The Inanimate vs Animate God

January 4th, 2011

Tuesday

My Daily Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1: Psalms 110; Proverbs 15:8-10

SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 22:3; 2 Samuel 22:17

"...my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior"(2 Samuel 22:3)

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters."

(2 Samuel 22:17)

OBSERVATION: These two passages of Scripture are taken from David's song of praise for his many victories over his enemies throughout the course of his running from Saul and other enemies before and during his reign over Israel. While the metaphor comparing God to a Rock, a refuge, a shield, etc, is continually used throughout Psalms, as well as, the rest of the Bible, it carried a little more meaning for me this morning. My Bible's end notes mentioned that David often hid among the rocks in order to escape his captors and whoever pursued him. He sought refuge in those rocks. So, when David mentions that God is his rock in whom he takes refuge, I see an image of a man hiding from the dangers of the world behind his God, depending entirely on God to protect him.

Another image that spoke to me concerned David's protrayal of God as the "horn of my salvation." While I may be guilty of misinterpretation here, the image that immediately comes to mind when I think of a "horn of salvation" is of a saddle horn that one might cling to as they attempt to keep astride of an angry bull. Letting go of such a horn may lead to being trampled, gored, or worse. In such an instance, that saddle "horn" is all that stands between a man's success and glory or failure and shame - not to mention personal injury. In other words, God, as the "horn of salvation" is all that stands between a man's success and failure to cope with the never-ending pressures of daily living.

Finally, David's reference to God reaching down from above to pull him from deep water portrays a God willing and able to intervene by interacting with us and pulling us to safety. In other words, it goes beyond the idea that God is simply someone or something to hide behind or cling to, similar to an inanimate object, but also that God is able to save us from ourselves. He is able to grab hold of us when we have lost the ability or the know-how to grab hold of Him. Not only does God have this ability, but He also has a desire to actively save us from ourselves.

APPLICATION: While I make no claim of being pursued by an enemy, hell-bent on my destruction, outside of the Spiritual World, I feel I can appreciate God being portrayed as both a Rock of Refuge to hide behind, as well as, a horn of salvation to cling to.

For one thing, if I were to sit down and make a list of everything that I need to do for HOSA, for athletic training, for teaching, for my Masters Program, for home, etc, I would easily become overwhelmed by the enormous task ahead of me. While I do need to make such a list in order to take the first steps towards accomplishing all that is set before me, I can definitely relate to this picture of God being a Rock of Refuge to hide behind when the tasks that lie before me appear too great for me to accomplish. Many times I have found it necessary and refreshing to simply let go and to seek shelter with my Rock of Refuge.

For another, this idea of making a list of all that has to be done usually involves an ever-changing cycle. In other words, as soon as one thing is accomplished, another thing pops up to take its place. All too often, new items that demand my immediate attention are thrown at me in such a rapid succession that I become overly caught up with trying to complete the new tasks while the old tasks are forgotten or put on hold. Each day seems to bring with it new tasks to pile on top the old, unfinished ones from the day before. Before long, I am left with a large mound of unfinished tasks, unfulfilled dreams, and unrealized goals. Such inability to finish and accomplish tasks, when reflected upon, only seem to create feelings of shame, regret, and guilt.

I see this rapidly changing cycle of tasks to be the equivalent of the rapidly changing positions of a bull as he tries desperately to toss his mount from off his back. In such moments, all I can do is to desperately cling to the "horn of my salvation" in an attempt to stay on top of "the beast" that is my life. However, what eventually occurs is that I fail to hold on to the "horn" for a variety of reasons. The most significant reason that I can point to is my tendency to grab for other "things" which are not adequate to keep me upright. In other words, despite the "Horn of my Salvation" and the "Rock of Refuge" being available to me, my human shortcomings cause me to look to my own abilities and my own selfish ways to attempt to pull me through.

The more I lean on my own strength and abilities, the further I sink under the pressures and the mounting list of tasks yet to be finished. This image of a sinking man leads perfectly into the last portion of the Scripture. Too often this tendency to look in all directions but His to help me cope with outside pressures, eventually leads me into "deep waters" of stress and anxiety. I slowly become consumed by all the pressures and expectations from the outside world. In such moments, I do indeed feel like I am drowning, as I try desperately to keep my head above water.

2 Samuel 22:17 provides a very refreshing and encouraging truth that I can draw upon during these periods of crisis in my life. That He is not only able, but willing, to reach down from on high and take hold of me, drawing me out of deep waters, reminds me that my God is capable of saving me when my own abilities are not enough. While the analogy comparing God to a "Rock of Refuge" or a "Horn of my Salvation" are very useful and applicable to me today, such comparisons are to inanimate objects. That is, they are tools to be used by individual. However, what happens when the individual is not skilled enough, or is not capable of using these tools appropriately? That is why it is very comforting to me to also have this picture of an animate God that is actively seeking me out and drawing me to safety despite my best efforts to throw myself into situations that are sure to overwhelm and drown me.

PRAYER: Abba Father, this morning I want to thank You for granting me this insight into 2 Samuel 22. While it might fail to deliver in some more scholarly interpretations of Scripture, it provided me with insight that I can apply directly to my own life. I thank You that You truly are my Rock of Refuge that I can hide behind and the Horn of my Salvation that I can cling to. However, perhaps more important than that, I am thankful that when my own failings and shortcomings threaten to drown me, You are able and willing to pull me up out of the deep waters and into safety. I love You, Father, and look to You today to be someone I can hide behind, cling to, and depend upon to keep me safe and dry in the midst of the Ocean of Pressures that currently surround me.

My Identity

March 9th, 2010

Monday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Judges 13-14; John 1:29-51; Psalms 80; Proverbs 12:27-28

SCRIPTURE: John 1:42; Psalms 80:19

"Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas (which, when translated, is Peter).'"(John 1:42)

"Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us that we may be saved."(Psalms 80:19)

OBSERVATION: These two separate passages do not seem to have much to do with one another. However, both spoke to me this morning. Actually, the passage in John came to life for me only after I read the notes that my Bible provided for that verse. First off, my prior knowledge told me that Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter (Cephas), which means "Rock" in Hebrew. I also know that Peter later becomes the Rock of the early Church. The notes in my Bible put a little twist onto the story, adding with it a new insight that I never completely grasped until this morning. The notes state that "Peter was anything but a rock; he was impulsive and unstable. Jesus named him not for what he was, but for what, by God's grace, he would become.

The next passage of Scripture that stuck out to me ws in Psalms 80. Within this chapter, there are 4 separate passages that mirror Psalms 80:19, where David is asking God for restoration and safety that only God Almighty can provide. There is hardly a day that goes by where I don't need some sort of restoration from Him, who is worthy to take away my sins. Lately, I've needed restoration of energy and desire to continue pushing on. Of course, that is not to say that I am not also in need of restoration from my sinful ways, as well.

APPLICATION: First off, this morning I am a defeated man. I can bring to the table a list of things to do that are ominous, oppressive, and a huge burden upon my shoulders. Secondly, I can prove to anyone interested in listening that it is due entirely to my laziness and poor decisions that has brought me to this point of feeling buried. I did it - no one else is to blame. Sure, I can point to certain individuals that have not exactly helped me along the way, but the journey is my own doing.

The end result that anyone will come to after looking at my life and my decisions is that I am a sinner, who is lazy, lacks conviction, and has little to no follow-thru. Then I stumble upon John 1:42 and feel a little better about my situation. Peter was not a rock, yet Jesus called him a rock. Peter later became a rock of the Church, but, again, it wasn't because of anything that he was. He did not get there through his hard work and diligence. Granted, in the end, hard work and diligence was no doubt needed. However, he did it simply by loving God and being obedient to His will for his life. It was through God's grace ALONE that he became a rock.

In my own life, I am often called Donald Duck by those closest to me due to my tendency to show a quick temper at times. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and when I become frustrated I tend to lack the ability to hide it. Such reactions have the tendency for people to point out aspects of my behavior or life that are more negative than positive. There is nothing more frustrating to me than to be reminded of who my daughters take after whenever Susannah starts to yell out loud in her wildcat voice, or when Audra throws something down in frustration. In a word, I HATE IT!!. I never hear anyone saying things such as Audra having a big heart to help others like her Daddy, or anyone commenting that my girls sweet dispositions have anything to do with their Daddy. In short, I never measure up to the man that I feel a Man of God is supposed to be. After all, a Man of God would never be given the nickname of Donald Duck, nor would he be apt to become so easily frustrated at the drop of a hat. He also would not be so lazy and disorganized and undependable as I seem to have become.

In the end, I journal, I pray, I try, try, and try to be a Man of God that I've been called to become. It works for a few days - sometimes longer - but then I fall flat on my face, well short of the finish line. In the past, I would allow God to help me up, brush the dirt and grime off my clothes, and carry on. Lately, however, I have stayed down longer than normal. I have become more and more discouraged by my inability to "Stay the Course."

Instead of being eager to continue, I fall into this mindset that asks what the point is in even trying. Granted, it is a flawed mindset, which I realize, but the thought weighs heavier on my mind than in years past. Perhaps it is a sign of getting older like an older boxer struggling to get up off the mat after getting hit hard by someone two times younger than myself. Whatever the case may be, I have a poor vision of myself this morning.

It is this poor vision that has me looking to God this morning for Restoration. I truly need Him to "Restore us, O God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." And, thankfully, that is when He answers me with the story of Simon's new identity.

He meets Simon and instantly sees all of his faults. He sees his impulsiveness. He sees his unstableness. He sees his future failings and shortcomings. Yet, despite all that, He still changes his name to Cephas, giving him the Hebrew name meaning Rock. And, He does so not because of what he is to become through his own abilities and effort, but only through God's grace and restoring power. How does this apply to my life this morning? Simply that I need to quit trying so hard and to quit getting frustrated whenever I fall short of my own expectations to measure up.

PRAYER: Abba Father, Your grace is sufficient for me. I am nothing but a lowly sinner apart from You. I can do nothing without You. Help me to remember this and be encouraged by it because it is only my realization of my weaknesses that leads me back to the foot of the Cross. I need You to restore me, Father. I need You for every aspect of my life - not just in the mornings when I have my Bible open and my coffee mug beside me. Until I learn that - truly learn that - I will never receive Your restoring and healing power for myself. Worse than that, I will never be able to accept my new identity, which You gave me at the Cross. I love You, Father, and long to walk hand in hand with my Lord and Savior.

More than Lip Service?

March 1st, 2010

Monday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Judges 7:1-8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalms 78:32-55; Proverbs 12:21-23

SCRIPTURE: Psalms 78:35-37

"They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter Him with their mouths, lying to Him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to Him, they were not faithful to His covenant."(Psalms 78:35-37)

OBSERVATION: I have always made the connection between the people of Israel in the Old Testament and myself. Statements that continue to be repeated in the Old Testament focus on the continued turning away of the Israelites. Statements such as "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord," and "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father(s) before him had done," are repeated over and over again. When I was younger, I used to be amazed at the stupidity of God's People to continue to turn away from Him. The older I get, the more I can relate to their on-again-off-again behavior/walk with God, because I find myself hitting similar bumps along the path of my own Walk with Him.

No one wants to admit that he or she has a type of faith consistent with the Israelites that wandered in the desert year after year because of their own disobedience, however, at least I can take solace in one thing. The Israelites, even in the midst of their worst moments before God, were still considered His People. He still loved them, protected them, and kept His promise to them. Yes, it is true that He disciplined them and rebuked them for their unfaithfulness, but He never left them. Whenever they cried out to Him, He answered their call.

The solace I take from this is that God had a compassion for His People even before sacrificing His Son on the Cross for our sins. How much more compassion will He have for me now that Jesus died to pay for my sins? While this does not grant me a free pass to do whatever I want and sin in every way imaginable, such a reflection reminds me that God is, indeed, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Just as I feel like the Israelites sometimes when I fall away from God, I also feel like them when they return to Him and "remember that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer."(v.35) It goes without saying then that I would join them when "they would flatter him with their mouths..."(v.36) Before long, without truly meaning to, I end up "...lying to him with [my] tongue. [My] heart was not loyal to him..."(v.36-37) It is this path of disobedience that I have decided to write about and reflect on this morning.

APPLICATION: The past two mornings have been a Wake Up Call for my soul. I liken it to an icy cold bucket of water being thrown on my apathetic and drowsy self. While the process initially is hard to begin, ultimately it refreshes the Spirit. This morning I feel refreshed, renewed, and re-energized. My wife has commented on the difference she has seen in me in just the short while since returning to Scripture. She has even made the comment, "I have my husband back." Like the Israelites, I have cried out to You and You have heard me. I have turned back to You and You have opened up Your arms and drawn me back into Your shelter once again. Today I "remembered that God was [My] Rock, that God Most High was [My] Redeemer."(v.35)

My thought, or concern, this morning is this patter of "On Again-Off Again" behavior with regards to my Walk with God. Since I follow in the Israelites footsteps so often, how do I prevent the inevitable from occurring? How do I keep my words of Praise to Him from becoming empty flattery or lip service? How do I keep my heart loyal to Him? How do I prevent my tongue from lying to Him?

I believe that the answer to those questions might be very simple, while the carrying out of the solution may be next to impossible. The answer is to guard my heart and mine at all time; to constantly be praying to Him for protection and guidance; to constantly meditate on His Word throughout the day. And, after doing that, pray some more.

I have been down this road MANY times before and it ALWAYS starts out great. I'm happy, I have my mind right, and I carry myself like any good Christian should. Yet, inevitably, somewhere down the line I trip, I stumble, I lose my way, and my praise becomes little more than lip service. If I were to say that this same thing will happen again, how can I justify taking this moment to "get right" before God?

I have wrestled with the question of "Why?" these past three months. Why do I always try so hard when I'm just going to fall on my face again anyway? I guess a similar question would be, "Why take a shower when I'm just going to get dirty again?" Perhaps that is oversimplifying it, but it is my response to my pragmatic mindset, as of late.

Something needs to change within me, starting this morning, that takes me beyond the feel good feeling I get when I first turn back to Him. I need to understand that I am still a sinner and will continue to sin REGARDLESS of how hard I try not to. This does not mean to give up and refuse to try, but it does mean to allow myself that limitation of human ability. After all, it is this limitation that reminds me of my need for a Savior. Verse 38 follows up the statements about the Israelites' lying tongues and disloyal hearts with this: "Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them." If God could have that much compassion for His People, who experienced His miracles with their very eyes, in a time before the ultimate sacrifice was paid at the Cross, how much more compassion and grace will He afford to give to me?

Ultimately, my point this morning is that I need to accept the fact that I will slip up. In that moment, I need to accept the Jesus' forgiveness immediately instead of thinking I need to first give it some time before returning. That may seem obvious, but so often my mindset tells me that if I screw up, I need to wait AT LEAST 24 hours before journalling. I want to be on fire for God, like a candle that is lit, bringing light to the darkness. Yet, even a candle can be blown out temporarily without losing its ability to be relit. I can use that analogy for my own life. My flame may get snuffed out momentarily by a string of frustrations that distract me from His Power, yet the moment I return to Him, my soul is still able to be relit and catch flame. The more consistent I return, the longer my flame will burn. It is when I attempt to fan the flame myself that I usually fall short, extinguishing any flicker of hope that my words and actions are anything more than lip service.


PRAYER: Father, I thank You for another morning spent in Your presence. You know that I very easily could have used the time to better prepare myself for today at work. Granted, we also know that I would not have used my time as wisely in that endeavor as I should. Regardless of that, the point is that I have much on my mind at the moment. My To-Do List continues to grow exponentially and I am helpless to slow it down. The weight on my shoulders is heavy and I need to unload this burden and lay it at Your feet. I don't know that You will magically make it all go away, or complete all the tasks for me, but I do know that You will give a new mindset-a new focus- that will allow me to live a life full of joy, full of peace, in the midst of the storm that surrounds me. Thank You this morning for reminding me that You are my Rock and Redeemer. Show me how to maintain my Walk with You without my talk becoming nothing more than lip service. Show me how to keep this flame in my soul lit and burning bright for You. I love You and am basking in the warmth of Your embrace!

Wake Up Call-The Conclusion

February 28th, 2010

Sunday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Judges 6; Luke 22:54-23:12;
Psalms 78:1-31; Proverbs 12:19-20

SCRIPTURE: Judges 6:13-16

"'But sir,' Gideon replied, 'if the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.'"(Judges 6:13)

"The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'"(Judges 6:14)

"'But Lord,' Gideon asked, 'How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.' The Lord answered, ' I will be with you...'"(Judges 6:15-16)

OBSERVATION: Yesterday, I read about David's struggle to find a reason why God had abandoned him, and wondered how long it would be before God would hear him and answer him. By the end of David's struggle, he reflected on God's amazing miracles of deliverance in the past focusing on the parting of the Red Sea. Ultimately, David found himself in awe of God's majesty and realized that God is always with him even if His footprints are not easily visible.

Today, I read the story about Gideon and heard much of the same despair and anguish in his own words. He too questioned God's presence. He too believed god had abandoned him and his people. Yet, the Angel of the Lord told him to go, as he was-in the strength he had at THAT MOMENT-and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Even after Gideon mentions that he is the least of the least, the Angel of the Lord merely responds with, "I will be with you..."

APPLICATION: Yesterday, I stopped short in my explanation of how I felt I related to several verses in Psalms 77 from my own walk with God. Since December 7th of '09 until now, I often experienced moments when "my soul refused to be comforted(Psalms 77:2b)." I found myself in a rut Spiritually, in a bind at work, and frustrated with people around me. From past experiences, I knew that if I placed my cares at His feet, I would be comforted and find peace. Yet "my soul refused to be comforted."

There were many times since December 7th that "I remembered You, O God, and I groaned (Psalms 77:3)." Whenever my wife asked me to pray at the end of a day, I did so with a twisted gut. Whenever I said a prayer for my daughter as I tucked her in, I did so regretfully. I groaned because all thoughts of God reminded me of how far away I had strayed. I felt like a hypocrite whenever I took time to pray because my own life was not a strong reflection of my words that I was praying.

Even though my time away was only a little less than 3 months long, it felt like a lifetime. My wife saw changes in me that were not desirable and I felt myself becoming easily angered and very loose with my tongue. We both "...thought about the former days, the years of long ago(Psalms 77:5)." I desired to return back to the time when my mornings were consistently spent at His feet.

In the end, David reflected on the awesome miracles of the past where God delivered His people. He focused on the parting of the Red Sea, which I found interesting for three reasons. First, that miracle focuses on God's power over Nature itself. God controlled and bent the will of the Seas and the Sky to His own. If He has power to control the forces of Nature, surely He has the power to deliver me from any problem I currently find myself in.

Secondly, David focused on the "Greatest Miracle of Deliverance of HIS time, which was the parting of the Red Sea. I am at an advantage in this because I can reflect on an even greater miracle of deliverance-the deliverance of sin by His death on a cross AND resurrection from the dead. He conquered death itself, and that story alone should be enough to remind me that God is bigger than all my problems.

Thirdly, David mentions that "Your paths led through the seas, Your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen(Psalms 77:19)." That verse is similar to the one about only being able to see one set of footprints in the sand during times of trouble. After the man questions Jesus about where He was when the man was going through troubled times, Jesus responded by saying that those footprints were His, as He was carrying the man through the trouble. Ultimately, it told me that even though I have felt myself to be so distant from God since December, God had never left my side and remained with me in spite of myself.

That was Yesterday's message and today just goes further to estabish this idea. Gideon, as well, felt abandoned by His God, but when the Angel of the Lord tells him that he will deliver his people from Midian, he immediately responds with, "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family(Judges 6:15)." As of late, I, too, have felt weak and powerless to change many things, to overcome my own struggles and problems, and have felt as if it was pointless to continue to try and wake up every morning to journal. After all, what difference does it make? I also fell into the mindset that I need to first be committed to change and become a more devout Christian BEFORE deciding to return back to spending my mornings reading the Bible on a regular basis. Until I made this commitment, my problems were my own and my struggles were my own. I had made my own bed, as it were, and now I needed to sleep in it until I cleaned up the mess I had made. Once I had cleaned up my mess, then, and ONLY then could I return to such actions in the morning that brought me closer to His feet.

As I read the response the Angel of the Lord gave to Gideon, I felt his response was for me as well. He replied, "Go in the strength you have...Am I not sending you(Judges 6:14)?" On top of that, his response to Gideon's statement that he was the least of the least, he simply said, "I will be with you(v.16)." The message I take from that is this: "Come as you are AT THAT MOMENT regardless of any past deed or thought. And, in response to not feeling strong enough or important enough to matter, to simply focus on the FACT that God will be with me. That's it-there is nothing more to discuss.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for seeting me back on my journey with You. There are definitely issues that remain in my life that I need to give up to You. However, today is just one step on my journey back to Your heart. I know You are by my side all the time even when I feel estranged from You. I thank You for that assurance this morning. I ask that You continue to mold me and bend me to Your Will for it is only when I am conformed to Your Will that I truly find peace. I love You, and am enjoying every moment of The Journey!

Wake Up Call

February 27th, 2010

Saturday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Judges 4-5; Luke 22:35-53; Proverbs 12:18; Psalms 77

SCRIPTURE: Psalms 77:2b, 77:3, 77:5, 77:11-12, 77:19

"...my soul refused to be comforted."(Psalms 77:2b)

"I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;"(Psalms 77:3)

"I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;"(Psalms 77:5)

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."(Psalms 77:11-12)

"Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen."(Psalms 77:19)

OBSERVATION: Psalms 77 paints a picture of a troubled man (David) who calls out to God and believes that he is not being answered the way he desires to be. He is in anguish until he begins to recall earlier times spent with his Father. I could be missing the mark, but I believe his first reaction was one of frustration and anger because those were much better times than where he presently found himself. I believe he may have even used that reflection of the past as evidence to how far God had slipped away and distanced Himself from David.

David continues to question God's motives and begins to wonder how long he will be kept waiting by God? How long will God withhold His love from David? How long will God's promises remain unfulfilled. This line of thinking seems to pull David out of his stupor, and he chooses to shift from moping about in the present, and begins to meditate and remember "your miracles of long ago.(v.11)" He begins to "meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.(v.12)"

Such a reflection leads David to consider God's amazing deed of parting the Red Sea. He begins to reflect on God's power to make the wind and the sea conform to His will. David ends his reflection by stating, "Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waves, though your footprints were not seen. (v.19)" In the end, David comes to be in awe of God's power and, perhaps, with his last comment about unseen footprints, comes to the realization that just because it may seem as if God is not present in his life at that moment, that He is actually closer than he thought.

APPLICATION: The journey that David goes through in Psalms 77 from an almost bitter resentment towards God to falling on his knees in awe of God's power, is reminiscent of my own journey-or, at least, I would like to believe that it is. I believe that I have yet to truly be back on my knees, however, I feel I am on my way back.

December 7th, 2009 was almost three months ago. It was also the last time I set aside a few moments out of my day to reflect on God's Word and Will for my life. That time between then and now has witnessed me attempting to do everything on my own - make my own decisions, satisfy my own needs and desires - as I saw them to be, - and ultimateely solve my problems on my own.

*** TO BE CONCLUDED ***

Mary's Faith

December 16th, 2008

Tuesday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Numbers 21:1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalms 39; Proverbs 10:10

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:38; Luke 1:45

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."(Luke 1:38)

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."(Luke 1:45)

OBSERVATION: 'Tis the Season for hustling and bustling this way and that, honking at idiots, who don't know how to drive, as they honk back, thinking the same about you. 'Tis the Season for trying to find that perfect gift for that perfect someone and finding the time to do this in the midst of trying to make an appearance at every party you've been invited to, while trying to tie up all the loose ends at work that need to be done before the Christmas and New Year holidays roll around.

THAT for many people, Christians included, is what Christmas means. It is a time for stress, for spending money, and, of all that and more, the one thing it rarely ever is, unless you are under the age of 15, is the time of rest, or relaxation, and of reflection on the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Sure, there is the odd moment of stillness when the Christmas story is read, but is that moment REALLY enough to remind us why we celebrate this season?

Many people do different things to help them keep the Christmas Season in proper perspective. Some people volunteer in a soup kitchen, others participate in the Angel Tree Project, while others collect and distribute blankets to the Homeless. All of which definitely help to put things into perspective and allow us to truly appreciate what it means to help others, and to experience the pure joy of giving. However, is the act of giving the BEST and ONLY way to emphasize what Christmas means?

I pose this question not to threaten any ideas about giving nor to say that Christmas has nothing to do with the act of exchanging gifts with those we love. After all, God gave us the best gift of all when He gave us His Son. What I find odd, however, is that this "gift" of Jesus was not truly "opened," until the Crucifixion when His Blood cleansed us from our sins. Yet, I don't remember receiving any gifts on Easter Sunday except for chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. Either way, The Gift was actually poured out on Easter Sunday and merely came into existence on Christmas Day.

So, is Christmas about celebrating this Gift or celebrating His Birthday? Is getting together as a family to show how much we appreciate each other enough to get us into the "True Spirit?" Or, do we need to shift our focus in another direction, altogether? I do not truly believe that there is a solid answer to those questions. I do know, however, that if I was asked as a child what Christmas Spirit was, I would say it was the sights, the smells, the smiles, and the anxiety that I felt on Christmas Eve, leading up to the Big Day of opening presents. Today, I get that same joy watching it through my daugther's eyes as she responds to the sights and sounds of Christmas. So, perhaps, THAT is what Christmas Spirit is?

Although there might not be one definite way to answer the question of what Christmas Spirit TRULY is, I was struck, this morning, by the Christmas Story in the first chapter of Luke. For everyone, 2000 years, we get the warm fuzzies when we picture the manger, Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes, Mary and Joseph looking down with pride, the Star of Bethlehem shining down, etc, etc. However, this morning I was struck by the fear that truly surrounded this entire event.

For instance, Mary is approached in the middle of the night by the Angel Gabriel, nine months earlier, telling her that she will be "with child" without ever being "with a man" AND this will occur even before she is married. That would have been scary enough to have to live with that explanation in Today's Society, where the worst Mary might expect to receive is some judgmental glances thrown her way, or people calling her "Crazy Mary" or something of that nature. However, back then, a girl gets put to death by having the townspeople throw stones at her for that kind of behavior. I mean, who, in their right mind, would believe that she was actually a virgin that "just happened" to get pregnant.

Mary MUST have had thoughts that night that her whole life was being changed right before her eyes WITHOUT her consent. Of course, these thoughts might have been overshadowed at the moment by the realization that there was an Angel of the Lord in her room. However, to say that there was enough evidence to create a panic attack, would be an understatement. If not right then, then sometime soon, her fear would turn into questions of How? What will Joseph think? What will the town think? Why me? Why now? And, these questions would most likely turn to moments of anger and frustration against God for doing this to her, feelings that she would have to carry around with her for the next nine months.

Yet, despite ALL the excuses, ALL the justification for horror, for fear, for anxiety to set in, she simply and beautifully says, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said." That's it - nothing more is recorded. Sure, this is a cute Bible story and, I'm sure if Mary did put up an argument, it wouldn't have been recorded, right? Well, Jacob put up an argument in the Old Testament with God - so much so, that he came away from the experience with a limp, and that was recorded. Peter chopped off the ear of a soldier trying to arrest Jesus in the Garden instead of neatly accepting the situation. Then, later, we find the same Peter denying his relationship with Jesus, not one, not two, BUT THREE times, and that is definitely recorded. In fact, the Bible is FULL of HIGHLY EXALTED people making bone-headed mistakes and allowing their human tendencies to shine through and it gets recorded ALL THE TIME. Yet, Mary simply says, "Okay, I am your servant, let is be to me as you have said."

Elizabeth later helps to confirm Mary's faithfulness by saying, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Going back to people in the Bible doing immeasureably LESS than we might expect from a "HOLY DEVOUT SAINT" that we grew up with, and believed they never did any wrong, look at Elizabeth's own husband, Zechariah. An angel appeared to him, telling him that his wife was going to have a baby boy. Other than Elizabeth's old age, this seems to have been a much easier message to believe, add to that, the fact that an angel of the Lord was relaying this message. Yet, Zechariah still DID NOT believe and for his doubt, God made him unable to speak until his son was born. For me, it is Zechariah's response that makes Mary's response so much more amazing and inspiring to me today.

APPLICATION: What is the true meaning of Christmas? I don't know if I can say, with 100% assurance, what it IS, but I can say what it is NOT, and that is unbelief or doubt. It also has nothing to do with becoming so stressed out about the Holiday Season that we make ourselves sick. Although I can't say for certain what the true meaning is, I can say that TODAY it means belief in what God says and promises is true AND accepting and claiming these promises for ourselves.

Mary had to have fears, she had to feel the enormous responsibilities of raising God's son. I mean, who wouldn't, right? I have doubts about my own ability to raise my OWN daughter, let alone, the Son of God! Yet, despite her fears and doubts about her own abilities, she accepted and believed that God was with her and that THAT would be ENOUGH.

In other words, she never relied on her own abilities, her own holiness, or her own strength, but, instead, relied entirely on God. Although I'm jumping ahead in the story, she remained steadfast even when she had to flee because the first-borns were being slaughtered throughout the land. Instead of being racked with guilt, she accepted and believed in God's ultimate plan. Even as they were trying to find rooms in Bethlehem and their search was becoming hopeless, she never relied on her own abilities, but just accepted and believed that God was going to take care of them. When they were offered a barn to stay the night, she never complained about the lowly stature of the location, instead, she simply accepted and believed that God knew what He was doing.

PRAYER: Abba Father, help me to have the kind of faith that Mary had. Help me to believe wholeheartedly in Your promises, in Your ability to provide for my needs, and, in your ability to truly satisfy all the desires of my heart. Father, thank You for the hope that I am able to take with me from this story this morning. Thank You for helping me grab hold of this "Christmas Spirt" that is so hard to identify and define. I believe the "Christmas Spirit" can mean many things to many people, but it should ultimately lead a person to desiring more of Christ in their lives. I love You, Father, and thank You for giving me more than I could ever ask for!

Your son,

Jeff

Harvest

December 11th, 2008

Thursday

My Daily Scripture Readings: Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15; Psalms 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 10:5

"He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son."(Proverbs 10:5)

OBSERVATION: This Scripture can mean different things to different people, but the underlying theme seems to speak against laziness. I believe that, for me, this morning, this verse is talking about the importance of not turning a blind eye to opportunities to witness to those in need of hope.

For me, the harvest signifies the World where we live, and the crops signify the people we interact with on a daily basis who are lost. Those who "gather the crops" are those Christians who see every interaction, positive or negative, as an opportunity to witness to others and to share the love of God with them.

On the other hand, those that "sleep during harvest" are those Christians who become so overly concerned with their own problems that they not only ignore opportunities to witness to others, but they also dread any interaction with others that may distract them from dealing with their own problems.

APPLICATION: Lately, I have felt overwhelmed at work with everything that needs to get done in just a little over a week's time. Deadlines are fast approaching and as the stress builds up more and more, it seems as if the students and athletes become more and more needy of my services. Lately I have had a heavier dose than normal of students complaining about not wanting to do any work in the classroom or not being able to sit still and pay attention in class. Not to mention, a heavier dose than normal of athletes whining about this, that, or other ailment, or ache, or pain that is keeping them from being able to practice. One of those factors alone can be enough to try one's patience, but adding both of these together, along with the everyday responsibilities that come along with being a teacher/athletic trainer, and it can cause one to seek solace in a quiet place all by oneself, locking everything and everyone on the outside, as a search begins to try and find a back door through which to escape!

Why is it, I wonder, that during my most stressful days when I am sitting in my office trying to get work done, that the students pick THAT MOMENT to form a continuous parade of complaints, interruptions, etc that flood through my training room and office for seemingly hours on end? For instance, I will be sitting down when first, one student, then two, and, sometimes, even three or four students will filter into my office for no other reason than to talk my ear off. Even though I try to send them a message that I am busy by continuing to work, they just continue to talk, causing me to look up, every now and again, to answer questions that might be directed at me.

I sometimes can handle this little game of distraction, because, eventually, the students filter out, but lately, there always seems to be that one student, who will remain in my office doing one of two things, both of which are extremely distracting, not to mention, a bit unnerving. They will either continue to talk incessantly, telling me story after story, during which, they have to see that I couldn't care less at that moment. More unsettling than that, is when the student just sits there, not saying a word, staring right at me and refusing to leave my office. There have even been times that my wife has called and, short of telling the student to take a hike, they just continue to watch my every move. My wife has always told me that I bring this type of behavior on myself because I don't tell students to leave me alone. There is probably some truth to that, but the times that I have done this, the students think I am joking, and getting them to leave becomes much harder because then they make it their mission to annoy the Holy Hell out of me. At that point, I have to either deal with it, or show them I am serious by losing my cool and yelling at the students, which is something I try to avoid as much as possible.

This same thing happened to me a couple of days ago. I was trying to have a moment to myself to relax, eat my lunch/dinner, and to just regroup after a stressful day of classes before I had to go into the gym to work that night's girls basketball game. Instead of achieving this time alone, which is what I felt I needed AND deserved, I continued to have kids constantly coming and going, needing one thing or another, or just wanting to hang out in my office. And, of course, I had that one guy who simply sat staring at me. By the time I got home that night, I just wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Being a husband to an expectant wife and a father of a three year old, being left alone is usually never an option because I either have my daughter demanding all of my attention, or my wife wanting to tell me how her day was because she finally has a grown up to talk to after spending the past three hours with my daughter. That night was no different.

The underlying theme that day-what places the day in proper perspective-was my selfishness throughout. As I said before, I have been feeling overwhelmed lately by everything that I need to get done. Yet, on that day, I was trying to push everyone away so that I could relax-not so I could get work done. In other words, whenever I found a second to myself, I was sitting among the mess of the papers in my office, playing games on my computer like solitaire. Ironically enough, if I WAS being productive with my time, I would not have been standing or sitting in one place but moving this way and that, trying to complete different tasks. And, because I would have been moving around so much, students would not have had the chance to sit in my office and talk my ear off. I also would not have given any student the opportunity to sit and stare at me.

Instead, due to my selfish behavior, I tried to push everyone away. I had no patience for the girl that came in complaining of having knee pain after waking up in the morning and needing me to look at her. It was the same girl that came in the day before complaining of her ankle being sore before practice, AND the SAME girl that I saw skipping down the halls and running all around the gym with her friends during PE earlier in the day. Not only did I have no patience for anyone but myself, I went home frustrated and upset because I got absolutely nothing done and only managed to fall further behind at work.

My final act at work that day was to deal with an athlete that I knew was being overly emotional and dramatic about an injury that she received to her knee in the very last minute of the game. HOWEVER, with all the carrying on she was doing, crying and screaming and such, she attracted a crowd, and it was all I could do to calm everyone down, including her, and talk them out of calling 911. EVERYONE but myself, KNEW she broke her leg, tore a significant ligament in her knee, or something along that line. When the coach asked me what I thought, I simply told him that he would not like my answer because it would have been filled with sarcasm. And, what do you know? The next day I get the word that there was no fracture, and the doctor gave a very non-descript tag of "sprained knee" to the diagnosis. Oh, and she was able to walk and move about without too much trouble the next day, as well. But, what do I know, really?

Okay, so I say all that to say this - two days ago, despite any justification I have have had for acting the way I did, I was in my own world. I disdained any and all conversations with the students, seeing them as mere distractions and annoyances. Because of this, I did not look at that student sitting in my office as an opportunity to witness or shine some hope or light into their day. For all I know, that student may have been calling out for help, having nowhere to go after school for one reason or another, and, seeing my office as the only safe place to be, decided to just sit and stare. And, all I cared about was being able to finish my game of solitaire in peace.

In contrast to two days ago, yesterday I was in my office for just a short time, due to me leaving early on account of having no games to work. Even though I did not have a lot of time to work, I concentrated on using what time I did to be productive and get some work done. I still had the same amount of students shuffling in and out, taking up my time, but I actually made it a point to take time to talk and interact with them. In the end, by the time I left my office, I actually found that I had more energy, I felt better about myself AND I was able to get a lot work done. ALL IN ALL, I was able to rediscover why I enjoy working with high school students. Oh, and that same girl came in with, no joke, a sore neck this time. I told her to put heat on it and I actually learned what her name was. She may not be cut out physically or mentally to be an athlete, but she was fun to talk to, if nothing else.

PRAYER: Abba Father, thank You for this time that I decidedto spend with You. Your Scripture speaks loud and clear to me this morning. Help me, Father, to remember to"gather crops" and not to "sleep during the harvest". Help me to also remember that whenever I try to live my day according to what I WANT TO DO, rather than looking towards the needs of others, I usually end up unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and frustrated. Thank You for helping me to recapture the TRUE reason why I chose the profession that I did. I love You, Father, and I long to "gather crops" for You!

Your son,

Jeff