God uses opposites

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. (Psalm 97:11)

Seeds are unique to the type of plant from which they come and their purpose is to bring forth growth that is the same as the plant from which they came. You cannot expect to obtain passion fruit from a grapefruit seed, nor grapefruit from a grape seed. To expect something other than what you plant is just plain silly. You might have planted some 'bad seed' and then hoped for a better outcome than what you planted, but that just isn't logical. Maybe this is why God reminds us it is reasonable to expect to harvest what we plant, and we must plant in order to harvest. The one planting seeds is as significant as the seeds being planted - not to mention "where" the seeds are planted - because the outcome is based on both. If God is the planter of the seeds, the harvest is more likely to produce the type of growth which will edify and build us up. He takes great care in planting just the right seeds which will grow into exactly what we need in order to dispel darkness and to increase our joy. These two "seeds" really produce fruit beyond what we may realize at the first blush - probably because of where they are planted. It is in looking at where God does the planting that we find a little insight into the growth which is produced.

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people. Thinking about the soul of man, we might think of the darkness which dwells there when God's light has not invaded the space within. Our souls are where we focus on the connection existing between God and man - the eternal part of our being which will dwell forever either in the presence of God or the fires of hell. The soul is often thought of as where we form our "morals" which guide our every decision. If our soul is shrouded with darkness, the choices we make may be less than "upright". The "morals" we form may be a little "tainted" by our viewpoint - dark places in our soul tend to yield dark actions. Our view (our morals) are made lighter by the seed planted by God's hand. Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. Knowing the heart is the seat of emotion, isn't it awesome God plants "joy-seeds" there? He plants seeds of joy - bringing something to our hearts which all other seed will never quite be able to produce. Joy differs from happiness in that joy is lasting, where happiness is dependent upon the circumstances and the outcomes we experience in life. Joy is totally deep-seated, or shall I say "deep-seeded", buried deep within the heart. Joy is a result of "connection" - the connection of the soil of the heart with the roots of the seeds of JOY God plants deep within the heart. The heart holds both joy and grief. Isn't it truly a work of God to turn places of grief into places of the deepest growth - the seeds of joy producing great growth from within the soil of the grief we experience.

The absence of joy is grief. The opposite of light is darkness. The seeds God plants are exactly the opposite of the condition of the soil in which they are planted. The seeds are planted in the very type of soil where their growth will have the greatest impact. If you have ever seen a plant grow so big as to take over the area in which it was planted, I think this is probably what God has in mind when he plants the seeds of joy in the grief of our soul, or the seed of light into the darkest places of our emotions. We see scripture advising to not expect a harvest if there is never any planting going on. In giving God access to our souls, we are encouraging seeds of light to be planted. In giving him access to our emotions, we are encouraging seeds of joy to be planted. In turn, we can see the harvest they will produce. These are seeds which we cannot plant ourselves, but we can open up to the planting of our heavenly Father's hand. We attempt to plant all kinds of seeds ourselves, but they fall far short of the harvest God intends for our lives. Wouldn't it be wise to allow God to do the planting, in order to have the optimum harvest produced? Just askin!

Hey, it is okay if you are hurting!

Laughter cannot mask a heavy heart. When the laughter ends, the grief remains. (Proverbs 14:13) Erma Bombeck once reminded us, "There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt." This "thin line" as she calls it is really very concerning - for if it is crossed, the laughter can certainly turn to pain quite quickly. We never really know what is just beneath the surface in the lives of those we meet with each and every day. We might think we really know them, but in truth, there can be very little 'space' between immense sorrow and loneliness on the inside from what we see displayed as confidence and friendliness on the outside.

We need to become skilled 'readers' of the human condition. We might not always recognize just how close to grief or sorrow a man's heart may be until we cross the line into that 'finite space' between the happier self displayed on the surface and the hurting self hidden just beneath. We often hear this referenced when someone takes their own lives - those who knew the individual well sometimes not even really recognizing the sorrow that was hidden in the recesses of the individual's heart. The final 'note' left behind can be the only 'telling' sign of their tremendous anguish which burdened their hearts until the final beat. The human condition is indeed frail - we just don't recognize the depth of this frailty.

Back in the day, I loved to read those funny quips in Reader's Digest, for they were designed to get us to chuckle a little, if not openly laugh out loud. Most of us would relish the idea of a world where there was no sorrow or grief, but the truth of the matter is that grief does a great deal to refine what is in a man's heart. It could just be the purpose behind it! Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. (Ecclesiastes 7:3) I wonder how different our encounters would be if we were to ask someone what is bringing them sorrow in their life right now? I wonder just how many of us would admit we are in the refiner's fire? Most wouldn't - but the brave will!

While all of life is not going to be fun and games, not all of life is going to be sorrow and pain, either. When it does come, though, do we embrace it, or do we bury it? Buried grief is not really going to do us any good - it just burns a hole deep into our souls. While we might want to display a cheerful life on the surface, just beneath is this tremendous weight we carry. Maybe the best thing we can do for a friend is to just hold their hand, allowing them to unburden their hearts, and coming to terms with the immense grief that has dug deep into their souls. It might just be that we connect more on the 'sorrow' level with each other than on the 'happiness' level! It might just be the place where our breakthrough comes in life. Just sayin!

Your Bumper Sticker Says What?

 Remember what you said to me, your servant—I hang on to these words for dear life!   These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. 

(Psalm 119:49-50 The Message)

Bumper stickers abound in our society today.  An individual is able to post almost any viewpoint for public display simply by attaching one of these "emblems" of opinion on their vehicle.  There have been times I have tried to pull just a little closer in order to read the small print!  Something caught my eye and I wanted to know what it said!  On occasion, they make me laugh.  Sometimes I have to turn away because the words are less than uplifting.  At others, they give me a moment to pause and think.  Each has its impact, does it not?

In the times David penned these words, bumper stickers were not invented.  The use of mass publication was not even possible.  The scriptures were handwritten, kept by only a few in religious service, and read only by those with access to them.  David had to rely upon memory to recall God's counsel.  There was no internet search, nor thumbing through a Bible promise book for a special verse.  Yet, he tells us that he "hangs on these words" for dear life!  They were the words of life and he used them to "live life".

In his daily walk with God, he asks God to not forget what he has told David - through the prophets, the religious leaders of the day, and his times of meditation on God's Word.  He is not asking for the ability to remember what God says - he is asking God not to forget!  He is really asking God to hold him up in the bad times - with the promises of his deliverance, assurance of peace, and mighty displays of power.  

We all "hang on to" something in life.  Our "holding point" is often best revealed in the bad times.  Where we run to in the midst of trial is often the most telling truth about what we base our hope upon.  For David, it was God's promises.  I don't think David got there all in one day, though.  He learned to trust God with the course of his life little by little - until he relied upon him totally.  We all start out like this - not sure that God will do what he says he will - then learn to trust a little more as we see his faithfulness each and every time.

Look at what David tells us next - the tough times are made better by God's involvement!  Oh, you don't see that in this passage?  Read it again!  He says the promises of God hold him up and they rejuvenate him.  It doesn't say anything about God always delivering us FROM those bad times!  In fact, David emphasizes that he is upheld - able to walk through - refreshed within those bad times.

Did you know that one of the meanings of the word "rejuvenate" is actually a process of "erosion" that uncovers what was previously hidden?  It is a geological term that is often used to describe the effects of water cutting a new course, or some natural force like an avalanche uncovering and disturbing what lay in its course.  

In the bad times of life, David calls out for God to "uncover" what is hidden in what others only see as the "bad stuff".  God sees what lays just beneath the surface and stands ready to reveal it!   The "erosive" forces of life are what reveal the good stuff just beneath the surface!  In fact, without the erosive force, the "rejuvenation" cannot occur!

Maybe we need to change our opinion of the "bad times".  If we take a little different view, we might just see what God is "revealing" just beneath the surface.  These times are clearly meant for our benefit - not for our undoing!  When we hold close to God in the seasons of despair he brings us through with new revelation, revitalized hope, and an ability to display his grace in some new way.  In a way, God is writing "bumper stickers" of his grace that he puts on "display" in our lives.  Write on, God!

Table for Two

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

(Matthew 5:6 The Message)

I once heard it said that you know that you are living the way God intends when you find that you are taking what you see and hear in the Word of God and begin to live by them.  I think it goes beyond that - to actually living UPON them - they become foundational to all you think and do.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly begins a number of statements with the words, "Blessed are you when..."  In the scripture, I found that we are blessed when we exhibit a poverty of spirit, hunger for his righteousness, experience sorrow, and in moments of persecution when we are reliant on nothing more than Jesus to pull us through.  Okay, now that is not a list of "stuff" that I would automatically add to my Christmas wishlist!

How many of us can honestly say that we have worked up a good appetite for God?  Most of us would be honest and say that, at best, it is good some days and not so good on others.  In fact, sometimes our appetite for the things of God is plainly not in control of anything we are "putting into" our lives at that moment!  We take in gossip and wonder why we feel "used up" and kind of "vacant" at the end of the day.  We ingest "empty calories" in a spiritual sense by spending hours upon hours "vegging" in front of the TV and wonder why we are "spiritually flabby".  Ummm...call me silly....but don't we have to pay attention to what we take in and how we use it to be sure it is "good for us"?

Poverty of spirit is not being empty of the spiritually good things that God has prepared for us.  In fact, it is the exact opposite.  It is the condition of being aware that we have nothing good within us that we can offer to God.  We find ourselves aware that apart from the grace of God in our lives, we having nothing good to offer him!  Christ's disciples walked with him along the seashores and through the valleys.  They climbed to mountain tops with him, and found themselves in throngs of seeking people.  Where he was, they were.  They had little, traveled light, but enjoyed much!  Why?  Because in those moments of experiencing Jesus, they were having their faith made rich!

There are a lot of things in this world begging to satisfy our hunger.  God's greatest desire for us is that we will desire to have our hunger satisfied with goodness, peace, and mercy.  He delights in hearing that we are hungry for more of him.  I remember a neighbor of ours when I was growing up.  The family was Italian and loved to make huge meals when "company" came over.  We sat at a long table, laden with all kinds of pasta, sauce, cheese, bread, and other delightful items.  The enjoyment of that meal was made the richer by the company we kept!  The enjoyment of what God provides is made richer by the company we keep with him!

Psalm 125 reminds us that God encircles his people - always has and always will.  Even in the times when all seems to be lost, God encircles his people - always has and always will.  In fact, the very next Psalm tells us that those who plant in times of drought will rejoice in times of harvest.  Those who went off with heavy hearts will return dancing and singing in their hearts.  God's rewards are much different than anything that the world offers us.  In the world, we wallow in our sorrow.  In God's presence, we learn the deep lessons of sorrow.  In the world, we see no end in the drought.  In God's presence, we see the possibilities of rain in even the wispiest cloud!

What makes you hungry today?  What has become foundational in your life?  Is the Word of God more than a thing that you believe in - has it become the very basis of all you believe and DO?  How long has it been since you have felt encircled by God's arms - welcomed to his table, enjoying his company?  Perhaps it is time for a really good meal in his presence!

Ummm...can you say "depressed"?

¹¹ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.  He's my God.

(Psalm 42:11)

There are a variety of psalms written by David that carry almost the same theme of desperation - intense desire to see God intervene in his life, some tragedy making his life almost unbearable, some sin keeping him out of fellowship with his creator.  This one has some "meat" to it that I'd like to explore this morning. David is lamenting over his circumstances - over his downtrodden disposition.  In other words, he is pretty well down-in-the-mouth - depressed beyond measure.  He is mourning over something or someone - the impression is that he has lost out on something in his life and he is in a deep, deep depression as a result.

He begins with the idea of being thirsty.  He desires to drink God in afresh.  Have you ever been so thirsty that you just guzzle down the fluids?  In Arizona, one of the dangers of working outdoors in the heat is that you get dehydrated quite easily.  You just plug along with your work without any real recognition of how much fluid you need to replace in order to keep up with your body's sweating.  If you don't replace it fast enough, and frequently enough, you end up with the condition we call "dehydration".  

Dehydration is a process of excessive loss!  That is what David has experienced - excessive loss - and it has left him feeling totally "parched" so that he desires nothing more than to drink in God afresh!  He has even had a change in his diet!  He states, "I am on a diet of tears - tears for breakfast, tears for supper!"  David is in a place of severe depression.  His sadness is greater than he can endure alone.  His loss is leading him to feel this prolonged "void" in his life - and it is tearing him up!  

As with most of us, when we are feeling particularly "lost" and like there is a huge "void" in our lives, we do some "recollection" of the past.  We call this rehearsing our memories.  That is exactly what David tells us that he does.  He says, "These things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life."  The tendency to rehearse the things we have once been able to count on is not unusual.  We are people of "memories" - we count on our memories to sustain us in the hard times.  David says that his best memories are of those times when God central in his life - square in the middle, causing him to be at the head of the pack in giving praise and worship to his creator.

The key to David's lament in this chapter is really found in his revelation of what he does when he finds he is down in the dumps - when grief has overtaken him and his life seems to be circling the drain!  He says, "When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you!"  He focuses on all that he knows about his creator - rehearsing it over and over again.  The fact is, when we begin to rehearse what we know about God, we have a change of heart!  Our heart is affected by our thoughts - in turn, our emotional "affect" is changed!

David makes the admission that most of us have made at one point or another in our lives - "God, I think you've let me down!"  We ask the "why" questions.  Why did you let this happen?  Why do good people die?  Why does bad stuff happen to good people?  The list goes on.  In plain language, he admits to God that he equates his present situation to God letting him down.  The revelation he comes to in his rehearsal of all he knows about God is that God NEVER lets his kids down!

He gives us the anchor we need in the verses we consider today as our meditation verses.  "Fix your eyes on God - soon you'll be praising again!"  We may not praise out of a sense of joy for what we have gone through or experienced - but because of the faithfulness of our God to bring us through to the other side!  When we are fixed on God, we cannot drift further into our depression.  When he is our anchor, the circumstances may come, but we are held firmly in place!