Just the facts, ma'am...just the facts

Sophocles reminded us: "Quick decisions are unsafe decisions." I have made my share of those 'impromptu' decisions, only to regret the aftermath of not having taken more time to think things through. How about you? Deciding without knowing all the facts can lead to unforeseen consequences. Ever turn the wrong way thinking you were going to take a shortcut somewhere only to find yourself smack-dab in the middle of a traffic jam? The bad decision not only made you late, but it gave you unwanted stress and anxiety as you crept along in all that traffic. While that may not have been what some may label as an 'unsafe' decision, it might have been 'unsafe' in the terms of what it did to your reputation by being late, or in how it affected the others who were waiting on your arrival in terms of their worry, lost work time, or frustrations. As I have said on more than one occasion, our decisions - good or bad - affect not only us, but all those around us.

Pride ends in destruction; humility ends in honor. What a shame—yes, how stupid—to decide before knowing the facts! A man’s courage can sustain his broken body, but when courage dies, what hope is left? (Proverbs 18:12-14)

Back in the day, there was a show on TV known as 'Dragnet' in which Detective Joe Friday used to say, "The facts, ma'am, all we want are the facts." From that, we got the saying, "Just the facts, all I want is just the facts." If we were to operate a bit more in the 'facts' and a little less in the 'unknown', we might just make better decisions. God's plans aren't known to those who don't seek him, but to those who seek him, he opens their hearts and minds to understand his purposes. That helps us make better decisions - because we come into awareness of the 'facts, just the facts'. We can operate without those facts, muddling through and coming 'pretty close' to God's purpose in every circumstance, but I will be the first to admit 'pretty close' doesn't cut it.

If we don't know the 'facts', we only need ask God. He doesn't want us wandering around in darkness when there is light available for the asking! If you haven't figured this one out yet, it takes humility to ask for help. When we don't have clear vision, we have to humble and quiet ourselves long enough to actually listen for the 'facts'. We can bumble through with minimal light, because we didn't listen long enough, or we can walk in the fullness of light, having waited on God until he revealed the facts we needed to move forward. I hope I choose the latter more often than I do the former. How about you? Are you willing to ask for God's help? Are you willing to wait on his answers - the facts - before you move? Just askin!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, waiting again?

Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. ( Peter 3:9)

How do you measure lateness? I remember being all ready to have my daughter walk down the aisle and realizing the groom and his best man were far from ready. I didn't realize his interpretation of 'on time' was different from mine. We waited until he was, obviously - because he is a great guy and he makes my daughter happy! I had to learn to 'chill' a bit because when we said the wedding would be at 'x' time, I just expected it would be at 'x' time. "X" can be one thing to us and quite another thing to God, as well. If you have ever had to 'wait on his timing', you realize quickly that our 'mis-matched' timing is kind of evident. The good news is that God is never late - we are just early!

I almost missed it the first time I read through this passage, but what is very apparent to me now is that God is oftentimes 'holding back' - restraining himself - not because he doesn't want to answer our prayers, but because we aren't quite ready yet. Readiness is measured a bunch of different ways, but the most obvious is that when we are 'ready' we are completely prepared. How 'complete' is your preparation for whatever it is you have been asking God to reveal or do in your life? Chances are you may not be as 'completely prepared' as you think. Being ready also means we are completely equipped - adjusted so as to receive. Have you ever taken delivery on something you weren't quite ready to receive? I know how stressful it is to have a delivery driver show up early and me still cleaning the space where the new appliance or furnishing will be put. You just don't feel good about it.

God is giving us time and space. Time to adjust and prepare. Space to get ourselves into a position to receive. If you have experienced a lengthy prep time for receiving from God, you know there is a great deal of anticipation that occurs. Your awareness of his every movement is somehow heightened and you find you are kind of prepared through the building of your emotional and spiritual anticipation. Some of the wait may just be because we aren't accessible yet. Readiness means we have made a way for him to enter. I guess we all have a different way of getting ready, but if you are like me, you have a routine of sorts. The issue is that God doesn't always adhere to our routine. Sometimes he gets us into the place where our routine way of connecting with him is challenged a little. 

Next time you find your timing is a bit different from what God's timing may be, contemplate the time and space he is giving you. Instead of complaining about him being late, consider what it is you need to do to be ready - anticipating, prepared, and in the perfect position to receive all he is about to do or bring into your life. Just waiting....

Committed to the Wait

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. (Thomas Aquinas)

Faith is somewhat of a hard concept for many of us to understand because it is 'elusive' and kind of linked quite closely to 'hope'. As a matter of fact, some would define faith as hope - the believe something will happen in a particular way or at a specific time. Take faith to mean there is a great confidence in something or someone and you are pretty close to what most people define as faith, but there are others that will assure you it is belief in something or someone that is not always based upon proof. They will ask if I can prove there is a God and I have to ask them if they can prove there is not a God of the universe. Even the belief there is no God is faith is something or someone other than God - such as self, the 'mystical' force that must be with you, or the like. Faith isn't a 'thing' - it is a commitment of heart and mind. We may not know totally why we are as committed as we are, but we know there is evidence our trust isn't unfounded. We see it in our own lives and in the lives of those around us who also have made this 'commitment' of heart and mind.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. (Romans 5:1-2)

I like to fish, but I don't count on catching fish each time I go out to the river or lake. Why? It is the luck of being in the right place at the right time when the fish are specifically looking to eat that helps me catch fish - not much else really matters. I could have a cheap rod, or the most expensive. I could just have a length of fishing line and a hook. Regardless of how I am 'equipped' to fish, I am still 'hoping' for a nibble that ends up in a fish on the end of the line. Fishing is a 'faith' thing! I have to commit to the long haul of casting in, waiting sometimes a long, long time, and then hopefully I feel that tug. You know what - living with Christ is a lot like fishing - we have to cast in, hunker down for the long haul, and wait for the 'tug' that tells us we are spot on in the right place at the right time with the right things in hand for the moment we are experiencing. 

There are times when the 'tug' we feel is really our hearts or minds responding in faith to something God is asking us to do. We take the first step, 'cast in' as it were, and then we wait. The hard part between any open door and us passing through it wasn't that the door needed to be opened, but that we had to wait for it to be opened! Think about the pattern Christ laid out when he said we knock and the door will be opened. Knocking doesn't always result in an immediate opening of the door, does it? I have often knocked on my daughter's door and had to wait for the cats to be herded into the corner, the deadbolt turned, the doorknob lock disengaged, then the process of unlocking the security door ensues. All the while what am I doing? Waiting in hopes of getting inside so I can embrace my grandsons and put a hug around my daughter's neck. 

The doors we open are different from the ones God opens, though. Some of the doors he opens in our lives require us to wait, while others are flung open. The doors of salvation are flung open at the first knock. The door to do something or acquire something I may desire to do may require a little knocking and then waiting for the opening of that door. I am knocking on the door right now for something with God, but that door doesn't seem to be opening. Have I lost faith it will open. Nope. Why? I have come to appreciate that I need to 'cast in', honker down, and sometimes just wait. While I wait, what do I do? I look and listen. As I sit by the riverbank and wait for that tug on my line, do you know what I am doing? I am looking all around, watching the birds, appreciating the ants crawling along, and even marveling at the wild horses that come to the water's edge to drink. I am observing, taking in, and fully appreciating being right where I am. 

God opens doors for us, but in the time between the knocking and the opening, don't despair. Appreciate the wait - observe the things put there all around you to see sometimes for the very first time, or actually notice even though they have been there forever! Just sayin!

There I go again

God did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Do you have anyone in your life who always hesitates to ask God for things they really, really want? Are you that person? There are times when I think we all hesitate a little to 'ask' God for things because we think we are not supposed to bother him with these piddly concerns, or that they are too 'secular' for us to be asking God for them. The truth of the matter is that everything in our life matters to God - even if all we want is the right size tire for our vehicle to be on sale when we next need to replace them. God isn't going to reject our requests because they are 'too secular'. He wants us to use our common sense with things like purchasing new tires, but he also doesn't get put off by us asking him to help us find the best deal around. Nothing is too 'out there' or 'out of bounds' for us to ask him. Nothing!

Some folks want to treat God like some big genie in the sky, telling him they want this or that, then expecting it to just 'appear' at the blink of any eye. This isn't what I am referencing when I say God wants us to ask him for the things we have need of in our lives. God doesn't mind us asking him for the new tire deal, but he also doesn't mind us asking him to lead us into good relationships that will help us to grow, solidly based churches that will teach the Word of God well, and even for the wisdom to make the right purchases. Nothing is too small for God - nor is anything too big. If we think God will 'limit us' to just certain types of conversations with him, we are wrong. God wants us to discuss life with him - even the things we need or want.

We are correct to remember God is not a genie in the sky, but if our motives are pure, no request is out of the scope of what we should be discussing with him. Herein is our dilemma - do we know if our motives are pure? Let me just assure you of this one fact - God knows! If we are asking for things that will bring harm into our lives because our motives are a little less than pure in asking, we can be confident God will reveal our motives. There are times when despite this revealing of our motives, we just plunge ahead hoping for the best. There are times when God allows us to follow our own stubborn desires, but not because he doesn't care. He cares deeply - he just sees we are not really willing to listen.

In Christ, we receive all things. It is our own sinful nature that somehow messes with the 'goodness' of what it is we are seeking in life. We don't always seek the right stuff as is evident by some of the stuff we have reaped over the years. It isn't that God didn't provide something better in and through Christ, it is that we rejected what he provided in embracing what it is we wanted more than what he showed us we really needed. It is a fine line we walk - choosing our own way instead of waiting until God helps us come around to see his way is better. There is the rub - waiting and in the waiting - learning obedience. In the waiting, our willfulness is often revealed. So, it isn't wrong to ask God for 'things' or 'stuff' we want in life - it is wrong to plunge ahead without considering his answer! Just sayin!

Cart - Horse, not Horse - Cart

I have to ask this question, mostly because I have to ask it of myself from time to time, but how many times do you actually need help with something, but refuse to ask for it? We all have times when we feel ready to face the world head on, then in a moment's flash of time, our brains begin to ask the question, "Who's gonna go with me?" "Will there be anyone there to help me if I go this direction?"  We falter for just a moment or two as we realize if we go it alone, we are a sitting duck and may quickly realize we are not well prepared for the things we will encounter. If we have someone at our side, we are less likely to have to share the brunt of anything "negative" or "too hard for one person" on our own. The opposite is also true - when we are accompanied on our journey offering a helping hand along the way, we share the joy and glory with the one accompanying us! We all need someone to be there from time to time with just the right tool, answer, or support - the fight is just made a little easier by the companions we choose in the battle!

Who will take me to the thick of the fight? Who'll show me the road to Edom? You aren't giving up on us, are you, God? Refusing to go out with our troops? Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless. In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good. (Psalm 108:10-13)

Take me and show me. Two very descriptive actions. Who's going with you and I into the very thick of whatever fight or challenge we face right now? Here we observe David, a great warrior, being directed to take his troops into battle against the nation of Edom - a huge nation of raiding and highly skilled warrior nomads. They had fiercely resisted the people of Israel upon their entry into the Promised Land - forbidding them to pass through their rather large territory, making the nation of Israel take the long way around to get to their destination. David knows it is time to deal with Edom - but he doesn't want to go it alone! I can imagine his concerns because I have faced fierce opposition myself and the furthest thing from my mind is 'going it alone'! David describes it as a "hard task" - one for which he needs help. I think we all face those moments when the task seems a little daunting - we just don't want to rely upon our own efforts - doing it alone surely means defeat! We are always wise to recognize the difference it makes to have God directing our steps, giving us the wisdom for what is to be encountered and dealt with.

Look at the assurance David has - in God we'll do our best! I have had days when I have felt I was not "at my best", much less "doing my best". I don't think God is subject to those kind of days - he is always at his best! It is his "best" which gives us the ability to always be at our best! God delights in his children asking for his help. The timing is what we need to see here. David did not wait until he was smack-dab in the middle of the battle to cry out for help (something I am known to do from time to time). He asked before the task was undertaken (something I forget to do more than I'd like to admit). He wants to know God is going out with the troops - directing their steps, not just "involved in" them. "Involvement" isn't bad, but "direction" is much better! We see this example repeated throughout David's reign - get God's directive, then act. If we begin to recognize the value of this pattern, we will indeed be wiser by the moment! It is indeed a matter of timing - seek God first - THEN move. Get his agreement for the steps ahead. Too many times we take all the steps and then ask God to bless them. I think they refer to this putting the cart before the horse! God's goal is to get us to seek him first, then....all these other blessings are added.

This is more than a "bless this God" kind of seeking. It is a committed "I am not gonna make a move until I know you are with me in this" kind of seeking on David's part. His armies might be ready, but he needed to be assured God was leading his steps and guiding his actions. Now, let me just say, this requires some effort on our part, doesn't it? We have to still the forces that rage within us long enough and well enough to actually stand still long enough to hear from God. Indeed - harder said than done! Yet, it is the pattern which assures us of the best companion and plan for the venture ahead (and maybe we will realize it is not the venture we are supposed to be taking)! Hard tasks lay ahead. Have you consulted God for his direction? Are you committed to not make a move unless he goes with you? If not, maybe it is time to just stop and listen. Stop long enough and you will get the direction you need. Then, make the move - just know, you are no longer going it alone - God is with you! Just don't get the cart before the horse like I do at times! Just sayin!

Not another minute!

Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help. (Psalm 27:14 ERV)

We've discussed this before, but I don't like to wait. The time it takes to "wait" in line, or for slow traffic to clear while others in front of me gawk at a fender bender is almost unbearable to me. Why is it so hard to wait - because it is not very "productive" time! It wasn't until I was well into my adult years (and I mean "well into") that I began to realize there might actually be a purpose in waiting when it is waiting on the right stuff. 

Waiting for the Lord's help is one of those "right things" I need to be able to do. In fact, when I choose to wait on his help in my life, I realize something I actually need - strength and courage! Strength for the long haul and courage to face whatever the next challenge is that is just around the bend. Strength comes as we wait - not in us charging ahead under our own power or determined to do things our own way. Waiting involves us being willing to admit the "power" we need is something we don't possess on our own.

Waiting also involves a good deal of courage, because feeling the pressure begin to raise as we wait isn't always all that comfortable. We often charge ahead because we didn't want to deal with even the slightest bit of discomfort in our lives. Think about that traffic jam for a moment. All these "looky-loos" who are rubber-necking to get a view of the cars involved in the accident aren't paying very good attention to their own driving. They are too busy trying to make assumptions about someone else's driving that caused that accident. It takes courage to pay attention to our own course and not to gawk around, making assumptions about another's course in life.

Waiting assumes we have the time. With an elderly mother at home, I sometimes need to make a quick trip to the grocery store to just pick up a few things, but mom doesn't want to go for such short trips. I usually get the items I need, trying to stay focused on the "list" and then head for the register. Don't you know those are the times when they only have ONE register open - except all those "self-serve" ones!!! I have just enough to not qualify for the "speedy lane" and too much to go through the self-serve because I couldn't bag it all on that tiny pedestal beside the register. Alas, I must wait. But...my grocer is the best! They SEE me waiting as the third person in line and within seconds of me standing there they open another register.

What happened there? The management of the store anticipated my need. In much the same way, God knows our needs - he anticipates when waiting goes beyond the point which requires immediate action. Then HE takes the action! When we give God the authority to lead our lives, we also give him the authority to know when the right amount of time waiting has been accomplished! Just sayin!

Our heart's desire...

There have certainly been times when I have questioned God about why it is I don't have my "heart's desire" - how about you?  Try as we might, we just cannot figure out why there is a delay in seeing the desire of our hearts come to fulfillment.  We question the delay, doubt our faithfulness, and begin to worry they might never be fulfilled.  If we just hold onto the one passage of scripture which says all we need to do is to do what the Lord wants and he will give us the desires of our heart, then we wonder if we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.  Before long, we begin to wonder if we have some kind of "barrier" to seeing our heart's desire fulfilled - like sin hidden deep within our hearts, wrong motives, or the like.  If we really want to discover the truth about the "long wait", we have to take it to God and trust him to reveal the purpose.

Trust the Lord and live right!  The land will be yours, and you will be safe. Do what the Lord wants, and he will give you your heart’s desire.  Let the Lord lead you and trust him to help.  Then it will be as clear as the noonday sun that you were right.  (Psalm 37:3-6 CEV)

Some of us want to "cherry pick" the portions of scripture we will "hold onto" and then forget all was written in some type of "context".  Looking again at our psalm, it starts with the idea of not being annoyed with those who do wrong, but seem to prosper.  Admit it, we have all been there at one time or another, wondering why the guy or gal who seems to live so far from what is right actually is enjoying blessings beyond measure.  It is easy to drift into the dangerous ground of envy - the very thing this psalm warns against!  The rest of the psalm reminds us of the "fleeting nature" of the blessings of those who don't have their hearts and minds "fixed" on doing the things God would desire. They might have "temporary blessing" beyond our understanding, but they won't retain those blessings - nor will their hearts and spirits be as full as those who have their focus fully fixed on Jesus!

The "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say becomes quite plain as we read on in our psalm.  Those who live by the sword will be destroyed by the sword.  Those who rise to power outside of the security of being part of God's family will soon lose their power - and living powerless is no living at all.  As it is aptly put, "Their time is coming..."  But...see the flip-side of the coin, my friends.  Those who put their trust in the Lord, living by the plans he ordains, shall enjoy living daily in his care.  What God gives each of us is ours forever - no one can take away grace, or his love, or even his presence!  It is ours forever.  Additionally, when the lean times come, we have "reserves" upon which we shall draw which the wicked have no access to.

The crux of the psalm is found in verses 23-24, where our psalmist outlines our assurance pretty succinctly:  "If you do what the Lord wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.  The Lord will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall."   Our focus is not on what we don't have, but on what we already enjoy.  The condition of our enjoyment - "doing" what the Lord wants.  In other words, set about to live obediently and let the rest fall into place in your life.  Stop worrying about what it is you "don't have" and focus instead on what you do possess.  What we are doing then is allowing God to be the center of our choices and decisions will be made in a much better manner than if we are always bemoaning what we "don't have" yet.

The Lord protects and provides for his people - this is something we can stand on when times of doubt or frustration with God's timing come into play.  We can "talk back" to our doubts and "put away" our frustrations when we remember God is there for us whenever we need him.  Those we envy because they seem to "have it all" are not so privileged, my friends.  They have no "recourse" in their time of need.  They have no protection when times are hard, or doubt is creeping in.  Our mission is to live as the Lord wants.  Our practice is to be engaged in doing what he directs us to do.  This is the crux of obedience.  Then, in the course of doing as we should, we realize the blessings God intends for our lives.  Our heart's desire may actually change in the course of time, but if not, the time it takes to see the fulfillment of that desire will be time well spent in the presence of a caring and loving God who is readying us to receive that blessing!  Just sayin!