Category: christianity

What are you waiting for?

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7, ESV

The world says: Don’t just stand there, do something.

The world warns that if we wait to act the future will be shorter.

The world’s pattern is typically: ready, shoot, aim.

God says, “Wait.”

Henry Blackaby encourages, “Don’t just do something. Stand there.”

Do you know what you’re waiting for?

Do you know who?

PRAYER: God, I don’t want to be doing something or anything just to fill up time. I will wait for you to tell me what I’m waiting for. For only in knowing that will I have any hope of finding my purpose.

Shhhhhh.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. (Psalm 62:5, ESV)

When I have to wait, I am typically not silent about it.

I can find all kinds of ways to grumble and complain about the waiting. The line’s too long. The Musack is too annoying. I’m wasting time.

I am learning all the grumbling in the world will not make the wait shorter or more enjoyable.

Perhaps if I allow silence into my waiting…if I will quiet my mind, my heart, my spirit…I will hear another voice speaking and assuring me the process is the point.

PRAYER: God who dwells in silence and whispers, quiet me and speak so I can hear.

Wait!!!!

How do you do at waiting?

Me, not so good. I like my instant cocoa and pudding. I count on my microwave. The other night my husband was in a foul mood because he waited over twenty minutes in the drive-thru at Taco Bell.

Over the years, Advent has become a good exercise in self-control; a reminder that I really don’t live in an instant world.

Have you noticed the two separate lines of thinking and behavior as it deals with this season? On the one hand, people complain mightily about how Christmas is creeping further into the year as retailers begin setting up displays as early as September—but then they whine about having to wait for the day to arrive…and be over.

I remember one Christmas our church was going to observe a “strict” Advent. That didn’t go over well. The big beef was having to wait to sing Christmas hymns and songs.

So this Advent, I’m going to purposely focus on waiting. Each day will highlight an applicable scripture passage and a prayer for a specific group who are “waiting.”

I hope you join me and find a blessing as mark the days of this holy season.

Dec 1
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Pro. 3:5-6, ESV)

The biggest deterrent to waiting is the ability to trust. At the beginning of this Advent let’s determine to grow in our trust of God. He has the big picture in view and our best interests in mind. Test him, he truly is worthy of your trust.

Prayer: God of time who is beyond time and over time, walk with us in this Advent season and teach how to trust…and to wait. Be especially near to those who are waiting for someone they love to come home. Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving

The very first scripture that I learned was Psalm 100:

If I close my eyes I can still see myself as a third grader holding my red hard bound RSV version of the Bible reading the psalm with the other children n my class.

To this day those words shape who I am.

And who I am is about giving thanks today.

Blessings to you!

Investment

I just finished a heart pounding, sweat breaking, ab tightening, arm wiggle shrinking workout on my total gym.

I feel good. I feel physically good, and I feel good emotionally. I just made an investment in myself, my health and well-being on several different levels.

The endorphins must have really kicked in because I started thinking, “I wish someone could get as excited about this as I am…so excited that they would pay me a thousand dollars to lose a hundred pounds and another thousand to keep it off for a year.”

I’m sure that this kind of thinking is residual fallout for the incentives my parents dangled before as school kids to get or keep good grades. The best one of those was dinner at the Kahiki in Columbus, Ohio. That one was pretty motivating…and tasty.

But I’m not a kid anymore. So where’s my motivation? What’s going to push me further? Is feeling good enough?

As I sat here pondering this, my mind naturally drifted to a conversation I had recently with my husband. He is the quintessential provider…and sometimes worrier regarding money and our retirement status. At some point as we talked he said, “The older we get the harder it is to invest.”

That little nugget of truth may not apply to everyone. Some folks received sound advice at an early stage in life and they began systematic and profitable savings that will keep them comfortable in their retirement. We were not so lucky. And it didn’t help that we struggled while I pastored very small churches that weren’t able to pay much and the many moves kept Nelson from establishing fiscal longevity…not much fiscal at all.

So we do what we can and pray a lot.

Maybe that’s another reason I was day dreaming about some benefactor who would invest in my health venture.

Don’t we all dream about that someone who will ride in and rescue us from the mess we’ve made of things? Someone who knows the enemy and how to defeat them. Someone who would give their all. Someone who wants more than anything to see us succeed.

Do you know anyone like that?

Sitting here pondering, I felt a nudge at my shoulder. Perhaps you know the kind. I stopped and reread what I had written and it became undeniably clear that I did know someone like that.

Someone who loves me, wants me to succeed, knows my enemy and how to defeat it, and made the ultimate investment for me.

I guess the question now is: what will I do with that investment? Will I work at ways to make it grow, or will I squander it?

What about you? That investment was made for you, too. Here’s how I know that to be true:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16, NLT)

Now that’s a retirement plan I can get into.

Ineffective Light

We are in the middle of an arctic deep freeze. We’ve run out of words to describe the cold.

Last night during the weather forecast, the woman was trying to be positive about the fact that the sun was going to shine. But she was quick to add that the sunshine would be ineffective because it was going to be so cold.

Ineffective light. How can that be?

As you can imagine, I was quick to begin thinking in spiritual implications.

I was immediately reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it
be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither
do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and
it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

I have often considered what “un-salty” might be, or how it would taste, but I had never considered light that wasn’t light.

That would be darkness…wouldn’t it?

Maybe not.

Have you ever reached for a flashlight (after hunting all over for it) only to find the batteries or light bulb were too weak to light what you needed to see?

Ineffective light.

The flashlight holds all the potential to dispel the darkness, but because it has not been maintained or cared for, when it is finally located it fails to live up to that potential.

So how is your light? What does it take to not be ineffective?

That reminds me what of Peter said:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to
goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection;
and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2Peter 1:5-8, NIV)

That’s quite a list. Maintenance of our light takes a bit of effort. We can’t hope to dispel sin’s darkness if sit on a shelf during the week and just show up occasionally at church on Sunday. Making every effort means making the most of every opportunity, and maybe even creating a few opportunities along the way.

I don’t want to have it pronounced over me that I was “ineffective and unproductive.”

I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

How about you? What effort are you making? Do you struggle to add what Peter recommends? What works best for you?

Prayer: God, help us, teach us, lead us to know how to make our light shine more brightly for you. Amen

Book Review: 365 Moments of Peace for a Woman’s Heart

365 Moments of Peace for a Woman’s Heart
Reflections On God’s Gifts of Love, Hope, and Comfort

Readings extracted from previously published volumes Moments of Peace for the Morning, Moments of Peace for the Evening, Quiet Moments Alone With God, Moments of Peace from the Psalms, Moments of Peace for a Woman’s Heart, Psalms to Soothe a Woman’s Heart, Moments of Peace in the Presence of God for Couples, Moments of Peace in the Wisdom of God.

From the moment I opened the package I knew I was holding something very special. This book begs to be held. That may sound odd to some, but for me, there is a definite feeling I get touching a book. This book has a quality and texture that exudes quality.

When I consider purchasing a devotional, I read certain days. I always go to my birthday and read the devotion God placed there for me. Then I let it open randomly and read what I find. The words on those days in this devotional were as rich as the physical qualities of the book itself.

I guess when publishers can draw the best from the best of their devotionals it would be safe to expect depth and wealth. I was not disappointed. The texts were not always familiar and the insights not predictable. The writing mined deeper truths, not seeming to be concerned for making the reader feel good, but more peace-filled and connected.

I am very happy to own this devotional and would not hesitate to give it as a gift to friend or family.

I was given a copy of this devotional by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Finding Christ

 

My mom lives in Arizona. Think Southwest architecture and décor.

The wall that separates her from her neighbor has three niches in it. Each one had a statue: Jesus, Mary, and St. Francis. It’s sort of on the order of the picture, but much less ornate. Think stucco wall with turquois painted statues.

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One day a strong storm came in and knocked Jesus from the wall and he shattered on the stones below. Mom had been looking for a replacement for some time without much luck. My husband and I went out for a visit and joined her in the search.

We took a day trip to one of our favorite spots, Tubac, Arizona.

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Now without intending any offense to Tubac, we really wondered if we would find Jesus in Tubac.

It sounded a little funny to us and I’ll admit we laughed a few times. So it was quite the joke when we actually did find a statue of Jesus. Too bad it was twice the height we needed. Too much Jesus?

Several months later my husband and I were shopping in an Amish community not too far from home. And guess what? We found Jesus there, too. But alas, Jesus was too heavy to carry around all day and we were without cell coverage. Before we bought we wanted to be sure it was what Mom wanted. We figured we could come back and get it after we called Mom.

But when we got back, Jesus was gone. And though they thought he might be back in a few months, they weren’t sure and couldn’t reach the distributer to confirm that.

I’m so glad it’s not usually that difficult to find Jesus.

His final promise was that he would always be with his followers: Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Paul was clear that finding Jesus would be too hard either: 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ (Acts 17:26-27)

I looked through lots of images for an ending picture. I considered using a picture of embracing Jesus, or finding Jesus. I chuckled when several images associated with finding Jesus were his image on a piece of toast.

I couldn’t decide what to use. Then it occurred to me that the main way people will see Jesus in me and you.
Will they see a broken Jesus?
Will he big too big, overpowering, too heavy?
Will he be there one minute and then not the next?
Will anyone be sure when he’ll back?

Tough to Swallow

In John 6 we find the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes. When lunch is over he identifies himself as the Bread of Life. Then in a way that shocked the crowd, he goes on to tell them they must eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Their response: Many among his disciples heard this and said, “This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow.” (John 6:60, The Message)

Too tough to swallow.

What do you find tough to swallow?

Has life handed you some bitter pills?

I always had a terrible time swallowing pills when I was a kid. All the way up through college, I would ask for a shot rather than have to swallow pills.

Penicillin was the worst. I couldn’t make those pills slide down no matter how much I drank. Nothing tasted worse. I would cry, beg, to not have to take the pills. My mom wasn’t very sympathetic. I know now she was “hard-nosed” about the whole thing because her ultimate concern wasn’t my immediate comfort but my eventual health.

Have you begged and cried out for God to remove some difficulty, an illness, financial challenges, physical limitations, or loss? But he lets it remain.

And that’s just pretty tough to swallow.

Doesn’t God care that you are suffering? Doesn’t he want you to be happy? Doesn’t he hear your pleas for relief?

Yes. But just like my mom, he loves you too much to leave you in your sin-sick condition.

There are so many stories in the Bible that are just heart-breaking. Widows who lose their only children. Poor Naomi and Ruth. And who can forget Job? But let’s consider Paul for just a moment.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church (See 2 Corinthians 12) he writes about his “thorn in the flesh.” Whatever it was, the apostle prayed on three occasions for God to remove it. And God said no.

He also said: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

As a result Paul declared: “I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weakness, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (1 Corinthians 12:10).”

Talk about a bitter pill. Paul endured much that we would find tough to swallow. But he also knew a strength and grace that enabled him to come through all the difficulty and in a way that brought honor and glory to the One who provided the strength and grace in the first place.

On the day when some of Jesus’ disciples found his message to be a bitter pill many left. Jesus turned to those who remained and asked if they were thinking of bailing, too. Peter spoke up for the remaining twelve: Where else can we go? You alone have the words of life.

Peter didn’t try to sugar coat it. Sometimes bitter pills lead to life.

Job, that persecuted and often misunderstood man from the Old Testament, grasped this one thing like nothing else in his ordeal. He summed up his ability to hang onto God in the midst of all his suffering this way: shall we take the good and not the bad? (See Job 2:10)

Paul went a step further and told the Roman believers that no matter how bitter the pill God was able to cause all the bad, the negative, the difficult to work for good. He never says that the bad is good, just that God can take all the negative and difficult and make them work for our good and his glory (See Romans 8:28).

Tough to swallow…perhaps. But remember, God knows what is absolutely best for you. You can trust him. It may be tough, but don’t walk away now. In him there is fullness of life, your life and mine, now and forever.

Compassion for Mary and Martha

Who are you more like Martha or Mary?

I’ve asked that question more times than I can remember. Today we were discussing it at the Widow’s Support group and a brand new thought occurred to me.

We typically associate Mary and Martha’s behaviors with their personalities and their spirituality. Whole books have been written about this: Having a Mary spirit in a Martha World.

Nice. But in this case, what if we consider their behavior in context.

These two women just lost their brother. There is no mention of any husbands, so they are either widowed or old maids by cultural standards. That means their source of support and sustenance was gone.

These women were facing a dire situation. Their brother died and the one guy they knew who could have possibly done something about it drug his feet getting there. Jesus waited three days after he received the news that Lazarus was dying…and then he showed up when Lazarus was four days in the tomb.

Now let’s consider their personalities.

Martha handled her stress by getting busy in the kitchen. Slamming some cupboards and banging some pans can be very therapeutic. At least for me…and Martha.

Martha didn’t stuff her feelings. She was not going to get an ulcer from swallowing her anger…or her grief. She walked right up to Jesus and let him know she was miffed…hurt…disappointed…confused. She poured out her heart. No, it wasn’t pretty. How could it be?

Why does her response to Jesus’ appearing at the house surprise us? Why does she earn bad girl points for expressing herself? She just lost her brother and the future was looking pretty terrifying.

And while she was at it she took a couple shots at Mary. Siblings do that sort of thing, too.

Mary. A very different kind of personality. Mary shuts down. Mary pulls inward. Mary may be angry, hurt, and confused…her expression is tears. Banging pots does nothing for her.

How do you handle your grief?

I remember when my dad died. He had cancer. He was at home and we had hospice services. He took his last breath around 6:00am. The funeral home came for his body around 7:00am. By 8:00am my mother had turned the once dining room turned hospice equipped dying room back into a dining room–you would never have known the room was used for anything else. She got busy, that’s how she handled her grief.

If you only had that snapshot of my mother she might have appeared cold and detached…but she wasn’t. She was just functioning the only way she knew how. And the hospice worker noted that she was responding according to her personality.

What if all the world had of you was a snapshot of your most difficult day? What would it say about you? Are you a banger or a weeper?

Actually, I’m not sure that’s the most important thing. Jesus doesn’t value Mary’s weepiness more than Martha’s banging. What he valued was that she brought it to him. So go ahead, bang the pans if that makes you feel better, but don’t forget to come to Jesus.