Windshield Wipers!

Very early yesterday morning, while it was still pitch black out, I drove home from Pinehurst in my son's car. My husband and I had gone down there for a parent dinner for the players in a golf tournament, but I had to leave really early (as in 4:45 a.m.!) to get home in time to take care of our younger two boys and get them where they needed to go. I learned a hard lesson in the wee hours: always determine where the windshield wipers are located on a car before you drive it! Yesterday morning as I drove home, I noticed it was a little damp outside, but nothing major--I figured it had rained the night before. The road, a fairly narrow one with almost no shoulder, was extremely dark. After driving for about 15 minutes, it started to rain. I felt around for the windshield wipers, but everything I pushed or pulled had no effect, and I couldn't find anywhere to turn off the road. No big deal, though, since I could still see through the rain, though it was growing increasingly difficult.

I soldiered on, squinting through the rain covered windshield, but I remained pretty calm, assuming the rain would stop any minute.

It didn't. In fact, it got heavier and heavier until it was a downpour, and I could see nothing except the faint red glow of the car's taillights in front of me. I honestly have never felt such terror--I could see virtually nothing, I was completely unfamiliar with the road, and I had no where to pull over or turn off. I was creeping along on the narrow highway and cars were speeding by as I prayed over and over, "Help me Lord. Help me Lord. Help me Lord."

Finally I faintly saw a sign for an exit, and I slowly eased off the road. I could just glimpse the neon lights of a gas station through the darkness and the rain shrouded windshield. I pulled in and within a moment or two, I figured out how to turn on the windshield wipers. Glory hallelujah!! Who knew windshield wipers were such wonderful, fabulous, life-saving devices?! Not me... until now! What a mundane, boring, unappreciated little piece of equipment that no one ever thinks much about on their car--until they really need it.

I couldn't help but think of Zechariah 4:10 "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." The Lord is telling His people that He will enable them to rebuild the temple out of the rubble of Jerusalem, and no detail is too small or too insignificant. Though it seemed impossible, the Lord reminds them "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zech. 4:6)

How thankful I am that we serve a God who does not "despise the day of small things." Small jobs, small people, small accomplishments, small annoyances, small obstacles, small tasks. He sees all; He knows all; He can do all by His power and not by our might. He created the tiniest cell and the farthest star. He loves the greatest and the lowliest. He sees the biggest and the most insignificant of our challenges and accomplishments. And He enables us to face and conquer the highest mountain and the littlest molehill. It may seem insignificant and mundane to others, but not to our Lord.

And who is to say that in the end, what we often view as the most significant will be, in the eyes of God, of far less importance. And what is the least will be the greatest. All I know is that I will never underestimate the importance and benefit of windshield wipers again! As I go about my small, everyday tasks, might I recall that if God does not despise them, then neither should I. And when I do them for His glory and in His power, they are imbued with eternal significance. So thank You Lord for windshield wipers and for all the small things in our lives that we so often take for granted! To God be the glory.

Keep trying!

Whew, the lazy days of summer are upon us... and it's been a struggle to make myself sit down and write something. Distractions, detours, busyness, exhaustion all conspire to get us off our schedule and our priorities. I feel a bit like our dog, Moses, who likes to spend his days in quiet comfort, lying around, eating, resting, eating, taking ever shorter and shorter walks, eating, resting. How quickly I get lulled into frittering away my days. Lord, as the Psalmist declares, help us to number our days aright that we might gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)

I read a quote I loved from a book I am reading right now, Chesapeake. One of the characters, a strong, intelligent, and wonderful woman named Rosalind Steed, lived in the hard days of the early 18th century in the wilds of the colony of Maryland. She and her nephew, Mark, are talking when she alludes to something from one of Shakespeare's plays. "'I couldn't understand Shakespeare,' Mark said honestly." Rosalind responds: "'Nor could I... the first two times. Character consists in what you do on the third and fourth tries." Amen!

As we approach the July 4th celebration, we should remember we owe the birth and building of this nation to men and women who displayed their character by what they did on the third and fourth and fifth tries after failure and unimaginable hardship and toil. Help us, Lord, to be men and women of character who don't give up and keep trying, in the power of the Holy Spirit, on the fourth and fifth and sixth tries. Heb. 6:11-12 put it this way: "And we desire that each of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promise." Put away sluggishness and put on perseverance and diligence! We have such incredible role models to imitate-- from the great saints of the Bible to the founders of our nation to, of course, the Lord Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. So Lord, when our feelings say give up or give in, help us to push on and keep trying. And to God be the glory.

Little things

Today is the first official day of summer, and so far it has been a pretty eventful one for our family. Our 14 year old son, while out of town playing in a golf tournament, broke his foot--on the 2nd full day of his summer vacation! He and his buddies were playing a little basketball while waiting for a ride to the golf course driving range. When he came down from getting a rebound, he landed on a piece of firewood, and dramatically changed his plans for the next month and a half of summer. Forget about all the golf tournaments he had signed up to play. Forget about Carolina golf camp with his friends. Forget about swimming at the pool, fishing in the trout stream, hiking in the mountains... well, you get the idea. But I have to say, he has been an incredibly good sport about it, and aside from copious hours of X-Box games (which his mama hates!), he has certainly made the best of it. I couldn't help but think of Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

While we know God is ultimately in control of our lives, we tend to live as if we established our every step. At least, I know I do. I have a plan in my mind of how today and tomorrow and next week should go (or how I want them to go), and when things don't go according to my plans and my dreams, I can quickly grow discouraged or frustrated. Disappointed expectations are ultimately behind most of our conflicts with people and with God. We say we trust God, but, O brother, throw a curveball to our expectations and we tend to panic or become despondent or angry or start to doubt and question God.

And that's why we need to make those deposits in our faith accounts today and every day. We don't know when the bottom will drop out or that unanticipated and unwanted bend in the road will come, so we need to get ready now, today. We can't specifically prepare for a broken foot or a wayward child or a serious illness, but we can daily seek to know and love God through His Word a little better every single day. It's as if we deposit a little more every single day into our spiritual bank accounts when we choose to spend time with Him. It's not a matter of checking it off our to do list; it's a matter of knowing Him a little better and seeing Him a little more clearly in His Word. It's a matter of allowing His Holy Spirit to speak to us and strengthen us a little bit more every day.

I love this quote from the great basketball coach, John Wooden: "Now you're not going to make great improvement in one day. But if you miss out one day, you've lost a little bit. You've got to build up a little each day. It's little things that eventually become big things and make big things happen." We tend to belittle the small things, the little tasks, the seemingly everyday, commonplace chores, the "one" little day, but it's all the "little things that eventually become big things...." It's so true in every area of our lives: whether training for some athletic endeavor, or cleaning out the clutter, or learning to cook, or growing in godliness--each day we choose whether we will grow closer to our ultimate goal or farther away.

Isn't it so easy to miss a day here or there in God's Word? Nobody dies, the sky doesn't fall, and we think "well, that's just no big deal. God is a God of grace." And He is, but when we skip a day with Him, we forfeit the blessings He wanted to share with us on that day. And then each day we miss, we grow an imperceptibly bit further away from Him, until we wake up and wonder how on earth we got so far away from the Lord. We wonder why we have no peace and no joy. We wonder why we lack the strength to get through some sudden unexpected crisis.

God never ever abandons us, but sometimes we, one tiny little choice at a time, abandon Him.

But here's the good news--He is ready and waiting for us to return! Like the Father waiting with open arms for the prodigal son, He is ready to run to us if we will simply turn to Him. Just confess and repent and seek Him who is always always always diligently, urgently, lovingly, seeking us. Start today. No matter what is going on--for there will ALWAYS be something going on!--stop and determine to take time to seek Him in His Word.

Hebrews refers to those who mature in their faith, because they "have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Heb. 5:14) Practice makes perfect! My sons love golf, and they have to practice daily and hit ball after ball after ball to become better golfers. Musicians practice daily if they want to excel, and they must play countless boring scales and drills day after day if they want to improve. Our children become better readers by reading (and moms nagging them to death). And if we want to grow in godliness, if we want to be prepared to meet the storms of life with the peace and power of the Lord, then we better start getting "trained by constant practice" in God's Word.

Starting today. No matter what. Spending a little time alone with Him. Until one day, we will see the Lord using all those "little things" to "make big things happen." Because He is a God who loves to use little things and little people with little abilities to do "far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us..." (Eph. 3:20) So to Him be all the glory!

Perseverance

Recently I have read through the books of Amos and Isaiah and Jeremiah, and I have been so struck by their faithfulness to the Lord in the midst of a culture that defiantly rejected the Lord and turned with enthusiasm to idolatry. All of these prophets were misunderstood and abused and persecuted. Every one of God's faithful prophets experienced such rejection and persecution; many were martyred; all knew what it was to be lonely and hated and mocked. Most were poor or seemingly inconsequential--none would have been featured on the covers of magazines for their successful careers or stunning good looks or powerful popularity.

Yet despite the hardship and suffering and loneliness, they kept on giving out God's Word, in season and out of season. They persevered... even when they desperately wanted to quit. From where does such strength of character and faithfulness come? If I had to pick out things that develops our perseverance they would be: having an eternal perspective; focusing upon Christ; and developing godly daily habits.

An eternal perspective teaches us that time is so short and eternity is so long. I'll never forget Peter praying shortly before his birthday last year: "Lord, help the days before my birthday to be very fast but help my birthday to be very long." We can get so engrossed in this life, in all that we have to do, in all our worries and work, that we forget this life is incredibly short. This world is passing away and our lives truly are a breath! It helps to remind ourselves when we get all worked up and upset over something, to ask ourselves, "Will this matter in 50 years? Will this be important in 100 years?" If not, maybe we need to calm down and take it to Jesus and let Him worry about it! O how I love Ps. 90:12 "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Teach us, Lord, to remember the brevity of this life and then to focus upon that which will last forever and ever.

But secondly, I think those prophets, and all who develop godly perseverance, have learned the secret of Heb. 12:2-3: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." You know, I really think this is the secret to the Christian life (and to joy and to perseverance)--fixing our eyes on Jesus, considering Him--daily, hourly, consistently throughout our days. When we fix our eyes on Him, we are changed increasingly into His likeness. When we consider Him, we cannot help but worship Him and be filled with joy and gratitude.

And thirdly, we need to establish godly habits. Habits of reading His Word daily, no matter what. Habits of taking thoughts of irritation or anger or discouragement and surrendering them moment by moment to Him. Habits of speaking words of encouragement and love and not words of bitterness or frustration or gossip. Habits of choosing to fix our eyes upon Him and not upon the world. Habits of focusing upon the eternal and not the temporal.

You know, habits are so habitual! Rarely do we set out to create a habit. It just happens one small choice, one small decision at a time. No alcoholic ever sets out to become addicted to alcohol. Rarely does a person decide they want to go out and have an affair. No, these things just "happen" one tiny choice at a time. Each little decision seems inconsequential, but it leads to the next and then the next and suddenly a habit is formed, for good or for ill. I loved this statement from Nancy Leigh Demoss: "Every act, every choice, sows a seed. And it will reap a harvest. The challenging thing is that the harvest isn't usually immediate.... You are what you have been becoming. You are today the sum total of what you have been becoming. And you will be down the road what you are becoming now."

That's all to say, we need to start today to become the person we pray we would be at the end of our lives as we face eternity. We get easily intimidated when we think we have to be a spiritual giant by the day after tomorrow, so we just throw up our hands and give up. But it's a matter of starting daily by making that small choice to put God first. Make the little decision not to give in to your emotions and instead ask God to enable you to respond in love. Make that tiny choice to read His Word rather than flip through that magazine. We can establish those habits of godliness one tiny little choice at a time, and before we know it, God establishes in us godly perseverance and faithfulness. And for all those wrong choices that have created bad habits--hit the reset button! Confess, repent and by God's grace start over again, one choice at a time.

Eternal perspective. Focus on Christ. Godly habits. Help us Lord... today, one choice at a time. And to You be the glory.

"Faith is the refusal to panic"

I have recently been reading aloud a devotional book on courage with my youngest son. I was so struck by the story of Catharine duBois, who lived in the 1600's in what is now the state of New York. Her courageous faith in a horrific crisis continues to inspire her family today. One of her descendants wrote this account of Catharine:

"One day in 1663, Minisink Indians swept down from the Catskill Mountains, killed several inhabitants of the little settlement now known as New Paltz, New York, and took a number of women and children captive. Among them were Catharine deBois and her infant daughter, Sara. For ten weeks they were held captive in the mountains while search parties looked for them in vain.

Certain they had avoided reprisals, the Indians decided to celebrate their success by burning Catharine and Sara. A pile of logs was arranged, upon which the bound mother and daughter were placed.

A most human response at this moment would have been for Catharine to scream at her tormentors, curse them for her suffering, or even curse God. Instead, she burst into song, turning the foreboding Catskill forest into a cathedral of praise.

The Minisink Indians, of course, had not asked her for a song, but they were now so captivated with Catharine's singing that they demanded another song, then another, and then still another. And while she sang, her husband, Louis, and his search party burst upon the scene and rescued her.

Catharine could not have known that her decision about how to die would tell her succeeding generations much about how they should live. Nor can we know how some decision today will affect generations to come." (Gilbert V. Beers)

Wow! The great Welsh preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, once declared, "Faith is the refusal to panic." If ever there was a situation that called for panic, that was surely it! But faith refuses to panic and instead chooses to trust and entrust oneself to the sovereign Lord. Faith chooses praise instead of panic. Faith chooses prayer instead of panic. Faith chooses peace in Christ rather than panic in the circumstances. We simply cannot choose our circumstances any more than we can choose our eye color or our (original) hair color.

But we can always always always choose our response. We can choose praise or panic, faith or fear, worship or worry. And isn't it amazing that the praise songs Catharine chose in what she knew were the last moments of her life were the very means God used for her deliverance?! Such is the power of praise! God commands us over and over again in His Word to "be joyful always," "in everything give thanks," "give thanks in all circumstances," and on and on. Why? Well, ultimately because He tells us to and because, as Paul tells us, "Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thess. 5:18)

But beyond the command and the will of God, there is the mystery that praise exerts a supernatural power that we simply cannot explain. Haven't you had the experience of feeling overwhelmed or irritated or frightened and when you consciously chose to thank and praise God--even if through clinched teeth!--your attitude and your spirit were almost miraculously changed? I confess that far too often, I choose to indulge in my pity party or fear feast, with the result that I am not changed for the good, God is not glorified, and the circumstances are not improved one iota! O, but when we choose praise, it proves to be a golden bridge taking us from where we are stuck in panic or sorrow or misery to a place of peace and joy and security--even if our circumstances remain unaltered.

O Lord, help us to choose praise and gratitude even in the midst of the storms of our lives, and in so doing, live out our faith that refuses to panic. We cannot do this--but You can, through Your Spirit that lives within us. So to You be the glory.

The Sovereign Lord

Malcolm Muggeridge wrote: "We look back upon history, and what do we see? Empires rising and falling, revolutions and counterrevolutions, wealth accumulated and wealth disbursed. Shakespeare has written of the rise and fall of great ones, that ebb and flow with the moon.

I look back upon my own fellow countrymen (Great Britain), once upon a time dominating a quarter of the world, most of them convinced, in the words of what is still a popular song, that ‘the God who made them mighty, shall make them mightier yet.’

I’ve heard a crazed, cracked Austrian (Hitler) announce to the world the establishment of a Reich that would last a thousand years. I have seen an Italian clown (Mussolini) say he was going to stop and restart the calendar with his own ascension to power. I’ve heard a murderous Georgian brigand in the Kremlin (Stalin), acclaimed by the intellectual elite of the world as being wiser than Solomon, more humane than Marcus Aurelius, more enlightened than Ashoka.

I have seen America wealthier and, in terms of military weaponry, more powerful than the rest of the world put together–so that had the American people so desired, they could have outdone a Caesar, or an Alexander in the range and scale of their conquests.

All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone! Gone with the wind!

England, now part of a tiny island off the coast of Europe, threatened with dismemberment and even bankruptcy. Hitler and Mussolini dead, remembered only in infamy. Stalin a forbidden name in the regime he helped found and dominate for some three decades. America haunted by fears of running out of those precious fluids that keeps their motorways roaring, and the smog settling, with troubled memories of a disastrous campaign in Vietnam, and the victories of the Don Quixote’s of the media as they charged the windmills of Watergate.

All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone! Gone with the wind!

Behind the debris of these solemn supermen, and self-styled imperial diplomatists, there stands the gigantic figure of One: because of whom, by whom, in whom, and through whom alone, mankind may still have peace–the person of Jesus Christ.

I present him as the way, the truth, and the life. Do you know Him?"

Amen and Amen!! The world is in such turmoil right now--as it always has been and always will be until He returns in glory. Earthquakes. Wars. "Arab spring" with nation after nation in the Middle East rebelling against it's dictators. Fires. Drought and flood. Economic turmoil and fragility. And yet towering above it all is the God/Saviour/Redeemer/Creator/man, Jesus Christ.

How thankful I am that He is the Alpha and Omega and that no matter where the future takes us, we can trust that He will be there with us, in complete control, working His unfathomable purposes out for our greater good and His greater glory. I don't know how, or where, or when... but I know Who and that is ultimately all that matters.

I have always loved the hymn written in 1774 by William Cowper, "Light Shining Out of Darkness." Cowper, though one of England's most celebrated poets in the 18th century, suffered greatly throughout his life from depression. His faith in God, however, sustained him through all those years and provided the impetus for his hundreds of poems and hymns. As you read the words to his magnificent hymn, contemplate anew our wondrous and powerful and sovereign Saviour:

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines of never failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense. But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; The bud my have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err. And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.

As I write this I am listening to the magnificent 9th century by Beethoven, the "Ode to Joy" choral symphony. Behind it all: the most beautiful of music, the most glorious of poetry, the mightiest of beasts in the animal kingdom, the farthest of solar systems, the most microscopic of cells, the most powerful of nature's movements from earthquakes to tornados to tsunamis, the most brilliant of minds, the Lord Jesus sovereignly superintends, controls, prescribes, creates, purposes, and circumscribes them all. There is no place we can go that He is not there and in absolute control. We may not understand the how or why, but if we know the glorious Who, then we, too, can "fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break with blessings on your head." For as Abraham Kuyper declared, "There is not square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry out, 'Mine!'" So to Him be the glory forever!

Dog Hair and Oxen

This afternoon I've been "swiffering" (I know it's not a word) the kitchen floor and vacuuming the den rug in a vain attempt to get up the copious amounts of black hair from our lab, Moses. It's absolutely incredible the amount of hair I pick up every time I do this--and I do it a LOT! We love our sweet old dog to pieces, but good grief, he can shed more black hair than can possibly be covering his body! Where on earth does such prodigious amounts of hair come from? It's a continual chore to vacuum and swiffer and brush Moses to try and get rid of all that black hair!

But this afternoon, as I was emptying the canister from the swiffer into the trash can and I saw all that dog hair, it suddenly hit me: someday in the future, I would be sweeping or vacuuming and a single stray hair or two of Moses' black hair would appear. And I know without a doubt, that I will weep and miss the dear dog who had brought so much joy to our family. I will wonder why on earth I had ever been so irritated about cleaning up all that hair. I will realize clearly in that future moment, that all the hair, all the cleaning, all the mess and fuss were all worth it, because Moses has been such a precious gift and companion to every person in our home.

And if I will recognize that so clearly in the future when Moses is a sweet memory, why not realize it now? I was immediately reminded of Proverbs. 14:4 "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox." Like the ox, Moses causes our house to be a little dirtier. He leaves clumps of dark hair on our bright blue carpet. He loves to jump up and eat anything and everything off the counter--especially chocolate cake!--so we can't leave food displayed and easily available. He spills his water all over the floor. Sometimes he smells bad (I won't elaborate on that, but trust me, it can be unpleasant on occasion!).

But Moses isn't the only "oxen" in our house! We have 5 precious, but untidy, children who assure that our "manger" is not ever clean! Just this morning, I had the immense satisfaction of having the kitchen and den pretty near spotless--since no one else is home at the moment. The counters are spotless, the floor devoid of dog hair or crumbs, the kitchen table polished. And adding to that pleasure is the fact that as of late last night, I was all caught up on folding and putting away laundry! Nearly miraculous bliss! For the moment.

But we all know it won't last until later this afternoon. All our children are home for the summer, so the laundry has increased exponentially. I think some of them just look at an item of clothing and assume that since they actually thought about wearing it, it must be dirty and thus worthy of the laundry hamper. So the laundry is endless. And the kitchen, O don't even talk to me about the kitchen. Every time I turn around someone has decided to have a bowl of cereal or cut a watermelon or fry an egg or eat chips and salsa. Perhaps you have noticed that all of these things involve a MESS! And they also involve going to the grocery store multiple times a week and spending lots of money on food... okay, I'm not even going there!

But the point is, all these dearly loved children make the manger mighty messy! They create a lot of work for the owner of the oxen (that would be mom and dad), and they don't often stop to express their overwhelming gratitude at all the work that goes on behind the scenes in order for them to have food to eat, relatively clean clothes to wear, and a slightly clean and comfortable house in which to live. If there were no oxen, this manger would be gloriously clean and organized. If there were no oxen, I might finally get rid of all the clutter and be featured in a magazine about the joys of organization and efficiency and the beauty of simplicity! If there were no oxen, maybe I could write that book or start that business or fulfill those seemingly impossible dreams.

"But abundant crops come by the strength of the ox." Abundant joy comes from those precious "oxen" who fill our home with noise and laughter and discussion and busyness. What would my husband and I have missed without each one of those 5 eternal souls whom God has leant to us for such a short time? I wouldn't trade the cleanest most perfect and beautiful home in the world for one of them. I wouldn't trade the writing of the greatest and most profound book ever for one of them. I wouldn't trade success or popularity or power or wealth for one of them. Sure, they've been a ton of work, and there are times I've felt overwhelmed with exhaustion or discouragement or frustration. There are times I've felt anxious and fearful and worried sick over their safety or their choices or their futures. There are times when I've felt like the worst homemaker and mother in the world and wondered what on earth God was thinking when He made me their mom.

"But abundant crops come by the strength of the ox." For all those times I've lost my perspective and focused on the dirt and the grime and the work and the daily grind, God so gently reminds me of who He is, how He is moving, and what He has given us in these 5 dearest and most precious of blessings. A hundred years from now, no one will remember what my house looked like. No one will recall what an outstanding cook I was (that is for sure) or what an amazing career I had or all the accomplishments I had. No, I will be long forgotten, as will my house.

But these 5 children will live forever in eternity. So the question is, where is my focus? Am I focusing on the cleanliness of the manger or the strength and well-being of the oxen? Am I seeking daily to teach them and guide them in the ways of the Lord? Am I seeking to love them, and my husband, the best that I can? And then knowing that I will mess up, am I keeping short accounts with my husband, with them, and with the Lord? Am I frequently and readily saying those eight most precious and critical of words to them, and to my husband, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you."

Someday, the house will be clean and quiet. The dog hair will be gone. The sink will have no dirty dishes in it. The laundry will be small and easily managed. O Lord, when that day comes, I don't want to look back with regret at how small and mean and frustrated my attitude could be when the children were still all home. I want to be able to look back with gratitude and happiness and peace that I loved and forgave and served and carpooled and cleaned in the strength and the joy of the Lord and for His glory. I want to one day hear my Saviour say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of Your Master." And on that most glorious of days, all the dog hair and messes and mess ups will be so worth it! To Him who is the gracious giver of the oxen and the abundant crops, To Him be the glory forever.

Pray! Say! Obey!

The other day I read one of my very favorite passages in the Scriptures: Jehoshaphat and his prayer to the Lord as the mighty combined armies of the Moabites and Ammonites prepared to invade the tiny nation of Judah. I love the honesty of the Bible--when told of this "great multitude" coming against his people, "Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord." (2 Chron. 20:3). Of course he was afraid! Even though he was the king, he knew enough to be terrified of this huge army that would surely wipe out his little nation. But, even though he was afraid, he "set his face to seek the Lord." When I'm fearful or anxious or frustrated or perplexed, how do I set my face? Do I seek advice from friends or the internet? Do I seek refuge in food or shopping or busyness or entertainment? Or do I determinedly set my face like flint towards the Lord and ask Him for strength and guidance and enablement and encouragement? Just as I talked about yesterday, I love the fact that it is a choice--a choice to set our face toward the Lord. We don't just have to give in to the fear. And the emotion of fear is okay--it is natural--but it is what we do with that fear that matters.

And the next thing Jehoshaphat does is assemble his people and pray. He begins, "O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You." (2 Chron.20:6) Then the king goes on to delineate the problem: the Ammonites and Moabites are about to attack them, and "we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (v.12)

Lord, we are powerless against this tough economy, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this illness our loved one suffers from, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this struggle with depression or addiction, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this besetting sin or habit, but our eyes are on You. Isn't this just the place God works best--when we are powerless and weak and He can be shown powerful and sovereign? I've always loved the quote: "God works best in a graveyard." Dead marriages, dead hopes, dead dreams, dead people--He resurrects and restores and redeems. So our first response must be to PRAY it!

But then we need to SAY it! Proclaim His Word, sing His praises even when you struggle to think of one thing for which to be thankful. You know, there is just something powerful about saying the Word of God aloud. Reciting His faithfulness; Singing songs to Him; Declaring His praises. I've learned that I don't have to feel like worshipping Him. I don't have to feel grateful. I don't have to feel like speaking His Word out loud. I may be angry or exhausted or discouraged or terrified, but there is power in declaring His Word out loud and in praising and thanking Him.

And that is exactly what Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah do! While they were praying, God's spirit spoke through one of the Levites: "Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold they will come up by the ascent of Ziz... You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you." (v.15-17) And Jehoshaphat and all the people "fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord." (v.18) And all the priests and Levites "stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel with a very loud voice." (v.19)

We might think, well, of course they did--look what God told them through the Levite! But don't forget, that tremendous army is still out there loaded for bear! It's just God's word, as proclaimed through a Levite, against the overwhelming evidence of an enormous, well-armed foe within shouting distance of the Israelites. Who would you believe? Your eyes, your ears, your common sense or the Word of God?

Jehoshaphat and the Israelites, despite all the evidence to the contrary, believed God and praised Him BEFORE the battle and before the victory. Early the next morning, the king proclaimed to His nation: "Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will suceed." (v.20) And based on that belief and trust, they appointed singers, yes SINGERS, to lead the army in battle! And you know what those singers were supposed to do at the head of the army facing their mighty foe: "sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy attire... [singing] 'Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.'" (v.21)

Great things happen when we say it, when we speak aloud His praises! But here's my favorite part: "And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. (v.22) They had to start singing and praising before the battle and before the victory. It was as if when they obeyed God and spoke out loud the praises of God, then He set in motion His mighty deliverance. They had to say it, they had to obey it, and God would do the supernatural. He calls us to pray, to say, to obey and then He does what we cannot. He does immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine (good old Eph 3:20!).

What battle are you facing today? What seemingly "great horde" is coming against you and you simply "do not know what to do?" Like Jehoshaphat and the Israelites, will you choose to take your feelings of fear or frustration or powerlessness and determine to seek Him and His ways? Will you choose in faith to pray, to say, and to obey and then to "stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf." (v.17) To Him be the glory!

The Skeleton at the Feast

"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back--in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you." Frederick Buechner

What a powerful quote! Isn't it so true that when we harbor anger and bitterness or when we refuse to forgive and instead nurse our resentments, large or small, we drink the poison we intend for someone else. How often do we let little tiny irritations or small inconveniences--from being rudely cut off by another car to a lack of consideration by a loved one to some hoped for but unmet expectation--throw us into a cloud of discouragement or frustration? We fuss and fume internally, and eventually the poison we are consuming comes out in our harsh words or ugly attitude or complete ingratitude. Forgive us Lord!

What a difference if we would immediately hand over those disappointments or irritations or even betrayals to the One who willingly and joyfully gave His life for those who disappointed and rejected and betrayed Him. At that moment when we recognize in our thoughts the seeds of bitterness or anger, we need to stop and ask, "Is this thought from You, Lord Jesus?" If it is not (and no poisonous thought would be from Him), then we choose by faith to hand it to Him and ask Him to enable us to forgive and to choose love and joy, not hatred and bitterness.

God's Word urges us over and over again to seek the mind of Christ, to allow Him to take captive our thoughts, to think on that which is good and lovely and pure. 2 Cor.10:5 "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that "As a person thinks in his heart, so is he." Or as John Milton wrote: "The mind is its own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell; a hell of heaven."

I can't believe I'm writing about this again, but I guess I am just so convicted by the power of my thoughts and the importance of yielding control of my thoughts (and therefore emotions) to Christ. I've always tended to just give in to feelings and allow my mind to focus upon whatever thoughts happen to flit into it, but clearly, that will NOT lead to godly attitudes, words, or actions.

Rather, we must daily, deliberately choose to submit those thoughts to Christ, to surrender that anger or bitterness (just throw away that poison!), to choose to think about and meditate upon "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable..."

WE HAVE THE CHOICE! We can choose to be the skeleton at our own feast or we can choose to forgive. We can choose resentment or ingratitude or irritation or fear, or we can choose to "Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thess. 5:16-18) It's a moment by moment decision that the Lord has given each of us. Upon what will we choose to feast? The answer lies in the power of our thoughts and our wills. O might we choose wisely! Might we daily choose the abundant joyful life rather than the terrible self-inflicted death by poison. And to God be the glory.

Hurry! Hurry!

It's been a quiet day at the ranch! My car had to go into the shop for bad brakes (definitely something you want working properly on your car), and since no one else (or their car) was at home, I couldn't go anywhere. At first I relished the thought of a full day cleaning up, catching up, going through old emails, having a real quiet time (when the house truly was quiet!), and writing in my blog after a busy week.

And it was wonderful doing all of the above and getting a lot accomplished. But one unexpected hitch: no internet! I tried and tried and could not get my computer to connect to the internet, so I couldn't get emails or check on some internet sites or write on this blog. It's amazing how cut off I felt from the world without a car or the internet! Ridiculous, I know, but it's true. With the car gone, the children gone, the computer gone, and the house blessedly still, life suddenly slowed down appreciably. At first, I felt antsy, but then it felt, well, peaceful and good. I didn't need to rush off anywhere; I didn't need to get to any doctor's appointments or run any errands--well, actually, there was plenty I could have been doing, but it could all wait until tomorrow.

Even though I was not burning up the grocery store or the roads in my car or typing away on my computer, the world seemed to continue to turn on it's axis! No one called to ask me how on earth the city of Raleigh could manage without me. Nothing collapsed. No catastrophes. Not one disaster. Somehow, someway, the world kept spinning and my family and loved ones avoided falling apart without my zooming around and busily doing, doing, doing all day long.

And I come to the near end of the day and find I don't feel quite so frantic or exhausted or irritable. Perhaps there is something to be said for occasionally slowing down our busy pace of life and taking the time to worship, to regroup, to sing, to listen, to laugh, to appreciate. I recently heard a well known Christian writer say that his best advice for a minister preparing to take on the responsibility of a large, busy church--"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Boy, that sounds like pretty good--and radical--advice. I stay in the hurry mode. Get it all done. Stay busy. Multitask at all times.

But I've noticed that hurrying and rushing are enemies of depth and worship and holiness and relationship. I might be able to get a whale of a lot accomplished, but what is the state of my relationships with the people I love and the God that I serve? Can you hurry and be holy? Can you hurry and have peace? Can you hurry and be joyful?

Sometimes, maybe, but I think we all need to slow down a bit, take a deep breath and stop to really truly count our blessings. Pull off the fast lane and praise God for saving us. Take time to really hug someone we love or encourage someone who is struggling. Let that car into the lane in front of you, even if you have to slow down for a moment or two.

By the grace of God, might we all "ruthlessly eliminate hurry" from our lives and then experience anew all that He has in store for us. To Him be the glory!

True Wisdom

I recently heard it said that wisdom does today what it will be happy about later on. Isn't that so true? My flesh, my fallible feelings, and my ever-evolving emotions all shout at me to take the short cut, take the easy way out, seek the short term pleasure over the long term reward. Whether it's giving in to a pity party or buying something I don't need or eating that piece of cake or passing on that piece of gossip or lashing out at someone in frustration, it's always the result of allowing our flesh to take over rather than surrendering to the control of the Holy Spirit and yielding to His will rather than our own.

Prov. 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." It's so easy to pass that one by, because it is so familiar. But if I fear God more than man, then I will seek to please Him rather than please and impress other people. If I fear God more than I fear missing out on some pleasure or some material possession I desire, then I will put those earthly things and desires in their proper perspective and seek Him first and foremost. But if I fear denying myself in any way rather than fearing my Lord, then I will forever be choosing that which makes me happy today rather than that which will make me happy and blessed in the future. How often have I sacrificed long term blessing and joy on the alter of immediate gratification!

Sadly, we can be the "fool" described in Proverbs when we, like Esau, choose a bowl of hot soup over the inestimable blessing of our heavenly Father. I used to read about Esau in Genesis and wonder how on earth could he possibly forfeit the amazing blessings of the first born son for a bowl of stew? And yet, isn't that what we do everyday when we forfeit eternal blessings God showers on the obedient, because we want the immediate gratification of meeting our needs our way in our timing. Do we trust God or not? Do we trust His timing or not? Do we fear Him or do we fear any other lesser thing? Do we want His wisdom or do we intend to be fools who despise His godly wisdom? Will we choose to do today that which will bring us happiness and blessing later on or will we simply give in to that which makes us feel better (temporarily) right now?

O Lord, make us strong! Help us to fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross scorning it's shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Might we consider Him today, right at this moment, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart! (based on Heb. 12:2-3) Jesus could see past the cross to the glory ahead; so might we daily choose to deny ourselves in the present for the blessings of the future. We can't do that... but He can, and we can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13) Choose wisdom. Choose to do today that which will bless tomorrow. To God be the glory.