Joyful noises, Exclamation points, and Entering our days with praise!

 "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever; and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100

Oh my, how I love Psalm 100!  First of all, did you notice how many exclamation points there are? I counted six--in just five verses.  Now that psalmist is speaking my language, since I'm one of those folks that loves her some exclamation points.  After all, isn't God's extravagant goodness, abounding love, and astounding faithfulness infinitely worthy of such happy enthusiasm and joyful emphasis?! (gotta add one more!) 

In addition to exclamation points (which, after all, would NOT have been the psalmist's primary focus), just a couple more thoughts about this wonderful psalm. First, we're to make a "joyful noise."  Aren't you thankful that God doesn't tell us to produce a "perfectly sounding and in-tune song?"  Nope, it's a noise. We can all do that. And a joyful noise. I'm thinking of all the noises that bring God glory and reflect His joy--a baby's giggle, a sweet conversation with a dear friend, a moment of happy laughter, a breeze rustling and blowing through the trees, a bird's chorus, a beloved hymn or praise song (that we belt out without worrying how we sound), a still moment of peace in the predawn darkness, a contented sigh as we settle into bed with a great book, a word of encouragement, a loved one's voice, a quiet rustle of the turning of pages in God's Word, a whispered "I love you" or "Please forgive me"...and on and on. Today, what joyful noise to the Lord can you make?  Sing it, speak it, share it--with the Lord but also with someone else. Your joyful noise might be just the vitamin of encouragement that person desperately needs to hear. 

Secondly, what peace and security it gives us when we remember that we are God's people. He made us; we belong to Him; we live in His pasture; we are His sheep.  We are not out there on our own. We are His, and He's got us. He is the Good Good Shepherd, and He will always and forever tenderly and faithfully care for, love, forgive, encourage, strengthen, and guide His sheep. Which means we can stop worrying. Instead, we can recall and rest in His perfect provision, wisdom, and love.  Or as James Bryant Smith puts it, "God always gets the last word. So stop worrying. Instead, entrust your life to the good, beautiful, and true God who reigns in the strong and unshakeable Kingdom." 

Third, we're to "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." How are we entering our days each morning?  Are we entering our day with stress, worry, and cluttered hearts or with thanksgiving and praise to our good, beautiful, and true God?  Are we entering our day with hearts burdened by our busyness and self-preoccupation or with hearts buoyed and focused upon our glorious God and His steadfast love and faithfulness? It makes all the difference in the world when we enter with thanksgiving and praise. 

Father, we ask that You would flood our hearts and minds with You, Your Word, Your amazing grace, and Your astounding greatness. You are worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving. You have given us so, so much, but we pray that You would give us one thing more--grateful, thankful hearts. 

To God be the glory.

Cultivating the habit

"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart:  I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." (Ps.9:1-2)

Did you happen to notice that little word "will?"  I will give thanks. I will recount all Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You. I will sing praise to Your name.  In case we needed reminding--gratitude and thanksgiving are an act of our wills. We must choose to be grateful as opposed to grumbling. We must choose to see--to purposely open our eyes to look for and notice--God's wonderful deeds in our lives. We must choose to engage in the act of singing praises to our Lord. 

Thankfulness does not happen by default. Not ever. We must choose by an act of our will to see, to savor, to sing, to give thanks, to remember, to recite God's gifts and goodness in our lives and in this world. 

Here's how Jon Bloom explains it: "Cultivating gratitude is not easy. We all need help, and thank God help is available. but there is no thankfulness hack--no four easy steps to a grateful heart. It's as hard as habit-building. We begin to train our heart-eyes to look for God's grace--in all circumstances. This looking becomes habitual. And habits are being built by doing them every day. We get incrementally better at them as the days gradually accumulate to months, and months to years. They become more and more a part of us over time."  

Yep, it's as simple (and sometimes challenging) as that--cultivating a habit of gratitude. Asking God to show us and to help us to be relentlessly thankful people. Then we choose to open up our eyes and look around--because God's goodness and glory are, quite literally, everywhere.  And we give Him thanks. Daily. Habitually. Even when it's hard. Because there is always, always, always something for which we can give thanks. 

How about you start training your heart-eyes to look for God's grace...and then thank Him. Maybe even share your gratitude with someone else, because we all need encouragement. As Ann Voskamp always says, "Only speak words that make souls stronger."  Gratitude not only strengthens, but it's also contagious. (And the opposite is true--complaining always weakens, and sadly, it's just as contagious). 

It's never too late to begin cultivating this beautiful habit of thankfulness. So how about today? Not only will you be giving God glory, but you just might be strengthening some weary souls around you who desperately need it. 

To God be the glory.

Start counting!

Exactly one week until one of my favorite days of the year--Thanksgiving! Why Thanksgiving in particular?  Well for a number of reasons. First, of course, is the joy of being with family and cousins and friends. Second, our children come home! That's just pure happiness in my book!  Third, because while we enjoy the fellowship of those we love, we are EATING!  Come on--that's an unbeatable combination: laughing and talking and sharing with wonderful people you love while devouring delicious food you savor! No wonder one of the great joys in heaven will be the marriage supper of the Lamb!  Yes sir, that will be one unimaginably glorious time!

Fourth, the weather and the beauty all around us this time of year--cool but not yet cold, colorful fall leaves, sidewalks blanketed with those falling leaves, pumpkins galore. Fifth, pilgrims, pilgrims, pilgrims. Thank the Lord for the pilgrims and their courage, perseverance, and love for God. 

I really could go on and on with my list, but here's the best and greatest reason to love Thanksgiving--because it encourages and reminds us to be grateful!  Duh, you're thinking. But seriously, don't we all need to prompted? As Jennifer Rothschild says, "As your gratefulness grows, so will your capacity to perceive blessings, even when they're shrouded in hardship." 

Choosing thankfulness is just that: a choice. Let's face it, most of us are not naturally grateful people. But over and over again, God commands us to be thankful. To rejoice. To give Him thanks and praise. Just one of countless examples: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess.5:16-17) Notice any exceptions there?  Nope.  Doesn't say, "give thanks most of the time" or "give thanks periodically" or "give thanks except, obviously, when there's a pandemic going on!" 

Over the next week, how about we remind each other to cultivate the habit of gratitude? Starting today. Starting now. Will you write down five things for which you're grateful--a blue sky, a phone call from a friend, a good book, a warm fire, a pumpkin spice anything. Whatever--ask God to help you see and savor His extravagant goodness in your life, in this world.  

Covid and elections and division and isolation have not cancelled God's goodness and glory!  So how about we stop complaining and fretting and worrying and start counting...counting His myriad gifts and goodness painted all over your life and over this world. 

Lord willing, I'm hoping to give us all a very short reminder each day over the next week--to rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances. But for now, how about you stop reading and start writing. Thank You, Father, for....

The list will be endless, because our God is so good, so great, so glorious, but let's simply begin to start counting.

To God be the glory.

    

A good day to begin again!

     It's been nearly two months since I wrote anything here. But rather than go through a litany of excuses and explanations, how about this--I simply begin again. Because grace shouts from the rooftops that in Christ, we can always begin again. 

    And so today, this day before the anticipated chaos of election day tomorrow, let's agree to begin again. Begin again to remember that no matter what happens tomorrow, God is still on His throne!  Whether you're elated or devastated by whoever wins, here's what we absolutely positively know to be true: Christ is risen! Christ is Lord!  Christ is making all things new!  Christ is our hope, our joy, our peace, and in Him, our future is totally secure! 

    Here's another thing we know for sure: we are called to shine Christ's Light in the darkness. So don't add to the noise and confusion. Don't contribute to the vitriol. Don't give in to bitterness. Shine His Light--His love, His joy His forgiveness, His wisdom, His peace, His kindness, His goodness.

    Don't default to discouragement but to gratitude. Don't lapse into fear but choose faith. And it's not "faith in faith" but faith in the immovable Rock, Jesus. Faith in His unshakeable Word. Jesus already told us that "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. [not "might" or "sometimes" but "will" have tribulation. Why are we shocked?] But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

    Now that's some good news we can fully count on, no matter the chaos around us! Yes, we'll face troubles and trials in this world but Jesus has already overcome the world. And if He's overcome, what need we to fear? Instead, we can take heart--take courage, be of good cheer, be brave, be filled with confidence!--enjoy His peace, and place our hope, our trust, and our futures securely in His nail-scarred hands. 

    And that is the good--actually great!--news for today. Just thought we could all use a little reminding. 

   One more thing: "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Ps.118:24. Today, spend a few minutes rejoicing in God's goodness and greatness. Because it's no coincidence that this month is one we purposely dedicate to thankfulness and gratitude. Don't we all need it?  Even if you've been complaining and worrying and fretting and grumbling, like I said earlier, we can always begin again. It's never too late to start--so start today. 

    To God be the glory. 

BUT GOD

        Right now, a number of people that I love are struggling. A close friend lost a sweet sister and now another loved one in her family has suddenly gotten desperately ill.  Another very dear friend is battling cancer--how I despise that disease.  Another loved one struggles with loneliness and disappointment. A wonderful family in our neighborhood just lost a beloved young father and husband.  It feels like too much on top of all the isolation, sadness, division, and difficulties assailing all of us. What a sin-sick, broken world in which we live. 

        But God. 

        Oh yes, But God...

        "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." Gen.8:1

        "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Gen.50:20

       "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."Ps.73:26

       "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Mt.19:26

       "And he said, 'Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.'" 2Chron.20:15

        "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Acts 2:24

        "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom.5:8

        "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." I Cor.1:27

        "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." I Cor.10:13

         "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. . . and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." Eph.2:1, 3, 4-5

         Praise God that He always, always, always has the last word. And His Word stands firm, eternal, unshakeable, and supernaturally powerful. Because it is His Word. Backed by His power and His great name and character. I can't make these sorrows disappear or heal these diseases or make all these losses go away, much as I desperately want to--But God. But God is the One to whom I pray.  But God is the One who has all power, all love, all grace, all provision, all compassion, all healing. But God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think (Eph.3:20). But God has promised that He will somehow, someway cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Rom.8:28) 

          I don't how or why or when. I'm baffled and furious over this suffering...BUT GOD.  He is able. He is able. He is able. And we hand it all to Him. Take it Father. We can't...but You can. 

         So cancer, sickness, loneliness, death, division, covid, and every other enemy assailing us right now, you're days are numbered. Because we place our trust in the Lord God Almighty. The Lord of Hosts. Our job is to pray...and His job is to fight. We do what we can...but He does what we can't.  

         No matter how dark or discouraging the way before you might look, there is a "But God" just ahead. If you doubt that, look at the cross and then turn your gaze to the empty tomb.  So keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep following His nail-scared feet.  Keep walking, step by slow step.  Because your "But God" is coming. Always and forever. 

          To God be the glory. 

       

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.

 

        

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.