No bridge - no worries

I am the one who cut a path through the mighty ocean. (Isaiah 43:16)

What 'mighty ocean' do you need God to cut a path through this year? Like it or not, there are times when insurmountable obstacles lie in our midst, begging to be crossed, but seeming to be without a way. The 'way' is made by God. There was no 'bridge' for the Israelites to cross when the Red Sea stood in their way. There were no 'steppingstones' across the rushing waters. There wasn't even a 'shallow' crossing point. The waters were their barrier between where they had been and where they needed to go. Some of us are standing right there today - between where we have been and where we need to go. I don't know about you, but I am not much good at 'building bridges'. 

Maybe we need to trust God with making the way across instead of trying to build the bridge on our own! Too many times we attempt to 'fix the fix' without waiting on God to see how he will create the fix right there in our path. God didn't just lead them to a bridge - he led them to the place their faith would be tested. Imagine it - a wall of rushing water held back so you could walk out into the midst of it, on dry ground, crossing without issue. Would you put yourself in a 'place of danger' if God asked you to cross with such odds 'stacked against you'? 

Forget what happened long ago! Don't think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands. (Isaiah 43:18-19) God isn't finished with your story, no barrier will stop the completion of what he has begun deep within you. We may only see the rushing waters right now, but God sees the possibility of dry ground. The instruction is clear - forget about the past. Stop thinking about those things as though they still had an influence on you. They don't! Something new is being created - so cross over. 

The more we focus on the barrier, the harder it becomes to cross over. We can continue to see the difficulties in front of us, recalling the issues behind us, or we can put it behind and move on. The Israelites didn't just flee their past with Egypt - they put the barrier between their past and their present! They allowed God to use what seemed insurmountable to them to become the thing that kept the past from coming into their present. Maybe we need to allow God to do the same for us. Just sayin!

Even the smallest act

The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one's self to others. (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

...be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life ...continue to read the Scriptures to the people, strengthen them, and teach them. Use the gift you have... Continue to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone. Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. (I Timothy 4:12-16)

We are not put on this earth to live as we might please, but to live as it pleases God. In living in such a manner, we will find that we will be drawn to the needs of others, finding ways to minister to that need as we are able. Why? We are following the example given by Jesus and being living instruments of grace. We are to use the gifts we have been given - not for our own edification, but for the building up and restoration of others. 

In all manner of 'living', there is some form of 'teaching' that occurs. It might not be that we stand before a class and instruct from a book, but we 'instruct' with our actions (our daily lives). God asks that we 'live' in such a way that our 'instruction' will guide others to seek truth and to find relationship with him. We become instruments of grace, not so much by 'preaching the Word', but living the Word out in our daily lives.

How do we strengthen each other? It may be in small ways at first, but as we get 'better' at living with others in mind, not focusing on ourselves all the time, we find 'bigger' ways to be a blessing in the lives of those around us. What has God called you to do today in the life of another? Pray for them? Spend time helping them with something around their house? Bringing them a meal? Small steps result in big rewards, friends! Take even the smallest step today in obedience to what God prompts and see what amazing blessing he will bring to each of your lives! Just sayin!

Do you need more trust?

 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide? And who could ever offer to the Lord enough to induce him to act? For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore. (Romans 11:33-36)

When was the last time you stopped to consider the awesomeness of God's protection and intensely focused care over your lives? If it has been a while, today could be a great day to just 'stop' and 'ponder'. There is nothing we do that 'induces' him to act - there is nothing we do to 'keep things in motion' within our lives. All that exists within our lives is the direct result of his overwhelming love and care for us.

We partake of his wisdom - through the study of his Word and the excellence of solid biblical teaching. We enter into the knowledge of God as we apply the Word and take each step of obedience. We are blessed to experience the riches of God -beginning with grace and continuing on with each physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational blessing we enjoy. We worship him for is goodness, celebrate him for his care over us, and exalt him for the many blessings we have received. 

Have you ever tried to 'induce' God to act on your behalf? Some might refer to this as 'bargaining' with him. We get a frightful bit of news, and we immediately tell God if he intervenes, we will do this or that. God isn't 'bargained' into blessing our lives. He asks us to bring our concerns, but he never asks for us to 'bargain' our way to the answer we desire. In fact, sometimes the answer we 'desire' isn't that answer we so desperately need to receive.

Everything draws breath from him. All exists because of him. If we truly believe this, why do we insist on this 'bargaining' relationship with him? Why do we insist there must be 'more' we need to do in order to receive his blessing? God has done it all in Christ. Perhaps what we need more of in our lives is trust. Just sayin!

Bring God In

This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

Why does God, the one who made all things and knows all things, require us to ask for whatever it is we need or want? To be required to ask when he knows already seems kind of foolish on the surface, but if you stop to consider what "asking" entails, you may come to a revelation of the true purpose of asking. Asking requires us to humble ourselves, not to mention allowing for time to bring a clarification of our wants and needs. Have you ever sought one thing, only to find when you received it the "thing" did not do for you whatever you hoped it would? I realized just how much I didn't really need what I asked for - it was just something to "fill space" in my life, but that "space" really should have been occupied by something else (or someone else).

Asking is a process - not a one-time thing, but a developmental process. To truly understand what is behind our "asking", we have to understand the process. We have a want or a need. The difference is that one of these is sort of like icing on a cake. Cake alone is good but put the icing on it and it is great. A need is like the cake - it provides what will bring satisfaction. The want is like the icing - it provides that little bit of "wow" into our lives which we long for in some way. It involves knowing the difference between the two. As long as we are confused as to the difference between a want and a need, we will constantly be asking for our wants rather than our needs. A steady diet of icing will only put us on sugar-overload!

Although there may be a little "high" from having the want met, it is short-lived and soon we are "let down" by it. What we need is what will sustain us for the long-haul. Asking requires us to be humble enough to actually ask. Some of us will do almost anything in our own effort BEFORE we ask for help! It isn't until we have failed to bring about something that we humble ourselves enough to ask. God wants us to learn to rely upon another, not just ourselves. Too many of us start out thinking we cannot be "dependent" upon anyone for our "success" in life. In time, God will bring all of us to the same conclusion - life lived "independent" of his care and protection is just not life lived to its fullest!

We must put into words whatever it is we need. We often have a hard time articulating what it is we need. We just cannot find the words to express it - or we just plain don't know. Just because we don't know how to put into words what we have need of doesn't mean God doesn't need to hear from us - he provides the Holy Spirit to "utter those inner needs" directly into the ear of our heavenly Father. It calls for us to be open to hearing. It is much easier to speak about what we need and then so very hard to be quiet long enough to actually hear how it is God might plan for us to have that need met! Part of asking is being quiet - putting the need out there and then resting in our position of humble waiting. Waiting is not the strongest suit for many of us - me included. This process of waiting and listening is difficult and requires more of us than the actual "asking" does in the first place! It is the part of the process where we get clarity and begin to see God at work in our lives. Apart from hearing, we have just "us" in the picture! Hearing allows God to be "brought in"! Just sayin!

Is that a wolf I hear?

But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. (Romans 6:23)

Have you discovered that you no longer need to listen to sin tell you what to do anymore? If you are like the millions upon millions of others who have said 'yes' to Jesus, you likely still have a bit of a struggle in this area. Sin just doesn't 'go away' when you say 'yes' to Jesus - the ability for it to control you does, but the enticement to sin is still presenting itself. The issue is not whether sin still entices, it is really an issue of which voice we will listen to the most frequently!

We can listen to our own inward lusts (desires), or we can listen to the still small voice of God guiding us through those challenging places. The unfortunate thing for many of us is that the loudest voice is oftentimes the one we hear the clearest! The still small voice of God is heard best when we take time to get to know his voice better. We are able to sort out the noise and hear the important message better when we become more familiar with his voice.

Jesus told his disciples that his 'sheep know his voice'. He likened himself to a shepherd watching over the flock of sheep. All manner of 'calls' came in the wilderness, but there was one voice (call) they needed to respond to immediately. It was for their protection and guidance that the shepherd spoke to them. All the other calls were from 'prowling animals' out to disturb the restfulness of the sheep. That is how Satan works in our lives - he comes with different 'calls', trying to disturb our rest in Christ.

The sooner we recognize God's voice above all the other voices that may call for our attention, the better we will be at navigating our own lustful desires, the enticements to sin that the world presents to us, and the pull of 'popular opinion' that tries to dissuade us from walking uprightly. How do we get to know that voice? We have to spend time with him. The shepherd talked with his sheep, so they'd become accustomed to his voice. If we never spend quality time with him, quiet long enough to hear his speak through is Word, times of worship, or in quiet meditation, how do we ever expect to get to know his voice? Just askin!

My WHOLE heart?

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

All of scripture is filled with principles meant as "safety guides" for our lives as much as they are meant to point us toward the heart and mind of God. The Ten Commandments - the basis for evaluating if we are "keeping" God's intention for our lives in an honorable manner. There are times when we are unaware of the dangers which lie right in our path - but if we will remain consistently faithful to the truths (principles) we are given, we should know safety as we travel these paths. God has a tremendous desire for us to turn to him with our whole hearts, not out of obligation, but out of love. He knows the conscious decisions which must be made in choosing to turn our eyes consistently toward God, not being swayed by the other things which can cloud our sight. He also knows the tremendous amount of focus it takes to maintain focus! 

One God - not many. This must be established first and foremost in our hearts and minds if we are to grow in Christ, for all of our battles (emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually) are really based on this idea of who will be "God" or "god" in our lives. There are lots of "gods" we could bow down before - like money, career, collectibles, people. There is but one God we are called to bow down before - God, the Lord of heaven and earth, the creator of all things, and the one who commands the course of all things which are and will be. Any time we allow something or someone other than God to be in the position of a "god" in our lives, we will be setting ourselves up to falter and ultimately know failure. The only time we know safety from external and internal forces is when the right "God" is in control!

Love requires three elements: Heart, Soul, and Strength. Heart is the mind, will, and emotions. The seat of what makes us uniquely who we are and helps to determine what it is we believe, do, and feel. We make connection with the one true God at the heart level. We are inherently "feeling" creatures, but we don't live solely by what we "feel", and we are thinking creatures, but we don't live solely by what we can understand or imagine. We need faith and this requires will. Will helps us move beyond our "maybe this could be true" into the place of "I know God isn't going to lie to me, so I will trust this to be true". The soul is what sets man apart from animal and all other forms of life. The soul is the part of man which lives on eternally - even after decay and age has taken its toll on the body. In reminding us that love involves the soul, we are reminded that love is eternal - not momentary, not time limited, but everlasting and abiding. Strength is part and parcel with heart and soul - for both would falter if there was no strength behind the commitment to love.

The commandments are not just to be recited, memorized, and written in stone - they are to be "written" upon the heart. God is best honored when he sees us connecting scripture in our lives with the actions we take. When he speaks to us to keep him first, we remind ourselves our emotions cannot continue to guide our every action. Sometimes this means we literally have to remind our emotions what scripture says: "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind!" Then we need to remind ourselves over and over again to put the fear behind us, take the steps we are asked to take, and trust that we will have the wisdom to respond as we should and the power to live in ways which seem contrary to the present set of circumstances.

Scripture is to be the topic of discussion and the consistent "interloper" in our decision-making processes. We often don't think to turn to scripture for our "normal" activities and decisions of the day. Some of these are just by rote - such as brushing our teeth and washing the dishes. Trust me on this - it is not God's will for us to have rotten teeth or to have cockroaches in the kitchen because the sink is filled with dirty dishes! We don't need scripture to tell us some of this stuff. We need to see what scripture defines and then live by that definition. 

Using scripture at transition points in our lives is quite important - this may be the inference of the doorways, roadways, and gates in our passage. We come and go by these passages. In other words, all our comings and goings are to align with scripture - it is to guide us in our decision making and to keep us on the straight and narrow. Transition points are often the places where we get "hung up" the easiest because they are places and points where we have to make decisions which may not be comfortable for us or may be "new". When we face these transitions, we need the solid foundation of what has already been outlined for us as principles by which we can make decisions as to the actions we should take - principles found in scripture.

Today we might be challenged a little in the areas of focus, trust, and obedience. Maybe we are challenged in the area of getting to really know scripture for ourselves and not being reliant upon another to continually unveil the hidden secrets for us. Or perhaps we are just challenged to keep our focus off things which really don't matter and remaining attentive to the things which do. Either way, we are doing exactly what God intended when these words were penned! Just sayin!

Sometimes we need to take the first step

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18)

Seeing allows us to perceive many times, but that is not guaranteed. We could become alert to something happening through our other senses of hearing, touch, or smell, but seeing is what often "connects the dots" for us. Some call this being a "visual learner" - we can read all about some process, but once we see it done a couple of times, we've got it! Without seeing, we don't have the fullest perception. Yet, it is possible to "bypass" this element of perception - functioning pretty well, as a matter of fact - but we miss out on the splendor of color, the mystery of the twinkle in someone's eye, and the awing wonder of following the trail of a jet high up in the sky. We function okay, but we don't "get the full picture" when our seeing is not partnered with us perceiving.

Seeing what God is doing is sometimes one of the hardest things to really comprehend. We often miss his subtle moves simply because we aren't tuned into him as well as we should be. I never actually learned to paint even though I was given great lessons by a woman living at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. Although I was exposed to her work, understood her techniques as she taught them, and had many of the same "tools" to use as she did, I never quite mastered the skill of watercolor. Why? I didn't put that skill into practice. This is often how we miss out on so much God would like to involve us in - we simply don't put into practice what it is he provides in the way of instruction or insight for our lives.

Although seeing is part of perception, it is not the end-all. We have to see and then "attend to" what he reveals. When we "attend to" something, we are taking it to heart. We keep it in the forefront of our minds, allowing the very thought of what has been revealed to permeate our 'spiritual senses'. It means we give service to that knowledge - we invest in it, spend time with it. We may miss the fullness of perception because we "see", but we neglect the importance of "giving service to" what it is we perceive. I know a lot of things about various people in my life - their likes, dislikes, what makes them laugh, what could make them cry, what words shut them down, what words build them up. How did I learn these things? By paying attention to them. How foolish would it be to know all these things and then ignore each and every one of them?

God's place of impacting our lives is at the point of our attentiveness to the details he reveals. Revelation is one thing - action taken upon what is revealed is quite another. If we find ourselves "stumbling around" a little in our daily walk, it might just be related to having NOT "put into practice" what it is we already have been taught. God knowing exactly what he desires to bring forth on the canvas of our lives. He gives us various tools, shows us the steps to follow to allow the creation of his "artwork" in our lives, but if we never pick up the brush and apply a little paint, we will still be blank canvases when it is all said and done! Just sayin!

Reasoning and Will

Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time! (Proverbs 15:23)

I don't know about you, but 'giving' advice is much easier for me than 'heeding' it when someone else gives it to me. I want to think it through, mull it over, and determine 'if' I should actually take it to heart. I have had appliance repairmen tell me not to buy 'X' appliances, only to find those who own them say they are the most dependable appliances they have had. Whose advice do I rely upon - the one who made the purchase and uses the device, or the one who comes along when things don't function as they should? If the one purchasing is also the one who is responsible to maintain what is purchased, I might just rely upon their 'advice' a little more! Why? The one paying the price is also the one having to do what it takes to keep things running as they should. Jesus paid the price for the sins of this world AND he is the one who takes the responsibility to see to it that things are 'running as they should be' in our lives.

When the Word of God points out something in my life that isn't quite working correctly, is this just 'good advice' that I can mull over and come to my own conclusion as to embrace it or not? Not hardly! It is truth and truth embraced is what will keep me 'running' as I should! Too many times we treat the Word of God as though there were sections we can easily embrace and others we 'need to mull over' to see if they should apply to our lives. What we are doing is deciding which 'truth' is good for us and then rejecting other 'truth' because it seems too difficult or harsh. We may not easily embrace what it says, but it doesn't make the truth any less truth! God doesn't give us 'advice' - he gives us truth. He knows what will keep us running the course he has set out for us to run. He knows what will keep us from completing our course, as well. Heed truth and you shall run well. Ignore it and you might just find yourself 'paying a price' you never wanted to pay.

Pope Paul VI said, "Of all human activities, man's listening to God is the supreme act of his reasoning and will." We might not listen when another speaks, but when God speaks into our lives, we'd do well to listen. Listening involves more than just a bit of reasoning - we make judgments, form conclusions, and look for proofs. Incorrect conclusions based on 'flawed proofs' can lead us to making bad choices (the part of listening that involves our will). I have had to ask God to help me with my power of reasoning - not just once, but time after time again - so I am not making flawed choices based upon my own flawed conclusions. How about you? Do you listen, then 'reason away' truth based on some 'flawed conclusion' you might be making? If you and I are to 'run as we should', we need to be 'maintained' by the one who not only 'created us', but who also 'maintains' what he has paid for by his death, burial, and resurrection. It will do us well to treat his Word as truth not to be argued with but was the truth that brings ultimate freedom when heeded. Just sayin!

Awake again?

God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.” That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (I Samuel 3:8-9)

Samuel is eager to respond to the voice he hears. Why? He was simply trying to fulfill his everyday tasks, ready to learn what he could as he went about his routine in the temple, in service to the priests. Sometimes we get a little confused as to what we are to do with what it is we are hearing - we think we hear one thing, but could it really be something else? There are probably many times we hear God's voice, but because we aren't sure of the source, we go to what is familiar to us - as Samuel did when going to Eli. His was the voice he was most familiar with - to go to Eli was a natural response. Some of us get the impression someone is speaking to us - but we don't know it is God himself pulling us toward himself in order to reveal himself in or through us. We go where we are most familiar - friends, family, small group members, a counselor. Not an unrealistic response when you really think about it. We use them as the sounding boards - bouncing what it is we are "hearing" in our heads until we feel we have come to a place of clarity.

I don't necessarily think this is wrong, but sometimes God just wants us to respond directly to him - to answer him with, "Speak, Lord. I am ready to listen." The idea of speaking directly "with" God is frightening to some, but it is the plan God has for each of us. Notice I did not say it was us speaking directly "to" God, but "with" God. Sometimes we initiate the conversation - at others God does. Either way, it is a conversation. If one party speaks and the other just sits and listens - it is a lecture! If both engage, it is conversation - sometimes filled with good cheer and warm feelings, other times with hurt, sorrow, and the words which express how deeply we need each other. God desires direct and frequent conversation with us, and I am grateful he doesn't stop with the first call! Some of us take a little longer to figure out it is his voice calling us - others will get it on the first try. The good news is that God calls and keeps calling until we finally hear!

At first, God may initiate the conversation a little more than we do - until we become more comfortable with this idea of listening to his voice and hearing his revelation. Little by little, we grow "comfortable" with picking up the conversation right where we left off, anytime and anywhere. I have a good friend who is like that with me - we always just pick up where they left off, like no time has passed at all. God wants this closeness with us - entering into relationship with him isn't for the lazy or half-hearted. In fact, if we look at Samuel again, we see he arose from restful sleep to respond - not once, but three times! That is a pretty amazing thing, considering he was likely a teenager! I don't know about you, but when I finally get asleep - something escaping me as I age - I really like it when I can stay asleep until my rest has been reached. 

When I awaken in the night, one of the first thoughts I have is to turn my attention to listening. Sometimes I only hear the faint whirring of the fan overhead, but at others I hear words of a psalm or song beginning to fill my heart, or the needs of a dear friend or family member beginning to bring me to the place of prayer. Either way, it is in listening that we discover the moment of revelation God intends for us. Maybe God has been calling to you a little more frequently these days and you may not have been as "aware" of the voice you were hearing. Next time you hear it, try doing as Samuel did and saying, "Speak God. I am listening." You might just be surprised what conversation might just ensue in your 'readiness' to listen. Just sayin!

Hey...you there...yeah, you!

Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (I Samuel 3:10)

Wisdom dictates we listen more than we speak - but I have to honestly tell you I don't always do well with that one requirement. Listening is an art - learned not because we really want to learn it, but because if we don't learn how to listen, we will eventually get life pretty much as we like it, but we might just be the only ones left in the picture once we do! I suspect there is much to this listening "art" which many of us have yet to perfect. In fact, learning this "art" of listening requires we not only learn how to "tune into" the voice we hear, but we learn to "recognize" the voice we are hearing. I think many of us hear those "voices" in our heads - hopefully not too many of them - but we don't always know which one is the one we should be listening to. 

If you have ever seen one of those commercials or cartoons where there is a little guy in white on one shoulder and a little guy in black on the other and someone is trying to figure out if which one to listen to, you probably understand what I mean. We hear "sides" to the stories in our head, and then we must determine which "side" we will respond to - we will be 'obedient' to at least one of those voices. There are probably "shades" of white and grey on both sides - not just the lily white and the deep, dark black. It is the "shades" of white and grey which present us with the most difficult challenge of sorting out the voices inside our head. 

Samuel was a young boy, probably in his early teens, or just about to enter his teens. He has been dedicated to the work of the Lord in the Temple, doing daily tasks within the Temple right alongside the priests. One day, he hears a voice call out to him. Thinking it was the priest, he hustles off to see what Eli wants, but it wasn't Eli. Did you ever stop to consider why even the priest didn't recognize the voice Samuel was actually hearing until the same call occurred the third time? The first two times Eli just sends him away, telling him it was not him who called. The third time, it "dawns on" Eli that this might just be God trying to get through to Samuel - to have a personal conversation with him or give him direction for his life! I wonder how many of us are kind of like Eli - just drifting along, getting all kinds of reminders of God desiring to speak with us, and then one day it finally dawns on us that he has been the one speaking to us all along - we just didn't recognize the voice!

Samuel knew he was hearing something - yet he didn't have clarity about what it was he was hearing. In the Old Testament times, the revelation of God's voice came to very few - those anointed to be his spokesperson were often the ones to receive the revelation. Today the voice of God is really something we can ALL hear - since Jesus opened the way for ALL of us to hear God's voice plainly and on an ongoing basis. The purpose of God's voice is to bring revelation - to disclose or uncover something not previously known. It might come in the form of direction, or perhaps as words of specific encouragement. 

There are times when God speaks directly to us to keep us safe - as when he gives us a quick warning which alerts us to pay attention to the traffic when we are drifting a little into daydreaming. It that split second of moving from daydreaming into attentive awareness, we narrowly avoid the collision which could have cost us dearly. Other times, he speaks to build us up or to encourage us to move ahead despite what we see on the outside. It seems he isn't getting through to his kids at times, but he knows he is touching something deep within us which will carry us through our day if we just listen closely. Just sayin! 

Dungeon Songs and Laments

Do you ever feel like your prayers are kind a little like "complaints" to God? You see this shingle hanging over heaven's gate and it reads "Complaint Department" - come on in. I am guilty of just spilling my guts to God about stuff that comes out sounding a whole lot like I am complaining (usually because I am!) and a lot less like I actually want to spend time with him! I think we all might just go through periods when our prayers are a little more "needy" than at other times - when we just have to let it all out, so to speak. The most amazing thing to me is the way God responds to my "complaint" sessions (and yours, too). I might think he'd get a little tired of this kind of jabbering on about what is wrong in my life, but he listens, often using my very own words to give me the change in perspective I actually need. Did you catch that? He uses MY OWN words to change MY perspective - allowing me to spill my guts and then turns those spilled out emotions and complaints as a means to speak truth into my life. How on earth does he do that?

I cry out loudly to God, loudly I plead with God for mercy. I spill out all my complaints before him, and spell out my troubles in detail: “As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away, you know how I’m feeling, know the danger I’m in, the traps hidden in my path. Look right, look left—there’s not a soul who cares what happens! I’m up against it, with no exit—bereft, left alone. I cry out, God, call out: ‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’ Oh listen, please listen; I’ve never been this low. Rescue me from those who are hunting me down; I’m no match for them. Get me out of this dungeon so I can thank you in public. Your people will form a circle around me and you’ll bring me showers of blessing!” (Psalm 142)

I don't think God keeps his distance just because our moments in prayer are a little self-centered, while we focus on our perceived needs and injustices more than on communing with him. I believe he knows how badly we need the cathartic of getting all that pent up junk out into the open so he can actually get at our hearts when it is all cleared out! When we get stuff out in the open - the stuff which really is bugging us and causing us to look at it rather than at God then he is free to finally intervene because he can finally get at our hearts. There are a whole lot of times our emotions keep us busier focusing on the mess we are in than on the potential of God helping us get out of the mess! God often uses our own words to teach us what it is we need to see in the moment of our greatest distress. If we just came to God with the attitude of covering over how we were really feeling (masking our emotions), how well do you think that exchange would go? He already knows how we are feeling, so what use is it to cover up those true feelings? If we honestly just get them out, allow them to be exposed to his touch, we might just find the release we have been looking for all along. David pens these words while he is hold up in a cave hiding out in order to escape the armies of Saul - armies out to take his life because the Saul feels threatened by David. The king feels threatened by David because David is the next in line for the throne, but the "next in line" guy is hiding out in a cold, dark place in order to avoid what threatens HIM. Now, does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

We are right there on the cusp of some great thing in our lives, and instead of facing up to the muddle we are in, we hide that muddle because we don't know how to deal with it. God is great with muddles - but he has one condition - get it out in the open. As long as we hide our muddle away in the cold, dark places, we are going to continue to see the circumstances we are in as anything but "anointed"! To overcome his fears and to walk out in the open, he has to get out of the cave. For him to get out of the cave, he has to open up to God right where he is at - in the cave! In the cold, dark place he is in! When we struggle with those "cave" moments ourselves, what we need most is not to pull deeper into the cave, but to let it all out! In our muddle, we often feel the most misunderstood and the most alone. In speaking what we feel, we might just come to the conclusion of how much we have been telling ourselves the wrong story about our circumstances. The way we discover deliverance is through getting it all out before God - not because we "need" to grumble against our circumstances, but because we know God will help change our perspective of the circumstances when we do.

Our greatest need - to have our perspective changed in the midst of the circumstances - not so much that the circumstances change.  In the pits of our greatest need, the walls seem to echo our despair, but actually, they are just causing those words to return to us so we can hear them clearer. In the "re-hearing" of those words we speak, we often come full circle to the place where we see how much we have drifted from our total and complete trust in God's plan for our lives. God uses those words to speak the loudest truth into our muddle. We may complain, but God can turn the complaints of our heart into the messages of grace we so desperately need in order to overcome the misery of our mess. Just sayin!

Obedience doesn't come with options

Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do everything you say. I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out— but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true—I can’t wait till morning! I’m a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel. (Psalm 119:60)

If you are like me, you have probably made a promise or two to God in some moment of great need, then as things got a little less 'intense' in your life, you found yourself wavering a bit on the obedience part of those promises. Just as with King David, I needed to take a long, careful look at my ways - realizing I was not staying on the path God and I had discussed. In short, we call that disobedience. Those long and careful looks at life are not accidental - they are orchestrated by a loving God who desires to see us continuing to take the right steps in the right direction with a right purpose and a right heart-set. What we do next is totally within our control. We can bury the promise, or we can get back up on our feet and be heading down the trail God has blazed for us.

My only hope is that every moment God takes to help me examine my steps is followed with a determined 'step-taking' in the right direction - no feet dragging, no stubborn digging in. This is the key to God's grace. We need to be back on the right path, but anytime we drag our feet, we are in danger of choosing to remain slightly or completely off course. As with David, we need to recognize God's direction is always right for our lives. We can spend a whole lot of time debating that with God but take it from me - it isn't going to change the fact God has determined the best path for us to follow. I may have a thousand other 'options' to that path, some of them quite 'close' to the same path, but none of them will be the path he has determined to be the BEST for me.

Where there are any 'rules', there are also multiple 'commitments' that must be made and kept. Speed limit signs require a commitment to travel at that speed no matter how late we are to our destination. Failure to do so could result in anything from a blown-out tire to the loss of a life. Those 'rules' are there for our safety - we are supposed to 'commit' to them. The truth is 'life's rules' are not just for us - we travel with a whole lot of others committed to the same path. If we fail to commit to follow the desired actions God puts forth for us, we can actually be placing others in danger. If you have ever been on the highway, traveling along at a speed that 'everyone else' is travelling, then looked down at the speedometer only to realize you are posting a speed well in excess of the limit, you have been placed in danger by two things - the influence of others and your inattention to your own actions.

If we are to live in community with each other, we need to realize we all influence each other to some extent AND our inattention to the steps of obedience we have committed to follow could place others in danger. We need each other to remain consistent - one spurring on the other. We need each other to realize when we are drifting off course - one realizing there is a distance beginning to occur that could suggest one of us is not quite on the right course. Commitment to God's purposes can be made in the spur of the moment, but when we start to travel that 'commitment highway', it can be hard to stay within the boundaries that will keep us safe without each other, God's constant care, and the Holy Spirit to remind us of each step of obedience we need to take. Obedience doesn't come with options - it comes with protections. Just sayin!

A tended landscape

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. (James Baldwin)

I'd have to say this is pretty accurate about most of us - our history actually 'traps us' and we are bound to it like super-glue to our fingers. All of us have a 'history'. All of us has had to deal with that 'history' or else we bury it deeper and deeper because it was too hard to deal with. Regardless of buried or 'dealt with', the history remains - it happened - it left a mark of sorts. On occasion I am haunted by some of the things I have done, said, or thought - in my distant past, but still coming up in my memory from time to time. It isn't that these things aren't under the grace of Jesus - sins confessed, dealt with, and moved on from. It is that our memory has a way of being used as a 'weapon' against us during some of our weakest moments. Maybe this is why God emphasizes us bringing EVERY thought captive - because the battle begins in the mind! If we allow those 'past events' to cloud our present, even when under the grace of Jesus, we are allowing things into our present that have absolutely NO right being there. It will lead to frustration, despair, hopelessness, and sometimes even anger. No good will come of it.

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. (James 1:21)

While our 'history' is within us - it happened, we were there and involved in it - it doesn't have to be in our present. God asks us to allow him to 'landscape us with the Word'. Why? The power of the Word of God combats those 'histrionic thoughts' that keep coming up. I am able to 'tell' my mind there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2). I am able to 'tell' my mind every thought is being brought captive and I will not dwell on past sins, missed opportunities, or wrongful decisions (2 Corinthians 10:5). Do you see what I did there? I used scripture to combat those thoughts that come to haunt me from my past. What did Jesus do while facing Satan in the wilderness? He used the Word of God! Why would it be any different for us? It shouldn't be! We are to be 'landscaped with the Word of God' - taking in the Word actually creates a 'different landscape' than our past laid out before us, and this is a very good thing!

We have to invite him into our 'history', though. When we do, grace covers over the things that could haunt us for years and years. In fact, he takes our 'history' and turns it into HIS STORY. The story he tells with our lives is one of grace upon grace. It is the turning of the soil time and time again that makes the richest of gardens. The landscaper doesn't just plant, walk away, and hope for the best. He tends each plant, replenishing the soil, turning it from time to time, and adding what is needed to bring about the most luxurious of landscapes. Can we expect God to do the same within us through his Word? Absolutely! Some of our  history brought us grief and peril - but through the Word of God, grief was replaced by joy and peril by hope. Trust him to do his work with your past. The landscape is set - let the landscaper now tend it! Just sayin!

What could go wrong?

Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping. (I Corinthians 16:13-14)

Keep your eyes open. The eyes are the window to the soul - they give insight into the condition of the man in what they reveal. Having our eyes opened is the beginning of seeing. Try to see with your eyes closed! You probably do a poor job of actually avoiding the hazards in your path when you do! Eyes have the purpose of allowing input - taking in what they behold, interpreting that input as either pleasant or not, beneficial or not, or even beautiful or not. The eyes are the gateway into a man's heart - the input we receive moves us in some respect. It is almost impossible to take input without some form of output! We are asked to remain in a position of taking in what God puts in our path. Be vigilant and aware, for in being alert, we can respond to what we receive as input. We can plan our escape, our response we will have in the moment. Maintain, cause to continue, so as to set the course. Our eyes have a lot to do with the course we keep. Whatever we choose to focus on will go a long way in affecting how we take all the other steps God asks us to take!

Hold tight to your convictions. A conviction is more than just some clever theory or persuasive fact. A conviction is a fixed or firm belief - it has some basis - roots which give it soundness. When the right stuff is entering through our vision, we begin to form sound convictions - we have all the right evidence to present. The action associated with convictions is that of "holding tight" to these convictions. We need to know what gives our "case" foundational truth. Some evidence is weak at best. Other evidence is so strong, it cannot be denied. Hold onto the truth we have been given so as to have an undeniable foundation upon which we base our lives. Give it all you've got. The idea of being something of worth, value, and importance is in view here. Come to the place of realizing your fullest potential. All we've got - not part - is what God says is called for in this life of serving Jesus. Ever serve someone half-heartedly? How'd that make you feel? Do you think the one being served knew you were only half-interested in serving them at that moment? Probably! The action required is that of "giving" - present willingly and without expectation of compensation. I wonder what this world would be like if we began to equate being all we could be with what it is we could willingly give without the expectation of some form of compensation as a result of our service?

Be resolute. To be set in purpose - not easily swayed - this is the idea presented next. Taken in order, if we have our focus correct, allowing the right stuff to be taken in, we will form the right basis of evidence in our lives which will cause us to begin to act differently toward others (and even ourselves). To this, God adds we are to be set in our purpose - fixed, determined, unwavering, undaunted by what life throws at us. When the preponderance of evidence is significant, the ability to "stand behind" the evidence is easier than when there is very little evidence, right? What gets us to the position of being able to be resolute? I think it is in the building up of the evidence in our lives of being new creations in Christ - realizing the actions of grace within our lives. Each action of grace gives us some additional evidence upon which we ground our convictions - we stand stronger by the revelation of grace. Some will say grace is that which was undeserved. You would be correct, but even the best of attorneys will tell you evidence discovered in the most unlikely places or by the most unlikely means is still evidence! We can stand undaunted by life - by grace.

Love without stopping. Can anyone actually do anything without stopping? I tire easily, how about you? Yet, there are some involuntary things which occur within my body which continue to occur without thought or action on my part - like my heartbeat or my breathing. I can hold my breath, but there is some overriding impulse center in my brain which tells my body to begin to take a breath before it is too late. Why? Simply because life is sustained by these actions. I am not presenting the love being an "unthinking" action. It is quite the opposite - it requires we are "invested" in its actions. When something becomes a way of life for us, the "thought" we put into those actions is almost automatic. We just do it because it is what we do. God might just be telling us to make love such a way of life that we love without really having to work ourselves up in order to love. It becomes "natural", free-flowing from a heart which has been convinced by the love and grace of God. If we actually take all these five principles together and begin to focus our lives on each action, we might just learn to walk a little differently. Just sayin!

Seeing and Hearing

Ears that hear and eyes that see—we get our basic equipment from God! (Proverbs 20:12)

If you have ever looked into buying some new appliance, a new car, or even a new home built to your specifications, you probably have had to consider just how many "bells and whistles" you wanted (or could afford within your budget). The basic model comes with just the minimums - the more you add, the more the costs add up. The $799 "deal" you saw advertised becomes $1599 because you just could not imagine life without the extra spin cycles, steam feature, and the automatic sensor for this or that! Sometimes we find the "extra" stuff we just "had to have" gives us more headaches than they are worth in the end!
The "basic equipment" given to us by God are ears that hear and eyes that see. We take the "basics" for granted, focusing more on the "bells and whistles" we'd want to have, don't we? Whenever I hear someone say they are "not equipped" for whatever it is God is putting in their path, I just have to remind myself they have probably bought into the lie they need more than the "basic equipment". In the spirit of being totally transparent, I have done exactly the same thing - believing what I "possessed" was not good enough for what it was I was facing or asked to do.

We possess all we need to begin the journey - anything else we might need God will provide as we step out in obedience! Our basic equipment is what actually helps us navigate the journey - ears that hear, eyes that see - these are both "navigational" tools! If you have ever played one of those games where someone places a blindfold over your eyes, plunging you into absolute darkness and leaving you at the mercy of what you could hear or feel, you probably came to understand how important it was to have both of these pieces of "basic equipment" operating at the same time! Try as you might, the hands might help us sense the objects in our path, but you travel at quite a slower speed when you don't have the faculty of sight, right? Basic really means that which is fundamental - it is an essential ingredient - something needed. When God reminds us that he gives us the "fundamental" equipment we need, he is calling our attention to the importance of the two things which actually will give us exactly what we need to take the first steps toward anything he asks us to pursue. Ears to hear - the attentiveness to his voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Eyes to see - the ability to look beyond the obvious and see the obscure. We often find the basic equipment we have been given might just get a little complicated by the "other equipment" we have "added" to our list of "qualifications". When we count on our emotions as part of our "fundamental" or "basic equipment", we get a little different perception of what we are seeing or hearing! God never suggested we should add this "equipment" to our "basic equipment" - he just tells us to count on what we have been given.

Fundamental parts - the basis upon which all else gets "filtered". The way we "filter" what we hear and see is often "clouded" by the "extra stuff" we have insisted on adding into the equation! Whenever we add in the emotions, we start saying things like, "I think God might be telling me this, but I just don't feel like I can." The basic equipment we have been given is what God needs us to use - plain and simple! To rely upon anything else is to begin to operate outside of the "plan" God has for us. All learning from scripture is based on us seeing and hearing. I think God may just be reminding us of the need to keep life simple. We complicate it with the perceived need to align what we are seeing and hearing with what it is we are feeling. Truth be told, if we see as God sees and listen only to his voice, we have all we need for ANYTHING our day holds - emotions will likely just lead us astray. Just sayin!

Bountifully Blessed

But all who are hunting for you—oh, let them sing and be happy. Let those who know what you’re all about tell the world you’re great and not quitting. And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—but God, don’t put it off. (Psalm 40:16-17)

I love this psalm of David because of the sincerity of heart I see expressed in each word he speaks. He reminds us God lifts us out of the deep ditches, the sticky places, then helps us see what it is like when we come to see the world as a huge stockpile of God-wonders. Eyes open, heart eager to respond, thoughts turned to God - standing ready for God's intervention. The most truthful words of this psalm are about in the middle - where David calls out to God to deal with his amassed guilt - the very guilt he had accumulated through many wrong choices. He describes his condition of spirit and soul: "I was so swamped by guilt I couldn’t see my way clear. More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out." (vs. 12) I can account for my own realization of having stood exactly where David stood that day - bogged down in the mire of my wrong choices, stuck squarely in the middle of my mess. In the realization of where I had ended up, my soul was consumed by such guilt, it almost felt like my heart would indeed give out. God specializes in "unsticking" our stuck feet - we are not "stuck" to our sin, nor its guilt and shame - we are free in him!

My brother is an accomplished hunter, while I am more of a hunter of a good bargain at the grocery store! My brother has all kinds of skill as a hunter - able to secure much in the way of resources for his household through his skill. So, I wanted to turn today to some lessons from what I have heard my brother describe as some of the tactics and skills of a hunter. He knows what he wants to find. If he has no interest in hunting for a particular species of animal or fowl this season, he doesn't "put in" for the tags to go on the hunt. In other words, he has a design in his hunting - the object of his desire. God always honors the man or woman who makes him the object of their desire! Knowing what or who it is we want in this "hunt" is the first step in being on the right track to find what it is we are "hunting". He knows finding requires some preparation. He secures the right ammunition, the correct size of weapon, and then 'gears up' for the climate he will hunt in. He doesn't waste his time looking where the hunted animal or fowl will not be found. Knowing what the species feasts upon gives him a pretty good idea of where to find them - since he has explored much of the forest and desert lands in our state, he knows well where to find these "feasting" areas. I don't think things are much different in our pursuit of God - he "feasts" on certain things like the honesty of a heart, the reach of an empty hand, or the tears of a grieving soul. He can always be found in the midst of our need. His location is not as unpredictable as some may think - for he is consistently in exactly the same location!

He scouts for the object of the hunt. What amazes me most is the work my brother has to go to weeks ahead of the hunt - not to obtain the object of the hunt during those early trips, but to become familiar with the places he will hunt, what food is available, and the times of day they feast on those foods. Scouting is nothing more than observing. Through scouting expeditions, my brother is getting familiar with the paths. He looks for signs of their places of rest, their paths of travel, and their points of feeding. Why? He knows in taking time to get to know these traits, he will become familiar with the object of his hunting. Here we find the secret of a heart after God - in taking the time to become familiar with the object of our attention he becomes the object of our affection. My brother is frequently rewarded for his work. No hunter likes to return home empty-handed. If you have prepared well, becoming so familiar with the places the object of your hunt frequents, you might not return empty-handed. God is the God of plenty - not the God of emptiness. The "work" of seeking the object of the hunt "pays off" in the bounty we are rewarded with. I believe the purpose of the hunt for my brothers was not the "sport" of the hunt, but the "bounty" of the hunt. It is in the "bounty" that he receives that the needs of his home are met. It is in the "bounty" of God's provision of love, hope, healing, forgiveness, and grace that our hearts are filled to overflowing. I may not hunt for the furry or feathered creatures of this earth, but my heart is steadfast in its pursuit of the one who gives me "bounty" beyond my ability to fully contain it. I hope you are along with me on this "hunt". Just sayin!

When you speak...

Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.

(Marianne Williamson)

Forgiveness is an often misunderstood condition of the heart. Yes, I said it is a condition of the heart - for the heart is made up of our mind (the place we trap all those thoughts of being wronged), the will (the thing that makes us stand firm in our bitterness even when we see how miserable it is making our life), and our emotions (the very things that are constantly being played upon by our bitterness). It is the heart that holds on and it is the heart that lets go - let's learn to let go a bit more than we hold on.

“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4)

There is no peace without forgiveness - those words should resonate with us each and every day. There is no peace in our hearts without the forgiveness of God - wiping away every stain of sin in our lives. There is no peace in our hearts or minds as long as we hold offenses and grudges - it isn't the other guy's heart or mind affected as much as it is our own! Our Lord was quick to remind us there is a need to be alert, because grudges are easier to hold onto than we expect. Forgiveness may mean we erase a 'debt' - something we think we are 'owed' in a situation - but it is that very 'debt' that will hold us captive.

Forgiveness isn't a one time deal anymore than grace is! You and I need God's grace poured into our lives daily (and most of us need it moment by moment). Why would we believe forgiveness would just be a one time deal? People will fail us - more than once. They will say things harshly and not really mean to. They will forget to do something they promised and never even know they did. They will cross lines we have drawn in the sand, not maliciously, but without much awareness the line even existed. Forgiveness involves us not seeing each and every failure as a cumulative matter, but seeing each one as a new opportunity to forgive and restore.

We may find ourselves in the place where that individual is getting on that 'last nerve' today - we need a 'nerve blocker' of sorts! Prayer can be a great place to start. It doesn't mean we have to get down on our knees, fold our hands, and recite some words of sorts. It might just mean we need to shoot up a few words silently without even uttering one solitary word audibly. I call those 'arrow prayers' - those momentary requests to God where I am relying on him to show me how to respond, what I can do or say that will diffuse that 'tension' between the other and myself. If I am to be honest here, God rarely shows me how to change the other person's actions - he shows me quickly how I can change mine! Heart (mind, will, and emotions) control isn't a science - it is a reliance upon God's grace in the moments where we need it most. Just sayin!

How can I help?

 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” (Romans 15:1-2)

You and I have been blessed in so many ways, but did you realize the blessings we have today are often born out of times of leanness, grief, despair, and hardship? I can recount the times when the kids and I lived paycheck to paycheck, relishing a good thrift store find that helped to supplement our wardrobes, and even getting a used car that I could repair myself. We have way more blessings that we may realize, but what do we 'do' with those blessings? If we are to be obedient servants, we are to step in, lend that hand, and be of service where service is most needed. In other words, we who are blessed with so much and in so many ways are to become a blessing to others!

It could be your way of being a strengthening force for another is continually lift them up in prayer - so pray. You might have the ability to volunteer your time at a food bank - so dig in, put your back into the work, and get those boxes packed. You may be considering being a blessing to a young couple without grandparents nearby - so become their babysitter so they can enjoy a night out. There is no one way we bless another - our ability to be a blessing is as varied as the blessings we have received in our lives. Lend a hand, help the one up who is buried under that burden, and let them lean on you a bit until they get their footing and find their path of blessing.

One thing that is so different today from when I was growing up is this sense of community - of looking after the good of those around us. When I grew up, mom's hung out in the backyard, chatting over the fence line as they hung out the family laundry. They'd take a cup of coffee together and share about each other's week. As I sat with my BFF yesterday, I observed a woman attempting to find a table at the diner where we took lunch. It was hot and sunny and only outdoor tables were available. We had been able to snag one totally under the shade of a large tree, so ours was 'premium' real estate! As we offered her our table, she let us know how appreciative she was and added she was there on a 'girl's day out' with her daughter. My heart soared to hear that because we all need those 'girl's days out' / 'guy's days out' when we can just catch up with each other, pour into each other's lives and just be a blessing to each other.

Blessings don't have to cost us much - but perhaps the one blessing that has a 'cost' much higher than some seem to pay is one that involves our time. Be willing to give your time, my friend. You never know when your time becomes the means by which someone finds the strength to continue to go on as their battle grows harder and harder. My friends of all those years ago who brought me meals, gave me hand-me-down clothes for the kids, and went garage sale hopping on Saturdays were doing just that - they were helping me stand a little stronger than I actually could stand on my own. Just sayin!

GOOD DAY ALL

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. (I Peter3:8b)

How many of us actually wake up on the side of the bed that has us wishing that only BAD things will come into our day? I daresay if this were the case, most of us would get a new bed! We wake up hoping for the day to bring us GOOD things, don't we? 😁We want our day to be filled to overflowing with GOOD - so shouldn't we be listening to what God says will actually produce GOOD things in our day?

It begins with us - not the bed! We begin by paying close attention our 👄. We don't start the day with negative words - words that actually reek of evil intent and unkind motives. We choose to speak words that will uplift, encourage, and even create a sense of peace in our homes. Those words begin with us - as we look at our disheveled selves in the mirror each day - then they continue as we engage with others throughout our daily endeavors.

Cultivate good - snub evil. That is a pretty tall order when you get right down to it. Cultivation requires preparing the ground so it is ready to bear a good harvest. A harvest of GOOD in our day doesn't happen by accident - there is some forethought and effort. We plan for good by avoiding all things on the other side of good - evil intent, hurtful words, unkind actions, 😈 corrupt speech, malicious gossip - to name just a few.

Run after ☮ for all it's worth. There is something about those who pursue peace that is kind of contagious. It is like a magnet that draws others in and holds their attention. Why? Peace is so much in demand, yet most have no clue how to achieve it for themselves - much less do they understand how Christ produces this sense of calm, assurance, and trust within each of us. 

Today is full of possibilities, but only those who truly take action to see them fulfilled will take note of them in their lives. Those were all action words we looked at today - speak, cultivate, avoid, run, pursue. All require us to be attentive, but they also require us to be engaged. We can be attentive without being engaged - take the first 👣 toward kindness today and see where it leads you. You could just be surprised by how much GOOD your day holds! Just sayin!

So, you lead and I follow?

Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Some of us don't really know the difference between following and leading as evidenced by us attempting to lead all the time! The primary difference is position. The leader is out front - the followers are moving "behind" the leader, but consistently in the same direction as the leader. This may seem a little rudimentary to some, but let me assure you, following is a lot tougher than just "getting in line" and "marching on". If you don't believe me, ask any first grade teacher on the first day of school! They will surely tell you how hard it is to keep those little one all in a neat row, especially if they are "standing still" for any length of time! They will wiggle, move out of line, squat on the ground to explore the potato bug crossing in a crack in the sidewalk, or simply fall out of line to go do something else or talk to a new friend in the back of the line. I think the same may be true with God in our lives - we line up behind him, but if he stands still for too long according to our estimation of how fast he should be moving, we get a little distracted! "Follow the Leader" - a child's game where someone would be "it" and then you would all do what the "leader" was doing. If he jumped, you'd jump. If he walked in a circle, you were close behind. If he sat down, so did you. The idea was for the leader to "catch" someone not doing what the leader did! They were then declared to be "out". The last person "standing" was the new leader. I think we try to live out our "obedience" to God's desires in our lives this way. We line up well, set out to do exactly what he is doing, then at some point, we get distracted. The moment of distraction may make us feel like we are "out" in this "game of life" - because our "distraction" left us feeling defeated and like we would never get this 'life stuff' right. We sit down, watching others go on in their pursuit of the "leader". Sad, but it is true - we sometimes quit because we don't think we "followed" well and we know someone noticed we weren't following very well.

WE are not the leaders. If we were, whenever someone failed to "follow well", we'd make them sit out the rest of the game just like we did as kids! We are not supposed to be focused on becoming the next "leader", we are to be focused on being the best "follower" possible. Jesus was quite plain - we are not in the driver's seat. He has the honor. Sometimes being in the "passenger's seat" is the most difficult position to be in - especially when we think we know a short-cut to our destination! We want to direct the driver to take all the little "short-cuts" so we arrive at our destination a little quicker than the rest. Problem is, our driver has all the "traffic alerts" - we don't! He knows what lays ahead just around the next turn - we don't. If we demand the short-cut, we may be placing ourselves right in the spot of "delays" and "disaster" without even knowing it. We want to run from what is uncomfortable to us. He wants to lead us through it. To run from it seemingly allows us to avoid the emotional stress of the discomfort. Have you ever tried to run from something you thought was so uncomfortable, only to find your discomfort magnified by your inability to confront the situation? I have! It isn't worth it! I have shied away from tough relationship conversations - only to find the problem just gets bigger and bigger. I have refused to take the first step toward forgiveness and reconciliation - only to find the pathway "back" into relationship is now riddled with lots of messy, hard to weed through stuff! It truly isn't worth it! We need to remember, Jesus would never lead us where he will not keep us! He wants us to "avoid" the "traffic" of this kind of stuff - taking the path he leads helps with truly avoiding the "delays" and "disasters" in life.

He knows we get distracted by the "stuff" in life. "Stuff" is really a term we use for "clutter", isn't it. When we don't really know what is "inside" something, we call it "stuff". Like when we say we have a "junk drawer" in the kitchen. If someone asked you what you kept in there, you'd likely outline a few things and then add, "stuff like that". Why? Simply because you really cannot account for the "stuff" in there! "Stuff" just fills space. It doesn't really need to be there. This is the problem with "stuff" - it fills the spaces meant for something (or someone) else! God knows we are susceptible to "trading away" what is really the most important thing to keep. We "trade away" our time - in search of things which we think will fulfill. We "trade away" our finances - in search of the next great buy or a winning fortune. We "trade away" our health - by holding onto grudges, living with bitterness, or pursuing life-dominating addictions. There are lots of ways we "trade away" the best for something or someone who will really not fill the "space" of our lives as it was intended to be filled. Jesus' objective in speaking to his disciples that day so long ago, and to us today, is to remind us of the importance of not "trading away" the place in our hearts where he is intended to dwell. When we learn to follow the "leader" of our lives, we find "space" is uncluttered, the "stuff" of life is simpler, and his presence with us as we embrace the "tough stuff" is made a little less difficult. Just sayin!