Confucius say...

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. (James 3:17-18)

Right living is not always what we see modeled around us, is it? At times, we observe others and know their actions are going to create havoc. There are even times we can feel ourselves 'winding up' and know very well that the outcome of that 'wind up' will not fare well for us! Confucius once said, "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." We often revert to imitation because it is the easiest, but I also know from my own personal growth, experience has played a big part in how I view and react to life around me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we always leaned toward reflection upon God's Word to give us wisdom for all of our actions?

God's wisdom comes in ways we may not even perceive until we come through on the other side of an encounter and realize we didn't respond as we might have expected. We 'handled' the situation with grace, dignity, and even a bit more gentleness than others may have thought it deserved. How did that happen? We allowed God's wisdom to lead us through, but only because we were prepared in advance to both hear and respond to that wisdom. Peaceful living isn't the result of just being passively launch out into our day. It is the result of taking time with Jesus, allowing him to take time with us, and then leaning into what he has shown us in those times of 'reflection' with him.

As Confucius said, reflection is the 'noblest', but we might just find it the hardest, too. Reflection requires us prioritizing the time we give toward discovering the truths God has for us. It requires the right frame of mind to lean in with the attitude of heart that is open to learning. I have read many a passage with the wrong frame of mind and left without even realizing what God was trying to teach me. Wisdom isn't 'accidental' - it is intentional. There is a purpose in coming to Jesus with our problems or worries, isn't there? There is a purpose in our coming to him to just learn a little more about how his grace works, how grace responds, or how grace moves beyond what one is experiencing into the place of seeing what God wants us to see in that moment. Just sayin!

Make some sawdust

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” (John 8:31-32)

There is nothing that frees an individual quite like God's truth. Truth is worthless if it is not embraced - trusted, put into practice, and worked out in one's life. We can 'know' all kinds of truth, but if we never use it, it is just knowledge. I 'know' a woodworking tool known as a router can be outfitted with a bit that can help me make dovetail joints. With the right jig, I can create wonder 'connections' for boxes, drawers, and shelving. I 'know' it can be done - I have never done it. I have knowledge, but I lack the practical application of what it is I know. When we treat God's truth as 'knowledge' and don't actually get to the point of practical application, we aren't going to understand the freedom God has for us within that truth.

Truth must be 'lived out'. How do we 'live out' truth? I would have to go out to the shop, install the bit into the router, set up the dovetail jig on the wood I desire to cut, and then turn on the router. All that was well and good, but if I never take the first 'bite' out of the wood with the spinning bit, I still haven't 'lived out' the truth I know about the capabilities of the tool. We have lots and lots of truth (tools) we have been given for our growth, edification, and spiritual well-being. We might even get to the point we have it all 'set-up and ready to go' in our lives, but somehow, we fall short of actually giving that truth 'bite' in our lives. We have to actually step out in faith sometimes and allow truth to do exactly what it was designed to do. Just as the spinning bit in the router is designed to specifically remove the wood as it is pressed against it, God's truth will begin to remove what doesn't belong and create something uniquely 'fitting' within our lives.

Truth is meant to be experienced - not just 'understood' or 'known'. In other words, it has to have application. I am beginning a woodworking class at our local college - not because I am looking for another career, but because I want to take what I 'know' about my tools and begin to 'experience' how useful they can be in my hobby shop. I had to apply to the college for enrollment, find an open class, enroll in the class I desired to take, get all the necessary supplies I will need, and then actually attend the class. All that is well and good, but if I just observe the class and never get my hands on the wood and tools, I am just an 'auditor' of the class. Once I begin to make my own sawdust, I am 'experiencing' the class. Some of us need to begin to make a little 'spiritual sawdust' in God's workshop - taking what we know and seeing it transformed into experience. Just sayin!

All things...

At times, we want to understand better what is really going on in our lives - because without 'knowing' a little bit more, we might just give up on the whole kit and caboodle. What a joy it is to come to the place where we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is at work in our lives - doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. We "know" - we have come to recognize, understand completely, become so familiar with God and his ways that we don't question his plans or purposes. This comes to most of us through some form of experience - there is no substitute for seeing God's work in our lives - no substitute for the manifestation of his purpose - no substitution for just 'experiencing' God's protection as we 'go through' whatever it is we are going through right now.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.  (Romans 8:28-29)

How is it that we come to know about God and how he works? We come to a place where we recognize that he works "in all things" - in every kind or variety of circumstance - taking the whole matter into his hands, nothing being left incomplete or without his attentive care. We cannot say this about ourselves because we are very good at leaving all kinds of "loose ends" all the time. God is not a "loose ends" kind of God - he ties them up, one by one. We can also know that God takes all things - every matter or concern we face - even the accomplishments of our lives, and works them for the good in our lives - even when all the pieces seem kind of 'bad'. He puts the pieces together - placing them into effective operation like only he can do - bringing the results that only he can orchestrate. His ultimate purpose in intervening in our lives is to bring what is morally honorable, pleasing in every way, and beneficial for us.

Who are those who "have been called according to his purpose"? We are - we have been invited and roused from our place of spiritual slumber, in order to have him move within our lives. As we respond to his movement, we begin to participate in the fullness of what provides - A holy life - a spiritually pure walk, with us being separated from our sin, and consecrated to a holy God (2 Tim. 1:9). A life of fellowship with God - living in complete partnership with him, enjoying intimate communion with him. It is only possible to be a partaker of all he provides when we begin to move into a place where we have things in common with God. As his holiness becomes a reality in our lives, we draw closer to him, learning to share in his graces more deeply. A life of freedom - purchased out of bondage never again to be sold into slavery to the things of our past. We are now the unique property of God and as such, we enjoy the freedom of release from past sin, present resentment, and future short-falls. A life of light - all moral and spiritual darkness fading, now able to receive and reflect the light we embrace. We become radiant reflections of his grace.

We are called according to his purpose - in conformity to his plans and intents. This calling is designed to bring us into conformity to the likeness of Christ. When we begin to embrace what it accomplished in his calling (invitation), we see the possibilities of living in harmony with the standards of a holy God and the miracle of his likeness being re-created in us. We are becoming a copy of him - his moral attributes coming into full agreement within us so that our character is deeply affected and changed. We are in a transition period in our lives - being transformed into his image - no longer conformed to the world. The transformation of mind, will, and emotion is a divine work - we participate in obedience to what he reveals - but it is still his work within us. Minds are readied, will is brought under control, and emotions move into divine hope by the alignment of our hearts with his.

We are in this to be conquerors. It is not enough to be called - we must be conformed. It is insufficient to simply conform - we must be conquerors in all things. Conquerors have gained the mastery over the old nature - no longer responding to it as master of their lives. How? Through the revelation that Christ now lives in us - where holiness dwells, we can be assured freedom abounds. In becoming a conqueror, we move to a place of being fully convinced of our standing in Christ. Belief moves from head knowledge into action (knowledge at work) - when we are persuaded fully of his love and his protection - we do not hesitate to move in obedient action. Just sayin!

Help me to get this one

We are often reminded of the importance of allowing the moral foundation of our lives to be rebuilt or "re-formed" by the hand of God, in order to affect the choices that ultimately work to form our reputation. Add to that the attribute of spiritual understanding and you have a recipe for a strong walk. This is definitely more than a personal interpretation of the things contained in the Word of God. It involves all our intellectual faculties for sure, but it also involves the power to discern - to really identify truth from fiction and then to embrace only truth, dismissing all fiction (deception) from our lives.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

(2 Peter 1:5-9)

Discernment is the ability to recognize something for what it is - in other words, it is the application of knowledge (what we know) to what it is we are interpreting. If we are using "natural" discernment, we are relying on the past experiences we have had and what we have amassed in our years of learning (education, exposure to research, etc.) to "interpret" the new information or experience we are encountering. The problem with this type of discernment is that it is limited by our experiences and exposure to things in life. I am limited in my understanding of woodworking, but I have some experiences that tell me some basic tools are necessary. I also understand the truth of measure twice, cut once! These are 'experience' truths - I could learn them from a book, but the more I do a little woodworking here and there, the more I 'experience' the opportunities to relearn these truths.

Spiritual discernment involves the process of taking what we are exposed to and running it through a series of "testing" filters to ensure that we are interpreting it correctly - not solely upon past experience and outcomes. These include the Word of God, the direction of the Holy Spirit, and our own conscience. If what we are interpreting "checks out" through these filters (lines up with the Word, doesn't get us a "check" in our spirit, etc.), we are usually safe to embrace the learning, tackle the project, or pursue the path before us. If it does not, we need to step back and "regroup" with God on the matter. It is that 'regrouping moment' that often saves the heartache and hardship of pursuing an incorrect course with our actions. It is that specific action we often are missing in our walk - taking time to hear what God has to say on the matter.

Discernment involves the ability to distinguish between two or more "criteria" and find the truth in it, know the direction we are to take, etc. As we grow in our understanding of the Word of God, for instance, we find it takes less time to distinguish truth when we are hearing it. The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance what we have previously studied, allowing it to deny or confirm what it is that we are being exposed to today. When we say someone has a discerning taste for some particular food item, we are acknowledging their ability to appreciate the small nuances contained within each dish. They are able to not only 'taste' the finished product, but they are able to distinguish what has gone into the completion of that product.

Spiritual understanding grows as we are exposed to the things God has given us for our development - the Word, solid teaching, etc. Understanding is never a stagnant thing - it develops over time, constantly being expanded and renewed - and tested. I know that things I had been exposed to in the Word a long time ago can come alive in a new way when I am exposed to those same things today. Why is this? It is simply that I have grown in my understanding by little bits here and there - you, too. We have allowed the Word to affect us - giving us new "filtering" capacity. What we "filtered" one way in the youth of our Christian walk may have a totally different application to us today.

If we are to develop a solid moral foundation, we need our spiritual understanding to be developed. Development is always a process - it is one foot in front of the other - not leaps and bounds. To this small iota of knowledge about how God works we see added another iota of knowledge. This is repeated over and over again, until our knowledge of God's ways of working in our lives is increased. In time, this serves as a basis of "interpreting" how we respond to what circumstances life brings our way.  If we expect to rely solely upon experience to get us through, we will find our discernment is very limited. We need God's guidance added to that experience - this is what will help us develop a solid foundation upon which we move forward. Just sayin!

Deserts, Beaches, and Mountaintops

What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.  

(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5)

I grew up in the desert of Arizona, very much before all the sprawling expanse of industry and growth took over much of the desert land around Phoenix. As a child, I'd spend hours and hours just poking sticks in holes to see what was in them, turning over rocks to see if I could find lizard eggs, and lazing under Palo Verde trees watching industrious ants go to and from from their nests. To me, the desert wasn't a thing to be feared, but a very exciting place to explore. Why? I didn't know anything else as well as I knew the desert! I thought the desert was beautiful and bountiful - not barren and something to be feared. Yes, the tall pines around the lakes were beautiful, but they weren't the place my family called "home". There are those who wouldn't think the desert offered much, but to me, it offered everything! 

Some will find the desert places in life a little less than desirable, because they are used to the mountaintops or the beaches. The beach is beautiful, bountiful with items to discover, and constantly changing. The mountaintops give great views and help us see the expanse before us, but there comes times of great snows and icy temps. Each offers something different - the point of discovery is when we begin to look beyond where we are and discover who we are in the place we presently find ourselves. Deep inside the dry wash created by monsoon rains of seasons past, I'd discover tiny toads that otherwise would not have been born. Out in the blazing hot of the noontime sun I'd observe the creatures of the wild slow their day's work to a crawl, resting up until the blazing of the sun lessened. 

The lessons we learn right where we are today are not to be dismissed as unimportant or unimpressive. What today's experiences provide for tomorrow's challenges cannot be underestimated. The key is in observing well what it is we find in our 'today experiences'. They may be desert-type experiences, but there are learnings galore, even from the barren places. They may be mountaintop observations, but there are lessons to be found by looking at the strength observed in giant trees surging to the sky from what appears to be nothing more than rocky crags. They could even be beach-side experiences, filled with all manner of living discovery in an ever-changing environment controlled not by your own making, but by the making of a 'tide' much greater than you.

There is hope in each experience, but it must be found not so much in the experience, as in the one who helps us enjoy and comprehend each experience. Just sayin!

Inside your skin

Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too. 

(Frederick Buechner)

I don't suppose we really understand the difference between empathizing and sympathizing with another until we find our way "inside their skin" for just a while. Some time back, we faced some challenges as a leadership team - kind of a "we" - "they" type of situation in which one group of staff didn't feel the other knew what it was like to work their job. In essence, we did a "walk in my shoes" kind of experiment, allowing each other to see just how crazy and totally awesome each person's job actually was. Crazy busy, insanely hard at times, but also very rewarding and tremendously satisfying. We were asking them to "get inside each other's skin" for just a short period of time, so there would be a little bit of understanding and compassion toward each other rather than all the complaining that "they never" or "they don't get it". In short, it worked! Why? When we experience just a portion of what another experiences, we somehow connect with them in just a small way.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2:1-4 NLT)

As Buechner says, there can "never be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you, too". This is the essence of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf - no peace and joy for him until it was finally and completely known by us, as well. Most of us realize what it is to go through hard times, feeling that we are in the midst of such pain and no one really knows what we are going through. I haven't had breast cancer, but I can see the tremendous effect it has on your strength as you struggle through the chemo. Do I need to experience chemo to know your agony? No, because I can see the havoc it brings to your body, family, and spirit. My real prayer is that you know peace and joy once again in your body, soul, and spirit. I may not ever get "inside your skin", but my heart breaks with compassionate understanding that you are going through the fight of your life.

Inside your skin may dwell fears untold, yet you go on. Inside your skin may be the pain and suffering of hopelessness from the loss of someone who left you with little more than a broken heart, yet you struggle on. Inside your skin may be someone crying out for someone to just care enough to come alongside, yet you cry in silence because you don't give voice to those cries. Your brokenness doesn't escape the notice of Jesus - and it shouldn't escape the notice of each of us, either. We may never truly "get inside your skin", but we can walk alongside you close enough that we begin to feel as though we were!

God will always exceed our expectations - humans may not - yet I am certain of this one thing - when God knows our troubles, there is always a strength and joy that isn't our own. Sometimes what another experiences when they "get inside our skin" for just a while is this strength God has placed there to walk where it is we are walking at this very moment. They actually begin to realize the peace of God because it dwells within us. God doesn't send us into the lives of others to just "get", but to "give" and "experience" -  to share what he gives, to be open to experiencing just a little bit more of his grace by giving away the measure we have been given. Just sayin!

Experience his blessings

Oscar Wilde penned, "Experience is simply the names we give our mistakes."  So very true! We probably invented the great word "experience" to simply explain the many "mistakes" we made getting to where we are today!  We humans have a way of trying to make things appear as they are not - if we didn't the make-up and tummy tuck industry would be out of business!  Truth is sometimes not the most flattering - nor is it the most palatable. Albert Einstein told us that the only source of knowledge was through experience - you had to have gone through the experience to know if the knowledge was trustworthy. I like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." 

Those who stand in awe of the Eternal—who follow wherever He leads, committed in their hearts—experience His blessings! God will use your hard work to provide you food.  You will prosper in your labor, and it will go well for you.  May the Eternal continue to pour out His love on you...May you have the privilege of seeing your grandchildren as they grow. (Psalm 128:1-2, 6 VOICE)

God's intent for us is for us to experience his blessings - not just some of them, but all of them. Not because we deserve them - but because he lavishes them upon us in immeasurable ways.  The thing about God's blessings is that they are meant to be "experienced" - not just thought about, considered, or kept in "reserve" for a rainy day. They are for now and later, here and there, you and me. Some might see the next sentence in our passage as saying we have to do our part and God will do his.  God made man to be the most fulfilled when he has work to occupy his hands - from this work, God brings many a blessing, but even a farmer will tell us there is no guarantee of a harvest just because one "works hard".

We might want to think some of God's blessings are a little "exclusionary" - good for some, but no way we are ever going to walk into those same blessings ourselves.  You know, no matter how much I look at the blessings of another, I don't think they aren't "for me", but that my blessings come in ways that are meaningful for my life. The blessings you receive are meaningful for you, but may not have the same meaning or purpose in my life. To consider a blessing in view of God's care over our lives is the most "sane" way to consider it. The blessing is to be experienced, worked through, and as Roosevelt said, it is to be built into our character.

The greatest blessing is his love. The benefit of his love is grace. The privilege of his love is nearness to his heart. These are blessings we ALL experience without measure - no one receives a greater or lesser portion of these than the other person. They are given in infinite ways, manifested in moments and ways only we can appreciate and embrace. We experience them a little differently at times, but they are all the same blessings!  Just sayin!

Study, instruction, and experience...we need them all

I often comment it has been a good day because I learned something new on that particular day.  In fact, I make it a point to learn something new - it keeps me challenged and I enjoy the learning (most of the time).  Ever had to learn a lesson you just didn't want to learn?  I have - too many times to count!  Those are the things which are tough to learn, but necessary if we are to grow up into strong and "survivable" creatures.  I had to learn to brush my teeth, or I'd realize they would all fall out from decay.  I had to learn to take showers on a regular basis, or I would have body odor even I wouldn't feel comfortable with! These were probably some of the easier lessons to learn in this life - the ones I can say I have mastered.  Then there are the tougher ones - like learning to keep my mouth shut at times when less words are better than more, or how to navigate risky relationship paths that need to be traversed, but which are pocked with all kinds of landmines!  You know those lessons I am referring to - for you have your own.  In those moments, it would be easiest to just stop learning - to say the learning would be too hard.  Yet, if we want to grow up into strong and "survivable" creatures, we need to learn even the tough ones!

If you stop learning, you will forget what you already know. (Proverbs 19:27 CEV)

I think the hardest part of learning is being teachable.  In fact, the idea of being teachable implies we are willing to be exposed to risk.  It is indeed risky business to put ourselves out there - to be in the places of uncertainty where we see our abilities put to the test.  I used to dread it when a teacher would call on me for an answer when my hand wasn't raised - or when they'd make me come to the front of the class to read, cipher a problem, or the like.  Why?  It was putting me in out there - I was then required to show how well I had been listening and my ability to "learn" the stuff they had taught!  This was easy when it came to the stuff I actually enjoyed learning, but for the harder stuff - it wasn't so fun.  Learning comes by study, instruction, and experience.  Study is when we spend time getting into the facts about something we are interested in learning.  Instruction is more of the example type of learning - we see something modeled and then we try to replicate what we have seen. Experience is when we actually take the parts we studies and the stuff we have seen modeled and then put them together into the practical expression of that "skill".

To be truly teachable, one has to be willing to incorporate all three parts of learning into their day.  In fact, leaving out any of these parts is going to "skew" what it is we will learn.  If we don't study, we won't have all the true facts we need to make good decisions as to how to act, where or when to take action, or even when it is best to just wait a little to observe the outcome.  For example, when I was taking chemistry classes, I learned about acids and bases.  One is quite "benign" and the other is quite "harsh".  Acids can cause a huge reaction when mixed with somethings which "interact" with the "harshness" of this product.  Although bases seem quite benign, they have a way of interacting with other "harsher" products - bringing "balance" to the equation.  Too much of one or the other can actually result in something quite unpleasant.  I remember stinking up the science lab with something akin to the smell of rotten eggs with a particular sulfur reaction!  

By the same token, if we don't ever have the chance to see the object of our learning modeled it is harder to grasp it.  This is probably which cookbooks are filled with all those delightful photos of how the meal should look when you have it all done.  Learning to have the meat, potatoes, and veggies all finish at the same time is quite a different matter, though!  One must apply some of the knowledge they have learned by both "modeled" behavior/actions and what they find in the books (studied learning).  This is why the cookbook will give us those instructions on how long something takes to reach the desired level of perfection, not just the instructions on how to bread it, fry it, and the like.  The instructions have been provided so we can model the same "perfection" as they produced in the photograph!  

When we take our studies and combine them with modeled behavior or actions, we have a better chance of actually producing "similar" outcomes.  Here is the word of warning - we might just not produce the "exact" same outcomes - it might only be similar.  Until we repeatedly produce the same reliable outcome each and every time, we cannot say we have gone to the level of being experienced with the learning.  Experience is the level where we finish what  we start and do so with pretty reliable consistency.  For example, I now know I cannot start fresh veggies at the same time as I start the fish.  They won't be done at the same time - fish cooks quicker than most veggies!  I also know I cannot expect a five pound roast to be done in 30 minutes (without the use of a pressure cooker).  I haven't learned this by reading the books, though!  I learned it by experience!  I tried and failed, tried and failed, and tried again. In time, I learned the lesson!

Most of life is about learning the lessons - we just have to combine the skills of study, instruction, and experience.  In time, we will master those things we are willing to apply ourselves to - we just have to be consistent in our application! Just sayin!

Get out the sifter

Have you ever been told you were a little too gullible?  In the most literal sense, we probably all start out a little too gullible, for the meaning of the word is that of being easily cheated or deceived.  We often call someone who is gullible a little too naive - they lack the experience, judgment, or information to make the right or "sound" decision.  Some of us have the experience, but lack the judgment, or even just don't have enough information to make the best decisions in the moment.  So, whenever this happens, we are literally being a little too gullible for our own good.  

The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.  (Proverbs 14:15 MSG)

The gullible believe anything they are told - why?  It could be because they have never experienced whatever it is they are being roped into, so it seems credible (believable) to them.  It could also be they don't have all the information about the circumstances, but based upon what they know, they jump to conclusions.  Most of the time, it is one of these two issues which get us into the place of being deceived, but on occasion, it is our judgment which gets in the way.  We sometimes even "know better", but just head into the middle of the muddle head-long without much thought.  

Judgment is the ability to form an "opinion" in the moment which is based on objective information.  Too often our judgment is "clouded" by subjective information - those things we come to feel or interpret through out emotions in the moment of decision.  The problem with this means of making decisions is just how fickle our emotions are!  We cannot trust our emotions to be consistent, nor can we trust them to be trustworthy, because they are swayed by the influence of more than just our "reasoning".  Emotions are subject to the condition or state of our body at the moment (such as being well-rested, or bordering on exhaustion).  They can even be subject to the imbalances of a particular hormone in our system at the time of the decision.  Either way, we cannot trust them as the basis of using "sound" or "reasonable" judgment each and every time a decision has to be made.

The prudent sift and weigh every word.  This is an interesting analogy used to describe how the wise will take the information they have been given and put it to the test before they jump to conclusions or make a decision to act. In essence, to sift means to separate the "coarse" from the "fine".  In my younger years, I would observe mom and grandma using something when they baked which we seldom use anymore - a sifter.  They would shovel the flour into the device, then put it through the paces of the back and forth movement within this contraption in order to remove the "lumps" from the flour.  Why? It have the consistency of their baked goods a smoothness.  Sifting produces a higher quality of product.  

Sifting our "input" is important because we come to the place of removing the things which will "disturb" the consistency of our walk.  When we remove the "coarse" things, we are leaving behind the stuff which really should not be part of our lives in the first place.  At surface value, what we leave behind may not seem like much, but in reality, even the smallest "lump" affects the whole.  If you have ever eaten gravy with lumps in it, you know what I mean! The idea of weighing what it is we are "taking in" is also part of this analogy. In essence, when we sift the coarse from the fine, we are then left with what is the best information by which we are to make decisions.

I know some people who make decisions based upon a "pro" or "con" situation.  In reality, this is not always the most reliable means by which to make life decisions.  Although it may give us an idea of what may be okay versus not so beneficial in a circumstance, we rarely have the time to make our lists of pros/cons when decisions are needed.  We need to act on our feet and this method doesn't allow for this.  So, learning to make a quick judgment based upon the "weight" of the information we have is important.  The best "counter-weight" to what we are considering is truth - the truth contained in God's word.

This is why we are encouraged to be students of the Word.  To have access to the right counter-weights, we have to know what they are.  When we are fed a line we might not realize as untrue at first can quickly be compared to the counter-weight of what we know to be true as we have discovered in our study of the Word.  For example, if we know the truth that God loves us beyond measure, then we are fed the untruth that God has abandoned us at this moment, we can dismiss the thought of abandonment as contrary to what we know to be true about our heavenly Father.  

God doesn't want gullible kids.  He gives us truth to protect us from making decisions based upon a lack of information, experience, or judgment.  When we take truth in, we are developing the best means by which to exercise sound judgment, incorporate good actions which will lead to positive experiences, and file away information we can use time and time again to counter deception in our lives.  Just sayin!

A new lamp

Have you ever had one of those moments when you know something and no one else in the group does?  You are almost chatting at the bit to get an opportunity to share it with someone, or perhaps you have been sworn to secrecy and cannot.  Either way, it is almost impossible to contain yourself. The information you possess is almost too big to be contained.  I think this is the way it is with what God gives us - it is almost too big for us to contain it! It leaves us feeling like we'd have to share it or we'd burst.  I like the analogy of heading off to the market one day in search of a new oil burning lamp for the homestead.  You have the anticipation of the journey - for you have a mission in mind.  You have the moment of exploration - for there are many lamps from which to choose.  You have the moment of choice - for just the right one has been selected.  You have the moment of expectation - for you can imagine the light it will bring to your home.  Then at last, you have the joy of experience - for the light shed illuminates like nothing else.  So it is in discovery of the truths God has for our lives.  His question is sincere - if we have such an experience in seeking, obtaining, and experiencing this light, why would we ever tuck it away for no one else to experience?

Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open. “Are you listening to this? Really listening? “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.” (Mark 4:21-25 MSG)

Looking at this analogy of obtaining the lamp, let's break it down a little more:

- You have the anticipation of the journey - for you have a mission in mind. Anticipation is best understood as a type of "foretaste".  There is some kind of hope which actually sets things in motion in your lives.  We often don't know what it is we will discover as we spend time with Jesus, but we know from previous "tastes" of time in his presence, it is a good thing.  What you may not realize is that the word "anticipation" is a noun of ACTION.  To anticipate something doesn't mean we wait in inactivity for whatever it is we hope to received from our time with God - it means we enter into his presence with ACTION (not activity).  There is a purpose - an intent - and it moves us.

- You have the moment of exploration - for there are many lamps from which to choose.  This is a moment of examination - for some things worth having require a little determined examination to uncover.  I have learned this as I have been exposed to a few antique shops in my recent travels.  Not all shops put the "good finds" right out there in the open.  You almost always have to dig through shelf after shelf, box after box, or hidden crannies to find it.  I think God may give us these times of examining what he has for us because he wants to us to come to a place of determined commitment to "find".  

-  You have the moment of choice - for just the right one has been selected. The anticipation and exploration should lead us into a point of choice.  Once we are intent in our search and purposeful in our exploration, we are at the point of often having to choose the truth we will hold onto.  We are faced with many choices of "truth" in our lives - only one choice holds up to the test of time - the truth of God's word.  Choosing involves consideration of the alternatives.  God gives us each free will - the ability to choose.  Whenever we are faced with choices, we consider the alternatives.  Using our illustration of the lamp, we can choose one which is square and squat, or one which is tall and slender.  One might fit the space better - while the other might just provide more light in the room.  The choice is ours - choosing the one which "fits" our needs the best is oftentimes aided by the "nudges" of the one presenting us the options.  God presents the options - we make the choice.

-  You have the moment of expectation - for you can imagine the light it will bring to your home.  As you begin to embrace truth, it begins to build an anticipated excitement within which we sometimes refer to as expectation. It is just a few days before Christmas and my grandsons have already been under my tree with a flashlight exploring the colorfully wrapped parcels in hopes of finding how many have their names on them.  At about two weeks before Christmas, my youngest came over to me and asked, "Grandma, did Santa come to your house?"  What I think he was really after was if Santa already hit my house, then he missed theirs - and that would be sorely disappointing for a five year old boy!  I assured him his tree would soon be filled with all assortments of colorfully and expertly wrapped parcels, as well - Santa had not come to Grandma and GG's house.  We had just done a little shopping on our own.  He seemed happy with this explanation and hopeful of the promise of Christmas morning around his own tree.  Anticipation builds around Christmas for the wee ones, doesn't it?  Truth be told, it kind of does for us "older" ones, as well!  As parcels will be unwrapped, realization of what you hoped for becomes real - the gift becomes yours.  My grandsons have come to look forward to good gifts under Grandma's tree.  Yep, there will be the "obligatory" socks and underwear, but they also know they will receive some special treats like their favorite toys, a shopping trip at Home Depot, and other items they much anticipate.  It is good to know our heavenly Father is overjoyed with us anticipating his good gifts in just this same way - with eager anticipation and excited expectation.

-  You have the joy of experience - for the light shed illuminates like nothing else.  It all culminates in experience, doesn't it.  When the light finally fills the room, darkness is dispelled.  When darkness no longer taunts us, we are free to move like never before.  My mom is legally blind - she knows what it is like to experience darkness in a different sense.  One of her most frequent requests is for more light to dispel just a little of that darkness she sees.  As much as possible, we try to keep the home light-filled and hazard-free.  It is more than for her safety - it is for her enjoyment.  God's hope for us is that we will come into both a place of being "light-filled" and living "hazard free", as a result.  Just sayin!

Taste and See - mmmmmmm!

Can you explain "taste"?  Most of us would say some things "taste" sweet, others sour.  Maybe we'd describe some things as "yummy" and others as "yucky".  Either of these explanations would be correct, for taste is something we each "sense" in our own way, although we are all "built" with the same "sensations" in our taste buds.  It depends on WHAT we are tasting, WHEN we are tasting it, and WHAT ELSE we've been tasting just before we tasted whatever it is we are experiencing right now, doesn't it?  For example, a good cup of hot coffee tastes really good on a cold morning, or just as you are trying to get your eyes open.  But...have you ever had a cup of coffee in the morning after you have had a night of indulging on onions and garlic?  The "taste" of coffee is masked a little by what it was we experienced the night before.  Brush your teeth and use a little mouthwash!  The experience changes, does it not?

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.  Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.  (Psalm 34:8-9 NIV)

In a physical sense, taste is made up of different things such as texture, temperature, presentation, and even smell.  If something has a pleasant texture (not too hard, too soft, but just right), we enjoy it a little more.  If something is way too hot, we burn our tongues and then taste is totally "skewed" by being "burnt".  What we see affects what we taste - this is the idea behind great chefs spending so much time on presentation.  I don't actually do much with the garnish on my plate, but it looks good!  In fact, it "draws" my eye to the plate and makes the discovery of the food that much nicer.  Smell plays into our taste because so much of what we take in is experienced in more than one way.  We are made to experience things with all our senses, aren't we?

Now, in looking at our passage, David challenges us to "taste and see" that the Lord is good.  In other words, he is challenging us to experience God in a multi-faceted way.  Too many times we "taste" and "see" God in very limited ways - simply because we "think" God should only be experienced in this way or that.  We limit our perception of God based on our unwillingness, or just our lack of us being aware God is all around us, waiting to be experienced by all our "senses".  If we limit the experience of God in our lives, we miss out on the "fullness" of what God has for us.  For example, hold your nose and eat a piece of chocolate.  Yep, the texture was the same - the smoothness of the chocolate was experienced.  You might even get a little hint of the sweetness of the chocolate, but do you get the full experience?  I have never been to Hershey, Pennsylvania, but folks tell me the "smell" is divine!  To really "experience" chocolate, I think it would be most perfect to eat it while taking in the rich aroma of it being made!

In considering what makes up "taste", we might just consider the following things about how we experience God in our lives:

- His presence is sweet.  The moment we experience his presence, there is a "sweetness" which we also experience.  For some of us, we will equate this to the richness of God's grace - taken in, experienced fully, we are left with nothing but the taste of "sweetness".  We might also equate this to the "mildness" of his presence - not poking or prodding, but gently enveloping us in his rich graces.  Grace is indeed "sweet" to the senses, but it must be experienced with all of our senses in order to fully be appreciated.  Maybe this is why David told us to taste and see.  Experience the sweetness, the richness of the texture of grace - but also the beauty beheld in seeing his grace change what we could not.  Just sayin!

- His Word may produce a little bit of bitter or sour taste for a period of time. Yep, you read this right - bitterness or sourness.  Now, lest you think I am being a little "down on God", hear me out.  God's Word is indeed a very "sweet" thing most of the time, but think of all the words he spoke through the prophets of old.  Not all those words were the sweetest!  Some of them were downright "sour" or "bitter" when they were experienced.  Sometimes our sin or unfaithfulness brings us the experience of "tasting" God's words of admonishment or chastisement.  We need these words, but they aren't "sweet" to the taste immediately.  Thinking back to what I presented at the beginning, the things we experience prior to tasting God's grace leave us with skewed taste.  We need some "cleansing" before we can really appreciate what God desires for us to experience.  Grace words can also be a little bitter or sour at first - just sayin!

- His influence in our lives is impacted by the various "senses" we utilize to "intake" it fully and the "timing" of our "intake".  The WHEN is just as important as the WHAT when we consider our "intake".  For example, eat just before you go to bed and you may not sleep well that night.  Moms used to tell their kids to stay out of the pool just after eating because some awful thing might happen to them if they swam with full stomachs.  The truth is, the body is just so focused on digesting the big meal, it doesn't make sense to "tax it" by also adding a great deal of physical exercise right after we take in the big meal.  The "intake" of God's word and his grace is always excellent - the "timing" of our intake makes all the difference in how well we experience it!  Prepared hearts enjoy the intake much more than when the intake is on the fly!  Just sayin!

Just a few thoughts on "sensing" God today.  If you haven't opened up all your senses to experiencing God, maybe it is time you did!  You don't know what you are missing!  Just sayin!

The Well Within

⁵ Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;
   a wise person draws from the well within. 

(Proverbs 20:5)

Knowing what is right and actually doing it are two entirely different things.  I know that it is right to drive the speed limit, but when I see all the other cars going 5-10 mph over the speed limit, it is much easier to "go with the flow" than to be dragging behind with cars swerving all around me.  When faced with a choice between what is right and what is clearly wrong, I should not be amazed at how freely we embrace the latter!  It is a common occurrence for us - it is part of our nature to choose the "wrong stuff", even when the "right stuff" is right there for the choosing.

How do we know what is right?  Too many times, we rely upon our experience to help us determine what is "right" in a circumstance.  For instance, if we have experienced the pain of a throbbing thumb after crushing it under the blow of a hammer, we can certainly associate with the fact that we now know that there is a "right" and a "wrong" way to hammer in a nail!  Don't get me wrong - there is no real substitute for human experience, but I don't need to experience "getting drunk" to see that it doesn't look all that fun!

Experience cannot be our only guide.  We can often miss stuff because we simply have not experienced it.  We each have limited experiences in some realms of life.  Some of us are single - we may not have experienced the tough days of marriage, the joys of deep companionship, or the drama of being so close to someone so totally your opposite.  But...we can learn much from the experiences of others who have walked that path!  The sharing of experience is one way we learn!

We want to have "experiences" that are right and true each and every time.  That is what Solomon is alluding to in this passage.  This type of 'consistent' experience is not just opinion or judgment - it is something that is a well-worn path in our life.  He likens it to a well, running deep, that just doesn't fail us.  The well within is only as deep as it has been "dug"!  Well-diggers usually stop when they find the flow of water.  God wants us to not stop at the development of a "trickle", but to dig a little deeper until we find the "gusher" of his supply!

The deeper the well, the more refreshing it is.  Why is that?  It is simply because what has been "stored up" in that well has been through a whole lot of "filtration" to get there!  Rains come, the water sinks deeper and deeper, through layers and layers of "filtering" soil/rock.  As it does, the "impurities" are "filtered out".  What we are left with is a pretty refreshing supply of water.  

The well has no outsource unless it is tapped.  If we just "take in" and never really "drill down" to see what is being stored up, we will never realize the awesomeness of the "well within".  Solomon wants us to learn to regularly "take in" so that we might have a "well within" that will sustain us in life's driest times.  We take much in - are we "tapping into" what we have stored within?