Choice, influence and God's word

Today I came to Psalm 1 in my reading. It's been my good friend for more than 40 years. I have read books on this Psalm, listened to sermons, and studied the passage.
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The first 6 words of verse 1 are profound. David begins the whole book of Psalms with these words, "How blessed is the man who..." From these words he describes the power of choice, influence and God's word. All of these affect us and make us into who we are. In other words if I hang out with monkeys long enough I will start to act like one. (Don't even mention looking like one...I avoided that thought on purpose!) But don't forget his beginning. It's actually the end result of choice, influence and God's word. The author starts with the result and describes in brilliant colors the power of these 3 things to change our lives. Choice is important. I make the decision- where will I spend my time, but after I've made my choice other things happen that I have no choice over. Then we move into influence. Influence and peer pressure are big in our lives. They have more power than we realize. And finally David talks about the work of God's word in a life. The language and picture of a tree by streams is beautifully clear to the readers who knew what this looked like. In that same way the results of a life invested in God's word looks like that flourishing tree drawing on those streams of water in the arid desert.
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It's a powerful Psalm. It still inspires me each time I read it. Take a slow walk through these 6 magnificent verses. The instruction of these verses is life changing!
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Psa 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psa 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

Now for something really amazing...

.I've seen a number of amazing videos of squirrels and their ability to navigate almost any hindrance in their quest for food, but this photo really caught my eye. Wow, these guys are amazing. I know I couldn't do this. I can't even stand on a bar stool without falling! So today I humbly admire this amazing creation of God as he relaxes to enjoy lunch. More power to him!

Happy Birthday

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I'm blessed. Today is my dad's 82nd birthday. He's been an amazing man in my life and I love him dearly. When you think of the great men of time and history it won't be those of fame and success, but those who have lived faithful lives loving the Lord, their wives and children. Thanks, dad, for being one the great ones. I love you.
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(now you see where I got my great hair style!)

Wind chasers

We are, by nature, a race of wind chasers.

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This morning I was having coffee with a friend of mine and we were discussing the times we are in and what we see ahead. It was a great visit for me, but one thought emerged for me from our time together- we, as a race, are wind chasers. We let the winds of culture determine our direction and destination. It's really hard to go against the wind of the culture and those around us, but those who want to follow the Lord must set their course against the winds. The direction of the winds of our culture don't take us where God wants us to go, so we must fly against the winds we see driving the culture around us and go in another direction.

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It's hard. The winds are strong. It's easier to just sit back and enjoy the ride...to go with the wind, but it's not where God wants us. To follow God means to have the wind in your face most of the time. It's hard. But the goal is worth the effort. You see, the winds are fickle. They change often, first this way then that way. If you allow yourself to be a wind chaser soon you will lose all sense of direction.

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The truth is that the winds that drive our culture have no destination in mind, only the thrill of the ride. God is interested in the destination, not simply the ride. All that the world seeks and values is contrary to what God values. He's not enamored by wind chasers. He is watching for those who lean into the wind and go another direction, those who are looking to the destination, not simply wind chasers enjoying the ride.

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Jer 9:23 Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;
Jer 9:24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

Living in his shadow

I've been thinking lately about the fact that living in the end of days is not so great after all. I always wanted to be part of the generation that was raptured, and I still think that is a real possibility, but I never considered that part of the end of days is the increasing of the birth pangs- the trials of the world as it prepares for Christ's return.

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All that I see in the world around me can make me fearful if I don't stay in HIS shadow. This verse came to mind this morning as I was thinking about this,
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Psa 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

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Shadows are great on hot days. The temperature and blaze of the sun is diminished by the shade. To be in God's shadow means several things, 1. He's near, 2. He's protecting me from the full glare of the "sun" (whatever it might be in my life), and 3. It's a comfortable and cool place to be...in his shadow. What a thought. While those in the full glare of the sun feel all of its wrath it's greatly diminished for me. I'm still aware of it's potential, but the heat of the sun is much less as long as I stay in the shadow. So today, let me invite you to join me in HIS shadow. It's really nice here, and it is great to know that he is near.

Memorial Day

Thank you!

Signs

Often I will post a sign with a short story to go with it. Sometimes the sign stands alone. Here's a sign that captured my imagination. If you ever find yourself lost remember this sign-

Saturday's cartoon

Living water

I've been thinking about something that happened while my parents were visiting this last week. It was an insight that I really believe the Lord gave me in the moment. During their stay my dad's blood pressure went very low- 90 over 40. That's not exactly the numbers, but close. In case you don't know that's not good. We decided, upon his doctor's advice, to take dad to the emergency room at hospital. Once they got him in a room they hooked up a saline I.V. and within an hour he was feeling much better. As I watched all of this happen in real time it suddenly struck me- dad is dehydrated! Now the strange thing was that the doctor didn't say a thing about this. They simply released him. On the way home I told dad, "You need to drink more water. Your problem is that you are dehydrated and your body isn't able to function as it was designed."

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The next day we started the day with a bottle of water and then another mid-day. The change was dramatic! He is feeling much better, and this little insight I think I got from the Lord has made a huge difference. Now you know, if you have read my blog for very long at all, I will find a spiritual application for the things that happen in my life, but for this one it's easy- just as water is needed for our bodies to work as designed our spirits need God's word to give us what we need to function as designed. It's so easy for us to get busy and miss time in the word of God, but if you do, from my observations, you will find that your spiritual blood pressure will drop and you will quickly realize that you are dried out, spiritually dehydrated. Just as our bodies need water our spirits need God's word. It's what makes us work as we were designed.

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One of the first things I ask someone as we work through life issues and talk about the Christian life is this, "Are you spending time in the word of God each day?" Sadly I must tell you that more than 80% of the time the answer is "no". How can we work as designed if we aren't getting what we need to function? How can we hydrate our spirits if we don't take in God's word as a way of life? Just as water is a must for our bodies to work, God's word is vital for our spirits to thrive. If you don't drink from it daily you will find your life very dry indeed!

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John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" -Jesus

Pursuing the God who is

This is the picture many have of the Muslim faith- radical, violent, angry, intolerant. But the truth is that most Muslims I have met are just normal people who have grown up in the Muslim faith and have not really investigated their beliefs.

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Last night I met with a Muslim man to discuss faith. His wife is a Christian and attends our church. I must tell you that this has been a difficult life choice for both of them. He has now become very passionate in his faith and wanted to meet to convert me. For me it was a very frustrating visit because I could tell he was preparing for his next argument as I talked, and frankly most of his information came from Muslim sources. He had not researched objective sources to see if his beliefs are true. He had made up his mind. I'm praying for him.

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The one thing I told him, and made sure that he heard me, was that there can only be one true God. If you are worshipping a god different from me then one or both of us are wrong. There is only one true faith. The Bible and Quran are both dogmatic about that.

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So here are my thoughts on this day after my dinner with a Muslim friend- I believe the most important adventure anyone can pursue is to pursue the God who is. There is only one. He's easy to find, and has given much proof of his existence. He is not hiding, he's in plain site. Now I will tell you that my visit last night honestly grieved me. He had his "gun" loaded with the best Muslim defense he could find and brought me papers to read. I will read them, in fact I have read much of the Quran in my own studies, but what I find is simply more evidence that the God who is....is the God of the Bible, and the God of the Bible is NOT Allah. A quest for truth with the final answer already decided is no quest at all. It's simply an accumulation of information to support your view. That's where my dinner companion is today- a seeker of the answers he wants. I hope my friend finds the God who is....right now he's not looking......

Burdens

It's amazing what we will carry with us through life. John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" spoke to this very thing in the life of the main character of his story. Things have not changed over the years. We are still people who insist on carrying burdens and carrying them for years- the wounds of childhood, the words of a friend, the abuse of an adult, the sins of another that have affected us, the hurts of someone we loved...the list goes on for pages because the burdens accumulate in our lives.....and we carry them with us. Some of them we carry for years. I met with a person today who has been carrying a burden for decades and it's affected every part of their life. The burden this person carries was thrown on them by someone else, and yet it affects them today. This sin stained world isn't the way it was designed. It wasn't meant to be this way. God designed this world and called all that he made good, but then sin changed it all. Now we find men and women all around us bent under the weight of burdens that crush their lives. I long for the day when all of this will be as God designed it, but for now there is a remedy....it's a simple one I have mentioned before, but in light of my visits today I want to mention it once more. It's an offer from the burden lifter to relieve us of our loads. The cost of the transaction is free, but the benefits are life changing. Here's the invitation for those of you carrying loads you were never meant to bear:

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Mat 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Mat 11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." -Jesus

Turns in the road

I'm sorry I have left you without posting for a bit. It has been most busy here. I have been in hospital the last few days caring for others.

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They have each had an unexpected turn in the road and life issues arise. Yesterday it was a real health problem for my dad who will be 82 in a few days and today it's for a young man who was badly hurt in a car wreck.

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These major turns in the road are unexpected, but force us to look at the brevity of life. As the bible says, "we are but a vapor" and are gone when the sun rises. Dealing with life and death issues has been part of my life for more than 37 years now. My first pastorate brought me to a church where I buried 9 of my parishioners in the first year. Those left behind assured me it wasn't because of my sermons. For me death is always right in front of me. I'm keenly aware of its nearness, but I'm also vividly aware of the presence of God at these times. He seems to linger at the turns of life to comfort and encourage us. He's always right there to offer his peace, his comfort, his presence. And sometimes the most important thing I bring to a difficult turn in a person's life is simply my presence....just being there.....listening, caring, praying, loving.

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Some of the best advice I got in these many years came from a dear saint who had a very difficult life. I asked her how she dealt with all that she had to endure, where did she go in scripture for help, and she told me, "I always go to Psalms. It's my daily friend and constant companion. That's where I find comfort when the road turns." After many years of walking with the Lord I concur. For me the words of David are a daily help in a difficult world. Here is just one of the amazing psalms that encourages me,

Psalm 100- A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

Monday's cartoon

Blessed

My parents are here visiting this weekend. It's such a great blessing to have them here. My dad will be 82 in a week or so, but is still doing great. Mom is still 20 years old in spirit and fun to be around. They came to see the great grand kids. (They say they came to see us, but we know better.) It's also a birthday weekend around here- our daughter, Lindsay turned 31 yesterday. She's our baby! Time flies by so quickly. It seems that only a few days ago I was 31 and now my daughter is that age. But for today I'm going to simply enjoy family. I hope you have some time to enjoy your family. I would encourage you to spend time with them now....it will all change very quickly and you could miss it.

Life in a box

Tonight we have been talking about a discovery we made when we moved into our home. In the attic was a solitary box, taped shut and waiting for us. It was unusual because it was the only box in the attic loft area. We were curious and carried the prize down from the attic to investigate. In it was an entire life....a drivers license, a nurses card, a hat, some papers, a few ceramic dolls and a number of other little memories from a life that had obviously ended.

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We did some research and discovered that the man who sold us the house had lost his wife to cancer while living here. This was all that was left of her life that he had left behind....a forgotten life, a forgotten memory. We tried to track down her family to give the contents of the box to them, but couldn't find anyone.

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It was sad that all that was left from a life was packed into a small box and left behind in an attic...forgotten to everyone. It makes me realize that life is like this box...an accumulation of a few trinkets, a few pieces of paper, some memories...all to be left behind and forgotten. I'm glad that life is not this easily forgotten. God will not forget. The lives long since forgotten are known and remembered by him. He is the God who even knows our hair count. He won't forget the most forgotten life. My life will never end as a box of memories forgotten in an attic somewhere. Because I belong to God, because my life is valuable to him, because the things I do are not forgotten by him all of my life will be remembered by God and celebrated at the judgment seat of Christ.

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No life should end as a collection of memories left behind in an attic as if it meant nothing, was worth nothing. Every life is priceless to the God who made us. Every part of our lives is remembered by the God who loves us.