Driven toward truth

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. (Psalm 119:143) 

The late Walt Disney said, "It is kind of fun to do the impossible." With God, much of what we see as impossible is really not, but that doesn't minimize the fact that the impossible comes with its own stress and pressure. There is a certain 'stress' within faith - trust requires stepping outside of our comfort zone from time to time. When we do, the pressure that can bear down on us can almost overwhelm us. This is why we must press into our relationship with Jesus even harder during these times. 

Someone once told me to enjoy that stress and feel that pressure. Why? It meant I was going to see God work within my life in ways I had never experienced before. So, I took that advice and actually took a different attitude toward all that pressure as the 'impossible' closed in around me. Do you know what happened? Before long, the 'attitude' I had assumed actually began to change my focus away from the mounting pressures and stress toward God's goodness, protection, and provision. I saw things within the Word of God that I hadn't seen before - things that helped me navigate unfamiliar territory. I enjoyed my quiet time with Jesus just a bit more because I could find renewed peace and settled emotions in those times.

Pressures and stressors abound - especially when we are faced with the 'impossible'. Some have tried to tell me we experience stress because we aren't trusting God deep enough. I have to challenge this because if that were the case, we'd never be out from under great stress and tremendous pressure! We can always trust God more, go a little deeper in our relationship with him, and have our eyes opened to truth in new ways. As our psalmist reminds us, pressure and stress should always drive us toward truth - to a firm foundation upon which we can stand strong when the winds of change are coming at us like a gale force wind. 

Truth has a way of dispelling myth and misplaced trust. When we want security and peace more than we want pressure and stress, we might just be drifting into a bit of complacency in our walk with Jesus. To experience growth requires pressure and stress. We might not know how powerful time in his Word can be until we begin to feel the pressure drive us into it just a bit deeper. We might not know how peace-filled our lives can be in the midst of trials galore until we begin to worship and lift our hearts in praise to him. When we least feel like getting truth is likely when we need it the most. Just sayin!

Irritants are burdens

Are you being an irritant or surrounded by irritants? A telling question indeed, for many of the things that actually irritate us about others are things that irritate us about ourselves! Mom always used to say, "It takes one to know one" and she was pretty 'spot-on' with that observation. If you are able to see such things as kindness, goodness, and graciousness in others FIRST, above all their other traits, you are likely doing pretty well allowing God to develop those traits deep within your heart, as well.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (Proverbs 3:3-4)

Irritants are burdens none of us want to carry - much less emulate in our lives. I found it amazing that one tiny 'burr' under the saddle blanket could cause a horse to act up so much. They become downright 'agitated' by that tiny burr! How many times do we find ourselves getting irritated by the 'small stuff' in life? When we find that happening, we might want to consider how much 'weight' we are applying to the 'irritant'. 

The horse doesn't consider the size of the burr, he just feels the pressure of all the weight placed against it! Sometimes we apply way too much 'weight' to the 'burr'. We allow other pressures to build up around that one tiny 'irritant' and then we are downright 'agitated' by such a small thing. Most of the stuff we 'wig out' over is really not all that 'insurmountable' - it just gets us 'amped up' because we don't want to admit how much weight we are carrying ourselves over that same 'insurmountable' thing in our own lives.

Some of us would do well to focus on the 'weight' of all that guilt and shame we are carrying over that 'burr' in our lives. When we unburden ourselves of that unnecessary weight, the burr becomes obvious and easier to remove. We can look for the 'burr' under the saddle all we want, but until we remove the saddle we have no idea where to even look! We just feel the pressure and know something isn't right. When another comes along with a similar 'burr', we react. God is asking us to let kindness and graciousness be our response by getting rid of all that stuff piled upon our own 'burr'. Just sayin!

Sleep well, my friends

The saying is true: Bad dreams come from too much worrying, and too many words come from foolish people. (Ecclesiastes 5:3)

Are you a dreamer? I don't have many dreams I can recount when I awaken. Most of the time I simply have a slight memory for a short period of time and then as I fully awaken, those memories fade away as quickly as the day dawns. Yet, I have dreams - mine are just 'daytime dreams'. I think on things at night when I awaken, mulling them over and over in my mind until I find a solution to the thing I am contemplating. If I need to make something out of this or that, I think on the many 'solutions' to the 'making'. I don't create the thing while I am asleep, but rather when I am fully awake, firmly committed to the design I imagine will work, and committed to beginning to put the idea into motion. 

Bad dreams - do we have these on occasion? Some people suffer from traumatic circumstances that leave them with haunting 'nightmares' of the events. Imagine never being able to go to sleep without the 'fear' of reliving the worst event of your lifetime. Most of us would resist the tiredness of our bodies and minds in hopes we'd never drift off into that state that would allow those images and memories to haunt us. We'd fight sleep because we would know the 'fight' of our sleep. I am not referring to these type of 'terror' dreams today, though. I am referencing the 'bad dreams' that come through what Solomon aptly referred to as 'too much worrying'. The type of 'dreams' that surface because we mull over things best left 'un-mulled'. 

Do you know that the term 'mull' actually means more than to turn something over and over in our minds? It also carries the meaning of making a mess or failure out of something - probably because the more we ruminate on something that causes us anxious worry, the worse we imagine the outcome will be. We actually bring on the 'mess' by all the 'mulling'. Bad dreams come to those who are continual 'mullers'. I used to kid with my mom on occasion, telling her she'd worry about not having anything to worry about. Sometimes we 'mull' over the things that we have little control over - thinking our worrying would somehow change the circumstances. The truth is - if we don't 'own' the issue, we the ones to 'fix' the issue. 

When we begin to 'give over' ownership of the issues in our lives, the one who takes control of those things begins to settle our minds and hearts. Jesus doesn't look lightly upon us 'owning' what we cannot fix. He makes a way for the 'fix' even when we don't know we don't own the problem! Once he shows us we aren't the right 'owners' of the issue, and we let it go, he takes it into his hands. There is much to be learned in letting go, but perhaps the best lesson we can learn is how to get the best night's sleep of our lives! Just sayin!

A pressure cooker of emotions

 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.  (I Peter 5:8-9)

How hard is it to keep a cool head? At times, there are words shared that make it a little more than difficult to keep your cool. Attitudes begin to grate on each other and the emotions we muster are more likely to build up pressures that will eventually need a release. I think this is the most dangerous time in a person's life because we don't always do a great job releasing the pressure in a positive manner. We want to respond well, but we let words divide rather than heal. Stay alert...pressure is coming, but you don't need to let that pressure define a wrong path with your words, actions, and attitude.

The thing we may miss in this passage is the fact we are not in this struggle to not allow pressures to build all alone. It is a common struggle for all of us. What happens when we demand the last word? Most of the time the pressure is building and we allow a release that is quite damaging to either us, the other guy, or others not even involved but close enough at the moment to be in the path of that release. God needs the last word...period. When we begin to ask God to let us step aside and allow him to take over, we begin to see a release to the pressures that doesn't end in damage.

As I write this today, I am enjoying a week away in the mountains. Do you know the prayer I began this week with? "God, govern my words, responses, attitudes, and emotions. Let me be a blessing wherever we go and in whatever we do." Why do I pray these words? God needs the last word in my life. He needs to help me see need, hear the words spoken, know when a response is mine to give, and how to stay still when no action is required from me. Do I just pray this when away on holiday? Nope, it is a daily thing. Why? Without his presence working in me my pressure cooker of emotions would be my undoing. How about you? Are pressures mounting way too often? Stay alert...let God get the last word by giving him those pressures rather than continuing to allow them to build. You are much more likely to heal wounds that way......not create new ones. Just sayin!

Pressure leaves a mark

“Whenever this happens, my heart stops— I’m stunned, I can’t catch my breath. Listen to it! Listen to his thunder, the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice. He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon, lighting up the earth from pole to pole. In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice— His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding. He orders the snow, ‘Blanket the earth!’ and the rain, ‘Soak the whole countryside!’ No one can escape the weather—it’s there. And no one can escape from God. Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, When blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. It’s God’s breath that forms the ice, it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it’s God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that— commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, he makes sure they make their mark. (Job 37:5-6)

Rainstorms in my neck of the woods are rare and when they finally come, I just love to listen to the falling of the rain, but rainstorms in my area are usually accompanied by high winds and lots of lightning. They call them monsoons and they come with a fury. I love the smell of the rain, but wish it didn't come with destructive force. I love the freshness a strong wind brings, but I don't like the downed limbs and the piled leaves. Yet, in spite of what I wished would be different, it is all a blessing from God. It is how rain comes to the Arizona desert - fast and furious. Will I curse his blessing? Nope. Would I have wished for something slightly less furious and a little more tranquil - sure - but I can never forget - when storms come, regardless of how they arrive, they are God's way of making a mark in our lives!

God 'makes marks' in lives - not always in the manner in which we'd like him to make his mark. If you have leaned against anything for a while, then removed your leg or arm from that resting spot, you might have noticed it left an impression. Those impressions aren't permanent, though - they will pass as the elasticity of your flesh begins to go back to a normal appearance. God's marks have a way of being a whole lot more 'permanent' than the one left by the impression of what we observed when the 'pressure' was off that spot where we were leaning. The thing these two might just have in common is that they are oftentimes the result of some form of pressure. Think about the weather - even it is a result of some form of 'pressure'.

We cannot see God's influence in our lives apart from the pressure it takes to create that 'mark'. Job had been under 'extreme pressure' - having lost family members, been an outcast in his community because he was covered with boils or sores on his body, and even felt the rejection of close friends who judged him as 'having done something wrong'. The pressure just didn't seem to let up for him. Yet, at the end of it all he remarked: "Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, God makes his mark." I choose to believe it is God's extravagant love that is the impetus behind the pressure we feel in life - the pressure that will reveal the mark of God within us. How about you? Feeling any pressure right now? It could be God is about to 'mark out' something in you that hadn't previously been marked as his. The pressure we feel is about to make that mark known. So, don't resist the pressure - remember it is his extreme love that is applying that pressure. It is our extreme obedience that will embrace it! Just sayin!

Don't steam in it any longer!

"Count yourself lucky." We use this phrase, "I am so lucky", often without realizing what it means to be "lucky". It means that we are "favored" - to find a special space or focus of attention where all is going well. We should count ourselves as specifically favored by God - an object of his special focus! Being the special object of his favor should produce within each of us a sense of awe - tremendous wonder at how the God of the universe could have favor on us. His care for each of us begins with a specific action of his love - he forgives us - giving us a fresh start. The slate has been wiped clean! How many times do we say, "I wish I could get a fresh start"? Well, we can as many times as we need that 'fresh start' - God's footstool is the place of fresh starts. Fresh starts are characterized by being able to leave all the mess of our past exactly where it is and moving on beyond that place of 'messiness'. Not only is this possible - it is a reality as we cry out to our God - an assurance his kids can count on all the time.

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean.  Count yourself lucky—God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God." Suddenly the pressure was gone—my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. (Psalm 32:1-5 MSG)

Sin has a way of getting us into places where we just yearn for a breakthrough. I probably don't have to point out the misery of spirit, mind, and body that becomes the "mire" of our lives when we remain in our sinful condition, wallowing in our failures. It weighs heavy on us - bringing disease, sickness, depression, and even something scripture refers to as a "dryness". Living in the desert, I understand the effects of heat - the tremendous drying effect of the hot air and blazing sun. I have seen the sun literally turn a body that is otherwise healthy into a mess of dehydration, electrolytes totally out of balance, and the ensuing weakness absolutely destroying internal organs. Where there is "dryness", it is impossible to maintain life! The issue isn't that lack of moisture - it is that the 'heat' isn't something we are equipped to deal with!

Why is it that we live like we are inside pressure cookers? We let all the pressures of life build up, then at the point of absolute explosive capacity, we let it all out - sometimes not very well and usually making a big mess when we do! We remain in our place of absolute misery - unaware of what tremendous grace and peace lays just on the other side of our pressure cooker - and stew in our misery! When he finally "let it all out", the pressure is gone. That was not recorded for all time in the Word simply because it sounded good - God knows all too well our tendency to keep it all inside and attempt to deal with life's failures on our own terms. He also knows how messed up we can become when we do! I have a pressure cooker and when I release the steam that has built up, I have to wait a couple minutes longer to actually release the lid. Why? There is unrecognized pressure still in there long past the time I think the pressure has been released - pressure that is still capable of hurting me. I need to let the pot rest a little to ensure it is not going to bring me harm. Sometimes we need to just rest after God has relieved the initial pressure of our sinful state, not because we aren't feeling release, but because we need to allow the release to finalize!

Today, if you have been keeping it all wrapped up inside - afraid to let it go - allowing the very juices of your joy to be dried up - it is time to let it all out! Not in ways that will bring you or others harm, but under the guidance of the knowing hand and eye of the God that knows us all too well. God is not stunned by our guilt - he already has made provision for that. God is not shamed by our failures - he already has provided a way back from those failures and out of that shame. He is not intimidated by the mess of our lives - he has already made a plan for restoring the disorder of our past with the perfect peace of the present and the joyful anticipation of the future. Whatever it is that is robbing you of your joy, keeping you bound in your failures, let it out! God stands ready to relieve you of that pressure today! Not just for a little while, but for good! Just sayin!

Called into account

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4 MSG)

Our passage today refers to the process of our "faith-life" being forced into the open by the challenges we face in our daily walk. We don't always like it when our "faith-life" is brought into the open, though. Many times we try to compartmentalize our "faith-life" as something separate from the rest of our 'real life'. Pressure helps to produce evidence of our faith in Christ and brings evidence of Christ-like maturity in our choices - those 'real life' choices. I don't want you to miss the statement that "true colors" are revealed - these are often hidden or need something else to be removed in order for them to show through. Pressure is simply a burden of physical or mental stress. It can be a constraint that comes into our lives that demands our attention at this very moment, no delays. There is usually an urgency about what we face - we are not able to sweep it under the rug - it just keeps exerting that pressure until we pay attention to it. James is pointing toward the process where both our growth of character and spirit is in unison - the type of unified growth that produces unity between our 'faith-life' and our 'real life'. He is giving us the simple truth that the pressures we face in life have an impact of producing what God desires - the image of his Son deep in our lives.

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (James 1:5-8 MSG)

Ask boldly - this is the attitude of heart that we are to have when faced with challenges that we don't understand - challenges that exert pressure and oftentimes don't let up until long after we are thinking we are sort of "done" or "over" dealing with them. To be bold is to be fearless, assured, and confident. A bold person stands out - they are conspicuous - there is no hiding their boldness. God never expects us to either keep our needs hidden, or to feel like we have to just barely let out a "squeak" in his presence while laying our burdens down before him. He tells us to come boldly - totally assured he will be listening, absolutely confident that he will be responsive, unwavering and fearless to lay it all down (even the ugly stuff that may not come easily for us to actually admit or deal with). It amazes me how many times I come to God as the "worrier" and not the "warrior"! That 'boldness' isn't always evident in my life and I bet I am not alone on this one.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (James 1:12 MSG)

Meeting challenges head on can only be done under the anointing of Christ. Lots of times we have all the passion, but we need him to give us the ability to actually fulfill what needs to be done in that moment. A challenge is something that calls us out - invites us into competition - it opens us up to the possibilities of something being different from what it is right now. It stimulates us - exciting our passion. It also serves to call us into account - or into question! What calls us into combat at this moment? Are we facing those "giants" or running from them? What invites us into competition - in our thoughts, our actions, or simply our interests? What is it that stimulates us - what do we get excited about? Those things that stimulate us act as a "goad" to draw us out of our present complacency and to move us into places where we can often feel a little exposed - but our 'faith-life' and 'real life' actually get very intertwined when this happens. A challenge that will produce right character, or that will reveal an opportunity for change in our lives isn't always embraced eagerly, but when the pressure is allowed to expose something new in our character, what an awesome sight to behold! Hold onto this truth - that pressure is revealing your true colors! I want mine to be the colors I don't mind "flying high"! How about you? Just askin!

Then, When, & Now

Then, when, and now - three very insignificant words until you begin to think just how much they affect your lives. Stop for just a moment and consider the word "then".  Then can speak of the past - a point in time at which something happened other than what is happening right now.  Lots of us have a tendency to be limited by our "then".  When often refers to the future - a point in time where we imagine one thing or another actually coming to fulfillment.  Living in the "when" moments all the time can be a little daunting because we are always imagining something "better" than the way it is right now.  Now is the only really "good" way to focus our attention - if we do a good job with the "now", we won't have to worry about the "then" or "when" in life!

So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today. (Matthew 6:34 VOICE)

Jesus gave some very practical advice to his disciples - stop worrying about what is in the future.  I have heard it said worrying is "borrowing" from the future - bringing whatever the future holds into the present.  It clouds the present (now) with the stuff which belongs somewhere in the future.  If we do this long enough, we get overloaded with not only the issues of today (now), but those of the future (when).  I don't know about your life, but my "now" holds quite enough issues which must be worked through and completed without hauling all kinds of stuff from the "then" and "when" moments in life!

"The rest of the story", as Paul Harvey used to say, is what is so important for us to grasp: So do not consume yourselves with questions: What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?  Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions; they don’t realize that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too.  (Matthew 6:31-33 VOICE)  Jesus pretty much hits the nail on the head, exposing what we all have a tendency to do from time to time - some of us way more frequently than others!  We are consumed by the worries of what will come next, how it will add to what has already happened, and how we will possibly be able to handle it all. To this he simply says, "Stop that!"

We can all take upon us the vantage point we choose - one of focusing on yesterday, tomorrow, or remaining steadfastly focused on today.  The vantage point from which we view life often makes the difference between "managing", as we call it, just barely making it through.  The difference isn't in how well we manage it all, but in who we are trusting to manage what is no longer in our control and what really hasn't come into our control yet.  The matter of control is at the center of it all.  Jesus reminds his disciples "control" belongs to him. We may think we have it all "under control" just because we are "managing", but truth be told, the control is really outside of our control!

The task of living for today is a large enough task, according to Jesus.  The "now" holds just enough challenges for today, so we do well keeping focus contained to "now".  I think Jesus was teaching us to trust - for trust is really based not so much in what has passed, although it is a foundation for trusting; nor is it based in what is to come, although we focus on the future with a sense of trust it will all come to pass as it should.  It is a fine balance between the three - "then" not holding us back, "when" not bogging us down, and "now" being securely placed in the heavenly Father's hands for the management of what today holds.  Just sayin!

Squeezing a little?

"I've heard there are troubles of more than one kind; some come from ahead, and some come from behind. But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see; now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" (Dr. Seuss) Could it be that maybe some of us just need a bigger bat?  I pose that question because it seems like there are some in our lives who just don't ever seem to get past or away from those problems which "come from ahead" or "come from behind".  It could even be one of us who just doesn't ever get truly "free" of the things which have come as "troubles of more than one kind". I challenge us not to think about those troubles, but the size of the bat we have been given to help us deal with them once and for all!

When the upright need help and cry to the Eternal, He hears their cries and rescues them from all of their troubles. (Psalm 34:17 VOICE)

Peter Marshall had a great perspective on the troubles which come in life:  "God will not permit any troubles to come to us, unless he has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty."  Re-read that if you must because there is something quite profound in that statement - God has a specific plan by which GREAT blessing can come OUT of the difficulty.  The greatness is found IN the difficulty, not by avoiding it.  In the midst of troubles coming from ahead or coming from behind, we find ourselves kind of "sandwiched" in the middle, and this makes for a whole lot of squeezing! This is perhaps why we don't like troubles very much - it isn't the thing which come out of them which we so much resist as it is the amount of "squeezing" it takes to get the blessing out!

Troubles vary in scale from things which mildly irritate us and give us a moment of grief, to the type which almost crushes us under the weight of the thing.  The first type of "inconveniences" we deal with, probably on a daily basis, such as traffic jams on the way to work.  The middle of the road types of troubles may be those things we wish no one would ever have to deal with such as the loss of a job, or death of a much loved pet.  Then there are the really hard ones, like the diagnosis of cancer, or the loss of a loved one. Life is indeed filled with troubles which "come from ahead" and "come from behind", but the outcome will be different depending on what we keep in the forefront of our mind. Yes, I just got a little "Dr. Seuss" on you and made that one rhyme!  Our mind can be filled with doubt, fear, frustration, and the like.  If peace is not what fills our mind in the midst of trouble, we aren't carrying the "right bat"!

In the words of the great hymn penned by Horatio G. Spafford, "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul."  Peace attends our soul - it watches over our minds - steadies our raging emotions - and floods our hearts with overwhelming joy.  No matter the trouble, the thing we use to deal with them is what makes the difference.  As Seuss said, the bat he carried gave him an "edge" over the troubles.  The "bat" we carry in life is none other than that of the peace of Christ which rules our hearts and minds, bringing comfort to our soul and strength to our body.  Peace is not a "thing", but a person - Christ.  It is not the absence of chaos, but the presence of God bringing order out of that chaos.  

The next time troubles approach you from ahead or behind, remember who it is who stands clearly in your defense at that moment of great trouble!  You might just find those troubles begin to reveal what is being "pressed out" by their pressures from all sides.  Just sayin!

Softening or hardening - all in the same water

Have you ever seen that little saying posted on someone's timeline or maybe in a little sign in someone's office which simply reminds you the same boiling water which can soften a hard potato is also responsible for making a runny egg hard? The idea is our circumstances can change us - it depends on how we view them, what we allow to happen to us "through" them, and if we are even willing to get into them in the first place! I don't know about you, but there are just some "boiling water" circumstances I don't want to face sometimes! I would rather not be in the pot of water at all, let's just be honest here! I honestly don't think I am alone on this one - there are just times we'd rather skip the "boiling" process and get whatever results will come without it! Ever try eating a raw potato? It is okay, but I prefer mine mashed, with a little milk, and rich butter! I know there are health advisories about under-cooked or raw eggs, so I am pretty sure I wouldn't just open one of those babies up and slurp it down in a big gulp! I rather like mine scrambled, but even that process kind of adds a little "complexity" to egg which wasn't there before - the parts become mixed up and not as easily recognizable as when they were "whole" and "unmixed". Life just isn't simple, is it? Rather than resisting the process, maybe we'd do better to consider what the process may provide!

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4 VOICE)

Yep, I will admit it - I am a runner on occasion!  I'd rather find the escape hatch and be prepared to get out of the water if it gets too hot than see it through to the end!  For example, facing our relationship problems head-on can be time-consuming, emotionally charged, and often reveal there are things about us which need to change.  We'd rather bale on that one at times - because change is hard (especially when it is change in us and not the other guy which needs to occur). Tests and hardships - not all come in the "boiling water" fashion, do they?  Sometimes those tests come in pretty boxes, all wrapped up nicely with absolutely no hint there is a test at the other end!  There doesn't have to be steam rising from the pot to signal a test is about to hit us head-on ... the circumstances just need to be aligned to produce the test!

Looking at our passage today, there is this idea of our faith "blossoming" under pressure.  I have to think of the seed planted in the earth.  The first pressure it endures is that of being planted under all that weight of soil.  If that weren't enough, it has to crack the shell or outer coating which protects it in order for any growth to come forth.  That isn't all for the seed though, for there is the pressure of putting down that first root and all the subsequent ones which come after.  Not enough pressure yet?  Now it has to send an upward shoot through that weight of soil to find daylight and actually begin to produce whatever that seed is designed to produce!  Still not enough pressure?  It has to endure dry seasons, wet seasons, cold, and heat, light and darkness, pesky insects and hungry birds - to just name a few of those additional "pressures"!  Yet, the seed does what it was created to do - it goes through each of those "steps" in the process because that is how growth occurs!

In our own lives, the trials or pressures of life may seem a little unnecessary, but as with the seed, each of those "pressures" are actually designed for something special in our lives - we cannot bypass them!  The pressure or weight of life's challenges may not be comfortable for us, but they are necessary!  It seems from our study today patience is what will help us endure and it is what will bring us through to the other side of whatever "pressure" we might be enduring right now.  Pressure can produce both "hard" and totally strong things like diamonds - brilliant beyond measure - but it can also soften to the point of pliability and mold-able capacity. It might be we will see diamond like strength and brilliance of character with one type of pressure; but then see flexibility and softening by another.  When it comes to relationships, maybe we need the latter to see two really become one in mind, soul, and spirit; whereas when it comes to facing hardship, we need the diamond-like strength and brilliance!

Remember this - it is the same water!  Could it be the water is only a medium by which God exerts whatever pressure it is we need today?  Rather than cursing the water, maybe it is time to appreciate the brilliance of the one who watches over us in the water until the process is completed!  Just sayin!

Deliverance

In the midst of some of the toughest places we could be in, there are moments when we just need to stop to take time to refocus.  In this moment of refocus, we are really re-centering our eyes of Jesus - his greatness, his graciousness, and his gentleness.  In the midst of chaos and terror, he becomes our settling peace.  In the moments of uncertainty and wavering, he becomes our strong foundation.  In the mountains of hardship and despair, he becomes our strong deliverer.  Some of us need to refocus more than we recognize.  On the surface, we might appear calm, cool and collected.  On the inside, we are falling apart, failing to pass the tests, and frantically trying to avoid the mess we are in.  As we face these tough places in life, we aren't alone.  Not only does the guy or gal next to you feel the pressures of life, but so do you - if you were honest enough to admit it.  

But let me run loose and free, celebrating God’s great work, every bone in my body laughing, singing, “God, there’s no one like you.  You put the down-and-out on their feet and protect the unprotected from bullies!” (Psalm 35:9-10 MSG)

David always has been my favorite Old Testament writer because of how honest he was in his psalms. He wasn't afraid to admit his struggles and he was quick to look to the one he knew could deliver him from those struggles - but he didn't learn this overnight.  His lessons came in times of testing - some embraced well, others requiring grace because he failed miserably - yet he always (and I mean always) came back to the place of trusting God.

David has many recorded adventures of being in tough places, surrounded by insurmountable odds, and just not in a good place emotionally.  When the struggles of life come in against us, we have the same response (or similar) - we get a little withdrawn, thinking a little bit too much about the "bad" stuff which is haunting us, and just bordering on the edge of being a little "whiny" about it.  Don't get me wrong - I don't think these emotions catch God off-guard one bit.  He created these emotions, so he knows we will "use" them on occasion!  His hope is that we will bring those emotions to him and allow him to set us in right order again.  When we don't, we oftentimes just bemoan our circumstances and get deeper into the mully-grubs.  Not a good place to be!

As David pens these words, they are sandwiched between a whole lot of other words describing just how much pressure he is under.  The pressure is from without, but it is beginning to affect him on the inside, too.  This is often the case with us - the stuff begins on the outside - exerting pressure of one sort or another.  This pressure has a way of "bullying" us until we either succumb to it, or we get lifted above it.  The time between being "bullied" by the pressures outside of us and the moment we begin to rise above it is what gives us the biggest hassle!  

God wants us to get honest with him about he pressure we are facing - while it is on the outside!  He doesn't want us to internalize that pressure and begin to wallow in our self-pity, fret over our inadequacies, or ridiculously believe we could ever get ourselves out from under the pressures on our own. In fact, he wants us to be open to allowing him to sort out the pressures in his way.  Some of it he may take away, because it only serves the purpose of tearing us apart.  Other pressure, he may actually use as a means of driving us closer to him - causing us to reach a little harder, study a little deeper, until we are changed by the pressure (much like a diamond emerges from the coal).  

As with David, God's hope is for us to admit to the struggle, turning our eyes fully toward him as the hope of our deliverance and the means of our salvation.  Isn't that the real Christmas story anyway?  God coming to earth to provide a means of deliverance and salvation to a world pressured from without and struggling with those pressures within?  As with David, God's hope is that we will realize his intent is to set us on our feet, squarely planted, no wavering to be found in us.  Crying out is the first step to deliverance - it begins the work of salvation in our lives.  I don't know about you, but when I finally get honest enough with myself about my need to be honest with God, I find the pressures within beginning to drain away.  It is the outcome of releasing things which we don't need to carry around any longer to the one capable of dealing with them better than we could ever hope to on our own.

My prayer for you this Christmas - deliverance.  Deliverance from all which burdens your soul and keeps your spirit weighed down.  Deliverance from the pressures within which only tear you apart day after day.  Deliverance from the pull toward that which only promises more misery in your life.  The means to this deliverance - cry out!  God stands ready - you just have to welcome him to do his work in your life.  Just sayin!

Sign me up!

Okay, I have asked this question before, but it begs asking again - how many of you actually enjoy waiting?  In this whole wide world, I don't think there are very many people who would respond, "Oh, sign me up for that one!  I love to wait!"  Most of us struggle with the wait - it starts in our infancy and continues into our adulthood.  Diapers demanded changing - not on Mom's schedule, but on ours.  Tummies needed filling - not always in the timeframe others were "hungry".  As we got a little older, boys weren't attracted to girls or girls to boys as fast as we'd have liked.  Blemishes seemed to take an eternity to disappear, but appeared totally without warning seemingly overnight!  As we moved into adulthood, there was this concept of "putting in our time" before anything like an advancement came.  All this hurry up and wait business just lends to the frustration we feel with waiting.  When our waiting involves what God has to do for us, and not what we could be doing for ourselves, we get even more frustrated, don't we?

I waited and waited and waited for God.  At last he looked; finally he listened.  He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud.  He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip.  He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God.  More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.  (Psalm 40:1-3 MSG)

Sometimes we don't think anything at all is happening when the waiting occurs.  It seems like there is no movement and this is frustrating.  What we fail to recognize is something I have observed with the use of a pre-treat spray for the stains in my clothing.  If I spray it on and immediately put it in the washer with water and detergent, the stains don't always come out. But...if I wait just a little while, I often see the stain beginning to fade even before it hits the laundry tub!  What happened in the waiting?  The thing which was so stubbornly resistive began to break-down.  I wonder if this isn't a little bit of what happens in the "waiting period" with God.  He allows the outward, and sometimes even the inward circumstances to press against what needs to move in us!  

As I have said before, waiting periods are often the times when we are being "set up" for our greatest opportunities for growth.  It may not seem like it at first, but the growth comes in direct correlation to the wait.  If you have ever planted anything, one thing you know is the time it takes for any sign of growth to actually occur.  Until the first little hint of growth begins to crack through the soil, you have absolutely know idea what is happening in this time between planting and "evidence" of growth.  In the process of getting to the open spaces above the soil, the seed has a whole lot of pressures under the soil exerting themselves upon that little seed.  In the period between planting and breaking forth, the pressures actually help to produce the growth. The pressure of the soil against the tough outside "shell" of the seed has to breakdown a bit before the water will be able to nourish it, right?  The soil holds the water against the seed's outer coating long enough, and with just enough pressure to begin to break down the "toughness" of the shell.

The one waiting to see growth above the surface often forgets about what is taking place just a short distance from where the first hint of growth will begin to appear.  No one plants a seed thinking it will not grow.  It is just like me pre-treating my clothes before I was them - I expect the stain to be gone when it comes out of the washer.  If I think the stain is a little more stubborn than the run-of-the-mill stain, I might even pre-treat, then apply a little more outward "pressure" by scrubbing it a little with my hands before it goes into the laundry tub.  Why?  Sometimes the pressure needs to be a little harder on those things which are more resistant.  God often asks us to do some things in the period of waiting - some of them will actually assist us in realizing the growth he desires to see.  When we realize he does his part, but we also need to do whatever part he asks of us, we find our growth experience is much more enjoyable!

Here are just some quick tips for the seasons of waiting:
- Complaining doesn't lessen the wait.  In fact, it often increases the pressure.  It is better to admit we are struggling with the waiting, asking God to change our attitude, than it is to pluck our seed up and go home!
- Faith is built not so much by what we know to be true, but by what we begin to experience to be true.  Nothing related to faith ever seems to come in the packages marked "instant", does it?  When we rely upon what we know to be true, we often begin to take steps to believe what we cannot see.  Just as we plant the seed believing it will grow into a healthy little plant, our faith is built by "planting" what we know, then relying upon what we know to help us experience even greater things in the time between knowing and "seeing".
- Some of the waiting time is really to allow the pressure to build up a little because we have some stuff which only gets to the place it should be because some type of pressure moved upon it.  Rather than resist the pressure, we must learn to see the pressure as a thing which actually begins to breakdown what otherwise would remain immovable.  Just sayin!

Bountiful beauty beheld

Crush:  To press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms; to force out by pressing; to break.  Sometimes people don't see my fascination in the study of words, but when we take a little time to explore the various meanings of a word, we often begin to ponder things we might have missed before.  This is especially true when it comes to understanding the Word of God.  The "words" God chose to share with us in the pages of our Bible are not by chance - they are selected for their meaning.  Therefore, getting the most out of the Word of God often requires us to be open to considering the meaning of the words chosen to express a certain matter of thought or instruction.

A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? (Proverbs 18:14 MSG)

I have some friends who have been through tremendous pressures this past year, and others who are beginning this year with some of the most terrifying decisions they will have to make in their lifetime.  Some have known the birth of a child diagnosed with the growth of tumors in their tiny bodies even before they were birthed from the womb.  Others have faced the all to fatiguing venture into chemo and radiation treatments.  Still others are facing the life-altering decision of changing a child's entire life with one surgery - the surgery changing not only the crippling debility of life-threatening conditions, but presenting the probability of permanent disability as a result.  Catastrophic events - painful decisions - still more painful courses ahead.  Yet, in it all, one of the things I have seen in each of these individuals is the "extracting" of something from deep within.  They have been transformed by the events - not just in a physical sense, but in a deeply spiritual sense, as well.

Some of us think of a crushed spirit as that which cannot bear up under the weight of the pressures exerted upon it.  I beg to differ - for in the crushing process something is extracted.  I know the passage really speaks to the idea of keeping your spirit healthy - so you stand strong and face adversity well.  Yet, in the moments of crushing, there is something which was once hidden from view which comes out into the open.  Some call this hope or even faith.  Regardless of what you call it, the crushing process is what caused it to rise to the surface.  I don't think God gives us a load which will completely crush us - pulverizing us, destroying us completely.  I do believe he allows some times of "crushing" in order to extract from us what he knows is deep within.

The spirit of man is a resilient thing - made to connect directly to the Spirit of God.  There is a dynamic effect of connecting man's spirit with that of the divine Creator God's.  In fact, when the connection is made, the pressures we are faced with have a way of strengthening this connection.  Don't get me wrong - the tremendous physical adversities, emotional turmoil, and intensity of making the right decisions these individual have faced and are continuing to face is real.  We cannot trivialize the crushing weight of the disease which impacts their bodies.  Yet, in the midst of the crushing weight of their disease, there remains one thing the enemy of their soul did not count on - faith!  He banked on the weight to crush even the most fragile faith - but God counted on the crushing to extract that faith - bringing it to the surface for all to behold!  When something is extracted, it is pulled or drawn out to the surface.  There is an effort required - but in the pressure exerted - the bounty is beheld.

I do not know the battles you face today, but I do know with a certainty - God's in the midst of the battle and he is allowing just enough pressure to be exerted which will manifest what is hidden deep within.  The pressure is real - it shall not utterly crush you - but it shall reveal the depth of your faith, the intensity of your love, and the intimacy of your connection with the Creator of all things.  My heart is with you today, dear friends.  As you "bear up" under the crushing forces you walk under today, I am praying for the beauty of his grace to be so evident in your lives.  Just prayin!

I'm taking flight!

Consider:  to think carefully about; contemplate; reflect upon.  We all spend time "contemplating" certain things.  Some of us spend more time contemplating than others.  At times, we act only after very careful contemplation, but at others, we may find ourselves just jumping out there without any kind of consideration.  We probably know that doesn't work well.  We can neither spend all our time in contemplation, nor can we constantly just be jumping in with both feet without any real consideration of the consequences of our actions.  I think this is why God gave man the ability to "reason" - to reflect upon a matter and to some to conclusions.  Sometimes, no matter how much "contemplation" we do on a matter, it still just amazes us and catches us a little off-guard!

Three things amaze me, no, four things I’ll never understand—how an eagle flies so high in the sky, how a snake glides over a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, why adolescents act the way they do. (Proverbs 30:18-19 MSG)

I have been privileged to live in the country where eagles soar high on the currents - gliding effortlessly above the surface of the earth.  The activity looks so easy for them, but if you have ever tried to fly, you might just realize it is more difficult getting the ground than remaining in flight!  I imagine this was the case when the Wright brothers engaged in months of experiments trying to get themselves off the ground in some type of flying apparatus.  The evolution of the "flying machine" was probably nothing they dreamed of when they did their first flight.  It still amazes me to this day to feel the surge of the jet engines and the soaring effect of rising high into the clouds, gliding almost effortlessly across the expanses of sky in one of those huge jets.  

What I fail to understand in all that "thrust stuff" which gives the jet engine the capacity to lift off from the earth is the interaction between all the parts which aid the jet to be propelled into flight.  You see, as the jet fuel mixes with the air brought into the engine and it explodes within the chamber of the engine, an energy is produced which propels the huge turbine of the engine, driving the plane down the runway at higher and higher speeds.  At the right speed, the wings take on their purpose and the plane begins to lift.  Those who design aircraft will speak of "air pressure" - higher under the wing than above it - all because of the design of the wings.  

Someone gifted in the understanding of the difference between high and low pressure will tell you objects existing in the areas of high pressure will get lifted into the areas of low pressure.  This is the effect which gives the huge jet the ability to lift from the earth.  The "jet" is attempting to "equalize" pressure, so it lifts.  Then when we come to the altitude desired to "soar", the pilot coordinates the various speeds of the engines to maintain the "thrust" and ensure the "lift" still exists in order for the plane to stay in the air.

Now, this may not seem very significant as we consider this passage, but let me assure you, it has meaning.  Sometimes, when we stop long enough to consider - to contemplate - we begin to see the inter-relatedness of the various elements.  You see, God has a lot of pieces in play to accomplish his purposes in our lives.  There is the perfect amount of "combustion" which gives us energy for the task at hand - combining the elements which provide the "force" by which we will ultimately move.  Then, he sets the "wheels in motion" for us to begin to feel the "pressure changes" which will get us to the speed where our "wings" will begin to lift above the things which have us burdened down.

If this were not enough, he keeps us going until we feel as though we are soaring.  Now, don't lose sight of what I said about the plane.  The pilot has a whole lot of careful work to do to keep the plane's engines turning at the right speed, creating the right balance between high and low pressure in order to keep the "bird" in flight.  Too little, and the bird will stall.  Too much, and the bird may climb higher than it needs to, experiencing undue pressures on its body.  The balance is important in order to maintain "flight".  At some point, the bird returns to earth - not by stopping the engines, but by applying the right decrease in pressure to allow it to come safely to a place of rest again.  

Yep, we can consider the eagle in flight, the snake slithering effortlessly across even the toughest of surfaces, the ship navigating the depths of the seas, or the adventurous pull of the heart when a young man meets the right woman.  Today, I wanted us to consider the "effort" of flight - and the seemingly "effortlessness" of soaring.  You see, there really is a whole lot in play to accomplish the lift which gets us into "flight", but there is equally more occurring to keep the right balance to keep us there!  No "flight" occurs without pressure - it is in the pursuit of the equalizing of the pressure that the bird takes flight and learns to soar.  Rather than avoid the pressure, let us see the possibilities which exist when the "pressures" are realized with all the right "parts" in play!  Just sayin!

Antagonize me!

 "Salvation" is only gibberish to the wicked because they've never looked it up in your dictionary.  Your mercies, God, run into the billions; following your guidelines, revive me. My antagonists are too many to count, but I don't swerve from the directions you gave. 

(Psalm 119:155-157 The Message)

In nursing, there are certain medications administered for the very purpose of acting as "antagonists" to some other medication in the body.  The purpose is to "bind" something of harm to your body, such as too much narcotic, an over-abundance of a particular electrolyte, or a blood-level of medication that is harmful at a particularly high level.  The antagonistic effect of the medication actually ends up saving your life!  

Sometimes we view people and things in our lives who function as "antagonists" in a very negative sense.  I challenge you this morning to consider if perhaps the "challenging" thing or person is functioning as an antagonist in order to produce something that will actually "save" your life!  As you examine these "challenging" people or things, you may actually find their "influence" to seem a little uncomfortable at the moment, but in the end, the outcome may be quite positive.  

Let me illustrate.  A person may take too much of a narcotic pain killer, causing them to have suppressed respiratory status and slowed heart rate.  The effect of the pain medication actually threatens your life.  If I give a medication to bind the effects of these medications in your system, I am causing the "sense" of pain to return, but I am bringing back equilibrium to your respiratory and cardiac status.  Now, which would you say was the most important?  Breathing and heart beating soundly, or pain control?  As a nurse, I would say we could deal with the pain in another way, using less sedating medications, but we have a whole set of new issues when you stop breathing!

Usually we think of an antagonist as someone struggling "against" another - almost competing for something the other has or enjoys.  We could say chaos is the antagonist of peace; hatred is the antagonist of love; and so on.  Remember, I told you the effect of the antagonist is to "bind" - one in competition with another is really in a place of attempting to "bind" us in order to keep us from being successful.

If we begin to view the antagonist in our lives as possibly driving us back to the things which really matter (like breath and heartbeat to the over-sedated), we might view them a little differently!  When faced with someone acting as an "antagonist" in my life (an opponent), I allow their opposition to bring out the stuff that needs to be "bound up" and removed!  In relying upon God to "filter" out the stuff which brings me harm (like anger, frustration, gossip, etc.), I am actually coming away from that opposition in a much "healthier" condition spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes even physically!

We may feel like our antagonists "run into the millions" - - don't lose hope - - God's mercies "run into the BILLIONS"!  In fact, we cannot even count them!  So, although we may not WANT the antagonist, trust the one who oversees the use of the antagonist in our lives - - GOD!  He is skillfully placing exactly what we need to "bind up" what does not belong!  Gotta love it!