Month: March 2022

Fast-paced, out of control, confused and confusing, chaotic, overwhelming, careening from one crisis to the next, are but a few of the words that some have used to describe living in our present world. William Wordsworth living in a simpler time said, 

“The world is too much with us; late and soon,Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. 

The truth of his statement has been endorsed in today’s fast-paced society where financial reversals, food uncertainty, ill-health, fickle friendships, are but a few of the challenges that demand our attention  and displace our peace with anxiety, depression, and unexplained fears.

We often respond to these stressors by way of learned pathways that awaken apprehension, wavering confidence, dread; or worse— set our hearts to race, and our palms to sweat. The Psalmist encourages us to learn new responses that lead to calm minds, confident spirits, and assured living. He states that despite the uncertainties and vicissitudes of life, we can respond to stressors with confidence because,

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures” Psalm 23: 1. 

The Psalmist calls us to unlearn those mental pathways that lead us into the pain of anxious thoughts and paralyzing insecurities. He challenges us to believe that God, the Problem-solver,  walks with us, 

“He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” Psalm 23: 2, 3. 

 He encourages us to look away from the dark clouds of despair, meditate on God’s Word, listen to the cheering songs of the birds, smell the fragrance of flowers and know that the Father who made them, made them for such a time as this. The surety of His Word and the calming beauty of nature are constant reminders of God’s presence and His willingness and ability to provide us the strength, wisdom, and fortitude for the journey. 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23: 4.

The Psalmist assures us that God has promised that for our fears He will be our Defense and Shield and will provide us the courage, and the endurance to prevail,

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” Psalm 23: 5. 

For feelings of inadequacy and insufficiency He will give confidence; and for despondency He will provide eternal security,

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” Psalm 23: 6.

Today’s Goal: To calmly assess my challenges and believe in God’s promises, and to see my stressors as opportunities  to prove God’s trustworthiness. 

If a rich uncle said, “Name the place you would most like to be, I will take you there.” Our eyes would pop open in disbelief and our thoughts would race to such exotic places like the warm beaches of Hawaii, the majestic Victoria Falls, the fantasy of Disney World,  . . . . 

Jesus, standing in His heavenly palace was given the same offer. He chose to come to Earth. While here, He refused man’s palaces and turned His attention to the forgotten, the outcasts, the rejects of society, the devalued, the mistreated, and the disenfranchised. Among these were the blind, the lame, lepers, demoniacs, prostitutes, and the hungry. These forgotten, unloved, and unattended, were outside the circle of acceptance, and often found outside the city limits. They were not accepted in social circles and certainly never would be on the guest list for a social dinner.  But there He was— with them!

He calls us to take up our cross of self-denial and follow Him, outside of the preferred paths  and into the lives of the unhappy, the rejected, the downcast, and the sick. He assures us that great things await us if we would not shy away.  

“. . .‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”  Matthew 25: 34-36. 

The great news is that He has promised to be there too because the love of His life, are there! He underscores this by saying, “ . . .‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’” Matthew 25:40.

Jesus stands at the city limits and He beckons to us with a smile on His face and asks us to follow Him, “Come on down and let’s do some good together.”

Lord, help me to accept your invitation, strap on my walking shoes, a pair of jeans, and seek out those place of loneliness, rejection, pain, doubt, and hunger; knowing that that is where You are leading, and all is well because You are there. 

Today’s Goal: To intentionally seek for someone in need and join Jesus in serving him or her.

“That’s not fair!” is often the cry of children when they detect acts of injustice. Suffering seems a just reward for guilty people, but not for the innocent— that’s unfair. The story of Job in the Bible has always been a challenging one for me. Job is introduced as a rich, God-fearing gentleman who suddenly falls into calamity— he loses everything. His friends are aghast at the news and they come running to see how they can help. They end up pronouncing Job guilty of hidden sins because innocent people don’t suffer!

As the story unfolds each friend gives his two cents trying to explain why this is taking place. They speak of God’s fairness and His omnipotence.  They argue the mysteries of God with such conviction that poor Job feels put-upon to defend himself. God ultimately speaks up to tell them that even in their so-called knowledge of Him, they know and understand very little. Appropriate here is the rhetorical question, “Can man by searching find out God?” The wise man, Solomon, posits that we cannot help ourselves, we are hardwired  to ask questions. We will always yearn to know more than just the temporal present. 

So it is also with the natural wonders of the world. They never fail to amaze us, and we will always seek more knowledge. 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3: 11.  

So we look at the mysteries of the earth— the beautiful and the disconcerting, and we are drawn to ask questions.  If we would learn anything from Job’s friends it is that even as we gaze through telescopes at the wonders of space, and explore the infinitesimal with our microscopes, we will have but a mere glimpse of his sovereignty and omniscience. Put more eloquently, 

“Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! How faint is the whisper we hear of him!But who can understand the thunder of his power?”” Job 26:14

I too have spent time “gazing” at His wonders and will share a few of these sights, though  inadequately captured by my camera.

Today’s Goal: To enjoy and protect the wonders of the world and to give God the praise and glory.  

Where do our ideas and inspiration have their birth? Many persons suggest that they are awakened as we allow our minds to explore and so unearth these precious deposits hidden deep in our psyche. Agreed. But how did they get there? What is the true genesis of those bursts of inspiration and startling epiphanies? In my search for an explanation, my mind wanders to the creation story in the book of Genesis.  

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.“ Genesis 1: 26, 27. 

From the phrase, “in Our image” I understand that man was made like God, and so I seek to know the image of God. A look around the garden of Eden gives a glimpse of some aspects of His image, character, and personhood. Eden reveals order and a diversity of form and color. The order of God’s creation indicates deliberation: light, skies, seas, vegetation, land and sea creatures, man— each creation relying on the previous for sustainability.  His final act, the creation of day to commemorate His handiwork, not only highlight His imaginative and prolific mind but His  delight in and celebration of beauty. 

Over time, man has displayed his creative genius in various ways— beautiful pieces of sculpture, paintings, and machines. We are predisposed to be intentional, creative beings, a gift given to us as early as at creation. We give this creativity tone and texture by the things we feed our senses on. This is exemplified when we wake up on a Monday morning humming a tune from the concert we attended the Saturday night before. Or we have a nagging dark mood which we trace back to the movie we watched the night before. 

I have spent this week enjoying the creativity of God and also of my fellowman. Immersed in this atmosphere of relaxation and beauty, I thank God the original Muse, for His willingness to share with us that creativity and intentionality that propel us to seek out, fashion, and delight in beauty. 

Today’s Goal: To use our creative powers in ways that bring joy and beauty into the lives of others.

In Search of Beauty

I started my vacation today. It’s wonderful to know that our God is not in a box. He is everywhere. As a matter of fact, He is delighted to walk with us looking at the beautiful things He has done. It reminded me of the garden of Eden when He  walked with Adam and Eve showing them the various flowers, animals, landforms that He had created.  

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Genesis 2: 8, 9.

I imagine the gleam in God’s eyes as Adam exclaimed and Eve grabbed Adam’s arm in excitement to say, “Look honey, that bird has such beautiful colors” and Adam responds, “Yes and what of that gold one over there? I think I will call him ‘tiger’. Yes, look there is another like him.” “Yes, let’s call all those, ‘cats’.” 

“Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.” Genesis 2: 19, 20.  

And so on and on went the days of discover and enjoyment. I too will use  my days to explore and I give God praise for His creative and beautiful ideas.  

Today’s Goal: To observe the beautiful things around us and give God thanks. 

“So that’s how it is! Pious one minute and a rogue the next.” When people look at the lives of individuals claiming religious piety and see dysfunction, they are often tempted to throw the baby out with the bath water. They reject our behavior and our so-called, Christian principles. That is understandable— unfortunate, but understandable. They exclaim, “How could you have duped me into believing in you, in trusting you? That won’t happen again for sure.”

This full-scale rejection may be good for products we purchase in a store, but may not be best when evaluating Christianity. 

“What’s the difference?” you ask. Well, when we purchase a product we depend on the word of the manufacturer who has control over the ingredients and process. So if he says there are three ingredients or a given process in the making of a product, that’s what it should be— it’s the manufacturer’s  responsibility— he is accountable. 

Not so with Christianity! When a Christian states the principles of Christianity, they are reiterating the principles of a higher power. They are stating the Principles as they know them to be. If in their lives they fall short, the principles are not altered. The integrity of those principles remain, despite the individual’s unwillingness or inability to live by them. If the principles were seen as good and sound before the fall or scandal, they remain good and sound after it. So the rejection should not be of God and His principles, but of the poor representation.     

But don’t give up on me yet! The responsibility of the Christian cannot be understated. Christians are often said to be the greatest stumbling block to others seeing Jesus! There is often a mismatch between what we say and what we do. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. . . . If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5: 22,  23, 25. 

How can we speak of love but are dismissive, unsympathetic, or insensitive to others who are different or hurting?  No matter how uncomfortable we feel, love is only love when we are accepting of others— differences, flaws and all! So says Christ, 

“Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31. 

This is an example of a great principle that all would benefit from exercising. Let’s model it!

How can we speak of tolerance but engage in acts of racial and class discrimination? How can we speak of purity but look away when children are subject to sexual and physical abuse? Why are our families ravaged by infidelity just like non-professing families? These inconsistencies leave the uncommitted observer bewildered and sometimes cynical preferring to throw it all out as one big hypocritical show. 

 As Christian’s we need to be transparent about the flaws that exist in our own lives. We must admit that we too have challenges and weaknesses, but that we have seen and are striving for a better way to meet and overcome them.  As Christians, we must drop the pious façade that ultimately will come crashing down with the outing of a scandal. 

We must seek to know people and customs outside of our circle of interests. We must admit that we are not very knowledgeable or comfortable on issues of sexuality, and seek for clarity on such issues. We must accept that issues of LGBTQ+, transgender, race, social injustice, sexual abuse, drug abuse are present both in and outside of our churches and are due substantive attention. We must admit that we are sometimes uncomfortable with the implications of law vs. grace, but that like all humans, we too are beneficiaries of  God’s grace and forbearance. 

We must be willing to accept that all change does not mean the abandonment of God’s principles. That the community of believers may not look the same today as it did 20 or 30 years ago, but when founded on Biblical principles, God is present. We must accept that true, sincere worship can occur in unusual locations.

We must seek to deepen our understanding of God’s love and commitment to all human beings. As we do so, we will be awed by the depth and breath of His love as displayed by Jesus while on earth. We will recognize our failings, and our weaknesses, and plead His forgiveness. 

It is then and only then, that we will become credible to observers, and  our principles accepted as worthwhile. Then, the world will know the real deal— they will know we are Christians by our love! That’s the real deal!

Today’s Goal: To accept our failings and the failings of others and choose to love in spite of them.

Today I have more questions than answers. There are two Bible characters who have mystified me and I have wondered about the secret sauce that made those two lives so different. The first is Enoch:

“The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away.” Genesis 5: 23, 24.

The text says Enoch was so close with God that one day, without fanfare, he walked right into heaven! No looking back— just gone! By comparison, there was Lot’s wife who had to be hauled by the angel, kicking and screaming, out of her condemned city.

“When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!” . . . But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19: 17, 26.

Jesus, warning about the dangers of earthly entanglements, counsels us not to be like Lot’s wife:

“Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building . . . Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17: 28, 32. 

Hebrews 11: 5 claims that Enoch’s secret was faith. Faith in his friend, Jehovah God. “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death . . .” Hebrews 11: 5. 

How did he develop such faith?  After 365 years of companionship with his friend, there was nothing that he valued enough that he was not willing to leave. He had no earthly entanglements. He could just walk away! Lot’s wife on the other hand, despite the impending annihilation of Sodom, could hardly tear herself away— she looked back longingly at all she was leaving and so was eternally lost! 

What is faith? Is faith and hope the same? The Bible states, “. . . faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.

My understanding is that hope is believing that a promise will be kept, while faith is operating as if it is a done deal!  Faith makes the invisible future a here-and-now reality! With faith we make decisions, speak, and act in the context of that reality. Do we hope in God or have faith in Him? Does it matter?

If I was asked by God to walk away from everything and everyone in my life would I be able to do so without casting a backward glance? Maybe in the worse of times I could easily do that, but what about when things are going great?

What is it that makes us look back?  Is it that we hope in God but we are not completely sure of His promises? Are we uncertain that He is there? Are we reluctant to give up present security for future uncertainties? Are present events and people more alluring and real than God’s promises? There is nothing wrong with enjoying life’s healthy pleasures, but how does one enjoy these pleasures yet not get entangled by it? Enoch’s experience may hold some clues to how this can happen. 

Enoch could not say when the practice developed but each passing day engrained this most precious habit and brought him great peace and joy. Each morning he woke to the gentle nudge of his Friend and so began their day together.  Sometimes, they walked and worked in silence basking in the awareness of each other’s company. Other times they talked. They talked of small things and big things— the delicate pastels of dawn, the crimson-gold sunset, the zesty tang of his favorite fruit, the joyous fluting of a bird, the thorny challenges at the work place. With each day their conversations became longer, deeper, and the thoughts they shared, more intimate. They discussed present doubts, and secret aspirations. They poured out their hearts to each other— sometimes sharing  joys that brought laughter, or sorrows that brought silent tears. Each day became more precious as the thoughts of their minds and the emotions of their hearts intermingled and became one. It was one such day that Enoch, ambling quietly alongside his Friend, looked up and realized that he had accompanied his Friend all the way home— he was standing with God in heaven!

“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

My prayer is that we will learn to walk and talk with our Friend so intimately that our hearts and minds become intertwined, and one day we will look up to realize we have followed Him home!

Today’s Goal: To walk in constant communion with God so that we can hear and see Him acting and living in us. 

“Look mummy, no hands!” Was my son’s shout as, with hands raised high, he raced down the road on his bike! I was aghast! Heart in my throat I hoped that he would manage to stay on the bike and not slam into the curb or worse a tree.

That no-hands feat is repeated now with even more impressive results as we say things like, “Alexa, turn the lights on in the dining room.” “Alexa, pour 1 pint of water into the pot.” Or without speaking we press the send button on our tablet or PC and in another room a printer responds and produces the exact document that we have on our PC. No hands, no wires!

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”” Luke 18: 8. This is the question that Jesus asked and it remains a perplexing  question for us in this modern world. The Pew research states that less and less people are going to church, fewer people read the Bible, and that there is a rising number of people in our world called “Nones”— people who may believe in God but are biblically illiterate and have no desire for religious connections.

What makes it possible for us to rely on Alexa, an ethereal voice in a box, to start our coffee in the morning, play music to match our mood, and keep us safe at night by locking our doors? Alexa, meaning “defender of mankind”, has never possessed a body, never been seen by anyone, never been vetted for moral principles, but has been given the onerous responsibility of keeping our passwords, protecting our homes, and caring for our loved ones. Amazing trust!

After the flood recorded in Genesis 7, God promised Noah and his family that He would never again cause a similar catastrophe and that He would seal that agreement with a rainbow in the sky. 

“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13.

Man, however, became leery of such an arrangement and decided to defend himself by building ziggurats that would extend way into the sky beyond the reach of any possible flood waters. Archaeologists explore those remains today. 

It’s a choice we make, isn’t it? Like the post-diluvians, we prefer to rely on our own solutions or “defender”. We scant would believe in God because we cannot see Him and such faith seems gullible, naive, or plainly silly. But we confidently place our safety, happiness, and comfort in a voice of our making! 

You might respond, “I know Alexa is there because she (or he) responds promptly, does my bidding, and never asks why. What can you say for God?” 

Well, over two thousand years ago, He (or She) promised the post-diluvians that He would come to earth as Immanuel, “God with us”. He repeated this promise frequently through such historically credible people as King Cyrus, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end,” Isaiah 9: 6,7.

At the time predicted, He did arrive and is recorded in history as a person called Jesus Christ who proclaimed himself the Messiah and performed works that exceeded anything that others had or have done. He completed His work on earth when He endured His predicted act of dying an excruciating death on a Roman cross. He achieved the act of resurrection, as recorded by hundreds of witnesses. 

Before leaving this earth he promised to return with a spectacular display of power and glory but  that certain catastrophes would precede: 

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24: 6-8. 

Today we are confounded by world-wide epidemics and particularly by Covid-19 that brought our whole planet to a halt. We are distressed by our world climate gone awry, causing earthquakes, floods, droughts, in proportions not seen before. To counter these disasters, God has promised to replace this ruined earth with a new one. 

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:10. What of that Alexa?

 Man’s explorations have taken us from ziggurats to missiles that pierce the skies in search of the mysteries of creation. With these discoveries, we have produced astounding inventions. But at crunch time, can our ziggurats and Alexas defend us against core issues of loneliness, pain, and death? Does the answer lie beyond the creation with the Creator? 

Will there be faith? Several hundred years ago one leader answered that question by saying, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.

 I think I am going to place my faith there as well. Alexa, will you join me? 

Today’s Goal: To let our trust in human innovations, inspire us to even greater faith in God. 

Is it possible to be sincere but wrong? It certainly is! Sincerity does not always mean right. As Saul found out, it is possible to be sincerely zealous but mistaken in our views. Saul was highly educated in Jewish law and totally committed to protecting the Jewish heritage as God’s chosen people.  It was therefore not surprising that he took it as his personal responsibility to wipe out this “new sect” that he felt taught ideas heretical to the Jewish faith. In his zeal and piety to protect his religion and culture, Saul took to the streets! His holy indignation led him to use all means possible to hunt down and imprison the perceived enemies of his faith. 

“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem . . . . As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” Acts 8:1, 3.

It would take nothing less than God to convince Saul that he was allowing his prejudices to get in the way of his relationship with fellow believers. And so it was during one such pursuit that God brought Saul to a screeching halt by knocking him to his knees and taking his sight.  

“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Acts 9: 3-6. 

This meeting with God was dramatic and convincing enough that Saul was convicted of his error and sought to make amends. With equal zeal, Saul chose a complete turn around which led to a change in his vision and mission. 

What happens next is interesting— Saul seeks to join with the Christians but comes up against resistance. He is now the object of persecution and becomes the man on the run! The Christians are seeking to kill him. Many of them unconvinced that he could now be genuinely on their side. This, they felt, was just another ruse to ensnare them. So they actively seek his death. 

A helpful comparison is the response of Ananias to Saul’s change of heart. Ananias also a Christian, knows Saul’s history and fears him, but he chooses to be guided by God.

“Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” Acts 9: 13 -15.

Ananias’ acceptance is so complete that when Saul arrives Ananias calls him “brother” and he begins his role of nurturer Saul. What is the difference between Ananias and the other Christians seeking Paul’s life?— an open mind. The difference was his willingness to seek God’s guidance, his willingness to give Paul the benefit of the doubt, and his willingness to listen. The others must also have received the news of Saul’s conversion but were not willing to give him the opportunity to prove himself. The line was drawn and it was going to stay there— Saul on one side and they on the other.  So Saul becomes a fugitive being hunted down by zealous believers!

How true that is of us today. We often have preconceived ideas of people based on their history or stories that precede them. We use these to put up barriers between us and them. Sometimes our zeal outruns our prudence and we begin to tear down the very thing that God would have us build. 

The lesson for us? Everything that is new is not evil, everyone who is different is not a villain. We must be willing to put our personal views on hold as we examine the views of others. We will not always agree with each other but it does not always have to result in animosity. We must be careful not to be quick to exclude or punish. The barriers we put up between ourselves and our neighbor may not always be God-directed. God may have plans we are yet to discover.

Let us learn to listen for God’s direction as we face new ideas, unfamiliar people, or different customs. Let us be willing to suspend our preconceptions and listen for God’s guidance. If we don’t do this, God may have to knock us down and even blind us in order to help us see!

Today’s Goal: To be accepting of the unfamiliar and allow others room to be different.