Toes and All

Of course, I know it's only my “humble” opinion but there are just no bad days at the beach!  Rain or shine, the beach is beautiful.  I mean, right now – this very moment – I am anticipating a week of sand-and-surf, and its beauty is calling me!

What does God consider beautiful?  Well, really now, He created it all and even said Himself it was all good!  But what is really beautiful to Him?  His Word says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" (Romans 10:15)  A fun picture to take in the sand is of beach feet – yes, beach feet (with painted toes) are beautiful to The Father when they are attached to His chosen who are obedient to the Gospel of Christ. Those who genuinely embrace The Truth will be the same ones who DO what The Truth says, put feet to The Word.  My beach plan is to recall God’s description of this beauty as I wiggle my toes in the sand, but more importantly, I will seek an obedient heart … right down to my toes!

Steady Walk

Cars, trucks, bikes, scooters, motorcycles, buses, trains, and planes – nonetheless, people still walk.  Of course, I’m referring to walking for pleasure and exercise.  I prefer to do my walking indoors (where it’s cool) on a treadmill.  The only probably with that is the scenery doesn’t change!

Enoch is one of my favorite men of the Bible.  We know very little about him except something terribly profound: “Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.  Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:22-24)  Scripture doesn’t just give an account of Enoch living, rather, this man, 7^th generation from Adam, walked with God!  Four words describe him, “Enoch walked with God.”  God was Enoch’s life-focus; he lived a life in agreement with his Creator – “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)  Envision such a walk with God: it doesn’t end, only transitions from here to eternity?  Apparently, that’s what happened with Enoch because Enoch did not die – God just took him!  A faithful, constant, steady walk that never ends – a life so focused on and in-tune with Christ, it is never interrupted … the walk just continues from this place to that glorious eternal place.  “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psalm 107:8-9)  Make your walk a steady one!

Casting

In a few short hours, Mr. Bill will begin gathering his saltwater fishing paraphernalia, which includes a casting net.  No, his name is neither Simon or Peter or  Andrew, but he loves to cast a net to catch small fish so he can hook big fish.  There is strategy to his casting!

What presses us to do good to others?   Many motives abound: a good reputation and a fruitful return, to name a few.  Wherever we are, there is good to be done when we have the hearts to do so. The purest and best motive, however, will be a heart set on God.  Matthew Henry writes, “God’s work shall agree with his word …”  We are instructed to “cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)  Faithfulness to good works, doing the work of Christ, brings a fruitful harvest.  Mr. Bill will net small fish to bait his hook and eventually reel in a real keeper.  So it is in the hand of The Father, the smallest of deeds accomplished and trusted to Him, are never cast in vain.  Make casting a way of life beginning today.

Hand-Picked

Do you hand-pick your friends?  It's tedious and not without risk!  I remember a few people with whom I deliberately and aggressively pursued a friendship, only to later wonder, "What I was thinking!"  Friendships that evolve over a period of time, however, are usually the most valuable. Perhaps it's because they are strengthened by circumstances & situations, shared joy & sorrow.  These friendships weather storms and ride high the celebrations of life.  These are also relationships that instead ... pick and choose us!

Are you a friend of Jesus? If you are a born-again Believer, yes you are! How wonderful to know such a friend, such a relationship.  Isn't it amazing we are hand-picked, chosen by Almighty God to be His friend.  "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you ... You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." (John 15:14,16)  We are chosen by The Father for a relationship with Him.  Won't you do about anything for a good friend!  Well, so it is when we honor our friendship with Christ -- we desire to serve and obey.   Our service and our obedience become evidence of a genuine relationship with Jesus.  Aren't you glad He sees something so valuable in us that God chose us ... hand-picked us to be His friends!

Wings of Trust

Swinging is so much fun!  As long as I can remember, I've loved to swing. It surely must have begun on the playground.  I no longer have a swing set in the back yard but rather a front porch swing, and swingin’ is my most favorite form of exercise!

Trusting in the Lord brings more joy than ... yes, even swinging!  Never once as a child did I fret about the chain breaking -- no matter how high in the air I went.  Higher and higher I would go with absolutely no fear! [Mama was scared enough for us all.]  What trust I had in those chain links! I. Williams writes, "The heart that trusts forever sings, and feels as light as it had wings."  Here's what the Psalmist says, "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him." (Psalm 64:10)  It is Satan who scatters doubt and distrust, and it is "so us" to let the shadows overtake us.  Consider what happens when we embrace instead the same child-like faith we had in the swing chains, and higher and higher we allow The Father to take us in His fathomless love.  We would "live in serene tranquility; with a quiet heart, as one who sleeps safely and quietly." (Martin Luther)  Such living is not a dream or a fantasy -- it is living life on wings of trust!

Good Housekeeping

Weekends were housekeeping times at home.  One of my Saturday chores was mopping, and I took that mop for many a spin to Soul Train.  I don't know how clean I got the floor, but we were certainly quite a dancing duo.  The following "borrowed blessing" describes the housekeeping that really matters.  Find time this weekend to do some housekeeping of your own ... housekeeping of the heart.

Lord, it is not the dirt and clutter in plain sight that nag at me.

It's the hidden dirt ... you know, behind the refrigerator, in the closets, under the bed. 

Dirt that no one sees or knows about but me. 

It's the same way with my life, God. 

It's those hidden sins that I can't keep up with ... 

Those petty little grievances, the grudges, the resentments, 

The unspoken harsh feelings, the superior attitudes. 

Thoughts and feelings that no one else knows about but me ... and You, God. 

Help me Father, to clean my heart as I would my home. 

Take away all dust and cobwebs of pride, ill feelings, and prejudice. 

The dirt behind my refrigerator will never hurt anyone. 

The dirt in my heart will.

Take the Dare

Fishermen are smart cookies!  Mr. Bill needed bait so he devised a "game" for me to catch sand fleas.  He gave me a sift and showed me how scoop sand at the waters edge, allowing receding water to strain the sand.  Left behind were lots of bean clams and sand fleas.  The fleas scurried around trying to elude the predators -- me.  Finally, they would settle among the clams, tucking their legs underneath.  The fleas' color and markings blended them perfectly into the surrounding clam shells, which made it difficult to pick them out.  But, not to worry, no trickery for these this smart cookie!

God has called us out -- don't we often forget that?  It is so easy to forget that Believers aren't suppose to blend in with what the world sees and identifies as ... normal.  Oh, what extremes we go to be fashionable and not be seen as anything other than ... typical.  Take a good look around you -- do you see Christ blending in with the fashions, with the entertainment, with the language, with the lifestyles, with the social behaviors of this world?  " ... But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)  If we dare to call ourselves His name sakes (Christians), we must dare to be abnormal, uncommon, non-typical, go against the grain of these times.  It is past time for our courage to say "no," to stand boldly

on The Truth, and to withstand the "heat" of being different.  It's clearly time to take the dare!

Give Away a Smile

What's a smile worth? Smiles don't cost anything, and you can't buy one so why is it then some people always appear bankrupt!  As beautiful as flowers are, they can't smile.  A charm only man can claim -- a smile.  A genuine, warm-hearted smile is a great way Christians let their "light so shine before men."  Not one of us can measure the true value of a smile especially when we aren't smiling on the inside.  When we refuse to smile at another person, we rob them of perhaps the one thing they need most -- the warmth of human kindness.  I read "smiles" is the longest word in the English language because when you take away the first letter there are still "miles" of it left. Spread a few miles of sunshine today ... give away some smiles!

Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain,
Laughter and teardrops, pleasure and pain.
All days can't be bright, but it's certainly true
There's no cloud so dark that the sun can't shine through.
And there's never an hour, a day or a year
That cannot be brightened by words of good cheer. -- Helen Steiner Rice

Extend the Day

Mr. Football - Mrs. Baseball. Mr. Mountains - Mrs. Beach. Mr. Boring - Mrs. Flashy! This pretty well  describes Mr. Bill and me. He’s meat-and-potatoes-go-to-bed-early-rock-and-recline sort of guy. I like to stay up late - he likes to go to bed early. Now that school is out I stay up late and sleep late, but not Mr. Bill -- he says good-bye day and hello pillow. Not me! I love to extend the day ... into the night!

Have you ever thought what God does when He rests? Why, because He's God, all His work is effortless! We toil & tire, huff & puff, crash & burn! Genesis 2:2 plainly says God ". . . rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." God, in His infinite wisdom, knew we needed rest -- not just a good night's sleep or a power nap (one of my favorites). No, God knew we needed complete rest ... in Him: "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." (Hebrews 4:9-10). God's ultimate work (giving up His own Son for us) is done, thus this Promise of Rest for us through obedient faith. Sweet rest from bills, quotas, deadlines, obligations, and turmoil. Rest in Him from all that threatens and steals away the joy of our days. The Children of Israel refused to enter His Rest because of disobedience, few knew all the goodness. The Father wants to bless us immensely and He longs for us to simply trust Him, completely rest in Him. Why not begin today -- rest and extend the day!

Sunny Side Up

How do you like your eggs?  If grits are on the menu ... Dustin wants his scrambled and Dennis, Bill and  Danny want theirs over-easy.  It's a tall order for this cook when she's cooking eggs.  It's hard to mess up scrambled eggs, but those over-easy requests are a bit tricky.  I've served many an over-easy with a smile, a disclaimer, and an "oops, sorry."

Staying joyful through the "oops, sorry" times of life is also quite tricky. Satan’s at every turn just waiting to pounce on us bursting our utopia of joy until it scatters like that egg yolk, and it's just about as difficult to get it back.  So, what's the trick?  Consider all that happens joy -- even the "oopsies" and the "sorries" of life!  James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."  The mastery of life here on earth depends on how well we  learn to remain on the sunny side even when all around us is dismal gray.  I like this saying, "Keep your face to the Son, and you cannot see the shadows."  What wonderful words to carry around from day to day.  As my Dustin used to say, "underline them in your brain!"

Troopers for Christ

When it came to scouting, Mr. Bill was always a "trooper." When the boys were certain he was too old for it, their Dad made those ten and twenty-mile hikes with the rest of the Troop. Mr. Bill tells of a few times when he carried the backpacks of scouts who were certain they wouldn't survive those last few miles. Way to go, Mr. Bill! I guess you just never get too old to be a scout!

Galatians 6:2 says we are to be "troopers" for Christ, and there's no mention of outgrowing it either.  "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." There are times when I feel I cannot bear my own heavy burdens yet those are the times when it benefits Christ that I lighten the load of another. George S. Merriam made this profound statement: "There may be times when you cannot find help, but there is no time when you cannot give help." In short, what I cannot find, I can always give. Without further delay, we need to stop looking for what we need and give what we have. It's the fulfillment of Christ in us.

Put Off - Put On: Discontent

Who thought up the idea of the famous “Wish Book?”  Don’t you think it had to be someone who knew how human nature is always wishing for something more!  Just where IS that wishing well of the spirit and soul?  It never sleeps ‘cause we’re ever wishing, wanting, dreaming, searching, longing, reaching for that next latest-greatest-coolest person-place-thing.  Only God fulfills our dreams ‘cause He’s the One Who created us.  Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”  No, having money isn’t bad, but loving it more than God Who “never leaves or forsakes” is!  Contentment comes when we find our satisfaction comes only in Jesus Christ.  PUT OFF discontent and PUT ON contentment!

Put Off - Put On: Disobedience

Says the moderator, “All in favor, raise your right hand. All opposed, raise your left hand.”  It’s the official way to know the yes’s and the no’s.  How do we know how God votes? “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.” (1 Samuel 12:15)  What foolish thought to pray God’s continued blessings on us when we have willfully disobeyed and continue in disobedience.  Almighty God is not easily mocked: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)  In a few long-ago daddy-daughter moments, I remember him asking me, “now, are we clear about this?”  Sure, we can make up our mind God WILL NOT rule us, but be not confused – He WILL judge us.  Obedience to Christ, however, changes everything: we delight The Father and know precious and sweet fellowship with Him.  PUT OFF disobedience and PUT ON obedience!

Put Off - Put On: Rebellion

Don’t you hate it when opposing teams wear the same colors!  It’s hard to tell which ones to holler for!  We certainly aren’t wearing God’s colors when we choose rebellion over submission.  The short-and-simple is we make God the enemy.  The scoreboard of our lives display My Way or His Way.  When we choose our own way instead of God’s, we become His enemy (James 4:4)  Oh, yes, when we wear the threads of unkindness, gossip, slander, anger, hatred, prejudice, etc., we confuse the world – it doesn’t know whose are His.  First Samuel 15:23 says rebellion is “as the sin of witchcraft,” and how many of us would openly practice such yet we wink-and-nod at God Way, choosing our own instead.  The price for King Saul’s rebellion was his throne and his kingdom: “for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:26)  Rebellion always comes with a hefty price but that which pleases God great rewards.  "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)  There we have it – what truly delights God … PUT OFF rebellion and PUT ON submission.

Put Off - Put On: Pride

"Red Rover, Red Rover, send Beverly right over."  Full speed with all my might, I'd charge ahead to break through the human chain.  Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't.  Isn't this just like the prideful  notion we can do life on our own.  "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." (Proverbs 16:5)  Oh, yes, how we clasp hands with sinful pride, like that human chain, resisting the brokenness God desires in us.  It is only in a spirit of humility we know the precious grace of God. "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he said, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:5) Matthew Henry writes, "All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery." God will never refuse to comfort or exalt us when we trade sinful pride for Godly humility.  PUT OFF pride and PUT ON humility!

Put Off - Put On: Selfishness

Self-seeking people sometimes sneak up on us!  When we finally get into the right-seeking frame of mind, that is – putting others first, along comes someone with selfish motives.  We really hear Paul’s heart when he wrote about Timothy, “For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:20-21)  Yes, Paul, we feel your pain and dream also of being so focused.  Oh, to die to self – what a painfully difficult death yet so beautifully fruitful unto Christ.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)  Banishing selfishness from our lives starts by denying what I want and agreeing to what Christ wants.  After all, this life is not about me!  Simple and profoundly: I die – Christ lives!  PUT OFF selfishness – PUT ON self-denial.

Put Off - Put On: Bitterness

Sports replays are quite the trick to seeing action from a second view.  That base runner called “safe” by the umpire is sometimes only as good as a different camera angle.  Not all our relationships are lovely – some just downright stink!  Some, we can walk away from and some we can’t but all relationships have potential to make us better or … bitter.  We’re warned about the danger of bitterness, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness … lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” (Hebrews 12:14-15)  God plainly tells us how to live with one another without becoming bitter: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)  It’s certainly not the world’s view; it’s a different angle, living God’s way peaceably with others.  PUT OFF bitterness and PUT ON kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness!