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Storm Insurance

9/26/2012

As I picked through the overgrowth of weeds at the edge of the yard, many shards of glass and small pieces of other debris were uncovered. The evidence of the tornado from just over a year ago was still quietly apparent in unexpected places. This made me think of the
devastating storms that occur not only in nature, but also of the storms that can come into a person’s life (many times without warning) that are accompanied by much destruction especially when they impact with an ill-prepared environment.

And those personal storms will come. Jesus told us so.

Mark 4:17 “When trouble or persecution comes….”

Jesus said when, not if.

While these storms appear to not have a purpose, God uses everything for His purpose, to bring glory to Himself and to help grow us in areas that He longs for us to mature in.  It’s up to us as His children to cling to Him – our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer (2 Samuel 22:2) – while these storms rage around us.

These personal storms can be either short-lived and disappear as quickly as they came, or else behave as if they have decided to make a permanent home with you. Yet each of us are assured that these storms do have an end, a harvest time which signifies the end of the growing season.

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

God has given us the certainty that we are never given more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).  He knows our limitations and at precisely the right time, our Master will whisper to the storm, “Peace, be still.”

Will you let Him be your Fortress in the storms of life? He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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STUCK NOTES

9/20/2012

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Have you ever had a song stuck in your head?   No matter what else you try to think about, your mind always comes back to the tune and/or the words and you find yourself humming, whistling, or quietly singing it to yourself.

Such was the case for me this morning.   A song from my youth based upon Psalm 25 came to the forefront of my mind and refused to return to the portion of my brain that houses distant memories.   I had to not only sing it in its entirety several times before it was no longer ‘right there,’ but also had to look up the psalm and read it to see how accurate my memory of the words were.

One of the verses in the song that was prominent in my head was from Psalm 25:7 “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.”

As Christians, it is often times more difficult to be around people who ‘knew us when;’ to the time prior to when we chose to live a
life pleasing to the Lord. These are the same people who talk of us today as if we were still that person of yesterday. These are the people who cannot accept our changed state into the incredible new creation we become after we accept Christ, nor do they choose to see the areas of growth that have occurred (and continue to occur) as we are daily molded into what Christ would
have us to be tomorrow.

One of the problems with people reminding you of what you used to be is that their words bring to mind the ‘old tunes’ of the past that were made by the consistent, prolonged negativity spoken to us, with - what I call - words of 'not enoughness.’    Perhaps you were told you were not good enough, or attractive enough, or athletic enough, or fast enough, or organized enough, or well-behaved enough, or smart enough. And as a result, you felt as if you were not enough.  Period.

Yet the simple truth is that we have great worth and are loved an unfathomable amount by God, so much so that He willingly sent His son to die in our place for our sins.

     Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We need do only one thing in order to be counted as enough in God's eyes: accept His Son.

    Psalm 25: 3 “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”

When the ‘old tunes’ of negativity arise in your mind, replace it with a new song of praise to the Lord.

     Psalm 13:6 “I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”

Repeatedly sing your song of praise to Him and soon it will be these notes that will get stuck in your head.  He’s waiting to hear from you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Abilities

9/17/2012

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Monday morning.

The screaming of the alarm clock on this first workday of the new week is
usually greeted by a groan and then a bounce out of bed as I start the rush to
accomplish the many items on the latest list of “things that simply have to get
done” before Friday arrives. Some weeks are more task-heavy than others when, along with all of the normal household business to tend to, several periodic chores fall within the same week.

Overwhelmed – are we ever just ‘whelmed?’ –by the thoughts of all the things that need attention this week, I wondered how I could ever get it all done. Then I remember that I only have to do what I can.

Mark 14:8 (NIV) “She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.”

Luke 7:36-38 paints an even more beautiful picture of this scene for us.

“When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

This ‘sinful’ woman, desiring to both worship Jesus and mourn His approaching death, did what she could and anointed His feet with expensive perfume.  How expensive was this perfume?  It had cost a year’s wages.

She could not help Christ carry His cross. That act of worship belonged to Simon of Cyrene. Instead, she did what she could.  She wept and then wiped Jesus’ tear-stained feet with her hair to dry them.

She did not own the tomb that was given as the place where Jesus was to be laid after His crucifixion.  That privilege belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. She did what she could and worshiped Him by placing kisses on the feet of the One who was willing to walk the path of pain, suffering and death.  She had loved [Him] much and her sins had been forgiven.

The men who witnessed her loving treatment of Jesus grumbled about her ‘sinful’ nature, the cost of the perfume she used, and that she was touching His feet. Yet she was passionate and focused in her actions and completely heedless of these men or their comments as she performed her act of true worship.

She did what she could.

As a woman, she knew about perfume; about how hair was considered a woman’s crowning glory; and that tears were an
acceptable way to express deep emotions which could be freely released.  She used the things of which she had knowledge. She did what she could and was honored and remembered for her actions down through the ages.

How often do we feel that we don’t do enough? Or else with all that we do, that more and more activity is needed as there is always more to do? (And there always will be.)

She did what she could.

This is a lesson for us. We need to do what we are able to do - right where we are - to honor and worship Christ.  Our focus, once changed to Christ, will let us see what we truly need to do and we’ll be able to do it with confidence in spite of the biting comments of those watching us and deeming our work (i.e. our act of worship) as insignificant, or as not enough.

She did what she could.

What is it that you could do to worship Him? He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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While it is Still Day

9/14/2012

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Dawn is one of my favorite times of the day.  As the sun gently nudges the edge of the horizon, the muted darkness hesitatingly relinquishes its hold on the sky and pales.  Suddenly a vivid array of violet, blues, and pinks begin to form as the sun continues its ascent and the sky bursts forth in celebration of the new day.

This brand new day is as yet unblemished by negative human
behavior. For a brief moment, in the peace and silence at the beginning of this fresh start, a day full of promise awaits. What will you do with it?

Before rushing to begin that huge list of things you have to do today, stop for just a moment to decide Who you will take with you as you journey through this day.

Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Why choose to serve the Lord? He alone has made provision for us to live in right standing with Him in this life so that we can spend all of eternity with Him in heaven. He has proven Himself faithful in His promises to provide all that we need
in our day-to-day living, not just spiritual, but also emotional, physical, and financial. He also longs to give us the desires of our heart. What more could we want than all of this?

Hebrews 3:15 “As has just been said:  “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.””

To not make a concious decision is, by default, a choice to reject Him and the life of promise He wants to give you.

He’s waiting for you.  The decision is yours. What choice will you make?

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Singing Elephants

9/12/2012

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Elephants have a special significance in our family.  While growing up, whenever we would face something challenging, my mother would gently remind us, “How do you eat an elephant?” and after a pause, she would smile at us and give the standard answer of, “One bite at a time.”

Elephant was not on the menu at our house, nor did we have the desire to include it. The elephant spoken of above represented a giant task or issue that faced us.  As a whole, the task seemed un-doable, but taken in small, consistent ‘bites,’ it could be dealt with in a successful manner over time.

This reminds me of my maternal grandmother whose method of dealing with the ‘elephants’in her life was evidenced by the whistling or the humming of one of her favorite hymns.  Long before we ever entered her house and caught sight of her, we could hear her melodious notes trilling lightheartedly through the open window. Grandma called it ‘singing herself happy.’ Regardless of the task she performed – whether baking bread, hanging clothes on the line, canning, gardening or playing solitaire – she made it more enjoyable to herself, and to others, because she tackled her tasks one note at a time.

Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Do you have anything ‘elephant’-sized facing you?  Or have any challenging task ahead of you that seems overwhelming and
insurmountable?

Haggai 2:4 “Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you.”

He is with us!  That assurance alone is enough to make us lift our hearts and voices in praise to Him. Sing yourself happy as you worship Him and then watch as our Shepherd helps you deal with the elephants in your life.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord our Shepherd, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Master Gardener

9/10/2012

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God, I believe, has a special affinity for gardeners.   After all, He created the very first garden for us.  It was only after mankind was cast out of the garden (because of our sin) that we had to work the ground for what had before been freely provided to us.

Genesis 3:17b-19 “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your  brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

We’ve dealt with bothersome weeds ever since.  Yet even they can be a lovely reminder to us of how much God loves us,
longs for us to be in right standing with Him and desires to help us grow into what He wants us to be.

Anyone who gardens is aware that weeds grow without any coaxing – many times easier than the seed or plant that was purposefully planted - and in the most unsuspecting spaces. A crack in the concrete that is no bigger than a single human hair is enough space to allow a weed to sprout. It is also true of sin when we are inattentive to the spiritual condition of our heart.

While I stopped during my own weeding project to think about this, I also thought about the weeds that I was working so hard to eradicate in my own garden and how they (the weeds) are quite similar to bad behavior exhibited in people.

Weeds are more easily removed when they are young and tender. Left to mature, they can spread over the ground and their roots shoot straight downwards which can make them more difficult to remove. The bigger the weed, the more painful it is on the gardener to remove as more pulling, tugging and digging is necessary to get all of it out of the ground. And while it seems easier to simply leave weeds unattended (after all, many of them produce lovely blooms, while underground, they are destroying the roots of other plants) they will completely overtake a garden resulting in either a poor harvest or else no harvest at all.

Weeds steal moisture and nutrients from the seeds or seedlings that have been intentionally planted.  As the weeds take over, their leafy canopy becomes prime real estate for spiders and other creepy-crawlies that like to live in the shadows.  Exposure to light will cause these creatures to scatter and seek shelter elsewhere.

What are the ‘weeds’ in your life?  Gossip? Unforgiveness? Or some other behavior that is not pleasing to God?

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Our Master Gardener longs to show you where the weeds are in your life, to help you expose them through the light of His Holy Spirit and to show you how to most effectively remove them. He’s waiting to meet you in the garden of your heart.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Master Gardener, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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UNCHANGEABLE

9/7/2012

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The day was ‘off.’   It started that way and was indeed that way before we ever climbed out of bed. The fast moving heavy rain
storm of the evening before caused an hours-long power failure that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning.  Throughout the night, there were continual sounds of household electronic equipment being suddenly brought to life during the on-again/off-again/on-again electricity fluctuations as the electrical workers diligently pressed forward in their efforts to restore power to the surrounding areas. We woke exhausted after a broken night of sleep.

This‘off-ness’ wasn’t content to remain in bed when I climbed out and proceeded to follow me as throughout the house as I went about my morning routine. There were spilled coffee grounds; a dropped item that resulted in the breaking of another dish; coffee cup remnants inadvertently dribbled all over the table; my foot run over by a refuse container; and misunderstanding through misinterpretation all within an hour of rising. What happened to the day I looked forward in anticipation to just last night?

As I cleaned up the messes and nursed my foot, I thought about how God never has ‘off’days and never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

I like to call him my God of absolutes because He’s an ‘all or nothing,’ ‘never or ever’ God. He doesn’t do anything half-way or even part of the way.  He either does something fully or not at all.  It is to this Absolute God that I can depend on to be my anchor - my rock of stability - whenever I have a day when things don’t seem to go the way I think they should, and even when they do.  But perhaps it’s in the ‘off’ days that serve to act as a better reminder to me that He is constantly and consistently loving, faithful, unchangeable and unchanging, and an ever-present help.  Absolutely!

Psalm 9:9-10 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord of absolutes, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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PREPARATIONS

9/4/2012

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As we traveled to our vacation home for the last long weekend of the summer, there was both anticipation for the much-deserved, much-needed rest, and also the weighted feeling of the ‘have to’ list of things that would need doing before that rest could occur.

I thought back to the historical tales of early 20th century England when
a household containing servants was normal in certain societies.  For those families who had more than one house, it was common practice for servants to be sent ahead to open up and prepare the house for occupancy by the master, mistress, and family upon their arrival.  How lovely it would be to have someone go before us to prepare our weekend retreat so that we only had to concentrate on relaxing and resting.

While we do not have servants, we, as children of God, do have someone with a servant’s heart to go before us in preparation for both our near future…..

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Exodus 23:20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”

…and our distant future.

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

He also promises to give us true rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Do you feel as if you have nothing to look forward to?  Are you in need of rest? He’s waiting to give you both.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this
page.)

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Storm Insurance

STUCK NOTES

Abilities

While it is Still Day

Singing Elephants

Master Gardener

UNCHANGEABLE

PREPARATIONS

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