I Didn't Understand....

You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
    through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
    each ache written in your book.

Psalm 56:8

 

 

Have you ever wondered WHY?  

 

I recently attended a funeral.  I will be honest, most funerals are difficult and wear me out.  This particular funeral was for a young man who had died suddenly and tragically.  The question his family asked over and over was "WHY?".  Honestly, I wondered that too.  That was until the funeral.

 

I listened to the sermon and gained some insight on how to push through the pain, but the think that struck me most was when the pastor was wrapping up, he said "Some of you haven't set foot in church for a long time and it took THIS day to get you here.  But God has a way of moving through the most difficult events in life to bring us back to where we need to be."  He then asked everyone to close their eyes and asked if there was anyone in attendance who wanted to surrender their lives to God.  He counted off 6 hands that went up.

 

Afterwards, the boy's father, who was grieving with such emotion he could barely stand up during the service, told me that had his boy not died those 6 people would not have had the opportunity to give their lives to God.

 

God has a plan and it's His job to accomplish His plan.  He also loves us so much that He understands our pain and anguish more than we do.  I learned alot from that funeral and from that grieving father.  

Unlikely!

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

 

I like movies that make me think.  I like books that make me think.  I like to think.  Hmmmm....there seems to be a pattern here.  Be that as it may, I enjoyed watching "The Imitation Game" over the weekend, which is the story of Alan Turing.  

 

Alan Turing was a mathematician, exceedingly brilliant, socially awkward, and broke the German Enigma code during World War II with a machine of his own creation.  His computer was so far ahead of its time!  Yet to look at Alan Turing or to attempt to interact with him, you would not be impressed at all.  Why?  He was not outgoing.  He was not personable.  He was not jovial.  He could not tell a joke.  He was very serious and focused.  His life was numbers and logic.  He was rather like Mr. Spock from Star Trek or Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.  Had the British Military not recruited Alan Turing, it would be very unlikely that his computer would have been developed.

 

Confession:  I have over 53 years of doing life wrong.  If there was a way for me to mess up, screw up, or just do it wrong....I did it, thought it, or said it. 

 

 If someone had told me 40 years ago that I would be in ministry, I would have looked at them in disbelief.  

 

If someone had told me 30 years ago that I would be working in a job I loved, I would have told them where they could insert such rubbish.

 

 Even 10 years ago, if you told me that I would get to interact with the most amazing heroes I have ever known.....I would have thought you were drunk.

 

BUT, the fact is God has been preparing me for this purpose since before time began.  How do I know this, because He has proven it to me over and over and over.  Every joy, every tear, every lesson learned, every experience, every dream has been God's hands preparing me for His purpose.  Although, I still don't use Algebra or Geometry, so I don't get that part except maybe to strengthen my patience.

 

Time after time we wonder what our purpose is in life.  We want to know because we like having quick, easy-to-understand answers.  We are not patient at all.  We forget that God has all the time in the world to get us ready to prepare us for what He has purposed us to do.

 

I wish I could tell each person that it's easy to figure out why we are here, but I'm not God.  I wish I could tell people that waiting for God to let us know our purpose is not painful at times, but that would be a lie.  I wish I could tell people that God's purpose for us will jump out at us like a large friendly dog, but what I have figured out.....when we try to focus on reflecting Christ in our lives every day, we will begin to see our purpose take shape.

 

My point: Reflect Christ as you travel through this life.   

"One for the Money, Two for the Show..."

“You’re hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You love sitting at the head table at church dinners, love preening yourselves in the radiance of public flattery. Frauds! You’re just like unmarked graves: People walk over that nice, grassy surface, never suspecting the rot and corruption that is six feet under.”

Luke 11:43-44 

I have been thinking again.  I admit it, I enjoy having a good think, and sometimes it leads me to places where toes get stepped on.  This time was no exception.  It is not my intent to cause hard feelings and I am not pointing fingers at anyone.  I simply want to share what has been brought to mind.

The Pharisees didn't like Jesus.  And, to be honest, Jesus didn't appear to be a big fan of the Pharisees either.  Jesus knew that the Pharisees were corrupt.  They had taken Judaism and turned it into a money making and political enterprise.  

The Pharisees took great pride in:

   * their position, 

   * the people they rubbed elbows with, 

   * the political clout they had,

   * the possessions they accumulated

   * their finery and accoutrements

   * their influence over their flocks

   * their education

The Pharisees were very quick (and proud) to let people know just how pious and "holy" they were, and how much better they were than regular folk.  

While attending a graduation at the Criminal Justice Academy this Friday past, the guest speaker stated that on the list of "Most Trusted Professions" Law Enforcement was still in the top ten.  Then he said something that smacked me right between the eyes: "But even though we're not at the top, we still outranked the clergy."  WOW!  That speaks volumes to me!

I began to look around at my fellow clergy and, I will admit, was ashamed!  We have people claiming to be the reflection of Jesus who are just like the Pharisees!  They love their finery.  They love their expensive homes and cars and possessions.  They love their money.

When I read the Gospels, I see that Jesus walked everywhere except when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem at the end.  Jesus even told His Disciples, in Luke 10:3-6: "Go! I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves. Do not carry a money bag, a traveler’s bag, or sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house!’ And if a peace-loving person is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you."

And in Luke 12:34, Jesus said: "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

My prayer is that our clergy will work to become trustworthy again instead of being self-serving and political.  We have been called to follow the example of Christ, who went to the people who needed Him most, talked to them in ways they could understand, and loved them.  

Peacocks and Poppycock

 

 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30 

When I was a child, I admit there were parts of church culture that confused me (and still confuse me):  

I remember the very first time I heard a pastor actually told a joke!  I thought it was funny and laughed, but was quickly embarrassed when the rest of the congregation remained stone faced.  I asked one of the older "grandmotherly" members why no one else laughed in church, she said is was because Jesus never laughed.  REALLY?  

I remember when we had churchwide dinner after church and I had never seen so many variations of green bean casserole, mac-and-cheese or lemon pound cake!  

I remember not being able to change out of my church clothes when we got home for lunch (I am a notorious dribbler, ask my bride).  I could take off my coat only.

Here's the thing that confused me the most...on Easter we were supposed to be celebrating the fact that Jesus had defeated death.  The part that confused me were all the brightly colored new Easter outfits worn by men and women (large hats included) that paraded around the sanctuary before the service and then tried their hardest to cram themselves into the first three pews behind the deacons so they could be seen.  Doesn't that rather defeat to purpose of celebrating Easter's meaning when the parade becomes the focus?  To me, it looked like a Mardi Gras parade in church (minus the beads and loud marching bands.  There might have been alcohol involved, but I can't confirm that).

When we let anything or anyone take our focus from the purpose of worship, we are making idols.  You see, idols aren't just stone or wood images someone carved that we decide we can talk to more easily than talking with God.  Idols can include television, clothing, food, drink, vacations, homes, cars, and wait for it.......sports.  ANYTHING we put ahead of God is an idol and poppycock at its finest.

Grant Us Peace!

It's Done!

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:20 

 

Have you ever considered why Jesus chose to say "It is finished" when the time came for His death?  I have heard sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon on those three words, and they didn't really answer my question.

 

So after years of pondering and contemplating, here's my perspective on "It is finished."  The term used by Jesus was used by merchants.  You see, merchants had a price they wanted for their goods and the customer had a price they were willing to pay, so when the merchant and the customer agreed on an price, the merchant would say "It is finished" because the price had been accepted.  

 

God set standards for His people.  We have failed to meet His standards from the very beginning.  God set a standard for acceptable sacrifices to pay for our failures (unspotted, unblemished, pure and perfect lambs were the acceptable payment).  When Jesus died, the perfect price for each of our failures was paid in the ONLY accepted currency.  In reality, God paid the perfect sacrifice for us and declared our debt to Him PAID IN FULL.

 

Therefore, God our Father paid the price for our failures in full!  May we be truly grateful to Him for that!

Yuck, A Basin, And A Man!

 So Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

John 13:4-5

 

Have you ever wondered why foot washing was such a big deal?  Think about this, during Jesus' time, sandals were the fashion footwear.  In fact, sandals were pretty much all one had to wear unless they were extremely wealthy.  Most people simply went barefoot.  

 

Now....keeping that in mind, you would be sharing the streets with animals (because there were no "Critter Only Lanes" during this time).  And animals aren't exactly thoughtful as to where they do their business.  Also, don't forget that farmers would be taking their produce to market, so if they discovered some that was rotten, they would simply drop it in the roadway. Not to mention there were no rest areas along the Roman roads like we have now.  So let's just agree that lots of compostables were in the roadway to be stepped on as people walked to their destinations. 

 

Thus, washing of the feet was a necessity and a courtesy when entering a dwelling.  But because it was such an unsanitary task, who would do it?  Well, only the lowest of the servants would have such a task, they would be Nose-to-Toes with the road slime washing it away with their hands and a towel.  I don't know about you, but I have smelled some pretty foul things (and people), but that didn't make me want to touch them, much less wash them up close and personally.   

 

Consider the fact that Jesus, the ONLY Son of God our Creator, not only came into this world via a barn, but made Himself so low that He went Nose-to-Toes with the feet of the Disciples to show them that NO task was beneath them.  The same hands that healed the sick, fed the hungry, wiped away tears, lifted an adulterous woman into forgiveness, now held the nasty feet of the Disciples so they would be clean.

 

I'll be honest, not much impresses me less than seeing some high and mighty figure pretend "humility" by washing someone's relatively sanitized feet for the camera and for free publicity.  They forget that Jesus washed the Disciple's feet in the privacy of the upper room, and there was no fanfare, there were no camera crews filming it, no one posted it to FaceBook, not a single Tweet was sent about it!  

 

No, Jesus simply got up, disrobed, wrapped a towel around His waist, and started washing. If we "minister" to others simply for the politics or the publicity...it's not true ministry!  It's not true caring!  It's nothing but a LIE!

 

We are called to minister to others, not to be seen, but to reflect Christ within us.  

 

 

The Hands

They told [Thomas], “We have seen the Lord!”But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
John 20:25-29

There is a part of the Easter Story to which we don't give a lot of thought.  We know that Jesus died for us.  We know He was brutalized for us.  We know that He fulfilled the requirement of the Law.  But today, let's focus on something....the Hands.

The hands of Christ learned carpentry skills from Joseph. They were most likely rough and calloused, because carpentry work during His day did not include running to be Home Depot or Lowe's for lumber and supplies.  Carpentry was a skill.  Jesus' hands most likely had their share of splinters too.

The hands of Christ wrote in the dirt a message that saved the life of a woman caught in the very act of adultery.

The hands of Christ broke the bread and fish that fed 5,000 people.  The hands of Christ broke the bread at the last supper.

The hands of Christ reached out and pulled Peter out of the sea, saving him from drowning.

The hands of Christ shared meals with sinners!

The hands of Christ washed the feet of His Disciples.  ALL of them!

The hands of Christ touched lepers to heal them.

The hands of Christ carried the cross.

The hands of Christ healed Peter's Mother-in-Law.

The hands of Christ cooked breakfast for his Disciples.

The hands of Christ also welcome us!

Do our hands reflect Him?  

Why Are YOU Here?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13

Let me ask you something, have you ever thought of everything you need to accomplish and almost crumple with the weight of that realization?  Have you ever looked at all the task you undertake and wonder "so THIS is what my life has become"?  Are you ready to change that?

Look at today's passage....God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain.  When Elijah did that, God passed by and everything became very overwhelming for Elijah (kind of like what happens when you look at your calendar and wonder how you're going to get everything done and remain sane).  

First, the windstorm hit the mountain.  This was not just a gentle breeze!  This was a wind that was strong enough to tear rocks loose! But if Elijah focused on the windstorm (aka, projects, paperwork, reports, telephone calls...), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the windstorm.

Next, there was an earthquake! And since the wind had torn rocks loose, the earthquake sent them bouncing and crashing all over the mountain.  But if Elijah focused on the earthquake (aka, meetings, seminars, classes, presentations....), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the earthquake.

Finally, there was a fire!  Fire that heated the stone until it cracked and smoke that made it hard to breathe or find your direction. But if Elijah focused on the fire (aka, children's activity schedules, family schedules, appointments, holiday gatherings, church activities, community activities.....), he would get distracted and not realize that God is not in the fire.

Where is God?  Elijah had all this mess going on and crashing down around him, overwhelming him, and God WHISPERS to him "Why are you HERE?".

Let me tell you a little something, it's okay to be busy.  It's okay to have activities.  It's okay to have a lot going on.  HOWEVER, it's NOT okay to leave God out of everything.  We seem to believe that we just don't have any room for God during our busy-ness and when we finally flop into bed exhausted from our day, we don't seem to have room for God then either.  And we wonder why we are so anxious, stressed, and upset?  We wonder why we take medications to help us sleep, keep us calm, and gulp down energy drinks by the tanker truck full?

As you go through your day, make God your first and primary focus:  "Father, today is going to be busy, but thank YOU that You are with me.  Help me to reflect You in everything we do today, and if I screw up...help me reflect You there too."

Jesus reminds us: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Why are you HERE?  To reflect God in everything you do.  Put Him first and let Him do His job!   

Why Are YOU Here?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13

Let me ask you something, have you ever thought of everything you need to accomplish and almost crumple with the weight of that realization?  Have you ever looked at all the task you undertake and wonder "so THIS is what my life has become"?  Are you ready to change that?

Look at today's passage....God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain.  When Elijah did that, God passed by and everything became very overwhelming for Elijah (kind of like what happens when you look at your calendar and wonder how you're going to get everything done and remain sane).  

First, the windstorm hit the mountain.  This was not just a gentle breeze!  This was a wind that was strong enough to tear rocks loose! But if Elijah focused on the windstorm (aka, projects, paperwork, reports, telephone calls...), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the windstorm.

Next, there was an earthquake! And since the wind had torn rocks loose, the earthquake sent them bouncing and crashing all over the mountain.  But if Elijah focused on the earthquake (aka, meetings, seminars, classes, presentations....), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the earthquake.

Finally, there was a fire!  Fire that heated the stone until it cracked and smoke that made it hard to breathe or find your direction. But if Elijah focused on the fire (aka, children's activity schedules, family schedules, appointments, holiday gatherings, church activities, community activities.....), he would get distracted and not realize that God is not in the fire.

Where is God?  Elijah had all this mess going on and crashing down around him, overwhelming him, and God WHISPERS to him "Why are you HERE?".

Let me tell you a little something, it's okay to be busy.  It's okay to have activities.  It's okay to have a lot going on.  HOWEVER, it's NOT okay to leave God out of everything.  We seem to believe that we just don't have any room for God during our busy-ness and when we finally flop into bed exhausted from our day, we don't seem to have room for God then either.  And we wonder why we are so anxious, stressed, and upset?  We wonder why we take medications to help us sleep, keep us calm, and gulp down energy drinks by the tanker truck full?

As you go through your day, make God your first and primary focus:  "Father, today is going to be busy, but thank YOU that You are with me.  Help me to reflect You in everything we do today, and if I screw up...help me reflect You there too."

Jesus reminds us: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Why are you HERE?  To reflect God in everything you do.  Put Him first and let Him do His job!   

Life's Storms!

Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Luke 6:47-48

 

 

Feeling stressed?  Feeling overwhelmed?  Feeling worried?  Feeling as though everything is crashing down around you?  Perhaps you feel like Job, "The churning inside me NEVER stops: days of suffering confront me!" (Job 30:27).

 

You have BILLS so you need:

     *  MONEY (for such things as food, clothing, shelter)

     *  So you get a JOB! (paycheck coming in is good, but the job and the expectations of those over you and the community make the Job stressful).

     *  You work so much, think about work so much, focus on work so much that the LIFE you wanted seems always just out of reach.

     *  With your LIFE in turmoil because you can't seem to find the stability you need, LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS are not satisfactory.  And then you begin to notice that stress has led to some unhealthy habits so you begin focusing and stressing about your LOOKS and your HEALTH.

    *  And the cycle continues with more stress being added because we can be a demanding and neurotic species.

 

I will be perfectly honest....there are NO quick fixes that will have lasting positive results!  I am sorry to have to say that, but it's true.  We LEARNED to be stressed and anxious! The only way to fight that is to LEARN how to let go of the stress and let anxiety roll off.  

 

If you look at today's verse, you will see that just because a man dug deep and built his house on a solid foundation did not stop the floods and storms from coming.  If you are looking for a life of laying by the seaside with no worries or concerns ever....ummmm.....not happening this side of Heaven, I'm sorry to say.

 

But there ARE things you can do to get a firm foundation!

    1.    Talk with someone you trust (Padre's suggestion here is, God!  He knows everything already).  Someone who will be truthful with you, not just tell you what you want to hear.

    2.   Develop a hobby.

    3.   Yes....I'm going to get on my Padre Platform: Invest yourself in a church!

    4.   Develop friendships that are outside your comfort zone.

    5.   Spend time with positive people (not cheerleader types, but those who help you see a more positive perspective.)

 

 

There are lots of other things that will be helpful, but changes need to come because you're ready to accept them and actually MAKE them.  

  

Most of the time, we stay stressed out because we are to afraid to make any changes.  Stress becomes the place we feel "comfortable" even while it slowly kills you.  Think about it!

    

 

Thread The Needle With A Camel?

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

~Mark 10:25

 

A young man came to Jesus, knelt down before Him, and said "Good Teacher, what can I do to obtain eternal life?"  The young man, it turns out, was very good at trading, bartering, and making money.  So his question to Jesus was "what kind of deal can I offer to obtain eternal life?"  Now, some might gasp as they feign offense at this young man's gall trying to barter for eternal life.  But don't we do that same thing?  How many times have we said, "God, if You'll just get me out of this situation, I'll......"?  

  

People have, somehow, come to think God is in the wheeling and dealing business, and He's going to call us one day and say, "Let's Make A Deal!  You're My Next Contestant!"  Is that the kind of God you know?

 

The part of the story that truly struck home with me was the part about the camel fitting through the eye of the needle.  This, on the surface, sounds ridiculous! But if we do just a little digging, we discover that during Jesus' time, Jerusalem actually had a gate called the Eye of the Needle!  Not only that, but it was the only gate open on the Sabbath!  Not only that, it was used almost exclusively by merchants.  And here's the part that I found most impressive, the only way a merchant could get his camel through this gate was to unload all of its baggage and then the camel would have to crawl through the small opening.  It took a LOT of time, patience, and practice to coax these camels to crawl through this gate.

 

Lesson: Our baggage takes our focus off of God and His loving gifts. Unload our baggage and then we can look full in His Wonderful Face!    

Remember Me!

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
~Luke 23:42-43 

It had not been a good day.  For that matter, it had not been a good life.  But all that would be over by the end of the day.  This miserable, excruciatingly painful day!  The sentence of death which had been handed down was, he surmised, just what he deserved.  And today, that execution would be carried out with ruthless Roman efficiency.  

The spikes were nailed in, and He screamed and cried out in pain as his flesh was ripped with each hammer blow.  He howled as the cross was raised and then dropped into the awaiting hole with a thunk.  Every nerve in his body was on fire and there was no relief.

As the day wore on, the hot sun slowly baking his skin, drying his blood into clots that the ravens would soon be coming for.  He looked to his far left and saw a face he remembered from the dungeon.  Another criminal who had been rightfully condemned to die.  But to his immediate left was a face he didn't recognize.  He had heard the soldiers call him Jesus.  He had heard all about Jesus, but had never met Him until today.  This Jesus had been beaten and whipped, but His only crime was a fabrication the Jewish Leaders had put forth, and now, here was this innocent man hanging unjustly.

Every breath came with extreme pain as his rib cage and diaphragm were pulled apart by his own weight.  He gasped and wanted death to hurry, but the Romans were cruel and calculating with this torturous execution.

The other criminal berated this Jesus along with the crowd.  Perhaps he had gone insane from the pain and heat.  

Finally, he sensed that the end was coming soon, for the innocent Jesus, so he took one gulping breath and said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."  

And he heard the words that brought him true peace for perhaps the first time in his miserable life when Jesus said to him, "Rest assured, today you will join Me in paradise."

Think about this, WE are the criminals.  We have been justly condemned to die.  Yet we long to hear those words from Christ to us, "Rest assured, you are going to be with Me in paradise."  We know that Jesus freely offers us forgiveness and acceptance, but do we accept these FREE gifts?

"Jesus, please remember me when you enter into Your Kingdom."

Listen 

Why Do We Push On The Pull Door?

I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.

Revelation 3:8 

People watching is a fantastic hobby.  One of the things I have witnessed several times are people trying to push on the PULL only doors. Once they realize they must actually pull the door, they tend to look around to see if anyone noticed their snafu.  

One of my favorite places to each is Nathan's at the corner of Hampton & Gregg Streets in Columbia.  It's one of those places that you will drive right past if you aren't looking for it.  Nathan's has one of those One-Way doors and more times than I care to admit, I'm the one going the wrong way.

But think about this for a moment...we like to think that WE are in charge of everything that happens to us.  While it is true that our decisions and choices impact our lives, it is God who ultimately determines what options are available to us.  AND if God chooses to close a door, that door will stay closed until God decides to open it.  AND if God opens a door for us, that door will stay open until God decides to close it.  

So if WE think we need to leave our job and become a missionary in some desolate location, God may choose to close that door until we have sufficient training and understanding.  There again, if we know someone needs to talk with us and needs to hear God's counsel through you (spoken in love), God can keep that person in your path (and on your heart) until you actually talk with them.

Rule To Remember:  God is the one in charge of the doors!  Ask Him to keep you from banging you face on the closed doors and keep you from wasting times trying to close the doors He wants open.

Protector

Look, God is my deliverer!
I will trust in him and not fear.
For the Lord gives me strength and protects me;
he has become my deliverer.

Isaiah 12:2 

 

This is Woody.  He came to be our companion just a little over a week ago.  He has already made himself right at home, enjoying being spoiled (pampered), but he is also shown himself to be very protective of us.  You see, Woody protects us because he loves us.  Hmmmm.....sounds like a little bit of a sermon topic there, so let's dig in.

 

When you love someone, you protect them.  This includes your spouse, your family, and those you hold dear.  God is that way with us (here's the 'Tah Dah' moment), He protects and delivers us BECAUSE He loves us.  He has adopted us as His children. He cares about us, even when we hurt each other.  

 

Read today's passage again and think about the fact that God loves us so much that He sent His one and only precious Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.  

 

Talk about a reason to be grateful?