Have you heard?

OUR strength is often what we call willpower or the desire to act one way when the other is the choice we make most often. The truth be told, our ability or talent is way too over-estimated, and our strength is way too small. Proverbs 24:10 reminds us, "If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small."

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

God's strength is for the weary and the weak. Not sure if I should admit this or not, but that is me! It is not for those who have everything perfect or under control in their lives. It is for those who aren't perfect, who know they have issues, and desire to have something be different in the choices they make. The promise is for power when we are weak, strength when we are powerless, and even new strength when we exhaust all the strength we seem to have had.

Weakness isn't an admission of failure, like some may think, but rather an acknowledgement of awareness of just how much we need God's help in our lives. We are acknowledging that without God's help, things aren't going to go very well! When pressure mounts and life events seem to bring a load of something crashing down on us, we can either muddle through the best we can, or we can stop and lean into God for his power. 

We aren't admitting we are inept, or even that we are not willing to make an attempt. We are admitting that we lack the knowledge God possesses and that without his help, we will likely fall short of what we could do when we are backed with his potential and power. Even youths become weak and tired. That statement pretty well wraps it up for us. It isn't about natural ability or talent - it is about the depth of our trust and the placement of that trust. It could be we trust way too much in our own ability/talent and not quite enough in God's power and strength. Just sayin!

Connected and Reconnected

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25)

We don't know why Jesus made him walk out of town with him. Maybe it was so he would begin to trust Jesus a little by walking with him for a while; learning to depend on him to bring him safely to the place he needed to be. We don't know why the first application of mud didn't do the trick. Maybe it was because Jesus knew something about this man, or those who were looking on that day, which made him take that time in order to help others around him come to a greater place of trust and faith. We may not know the reason for the delay in our 'total healing' in some of those areas where we seem to be blind to any form of light. When we make frequent and purposeful connection with Jesus, we can count on our healing to come. When it does, we need to celebrate it with those who had the faith to bring our need to Jesus in the first place!

It isn't until we reach out and take the hand extended to us that our journey toward healing can begin. It is a starting point. We might want immediacy, but Jesus wants connection. We can imagine Jesus walking this man past one obstacle and then another, until he finally has him right where he wants him to be in order to receive his ultimate healing. We might not recognize the obstacles we are avoiding along the way, but with the navigation of our Savior, we are sure to get to our destination. We want the conventional, but Jesus is not afraid to use the unconventional means to do what needs to be done. I am not sure if I would have been all that excited about mud made from spit being placed on my eyes, but I do know God has used some pretty "unconventional" means by which he has opened my eyes to the reality of who he is in my life. I don't want us to count on the "tried and true" as being the only "way" God works within us - he may go about bringing healing into our lives by some pretty "odd" means. Our part is to remain open to the possibilities of what he is accomplishing by his touch.

There were multiple points of "connection" with Jesus in order for this man to realize his full healing. He gained a little hope with the first "mud" application - but he gained much more with each repeated touch from the Savior. It is this frequency of connection which brings us to a place where we "open our eyes wide" so we can see fully what he has been accomplishing not only in us, but around us. The blind man depended on others to help him find his way, and as his healing began, he still didn't have perfect clarity. We often don't realize fully what God is doing in us, but it is that repeated connection with him coupled with our willingness to do as he says that brings us to the place of complete deliverance in our lives. Just sayin!

Whom have I?

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:25-26)

How's your health? If you are anything like me, you answer that one with 'fair to midland' - you aren't ailing really, but you have a few aches and pains that get you down from time to time. Physical health may fail, our bodies may grow weary, and our minds fatigue with age, but God's gift to us is that our 'spiritual heart' will never grow weak or weary.

When the desire of our heart is God first and everything else after that, our hearts are going to be pretty 'healthy'. God's spiritual strength can abide with us even when our physical strength wanes. We might not be up to winning any hundred-yard dashes at our age, but one thing is for certain - we aren't going to succumb to the pressures of our enemy, either! We have God on our side and that makes us stronger than anything that stands in our way.

Whom have I? That is a telling question when you answer it honestly. If we are truthful on this one, we may not be looking to heaven for our help at times. We look everywhere BUT heaven! We try things in our own strength and that seems to lack what it takes. We look to others around us, thinking some relationship will be the strength and hope we need, but find those fail us. There is no other place to find our strength than 'in heaven'. In other words, within relationship with God himself.

God remains the strength of my heart. Maybe that would be a good reminder to put on a small card at various places around the house for us to see and ponder when we are about to do something in our own strength or turn to some other source of 'strength' to 'make it through'. We aren't going to find any strength like his, nor do we need to look further than his Word for answers. Just sayin!

The Lord is for me (and you, too)

Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? (Psalm 118:4-6)

The more we interact with people around us, the more we realize it is almost impossible to please everyone. There will always be someone in the group who thinks differently, opposing every move we make. What do we do when we face opposition? If you are like me, you get a little distressed by the resistance at times. You might want to just pull in like a snail inside its shell, but that doesn't solve the issue, does it? I have learned to take my distress to the only one who can 'de-stress' it - God. I bring the issue to him, but I also bring the 'players' in the issue - including me! There are times when my attitude is the one needing adjustment, while it is the attitude of others that needs it at others. Who am I to judge which one of us needs the adjustment? I have found it is much better to leave that one in God's hands.

What can mere people do to us? If we have lived our lives trying to be people-pleasers, then we think those individuals who we have worked so hard to 'please' can do a great deal to us, but nothing could be further from the truth. People cannot destroy us - though they may try. People cannot get at the Spirit of God deep within us - try as they might, the presence of God is our refuge, and it is where we flee when under attack. Sometimes I need to remind myself over and over that God is for me - all the fear that is trying to rise up from within my emotions is never going to change the security I have in him. It won't change it for you, either! We may have to tell ourselves over and over that God is for us and we will not fear, but that is okay. God knows we sometimes battle against those emotions, and he stands at the ready to help us rise above their attack.

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! (Psalm 118:14-15)

The strength within isn't always evident - sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we walk in a power not our own, a victory that has already been won, and a placement that remains secure regardless of the enemy's attack. Just sayin!

As surefooted as a deer

I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

I have observed the deer upon the mountain sides, almost traversing the narrowest of trails with the greatest of ease. They seem to have 'suction cups' upon their feet, holding them upright while ascending very treacherous paths. Have you ever wanted to be just like the deer? Treading on paths that seem impassable, easing your way upward until you reach the top, not even concerned about the narrowness of the path you are on? We can 'tread' this narrow path with 'surefooted ease' when Jesus is at the center of our lives.

To be surefooted as a deer means we are able to stand firm, with a strength that defies the pressures put upon us, to actually know where to go and when to move in that direction. It also means we will know what to do, and when to do it - never really questioning the timing or the direction. I'd like to say I am as surefooted as a deer, but there are times I don't always match that definition! I can question his timing, wonder about the path I am on, and even balk a bit at the pressures I am feeling at that moment. I think we all want to be surefooted in our faith, like the deer, but find ourselves stumbling around a bit from time to time.

If you have ever watched a deer in the wild, you likely have observed a little bit of their gracefulness. They seem to just go about their daily business, undisturbed by things around them, and able to avoid hazards galore. They are 'ever-vigilant' in their observations - knowing when to move and when it is safe to stay where they are. They are wary of 'outsiders' who interlope into their territory and are swift to move on when it seems those interlopers are not likely to leave anytime soon!

Maybe we need to be a little more like the deer - swift to move on when things come our way that act as 'interlopers' in our lives. Perhaps we need to be a little more 'vigilant' in our observations, able to spot those interlopers quickly and respond appropriately to their presence. If we were to operate that way, we might find ourselves moving out of the way of the things that could 'trip us up' a little quicker and moving into places of safety once again. Just sayin!

Strength Has Many Forms

There are a couple forms of strength that we use to 'get by' in life. One is this thing we call physical strength. It is the 'brute strength' we use to pick up a heavy object or move a stalled car. It is technically the ability exert physical force upon an object. There is also mental strength - the thing we use to overcome pain and push a bit further when all we want to do is give up on that five-mile run. If allows us to be productive throughout our day and to be more efficient. It is how we get things done. There is emotional strength, which some clearly lack, while others seem to have it all together all of the time. Sometimes we struggle to make it through a day because we are a basket case, while at others we can muddle through just fine. The type of strength we all need but may not have right now is this thing we refer to as spiritual strength. It is the God-given strength that goes beyond physical, mental, or emotional strength. 

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

God's strength surpasses all other forms of strength, but he uses all the other forms of strength to get things done through us in this world. He uses our physical strength to build his churches, move church gear in and out of auditoriums each Sunday, and even to see an elderly woman's house cleaned up. This spiritual strength actually 'bolsters' all other forms of strength we utilize. It gives us insight into what we should be doing every day, but we oftentimes don't even bother to ask God how we should use the strength he gives. We just go aimlessly about our 'routine' and then we wonder why we are lacking some form of strength for whatever it is we are attempting to accomplish.

Spiritual strength is developed when we take time to read his Word, engage in conversation with him, and worship at his feet. Unlike all the other forms of strength, this one is not of our own making, but we do need to make ourselves available to him if we are to see it developed. Unlimited resources are available to us when we do. So, why do we resist these quiet times with God, time in his Word, or those moments of reflective praise? It is usually because something else distracts us and we allow those distractions to take precedence over the 'development time'. Power comes as we quiet down long enough to allow it to be developed deep within. Unlike all other forms of strength, it is in the times when we reveal our weaknesses that we are made strong. Just sayin!

Inward or Upward?

Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm. (Robert Louis Stevenson)

I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God’s great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we’ve been shown the mystery! (Colossians 2:2-4)

Woven into a tapestry of love - not through human effort, but because God binds us together as 'interwoven members'. This should give us a sense of 'belonging' even when we don't feel like we 'belong' anywhere else. This should also give us a sense of being created for a purpose, not just to sit idly by as life passes us by. We are called to work together - not just the physical work some might think of, but that 'spiritual' and 'emotional' work of being united in Christ. Yes, it does require work to live in unity because we have to put aside our differences and come together on the common 'plane' of Christ's love and grace. 

Minds confident and at rest. Yesterday we explored how a mindset can actually drive us forward, or it can keep us locked into a pattern we have allowed to hold us in one position. A confident mind doesn't just 'happen'. Confidence is 'built' - on the power of one bigger than our problem; on the trustworthiness of one stronger than our problem; and on the reliability of one who remains when all else fails. We might not always be 'at rest' in our minds, but that unrest may actually bring us to a place where we encounter whatever it is that is keeping us from knowing God's perfect peace. I was once told that God only disturbs our present so he can improve our future. Rest disturbed today? Maybe God is working on something great in your future!

When our minds are focused - not on something fleeting and uncertain - but on the power and ability of Christ, we are strong. When our minds wander into the territory of our own self-effort and abilities, we can know a bit more than just 'unrest'. We can face fears, a lack of hope, and even a little bit of 'wobbliness' in our stand with Christ. Why? Self-help or self-effort are not enough to bring our minds peace and safety. We need the wisdom of Christ to know full confidence and rest. We don't find that when our focus is inward - we only find it when our focus is upward. Just sayin!

A submissive action

God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. (Psalm 29:11)

Strength is definitely something we strive for, hold onto for dear life, and which often seems to evade us in the moments we need it most. Brute force by which we can do some things is not always the right kind of strength, is it? We probably have all passed around a jar of some condiment or pickles at one time or another, each taking turns trying to get the lid undone so we might enjoy what is inside. It goes from person to person, until someone in their wisdom takes a tact of hitting the lid ever so squarely on the side of the sink, allowing the seal to be broken, then gingerly uncaps the jar. What most of us did was rely upon our physical strength, but what the last one did was to rely upon their wisdom to figure out the solution to the problem! We have both mental and physical strength - both sometimes evading us more than we'd desire to admit! There is another type of strength which sometimes evades us just as much - we might call it moral strength, or perhaps spiritual strength. Some might think of this as courage, or the ability to withstand all manner of attack. This may be the hardest kind of "strength" to develop and one which seems to elude us most when we need it.

God makes his people strong. Don't miss the word "makes". It isn't God "developing" strength in us because we exercise some spiritual muscle or moral fibers. It is him "making" us strong through a variety of means - none of which we can take credit for when it is all said and done. Go to the gymnasium and engage in isotonic and isometric exercise and you might develop some pretty substantial physical muscles. You did the work - the muscles are a result of your efforts. Read some books, apply the knowledge contained within, and you might just develop some mental strength - the ability to figure out tough stuff. You did the work - the mental ability came because you applied the knowledge, battled through the mess of wrong answers, until you got to the place where you figured out the solution to the problem. On the other hand, spiritual strength is really a result of what we stop doing in order to gain it! Spiritual strength comes not from us taking control of the situation and showing our "might", but it comes in laying down our control and seeing God's might displayed through us. 

It is by a submissive act that spiritual strength is developed - not in a resistive action! Physical and mental strength come because we resist something. In going after physical strength, we apply resistance to our muscles to see them stretched and built up. In the pursuit of mental strength, we try this solution and that one until we come to a place of getting it right. We resist the urge to give up until we find the right answer. In the development of spiritual strength, it is God who "makes" us strong - not because we employ the tactic of resistance, but because we employ the attitude of submission. Strength is the capacity to manifest energy, to endure, and to resist. The strength God gives to us provides a tremendous amount of spiritual energy - to keep us going when we find the circumstances too difficult to endure any longer in our own ability. If you have a flat piece of material, you don't just drape that around your body and call it a garment. You carefully cut out several pieces, fashioning it into a shirt complete with two arms, a couple of pockets, some buttons to hold it closed, and a collar to give it some style. You "made" it from the materials at hand, but you added to it what it lacked in its original form. You gave it new structure by adding in the thread and buttons. You may have added a little sizing to give the collar a little firmness. In essence, you could have worn the material and called it a shirt, but when you cut away at the material and sewed it into the new garment, you made it become a shirt!

God "makes" us strong in much the same way. We are like unformed material. We serve a purpose as material - but we serve a divine purpose once his hands fashion our material into something still very recognizable as the "basic" material, but quite well "pieced together" to form something not previously recognizable in the "flatness" of our unformed material. God's strength comes as we "lay down" our desire to be unformed material and begin to allow his hands to fashion us into what it is he designs for us. Just sayin!

Freedom Robbers

I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)

Any great pain or sorrow that weighs us down and almost keeps us from moving is not meant to keep us down, it is meant to drive us to God. Elements of physical suffering, or some mental anguish might have us under its control right now. Some call this "trouble", while others use a more sophisticated term like "affliction" or "tribulation". It is simply junk we don't want to have to deal with, but somehow it always manages to find us. A plane billowing black smoke, pilot frantically attempting to send out a distress call indicating his location as he plummets to the earth - trouble, affliction, tribulation. The call is something of a plea for someone to notice he is "going down" in hopes he might be rescued at some point if he survives the horrific event. I think there are times we view distress almost in a similar way - as if we were "going down" - so we cry out, hoping someone, anyone will notice us and come to our rescue. Distress might even be "self-inflicted" - like when we make a really bad decision and then feel ourselves plummeting out of control, heading toward a crash. Any unseen force in their lives might cause us distress - like when you just feel pressure but cannot put your finger on where it is coming from, when it started, or how to make it end. The "other person" caused distress could be the entire source of the pressure or affliction we might be enduring. Either way, it appears distress is common among men and women alike, so isn't it about time we learn how to deal with it?

The opposite of distress is peace, assurance, and freedom. We have to learn what steals away our peace, brings us to the place of doubt, and captures us in its clutches so tightly. While trying to identify the cause of distress, we just have to look at these three things - peace disturbers, assurance robbers, and captors of our freedom. Peace is more than just the absence of disturbance! Some of us need a little disturbance once in a while to actually get us moving in the right direction once again. Think of the last time you lazily drifted into the lane next to you on the freeway and heard just a little toot of a horn from a passing motorist in the opposite lane. What did that horn toot provide? It disturbed your peace just enough to put you back on course in your lane again. Not all disturbance is a bad thing. Even the calmest, stillest running brook is moving! If it wasn't, it would be pond-like and scummy. The movement keeps it fresh. Peace really is a state of no longer being at a place of "strife" in your life. In other words, you deal with the antagonists to your peace! Doing this means we have to stop long enough to actually figure out what is impacting our peace - even if it is something we might be doing to ourselves! Remember - it doesn't mean we stop moving - we still need to move, but just in the right "lane"!

Assurance is just a fancy word for confidence or certainty. When the stock market begins to go haywire, housing prices plummet, people make runs on banks and stash hard earned monies into their secret hiding places in their homes just in case the banks are going to go "belly up", and the like. Why? Confidence in the system we depend upon is broken. Those who respond in panic are actually showing where it is they have placed their confidence! When confidence is misplaced, it is easy for it to be "robbed away" from us in what appears to be any kind of "distressing" or "conflicting" circumstance, isn't it? When we understand the strength of our life's foundation is Christ, we stand assured. When we haven't allowed this foundation to be built into our lives as strongly as it should be, we sometimes find ourselves a little less certain when the storms come. Captors of our freedom requires someone or something to be our captor. For a captor to actually do his job, he has to be able to over-power or out-think the one he seeks to take into captivity. It doesn't mean he has the most muscles, or the highest IQ. It means he knows how to use what it is he has at his disposal. They use their abilities to their advantage. They outsmart us by affecting our peace or mucking with our assurance. They over-power us by making us think OUR abilities are insufficient to stand up to THEIRS. Truth is - they are probably right! It isn't OUR abilities they should be faced with - it is CHRIST'S abilities WITHIN US they should have to deal with! If they come face-to-face with those abilities, they don't stand a chance of affecting our freedom in Christ!

Not sure what is bringing you a little distress today but remember what our passage declares: Distress which drives us TO God turns us around. It re-establishes our sense of peace, gives us the certainty we are on solid footing, and puts forward the power of Christ, not the mildness of our own abilities. Just sayin!

Timid people don't get the answers they desire

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1:9)

As we contemplate these words spoken to Joshua after the death of Moses, I want to focus on just a couple of things today. The instructions to never let God's Word be out of mind seem mighty important to me - God emphasized this a couple of times in one conversation! Anyone ever get 'off track' in life? I don't think I have ADHD, but I can be headed out to the shop to do one project, see something else that piques my curiosity or interest, and almost without any further thought, I am my headed to take on a totally different project. As a woodworking hobbyist, that isn't all that unusual - creative folks tend to 'wander' a bit in their creativity - almost allowing the wood to dictate what they will create. If I were to tackle life like I tackle some of my woodworking projects, I would be in a total mess! God focuses so intently on his Word because he knows we need a 'guide-book' of sorts to help us make life decisions. There are times I am at a loss when it comes to a family issue, or some niggling feeling that I am about to do something that will not turn out so well. If I didn't have God's Word to help me when I am squarely facing these issues, I would be sure to go down a wrong path more often than not! Why? I am not all that wise on my own! I need God's wisdom working in me and through me - so I 'digest' his Word on a very regular basis. 

The other thing that seems quite clear to me from this passage is that we all desire to succeed at things in life. I don't think this is a wrong ambition at all, but when pride gets in the way of us asking for help when we don't know what to do on our own, we can find ourselves in a muddle of a mess without any idea how we will ever get out of it! There are times I have been too 'timid' to ask for help - thinking others just expected me to know exactly what to do or how to respond. Timidity is really fear - the fear we will appear weak may just keep us from seeking the very help we so desperately need. There have been times when I just kept plugging away at the same old thing, wondering why I wasn't getting 'results'. Success evaded me, not because I didn't pursue it, but because I wasn't open to any other way of obtaining it! Courage is one thing, but the stubbornness that keeps us from admitting we don't possess all the answers will stop us dead in our tracks. We can have all the courage (determination) to see something through but lack the wisdom (know how) to get it done. If you are anything like me, asking for help may not come easily. When we stop long enough to recognize we cannot get new results by doing the same old thing, we may just stop long enough to ask for the help to see how we can do things differently. Just sayin!

One tiny stone is all you need

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. (Psalm 121:1-2)

Look at the mountains and catch a little glimpse of just how majestic God's care must be - boulders balancing precariously on each other, one right after the other - standing there for years on end without any perceptible movement at all. The Arizona desert has many areas like this and each pass I make through those areas on various day trips makes me just pause a bit to consider the wonder of God. One tiny stone holds all the weight of those huge boulders - making it impossible for them to topple. The 'strength' of the mountain is really not in the massive stones, but in the tiny ones that are lodge into the wedges that hold those bigger ones in place! We see the massive and think the strength must be there, but in God's way of doing things, it is oftentimes the littlest things that bring the greatest strength into our lives.

I think God gives us little lessons in what some may consider to be the oddest of times or the most unusual of ways. I stand at my kitchen window and just watch as a butterfly casually goes from leaf to leaf, flower to flower. Resting away from the winds, ready to take the next leg of the journey, but somehow knowing when to wait and when to move. I wonder how many of us need to take hold of that lesson - knowing when to wait and when to move so our journey is not only safe, but is marked with the care that God provides when we await his timing? I hear the chatter of birds all around, then listen as the day grows still and all things seem to be without movement. Perhaps God is teaching us there is a time to be 'engaged' and other times when it is just good to kick back and take in the world around us.

Our strength isn't always physical. Some of us have a great need for some emotional strength right now because life has been stirring and stirring until we are left feeling a bit undone by all we have faced. Others need some spiritual strength because your faith has been wavering - not really sure what you should hold onto right now. Regardless of the type of strength we need, God wants us to know the greatest strength may not come in the boulders, but in the tiny stones he wedges into the right spaces to keep the boulders of our life from crashing in around us. Never look at the tiniest of lessons as 'not worthy' of your attention and care - they can become the biggest ones to bring the greatest strength in just the right places in your life! Just sayin!

Gritting your teeth?

Albert Einstein was known for his amazing mind. Do you know he published over 300 scientific papers, had his PhD by the age of 30, and actually won the Nobel Prize in physics at the age of 42? As accomplished as he was in his field of study, do you know one of the most memorable things he said is repeated time and time again, maybe not verbatim, but pretty doggone close. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Do you know how many mistakes a scientist has to make before he finds the proof of his theory? Too many to count! Do you know how many mistakes I have made along the way, attempting to live out this Christian walk with grace and stamina? Too many to count! How about you? Too many to count? 

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. (Colossians 1:9-12)

Most of the 'successes' I have known in life are not really mine - they are because God has worked through me to bring about that success. I have tried that 'gritting my teeth' kind of endurance and I am here to tell you it doesn't really work all that well. If you want the truth, every moment of gritting my teeth, trying to hold up under the pressure of the crisis at hand was compounded by my stubbornness in being unwilling to let go of my 'grim strength'. When I finally let go of what I was clearly making a whole lot of mistakes with it was amazing to see how God brought new light, helping me to actually see things I had been missing all the while. It is kind of like the scientist that knows they are onto something pretty close to the solution, but they cannot seem to find that one final piece. 

I know that anytime God asks me to do 'something new', I don't always do very well with it - how about you? Do you just immediately get up, do as he instructs, and see immediate success? If you are in the company with a great many of us, the answer to that one is likely that you didn't do very well with those instructions. You and I are not dissimilar in our taking on 'new things' and 'new truths' as God would have us do, but we also probably don't all 'take them on' in quite the same manner. We do and see things differently, so we get different results from the same truth. How is that possible? If you have ever tried to follow a pattern to crochet something, you may have realized your 'work' doesn't quite resemble the one in the picture. Why? You aren't the creator of the pattern - you are just trying hard to follow it stitch by stitch!

God is the creator of the pattern we call 'life' - we go about each day attempting to follow the instructions laid out in that 'pattern', hopefully seeing something remotely resembling the pattern emerge in the end! Don't miss the truth in this passage - we don't follow the pattern in our own 'grim strength of gritting our teeth' to get it done. We only come close to the pattern when we allow the creator of the pattern direct the 'stitching' of our day's work all together. We can go on trying to get it done in our own strength, or we can let go of the obviously inferior strength we have been putting into it and let God's strength come through. I guess making the mistake of doing it in my own strength way too many times has taught me there is really a whole lot more enjoyment in getting it done in his! Just sayin!

Not feeling very strong today

What is your spirit like? You know what part of you I am referring to, don't you? It is that part in you that animates you, gives you life, drives you onward, and keeps you centered in tough times. If you cannot answer that question truthfully then chances are that you are living a rather haphazard life. You are just willing to be pushed hither and yon, just 'existing', but not really 'living'. The spirit is not only what some refer to as the seat of your emotions - but it is most importantly the part of you that God would refer to as giving you 'character'. It is what makes you stand out and stand strong.

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit. 

(2 Timothy 1:7)

We are not the cowardly lion of the Oz type. We are not whimpering, timid creatures with no backbone. That is not how God made us. He made us to stand strong, powerful in all ways, able to resist every force that comes against us - IN HIM. We sometimes get this wrong - trying to stand strong, exhibit some form of power over something bothering us, all in our own efforts. That doesn't work well for us - in fact, it usually fails us somewhere along the way. We might have a somewhat positive outcome in our own efforts, but I doubt the outcome would be as good as it would have been if God had been our source of strength and powerful 'intervention' in the situation!

Our spirit (character) is powerful - no longer forced into timidity by our own shame or guilt. Our spirit is loving - not on our own, but because God's love indwells us and that love spills over into the lives of those around us. Our spirit is disciplined - no longer drifting along, but focused, determined, and steadfast. We don't possess these character traits in and of ourselves - they are a direct result of our spirit aligning with the Spirit of God. It is his Spirit within that 'innervates' our spirit. If you know anything about the nervous system, you understand that term. The nerves are what 'innervates' the parts of our body to move, function, and respond.

We don't want to move alone because we don't always find the places we move toward are good for us. They may not be places of safety and protection, but rather harsh and unreliable. We don't want to function apart from what helps us to function correctly. If you have ever had something go 'wonky' on you that was supposed to function one way and it totally functioned the other way, you know how 'incorrect functioning' can have a negative effect on us. For example, sometimes you take a cough medicine to calm your cough so you can sleep peacefully while recovering from your cold only to find it makes you unable to sleep. The 'functioning' was not as you desired!

As important as it is to be move and function in unison with God's Spirit, it is equally as important for us to respond to life events in the way God would desire. We don't do that in a vacuum - we respond as God would respond because we are IN HIM. We find our greatest strength not in standing alone, but in standing in unison with HIM. Just sayin!

Carry me

Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own. (Henry Ward Beecher)

I pose the question today of who specifically it is that you are carrying? Are you carrying yourself, concerned only with your own reputation, focused merely on what you find you will obtain from the 'greatness' you are portraying? Or are you carrying others, sometimes without number, into that place of greatness, not on your coat-tails, but in the places of your heart and soul that truly help get them from where they are to where you imagine they can be? We might think we need to develop more strength for the battle, but it could be we just need to come alongside someone so that we both make it through the battle together!

No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you’ve got—
that’s what we’re depending on. (Psalm 33:16-22 MSG)

We can be very strong, but quite weak at the same time. Some might find that hard to imagine, but if we stop to really consider it, we might just find it true. The strongest among us are sometimes the loneliest! They are sometimes the hardest to get to know and are the hardest to be around! Why? It could be they haven't learned how to use their strength as wisely as they should, or it could be they have no idea how to use that strength to better the lives of another. Strength alone doesn't make us strong - it is the combined 'strength' that comes from realizing grace carries us so that we can in turn assist in carrying others!

I ask again - who are you carrying? If there is no one, you are likely most miserable in your journey! The strength we are given not just for our own benefit - it is meant to be used to assist another in the journey. Greatness is not strength and strength is not greatness. Sometimes we equate the two, but I have seen many a strong person with no position or power other than that they immensely love God and have been touched deeply by his grace. I have observed many a 'great person' who possesses absolutely no strength themselves, relying on the efforts of others for everything they achieve. 

God isn't after our greatness - he is after our hearts. In touching our hearts, he makes us great! In making us great, he desires for us to help others be great. In giving us strength, he hopes we will use that strength to urge another along their course, or carrying them for a while when they cannot do it any longer on their own. We don't find our strength in all the places the world seems to think we will. It isn't in stature, or fame, or money. It is simply found in the deepest places of our need - for in those places we come face-to-face with his grace and nothing, absolutely nothing, makes us stronger than grace! Just sayin!

Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy

Back in the day, there was this little contraption you'd suspend from the door jam that allowed the infant to bounce happily up and down. Suspended in the enclosed seat, the infant could test out their legs a little and develop some strength in them. These simple devices were eventually replaced with walkers with four wheels, then these walk behind toys, and even more complex contraptions over the years, but the idea is all the same - to help the child develop their strength and balance. God gives us a whole lot of things in life to help us develop strength and balance, but none as lasting and true as his Word! We can hang onto his Word like nothing else - it never fails because it is backed by his oversight and careful attention to each detail contained within it! 

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 MSG)

His words have a unique way of rejuvenating each of us - not by some magical power, but because truth brings restoration, renewal, and reformation where needed. The change that occurs when we have a steady intake of his words into our minds, souls, and spirits actually is attributed to his strength and power, but it produces a strength and power within us that isn't possible without the constant ups and downs of life. The ups and downs of life are like that hanging contraption that suspended the infant - they help us develop strength - not in ourselves, but through the application of truth where it is needed. 

David was often heard asking God to not let his words return void to him - reminding God that he was counting on them. He also frequently asked God to not forget what he promised - because he wasn't going to develop 'independent strength', but he was going to rely upon the strength that comes from connection with God. The truth we choose to believe is very important. Think about that infant suspended in that seat in the doorway. The child could look around for a while, just admiring the new view he had of his surroundings. That wouldn't be uncommon, but eventually he will realize that his feet move and he moves when they do! He will become curious about how this change in viewpoint is occurring - not realizing it is by his own strength made possible because of the strength the 'contraption' he is sitting in gives him!

The Word is kind of like that - we place our hope and trust in it - enjoying our new viewpoint in life. Shortly after the Word lifting us up, we realize we can develop a little strength that we didn't have before in our lives - all because God's Word is actually supporting us in such a manner as to let us build that strength. It won't be strength that makes us independent and no longer in need of his support in our lives, but a strength that helps launch us into new places we hadn't explored before. Eventually the infant is free of the contraption and is wandering all around the house. His growth is giving his new freedom. This is the same with us in Christ - the Word helps us build new strength - and in turn, we begin to enjoy new discoveries previously hidden from our view. Don't ever underestimate the potential of being 'suspended' in his strength for a while until you are strong enough to learn to walk into these new discoveries! It is part of his plan! Just sayin!

And don't for a minute...

Where does a warrior find strength? I watched a show this weekend about the great warrior chiefs of various American Indian tribes as they were being asked to sign treaties to no longer attack the white settlers. The thing that struck me was not just that they were fighting for their land, but for their way of life - they valued their beliefs, customs, and traditions. These included how they viewed and treated the land and the animals inhabiting that land. They were willing to fight for them. The warrior has a different kind of 'heart' and 'mindset'. The warrior knows what he believes, stands upon those beliefs even when pushed to give up on them, and trusts those beliefs because he trusts what is behind those beliefs!

And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1:8-9)

Joshua became the leader of Israel right after Moses passed away. Moses passed the torch on to him as he was next in line to get the Israelites out of the wilderness territory they had wandered in for long enough and into the Promised Land. He was commissioned with a huge purpose - cross the Jordan - get the people across safely and into their inheritance. It was finally the time for Israel to take what God had given to them when he delivered them from in Egypt. The promise to Joshua was pretty clear - "I'll give you every square inch of land you set your feet on". If that was not enough to get Joshua motivated to move into the land, God promised to be with him just like he had been with Moses. As a new leader, knowing you had the 'backing' of the one you believed in more than anything else was huge!

The "success" Joshua enjoyed in taking the land of Canaan was based on him keeping God's Word clearly before him and the people - obediently pursuing the revelation God had given through Moses. If we look at how this sentence is structured, we will notice that it is an "imperative" - it demands our attention and our action. There is an unavoidable obligation - keep the Word before you - practicing every word of it - none of it was to be neglected or discounted. We also see a tremendous promise or word of assurance that reminds Joshua that there is to be an order to the victory Israel will win. First, God will be in his right position. Then his Word would be the guiding force of their lives. As each of these were rightly aligned, they would realize success in their endeavors. This is definitely something we can learn. When we get the "order" right, victory is just the next step away.

There is something extra-ordinary in getting this right: God is with us every step we take. When God is in the right position in our lives (at the center of all we do) - the hunger for his Word is also there. His presence at the core of our being and his Word continually being turned over in our minds is certain to guide our steps. Joshua received two other reminders: Be strong! Be courageous! The strength here is not that of physical strength - muscular enhancement that just let him fight like a warrior. It is also the mental strength that would keep him focused in the times when defeat, not victory, seemed more like a possibility. It is the emotional strength to doubt his doubts and continue on in the faith that God was with him each step of the way. The courage of a warrior - the strength of a leader - Joshua was expected to have both and so are we. Strength and courage are based on keeping our focus right - God first, his Word constantly before us, and our steps will be ordered of God. We will do well to learn the lesson of Joshua - Be Strong! Be Courageous! The Lord Thy God is With Thee! Just sayin!

You don't got me on this one!

David, as King of Israel, was in heated battle with the Edomites in the Valley of Salt - not exactly a lush place to be nor the top of someone's bucket list to visit.  The Edomites were descendants of Esau, one of the sons of Jacob.  Esau is probably best known in scripture as the son who sold his birthright for a pot of stew (Genesis 25) - his hunger outweighing his solid thinking on that one.  As the firstborn of Jacob, he had the full right to the inheritance of his father (a double portion as it is referred to in scripture).  In a time of weakness, hungry and weary by what life had dealt him, he "sold out" to his twin brother. I wonder how many times we 'sell out' in times of hunger, weariness, or worry?

16-17 And me? I'm singing your prowess, shouting at cockcrow your largesse,
   For you've been a safe place for me, a good place to hide.  Strong God, I'm watching you do it, I can always count on you—God, my dependable love.

(Psalm 59:16-17)

Esau's family became a band of nomadic raiders settling in the region just south of the Dead Sea - the land that Israel would realistically pass through on their way to Canaan as they exited their bondage in the land of Egypt.  Edom is recorded in Scripture as the people that would not allow the passage of Israel through their land, causing them to detour around Edom on their journey - something they would be sure to regret down the road.  King Saul mounted a huge attack against Edom during his reign and 40 years later, King David, along with Joab, his General of the Armies, destroys 10,000 of the military men of Edom. Yup, a poor decision made in haste once again by the people who descended from the man who made a very poor decision!

This huge battle is what is celebrated in this Psalm.  David cries out:  I am singing of your prowess, shouting of your largesse!  He is overcome with the protection of his God and the safety he has enjoyed in the battle - a battle that could have easily overrun his troops and caused huge casualties to his kingdom. To David, God has been a safe place to hide - a good place for him to find refuge.  Some might think that David is a little cowardly because of these words, but in fact, these are the words that describe the condition of his heart - he chose to trust God and not his own ability.  He faced his fears in the midst of battles that seemed insurmountable by placing those fears squarely in the hands of his great God.  When David brings his fears to God, he stands back and watches as God repeatedly intervenes in ways that would have been impossible through his own natural skill or military might.

I know that we probably don't face huge armies today, wielding all kinds of weaponry, preparing to charge at us with all their military might (although some reading this might be in service to our country, facing just this type of an enemy).  We DO face "armies" of forces just waiting to see our destruction - armies intent on waiting for those moments of weakness and weariness that will drive us into places where we might not always choose wisely.  Those forces are the armies of doubt, bitterness, deception, lust, pride, etc.  Enemies that stand against us, filling us with fear and unbelief.  To us, they seem insurmountable.  To God, they are like the grains of sand that get into our shoes - irritating, but totally removable!

Maybe you find yourself in the place today where you could say, "I have been trying to do this all on my own, God!  I have been trying to figure a way out of this bondage, but I am just not getting out of here on my own!"  If that is the case, you have an opportunity today to take your inabilities to God - then stand back and watch what he does with the heart that yields to his plans.  Most of the battle is not in the "sin", but in the laying down of our will.  When we finally lay down our will, step back and begin to watch, God begins to move. I am encouraging you today to be able to lay down what you have been holding onto so tightly; to be able to take a step back; and to have your eyes opened to how God will move once you do. As your eyes are opened to God's graces refilling you with his peace, setting you free from your resentments, taking you to new heights in his love, I am confident you will sing out with David:  I am singing of your prowess; I can always count on you, my God! Truly, God's 'largesse' will manifest itself, not in our moments of greatest strength or ability, but in moments of our greatest hunger and weakness! Just sayin!

Courage comes from within

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. (Lao Tzu)

Tzu really described what it is like to come to the revelation of how deeply we are loved by God and then in turn, we begin to draw strength way beyond whatever is resident within us - building and growing until we are able to overcome obstacles that once stood squarely in our way. To be deeply loved by God and to realize even a tenth of what that love is like is to begin the journey of walking with a strength not your own. We will never fully comprehend the love of God in this lifetime, but we have an eternity to enjoy it!

15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. (Ephesians 3:15-19 ERV)

Strength comes through God's Spirit residing within us - his presence is an assurance we shall see all he has promised to us as his children (our full inheritance in Christ Jesus). We can be strong, but unless it is a strength that begins and grows in our spirit under the tutelage of the Spirit of God within us, that strength will falter and fail. The more we begin to grow in God's love, the more we realize courage in places where we once felt only fear or anxiety or mistrust. It is an amazing truth of the gospel - faith brings love into our lives with an intensity and integrity that overcomes all fear, displaces all anxiety, and exposes truth in ways it could never have been known before.

A life strong in love is so because it is a life enveloped in God's love. There is no greater way to overcome a life-debilitating habit than to be immersed in the love of God. It is the beginning of all victories and the end point will require a courage not our own, but one which grows out of the realization of how deeply we are loved. There is no lack of trying on our parts in this thing we call life. We try this, that, and the next thing. We often face the "new thing" we must do with a little anxiety - simply because it is a "new thing". Yet, as long as the love of God is there to guide us through, we can walk with a strength not our own. There is no greater way to invest ourselves in others than to share that love which envelopes our lives. In so sharing, we might just help to create the courage in others that they need to take their first step toward God, or something he has been impressing on their hearts to do. 

The strength we find in Christ is something somewhat different than, or contrary to human strength. It is a supernatural strength that is rooted and grounded in the assurance of God's love. Down through the ages, man has stood wanting in many areas of his life. In each place of "wanting", there is a need for a little courage to realize the fulfillment of that longing. Human strength would call out how much we "cannot do", while supernatural strength that comes through the love of God resident within us points out how much he has "already done" and "continues to do" in and through us. It is this revelation that actually gives us the courage to take that next step even when it may seem harder than we might imagine. In essence, when we say courage comes from within, it is true - but it is there because of "who" is there, not because of anything we possess ourselves. Just sayin!

A reed is very strong

Some people refuse to bend when someone corrects them. Eventually they will break, and there will be no one to repair the damage. 

(Proverbs 29:1 ERV)

"You get tragedy where the tree, instead of bending, breaks." (Ludwig Wittgenstein) We come across those from time to time who are just "un-bendable". They refuse any advice to do something a different way, determining their way is best of all, despite their lack of progress or inefficiencies. When we face these individuals, what is our reaction to their determination to "not bend"? It may be that we dig in our heels a little bit harder and try to make the point a little louder or with more determination ourselves. It could also be that we shake our heads, turn away, and just leave them to their own self-directed course. Either way, we do little to influence their unyielding determination. What they may ultimately require is the touch of God's hand in their lives, bringing such a "storm" as to bend them to the point they actually break.

While this is never the ideal, the broken tree can often be "re-birthed" - it just is left with very noticeable scars. I have a Palo Verde that backs up to my property that is constantly being whipped to and fro in the winds of the monsoons. Inevitably, there is a time when one or more of those branches gets broken off, splintering and tearing deeply at the soft green bark and yellow heart of the tree. That exposed area subjects the tree to disease, with the entrance of dust and bugs, water and debris. If the tree is lucky, it develops a way to heal, but the area where the branch was rent from the tree is forever noticeable. Some of the other trees on the same street have not weathered well those winds. They have been uprooted, left to the fate of being cut into firewood and hauled to the dump. 

Either way, these trees, while appearing strong, revealed there true "weakness" in the midst of the storm. The most versatile of tree isn't the one that is unyielding to the winds, but the one that is able to sway, giving way to the winds and allowing those winds to pass through their boughs without stressing them to the point of breaking. Their roots aren't superficial, and their boughs aren't spindly. I have pines in my yard and a couple of elms. Their branches might get whipped by the winds, but they remain intact. Their roots can be found yards and yards away from their base - making their anchorage broad and strong. I have had to "correct" the growth of these trees from time to time by anchoring them with stakes and binding their branches with ropes. In the end, they have become stronger and more able to endure the storms.

Rather than standing all proud and unyielding when the times comes for us to be "corrected" in our growth, wouldn't it be much better to endure the "harassment" of the stakes and binding ropes than to give way to the "renting" power of the stormy winds? Just askin?

You want me weaker?

I feel weaker and weaker as I wait for you to save me.  But I put my trust in your word. (Psalm 119:81 ERV)

Have you ever just wondered why God makes us wait for something? Why is it the thing we so desperately desire or "require" seems to take so long to come to fruition in our lives? We don't always understand God's timing, nor do we appreciate it fully! We think, "You are all-powerful, God, so why don't you just do this right now?" We want to understand what he is waiting for - and we may be surprised it is for us to become just a little weaker. If God gave us everything at our strongest and most determined part of our lives, do you think we'd learn to trust him? Probably not!

As we become weaker and weaker, there is something that happens - we begin to lean into God. Don't believe me? Think of the last time you were really "desperate" for God to step in and do something in your life. The more your desperation grew, the weaker you got, and the more you pressed in to hear what he was saying, see how he was moving, and understand his purposes in whatever it was you were going through. It could just be God has a design in our waiting - it might just be to bring us to a place of "weakness" - that place where we press in just a little closer.

After a period of victory in our lives, what often comes our way? Isn't it a period that almost drives us to the point of desperation? We want the mountaintop experience all the time in our lives, but there is something beautiful about even the rocky and craggy places in our lives that we don't want to entirely miss. We develop strength in navigating those places under the hand and watchful eye of our Savior. We learn to look for the small blessings even in the most barren of places - because those symbols of hope bring us deeper into a place of trusting Jesus with our next steps.

In those rocky places, we grow weak - because navigating them takes all our strength and then some! We don't realize how limited our strength is until we are driven to the place where it wanes. We don't realize how weak we are until the challenge becomes too great for us to handle alone! I like to learn new things in various computer software programs, but when I want to, I don't just "experiment" with the buttons on the keyboard. I go to the experts - read their blogs, follow their detailed instructions, and watch their guiding videos to help me develop those skills I need for whatever it is I am trying to accomplish. Why? They know what I don't!

God knows what we don't. He also knows we won't seek that knowledge sometimes until we have exhausted our own. It is at that place of weakness when we finally begin to reach out to find his solution. Maybe those places of challenge aren't all that bad after all. Just sayin!