As I woke up this morning, I gave out one small prayer, "God Help me".
Then as I proceeded on, getting up and dressed, then sitting in the quiet room, opening the Bible readings for this day, I began to think about that prayer. Was it some specific thing that triggered my mind into action this morning? Was it something that I had dreamed or kept in my subconscious throughout the night? Was it just a general plea for help in my life?
I confess that I really do not know what caused that prayer to surface at that particular time. There are some specific concerns and some general ones. I know that I need God's help to live this upcoming day in the way that I should, and I also know that there are things in my life and family that need His Hand.
I realize that I do not know what the later hours of this day will hold. I do have a general idea of some things that are on my schedule for today, but how they will unfold is anyone's guess. I know some of the people that I will have some contact with, but don't know how those interactions will proceed either. In short, I know, but I don't know.
The one thing that I know for certain, as the day plays out in its entirety, is that, in order to have the right attitudes in all these relationships, I need help, and I need supernatural help. In my flesh, I am supremely selfish. I want what I want, and the feelings, hopes, dreams, joys or sorrows and concerns of others take second place. I cannot be what I need to be on my own. I cannot be what God wants me to be without His abiding help. Not just a shot of help now and then, but a continual one.
Then I think of what gives me the right to even ask for His help. It is not my goodness that prompts this outpouring of his love and grace. As I read the Psalm for this morning, the ending words give me a clue. From Psalm 18:
"the Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me."
But I know that I do not meet these requirements on my own. I have no righteousness or cleanliness in my life without the covering of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is His forgiveness that gives me that status where I can approach an Eternal God, and ask for help.
Oh yes, that leads me to my second most uttered prayer:
"Thank You God"
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Life Moves On, and On, and On.....
I confess this morning that the first words of Psalm 5 speak my heart:
"Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray."
My brother up in Louisville, Ky sent me an article from his daily paper yesterday, talking about a prison ministry up in West Virginia that is engaged in sending books to inmates in prisons around that area. He was asking me if that is what we used to do, and do I miss that, now that the funds we used to buy and send the books, has been used up?
My answer is yes, I do miss it. It could be the lack of interaction with those in need of some hope, or it could be that without something to do with my hands, in other words, being busy, I don't feel very needed.
Realizing that this is a mistaken attitude toward service, and that busyness is not the answer to a fulfilling life of helping others, it is still hard not to be important in God's work. Not the self importance of saying "Look here, this is what I do", but the making a difference in the lives of people, especially those that are the forgotten of society.
I realize also that God has put me here, where I am, and He has given me other avenues of service. He has given me responsibilities in His work, and I know He has not put me out to pasture. I do not need to look for some grandiose scheme to give me a sense of worth, I only need to serve where I am called.
I also know that my golf score or my tennis games are not the answer to a fulfilling life. They are fun ways to fill some days, but my cry is for more meaning in my life in the days that I have left on this earth.
I want to help but not just to be busy.
God, open my eyes to see what is around me. The opportunities that I have for service for You and the importance to You of my activities. Help me to feel a sense of worth in what I do, and help me to be a blessing to others.
This is what I ask this morning.
"Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray."
My brother up in Louisville, Ky sent me an article from his daily paper yesterday, talking about a prison ministry up in West Virginia that is engaged in sending books to inmates in prisons around that area. He was asking me if that is what we used to do, and do I miss that, now that the funds we used to buy and send the books, has been used up?
My answer is yes, I do miss it. It could be the lack of interaction with those in need of some hope, or it could be that without something to do with my hands, in other words, being busy, I don't feel very needed.
Realizing that this is a mistaken attitude toward service, and that busyness is not the answer to a fulfilling life of helping others, it is still hard not to be important in God's work. Not the self importance of saying "Look here, this is what I do", but the making a difference in the lives of people, especially those that are the forgotten of society.
I realize also that God has put me here, where I am, and He has given me other avenues of service. He has given me responsibilities in His work, and I know He has not put me out to pasture. I do not need to look for some grandiose scheme to give me a sense of worth, I only need to serve where I am called.
I also know that my golf score or my tennis games are not the answer to a fulfilling life. They are fun ways to fill some days, but my cry is for more meaning in my life in the days that I have left on this earth.
I want to help but not just to be busy.
God, open my eyes to see what is around me. The opportunities that I have for service for You and the importance to You of my activities. Help me to feel a sense of worth in what I do, and help me to be a blessing to others.
This is what I ask this morning.
Monday, November 26, 2012
When Silence is not Silent
I woke up this morning with no real agenda in my mind. I felt like I would just do a little bit of Bible Study, and a little bit of writing to begin my day.
Then came a phone call, someone checking my morning schedule to see if I would be available for a meeting in about 45 minutes. So I ate a quick breakfast and then proceeded to leave. After an hour or so, I came home, ready to take up where I left off and do my quiet time. Then Mayre tells me that the church had called and had some checks that needed to be signed, so off I went again, signed, and returned home once again.
I knew I still had the time to have a quality study, prayer and meditation period before lunch, so I sat down and read the Scriptures for today. And what happened? Nothing! My mind was still turning from the meeting and the conversations at church, and, even as I read, I could sense that all I was doing was just that, reading. Nothing jumped out at me from the pages of the readings, nothing that I could put my hands on and say that God was trying to show me this or that out of what I read.
I was almost as if He was saying, "I have given you many things over the past days and weeks, are you living a changed life because of that, or have those things just been written down and forgotten?" "Were they only for you to have something to blog about, or were they to be lived?"
So I began to look back at some previous posts, ones where I felt He had spoken to me about some issues in my life. Have I continued on a path that He has pointed out to me, or just written those thought down and gone my merry way?
Let's see:
I wrote about the turmoil in Israel and the Middle East. Have I spent any time in prayer for all of that?
I wrote about my treatment of other people and my attitude in dealing with strangers, as well as people that I knew. How about that?
I wrote about my responsibility because of the way God has blessed me? Am I still just accepting His blessings and going on my way?
I wrote about a special day. Have I consciously made an effort to make a day, any day, even this day, special to someone?
I wrote about a Thanksgiving filled with hospitality for others. Have I even thought about it since that day?
I wrote about pride and how it relates to concern for others less fortunate than I. How have I lived that out?
Good Grief, Charlie Brown, I can see why God might choose to be silent on this morning. Could it be that He is saying "Look at all you have been prompted to think about and write down. Take note of the things I have put into your mind. What have you done with all these insights into your own life?"
And the list above only came from the past few posts.
Could it be that His silence was not that after all?
Then came a phone call, someone checking my morning schedule to see if I would be available for a meeting in about 45 minutes. So I ate a quick breakfast and then proceeded to leave. After an hour or so, I came home, ready to take up where I left off and do my quiet time. Then Mayre tells me that the church had called and had some checks that needed to be signed, so off I went again, signed, and returned home once again.
I knew I still had the time to have a quality study, prayer and meditation period before lunch, so I sat down and read the Scriptures for today. And what happened? Nothing! My mind was still turning from the meeting and the conversations at church, and, even as I read, I could sense that all I was doing was just that, reading. Nothing jumped out at me from the pages of the readings, nothing that I could put my hands on and say that God was trying to show me this or that out of what I read.
I was almost as if He was saying, "I have given you many things over the past days and weeks, are you living a changed life because of that, or have those things just been written down and forgotten?" "Were they only for you to have something to blog about, or were they to be lived?"
So I began to look back at some previous posts, ones where I felt He had spoken to me about some issues in my life. Have I continued on a path that He has pointed out to me, or just written those thought down and gone my merry way?
Let's see:
I wrote about the turmoil in Israel and the Middle East. Have I spent any time in prayer for all of that?
I wrote about my treatment of other people and my attitude in dealing with strangers, as well as people that I knew. How about that?
I wrote about my responsibility because of the way God has blessed me? Am I still just accepting His blessings and going on my way?
I wrote about a special day. Have I consciously made an effort to make a day, any day, even this day, special to someone?
I wrote about a Thanksgiving filled with hospitality for others. Have I even thought about it since that day?
I wrote about pride and how it relates to concern for others less fortunate than I. How have I lived that out?
Good Grief, Charlie Brown, I can see why God might choose to be silent on this morning. Could it be that He is saying "Look at all you have been prompted to think about and write down. Take note of the things I have put into your mind. What have you done with all these insights into your own life?"
And the list above only came from the past few posts.
Could it be that His silence was not that after all?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Proud or what?
Two images come into my mind this day, as I think back over the past few days. We spent Thanksgiving in Virginia with Doug and family and then went on down to Charlotte on Friday to see that family and, in particular, the kids (not really, but teens) run a race on Saturday, before we came on back home that evening.
As I read the Psalms this morning, this verse spoke to one of those images:
His (God's) delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Then I think of the picture that goes with it, at least in my mind:
Is this guy proud or what? I noticed a man looking this pleased with himself, strutting around the race area Saturday after his race, with his medal proudly displayed on his chest.
Then another verse from another Psalm:
(The Lord) who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
Then another picture from the day before Thanksgiving:
This is not a picture I took (or the other one either) but we did encounter a man, standing near the entrance to a grocery store, with a sign that said, "No Food" on a piece of cardboard.
Now I can't really look into the mind or heart of either man that I encountered over those few days, but the contrast is striking. I don't know if the begging man was actually destitute and hungry, and I don't know about the runner either. But God knew both.
I have a hard time deciding what to do when I meet up with a person asking for some handout. I know that can be a scam and just a job for some. But I also know that there are people out there who do hurt and who do need. So what do I do?
Well, I figure that if God puts me in their path, or them in mine, I should have His heart toward them. So, if the sign says "I'm Hungry", I give them some food. Now I know that is a very little thing to do, and maybe I should at least stop a minute and talk to them with some encouragement, but the least I can do is acknowledge them as a person, and not just a road sign.
I don't want to say "God Bless you and be filled" and go my way. In that case I could be a part of the problem and not of any solution. So I give and leave it to God to know the outcome. He cares and I want to also.
I didn't get a medal either.....
As I read the Psalms this morning, this verse spoke to one of those images:
His (God's) delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Then I think of the picture that goes with it, at least in my mind:
Is this guy proud or what? I noticed a man looking this pleased with himself, strutting around the race area Saturday after his race, with his medal proudly displayed on his chest.
Then another verse from another Psalm:
(The Lord) who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
Then another picture from the day before Thanksgiving:
This is not a picture I took (or the other one either) but we did encounter a man, standing near the entrance to a grocery store, with a sign that said, "No Food" on a piece of cardboard.
Now I can't really look into the mind or heart of either man that I encountered over those few days, but the contrast is striking. I don't know if the begging man was actually destitute and hungry, and I don't know about the runner either. But God knew both.
I have a hard time deciding what to do when I meet up with a person asking for some handout. I know that can be a scam and just a job for some. But I also know that there are people out there who do hurt and who do need. So what do I do?
Well, I figure that if God puts me in their path, or them in mine, I should have His heart toward them. So, if the sign says "I'm Hungry", I give them some food. Now I know that is a very little thing to do, and maybe I should at least stop a minute and talk to them with some encouragement, but the least I can do is acknowledge them as a person, and not just a road sign.
I don't want to say "God Bless you and be filled" and go my way. In that case I could be a part of the problem and not of any solution. So I give and leave it to God to know the outcome. He cares and I want to also.
I didn't get a medal either.....
Friday, November 23, 2012
A Blessing of Hospitality
Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving. In some ways it was a traditional American Thanksgiving Day, but in other ways it was different from any other that have been ours over the years.
Yes we had the 3 Fs, family, food and football. We were up here in Blacksburg, VA with our youngest son and his family, and Dawn had indeed prepared a fantastic feast with all the stuff that we have come to associate with the Day. There was the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, the green beans, the cranberry dish and the pumpkin desert. And we ate it all.
Then there was football, which went on into the night. It did not much matter who was playing, we just enjoyed watching it all together. Parts of the family came and went from the TV set during the game, but we all watched parts of it together, and the screen was filled with those images for most of the day and evening.
But it was a different day also. We shared our feast with seven other people. One from Pennsylvania, a couple from Greece, a couple from Brazil and another couple from India. It was an international Thanksgiving.
This was a day for hospitality. These 7 folks joined us for all of the above, and we were blessed by having them around us. Doug and Dawn opened their home to four young men and three wives, the men being his students at the University. They were able to show these students true Christian hospitality as they were included in our family day.
I trust that these men and women were blessed by being there and sharing with us, I know I was. It was great to see the three kids of Doug's family share with these strangers, too. The students were taken right into all the family doings, from all the above features of the Day, to endless games of ping pong and a lot of discussions around the dinner table. It was not only a time of sharing traditions, it was a time of sharing lives on an intimate basis.
I sit here this morning being thankful to God for all His blessings to me, and I am grateful that He just added one more BIG blessing to me yesterday.
I am truly blessed.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thanksgiving, Not Just a Holiday
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. As I sit here this morning, I don't really know why it has held this place in my life, but from as long as I can remember, it has been so. Maybe it was because, as a boy growing up, that this day was the prelude to the real Holiday season of Christmas with all of its pageantry and fun. Maybe it was family, food and football. Regardless, I am here again today, looking forward to the events of this special day.
But I also think that thanksgiving is more than just a holiday. It is more than just a way of living my life, as good as that might be. It is more than just sitting around a festive table, filled with goodies, and recalling the things that I am thankful for. It involves at least two more ingredients, two responsibilities.
It is not enough to just be thankful. I can rest on the sofa after a big (no, a huge) meal and be pleasantly thankful. Filling my heart with this gratitude and being satisfied in where I am and what my place in life has become. It is more than just that. My personal responsibility is to make sure that my thankfulness is directed to the true source of all these blessings. Just being thankful is not enough, being thankful to God, the giver of all things, is important. It is not through anything that I have done, or deserve, that my life is filled, it is only by His hand that I am blessed.
The second is like unto the first. When I am truly thankful to God, it is my responsibility not to shrink away from proclaiming that fact. I don't need to just sit back and accept these things from His hand, I need to be faithful in sharing the reason for my grateful attitude. If it is not a secret to me where all of my blessing comes from, neither should it be a secret kept in my heart and not shared.
I said two responsibilities, but just thought of a third. The sharing of blessings, both by word and action, is another way of being truly thankful. God has blessed me and I need to bless others by what I say, what I do, and what I have.
There is a chorus that we used to sing a lot of times in church, and need to sing more, that is the way that I want to live my life.
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
But I also think that thanksgiving is more than just a holiday. It is more than just a way of living my life, as good as that might be. It is more than just sitting around a festive table, filled with goodies, and recalling the things that I am thankful for. It involves at least two more ingredients, two responsibilities.
It is not enough to just be thankful. I can rest on the sofa after a big (no, a huge) meal and be pleasantly thankful. Filling my heart with this gratitude and being satisfied in where I am and what my place in life has become. It is more than just that. My personal responsibility is to make sure that my thankfulness is directed to the true source of all these blessings. Just being thankful is not enough, being thankful to God, the giver of all things, is important. It is not through anything that I have done, or deserve, that my life is filled, it is only by His hand that I am blessed.
The second is like unto the first. When I am truly thankful to God, it is my responsibility not to shrink away from proclaiming that fact. I don't need to just sit back and accept these things from His hand, I need to be faithful in sharing the reason for my grateful attitude. If it is not a secret to me where all of my blessing comes from, neither should it be a secret kept in my heart and not shared.
I said two responsibilities, but just thought of a third. The sharing of blessings, both by word and action, is another way of being truly thankful. God has blessed me and I need to bless others by what I say, what I do, and what I have.
There is a chorus that we used to sing a lot of times in church, and need to sing more, that is the way that I want to live my life.
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
I love this verse. I get chills when I hear the music and think on the words. I want it to be the statement of my life.
I am thankful today for everything God has given to me, both spiritual and material, but I want to be His man here where He has put me, to not only have this attitude, but to fulfill the responsibilities that come with the blessings.
May it be so, even today and the rest of my days.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Special Days
Some days are just special. I may not know it when I get up in the morning, but before the day ends, there is the realization that the day just lived has been one to remember. What makes it this way? Will this day be one of those?
Yesterday we spent the day on the road, driving p to VA to be with our family in Blacksburg for Thanksgiving. It is always good to be here. The kids, 12, 10 and 8 seem to look forward to our visit, and we look forward to a lot of good times with them (and their parents) over these few days. I know from past experience that we will play a lot of games, maybe read some books, and just generally have fun together.
As I sit here this morning, listening to the sounds of the family on the floor above, getting ready for breakfast and preparing for a half day of school, I wonder what the day will bring. Will I look back on it and see it as a special day, or just another one lived? What can make it special for them and for us?
Could there be a hint in the Scripture for today? The story told in Luke 19 is a familiar one, but could it have something to do with what will become of this day?
Here is the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, small of stature, but wanting to see Jesus as He passed through his city. Knowing he would not be able to see because of the crowds that lined the way, he climbed a tree to get a better view. Little did he know that Jesus would see him there in the tree, and then invite Himself to his house for a meal and visit.
The story begins with a description of Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector and very rich. but it ends with this rich man giving away half of his wealth to the poor and wanting to make restitution of any funds that he has taken in error. Did the visit make a difference to him? Was it a special day? Did it make a difference in the lives that Zacchaeus touched from then on?
Could such a visit make this day special for me also and the ones I interact with on this day?
We used to teach our kids this little song:
Zacchaeus was a wee little man
and a wee little man was he
He climbed up in the sycamore tree
for the Lord he wanted to see
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in the tree
And He said "Zacchaeus, you come down
For I'm going to your house today"
I know Who can make the difference in this day. Will I let Him lead me in it?
Oh, where is my tree?
Yesterday we spent the day on the road, driving p to VA to be with our family in Blacksburg for Thanksgiving. It is always good to be here. The kids, 12, 10 and 8 seem to look forward to our visit, and we look forward to a lot of good times with them (and their parents) over these few days. I know from past experience that we will play a lot of games, maybe read some books, and just generally have fun together.
As I sit here this morning, listening to the sounds of the family on the floor above, getting ready for breakfast and preparing for a half day of school, I wonder what the day will bring. Will I look back on it and see it as a special day, or just another one lived? What can make it special for them and for us?
Could there be a hint in the Scripture for today? The story told in Luke 19 is a familiar one, but could it have something to do with what will become of this day?
Here is the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, small of stature, but wanting to see Jesus as He passed through his city. Knowing he would not be able to see because of the crowds that lined the way, he climbed a tree to get a better view. Little did he know that Jesus would see him there in the tree, and then invite Himself to his house for a meal and visit.
The story begins with a description of Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector and very rich. but it ends with this rich man giving away half of his wealth to the poor and wanting to make restitution of any funds that he has taken in error. Did the visit make a difference to him? Was it a special day? Did it make a difference in the lives that Zacchaeus touched from then on?
Could such a visit make this day special for me also and the ones I interact with on this day?
We used to teach our kids this little song:
Zacchaeus was a wee little man
and a wee little man was he
He climbed up in the sycamore tree
for the Lord he wanted to see
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in the tree
And He said "Zacchaeus, you come down
For I'm going to your house today"
I know Who can make the difference in this day. Will I let Him lead me in it?
Oh, where is my tree?
Monday, November 19, 2012
Questions and Answers
I can ask the right questions, but I need to stay around and hear all the answers, not just the part that I want to hear. I may be looking for a certain answer, but I can't just tune out when I hear it. No, I need to hear all of it.
In Luke 18, a certain Jewish leader comes to Jesus with a question. It is an important question, one that has eternal consequences for him, and one that he needs to have answered. Was he truly seeking the answer or was he just trying to justify his life? Regardless of his motive, he did need to hear the answer.
So he asked and then paused to listen to Jesus' reply:
Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
I can see the relief on his face as he realizes that he has been living his life this way and he is OK. Then comes:
“There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus has not put a period at the end of that first part of the answer, only a comma. Listen to the rest of the story:
But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
There is a sudden realization that there is more to this important answer, a part that he may have feared would be there, but that he did not want to hear. He asked the right question, but only part of the answer satisfied his desire.
I thank God for all His blessings to me, while deep down on the inside, I wonder "why?". God may answer "it is not because of anything you have done, it is only because I love you and want the best for you". I hear the answer and am grateful all over again, truly grateful to Him for health, for prosperity, for the good life in a good place, for family and for friends, and I am right to be grateful for all of the above.
But I want to go ahead and put the period there, to hear I am OK, but the comma is there instead, and I fear to listen. There is more to the story than just the blessings. There is responsibility that comes because of them. There is the answer to the "Why?" question.
God help me to hear, really hear, and obey, not go away sad.
In Luke 18, a certain Jewish leader comes to Jesus with a question. It is an important question, one that has eternal consequences for him, and one that he needs to have answered. Was he truly seeking the answer or was he just trying to justify his life? Regardless of his motive, he did need to hear the answer.
So he asked and then paused to listen to Jesus' reply:
Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.”
I can see the relief on his face as he realizes that he has been living his life this way and he is OK. Then comes:
“There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus has not put a period at the end of that first part of the answer, only a comma. Listen to the rest of the story:
But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
There is a sudden realization that there is more to this important answer, a part that he may have feared would be there, but that he did not want to hear. He asked the right question, but only part of the answer satisfied his desire.
I thank God for all His blessings to me, while deep down on the inside, I wonder "why?". God may answer "it is not because of anything you have done, it is only because I love you and want the best for you". I hear the answer and am grateful all over again, truly grateful to Him for health, for prosperity, for the good life in a good place, for family and for friends, and I am right to be grateful for all of the above.
But I want to go ahead and put the period there, to hear I am OK, but the comma is there instead, and I fear to listen. There is more to the story than just the blessings. There is responsibility that comes because of them. There is the answer to the "Why?" question.
God help me to hear, really hear, and obey, not go away sad.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Three Couples..
Three couples made an appearance in my world this morning. As I walked out early, I met our next door neighbors in the parking garage, as they too were out for some early morning exercise. We chatted as we walked, and then they turned and went back around the driveway to begin another loop. I continued out the gate and onto the golf course for my usual stroll.
As I walked onto the cart path, I saw ahead of me, another couple whom I knew from the other building. I was pretty far behind them, and they were walking the same path, going in the same direction, but they did not look back, so, did not even know that I was behind them. They continued on their way as I turned to walk into a subdivision, and I did not see them again.
Then as I walked up the street, a man came out of a house, a man that I did not know at all. We said our "good mornings", and he got into his car with his wife (I guess she was his wife, I did not know for sure) and drove away.
As I finished my walk, and even as I sit here thinking, I realize that, even though I know the names of two of the couples, and have even talked to them on occasion, I know very little about any of the four lives. The other couple I know nothing except a possible last name that I read on their mailbox. But I know they are all individual people.
People with dreams, cares, joys, sorrows, plans, disappointments, anticipations, aspirations and failures. People with lives that are being lived, each day, perhaps with complete joy and perhaps in quiet desperation.
Why these thoughts this morning?
It was not my choosing to bring them into my life on this fall morning. These folks made their own choices to be where they were at this early time. Did God put them each one into that spot at that time for a reason? Was it for them, or was it for me? Was it for both, and did He orchestrate the whole thing? How can it be important if they did not even know it?
Could it be that God was speaking to me about my attitude toward people in general? People are not a mass of humanity out there. The mass is made up of individuals, each with a name, each with a life, each with all the feelings that I might have.
They are important to God. He knows and He cares.
How about me? Do I?
As I walked onto the cart path, I saw ahead of me, another couple whom I knew from the other building. I was pretty far behind them, and they were walking the same path, going in the same direction, but they did not look back, so, did not even know that I was behind them. They continued on their way as I turned to walk into a subdivision, and I did not see them again.
Then as I walked up the street, a man came out of a house, a man that I did not know at all. We said our "good mornings", and he got into his car with his wife (I guess she was his wife, I did not know for sure) and drove away.
As I finished my walk, and even as I sit here thinking, I realize that, even though I know the names of two of the couples, and have even talked to them on occasion, I know very little about any of the four lives. The other couple I know nothing except a possible last name that I read on their mailbox. But I know they are all individual people.
People with dreams, cares, joys, sorrows, plans, disappointments, anticipations, aspirations and failures. People with lives that are being lived, each day, perhaps with complete joy and perhaps in quiet desperation.
Why these thoughts this morning?
It was not my choosing to bring them into my life on this fall morning. These folks made their own choices to be where they were at this early time. Did God put them each one into that spot at that time for a reason? Was it for them, or was it for me? Was it for both, and did He orchestrate the whole thing? How can it be important if they did not even know it?
Could it be that God was speaking to me about my attitude toward people in general? People are not a mass of humanity out there. The mass is made up of individuals, each with a name, each with a life, each with all the feelings that I might have.
They are important to God. He knows and He cares.
How about me? Do I?
Friday, November 16, 2012
Do I Have Any Obligations on the World Stage?
Way back in Old Testament times, the psalmist wrote these lines as a supplication to his God, pleading for help for his people:
"Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,"
I can't help but think of the current day situation in that same land, where the tension would seem to an outsider, to be so great as to almost be unbearable. Both Jews and Palestinians not knowing when the next rocket or bomb may snuff out a life. Maybe you just get numb and go about your business, trying not to think about it and the consequences of those daily occurrences.
I'm sure that there are still those in The Holy Land who went through the Holocaust, and, coming out of that experience, migrated to that spot, coming back home so to speak. Since the founding of the nation of Israel back in 1948, God has blessed that land, protecting them through 3 major wars and numerous acts of violence. Against huge odds, a country has been built and has prospered.
God's hand seems to be on that nation. As a people they have spent many lifetimes moving away from and then back to God and His laws and love. They have been nearly destroyed and then risen from the ashes. They have been scattered around the world, and now many of their descendants have returned to that land. But they seem to be a very secular land today. There does not seem to be a returning to the Hebrew religion, or any other for that matter.
What is God up to there today? Could it be the events foretold in the Book of Revelation, and the end times?
We do not know the ways of God, except to know that He is in control of every situation, and His Word will come to pass. So as we watch the news and read of the things going on over there, what should we do? Or, since this is my blog, what would God have me to do if anything right now?
The psalmist says in 122:6
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you."
There is also that promise to Abraham from God way back in Genesis 12:3:
"I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
One reason often given by Christians in this country, for God's continued blessings on America, is because we have helped Israel over these past 60 plus years, both from a governmental standpoint and an individual one. So what do I do, right now, today?
I can pray, for the people and the nation, as well as the ones all around them that would destroy them. I can pray that all might see the miraculous hand of God in the affairs of that small country. I can pray that His will would be done in all that area, and I can urge my country's government to keep up their support for those people.
Thy Will Be Done
"Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,"
I can't help but think of the current day situation in that same land, where the tension would seem to an outsider, to be so great as to almost be unbearable. Both Jews and Palestinians not knowing when the next rocket or bomb may snuff out a life. Maybe you just get numb and go about your business, trying not to think about it and the consequences of those daily occurrences.
I'm sure that there are still those in The Holy Land who went through the Holocaust, and, coming out of that experience, migrated to that spot, coming back home so to speak. Since the founding of the nation of Israel back in 1948, God has blessed that land, protecting them through 3 major wars and numerous acts of violence. Against huge odds, a country has been built and has prospered.
God's hand seems to be on that nation. As a people they have spent many lifetimes moving away from and then back to God and His laws and love. They have been nearly destroyed and then risen from the ashes. They have been scattered around the world, and now many of their descendants have returned to that land. But they seem to be a very secular land today. There does not seem to be a returning to the Hebrew religion, or any other for that matter.
What is God up to there today? Could it be the events foretold in the Book of Revelation, and the end times?
We do not know the ways of God, except to know that He is in control of every situation, and His Word will come to pass. So as we watch the news and read of the things going on over there, what should we do? Or, since this is my blog, what would God have me to do if anything right now?
The psalmist says in 122:6
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you."
There is also that promise to Abraham from God way back in Genesis 12:3:
"I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
One reason often given by Christians in this country, for God's continued blessings on America, is because we have helped Israel over these past 60 plus years, both from a governmental standpoint and an individual one. So what do I do, right now, today?
I can pray, for the people and the nation, as well as the ones all around them that would destroy them. I can pray that all might see the miraculous hand of God in the affairs of that small country. I can pray that His will would be done in all that area, and I can urge my country's government to keep up their support for those people.
Thy Will Be Done
Thursday, November 15, 2012
What About Today?
My first thought on waking up this morning was "I have nothing on my calendar for today...what will I do?"
I knew the first thing I wanted to do was to get up, see what the Scripture passage was for this day, take a walk, think on it and see if God hit me with any profound (or maybe not-so-profound) thoughts, words that I could use to begin this day, words that would help me live in His will today.
So what came out of that early exercise (walking and thinking) this morning? In the Psalm reading, Psalm 105, there was a mention of Joseph, and how God used him in his plan for the children of Abraham, in that time of their early history.
So, I thought about Joseph. Of course the Bible does not tell the day by day narrative of his life, only the parts that we need to know to understand the story. But I have to wonder about his other days, those days, months and years that Joseph spent not having a clue about how his life would unfold. Sure, he had had those early dreams when God let him know about his future as someone even his family would bow down to, but then came those series of events that led him into slavery and into prison. Each time things would begin to look up, he was shot down again, until that day that Pharaoh made him second in command over the whole land of Egypt.
How did Joseph fill his mind during all those days of waiting? The only hint of discouragement that I see in his life was when he asked the chief butler of Pharaoh to please remember him when he was released back to his former position. Surely he had found a way out of an unjust prison sentence with that avenue. But even then he gets two more years before the butler remembers and tells the ruler about the man in prison who could interpret dreams.
God had given him these abilities, but were they only to be used in historically insignificant ways, although not insignificantly for the butler and baker in prison?
Joseph did not see the end of the story, but he persevered. Is there a lesson in that for me? Who or what might God bring into my life today? Will I take some action that He has for me? Could that action be just waiting patiently for some word from Him, or could it be a helping hand for someone He puts in my path? Can I even know the significance of either type of action on my part? Do I need to know all of this as the day begins or just be open to His leading?
Questions abound, but I think the answers can be found in actively listening and obeying.
It is my belief that I have begun this day correctly, now to live the rest of it in the same way.
I knew the first thing I wanted to do was to get up, see what the Scripture passage was for this day, take a walk, think on it and see if God hit me with any profound (or maybe not-so-profound) thoughts, words that I could use to begin this day, words that would help me live in His will today.
So what came out of that early exercise (walking and thinking) this morning? In the Psalm reading, Psalm 105, there was a mention of Joseph, and how God used him in his plan for the children of Abraham, in that time of their early history.
So, I thought about Joseph. Of course the Bible does not tell the day by day narrative of his life, only the parts that we need to know to understand the story. But I have to wonder about his other days, those days, months and years that Joseph spent not having a clue about how his life would unfold. Sure, he had had those early dreams when God let him know about his future as someone even his family would bow down to, but then came those series of events that led him into slavery and into prison. Each time things would begin to look up, he was shot down again, until that day that Pharaoh made him second in command over the whole land of Egypt.
How did Joseph fill his mind during all those days of waiting? The only hint of discouragement that I see in his life was when he asked the chief butler of Pharaoh to please remember him when he was released back to his former position. Surely he had found a way out of an unjust prison sentence with that avenue. But even then he gets two more years before the butler remembers and tells the ruler about the man in prison who could interpret dreams.
God had given him these abilities, but were they only to be used in historically insignificant ways, although not insignificantly for the butler and baker in prison?
Joseph did not see the end of the story, but he persevered. Is there a lesson in that for me? Who or what might God bring into my life today? Will I take some action that He has for me? Could that action be just waiting patiently for some word from Him, or could it be a helping hand for someone He puts in my path? Can I even know the significance of either type of action on my part? Do I need to know all of this as the day begins or just be open to His leading?
Questions abound, but I think the answers can be found in actively listening and obeying.
It is my belief that I have begun this day correctly, now to live the rest of it in the same way.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
3 Prescriptions for.....
We have been praying a lot in our church elder's meetings. Praying for our church, for our country and its leaders, and for ourselves as individuals.
While reading in Psalms 101 this morning, and thinking about what kind of person God would want to see living his/her life out in the world, some attributes of this come out:
"I will walk with integrity of heart"
And
"I will ponder the way that is blameless."
And also
" I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless."
What a prescription for an upright life!
Oh, that it might be me.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Obedience, Regardless
Obedience, Obedience and still Obedience....
A portion of today's Scripture in Luke 17 reads thusly:
"Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did."
Do I do things for the thanks I get? Do I do them because I want to look good in other's eyes?
So where do I get the idea of what I am supposed to obey? Sure the Bible says, "Children obey your parents" and "servants obey your masters". Jesus also says that "if you love Me, you keep My commandments".
I can open my Bible and read these right out, plain and to the point. But there are also other nudges and taps on the shoulder that the Spirit gives me in my life that call for an obedient action, even if others cannot see it that way, and even if no one but God Himself would know whether or not I obeyed that call.
A case in point: The other day I felt like the Scripture for that morning gave me a clear call about some things to do in my life, some lifestyle adjustments that had been in the back of my mind for some time. Now I am not big into "God told me to do this" ways of speaking and explanations, but circumstances and a check in my spirit seemed to lead in this direction. In order to be sure, I had to follow that direction and leave the results up to Him.
So I did. I talked to my wife about it, and I talked to those of my friends that this change affected. There were some questions, some puzzled looks and some "well, I don't know about that" statements, but in the final analysis, everyone said, in effect, "follow what you hear God telling you to do".
So I did.
I know, I look around and hear in my mind, reasons that this may not be right, that perhaps I have not heard correctly. I can rationalize and come up with other scenarios that might fit me better, but the key is not "me", it is obedience to what I have heard. If I have heard incorrectly, He will let me know surely.
So I do, and not looking for ways to skirt the issues, not looking for things that could make me go back, not thinking of how it could be different and better for me another way.
God, Help me to hear and obey regardless......
A portion of today's Scripture in Luke 17 reads thusly:
"Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did."
Do I do things for the thanks I get? Do I do them because I want to look good in other's eyes?
So where do I get the idea of what I am supposed to obey? Sure the Bible says, "Children obey your parents" and "servants obey your masters". Jesus also says that "if you love Me, you keep My commandments".
I can open my Bible and read these right out, plain and to the point. But there are also other nudges and taps on the shoulder that the Spirit gives me in my life that call for an obedient action, even if others cannot see it that way, and even if no one but God Himself would know whether or not I obeyed that call.
A case in point: The other day I felt like the Scripture for that morning gave me a clear call about some things to do in my life, some lifestyle adjustments that had been in the back of my mind for some time. Now I am not big into "God told me to do this" ways of speaking and explanations, but circumstances and a check in my spirit seemed to lead in this direction. In order to be sure, I had to follow that direction and leave the results up to Him.
So I did. I talked to my wife about it, and I talked to those of my friends that this change affected. There were some questions, some puzzled looks and some "well, I don't know about that" statements, but in the final analysis, everyone said, in effect, "follow what you hear God telling you to do".
So I did.
I know, I look around and hear in my mind, reasons that this may not be right, that perhaps I have not heard correctly. I can rationalize and come up with other scenarios that might fit me better, but the key is not "me", it is obedience to what I have heard. If I have heard incorrectly, He will let me know surely.
So I do, and not looking for ways to skirt the issues, not looking for things that could make me go back, not thinking of how it could be different and better for me another way.
God, Help me to hear and obey regardless......
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sometimes a Truth Can Become Flippant
Yesterday at church, I had a couple of conversations that lead me to this thought this morning. These can be summarized like this:
I was talking to one man who was distressed about a family situation that may or may not work out. A marriage is in jeopardy, an entire family is stressed, and no one knows exactly how to handle it. There are at least two uncertainties about the whole thing; as to the way to handle it and the possible outcome and its fallout.
Then as I walked across the atrium on the way to the sanctuary, I spotted a man that I have played tennis with on occasion. I called out to him, and he stopped to talk for a minute. It was as if the meeting was preordained, and, from his response to the greeting, I knew that he was needing someone to talk to. It turns out that he had lost his job and was looking for another. He stated that, regardless of all his effort, both in the prior job and in the job search, he had realized that "he was not driving the bus.".
Both men had come back to the truth that God was in control, and I am sure that they were both sincere in their belief in that statement. They both had realized their inability to work the situation out on their own, and, that no matter how much they worried or tried, the ultimate doing was from God's hand.
I am not in control, God is. That statement, as true as it is, can be uttered in two completely different ways. One says that there is nothing that I can do, so I will just sit down and see how God works it out. The other says that I realize the truth of that word, but I need to keep looking for God's direction and following it. God is truly in control, but he may want to use me to be a part of the solution.
GOD IS IN CONTROL, and He does care abut each person. He wants us to trust Him in all of life's joys and problems, but He also wants us to use our responsibility, as His agents, to go where He leads and to become His hands and feet in the solution process.
GOD IS IN CONTROL, and I can say that with conviction or with resignation.
God, please don't let me be flippant, saying it and going on my merry way.
I was talking to one man who was distressed about a family situation that may or may not work out. A marriage is in jeopardy, an entire family is stressed, and no one knows exactly how to handle it. There are at least two uncertainties about the whole thing; as to the way to handle it and the possible outcome and its fallout.
Then as I walked across the atrium on the way to the sanctuary, I spotted a man that I have played tennis with on occasion. I called out to him, and he stopped to talk for a minute. It was as if the meeting was preordained, and, from his response to the greeting, I knew that he was needing someone to talk to. It turns out that he had lost his job and was looking for another. He stated that, regardless of all his effort, both in the prior job and in the job search, he had realized that "he was not driving the bus.".
Both men had come back to the truth that God was in control, and I am sure that they were both sincere in their belief in that statement. They both had realized their inability to work the situation out on their own, and, that no matter how much they worried or tried, the ultimate doing was from God's hand.
I am not in control, God is. That statement, as true as it is, can be uttered in two completely different ways. One says that there is nothing that I can do, so I will just sit down and see how God works it out. The other says that I realize the truth of that word, but I need to keep looking for God's direction and following it. God is truly in control, but he may want to use me to be a part of the solution.
GOD IS IN CONTROL, and He does care abut each person. He wants us to trust Him in all of life's joys and problems, but He also wants us to use our responsibility, as His agents, to go where He leads and to become His hands and feet in the solution process.
GOD IS IN CONTROL, and I can say that with conviction or with resignation.
God, please don't let me be flippant, saying it and going on my merry way.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Great Scott! God Does Not Really Want Me To....Does He?
On Thursday this week, I posted a blog about "Seizing the Opportunity", and today all of that comes back to haunt me. In that post, God seemed to tell me that I need to be proactive in responding to opportunities that He puts in my path, not just reacting to circumstances as they come along. When I penned all of that, it seems like my major emphasis was on Christians in general along with the role of the church.
This morning, at least two things seemed to be directed at me in the two Scripture passages that were the reading for today.
In Luke 16 this phrase appears:
"Use your worldly resources to benefit others"
And in Psalm 90 is this one:
"Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom."
How do I see them coming together to affect my life, right now, this day, in this time?
I see my attitude toward money in two ways this morning, and I am convicted over both. On the one hand, I want to be sure that I have enough to last out my days on earth and to leave enough, if I die first, to ensure that my wife has enough also. In the second place, I tend to be selfish with how I handle what God has allowed me to have. I deny myself very little in the way of material comforts and pleasures, while not thinking of any alternatives for the use of my assets.
Are there changes to be made? If so, how can the left hand of conviction be implemented without the right hand of responsibility be forsaken? How can something be done in this area without someone saying "you are great to do this"?
Carpe Facultas
Do I believe what I wrote on Thursday, or was it just another post I felt should affect others? Is my purpose only to write or is it to respond? Do I write from the heart or just out of my mind?
Those two paths of Scripture this day come together to point the way. I don't see the outcome, but I do see the direction.
Seize the Opportunity
This morning, at least two things seemed to be directed at me in the two Scripture passages that were the reading for today.
In Luke 16 this phrase appears:
"Use your worldly resources to benefit others"
And in Psalm 90 is this one:
"Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom."
How do I see them coming together to affect my life, right now, this day, in this time?
I see my attitude toward money in two ways this morning, and I am convicted over both. On the one hand, I want to be sure that I have enough to last out my days on earth and to leave enough, if I die first, to ensure that my wife has enough also. In the second place, I tend to be selfish with how I handle what God has allowed me to have. I deny myself very little in the way of material comforts and pleasures, while not thinking of any alternatives for the use of my assets.
Are there changes to be made? If so, how can the left hand of conviction be implemented without the right hand of responsibility be forsaken? How can something be done in this area without someone saying "you are great to do this"?
Carpe Facultas
Do I believe what I wrote on Thursday, or was it just another post I felt should affect others? Is my purpose only to write or is it to respond? Do I write from the heart or just out of my mind?
Those two paths of Scripture this day come together to point the way. I don't see the outcome, but I do see the direction.
Seize the Opportunity
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Carpe Facultas
Remember the Robert Frost poem that says:
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"
Now think about the opposite ends of those two roads and follow them back to the junction. Two roads become two lines of thought or action and lead to one road or thought continuing on.
That is how it was for me this morning, as I woke up, read the Scripture and then ventured out into the cool morning air. Passing through the parking garage of the other condo building, I ran into two men preparing to go out for golf across the causeway. As the conversation turned toward the election of Tuesday, one of the men was bemoaning the fact that the future had just gotten a lot dimmer, and we were in for some hard times. While I think that might be true, the two roads, of the portion of Scripture I had just read, and this conversation merged into one thought.
OPPORTUNITY
Looking at some of the results of the election, and reading what various commentators had to say about our country right now, Biblical or Christian values are under attack, and the other side appears to be winning. Those who thumb their noses at morality, as defined in Scripture, are gaining ground. Many times the candidates take positions that are contrary to this morality, and the electorate verifies their stands by electing them to office.
What does God think about all of this? Does He just wink and say "let them go on and see what happens" or does He weep as He sees the consequences that come down the road? I cannot speak for God in this, but I sincerely doubt if He is happy. We receive His blessings, and then we flaunt our sins in His face.
But I also think that this is a time for Christians to be different. For too long we, and I am in this group for sure, have accepted what He has given, and paid lip service to making a difference in our world. We have lived like everyone else and just blended into our society. Where Jesus has admonished us to "take up our cross and follow" we have put that cross on a chain and worn it under our shirt. Just a piece of jewelry, but devoid of any meaning.
The Scripture that was mine this morning was the parable of the prodigal son, or the parable of the loving Father. I thought about the opportunity the three people in the story had to act. The younger son, the older son and the father. There were opportunities given to each, just as there are to me.
I believe this challenge is for each Christian individual, but it is also for the organized church. We either speak out, or we fade into insignificance. What will we do?
I think of my favorite quote from Winston Churchill, given in the dark days of early World War II:
Carpe Facultas.....Seize the Opportunity
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"
Now think about the opposite ends of those two roads and follow them back to the junction. Two roads become two lines of thought or action and lead to one road or thought continuing on.
That is how it was for me this morning, as I woke up, read the Scripture and then ventured out into the cool morning air. Passing through the parking garage of the other condo building, I ran into two men preparing to go out for golf across the causeway. As the conversation turned toward the election of Tuesday, one of the men was bemoaning the fact that the future had just gotten a lot dimmer, and we were in for some hard times. While I think that might be true, the two roads, of the portion of Scripture I had just read, and this conversation merged into one thought.
OPPORTUNITY
Looking at some of the results of the election, and reading what various commentators had to say about our country right now, Biblical or Christian values are under attack, and the other side appears to be winning. Those who thumb their noses at morality, as defined in Scripture, are gaining ground. Many times the candidates take positions that are contrary to this morality, and the electorate verifies their stands by electing them to office.
What does God think about all of this? Does He just wink and say "let them go on and see what happens" or does He weep as He sees the consequences that come down the road? I cannot speak for God in this, but I sincerely doubt if He is happy. We receive His blessings, and then we flaunt our sins in His face.
But I also think that this is a time for Christians to be different. For too long we, and I am in this group for sure, have accepted what He has given, and paid lip service to making a difference in our world. We have lived like everyone else and just blended into our society. Where Jesus has admonished us to "take up our cross and follow" we have put that cross on a chain and worn it under our shirt. Just a piece of jewelry, but devoid of any meaning.
The Scripture that was mine this morning was the parable of the prodigal son, or the parable of the loving Father. I thought about the opportunity the three people in the story had to act. The younger son, the older son and the father. There were opportunities given to each, just as there are to me.
I believe this challenge is for each Christian individual, but it is also for the organized church. We either speak out, or we fade into insignificance. What will we do?
I think of my favorite quote from Winston Churchill, given in the dark days of early World War II:
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour!”
Could it be so for me and for us?Carpe Facultas.....Seize the Opportunity
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Rejoice With Me...
When I finally went to bed last night, the most obvious fact of the political night was that my candidate had lost and that this country was going to continue on the same path that it had traveled for quite a few years now. My hope was that we could begin to turn this ship of state around somewhat at least, and begin to go back to our founding roots. This was my perception of the situation anyway.
As I lay in bed, my mind began to worry just a bit about what was going to happen in the years ahead. Not just the few that I might have left, even though I did consider that also, but the years of my children and grand children. Would they live free and prosper, or would they find the quality of their lives deteriorating and their freedoms curtailed? Could it be that this is a normal thought when the other side wins?
I was anxious to get to the Bible readings for this morning, so, after a time of corporate Bible study at church early, I came home to sit and read. From the reading in Luke chapter 15, two parables about a lost coin and a lost sheep, I read twice:
"Rejoice with me,"
"Rejoice with me,"
What did I have to rejoice about, especially today, the morning after?
These thoughts are not in the order of eternal importance, they are just the order they came to me:
1. This election, though contested bitterly up till the end, was a miracle in itself. I think of some other countries around this world where elections are not so orderly and so peaceful, and the freedoms that we hold so dear are not evident. We can rejoice that we live here and have this opportunity.
2. We live in a great country. It has been in the past and it can be in the future. We have not always been right, but I think, on balance, that we have been a blessing to the world at large. We enjoy both the prosperity and freedom that are the envy of the rest of the world. God has blessed us mightily in this regard.
3. God is still in control. He knows our ending from our beginning. He was not surprised by any political outcome, and His Will will be accomplished. I need to live each day in that fact.
I find myself convicted by one primary thought: I have been derelict in my duty to pray for our country and its leaders. If prayer has any power, and I believe it does, then it is my responsibility to pray for these men and women who hold this governing power in their hands.
I realize also, that this nation will not be healed or turned to the right direction, through the efforts of the voting public at the ballot box. As great as that privilege is, that we have this right to vote and choose, it is only through God's help and mercy that this country will be what it should be. Are we completely wrong? NO, but we have enough sins in our national and personal lives that only God in His mercy and grace can make us into the blessing that He desires.
This verse is still very applicable. Not just because my man lost, but it needs to be on top of every prayer list to put, or keep, this nation, or any country, on God's path.
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."
This verse is available to all, and all need to pray this way, but the emphasis is on "my people". We can Rejoice because we have the opportunity to pray this and mean it, all of us. The formula for success for any nation is right there.
"Rejoice with me,"
As I lay in bed, my mind began to worry just a bit about what was going to happen in the years ahead. Not just the few that I might have left, even though I did consider that also, but the years of my children and grand children. Would they live free and prosper, or would they find the quality of their lives deteriorating and their freedoms curtailed? Could it be that this is a normal thought when the other side wins?
I was anxious to get to the Bible readings for this morning, so, after a time of corporate Bible study at church early, I came home to sit and read. From the reading in Luke chapter 15, two parables about a lost coin and a lost sheep, I read twice:
"Rejoice with me,"
"Rejoice with me,"
What did I have to rejoice about, especially today, the morning after?
These thoughts are not in the order of eternal importance, they are just the order they came to me:
1. This election, though contested bitterly up till the end, was a miracle in itself. I think of some other countries around this world where elections are not so orderly and so peaceful, and the freedoms that we hold so dear are not evident. We can rejoice that we live here and have this opportunity.
2. We live in a great country. It has been in the past and it can be in the future. We have not always been right, but I think, on balance, that we have been a blessing to the world at large. We enjoy both the prosperity and freedom that are the envy of the rest of the world. God has blessed us mightily in this regard.
3. God is still in control. He knows our ending from our beginning. He was not surprised by any political outcome, and His Will will be accomplished. I need to live each day in that fact.
I find myself convicted by one primary thought: I have been derelict in my duty to pray for our country and its leaders. If prayer has any power, and I believe it does, then it is my responsibility to pray for these men and women who hold this governing power in their hands.
I realize also, that this nation will not be healed or turned to the right direction, through the efforts of the voting public at the ballot box. As great as that privilege is, that we have this right to vote and choose, it is only through God's help and mercy that this country will be what it should be. Are we completely wrong? NO, but we have enough sins in our national and personal lives that only God in His mercy and grace can make us into the blessing that He desires.
This verse is still very applicable. Not just because my man lost, but it needs to be on top of every prayer list to put, or keep, this nation, or any country, on God's path.
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."
This verse is available to all, and all need to pray this way, but the emphasis is on "my people". We can Rejoice because we have the opportunity to pray this and mean it, all of us. The formula for success for any nation is right there.
"Rejoice with me,"
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
God Bless America
I remember very well, in the aftermath of 9/11/01, how, when people would gather for an event, sporting or otherwise, that the song "God Bless America" would be sung with gusto. Our country had been violated, attacked from the outside by those who would like to see us destroyed. For a time, people were stirred in patriotism, coming together to say to the rest of the world, and indeed to themselves, that God was the answer to this terrible event.
The words to this Irving Berlin song are:
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:
God bless america, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless america,
My home sweet home.
I thought of this song as I read Psalm 78 this morning. The psalmist relates how God has blessed Israel over all the years, but as he closes the list of blessings, he writes:
"they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again. "
Is this how we are here today? Do we readily ascribe to the blessings that we acknowledge come from God, while all the while, living as we want to, without regard to His laws?
On this election day, in the year 2012, do we sing God Bless America as a solemn prayer for guidance, or because we want to keep on enjoying His blessings, regardless of the way we live our lives? Do we truly want "that light from above" or just the material blessings that flow from following that light from Him?
Do we suppose that God will continue to bless us?
"Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath."
Will we become?
"a wind that passes and comes not again. "
We cannot continue to expect God's blessings without taking the responsibility of following His pathway to life. But, it is not just a collective "we", it starts with me.
Monday, November 5, 2012
How To Vote
Yesterday I read a blog post from someone who had decided to put, in writing, her reasons for voting for a particular candidate and party in the national election tomorrow. I have known this lady for some time, and, although we do not talk politics in anything but the most general terms, I knew where she stood.
Now, I do not agree with her assessment of the presidential candidates and the parties they represent, but I do agree with the attitude that she brings to her arguments. She writes: "However you vote and whatever your political actions, I think they should come from love rather than hate, determination rather than fear. I write simply to say that for the first time, I'm trying to live that out in public and not just in private."
I'll even put a web address so anyone else can read it also:
http://uniontrueheart.blogspot.com/2012/11/apologia-pro-se-voto.html?
When I read the Bible passage for this morning, this verse seemed to speak to the same subject:
" Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here."
This is not to say that one party has all the misfits of society beholden to it, not at all, it just says to me that God cares for all of mankind, not just the marginalized of society, and the message of the verse in Luke 14 is that I should care, too.
God cares for all of those who suffer because of circumstances that they cannot control. He also cares for those who have gone against what the Bible says, no matter their party affiliation. He cares for the up and out as well as the down and out. He cares about bosses and workers, union or not. He cares for me and not where I fall on the political spectrum.
God comes from an attribute of love, not of hate, when it comes to individual people. He may hate our sins, because He is just, but He does not love us any the less because of them.
Again, the Bible states in Romans:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
All, as in everybody, me included, as well as all those that I have mentioned above. So I voted in this election for the man and the party that I felt would bring the best for our country as a whole, knowing full well, that no man or party has all the answers. Only God does, and only He can bring the restoration and healing that we need.
But I pass on the admonition of the blog writer above:
"However you vote and whatever your political actions, I think they should come from love rather than hate,"
And I say a hearty amen to that.
Now, I do not agree with her assessment of the presidential candidates and the parties they represent, but I do agree with the attitude that she brings to her arguments. She writes: "However you vote and whatever your political actions, I think they should come from love rather than hate, determination rather than fear. I write simply to say that for the first time, I'm trying to live that out in public and not just in private."
I'll even put a web address so anyone else can read it also:
http://uniontrueheart.blogspot.com/2012/11/apologia-pro-se-voto.html?
When I read the Bible passage for this morning, this verse seemed to speak to the same subject:
" Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here."
This is not to say that one party has all the misfits of society beholden to it, not at all, it just says to me that God cares for all of mankind, not just the marginalized of society, and the message of the verse in Luke 14 is that I should care, too.
God cares for all of those who suffer because of circumstances that they cannot control. He also cares for those who have gone against what the Bible says, no matter their party affiliation. He cares for the up and out as well as the down and out. He cares about bosses and workers, union or not. He cares for me and not where I fall on the political spectrum.
God comes from an attribute of love, not of hate, when it comes to individual people. He may hate our sins, because He is just, but He does not love us any the less because of them.
Again, the Bible states in Romans:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
All, as in everybody, me included, as well as all those that I have mentioned above. So I voted in this election for the man and the party that I felt would bring the best for our country as a whole, knowing full well, that no man or party has all the answers. Only God does, and only He can bring the restoration and healing that we need.
But I pass on the admonition of the blog writer above:
"However you vote and whatever your political actions, I think they should come from love rather than hate,"
And I say a hearty amen to that.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
"What if?"
At least a couple of thought paths intersected in my brain this morning:
1. The message in church today had to do with Christ's death on the cross, and the implications of that historical fact on my life.
2. In talking with a friend this morning, she spoke of a girl from Thailand that was leaving today to go back home after being here for 6 months.
I have, many times, as I visited other places or talked with people from far off lands, wondered what life I would live if I had been born there, or if I had been brought up in a different culture altogether. Not just the physical aspects of that life but the internal thinking as well.
"What if" I had been brought up in a Chinese or Iranian culture? How about Zimbabwe, or Finland, or Spain, or Brazil? What would my spiritual upbringing look like? Would I have embraced Buddhism or the Muslim culture? Would my life have been influenced by Spirit worship or the Catholic faith? Where would I be right now?
I don't have to do the "what ifs" just regarding a different country or continent. I could be have been born into a hispanic community or a black one in the US. I could have been born into high society or the ghetto, and would those facts have made a difference in my spiritual journey?
The path traveled would have been different for sure, but what about the outcome? Would I have embraced Christianity or something else because of where I was born and raised, or lived?
Because of my upbringing, it is natural for me to assume that this middle class life, this church going family, this path to faith is the norm, but I know it is not. In fact, there seems to be no norm at all.
God calls who He will. People hear the call in many different places and in many different cultures. Adults, teens and kids respond in a variety of places, cultures and situations. I believe that when God wanted me to accept, he could have reached me in any place and situation in the world.
The point is not "can God reach in and call anywhere?", the "what if" in my situation causes me to look at the difficulty of hearing and believing in a more antagonistic society. How much different would be my faith be at this point in my life, if my path had not been greased by coming along in the Bible Belt, in a land of religious freedom. Would I be a different person?
I guess I look at my Christian life as "normal", but is there such a thing? Would a more difficult path to Christ have made me into a better disciple?
This young lady from Thailand accepted Jesus Christ while she was here. What will her life be like when she gets back home to her family and culture? What if she had not come?
What if? What if? and What if?
I don't think that God expects me, or anyone else, to just be grateful for His blessing and calling, but to get up out of any comfort zone and do His work also. Let's go...
1. The message in church today had to do with Christ's death on the cross, and the implications of that historical fact on my life.
2. In talking with a friend this morning, she spoke of a girl from Thailand that was leaving today to go back home after being here for 6 months.
I have, many times, as I visited other places or talked with people from far off lands, wondered what life I would live if I had been born there, or if I had been brought up in a different culture altogether. Not just the physical aspects of that life but the internal thinking as well.
"What if" I had been brought up in a Chinese or Iranian culture? How about Zimbabwe, or Finland, or Spain, or Brazil? What would my spiritual upbringing look like? Would I have embraced Buddhism or the Muslim culture? Would my life have been influenced by Spirit worship or the Catholic faith? Where would I be right now?
I don't have to do the "what ifs" just regarding a different country or continent. I could be have been born into a hispanic community or a black one in the US. I could have been born into high society or the ghetto, and would those facts have made a difference in my spiritual journey?
The path traveled would have been different for sure, but what about the outcome? Would I have embraced Christianity or something else because of where I was born and raised, or lived?
Because of my upbringing, it is natural for me to assume that this middle class life, this church going family, this path to faith is the norm, but I know it is not. In fact, there seems to be no norm at all.
God calls who He will. People hear the call in many different places and in many different cultures. Adults, teens and kids respond in a variety of places, cultures and situations. I believe that when God wanted me to accept, he could have reached me in any place and situation in the world.
The point is not "can God reach in and call anywhere?", the "what if" in my situation causes me to look at the difficulty of hearing and believing in a more antagonistic society. How much different would be my faith be at this point in my life, if my path had not been greased by coming along in the Bible Belt, in a land of religious freedom. Would I be a different person?
I guess I look at my Christian life as "normal", but is there such a thing? Would a more difficult path to Christ have made me into a better disciple?
This young lady from Thailand accepted Jesus Christ while she was here. What will her life be like when she gets back home to her family and culture? What if she had not come?
What if? What if? and What if?
I don't think that God expects me, or anyone else, to just be grateful for His blessing and calling, but to get up out of any comfort zone and do His work also. Let's go...
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