Quiet and Holy

Cats are cool -- they're quiet too! We don’t have a cat because Mr. Bill doesn’t like cats. Maybe I’ll have one some day if Mr. Bill warms to the idea. A cat would be quite a change from our last pet, DC - the family beagle. He was loud and tromped around on the porch and did what he loved best -- barked. If I reached down to rub his head, he rolled over on his back expecting a stomach rub.  Of course, there were guy-people here that played that game!

God expects fruitfulness from those who claim to be His.  Fruits of the Spirit -- His Spirit steers our lives in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  During the Third Century, St. Cyprian wrote this message to a friend, "This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden ... But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out ... you know very well what I would see; brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the amphitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds ... Yet in the midst of it, I have found a quiet and holy people ... They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians ... "  Yes, we all have our occasional "gardens" where reality is distant. The truth is, however, reality is where the difficult, the broken, the hurting, the tragic, the neglected, the unloved, the rebellious, and discouraged live ... and they are among us at every turn. Our fruitfulness as Christ’s followers should set us apart from the obnoxious, boastful, and demanding. To bear fruit is what we are called to do, gently and quietly bearing His Name in His Spirit. What a beautiful legacy to leave behind – quiet and holy.

Heart Health

Country-dwellers know what "road kill" is and what an unsightly sight it is!  Mr. Bill used to have a t-shirt that glamorized and boasted, "The Original ROAD KILL Cafe: You Kill 'Em - We Grill 'Em."  Listed on the back of the shirt were road kill “delicacies” such as: Possum Butter & Jellyfish, Grilled Muskrat & Cheese, Three Leg Possum Omelet, Head Light Hare, and Rattle Snake Shake. Now, only Mr. Bill would buy such a shirt and only HE would wear it!

Quite often I consider what an "unsightly sight" my heart is to The Father.  Why, I can hide my heart's ugliness from others, but to God it’s laid bare – open - exposed.  He must surely wonder, why I am not grieved about my heart's polluted condition.  Day after day, I go about my doings with a heart in need of divine surgery.  We read the wisdom of King Solomon in Proverbs regarding the heart of man:

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (4:23)

"Keep my commands and live ... write them on the tablet of your heart." (7:2-3)

"A sound heart is life to the body ... " (14:30a) 

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (16:9)

"The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts." (17:3) 

It's clear -- God wants our hearts and, of course, it's the hardest to relinquish.  God knows when He has our hearts completely, He'll have our all.  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)  Yes, the greatest sacrifice unto God and makeup of a useful vessel rests completely with a heart broken, laid open, bare, and surrendered to God and His perfect will.  So, how’s your heart health?

Name Calling

Can’t explain it, but I was fairly confident my children would be boys. Mr. Bill wanted boys, I guess, to dress in camouflage.  He wouldn’t have both feet in the door before one of his boys was suggesting how they could spend the remaining daylight hours with rod and reel or ball and glove.  Bill could usually predict the suggestion from each child on any given day!  That otherwise sweet sound of "Dad" could easily send a tired, stressed, over-worked, grown man into neurotic spasms at the end of a long, hot, ten-hour workday.  The best I could do was smile and remind "Dad" how much he wanted boys, how excited he was at their birth, and how eager he was to get on with all the "Dad stuff."

There's One who never tires of hearing His name called ... Almighty God!  He even put His name in the hearts of His children, just so we could call His Name.  "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out 'Abba, Father!" (Galatians 4:6)  Our Heavenly Father yearns for us to call His name ... Abba (meaning "Daddy").  When we are born-again, God puts within us His Spirit.  He’s no longer a stranger to our hearts, but His Spirit within makes us to know God as ... "Daddy."  We are His adopted children ... heirs to all His goodness. You see, He’s there all the time just waiting for us to bring Him our weariness, anxiety, confusion, grief, hurt, anger, desperation, frustration, helplessness, weakness, addiction, pain.  “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8) Although we threatened to change our “names,” Mr. Bill and I fondly recall those little boy voices of long ago.  God NEVER tires of hearing us call His Name; call on Him early and often each day!

Seek the Quiet

It’s interesting to consider night sounds.  If you live in the city, it's the sounds of automobiles and sirens.  In the country, it's tree frogs, owls, whippoorwills, or it just might be Mr. Bill [in his underwear on the front porch] yelling to the neighbor's dog to "shut up."  Yes, there’s some interesting “night sights” too! J

 

God said, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)  When was the last time you were in the ... quiet?  No television – radio – dishwasher – computer – cell phone - iPod.  At times we seem a bit uncomfortable with quietness.  The Hebrew word “still” is translated “to slacken” as releasing tension in a rope.  The pressures of this world don’t provide much slack, and easily we find ourselves much in need of some still and quiet.  In 1 Kings 19:11-12, we read of Elijah waiting for the wind and earthquake and fire to pass before he heard the “still small voice” of God.  That wind-fire-earthquake thing sounds much like … well, life!  Scripture tells us Jesus sought solitary, quiet places to be alone with The Father – away from the crowds and life’s demands.  What a model for us to pursue stillness and quiet so we can experience God’s precious melodies and sweet fellowship.  Do so today -- seek the quiet.

Fire-Ant Faith

If you have never stumbled into a bed of fire ants, consider yourself blessed!  Those almost microscopic creatures quickly and easily trespassers into a ... fire-ant dance!

The Prophet Jeremiah referred to an intense faith when he wrote these words, "Sometimes I say to myself, 'I will forget about the Lord. I will not speak anymore in his name.' But then his message becomes like a burning fire inside me." (Jeremiah 20:9)  Can't you just hear the fervor in Jeremiah's words! It's sad that many Christians get more worked up at a football game or over a holiday sale paper than over the Greatness of God.  Believers need a hearty dose of Jeremiah's intensity for God.  For those of us who have blundered onto a mound of fire ants, we understand urgency and excitement. Ours should be a "fire-ant" faith that compels us to share Christ as we go. Maybe we'll look a little differently at those fire ants from now on ... from a safe distance, of course!

Extend Tenderness

To get certain foods tender, we soak 'em, beat 'em, smother 'em, and smoke 'em.  This takes time, a smart cook, and some patiently-hungry people.

God's mercies are NOT slow-to-tender -- they are tender-by-nature!  The psalmist wrote, "The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:9)  Thank goodness we don't have to wait on God's mercies to become tender toward us -- we'd be in big trouble if that were the case!  Since it is Christ's Nature to be merciful and tender, it should also the nature of His followers. The world needs to see, to know, to feel The Father’s tender mercies, and we are His pipeline. Extend His tenderness today!

Useful Place

Have you ever been a straggler and been accused of “always behind, like a cow’s tail?”  Well, as the story goes … the cow didn’t know the usefulness of her tail until she lost it and became troubled with flies, which her tail brushed off!

God’s design is that each of us be useful for His glory.  With all respect, I won’t refer to them as the “cow’s tail,” but the Tribe of Dan brought up the rear when Israel marched.  Scripture actually describes the Danites’ position as the “hindmost” (Numbers 2:31).  By the world’s standards, it’s certainly not something to write home about!  The position was, however, by God’s design and [even last] they were among great company!  “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” (1 Corinthians 12:18)  By God’s perfect design, each Believer is set in a useful place in God’s Kingdom, which comes with particular responsibilities and subsequent blessings.  Spurgeon writes, “Fiery spirits may dash forward over untrodden paths to learn fresh truth, and win more souls to Jesus; but some of a more conservative spirit may be well engaged in reminding the Church of her ancient faith, and restoring her fainting sons.”  I fear Christians have forgotten the urgency of faithfully tending their places of usefulness to Christ both inside and outside The Church.  The idea of last and least often lead to apathy making His Church dysfunctional and lacking in testimony to the world as well as care for others.  Believers desperately need one another to be sober, vigilant and steadfast in the faith (Colossians 5:8-9) wherever our places of usefulness.  According to Numbers 31, the Children of Israel obediently put themselves to their posts without murmuring or complaining, which became to them their beauty and God’s Glory.  I really don’t know any more about that cow’s tail story than what I read, but there is a usefulness unto Christ for every Believer.  Don’t take it lightly!

Blessed Delight

Let me tell you about Nanny's shade trees.  Just the thought of them calls back a younger me sitting in a white-painted metal chair on a hot summer afternoon then chasing lightning bugs in the evening.  Those trees gave solace from the sun and canopy for lightning bugs on the warm summer evenings.  Yes, delightful trees.

Psalm 91 describes something better than the best of this world’s shade trees: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."  (V.1)  The very Shadow of Almighty God offers everything we need when hearts are heavy, spirits are low, strength is gone.  Consider, if you will, the vastness of our God and His very shadow!  Furthermore, there is no limit to which He extends grace and compassion to those Who love Him.  "He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him." (V.15)  When tears come and the heart is vulnerable and weak, we can know His strength.  CeCe Winans sings "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.  He'll carry us when we can't carry on.  Raised in His power, the weak become strong.  His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect."  It’s no wonder to me these verses appear in the same chapter: there in His Shadow, out of the heat of the storm, He strengthens and delivers.  Yes, El Shaddai – Almighty God … blessed Delight!

One

A baby cannot have enough onesies -- those cute little all-one-piece outfits.  Except for the snaps, they remind me of the girls’ PE uniforms we had in high school.  One-piece, they were. Cutesy, they were not!

Imagine a world of people in harmony.  What a mental exercise, huh?  I understand living with someone so long I know his thoughts and his next sentence.  Yikes, that’s scary!  Paul McCartney wrote, “Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony; side by side on my piano keyboard; oh Lord, why don't we?”  The Apostle Paul wrote about genuine deep lasting harmony: “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:2-5)  Did you pick out the cause of real harmony?  Absence of pride and presence of humility; a same love … love for others rather than self.  Consider it!  If everyone valued others over themselves, no one would be self-seeking.  What an amazingly simple yet profound truth.  Each having the same mind of humility, which is in Christ Jesus, results in …  One.

No Tools

Over the years, Mr. Bill has had quite a few deer stands -- some ladder stands and some climbing stands.  The newer ones feature some [proclaimed] improvements, however, their basic function remains unchanged.  The purpose of each stand is to put a man [seemingly intelligent] in a tree [as quietly and easily as possible] to sit for long periods of time [as comfortably and safely as possible].  Gee, what more can I possibly add?

Man has always struggled with the fact God doesn’t need his help!  Even in the Garden, pride and trust issues surfaced when man was told he could be LIKE his Creator.  On the Plain of Shinar, man attempted to build a structure reaching to the heavens, proving once again to be discontent with God’s sovereignty.  In Exodus 20:25, God gave specific instructions to the Hebrews regarding the building  of stone altars: “And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”  It seem we’re always anxious to have a hand in “improving” God’s work. Spurgeon wrote, “Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross … instead of improving the gospel, carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all.”  Why DO we battle Sovereign God so?  It seems we must have that last word, be on the winning team, show ‘em who’s boss, and twist & turn The Truth to suit our own interests!  In the end, we blaspheme Almighty God and Jesus Christ Who declared in His dying moments “It is finished.”  Complete. Done.  No option for improvement on perfection and completion!  God demanded unpolluted stone altars and so must we put away our tools today, and embrace The Truth of pure Gospel.  Let us turn away our otherwise insatiable thirst for self-sovereignty, bend the knee, bow the hearts, acknowledge Christ’s finished work, and find rest in Him now and forevermore.  What more can anyone possibly add?

Proper Fruit

Propensity - Prone - Tendency - Inclination - Proclivity - Susceptibility - Predisposition - Partiality - Predilection: these are all just fancy words for most likely gonna … eat that chocolate, take that nap, see that movie, read that book, take that trip.   Slice it, dice it, paint it, spin it any which way you can – we all have a particular bend toward things.

God knows how we all get out-of-order spiritually and He calls us to periodic checkups.  Of course, we all know what an out-of-order sign means – whatever it is, it isn’t working properly. Jonathan Edwards, who lived in the 1700’s, wrote: “Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order or I am aware of the least irregularity without, I will subject myself to the strictest examination.”  Spiritual checkups are not casual or half-hearted!  Paul wrote, “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, Amplified Bible)  Bad fruit is always obvious, no spiritual out-of-order sign necessary – apathy, grumbling, complaining, ill-temper, gossip, slander, rebellion, etc.  Properly “holding” to the faith is paramount to producing the proper fruits Paul refers to and God so desires.  Be in God’s Word to keep yourself in-check and in-order for proper in-season fruit!

Home Alone

Today was an "altogether" day!  I seemed to have it ... all-together.  I was able to finish a thought and actually see several tasks to completion – it was an "altogether day."  You're dying to know the secret, aren't you? Well, I was ... HOME ALONE!

Jesus Christ had it "altogether."  He was divine and, of course, could be no other way but … He was also human.  In Luke 4 we read Jesus went into the wilderness and when He returned, He did so "in the power of the Spirit" to begin His ministry. (V.14)  Do you sometimes feel like you're coming apart? Perhaps it's because we are "pulling apart" rather than pulling together with Christ.  The Holy Spirit was sent to us to empower us in our lives, but when we are not in harmony with The Spirit, very little will ever be accomplished.  Did you know when Canadian geese fly in formation, they fly seventy percent faster ... 70%!  There is great power in unity whether at home, at work, at play ... and especially within our spirits. When we are submitted to the Power of Christ, there is genuine harmony inside us.  Being fully submitted means we are EMPTY of self and FULL of the Spirit of Christ Who is then HOME ALONE in our hearts.

Let the Light Out

Who would have imagined a basement-level freight depot would become [what is today] an intriguing underground city of gift shops and restaurants.  Underground Atlanta holds and preserves some of the city’s rich history and it’s tucked away underneath the street, hidden from sight!

Genuine Christian living is not a covert mission!  True Lordship of Christ in a Believer’s life will always be apparent – it cannot remain hidden!  Spurgeon writes, “Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath.”   Jesus made sure we understood what He meant by being “light of the world” – a city set on a hill, not to be hidden or its light restrained.  Furthermore, He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:14-16)  Some of the best shining we’ll do is in times of duress, when other lights grow dim and altogether fail.  These are times of opportunity for the Beauty of Christ to be revealed through us to those teetering on the brink of darkness and looming disaster.  Make sure your light source is [none other than] Christ Jesus, and … let The Light out!

Serious Look

What do two bicycles, two dirty socks, a wet towel, four baseball bases, a plastic cup, a drink can, a panel of wood, and a plastic bottle have in common?  These items were scattered across the lawn as I arrived home one afternoon.  The mess wasn't so visible ... until I drove up the long driveway at which time I got a serious look!

God calls us to take a serious look at our hearts!  The heart’s general condition may seem fine, that is, until we get up-close-and-personal. That’s when we see the junk – like that front yard I described.  Almighty God cannot share quarters with the clutter and debris of sin.  King David faced his own wretchedness when the Prophet Nathan called out the king’s sin.  Listen to David’s heart-cries for help and cleansing: "Purge me ... wash me ... make he hear joy and gladness ... blot out ... create in me ... renew ... do not cast me away ...restore ... uphold me ... deliver me ... " (Psalm 51)  God desires a heart that’s broken and humbled (Psalm 51:17), a vessel made useful for Him (2 Timothy 2:21).  Soul-cleansing isn’t easy or fun ‘cause Satan does a jam-up job of disguising bad as good, making it look-taste-feel right.  Consider how we clutter our hearts by way of television, movies, books, magazines, music, friends, relationships, etc. There’s plenty that add nothing profitable or bring honor to The King’s dwelling place!  Take a serious look at your heart – make it fit for The King!

See Christ

Window-shopping may be fun for some people, but it seems pretty pointless to me.  If you see and can’t spend, it’s torture; if see and can spend, just finish the job – make the purchase!

 

Would you slap God in the face?  Hardly, we answer but that’s exactly what we do when we choose personal preference over obedience to Him.  Window-shopping is exactly what got Eve into trouble!  “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6)  Eve’s unwise conversation with the serpent (Satan-in-disguise) introduced doubt that Almighty God was withholding something beneficial from her and Adam.  Doubt always leads to discontent which leads to denial that God is our greater good.  The mindset of we-want-what-we-want will always win over obedience when we take our eyes off Christ and His beautiful sufficiency.  Believer, stand fast in the Word of God and see The Creator as all-sufficient.  When we do, we’ll find ourselves doing less and less … window shopping in this world.