Tender Heart

Most of us love to enjoy a tender, well-flavored steak!  While many choose to grill their own, I'm quite content to pay someone else to prepare mine. The word "tender" refers to being susceptible to or influenced by [as Noah Webster 1828 says] the "softer passions" such as love, compassion, kindness. In Second Chronicles 34 records we read when King Josiah heard the long-neglected words from the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes as a visible sign of sorrow. God took notice of King Josiah's humbled and tender heart to His words (V.27). I suggest not only as a nation but as children of God, we have lost our sense of wonder regarding our own sin and God's tender mercies! Even as we faithfully read God's Word, many times we approach it too casually and with very little expectation of change to our hearts. Although Israel as a nation was judged for its neglect and disobedience, the king himself was spared because of his tender heart toward God and His words. God said in Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you" and His plans always include plans to lead us in the [spiritually] safe and prosperous way, away from disaster. King Josiah's tender heart met the ever-tender mercies of The Father. Dear Lord, keep me humble and may I always offer to You a ... tender heart.

Un-Distracted

Many years ago on top of the church Christmas tree was a multi-colored star that blinked erratically - no pattern, no rhyme or reason. To say that I was distracted by it is quite the understatement. You may recall when Jesus visited His dear friends in Bethany that Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet listening while her sister, Martha, was actively busy with hosting responsibilities. When Martha pointed this out to Jesus, He responded, But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NASB). There are many good and honorable things that can become distractions to choosing the best things. I propose we all at times may feel we have the weight of many things upon us - community obligations, career responsibilities, financial commitments, nurturing relationships, etc. How is it possible to not be distracted by these otherwise good things from being joined to Christ?  "Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB). The key to meeting all earthly expectations is to do so with eyes "fixed on Jesus" - understanding that He authors and finishes the faith in us to the glory of The Father. There is a joyful progression in a life focused on Christ alone; He is able and will keep us centered on what matters most. He alone leads us ... un-distracted.

Forever Fixed

Have you ever lost something valuable only to find it later? How wonderful that moment! The item may not have been lost, just misplaced or neglected and forgotten. Sadly, this could describe the Word of God in our lives. Countless copies of His Word may lay around the house yet left unread, undisturbed; consequently, His words are lost to our hearts and lacking application in our lives. What then is the authority on which we live? I read recently it is impossible to measure the amount of new facts that are introduced daily. Those new facts can and will be believed as truth whether they are true or not. Psalm 119:89 says, "Forever, O Lord, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens." How exciting we don't need to depend or rely on wishy-washy, ever changing unsubstantiated philosophies or theories; rather, established and fixed truth, eternally relative and applicable. Don't neglect God's Word and allow it to become lost on your heart. Fix your heart on His Word that is ... forever fixed.

Count the Day!

Knowing I was retired, someone asked how I spend my days. My answer - studying, writing, planning worship services, preparing to teach - was met with a questionable look. It really is a valid question, however - that is, what we do with the time God has given to us. The psalmist wrote, "My days are like a lengthened shadow,And I wither away like grass." (Psalm 102:11 NASB). This withering away like grass is not difficult to understand. I suggest we all may have laid down at night and wondered just what we accomplished that day. "But You, O LORD, abide forever, and Your Name to all generations." (Psalm 102:12 NASB). God's Word supports the flying-by of time; our days, a fleeting shadow, but God continues and remains forever. In His forever-ness, He is gracious and loving toward His people. Those who who truly love Him enjoy His promises. In my kitchen is a small block-calendar, and each night I turn the block to the next date; as I do that, it is a reminder of the passing of days. Moses prayed to The LORD, "teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12 NASB). What a wonderful way to spend the day: valuing each one as an opportunity to grow the heart in Godly wisdom. Count the day!

Never Overwhelmed

What comes to your mind when you think of "overwhelmed?" I guess my mind goes back to the laundry of years ago. If you didn't stay on-top of it and got behind, it was ... overwhelming! Listen to this cry of the overwhelmed: "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry for help come to You! Do n ot hide Your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me quickly." (Psalm 102:1-2 AMP). We all handle "overwhelmed" differently: we lash out at whoever happens to be nearby or it's met with an onslaught of whining and tears or we just throw up our hands and walk away. To the best of my recollection, none of these helped me ... especially in the case of laundry! The psalmist finds relief in the LORD: " But You, O LORD, are enthroned forever [ruling eternally as sovereign]; and [the fame and glory of] Your Name [endures] to all generations ... You remain the same, and Your years will never end." (Psalm 102:12, 27 AMP). The Father hears us in our overwhelmed moments; He is greater than anything that seeks to overwhelm us, and I'm not just talking laundry. There is no worry, depression, fear, grief or uncertainty He cannot smooth and soothe. It is God alone Who sits enthroned above it all and He is ever eager and altogether able to lift us above every challenge. What is threatening right now to overwhelm you? Have you given it to The Lord? He is ... never overwhelmed.

Promised Presence

Sitting at the breakfast table with Mister Bill, reading and praying together is a sweet reward for the years when mornings were not-so-quiet nor leisurely. I well remember those days when the morning routine was more of a science: knowing exactly what minute on the clock to be at the breakfast table, in the car, and at a particular stop light. In retrospect, I wish I had been more conscious of the little "graces" in each day. What a shame I allowed the days' demands and the frantic rush to rule me rather than the promised presence of God. The God Who said this to His ancient people speaks still to His children today: "It is the Lord Who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV). There's beauty in God's Presence regardless of the season of life: giggles or snickering after lights are out, the proud presentation of bitter weed in little hands, hand-made love notes, sitting on the patio watching chickens forage for food, even timely stop lights that help us reach a destination "on time." Yes, the little "graces" can and should remind us how precious life is and that we don't do-life alone - God is always with us. What a sweet reward - His ... promised presence. 

Take a Seat

If every day was a courtroom where justice was served, what seat would you choose? Oh, I know where I seem to be most comfortable ... in the seat of the judge. Well, although each day is not a courtroom where justice is appropriately served, I seem to dish-out a lot of verdicts! Jesus warns us, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2 ESV). How foolish that we imagine we can judge rightly! According to Jesus, every judgment we make becomes a basis - a standard, a measure - by which we also will be measured. This should make us shiver! Bottom line, how can one guilty of so much fairly or rightly determine what is just? The answer is: we cannot but God can! Psalm 50:6 says, "And the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge." Yes, God is a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11). So, what seat are we commanded to take each day of our lives? "Humble yourselves before the Lord" (James 4:10 ESV) and "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:6 ESV). This seat of humility is too often vacant yet it is the seat God has appointed for His children. A judge's responsibility is a heavy one, and I'm so glad that role is not mine. We can rest in the righteousness of The One Who "out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth" (Psalm 50:2 AMP). In gratitude and in humility ... take a seat.

No Introduction

At most conferences, there is a keynote speaker - one who is usually introduced with much ado! Read this introduction the psalmist Asaph gives, "The Mighty One, God, the LORD has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting." (Psalm 50:1 AMP). He uses three titles for the stunning introduction of The God and Creator. In his book, Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer writes: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." [By the way, if you don't have this book ... you should!] Over and over in his book, he reminds us what a very low view we have of our Holy God. Why else are we shocked when prayer is answered or we discover His wisdom really is best, or we realize He really is sovereign in all circumstances? Yes, He is a great God and we should begin to believe it! God needs no introduction to those who truly know Him!

Read and Write

The older-men has learned the value of writing things down. The only trick to this new-found help is to remember where I wrote things down. How wonderful it is that God has given to us His written word. I suggest even though we may be in the habit of reading His Word, we often fail to allow the words to be written where they matter most - that is, on the heart. God says, "My son, keep My words and treasure My commandments within you. Keep My commandments and live, and My teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart." (Proverbs 7:1-3 NASB). I've discovered there is a systematic read-and-write process: as I faithfully devote time to read and study and meditate on God's words, The Holy Spirit completes the process by writing them on my heart. It is in the heart and mind where transformation takes place! It is there in the inner man where God desires His words to be kept and treasured. What a beautiful and beneficial process we are part of ... read and write.

Take Flight

Almost every morning Mister Bill stands at our kitchen window scanning the high places for a hawk that threatens and terrorizes the birds at our feeder and the chickens foraging nearby. We fear for our feathered friends! In James 4:4, we read: "Friendship with the world is enmity with God." This verse is more than just a statement of truth - it is a warning: a child of God cannot maintain two opposing sets of friends! How foolish to imagine we are following after righteousness if we have one foot planted in worldliness. Abraham's nephew, Lot, is a good Biblical example of one who surely must have struggled with the stutter-step between the world and Godliness. Even though he is noted as "righteous" (1 Peter 2:7), Lot chose to settle himself and his family in Sodom, a city of great moral corruption. Saying "no" to worldliness is hard; I suggest harder still is knowing the depth of the world's reach into our lives. The smallest of decisions and most innocent of habits can and often do lead us right into Satan's vice-grip on our hearts. No wonder we commanded not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of  our minds that we "may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2 ESV). Even our feathered friends know when to make a fly-for-it and they do! Be alert and watchful, always ready to ... take flight.

As Time Flies

We casually use the phrase "time flies" to express awe and wonder at how quickly the years pass, i.e. how children move from adolescence to teens to adults. How true it is that time does seem to ... fly. God says, "There is an appointed time for everything." (Ecclesiastes 3:1a NASB). From an earthly perspective, we all understanding appointed times ... with the dentist, financial adviser, auto mechanic, etc. Those appointments are set with specific date, time and purpose. Times appointed by God Himself, however, refer more precisely to the good we pursue that is profitable with eternity in mind. "What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves." (Ecclesiastes 3:9-10 NASB). Among the list of times God gives in Verses 2-8, one is "a time to give birth and a time to die;" yes, life has a set beginning and end. What matters most is what we do between that beginning and that end. How tragic when the end comes with frivolous pursuits. What a precious and timely prayer asking God to "teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12 ESV). How precious time is and time is fleeting! May the pursuits of all our days be God-appointed ... as time flies.

Read On!

Perhaps none of us realize the importance of our eyesight until it is impaired. I can personally testify to this. Several places in Scripture, as God spoke, He instructed men to "write down" His words. None of us can fully realize how wonderful it is we no longer have to rely on dreams and visions from The Lord: we have His Truth written down and preserved through the ages! To the prophet Habakkuk God said, "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it" (Habakkuk 2:2 ESV). The written Word of God gives wisdom, comfort, guidance ... instruction. As we read, The Holy Spirit does something miraculous: He writes them on the hearts of Its readers. To Joshua, God said: "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law ... Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left ... The Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it." (Joshua 1:7-8 ESV). The words we see and read with our eyes find their rightful place in our hearts. I've just had eye surgery to correct a problem with my right eye, and I'm so blessed that the problem is resolved and my vision is improved. My prayer is that I not neglect to use my eyes to read what is good and right for this heart of mine ... read on!

Medical Blog Break

 Blog Break due to Medical Reasons
Hope to be back soon!
Stay in The Word
Miles of Smiles, Beverly  

In-Stride with God

During chemotherapy treatments, Mister Bill walked five miles almost every day. I tried to walk with him a few times, but I just couldn’t keep up! Oswald Chambers wrote this: “The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting going on.” Ordinary tasks and times aren’t always our favorites; they tend to lull us into a state of apathy. I think of Mister Jim who spent most of his life in education, however, after his retirement he took a position as a custodian. He found joy in the simple and otherwise mundane -- admiring a good shine on the bathroom floor and the sparkle of brass handrails. We have trouble at times getting “in stride” with God, getting our “second wind spiritually.” One of my favorite Bible heroes is Enoch.  We know very little about him except that he was Noah’s great-grandfather and Methuselah’s father yet his spiritual fame says it all, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24 ESV). His walk-with-God wasn’t just a small stretch – no, it was some 300 years! Three hundred years and there’s no mention of Enoch being out-of-step with Almighty God! Enoch never tasted the bitterness of death; he and God just walked on into eternity. Can there possibly be anything sweeter than being in-step with God, anything more deeply rich than that kind of communion with The Father! Be zealous in your walk with God, and don’t ever fret about matching strides with The Father … He’ll never leave you behind!

Consider Your Resemblance

Those who know him may be surprise to learn Mister Bill was quite the letter-writer in our high school years. Four grades ahead of me and in different schools, he wrote and sent by courier a letter to me every day! God’s children have been given a particular pattern for living.  We are to adopt a way of life that imitates Christ.  Everyone knows what it is to be a son or a daughter; our birth certificates bear the names of a biological mother and father.  So our souls bear the Name of the One Most High, and it is our lifestyle that identifies us as His.  In his Gospel, Luke wrote, “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.” (6:35 ESV)   These weren’t suggestions to sinners telling them how to behave, rather a reminder to Believers of who they are in Christ Jesus.  Loving enemies isn’t the world’s way, but God’s way; doing good isn’t so common, but a trait of God; to give anticipating nothing in return isn’t sensible to the world, yet perfectly sensible to God.  When we do life God’s way, we’re rewarded far greater than we can imagine.  Also, we are identified by God and the world as genuine disciples of Christ.  Yes, those Mister Bill letters thrilled my heart and I found a sense of acceptance in his words; there was a real resemble between his words and his affection for me.  Genuine Christianity always bears the mark of the Father. Take time right now to ... consider your resemblance!

Say So!

We all make explicit statements - clear, detailed statements that leave little confusion or doubt. For example, we say, "my car mechanic is ..." or "my hair stylist is ..." or "my insurance agent is ...." Those declarations roll-off our tongues easily and most often proudly! In David's statement, "God, You are my God" (Psalm 63:1 AMP), he was explicit and clear; he left no room for confusion nor doubt. Why are declarations of God so important? They give strength to what we know to be true! We need to be reminded and what we believe encourages the heart. Hear David as he continues to declare himself - "with deep longing I will seek You ... My soul thirsts for You ... My flesh longs and sighs for You ... Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You ... I will bless You as long as I live ... I will lift up my hands in Your Name." One thing I've found particularly marvelous is to say God's words back to Him - I mean, how can we improve on that! In times of joy and despair, our hearts will always know encouragement to declare unto The LORD the glory due Him. "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so" (Psalm 107:2). Don't let today pass before you ... say so!

His Presence

Most porches have pillars or posts - some decorative and some simply plain. One common thing they share, however, is what they do: they bear weight, upholding the rafters and roof above. David, the psalmist, wrote: "LORD, my heart is not proud nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child [resting] with his mother. y soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent]." (Psalm 131:1-2 AMP). Rest and contentment seem to be escape artists - you know, those things that slip away unannounced then position themselves out of grasp. David speaks of a determined heart that seeking genuine humility so that it can avert its trust in itself but in The One Who gives rest and contentment - true, steadfast, perfect. We are rarely attentive to those porch posts yet they do-what-they-do. David's  song describes a disciplined trust in The LORD, like a weaned child who no longer seeks its rest and contentment from physical nourishment but rather simply from the mother's presence. Such is the heart that is at rest and contented with and in The Presence of The Father through a sustained relationship with Jesus. May our porch posts remind us of God's sure and stead Presence through the days of our lives. Let us find all we need in ... His Presence.