Epic Fail

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV). I have a love-hate relationship with the internet. I love it because it gives me almost instant access anytime, anywhere to news, sports, and other information that would be impossible to get otherwise. I hate it because nothing can be hidden from anyone’s eyes should they desire to look long enough or hard enough. That is especially true with our failures. In fact, there are a number of sites that do nothing but publicize the most embarrassing moments of failure for all the world to see. We even have a new phrase that has developed for these moments of life: “the Epic Fail.” Building this bridge from both sides of the divide and then meeting in the middle was an “Epic Fail.” I can just imagine one of the engineers saying, “Well, if we just had zigged instead of zagged back about a mile…” No one likes failure. Whether it’s an “F” on a test, a failed business deal, or a broken relationship, failure is hard to accept. Failure mocks us and asks us to examine what went wrong, perhaps offering us only a slight hope of redemption the next time. Once we fail it is very hard to try again. Today’s Scripture shows us Jesus’ attitude toward failure. It’s to four of these supposed failures, James and John, Simon Peter and Andrew. They were young men who had removed from rabbinical training and forced to learn the family trade. Jesus never stopped to look at their failures. He didn’t care what their past looked like. Jesus never checked their credentials, he just said “Come.” Their response, “immediately they left and followed.” Jesus took the failure that had made them simple fishermen and transformed them into fishers for people and world-changers. In a similar fashion, Jesus calls to us today and says, “Come.” He doesn’t stop to consider our past failures. In fact, failures are qualification marks in Christ’s kingdom. Jesus desires to take you, redeem you, transform you, and use you. He took an ordinary group of young men, many of whom were failures in society’s eyes, and transformed the world. Imagine what he could do with your failures if you let him. That’s what Jesus does with our “Epic Fails.” Come to him today.

Wild Donkeys

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:25-29 ESV). We live near the south perimeter of the Moncrief Ranch. This location, which encompasses over 17,000 acres behind high fence, is the headquarters for the Moncrief family. They are known for their oil and gas fortune, but also run ranch operations near Gunnison, Colorado and Lysite, Wyoming. On the Parker County ranch, you will find many species of wild life. Among them are the Grevy’s Zebras, Scimitar Oryx, Impala, Blackbuck, and the nearly extinct Wild Jerusalem Nubian Asses. It is not unusual to merely drive by on the country road near the fence and see herds of these animals peacefully grazing. The interesting point for me in seeing the Jerusalem donkey is the Biblical reference to the animals in Jesus’ day. One of those is found in our reading today. The image of the “yoke” led to a wonderful principle. Jesus was both a model Jew and the Son of God, yet much more. In the Jewish tradition, only the best students were invited to the final level of study, the Bet Midrash (House of the Student). The rest went home to learn the family trade and a life of ordinary work. First century Jews longed for more than ordinary just as we do today. Each rabbi sought to teach his own understanding of life and Scripture—his yoke—to his students. Bet Midrash was prep school for becoming a rabbi. The first task ensured the new student could in fact wear the rabbi’s yoke. If the rabbi deemed you competent he would say, “Take my yoke upon you.” Leaving everything, the student would follow, giving up their life, learning to be an exact imitation of their rabbi. This started the adventure of the extraordinary life of being a rabbi. Jesus’ words meet us today saying, “Take my yoke upon you.” They indicate that he knows we are ready for something more. “I believe you have what it takes,” he says. No matter what your past looks like or where you are today, Jesus’ words are an invitation to go deeper, to be intimate. Jesus’ yoke transforms ordinary into extraordinary. Jesus believes you can be like him. His yoke is easy to learn. Are you willing to be like your rabbi?

As Sweet as Honey

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:97-104 ESV). Our reading today concerns a very specific early Jewish tradition. The scene takes place on the first day of school. The Rabbi would instruct his students to take out their slates, or personal chalkboards. Spreading honey all over them, he instructed the students to lick the honey from their slates as well as their fingers, all the while reciting the words of Psalm 119:103. Just as nothing was sweeter than this pure honey, nothing was more enjoyable than tasting, receiving, and accepting the words of God. Imagine the unforgettable experience this created for the students. God’s word hasn’t changed. It’s just as sweet now as it was for those students centuries ago. A million things compete for our time and attention — school activities, work commitments, family obligations, over-time, part-time, you name it. All these things vie for our time and threaten to rob us of the joy of spending time with God’s sweet, sweet word. Jesus knew what being busy was intimately. The gospel is replete with images of a Jesus constantly in action. He was always going, teaching, healing, doing. However, despite all this activity, Jesus modeled a lifestyle centered on praying, fasting, and communing with God. Jesus knew the sweetness of life spent with God, a life that would sustain him along his journey from manger to cross. That’s the real key to success. I have seen numerous books and articles concerning the secrets to achieve success. All of those I have read seem to have two things in common. They all have a list of more things for us to do in order to be successful. The writers seem to indicate that the busier we are with their list, the more we will succeed. I don’t know about you, but for me, I’m plenty busy now. I don’t need more to do. They also leave out one key principle. Success comes from a vibrant relationship with our heavenly Father. To get that often requires that we simply be still and listen to His words. I used to remark that the faster I go, the behinder I got. Well, that true most of the time. It is not an automatic truth that busy is better. I am more and more reminded that being still and hearing from the Lord through the Scripture is the one consistent principle leading us to success. How’s your study time doing? Is it as sweet as honey? It can be.

Karaoke

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:25-5:2 ESV). I always found it a bit amusing that the judges would be hard on the contestants of American Idol for being too “karaoke.” They wanted each of them to be more original in their interpretation of some of the greatest hits. I suppose that’s understandable; however, there is a reason the original was such a hit in the first place. Imitation of something that is good and successful is one of the greatest forms of compliment and honor. The apostle tells us in our reading today that we should be imitators. Are you an imitator? Consider this before you answer too quickly. As I said earlier, imitating is not always a bad thing. Psychology tells us that imitating is a positive thing, citing that it aids in alleviating symptoms of depression and other psychological disorders. In the case of depression, if you act like you don’t have depression you can sometimes trick your mind into believing that you in fact don’t have depression. A little weird, but it works. But there is an even better reason to be an imitator. God desires that we imitate him. His desire is that our actions, thoughts, and mannerisms be modeled after him. We imitate God by living in love with those around us, the same type of love Christ displayed to us by offering himself as a sacrifice for us. Living in love displays to a watching world whose we are. As Christ’s disciples our actions, our love, serves as a mirror by which others can see Christ, thereby seeing God. Jesus commends this way of living to us in his Sermon on the Mount: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (cf. Matt. 5:16 NRSV). It is not as easy as it may at first appear to sing Karaoke. With practice it can be done. We can retrain our voices to imitate other patterns; we can also train our minds to imitate the decisions and practices of the Lord. Make that your commitment today.

What's Your Plan?

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:35-40 ESV). Plans are important. Since we are in the midst of construction, I am forced to be aware of the overall plans before I do any significant “projects.” I have begun the boardwalk down to the pool from the main house. Normally I would just picture the final project in my mind and start building to that. Unfortunately that doesn’t work well in the whole scope of the project. There’s just too much going on to forge ahead without a plan. I am reminded that God created the world with a very specific plan in mind. Our reading today clearly shows that God’s plan centers on Jesus Christ. Jesus was not some afterthought from God. It was not as if God was somehow surprised by the development of the world he created. Our sin did not catch God off guard. Jesus left the riches of heaven to be born in a manger in Bethlehem. From the manger in Bethlehem his life led rather quickly, after thirty-three years or so, to his death at Calvary. Along the way, Jesus attracted a remarkable, at times motley, cast of characters. There are the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples, the sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes, and the crowds that flocked to see this man called Jesus. God’s plan does center on Jesus Christ, but God’s plan also extends to us. Jesus poured his life into the twelve disciples. But in Matthew 28, after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples again and commissions them with carrying out God’s further plan. He entrusts his followers with the responsibility and authority to finish what has begun. This is an incredible thought for me. From the Great Commission, to the Holy Spirit’s release on Pentecost and the birth of the church, to us today, God’s plan involves us specifically and intentionally. We are called to play an active role in God’s master plan. There’s a great satisfaction to know that you’ve had a role in the building of your home. How much more should we be amazed that God wants us directly involved in the building of His Church? That’s His plan. What’s your plan?

Water for Life - Pt 4

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:7-15 ESV). I have traveled to Israel both as a “tourist” and a “tour guide.” Each time it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Walking in the land of the Bible, Scripture came to life. And additionally we experienced the joy of the relationships that formed with my traveling partners. Of course the sights, sounds, and smells of the Biblical land came alive to me after those travels; but, as I shared the hurt and happiness of the folks that were with us, I was able help them learn that our joy doesn’t come from successes or failures. Our joy is rooted in the source of our salvation. In the Bible, water is used many times as an image of salvation. In Isaiah, the people of God are to find their water in wells of salvation. These wells never go dry, and the water is always refreshing. Jesus, speaking to the woman at Jacob’s well, teaches us that the well of salvation is not found through works or rituals but in him (v. 14). When we drink of Jesus, we are filled with the living stream of God’s Holy Spirit. We do not have to go on a great pilgrimage to find the well. The spring of God’s amazing grace is even now flowing into our hearts. We have our own well at the house. This well is nearly 300 feet deep. There are other aquifers nearer the surface, but the water is not nearly as good in those. We still treat the water with salt to soften it a bit, but it is clear and clean just as it is. It has been filtered by its path through the rock and stone underground. In many ways this is an accurate picture of God’s grace at work in our lives. Sometimes our experiences are difficult and full of pain. The pressure might even seem unbearable. However, once the tap is set, we can find a flow of sweet, refreshing water coming from it. The work of Christ in us has already borne the brunt of the trial in his sacrifice on our behalf. It allows us to rejoice in the fact that he has saved you and made us his own. Even now his living water is in our life. So we can draw water from the well, drink of it deeply, and find our refreshment in God. Are you thirsty… take a drink!

Water for Life - Pt 3

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side— let Israel now say— if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124 ESV). To be accurate I must say that, in Scripture, water isn’t always a cleansing, life-giving substance. Sometimes it represents danger and death. Who can forget the story of Noah and God destroying the earth in the flood (cf. Genesis 6:17); or, how about the experience of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry ground (cf. Exodus 14:23-28)? The waters destroyed countless people in both instances. In today’s reading, dangerous water rages and floods, threatening to sweep the people away. This is a part of the picture of baptism. It symbolizes the mercifully violent role in scrubbing away our old self in order to make way for new life in Christ. We can easily see that water can be dangerous. For example, water can be dammed up or it can flash flood. Stagnant pond water is dangerous when it collects disease and turns undrinkable. Raging flood waters leave scars in the earth as they erode away land. Our own lives can inflict these same kinds of wounds. It is easy to become like stagnant water by not extending Christian love to our neighbors. Other times, our evangelical zealousness is like a flash flood. Our efforts for “mission” can scar our neighbors and ourselves, whom God has formed as people from the dust of the earth (cf. Genesis 2:7). But like God’s promises, water can also be healing and provide nourishment for life. We ought to be a healing agent in the lives of our neighbors by extending to them the same love that we first received from God. I’m sitting outside writing this devotional. Just in front of me is the herb garden I built recently. It has ten different herbs planted in the boxes I built. Even though these plants don’t require a lot of water, they need more moisture than if they were planted in the ground. The soil just dries more quickly in these planters. And, they’ll tell you when it’s time to water. They get a little “droopy.” As soon as you water, they perk up perfectly. I have found people to be like that. Sometimes they get a little “droopy.” Life has just dried their lives with the heat of difficulty and hardship. We can be the water to perk them up if we will just speak words of life and promise. Let’s determine to respond to the thirsty souls around us with the grace of God’s presence and promise of life.

Water for Life - Pt 2

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:10-18 ESV). I like the fast food restaurants that have self-serve fountain drinks. Or, I should say I like them until the fountains don’t work. You’ve been there I’m sure. You know the taste of having just put ice in your cup and selecting your flavor from the seemingly endless choices, you fill it with fountain soda only to find out that the syrup is gone and your cup is filling with carbonated water instead. Yuk! The sweet taste of soda is hijacked by the salty taste of stale fizz. For me, that moment is less than satisfying. I am beyond disappointment when my cup fills with plain seltzer water. In today’s Scripture, James shares his discontent with Christians who don’t seem to be living up to their identity in Christ. He writes of these Christians, “from the same mouth come blessing and cursing” (v. 10). For James, blessing and cursing should be mutually exclusive. One cannot do them both. In the same way, water can be either fresh or salty, but not both. Our witness to the world is weakened when we spend most of our time judging and cursing. James encourages us to have consistency in the witness of our lives: “peaceable, gentle . . . full of mercy and good fruits” (v. 17). When we consistently pour out the fresh water of our heart in mission to the world, God will reap a “harvest of righteousness” (v. 18). Like the soda fountain, we need to deliver the full flavor of what our appearances would suggest. Often, I have found that churches appear to be able to deliver that kind of refreshment only to be missing the ingredient of God’s grace. That makes for a very unsatisfactory experience. The next time you are called on to speak on behalf of the Gospel, please remember the kind of grace you have been given. God’s grace is always to be full and free. It is to be a word that heals and restores. What kind of water springs forth from the well of your soul?

Water for Life - Pt 1

And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:6-12 ESV). Water abounds all around us and within us. The earth is about 70 percent water; the adult human body is about 60 percent water. We could survive for several weeks without food, but left without water our bodies would fail within a few days. Despite the prevalence of water in our lives and its importance for our physical health, we often neglect to reflect on the significance of water for our spiritual health. The story of the Gospel is full of references to water. The Bible begins with the Spirit of God “hovering over the face of the waters” (cf. Genesis 1:2) and ends at the “river of the water of life” (cf. Revelation 22:1). In between, water flows and floods. Sometimes water destroys, as in Noah’s day, but more often it refreshes and renews. You may remember that Jesus’ first recorded miracle involved water. While attending the wedding feat at Cana, the host had run out of wine and Jesus transformed water into the best wine (cf. John 2:1-12). Our reading today uses water. In Ezekiel’s vision of God’s sanctuary, the abundant waters of life are the overflow of God’s blessings upon his world and people. The waters will cause all plants to flourish so that they will “bear fresh fruit every month.” This fruit “will be for food, and their leaves for healing” (v. 12). As with many of the prophetic passages in the Bible, this too deals with the nation of Israel. Ezekiel is speaking of the time when the Lord returns to this earth and establishes His kingdom, ruling and reigning for 1,000 years. It is during the Millennial Reign that God will bring healing and restoration to Israel. A river of grace and blessing will flow from the throne of God throughout the land promised of the Lord to His people. It is an incredible picture of God’s final outpouring of grace. Over the next few days, we will explore several intersections of water, word, and life. When we are attentive to the significance of water in our daily lives, we recover a sense of wonder for our amazing God and for the miracle of life each day. Today, revisit the great gift of God in your life. He has given us real water for life!

Sitting in the Dark

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:19-24 ESV). One of my friends is a melancholy by nature. In fact, he can be bucolic and has been nicknamed “Eeyore.” There are times when we will spend hours just talking through some of the challenges and difficulties of life. I can say that he does have some very real challenges, however we can always find a way to overcome the emotion of them by turning our attention to the goodness of God’s grace. He has told me on more than one of these occasions that this is the only real answer to the feelings of overwhelming grief he experiences. He has also told me of the many well-meaning people who have tried to comfort him in these times by simply saying he should just try harder to stop dwelling on it so much and just move forward. This advice is understandable; as Christians we sometimes think it is our duty to always be positive and joyful. Yet in Lamentations we see another picture. We read the words of someone pouring out their deepest pain, and even accusations, to God. The author cries against God, “He made me dwell in darkness like the dead” (v. 6). Many of us have felt this darkness, the deep sadness of pain, loss, depression. Sometimes we are afraid to grieve, to give our sorrow full voice. We fear that our cries will show us unfaithful, unbelieving in the goodness of God. Yet in this chapter we read of both deep sorrow and deep faith as the author writes, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases” (v. 22). The author trusts God’s love but also isn’t afraid to enter the darkness of grief. He puts the full force of his pain into a prayer full of anger and hurt, allowing himself space to grieve, knowing that God’s love is strong enough to stay with him in that darkness. Perhaps you are sitting in some darkness now. It may be the result of some significant loss in your life. May I first encourage you by saying that your feelings are real. Further, I would not for a moment pretend to understand how you are feeling even though I may have experienced something very similar. I would want to walk beside you in this time with the words of encourage from our writer of today’s reading: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. There is a day coming when all of these circumstances will pale in comparison to the incredible blessings of eternal life. Focus your thoughts on Him who has secured that life for us!

I Saw the Light

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV). "I Saw the Light" is a country gospel song written by Hank Williams. Williams was inspired to write the song while returning from a concert by a remark his mother made while they were arriving in Montgomery, Alabama. He recorded the song during his first session for MGM Records, and released in September 1948. The song became the show closer for Williams and one of his most popular tunes. Williams' version did not enjoy major success during its initial release although it was soon covered by other acts and with time became a country gospel standard. Seeing the Light is an essential part of the Christian experience. The human eye belongs to a general group of eyes found in nature called camera-type eyes. Just as a camera lens focuses light onto film, a structure in the eye called the cornea focuses light onto a light-sensitive membrane called the retina. Then the brain is able to “develop” those images and interpret what we are seeing. All of that takes place in milliseconds. It is an incredible process we often take for granted. One of the things about our eyes that is critical is the necessity of light. Whether by day or night, light fuels human discovery. Visual perception, our eyesight, is based on processing information conveyed by visual light. If you can see anything at all, even the faintest blur in a dark room, it is because your eye is receiving light. What we call light and dark are relative terms, considering there are virtually no natural places on the surface of the earth that do not have some form of visible light present. So it is with spiritual discovery. In our reading today the Lord speaks through Jeremiah about a day in which God’s people will know him so intimately that his law will be written on their hearts. They will no longer need to teach one another about who God is, because they will all know him, every last one. With the coming of Jesus Christ, who called himself the light of the world, God fulfilled this promise. Jesus took our sins upon himself and reconciled us to God. Have you “seen the light”?

Pitch Black

Yesterday I wrote a little about the creation of light and the greatness of God as he spoke all of it into existence. As I finished that thought, I continued to think of the necessity of contrast when speaking of how we perceive light. It is never merely light and dark. There are varying shades within that entire spectrum. The greatest way to accentuate light is to contrast it with shadow. I have tried my hand at some watercolor and it is amazing how you can create depth with the simple addition of a shadow. People are naturally drawn to light; we desire to see and be seen. Thus, an effective artist designer uses darkness to direct attention toward that which is lit. The second-to-last plague to strike Egypt was that of darkness. This darkness was so deep that one person could not see another. It was what we might call “pitch black. Verse 21 tells us that it was the kind of oppressive darkness that you feel. For three days the sun did not shine when it should have, and to accentuate the point, there was light where the people of Israel lived. The effect is similar to when we walk toward a single light through darkness. The light draws our attention, which seems to magnify both the depth of the darkness and the brightness of the light. God used this kind of contrast between darkness and light to reveal himself to Egypt. By allowing darkness to cover the land, the light God gave to his chosen people attracted the eyes of Pharaoh and all of Egypt. So it is with us, sometimes the darkness in our lives directs our eyes toward God’s love through Jesus Christ. The next time you see a shadow, think of the real Light of the World, Jesus. He secures all that is wonderful for us!

Light

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5 ESV). Let me set the scene for you. The house is dark; no lights were left on and we returned after the sun had set. It was a cloudy night, so the ambient light from outdoors was noticeably less than usual. I opened the front door and lifted my hand to the wall. Moving my hand up and down, forward and backward, I touch a smooth piece of plastic. Knowing immediately it is the faceplate of the light switch, I move my fingers in the upward direction and trip the switch, immediately filling the room with light. This seemingly simple feat is repeated daily by people around the world and has been ever since Edison made incandescent lighting economically feasible at the turn of the last century. It is an ordinary occurrence for most of the world’s population. And, yet, because of its commonness we take for granted the complexity of making that light a reality. The same is true when we begin to think of the creation. We have lost touch with the incredible claim made in Genesis 1:3 as God speaks light into existence. Where only darkness had existed, there was light. Think about what it takes for us to light a room today. At least four different manufacturing plants are involved, one to make wire, another for the switch, one more for the fixture, and a final one for the bulb. There are also numerous people at the power company, linemen, electricians who all play a role in making it possible to turn on the light. There are many more who have all contributed to bringing light to our darkness with the flip of a switch. By comparison, God spoke one declarative statement and in so doing created the sun, the moon, and all the stars. He created enough light for an entire universe to run for untold millions of years. God’s spoken word empowered an entire electromagnetic spectrum that humanity is only beginning to comprehend. Edison’s incandescent light, in all its glory, cannot even begin to compare to the majesty and wonder of the creative power of our God. Do you see that with all of that power we can trust Him even more? The next time you turn on the lights, think about the ultimate power of the God who created light itself. He is your heavenly Father. His love for you is unmatched in all of time!

The Burning Bushes

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:1-6 ESV). Today’s reading is one of the most familiar in the Old Testament, yet it is also one of the most difficult for us to identify personally with. After all, what is the “wilderness”; or, how even more fantastic, how many of us have seen a burning bush without it being really on fire; or, who of us has practiced the profession of shepherding? These things are not a part of our daily experience. However, it is still a story we can all identify with because it is the story of the wonder of the presence of God. Moses, after murdering the Egyptian was running for his life. He had made a new life and seems content. Then God steps in and changes everything. Moses stops to look at a blazing bush. God warns him about holy ground, reveals who he is, and explains the problem of the suffering of his people. Then God delivers a line that Moses probably thought he would never hear: it’s time for you to go back and solve the problem. They debate. Moses hedges. He refuses. He finally surrenders. He leads God’s people to freedom. It is quite a fantastic story. At first glance it would be most foreign to all of us. Yet, this is our story. All of us at one time or another have been “on the run” from our past. We have found some measure of freedom away from previous environs. We have settled into new careers or activities in the hope that we can busy ourselves with something productive to make up for what we feel is a past that was unproductive and perhaps even destructive. Then, God breaks into our new world with some experience. He meets us in a small corner of our life, which becomes a holy corner. It may be through some grand moment like the birth of a child, or it could be a painful encounter with illness or grief. Regardless of whether the event is a positive or negative experience, God is there purposefully reaching toward us. He comes to us. In wonder, we realize that the God of the universe wants to talk to us. Wonder becomes reality as God encourages us and, despite our misgivings, uses us. Perhaps like Moses, you are at that place and making excuses why you simply can’t leave this grand life you have constructed for that which He is directing you toward. Can I simply encourage you to say yes to his requests? You will never regret it!

Quiet, Please

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:1-7 ESV). I was browsing along and saw this picture and immediately thought that I needed that. Some of you might remark that there aren’t any bears in Aeldo, TX; what could I possibly need this sign for? Well, let me just say that I can be a “bear” if I don’t get some quiet time each day. With construction ramping up on the house, sitting on the patio to listen to the birds and feel the breeze for a few moments of quiet contemplation (better known as a nap) is next to impossible until late in the evening. Stillness is a rare commodity. It seems no matter where you find yourself, there is always some noise present to disturb your quiet. I think a part of our need for at least some ambient noise is the fear of being left alone with our thoughts. This unfortunately causes us to miss the wonder of silence. Scripture teaches that silence allows us to hear God speak. Elijah heard God’s wisdom in the still small voice. Psalm 37 advises silent waiting when we are anxious and fretful. Jesus often removed himself from the fray, perhaps so that he could regain perspective, and certainly so that he could reconnect with his Father. I learned the wonder of silence on the second day of a three-day silent retreat. I was alone on the grounds of a private camp in Oklahoma many years ago. It was a typical summer day in that dry and hot landscape. I had taken a short walk and found a place to sit with nothing but my thoughts. Even if electronics were possible, twenty years ago they didn’t exist in such abundance as they do today; however, I was told that the prerequisite for being at this camp was a promise of silence. I was not allowed to have any electronic devices, nor would any of the staff speak to me while I was there. It was designed to force an interaction in silence. The results were immediate and impacting. Through the Scripture I was able to clearly hear God’s words deep in my mind and heart. His message was very simple: “You are my child. I will always take care of you.” Suddenly it put all of life’s circumstance into proper perspective. Maybe you need that perspective today. Can I encourage you to find a quiet place? You will hear God!

The Delight of God

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8 ESV). Our reading today pictures the glory, majesty, power, and creativity of God. Later in this psalm, we learn that we are actually “just a little lower” than the heavenly beings and have been “crowned with glory and honor.” Not only that, but we have been put in charge of God’s “handcrafted world” (v. 6 The Message). This is awe-inspiring, to be sure. But the words of Zephaniah are even more wonder-full. He tells us that this powerful, majestic God is “with us” and even takes “great delight” in us. The word delight conjures up pleasure, enjoyment, glee, and even amusement and enchantment. Not only are we trusted with great responsibility but we also bring God happiness! Many people that I see readily admit they have never really thought about God being delighted in them. In fact, they often react with incredulity simply because they have only been told how badly they have failed in their lives. That is merely half of the story of God’s work of grace. Recently I met a woman who tearfully described waking up in the middle of a dark night and feeling not only God’s presence but also God’s delight. Too often we cringe before God because of our mistakes, failures, and doubts. We are all too ready to think of ourselves merely as wretches in need of grace. While that is true, we must understand that God first response to us is that of delight as his special creation. This may be very difficult for some of you as you reflect on the depth of your failure. It may be that you truly feel that there can be no coming back from where you have gone in your life. That simply is not true. There is no situation on this side of death that God cannot forgive and restore. My hope and prayer for you today is that you will allow yourself to feel God’s “smile” as you rest in his unchanging grace. Welcome God’s favor in your moments of loving unselfishness. Appreciate God’s pleasure as you relate to him each day. And rejoice with Zephaniah in the reality that God is with you and delights in you.

Front and Center

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV). Many years ago, as today, the best seats to have in a theater were always those on the front row and in the center of the row. Thus, when people want to indicate something or someone is in the position of maximum prominence they would say that person is “front and center. In our reading today Moses wants to make sure we understand that God is of the maximum prominence in the creation of the universe. Simply put, everything begins with God. Here on the first page of the first book of the Bible, God is present, active, and in charge. As Eugene Peterson says in his introduction to Genesis, this is a story that starts and ends with God. It is “not God at the margins; not God as an option; not God on the weekends. God is at center and circumference.” This is the wonder of creation: that God is everywhere in it, handcrafting a world, speaking it into existence, making it ready for the crown of creation, and then pronouncing it all “good.” When our sense of the wonder of creation dulls, God is marginalized. This year the bluebonnets were not as plentiful as in years past, yet they were still breathtaking throughout the fields along Texas highways. It certainly was not commonplace. Perhaps for those who see this riot of blue blanketing the roadside every year it is; however, for me, it was a welcome sight that drew me aside to the wonder and majesty of the hand of God. I often wonder if we have become so callous to the “ordinary” work of God that we fail to recognize the wonder of that work. The sun as it rises or sets ought to give us deep pause as we recognize the hand of God in it. Wouldn’t it have been just as easy for God to have created the cycle of day and night without the light bursting through the atmospheric conditions to produce the vivid oranges, reds, and purples? Shouldn’t we recognize the hand of God in every simple pleasure from the stimulation of our senses that God has provided? We can train our souls to find wonder in all of creation, but it takes intentionality. Today, count your blessings before you go to sleep and include among them whatever beauty you observed during the day. Practice grace-filled living by finding God in every experience of the day. Read the creation story or a psalm. Most importantly, base your life on the understanding that God is at the front and center of every moment.

Rainbows

“Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror?” (Job 37:14-18 ESV). Recently, while visiting Aaron in Washington D.C., we toured the Renwick Gallery. In each of the rooms there were modern sculptures created from different materials. One of the pieces was created with clear filament fashioned in sweeping arcs from floor to ceiling rising over twenty feet. They were somehow displayed with a variety of primary colors from lights positioned to make it appear as if it were a rainbow. While it was beautiful, it really couldn’t compare to the real thing. I read the story of a little girl and her grandmother who were snuggled in a chair reading a book. Lightning flashed and the sound of thunder cracked. The girl jumped off her grandma’s lap and ran to look out the window. She shouted, “Grandma, look!” The grandmother hurried over and saw a double rainbow in the sky. Looking up with wide eyes the child asked, “Who made that, Grandma?” With a great sense of awe, the wise woman simply answered, “God did. He’s the greatest artist of all!” Sometimes I envy little children who are still alive to the wonder of discovering colorfully striped skies. Too often I need the wake-up call that Elihu gives Job: “Stop in your tracks! Take in God’s miracle-wonders.” We could take a lesson from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel who notes that without wonder there is no worship. If we walk blindly through the wonders of life, we risk becoming blind to the glory of God, and our sense of worship will fade. God makes himself known to us through the slant of sunlight in the trees, through a wave of pink petunias overflowing a clay pot, through the sound of birds serenading each other at dawn. We are reminded of God’s delight in us when we smile at a baby, and the baby smiles back! When we practice living in wonder, we will see God everywhere and our lives will be filled with spontaneous worship and praise. In the next few days my hope is that each of the Morning Devotionals will help you to be open to the blessings of living in wonder. When we do live in that wonder, we will also practice the best form of worship!

The Doll House

“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. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:1-14 ESV). Recently I had a young mom write me and ask my opinion about how she should best handle a question from her young daughter. She said as she was reading a Bible story to her, it had reminded the little girl of the, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Then, as children will do, she asks, “Why does God hold the world in his hands?” She answered, “Because we’re his children and he loves us.” And then, the little girl asked, “Is the world like a big doll house, and God is playing with us?” My answer was not quick. I had to pause a bit before writing back. We all might ask the same question. Some would do so cynically. The child doesn’t. If we could watch her playing with her doll house, we would note her warm feelings and love for her dolls, the tender care of moving them about, of gently talking to them. That’s how she sees God, our heavenly Father, caring for us his children. Her vision is right on. No wonder Jesus calls us to imitate children. If our approach to all of life were more childlike we wouldn’t fear for ourselves and for our loved ones as we do. We want protection from accidents and illness for ourselves and the little ones. But when is the last time fearing for them helped? The Bible promises, “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge” (cf. Proverbs 14:26). And, “Perfect love casts out fear” (cf. 1 John 4:18). Our love for God is imperfect, but God’s love for us and our children and grandchildren is faultless. It’s able to drive out our worries. Live in awe of God daily, and “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Being in his “doll house” is a very good place to be!

Down Memory Lane

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! (Psalm 25:1-7 ESV). The image of walking with someone special to you “down memory lane” is often pleasant. With both Mary and I being retired we have had several opportunities to revisit some of the moments we have shared over the last forty-six years together. I must confess that has been easier since we have moved back “home.” And, I must admit that some of these memories have been a blessing while others have been difficult. The key is always in how we handle these moments of recall. Memories are like that; they can bless or torment. In a random moment there flashes a familiar face across your mental screen. Maybe it’s someone you worked with years ago, or went to church with, someone with whom you prayed or laughed. Maybe it’s the face of a loved one now with the Lord. How you respond depends, in part, on your personality. If you can immediately give thanks for that person and go on, you are in an enviable position. However, for many, there’s a prior step. The memory makes you sad. You know you can’t go back. You’ll never share those great times again. You’ll never be together again in the same way. Now that you’ve acknowledged your sadness you’re ready to give thanks to the Lord. You acknowledge the real pang of sadness, then move forward to give thanks for the time God gave you together back then. Then there are also the painful memories. Some faces that come remind you of foolish, harmful, or selfish things you’ve done; of people you’ve hurt, or who hurt you. In these cases we don’t want to go back, we just want to forget. The opposite is true though. Instead of forgetting, we ought to use the moment to revisit the incredible grace and strength of our heavenly Father. As he has forgiven us, we forgive others, and thereby gain the best God has to give us. I love the verse, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness O Lord!” (v. 7). What memories will you meet today as you stroll along Memory Lane? Embrace them all. Take them in stride. Practice forgiveness and restoration. Renewal is always pleasant!

The End of the Story

Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still. And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:28-33 ESV). King David weeps over the death of his rebellious son in our reading today. It is an especially poignant moment in the Scripture. Perhaps some of you have had such moments. A child has cut himself off from the family; your son or daughter’s marriage is self-destructing; or, you see your young adult child walk the aisle three times, live with someone, and become sexually active outside of marriage. These and countless others choices our children make causes great pain in our hearts. It’s tempting to turn aside and move on to more pleasant matters. That’s tempting, but it’s not Christ’s way. Christ embraced the pain of others. We’re called to follow suit. It’s our way to share in his sufferings. Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings (cf. Philippians 3:10). We’re called to the same goal. There’s a “cup of suffering” Jesus has left for you and me to drink. We do not know the end of the story, though we do know how important walking with our children and friends is during the times of calamity. The heart of Christ breaks over splintered human relationships. We must guard against becoming hardened in the experience of rejection and heartache. Even when we see some of the most destructive choices being made, our task is to tell the truth in love. I’ve seen many who have had no trouble with the telling of the truth; however, it’s usually not accompanied with a healthy dose of love and gentleness. The grace of God demands that we treat others, especially our family, with the same grace that God has treated us with. I cannot even imagine what my life would look like if God had treated me the way I have seen others do in their families. Make this summer a time of renewal within your closest circles of relationship. Be hopeful. God has written the end of the story even though we don’t know it fully yet. And, His story ends well. His promise is to bring good to His children through every experience (cf. Romans 8:28).

Speak No Evil

A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust. When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too. The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead. With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. (Proverbs 11:1-12 ESV). All of us have had those experiences in life when we said something before we thought it through. Often the unfiltered responses cause much more difficulty for us than if we had simply remained silent. Not long ago I saw an antique sign with some of the same wisdom as our reading today. It said: Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my lips. Our advice as seniors may be so wise and time-tested that we could write an advice column in the newspaper. But it’s best to keep it to ourselves if we wish to be welcome in our adult children’s homes. Fact is, we’ve had our opportunity to try out our wisdom on our children. They deserve their own opportunity in rearing their children. The best of our wisdom will, from time to time, emerge in any case. The only advice-givers anyone appreciates are the professionals, where simply closing the book or clicking the link shuts them off. The book of Proverbs advises, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (cf. Proverbs 10:19). That’s never truer than when applied to advising our adult children. How many broken family relationships could have been prevented if everyone had controlled their tongues? “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble” (cf. Proverbs 21:23). Once words have been uttered, damage is done. The time we have spent in Kyle and Brandy’s home while ours is being finished has been wonderful as it has renewed my focus on teaching the grandkids only what will not contradict their parents. The last thing anyone is the house needs is four parents! In private prayer we are welcome to voice all our family concerns to our common heavenly Father if there is a difference of approach. He’ll change who needs changing and keep our relationship solid. May He keep his arms around all of us and His hand over our mouths more!

The Best Medicine

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:17-22 ESV). I have discovered that the more medicine I take, the more I need. Some of the prescriptions I use each day are only necessary to counteract the possible side effects of the others. If I didn’t need the blood thinners, I wouldn’t need the antacids; and, if I didn’t need the anti inflammatories, I wouldn’t need the antacids, that are necessary because of the blood thinners, which are necessary because of the beta blockers. Well, you get the idea. It’s a never ending cycle, like a dog chasing his tail. I suppose that thought brings me to today’s reading. The Wisdom says, A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Laughter is just good for you! I’ve often been questioned when I talk about the laughter of Jesus. Most of the time I simply remark that he must have laughed a lot since he sure made it easy for me to do so. God intends for us to laugh. So laugh a lot. You’ll feel better and make others feel better too. I honestly can’t remember when I started looking old. I do know that when Mary and I are together we get a lot of stares. I used to think that was because we simply dressed well, or people may have noticed some special little kindness between us. That long ago was proven not to be the case. The truth is that people wonder what such a young woman is doing with such an old man. I always go buy the tickets to places since there’s never a question of whether I get the “senior discount.” If it weren’t so true I suppose I would be offended. So, I’ve learned that when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, laugh. It always turns our better. Some years ago, I was visiting an elderly member of the church. She had cared for her husband, suffering from Alzheimers, for five years until his death. In depressing times laughter helped her. She had fallen ill herself but her lively sense of humor remained, as a story she told us illustrated. “One day I was getting out of the shower. My husband looked at me and said, ‘Wow! What church do you go to?’ I told him, ‘I go to the Baptist church.’ He responded, ‘That’s the church where I’m going to go too!’” We all laughed together. Laughter, maybe not the only medicine, but it’s a good one. Find something to laugh at today. You’ll feel better.

Specks and Timbers

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV). Old classic cars are something of a fascination to me. Not long ago I was looking through a catalogue and saw a picture of a Model-T Ford with a crank starter that has been restored to original. It was a beautiful piece of machinery, especially for the day in which it was built. The closer I looked at subsequent photos I also noticed a plaque on the wall near it. The words with it announced, “Fewer wives would be nags if more husbands were self-starters.” I was a bit amused and then I began to think of the deeper implications. I suppose I have heard more complaining in marriage counseling of the “nagging” spouse than any other. Some go so far as to use the word “nitpicking.” A definition of that word is quite revealing. Nitpicking is the act of removing head lice from someone’s hair. In family relationships it means trivial, unnecessary faultfinding and nagging. A marriage expert writes, “Nagging is more common than adultery, and potentially as toxic.” Love songs celebrate being “familiar with all your ways, your ins, your outs, your ups and downs”—and still loving the person despite them. When you’ve been married for many years it’s easy to find fault with familiar qualities and habits, some of which you actually found endearing early on. C. S. Lewis observes that the devil is perfectly happy to capture someone for his kingdom by any means possible. No need for murder if resentment at the everyday nitpicking of one’s partner will do the trick. Yet finding fault is common in marriages, including long-term Christian marriages. Jesus spoke to that in the teaching of our reading today. Looking for a “speck” in another’s eye while having a timber in your own eye is the illustration he uses. It is very funny. To imagine trying to take a small speck out of someone’s eye with a beam in your own is quite the image. Yet, that’s often how we judge others. Jesus simply says, “Judge not.” I find it is important to remember that is above our pay grade! So, if you find yourself as the “picker” it will help to ask yourself, “How important is this matter I keep bringing up?” If you’re the “pickee” it will help to ask yourself, “If it’s important to my mate, why not just do it?” Begin the day committed to practicing the scripture verse, “Be tenderhearted to one another, forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven you.” As husbands and wives or parents and children, the same verse will serve us well at midday, and for life’s evening too.

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 6

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:12-17 ESV). Recently I received notice from some of my high school classmates about our reunion next year. It is hard to believe that fifty years have passed since that unique milestone. There were ninety-six in our graduating class, certainly not a large class by today’s standards. However, I must confess that just as I didn’t really “know” all of my class members then, I haven’t kept up very well today either. Some of the folks I have reconnected with through various means, but not all. I am looking forward to going. It will be fun reconnecting with old friends and classmates. I can only wonder how the days between have treated us. The psalmist mentions a similar thought in our reading today. He says we ought to “number our days.” This is merely a way of asking God to give us a vision of the whole of life as God sees it and then to live wisely in light of this knowledge. It is wisdom to live each day with the joy and comfort of knowing that your great desire is to please God. I’m sure that there will be many stories told at the reunion recalling some of the things we all did, or didn’t do. And there will be many other stories told of what we’ve done since then. Some will be stories of success and accomplishment; others may be stories of disappointment and tragedy. All of those stories will look back. I’m convinced that while looking back is instructive to a degree, looking forward serves us much better. There are still good works the Lord wants to produce in us regardless of our situation and circumstance. We should focus on God’s favor and grace. It far outweighs the days of sadness and regret we all experience. The Lord wants us to have a glad heart and a smile etched into our hearts. While others may waste their time pursuing fantasies of wealth and power, my goal is to spend my remaining years centered on living a life that pleases God and points others to him. We started this little series thinking about “peaches.” The one incredible thought for me is that no matter how you prepare a peach, if it is picked at the peak of its growth, it will bring delight. God won’t “pick” you until you are fully ripe. That is a promise. Number your days until then. Use them to be blessed and bless others in the name of our great God.

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 5

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (Jonah 3:3-6, 10 ESV). Happy Birthday, Mary! I must confess that I am envious that she is looking younger and younger while I seem to be getting older and older! However, this birthday gives me an opportunity to inject a marvelous thought to our series on aging. She certainly is “peachy”! I remember reading somewhere about a woman who was celebrating her 100th birthday. Her church had scheduled a party for her. She was a never-married lady who had a great sense of humor. One of the elders, who also happened to be a funeral director, was the master of ceremonies. Helen was up to her humorous best. As the elder interviewed her, she explained very clearly her “last wishes.” She announced, “I want no men pallbearers for my funeral. They wouldn’t take me out while I’m alive. They’re not taking me out when I’m dead!” Now that’s a great outlook on life. Humor is essential as we get a bit older. After all, none of us are going to make it out this alive! There’s lots of humor in the Bible. We sometimes miss it because it comes out of cultures different from ours. A biblical favorite is irony, seeing things together we don’t expect. Our reading is like that; here we see the disobedient, runaway Jonah bringing the whole city of Nineveh to its knees. We would expect such success for Jeremiah, not Jonah! Humor is faith’s helper, open to surprises, believing God can do whatever he pleases. The secularist looks at the troubled world and says, “It’s serious, but not hopeless.” The Christian, believing in a miracle-working God, looks out at the same troubled world and says, “It’s hopeless, but it’s not serious.” Because God can save when humans can do nothing, this life of trouble and trial is “no step for a stepper.” And, no matter your age, when you are in Christ, you are a stepper! Faith urges, “Trust God.” Humor adds, “No need to take yourself so seriously. God’s got everything under control.” So, while I’m doing birthday well wishes to my lovely wife and lamenting that she is much younger and healthier than I am, I must remember that I am a stepper. Well, maybe just a shuffler with my stiff joints; though you get the point. Celebrate this day, birthday or not. It is day the Lord has given to you. By the way, cake is served at the house all day. Come on by. We’ll celebrate together. Happy Birthday, Mary!

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 4

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-6 ESV). Negative stereotypes portray older people as unproductive, “out of it,” stubborn, senile, and often merely hidden away in nursing homes. The truth is there are very few that really fit these descriptions. Most of the AARP generation are relatively healthy and engaged with life. Both Mary and I will have birthdays this summer. Hers is in just a few days and mine is in August. I will be 67 this birthday. I was told not long ago by my brother, who is just four years my junior, that was “really old.” And, I must admit that I really didn’t expect to make it to this age. However, I’m doing pretty well. It’s not nearly as bad as I might have imagined when I was in my forties! In fact, as with more recent, fashionable stereotypes that show older people as exuding health, being engaged, productive, and self-reliant, I find this time in my life as much fun as not. There is a danger to both extremes of the view of older people being either “really old” or active and engaged without any handicaps. Carole Stoneking said, “In place of [faith] and divine grace, scientific knowledge and professional expertise are now offered as the path to salvation.” Real life is exemplified by the old man sky diving or the old woman jet skiing. Well, there are some who fit this picture. Though there are more that don’t than do. Neither overly positive nor excessively negative stereotypes of aging are helpful. We should lose both the phony pessimism and the phony optimism of these extremes. Getting older is neither of these for most of us. God does offer us an important clarity and strength for aging well. It is found in a consistent, confident faith in his provision and provenance. It’s the same hope that sustained the heroes of faith pictured in our reading today and the full listing found further in Hebrews 11. Let me suggest some options. You can see aging as a problem that only medicine and technology can cure. You can try to follow the advice of every “expert” on TV or the internet. Or you can see aging as a God-given experience to be lived gracefully, as a “pilgrim of hope.” I think the latter is much more fun! It’s a “peachy” way to live life!

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 3

O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? (Psalm 71:12-19 ESV). In a culture glorifying youth, sports, fitness, and technology it’s easy to feel that as we age, we have nothing significant to give. That’s simply wrong-headed thinking. There are gifts only age and faith bestow. This is part of becoming more “peach-like” in our aging. Paul saw faith handed down from grandmother to mother to her son, Timothy (cf. 2 Timothy 1:4-6). You can be part of that kind of intergenerational chain. In the later stages of life you can give to younger folks the faith-gifts of contentment, moderation, and perspective. Many young people will welcome such gifts. One reason children are naturally drawn to grandparents is they sense a calm and simplicity that is missing in the necessarily hectic lives of their parents. It’s common for us who are older to regret we were too much in a rush when our children were growing up. We were busy pursuing our careers, earning a living, and providing for our families. But as we age, we have a bit more time. This is a time to teach and model moderation. Children and youth are living in a culture today that can only be described as extreme. Entertainment is extreme; sports, diets, technology, movies all go to the extreme. As you are afforded contact with these young people, their experience of less can be satisfying in ways that more never can. Contentment and moderation together lend a faith perspective on what’s worthwhile. Just the other day I did some work on an antler mount that I had given to Logan. I had mounted the antlers and put the cartridge underneath the horns on the plaque. For some reason it had dislodged and was no longer there. He still had it hanging in his room. I decided to replace it with another that I had from last deer season. He came home that day and I pointed out to him that I had replaced it for him. His excitement was very unexpected. He said, “Wow! Now I can use it again!” it was the perfect opportunity to talk with him about how important it was for him to have kept the plaque, even though it was “broken.” And, I got a chance to remind him that it is always OK to ask for help to fix things that we can’t. It was a perspective that I could give to him from my experience of growing older and learning to use what we are given to the fullest. Aging well means we continue to teach, especially those closest to us.

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 2

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. (Psalm 1:1-4 ESV). I guess I could’ve titled these devotionals “How to Grow Old Gracefully”; however, that just didn’t seem nearly as catchy as Peaches and Prunes. The truth is we need to be intentional about living our lives. I often wonder if I am fully engaged each day with the foundational thought that God has given me a great gift with waking up that day. Sometimes I think it is altogether too easy for me to merely mark time until the next high point. If you’ve known me for very long you also know the fall is my favorite time of the year. Most of the things I enjoy doing happen at that time of the year. If I’m not intentional about the rest of the year I start a countdown and merely wait until the times I enjoy best. That won’t reap the full benefit of the gift of another day that God has given us. It’s been said there are three stages in life: youth, middle age, and “My, you’re looking good!” (“for as old as you are,” is what they mean). I love the way folks greet Mary and I in chance meetings around town. They usually look at me and sort of recognize me. But then, as soon as they see Mary they say, “Oh, Don and Mary. It’s good to see you.” Then they look at Mary and say, “You haven’t changed at all.” Really? Getting older can be a challenge. You meet a neighbor at the library. “How is your wife doing?” you ask. “Oh, she’s recovered pretty well from surgery. Most of her aches and pains now are a matter of aging.” At the supermarket you run into an elderly friend. You ask, “How is it going?” He mumbles, “It’s just prescription after prescription,” as he shuffles off to the door. You go to the bank ATM, take the cash and receipt and head out the door. You hear a beep, beep, beep. You turn around. The screen asks if you need more time. “No,” you punch in, and your card pops out into your hand. Oops! More forgetfulness. The bald spot on the back of your head is spreading. You look like you’re adding another chin. We’re aging. Or, in less polite terms, we’re getting old. But be of good cheer. You who are planted by “streams of living water” are still bearing fruit in this season of life. You’re not a reed moved unduly by winds of change. You’re not a complaining creeper, trailing along the ground. As a divinely planted tree you are under the care and cultivation of the Lord. Even old-age pruning, though it involves some pain, is for your good. You’re still upright and growing toward heaven itself; use this day intentionally for good things.

Peaches and Prunes - Pt 1

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18 ESV). Parker County, Texas, is known for their peaches. In fact, every year along about the first of July there is a wonderful festival held in the county seat of Weatherford, which is not far from where we live now. We have been to that event on many occasions in the past and likely will attend the weekend event again this year. In addition to the entertainment, there are craftsmen of all genres, and of course peach delights of every kind. Peaches are just wonderful. Of all the fruit available, peaches may be at the top of my list. Put them in cobblers, ice cream, pies, jams and jellies, or any one of a hundred other recipes and I like them. There is another fruit that comes to mind as I think about the topic introduced in our reading today, prunes. Don’t chuckle too much. Stay with the thought. As we age we’re like fruit. Think prunes and peaches. Columnist Sidney Harris suggested, “We should become more peach-like on the inside as we become more prune-like on the outside.” Harvey Pothoff observed, “From the day we are born . . . we are aging. Today we are older than we were yesterday and we are younger than we are going to be tomorrow. To live well is to age well.” As true as that is, the question inevitably remains, “What shall we do about aging?” And, while doctors, psychologists, and sociologists offer their answers; I suppose most importantly we should determine how to age in a way that is pleasing to God, helpful to others, and satisfying to us. In the coming days we’ll explore some answers. We’ll look to Scripture as well as learning from the social sciences and living examples of those aging well around us. Remember, we’re on the winning team. As humans we bear the image of God; as believers we are growing in likeness to Jesus Christ and being renewed daily by the Holy Spirit. We’re ripe with potential for growing in wisdom, faith, hope, and love as we age. We live with a paradox. We want to patiently age well here. At the same time the Spirit of God “whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead” (2 Corinthians 5:3-4 The Message). Remember prunes and peaches. It is your choice. Love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, are “fruits of the Spirit.” They grow in your inner garden. Feed them daily by prayer and acts of kindness to become more “peach-like” no matter what your age. You will not be disappointed in the return.