Don't Just Hang in There...Hang on to God

This month has been overwhelming at times, full of emotional highs and lows of a great variety. I predicted it would be a kind of wild ride, and I was right. It is hard to try to form all of that into meaningful words for my readers, so I think I'll just stick to one lesson I have learned (or perhaps, have relearned) this month.

It started with a radio show I tuned in to on my drive home from a training session at my new job. The DJ was sharing how God does not require us to "tough it out" when things in our lives completely knock us off balance, but rather, God often emphasizes how He wants us to lean on Him in the hard times.

The DJ specifically spoke out against a common misquote of 1 Corinthians 4: 13. This verse says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." He (and I) had heard this verse quoted without the mention of temptation, as a way of saying, "God won't give you anything you can't handle in this life, so if you are buckling under the load, toughen up."

It is Okay to Be Broken Before God

But anyone who has ever lost a loved one, or been diagnosed with a terminal illness, or discovered that their spouse was cheating on them, or maybe has just been suffering from extreme stress due to a crowded schedule, may have reason to say that this teaching is a bunch of malarkey.  You know what? It really is.

Sometimes things come along that we can't handle. It's not that we don't try to--no one likes to feel weak or broken--but sometimes, it is just beyond our ability to endure. Why is this such a novel thought? There is nothing in the Bible that says that only tough, superhuman people need apply for the position of Christ follower!  In fact, we serve a God who meets us in our weakness instead of only supporting us in our strengths (Psalm 73: 21-28), and who teaches us and comforts us to make us strong, rather than expecting instant perfection and nerves of steel (2 Corinthians 12:9; Proverbs 3: 5-6). It is okay with our God if we admit defeat and ask Him to intervene on our behalf or to give us peace and reassurance (1 Peter 5: 6;  Isaiah 37).  It is okay with Him if we hand our problem over to Him and let Him take over the worrying and the grief for awhile, while we try to get some sleep, or make dinner, or finish our homework (1 Peter 5: 7).

In fact, He volunteered for the job!  He volunteered because He loves us and feels compassion for us.

The bottom line is that we aren't supposed to "stick it out," because in doing that, we are holding ourselves up by our own strength, which is very limited, instead of leaning on God's infinite strength. God is actually the only one in control. He is the only one who can bring healing, the only one who can give guidance about the future, the only one who can bring peace, and the only one who can lead us out of the dire situations in which we find ourselves. It is folly to try to "be strong," but great wisdom to be broken before God, so that He can heal us.  In fact, He promised to heal us, so we should go to Him today.

Journeying

Early in the morning, you might feel like a fish out of water when you climb out of those warm, soft covers into the cool morning air. You might be reluctant to move, even though you realize you must get up and face the day.

Similarly, sometimes, even though you know that God is calling you to move forward on something in your life, you may feel reluctant to climb out from between those "covers" of familiarity and habit and face that new challenge.  It's even worse when you think there might be a real risk, or a real danger, involved in taking that step.

I'm talking about where I am, I suppose, but I'm sharing this because I believe many of my readers are also facing major changes in their lives right now.  A handful of people in my immediate circle of friends are currently in the midst of big moves--career moves, address changes, etc.  Meanwhile, I've been "spring cleaning" my life for over a month, now, and I feel some major changes in my own career are coming soon.  In fact, these are changes I've been needing for quite some time.

But you know, even the change I need and have prayed for still scares me sometimes.  It's not the new horizon as much as the journey to that new horizon.  Things move so suddenly, when they move, and you never quite feel you have prepared for them enough.

I believe that the "journey" times in our lives are periods of a special kind of testing, to see how well and how faithfully we follow, and to teach us (again) that we can travel without the proverbial "kitchen sink" and still make it there alright.  If God is moving us, He will provide the essentials we need along the way, and prove to us that we don't need anything more than what He generously gives us (Deuteronomy 8:3).  Furthermore, He will take us to a "spacious place" (2 Samuel 22: 20), shielding and protecting us along the way, and establishing us with a special wall of protection when we get there (Psalm 91).

I don't want to drag my feet and complain like the Israelites in the desert, longing for the old familiar tastes of leeks and melons on the shores of the Nile (Numbers 11: 4-6). It is much better, by far, to eat the milk and honey God has prepared at the end of the journey! The old things left behind pale in comparison to what God has planned (Isaiah 43: 18-21).  It is also important to remember that what I get along the way is more than I could have ever thought to ask for (Matthew 7: 9-11).  I'm well-cared for, whether I'm coming or going, and God is looking out for me.

That "fear of the unknown" that scares us at the beginning of change can be combated with "trust in the known," which is the Lord and His provision.  He is faithful.  If you're "journeying" right now in your life, don't forget to trust the God who arranged the journey.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go," (Joshua 1: 9).

The Dreadful 5 Steps of Social Revolution

Over the past week I've heard news of almost constant attacks against what I would call foundational beliefs in American society, ranging from religious teachings to political schools of thought, pushing always toward a more liberal, inclusive viewpoint. To be more specific, there is a constant push toward a perspective that does not make Christ the only way to Heaven, or the judge of sin, or the guide for our lifestyles. This is hardly shocking news.  What is shocking is how successful many of these campaigns have been, lately.

I find myself asking, over and over again, how a supposedly Christian nation can welcome in these changes and usher out the centrality of Christ.  Clearly some people call themselves by a name they don't believe in, but I think there are many others who do care about Christ, but they have become too wrapped up in the stress of their personal lives to watch what is going on around them.  One day, they will be rudely awakened to a landscape they didn't see coming, even though the signs were all there.

How does this happen?  What makes people miss the obvious, and what can bring about a massive directional shift in an entire nation's thinking? It certainly doesn't happen suddenly or by chance.

I've spent the last few months slowly re-reading the Old Testament, getting a feel for history and the rise and fall of ancient societies.  It seems the erosion of social values almost always happens through the same process: peer pressure, desensitization, compromise, division/marginalization, and intimidation.  These come in overlapping waves, intensifying until the conclusion of the matter.

Peer Pressure

Adult peer pressure (as opposed to the grade school variety), occurs when a respected or powerful person in society chooses to live a certain way and others copy this person in hopes of becoming prestigious as well.

August Landmesser, the Man in the Crowd

I call this the first step because not everyone wants to be like this celebrity or take his advice at the beginning of a social movement.  Some of the more resistant people will reject that lifestyle as odd, immoral, or nontraditional. That's okay for the one who started it; as long as more than one social leader adopts this new thinking, the movement will stand.

Example: "So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, 'You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.' 
But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.  They have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.'" (1 Samuel 8: 4-9 NIV)

Desensitization

In college I learned about desensitization techniques in psychology and science class.  You're probably familiar with booster vaccinations, for instance, but this has also been done to help animals overcome their fear of guns in a war zone or even to help people with peanut allergies overcome the serious reactions they are experiencing.  The principle is always the same, regardless of the application. Frequent, prolonged exposure to something lessens the response to that stimulus over time.

Pushing the Envelope. Image source here

News media, Hollywood, school curriculum, popular fiction, pedestrian traffic on a public street, and more can all work on the same principle to desensitize resistors to things that would normally upset them or move them to action.  It doesn't convert objectors as much as it silences their protests over time, draining their stamina until what was once a fringe idea has made quiet inroads into their thinking.

Example: "In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.  He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.  He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash.  The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there." (2 Kings 14: 1-4 NIV)

Division/Marginalization

Eventually, a growing movement will get enough traction to become a "counter culture," drawing in a sizable amount of the population, although still not a majority of people.  In order to keep that growth happening, it will have to put pressure on the old guard to get recognition as a legitimate sector of the society.  That takes a lot of "us versus them" rhetoric, especially phrased in such a way that the old guard's lifestyle now appears unreasonable, stodgy, or even hateful toward the new group.

Example: "Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.  If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.'

After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.  And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other." (1 Kings 12: 26-29 NIV)

Compromise

As the new social movement actively gains traction as a legitimate alternate society, it engages the "resistors," convincing them that they have to negotiate because they cannot defeat the new thinking in open confrontation.

This is always a dangerous time in a society, because it has finally come to a crossroads in terms of culture and even religion, where society must choose who to follow and what to believe.  Fearful of the strident rhetoric of then new counter-culture, frequently the old guard give way, first to things they didn't think were so important, and then gradually concerning the things closest to their hearts.  It is a waiting game, really, as long as the older culture continues to back away from its core beliefs, until the new culture can overtake it completely.  At the root of it, once compromise begins, the revolution has already begun in earnest.

Example: "Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.  They called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.' 
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.  Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.' 
'Get out of our way,' they replied. 'This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.' They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 
But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door." (Genesis 19: 4-10 NIV)

Intimidation

"Tank Man," Tianamen Square, 1989

 Once the counter-culture has gained the upper-hand in terms of numbers or voice in a society, it moves from negotiation to outright intimidation of the old culture, marginalizing what used to be mainstream. Oh, the dreadful awakening, for those who were silent until this point! There is not much left to do but resist or flee, and to resist is to lose.  Many retreat into themselves, holding onto their beliefs in their hearts but mostly not expressing them in public, for fear of repression.

Example:  The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.” 
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”
When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 
Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” 
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?” ...
The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’” 
Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!"(1 Kings 22: 13-18; 26-28 NIV)

 

In Conclusion

Sometimes the counter-culture brings something positive to a culture asleep in its old bad habits. For instance, the anti-slavery movement and the Protestant Reformation brought increased freedom the old culture had denied.  It isn't movements like this one that I'm really concerned about.  What they brought was an increased awareness of the justice and truth the Lord had originally taught.

I am seeing that we are at the last crossroads in Western culture on a number of issues, particularly this year, perhaps even this week.  Christianity as we know it has lost ground through peer pressure, desensitization, division, and compromise, and unless something changes radically, we are facing the last stage of this social revolution--and it won't be going anywhere good.  Can you see the signs?

Is there still time to come back from the brink? Of course, there always is, but there is only one way to heal what is wrong with society in a way that brings justice and mercy and sweeps away the destruction of sin.  It is the message of Jesus Christ spoken to a broken heart.  Unless that message is spoken, unless someone hears, and unless someone listens, things will continue as they have until the time of their completion.

This is a call to all Christians, whether they are part of the United States or praying in a house church under one of the most oppressive regimes on earth: Let us not sleep, but rather, let us stand with Jesus.  We should be praying, not worrying.  We should be teaching our children what is right when they are home with us.  We should recall the power of the God we serve, instead of trembling at the power of the crowd.  We should be speaking what we believe, openly but not maliciously, when called upon to speak.  And most importantly, we should be seeking God and knowing Him, so that He can help us to live according to His teaching and use us to minister to the world.

Centering In

My thoughts today feel rather scattered as I settle down to write this post.  I find it easy today to get bogged down in what I "feel like" and lose sight of what I am, and who God is.  I don't want to be ruled by feelings today.

So, let me guide my thoughts back to basics.

First, who is God?

God is the creator of everything, the all-powerful ruler of the whole universe and everything in it.  He is real, whether we "feel" Him or not.  He is in control, whether we see that in a sunset or in a hospital room.  More than that, He is good, and kind.  He isn't some sightless force or fearsome dictator. If we look long enough at the world around us, at the sunshine and the birds singing, at the rain and even the rise and fall of a baby's chest while sleeping, we can see the great goodness and kindness of God in the things He has made. He is not like any Creator we could make up. His goodness is beyond our imagination and ability. We can even see that great, unmerited kindness shining through the cracks in the dark pall mankind has pulled over the world, if we keep looking.  I say this, lest my readers forget to look.

Who, then, is Christ?

Jesus Christ is the priceless gift of a kind God to an ungrateful world. He is the logical extension of that great love and kindness we see in all the good things we had already received before He came.  He is proof, in the flesh, that a God who could be so kind as to bless us with things like sunshine, singing birds, the rain, and little children, would care that we saw justice for our wrongs, and mercy for our wrongdoings.  We can't make something like this up, but if we've ever known heartache, then we've known how badly we need the gift that Jesus brings. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," (Matthew 5: 4 NIV), Jesus said, and we can take that as a promise.  It is my prayer that all of my readers will come to know the goodness of that promise.

Who, then, are we?

We are God's creation, the work of His hand and the most important thing that He made--whether we feel it or not. We are important because He made us important, and because He gave us value in His heart, before the foundation of the world was set.  We are not important because of the importance we give ourselves, or that which others give to us.  Some people willfully blind themselves to the kindnesses of God that He speaks through creation; some people deafen themselves in an attempt to block out the message that God has spoken through Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, in their desperate attempts to cast God out, they are only casting themselves out of His presence.  They starve to death needlessly, like a famished beggar who won't take food that is offered to him. Who are we, except the sheep of God's pasture, which He made to know, and to be known by Him?  How blessed are we, that we are given the opportunity to live by blessings we never had to earn! I pray that all of my readers truly know God, and if not, that they will turn now and seek Him out.

How, then, should we feel?

Satan distracts us with feelings, and he would rule us by them, if he could. Let us not forget the realities of God--His eternal kindness, the mercy that He proved through Jesus Christ, and the value that He gives to each one of us as He tries to draw us to Him.  If we remember these things, we don't have to hold on to those feelings of stress, worry, distraction, sadness, and boredom.  Certainly, those feelings can and will come, but when they do, those who know God can take a deep breath and say this about their own lives: "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day," (Proverbs 4:18 NIV).  Those feelings pass away like the morning dew, but the light of God never goes out.

Because God Said So

When I was small, some of the most dreaded words I had to hear were "because I said so."  It hit me hard sometimes. I really wanted to know why I had been barred from doing what I felt was harmless fun.  It seemed arbitrary and an insult to my intelligence.  Sometimes I went ahead and did it anyway, just to see if it was really so bad, and a lot of times I got hurt, just as predicted.

In reality, "because I said so" is just a way parents cut to the chase. For instance, "Don't run out in front of cars because I said so," actually means, "Don't run out in front of cars because you could die before this argument is over. I don't have time to show you the reasons, but the fact that I care if you die should be enough reason to trust me on this."  In their haste to protect, they don't have time to lecture or educate, and instead opt to explain later, when there is time and maturity enough for their child to accept the wisdom behind their conclusions.

Before that maturity comes, any attempts to reason are pretty much a waste of breath with headstrong children, even though their parents make good points.  At the root of it, children are completely lacking in foresight, and need someone else to see the consequences for them.  Rules (if they are good ones) are not arbitrary, unfair, or insulting to the intelligence, but they might seem that way to someone who hasn't lived to see the consequences.  Ironically, rules and laws are designed precisely to that purpose--to prevent others from seeing those consequences!

I bring this up because I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about how God's rules are arbitrary, unfair, and insulting to human intelligence.  While it is true that God seems to say, "Do not sin...because I said so," in a few places in the Bible, it might be that God didn't want to waste precious time debating the ins and outs of sin while people were at that very moment reaping the consequences.  It might also be that He has shared His reasons, but we aren't mature enough to accept them yet.

In one place in the Bible we read, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes," (James 4: 14 NIV). This means we have a very short time to get things right, to learn maturity, and to understand the cautions God has given to us.  It just might be too short of a time for some.  What a shame it is when someone reaches the end of their life, and they've wasted all their time arguing instead of moving forward and accomplishing things! How pitiful it is when what little they got done was overshadowed by their foolishness that brought about their end. That's why it's better not to waste so much time debating things, and learn maturity instead. Part of maturity is finding a good guide and imitating that leadership.

In another place in the Bible we are told, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death," (Proverbs 14: 12 NIV).  This shows one good reason why we should trust God as our leader and guide.  In this passage, God shows that He is mature and old enough to see the consequences of things, just like a parent, and that He used that knowledge to raise a warning about something really bad that was coming. Just like the parenting example I shared earlier, God cared that we might die from sin.

So when I still hear arguments like, "This hasn't caused harm to me yet," and "It feels fun and everyone else is getting away with it," they sound like childlike arguments.  And yes, I've tried to use them myself, at times.  That still doesn't invalidate the point that was originally made: Sin is bad for you. Don't do it.  And what God means by that is, "I said don't do it because I care if you die. I have seen that sin starts out fun, but it leads to broken relationships, grief, misery, addiction, pain, disease, loneliness, darkness, hunger, poverty, loss of purpose, loss of meaning, loss of joy, loss of justice...and I have seen that death was the only logical end to such a mess, because such miserable, filthy, catastrophic consequences should be snuffed out completely for the sake of preserving what is good... and because I cared about what happens to you, and because I cared enough to defend what is good, that should be reason enough to listen to me."


So, before another round of debate begins, just stop and ask yourself why you've got to know "why," before you can let God save you.  Don't stand there thinking too long, either--if God was in a hurry, maybe you ought to be!

Preparing Our Hearts for Disaster

The boy scout motto gets a lot of recitals in my house. "Be prepared," seems like good advice, but sometimes it's just impossible.  How can you "be prepared" for a sudden death of a family member or friend?  How can you "be prepared" for someone's seemingly random act of cruelty against you?  Even in the case of natural disasters and financial crises, can you ever "be prepared" enough?

I really don't think there is a way to emotionally brace for impact when it comes to the sudden upsets life seems to have in store.  They will hurt.  There will be tears shed, and sleepless nights, and a dull ache that you carry around in your heart all day.  I wish I could say there was a way to avoid pain, but I just haven't found it yet.

However, there is a way to "be prepared" to cope with pain, and recover from it. You have to prepare your heart in advance, so when disaster comes, at least you know how to survive.  If you don't prepare, you won't have much to fall back on. You might even fumble around and cope with pain in ways that only deepen it. It is much better by far to have a few things set in your mind that don't change, no matter what comes.

1. Make Jesus Lord of your life.  If you have chosen to follow Christ, it may seem strange to get this advice, but if you haven't made Jesus "Lord," that is, the boss, when you find yourself under crushing pressure, you will be tempted to handle things your own way instead of the godly way.  The Bible says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death," (Proverbs 14: 12 NIV), but in another place, it says, "Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living," (Psalm 116: 7-9 NIV). Choose to follow Christ, no matter where He takes you, and you will make it through okay.
2. Choose to find true comfort in Christ.  Whether it is food, friends and family, or vices, there are many ways to find comfort in this world, but when those things are suddenly ripped away, what then?  Find comfort in Christ. Tell Him about your burdens and He will help you get through it, because He's not some kind of imaginary friend.  He's real, He hears you, and He will take action, either dealing with the problems or counseling and comforting you as you go through them.  The Bible says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," (1 Peter 5:7 NIV), and in another place, "He [the Lord] will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure," (Isaiah 33: 6 NIV).
3. Entrust all you have to Christ. It is beyond your power to save and protect the people and things you love most, and somewhere in the back of your mind, you probably know it.  That doesn't mean that relinquishing that sense of control and giving it up to God is going to be easy. However, it is what God requires of us.  He wants us to let Him be God, while we settle down to being the sheep of His pasture.  He wants us to trust Him, instead of only trusting ourselves.  It may not make pain and loss easier to understand, but there is less pain in knowing that God is taking care of us, and everything we care about.  I will remind you of Jesus' own words: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," (Matthew 6: 19-21 NIV).

This is, of course, has been a short list of how to "be prepared" for hard times. If you have anything more to add, you're welcome to do so in the comments section.  Scripture references would be especially helpful as an encouragement for other readers.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Be Thankful for the Wait

I've been thinking a lot this week about how it seems that most of life is a period of waiting between the start and the finish of something, whether it's the time between graduation and getting a job, or between the work and the paycheck, or between engagement and marriage, or even between diagnosis and the cure.  It seems like we're always waiting for those God-ordained endings to the waiting period, and many times, we feel they can't come soon enough...but aren't the wait times also ordained by God?

Don't get me wrong; I believe that God is good, kind, and abundantly generous, but sometimes He teaches us things by delaying gratification, so to speak.  I personally know that I wouldn't be the person that I am now if God had not worked on me over a period of years.  Sometimes learning and growth doesn't happen without pressure.

This reminds me of a passage in first Peter, explaining why trials (and that can include long waits) are a good thing, that we should be thankful for--not take for granted!  I'll leave you with that passage, since I'm short on time this evening. I hope it is something you need this week!

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Peter 1: 6-9 NIV)

Tackling the Mess with Faith

Today, I have to admit that I am suffering from an acute case of mental clutter that has lapsed over into real life. I look around and see a whole bunch of unfinished projects and half-run errands, like that craft project I bought the stuff for but didn't make, or things I didn't quite put back in their places because I would have to move too much furniture to do it.

I'm talking about it today because I think this is a common problem, and that it is often a testament to a kind of underlying fear (the type and origin of the fear depends on the situation).  Now, those who know God don't have to be afraid, because He's given us freedom from fear, but I can personally testify that once we've gotten into the habit, it is very difficult to stop.

Some people call fear a sin, condemning it as doubt of God, but I think it's really doubt of the physical world, such as doubt of our own strength. That doubt is something God can use to build our faith, if we let Him, or it can be a doubt that cripples us.

 I'm speaking of myself, too, as you recall.

Sometimes clutter, including mental clutter, comes from a deep need to avoid further trauma, but God is bigger than that trauma, and can use the situation to prove to us again that He can heal us, and that He is with us as we deal with the situation.  Sometimes clutter comes when we feel we need to prove ourselves, so we hyper-focus on that one aspect of our lives, letting the clutter build up elsewhere. In this case, God can build our faith by showing us how He gives us value and sustains us, and how He is worthy of our trust. God can make our efforts meaningful and adequate, even when we feel we haven't done enough, and He can stay on the job, taking care of the situation when we need to go do something else.

Sometimes fear-induced clutter has a different origin, which I might not have described, but I can say that whatever it is, God can meet that need. He can deal with the problem. We just have to have that tiny bit of faith that opens the door for Him to work on it with us. This is something God has been teaching me lately.

I am reminded of the verse in Hebrews that defines faith as a belief built on proof of God's power, which gives substance to the things we can't see yet. It says in the NIV, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see," (Hebrews 11: 1).  This verse sort of describes that middle time we are now living, between the thing God did that first gave us confidence in Him, and the thing God is going to do next, which will reassure us of that confidence.  The verse also points out that faith is generalizable; that is, it may have started when God proved His power in one situation, but it looks forward to a point when God will deal with something that came up later. In other words, faith believes that the same God who fixed us long ago can fix us today, and tomorrow, too, no matter what comes up.

So, wrapping this up, how can we deal with the fear-induced clutter of the mental and physical variety?  A lot of people say, "Just face it. Just start the process of cleaning up." Maybe that's all it is going to take for some people, but if fear is too crippling to allow us to "just start," I would say that we have to start by renewing our faith.  We need to remember God's strength, goodness, healing, or whatever answer He holds for our present need.  If we're going to face our fear, we need our confidence back, and that confidence is found in the unseen, but very real, power of God. Then, we can tackle the mess.

Are you dealing with fear-induced clutter today?  Here are some questions for reflection.

1.  Sometimes clutter is the physical sort, like dirty laundry or junk mail. Sometimes it's mental, like social media and television, which can keep us from dealing with pressing issues in our lives.  What kind(s) of clutter do you feel you are dealing with today?  Is fear involved in the situation?
2. In Psalm 77, David looked to the past to refresh his faith. What has God done for you in the past that inspired faith in Him? What was He teaching you about Himself in those circumstances?
3. How can God's actions in the past give us confidence in our present circumstances?
4. As we begin to tackle the clutter in our lives, what can we do to keep our confidence--our faith--strong throughout the week?

Not Stressed at All

I've been feeling stressed, harried, and sad this work week. It really doesn't follow anything going on in my life or the weather--in fact, life is great and the weather is blissful these days. I can only conclude that this discordant mood of mine is coming from spiritual sources, and they don't have my best interests at heart.

I think it started when I turned on the television in the morning on Monday and heard news reports about crime and travesties of justice, people believing lies about Jesus Christ and denials of God's plan. After a barrage of such things, the world begins to sound...well, depressing. And defiant. And really hostile to innocence. It's enough to stress out compassionate souls like myself, and it makes me sad, too, because this is not the kind of society that God blesses.

A God who made this can surely fix everything!

However, I am seeing that dwelling on this is the wrong reaction to bad reports on the airwaves. When we feel the distress of the world, it's a perfectly normal reaction to be dismayed--if it was up to us to overcome it, that is--but God has called me and you to seek Him to find supernatural contentment in the midst of chaos. In Jesus' words, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11: 28, 29 NIV).

The problems in this world are huge. Some of them may be insurmountable, in fact. Still, God is stronger and bigger than all of those problems.  We can find rest in Him because we can let Him be the one who makes everything "okay." Let me say that again...God makes everything work out; without Him, we would be in a constant tumbling state of chaos, but with Him, we can lie back and rest without knowing the future (Romans 8: 28), like a kid on a train.

We can trust Him to protect us, because He has proven Himself trustworthy. The Bible is full of miracles I could describe again for you here, but much more immediate are the miracles we fail to notice every day, from the rising of the sun to the meals we eat. We are blessed; God is keeping us every moment of every day, even when we aren't looking for Him or thanking Him for it. I know it is Him because there is nothing else big enough or powerful enough in knowledge or human power or natural might that can bring order out of chaos! If He could establish order among the careening planets to bring us day and night, spring and harvest in their times, He is capable of fixing the problems in the world today!

So, returning to my initial point, I see this bad mood that settles over my day after I hear bad news as unnecessary and basically silly. I know a good God, who is also great.  My problem is not that the problems that dismay me are too big. No, my problem is that I have a faith that is too weak, and needs refreshing. When I feel this way, I need to spend some time in prayer and reading the Bible, which is filled with God's supernatural reassurance.  After all, He already saw the future I'm facing now.  He's not worried. He's not stressed out, so why should I be?

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23: 1-4 NIV

P.S. As I was writing this post, I tuned in to my free Pandora account and heard these songs, which helped me.  If you are, like me, in a "discordant" bad mood today, I think they might help you as well. God bless and keep you!

Fountain of Youth, 4Him
Wonderful Maker, Jeremy Camp
Hallelujah, Mike's Chair
Window with a View, 4Him
What Life Would Be Like, Big Daddy Weave
While I'm Waiting, John Waller
Lord Move, or Move Me, FFH

Trust and the Sabbath

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work....For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.--Exodus 20: 9-11

For some time now, I have been pushing myself so hard in my work that I've pretty much worked right through the weekend.  Besides the fact that I feel guilty about my failure to take a proper Sabbath, I've heard (and can personally confirm) that this kind of schedule is bad for creating burnout and heightening stress levels.  So, this past weekend, I really tried to stop. I really did. I ended up feeling restless and even bored, and found myself switching the computer on again, just to fill the boredom.

This experiment revealed some weaknesses in me that I need to correct. It also made me think a little more about the purpose of the Sabbath in Biblical times.  Most obviously, it was symbolic of the rest that we could find in Christ, who opened the doors of heaven for those who believe in Him (see Hebrews 4: 8-11).  Without minimizing this very important meaning, I also wanted to point out some subtler messages that the sabbath rest sends.

To a mostly agrarian society, the idea of completely stopping all work one day of the week was pretty radical. A lot can happen with livestock in one day (obviously, the Bible made allowances for helping an animal in distress on the Sabbath).  Also, if a person is harvesting a field and has to stop for a day of rest, what could happen to the unharvested crop in the meantime? This carries forward today, even in non-agrarian jobs, when a worker has to leave a project half-completed, and wonders if he or she did "enough" to stem the work overload when Monday comes.

There is also the worry about finances that creeps over people when they are not working. Taking a whole day off makes people very aware of the fact that they are not making money at that moment, especially those who make little money anyway, or those who have a lot of bills.  Since money buys food, clothing, and shelter, and these things are essential for life, taking a day off is almost like jeopardizing survival.  It can be scary!

On top of these basic worries, there is a feeling of lost esteem that can overtake people who are used to actively working at a job.  There may be few people to interact with on a day off, and no accolades or any kind of emotional reward.  This is perhaps the most subtle loss of all.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that, besides the spiritual symbolism, the Sabbath is a trust exercise that God established to teach us about Him and to clear up our misconceptions about work.  We can get so involved in our work that we begin to think we can control our futures and buy our salvation and security with our efforts, and we begin to value ourselves by our labor. God wants us to see that He guards our interests, provides for our needs, and gives us the value and attention that we secretly desire--but we need to trust His word on it!  Through Christ, God's only son, God has prepared and established a future for those who know Him which can never be taken away--not even by a catastrophe that sweeps over us in one day. The work of preparation, and the work of salvation, is already done. Now He just wants us to enjoy it with Him.

Let me reiterate my point: Work is good, but it serves a different purpose from establishing salvation, protecting our futures, or giving us our value. God has already done all of that, so if at all possible, we should take time from our labors to acknowledge and truly enjoy this new-found rest with Him.  That is what the Sabbath is for--a weekly reminder of God's power and provision.

Why the Traffic Laws are Good

(Photo taken on vacation, from the passenger seat)

 I left the house today at about 1 pm with a couple of errands to run.  I hoped that, since I'm self-employed and a whole lot of other people are not, the roads would be safer to drive.  Boy was I wrong!  From people cutting around me as I accelerated on the interstate ramps, to a dump truck that didn't even gear up to enter the intersection until the light turned red, I had one frightening experience after another.  They all had one big thing in common--people violating basic traffic rules.

My harrowing experiences while running errands earlier today underscores why the traffic law is so important.  It maintains order and balance and preserves good things like peace and safety.  It's a good thing, even though it is restrictive of individual freedoms, and causes inconveniences like keeping us from reaching our destination as fast as we'd like.

Clearly, some people on the road disagreed with me, today.

I believe that God's laws function somewhat the same way.  Contemplate this: God's laws were written long ago, to maintain balance and order in the "traffic" of billions of human individuals throughout the globe, through all time and in every circumstance.  The level of complexity required to write a set of laws like that is phenomenal!

Take a moment to think about this. God thought ahead to every circumstance and event that will ever happen, and invented ways to not only prevent trouble, but to also be fair to all parties.

His law is tough and restrictive at times, and people don't like what it says about them.  People get frustrated and run God's "red lights" and cut ahead in the flow of traffic, trying to cut corners on their way to their goals.  However, the law wasn't written to inconvenience us.  It was just meant to keep us from endangering ourselves and others, and shepherd us safely to our destination.  It shows that the Author of those spiritual traffic laws actually cares about us, and just wants us to arrive safely home with Him.

Plus, as an undeserved bonus, God is still willing to help us out of trouble, even when we have ignored the laws and driven ourselves into it, if we'll only ask. However, when He's helping us, we have to follow instructions.

Here's the verse of the day, on Bible Gateway, which I thought was fully appropriate for the situation:

“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” -- Psalm 119: 160 NIV

The Repentance Game, Part 2: The Plowman Who Looked Back

 Last time, I defined the godly form of repentance and spoke about the need for a Christian to be actively and willingly involved in the act of obedience, so that God can bring about the transformation of that individual.  That sounds good and everything, but it isn't the whole story.  If it was left up to our willpower alone to bring about obedience, we probably couldn't do it when the temptation got too strong for us. That's when we need special help.

Trusting God's Guidance Through the "Fog"

There is something secure about being able to see what is directly ahead of us. We feel somehow better able to handle the situation (even if that is just a delusion), as long as we know which direction it is coming from.  I think this feeling of helplessness is what makes fog so disturbing to us, even on a spiritual level.  At least, I feel I learned a few spiritual lessons from fog during my recent nighttime drive through it!

The Dark Heart of a Cloud

On the way to Colorado Springs, my fellow vacationers and I drove all day in heavy rain, but we didn't feel alarmed or even troubled about the weather conditions until it got seriously foggy that evening.

As the sun set...

Really, really foggy.  We snapped these two pictures through the car windows, half an hour or so apart, before and after sunset.

We were literally driving through the heart of a cloud at that altitude. Traffic slowed to a walking pace, as weird white arms of cloud slid across the road ahead like giant snakes.  Visibility was at zero; we could only see about half of a car length ahead of us at times.  We even passed a large-eared fox and later a bunch of mule deer waiting beside the road to cross.

Fog bank at night.

Unable to pull off anywhere, I kept edging the car slowly down the steep mountain slope.  Conversation in the car shrank to hushed monosyllables.

Then our radio started playing what I would call "Christian Anthems" about walking bravely with the Lord. We spontaneously turned it up and sang along, and suddenly we felt better, even though it would be another hour before we escaped the fog bank.

Guidance Through the Fog

Frequently, life is like driving through that heavy fog bank with zero visibility! Strange things seem to come at us from out of nowhere.  Sometimes they are threatening, and sometimes they aren't, but either way, we feel off-balance and terrified when they suddenly appear.  The thing that shrouds them from our view becomes itself a kind of enemy--an ally with our fears.

We can give in to a fear of "fog" in life, like changing circumstances (which makes planning and foresight impossible), impending money and resource shortages, health issues, and personal relationships, but that fear will soon destroy us.  Thoughts of ways to defend ourselves against any threat will consume our thinking and snuff out everything else.  Fear might even cut us off from God when we allow ourselves to think that God has abandoned us to the fog.

There is an alternative.  We can choose to lean on the Lord and go forward without embracing those fears.  I'm not saying that God has asked us to live without feeling the sensation of fear (it is perfectly natural and good for us at times), but God wants us to leave the worrying about what we cannot predict and the constant scanning of that foggy horizon to Him.  When the darkness really presses in, we need not focus on it, but should instead remind ourselves in praise of His past victories while He works another one in our lives (2 Chronicles 20: 15-28).  He can see what lies ahead, after all, and He isn't afraid of it.  Because He is with us, we shouldn't be, either.

Our task is to trust His guidance, and that is far easier than trying to create our own.

 The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path," (Psalm 119: 105 NIV). Instead of overloading us with worries and revelations about what might lie ahead, God has given us His guidance for this present moment (His Word, the Bible, and Christ who models for us the way [John 1: 1-5]), and a firm and irrefutable promise that He will save us from every alarm if we follow Him (John 3: 16; Joshua 1: 9). We don't need to fear the fog, or what might lie ahead.  We will face those things when we come to them, and we won't be alone!  God will be with us in the future, just as He is with us right now. We just need to trust Him, and He will guide us home.

In Case of Emergency (and Even When It's Not)

In public buildings in the US (I don't know about other countries), there is always a fire extinguisher, encased in glass, on every floor, marked "In Case of Emergency, Break Glass." The obvious understanding is that you don't break the glass for any emergency--only for fires.

While it's an imperfect comparison, I can say I've observed people treating God like that fire extinguisher: He just sits there behind the glass, only to be used in an extreme situation, and only in a situation when we think He can help us.  The problem with this image is that it's unrealistic, and will lead to trouble.

God isn't only there to help when we can't solve the problem; He's always there, always available, and always able to help.  We are taught to be resourceful and self-reliant, and that is fine as far as our interactions with other people go.  We are taking it too far, however, if we think that we only need God "in case of emergency."  We need Him, always.


I am reminded of a "non-emergency" prayer I prayed in college one weekend. I had so much homework that I had opted to say in the dorm rather than going home to enjoy the comfort of familiar surroundings and Mom's cooking.  I felt weary at heart and not just in my body, and as I sat poring over some research papers before dinner, I wished for the one meal the school cafeteria did especially well--breakfast food for dinner.  It was comfort food, and that's what I felt I needed at that moment.

I decided that it wouldn't hurt a thing to just ask God for it.  He claims in His word, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry," (Psalm 34: 15 NIV).  The Bible never says, "God only listens when He thinks it's worth His time."  Keeping in mind that the worst He could say was "no," I prayed for biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and bacon, and maybe some hashbrowns and pancakes.

Guess what the cafeteria workers had whipped up by the time I made it to the cafeteria two hours later?

If you guessed a full range of breakfast products, you got it right.  They didn't taste like something out of a box, either!

As I munched on my third helping of biscuits and gravy with my friends, I attributed this miracle to God.  Unfortunately, only a few accepted this explanation.  Most of them chocked it up to coincidence and dismissed it.  I could have agreed with them, but I have chosen not to.  I believe that "Every good and perfect gift is from above," (James 1: 17a NIV), so there are reasons to thank God and spiritual lessons to be gleaned, even in a good plate of eggs and bacon.  I also believe that frequently "coincidence" is the hand of God dismissed, since nothing happens outside of His awareness or without His permission (Psalm 33: 13-15).

So, returning to the fire extinguisher metaphor, I'm asking you to change your thinking if you are still thinking of God as a fire extinguisher.  Call on Him, even for "silly" needs that you think you can handle without Him.  He wants to show you how closely He is listening, and how easy it is to depend on Him for everything.  Be prepared to be amazed.

P.S. I will be out of town for the Monday post, so I will see you back here next Friday.  Meanwhile, I welcome you to peruse the archives here at SavvySheep.  I hope you will find something good there that will bless you!  Thanks for reading.

Growing in Wisdom

Lately, spiritual growth seems to be a recurring theme on this blog.  I feel this is an important topic for the body of believers everywhere.  We are increasingly under attack in the world today, whether it is physical, verbal, or emotional persecution.  It doesn't matter where a Christian lives or who he or she knows.  Christians, because they are called by that name, will face trouble (Luke 21: 17).  This situation calls for wisdom, so believers today can handle trouble with grace and keep their faith strong under the battering ram.

The Beginning of Wisdom

It is easy to say that something "calls for wisdom," but in practice, it can seem very hard to acquire that wisdom.  What can I say?  Growing in wisdom (or any kind of positive growth) will necessarily be painful.  To achieve virtue, we have to put to death the non-virtuous aspects of ourselves.  To achieve wisdom, we have to put to death the foolishness in our hearts and our thinking.

Put to death?  That sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it?  Yet that is how Paul described it--like crucifying ourselves with Christ (Galatians 2: 20; 5: 24).  Wisdom requires that we not only identify what is foolish in our behavior, but also that we eliminate it, permanently, from our lives.  Cutting something out forevermore is as close to killing it as I think we can get with this metaphor.

Turning our back on foolishness is also easier said than done, but the Bible tells us how to do it.  To start with, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding," (Proverbs 9:10 NIV).  If we don't fear God--that is, if we don't have healthy respect for His lordship and judgement over how we live our lives--we will never be wise.  This is something that even Christians need to remember sometimes, so that we don't fall into the trap of believing that God is our "chum" and not our judge as well.  Yes, God is our friend, but He is also capable of disciplining us.  If we can't believe there are consequences for foolishness, then we will never be motivated to change.  This motivation is the first step of the process.

Ways of Getting Wisdom

God made many ways of acquiring wisdom available to us, and none of them require superhuman powers.  Remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11: 29, 30).  Rather than threatening us with a vague feeling of doom at some future time, and no directions on how to avoid it, He sends people--yes, people!--into our lives to do the work of discipline and instruction all along the way.  It should start with our parents (Proverbs 1:8-9; 29:15), but if we weren't fortunate enough to have parents to faithfully teach us the wisdom of the Lord, God will send us friends and even strangers to correct us when we err. If we appreciate this when it happens, and recognize the lessons, we will grow wise.  A wise heart cherishes rebukes from God, no matter the method or the vessel.  As it says in Proverbs, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses," (Proverbs 27:6 NIV), and in another place, "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise," (Proverbs 19: 20 NIV).


There are faster, more painless, and more direct ways of gaining wisdom.  The first is to spend time reading the Bible and faithfully putting its teachings into practice.  It is preferable to learn something before punishment forces us to take it seriously, just like it was always better to truthfully answer "yes" when your mother asked you if you had cleaned your room, brushed your teeth, or taken out the trash.  I believe that studying the written word of God is what made Samuel a man of wisdom and a leader in Israel (1 Samuel 3: 19-22), since Eli, who was raising him, was not known to be a good parent who disciplined his sons.  We can benefit the same way today from just spending time reading the Bible daily and measuring our decisions by that standard.

The second painless way to gain wisdom is to directly ask God to give it to you.  This is like signing up for the accelerated course.  God can teach wisdom to any fool through discipline and from reading the Word, but it may take many repeated lessons before even the tiniest bit of wisdom is imparted.  Meanwhile, those who ask God for help in grasping the lessons will be given the ability to learn and understand more quickly.  What's the secret?  Human pride, which causes us not to ask for help when we need it, gets in the way of wisdom and shames us publicly through the necessity of repeated lessons (Proverbs 11: 2).  Humility, on the other hand, is rewarded by God.  Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, asked God for wisdom because he was already wise enough to understand the urgency of his need for wisdom as a ruler, and God granted it.

Growing in Wisdom

 So what can we learn from all of this?  As Daniel so wisely observed, God "gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning," (Daniel 2: 21b NIV).  Those who are wise will be given more, and those who persist in foolishness will continue to look foolish.  It is certainly better to grow in wisdom!

Today, let us yearn for that growth, because that is what God wants for us.  Let's go beyond the daily lessons and rebukes, and ask God to give us His wisdom.  We need it now, without further delay!  We need to learn from God's encouragement, rather than His punishment, because that is the best way.

When God Trains You for Bigger Things

"When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned," (Genesis 39: 3, 4 NIV).

Joseph knew, early in life, that he was meant for big things, but he didn't begin life with the skills and abilities already developed.  God carried him through hard training, so that one day he could juggle the responsibilities of a nation as well as those of his own household.  Joseph started managing Potiphar's household, moved from there to managing the prison where he lived, and from there, he went on to manage all of Egypt.  The superior organizational skills he had developed probably saved countless lives during the drought the region experienced in his day, and the consequences are still being felt through the modern-day descendants of that generation.

What can we take from this?  I've been thinking about that today.  I see that the struggles we are going through in life today may be God's way of developing our "muscles" for the responsibilities we will have to shoulder in the days ahead.  Remember, God doesn't make the problems, but He is always making solutions out of our problems.  As Paul put it, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," (Romans 8: 28 NIV 2011).

Joseph was called and raised up for a purpose--to save many lives, including those of his own family.  However, he didn't get there by himself.  He had to submit his will to God and continue to trust God, even when it got tough.  Because of his steadfast faith, God was able to equip and use him!

Similarly, many of you today may feel called for a purpose, but you may feel unable to accomplish it.  Take heart!  If you put your trust in God, He will equip you with the abilities you need.  An earthly teacher can lead us to harm, because he or she can't see what lies ahead, but God has proven Himself to be a God who gives sight to the blind, and who prepares us with the knowledge to stay out of trouble. Any student who trains with Him will grow to be like Him.  That is a good thing!

"He [Jesus] also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?  The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher." (Luke 6: 39, 40 NIV)

This isn't a passive, learning-by-osmosis equipping; you will have to apply yourself to the task of learning.  When life brings a challenge, put your trust in God and ask Him to guide you and to reveal the lesson.  Pair that with a thorough study of Scripture, because, "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3: 16-17 NIV).

More than likely, God is already at work in your life, training you for bigger and grander things.  Today, learn the lessons He sends!  He is teaching you righteousness and building virtue, so that you will be ready to handle whatever life brings.

Weekly Snippet: The Passing of the Seasons

Fall has arrived, according to the rainy view out my window today.  Where I live, summer bakes the earth dry and dead, until the leaves turn brown around the edges and the sky takes on a faded appearance.  Then fall sweeps in and temporarily revives the world with constant, cold rain.  The last green things and all the colored leaves and fall flowers stand out brightly against a foggy gray sky, darkened, weathered wood, and damp earth.  It's a beautiful picture, and my favorite season of the year.

I see that every season has a purpose, although the hardships of each sometimes make the reason hard to see.  Without the baking heat of summer, we would have no sun-sweetened fruit to enjoy in the fall.  Without the falling leaves, the tender roots and bulbs would have no blanket to cover them until spring.  Winter snows enrich the soil with water and minerals (a little-understood fact), and sharpen our anticipation for spring.  Where would we be without spring?  Those lovely flowers and leaves are too young to bear fruit or bring shade, but they lift our spirits for another year, and signal the return of the sun.

Still, there is a deeper testimony in all of these seasons.  As Paul testified to the Greek crowd at Lystra, "In the past, [God] let all nations go their own way.  Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy," (Acts 14: 16, 17 NIV 2011).  These seasons testify to God's existence and proclaim His power, while at the same time, they show the kind and giving nature of God.  Now who wouldn't want to know a God like that?

The seasons of nature often parallel our own lives--an endless parade of planting, harvest, endurance, and hope. Sometimes we find it easier to see the hand of God than at other times, but in every season, God has brought us lessons to learn.  If we trust in Him, we know we will find in Him just what we need.  Today, let's rejoice in the promise we see outside our windows.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you [God] rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.  The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.  May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67: 4-9 NIV 2011)

Weekly Snippet: 5 Verses to Strengthen You

It's the weekend, and like usual, it is a little bit hectic around here.  Today I watched a friend successfully defend her master's thesis (yay!), and it made me think of a few verses that might encourage and strengthen my readers throughout the weekend and into the coming week.  I call these "power verses," because they remind you, not of your own human power, but rather, of God's power over any situation you might be facing.  So, without further ado...

• "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4: 13 KJV)

• "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." (Psalm 91: 4-7 NIV 2011)

• "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1: 9 NIV 2011)

• "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1: 7 NIV 2011)

• "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27: 1 NIV 2011)

Giving God What is His

He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22: 20-22 NIV 2011)

So often we read this passage around tax time and focus on how Jesus tells us to pay our taxes, as required by the government, but this story has a "flip side."  Jesus was speaking much more directly about mankind, and how they belong to God.  Just as the coin had Caesar's face on it, the human being is made "in the image of God," (Genesis 9:6), and therefore owes God their entire being.

What does this mean?  Though God has the entire world and all of its money in His possession, He has found it unsatisfying, even lonely.  He wants something only we can give, and that is our friendship, our love, and our obedience.  He can make followers who have no choice but to obey Him, but what He wants is people who obey Him because they want to, and because they want Him.

Today I woke up thinking about all the things I could do to increase my income right now.  Like many people around the world, I was letting my work steal my focus.  Worry can do that to us.  I had to take a moment to remember that work that results in money is necessary in this world, but it began as a punishment to Adam (Genesis 3: 17-19), to teach mankind a lesson.  Adam thought that, as a god in his own right, he could save himself and meet all of his own needs without God's help, but God made him work so that he would be humbled.  Human hands cannot save us; even in work we need God's hands to help our work prosper.

What God wants us to value is Him, not money and all the things it brings.  He even made Caesar and all of his denarii.  He takes care of us, even when we haven't humbled ourselves enough to admit it yet.

Today I am taking a break from money-bringing work to honor God with my hands in a blog post.  I want to challenge you to step back from your money-pursuing thoughts and praise God for His provision in your life.  I am asking you to change your thinking, not your work ethic.  Please don't do something that gets you fired!  When you receive praise for all your hard work, I challenge you to remember the God who prospers your hands, and who daily makes success possible.  He cares more about you than all the riches in the world!  Ask Him to show you His hand in your work, and to take away the worry about things that cannot save.  He will provide.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.  In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. (Psalm 127: 1, 2 NIV 2011)