Saturday, August 15, 2020

The storm and the Rock

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the flood came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matt.7:24-27)

When we were at the beach last week, we experienced a taste of this parable.  Our very first night,  Hurricane Isaias blew through. Now maybe you're wondering why on earth we'd head to the beach right before a hurricane was coming?  Well, for one thing, we had rented the house, and we desperately wanted to get down there and enjoy it. But we also figured, how bad could this storm really be? After all, Isaias was "just" a level One hurricane and wasn't expected to make a direct hit on the particular beach where we were staying. 

Let me just say--we clearly underestimated the power of a hurricane. That night none of us slept (except the baby--who quite literally "slept like a baby").  The whole house shook, swayed, and creaked. Even our beds were moving. Whipping wind and rain slashed the house, and lighting and thunder periodically ripped and rumbled.  The next morning, all of us said the same thing: throughout the night we each worried and waited for the house to collapse at any moment. For the record, it was not a fun evening. 

But the house stood firm. 

Yes, it swayed and shook with the blasting winds and rain. But despite the ferocity of the storm, our friend's well built home stood strong. That next morning, we looked but couldn't find even one crack or bit of damage--the house remained completely snug and safe.  This house might have been built right next to the ocean, but it clearly rested on rock, not on sand. 

Notice that Jesus didn't say, if you build your house, your life, on His words, then you'll be spared the storms of life. No, storms will come; storms are an inevitable part of everyone of our lives. But if we build our lives on His Word, meaning we read His Word, believe His Word, and obey His Word, those storms can do their worst, but they will not destroy us. Yes, we may shake and shudder, but we will not succumb. Yes, we may grow faint and weary, but we will not fail. Because He will not fail. Never, ever. 

Right now the world feels like it's shaking and shuddering. Many of us have grown discouraged and worn out with the battles, the divisiveness, the isolation, the uncertainty, the upheaval, the vitriol. I know I sure have. I've hit the wall more than once and thought, "How long, Lord? How long?" And perhaps we worry that maybe this time the storms will finally be too much, that maybe these storms will overcome us or God's kingdom.

But Almighty God and His Word are eternal, changeless, and unconquerable. Jesus has defeated and decimated our greatest enemies of satan, sin, and death, so He can and will surely conquer any storms that come into our lives. No matter the shaking and roaring, the Lion of Judah will prevail. His Word will prevail. His Kingdom will prevail. And because we are in Him, we will ultimately prevail. 

As James Bryant Smith says, "You are one in whom Christ dwells and delights. And you live in the strong and unshakeable Kingdom of God.  His Kingdom is not in trouble, and neither are you."  

Thank You, Jesus, for being our Rock. Thank You that we can build our lives upon You and Your eternal Word. Thank You that no matter what storms rage against us, Your Kingdom will prevail and stand strong. And thank You that in You, our Rock, we, too, will prevail and will one day live with You forever in glory. 

To God be the glory.


 

        

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Savoring a few of summer's simple joys

         It's August 12th--what???  Where on earth did summer go?  Surely it's mid-June at the latest. Sigh. Covid has created some sort of weird time warp: while we were living them, the days often felt long and slow...and yet, at the same time, those same days streaked by in an astounding blur.  Oh my, no matter how I tried to savor each day and to redeem the time, it still feels as if the lovely, languid days of summer have slipped through my grasp far too quickly. But note to self--it's still August. There's still time. There are still mountains of fresh tomatoes, blueberries, and watermelons to be eaten. Ice cream still melts deliciously in the heat and in your mouth. And all those books on our desks still beckon and urge us to put aside some of those endless daily tasks in order to simply sit and read. The to-do lists will always be there...summer will not. So just for a while, forget about the laundry or the errands or the whatever that all seem so urgent, and taste of summer's joys. As for me, I'll be opening a book in just a moment. 

        But before I do, I wanted to briefly share a bit about last week. For the first time in nine years, our family abandoned the mountains for a week at the beach. We rented a wonderful beach house from one of our good friends, and oh my, it was wonderful!  In the coming days, I hope to write about several very simple things I learned (or relearned) from our time at the beach. But here's the first and simplest lesson--there's not much better in this life than sitting in the sun, listening to and watching the pounding waves, and reading a good book. Seriously. This must be one of life's greatest pleasures. Warm sun on your face, feet digging in the sand, people you love all around you, salty clean air filling your lungs, and your nose in a book that captivates or inspires or encourages or just plain old entertains. Isn't it funny how life's greatest treasures are often the simplest and freest. 

        For the record, here's what I read. First, I finished up one book I've been reading for a while called The Splendid and the Vile. It's about Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister of Great Britain which also coincided with the German's horrific, nearly nightly bombing of London. And here's the thing--reading history like this reminds us that we've been through worse--much, much worst--than we're going through now. As Lawson said in his introduction to this magnificent book, "...I  quickly came to realize that it is one thing to say ‘carry on,’ and quite another to do it." Churchill and the British people lived it out. "Carry on" wasn't slogan; it was a day to day, lived out reality in the midst of unspeakable pain and difficulty. Such courage and strength in the face of so much destruction, death and deprivation. And we complain about not being able to go to the gym. Geez.  I say this not to shame us, but to spur us on--Press on!  Don't quit!  If they could do it under infinitely worse conditions, then surely we can as well. 

        Secondly, I started reading a book my daughter recommended (she's a fellow World War II buff) called  Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre. It's about the founding of the SAS--Britain's secret special forces who were dropped behind the Nazi's lines to sabotage their airplanes and supplies. I haven't finished it yet, but it's also inspiring and remarkable. How do we ever begin to thank the "greatest generation" who suffered, endured, and gave so much that we might enjoy freedom?  I wonder what those brave men and women would say to some of our younger generation today who are obsessed with "micro-aggressions" and claims of feeling "unsafe" by certain speakers on their college campuses?  Goodness, come on people. We're better than this!  How about we stop being so completely consumed with criticizing everything about the past (C.S. Lewis calls it "chronological snobbery") and instead try learning a little something from the past. No, those in the past weren't perfect...because they were all sinners, just like every single one of us!  But boy, they have a lot to teach us about sacrifice, honor, character, and endurance. 

         Finally, I also read a fabulous new book by Mark Buchanan called God Walk.  The subtitle says it beautifully, "Moving at the Speed of your Soul." It's about walking with God (duh) as a spiritual practice. And I can't remember the last time a book resonated with me so deeply. I guess part of that has to do with the fact that I love to walk (especially with Mr. Bingley).  But the Bible is chock full of references to walking and walking faithfully (or, sadly, not).  While we were at the beach, I put this into practice, as I walked miles every morning and nearly always sensed God's sweet, peaceful, and joyful presence walking with me. Truly a tiny foretaste of heaven. I carry this memory with me even now as I sit here in our den in Raleigh writing this. Thank You, Father. 

          That's it for now. Just a simple encouragement to savor these final weeks of summer--it's not too late.  God in His grace has given us August to enjoy His bounty. Don't miss it.  And secondly, an encouragement to put aside that endless to-do list, sit down, and read. As our older daughter said in the middle of our beach week, "I've fallen in love with reading again."  She had been waylaid by busyness, baby, work and internet scrolling and had forgotten the free, easy, yet wondrous joy of reading.  But she rediscovered that joy and now carries it with her. Again, summer still lingers so don't miss these opportunities to open a good book.  

          Our Lord, after all, surely loves reading and the written word. How do we know? Well, He revealed Himself to us in His written Word--the Bible--and He saved and redeemed us by our Savior--the Living Word. There's something profoundly glorious about a book...most of all, about The Book: God's supernatural Word. If you haven't read God's very words that He wants to speak to you today, stop right now. Go open His Word, the Bible.  Be filled and fed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He's waiting to speak to you and encourage you.  

         Thank You, Lord, for summer. Thank You for Your beautiful creation and magnificent oceans and beaches. Thank You for allowing us to walk with You everyday.  Thank You for the simple joys of reading.  And thank You for Your written Word--the Bible--and for our glorious Living Word--the Lord Jesus.  To God be the glory.