The Invention must Defer To The Inventor

“JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.” (Ps 119:73 AV)

Note the strong definition of origination and purpose.  God has made us.  We did not make ourselves.  It is interesting I was musing on this prior to my devotions.  I was thinking of all the excused people give to justify why they live the way they do.  Self-determination seems to be the answer.  However, self-determination is governed by purpose for creation.  Those wishing to redefine their very existence by changing their purpose are completely delusional.  A fish cannot redefine itself as a worm simply because it chooses to.  The fish did not make itself.  A bird cannot redefine itself as a lion, no matter how hard it desires.  He was created a bird.  Setting the physical impossibility aside, even if it were physically possible to change one’s existence, the principle of origination and purpose come into play.  I did not make myself.  There was nothing I did to be here.  My parents were instrumental in my existence.  But even they could not control the exact person I would become.  According to some researchers, you and I have a one in one million of a chance to be the person we are.  We are that unique.  If we did nothing to be here, then there must be a higher authority as to what we must become.  If we did nothing to determine our existence, then the purpose for it lies outside of ourselves.  This is the writer’s point.  God has fashioned me for His purpose.  Therefore, it is prudent and ethical to ask Him to teach me that purpose.

It is interesting how much we pay attention to this principle when it doesn’t directly involve and infringement on our self-determination.  We had to get a new iron.  Our old one went the way of all flesh.  Per my father-in-law’s mentoring, I read the instructions.  I read all the safety points.  Most of them were common sense.  Never put a plugged in appliance in water.  Duh.  Wait until it is cooled completely before you move it.  Of course.  Fill it only to the line printed on the outside.  No kidding!  Who needs to read an instruction manual, anyway?  However, in reading the manual, I learned the proper way to use the self-clean option on this model.  The iron is to use distilled water, filled to the maximum, and them heated up to a medium setting.  Then the user is to unplug it, put the iron horizontal, and press the clean button until all the water stops flowing.  This differs slightly from other irons I have used.  Who are they to tell me how to use this iron?  After all, I bought it.  It belongs to me!  Do they not understand that I have feelings?  Don’t they understand I have a brain?  After all, if I have to drain it, that means I need to be by a sink. And that sink can have water in it!  Isn’t that contradictory?  What makes these engineers think they are smarter than me?  After all, I have more education than they do!  Yet, there is a common statement at the end of the manual.  It says that failure to follow these safety instructions would violate any warranty and would absolve the manufacture of any and all liability.

All tongue in cheek, of course. But that is exactly how we live our lives.  Who is God to think I can know better than me what is best for me?  Our beloved psalmist puts our existence in perfect definition.  God made us.  He made us for a purpose.  Therefore, He would have the instruction manual necessary for our lives.  We are not our own.  If we are a child of God, we are bought with a price.  We are not our own.  We never were.  God gives us the ability of self-determination.  This self-determination comes with limits.  I cannot wish to cease to exist.  My soul will carry on into eternity.  I cannot chose to cease to exist.  I cannot choose to escape the circumstances of my choices.  I cannot choose to be something that is impossible for me to be.  I can wear a lion costume and wander the African safari.  But that doesn’t give me the ability to run down a gazelle, strangle it with my bite, and eat raw meat.  We are made in the image of God.  God made us to know Him, to obey Him, to trust Him, and to glorify Him.  If we don’t like those terms, too bad!  We did nothing to get here, and we have no right of ownership that trumps God’s claim.  The prudent thing to do is to read the instruction manual that came with the product.

Opportunity to Learn is a Purpose of Life

“GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, [that] I may live, and keep thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Ps 119:17-18 AV)

If asked why one might wish for a longer life, would learning obedience to the word of God be the reason?  If asking for a life of blessing were on the lips, would the reason for such a request be that one might learn to keep the word of God?  This is the writer’s wish.  He is not asking for a blessed life because he wishes to enjoy it.  He is not asking for life to be prolonged so that he can enjoy his family.  He is not asking for a life with little trouble and much pleasure for the sheer enjoyment of it.  What he is asking is for the LORD to bless his life for more opportunity to learn the word of God and keep it.  After all, once this life is over, there are no more lessons in obedience to learn.  We will be transformed into the likeness of Christ.  We will have no desire to walk in disobedience or fear.  Our nature will be completely redeemed and there will be no more temptation to that which displeases God.  So, if we are going to learn self-sacrifice, surrender to obedience, or commitment to trusting God in all things, it can only be learned in this life!

Have you ever seen a young person so engrossed in learning something that they do not want to quit?  Did you ever experience something like that yourself?  Many years ago, as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, we were exposed to different men who would teach us unique skills.  Some knew engine repair.  Others knew gardening.  There were carpenters, computer programmers, and painters.  Many skilled and unskilled talents were possessed by our mentors.  I remember one such man who was a finishing carpenter.  I remember because he lived about eight miles from our home.  I could not get a ride there so I had to ride my bicycle the entire way.  When we got there, he had us all work on his power equipment and taught us safety skills so no one would get hurt.  We built bird houses.  It took several hours for us to complete the project, but because I rode eight miles on my bicycle and it was another eight miles back.  If I worked that hard to be there, I wasn’t going to turn around and go back.  So, I spent the rest of the day with this fella.  We finished my bird house, painted it, and set it to dry.  Then we spent time working on other projects.  I learned how to run other equipment like lawn care machines, tools for simple repair, etc.  I knew that once I headed home, the opportunity to learn would be lost.  The pleasure of learning was the pursuit of my heart.

That is the attitude we should have toward the laws and principles of the word of God.  We have lost the pleasure of learning because we have invented a technology that does the learning for us.  We do not have to do research.  All we have to do is ask AI, and it does it for us.  We don’t have to learn how to create art.  Just ask your phone to do it and it does.  Do you want to fix something?  There is probably a video out there that will show you.  There was a comedian to made the crack that if you handwrote something today, you’d have to print.  We are losing the skill of cursive writing.  Are you a lousy speller?  I am.  No matter.  Just select auto correct and no worries.  Who needs to learn how to spell anymore?  Failed math class?  No matter.  Just as Suri and she will tell you what the square root of a number.  Do you get lost easily?  Don’t know how to read a map?  Just launch Waze and a pleasant voice will tell you exactly how to get there.  It will even lead you step by step.  Discovery is a wonder.  Learning is a pleasure.  The laws of the word of God are not grievous.  They are not meant to be made a displeasure.  The truths of the word of God are not too hard to trust.  They are meant to be learned and applied.  If we lose the pleasure of learning, then we cease to grow.

Not Perfect, But Blessed

“Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed for ever.” (1Ch 17:27 AV)

That is the way to go through life!  David is not suggesting that God refrains from chastening or trying.  These things are part of the life of the saint.  What David is saying is that overall, God does bless and His blessings tend to be absolute and forever.  The substance of our blessings can change.  But the character of God that bestows blessings does not.  I have a wonderful wife and family.  In eternity, there will be no marriage or giving in marriage.  My children will no longer be under my mentorship.  The home that I enjoy will be exchanged for a mansion.  The substance of blessing may change, but the nature of God to bless does not.  His desire to shower blessings upon those He loves does not change and remains eternal.  If we cannot see the blessings of God, we need to change our prescription!

My wife and I like to watch a few comedians on Dry Bar.  We like to watch the ones that are our age.  They tend to relate how growing up in our generation differed from today.  Watching one comedian, he was relating how different it was growing up in a large family.  He had nine siblings.  Christmas differed from most homes because funds were limited, we wondered whose year it was.  A few of us got more expensive gifts or more gifts than others.  Our parents tended to even it out over time.  We never had much.  At least as compared to other families.  This man mentioned that when you have many siblings, you had to be creative and make up your own fun.  Toys and activities didn’t come in a box or a handheld device.  We had to use our imagination.  We did some crazy things back then.  Our bicycles tended to be whatever we could find on trash day, mix-and-match parts, and come up with something unique.  We built our own out of what others discarded.  You may feel sorry for someone like that.  Don’t!  I still remember taking our bicycles to the local sand lot to ride the dunes, jump moguls, and race.  Our bicycles were not the fastest.  But they were built like tanks.  Heavy as a large vehicle, they could take the punishment a hard riding boy could dish out.  We were proud of our bikes.  They were never brand new out of the store.  They were police auction bikes, junked bikes, or handed down from an older sibling.  When they were ours, we were so proud.  We felt blessed!

David did not have a perfect life.  He never claimed to.  He had his share of problems.  He buried four of his sons.  One of them he had killed in battle.  He had a wife that turned on him and married his best friend.  He had a father-in-law that hunted him like a fierce lion.  David had many enemies.  He felt resentment for those negatively affected by his leadership.  David did not have a perfect life.  But he did have a blessed life.  Too many of us are striving for the perfect life.  This will never be!  David was on an emotional high.  They had brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, where it would rest for a long time.  The tabernacle, followed by the temple, would be erected as a permanent resting place for the Ark.  In doing so, David was making a statement that the people of God were in their land and they can now begin to grow as a nation.  It was a time for celebration.  One thing to remember, special days may open our eyes to how blessed we are, but reality does not change.  We need to remember those times when more trying times come.  God’s blessings do not change.  They are for all of eternity.  There would be the rebellion of Absalom.  But God still blessed in protecting David and the nation.  There would be David’s death.  But God provided Solomon.  God’s blessings are eternal.  We need to remember that!

Rest of Soul is a Choice

“Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.” (Ps 116:7 AV)

Peace of soul is a choice.  If we are fearful or agitated, we choose to be.  If we are frustrated and anxious, it’s because we will not return into our rest.  God can only remind us of what He has done.  He cannot force us to be at rest.  The whole psalm is the writer’s profession of God’s faithfulness in answering his prayer.  The first two verses declare that God heard his supplication and that He wondrously answered.  The onus to return to rest is on the penitent.  The petitioner, after his prayer has been answered, must still choose to return to a place of rest.  Answered prayer does no good if we remain in a state of fear, frustration, confusion, anger, etc.  Our emotional state is ours to control.  This is why the psalmist speaks to his own heart.  He rebukes his own soul.  He tells himself to be at rest. Emotions are somewhat reliant on circumstances.  But they should not be fatally tied to them.

Have you ever been in a situation where someone is trying to help you and says, “Just relax”?  Perhaps it is a fender-bender, and the incident is over, but your adrenalin is still racing.  Your heart is pounding.  You might be sweating.  You’re shaking.  It is all over, but the emotions are still highly active.  So, the police or medical team is trying to calm you down.  The situation is under control.  No more harm is coming.  Everyone walked away without injury, but you are still highly agitated.  Whether it was your fault or that of another, it does not matter.  Your emotions are off the charts.  So, the response team is telling you to take deep breaths.  Just yesterday, I was watching a video on stress management for cancer patients and caregivers.  It was fascinating in that the first exercise she instructed was something I do without thinking about it.  You breathe in through your nose until your lungs are full.  You hold your breath.  Then you release it out through your mouth over an extended period of time.  This technique is clinically proven to lower the heart rate and also gives you something else to think on.  It works.  De-stressing is a choice that I, as a caregiver, have to make.  I took out my tackle box for the first time in almost seven years.  Time to get my license and take some time to relax.

God will not force us into our rest.  It must be our choice.  He can answer prayer.  He can end the battle.  He can de-escalate the war.  What He will not do is to force us into a place of rest.  That must be our choice.  Like a wounded animal that will not find a place to lay down and heal, we fritter about in a constant state of agitation.  It is almost like we thrive on an unhealthy emotional state.  Or, at least we think we do.  If we take a vacation, we have to choose to take one.  We have to make plans.  We have to go.  If we take time off from work, we have to plan it.  We have to notify our employer.  We have to arrange our schedule.  If we are to find that place of rest for our souls, we have to choose to find it and enter it.  It can take many forms.  It can take breathing exercises.  Perhaps a cup of green tea.  Maybe some soft music.  Or perhaps wetting a line.  Whatever form it takes, living in a state of rest is not something God can do for us.  We have to choose to be there.

All for His Glory; None for our own

“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth’s sake.” (Ps 115:1 AV)

That’s a good place to be!  The writer wants no recognition for anything.  It all belongs to God.  How many times do we take compliments without reflecting them heavenward?  The more we walk with the LORD, the more repulsed we are at who and what we are.  If there is any good in us, it is because of the work of God.  We agreed with Paul when he said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.” (Ro 7:18 AV) There is nothing naturally occurring with the body, soul, or spirit of man that is admirable.  We are fallen and live in the midst of sin.  If there is any good, it is because God has caused it.  So, when the writer makes this statement, he has come to this by much meditation and honesty.  Humility and love for his God is the heart here.

One can always tell professional athletes with maturity and humility.  After a monument win, who they recognize always reveals his or her maturity.  Some celebrities are transparent.  They could recognize others, but their body language tells a different story.  Even in the process of thanking others, they remain the center of attention.  It is refreshing when someone wins the championship and never says a word of what he or she accomplished to make that happen.  It is so refreshing to see someone who pushes off any recognition for success on others.  It is remarkable.  In a cursory search of the humblest professional athlete of all time, there were some recognizable names like Gretzky, Odell-Beckham, Fitzgerald, etc.  But one name seemed to be consistent.  He is recognized as one of the best power forwards in professional basketball and one of the top five centers of all time.  He won five national championships and when he retired, didn’t even show up for the press conference announcing the event.  He never gave interviews that made the front page.  In fact, if you are not a die-hard NBA fan, you may not even recognize his name.  The man?  Tim Duncan.  This is as it should be.  The truly humble don’t even want their name to be recognized.

This is the spirit of the verse above.  We should want to be a nobody.  We should want others to recognize what God has done through us and not what we have done.  In fact, a nondescript headstone with barely a name and date should be our wish.  If there are books written about us, they should be all about what the LORD had done.  Not what we have done.  There should be no aggrandizement.  No monuments.  No perpetual memory of our life.  Only that which God has done should be the praise of mankind.  No hall of fame.  No name recognition.  Nothing of note names after us.  It should be all about God and none of us!  That is the heart of the writer above.  Let God get all the glory.  Not just most of it!  As John the Baptist correctly said, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jer 9:24 AV)

Knowledge Means Strength

“A wise man [is] strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” (Pr 24:5 AV)

Just last night, I was praying and expressing this very thought.  I was sharing how weak I felt.  All the way around; physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I felt as drained as I ever have been.  Then the LORD gave me this verse.  By the leading of the Holy Spirit, it occurred to me that sometimes weakness is a self-inflicted condition.  Not all the time.  Paul tells us to not be weary in well-doing.  Solomon tells us that much study is weariness to the bones.  Doing well for the LORD can drain us.  This is not always the case.  We can cause our own weakness by ignorance, which results in poor decisions.  We can weaken ourselves by our sin.  It saps much from the soul of man.  We can become weak because we refuse to trust the LORD and His strength, relying on our own strength instead.  There are many reasons we can inflict weakness of soul.  One remedy to weakness is knowledge.  Wisdom, which is the discipline to apply knowledge and understanding, strengthens the soul.  Foolishness has a way of robbing us of much.

Ignorance is a horrible adversary.  Many years ago, my son’s car had a flat tire.  It was parked in the driveway.  The closest repair shop was seven miles away.  That was not close enough to drive on a flat tire.  It had to come off.  However, the lug nuts were so tight, a tire iron and pure human strength could not budge them.  My son tried.  Then I tried.  Then I stood my large frame on the tire iron and bounced a bit.  All to no avail.  I knew that if we continued to try by the same means, we were bound to either strip the lug nut face or snap it off.  Either meant a tow to a repair shop.  Digging way back into my physics class, I knew all about levers.  We found an eight foot by three-inch brass pipe.  Putting that over the tire iron and spraying some lubricant on the nut, but he and I slowly added more and more pressure until the nut slowly moved.  We didn’t try sharp pushes.  We didn’t bounce it with too much force.  We allowed the principle of the lever to do all the work.  Ignorance pulled our muscles.  We were sore from trying to loosen that nut without the lever.  But knowledge added the force and multiplied the little strength we had into the force necessary to overcome adversity.

How much hurt do we cause ourselves because we are ignorant or lazy?  How much harm to we bring upon ourselves because we refuse to trust?  How much injury is inflicted because we refused to rely upon God’s strength? Which, by the way, is infinitely greater than our own?  Not above it is not age or exercise that increased strength.  Consuming protein drinks and going to the gym may build muscle mass.  But muscle mass does not always translate into strength.  It amazes me how average men can work on super huge equipment.  Changing a track on the tank can be done by a soldier weighing a mere 180 pounds just as well as a muscle bound 300-pound marine.  Why?  Knowledge.  Not also that knowledge can always increase.  Muscle mass not so much.  This principle applies to the soul as well.  It doesn’t take inner workout sessions to build one’s inner person.  What it takes is time alone with God, has word, and a will broken to trust.  If we are weak, it might be our own fault!

Commitment Is the Key to Rewarded Trust

“And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that [were] with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.” (1Ch 5:20 AV)

Commitment is the key to God’s help.  Why would God help if those who thought they needed it didn’t commit?  Note they called out while in the battle.  No doubt they prayed beforehand.  Maybe God told them it was time to fight.  They prepared.  They trained.  They equipped.  God said go.  They did not stay there and cry out for a need that did not exist.  For the LORD to help, they had to commit to the battle.  To many want the LORD to answer all their concerns and check off all the boxes before they jump right in.  Too many want the LORD to do everything before they move and enjoy God’s work without trusting Him in the midst of it.  Note also there is an expectation of God’s hand because of the trust we exercise.  We have to be certain that for which we trust the LORD is directed of the LORD.  We have to be certain that for which we trust the LORD is according to His will, or, at the very least, presses upon His mercy.  Just because we trust the LORD for something does not obligate Him to answer.  Yet, we can expect that if all things being equal, if we trust the LORD, He is delighted to answer.

There is a special verse tucked away.  “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2Ch 16:9 AV) We also know the writer of Hebrews states, “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6 AV) As much as we do not like to live this way, faith is required in our relationship with the LORD.  There is no other way around it.  The upside is, if we commit to trusting God as He leads, He will work.  We try to have it both ways.  We want the LORD to work on our behalf without the anxiety to trust Him.  We may consider this as unjust or unfair, but trust is the foundation of every deep relationship.  When two people are married, their intimacy goes only as far as the trust they share.  If they do not trust, the vulnerability and transparency are impossible.  We cannot open up and become vulnerable, expecting our spouse to accept us as we are.  Trust is the foundation of any relationship worth having.

It is no less true with God.  As we cannot grant or expect trust from a spouse until we say “I do”, it is naturally the same with God.  Until we commit to trust, why would we expect Him to do anything?  He does.  He is merciful and kind.  He does keep us, provide for us, and guide us.  But the relationship He gives goes only so far.  It rains on the just and the unjust.  We want to see great things from God.  But we do not want to commit great things to God.  When my wife and I got married, there were many unknowns.  We knew each other as best we could.  Our relationship was tested in minor things while dating.  But until we lived under the same roof and shared the same experiences, trust was shallow at best.  Most of our frustration with the LORD boils down to an unwillingness to trust.  God is only as close to us as we are willing to place our heart into His hand.  Faith is not a mere word.  Faith is not an ascent to an idea.  Faith is not reasoning things out to find they are true.  Faith takes commitment to act upon what we know is true.  Even if we don’t have all the answers, faith requires we trust the LORD for what we do not know.  This is what the children of Israel did.  They committed to a battle that needed to be fought.  When they did, God acted.

Light In The Darkness

“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: [he is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” (Ps 112:4 AV)

Again, we see the writer make a point of the compassion of God.  This time, hope is the manifestation.  If hope is wanting, it is not of the LORD’s doing.  Unless, of course, the one seeking hope is not upright.  For those who seek to live right, even if they fail, there is always hope.  A light in the darkness is more comforting than one realizes.  Our writer is suffering from the persecutions of the wicked.  His enemies, at least at the time, seem to be winning.  He is on the downward slope of a battle he feels he cannot win.  But like Job, the one thing his enemies cannot take by force is his character and integrity.  Therefore, he is upright.  Sometimes we get the wrong idea of what it means to have integrity, be upright, or be righteous.  Some would have us believe there is a discernable mark or line in the sand as to the righteous character of a saint.  There seems to be a checklist of those things that will automatically label someone as wicked and would label others as righteous.  However, if we consider Lot, one must agree that it is not necessarily the past that determines someone’s character, but rather, how they respond.  Lot was willing to give up his daughter to abusers.  He lost his entire family but two daughters.  These two daughters got him drunk and became pregnant by him.  Yet, the Bible calls him just.  David is considered a man after God’s own heart, yet he was guilty of adultery and murder.  Paul was considered a holy man, yet he deliberately ignored the leading of the Holy Spirit and wound up in prison because of it.  The list goes on and on.  What sets these men apart is their response to their failures.  Lot decided to trust God.  David repented and did what he could to fix the damage.  Paul used his captivity as a means to author several books of the Bible.  To those who fight, no matter how much they win or lose, God calls them upright.  And to the upright, there is hope.

I have had plenty of situations, as described above.  Hunting was a pastime of mine.  I can tell you by experience that a light in the darkness is a source of comfort, direction, and hope for the future.  The examples I can share are so numerous, space prohibits me from sharing them all.  However, there is one example I can give that illustrates this experience.  In the dark, the woods look completely different.  Walking to a tree stand for an evening hunt, the woods look familiar.  Once the sun goes down and you have to figure out how to get out, they look completely different.  It can become a bit concerning if you are a novice.  My father-in-law taught me how to hunt.  He would place me in a stand in the pitch black morning.  Once noontime arrived, I knew the woods well enough to find my way back for lunch.  However, it was that evening hunt that concerned me the most.  As we marched toward the stand, my father-in-law told me to stay in the stand until he came and got me.  I have to be honest, the times he came quickly were welcomed.  However, there were times he did do so.  I would be an hour or so after dark until I saw that flashlight heading my way.  But when I saw that flashlight in the distance, I knew my guide was on his way.

For those who will stay upon the commands of the word of God, there is hope.  There is a light in the darkness.  There is guidance and comfort.  There is concern and affirmation.  As long as I trusted my guide and stayed in the tree stand, no matter how long it took, that light would come.  No matter the sounds and shadows unfamiliar to a city-slicker like me were worrisome, as long as I stayed in that stand as instructed, that light in the darkness would come.  The same is true of the LORD.  If we will simply do as He asks, and confess and forsake when we don’t, the light in the darkness will be there.  It will be there when He determines the best time for that light might be.  The light in the darkness may be the presence of the Holy Spirit.  It may be a still, small voice.  It may be the comfort and counsel offered by a godly person.  Or, more than likely, the light in the darkness is the affirming word of God.  Regardless of what form it takes, look for it.  Stay faithful.  Stay put.  Do as you are asked and the light will come.

Memories are a Blessing from a Compassionate God

“He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD [is] gracious and full of compassion.” (Ps 111:4 AV)

Memory.  Something that easily slips the older we get.  Memory.  It seems like we forget what we should remember and remember that which we wish we could forget.  The whole psalm regards God’s wonderful hand.  The psalmist is praising the LORD for all He has done.  Above, he makes the observation that memory from the LORD is an manifestation of His compassion.  It brought to mind a prayer request we seldom pray.  Because we live in the moment, or more toward the future, the past doesn’t seem as relevant.  After all, it is in the past and there is nothing one can do to change that.  Yet, as we age, we naturally grasp toward the good things of the past.  I wonder why.  It was not out of the ordinary to call on someone laying in a hospital bed.  The sicker and older they were, the more they tended to look to the past.  Perhaps it was family memories.  A special vacation or event that bore fond emotions.  Sometimes it was a song that would remind the elderly saint of some special time in the past; the baptism of a grandchild; the salvation of a child; or their wedding day.  It seems it is the LORD’s way of bringing to our minds pleasant thoughts so the current trial is much easier to bear.

I love ministry to older people.  When I was young, that was not a pleasant experience for me.  However, as I matured, and the LORD gave me wisdom, it became one of my favorite parts of ministry.  We used to have a widow/widower luncheon once a month.  It was the easiest time of ministry I had.  All I had to do is to get them talking about fond memories of the past.  Riding a horse to school or going down to the might Ohio River for a dunk was a constant topic.  They would talk of hog killings in the front yard.  They would remember how the old days were.  I learned much.  For one thing, our past generations were much hardier people.  They worked hard and lived hard.  Life was difficult.  It never was.  I learned about growing food for yourself rather than rely on the grocers every week.  I learned that root cellars were much cheaper and never broke down.  Keeping food in the cool of the root cellar was the way to preserve food for the short term.  I learned what it was like to live without running water or electricity.  They seem to yearn for those days all over again.  These dear folks could remember names from decades ago when new people they just met would escape their minds.  I was a tremendous blessing and I will always treasure those times.  Those seasoned saints let me into their world and welcomed me as though I had lived that far back all along.

Doctor's appointments, funerals, low income, and aches and pains are what they deal with every day.  Life was good once.  Now, it is a challenge just to get out of bed.  When life gets this way, a photo album can be the best friend you have.  Mementos hanging on the wall or little treasures tucked away in a shoe box can become the medicine needed for a struggling soul.  Life went by so quickly.  Where did the time go?  It seemed like just yesterday I was coming home from the hospital being up all night and not being able to sleep for another 24 hours because God had given us our first son.  It seems like just the other day when I was coaching my son’s baseball team in an 18 inning ball game.  I will always remember the rally back and forth.  What a game!  It seemed like just the other day that my son shot his first deer, then his first turkey.  It seems not too long ago when my eldest earned all his awards in Awana.  We were so proud.  The younger generation doesn’t seem to understand that, for older folks, to spend some time in the past is cathartic.  It helps with the pain of today.  We have enough with the oncologists, the cardiologists, the OB/GYNs, and the surgeons to fill a lifetime.  The older we get, the more our week is filled with the reality of more struggles ahead.  So, the LORD, in His compassion, helps us to remember the times of faithfulness and blessing sent from the portals of heaven.  Praise the LORD for the wonderful memories of past blessings that make present trials much easier to bear.

He Stands With You

“For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.” (Ps 109:31 AV)

Praise the LORD for our Advocate who stands at our side!  The Adversary can level any accusation he wishes.  He would probably be right.  No doubt his tally book is full.  No doubt he has minions watching my every move and entering it in a grand log book to present it to the Judge for His consideration.  No doubt the times, places, and details of my sin are spelled out to the letter.  The book of Revelation teaches us that the Devil stands ready to accuse the brethren.  He sees pleasure in bringing up all our failures and sins.  It is not so much an issue of his delusional self-righteousness.  He knows he is wicked.  Rather, he is testing God’s grace and faithfulness.  Surely, he thinks, there is some limit to God’s grace.  Surely, he thinks, God would be justified in going back in His promises.  If so, then he can accuse God of sin.  We are a mere pawn in the chess game between Satan and the LORD.  One in which he will lose badly.  Why?  Because we have Jesus Christ, the righteous, who will stand at our side as the wicked one condemns our souls.

What a verse!  Just reading it over and again brings a smile to the face.  Go ahead, Satan, say what you will!  You cannot condemn anyone.  You have no power.  All you can do is accuse.  That is as far as it goes.  My LORD and Savior have given me His white robe of righteousness.  When the Father looks upon me, He sees perfection.  Not that I am perfect.  I never will be.  At least in this life.  But when the saint arrives at the gates of heaven, the first thing he or she receives is the white robe of Christ’s righteousness.  Too bad, wicked adversary, but all the slings and arrows you fling at me will not stick.  They will be deflected by the One who stands by my side.  Just like Joshua the priest, whom you condemned before the LORD, we will receive a new garment.  You may throw mud at the stained ones we wear now, but when we stand before the LORD at the day of our judgment, all your efforts to drag us to hell with you will be futile at best.

Sometimes we condemn ourselves far more than we need.  We are guilty.  That is for sure.  We condemn our own hearts because we are guilty of that which we did.  Conviction has set in.  We confess.  We forsake.  What we do not do is to let it go.  Jesus is by our side.  He defends us against ourselves.  As we go down the road of self-allegation, He reminds us that we are not pure or good.  But He has made us pure and good.  As we go down the spiral of self-loathing, He reminds us that we are His workmanship.  He does not make garbage.  Improvements are part of the process.  If improvements are necessary, then failure and fault are also part of our reality.  I am so grateful for the verse above.  My heart cannot help but read it over and again.  What a truth!  We are not good.  We do fail.  We do follow the flesh into all sorts of evil.  We do fail to please God.  We do not trust Him to the full.  We are not what we could be.  Yet, there is someone who stands by our side and will not allow condemnation of the soul to happen!  We are secure in Christ.  Strive after righteousness because you are secure.  Don’t strive to prove yourself.  Strive because He is faithful!  He is right there.  He will never leave.  Refer the matter to your chief advocate. 

Bring the Best

“O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” (Ps 108:1 AV)

The last phrase in this verse is interesting.  When we speak of glory, we typically speak of God’s glory and not our own.  Yet, David writes that his heart is solely fixed on His God and it is with his glory he will praise his God.  So, that begs a question.  If people can have glory and God naturally possesses all glory, what is the definition of glory and how do we praise God with it?  Strongs Numbers defines glory as, “honour, abundance; riches; splendour, dignity; reputation; reverence.”  This suggests glory which mankind possesses is an inner quality that is worked out in a manifested way.  Abundance, riches, and splendour are outward appearances.  Honor, dignity, reputation, and reverence are demeanors in which we comport ourselves.  This is not boasting.  David is not claiming to be something he is not.  Rather, because of his position as king, it was the responsible thing to come to worship in the splendor due his office.  Not to brag about what he was.  Rather, to take what he was and submit it humbly before God and others.  Remember, David was required to come before the priest for atonement of sin.  He had to bring his offering himself.  He had to lay his hands upon the head of the beast while it bled out its life for him.  He had to publicly confess his sin just like anyone else.  By coming in the honor and splendor of a king, he was correctly humbling himself to the level of all others.  There is another understanding here.  One that I wish to explore.

Michal, David’s wife, rebuked him for dancing and leaping before the people as they brought the ark into the tabernacle.  He removed his kingly garments and adorned himself as a common servant.  He did this to please the people.  He was correctly rebuked for incorrectly humbling himself before God and others.  David was to bring the best of what he was and humble the best of what he was.  Not the most common.  Herein is our principle.  We come to worship the LORD in the most common of what we are.  We do not come and publicly worship the LORD in the best that we are.  This is not merely our outward appearance.  It is also our demeanor.  How we conduct ourselves among ourselves.  How we behave ourselves while in praise to our God should be the best that we can offer.  This does not mean we have to professionally proficient at all that we bring.  David learned his lesson with Michal.  He never again came before the tabernacle dressed in any other way which would dishonor his office.  He came to the tabernacle the best that he could.

There is a misunderstanding with those who teach the above principle.  It is assumed those who make a point of assembling in the best way we can be are self-righteous and judgy.  This is cannot be further from the truth.  I am sure some are.  But for the most part, we cannot assemble as we would visit a common store.  The house of God is where we go to meet with others as we meet with God.  There is nothing wrong with meeting with God wherever and whenever or however we can.  Praise can be offered anywhere.  Anytime.  And in any condition, we in which we might be.  Yet, why is it we cannot make it a point to bring the best we can when we can?  This also includes times of private praise and prayer.  Why do we wait until we give everyone else the best of what we have and we God gets whatever is left over?  Why is it we seek God out only when we need something?  Why do we use the LORD for a colossal shoulder to cry on, but do not take the time to ignore all problems, choosing rather to praise the LORD for His goodness and grace?  God deserves the best we have at the time we have it.  He deserves no less.

An Amazing Faith

“And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.” (2Ki 4:21-22 AV)

This lady showed hope and faith, which should be greatly admired.  This amazing lady was devout in her care for the man of God.  She asked nothing in return.  She fed him.  She prepared a room for him.  When he was in town, there was nothing he lacked.  The time came for the LORD to reward her for her faithful service and sacrifice.  The LORD blessed her with her first and only child – a son.  One might call her a modern day Sarah.  Well past her child-bearing years, the LORD gave her a son.  Now, he lay dead on his bed from a head injury.  Her reaction to the apparent loss of her only son was nothing short of astounding.  It is important to note when the prophet informed her of her pending child, she reacted in unbelief.  Yet, there he was.  Nine months later, she treasured the result of her humble service.  Rather than react at the death of her child in unrelenting mourning, she immediately called for a mule to be saddled and that her servant would go before her to the man of God.  She would not accept that her only child was dead.  She reacted in the great faith she had to believe in something that had no precedent.  This woman’s son is the first person recorded in scripture to be raised from the dead.

There are people revealed in the word of God that have an amazing depth of faith.  How we react to a situation reveals just how deep our faith is.  When hard times come, how we respond tells much.  I wish I could share an event in my own personal life, but as many of us do, I failed to react equal to the majesty of God.  Our recent battle with cancer is a good example.  I am from a generation that had no hope when a diagnosis of cancer came from the doctor’s lips.  My generation would begin the process for an eventuality coming sooner than later.  When someone uses that word, at least in my generation, we never spoke of a cure or manageability.  It was automatically assumed death was right around the corner.  When the doctor tells you there are new options for longer life and life of quality and usefulness, we don’t believe it.  That is what happened to us.  We heard the word ‘cancer’ and we immediately went into panic mode.  We never heard words of hope.  We never heard our doctor repeatedly tell us that Lisa’s type of cancer was chronic, but manageable.  It took support groups that encouraged us.  We met many people who had been living with this cancer for decades.  It took education and options to realize the situation was not nearly as dire as our minds were making it out to be. 

Life is full of hardships.  Death is a guarantee.  No one lives forever.  Rain storms come.  Flooding happens.  Snow storms will bury us.  We will be laid off, fired, or replaced.  Serious illness will come.  Family issues will arise.  In short, life will bring us curve balls we cannot handle.  How we respond means the world.  The Shunemite woman had a positive attitude regarding a tragedy.  She showed optimism and hope.  This caused her to chase down the man of God for a miracle she knew only he could provide.  The text suggests her reaction was immediate.  It suggests this reaction was immediate.  She never told her husband she was leaving.  She never informed her husband of their son’s death.  Rather, she called for a saddled ass and rode.  She rode as quickly as she could.  Her hope may have been mixed with tears.  After all, there was no guarantee.  She may have ridden in desperate hope rather than confident hope.  But hope it was.  So, the next time we get bad news, maybe rather than going down a spiral of anxiety, we should rest in the power of God.