Confession of a Packrat

I have a confession to make. I am an incurable packrat! If you were to walk in my garage or basement at Kyle’s house (my new storage area) and begin to explore the boxes stored there you would finds things that might seem of no use at all. And, truthfully, you probably would be correct! But I have saved them anyway, “just in case.” I once rented a storage building for things I had run out of room to store at the house. There I had placed boxes of files and books that were shelved in my study when I pastored full time. There were thousands of books stored there. Would I ever use them? It was doubtful with the advent of so many resources on the Internet. However, I still held on to them, “just in case.” While I could do a better job of discarding the things that aren’t of any use any longer, or giving them to someone who may be able to use them, the following story illustrates the opposite position.

At the height of the Napoleonic era, French troops fanned out around the globe to share the "best" of France with their colonies and to bring the best things from those colonies back to France. Included in this "cultural exchange" was a storehouse filled with ancient Egyptian artifacts. As the empire waned, many of these treasures found their way into the basement of the Paris museum. In the 1940's some workmen uncovered a burial case squeezed into an obscure corner of the basement. They decided that the box would make an excellent storage space for many of the treasures. Without consulting the museum's caretakers, they simply emptied the contents into the sewer and filled it with odds and ends of Egyptian artifacts. Only later did they discover that they had inadvertently disposed of the remains of Egypt's most famous queen, Cleopatra.

It’s strange how people keep things that aren’t of any use and discard things that are of great value! This is what the Apostle Peter meant in his first letter:

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious. (1 Peter 2:1-4 ESV).

Perhaps you need to reevaluate what you’ve kept and what you’ve discarded. With Christ it is not too late to get back what you may have discarded. Perhaps soon I will donate my library to a church or a seminary student who may be able to use it; however, I will not give away the thirst for more knowledge of Christ. Whatever source may bring me into more knowledge of His grace and peace, I desire to keep and explore that! How about you? Do you need to go through some of the things you’ve been storing in your spiritual life? Perhaps there are some things that need to be discarded. Perhaps there are some things you have inadvertently stepped away from and need to recover. Get those things back today!

Grace On Top of Grace

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:12-17 ESV).

Children in Bosnia-Herzegovina all know the ancient story of the poor woman who caught a golden fish, released it, and in return gained wealth and happiness. According to a 1998 Associated Press story, this Balkan fairy tale turned into reality for one poor family. Before the start of the Bosnian war, the Malkoc family lived next to a small lake in the northwestern village of Jezero. One day in 1990, Smajo Malkoc returned from a trip to Austria with an unusual gift for his teenage sons, Dzevad and Catib: an aquarium with two goldfish. Two years passed before Bosnian Serb forces advanced on Jezero. The women and children fled, and the men stayed back to resist the attacking soldiers. Smajo Malkoc was killed. When his wife, Fehima, sneaked back into the destroyed village to bury her husband and rescue what remained of their belongings, she took pity on the fish in the aquarium. She let them out into the nearby lake, saying to herself, "This way, they might be more fortunate than us."

Fast-forward to 1995. Fehima Malkoc returned with her sons to Jezero. Nothing but ruins remained of their home and their village. Through misty eyes she looked toward the lake. Glimpsing something strange, she walked over to the shore. "The whole lake was shining from the thousands of golden fish in it," she said. "It made me immediately think of my husband. This was something he left me that I never hoped for." During the years of killing all around the lake, life underwater had flourished. After their return, Fehima Malkoc and her sons started caring for and selling the goldfish. By 1998, homes, stores, and coffee shops all over the region feature aquariums containing fish from Jezero. The Malkoc house, rebuilt on its original site, is one of the biggest in the village. Two new cars are parked in front, and the family says it has enough money to quit worrying about the future. "It was a special kind of gift from our father," Dzevad Malkoc said.

The Malkoc's story is also a parable of God's relentless grace at work even in the midst of chaos and trouble. While the war in Bosnia was raging, life below the surface of a small lake flourished. We can rest assured that God's will is being done, that his kingdom is flourishing, even when life on the surface is full of trouble and strife. That is the message of the gospel, grace on top of grace!

Beautiful in His Sight

May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. (Psalm 72:11-14 ESV).

A scientific researcher gathered 10 volunteers for a special psychological study called the Scar Experiment. Separating the volunteers into 10 different cubicles without mirrors, she explained that the purpose of the study was to examine how other people would respond to a stranger with a physical deformity, such as a facial scar.
Using makeup tricks straight out of Hollywood, the scientist put bloody and gruesome scars on each volunteer's left cheek. She showed each volunteer the new "scar" with a small hand-held mirror and then put the mirror away.

The researcher's final step in each cubicle was to tell each volunteer that she needed to put some finishing powder on his or her scar to prevent it from smearing. In reality, she used a tissue to wipe off the scar. The volunteers, however, believed they still had scars on their faces. Each volunteer was then sent out into the waiting rooms of different medical offices with instructions to notice how strangers in the office responded to the scar.

After the appointed time, all 10 volunteers returned with the same report. They noticed that strangers were ruder to them, less kind to them, and stared at their "scar."
Preoccupied with our personal flaws (physical or otherwise), we often assume that other people consider our flaws as repulsive as we do. In reality, most people hardly notice the things we thing are wrong with us. Because our flaws consume us, we may act toward others as if they disapproved of us. That makes it hard to form friendships.
On the other hand, having a healthy self-image or taking a positive view of ourselves frees us to enjoy healthier relationships.

Ultimately, of course, a healthy self-image comes from knowing that God thinks highly of you. He created you and loves you as his child. When you take time to listen to God's voice telling you who you really are, you will be less likely to worry about what others think of you.

Clearly the Scripture teaches us that we are precious, beautiful in His sight. It is only the devil who convinces us that we are not worthy to be loved. He convinces us to look within ourselves for a reason to be loved by God. The reason is not within us, but within Him. He loves us because of who He is, not who we are! What a wonderful God we serve. Today, look into the mirror of God’s love and realize that you no longer carry the “scars”. You are beautiful in His sight!

Clang-Shut

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. (Psalm 146:1-8 ESV).

In the late 1970’s I pastored a church in Huntsville, Texas. There were many experiences in those early days of ministry that have stuck with me through the years. One of them was my first visit to one of the state prison units. The warden was a member of the church and invited me to come and speak at the chapel services. He had given me directions to get to the gate and instructions in how to gain access. All went perfectly and he was waiting for me just inside the gate of the main building. As I entered, he greeted me and began the introductions to various guards that were there. As I shook hands with the first one, the gate was shut behind me and heard the loud “clang” of the locks being secured. My reaction must have been very obvious as the warden said, “Don’t worry preacher, I have the keys!”

Being charged and locked up behind bars is a humiliating experience. Handcuffs, block walls, locked doors, thorough strip and body search, confiscation of personal valuables, narrow hallways, bars, a prison cell, stainless steal toilets, concrete bunks, rattling keys, the click of the lock and then a camera that monitors your every movement in a 6' x 10' cell. There is no privacy. In case of trouble, a guard merely calls for help by touching any part of a 3' high yellow strip running along the hallways. Access to a lawyer or relative is possible through an enclosed glass partition. Dignity and self-worth slowly ebb away. It is replaced with tears, anger, bitterness and a loss of self-respect. How futile is your predicament, how bleak is your situation. Your spirit is strangled; your hope is all but extinguished. Gone are those days when you could run after rainbow dreams in childish innocence: mother's arms, a first date, the new set of wheels, a football game or that great buddy.

Most of us will never experience those things. However, there is another prison experience that many find themselves a part of in their lives. Perhaps you are imprisoned in relationships, chained to addiction, social castes, or pornography. There is a way out. You can know the “warden.” He has the keys to your freedom. Because of our human conditions, Jesus Christ bought our freedom by dying on the cross. Through faith in Him we God can give us that freedom. He is able to give you a new spirit, and a new inner joy. He is better than any lawyer is as He fills your life with hope and peace. God sets prisoners free by giving sight to the blind, food to the hungry, and lifting us up, as we are discouraged. Let Him free you today!

A Hot Shower

Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. (Acts 3:19-20 NLV.

I will do my best not to be too graphic this morning. However, I’m sure you will be able to identify with me very quickly. Some years ago I had a deer lease in Mason, Texas. It was an old homestead that still had a few head of cattle on it, but other than that, was abandoned. The old house that stood there was pretty dilapidated, but served to keep us warm and dry at night. We had fixed it so that we could hook up propane to the heaters, but there wasn’t any running water. We would bring water, of course, but there was no way to take a shower. After three days of hunting you can imagine how good a hot shower seemed!

If you've ever felt real dirty, you know how much you enjoyed that shower that made you clean again. If only there was a shower that could make us clean on the inside where we carry the guilt, and the regrets, and the dirt of the things we wish we'd never done, or the things we should have done and didn't. Unfortunately, there is no medication, no therapist, and not even a religion that seems to be powerful enough to remove the dirt on our soul. That's why our reading for today carries such good news. All the sins of your life can be wiped out, erased from God's records. God says you can be so clean that you can have a new beginning. There's only one place where a spiritual shower is available at the cross of Jesus. This is the place where every sin of yours was paid for. You carry all the garbage of your life up that hill, you give yourself in total trust to the One who paid for your sin on that cross, and you leave your sin at that cross forever. God's promise is that you will come away clean!

In the 14th century, Robert Bruce of Scotland was leading his men in a battle to gain independence from England. Near the end of the conflict, the English wanted to capture Bruce to keep him from the Scottish crown. So they put his own bloodhounds on his trail. When the bloodhounds got close, Bruce could hear their baying. His attendant said, “We are done for. They are on your trail, and they will reveal your hiding place.” Bruce replied, “It’s all right.” Then he headed for a stream that flowed through the forest. He plunged in and waded upstream a short distance. When he came out on the other bank, he was in the depths of the forest. Within minutes, the hounds, tracing their master’s steps, came to the bank. They went no farther. The English soldiers urged them on, but the trail was broken. The stream had carried the scent away. A short time later, the crown of Scotland rested on the head of Robert Bruce. The memory of our sins, prodded on by Satan, can be like those baying dogs, but a stream flows, red with the blood of God’s own Son. By grace through faith we are safe. No sin-hound can touch us. The trail is broken by the precious blood of Christ. “The purpose of the cross,” someone observed, “is to repair the irreparable.” Aren’t you ready for a “hot shower” today?

Surrender or Die

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:22-32 ESV).

A few centuries before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world with his military strength, cleverness, and diplomacy. One day Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly defended, walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice, demanding to see the king. The king, approaching the battlements above the invading army, agreed to hear Alexander's demands. "Surrender to me immediately," commanded Alexander. The king laughed. "Why should I surrender to you?" he called down. "We have you far outnumbered. You are no threat to us!" Alexander was ready to answer the challenge. "Allow me to demonstrate why you should surrender," he replied. Alexander ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff that dropped hundreds of feet to rocks below. The king and his soldiers watched in shocked disbelief as, one by one, Alexander's soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths. After ten soldiers had died, Alexander ordered the rest of his men to stop and to return to his side. The king and his soldiers surrendered on the spot to Alexander the Great.

The king and his soldiers realized that nothing would stop the eventual victory of men actually willing to give their lives for their leader. Are you as dedicated to obeying Christ's commands as Alexander's soldiers were obeying Alexander? Are you willing to be that committed to Christ? Think how much influence Christians could have in the world it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord. Moses understood this truth when he wrote: " Be careful to obey all my commands so that all will go well with you and your children, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 12:28).

General Protection Fault

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:23-28 ESV).

You are working on your computer, everything seems to be running just fine, and a little box pops up in the middle of your screen: "You have experienced a GENERAL PROTECTION FAULT at address 0000:EA34:002E. Would you like to CLOSE or IGNORE? (And by the way, the Ignore doesn't really work!)"

I really hate that message! You would think with all the new technology that has been poured into these machines and the thousands of dollars we invest to get faster and better they would be able to fix the General Protection Fault! You would think that all the work it took to design the Microprocessor, along with all the hours to program the software, would have created a system that could run smoothly. With all it has going for it, you would think that the system would be perfect.

That little introduction with some humor and some truth within it brings me to the truth today. David, who wrote the psalm of this morning’s reading, was known for many things: his wisdom and leadership; his love for God; his poetry and songs; his adultery and murder. David was a man whose steps, for the most part, were established by the Lord. But as soon as David wrote the first line of today’s reading, he followed them with these words: "Though they stumble..." It seems like a contradiction. If a man's steps are established by the Lord, when would he ever fall? If a man's actions are in accordance with God's will, when would he ever stumble? If a computer program is so well written, why get a General Protection Fault? The answer is the reality of life here on earth: We're human. And so the verse does not say "If he falls," but "though he falls..."

So many people have fallen and failed to realize that they have not committed an unrecoverable error. Read the verses again. The God who guides our steps, is the same God who holds our hand when we fall. He is the same God who steadies us when we stumble; the same God who sets us on our way again; and, the same God who will establish, and reestablish, our steps all the days of our lives.

So, if you think you have failed and cannot recover, turn your thoughts toward the grace of God provided in Jesus. You will see that He is ready to hold you by your hand and lead you forever. He will never abandon you!

The Meerkat

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:13-17 ESV).

Meerkats are a type of Mongoose. You will find them in the wild on the broad plains of the Kalahari. They are an interesting study in cooperation. You will never see the young unattended. Even when both the mother and father must be away from the young to forage, another will tend the young in their place. They are very watchful; standing on their hind legs and balancing with their tails to look for any danger that might come to the “gang” (as the group is called). It seems that each Meerkat has an assignment in the gang according to their individual ability and each of them performs it without question. They know what to do and simply go do it.

Burying one's talent is a grave mistake. The following story appeared in the September 1995 issue of Law Enforcement Bulletin:

"Officer Shirley M. Atherton of the Pinellas Park, Florida, Police Department responded to a call of people trapped inside a burning house. When Officer Atherton arrived on the scene, she observed a woman covered with soot exiting the front door. The woman was able to tell Officer Atherton that her husband was still inside the house. Although smoke was billowing from the windows and doors, Officer Atherton entered the residence to search for the man. As she crawled under the smoke, she heard someone coughing, followed by what sounded like a body falling to the floor. Officer Atherton located the victim but was unable to revive him. She then dragged the unconscious man out of the house onto the lawn, where she revived him. Hospital personnel later determined that the man had suffered a stroke and probably would have perished in the blaze if not for the actions of Officer Atherton."

Shirley Atherton, like the Meerkat, simply knew what to do and went and did it. There are needs all around us. They may not involve something as urgent as saving a life, but important needs still exist. The key question is, do we work together or not? You have many opportunities to make a real difference for now, and for eternity. For example, your most important need is to have a strong relationship with God. Family, friends and co-workers have needs you can help meet. What would be revealed by a heavenly audit of how well you are meeting these responsibilities? Adopt as your motto the words of Edward Everett Hale, author of "The Man Without a Country":

I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
And what I ought to do,
By the grace of God, I shall do!

Unshakable Hope

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:16-20 ESV).

One of the greatest hymns of faith was written in 1834 by Edward Mote and put to music by William B. Bradbury in 1863. “On Christ the Solid Rock” has been a staple of Christian hymnals for many years. The lyrics are:

"My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus Blood and Righteousness.
I shall not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus Name."
"On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand."

It is amazing what we place our confidence in these days. We hope that a ton of metal can maneuver safely on a fourteen-foot strip of pavement at speeds many times faster than we can walk. We hope that a small plastic card will negotiate an agreement with a stubby metal box and convince the box to hand over hundreds of dollars any time of the day or night. We hope that a network of very loosely organized computers, chained together by marginally reliable phone lines, will deliver important messages to those we love, halfway around the world. Speaking of computers, one of the greatest tools the computer has to offer is the Spell Checker. I am very grateful for the Spell Checker. It haze the ability to look threw a litter and sea if their wood bee even won wrong world. Over the year, i half groan so confident with this suspect of the program, that I know longer knead to proof text me work. The niece think is the security I fill end knowing that the Spill Kicker will ever flail me nor lead me drown!

And the nice thing is that all of the examples work, most of the time. It is the times when the email gets lost, the Money Machine is down, or the car careens out of control, that we begin to understand why we need a solid, secure Place in which to trust the safety of our very lives. We live in a world of "almosts." It is almost perfect, it is almost flawless, and it almost always works as planned. Almost! Thank God that we don’t need to worry about His faithfulness being one of those “almosts”! He is a “Solid Rock,” the Anchor of our soul”! He is our unshakable Hope! Trust in Him today!

What's Your Mission?

I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. (Jeremiah 10:23-24 ESV).

Not long ago I spent some time talking with a friend of mine from Texas. He was going through a very difficult time in his life. He was asking me for advice. His wife had left with their three children and had given him her decision to seek a divorce. It was a complicated matter that had been dealt with somewhat for over six years. However, the ultimate question he was asking centered on what he should do. I asked him the same question I have asked many people through the years: “What do you want to do?” His reply was very revealing. He simply didn’t know. When I further led him to explore what would bring him happiness, it became obvious that he didn’t have a mission in life.

Some people call that passion, “ambition,” or “life goal.” It is different for different people. Some center their lives on popularity, money and possessions, political power, friends, or peer acceptance. If we use any of these to determine success or happiness, it will lead to a meaningless, unfulfilled life.

By these standards, Jesus could be considered a failure. But he lived by a different standard, and over the centuries his life has influenced billions of men and women. How did Jesus become so successful? He had definite priorities for his life centered around his relationship to his heavenly Father. No matter what problems arose or what people said or did, Jesus focused his time and energy on his relationship to Him.

What are the priorities for your life? Many people scurry through each day with little or no sense of direction. There always seems to be too much to do. Urgent or popular things often get in the way of things that really matter to them. Thus, they feel stressed out and dissatisfied with life. Don't make that mistake. Decide what is really important to you in the long run. Then focus on doing the best you can on your specific priorities.
Finally, regardless of how things may look or what others think or do, it is God's view that is important, not the world's. So, like Jesus, make it your ambition to live each day within God's will. Measuring life by God's standards worked for Jesus, and it will work for you too.

Ask yourself a serious question: What is there worth giving your life to? Once you have decided what is eternally important. All the other questions fall into an easy order. The answers become very clear. Ask the Lord what He would direct you to do with your life. Write your mission statement for life and then let it be the beacon that directs your path in daily decisions. Get your passion in life clearly defined and success is then only a step at a time away!

Changing Course

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:1-13 ESV).

In the darkest part of the night, a ship's captain cautiously piloted his warship through the fog-shrouded waters. With straining eyes he scanned the hazy darkness, searching for dangers lurking just out of sight. His worst fears were realized when he saw a bright light straight ahead. It appeared to be a vessel on a collision course with his ship. To avert disaster he quickly radioed the oncoming vessel. "This is Captain Jeremiah Smith," his voiced crackled over the radio. "Please alter your course ten degrees south! Over." To the captain's amazement, the foggy image did not move. Instead, he heard back on the radio, "Captain Smith. This is Private Thomas Johnson. Please alter your course ten degrees north! Over." Appalled at the audacity of the message, the captain shouted back over the radio, "Private Johnson, this is Captain Smith, and I order you to immediately alter your course ten degrees south! Over." A second time the oncoming light did not budge. "With all due respect, Captain Smith," came the private's voice again, "I order you to alter your course immediately ten degrees north! Over." Angered and frustrated that this impudent sailor would endanger the lives of his men and crew, the captain growled back over the radio, "Private Johnson. I can have you court-martialed for this! For the last time, I command you on the authority of the United States government to alter your course ten degrees to the south! I am a battleship!" The private's final transmission was chilling: "Captain Smith, sir. Once again with all due respect, I command you to alter your course ten degrees to the north! I am a lighthouse!"

Many people have come to ignore the authority of God in their lives. Because He has given everyone the freedom to live according to their own choices, some have chosen to ignore His warnings. They “hear but they don’t really hear.” Who are you listening to today concerning your life? There is only one voice that will lead you to safety. Trust in Him. Change your course before it’s too late.

Deep Water Environment

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Colossians 1:15-23 ESV).

Not long ago I was watching a National Geographic special on PBS. It centered on the immense pressure of a deep-water environment. One particular species of fish was presented that lived five miles below sea level in the ocean. In studying this fish it was discovered that because it had adapted to such pressure, it could not be safely brought to the surface without decompression. Even then it was very unlikely that the fish of the ocean’s depths could survive above sea level.

You know, it really works this way in all of God's creation. There's an environment that things and people were created to be in, and things really work when they're in that place. They really don't work very well when they're not where they were designed to be. Well, thankfully, God makes very clear the environment you and I were created for so we don't have to waste our lives searching for it. In fact, probably the single most important question you have to answer while we're on earth is this: Why am I here? God answers that question in our reading this morning. We are created by Him and for Him. Just like those fish were created to be in the pressure of that deep sea we were created for a relationship with God. When you have this personal relationship with Christ, you are finally where you were born to be.

When those deep-sea fish are outside the environment they were made to live in, they eventually die. So do we. Some of that dying happens even now, as we keep looking for love in places that don't deliver it, looking for some inner peace, some fulfillment in achievements and relationships and experiences that can't possibly give it to us because we are not where we were born to be. His call to you is to put your total trust in Him to be the Rescuer from your sin. The moment you do that, the relationship you were born for becomes yours forever. Isn't it time to experience the relationship you were made for, to be where you were born to be? Trust Him today!

St, Peter's Fish

Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (Psalm 50:7-15 ESV).

On our first trip to the Holy Land Mary and I ate at a restaurant by the Sea of Galilee called St. Peter's Restaurant. The menu has a delicacy called St. Peter's Fish. We were told that it tasted excellent and each ordered it for lunch. The story that surrounds this fish is very interesting. It is one of the few indigenous fresh water fish in Israel. This fish has been caught in the Sea of Galilee for centuries. It does have some strange characteristics though. The fertilized eggs of the fish are held inside her mouth. When the eggs are hatched, the minnows stay there until they are ready to go into the water for a quick swim. If danger is evident or they need nourishment they quickly go back into their mother's mouth. There comes a time when the mother says enough of that and she literally spews them out of her mouth since she can't take "the big mouth" stuff anymore. However, having an empty mouth all the time bothers her, so very often, she will pick up a bottle cap or a coin and keep it in her mouth. As a matter of fact, St. Peter's Restaurant states that 30% of the fish caught today have a bottle cap or coin inside their mouth.

One day the tax collectors of the Temple came to Peter and asked if his teacher paid the temple tax lately. Peter said that Jesus did but to make sure, he went to Jesus. He was about to speak but Jesus, who knew what was on Peter's mind already, said, "What do you think, Simon Peter? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duties and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" Of course Peter replied, "From others." Jesus said, "Then the sons are exempt." I imagine Jesus had to laugh here because that statement had a double meaning. We are also the sons of the King. But I do not want you to think that we should not pay our taxes. Jesus did supply the much-needed Temple Tax in a most unusual way. He told Peter to go fishing and yes, Peter caught St. Peter's Fish. The fish had a four-drachma coin inside it. Peter must have been overwhelmed. This was twice the amount required for his temple tax. But then he realized that Jesus wanted Peter to pay the tax for himself and Jesus. (Cf. Matthew 17:24-27).

You may be depressed at this time of year because of financial restraints, broken relationships, ill health or abuse. God may not give you all your material desires, but He can restore you from within. This is the mystery of the Gospel. God does want to help you in your circumstance, but it is not through quick-fix-it answers. He does it through transforming your thoughts. That leads to changes in our behavior. Sometimes I find myself praying for the changes in my circumstances instead of changes in my heart. The truth is when I allow the grace of God to permeate my mind I find my circumstances much less daunting. Then, all I need to do is go fishing!

A Willing Sacrifice

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22 ESV).

There is some misunderstanding about this passage of Scripture. It almost appears that Jesus is being very cruel to a grief-stricken young man. However, when you understand the culture of His day it is very apparent that the teaching here has nothing to do with a man’s grief, but his greed. The young man wants to follow Jesus, but only after he has secured his future through his father’s inheritance. And, further, it appears that his father wasn’t dead at all!

There is so much more to the sacrifice necessary to follow Jesus than merely joining a church! I read the following humorous story recently. See if it strikes a chord with you this morning:

A man went to the doctor after weeks of symptoms. The doctor examined him carefully, then called the patient’s wife into his office “Your husband is suffering from a rare form of anemia. Without treatment, he’ll be dead in a few weeks. The good news is, it can be treated with proper nutrition.” “You will need to get up early every morning and fix your husband a hot breakfast—pancakes, bacon and eggs, the works. He’ll need a home-cooked lunch every day and then an old-fashioned meat-and-potato dinner every evening. It would be especially helpful if you could bake frequently. Cakes, pies, homemade bread—these are the things that will allow your husband to live. “One more thing. His immune system is weak, so it’s important that your home be kept spotless at all times. Do you have any questions?” The wife had none. “Do you want to break the news, or shall I?” asked the doctor. “I will,” the wife replied. She walked into the exam room. The husband, sensing the seriousness of his illness, asked her, “It’s bad, isn’t it?” She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “What’s going to happen to me?” he asked. With a sob, the wife blurted out, “The doctor says you’re gonna die!”

Christ died to save us, not from suffering, but from ourselves; not from injustice, far less from justice, but from being unjust. He died that we might live—but live as he lives, by dying as he died who died to himself that he might live unto God. If we do not die to ourselves, we cannot live to God, and he that does not live to God, is dead. What are you waiting for to be that kind of sacrificial follower of Christ?

Frogs and Life

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty pool. If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. (James 3:1-16, NLV).

It is always easy to speak. However, speaking wisely is often a more difficult task. The art of encouragement is one which all of us ought to develop and use. The following little story illustrates the truth in this passage from James.

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

First, there is the power of life and death in our tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. When you’re gathered with friends, family, or coworkers today don’t fall into the trap of discouraging conversation. Be positive and encouraging. Watch the power of your words change the climate of your surroundings.

Is Your Hut Burning?

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. (Psalm 40:1-5 ESV).

As is true with many of David’s psalms, this one today is no exception. It is born out of adversity. As David found himself more and more a target of the wrath and jealousy of Saul, pursued like an animal, he cries out in praise to the Lord. The following story illustrates an important attitude that each of us ought to cultivate in the midst of our own walks.

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

I have noticed in my life that it is easy to pray and praise the Lord when things are going well. However, it is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. As tough as it is to remember, we shouldn't lose heart. God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Paul wrote, "... I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (cf. Philippians 4:12). Paul had confidence that good would come out of everything, so he learned to be thankful, not bitter, even when he was suffering.

Someone recently asked me why such bad things happen to so many good people. Of course there are easy theological reasons that may be offered, though none of them give very much comfort in the midst of trial. Usually I try to do two things in the middle of my own trials. First, I seek out a trusted friend. All of us need to have God “with skin on” in a time of trial. Find that special friend God has given you to comfort and encourage you through the difficulty. Second, I do my best to remember that when my little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. His plans really for us really are too numerous to list. If we try to recite all His wonderful deeds, we would never come to the end of them!

Love v4.0

Happy Valentine’s Day! I found the following imaginary exchange between a “home computer user” and a “service representative” that I thought might be of some inspiration to you this morning as you meditate on the spiritual implications of this day. Remember that when Jesus was asked to list the greatest commandment, He simply said that loving God and others were the two essentials in obedience. Install “Love v.4.0” today!

Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software Company help desk. How may I help you?
Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVE v4.0... you know... the freeware. I don't understand it. Can tell me how to install it?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?
Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma'am. LOVE is a unique program; there is no other like it anywhere. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background. You will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.
Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run smoother?
Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also, FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say "unable to connect" will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.
Customer: That's exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But what about the bad programs?
Service Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs can't be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you won't be able to write with the fonts "BADWORDS12" or "HARSHNESS10".
Customer: That's a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?
Service Rep: They sure are ma'am.
Customer: How do I get the upgrades?
Service Rep: That's easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Hard Drive Email And Remote Terminal (HEART) that it comes in contact with. In turn those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your HEART. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE, and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.
Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?
Service Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma'am?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?
Service Rep: What programs are running ma'am?
Customer: Let me see... I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.
Service Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically disable PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to manually turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Service Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?
Service Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?
Service Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTs in order to get the upgrades.

The Tasteberry of Christianity

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped. (Psalm 63:2-11 ESV).

I’ve heard a story about a man who bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear's path. A few moments later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit that had crossed the path of the deer. And so, on and on it went until finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse. Sometimes we’re like that. We start out with the best of intent to keep Christ first in our lives. But soon, our attention is diverted to things of lesser importance. One pursuit leads to another until we've strayed far from our original purpose.

There are some practical habits that we can develop that will help us stay on track. The psalm from David we have just read gives us five of these.

1. First, we ought to worship. There are some that have seen this exercise as merely going to church. However, as important as that can be, David was no where near the temple when he made wrote this psalm. He was hiding in the hillsides of Judea, yet he worshipped. He understood that genuine worship is the standing in awe of God wherever you are.

2. Second, we ought to praise God. Praise is the "taste berry" of Christianity. There is a berry in Africa that the natives use to “sweeten” their foods. It is a bitter tasting berry. They will eat one before other foods and the juices from it cause anything else they eat to be sweet to the taste. You may be in a time when you feel there is nothing to praise God in your life. Lift up your soul to face Him and watch how the “taste” of your life’s events starts to sweeten.

3. Third, we ought to meditate. Meditation is the art of listening to God. Find a quiet moment and think on the things of God that you already know. Listen for His response as you open your spiritual ears to Him.

4. Fourth, we ought to sing. For some of us the thought of singing is as near torture as we will ever come! All of us have the ability to make music. Do you remember the song in Snow White, “Just Whistle While You Work”? There is a wonderful change that takes place when we let our soul sing the song planted within it by the grace of God. Try it for yourself this morning, even if it’s only a whistle!

5. And, last, we ought to rejoice. This is the point of genuine surrender. Here we find a true sense of grace filling our hearts and minds. After all, God knows our frail, sinful nature all too well. Yet, he still loves us! Rejoice in the love of your Father in heaven!

Just a Whisper - Part 2

Life can make us feel that our actions make no difference, but that is merely another lie of the devil. In his book Second Thoughts, Mort Crim writes, "Fairy tales are wonderful because they always have everyone living happily ever after. Once we accept the fact that bad things do happen to good people, then we can get on with the business of living life to its fullest: giving, loving, creating, sharing, building, walking through every door of opportunity offered by this fragile, unpredictable, exciting experience called life." That’s great advice but still difficult when we feel that we are scraping bottom. But in Jesus Christ there is more than good advice there is hope and the power of God for our situation. When we feel that nothing we do matters we must listen for the voice of God and rely upon His power, even when it is just a whisper.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV).

A man by the name of Max DePree related the following heart-touching story:

Esther, my wife, and I have a granddaughter named Zoe, the Greek word for life. She was born prematurely and weighed one pound, seven ounces, so small that my wedding ring could slide up her arm to her shoulder. The neonatologist who first examined her told us that she had a 5 to 10 percent chance of living three days. When Esther and I scrubbed up for our first visit and saw Zoe in her isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit, she had two IVs in her navel, one in her foot, a monitor on each side of her chest, and a respirator tube and a feeding tube in her mouth. To complicate matters, Zoe’s biological father had jumped ship the month before Zoe was born. Realizing this, a wise and caring nurse named Ruth gave me my instructions. "For the next several months, at least, you’re the surrogate father. I want you to come to the hospital every day to visit Zoe, and when you come, I want you to rub her body and her legs and arms with the tip of your finger. While you’re caressing her, you should tell her over and over how much you love her, because she has to be able to connect your voice to your touch."

God knew that we also needed both his voice and his touch. So he gave us not only the Word but also his Son. And he gave us not only Jesus Christ but also his body, the church. God’s voice and touch say, "I love you." His voice comforts, challenges, guides, and reassures and makes his presence known to us. Listen for Him today.

Just a Whisper - Part 1

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (1 Kings 19:9-12 ESV).

Someone has said, "Sometimes the Lord calms the storm. Sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child." There is a great deal of truth to that. Very often what we really need is to be quiet before the Lord so that we can hear him speak the works that will calm our fears. The passage above recounts a time when one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament was so afraid that he begged God to take his life. Elijah felt alone and abandoned. He needed to hear from God. All of us have found ourselves in similar predicaments when our faith seemed to being failing us. The same “whisper” of God’s grace will come to us if we will just listen.

Before there were refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. "I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking."

It really isn’t a matter of whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear. At various times in our lives we will face perplexing situations and fear provoking circumstances but we must remember that the Lord is not far from us and He will never fail to guide us. God will speak to us if we will get alone with Him and tune the rest of the world and its voices out. In the next few days we’ll look at some practical ways to get still enough to hear even God’s whisper. There are some things we can do to “tune” out the world that yells out toward us with its deafening roar. For today, just ask Him to reveal Himself to you giving you the wisdom to recognize Him in His appearance. Taking refuge under the scant shade of a broom tree, Elijah prayed for death. He, the mighty prophet, had stood for God as boldly as any of those who had gone before him. Yet here he was, alone and seemingly deserted in this desert wasteland, the very symbol of a wasted life. Yet God would tenderly nourish and lead his prophet to a place where he would get some much-needed instruction. He will do the same for you today!

Welcome Home

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6 ESV).

I have a friend who works in the Middle East. Recently he shared the following story with me. It reminded me of the wonderful grace we have received through Jesus Christ and how we are always welcome to come to our heavenly Father. As we have been thinking about the love of God these past few days, this seemed to be especially appropriate now. He wrote:

A couple of weeks ago, a Kuwaiti friend invited me to the diwaniya (men's meeting) of Muhammed Al-Rashidi, the head of the Al-Rashidi tribe in Kuwait. As we were entering, my friend pointed out to me that there were no doors on the front of the house leading into the 2 large sitting rooms, known as the diwaniya. There are inner doors leading into the rest of the house where the family lives. He told me to mention this strange thing and ask our host why he had no doors on the front of his house. Mr. Rashidi smiled and explained that his family for generations has been the leading family of the tribe. His father, grandfather, etc. before him had also been chiefs of the tribe. By long years of tradition, the head of this tribe is known for his hospitality and an open door policy, so that any traveler or visitor can come and find a place to rest, food to eat, and even a place to sleep for the night.

One day in 1975, Mr. Rashidi had gone to work, the children were at school, the women shopping, etc. and the last servant to leave the house had locked the front door. About 10:00 a.m., a man from Saudi Arabia came to see him. Finding the door locked, the man simply laid down in front of the door and went to sleep. Coming home around 1:00, Mr. Rashidi found the man lying in front of his door and learned that he had found the door locked and been lying there for 3 hours. He was so embarrassed by this that he immediately ordered his servant to call a carpenter to remove the front doors to his house. "No one will ever come to my house and find a locked door again," he said. And for the past 25 years, there has been no door on the front of his house.

There once was a door separating us from the presence of God. However, nearly two thousand years ago, when Jesus spoke His last words from the cross and declared, “It is finished!” that separation was finally and completely removed. To physically reveal that truth to mankind, the bible says “the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” That was the “door” that separated God’s presence from all but the high priest of Israel. With its removal, all people now had access to His grace and love. Come into His presence today. Rest in His arms today! You will always be welcome!

The Most Beautiful Heart

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:1-3,9-10; ESV).

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared. "How can he say his heart is more beautiful?" they thought.

The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared." "Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges. Giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.

How beautiful is your heart today? Who will you walk with today, side by side?

God's Valentine - Part 4

God’s love may also be seen in the Bible. His word was given to help us to remember the God of Love that created us and comes to us to live with us and be with us. The Scripture is not of a few well-educated individuals with a private interpretation, but it has been given to everyone so that we might come to know, to love, and to experience God. This God of Love has made every provision for us to have him and for him to have us who believe, receive, and choose to follow him, accept him, and love him.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV).

There’s a wonderful story of a conversation between a man and God. It serves to challenge us all at the point of our response to God’s many valentines. As you read it this morning, ask yourself the question: What will you do with God’s valentines?

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah the beauty of God's creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me. He asked me, "Do you love me?" I answered, "Of course, God! You are my Lord and Savior!" Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?" I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do, the things that I took for granted. And I answered, "It would be tough, Lord, but I would still love You." Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?" How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love you."

The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?" How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word." The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?" How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."

And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?" With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes, Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!" I thought I had answered well, but God asked, "THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?" I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect." "THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY THE FURTHEST? WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU PRAY WITH EARNEST?" No answers. Only tears. The Lord continued: "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?" The tears continued to roll down my cheeks. "Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?" I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give. "You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all." "DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?"

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When I my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, "Please forgive me, Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child." The Lord answered, "That is My Grace, My child." I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?" The Lord answered, "Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry you. I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever." And for the first time, I truly prayed.

God's Valentine - Part 3

God’s message of love continues in His children. Peter, James, and John were the first generation of eyewitnesses who had seen and spoken of the God that loved them. They spread the gospel and now it has passed on to us. We become God’s “valentines.” We are God's living letters of love to the world.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (1 John 3:14-24 ESV).

Real love means we stop "keeping score." Dale Galloway tells a story in "Dream a New Dream" that beautifully illustrates this point:

Little Chad was a shy, quiet young fella. One day he came home and told his mother, he'd like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, "I wish he wouldn't do that!" She had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three whole weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made thirty-five valentines. Valentine's Day dawned, and Chad was beside himself with excitement! He carefully stacked them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mom decided to bake him his favorite cookies and serve them up warm and nice with a cool glass of milk when he came home from school. She just knew he would be disappointed. It hurt her to think that he wouldn't get many valentines, maybe none at all. That afternoon she had the cookies and milk on the table. When she heard the children outside she looked out the window. Sure enough here they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the door opened she choked back the tears. "Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you." But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was: "Not a one, not a one." Her heart sank. And then he added, "I didn't forget a one, not a single one!"

So it is when God is in control of the servant's mind. We realize as never before that life's greatest joy is to give His love away, a thought that brings to mind the saying:

It isn't a song until it's sung.
It isn't a bell until it's rung.
It isn't love until it's given away!

God's Valentine - Part 2

God’s best and most extravagant Valentine did not come to us in the beautiful hues of the sunset or the wonderful fragrance of spring bouquets. It came in the form of His only Son, Jesus.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11 ESV).

There is a natural, logical kind of loving that loves lovely things and lovely people. That’s logical. But there is another kind of loving that doesn’t look for value in what it loves, but that CREATES value in what is loves. Like Rosemary’s rag doll. When Rosemary was three, she was given a little rag doll, which quickly became an inseparable companion. She had other toys that were intrinsically far more valuable, but none that she loved like she loved the rag doll. Soon the rag doll became more and more rag and less and less doll. It also became more and more dirty. If you tried to clean the rag doll, it became more ragged still. And if you didn’t try to clean the rag doll, it became dirtier still. The sensible thing to do was to trash the rag doll. But that was unthinkable for anyone who loved my child. If you loved Rosemary, you loved the rag doll; it was part of the package.

Newell has expressed the wonder of this incredible gift in the familiar hymn, “At Calvary”:

O the love that drew salvation's plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

Very little else can be said when faced with this truth. After hearing the gospel explained, people often say, "you mean there's nothing I can do to deserve it? That's too easy." It seems natural for people to object to the idea that God's unmerited favor can be given so freely to unworthy sinners. Many find it difficult to trust a God who offers salvation as a free gift. Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan told of a coal miner who came to him and said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I cannot believe that He will forgive them if I just ask Him. It is too cheap." Morgan said, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the mine." "How did you get out of the pit? Did you pay?" "Of course not. I just got into to cage and was pulled to the top." "Were you not afraid to entrust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?" Morgan asked. "Oh no," said the miner, "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink the shaft." Suddenly the truth struck him. What had not cost him anything -- salvation -- had not come cheap to God. This miner had never thought of the great price that God paid to send His Son so He could rescue fallen humanity. Now he realized that all anyone had to do was to "get into the cage" by faith. Get in the cage today!

God's Valentine - Part 1

In the next few mornings we’ll be looking at the different “Valentines” God has sent to us. There are so many ways that He has sent us His message of love. One of the first and most basic can be seen in creation itself. Just the simple truth that God created the heavens and the earth is a message of His great love for us. This is how the Apostle John thought of the creation:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14 ESV).

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the world-famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, was not above telling tales about himself in which he was the laughing-stock. Here is one of those stories. As he tells it, he was waiting at a taxi stand outside the railway station in Paris. When a taxi pulled up, he put his suitcase in it and got in himself. As he was about to tell the taxi-driver where he wanted to go, the driver asked him: "Where can I take you, Mr. Doyle?" Doyle was flabbergasted. He asked the driver whether he knew him by sight. The driver said: "No Sir, I have never seen you before." The puzzled Doyle asked him what made him think that he was Conan Doyle. The driver replied: "This morning's paper had a story about you being on vacation in Marseilles. This is the taxi stand where people who return from Marseilles always come to. Your skin color tells me you have been on vacation. The ink-spot on your right index finger suggests to me that you are a writer. Your clothing is very English, and not French. Adding up all those pieces of information, I deduce that you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle." Doyle said: "This is truly amazing. You are a real-life counter-part to my fictional creation, Sherlock Holmes." "There is one other thing," the driver said. "What is that?" "Your name is on the front of your suitcase."

There are two ways to be personally aware of God's existence. We can deduce from intricately crafted arguments, or merely pay attention to the fact that God's name is plastered all over creation. Oh, I think there is a necessary place for such carefully worded arguments, but I also have a great deal of admiration for the little boy who was told by an atheist, "I'll give you an apple if you can show me where God is." His simple response, "Mister, I'll give you a bushel of apples if you can show me where God isn't." Take a moment to look outside and see the signature of God. Everything you see is His Valentine message of love to you today!

An Everyday Survival Kit

Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. (Psalm 5:1-5 ESV).

Several years ago Mary and I won an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii. As a part of the preparation for the trip we were sent all kinds of little things to take with us. The travel agency handling all the arrangements made sure we had all the essentials: tickets, itinerary, and emergency information. However, they also sent along some other items. One of the most interesting was the first-aid kit. It contained sunscreen, minor first-aid items, antacids, and pain relievers. Each of these was included in anticipation of a potential need while on the trip. After reading Psalm 5, I began to think of the kind of “survival kit” that the Lord would want us to pack for life. It would need to include the following items:

1. A Toothpick, to would remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. It’s always easier to see the negative in others rather than the positive. However, our lives move much better when we look for the good in others.
2. A Rubber band, to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. Remember, there WILL be interruptions and changes to our schedules every day. View each one as a “divine appointment” and be flexible.
3. A Band-Aid, to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's. The Wisdom of Solomon still stands today: never let the sun go down on your anger.
4. A Pencil, to remind you to list your blessing everyday. Thanksgiving ought to be a daily activity, not just annual.
5. An Eraser, to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay. The beginning of our own forgiveness is in the forgiving of others. Release them from all of their debt into the hands of your heavenly Father. He is the only one who can make it right.
6. A Stick of Chewing gum, to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything. Perseverance, even when it seems that you cannot take another step will take you to your goal. “How do you eat an elephant?” the old sage rhetorically asked. In answer, he said, “One bite at a time!” It is a truth of life to be applied.
7. A Mint, to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family and friends. You are loved. Claim the acceptance of your adoption in the family of God.
8. A Candy Kiss, to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday.
9. A Tea Bag, to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of your blessings. All of us need that moment of being still before the Lord. It energizes us for the challenges of the day.

Pack up your “survival kit” and have a WONDERFUL trip!

How to Stay Stressed

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:32-34 ESV).

Yesterday we looked at some of the symptoms of stress. Today I have listed (from a negative perspective) some of the ways to stay stressed. It is a little unusual to study this list instead of the positive, but it will provide a little clearer picture of where we really are in our lives. I hope you enjoy the “tongue in cheek” style. Here's how to stay stressed.

1. First, never exercise. Exercise wastes a lot of the time that could be spent worrying.
2. Second, eat anything you want. Hey if cigarette smoke can't cleanse your system, a balance diet isn't likely to either.
3. Third, gain weight. Work hard at staying at least 25 pounds over your recommended weight.
4. Fourth, take plenty of stimulants. The old standards of caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and cola will continue to do the job just fine.
5. Fifth, avoid "woo-woo practices." Ignore the evidence suggesting that meditation, prayer, and/or praise help to reduce stress. The Protestant work ethic is good for everyone, Protestant or not.
6. Sixth, get rid of your social support system. Let the few friends who are willing to tolerate you know that you concern yourself with friendships only if you have time, and you never have time. If a few people persist in trying to be your friend, avoid them.
7. Seventh, personalize all criticism. Anyone who criticizes any aspect of your work, family, dog, house, or car is mounting a personal attack. Don't take the time to listen, be offended, and then return the attack!
8. Eighth, throw out your sense of humor. Staying stressed is no laughing matter, and it shouldn't be treated as one.
9. Ninth, males and females alike should be macho. Never ask for any help, and if you want it done right, do it yourself! Become a workaholic. Put work before everything else, and be sure to take work home evenings and weekends. Keep reminding yourself that vacations are for sissies.
10. Tenth, discard good time management skills. Schedule more activities every day than you can possibly get done then worry about it all whenever you get a chance. Or, procrastinate. Putting things off to the last second always produces a marvelous amount of stress.
11. Eleventh, worry about things you can't control. Worry about the stock market, earthquakes, and the approaching Ice Age. You know, all the big issues.
12. Twelfth, become not only a perfectionist but also set impossibly high standards, and either beat yourself up, or feel guilty, depressed, discouraged, and/or inadequate when you don't meet them.

So, what will it be today? Stress or trust? Today’s trouble really is enough for today. Let tomorrow rest in your Father’s hands. He is more than capable of caring for our every need.

My Momma Said

Perhaps one of the most widely mimicked movies of recent years is “Forrest Gump.” Some of the most often used lines form the movies are those that begin “My momma always said.” Do you remember the one where his mother said, "There's an awful lot you can tell 'bout a person by their shoes, where they goin’ and where they been"? Forrest answers, "I've worn lots of shoes." Or there’s another when he says, "There is only so much fortune a man really needs, and the rest is for showin' off." However, the all time favorite must be when she says, "Life is like a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get." There is so much truth to that! Perhaps it is the unknown quality of tomorrow that so enslaves us to fear. Jesus spoke so clearly to that in the Sermon from the Mount.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV).

Some of us have become so accustomed to stress that we fail to recognize its real destructive potential. Stress helps us seem important. We rationalize that anyone as stressed as we are must be working very hard and therefore, are probably doing something very crucial. Well, this like so many of the devil’s lies eat away at our true sense of joy and our joy is erased in a flurry of busyness. Too much stress produces the following conditions. If you have any of these, perhaps you need to start practicing the art of only taking on today’s trouble.

1. Stress causes us to maintain personal distance and avoid intimacy. Stress also helps you keep your authoritarian management style. This is the authoritarian style of "just do what I say.” If you maintain a permanently stressed crisis atmosphere, you can justify an authoritarian style all of the time.
2. Stress causes us to avoid responsibilities. We are so tired, or so “busy” that we can’t do the ordinary and mundane chores of life.
3. Stress causes us to avoid success. Stress can keep your performance level low enough that success won't ever be a threat.

Practice a little “Forrest Gump.” Life really is a box of chocolates, and you can’t know what each one holds! So, rest in the hope of Christ and His unchanging love for you.