Robes, Rings, and Fattened Calves

 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate...’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” Luke 15:22-30

I have been reading a great book by Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God. It is an in-depth study of the parable that Jesus told regarding a man who had two sons. We know it as The Prodigal Son but the Bible does not refer to it in that name. One son demands his inheritance, leaves home, squanders every cent on sinful living, and determines he will die if he doesn’t return home. The other son who faithfully and dutifully remained with their father has been picking up the slack no doubt. The days were long and hard as he carried the load for two people. Our passage tells the story of a humbled repenting son and a prideful resentful son. Truth is both sons were alienated from their father. We can find ourselves in both as we walk out our own journeys home. The younger son was physically separated while the elder son was emotionally separated. In the story the father had to go out and invite both of the sons in. The attitude of the elder son was anger. ‘He feels he has the right to tell the father how the robes, rings, and livestock (fattened calves) of the family should be deployed’ p. 44. 'If, like the elder brother, you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper...but he is not your Savior’ p. 44.

How many times have we approached God reminding him of the things we have done for Him? The principles that we have upheld...the faith that we have placed in Him...the tithe that we offer Him. Are we no different than the elder son as secretly we judge all of the bad things that other people have done and keep account of our good deeds? Why do they get grace for being bad and we get nothing for being good? If we are honest, we probably can relate to the elder brother a little more than the wild rebel who is shockingly self-focused and sinful. 

The great news is that we all are living ‘east of Eden’ because of the fall of Adam and Eve. When we accepted Christ as Savior, we became adopted into the family of God. Even if we alienate ourselves from our Father, we still hold the position in the family. ‘Jesus will make the world our perfect home again. We will no longer be living ‘east of Eden,’ always wandering and never arriving. We will come, and the father will meet us and embrace us. And we will be brought into the feast’ p. 117.

Following the One

 “’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said...” Matthew 4:19

This morning as I was listening to a song about following Jesus, an image popped into my head. It was my dad up in front of me walking faster than I walked as a little girl. My 10 little steps probably made up 2 of his long strides. I can still remember asking a million times where were we going only for him to look over his shoulder telling me to just follow him. Whether it was in a store or a parking lot, I knew one thing...although I didn’t know where I was going, he certainly did.

Even as I grew into a teenager, there were times when he wanted me to follow him in the car. If for some reason we got separated, I knew that somewhere up ahead on the side of the road he would be pulled over watching for me. What a comfort and confidence I had in him whenever I followed.

A rush of fresh awareness and gratitude washed over me this morning as God used my father to remind me of this simple but easy-to-forget reminder. As we walk out our circumstances, we must keep in step with Jesus up ahead. We must lift our prayers asking Him, ‘Where are we going?’ Most importantly, we must wait and watch for Him to glance over His shoulder and remind us, ‘Come, just follow me.’

So many of us find ourselves waiting on something to happen in our circumstances ...the healing of a physical condition...the callback from a job interview...the reconciliation of a broken relationship...a mended heart from losing a loved one. In order to follow anyone, we must keep moving...we must keep the One we trust in our sights...we must listen for His direction and encouragement. The only way to leave a place is to move to the next one, and God did not leave us on our own to get there. Through Christ, we can follow Him and trust that if we keep moving forward, so will He. Otherwise, we just may lose Him in the crowd.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” 2 Co 2:14.

The Uninvited One

“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil.” Luke 7:36

I love this story where pride collides with humility...where despair and sin understand the need for engagement and a Savior...where the legalism of the host is trumped by the longing of the uninvited. No doubt there were many things on Simon’s mind when he orchestrated a dinner for a man named Jesus. The table had been set perfectly I’m sure...the lounging cushions arranged in an intentional way...the guest list pridefully chosen to showcase his guest. Meanwhile, word of this special dinner with this Jesus person echoes in the heart of this sinful woman. She lays her reputation aside and gathers her most precious belonging...her expensive perfume. She fully understands that she will be perceived as an uninvited guest, a party-crasher, and an outsider. I wonder how long she stood outside before she entered the home. How she must have longed for fellowship and acceptance of family instead of the isolation of bad choices? Did she have to muster up the courage or was she so desperate for a Savior that she bolted right in? She was about to exchange her loneliness for community with Jesus. She was about to join His circle instead of being an outsider looking in.

This beautifully painted picture resonates deep in my heart, soul, and spirit today. It nudged my memory of when our daughter was in an in-patient facility as a young teen. We were trying to help her navigate through wounded feelings she was presently experiencing. One day in family counseling (including her siblings) the counselor had us sit in a circle of chairs. She asked our daughter to take a chair and place it in the circle based on her feelings. As she approached the circle and picked up a chair, I figured she would place it next to me. Instead, she took a chair and walked out of the circle with it and placed it in a corner of the room and sat down. It broke my heart to think that she either didn’t want to be in our circle or didn’t feel loved and invited into it. We desperately wanted fellowship with her on the deepest levels. We wanted her to see that there was always an invitation and deep desire for us to love her, welcome her, and protect her.

And so does Jesus. He invites everyone to His table regardless if mankind excludes them. Don’t we all feel unworthy to approach Jesus at certain points of our lives? Sometimes wouldn’t we all rather withdraw and isolate instead of courageously approaching Jesus with our brokenness and sin? The woman who washed His feet, dried them with her hair, kissed them with her lips, and anointed them with her greatest gift was not only looking for forgiveness but was longing for a place next to Jesus of belonging and community.

When we come to Jesus in humility, we become the woman in Luke’s story. The uninvited one who becomes the exalted one...the uninvited one who becomes the honored one... the uninvited one who brings our chair back into the circle.

Reflecting God's Glory

“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (RSV).

 

I have always loved pictures of Jesus meeting with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration prior to his final days leading up to the cross.  I seemingly have painted a pretty picture of this meeting, relatively harmless and spiritually edifying.  But this morning I realize that my understanding was more of a childlike bedtime story.  God loaned His heavenly saints to Jesus to prepare Him for the suffering that would be His.  The Bible is silent on that sacred conversation between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.  But I guarantee God wanted extra encouragement for Jesus to help Him understand that what was getting ready to occur was both the will and way to bring Jesus home as well as saving humanity.  Fully knowing that His son was getting ready to unimaginably suffer, He sent His finest messengers to strengthen Him...encourage Him...most likely sharing unknown things with Him.  I’ve never thought about the word transfiguration in any other way than a positive light.  Don’t get me wrong by that inference because with transfiguration comes the glory of God.  However, I discovered today that transfiguration always includes suffering. 

 

“The idea of transfiguration follows very naturally and logically from acceptance, gratitude, and offering.  If we receive the things that God wants to give us, if we thank Him for them and if we make those things an offering back to God, then this is what’s going to happen – transfiguration.” Suffering is Never for Nothing,Elisabeth Elliot, p.93.  This brings me to my original point.  Glory follows suffering when we accept the things we have in our lives that we don’t want and accept the things we don’t have in our lives that we desire.  Hopefully acceptance breeds gratitude for God walking us through it all, and we begin to offer our testimonies for the encouragement and benefit of others.  What follows our offering is God’s glory in us, through us, and surrounding us.  The three parts of suffering that will bring glory to God and God’s glory to us is acceptance, gratitude, and offering.

 

“If your faith rests in your idea of how God is supposed to answer your prayers, then that kind of faith is very shaky and is bound to be demolished when the storms of life hit.  But if your faith rests on the character of Him who is the eternal I AM, then that kind of faith is rugged and will endure” p. 93.

 

Jesus embodied the words of Isaiah 58:10-11 as an example of how we can triumphally walk through this life as an example for our circle of influence.  As we pour ourselves out from our suffering for the sake of helping others get through their suffering, we reflect the face of Jesus.

An Oatmeal Cookie Offering

“There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.” John 6:9

When I was a little girl, our mother always packed our lunches. Most of the time I knew what I would have for lunch. But occasionally, I would open that little brown bag with my name written on the front to discover something I had not expected...one of my favorite things being a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cookie! By the time lunch rolled around I couldn’t wait to sit with my friends and see what they had in their lunchbox. Sometimes we would swap things if we saw something we liked better. But I never wanted to offer my oatmeal cookie...it was just too difficult to give up.

When Jesus asked the disciples how they were going to feed all of the people who had come to hear Him, Andrew pointed out a little boy who had some food which may have fed a few people. Now John stays silent on the conversation between the boy with the lunch and the person who asked him for it. All we know is that one minute he had his lunch and the next he did not. What if he favored his loaves and fish just like I did my oatmeal cookies? Did he gladly give up something special for himself to benefit so many others?

Every single thing we have in this life is a gift from God, making it potential material for sacrifice. Some things given to us bring great joy while other things create deep suffering. Some of the greatest people who have influenced my life have been those who have suffered but have given of themselves to help others in their suffering. Our suffering cannot become our religion and our brokenness can only be healed by offering it up to Jesus. Elisabeth Elliot, author of Suffering Is Never for Nothing writes, ‘Let it go. Offer it up. A sacrifice. If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it may be because pieces will feed a multitude when a loaf would satisfy only a little boy. God took a little boy’s lunch and He turns it into something for the good of the world because that individual let it go.’ p. 83, 85.

Will we?

The See-saw of Faith

“For God so loved...that He gave His only son...” John 3:16a.

When I was a little girl there was a park in our town that had a see-saw. I don’t remember a time before that sunny day when I had ever gotten on one. Thankfully, I cannot remember who was on the other side of the see-saw when I was on it, but there was a group of kids with me. All I remember was the moment they jumped off when I was high in the air and my side came crashing to the ground. What a jolt! What a surge of pain up my back which left me sore, angry, and resentful. I had done nothing to deserve that but was having to experience it.

I read this morning that faith is the fulcrum of our moral and spiritual balance. ‘Think of a see-saw. The fulcrum is the point where the see-saw rests. And my moral and spiritual balance depends on that stability of faith,’ Suffering is Never for Nothing, Elisabeth Elliot, p. 45. When suffering is thrust upon us our lives crash to the ground sending an undeniable bolt of pain throughout our body...physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It requires the very thing that we rarely have in order to bring our lives back into balance...acceptance. If faith is the fulcrum, then acceptance is the journey back to balance. ‘Acceptance...is the key to peace in this business of suffering...the crux of the whole matter is the cross of Jesus Christ. It is the best thing that ever happened in human history as well as the worst thing,’ pp 41-42. That suffering was a result of God’s deep love for you and me. The only way to avoid suffering is to avoid love. Would we have rather that God never blessed us with our loved ones to avoid the present suffering? Of course not, so what we are left with is the painful, messy, and overwhelming journey towards acceptance and peace. While our circumstances may be chaotic, ‘We’re not adrift in chaos. We’re held in the everlasting arms. And therefore, and this makes a difference, we can be at peace and we can accept. We can say yes, Lord, I’ll take it. I don’t like what You’re doing. I don’t understand it. But I will trust You,’ pp 44-45.

God will show us the next step in our journey towards the fulcrum of faith. Our footprints will be imprinted with peace and acceptance every little step we take but we must move...we must choose...we must believe.  Acceptance is not an evil word but a life-giving promise that God will use to bring us into His merciful healing and transcending peace. There is not one circumstance that any one person is enduring that is uncommon to mankind. We all will love those who God has blessed our lives with. We all will be called to live without those loved ones when God in His ultimate plan takes them home. That is God’s will for every one of us as believers and it's what we are destined for. I’m so grateful that there is more than this world and that I will one day live forever with every one whom I have loved and lost.

Rings of Life

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6

Back in September, Bruce and I traveled to Portland, Oregon to visit his brother and sister-in-law. Crystal and I have always been close and I have considered her more of another sister than in-law. We had not been together for over a year and a half due to Covid and we were finally going to celebrate a joint 60th-birthday. When we got to their home, she handed me a small beautifully wrapped box. I opened it up to find a silver necklace that bore 6 interlocking rings, a ring for each decade for which I had lived. It will always be one of my favorite gifts. I began thinking this morning as I was playing with the rings hanging around my neck.

The first ring boasted of my birth into an amazing family of parents, grandparents, sisters, aunts, uncles, and a slew of cousins. It represented the unconditional love of family and the unmistakable faith in God in which I was raised.

The second ring held the memories of standing up in church and being confirmed in my own faith. It’s circle of silver held within it my precious friends from childhood to adulthood that God has placed in my life.

The third ring is probably one of my top two most precious rings. It is the ring of time in which I became a mother to 3 amazing children who love me, and wife to an amazing man who consistently and lovingly shares life with me. Within this ring, God blessed me with new friends along the way to share future rings with me which still continues to this day.

The fourth ring brought too much heartache to remember, coupled with horrible choices and decisions I made. But what was met with the horrible choices were mercy and forgiveness from those whom I let down. But I cannot despise the ring that showed me how to forgive and give grace to others with the same grace and forgiveness given to me by God.

The fifth ring is my very favorite and was a ring I never could have imagined. It is a ring that completely stopped me in my tracks and set my path in a different direction. A ring that ushered me into a living relationship with God who had been there every step of every ring. His love and comfort pulled me through the death of my sister and my dad, and an excruciating season as caregiver for my father-in-law with Alzheimers. Within this precious ring, God's blessings showered me with grandchildren discovering a love that I never could have imagined.

The sixth ring was filled with a focus on God’s kingdom and discovering the purposes He had for me from the time He formed me. He has given me amazing opportunities to share in His work despite my weaknesses and flaws. This ring blessed me with a new round of grandchildren.

I only have to consider the rings of my life to understand who has been with me through it all. Each ring matters because the times of suffering and joy are intertwined with each other and show the faithfulness of a loving Father. Just as these rings are layered in sterling silver, the rings of my life [and yours] have been layered in God’s love.

‘Christ is [and has been] the head of this home, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation’ Suffering is Never for Nothing, Elisabeth Elliot, p. 3.

Removing the Stinger

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting...But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Cor. 15:55-57

I read a story this morning about a little boy whose parents had taken him on a picnic. The little boy was severely allergic to bees and one sting could cause his death. As they were enjoying the day, a bee started buzzing around the little boy. His father jumped up and captured the bee in the palm of his hand until the bee had stung him. As he opened his hand which was beginning to swell, he showed his son the stinger. The father lovingly said to his child, ‘It’s okay. Now all he can do is buzz. This is what could have hurt you, but I took the sting away.’ Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 150.

I used to read this passage with a little less confidence than I do today. I remember during the time my sister Beth was laboring to breathe near the end of her life, it was difficult to read this part of Scripture with resounding confidence. I did feel death won...I was feeling the sting and heartbreak of our reality...my thanks to God was more of a whisper than an exclamation point. But I realized many years later that this passage must be read in a broader view. This passage is the chant of the eternal redeemed. This is the heavenly boasting from the saints who have passed over in spite of sin and death.

With so much focus on our pain when our loved ones transition into heaven we can’t see beyond the grave. But God can see what lies ahead, and He provided a way for you, me and our loved ones to be ushered into the His divine presence. You see, ‘He tailored you for more than a grave, fitted you for a grander destiny than a casket. You are an eternal being equipped with an eternal soul...God sees you as a steward of his essence. You bear the stamp of God’ p.147-148.

Like the little boy’s dad, Christ also bears the stinger in the palm of His hand that left a scar. He took the sting for us so that our story doesn’t end in death. While on earth all sin and sickness can do is buzz around us but it cannot eternally kill us. ‘When Jesus vacated the tomb, he robbed it of its power. Death may touch us, but it cannot have us’ p. 150.

Rock-a-bye Baby

“Therefore... I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14

This past weekend we went to my daughter and son-in-law’s home for Bruce to remove a dead tree in their front yard. My son-in-law had arranged for three of his best friends to come over and help cut the wood up and haul it to the back yard. Their wives and dogs came with them and were hanging out inside with my daughter, granddaughter, and their two dogs. When I walked in the four dogs began barking and jumping on me and the girls began welcoming me. It was quite the chaotic scene as you would imagine which would transpire in any home. My granddaughter Emry was sitting on the floor in the middle of this and was letting her voice be known. She became out of sorts, started screaming, and began crying. I’m not sure if she even knew why she was so unhappy. My daughter, Caroline had a business call and I was going to take Emry to her nursery and spend time with her. I grabbed a warm bottle of milk, her blanket, and headed back to her room closing the door behind me. Suddenly we were alone in a quiet room without the noise and competing circumstances. I began to rock her...feed her...sing to her in her dimly lit bedroom. It was just as much a joy for me to see her calm, peaceful, happy, and content as it was for her to experience it.

That is what God does for us. He sees us in the middle of our earthly chaos, recognizes that we need something for which we are even unaware, and picks us up taking us out of the noise to fellowship with us. He leads us into the still of the quiet if we will simply allow Him to carry us. He speaks to us in the whisper of the calm and tends to our every need. We spend that coveted time alone with Him away from the world and its noise. We forget what was stirring us up and remember that our Father can calm us down. We feel heard, we feel held, we feel comforted, and mostly we feel completely loved.

The next time chaos is swirling around you and you don’t even know what you need, reach up for the Father and allow Him to carry you to a quiet place where only He can comfort you.

A Box of Compassion

“Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me – you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40 The Message

When Bruce and I were sick with Covid last month I could barely get off of the couch. I had wondered what it would be like ...pondered how my body would response...considered which symptoms I would get. I wasn’t consumed with it, rather awaiting its arrival since I felt that everyone would eventually get Covid. As I laid there on the couch, a text popped up on my phone with a picture of a box on my porch overflowing with supplies and food. I couldn’t believe that a dear friend had come so far to bless us...to feed us...to care for us through the provisions...to offer nutrients and strengthen us through liquids. As I unpacked the box one item and a time, I was touched with how personal the items were to my preferences and needs. Her compassion was so dear and her timing was impeccable. This morning as I read a chapter in Begin Again, by Max Lucado her face came to mind and I was so blessed to know that when she dropped off that box of provisions, she dropped off that box to Jesus.

He writes, ‘The sign of the saved is their concern for those in need...And yet in these simple deeds, we serve Jesus. Astounding, this truth: we serve Christ by serving needy people. None of us can help everyone. But all of us can help someone. And when we help them, we serve Jesus’ p. 124.

We might just see Jesus playing an instrument with an empty case on the ground laid open, an invitation to a dollar or some change to be tossed in there. We might see Jesus in a hospital bringing a pill to a patient for pain relief. We might see Jesus in the grocery line counting out her change to see if there is enough to cover her few items. Jesus is everywhere and the opportunities to serve another are innumerable and everywhere we look. So, may we ask the question of ourselves according to Max, ‘O Lord, where did I see you yesterday...and didn’t recognize you? Where will I encounter you today...and fail to identify you? Make me a billboard of your grace, a living advertisement for the riches of your compassion’ p. 124.

You never know...Jesus just might walk up your front steps and drop off a box of compassion! 

Equipped to Run

“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.” 1 Co 12:7 (The Message)

Years ago, I was asked to speak at a women’s conference in our church. Honestly, I do not enjoy speaking and would prefer sitting behind a screen typing in my pajamas with unbrushed hair. The only reason that I accepted this invitation was that I felt God was behind it. So, with doubt flooding my heart and anxiety reigning in my thoughts I talked through it with Bruce. I raised several concerns regarding the speech but the one concern I most remember was the fact that I was going to take notes with me to help with the speech. I told Bruce that I felt like a failure that I couldn’t memorize the whole thing like our pastor does during his sermons. I will never forget the words Bruce said to me that calmed my anxieties and settled my soul. He said, ‘Brenda, God did not create you to be Talbot. He created you to be Brenda.’ I have used that line for years whenever I am feeling insecure about anything I have been called to do. 

Psalm 139:13 and 15 states that we were ‘knit...together...woven together in the dark of the womb...intricately and skillfully formed...’ We are uniquely designed, uniquely fashioned and uniquely equipped. We cannot spend our lives comparing ourselves to others who are uniquely created in another way. When we are walking in our Spirit-driven calling for which we were specifically equipped, our lives will reflect God and the fruit of our hands will be blessed. Every single person ever created was given a gift from God to use to bring others to Him. Our gift is found in our own lane – not the lane in which others are running.

“So when you begin again...run your own race. Nothing good happens when you compare and compete. God does not judge you according to the talents of others. He judges you according to yours. His yardstick for measuring faithfulness is how faithful you are with your own gifts. You are not responsible for the nature of your gift. But you are responsible for how you use it.” Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 110

Repeat Offenders

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

There are few things that exasperate me more than hearing about a criminal who was released only to commit the same heinous crime again. It boggles my mind that a person could experience a season in prison, isolated from his world and estranged from freedom only to return to those same destructive activities upon release. Even with the stakes high and the things they learned in prison they don't put them into practice...the head knowledge never traveled to the heart which could have altered their decisions.

Now before I judge the repeat offender, I need to look no further than my own weaknesses. I was taught that gossip was destructive and yet I find myself sometimes judging someone in my head which falls onto my lips failing to put into practice kindness. God tells us that bitterness and unforgiveness has no place in our hearts and we are to put into practice grace as we have received. And yet, we do not forgive...we secretly harbor bitterness. As parents we didn’t teach our children things just to hear ourselves speak. We taught them rights and wrongs to help them navigate through life and become caring and loving adults with integrity and kindness. We fully expected them to put what they received from us as parents into practice. So does God.

“As you receive [God’s truths] wonders occur...in time, facts in your head will become faith in your heart and create the fruit of the hands. Yes, ‘doing’ matters to God. But ‘doing’ follows receiving. Paul carefully presents the proper order: Learn. Receive. Do.” Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 105.

Napkin Fall of Faith

“He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

This morning I arose with such a sense of restfulness which rarely happens at my age. I was in such a joyful state looking forward to praising God with my worship music. The first hour was great as I sang and sipped my coffee moving my glider in the dark. After saying my prayers, I went into my den and continued reading Max Lucado’s book, Begin Again. Very quickly I turned into mush at a story he shared about a man on a plane who slipped him a napkin with a message scribbled in ink. The man wrote of a tragic lake accident involving his daughter which immediately led to him and his wife having to make the decision of removing her from life support. Scribbled on this napkin was the mantra of his life: Faith is a choice, come what may.

“Although the decision was painful, we were confident that we were doing the right thing in laying her in the arms of a mighty God. He knew our pain. His best work may not have been restoring Erin to this life but his assistance for Lynne and me to let him have her. He made our daughter better than new. He restored my Erin to his eternal presence. That is his best work! Our faith is getting us through this. Faith is a choice" p. 92.

I began realizing that God’s best work in the lives of our loved ones is sometimes our worst nightmare. God’s promises are faithful indeed but He cannot break His promises to anyone. For God to be faithful to a promise He made to one person might put us on a collision course with suffering. But God also promises to be faithful to all of us through His word...Beautiful promises if we choose faith. He promises that we will never walk alone through any situation. He promises that joy will come in the morning of a new season after many nights of weeping if we will choose faith. He promises that because we are not citizens of this world that we will all become citizens in eternity. You cannot read one page of the Bible without seeing promise after promise that God not only made, but kept. Our faith is our sight to be able to see the faithful manner in which God keeps every promise.

“I want that kind of faith. The faith that turns to God in the darkest hours...and trusts in His promises. The kind of faith that presses an ink pen into an airline napkin and declares, ‘Faith is a choice. And I choose faith’” p. 92.

Let's Make a Deal

“God did this [gave us his promise and his oath] so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:18

When I was a little girl, I loved the show Let’s Make a Deal. I would sit cross-legged as close to the television as I could without being told to scoot back so I would not ruin my eyes. I couldn’t wait to see the big reveal behind each of the doors to see if I had correctly guessed. All three doors were set before the contestant and their responsibility was to choose the door which they felt held the best prize. Sometimes it was a dud while others times it was an amazing blessing to take home. But what was received was always anchored in which door the contestant reached for.

As this childhood show came to mind this morning, it reminded me of this verse. We, too, have choices set before us when the stress rises...the bills are due...the tests reveal the disease...the marriage is strained. God created us fully aware that we would need an anchor for our souls while walking out our journey on earth. ‘Your soul unites you to God. And your soul needs an anchor...Our anchor is set in the very throne of God. It will never break free. The rope will never snap.’ Begin Again, Max Lucado, p.79.

My mind turns back to the gameshow as I consider the different doors that were set before me during a dark time. I set my hope on Door #3 which was a definite DUD...secret spending... falsehoods told to Bruce...unhealthy comforts. But God has been true to His promise that once I flee from other doors and reach for Him, I can rest in the abundance of His power and have hope. Max goes on to ask a very poignant question. ‘Is what I’m hooked to stronger than what I’ll go through? Everyone is anchored to something.’ Anchored to a money account...anchored to power and position...anchored to a credit card...anchored to a hidden bottle of alcohol...Anchored to a secret relationship. These anchors that exist behind these doors are dead-ends and will certainly decay every aspect of our lives.

'People of the new beginning make daily decisions to secure their anchors in the promises of God...They can walk you through horrific tragedies. They can buoy you in the day-to-day difficulties. They are, indeed, the great and precious promises of God' p. 84. 

Proving His Nearness

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” Psalm 138:8.

For years I had multiple people encourage me to read Redeeming Love which is a novel based on the Book of Hosea in the Bible. I was always intimidated by the thickness of the book thereby returning it unread to its owners several times. Finally, one of my best friends who knows me best coupled with my daughter who absolutely loved this book convinced me I had no choice but to read it which I finally did. It was certainly one of the best books I have ever read. I am so excited that the movie is soon to be released and cannot wait to go and see it. There were so many twists and turns...heartaches and celebrations...failures and victories...fears and relief. I will probably be glad that I know what is getting ready to happen so I can watch it play out in peace and confidence.

Isn’t that how God views our lives when troubles come our way? He not only knows the outcome of our struggles but He has written the story of our entire lives. While we haven’t read the book, He knows which chapter holds the deliverance. He knows how long our challenges will be our companion and the very moment they will be gone. Just like a novel’s climax, He is well aware of our anxieties and fears as we face certain circumstances. But with the story that He has written for each of our lives, it is met with His love, concern, and faithfulness. God knows exactly what is needed to perfect our lives...to grow in our faith...to deepen our relationship with Him. ‘God uses struggles to toughen our spiritual skin...One of God’s cures for weak faith? A good, healthy struggle...God guards those who turn to him. The pounding you feel does not suggest his distance but proves his nearness.’ Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 61-62.

When sitting in the movies we don’t jump up and run out when things get difficult for the characters. We sit in the darkness, anticipate the resolve, and trust that the writer has written a great plot. We can depend on the faithfulness of our Writer every single time. And because He is Lord, ‘He will be the stability of your times’ Psalm 56:3. 

No Solo Journeys

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalm 139:5

I think we can all agree that it was really nice to see the beautiful snowfall over the past couple days. It was peaceful and serene Sunday morning as I sat in the candle-lit dark sipping my coffee watching the huge snowflakes drift slowly to the ground. I have learned over 38 years that this peaceful serenity after a snow will be interrupted with the reality we cannot get out of our driveway. We live at the bottom of a steep drive and must always deal with the dilemma of getting to the top of our drive safely after we have a visit from snow and ice. We always park one car at the top of the hill for emergency purposes. Sunday was no different but thankfully Bruce has a tractor and he drove it up and down the driveway creating a thinner footprint for the sun to melt our ice. As I sat in my warm home watching TV, I heard the rumblings of his tractor. I went to the window and was overcome with gratitude for how Bruce was creating a solution to our problem. Once he cleared the drive from ice to slush, we drove my car to the top to get his car. As I drove cautiously back down, he followed me with his truck to ensure I was safe. His presence in my life is such a blessing to me.

I read a line this morning in my Bible study regarding how God, through His Spirit, works things out that we haven’t even considered. ‘God never promises an absence of distress on your journey. But he does promise the assuring presence of His Holy Spirit...This is no solo journey.’ Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 52. How many difficult situations have we been in only to have them suddenly resolve themselves? How often does worry turn into relief when we realize something didn’t come to pass? How can we explain how fear suddenly diminishes to peace? There is but one explanation and it is the ongoing, inexhaustible, and inexplainable workings of the Holy Spirit.

Not only does the Spirit of God go before us preparing our journey, but He follows us to ensure we stay safe on the path up ahead. Next time you feel lonely and scared to take the next step just remember...you have a constant companion on your journey...no one journeys alone! 

Included in our Ticket

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28.

 

A story is told about a man who bought a 3^rd class ticket on a steamship headed for New York so he could find work.  His plan was to send for them once he secured a job and found a place to live.  With little to no money for the trip he packed a wheel of cheese and a box of crackers.  Day after day he watched through the dining room window as the passengers in 1^st & 2^nd class enjoyed the hot meals prepared by the ship’s chef.  At the end of the trip, the steward asked the man why he had never joined them in the dining room.  The weary traveler explained that all of his money went towards his ticket.  The steward responded with shock, ‘Did you not know that three meals a day were included in your ticket?  We set you a place every day, but you never came.’

 

Aren’t we sometimes like the weary traveler who just assumes we are not entitled to the extravagances of God?  Aren’t there times when we isolate ourselves and relegate our spiritual nourishment to ‘cheese and crackers’ instead of approaching God’s Word expecting ‘fine dining.’  Each morning the table is set for us to join Him...our ticket is punched for meals throughout the day...our fellowship at the table is guaranteed if we will just show up.

 

We were never meant to carry the weight of our burdens, but rather to witness the weight of His glory as He carries them for us.  He offers rest if we will slow down and take it.  He desires fellowship if we will seek Him instead of the world.  He offers ongoing spiritual nourishment if we will just join Him.

We became 1^st class citizens when Christ denied this world and sacrificed His life for you and for me.  Our lives are destined for Heaven and our vessel is the empty grave.  When Jesus Christ was resurrected from death, our spiritual tickets afforded us the infinite abundance of God.  Our part is just to come as we are! 

Going Swimming

“Arise...go...to the land which I am giving.” Joshua 1:2

My daughter Kristen reminded me recently of a day decades ago when she was a little girl and we were in the kitchen. I had made a home-made apple pie from scratch and was so proud of the way it had turned out as I slid it onto the rack in the oven. Over the next hour, the aroma wafted throughout the house and I couldn’t wait to have a taste. I finally heard the timer go off and as I was pulling the pie out of the oven it slipped out of my hands and fell face down on the open oven door. As Kristen suddenly appeared in the kitchen with huge brown eyes and a dropped jaw, nothing was left but my response. As frustration and anger built, a sense of peace and logic suddenly came over me which I know was the settling of the Holy Spirit. I simply turned to her and said, ‘Go...put on your bathing suit, I’m taking you swimming.’ The pie stayed on that open oven door and we went swimming that day.

Oh, how I wish my responses would have been as calculated in some of my other failures and messes that I have created over the course of my life. But God invites us all to trust Him to clean up our messes and settle our emotions. Thankfully God’s promise to give us new land... fresh beginnings...subsequent chapters...does not depend upon our perfection, but rather His. Just like Psalm 37:23-24 states, ‘The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand.’

‘Miss this truth and miss your new beginning. You must believe that God’s grace is greater than your failures. Pitch your tent on the promise. Everyone stumbles. The difference is in the response. Some stumble into the pit of guilt. Others tumble into the arms of God...Rise up and step out. Fresh starts require a determined first step...There ain’t no future in the past. You can’t change yesterday, but you can do something about tomorrow. Put God’s plan in place.’ Begin Again, Max Lucado, p. 25-26. 

Bobbing in the Floodwaters

“When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf.” Genesis 8:11

As I consider Noah this morning during my devotional time, I draw some parallels between his family’s circumstances and our circumstances. Noah and his family also had to isolate for the impending flood without any knowledge of ‘how long.’ Day after day he searched the horizon for any small sign that life would return to normalcy. How the discouragement must have been unbearable, and how illusive hope could have seemed. But Noah did the very thing that we need to keep on doing...he kept searching the horizon...he believed God for His promise...he never gave up hope. As Romans 5:5 states, ‘...and hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out His love into our hearts...’

As we all turn our minds and hearts to a new year with hopes of new circumstances there is still the lingering challenges of the past two years...COVID...our own ‘Noah’s ark’ that has intruded and interrupted our lives in a flood of fear and heartbreak. I never in a million years dreamed we would still be bobbing in the floodwaters waiting for resolution and normalcy. It is easy to keep our eyes on the water instead of the sky looking for the dove to return with the olive leaf. Max Lucado, author of Begin Again writes, ‘Hope doesn’t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one...For isn’t that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf – evidence of dry land after a flood’ p. 8.

There is something grand about new beginnings as we flip our calendars over to a new year. Even with the worst of circumstances, the page still turns...the world still goes on...life still takes our hand and pulls us into tomorrow. We can’t begrudge its efforts because it is the path to the place where God provides new pastures...fresh possibilities...fresh hope. ‘God is a God of fresh starts. He is the author of the new chapter, the architect of the new design, the voice behind the new song. God knows the way forward. No matter what kind of disappointment or grief or trouble or heartache you’ve encountered, God offers an opportunity to begin again. Your current circumstances will not get the final say in your life.’ p. 8.

Don’t ever stop looking for the olive leaf for that is where hope is born.