Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
A Paddling Psalm
Dear Lord,
In a world that constantly calls out to us to pay attention first to this thing, then to that, we are grateful for the quiet moments You give us to reflect on Your goodness and offer You worship. Help this message get across Lord, despite human lips. Let it touch those in need of encouragement.
We ask for Your presence and sweet peace.
It is in Jesus’ Name we pray.
Amen
The past few years have been pretty jam packed. Working as I did, in a large ministry, getting a few days off in a row was a challenge. As a result, my husband, Kevin, and I have had few opportunities to get away and just relax. On those rare occasions that we could get away, we have always opted to take our kayaks to a river to really unwind.
I love to kayak. Well, let me put that into a percentage. I love roughly 95% of a kayaking adventure. Now, I am not talking about whitewater kayaking. Kevin and I mostly kayak in local rivers like Rocky or Deep River or a few hours up the road in the New River.
The New River is a misnomer. Of the world’s rivers, it is the 3rd oldest. THIRD OLDEST IN THE WORLD. The Nile and Amazon are younger. The river wears her age beautifully.
The experience of being alone in a kayak on an ancient river is incredible. Because I choose not to fish, I am free to paddle my boat wherever my whims may take me. While I keep my eye on Kevin’s location (he fishes), I may paddle on ahead of him, or lag behind him many times during a day trip on the river. Occasionally we will paddle side by side, to access sunscreen, grab a bottle of water, to decide on a picnic location.
Mostly, though, I float along with the current, daydreaming a bit. I watch the clouds as they pass overhead and I soak in the peaceful atmosphere. I paddle in close to the bank to admire a carpet of wildflowers and mountain laurel. I take pictures of the hundreds of geese we move past on our journey or of the black and white cows on the bordering pastures. Truly, after a few hours on this watery Eden, all my cares just melt away. What I have described, though, accounts for the 95% of the river experience that I love.
Now, for the other 5% (actually, probably less than 5%, but feels like a lot when it happens). The New River as it flows near Sparta, has very few rapids and of those rapids, few are considered challenging. For the most part, I can steady myself in the kayak, focus on paddling, and get through them just fine. For the most part. However, with every kayaking trip, one, if not two, rapids will scare me senseless.
When approaching a rapid that makes me nervous, I paddle steadily to keep from going into it until Kevin is in his kayak right behind me. When Kevin is within a few yards of me, I will steel up for the challenge, point my kayak into the rapid, do my best paddling and keeping the kayak steady, and move through it as safely as I can. Most of the time, I am successful. Most of the time.
This summer, the class 3 rapid, got the best of me. Despite my best efforts, my kayak got sideways and took on water rapidly. Kevin paddled to my sinking boat, jumped out of his, and with one hand he held on to his kayak while trying to force mine up to stop it from going under. But, with several gallons per second pouring against his body into my boat, he was doing the best he could just holding onto my kayak and his at the same time. All the while with me crying like a little girl.
I was up against a bolder and he told me to climb onto it, which I gladly did to have the feeling of solid steadiness for a moment. Kevin continued to try to pull my boat up, but one handed still made it a near impossibility. He told me to get into his boat and ride it on out of the rapid. I cried more, telling him I didn’t want to go on and leave him behind with no kayak. As women will do, I already had visions of the millions of things that could happen to him if I left him behind without a boat….maybe he’d slip on a moss covered rock and hit his head. Maybe he’d float down too fast in the river and break his neck. Maybe the sinking kayak would dislodge and crush him against a bolder. You name the horrible thought, I had it. I was afraid for my own safety initially, but the real horror for me surrounded the possibility of Kevin being hurt or killed because of me.
The irony of it…..when going into a situation that made me fear for my safety, I wanted Kevin to be near me precisely because I knew he would do everything within his power to keep me safe. I knew Kevin loved me sacrificially----that he would put my safety above his. But, in practice, it chilled me and warmed me to the core both at the same time.
You see, Kevin and I have been married for over 26 years. We have known each other over 28 years. He’s told me he loves me every day of those years. He has committed his life to me. We have a child together, a home together, have gone through ups and downs together, and been true to each other all that time. So, my mind knew Kevin loved me in theory and in practice. I know I’d give my life for him without hesitation, and assumed he would for me. But, to actually see that in action…..to see a man jump out of a safe, dry kayak into a rapid to give you his boat to ride safely out, To see him muscle it up out of the water after many minutes of fighting a forceful torrent of water…..to know there are dangers….well, simply put, to see someone risk their safety to ensure yours takes love to a level few get to experience firsthand. It is a mixed blessing, to have the scariest aspect of your life also to be the most heartwarming one as well.
Kevin loves me sacrificially. Because I know that, the moment I was scared I looked for him and wanted him close by.
That day, it dawned on me….Isn’t that exactly what I do with Jesus? When life is all roses and smooth pathways, I keep my eye on Jesus. I make sure I don’t venture far from him and have many occasions during the day where I touch base. But, like with Kevin, don’t I avoid going into scary situations without him by my side? When I am anxious, don’t I pray and ask him not to send me into the rushing waters alone?
What about you? Do you find that as the challenges of life head your way, you avoid rushing in without prayerfully asking the Lord to hold your hand, even guide your steps and words…never leaving your side as you enter the scary unknown?
The Bible gives us assurance that the Lord wants us to call out to him and invite him to enter the battle, the challenge, the trial, the rapid by our side.
I have given this a lot of thought. I think my river experiences with Kevin are very much like my life experiences with Jesus. On the river, I am at peace, in Kevin’s presence I am able to enjoy the beautiful wildlife in relative solitude, frequently interacting with him because I love him, and occasionally meeting up in the river for sunscreen, a meal, or water. When the river gets scary, I seek him out, and want him close by. He encourages me when things get nerve-racking, finally just taking over when I can’t do it alone. In life, when things are going well and I can enjoy the simple pleasures, I interact with Jesus often because I love Him, occasionally those interactions are longer than my usual daily prayers like with church or intercession for a friend in need. When my own life gets scary, I seek Him out, and want Him close by. He encourages me when the darkness closes in. If a situation is incredibly difficult, I know that He will carry me through.
Kevin’s love for me is sacrificial. I have watched him risk his well-being for me.
Christ’s love for me is sacrificial. He already gave His life for me. I’ve done nothing to deserve this sacrificial love from either one…but, the preciousness of it does not escape my notice or appreciation.
God’s people have always been assured that in their time of need, when they seek God, He is ready to be of assistance.
2 Chronicles 15:14
4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.
When a child of God seeks comfort or strength, the Book of Psalms is an incredible resource. It provides such blessed assurance of a powerful, loving God that is eager and capable of rescuing us from the tribulations of life.
Psalm 72:12
For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
Psalm 107:6
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Of the 150 Psalms, over 70 are attributed to King David. As a young person, I could only identify with David a tad bit, as he was a mere youth when he slew Goliath. But, our similarities began and ended with his age. Beyond that, for most of my life, King David was not a person with whom I had anything in common. After all, he lived 1000s of years, ago, he faced and killed a giant, he commanded armies, was a KING, and was famous even during his own lifetime. However, as I have lived my life. As I have had fears and heartbreak. As I have seen dark days and called out to the Lord, even speaking of tear-stained pillows and overwhelming sadness…..as I have read King David’s words in Psalms, I have heard my own heart echoed. King David was a man, made of flesh and blood just like me. He had known joy, but he also endured incredible days of darkness. Like me, some of his challenges came about because of his own poor choices, but others came about simply as a result of living in a fallen world. His Psalms mirror my own experiences, too….crying out to the Lord first in pure overwhelming anxiety, eventually culminating in the peace that surpasses all understanding as the realization dawns that we are the children of an omnipotent, merciful, loving Father that can and will render all needed assistance, guidance, and comfort in the midst of life’s more terrifying and heartbreaking moments.
Just a few of those Davidic Psalms include:
Psalm 34: 17-18
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 70: 5
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 34:6
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalm 22:19
But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Psalm 23:4
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Did you note that in each of the Psalms, the Lord’s assistance came as a result of one of His children looking to Him for help? We are in relationship with Him. He delights in helping us, but desires the interaction of us realizing we need Him and calling out to Him from that need.
Did you pick up on the pure faith David expresses in his words? Because of his long relationship with God, he knew from experience, that the Lord would readily assist him in his hour of great need.
It is no accident that our relationship with Jesus is expressed as a husband’s love for his bride. My husband and I are in continual fellowship. We interact throughout the day. We share the joys and quiet times together. I know from experience that should I need him, all I need to do is ask, he is there for me. And, as good as a friend is, this love of my husband for me, his bride, transcends the natural human inclination of self-preservation….it is a love that willingly sacrifices self for the well-being of the other.
In the river, what I thought to be true in my mind was made evident as truth in reality. I sought Kevin’s assistance in my time of need, and he granted it….even to the point of risking his own life. Had I not encountered the scary episode in the river, I would not have witnessed his sacrificial love for me before my very eyes.
You know, as frightening as many aspects of this life can be, if we did not have to experience them, would we ever truly get to witness the all powerful, all encompassing, sacrificial love of Christ?
Looking at flowers and floating peacefully in the river didn’t spotlight Kevin’s love for me. He had no opportunity to prove his love for me in a way I would never forget. Sunny days, perfect health, and effortless finances never give Jesus an opportunity to demonstrate His power, His unfailing love, or His willingness to sacrifice Himself to bring us home to live eternally with Him in His kingdom. As much as I love Kevin, I didn’t feverishly search for his presence when watching deer at the river’s edge….but, I did at the first sign of white water. As much as I love Jesus, I don’t clamor for His attention or favor when times are good, but I my heart yearns for His presence as I encounter the trials of a fallen world.
Both with the earthly husband the Lord has given to me and with Jesus, seeking their presence in tough times is always followed quickly by their full attention and assistance.
No matter what you are facing today, Jesus is delighted to help you. Call out to Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. For many, financial situations that seem insurmountable are constant stressors. Call out to Jesus for assistance in ways you may not even be able to imagine with your limited human mind. Many have health issues that range from persistent discouragement, to out-and-out life threateners. Call out to Jesus. Even in the midst of a dire diagnosis, the Lord can give you a peace that will carry you through without anxiety. Perhaps you are experiencing a heartbreaking relationship issue. Call out to Jesus. He can do miracles that no word or effort on your behalf can accomplish. I know many of you today are dealing with a death that has left you devastated. Call out to Jesus. Only Jesus can comfort you with assurance that your loved one is experiencing a peace this world could never offer.
Father,
We realize that our sins break Your divine laws and that the penalty for our transgressions is eternal death and separation from you. We are grateful that You sent Your own beloved Son as a sinless sacrifice for us….that His death atones for our sins….that because He paid the penalty of death with His death to give us an everlasting life. We openly confess our full faith in our salvation through Jesus Christ. Help us, daily, to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus, so that we will better know the One that died so that will live.
Lord, you crave a relationship with your beloved. Help us to be in hourly fellowship with you. And, Lord, when we face troubling challenges in our lives, remind us to call out for You. Assure us always that You are always ready to help us in our time of need.
It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen
The same Christ that is present in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and displayed in Creation is the same Christ that is interwoven in the fabric of the lives of His people. God is the Master of the Universe, yet cares deeply about every tiny detail of your day. Seek the Biblical lessons to be learned in all of your experiences.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Of Black Snakes and Bluebirds
Dear Lord,
As we come to You today, please give us a few
tranquil moments to fully engage in the message and hear what You would say to
our hearts. Keep the hectic world at
bay, Lord, and let us simply sit at your feet and feel Your presence.
It is in Jesus’ Name we ask,
Amen
I love my domestic pets. Animals that I have called my furry children
have run the gamut from wild turkeys to American dingoes. What I can’t tame, I still enjoy providing
for. I love leaving food outside for the
deer, fox, songbirds, opossum, and more.
I fall somewhere in between Noah and Ellie Mae. It makes me happy that so many creatures feel
safe at my home. I’ve watched several generations of God’s creatures
play in my yard, learn to fly from my trees, and grow up under the pines. I have welcomed them all.
Unlike many people, I have no irrational fear of
snakes. In fact, unless they are
venomous, I have no reaction to them at all. A few summers ago, a five foot long blacksnake took
to hanging out around the house. One day
he’d sleep in the butterfly bush, another he’d sun along the edge of the
lawn. He even wound himself occasionally
in a dogwood tree that grew alongside my front porch. It was not unusual for him to crawl across
the concrete even as I sat in my rocker. He seemed friendly enough. Because he wasn’t venomous, I didn’t
discourage his familiarity with my yard.
I never once as much as “shooed” him away from any location he chose. I was comforted by the fact that I knew he
would consume the frogs that frequented my walkway and would discourage any
mice from venturing too close.
One day, when Tommy and I returned from a shopping
trip and began bringing bags onto the porch I spotted what appeared to be a
cowboy boot inside my bluebird house. I
thought it was a boot because of the color and the pattern I saw in the opening. It took my brain a few seconds to wrap around
the reality. I was seeing snake skin in
the bluebird house.
I called my daddy to come help me. It took great
effort to prod the snake into coming out.
I was astonished as all five foot of the black snake emerged from a
bluebird house that was less than 1 foot square and already full of nest and
nestlings. When he was out, it was clear---nothing could be
saved. The nest was destroyed. The babies gone. The snake had simply done what snakes do. The problem is that I did not do one thing to
discourage it from happening.
The snake felt safe at my house. The bluebirds felt safe at my house. The issue was this, the bluebirds had an
enemy and their enemy was the snake. I
had provided that snake a comfortable environment on my property in their
proximity. I had willingly harbored the enemy of my beautiful bluebirds to
devastating effect. Because I had given the snake free reign of my yard,
these parents lost their children. Their
home was destroyed. Their future of
caring for and loving their little ones was gone. This was a family I would never see learn to
fly. This was a generation that would
not live to create more beautiful bluebirds for the woods around my home. The snake slithered in and destroyed everything because
I didn’t think about who might suffer the consequences of his appetite. I had provided him with a home and ample
opportunity to do as he pleased.
In a seemingly off topic subject, I’d like to make a
confession. Now, I’ve been a lifelong church
congregational member and have loved the Lord for as long as I can remember. I am baptized and saved. I don’t willingly sin. I carry on near-constant conversations with
Jesus. I have even served on a ministry
staff for several years. But, can I tell
you something? Never once I had I asked
the Lord to cleanse me of all sin. I
really had never thought about asking Him to purify me of hidden sin.
One day at church a while back, a lady was giving me
her testimony and spoke of her prayer that God “search her heart and uncover
any unrighteousness.” And instantly, I
thought, “Wow, I’ve known Jesus as my Savior longer than she has and even I’m
not ready to ask Him to do that!” It bothered me that I felt that way….but, it didn’t
bother me enough to rectify the situation for quite a few years. However, recently it really dawned on
me. I love the Lord, He is abundantly
good to me, He has even created a beautiful home in eternity for me, He
suffered and died for me….and I have the nerve to willing shelter His enemy,
the devil, in my being!!!!!! It was right then and there, I decided I’d have no
more of that!
How had I been so compliant, for so many years? How had I managed to feel comfortable with
permitting the devil safe harbor anywhere in my life?
How about you?
Have you ever asked the Lord to search for satan in your heart? Have you asked Him to cleanse you of any dark
blot? Are you giving satan a foothold in
any area of your life?
Let us break it down for ourselves.
God is our Father. Personally, in each of our lives, we can
recount a multitude of times (including sending His Son to offer us salvation)
that God has loved us, cared for us, tended us, rescued us, taught us, fed us,
provided for us and the list goes on and on.
Wouldn’t you agree?
Zephaniah
3:17 expresses this very well -
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice
over you with gladness; he will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you
with loud singing.
Psalm 121:3 states: He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Matthew
10:30-31: "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "So do
not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Now,
let us define sin: To sin is to
transgress against God’s divine laws.
God has instructed us, His beloved children, to not
partake in sin because the penalty of committing a sin is a death that will eternally
separate us from Him.
God lovingly sent His son Jesus to us to accept the
penalty of death upon Himself to pay the price for all of our sins. However, in order for His death to pay our
penalty, we must accept that Jesus is the son of God and that He died to pay
our penalty (He offers us the gift of salvation), and we must willingly accept
that gift.
In James 1: 13-15 we read: When tempted, no one should say, “God is
tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14 but
each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Hebrews 2:14
speaks of Jesus in saying: Since
therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of
the same things, that through death He
might destroy the one who has the power of
death, that is, the devil.
Throughout the Bible, it is made abundantly clear
that satan is the enemy of your Father.
Examples include:
Revelation 12:9; 20:2 “And the great dragon was
thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was
thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him …
Isaiah 14:12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star,
son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
Acts 13:10
And said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of
all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of
the Lord?
Satan, as the enemy of God, seeks to tempt us to
engage in sin.
As God’s enemy, satan desires to thwart God’s plans
where it hurts the most….satan wishes to make Jesus’ death on the cross a
wasted effort by preventing God’s children from accepting Christ and keeping
them, instead, preoccupied with the world and engaged in perpetual sin.
Matthew 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of
the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what has been sown in his heart.
John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil,
and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the
beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him
Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and
the father of lies.
1 John 3:8 Whoever makes
a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the
devil.
Can you agree with me on these points from our
scripture reading? Isn’t it clear that
the Lord is our Father and loves us?
Didn’t He send His son to suffer and die to prevent us from suffering
the sin-penalty of eternal death that would separate us from Him? Doesn’t scripture make it clear that the
enemy of our loving Father is satan?
Isn’t it without question that satan is at work to keep us sinning and
separated from God, the Father that loves us?
Because I thought there was no harm in the
blacksnake, I didn’t recognize that he was the enemy of my sweet
bluebirds. I gave him a place in my
domain, and from that location, he destroyed their lives.
Because I hadn’t given permission to the Lord to run
satan fully out of my life, I was giving his enemy shelter in my very
being! And, from that vantage point, he
was free to do whatever damage he so chose with ease and comfort. Imagine that, me –harboring the enemy of the
Lord that loves me! When I finally realized this, I immediately prayed
and gave the Lord full, unhindered permission to run satan out of my yard!
The Lord loves you.
He has been good to you. He wants
to bring you home to live with Him in paradise.
He has an enemy….an enemy that cares nothing for you and has hatred for
God. Do you intend to give satan a place
to hide in your heart?
Please join me in our
closing prayer:
Lord, too often we have given satan a comfortable
couch in our livingroom even when we know of his hatred for you. We now open the doors to our house wide open
to You, Lord. Please come in and seek out
satan. Open every door, every
cabinet…look under every bed and dresser.
Anywhere you find him, Lord, drive him out. Never again let it be said that this child of
Yours gives refuge to Your enemy.
It is in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen
The same Christ that is present in the Old
Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and displayed in Creation is the same
Christ that is interwoven in the fabric of the lives of His people. God is the Master of the Universe, yet cares
deeply about every tiny detail of your day.
Seek the Biblical lessons to be learned in all of your experiences.
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