Listen and Believe

Are you able to listen when there are multiple distractions? I have difficulties 'filtering' out sound, conversations, or music lyrics when I am really trying to concentrate. I was never one of those students who could study with the most popular band's music blaring from the stereo in the background. I also know I don't do well where there are multiple distractions. My desk faces the wall, not the window. My computer desk is free of papers and the like because it would just distract me during my quiet time each morning. When I travel, I find a quiet spot, take my coffee and sit a while with God, listening as he shows me things in the scripture. Remove the distractions and we might just find ourselves able to 'listen to the message' God wants to bring into our lives today.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. (John 5:24-25)

Listen and believe - both are active components of faith. We cannot have one without the other. When we actually do all we can to eliminate the barriers to listening, we might just find that God has been saying something to us all along that we have been missing because of all the 'noise' the world places in our way. As Jesus is facing the criticism of the religious leaders, he is also aware there are some in the crowd, his disciples included, who are willing to 'press past' the distractions of the 'loud critics' to hear the truth. We need to be willing to be like those who 'listened and believed' that day. As Jesus said, we can be assured we will find life when we listen.

Whoever imagined that life was linked to listening? We might not always want to listen, but in hearing what he says we make a choice to live. Hearing is the beginning of faith - it plants a seed of hope that begins to take hold the more we listen and obey. Jesus isn't just calling for his children - he is imploring them to turn away from the distracting criticism of those who do nothing more than put up roadblocks in their path. Distractions will always be there in this life, but when we do the best we can to manage them, God will help us lay hold of the things he desires for us. We must listen and believe - allowing what we hear to remove all our doubts. In the face of doubts and criticism, don't give into those 'distracting forces'. Press into God and listen. What he says next may just set your free to live in a whole new way. Just sayin!

As what her usual custom...

"Some things are so unexpected that no one is prepared for them." (Leo Rosten)

How is it we can have something so plainly before us and totally miss it? We aren't really looking? We aren't really interested? We think it couldn't be? We oftentimes 'miss' what God puts right before us. The woman at the well was there to draw water - do you think she was looking for the Messiah as she went to the well? Not likely - in fact, the Samaritan woman would have been condemned if her peers had of seen her actually talking with a Jewish man. We might not always see, but God can open our eyes so that we can comprehend what it is we are missing!

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” (John 4:21-26)

When he comes...

She didn't recognize him as the Messiah, but somehow, she knew there would be a Messiah from among the Jewish nation. Was she looking for him to come? She knew he would 'bring answers' - explaining things in a way so she could understand them - but was she really 'seeking' him? No one really knows, but she must have had at least a bit of faith to speak those words so clearly, suggesting she trusted that the Messiah would come.

What is it you are trusting God for today? Are you really looking for his intervention, or just 'hoping for' something to be 'different'? We can be 'hoping' for a long time if we are never really looking along with that hope. Seeking is part of faith - it isn't that we just believe something will happen - it is that we go about doing whatever God asks of us while we await that which is about to happen. 

She went to the well - drawing her water for the day. She made the journey, knowing it was her 'usual custom' to do so. Did she expect to meet the Messiah there? No, but she knew he was coming. She went about what she knew to do, all the while trusting in the hope of his coming. Perhaps what we need most is not more 'hope', but to just trust while we are going about our 'usual custom' of whatever it is God has tasked us to do. Just sayin!

We need balance

 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)

As I read this passage again this morning, my eye caught that phrase to 'use your head and test your feelings'. I guess I never really saw that before, or maybe I just needed to see it this morning. Using your head means you actually think before you act or say something. As I was prayerful on my walk this morning, the idea of how much division is all around us in this world right now kept coming to mind. Division in the government; between churches; and even between those we used to call friends. Why? Masks, vaccines, political parties, governmental policies, and the list goes on. We have found hundreds of things to be entirely divisive over these days and to be totally truthful here - most of what we are quibbling over isn't going to matter when we stand before Christ. Use your head - think things through - what will it take for you and I to become peace-makers in this divided world?

The answer is two-fold: 1) we spend some time gaining the perspective of the other person (using our heads); and 2) we test our feelings (not just responding to every one that emerges). Using our heads means there is 'cognition' involved in our responses, while testing our feelings indicates that there is indeed an emotional response to everything we think or hear. Lots of people would say using your head is the most important lesson here because it will lead to more 'tangible' or consistent results. I agree somewhat, but I also believe if we don't balance our 'head' with our 'heart' we will live with all kinds of regret in this world. The older generation would say we are to use our heads more because of the reliability factor we attain when we do. The younger generation may be more inclined to follow their hearts because they have been taught to do so by societal norms. 

Balance is needed - we cannot just use our heads and ignore our emotions. We cannot rely upon how we are 'feeling' in the moment and totally dismiss the sensibilities only our brains can truly comprehend. We need both - think because you care - care enough about others to really think before you act or react. When we do this, we live in such a way so as to see bountiful fruits produced from the soul. Soul = mind, will, and emotions. What we may need more of today is balance - so fruits are born out of our thinking and our feeling. Trust between friends, neighbors, and countrymen isn't rebuilt without both being in action. Just sayin!

Become the means...

Get out the message—God Rules! He put the world on a firm foundation; He treats everyone fair and square. (Psalm 96:10)

There are times when we have nothing to say and at others we are unable to keep our mouths shut at all. How is it we can have so much to say on one topic and nothing on another? I purposefully stopped listening to the news channels except for on occasion here and there. In fact, my BFF oftentimes has to tell me something catastrophic has happened because I have not 'heard the news'. Why did I stop listening? It was so much of the same negative stuff and I didn't need fill my mind with a million different 'takes' on why something happened the way it did. Give me the facts - lives were lost, pray for our nation and their families - leave it there! The news stations don't do that, though. They review time and time again the same clips, factoids, and the interviews until you can almost rehearse them ad nauseum. I'd rather get the word out that God Rules - period!

Lives have been lost and families will never be the same. Some families have been obliterated, never to have their name continue on this earth. Homes have been lost to major disasters and poorly constructed building sites. All this matters very deeply to Christ. It matters to me that hundreds and thousands will never be the same because of violence, tragic occurrences, and hateful intentions of some. Pray AGAINST the hate. Pray FOR the families and hurting among them. Pray AGAINST the evil. Pray FOR the truth to come to light and for it to bring healing. Pray AGAINST immoral. Pray FOR the righteousness of God to permeate this earth. This is our part - we may not have been part of the ugliness that has occurred, but we can lift up the name of Christ and pray hard against these things.

We don't need to rehearse the evil around us to feel the impact of that evil. We don't need to see the ugliness displayed time after time to understand the despair and agony of heart many are experiencing in this time of so much evil intent. We have Christ to guide our hearts into an 'active response' to the evil - prayer is only one way we fight against this evil. We also can do whatever part God may put on our hearts - such as to give of ourselves in service to those who need our help in order to heal from these difficult circumstances. Pray, act - do something! Rather than just watch the news - become the means by which the news changes! Just sayin!

One day...

Have you ever been in that moment when you'd like to say something, but you know better than to even open your mouth? I have and let me tell you...it is harder to stay silent sometimes, but oh so worth it! The words I would say would not be helpful, could even incite a little argument or two, and might even end up doing more harm than good. There are times when silence is definitely the best "tactic" to utilize, yet there are others when remaining silent will just worsen a situation. Learning how to use silence in a positive manner is a skill many of us never fully grasp. In fact, many of us don't like silence. We avoid it at all cost. There are also a group of us who like to express our opinion - invited or not. Either way, what we do with the silence is important - what we do with the spoken word is even more so.

When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." (Esther 4:12-14 MSG)

Esther finds herself in such a predicament. Her cousin, Mordecai, has learned of the king's decree (issued through Haman) to destroy all the Jews in the land - simply because he doesn't like them. The day has been set - all are to be killed - none spared. To date, Esther's family line - that of being a Jew herself - has not become a topic of discussion in the court of the king. No doubt Haman is totally and foolishly unaware of this as the decree is issued. If he knew the peril in issuing a decree which would affect the king's "special lady", he might have thought twice before opening his mouth! Her dilemma becomes more apparent as she learns of the decree - she now has to choose to remain silent, or speak up about her heritage - either way carries the potential of some form of loss to her and her family. Have you ever been in such a situation? You could speak up, but if you do, you will be "implicated" in the process? You could remain silent, but your silence will affect you just as severely - and possibly even others? Not a great place to find yourself, is it? 

The choice we make in that moment is often what determines the outcome. Isn't it amazing how one seemingly insignificant decision can make such a huge difference? Silence is indeed a difficult "weapon" to master. I call it a "weapon" because it is indeed a weapon in the hands of one skilled in its use. Silence in the hands of a skilled debater can give the audience just enough time to consider the point being made. Silence in the hands of a vindictive person can give someone just enough rope to hang themselves! Either way, it is a weapon of one sort or another. Esther learned something in her years of growing up under the care of Mordecai - she learned what it was to truly trust. She learned to trust wise counsel. She may not have possessed the things of other young women in the community - orphaned at an early age, raised by a single parent, and in a land where her people were not exactly appreciated. Yet, she possessed something many others did not - a caring and compassionate counselor (Mordecai). Look at where he positions himself each day - at the gate of the court of the king. He is at the "ready" - just in case she needs him.

In seeking counsel, she knows there is a moment when a decision will be required - speak up or remain silent. In trustful faith, she determines to speak what she knows may be the words that will determine her fate. She knows she cannot remain silent, but she can be prepared for the message she will deliver! She takes three days of fasting and prayer - calling on those who are of like faith to do the same. It is a great thing when we "rally the troops" to storm hell's gates, is it not? In the preparation of the three days, she trusts and prays the king's heart will be prepared. In the same three days, hers will be faith-filled and revealed as faith-full. The words of this passage which are spoken over and over again in churches across this world: Who knows - - perhaps you have been prepared for such a time as this. I had a pastor once tell me these words in just a slightly different manner. I have held onto them all these years. In closing, I will leave them for your consideration: Are you willing to prepare a lifetime to be used even one day in the hands of God? Just askin!

Huh? Whatcha say?

The more we get into this life here on earth, the more we realize it gets very complex very quickly. As little kids, the most complex things we had to worry about were whether we'd watch one cartoon over another, play with this toy over another, or choose to play indoors or outside. The choices we had to make were very complex at the time, but then we grew up! Now we have to figure out how to fix the broken sprinkler valve, where the best deals are on the groceries we need this week, how well we can stretch that paycheck with prices going up on everything, and who we can really count on to be there when we need help. Yes, life gets pretty complex as we grow older, but trust me on this one - we lend to the complexity of things when we forget to put God in the center of it all!

You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. Your promise has been tested through and through, and I, your servant, love it dearly. I’m too young to be important, but I don’t forget what you tell me. Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (Psalm 119:143)

I believe God is right and he always does right. I may not understand why hurricanes happen, or why there is this pandemic right now, but I do trust that God is always right and he does right in my life. I also know there are forces at work in this world that aren't all that interested in how well I survive, or what evil intent they can unleash. Those are the forces that stand in opposition to God - they have been here since the beginning of time and if I understand scripture correctly, they will be here until God banished them to the pits of hell! Life is indeed complex - we need someone to help us navigate the complexities of life, don't we?

The truth of the matter is that we all receive a lot of 'coaching' to make 'good' or 'right' choices, but we don't always listen to the one who is trying to help us navigate this very complex world. We are being 'told' how to live, but do we always choose the correct way to live? If you are anything like me, then the answer to that one is a solid 'nope'. God doesn't change his mind - he gives us direction and it is always right. What we choose to do with his direction is a different matter entirely. We don't always listen to what we are being told. Mom and Dad tried to warn me against certain things such as not telling lies, not stealing things that weren't mine, and even how to hold a nail so you didn't smash your finger. 

Did I always do as I was told? There were indeed untruths told and things taken that bought me some time in the 'extra chores and no TV for a week' kind of mess, and I have had a few very sore thumbs to prove I don't always do as I am told! Maybe I don't want to admit it, but I am a little bit on the stubborn side - I take short-cuts, avoid things that I don't like to do, and even ignore good advice on occasion. What I will admit is that God isn't content to leave me in my 'non-listening' mode for very long. He keeps 'telling me' there are things I need to do, or other things I need to stop doing. He is just waiting for me to finally 'hear' him and obey him.

The way you tell me to live is always right - but truth be told about all of us - we need his help to understand his ways of living so we can live our lives to the fullest. We fall short of what God prepares for us simply because we don't listen with the intention of doing. When we finally realize that we need to 'pair' listening and doing, making the determination to listen to one voice and one voice only, we move into this realm of obedience. Will it be easy? Nope. Will it be rewarding? You betcha! Is it sometimes going to rub us the wrong way? At first, but then we begin to see the reasonableness of God's plans and purpose the more we get into what he asks us to do. So, listen with intention. You might just be surprised what you realize when you do! Just sayin!

Going berserk?

It was Thomas Edison who reminded us, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." The truth of the matter is that most of us would rather avoid the 'overall days' and just enjoy the 'lounge wear' days! We want the 'good stuff', but we don't want to put in the effort to actually 'get the goods'. Opportunity is when the timing is favorable - the conditions are met. How many times do we allow favorable timing and conditions to just pass us by? I think if we stop to consider that one, we may just say we have allowed opportunity to pass us by way too frequently without paying even the slightest attention to it as it was. Why? We were not 'positioned' to 'pounce'. The cat who sits still, considering the lizard skittering across the wall isn't duped into slumber by the breeze gently bending the tall grass. He is paying attention - positioning himself to pounce. Opportunity will not pass him by! He is ready and willing. Opportunity requires readiness, but it also requires the will within to act when the opportunity comes our way.

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a straight path. (Psalm 143:10)

Why is it that some of us just don't act upon the opportunities that are presented to us? I think it is because we have not determined to grasp them. Our mind says we are, but our heart betrays us because as scripture says it best, "Man's spirit is willing, but the body does not have the power to do it." (Matthew 26:41) Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Our mind tells us one thing - our body betrays the true intent of our heart. God reminds us that our 'will' needs to be taught - it needs to learn how to respond more reliably, with intent and purpose. This is why he sent his Spirit - to act as a teacher. We don't become ready to pounce until we are in the right position. The cat who is sitting way up in the tree, or on top of the roof, isn't ready to pounce on the lizard at the base of the wall. By the time he pounces, the lizard will have scurried away!

If we want to be ready for opportunity when it comes our way, we need to learn to recognize it. Then we have to learn to be patient. I have been in the right place, but the timing was not correct. There I was, positioned and ready to pounce, but the timing was not right. If you want to know the truth here, I pounced anyway! Why? I was there - the opportunity was in front of me - so I just did it. The outcome was a little different than what God intended, though. The timing is one thing we don't always wait for when we are looking for the opportunity. We are afraid it will pass us by if we aren't quick enough to pounce. Remember this - - - position is the one thing we can control, timing is the one thing God controls. Position yourself and be ready - then wait. Uh-oh, I just made a few of us uncomfortable with that last statement. We don't like to wait - we imagine the opportunity will pass us by if we aren't pouncing all the time. 

A cat who is pouncing all the time, at every opportunity he sees, isn't really accomplishing much. Don't believe me? Watch a cat go berserk over a laser pointer dot traversing the floor or wall! He is absolutely beside himself pursuing that red dot! Do you know what it means to be berserk? It means that the behavior reveals deranged thought - wild, crazed, frenzied actions that really make little to no sense. Anytime we act on impulse rather than thinking things through - observing for the right place and the right time - we are going to act a little 'deranged'. Our actions will really not make a whole lot of sense. Just sayin!

Scribble, Scribble, Scribble

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

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

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

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

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

In one, out the other

Do you all get things right the first time you attempt them? Have you ever heard from someone there is a better way of doing something? What did you do with that advice? If you are like me, there are times you have embraced it, while there are other times you have 'let it go in one ear, then out the other'. Wisdom comes through a process of learning. Good judgment is something that must be developed. We'd like both to be "instant", but they only come in the process of time. They are a result of exposure to learning opportunities and time invested. The matter I choose to let out the other ear is not always the right matter!

Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice; sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live. I'm giving you good counsel; don't let it go in one ear and out the other. (Proverbs 4:1-2)

Ever see someone limping around after they have done some type of activity that they are not "used to doing"? It is like when I spend a day out in the garden or shop working, then feel it in every bone and muscle the next day. I try to bend over like it is no problem, but instead of "bending" I find myself creeping slowly back to an erect position, regretting each movement because of the pain. Why do I feel the pain? Simply because I don't use those muscles often enough - my back aches because I have spent more time doing what I don't usually do in the course of a day than my body is used to doing!

The same is true in the development of wisdom and good judgment - they are spiritual, emotional, and intellectual muscles that must be used over and over again to not get "flabby" and out of shape. We can lose what we don't use. Let us not forget we are to guard our heart above all else - because it affects every choice we make - we don't want 'flabby spiritual hearts' more than a flabby heart beating in our chest. Our emotions affect our choices - so we must be on top of our emotions. Our intellect gives us the basis for choice - we choose what we believe because we think it will make the most sense. Our spirit guides our choice - acting as a governor over choice when neither intellectual insight nor emotional pull can be trusted. If not maintained, these "muscles" of wisdom and good judgment will cause us to live a pretty "halting" walk.

There is no sense in living in the past and we all know there are more than ample opportunities that present themselves as distracting forces in our lives. The past is just that - it is not the present. Too many times, we attempt to revisit the past, finding nothing more than disappointment in the process. The past is simply not what we are to be focusing on - it is the present that has the power to affect our wisdom and good judgment the most. The past served a purpose - learn from it and then move on. Don't dwell on it; it will hold you back if you do. Maybe it is okay to let the 'past' be the thing that goes out the other ear!  We can be assured of this one fact: God knows our heart very well. When he speaks words of wisdom and works on developing good judgment within us, he is doing so with the knowledge of how our heart works (what it responds to, what moves it the most). His call to us is this: "Don't let his wisdom go in one ear, and out the other!" Act on it - live it - exist in it. Just sayin!

Now, where'd that get to...it was just here!

There are times when what I need is right there in front of me, but for some strange reason, I just don't see it. I was working in the shop the other day, using a small level to ensure some shelves were put up squarely. The first one up, I was ready to install the second. Wouldn't you know it - that level was nowhere to be found! It was right there a moment ago, but at the moment I needed it, it had vanished! The sad truth is that it was right there in front of me, just slightly hidden by something I had placed half over it! While new life in Christ is available to all, we must still choose to avail ourselves of what is right in front of us. God stands ready to both give us his gift of grace and to forgive us in his mercy. There have been lots of periods in our growth as a society when that message came through loud and clear. I am not so sure that God's message of salvation is as clear, or as loud as it once was - it has been drowned out by the many other messages we hear today. It has been obscured a little by other things that seem to cover over that message of hope.

God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. (Titus 2:11-14)

The truth we need to hear clearly is that our new life in Christ starts right now - it is always fresh and new. There is nothing stagnant about serving Christ - it is a living message, constantly filled with the discovery of truth. God's message may not be the the loudest, but it is the most consistent one, even in times when it seems the 'other messages' we are hearing are louder. There are all kinds of other messages that promise good things, but they soon fall short of fulfillment because they are not backed with anything of enduring character. Just like that level, the truth can get obscured by some other messages being proclaimed a little louder, but none will do the job of the message of truth! Nothing would substitute for the level when I needed it. I have a few others in the shop, so to have that one obscured was inconvenient, but it wasn't a total loss at that moment. The message of Christ is without substitute, though. There are no other 'interchangeable' messages or truths that will do what his message of hope will!

God not only provides the way or means to salvation (restoration with himself and full forgiveness of our sins), but he shows us how to live this life out in our daily walk. We are not left to figure this "new life" out all on our own. We have his assistance each step of the way - to make sense of our choices in a world that often offers choices that are contrary to what is best for us. I am a novice woodworker right now, so every project I begin requires a bit more research than others may engage in who have been at it a little longer. I have to study how the cuts are made, how the joinery is accomplished, what bits to use with the pilot holes, and even which finish is appropriate for the task at hand. There are lots of resources I can turn to with my learning needs for woodworking, but only one resource that fills my heart to overflowing, restores my soul, and fills me with true joy. That resource is Christ and his grace - nothing else guides us quite the same, nor accomplishes the task required within us quite as well.

God's goal is that we become less "self-absorbed" and more Christ-centered. As we turn our backs on those things that indulge our lusts, we are being shown how to find fulfillment in having Christ at the center of our choices. Today's blessings are just a "whetting of our appetites" for what really lies ahead for every follower of Christ. Notice, this "new life" experience, the blessings that come with it, and the hope for what lies ahead are not simply for those that "believe" in Christ. They are for those that "follow" Christ. Scripture tells us that many "believe" - even the devil! It is something else to follow. I can read a whole lot of directions on how to complete the project in the shop, but if I fail to follow them what is produced is not going to work out that well! Believing in Christ is simply having the confidence that he exists, that he is reliable. Beliefs are something we may have confidence in, yet they may not fully direct the course of our actions. When we are followers of Christ, we move into a place of accepting his leadership over our lives - we align our goals with his, our desires are submitted to his planning, etc. Believing is having understanding - following is putting into action what it is that we believe.

We are to turn our backs on a godless life and take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This is never done by simply believing in all the right stuff. It is only "lived out" in the exchanging of one set of goals (our self-indulgent ones) for another set of goals (those with Christ at the center). Beliefs impact our actions, but they are not actions themselves. Therefore, we need to take what we have come to believe about Christ and put his leadership into practice in our lives. When we do, we begin to live the "exchanged life". If you are a believer in Christ - that is the beginning point. Your next step is to become a follower of Christ - allowing his authority and leadership to direct the course of your steps each and every day. It is time to put into practice what you have come to believe! Just sayin!

Your full attention, please

My mother frequently uses the term "Listen to me!" as a way of getting my attention so that I actually stop, pay close attention, and hear out whatever her idea or issue is at the moment. It isn't always at the most convenient moment, nor is it always easy for her to get out whatever it is she wants to share. Yet, it is important enough for her to ask to for me to hear it, so I respond with, "I'm listening, mom", and she begins.  It isn't said in anger or in a moment of disappointment. Rather, these words are usually spoken in a "sing-song" manner, but with very specific intent - they are intended to get me to REALLY listen to what she was saying. Why? Because she knows she has something to say even if it is getting harder for her to say it! She has walked through much already, learned many lessons, and has the advantage of experience on her side, but the disadvantage of advancing age makes it harder and harder for her to actually form those thoughts into sentences. She wants me to pay attention to the things she needs to say - even when it is hard for her to say it - so sometimes she has to show me because the thoughts just won't form well enough to get her point across. We usually figure it out, but sometimes it can be a little more of a challenge than others!

Dear child, I want your full attention; please do what I show you.  (Proverbs 24:26)

God stands everyday asking for our full attention - knowing he has something which may be hard for us to hear, not always easy for us to understand, but important for us to actually listen and respond to. He is asking us to tune up our ears, focus our minds, and direct our heart toward his voice. Why? Because he knows what lays ahead, how it will affect us, and what we need to make it through! That's love! That's compassion and concern in action. When God asks for our full attention, he is asking us to "narrow" the field of voices we are paying attention to - those we are willing to give careful thought to and respond in some manner. It is a concentration of our faculties that affords him access to ALL of our inner doubts, conflicts, and frustrations. In that 'space of concentration', he sorts things out, brings order to chaos, and gives clarity. When we are so focused on the chaos, we aren't open to the clarity that is at our disposal. So, God asks for our "attention".

Many of us have "attention deficit disorder" when it comes to listening to God (and sometimes when it comes to listening to others). We spend all kinds of time and energy getting distracted by the loudest voice of the moment - those things that seem to tug at our emotional strings. Then we wonder why we are in a "muddle" of chaos emotionally!!! God is seldom the loudest voice! As part of understanding and overcoming our "spiritual attention deficit disorder", it is important to recognize that we limit our success in any matter when we find ourselves focusing on the voice of "emotion". Emotion is irrational - it seldom is based on fact, but rather on "feeling". How the event "makes us feel" becomes predominant, not how it will impact the outcome of our lives if we respond to it in irrational ways. God's voice is rational, focused, and direct!

His voice may not be the loudest, nor may it seem to "stroke us emotionally" just as we would like to be stroked at that moment, but it is reliable and consistent. If we settle into taking time to hear (focusing our attention), then pay attention (doing what we are shown), there is almost always a better emotional outcome for us in the end! God's goal in speaking to us is to keep us safe, give us direction for our present, protecting us into our future - it is something we 'need' that we cannot gather from any other source! So, if we find that we struggle from 'attention-deficit' type behavior when it comes to hearing God, it is time to respond differently when we fell the tug at our heart that begins with the "listen to me" warning that comes from him. It is intended to better us, never hurt us. It is intended to focus us, not lend to our ever-increasing chaos. It is intended to bring us into partnership with him, not a further reliance on our emotions or all those other voices that lead us astray. We often find that we don't need more clarity - we often need less chaos! Just sayin!

A verb lesson

A verb in the English language is the part of speech which describes an action - in simple terms, it is a "doing" word. It could be used to suggest a mental action, such as thinking. It could also be used to suggest a physical action, such as running. It also can be used to suggest a state of being, such as standing. Did you know God likes verbs? In fact, they are probably one of his most favorite parts of speech!  Don't believe me?  "Go ye into all the world..."  Go is an action word. "Seek first the kingdom of God..."  Seek is an action word.  Many of God's commands and instructions to us begin or end with some type of action on our part - he is asking us to not be "inactive" believers, but participate in what he is doing in this world!

Heed counsel, act on instruction, and you will become wise later in life. (Proverbs 19:20 VOICE)

Three important verbs to consider:  Heed, Act, and Become. We might just miss that last one if we didn't stop to consider it is also an "action" word.  When we "become", we are "growing to be" something which we were not in an earlier sense.  For example, we might "become tired" when we ride our bikes on a long bicycle ride.  We weren't that way at the beginning of the ride, but toward the end, we "grew tired". Weariness is a good example of "becoming" - we start one way, but we end another.  

Heed - to give careful attention to something.  God isn't just telling us to perk up and take a little notice here - he is reminding us of the intensive action on our part which is required when counsel comes our direction.  We actually need to give ourselves entirely to no missing what is contained within that counsel.  Not all counsel will come to us by us sitting on someone's couch in an office where a shingle announces the person behind the desk has the "profession" of being a counselor!  Although it may come to us in that form on occasion, most counsel is gained in the "regular conversation" of life.  

Act - the process of doing.  Notice the definition again - it doesn't say something which is done - it is the process of doing.  In order to fully grasp how God uses this word for us, we need to keep in mind our actions don't end.  There is no end to growing in Christ.  There is no end to learning in life. There is no amount of instruction we can say is "enough" and then we just don't need anymore!  God calls us to act - enter into the process of embracing the instruction we are given and then allow it to affect how we live each and every day, constantly engaging with that instruction over and over again until it impacts who we are.

Become - grow to be wise.  If we heed counsel, enter into the process of doing what we are instructed, we can count on growth being an outcome of our actions.  Even growth is an action - it is moving from one state into another, until we reach a place of maturity.  Even in maturity there is still growth, though.  Don't believe me?  Maturity is when we enter into the place of expanded capacity.  A fruit ripens on the tree - expanding to a new capacity as it does.  Inside that fruit, growth is still occurring, just in a different form.  The richness of what will be realized when that growth is final may not be evident on the surface, but it is happening!

Look at the time frame - later in life.  Now, lest you think you have arrived, I would have to ask you to define "later in life". If you are my mom's age (97), then you might say it is in your 90's, but if you are like most teenagers, you would say it is when you reach 20!  The goal isn't "arriving", it is the process of being engaged in doing - until whatever "state" of maturity God calls us into is totally and completely accomplished. I like what my pastor teaches us about the Book of Acts in scripture.  He says, "It is not the Book of Thoughts, or the Book of Pontification, or even the Book of Beliefs.  It is the Book of Action."  I guess God wasn't finished with all the verbs in scripture, so he wrote another one!  Truth be told, he isn't finished "writing" because he is writing the continual revelation of scripture in each of our lives - through the process of us heeding, acting, and becoming.  Just sayin!

Think about it

Throwing caution to the wind is rarely the best mode of attack to take, especially when everything inside your head and body is telling you otherwise! Yet, we find today's media pages littered with all manner of people "throwing caution to the wind" in incriminating photos, not well-planned posts, and some pretty crazy "rants".  I never cease to be amazed at what people will post.  I've seen everything from the funniest little kittens tormenting big burly dogs to minions captioned with catchy reminders of the woes of life.  In between, I have also seen some not so sweet or kind things.  You probably have, too.  Watching the news these days is like filling your mind with all manner of hatred, disgusting acts of violence, and just plain unpleasantness.  I really listen to the news for the weather, so I would honestly just prefer to look at the app on my phone!  As my daughter and I were talking the other day, she mentioned she wasn't sure who'd she vote for in the upcoming election for President of the United States.  My advice to her was to wait and pray, because I knew the smear campaigns would mount and the mud-slinging would begin to take on epic proportions, with tons of people offering opinion after opinion about each of the candidates.  What is most disappointing is to hear someone show their true colors, then tell the media something entirely different the next day - as though they were trying to "save face".  I think this might just reveal a little more about the character of the candidate than he or she really knows!

People sometimes lie to hide their hatred, but saying bad things about someone is even more foolish. (Proverbs 10:18 ERV)

A couple of things I think we can benefit from in our "shares" on social media, public announcements which get recorded for history, and distribution of our opinions for all to hear and see.  I think we need to keep in mind the principles taught in Philippians 4:8 which say, "Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected." 

- Thinking first often prevents us from saying things we might have done well to not have said.  Initiating our conversation with a moment of thought to form our answer may not look like we are very "decisive", but it often shows us to be a whole lot wiser than if we just blurt out the first thing which comes to mind.

- Having some form of "filters" in place through which we run our thoughts or ideas may actually benefit us from just allowing everything "into" our brains and hearts which can "taint" the flow of what comes "out" of them.  This may be why we are told to think about what is "true", "honorable", "right", "pure", "beautiful", and "respected".  These are filters of sorts.  If it isn't true - don't speak it or even entertain it in thought.  If it is going to bring honor to someone then it doesn't need to be considered a viable option.  If it veers from what God has declared to be right in his Word, then we should just treat it as untruth.  If it lacks purity, it isn't worth us embracing for it will make all it touches impure by its presence.  If it lacks the qualities which make it see, hear, think, or act upon, it likely isn't beautiful.  Lastly, if it isn't revealing the excellence of character which God would want us to exemplify, it isn't to be respected or revered.

- Thinking again often prevents us from heading down a path from which there really isn't much of a positive return!  Thinking first may help us to go a different direction, or not even pursue the path all together.  Thinking again, after these thoughts have been through the filters outlined above may just keep us on track and consistent in our walk.

We can hide behind lies all of our lives, covering tracks we have made by our misspoken words, misguided deeds, and misplaced affections, but trust me on this - the right path, taken in the right timing, with the right companions won't leave tracks we are afraid to have another follow!  All of God's direction is given to affect how it is we "do" life.  When we embrace the wisdom contained in his wisdom (the Word of God), we find we go about "doing" what we won't be ashamed or embarrassed to have another follow.  Just sayin!