I AM

Audrey Hepburn once said, "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, 'I'm possible'!" Did you ever make that correlation with the spelling of that word? I never did!  When you stop to think about what we can see all around us, you might just get the impression some pretty "impossible" things have actually been accomplished.  Huge ships sail the seas without even so much as looking like they will capsize or sink under their enormous structure.  Planes filled with people traverse this world daily while unbelievably overcoming gravity's pull. Tiny babies are birthed from wombs everywhere, human and animal alike, formed somehow from the single cell of life which took form some weeks or months before.  Yep, life itself screams, "I'm possible"!

You leave us breathless when Your awesome works answer us by putting everything right. God of our liberation—You are the hope of all creation, from the far corners of the earth to distant life-giving oceans. With immense power, You erected mountains. Wrapped in strength, You compelled choppy seas, crashing waves, and crowds of people to sit in astonished silence.  Those who inhabit the boundaries of the earth are awed by Your signs, strong and subtle hints of Your indelible presence. Even the dawn and dusk respond to You with joy. (Psalm 65:5-8 VOICE)

For a moment, consider how rivers are formed.  At some point, water wishes an escape from some place it has been bound.  Either it comes from high into the mountains as ice begins to melt, leaving trickles of water flowing downward with gravity's pull, finding each other, forming slow, but deliberate flows of water.  In short order, otherwise immovable objects direct the course of that flow one way or another, until they find the path they can traverse once again. For that flow of water, even the largest of obstacles cannot hold it back, for even the biggest of man-made dams designed for just this purpose have 'outlets' from which water in "manageable" amounts flow downstream of that dam.  It appears to all who observe the path of that water, nothing is impossible!

Explorers saw the passage of great bodies of water as impossible.  Settlers saw the vast barrenness of regions as uninhabitable and therefore impossible to ever settle. Scientists saw the expanses of space as unknown and beyond reach, thereby labeling the discoveries of those planets as impossible.  Children in schools everywhere see one math problem as just impossible to ever understand, while others see the conjugation of a verb an equal impossibility.  In all senses of the word "impossible", mankind has been proved wrong!  Those seas were passable, the land was deemed livable, the planets have slowly been discovered, and the mysteries of math and language have been embraced.  By the very essence of existence, impossibility is undone!

Indeed, those who inhabit the boundaries of this earth are awed by the "impossibilities" of God's creative power and majestic presence.  All of creation calls out, "I AM".  No wonder God used this term to describe himself to Moses in the burning bush.  We serve the God who describes himself as "I AM that I AM".  Meaning he is the one who was, is, will be, and is forever.  He never "started", he always "continues", he never "ends", and he will be for all of "eternity".  No wonder he reminds us that with HIM all things are possible! As I see it, the "I AM" indwells his creation, making all that "I AM" is possible within that creation!  That means all things are possible and nothing is an impossibility in our lives. That might be a radical thought for some, but so was the maiden voyage of the largest sailing vessel of the day, or the first flight into space all those years ago now.  When we limit ourselves to what "I" can do instead of embracing the power of the "I AM" who indwells us, we are indeed only able to see the obstacles in our path!  Just sayin!

Not just a cracked pot

As I photograph things, I don't look for the "perfect", but am willing to accept the "imperfect", for there is something of great beauty in the tree set askew by the wind, the broken branch protruding from the gentle waters, or the windblown dunes of the ever-changing landscape.  Some of us think of "being perfect" as what we are attempting to attain - as though it is a destination at which we arrive at some point in time because of some effort we take in life.  The truth is - we will live in imperfect bodies, in an imperfect world, with other imperfect people all our lives!  The pursuit of perfection is kind of over-rated!  What we fail to see is how God sees each of us - as made perfect through the blood of his Son! God looked at the "imperfect" in each of us and saw something of beauty he just didn't want to discount, or turn away from.  Just as I capture those photos of the broken, ever-changing, and kind of askew in nature, God reaches out to capture the lives of those who are "cracked pots" - imperfect, broken people!

But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.  We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair.  We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well.  (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 VOICE)

God doesn't look for "perfect pots" to house the beautiful treasure of his presence and peace.  He looks for "cracked pots" - imperfect people with needs often as apparent at the cracks in the pot!  I am so grateful he doesn't just pass over the "cracked pots" in this world - because if he did, I'd be at the top of the heap of discarded "pots"!  The treasure of his presence is placed into "cracked pots" so all will see the beauty of the pot as he fills it with all he is - not the imperfect places and deep fissures in the character of the pot.  

What leaves all those cracks and chips?  Clearly it is all the many things in life which come to afflict, bewilder, beat us down, and bring suffering to us.  Some of the cracks and chips are just because we didn't care for the "pot" as we should, kind of oblivious to how our mistreatment of the pot created the perfect environment for it to become marred and chipped by life.  Other cracks and dings are there because someone else didn't exactly treat the "pot" as well as they should, bringing painful fissures difficult to repair.

At best, we can "glue" the pieces of our lives together in some way which makes the "pot" we call "us" a little more appealing, or closer to "normal" than it was before we applied whatever that "glue" may be.  The truth is, we cannot hold water!  The "glue" isn't going to show the cracks anymore, but it won't hold up to the test of hot water!  Why?  The cracks aren't gone - they are just "masked" by the glue.

My neighbors had a large cracked urn in their yard for the longest time.  As I'd make my way to the mailbox, I was continuously reminded that even cracked pots have a purpose - it may not be what was originally planned for the pot, but never discard the cracked pot, for you never know what thing of beauty may emerge from those cracks!  You see, I saw this cracked pot, not as cracked and unworthy of use, but as that which could bring forth the most beautiful of budding plants, tiny blossoms all intertwined and displayed in the brightest of color. 

Their pot sat in the midst of gravel and dried leaves.  In my mind, I saw the possibilities in the pot, not the lack of them! I think God may just see each of us this same way - not for the lack of possibilities we have, but the vastness of beauty he can produce in and through those "cracks" in our character!  If you have a few cracks in your pot, don't mask over them - and certainly don't view the pot as worth nothing more than to be discarded!  God doesn't see us as needing the mask, nor does he want us to be left barren and useless buried under some dead leaves somewhere.

God wants to bring glory and beauty into the cracks and fissures of our broken lives.  Those cracks and fissures are just a means by which he may bring forth the most beautiful display of his glory!  Don't curse your cracks, but allow God to begin to bring forth beauty from deep within those broken places!  Just sayin!

Empty jugs

The story begins this morning with a widow woman facing a debt she cannot repay.  She is worried that she will lose her two sons - simply because they would become the "means" of repaying her debt as they would become the slaves to the debtor if she could not repay the debt.  Her husband has been a prophet - a godly man.  I imagine she wonders why this catastrophe is upon her since she likely has lived pretty close to this guild of prophets and their "set apart" lifestyle for a good many years.  She comes to Elisha - one of the major prophets of the Old Testament - seeking his help.  She implores him to consider her plight.  In response, he begins to wonder what he might be able to do to assist.  In those days, prophets were rarely wealthy men or women - they lived by the standards of the day, occupying their time with the normal pursuits of the day such as farming, tending the animals, working with clay or wood, etc.  But...today, I want us to focus on his answer to this woman and the importance of her response.

Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?”  “Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.”  (2 Kings 4:2 MSG)

I think Elisha may have seen the situation as an opportunity - the woman was seeing it as an impossibility.  He asks what she has - she declares what she doesn't have!  Isn't that just like us?  We are so quick to discount what we possess because we see it as insignificant in comparison to the "demands" being made upon us.  Why do we gravitate to the "little" instead of seeing the "much" in our circumstances, talents, or abilities?  I think there is something we might all need a little reminding about - we serve the God of "much" not the "little".

So, the story goes on to tell us about the woman being instructed to collect every available bottle, jar and pot from the town.  She goes about collecting these, stacking them up in her home, until every last "empty" one is in her possession.  Now, this may not seem like much at first, but do you see something occurring in this activity on her part?  She is not sure "what" will happen, she just knows if she brings everything which has been declared "empty" into the presence of God, the "empties" are right where they need to be!  

We often don't bring our "empties" to God's presence - because we see them as "empty" - something which contains nothing of importance.  Yet, when you really stop to consider this situation, you will realize without an "empty", God has nothing to "fill"!  So, the next time you tell yourself you are just an "empty" in some regard, you are just really saying to God, "I have a little space you can fill up!"  

In bringing these empty jars to Elisha, the little she had became so much more than she needed to satisfy the debt owed by her husband.  In fact, she is able to live on what's left.  God not only filled the "empties" with enough to provide for today's need, he filled enough "empties" to provide for the future needs, as well.  The thing is, when we are willing to give our "little" into his care, taking steps to bring what has been emptied out into his presence, we find he fills beyond our capacity to contain!

I often hear people saying stuff like "Oh, I never could do that" or "I just don't have what it takes".  The truth be told, neither did Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Joyce Meyers, or Charles Stanley (to name only a few).  The thing each had in common was more than the emptiness that needed to be filled - they also brought the "little" they had into the presence of God and in turn, he filled.  The empty parts of each of us are exactly what God needs.  It is in the emptying we become ready to be filled.  

My hope for you today - you will stop telling yourself the "little" you have is not enough in God's hands.  For it is in the bringing of the "little" into his presence where we see the impossibilities become possibilities.  Just sayin!

What limits are we living by?

If your revelation hadn't delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came.  But I'll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words.  Save me! I'm all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I'm only concerned with your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, 
      but the horizons can't contain your commands!

(Psalm 119:92-96 The Message)

As we have studied this psalm, we have seen David repeatedly turn our attention to the "keeping" power of God's Word.  It is a stalwart in hard times.  It stands the test and keeps on ticking!  He starts with the statement, "If your teachings had not delighted me..."  Here is the crux of the "keeping" power of God's Word - - it is in the "delight" we take in it.  How we treat God's Word determines how much it will impact our lives.  

Does it delight us like nothing else?  When we delight in something, it gives us intense joy and almost brings us to a place of satisfaction like nothing else can.  For some of us, chocolate is our favorite candy.  That endorphin rush that is released when we consume that milky rich sweetness just lulls us into a place of "endorphin rapture".  Now, here's the question:  What "rush" does God's Word give us?  The intensity of our pleasure in his Word is often a direct result of the calamity of our circumstances without his speaking into them!  

Does God's Word come to us as the "advice" we hold onto when hard times come?  We have many avenues of advice in our lives, but none should be "louder" than the Word of God.  Advice is something taken that guides our actions.  What has been guiding your actions lately?  You probably will be able to answer that by the outcome of your actions!

Is the Word of God something we see "worthy" of our attention?  David says he looks high and low for God's wisdom.  He has done "his best" to know God's instructions - - now he counts on God to do the rest.  This is all we can hope for in times of need.  When we do our part - - obedient to what God reveals - - he is right alongside doing his part!

Are the plans of God our only concern?  Some of us have plans of our own that we attempt to "weave" God's plans into.  We want to make God "fit" our purposes instead of the other way around.  It is curious to see how many times we "plan" life only to see how miserably we fail to end as we hoped when this is the method we utilize in our planning.  You'd think we'd learn our lesson the first time!  Alas, many of us don't!  Here's David's determination:  God's words make us wise!  If we want well-directed plans, perhaps we should consider God's words a little closer in our planning.

Do we know our limits?  This is the question David really is setting out for us in this passage.  He reminds us that EVERYTHING has its limits - - except God's Word!  No words are as powerful.  No words are as illuminating.  No words are as convicting.  When we do our best to know his Word, we are allowing him to do his best in establishing HIS limits in our lives.  Oftentimes, those "limits" are really farther than we'd believe possible on our own!

May your 2012 be filled with a new appreciation for the limitlessness of God's Word!  Blessings!