Shore up those gaps

Building upon a strong foundation is important. The materials we acquire for the building must be put to use. I have a home improvement store (one of those huge ones) about one mile from the house. I love to take time to go up and down the aisles exploring the various things they have there. If I could have my "run of the store" without worrying about paying for the stuff, it would be like "heaven on earth"! From the little fasteners which seemingly disappear as they are put into the wood, or the drill bit adapter which creates that perfect angle by which you get that screw in at a perfect 45-degree angle, I could create and create and create! As long as those tools and materials remain at the local home improvement store, they are just materials. Unless we actually take into our possession what God gives us for building up our lives and put them to use in our lives, they are simply dreams we hold. We have been given great resources, but if we don't put into practice the Word of God, it is like a great pile of resources which goes untapped. Untapped resources might mean the difference between being able to withstand the storms of life and 'going under' when they come.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.” When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority. (Matthew 7:23-29)

The storms will come, but we don't have to be obsessed with them. I don't make a living staring at those radar screens like the meteorologists do at our local TV stations. Their mission in life is to give us as much "early warning" of inclement weather as possible so we stay safe and are prepared for what will come. If I spent all my life watching the horizon for what may come next, I would miss out on what is right in front of me today. The wise builder doesn't build "in the moment", reinforcing the structure for whatever "weather" is predicted for the day. He prepares for what will come by building for all manner of weather. He doesn't build in a flood area because he knows waters might come with such force so as to wash away his hard work. He doesn't forget to nail down the shingles because he knows the winds will come and leave his home exposed if he does. He doesn't neglect sealing the cracks and crevices because he knows the heat and cold will seek a way inside, making life hard to bear. He prepares in advance of what is sure to come. 

I think we can take a lesson here - not to be so concerned about what will come, but to allow the right attention to the details of what gets "worked into" our lives up front so that we are prepared when the issues arise which might come against us like gale force winds and raging currents. If they do, we are well-prepared and on a strongly anchored foundation. Get God's Word into you and you will be amazed at how strong that foundation becomes. Let his Word change the way you respond to life's events, and you will likely 'shore up' places where you once were weak and your resistance to the storms was quite ineffective. Just sayin!

The right foundation

Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed. (Matthew 7:24-27)

We hear of natural disasters all the time with nature's full force overwhelming the land. In those places where such devastation occurs, we often see structures that appear okay on the outside but are totally destroyed by the floods or the winds that blew with gale force. What gave the appearance of being "built well" may not have been "planned" well, nor "maintained" well! There is a difference between erecting a structure and then erecting one which will withstand the forces which come against it!

Jesus gave us all some insight into how we "build" our lives which we will do well to consider. We can count on storms coming - it is not something we can avoid in life. We cannot find a place on this earth where we can escape the ups and downs of the weather - nor can we find a place in this world where we can totally avoid the good and the bad in life which comes as a matter of being part of this human race. If we cannot avoid the storms, then we had better look at what Jesus said about being prepared for them!

The foundation is what matters. It doesn't matter how well we "decorate" our lives with this talent or that skill. It matters what "foundation" we create in our lives. It is more than the "materials" used for the foundation; it is also the placement of that foundation onto something that will remain strong. This is what Jesus refers to as "bedrock". Two foundations are contrasted - one is sand, the other is bedrock. We could erect a structure upon both, but one will erode away under the pressures of wind and water, while the other will resist these pressures because it has an "anchor". In life, we need the right "anchor" upon which we build - not just the right tools and materials with which to build.

The foundation is built when we both 'hear' and 'put into practice' God's Word. Without the right foundation, we will flounder in the midst of the storm. Just sayin!

Sometimes being 'grounded' isn't all that bad!

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or whine, Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:27-31)

Complaining that God seems to be looking the other way when you need his attention right now? Do you think he has abandoned you to some state of misery or woe that you won't be able to overcome? We all have been there at least once, and if we were honest, we'd admit we come to this place a little too often before we realize God never abandons us. We may not hear him as clearly, see how he is moving in the muddle we are in, or be strong in our faith that he is right there beside us, but he never lets us walk through stuff alone. There were times when my kids were little that I'd suddenly realize I couldn't hear them anymore, and I just knew they were likely into some type of mischief! In my losing track of what they were doing, they took full advantage of getting into something they knew they weren't supposed to be into - like pulling the toilet paper all off the roll in a huge pile around them on the floor or dumping out all the baby powder and then proceeding to paint themselves with it! Good news - God doesn't "lose track" of his kids! If we wander into places of "mischief" in our lives, he is right there ready to correct us, redirect us, or recommission us.

There is power in waiting on the Lord to renew our souls, yet so many of us just wander around without the power we could tap into if we'd just take a few moments to wait upon him. It is in "waiting upon" him that we find the "energizing" for the task which lies ahead. Maybe if we learned how to "wait upon" a little better, we might not feel like we are "out on our own" in so many of life's circumstances. To wait means to exchange - we exchange our strength for his, our wisdom for his, our energy for his. The knowledge to do it his way rather than our own is only found in the waiting. The strength to do what is just ahead is only found in the moment of exchange. If this is where the "exchange" happens, we need to learn how to "wait upon" as our "first option" rather than our "bail out" option! There is wisdom in waiting just a little bit before you take your first step, isn't there? What probably should have occurred to us by now is that we don't survive alone! Like it or not, we are not designed to live alone - we are designed for relationship. We are "relational" creatures. So many of us try to walk out this daily existence of our Christian faith alone and wonder why we find ourselves feeling lonely, abandoned, and without a shred of hope to hang onto. 

In the place of feeling kind of abandoned, we veer away from the principles we know to be true. We try something completely different from what we know is reliable, trustworthy, and upright. Whenever I have veered from the principles I have learned through scripture, I've been burned! We can live by all kinds of "good philosophy", but philosophy is just not going to cut it because the basic premise of any philosophy is to improve upon it. God's Word cannot be improved upon! It is more than philosophy - it is tried and true - nothing can be added, nothing taken away. When we gravitate toward living by some type of "philosophy" in our lives, we are more susceptible to living by the culture of the day in which we live. Society says if it feels good, doesn't appear to hurt anyone, and seems to carry some sense of reward for the one doing it, then it is okay to pursue. Just because it feels good to eat a chocolate bar each day doesn't make it good for a person who is struggling with their weight! Just because my actions don't seem to outwardly hurt another, I cannot overlook the fact that someone is watching, and they may be affected by those actions without my even knowing it! 

Allow God's words to get "worked into" the fibers of our lives, then we will have something upon we can rely upon when we are faced with those moments of decision in life. We are only able to stand - or withstand - when we have the right foundation. The right foundation is never based upon something which needs improvement! It is based upon that which cannot be improved upon! This is why we need to get the Word of God into us - it gives us the stability of standing upon what cannot be improved upon! Too many times we "improvise" in this life. To really learn what it is we are designed to live by, we need time to wait upon God. In seeking God, you find yourself - for he designed you! In seeking him, you are free to be who he made you to be. Discovery comes in waiting upon - not just in waiting, but in waiting upon. In the most literal sense, the difference is in the activity level of each. Waiting bespeaks inactivity - waiting upon refers to a level of activity or involvement. When we wait upon God, we aren't just passively standing by until he says move. We are engaging in what we know to do - like prayer, time in the Word, taking the steps of faith we know to take, then patiently listening for the wisdom about the steps we don't know how to take yet. When we engage with him, he engages with us. It is active waiting God is directing us toward, not passivity. Just sayin!

Forth-Tell the Story

Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I’ll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives’ foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. (Psalm 89:1-3)

We can count on God - he is faithful. We can count on him because he has been, is now, and will always be faithful. We can remember his faithfulness in our lives - the times and seasons when he has been right there with us through it all. God is trustworthy - we can count on him. He is 'foundation' for our lives. We aren't trusting in a shaky foundation - we are trusting on the one who brings grace upon grace into our lives. Grace in the past, grace in the present, and grace that will ever be needed in our lives. We forget that God has prepared both our present and our future. We forget he has been faithful yesterday and we begin to worry about what it is we will face today. How fickle we are! His grace and peace come with us into day and will ever be present with us into our tomorrows.

Never quit telling the story of God's grace in your life. Why is this act of 'forth-telling' God's story in your life important? As we 'remember' what he has done and recount those moments in our lives, we begin to feel the presence and peace of God afresh in our lives. There is power in recounting the graces of God - the times when he intervened, when he overcame, when he stilled the storms. This 'forth-telling' actually builds our faith - not so we can convince God to be more faithful today - but so our faith will be built up in order to allow God to reveal what he will do in our lives today. He built the cosmos around us - how much more will he build the very next chapter of our lives? If he can create the expanse of the universe, how much more will he take care over our lives - the ones who worship and honor his name?

What is your foundation today? If it is God's love, it is the surest foundation you can stand upon today. If it is anything less - it will be a little wobbly. God's trustworthiness will keep us - we can count on it. We oftentimes hold onto things in our day that only create all those worrisome thoughts we are considering, but God asks us to remember his faithfulness. Why? In so doing, we are actively letting go of what is not worth being trusted and placing our faith into what always will be worthy of our trust - God's grace and love. Just sayin!

Go ahead...be undone

God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones. (Proverbs 2:6-8)

Let's look at two traits described in this passage - being sincere and steadfast. To be sincere, one must be free of hypocrisy, deceit, or falseness; totally earnest in their pursuits; genuine or real in their living. To be steadfast, one must be fixed in one's direction - what we may refer to as being steadily directed. This also calls for us to be firm in our purpose, resolute; firmly established in our path. For the one whose life is tapped into the wisdom, knowledge and understanding which only comes from being intimately connected with Christ, these traits are assured, but we must work to see them incorporated into each and every area of our lives. Most of us desire to live free of hypocrisy, yet when it comes to being totally "real", it is quite a different story, isn't it? We somehow perceive we will be "judged" for being who we 'really' are, so we "play act" a little to kind of "cover up" what we think others don't want to know about us. Truth be told, the other person is probably doing the same thing. Steadfastness is something we equate to the "never say die" mentality. We label someone as steadfast when we see them going the extra mile, undaunted by failure, or simply "plugging away" even when others have given up. When the going gets hard, most of us wish someone would actually come alongside and just tell us it is okay to quit!

God expects sincerity. Plain and simple. No backing down on this one, friends. There is something which can only be displayed in the sincerity of our lives, so trying to be something other than what we really are is doing God's grace in our lives a disservice! Sincerity in a scriptural sense is really the evidence of pure desires and motives. We all veer from this at times, but God knows the intent of the heart and he is not distracted by our failures! In fact, he is encouraged when we come back to him with our failures and actually lay them at his feet. He knows there is something he can do in us at that point. Look at what our passage says: He is a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. A bodyguard is an "escort" of sorts - purposed to protect the one they are escorting. God has his eye on us, even in the midst of our failure, and his purposed plan it to protect us! God also expects steadfastness. If you ever struggle with sincerity even a little bit, you probably also struggle with this one, as well. Sincerity opens the door for us to be steadily directed in our path. When we are real about our struggles, God is consistent in his direction. Consistency is one of the character traits of a good bodyguard. He is ever vigilant to keep an eye on specific things which could potentially 'trip us up'. His vigilance is unwavering. We can stand assured, God is steadfast in his commitment to us, even in our wavering condition! His vigilance over our lives never ends.

Sincerity and steadfastness give us a pretty solid foundation upon which we might walk. I know this because I struggled with sincerity for a long time. I tried to hide behind all kinds of facades - both good and bad. Then one day, I came to the realization it was too hard keeping the facades straight! I could not remember which one I wore in which circumstance. Maybe you have found yourself in the same place. What you lack in sincerity you will reveal as lacking in steadfastness because the foundation is not solid! Remember, God doesn't expect perfection - he examines the motives (the heart). Just because the heart is sincere doesn't mean every action will be perfect. It means we will easily recognize when we aren't acting as we should! It also means we will quickly seek to rectify the wrong action! There is a relationship between the sincerity of heart and the firmness of the foundation upon which we stand. If the heart is fickle, constantly moved this way and that by every emotional whim, the foundation will be pretty shoddy. The closer we get to being real with God, allowing him to make us "comfortable" with who we really are, and then allow him to remove the masks we wear, the better the foundation will be in our lives. God keeps his eyes on all who live honestly - he pays special attention to those committed to living according to his purpose. It cannot be said any better! We may be a little shocked to examine ourselves in the light of God's Word - seeing ourselves as we really are. In the moments which ensue after we first recognize the lack of foundation, we may feel a little "undone". Yet, it is in our "undoing" that God is free to begin his "doing" in our lives. Just sayin!

Let's take a stand here!

Take a stand - what do those words really mean? To take a stand, one must have some form of footing upon which they will plant their feet - in the most literal sense. To take a stand may also infer we have 'grounds' for that which we are placing our trust in - such as having insurance on our savings account. We take a lot of stands in life - some very official and important, while others are more casual and kind of just spur-of-the-moment. In the most important category comes this heart determination to be on the Lord's side in all matters within our lives. There are certain lifestyle characteristics of one who has determined to stand with the Lord - unyielding in their commitment or allegiance. It has been said that if we don't stand for something, we will stand for nothing - pointing us to the important fact that what we "stand for" both determines our course and leaves a legacy for those that follow.

My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD. (Psalm 26:12)

As we take this 'stand', we begin by asking God to test us and try us - examining our heart and our mind in all aspects. The desire to be tested by God is not something for the weak, though! It is saying we are not looking for the judgment of men here - we are not seeing if we measure up to some standard arbitrarily declared to be the "standard" we are to follow. We are asking God to hold up HIS standard for us to plainly view and then to make a comparison between our life and that holy standard. When we have that mindset and heart determination, we live above the various judgments of men - let them think what they want, God's judgment is all that matters in our life - the only thing that will guide what we take a stand for in our lives.

There is something powerful that happens when we give God permission to put us "on trial". There is a desire to have a formal examination of lives. It implies that there will be both a testing of the quality of the commitment, but also a determination of the value of the thing being examined. The value is something that is assigned after the examination is complete - like when we assign a "value" to a piece of property after it has been appraised. We are really asking God to affirm our usefulness in his hands - that God has a specific place and use for us. We can only ask for this type of examination once we have truly established our stand - once we have "trusted in the Lord without wavering". God is looking for the characteristic within each of us of being faithful. Our faithfulness is made easier because we have made God the center of our focus.We need both a heart and a mind that is free of vacillation in the choice to serve God - no hesitation in commitment, no second-guessing the journey.

There is great importance in living dependent on the Word of God - in taking a stand upon the promises contained within those pages. It is more than a familiarity with the Word of God that we need - it is an awareness of the Word of God and an adherence to what it says. When we have truth exposed, we have two choices - embrace it or reject it. A man or woman of God has made the choice to embrace it, no matter the cost. When we are "adhering" to the Word, we are first remaining loyal to the study of the Word. Then we are learning obedience to it - allowing it to be fused to our heart. Our starting point is in making the commitment - that leads to the willingness to be put on trial (examined). What gives us the ability to "pass the exam" is two-fold: We have trusted God for our right-standing with him, and we have opened ourselves to the adherence to all he asks us to do. Just standin!

Shaky footing

From time to time I like to share a quote I come across that speaks to me. Today, I will share one that we all need to learn well: "The past always looks better than it was. It's only pleasant because it isn't here." (Finley Peter Dunne) It was Henry Ford who reminded us that failure was just an opportunity to begin again, wasn't it? The past looks so good because we are probably busy finding ways to fail anew right now! As long as we are still on this earth, we are going to know times of failure - of unpleasant endings to what we hoped would end a little better. We didn't count the cost well - we didn't consider the outcome before we took the leap. The past looks good only to those who don't remember the pain of the failure!

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise. We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. (2 Corinthians 13:6-8 MSG)

Solid isn't deemed solid until it is put to the test. I have cautiously taken that first step out onto suspension bridges spanning drops so great I could not estimate the distance. The second step comes with a little more bravado, and then a little bit of the bridge's board crumbles upon your third step, and you feel that moment of panic! The first two steps may have been called 'solid', but that third one undid all you believed about the bridge! Your footing is less that secure at that point and you almost find yourself taking a step back. Why? You return to where you knew there was solid footing because you felt more secure there. If you have ever lived in icy regions, you know there is just a fine line between 'firmly frozen' and 'unstable ice'. There is a huge difference in where one stands or ventures between the two! 

We all need regular checkups where it applies to our spiritual health, my friends. We get off on not so solid footing from time to time - because we have a tendency to allow a little drift due to our inattentiveness. The thing about the suspension bridge or the icy crossing is that we are forced to test what it is we are placing our trust in all the time. Each step requires our intense concentration - we really cannot just stop to enjoy the thing around us. If we are a little easier path, we might not pay as close attention, allowing our thoughts to drift and our focus to be less intense. Speaking as one who has come up a few times a little bruised and battered by that one, let me just say we might not realize the unevenness of the path or that we have veered a little askew of straight!

The truth winning out in us isn't the result of a one time test - it is the result of being aware of our footing along the way. We don't lose focus - we don't need to 'reset' our course. Yet, if we have lost our course, it is easy enough to 'reset'. This thing called grace is actually a great 'reset' point in life. We lay hold of grace, it lays hold of us, and we get pulled back to firm footing time after time again! The truth is that our footing isn't going to always be solid. When we need that 'reset' in life, we might find we look back and think it wasn't all that bad 'back there', but we soon forget just how shaky that footing was! Just sayin!

Tract or Custom Home?

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. (2 Peter 1:5-8 MSG)

I have often referred to this daily and continual work of "growing up" in Jesus, but how many of us actually consider "growing up" work? For some, it is the ultimate goal in life - but that is probably when you are ten! For those of us "grown up" already, we long for the 'good old days' when life was simpler and our main issue for the day consisted of if a friend would like our outfit! Growing up physically is one thing - growing up in Jesus is quite another! One physical food, rest, and mental investment. The other requires spiritual food, trustful and expectant rest, and a mental grasp on things you might have otherwise been totally blind to! We all realize it is possible to 'grow up', but never really 'mature'. The idea of growing up involves more than growing older - there is supposed to be a physical, mental, and emotional transformation that occurs as we do!

"Basic faith" is to be 'built upon' - it is a foundation only - nothing erected on a foundation is a waste of a good foundation! Recently I viewed a program featuring some techniques on building 'off the grid' in some of the more remote regions of the nation. The idea is that the home owners will build a home that is kind of self-sustaining and live a pretty simple lifestyle, doing without some of the things some 'city dwellers' may have come to expect as 'normal' living. Electricity might be garnered from solar panels, water from springs, and furnishings from those things you can make from what you clear from the land. It all starts with a good foundation 'suitable' for the space where the building will be erected. If it will be up in the trees, having solidly growing, healthy trees spaced perfectly apart is essential. If it will be on the ground of a sloping mountainside, carving out a safe place to build the structure and supporting it with sufficient bracing to keep it from sliding away in a rainstorm is critical!

Each home built represents something unique because it is both built for the environment in which it is to provide shelter within, and it is designed to suit the needs of those who will dwell inside that structure. Some are round, square, or oblong. The design is determined by the foundation. The design of what is "built-into" the structure of our lives begins with the foundation. If that foundation is Christ, then what is built upon that foundation is solid - regardless of how that 'dwelling' takes shape! Some of the buildings are erected in pretty harsh weather conditions - needing to withstand cold and freeze for many months of the year. Double walls may be created, allowing for extra insulation. Some of our lives are didn't exactly take form as 'beach homes', overlooking lapping waters, with swaying palms in the backdrop. Some of our lives are like the ones built to withstand the hard freeze of winter and still be a shelter that warms and welcomes!

Why are our lives all a little bit different? I think God never set out to build "tract homes" - he set out to build "custom dwellings" - places where his Son would be the foundation, but which revealed beautiful attributes of his character in unique ways within each of these 'earthly dwellings'! Just sayin!

As a nation...

Thought for the day: "Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable." (Franz Kafka) I also like what Franz said about obstacles: "The thorn bush is the old obstacle in the road. It must catch fire if you want to go further." So many times today we allow others to define for us what is acceptable and that is what we seem to move towards in life. We sometimes even allow what we know to be acceptable to God to take backseat in deference to what society finds acceptable. I honestly have to say I know what I want in a President, Senator, and Sheriff, but often find the candidates just don't measure up to what I believe and find acceptable. Honestly, this is one of the toughest election years for me because I don't see one candidate as rising above the other at all and it is hard for me to "defer" to what one group says over the other. I think a whole lot of others are in the same boat as me, just in a whirlwind of unease over this election because we don't see great choices in that which stands before us. So, let me just give us a word of advice as penned by Mr. Kafka - start with what is right and go from there. It may be hard to pick anyone who stands out as "really right", but we have to do better than just choosing what is "acceptable"!

So get rid of hatefulness and deception, of insincerity and jealousy and slander. Be like newborn babies, crying out for spiritual milk that will help you grow into salvation if you have tasted and found the Lord to be good. Come to Him—the living stone—who was rejected by people but accepted by God as chosen and precious. Like living stones, let yourselves be assembled into a spiritual house, a holy order of priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus the Anointed. (I Peter 2:1-5 VOICE)

As a nation founded on the principles of "freedoms" - whether it be religion, speech, liberty to pursue a dream, or the right to bear arms - we must want what is best, not just what is acceptable.  It may come as a surprise to many of us, but the "freedom" we really want begins within each of us - accomplished by the igniting of the flame of grace and the removal of the obstacles of sin that encircle us in bondage galore.  As a nation, we need God's wisdom to choose well. As a believer, we need God's protection to envelop our nation. This may be the one prayer we can lift which will help us the most as we choose one over the other - even when the choices we have are not entirely what we may want to embrace.

As a nation, we do no greater service to each other than to tear down walls of hatefulness and deception. We certainly live with walls of hatred built with the blood of many innocent souls, erected in massive proportion and really impassible by "natural" means. To break down those walls, it will require the love that is more divine than human, for human love is flawed and oftentimes comes with many string firmly attached! To deal with the hatred, we must also deal with the deception which has become so prevalent in our culture today. The "spin" is abundant - the truth is harder to ferret out, is it not? Yet, we need that truth to surface if walls are to come down.

As a nation, we need sincerity in all our relationships - from casual acquaintance to deeper relationships built over years of learning each other's habits, hang-ups, and hurts. We need truth - nothing being more sincere than living without walls of deceit, hatred, jealousy, and unkindness.  We need to help each other grow - not tear each other down. We need to begin to add foundation into the lives of our children - not just allow them to be influenced by what others find "acceptable" in our day. No other investment will pay as high a dividend as that of seeking truth and living it out in every relationship we embark upon.

As a nation, we must assemble ourselves, not in defiance to tradition, or allegiance to new causes as much as we must assemble in the spirit of truth and reverence for the values God so dearly declares as important. These are the values we must ferret out in each of our candidates running for offices all over this great nation. These are the allegiances we must forge. The choices may be difficult, or even a little muddied by all the "slinging" of mud which has been so very prevalent in this campaign season, but we owe it to our nation to dig a little deeper, search a little harder, pray for God's wisdom, then choose as wisely as we can from that which we are offered.  Just sayin!

More than a subtitle

In most Bibles today, there are little sub-section titles which give you some idea what the chapter or section you are reading will be about.  These section or chapter titles help to focus us and get us "set" for the passage we are about to take in.  There are time when I just ignore them entirely because I find they might "sway" my opinion of what I will find in that section, though.  For example, if I think the section deals with the feeding of the five thousand, I just see this as a miracle of the fish and loaves being multiplied and a bunch of hungry people being fed.  I miss some of the detail within - like the fact that the only one in the group of five thousand who had any food being a little boy! The five thousand were just the men - you mean all the women in the group left home without packing even "snacks" for the day?  Or how about the fact that the disciples have all these empty baskets to put the food in - what does this say about empty "vessels"?  The empty basket only serves the purpose for which it was created when it is filled and used in service to those it was designed to serve!  You see, as we just focus on what we "think" might be there in the section, we could easily miss some of the delightful truths! So, as we read, we need to remain open to the little "finds" deep within the passage. In the passage which I have taken our reading for today from, the subtitle reads: "What it means to be acceptable to God".  I think this is a good place to start, but let me assure you, there are a whole lot more truths within this passage than "what it means to be acceptable to God".  Yep, the passage speaks of being "made acceptable" and then we "live at peace with God".  What about the truth of being really and genuinely "happy" because of this transition?  What about the benefit of "suffering" being part of this "acceptance"?  Huh?  We come to Christ and we get the "benefit" of suffering?  Yep, it is a "benefit" - probably not one "advertises" in the "portfolio" of reasons someone wants to become a Christian, right?  Yet, it is a "perk" of the "position"!

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:1-5 CEV)

Let's unpack this passage a little.  We are "made acceptable" - it is not something we accomplish in our own power.  This is the beginning point of our journey into "acceptance" - something which begins "outside" of our own ability and often even outside of our own desire!  Even the desire to pursue Christ's offered gift of salvation is something which is fanned to life within us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, even the desire to believe is a gift.  We are indeed "made" acceptable - nothing we do or believe is what causes us to be acceptable.  

As we begin this journey with Christ, we learn what it is to live at peace with God.  Our condition prior to being made acceptable was one of continually trying to "make peace" with a variety of things, most of which were not God!  For example, we try to make peace with past decisions (good or bad) which now placed new demands upon us as we realized the outcome of those decisions. Some of those demands were easier than others to live up to - such as when we decide to be five minutes later to work because we stopped for gas when the tank was low.  If we got a speeding ticket because we decided to ignore the speed limit on the way to work rather than being late, we might be kicking ourselves now for not leaving five minutes earlier or buying gas on the way home last night!  We have to make peace with the decisions we make all the time.  The decision to follow Christ is kind of different, though.  We are "brought into peace" - we don't have to make our own peace!

It is by Christ we come to know the "undeserved" kindness of God.  We all kind of get what it is to experience grace - undeserved kindness.  Yet, do we miss the next part of the passage?  The part where it says this is what we actually "stand upon" in our relationship with Christ and with God the Father?  Read it again - we "take our stand" or "stand upon" grace!  Grace is our "footing", so to speak.  It isn't just a gift to us - it is something upon which we actually find "foundation".  Foundation is literally defined as the basis or groundwork of anything.  So, grace is the "basis" or "groundwork" of even greater things in our lives.  It is the starting point by which all other good things can be "built into" our lives in Christ Jesus!

What comes next is something of a conundrum for us because none of us enter into this relationship with Jesus saying we hope he takes us down the path of suffering!  Many of us even came to Christ in a period of time in our lives when we were suffering a great deal because of the decisions we made in our lives! We actually hoped he'd help us actually rise above those not so pleasant experiences!  Now we find out we can not only expect suffering, but it is something "built into" this relationship we have with Christ because it helps us develop this thing called endurance.  

Hmmm....not sure I'd have signed up for the experience if I had known that one up front!  But...don't lose sight of how this all develops in this passage.  We are "made acceptable" by receiving something which gives us all the "groundwork" we need in order to become strong and worthy participants in the family of God. It is this groundwork which gives us the ability to endure the "building process". No foundation is ever laid which is not meant for something to be built upon it! If you have ever watched a building go up, you will notice there are phases in the building.  Each phase "connects" the building to the foundation upon which it is built.  So, all we endure in this life actually connects us more and more with this "groundwork" which was originally laid in our lives by the Spirit of God at the point of our salvation!

The purpose of any building is not to just look pretty.  People don't build buildings to just stand there and be uninhabited.  In fact, they are built to be filled!  Even a shed is built to house some tools, store supplies, or the like!  The building is created to be filled.  The same is true of us - we are built upon the groundwork of grace so that we might be filled with the love of God!  The things we endure connect us to the foundation which was laid.  Those things create a framework into which God can place his love in ever increasing proportions. This is indeed the meaning of what it is to stand acceptable to God - a dwelling for his love to inhabit.  Just sayin!

Principle 13: Speak What's Right

I don't think we can become wise overnight, but in the development of our lives, we learn to embrace truths and live well.  In turn, we bring honor to our parents - if not our earthly father or mother, then our heavenly Father is honored immensely!  We are "parented" by more than just our earthly parents in this life, so if you did not have the best of parents on this earth, you still have a pretty awesome chance of turning out pretty well when you come under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit.  Parenting is a pretty scary thing - I know, because I am one!  You get this new life, all squiggly and warm, looking to you to do the best job possible (whatever that is), and then you embark on this lifelong journey of trying to figure out how to raise this blessed bundle of joy.  Some parents aren't ready for their "mission" on this life, doing a pretty poor job with it from the get-go.  Others embrace it head on and seemingly get along pretty well in those first formative years.  Still others will venture into the unknown with fear and trepidation, bumbling along the best they know how, all the while unaware of what some of their choices may yield for their child in the end.  Whatever the "parenting style" you were raised under, know this - God can "undo" the wrong stuff our parents did with us or to us in our lives just as much as he can magnify the good stuff!

Dear child, if you become wise, I’ll be one happy parent.  My heart will dance and sing to the tuneful truth you’ll speak.  (Proverbs 23:15-16 MSG)

The hope of a parent - that their child will become wise.  How is this wisdom manifest?  In the truth the child speaks.  At first this may not seem very significant, but our words reveal a great deal about our heart.  The soundness of heart is often betrayed by the words we speak, is it not?  There are times people try to deliver such polished speeches, believing their words will mask the underlying misery of their lives.  In reality, our words can only do so much to mask what is truthfully within the recesses of our hearts - in time, the truth will come out.  As we have already explored, there is no greater reward for the child than to study the Word and to have it develop deeply ingrained foundational truths within his heart.  The "soundness" of heart is determined by the things we hold as truths upon which we base our lives - so when we get the truth IN, it will eventually come OUT in the words we speak.

Our passage today deals not with the "rightness" of our earthly parenting as much as it deals with getting the right foundation worked into our lives so that we bring honor to God in all we do.  When the right foundation is allowed to permeate our lives, we begin to see character formation which will yield "solid" decision making, "right" actions, and "disciplined" living.  In turn, our words reflect this foundation.  The principles upon which our life are lived are ever so important.  As a parent, I tried to instill some of the basics into the lives of my children, but trust me, I had to learn some of these basics right alongside them!  It wasn't that my parents didn't try to teach me those basics when I was younger, but I just didn't fully embrace them in my youth!  Things like thinking of another instead of always thinking of your own wants or desires, or perhaps being truthful and above board in your dealings.  These were life lessons taught, but not fully "caught" until I realized how much my "modeled" behavior influenced the words I spoke to my children!

"Principled living" comes not in the flash of an eye - it is developed in the course of time.  Principled words are an outflow of the embracing of the principles one is taught - when those principles are finally caught.  We cannot always count on our earthly parents to have modeled the behaviors we needed to catch, but we can count on our heavenly Father to have provided the individuals into our lives who will help us to model the behaviors we need to catch onto in our lives.  God is faithful, even when our earthly parents are not. Can we be "un-parented" from the standpoint of letting go of modeled behaviors which were not good or honoring to God?  Yes, I believe we can.  In trusting God's oversight in our lives, embracing truth as he reveals it, and in letting go of the wrongs we experienced at the hands of those who did model the right behavior, we can move forward.  It won't be an easy journey, though. Modeled behavior "sticks" in our minds for a while and must be "unlearned" over time - just as it was learned.  What we can count on is that truth embraced today will multiply until the "truth" we once believed to be reality in our lives becomes the evidence of the "true truth" God works into our lives.

In time, as truth is worked "into" our lives, it will begin to be manifest in the words we speak "out" of our lives.  Just sayin!

Reality Show - Get Real!

• Sincere:  free of hypocrisy, deceit, or falseness; earnest; genuine, real.
• Steadfast:  fixed in direction, steadily directed; firm in purpose, resolution; firmly established.

Wow!  Today's traits are pretty overwhelming when you read those definitions, but they are quite possible for the one whose life is tapped into the wisdom, knowledge and understanding which only comes from being intimately connected with Christ.  Most of us desire to live free of hypocrisy, yet when it comes to being totally "real", it is quite a different story, isn't it?  We somehow perceive we will be "judged" if we are who we are, so we "play act" a little to kind of "cover up" what we think others don't want to know about us.  The truth be told, the other person is probably doing the same.  This is why so many newly married couples have a rude awakening when they actually are married and not just dating.  We put our best foot forward in dating, don't we?  When the reality of who we married is apparent because we are suddenly finding out they leave the cap of the toothpaste, squeeze it from the middle, or don't pick up their socks, we are shocked!  Steadfastness is something we equate to the "never say die" mentality.  We label someone as steadfast when we see them going the extra mile, undaunted by failure, or simply "plugging away" even when others have given up.  Truth be told on this one, most of us wish someone would actually come alongside of us and tell us it is okay to quit!

God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.  (Proverbs 2:6-8 MSG)

God expects sincerity.  Plain and simple.  No backing down on this one, friends.  There is something which can only be displayed in the sincerity of our lives, so trying to be something other than what we really are is really doing God's grace in our lives a disservice!  Sincerity in a scriptural sense is really the evidence of pure desires and motives.  Now, don't get me wrong, we all veer from this at times, but God knows the intent of the heart and he is not distracted by our failures!  In fact, he is encouraged when we come back to him with our failures and actually lay them at his feet.  He knows there is something he can do in us at that point.  Look at what our passage says:  He is a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.  A bodyguard is an "escort" of sorts - purposed to protect the one they are escorting.  God's got his eye on us, even in the midst of our failure, and his purposed plan it to protect us!

God also expects steadfastness.  If you ever struggle with sincerity even a little bit, you probably also struggle with this one, as well.  You see, sincerity opens the door for us to be steadily directed in our path.  When we are real about our struggles, God is consistent in his direction.  Consistency is one of the character traits of a good bodyguard.  He is ever-vigilant to keep an eye on specific things which could potentially 'trip up' the one he is escorting.  His vigilance is unwavering.  We can stand assured, God is steadfast in his commitment to us, even in our wavering condition!  His vigilance over our lives never ends.

Now, sincerity and steadfastness give us a pretty solid foundation upon which we might walk.  I know this because I struggled with sincerity for a long time.  I tried to hide behind all kinds of facades - both good and bad.  Then one day, I came to the realization it was too hard keeping the facades straight!  I could not remember which one I wore in which circumstance.  Maybe you have found yourself in the same place.  What you lack in sincerity you will reveal as also lacking in steadfastness because the foundation is not solid!  Let me go back to the point I made earlier - God doesn't expect perfection - he examines the motives (the heart).  Just because the heart is sincere doesn't mean every action will be perfect.  It means we will easily recognize when we aren't acting as we should!  It also means we will quickly seek to rectify the wrong action!  There is a relationship between the sincerity of heart and the firmness of the foundation upon which we stand.  If the heart is fickle, constantly drug this way and that by every emotional whim, the foundation will be pretty shoddy.  The closer we get to being real with God, allowing him to make us "comfortable" with who we really are, and then allow him to remove the masks we wear, the better the foundation will be in our lives.

God keeps his eyes on all who live honestly - he pays special attention to those committed to living according to his purpose.  It cannot be said any better!  We may be a little shocked to examine ourselves in the light of God's Word - seeing ourselves as we really are.  In the moments which ensue after we first recognize the lack of foundation we have created by our attempting to live behind the masks, we may feel a little "undone".  Yet, it is in our "undoing" that God is free to begin his "doing" in our lives.  Just sayin!   

One sentence is all you've got!

If you had just one sentence to describe the instructions you'd leave in someone's life which would rock their world, what would it be?  Some might offer "Trust God and take him as your Savior", while others might offer "Be open to change and live like every day matters".  You probably could offer a couple other examples here, but regardless of the example you offer, I don't think you could do as good of a job as Paul did in writing to the Corinthians.  He gave five key actions in the course of one sentence which will either make us or break us.  Let's examine them this morning:

Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping.  (I Corinthians 16:13-14 MSG)

1. Keep your eyes open.  I have spoken many times about the eyes as the window to the soul - they give insight into the condition of the man in what they reveal.  Today's advice from Paul is to keep them open.  Now, this may not seem like much - but it is his starting point.  Having our eyes opened is the beginning of seeing.  Try to see with your eyes closed!  You probably do a poor job of actually avoiding the hazards in your path when you do!  Eyes have the purpose of allowing input - taking in what they behold, interpreting that input as either pleasant or not, beneficial or not, or even beautiful or not.  The eyes are the gateway into a man's heart - the input we receive moves us in some respect.  It is almost impossible to take input without some form of output!  So, as Paul speaks of keeping our eyes open, he is asking us to remain in a position of taking in what God puts in our path.  In the simplest sense, we think of keeping our eyes open as being vigilant and aware.  I don't think this is far from what Paul was aiming at here - for in being alert, we can respond to what we receive as input.  The action word here is "keep" - maintain, cause to continue, so as to set the course.  Our eyes have a lot to do with the course we keep.  Whatever we choose to focus on will go a long way in affecting how we take all the other steps Paul outlines!

2. Hold tight to your convictions.  A conviction is more than just some clever theory or persuasive fact.  A conviction is a fixed or firm belief - it has some basis - roots which give it soundness.  When a conviction is shared, the person sharing it is determined to move another by the evidence presented - so as to bring the other person to a place of agreement about the evidence.  When the right stuff is entering through our vision, we begin to form sound convictions - we have all the right evidence to present.  Paul points out the action associated with convictions is that of "holding tight" to these convictions.  In order to understand this, I think we need to examine the courtroom to see the importance of convictions.  Since convictions are the position one assumes based on the evidence, in a court of law an attorney will attempt to present the evidence which will make his case.  In other words, he is presenting that which gives foundational truth to his case.  We need to know what gives our "case" foundational truth.  Some evidence is weak at best.  Other evidence is so strong, it cannot be denied.  Paul tells us to hold onto the truth we have been given so as to have an undeniable foundation upon which we base our lives.

3. Give it all you've got.  Back a few years ago, there was a slogan coined by the US Army - "Be all you can be".  Maybe it wasn't quite biblical, but it spoke volumes.  In this simple statement, the idea of being something of worth, value, and importance was presented.  It gives us the idea of coming to the place of realizing our fullest potential.  Now, I don't believe fro a moment one has to join the Army to reach one's fullest potential, but their recruiting slogan does hit the nail on the head!  All we've got - not part - is what Paul says is called for in this life of serving Jesus.  Ever serve someone half-heartedly?  How'd that make you feel?  Do you think the one being served knew you were only half-interested in serving them at that moment?  Probably!  I think there is something revealing in this instruction from Paul - give it all you've got.  The action required is that of "giving" - present willingly and without expectation of compensation.  Hmmmm....I wonder what this world would be like if we began to equate being all we could be with what it is we could willingly give without the expectation of some form of compensation as a result of our service?

4. Be resolute.  To be set in purpose - not easily swayed - this is the idea presented next.  Now, taken in order, if we have our focus correct, allowing the right stuff to be taken in, we will form the right basis of evidence in our lives which will cause us to begin to act differently toward others (and even ourselves).  To this, Paul adds we are to be set in our purpose - fixed, determined, unwavering, undaunted by what life throws at us.  When the preponderance of evidence is significant, the ability to "stand behind" the evidence is easier than when their is very little evidence, right?  What gets us to the position of being able to be resolute?  I think it is in the building up of the evidence in our lives of being new creations in Christ - realizing the actions of grace within our lives.  Each action of grace gives us some additional evidence upon which we ground our convictions - we stand stronger by the revelation of grace.  Some will say grace is that which was undeserved.  You would be correct, but even the best of attorneys will tell you evidence discovered in the most unlikely places or by the most unlikely means is still evidence!  We can stand undaunted by life - by grace.

5. Love without stopping.  Can anyone actually do anything without stopping? I tire easily, how about you?  Yet, there are some involuntary things which occur within my body which continue to occur without thought or action on my part - like my heartbeat or my breathing.  I can hold my breath, but there is some overriding impulse center in my brain which tells my body to begin to take a breath before it is too late.  Why?  Simply because life is sustained by these actions.  Paul tells us to love without stopping.  Now, don't believe for a moment that I am presenting the idea of love being an "unthinking" action.  It is quite the opposite - it requires we be "invested" in its actions in order to reveal any sincerity in those actions.  Yet, when something becomes a way of life for us, the "thought" we put into those actions is almost automatic.  We just do it because it is what we do. Paul might just be telling us to make love such a way of life that we love without really having to work ourselves up in order to love.  It becomes "natural", free-flowing from a heart which has been convinced by the love and grace of God.  

Now, these aren't rocket science here, but if we actually take all these five principles together and begin to focus our lives on each action, we might just learn to walk a little differently.  Just sayin!

Skip the bells and whistles on this one!

Ears that hear and eyes that see—we get our basic equipment from God!  (Proverbs 20:12 MSG)

If you have ever looked into buying some new appliance, a new car, or even a new home built to your specifications, you probably have had to consider just how many "bells and whistles" you wanted (or could afford).  The basic model comes with just the minimums - the more you add, the more the costs add up.  Soon, the $299 "deal" you saw advertised becomes $599 because you just could not imagine life without the extra spin cycles, and the automatic sensor for this or that!  Sometimes we find the "extra" stuff we just "had to have" gives us more headaches than they are worth in the end!  

Our passage today speaks to us of the "basic equipment" given to us by God. Ears that hear and eyes that see - basic equipment.  I wonder just how many times we take the "basics" for granted, focusing more on the "bells and whistles" we'd want to have?  Whenever I hear someone say they are "not equipped" for whatever it is God is putting in their path, I just have to remind myself they have probably bought into the lie they need more than the "basic equipment" to begin their travel down the path.  In fact, in the spirit of being totally transparent, I have done exactly the same thing - believing what I "possessed" was not good enough for what it was I was facing.

The opposite is actually true - we possess all we need to begin the journey.  Anything else we might need, God will provide!  Our basic equipment is what actually helps us navigate the journey - ears that hear, eyes that see - these are both "navigational" tools!  If you have ever played one of those games where someone places a blindfold over your eyes, plunging you into absolute darkness and leaving you at the mercy of what you could hear, feel, etc., you probably came to understand how important it was to have both of these pieces of "basic equipment" operating!  Try as you might, the hands might help us sense the objects in our path, but you travel at quite a different speed when you don't have the faculty of sight, right?

Basic really means that which is fundamental - it is an essential ingredient - something needed.  So, when God reminds us he gives us the "fundamental" equipment, he is calling our attention to the importance of the two things which actually will give us exactly what we need to take the first steps toward anything he asks us to pursue.  Ears to hear - the attentiveness to his voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Eyes to see - the ability to look beyond the obvious and see the obscure.  We often find the basic equipment we have been given might just get a little complicated by the "other equipment" we have "added" to our list of "qualifications".  For example, when we count on our emotions as part of our "fundamental" or "basic equipment", we get a little different perception of what we are seeing or hearing, huh?  God never said we should add this "equipment" to our "basic equipment" - he just tells us to count on what we have been given.

Fundamental parts - the basis upon which all else gets "filtered".  Here's the rub, isn't it?  The way we "filter" what we hear and see is often "clouded" by the "bells and whistles" we have insisted on adding into the equation!  Whenever we add in the emotions, we start saying things like, "I think God might be telling me this, but I just don't feel like I can."  The basic equipment we have been given is what God needs us to use - plain and simple!  To rely upon anything else is to begin to operate outside of the "plan" God has.  In fact, all learning from scripture is based on us seeing and hearing.  I think God may just be reminding us this morning of the need to keep life simple.  We complicate it with the perceived need to align what we are seeing and hearing with what it is we are feeling.  Truth be told, if we see as God sees and listen only to his voice, we have all we need for ANYTHING our day holds.  Just sayin!

My Ebenezer

To get a handle on our passage today, let me give you just a little background.  Israel had allowed the unthinkable to happen - they had compromised their stand with God by taking on the worship of idols and the practices of the lands around them.  This was something God had warned them not to do.  As a result, they lost something of great value to them - the help of God in the midst of their battles - to them this was the Ark of the Covenant.  Now, they are surrounded by some pretty fierce attackers - the Philistines.  The armies of the Philistines were known for their superior weaponry, often causing great fear or panic in all those they faced in battle.  The Israelites are facing this huge army of Philistines - not having done so well without God's presence, they hope the return of the ark might have "changed their fortunes".  Samuel is addressing them in this chapter - seeking to see if the Israelite's jubilation over the return of the ark was just surface deep, or if there was some root of repentance which went deeper.  He hears the solemn plea of the leaders - we want to return to our first love - God!  Nothing rings clearer in the ears of God's ears than a plea to return!  So, Samuel instructs them to "clean house" - to get rid of all their foreign gods, their false idols, and to ground themselves firmly in God.  

While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and ran helter-skelter from Israel. Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.”  (I Samuel 7:10-12 MSG)

I think most of us can associate with the people of Israel at one point or another.  We also have our own "false gods" which attract so much of our attention and seem to make oblivious to the fact God is no longer central in our lives.  We may not be worshiping some carved pole with images of the false gods on them, but we do worship something other than God.  Hear the cry of God's heart, dear ones - he is calling us to get rid of whatever takes our attention away from God and to ground ourselves firmly in him!  Do you know the rest of the story here?  It goes on to tell us of Israel's commitment to get rid of their idols - to "clean house" and the resulting fear this determination put into the hearts of the Philistines.  Imagine that!  The centering of the hearts of God's people on him and him alone put more fear into the hearts of the Philistines than the mighty weapons of Israel's greatest enemy put in theirs!

I don't know about you, but whenever I have my focus on the enemy and not squarely on God, I have a tendency to fear whatever it is the enemy is wielding in my path!  When I squarely center my focus on God and God alone, my perception changes!  The enemy is still there - the Philistines didn't go away.  In fact, they watched from the periphery as Israel went through the process of "cleaning house"!  Don't ever think for one moment that your enemy doesn't see your change in focus - he knows when your eyes are firmly fixed on the one true God.  Silly thing is - he doesn't know when he should turn tail and run.  The next thing we realize in our passage is the turning of the tide - Israel begins to pursue the Philistines instead of them pursuing Israel!

What our enemy fails to recognize is the potential and power of a people who have God central in their lives.  It might enrage him a little to see us make a move toward "cleaning house" and getting our lives "centered" again, so be on the lookout for the attack.  Israel may not have seen it coming - but God did! When the Philistines see the change in Israel, they get enraged and go on the offensive.  They are ready to come down hard on Israel - but... - God is prepared to come down harder on the Philistines!  Guess what invoked fear into the Philistines?  It wasn't mighty weaponry wielded by the Israelites, or massive forces beyond number.  It was thunder!  Thunder-claps from heaven sent them running!

Here's something I want us to see - when God sets the enemy in motion running AWAY from us, it is time to give chase!  We may want to just stand there and relish the moment of relief having the enemy finally out of our face for a while, but God's plan is quite different - he expects us to give chase!  To pursue so as to overcome and "take no prisoners"!  This is exactly the opposite of what most of us do - we choose rather to accept the thunder-claps of God as our "intervention" and our "deliverance", but we fail to make an end to the enemy's attack by pursuing him when he is on the run.  Silly us!  What better time to overcome him than when he is confused by the power of our God?

Now, before we close today, I want to give us a little challenge here.  As Israel pursued the Philistines, striking them down in massive numbers, Samuel does something interesting.  He took one single rock and set it up.  Not a pile of rocks, not a pillar of massive proportion, but one single rock.  One rock - maybe it speaks of what Israel was called to remember - there is but one rock upon which we stand - Christ and Christ alone!  Maybe it was a symbol of what Israel had done - getting grounded in God again.  I am not quite sure what symbolism it has for you, but these two thoughts come to mind for me this morning.  I don't know what your "Ebenezer" stone will be, but I do know this:  God's not content to have us stand on anything other than his grace.  It is the firmest foundation upon which we can face our enemy.  Just sayin!

You looking for love?

Much earlier in this psalm, we find the words, "For God’s Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out."  Those words may not seem like much at first, but when you re-read them a few times, maybe they will begin to sink in.  God's Word is solid!  Nothing can rock its truth.  Most importantly, when his Word is embraced - spoken, heard and acted upon - it has an effect beyond our imagining.  Not to be missed - EVERYTHING God makes is SOUND - inside and out!  Now, if that doesn't rock your world - I don't know what will.  Most of the struggle we face in life is the struggle between knowing right and doing it - we get defeated with the "disconnect" between knowing and doing.  Look at the passage - EVERYTHING (and that also means EVERYONE) is sound - because God's Word brings order, peace and hope! 

Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love.  He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together.  We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need.  What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.  Love us, God, with all you’ve got—that’s what we’re depending on.  (Psalm 33:18-22 MSG)

When something is "sound", it is declared to have a solid foundation.  Nothing gives quite the same foundation to our lives than the Word of God.  It is by the Word that all things are held together - making us "solid" to the core.  Now, if we tried to build upon a foundation which was lacking in structure or soundness, what would be the final result?  A not very sturdy structure, right? What lends to the strength of the structure?  Isn't it that which it is anchored upon?  Even a tree-house needs some kind of anchor!  If the limbs upon which it is suspended are not sound, the thing will not support the weight of the structure for very long!  

As we examine our passage in this light, we must keep in mind what has been presupposed earlier in this chapter - God's Word provides a foundation for our lives - it makes us sound inside and out.  Not just some of us, but all of us!  As a result, we can stand assured of God's watchfulness over our lives.  I don't know about you, but knowing someone much more powerful than I am has my back really does give me a sense of peace!  

Now, let's take apart our passage, shall we?  God's eye is on those who respect him - revere him, worship him, hold him in honor in their lives.  When we focus our eyes on him, his eyes are on us.  There is something exchanged in the face-to-face encounter with God - something which gives permanence or foundation to our lives.  It has been said the eyes are windows to the soul - they allow us to see deeply into the thinking of a man, the emotional make-up he has, and the determination of spirit which drives him.  In turning our eyes to God - to behold his face - we also see something quite similar.  We see the determination of his spirit to put things right within us - making us sound inside and out.  We see the intensity of his love toward us - moving upon the hardness of our heart to make it pliable in his hand.  We see the truth he reveals in the Word he speaks - setting the things in motion which we could not do ourselves.

There is something powerful in looking for another's love - it has a driving force, doesn't it?  Whenever we seek to be loved, the entire make-up of our being is behind that endeavor.  What our psalmist reveals is the "position" of standing in the need of love.  We ALL stand in this position - no one is exempt from needing love.  Now, if we'd pursue HIS love with even a tenth of the determination his love has pursued us, imagine how much we'd find ourselves transformed by that love!  Those who are looking for his love find it.  It is not an elusive thing - it is right in the midst of us - we often just need to reach out and embrace it.

I cannot help but imagine the scene at the altar - bride and groom standing face-to-face - expectancy written deeply on each other's face.  In those brief moments of intense connection, the very longing of the heart is revealed in two tiny words:  "I DO".  What do these words imply?  Don't they imply intent?  The minister may be giving a long list of "will you" questions - the answer from the bride and groom reveals the "intent" of their heart to DO exactly as they are committing to at that very moment - not just today, but into the "tomorrows" which will come.  

Throughout scripture, we see a parallel between the church and Jesus - the church being the bride and he being the bridegroom.  At the point of our "conversion" into Christianity, we are saying "I DO".  We look into the bridegroom's face, expectancy evident in our longing for his love, and utter these tiny words which reveal so much about "commitment" and "intent".  "I DO" - nothing speaks louder to God's heart than these two words!  In "looking" for his love, we are sure to find it - his heart is moved by the need of ours!  There is something of "foundation" built in the exchange of "vows" between a man and a woman - a commitment to be there for each other.  We have somehow lost that in today's world, but remember this about God - his commitments are impossible for him to break!  When he commits to love us, he will.  When he commits to making us sound inside and out, he will not stop short of this promise.

I don't know about you, but what I lack in "commitment", God is faithful to provide in his love.  All he asks of me is to LOOK to him.  Plain and simple - get our focus right and nothing will be able to deter us from seeing the evidence of his strong foundation in our lives!  Remember this - focus determines outcome - keeping the focus right assures the right outcomes.  Make your "I DO" count!  Keep your focus right!  Just sayin!

What are you counting on this year?

Most of the Psalms are written by David or the sons of Korah as a matter of worship - songs of celebration, praise, or love to the one true God.  This morning, I'd like us to look at a psalm of Solomon - the son of David and next king to rule over Israel after David's death.  The psalm opens with Solomon petitioning God to "gift the gift of wise rule" to him as he assumes his role as king.  In turn, he comes to a place of declaring much about what he "counts on" from the God he serves - namely things like God standing up for the poor and needy; taking care of those who would oppose the needy with tyrannical ways; and God bringing his foes to their knees.  Then we come to this portion of the passage:

All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve him,
because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck.  He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restores the wretched of the earth.  He frees them from tyranny and torture—when they bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies.  (Psalm 72:11-14 MSG)

I chose this passage today because it speaks much about the very things we count on about God.  I think we often live in a world where we focus on the things we do "FOR" God (we call this religion), rather than focusing on the things God does for "US" (we call this relationship).  So, let us dive in a little to see what it is we "count on" from God in our lives.

1.  He rescues.  Does it strike you as odd that the first attribute Solomon outlines is that of a rescuer?  It doesn't seem like this should be foremost attribute when we think of the God of the Universe, does it?  Yet, if we read scripture well, we will see something my pastor outlined well this past weekend:  He loved!  He gave!  We believe!  We live!  (For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16)  What does a "lover" do for the one he loves?  Isn't he willing to give his life so the one he loves may be able to live?  In other words, he is willing to rescue!  What does a rescuer do?  He liberates, releases, redeems, ransoms, recovers, and saves!  So, first and foremost, we have a God who rescues - a Savior!

2.  He sees the need.  Nothing speaks more about how much another loves you than to have them meet some unspoken need in your life.  There have been times when I have been totally caught unaware by the love of individuals - without even speaking a word about my need.  God does this ALL the time!  He sees the need often even before we are aware of it ourselves - and to top it off, he is already busy setting things in order to meet that need!

3.  He opens a place in his heart.  Going back to our John 3:16 passage, we can see God loved - therefore, he opened his heart and gave!  He loved - we receive!  Even the faith to believe is not of our own doing - he gives it, as well!  He loved!  He gave!  We believe because he gives us the faith to believe!  Now, we live - exuberant, whole, and recreated lives!  Don't let it escape you - God opens a place in his heart not for just a few, but for whoever believes!  If we believe he is the one true God, his Son is the only begotten son of God, and that he died, rose again, and sits at the right hand of God as our Savior, we experience the place he has for us in his heart!  Glory!

4.  He restores.  He brings us back to a place of soundness.  Yep, soundness! I picked this one feature of "restoration" because I think it speaks volumes more than just restoring something to its former condition.  If I wanted to be living according to my "former condition", I would not really think of this as being restored to much of an existence!  In fact, I kind of like the way God does the restoring, because he doesn't focus on the past state as much as he does on the future!  He gives us back "soundness" - the ability to have a grounded, whole, and satisfying foundation!  

5.  He experiences our pain.  We experience much in this life, but none of it escapes his "experiencing" it right along with us.  No path we take is devoid of his presence - no amount of pain escapes his care.  He went before us into the grave - experiencing death like none other - then overcame the hold of the grave, so we'd live again!  Now, I don't know about you, but that gives me a hope like none other!  

I wish we'd all experience God in this way.  As the new year is upon us, may the love of God touch your heart deeply, his hand reach out to rescue you from the hold of your past, and his creative hand bring soundness to your life!  Happy New Year all!