes about the God he serves.

When he is almost at the end of the rope, he clings to God. He recognizes the extreme strength of God, and that God hasn't let go of him in the midst of the hard time. His grip on God might weaken a bit from time to time, but God's hand holds him securely. I recall another story of hardship in the bible - that of Job. He lost of everything - family, herds, flocks, crops, his home, and even his dignity. He found it hard at times to remember the goodness of God, crying out for help, but feeling as though his God was 'slow to act'. He wondered about the purpose of the trials, but even in the agony of his complaints, he never denounces his faith in God.

It is as these great men 'rehearse' the goodness of the God they served that they found their way to peace in the midst of the worst of circumstances. Maybe we could take a lesson from their wilderness journeys, my friends. They valued the love of their God - it mattered to them enough to rehearse it in their minds and trust it in their hearts. If we want to face the hard times differently than the world might face them, we might just want to keep our minds fixed on the things we have learned of God's goodness and grace. Then we might just need to take the next step of 'clinging hard to his hand'. 

What do we learn in the hard times? Maybe we learn to use what God has given us - his Word. Perhaps we learn to trust his promises and lean into them just a little bit more. We might even find we allow the extreme peace we know because we serve him to come through in the chords of praise and worship that spring forth from our hearts. Just sayin!

Is it really a bad hand?

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. (Psalm 63:3-6)

When you aren't 'dealt' the hand you expected, how do you respond? To be honest with you, I don't always immediately praise God for the 'lousy hand'. Sometimes I gripe about it, chafe against it, and get a little too 'me' focused right there in the midst of the 'hardship' I am enduring. "Me" comes first and "me" is not feeling like it is getting the 'best shake' in the moment, so "me" begins to resist and complain. Been there? Got the shirt and wore it out? Good! Sometimes our life is even turned upside down by the 'hand' we receive - what was up is now down, and the ground underneath us is quite shaky. When we 'receive' that 'hand', we might just forget who walks with us in the midst of the upheaval that seems to be closing in on us. God may have allowed the 'hand' to show us just how much he loves us - that he isn't about to abandon us to our own devices in the midst of uncertainty that surrounds us. That 'infertile' ground we stand upon is just about to become some of the most 'fertile' ground we experience, but first, there must be some work!

David experienced more than one 'lousy hand' in life, but he walked gracefully through them. Did he ever complain or gripe about the things he faced? Yes, he did! Although that gives us a little encouragement that we are not much different, there is one thing we see about David's life that shows us how he made it through when the 'cards' just didn't seem to be 'good'. Study his life long enough and you will realize he had a deep and lasting relationship with his Lord. He didn't just go to church on Sunday and live like he wanted the rest of the week. He didn't just turn to God when the times got tough - he lived with God in the leanest of times as much as he did in the times of great plenty. He did press in during the lean times, so maybe that is a good lesson for us to see. Lean times are inevitable - hardship cannot be avoided forever. Being a Christian might mean we have 'hardship insurance' - we have a place to turn when the 'hand' we are dealt doesn't provide the most 'optimum' of circumstances. We don't have this 'insurance' just because we say "yes" to Jesus - we have it because we allow him to cultivate his presence and peace within.

Where does this cultivation occur? Usually in the driest and most barren of places. It is in those places that we learn to value our relationship with Jesus - we find out how much his love and grace mean to us. How? The things we counted on in this world seem to bring little satisfaction or peace into our lives - but we find his presence restores our soul, invigorates our spirit, and soothes our confused mind. We want all the good stuff that comes from serving Jesus, like the best 'hand' in cards. When we get the 'lousy hand' in life, do we complain or embrace it, give it into his hands, and let him show us how to 'play it'? That is what David did when he lifted his voice time after time again in praise and worship. In the midst of the 'band hands' of life, he lifted his spirit and voice in praise. Why? It showed how much he valued God taking the 'hand' and 'playing it' as only he could! Praise and worship may not come naturally when we 'get the band hand', but if we have cultivated that love relationship with Jesus in the 'good hand' times, we are likely to carry that into the 'bad hand' times, as well. Just sayin!

The most 'unfertile' ground

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! (Psalm 63:1-3)

Growing up in the Arizona desert, I have walked many a dry wash, climbed over huge boulders, and been pricked by more than my share of cacti. It is dry, filled with all kinds of dangers, and barely livable in many parts. Water is not easily found, nor is it readily available if you were to drill for it. Many places have to truck it in right to this day. You can be so 'dry' in the desert that you actually crave water. It doesn't seem all that fertile, does it? What seems like the most 'unfertile' ground in our lives may actually be the place where the greatest growth occurs. Something you may not realize is how many 'distractions' are removed when you are in that desert place in life. It is as though the only thing you begin to focus on is Jesus, because all the other stuff you had been distracted by just doesn't matter when you get good and thirsty for his presence. I think of the dry places as 'fertile ground' - they have been the times when God does some of the greatest work IN me because I have drawn closer to him without all those distractions pulling me away from him. Maybe we don't actually want to go into these dry places, but if we find ourselves in the midst of the 'desert' spiritually or emotionally, we might just want to spend some time getting to know him just a bit deeper right there.

David was born into a family of sheep herders. He was to follow along in the footsteps of his father, Salmon. He was not raised to be a king, but he was raised in a home of faith - he knew his God and he served him even from the earliest of his days. He learned much in his early life, tending the sheep out on the lonely grazing lands, moving them from one grazing place to another while protecting them from all manner of evil that sought to end their lives. Even after being anointed as king, he didn't immediately 'live the good life' in the court of the king. We find him hiding out in caves, scaling peaks he could use as a vantage point in escaping from the armies of Saul. His life wasn't 'worry-free', but it was 'rich' because wherever he went, his God was right there with him. Can you say the same? Do you find the dry places in your life to be the most 'fertile'? It may not feel like it when you are wandering around in that 'wilderness', but when you finally come into those places where 'barrenness' seems to be replaced by 'beauty' and 'peace', you realize how much was accomplished in the desert. 

One of the most profound things about the desert is the thirst you develop while there. Maybe this is why God allows for us to experience those 'dry places' in life - so we will develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness! Remember, what seems like the most 'unfertile' ground may actually be the most fertile place you experience. Just sayin!

Management Position Open

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words... (Psalm 39:1-3)

Have you ever tried to NOT say something, only to find the harder you try NOT to say it, the more you THINK about it? You mull those words over and over in your mind, trying to figure out if you can find another way to say it, but all the while you are aware those words just shouldn't be spoken no matter how you form them. It always amazes me how 'hard' we can try and how 'easy' it is to let loose! The more we 'mull', the more we will 'spew' - it might not be a verse from the bible, but you can take that one to the bank!

These negative words we mull upon actually create a kind of turmoil within - much like that of a funnel cloud. We get all 'worked up' and before long, we are bringing words into the thoughts that don't even relate to the stuff we are mulling upon. It is like they get 'caught up' into the turmoil of other words, all of them mixing together, until it is a jumble of thoughts all colliding within our minds. The 'cloud' is building into quite a storm! Try to hold back a tornado and you find the 'force' isn't easily contained - neither are our words.

What we think eventually leads to how we will act. That is the danger in trying to 'manage' all these thoughts on our own. We don't actually 'manage' well! We are one of the worst managers our minds have ever encountered. We need God's help if we are to be 'managed well', my friends. We might think we have developed some good 'management strategies' when it comes to our thoughts and words, but just think back to the last time you said something that ignited a disagreement. How were your 'management skills' in that moment? If you are anything like me, you knew you had just poured kerosene on an open flame!

David says something here that we might just miss. He points toward 'speaking of good things' - in other words, bringing God's Word into the mix of all the jumble of thoughts within. I have come to the conclusion that when God's Word is 'rehearsed' (mulled over) in those moments of irrational and muddle thoughts, the tendency to 'pick up' all the other 'muddled thoughts' is less. We don't see the 'funnel cloud of emotions' grow bigger and bigger. We see 'rational' replace 'irrational' and 'kindness' replace 'anger'. 

We may not be the right ones to manage our words because we have all that emotional baggage trying to get 'picked up' into the mix, but we have been given the wisdom found in the Word of God to help keep that emotional baggage in its place. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us recall that wisdom and then to help us 'rehearse' it rather than the garbage we allow to get caught up in our minds. We need to be under 'proper management' if we want to see any control over our thoughts and words. That management position belongs to Christ - not us. Just sayin!

Choose Wisely

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:1-3)

As with all actions, praise is a choice. As Paul tells us, "...let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) I don't think it is unusual for us to allow circumstances or situations outside of our control to influence our choices - we all likely do it on occasion. There is one choice that must be made with a full awareness of what is involved in that choice: Praise. We are determining to praise no matter what difficulty we face - we will not allow those things to control our attitude. Could it be possible that praise is really an attitude? It just might be!

Life's tough issues are bound to come to all of us and what we choose to dwell upon in those times will determine how we face them and how well we come through them. We can choose to grumble, complain, and almost grow bitter over them, or we can look at them as an opportunity. As someone once told me, God only disturbs our present in order to improve our future. When we begin to see the difficulties through that lens, we might just see it differently, choosing a much different attitude as we walk through those hard times. Are we tempted to grumble because it is hard? Yes, but we also could choose to turn that 'grumble' into praise - getting an attitude adjustment in the process.

The same individual pointed out to me that there was absolutely no way for me to choose another person's attitude. I could only choose mine. That meant I was not responsible for how another may face the circumstances at hand, but I could choose how I would. Too many times, I think we feel like we are responsible for how another acts, but they choose that attitude, and that attitude choice determines their actions. Our own attitude choice determines our response to the issues at hand. This is another important aspect of praise - we keep current with the issues. Too many times, people get into a grumbling and complaining attitude because they 'nurse' the past problems right along with the present ones.

God asks us to bring our cares (concerns, issues, troubling circumstances, doubts, worries, fears) to him. Nothing affects our attitude more than remaining current! We don't want to 'dwell' upon the stuff that was hard. We want to celebrate how much we know God is with us even when the issues are difficult. We can allow the issue to dictate our attitude, or we can allow God's promise to keep us, care for us, never leave us to influence our thoughts and actions. Choose to praise God with a genuine trust in his love for you and the circumstances may not change, but your attitude toward those circumstances will. Just sayin!

Honor belongs to him

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for his glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

Honor is something we give to another, but we should never seek it for ourselves. When it comes to God, we first recognize he is worthy of all honor, then we 'ascribe' it to him - we declare it in our minds, hearts, and even our actions. Unlike us humans, he actually deserves that honor! Unlike humans, his 'right' for honor never fades and it is not 'circumstantial'. In other words, he deserves it because he is always consistent, never changing, and divine through and through. 

How or when do we honor God in our lives? I think it could begin the minute we begin to speak with him about anything at all. When we consider the words of prayer, are they filled with honor? Do we exalt his name and honor him with our words? Even our songs should bring honor to his name. This is why it is so powerful to enter into worship and praise. It exalts him - revealing that we are giving him his rightful place in our lives to rule and reign as our Lord God Almighty. 

How about those times when we share something really awesome God has done in our lives? Those words come easily, don't they? They proclaim the goodness of his activity on our behalf - having 'done' something that we both appreciate and rejoice over. Do these things have to be 'big' things? No, but a word of caution here. We can become so 'rote' in our 'praise' of God that the words we share are almost 'hollow'. The term "God is Good" with the response "All the Time" can become a matter of 'rote praise' if we allow it. We must always ensure that our praise or testimony of his actions in our lives is genuine, heartfelt, and reveals the true honor he deserves.

Worship is giving honor, but it is very specific. It is done intentionally. We don't 'enter into worship' by just singing along with the worship leaders at church on Sunday. We 'enter into worship' when our hearts are behind the words, our minds are focused on his goodness, and our emotions are given over to praising him with all our being. Worship can be quite engaging, but we might just miss out on something God will do in those times if we aren't worshiping him 'in spirit and in truth'. Just sayin!

The movement God requires

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. (Psalm 23:1) Take note, it is all we NEED, not all we WANT. We might want things that aren't always all that beneficial for us to have, but God knows what we NEED and he always works things to meet those needs. John reminds us, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (10:27) Whose voice do you hear most - God's or your own? Who we listen to the most might just be the factor in what it is we pursue!

Sheep know the voice of the Shepherd. It is how sheep know how to follow THEIR shepherd and not wander away with just 'any old shepherd' who calls for them to come their way. Sheep might 'intermingle' while grazing in the field, but when they hear the voice of their master, they know when it is time to separate and go where he leads. We might 'intermingle' a bit with this world and hear all the voices calling to us to 'come', but there is only one voice we are actually 'tuned' to hear!

Do baby sheep know the shepherd's voice? Probably not at first. In fact, they need to follow their 'flock mates' a bit at first, until they get the hang of it. Maybe this is why it is so important for a new Christian to get into a good group of believers when they come to Christ. They need to learn to hear his voice, and until they do, they need to be around those who can already hear it as distinct from all the other voices beckoning unto them. Exodus 23:2 reminds us, "“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong." Be sure the crowd you are with are actually following the right Shepherd!

Everything belongs to God - this is how he can provide for each of our needs. We won't 'want' because he has every means to make provision for our need. When God does not immediately meet our need, does that mean he isn't going to, or that he is unable to meet it? Absolutely not! It means he has another plan - a purpose in how and when he will meet our need. As an example, we may want to buy a new car, but he knows there is a slightly used one perfect to meet our need and he is working out all the details to have our need met. Learning to listen to his voice is key to understanding when and where our needs will be met.

The sheep follow the shepherd because they know he has their good in mind. He always leads them to green pastures so they are nourished. He knows the watering holes so they are able to drink deeply. He provides shaded rest for them because he knows they cannot endure the heat forever. When the sheep listen to his voice, the good they need is always about to be provided. Might they have to move to obtain it? Yes, but in the movement God requires there is so much more than we might have ever expected. Just sayin!

Eyes fixed, heart dedicated, and mind focused

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” (Psalm 22:6-8)

Have you ever been under attack so badly that you imagined you no longer mattered - that your existence was like that of a worm, crawling defenselessly along the ground, only to be trampled underfoot? That is a pretty low view of one's life, isn't it? Here was David, the anointed king of Israel, bemoaning his life, feeling like everyone and everything was working against him. If the king could feel this way, what makes any of us think we can escape similar feelings on occasion? There will always be times when we face such hardships with a bit of doubt, frustration, and even some whining!

In these moments of deepest despair and depressing circumstances, we have one of two actions - either we give into them and allow ourselves to be beaten down, or we look to the one who will never abandon us or forsake his care over our lives. The outcome is based on the choice we make. There is a principle taught in counseling studies that suggests having a 'plan' to deal with troubling emotions and responses ahead of time will help when faced with those issues in real time. The 'pre-worked' plan actually gives us a means to dispel the worry and fear associated with the issue. If David 'had a plan' in this moment, it wasn't quite clear in the way he was talking, was it?

He is really just telling us how OTHERS saw his circumstances, but maybe he saw them differently. The very next verse begins to tell us exactly how David saw himself: "Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born." (vs. 9-10) Thrust into God's arms at his birth - his God from the moment he took breath into his lungs. That paints a different picture, doesn't it? He might be feeling a bit beaten down by life and his 'foes', but he was never rejected by his God. We can be beaten down by all the things and people around us, but we should never begin to believe all THEIR actions outweigh God's!

David's 'pre-worked plan"? Trust God with his whole heart, even when the difficulties were mounting, and the future seemed as bleak as it could be. How? We only need look a little later into this psalm to see him "proclaiming God's names to his brothers and sisters" - not allowing anyone to think God's plan and purpose was being overturned. He would "fulfill his vows in the presence of others who worship God", because he had determined to not ever turn his back on God, even when he didn't see him or feel his movement around him. This is the 'pre-worked plan' - keep his eyes fixed, his heart dedicated, and his mind focused. Maybe we could develop a similar plan! Just sayin!

Has God gone silent?

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. (Psalm 22:1-2)

I think we have all been in that place at one time or another where we find ourselves actually thinking God has somehow abandoned us. The circumstances suggest the worst is about to happen, we begin to whirl out of control emotionally, our thoughts are running rampant from one perception to the next, and we somehow feel like we are in it all alone. When we don't IMMEDIATELY see the answer to the circumstances, we might just begin to doubt God will lend any help, all our calls for help seemingly falling on deaf ears. Are we wrong to express our doubts or 'struggle of faith' in those moments? Absolutely not! God doesn't 'ding us' for our moments of doubt - he uses them to strengthen or deepen our faith.

It is never wrong to seek to understand why such difficulties have emerged and why God seems to be allowing us to experience such trying stuff. We don't know the purpose for the troubling times, but we can stand assured that God is not far from us as we navigate through them. He is right there - we just don't appreciate him in the midst of the chaos yet. Times are confusing and we want to express our doubts, but should we? Yes, it is never wrong to express our concerns and bring our doubts to God. He doesn't give us demerits for doubts - he is at work revealing how 'unfounded' those doubts are compared to the greatness of his power and grace in our lives.

We might think we have to understand everything to get through everything, but the opposite can be quite true. We might not understand much, but with God, we navigate quite well through unknown territory. One thing I have realized is that I don't have to 'fake' my faith. If I have doubts and worries, I need to express them. My heart is not hidden from God, so my thoughts don't need to be, either. God is not put off by our expressions of fear, doubt, or lack of understanding. He is encouraged by our honesty and the freedom we feel to express them to him. 

The way we seek to understand is important. We can ask for clarity out of doubt, but God asks us to trust even when the circumstances seem harder than we can handle. Trust him to bring the clarity - to remove the niggling fear and doubt. He will do much more than we imagine, but we need to be honest with him when we are struggling with fear and doubt. He doesn't want us to be overwhelmed - he wants us to be aware, alert, and open to his movement within those hard times. He hasn't abandoned us - he has just 'gone silent' long enough for us to express our need. Just sayin!

Despair, Desperation, and Disgrace

When we have lost everything, including hope, life becomes a disgrace, and death a duty. (W.C. Fields)

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them.
They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. (Psalm 22:3-5)

Who would have ever thought a comedian like W.C. Fields would have been so wise? When we have lost hope, life leads us into despair, desperation, and eventually disgrace. Before long, we honestly think the only way to overcome these three haunting difficulties is death. When God is truly enthroned in our lives, we don't need to settle into despair - because God is our hope. We don't have to imagine the worst, leading us into places of deep desperation - seeking all those solutions to the problems our mind's eye can imagine. We aren't subject to disgrace because God ensures that all things are possible with him and him alone. 

Despair is really the absence of hope - it is the place of 'giving up' or 'giving in'. We might just find ourselves there when it seems like there has been the longest delay in seeing our prayers answered. We have petitioned God day after day, hoping for some answer, but it has eluded us up to this point. Without much thought about it, we allow that hope to drift into the place of disbelief and distrust. God reminds us that faith is not the absence of things that would make us doubt or struggle - it is the thinnest of threads that holds onto his hand in the absence of any other solution.

Desperation might lead us one of two paths - into his arms, or into the fray of trying to work things out on our own. I certainly know the disappointment of taking that latter course! Having decided it was time to take matters into my hands on more than one occasion, I have made a mess of things way too often to count. Desperation is just us acting kind of reckless and sometimes without much thought behind our actions. Despair does that to us on occasion - leading us into 'thoughtless activity'. When we allow our trust in God to be disturbed, we find something to replace that trust - like our own efforts. That rarely works out well, my friends.

No wonder disgrace is quickly on the heels of despair! The muddle we create when we place our hope in ourselves rather than God is certainly not a pretty picture. What can we do when our hope begins to be challenged by despair? It might be as simple as pressing in a little closer to God - through worship and praise. If you have ever been at the place where you think you are at the end of that thread of hope, then began to raise your voice in praise, a song coming after a bit, then raised hands and raw emotions, you know the strength that also came in that 'yielded moment'. God's presence surrounds you, his peace invades the despair of your heart, and his grace beckons you to hold on a bit longer. God is never going to leave or 'forsake' us - hope's embers might just need a little stoking. Just sayin!

Are you courageous enough?

Has anyone or anything been disturbing your peace lately? If you watch the evening news, there are reports of mass shootings, angry confrontations between this group or that, natural disasters sweeping away those in their path, homes destroyed by fires, and families torn apart by things way beyond their control. Indeed, there are a plethora of things that can disturb our peace in a matter of seconds, but we don't have to allow our peace to be destroyed by any of these things or people. God's peace is capable of surpassing whatever seeks to disturb it. The way peace is maintained is also the way it is attained - we place our trust in the One True God.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. (Isaiah 26:3-4)

What are 'fixed thoughts'? If you are like me, your mind can ramble right along from one thought to the next without taking a breather at all. We can get so caught up in our thought patterns that we totally miss how muddled they are getting, all because we don't take that 'breather'. One way of having the peace of God rule over our lives is by learning to take our thoughts 'captive' more than once in a while. Sometimes we need to just 'shut off' long enough to allow God to speak. We cannot hear if we are not listening. We cannot embrace peace is our arms (and our hearts and minds) are so laden with our burdens that we are not open to receiving the embrace. 

I used to think a person who had 'fixed thoughts' was like the monk in the monastery. There would be no outside distractions, peaceful times of prayer and meditation, and some enchanting worship emanating from their lives. Boy, was I off base on that one! Fixed thoughts do not require us to live a 'shut away' life, it just means we will take the time and effort to keep Christ first in all we undertake. We might 'shut away' some of the invading thoughts, then really spend some quality time focusing on him - his Word, some time in meditation, and even a bit of worship. We don't need to live a cloistered life to be at peace with God, but we may need to allow some work with our minds in order to 'maintain peace'. 

When we are instructed to 'take every thought captive', it suggests there is this tendency to allow them to be 'carried away' by the 'loudest' or most 'frequent' influence. The more we control what can influence our thoughts, the more 'fixed' our thoughts will become. I read some research a while back that showed how we can hear ten different reports - nine will be positive, but one will be negative. The researchers showed that the human mind could recall the negative quicker than the positive. Does that surprise anyone? The 'bent' of our minds is to 'fix upon' the negative quicker than the positive. That need to change if we are to know and live in the peace of God.

It took me a while to allow God access to my mind - but it was worth the effort it took to get to the place where I allowed time (access) to my thoughts. It meant I had a regular time to explore the scripture, enough time to consider what he was showing me, and then a plan to allow it to be 'mulled over' again and again throughout the day. That meant I sometimes needed to refocus my thinking - being aware when I was allowing other things to keep my mind in a frenzy and neglecting to allow his peace to enter in. Maybe that is our prayer today - God give us an awareness of the building frenzy and the courage to shut it off long enough to let you speak into it. Just sayin!

Was I hungry last night?

I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. (Psalm 16:7-8)

We make a choice each day - will we enthrone Jesus in our lives, or will we take the reins and do things our way. We also choose if we will 'bless the Lord' by those actions. Do we just praise God for the things he has done in our lives, or do we choose to bless him no matter what comes our way? Tough question, I know, because to bless and exalt him for the 'good stuff' is a whole lot easier than to bless him in the midst of trying circumstances outside of our control. 

Guided and instructed - this is the reason for our exaltation. We are guided in the good and the unpleasant. We are instructed (taught) in the celebrations as much as in the trials and tribulations of life. His counsel (teaching) comes to us in the Word of God, but it is 'recalled' and 'cemented' in our lives through the action of the Holy Spirit who resides within us. He not only confirms our course, but he corrects it whenever necessary. It is indeed a good thing to celebrate this 'oversight' in our lives because we don't always do such a bang-up job with choices.

What is this 'at night my heart instructs me' thing our psalmist is speaking to in this passage? I have told you repeatedly how 'fickle' and 'unreliable' our hearts can be at times - choosing to follow the whim of our emotions rather than the sound reasoning God brings to our conscience. God gave us a conscience because he knew we would struggle with our emotions maybe more than we might actually like to admit. In the wee hours of the night, have you ever felt like your 'decisions' were kind of 'brought into the balance'? I have and I know it is the work of the Holy Spirit, interacting with my conscience - not to make me feel bad, but to help me see where my steps were a little bit disordered.

In the night hours, God speaks deep into our spirit through our conscience. Even when our 'unconscious' seems to be in control (dreamland), God's Spirit is hard at work within - teaching, bringing to mind wise choices, recalling scripture, impressing good things in our mind. Ever wake up with a scripture in mind, or feel like your spirit was just way more 'renewed' than when you went to bed? It is because God's Spirit did not abandon us to our own devices while we slept! When we take in the Word of God, our conscience will be fed the right stuff, even when we don't know we are 'feeding' upon that Word. 

If we want to be closer to God, we must begin to feed ourselves the things that will sustain us, even when we aren't aware we need to be 'fed'. Just sayin!

Filthy?

Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. (Psalm 16:4) 

As we are reminded in Proverbs 17, "Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth." (vs. 24-25) Run away from God and toward anything else that we embrace in place of God in our lives, and we will soon know the bitterness that comes from pursuing these 'false gods'. Kids do a wide variety of things that parents may label as 'sweet', 'cute', or 'precious', but God will always label our wayward desire to put anything else in his place in our lives as 'sin'. Reject God by not putting him in his right place as Lord of our lives and we will soon reap the 'reward' of that rebellious spirit - the consequences may not be all that kind to us. If you have been anything like me, you might just know there is a certain amount of deep sorrow and regret that accompanies rebellion. Try as we might, we cannot escape the sorrow that accompanies sinful pursuits. We can try to escape them, but the truth of the matter is that sin leaves a 'tell-tale sign' of its presence. It is like walking down a dusty path, not even noticing just how much dust is gathering about our ankles until we strip away the shoes and socks. All of a sudden, we realize the 'filth' of the journey!

The 'filth' was 'unseen' as long as we were walking that path, but as soon as we broke from that path, attempting to recover from the journey, we notice the unsightly 'filth' that has gathered. Sin is like that - we follow the path for as long as we want and then when we attempt to 'recover' from the journey down that path, we begin to notice just how much 'filth' has gathered inside of us. We begin to sense regret and perhaps even a bit of guilt. We might dwell on that regret and guilt over and over again, leading us to feel a great deal of shame over having taken sin's path. Filth upon filth - guilt and shame. As much as we want to wash away the dirt of the dusty trail, we desire to be free of the filth of our sins. Chase after other 'gods' and you will soon notice the 'gathering filth' of that chase. We choose the path we will take - we choose who will be at the center of our lives. 

It could be we choose ourselves - wanting nothing more than to be the leader of our own lives. I daresay I have tried that pathway, and it didn't work out so well for me. We could choose to worship something else - like a career, material things, or even another person, but I will also tell you that pathway will have a 'dirt' all its own that will leave you feeling just as 'filthy'! We must not have any other 'god' in our lives - that is pretty clear in scripture. What do we do if we have allowed someone or something else to take God's place? We confess our sin, repent (turn away from it), and give him his rightful place. As we do, we will likely notice we need a good 'washing' in order to get rid of the filth we have allowed to gather. Repentance involves cleansing - so don't be afraid to be 'washed'. It is God's way of restoring the beauty he desires for each of us. Just sayin!

Is it tangible or intangible?

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10) 

David said, "“You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” (Psalm 16:2) Every good thing comes from you - I don't have anything of 'goodness' or 'value' apart from you, God. Because of his relationship with God, he lacks (has no need that is unmet) nothing. Whatever is good or 'beneficial' for us, God provides. Nowhere in scripture does it say all our 'wants' will be met, but we will never lack what God has determined to be of 'value' or 'benefit' for our lives. 

Sometimes we complain because we see something as 'beneficial' for us, but then we don't ever come to realize it in our lives. We forget that God might see it differently! He might actually be withholding that thing from our lives because it is far from 'beneficial' or 'good'! Now I have gone to meddling, haven't I? It is always good to remember God cares way more about our character and our relationship with him that produces that character than he does all our 'wants' that we think we 'need' in order to be happy in this lifetime. 

God gives us both the tangible and intangible. We need a new vehicle because ours has seen its best days and has resulted in mounting repair costs that far outweigh its value - God will give us a means to obtain a new vehicle. Will it be brand-spanking new? Not always - but it will be of a greater value than the one we have been sinking good money after bad into with all those repairs. We need to let go of bitterness or regret over missing out on some opportunities, so God helps us see the 'value' in letting go and in allowing him to bring about the good he desires in our lives. Tangible automobile, intangible healing of our wounded mind and emotions. 

The thing I think God wants us to see today is that it is not 'wrong' to want something, but not every 'want' is good for us. Sometimes we have to let God show us when those things we 'want' are not what he desires for us and then let them go so he can give us what we need. The thing that meets our need will be the very thing that brings about his character development within us. The intangible may be our need today - seek it wholeheartedly. The tangible may be our need - ask for that need to be met as God sees fit. Then trust him to meet both of those needs because he withholds no good thing from those he loves. Just sayin!

Keep me safe

We can seek refuge in a great many things, such as our bank accounts, but I heard a report just the other day indicating that Americans once reported they felt 'secure' when they were making six figures - today they only feel secure when that 'six figures' is upwards of a quarter-million a year! The average worker goes into a new job interview expecting to make upwards of around $78,000 annually - up $5,000 from the previous year. If we haven't learned by now, our refuge is not in a bank accounts or retirement funds. It is found in God alone - all other 'placement of trust' is like taking refuge in a cardboard box in the midst of a hurricane!

Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” (Psalm 16:1-2)

Put your trust in money, and you soon find you are spending a whole lot of time and energy working to get money, thinking about money, and talking about how to make or get more money. The one who trusts in God will spend his time and energy building a relationship with God, thinking about God, and talking about God about how to get a bit closer to him each day. Where is it we place our trust? If our sense of security come from something in this world, we are going to find ourselves sorely disappointed when those things ultimately fail us. 

The thing we might miss in this passage is that our refuge actually requires us developing this relationship with God. Following Jesus means we put our trust in him - nothing else. We don't even consider a 'fallback' plan when we are seeking God this way. We see no other alternative 'place' or 'thing' in which there will be any form of 'refuge' (safety, protection, provision). If you think about it, Jesus will the Lord no matter how we think of him. He is Lord above all, but we need to make him Lord of all in our lives. What God looks for from each of us is more than 'lip service' to his rulership over our lives. 

If we don't always feel we have a refuge (that safe place), maybe it is because we have committed our lives to something other than this relationship with Christ. You may have said 'yes' to Jesus, but what do you reveal each and every day in the way you 'use your day'? Is your first attention directed toward him, or something else? Do you find it is the furthest thing from your mind to actually pray and read his Word, or do you long for those times together? Your true 'refuge' becomes apparent when you consider just how much Jesus' grace and presence really mean to you. If you want true safety, seek God first. Your refuge is in him, nothing else. Just sayin!

Esteemed and Valued

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

Although we are weak - we are strong. Even though we are limited in both our understanding and our power - we stand all powerful, able to tap into the greatest wisdom ever. In spite of acting dumb on occasion- we are considered to be of the greatest worth to the God of the Universe. Because God breathed life into man, our value is higher than any living creature or created thing - we have a soul 'innervated' by God's life-giving Spirit. It is the one who made us, keeps us, and 'breathes into us' that actually makes each and every one of us significant in this world. Nothing else we do, say, or believe will ever accomplish what God's presence in our lives is capable of accomplishing.

How do we know God actually values us? If we have been 'devalued' most of our life by others or even ourselves, why should we believe our 'value' in God's eyes is so very great? We only need to look as far as the things he has provided or done for us to see how much God values each of us. He gives us his Word, so we don't need to be unaware of his plans and how much he has included us in those plans. If that wasn't enough, he sent his Holy Spirit into our lives to act as a 'teacher' of that Word, because he knew we would need to be 'educated' in the Word - coming to know its meaning and significance in our lives. We also come to understand our worth when we see the extreme patience of God with us - giving us the time to actually grow in his grace. 

Yes, God disciplines us when we aren't really living up to our potential or moving outside of the protective boundaries he has set for our lives. Why? He values us too much to see us live wayward lives. He is a good parent, desiring only the best for his children, wanting that none should wander off and be overtaken by sin's pull. To that end, he sent his Son to provide the only way for our restoration - sin's atonement (payment in full) being met in him. It is through the finished work of the Cross of Christ that we are made sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Value is best determined by what someone is willing to pay for the item being obtained! 

We don't get our sense of 'value' or 'worth' from others, although we may look for it there on occasion. We won't find it in a career, or accomplishments that gain us accolades and praise. As parents, we won't even find it in the success of our kid's accomplishments. We find it in one person - Christ Jesus. We aren't 'exalted' by our accomplishments - we are 'esteemed' because of HIS. Just sayin!

Seeing isn't always beholding

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:18-20)

Take time to reflect upon what you see all around you in nature and you will soon realize this does not all exist because of some 'big bang'. It more than suggests a purposeful creation by a very purposeful Creator. When we take time to 'look around' at the creation, we might just find ourselves taking time out to 'look up'. "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4) We might just find ourselves carried away into times of contemplation and even a bit of worship in the process!

When we become so busied by the day-to-day things that we have to do, we miss out on the glorious things happening right now in our midst. Busyness leads to complacency with the divine - we actually need to take time to consider (ponder, mull over, think upon) the things God has provided for us to enjoy in this lifetime. God's eternal power and his divine nature - all are seen in his creation. Ignore it long enough and you will find your life becomes empty - hollow, without real meaning or intent. The trivial will take priority over the eternal - something we really don't want, but it happens without our even noticing.

All of creation reveals his power. Look at the fierceness of a summer storm's winds and rains, the rushing of a mighty waterfall cascading to the depths below, the sweet melody of a tiny finch hopping from one branch to another. We cannot simply 'see' and not appreciate the Creator - we might 'glance' and move on, but we cannot truly 'see' and just move on. Distractions cause us to miss out on what God wants to show us each day. When we minimize the distractions and really begin to 'pay attention' to him, what a different world we see. As scripture points out, God makes his truth obvious to each of us, but it is quite possible we could miss it because we aren't looking with eyes to actually behold it. Just sayin!