journey onWord with us

Recently, a friend shared what he considered to be a miracle with me.  During the course of our discussion, he was passionate about God doing the unexplainable, yet undeniable. This brief discussion sparked serious thought on my part about the unexplainable workings of God in our lives. It is fun and even encouraging to think of Moses and the Red Sea, or God providing a ram for Abraham. From the pages of Scripture and the recordings of history, God’s love and grace can be seen in events that are unexplainable and undeniable. But a constant stress point is moving our intellectual understanding to a faith that expects the unexplainable. I can promise you that walking by sight and not by faith will keep your journey explainable. But is that where anyone wants to live?

A personal confession might give more insight to my premise. Throughout my spiritual journey, I have seen God do the unexplainable. His protection, provision and grace have been undeniable to me. But recently I sensed a distractedness that had entered my prayer life. It may be easy to rationalize the “why”, but too much me, and too little God led to less effectiveness in my prayer time. Correspondingly, less unexplainable moments! If your journey has taken similar travels you know the frustration I felt.

The sequel to my distractedness was a commitment to recalibrate my prayer life. As if on cue, the great unexplainables started happening again. Sometimes the thoughts of, “would this have happened anyway?” creep in.  But I am confident that these coincidences (like there are such things) are from the Lord. I may not be able to explain everything, but His working has been undeniable. No matter the place of your journey, traveling a road of only believing what you can explain, will only weaken your faith and dampen your joy. We should not be so bold as to think just because we refocus, God is bound to perform some unexplainable miracle. His design however, is in blessing those who walk with a surrendered, faith filled heart. Jeremiah’s faith mirrored a trust in the unexplainable, undeniable power of God.

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made
the heavens and the earth by your
great power and outstretched arm.
Nothing is too hard for you.

Every person reading this post has a “too hard” issue. But He made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm. If you have stopped praying fervently for your children, given up on finding a job, or lost hope that God may heal your loved one, you may be traveling by sight. Turn to the Father with renewed commitment. Let Hebrews 11:1-2 become your reality …

Now faith is being sure of what we
hope for and certain of what we do
not see. This is what the ancients
were commended for.

I can’t tell you when the unexplainable, yet undeniable coincidence (ha) will happen, but I am convinced you will see the hand of the Father move.

Our entire faith is built on the unexplainable, undeniable love of Christ. The Virgin Birth, amazing love on the Cross, eternal life … unexplainable, undeniable … Thank you, Lord!

We approach, arrive at, and then pass significant markers in our life.  They can be a number, like turning 13, 21, 30, 50 … and beyond.  They can be stages of life, like the first day of school, becoming a teenager, graduating, getting married, becoming a parent, and then a parent with an empty nest.  And what about our spiritual lives?  There’s salvation, baptism, and … second coming?!  Do we ever take the time to stop at significant moments on our spiritual journey, stay for a bit, and memorialize?  Have you ever piled up stones?

“Piled up stones?!”, you might ask.  There are multiple examples in the Old Testament of occasions where characters or groups stopped and built a marker, or monument, to commemorate the location of an event or occasion of significance in their lives with God.  Let’s take a brief look at one significant moment where an entire nation piled up stones.

At the beginning of chapter 4 in the book of Joshua, we find the nation of Israel in the afterglow of a miraculous intervention from God.  They had just completed crossing the river Jordan on dry ground.  And before moving on, God has some very specific instructions for them …

Joshua 4:1-3 (MSG)
When the whole nation was finally across,
God spoke to Joshua: “Select twelve men
from the people, a man from each tribe,
and tell them, ‘From right here, the middle
of the Jordan where the feet of the priests are
standing firm, take twelve stones. Carry
them across with you and set them down
in the place where you camp tonight.'”

God is requesting that the nation of Israel pile up stones.  His primary purpose in making this request was to teach forward the great message of his care and love for his people, and his direct intervention and deliverance in their lives .  And although God specifically mentions teaching future generations in his instructions to Joshua, he also ends verse 7 with …

“… These stones are a permanent
memorial for the People of Israel.”

I believe this broadened and personalized it’s significance in the lives of both those who were a part of the miracle, and generations to come.

I love the idea of piling up stones, but i also love that people rarely stayed where they piled their stones.  It was a marker, not a destination.  A place of communing, memorial and rest, but not a final resting place.  I love the thought that they paused, built, honored, and then moved on.

I would encourage you to expose your senses to the marker moments in your own spiritual journey.  Listen and watch, and then take action in finding, and piling up stones.  Praise God for who he is, and what he did, or taught.  And then, after an appropriate time of reflection and rest, make sure to leave your marker and move on.  What would your earthly life have amounted to, if you had stopped and stayed as a kindergartner, teenager, or a parent with a full nest?  And what will your spiritual life count for if you stop at salvation?  Sometimes your journey will be more wander than walk, more wilderness than path.  What a blessing it would be, if in the midst of a wander in a wilderness circle, you pass by one of your piles of stones.  Because as much as markers point in the direction that you are going, they can be a reminder of where, and to whom you need to return.

In the course of normal reading this week, I had one of those “ I’ve never seen that before!” moments. The author was referencing a Scripture passage that conveyed the Father gathering tears in a bottle. How could I have never seen, or remembered reading that verse?! An adventure of understanding Psalm 56:8 began.

Words from Psalm 56 take us to a time when David was seized by the Philistines at a place called Gath. Even a quick read of the chapter will paint a portrait of the dire straits he was facing. Men were pursuing him, mercy was needed and yet his words showed great trust. But what about those tears in a bottle?

Psalm 56:8 (KJV)
Thou numberest my wanderings;
put thou my tears into thy bottle.
Are they not in thy book?

Psalm 56:8 (NIV)
Record my lament; list my tears on
your scroll-are they not in your record?

Psalm 56:8 (MSG)
You’ve kept track of my every toss
and turn through the sleepless nights,
each tear entered in your ledger,
each ache written in your book.

From the masterful work of Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David we find words about the tears and the bottle.

“The custom in old times was, when a person was ill
or in great distress, for his friends to go see him, and
take with them a tear bottle. Then, as the tears rolled
down the cheeks of the sufferer, they were caught in these
bottles, sealed up, and preserved as a memorial of the event.”

Great care was shown for the sufferer. Greater care is shown by the Father when tears flow. David would have understood tear bottles and how they were used. Let your mind’s eye view a portrait of David in great difficulty, with tears running down his face. In your view of the portrait, can you see God’s tear bottle catching each drop? Understanding all the riches of Psalm 56:8 would take more than a brief post.  but viewing the landscape of God’s care is easily seen.

Can you relate to tossing and turning through a sleepless night? Have you ever had tears fill your eyes when emotion overtook logic? In those moments, how did you view the Father’s care? Although you may have great security in your relationship with the Lord, often in those tear bottle moments you don’t picture the Father’s care. Only the gravity of the current circumstance. But viewing David’s portrait from just a slightly different angle gives us the dimension of depth that can be gleaned from David’s life. I can see tears, a tear bottle and trust.

Let the Word from Psalm 56:3-4 complete the picture.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In God whose word I praise, in God I
trust; I will not be afraid. What can
mortal man do to me?”

So in the most difficult of times, even when tears may flow and sleep may be hard, David has given us two fresh brush strokes that can be used on the canvas of our lives. Trust when logic would say otherwise, and praise when fear would be the normal response. Embrace the current landscape of you journey by realizing that David’s example can be followed. But far greater is the truth that in tear bottle moments, God cares deeply for you as He is completes the portrait of your life.

When the next tear falls from your eyes, remember the tear bottle.

Thanksgiving tends to be the holiday of too much. Too much turkey, too much clean up (wives), too much football (husbands), too much relatives (oops) and then it is back to work before the next big holiday arrives. And then one month from today, there will be too much lamenting about too much spending. Seriously, this wonderful time of the year moves by at such a pace, the depth of meaning is lost in the rush. By now you are back to the weekly routine, and I trust you have a sense of gratitude for the blessings experienced last week. Captured in your mind should be the moment in time the Father gave you to have hugs, laughter, smiles and some tears with those closest to you. But what now? At church you will hear, “don’t miss the reason for the season.” Although true joy and gratitude should rise up in our hearts for the greatest of all gifts, Jesus Christ, it is still a struggle to capture the essence of “the reason for the season.” There are gifts to buy, parties to attend and then more gifts to buy and more parties to attend. Does “too much” ring a bell?

And while we are speaking about gifts, if you really want to have nice ones, they have to be wrapped properly … right?!  Probably, you have already scheduled some Christmas programs to attend that will help give a sense of clarity on the “reason” for all the celebrating. Make no mistake, we all enjoy the celebratory atmosphere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But in the midst of what we fear will be too much activity, we can actually celebrate the birth of our Savior, and celebrate it fully!

Matthew 1:21-23
She will give birth to a son, and you are
to give him the name Jesus, because he
will save his people from their sins. All
this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the prophet: “The virgin
shall be with child and will give birth to
a son, and they will call him Immanuel”
-which means, “God with us.”

There have been times in my life where good intentions of celebrating the Savior’s birth came up short. Looking at the well-known verses above can give us a sense of how to make this year especially meaningful. God gave mankind a gift, so that God could be with us. It changed history, and gave us a Savior. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the “season” this year, is to pattern our heart after that of our Father. Giving was at the core of what He did for mankind. And while we could never give in its proportion, we can certainly give in a spirit of obedience to that priceless gift.

Ask yourself the question, “how can the Father use me to give this Christmas?” Would the Father have you lead your family in a project to meet someone’s needs? Of one thing I am sure, you want the meaning of His birth to resonate through your actions this “season.” There is a “too much” that really fits the season that we are entering, and it’s too much … giving.   This is the “too much” that will never birth regret.

With my journey glasses on, I view the traveling adventures of people every day. Observation has taught me that, by percentage, very few are commuting on a joyful trip. For a variety of reasons, daily circumstances tend to override the capacity we have for joy. It is understandable that someone without a relationship with Christ would be frustrated, they are traveling alone. But for those who have entered by faith into the family of God, why doesn’t the traveling contain more joy? If you agree that your journey could use a boost, let’s pull over at a rest stop for encouragement.

For the most part, it is impossible for us to control the external circumstances that invade our lives each week. Have you noticed how often your weekly travels have taken you over one mountain, just to find another looming ahead? And while there are certainly stretches of smooth, flat miles, for the most part the terrain of life is tough.

But, as you leave this rest stop soon to continue your journey, begin with a new perspective that external circumstances will never give you true joy on the journey. Disciplining ourselves to create strategies for internal growth is vital. Nothing on the outside will ever satisfy our internal longings. The people that surround us, the culture we live in, or the activities we fill our lives with, will never give us lasting journey joy. Take a few minutes, and let the words of II Corinthians encourage you to look inward to buffer the externals of life.

II Corinthians 4:16-18 (MSG)
So we’re not giving up. How could we!
Even though on the outside it often looks
like things are falling apart on us, on
the inside, where God is making new life,
not a day goes by without his unfolding
grace. These hard times are small potatoes
compared to the coming good times, the
lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s
far more here than meets the eye. The
things that we see now are here today,
gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t
see now will last forever.

For a moment, honestly evaluate your recent internal growth through the nourishment of his Word. Is it fresh and “green”, or might it be a bit dry and brittle? God wants you to enjoy the new growth that He alone can provide. If He is willing to make us strong internally and unfold His grace in our lives, we must let the nutrients of His Word soak in through our tough outer layer. Our daily doses of nourishment and light are essential to create the strength that stands firm in defense against the attack of those external circumstances, that we can’t control, and we know will come.

Journey joy is simple. Give time and priority to rest stops, and know the Word. As you turn onto that entry ramp and return to your journey, apply what He has taught you and watch Him do what only He can do.  He knows when you will need the miracle, or maybe just some encouragement for the next mile. Remember, there is a lavish celebration prepared for all who know Christ.

Don’t traverse another mile without seeking Him first.

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, we can look back over the last year and say, as Charles Dickens did in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times and the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”  Each year, past and future will have joys and difficulties, smiles and tears, new energy and tired bodies. In 1621 when the pilgrims gave thanks, it was not without recognition of the heartbreaks of the last year. When President Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving a nation-wide holiday in 1789, he knew the struggles which were behind and before the people of the fledgling republic. But with a grateful heart, he declared it to be a day of prayer and giving thanks to God. Over 200 years later, the day is still special.  Joys and difficulties remain, but God is still good, and genuine thanksgiving to Him is in order.

Truth be told, for many, Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday of the year. Families gather, the turkey and trimmings are great (and so are the leftovers).  Football comes in the afternoon, and often there is a four-day vacation. If you are like me, those items alone create thankfulness, but there has to be more.

Psalm 103:4-5
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts
with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

When life seems too difficult, He cares ——– He is good and His love endures forever
When the sun is bright, and we can smile —- He is good and His love endures forever
When we pray, He has the answers ———– He is good and His love endures forever
When we are fearful, grace is available ——- He is good and His love endures forever
When the financial world fails, He doesn’t — He is good and His love endures forever

With all the joys and sorrows during the last year, one thing has never changed. He is good and His love endures forever! As you move toward Thanksgiving day, let those words ring clear. You may (like me) have a tendency to get caught up in all the earthly joy of the holiday, but God’s grace has been poured out on our country and on our lives, and He deserves our deepest thanks and highest praise.

In a few days, another Thanksgiving will come and go. Let the reality of God’s love and grace cause you to say with me: He is good and His love endures forever!

It’s the largest context of the only thing we know we are guaranteed.  To reduce it to it’s most fundamental element, it’s our current breath.  But raising it back to the broader context, “today” is what i am meditating on right now.  A friend recently shared the chorus of a song with me.  Although I confess to never having heard of the artist, I found inspiration in the chorus he shared …

Time asks no questions,
it moves on in spite of me.
It’s not about my style of life,
my own prosperity.
it’s time we opened up our eyes,
to find there’s so much more.
and all I’m asking,
is what you’re living for … today.

(“Today” from Jadon Lavik’s  Moving on Faith)

I find multiple elements of deep spiritual meaning and personal challenge in the words of that chorus.  Let’s focus on a few of the lines.

“It’s not about my style of life, my own prosperity.” – Moving beyond the typical critique on material possessions, I asked myself, “What are my treasures, and where do I find them?  And what am I doing with the resources God has blessed me with?”

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth …
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven …
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“It’s time we opened up our eyes,” – A direct challenge to always be aware of need.  Need that is within earshot, or passes in my periphery, or walks right up to my front door.  Focus on the “more” that God has put you in the midst of.  Don’t do anything more than pause in front of the mirror.  Move beyond self, and find the “more”.

Matthew 25:40 (MSG)
Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:
Whenever you did one of these things to someone
overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

“what you’re living for” – This is the paramount question when faith moves to action.  It’s purpose that translates to substance.  The “what”, and “who” He has created me to be.

Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
… then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve …

So often in all of our lives, it’s the forward trajectory those questions and challenges take, that becomes our focus.  They manifest themselves in plans, goals, and paths.  Nearly exclusively in the realm of the medium to long-term.  But what about today?  What do any of those look like in the right now?  What am i busy being with the only currency of time that I possess?

I love the words of that chorus, and it’s reminder to spend my time and talent in the here and now.  On things that have eternal value, in submitted step to His will for my life.  I am thrilled for the treasured events in my near-term future.  And even more so, for the new creation that He has for me in the only-he-knows-how-distant future.  But the only thing I truly have is this breath, and in it’s largest context … today.

my prayer …
Father, give me today my daily bread.  And may
I not wait in being and doing what You want from
me.  Seeing need around me, storing up kingdom
riches.  Not waiting for a clearer, or grander
purpose.  Not waiting for a maturity that can
only come from being and doing in the series
of now’s you have gifted me.  Amen!

Have you ever wanted to run away to a deserted island?!  If for no other reason, than to avoid all of the issues that crowd your life?  On any given day there may be money problems, people problems, time problems, <fill in the blank> problems that drain energy from our lives. Until your journey ends, problems will continue to litter the path you are taking. Because problems (are you becoming weary of even the mention of the word?!) are as certain as death and taxes, it is imperative that we discuss a framework with which you can attack them.

I am sure you have noticed that your emotions play a big role in how you deal with daily struggles. Monday, most times, brings renewed energy and the “I can handle it” mentality. But by Wednesday (or maybe, Monday afternoon) feelings of “just get me to the end” begin to enter your thoughts, and you begin daydreaming about that deserted island. Living either up or down based on the daily grind, is not the Father’s desire for us. So how about a Biblical framework?!

In his classic work, “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers gives strong medicine for anyone who has accepted the free gift of salvation. Living well with all the problems is possible. Listen to the sage advice.

Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and “Abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God. (July 4 entry)

Strong as they may be, his words speak truth. And as for that framework I mentioned before?  I believe it can be found in a childhood memory verse that sometimes just becomes great Christian speak, yet contains so much power when it is applied. Accept its counsel, and then practice the words of Oswald Chambers: Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about whatever concerns you.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

As you start a new week, take the Word with you. Not based on each day’s emotional level, but as a choice of the will. The verse you may have learned so long ago, holds great power for today.

• Trust – Determine to completely trust Him with this week’s journey. He is dependable.
• With all your heart – Trust him with your mind, will and emotions. Commit to do it daily.
• Lean not on your own understanding – Our understanding tends to be earthbound. The Father knows what is needed.
• In all your ways acknowledge him – Seek to know him in an intimate way, and involve Him in every aspect of your life.
• And he will make your paths straight – The benefit of following a command of God is that He will always come through. But remember, in His time and in the best way.

Maybe the familiarity of Proverbs 3:5-6 has caused you to venture away from its truth. But with every issue of life, every problem you have, and for every struggle on the daily grind, these verses work. Childhood was easier because trust was not cluttered with all the reasons not to.  Trust this week as a child would … completely!

When is the last time you said “WOW!  I can’t believe God just did that”. Although every Christian knows God is capable of moving mountains, experience tells me that most Christ followers don’t often sense that reality in their lives. We know from childhood the story of God stepping in for Abraham when he was ready to slay Isaac. Pastors paint great pictures of Red Sea moments, and all us of know about David slaying Goliath. You may be thinking, “I wish He would just one time move a mountain for me”. Remember He knows about the mountains and He knows your life! As you read the following words, decide that your role is a surrendered heart with a confident faith.

Saturday Night-WOW

“On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00pm, but his wife didn’t answer the phone.

The pastor let the phone ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn’t answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn’t answered before, and she said that it hadn’t rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that He’d used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he’d called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn’t figure out what the man was talking about. ‘Then the man said it rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.’ The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he’d intended to call his wife.

The man said, ‘That is OK. Let me tell you my story. You see I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, ‘God if you’re there, and you don’t want me to do this, give me a sign now.’ At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, ‘Almighty God’.. I was afraid to answer!’

The reason it showed on the man’s caller ID as ‘Almighty God’ is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!!

I don’t know the origination of the story, or if it actually happened. It came as a forwarded message from my wife, which is the only reason I read it. But do I believe my Father might just step into someone’s Saturday night that way? Absolutely! Has your faith become so diminished and dull that the expectation for supernatural intervention is like “yeah, right”. ‘Almighty God’ may not show up on your caller ID, but the Almighty knows just how you need Him to show up. With a yielded heart, grow daily; with an expectant heart, pray fervently; and with a trusting heart, understand that God will intervene in your world as He chooses and knows is best. Let Jeremiah give us a great perspective of our powerful God.

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made
the heavens and the earth by your
great power and outstretched arm.
Nothing is too hard for you.

I don’t know how God may need to intervene in your life. But if your caller ID ever says ‘Almighty God’ … answer. Nothing is too hard for Him, and he knows just when to call.

As the car next to you drifts precariously close, you want to scream, “get off your cell phone!”. But you stop short, remembering you’ve been guilty of the same offense. Momentary distractions on the highway can create a lifetime of regret. But in truth, loss of focus in any endeavor will eventually take its toll. We have been looking at Hebrews 12:1 and viewing the verse in the context of a race. Running the spiritual journey well also demands focus, and there are distractions at every turn. If we are to run the race marked out for us with perseverance, how do we maintain the right focus?  I believe the key is in the opening words of the very next verse.

Hebrews 12:1-2a
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such
a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

“Fix our eyes on Jesus”! Isn’t that what all Christians know to do? After all, it makes logical sense that if I just focus on Him, things will work out right. In years gone by, many wore bracelets that said WWJD (what would Jesus do), or read a book whose title bore that same acronym, and taught you to ask that question in any situation. The easy answers for my (and your) noise filled life never quite seem to work. You may even love the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” as much as I do. But having a great feeling during worship as you sing that beloved hymn, doesn’t automatically translate to real focus. It takes more than feelings, bracelets and books (and I do think the bracelets and books can help) to live a life focused on Jesus. Having said all that, I do firmly believe a Jesus focused life exists, and is available for you.

Jesus ran the race that the Father marked out for Him to the fullest. His earthly race was marked with difficultly and hardship, but was lived with purpose and discipline. If we succeed in living out our God designed purpose, it will only be accomplished by fixing our eyes on Jesus. Fleshing this out takes a willingness to surrender our wills to His. And that’s a day-by-day, minute-by-minute, thought-by-thought surrender! May I gently prod you to have a week of lazer-like focus on the Son of God? Take the few steps below to help refocus you journey:

• Determine to have a quiet time every day, by reading the Word and giving a priority to prayer….(this week also meditate on Hebrews 12:1-2)
  He deserves your non – distracted attention!
• As a part of your daily routine, decide that you will bring all issues to His attention. He knows what they are anyway.
  Make a decision to give Him every item of worry!
• Remember that fixing your eyes on Him will take effort.
  Is it worth it? Yes!

If for one week you seek Jesus this way, it may change the way you deal with frustration, distractions and the hard journey turns that we all face. We may find that the words of Helen Lemmel’s great song become more that just nice church feelings.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

What would Jesus want you to do? Fix your eyes on Him, and you can rest assured the results will be from His hand.