The God of Time

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 ESV). Psalm 91 is written by David. It is one of the most revealing looks into the heart of this man who is called “a man after God’s own heart.” Certainly all of us have read and heard the failures of David recounted in numerous ways and settings; however, we also need to remember the great understanding he had of the character and nature of God. In our reading today, David provides some great insights to the Person of God by using four different titles for God. First he refers to God as “the Most High.” In Hebrew, Most High is El Elyon. This word describes God as the One who owns and possesses everything. Second, David then calls God “the Almighty.” In Hebrew this is the word El Shaddai, which conveys the thought of provision. Not only is He the living God. He is also the giving God. Third, David then calls God “the Lord.” That is the Hebrew word Yahweh. This is the personal name God gave to Moses in the burning bush (cf. Exodus 3:14). Yahweh means "to be" or "I will be who I will be." Yahweh is God's personal testimony that no one or nothing else defines who He is but Himself. Therefore, we know God by reading the Scripture's account of what He says about Himself. Fourth, David refers to God as “My God.” My God in Hebrew is Elohim. It essentially means "more than one." This is not to say that there are three gods, but that there are three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In these two compact verses, David tells us that the all-knowing, all-powerful God who possesses heaven and earth and is in a special covenant with us, wants to protect us and provide for our needs. This gives us great confidence in the God Whom we worship and serve. It also gives us confidence as we face our daily lives. I am constantly amazed at the ease with which I fail to recognize the provision of God through the entire continuum of life. Because I live within the constraints of quantitative time, I often miss the greatness of God’s qualitative nature regarding time. Because God has no deadlines he is always “on time” with the experiences of our life. That is a great comfort to me. I need not worry about what happens this moment because God holds every moment.

Sleeping Like a Baby - Pt 3

Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Acts 12:6-11 ESV). Today we continue with our little examination of Peter’s experience with his deliverance from prison by the angel of the Lord. I find it so interesting that it was not until he is out of jail and safe that he realizes God rescued him just like the people had been praying to happen. They expected him to be rescued, but he didn’t believe it until after it was over. It is strange that we emphasize prayer so strongly and yet believe in its efficacy so weakly. Perhaps the reason for that is in the way we pray. D. L. Moody wrote: Prayer does not mean that I am to bring God down to my thoughts and my purposes, and bend his government according to my foolish, silly, and sometimes sinful notions. Prayer means that I am to be raised up into feeling, into union and design with him; that I am to enter into his counsel and carry out his purpose fully. A lot of my prayers are really about what I want God to do rather than asking Him to do what He wants through me. Sometimes I really don’t like the answers I get when I pray. Of course, there are those times when God does the spectacular and changes the course of man, miraculously exerting his will in history; however, the more typically response of God is in the subtle changes he brings in me personally. Those changes are the things that bring true peace and joy. Pray for the captives to be set free. Pray for the world to be redeemed. Pray for the dead to be raised to life and sick to be healed. AND pray for your focus to be in Him every moment of every day. You won’t go far wrong and it will be less surprising when he does the miraculous if your focus is on that simple exchange of words, from a child to their father, which is the real essence of prayer. Billy Graham said it best: Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. If you’re in prison, go ahead and take a nap. You’re in good hands. Wake up when he calls, even if he has to poke you in the side. And, always stay in touch with your heavenly father. He’s got some great words for you!

Sleeping Like a Baby - Pt 2

Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Acts 12:6-11 ESV). Yesterday we saw that Peter was relaxed enough, trusting in the Lord, that he could sleep through the ordeal of his imprisonment and the threat of death. Today, I want you to see that there is a time to sleep and a time to get up. Did you notice it? The angel struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” It was fine for Peter to sleep; however, now was a time for action. He needed to get up quickly and prepare to leave his prison. Notice also, it is then that the chains fell off his hands. I am always tempted to tell God what I need before I do what he asks me to do. It usually is an “if-then” kind of statement. Jonah’s disobedience was rooted in this kind of attitude. He was not willing to go to Ninevah and preach because he knew it wouldn’t have the outcome he wanted. Well, that never works out very well! I find that when I am immersed in a circumstance that doesn’t seem to have a solution it’s usually my fear and anxiety that I won’t be able to control things that keeps me from the freedom and victory I desire. Sleeping in a crisis is not bad; but, when we fail to get up when called of God, we will always be stuck. It’s interesting here that the angel had to strike Peter in the side to wake him. I think it is Luke’s way of helping us to understand that Peter was so comfortable in the presence and purpose of God for his future that he was failing to see his present. He was going to be taken to heaven someday; but that day wasn’t then. We cannot fall into the temptation of substituting tomorrow’s blessing for today’s challenge. Sometimes we must simply get up. Chains will fall off, gates that were locked will open, and certain defeat will be changed to victory. Whatever you are facing today, perhaps the message is to wake up. Perhaps it’s time to put you cloak on and get ready to travel. The same peace that allowed you to sleep will accompany you in your journey. Come on, let’s get going. We’ve got places to go!

Sleeping Like a Baby - Pt 1

Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Acts 12:6-11 ESV). I don’t really know where this series is going to lead us! I do know that as I was reading the text in our reading today that there is a lot more than I can write in one devotional. The first incredible point that strikes me is that Peter was sleeping. Peter was not at his home, safe in his bed, sequestered from the threats of the world; Peter was in prison. Even then, he was not in prison with an uncertain future before him. He knew Herod was about to “bring him out” that very night. He had seen the cruelty of this king. He had every reason to believe that his life was forfeit and he had but hours to live. So, like anyone (written with dripping sarcasm) he decided to go to sleep. If I would been in his place I might have been pacing the prison floor, hearing the chains of my ankle restraints rattle and scrape as I moved reminding me even more of my dire circumstance. I’ve never been in exactly this situation before, though there have been a few times when I felt what I imagine he should have felt. Imagine checking into the hospital for surgery. Everyone is so cheerful and helpful. But, there is a somber attitude that just seems to hang over you. It’s very early in the morning, you’ve had nothing to eat or drink since midnight, and you really don’t want to be there at all. You are shown to a small sterile room with a bed and a chair and lots of equipment. Then you are very politely asked to undress and put on a paper “gown.” You have long since decided that modesty is a lost cause. No matter how much you cover up, someone is going to come along and uncover you for some procedure that has to be done in preparation for the surgery. Then the nurses and doctors start coming in to the room. Some of them you have met before, some you haven’t ever seen. They introduce themselves and cheerfully begin to poke and prod, preparing you for the procedure. Some of them bring a clipboard with documents and papers to be signed saying you were told how badly the whole thing could go. (I always like those conversations.) Then you’re left alone while they get the operating room ready. Someone inevitably will pop their head in and ask if you are comfortable. Sure… I’ve just been told that there are a dozen or more things that can go wrong and I might die or be left in a vegetative state for an undetermined period of time. I’m great! If I were Peter, I’d probably have decided that was a good time to take a nap. Since I’m not, I mentally pace the floor. Peter went to sleep because he knew whatever might happen, Jesus already knew what would happen and had made provision for it. He knew that the next few hours were nothing to be anxious about. His future was in the hands of his heavenly Father who loved him and promised to take care of him through every circumstance of life. Jesus was preparing his final home for him; and, when it was ready for him, Jesus would come to get him and take him there. He could easily “sleep like a baby.” That is a difficult task for all of us, especially in the midst of circumstances that threaten to undo our very lives. Today, can I merely say that nothing can undo us. Being a child of God guarantees our safe arrival in heaven. Whatever you may be facing today, trust in Him. He may already have an angel standing next to you to be your guide through it.

Walking the Ridgeline

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. (Habakkuk 3:17-19 ESV). Yesterday I wrote a little about maintaining trust in the difficult circumstances of life. Today, I began to think a bit about what that looks like practically. Where I deer hunt the land is rolling Tennessee hills. It is beautiful, though somewhat challenging to walk. Some of the ridges are high and getting to them is a hike! But, if you want the advantage, the ridge line is the place to be. It is the “high place.” Today's reading is a magnificent description of a heart that holds on to joy by faith. The prophet looked around him and knew he was in a season of deep trouble and need. But in spite of all the negative circumstances, he said, "I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in my God… He makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places." The prophet is saying that God knows how to put us in the perfect place and the perfect time. He gives us the advantage of the ridge line! I know it doesn’t feel that way sometimes. However, God wants us to experience joy as believers, not a fickle happiness that depends on circumstances or changes with the things of life. He wants us to possess a joy that remains in spite of what may be taking place around us. Anyone can be relatively happy when things are going well. But when you face adversity or sickness or hardship and then rejoice, you show that something supernatural has occurred in your life. In fact, you show yourself to be a real Christian. This is a unique trait of believers, that we can rejoice when things go wrong. How do we do it? We find the key in Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Paul didn't say to rejoice in circumstances. Rather, he said to rejoice in the Lord. In other words, God is still on the throne. You're still going to heaven. You're still forgiven. God still has a plan for your life; He has not abandoned you. We need to take joy in the Lord always. That is the key. I recognize that in spite of what I may be going through right now, His plans for me are still good. And He will never leave or forsake me. Perhaps today is a time for you to climb back to the top of your hill and walk along the ridgeline. It is easier up there; and, you can see both sides. I have found my understanding of circumstances gets clearer when I get to my high place. I get there by rejoicing in the Lord. Join me on the ridge!

Adjust Your Sails

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:18-21 ESV). Someone sent me an email recently with a quote from a pastor (name withheld intentionally) of a very large church. He said, “Do all you can to make your dreams come true. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life. God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.” They asked me what I thought. So, here are a few of my “thoughts.” Remember, before you rip off an email telling me how wrong I am, all opinions are like noses; you don’t want mine and I don’t want yours. First, there is some truth mixed in with the falsehood in this quote. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is important in determining how we act. However, that is not the only determining factor. Without a relationship to God through Christ, all the positive thinking and gratitude possible will not bring peace and joy into our lives. Only Christ can do that. Second, God does want us to prosper. But money does not indicate the fulfillment of our destiny. Our destiny is an eternal relationship in life with Christ. That’s God’s desire for us. How much, or how little money we possess has nothing to do with that. The reality is that you can live a prosperous life in the will of God and still face fierce personal conflict and adversity. Paul went through a shipwreck on his way to Rome, but he had a prosperous journey by the will of God because of what it ultimately accomplished. Facing storms and shipwrecks in our lives really isn't a matter of if; it is a matter of when. Rather than trying to avoid the storms of life, we need to learn how to get through them, how to survive them, and how to learn the lessons that we can only learn in such times and such places. It has been said that you can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails. In other words, I can't control all the elements of my world, or even very many of them. But I can control my reaction to them. I can adjust my sails and adapt. When the trials and challenges of life present themselves to me, I can look to the One who has promised to finish the work He has begun in me. He will work all things for good in my life. Regardless of how bad it seems, God can and will make it good. This good is not just for others; it is for me also. Adjust your sails. It’s a lot easier than fighting the wind.

Hidden Snickers

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. (Matthew 6:31-33 ESV). There are some things in life that are just more temptation than I can withstand. Bite-size Snickers are one of those things! Mary knows my weaknesses very well and helps all she can. The “pantry” in our apartment is pretty small, which means that some stuff gets pushed to the back of the cabinet while others make their way to the front. Of course, the Lucky Charms are at the front and the real food is more toward the back. There’s no sense in taking up the good spots with the healthy foods! Not long ago I was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth and nothing really struck my fancy. I began to rummage deeper into the back of the cabinet and there it was! Sitting at the back was a whole bag of bite-size Snickers! There were hidden from view by the low calorie popcorn! I can tell you that I was satisfied immediately! I just wish it was that easy to be satisfied in life. It always seems so hard, doesn’t it? We seek fulfillment, purpose, or meaning from this world and from human accomplishments all too often. There is nothing in the world that will fill the deepest void in your life. King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men who ever lived, had everything he wanted. Yet, after trying to satisfy his appetites with all the wrong things, his conclusion was, "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 2:11). Even bite-size Snickers won’t satisfy this deep hunger in our souls. We were created to love God, to know God, and to bear fruit. Everything else is secondary. Think about it: everything else in life, every other responsibility, no matter how significant, must be ordered behind the central purpose of our existence on earth. It is in this dynamic relationship with our heavenly Father that we find satisfaction. This is the impact of Jesus’ words in our reading today. No matter how great our “kingdom” is on this earth, it will not satisfy. Search for the kingdom of God and you will find everything you have been looking for and some of that which you only hoped to find. All of it will be yours. He gives it to us as we seek Him. And, He is so easy to find! You don’t need to dig very deep. Look in your heart. He is there waiting to fellowship with you.