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I’m going to rewind a bit in our reading, but I believe it also speaks a resonant voice to the extreme faith we are reading of today.  I think it’s a safe assumption that everyone reading this article has been facing some stormy weather recently (and I know you know I’m not speaking of the Polar Vortex). It could have been a health journey, a job scenario, maybe a financial mountain or just an everyday “will I trust Him?” moment.  God, in His wisdom, uses these refiners to help us learn (and re-learn) dependence. As you read the next few paragraphs, let your mind travel back to a stormy day in the life of Christ and His disciples. Faith will rise to the forefront, and we can certainly relate to the disciples’ dilemma.

The context is found in our reading a few days ago from chapter 8 of Mathew, verses 23-27. On that particular day, Christ gave His disciples a stormy lesson. While crossing the Sea of Galilee, they encountered an incredible storm. There is no doubt that Jesus knew He was leading them directly into the storm! Storms also erupt in our lives.  Sometimes they result from our disobedience, but at other times the Father’s design is to send us (like the disciples) headlong into troubled waters.  But even when He directs or allows that storm, He never leaves us without an anchor.

Mark’s account of this event tells us that this was a furious squall.  It was so intense that the waves broke over the boat, and the disciples had some serious concerns about drowning. Can you believe that Jesus was sleeping while all that was going on?  You may not mouth words like those of the disciples, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” but you (and I) have had similar thoughts. They had ferocious waves, and we have our resonant storms. When stormy weather hovers, do you look with eyes of faith, or do you get that drowning feeling? Christ’s rebuke of the storm and His disciples is instructive, even today.

With a rebuke of the wind and waves, Christ created calm sea. The Creator of the Universe was in control of nature. It is amazing to me that Christ-followers accept His control over our eternal destiny, yet we struggle with the daily storms. If you are anything like me, you have met some stormy days with strong faith, but in many others, sinking seemed inevitable. Through it all, we should never doubt that He is in control. Preparation for the rough waters will determine how we respond when the storms arrive. Whether you are new to faith or a seasoned sailor, constant growth in our faith is a necessity.

Christ was conscious that the disciples were exhibiting weak faith. His words, “Why are you so afraid? You have so little faith,” left little doubt of His concern. It would be easy to scoff at their lack of faith … if we didn’t also struggle in similar ways. We all have an opportunity going forward to respond with faith in the midst of our storms. Even when we get that drowning feeling, we can look up, hold on, and ride out the storm with great faith. Today is new. God is still in control.  And you and I can choose to view our personal storms with a sinking feeling, or with eyes of faith, knowing we have an anchor. Which will you choose?!

I was recently listening to an audio recording of my grandfather’s funeral.  I know that sounds a bit odd, but allow me to explain.  The recording was part of a treasured and very personal Christmas gift my Uncle Richie gave me this year.  I have vague recollections of the funeral service, but a clear and lingering impression of the pastor who spoke that day.  He was one of my grandfather’s students at Bible college, and one of “his boys,” as he affectionately referred to the group of pastors he taught and mentored over the years.

I hung on every word of the beautiful and moving portrait the pastor painted of who my grandfather was to all who knew him well.  One particularly resonant and meaningful remembrance was of the very real and unmistakable twinkle that would appear in my grandfather’s eye just before he would say something clever or profound.  You braced yourself when you saw it, and it was impossible to miss.  I loved those moments.

It was what came to mind when I read the encounter in Matthew 9:1-7 between Jesus, the man who was paralyzed and the teachers of the law that were in the crowd that day.  I wonder if Jesus had a twinkle?  It’s so clear and unmistakable from the gospel accounts of His life that Jesus possessed a sharp and clever wit.  He had perfect timing and intuition.  He saw directly into the heart of man.  He knew how to “ask” a question that spoke deep truths and probed to the very center of the human soul.  Every word he spoke was purposed, possessed weight, and provoked just the right emotion.  I wonder if He had a twinkle?

If He did, it was most assuredly on full display as he inhaled and prepared to speak the very powerful and pointed words of forgiveness into the life of the paralyzed man lying on his mat.  “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

The words were personal … the words were purposed … and the words were absolutely provocative.  Those seven words pierced the heart of a disease that was pervasive, yet no one could see.  Jesus healed the man’s most obvious need eventually, but he revealed and healed his most basic need first.  As the author of absolute truth, Jesus knew that the man’s paralysis was secondary to his sin, and His forgiveness was the only cure.  It must have resonated with some, but confounded most others .. and certainly angered the teachers of the law (twinkle).

With the sound of His voice or the touch of His hand, he could have awed and amazed.  But He knew the real miracle, the real prize, was healing of an everlasting kind … a kingdom kind.  And not just for the man on the mat, but for all who had eyes to see and ears to hear.

What is your need today … your most obvious, your most basic?  Read the words of Jesus anew … every purposeful, powerful, provocative, revealing and healing one.

It has been bitterly cold of late … dangerously cold.  My mind has been perpetually fixed on the battle that far too many have, just to stay warm.  I have also been in the midst of a conversation with Jesus for more than a week, about something he said during his “sermon on the mount.”  The conversation started in the darkness of the morning over a week ago, as I turned the key to start my car and noted the external temperature reading … -2!  I sat for a moment and spoke a prayer for those in the direst need who were at that moment suffering in the cold.  I put the car in drive and headed for work.

A block from my place of work, I sat first in line at a traffic light.  As I waited, I caught a small figure in my periphery.  As she got closer, I began to see more detail.  My goodness, what was she doing out in such cold with what amounted to a light zip-up sweatshirt?!  And why was it not zipped?!  The unzipped sweatshirt revealed a McDonald’s uniform.  This was a young woman walking to work … in the snow and cold … and by my quick calculation, she had another couple of miles to walk.  The light turned green and I drove right past her.

A hundred questions assaulted my mind that day.  Chief among them, how could you sit and pray before heading to work and then drive past an opportunity to offer warmth to someone in need of it?

My conversation picked up two days later, as I passed an elementary school very near my work.  The school was closed that day (due again to dangerously cold temperatures) so the neighborhood was unusually empty.  As I neared a four-way stop, I caught a glimpse of a middle-aged woman walking in the street, bundled up in a puffy jacket with a fur-lined hood pulled up over her head to shield her from the biting winds.  Although my foot danced back and forth between the gas and brake pedal, I once again drove on.  “What was my problem?!” I wondered aloud.  What is going on?!  Why did I not stop?  Why did I not at least pause and roll the window down, and extend the offer for a ride?

Several days passed, with random moments of revisiting the two scenes, feeling increasing guilty and continuing my conversation with Jesus.  Then came Friday of this past week, and the crescendo of my conversation with Jesus.  The day began with another opportunity as I drove by a “live” Christmas tree lying in the middle of the street, directly in the path of oncoming traffic.  This time I finally turned back to help … after six or seven intersections, AND someone had already done the job as I arrived back at the scene!  This seemed like the final cruel straw in my repeated failures to be obedient to the words of Jesus that I had read over a week ago.  Read, but must have left lingering on the page, not bound up to my heart, hands and feet in following Him.

My story “ends” on Friday evening as I was returning home after picking up dinner.  As I pulled up to a neighborhood intersection less than a mile from my home, a large sheet of clear plastic was blowing across the road.  My first instinct was to let it blow by so it didn’t get caught under my car as I drove by, but then it finally happened … I put the car in park, opened the door and finally stepped out.  I retrieved the large sheet of plastic, rolled it up and opened my back door to throw it inside.  I had noticed an oncoming car approaching the intersection when I had first stopped.  That vehicle was now beside me as I opened my back door.  The driver slowed, rolled down his window, and proceeded to praise me for doing something “many wouldn’t do.”  I smiled politely and waved as he drove off.

As I got back in my car, I was honestly ashamed.  “Really, God?!”  This is what I finally do … and not as a first instinct, I might add … and you direct someone my way to praise me?!  I should have waved for the driver to stop and told him about the first three times I had the opportunity to help.  I should have told him my “big” act amounted to me going 1 for 4 in my chances to do the right thing.  I should have reminded him that this was just a piece of trash, not a real person … or two real people who were out in the cold and could have used a warm ride.  But as I drove, my indignation turned to thankfulness.  Thankful that the God I serve is unfailing in grace and mercy when I fail Him.  Thankful that the God I love is sovereign in caring for those two women, when I did not.

One-for-four would never get you into the Hall of Fame, but the kingdom Jesus proclaimed is not for career .300 hitters.  The kingdom is for the lowly in spirit, the meek and the broken.  Help me, Father as I continue to read the words of your Son.  Help me Spirit, in the opportunities I have to put hands and feet to my faith.  Help me Jesus, to be a true follower of you.

We all have an innate desire to feel safe.   With a desire for safety, there is almost nothing better than being in a safe place.  You no doubt can remember a time when a sense of fear or uneasiness was eliminated the moment you entered a safe place.  During the past couple of weeks when this specific thought has been on my mind, an event which happened over eleven years ago resurfaced.  Our daughter Lindsay was in her third year of college, and her first month living in New York City.  At 3am one Saturday morning, we received a call that was quite unusual. It was Lindsay.  Although it would have been completely understandable, she wasn’t calling to tell us she was homesick … she was “rat sick.”  In the student housing (in Manhattan), rats were becoming a nuisance for Lindsay and her roommates.  You can imagine young ladies in a dorm room, with small pesky visitors.  Her pre-dawn call was one of desperation, so I made a visit the next day to help out. Upon my arrival, we had dinner and went to a hotel, and for the first time in a while she could relax and sleep without the thought of rats. She was in a safe place.

It’s more than likely that rats are not a problem in your life at the moment.  But you, nonetheless, have a strong desire to be in a safe place. Where is that place?  Most of us would define our safe place as an environment that provides freedom of expression, and unconditional love and acceptance.  We would all like to feel those characteristics are ever-present in our own home, but often that is not the case.  Strong homes definitely possess many of the values that we would want in a safe place, but no home (or family) is perfect. So where is your safest place?

In my reading last week, I was struck by a verse that is easily recognizable, but often overlooked. Matthew 6:6 states:  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.Think for a moment about what this verse is conveying.  No one would debate that much of our praying should be in a private place alone with the Father.  From my study, I believe the verse is talking about going to the most private place you can find.  Just for a moment, consider if this would be your safest place. Where else on earth could you and I have absolute freedom of expression and unconditional love and acceptance?  But has our safest place become a neglected place?

The reality is that most Christ-followers would be quick to affirm the need for prayer. At the same time, I also believe many would willingly admit that spending quality time with the Father in private prayer is challenging.  My goal is not to create guilt about what your prayer life looked like yesterday, but to encourage you about what it can be today – Your safest place!  Ask yourself how much time you are willing to spend in the place of greatest freedom, with great rewards.  I have no idea if that private time for you should be five, ten, fifteen or thirty minutes a day (don’t make it a chore), but it should be a focused time.

I don’t know that the primary issue in Jesus’ words was location, but getting alone to pray does take intentionality.  My safe place is the basement of our house.  It is my place to just walk and talk to the Father about the most important issues of my life. Words that I speak to the Father in that quiet basement are words of total freedom.  And I know it’s a place where I am unconditionally loved and accepted … my safest place.  Have you found a safe place?  If you have, don’t neglect it … if you haven’t, there is no better time than right now to establish it!

“With friends like that, who needs enemies?!” is a reality that everyone has experienced. We have all felt the pain of a friend betraying our confidence, and sadly have harmed the trust that others needed from us. Often relationships are damaged because of our judgmental attitudes. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to zero in on the faults of others, while avoiding similar issues in our own life? Whether I venture back to the Old Testament book of Job, or land on the words of Jesus, it is easy to understand the wickedness of judging others.

You have no doubt heard of how the friends of Job became his “judges.” They personified the phrase above. Job went through pain that was beyond imagination. In Satan’s attack, he lost his children, his possessions and his reputation. When three old friends heard the news, they came to his side.  But too soon, care turned to judgment. I am sad to say that although I want to condemn his friends, there have been times that I too became a “judge.”  What about you?

One of Job’s friends was Eliphaz. You’ve probably never compared your life to his. But Eliphaz is an example to all of us, of what not to do in the godly friend department. His “being there” for Job eventually became judgment. This is admittedly a strong illustration of judging someone, but my burden is, the art of judging has become a normal part of living … maybe as normal as breathing!  God’s heart is that we love one another and not judge.  Eliphaz, and Job’s other friends took an amazing opportunity to care, and turned it into short-sighted explanations.

Let me share how easy I can become Eliphaz, instead of a giver of grace. One day as I sat religiously in church, I saw a young woman looking at her cell phone. My first thought was, “I can’t believe she is doing that,” but then I saw her actively engaged in worship. I wonder how many times I have been distracted by my cell phone. Because of background and culture, I can easily make wrong judgments. I have seen someone who was not like me, and made quick character assessments. God looks on the heart. When I reflect on how Jesus lived, I am reminded that viewing others should be from a platform of love and caring.  Look at the words of Jesus from Matthew 7:1-5 as a further indication of how to view others.

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about the speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (NLT)

This week you will have plenty of opportunities to make a judgment about someone else. You can easily think about their faults, weaknesses, misplaced views, etc… but just maybe with a consciousness to care first and love regardless, you will ask God to intervene in their needs. To not be judgmental does not mean you have to stop having opinions, but it should cause us to reflect on what Christ would do. Christ met others at their point of need and so can, and should we.

It is so easy to judge a friend in need and miss God presenting us with an opportunity to love and care. That moment is a chance to support, not to judge.  When we are like Eliphaz, we may feel right, but when we are like Jesus, we are right.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Let’s get something settled right away – God is not capable of leading us into a sinful situation simply by His very nature.

James 1:13
Let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil and He himself does not tempt anyone.”

James 1:2-3
Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

So why would Jesus instruct us to pray that God not do what He would and could NEVER (by the nature of His very Being) do?

Jesus is referring to a matter of our heart – we are to ask for strength to overcome the temptations that will surely come every day. We are to ask for strength to do what we know is the right thing to do each and every day. We need help to guard our eyes, our ears, our steps, our actions, our minds…

John McArthur said it best in his book The Lord’s Prayer – we are to ask, “Lord, keep us from a situation that we will not be able to overcome.”

So how do we practice what we pray?

First, we must remind ourselves often of Satan’s presence and power in this world; he is a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour.

Second, we need to be alert and aware, never being lulled into a false attitude that “Satan can’t get me!”  Yes, he can!

Third, stay in the Word.

James 4:7
Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Psalm 119:11
Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against thee.

As Jesus gave these words to us as a guide to pray, He is telling us that we are inadequate to fight Satan without Him.  We need His Words, His guidance, His protection, and we need them every day of our lives.

We at Journey onWord truly hope that this week of repeated reading and additional prompting through the daily articles has given you new insight into the words of The Lord’s Prayer.  We pray it isn’t just learned and then left in the vault of stored knowledge, but rather that it’s applied and results in the awakening, or loosing of the power of prayer in your life.

From childhood we have recited it … did you experience it more deeply this week?!

AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE HAVE ALSO FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS

We all have debt, don’t we?  Many of us may still owe a little from the holiday gift giving season. We have house payments and car payments, and all our debtors expect to be paid, don’t they?  In the Lord’s Prayer, we find two different words used in translating this specific section … either “debts” or “trespasses.”  My study found that the Greek word where we get the translation “debt” is Opheilema, which means SIN.  “Trespasses” is somewhat different, but looking in the English dictionary, I found something fascinating.  Both the noun and verb definitions for “trespass” include bullets which specifically use the word “SIN!”

In any language, it is clear that Jesus is referring to SIN.  Our debt may not be financial, but the expectation of The Debtor is the same … the debt must be paid!

We mess up every single day.  We get angry and impatient.  We say something we shouldn’t, or completely lose our temper.  Or maybe just a teeny, tiny, little white lie gets us off the hook with the boss, our spouse, a friend, or our children.  Let’s be honest, those are everyday SINS and we need forgiveness every day from our Father, Abba … Daddy.

Nehemiah 9:17 
Thou art a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness

Romans 5:20
Where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more.

Jesus words in this specific portion of His model of prayer speak two very distinct truths.  We need forgiveness, Yes!   But we need also, to forgive others.

I would guess that it does not take much effort for each of us to think about a situation or a someone who has “done us wrong.”  If we are quick to remember offenses, have we truly forgiven them?  Was our grace gift measured?

I have been studying John McArthur’s book The Lord’s Prayer, and he sums up very simply why we must forgive:
Forgiveness is the mark of a growing, maturing Christian
Christ is our example of forgiveness
Unforgiveness in our lives becomes a barrier between us and God
Forgiveness delivers us from God’s discipline
God deals with us as we deal with others
(I think the writer of the Golden Rule may have understood that)

Is forgiveness in order somewhere in our life?  Confess or forgive.  Take care of it … TODAY!

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD

When was the last time you were hungry?  To be honest, I’m a little hungry right now as I write this, but I want you to think of the last time you were really, genuinely hungry.  Now let me throw this in … When is the last time you were genuinely hungry and did not know where your next meal was coming from?  I dare say very few of us reading this, if any, could identify with that circumstance.  So let’s break this particular part of The Lord’s Prayer down a bit.  When we ask for “bread” we are asking for:

All Of Our Physical Needs to Be Met

That means food, yes, but also clothes, shelter, warmth, health, medicine, rest … the basic needs that God has always promised us.  And there is another key thought of this prayer that we often miss…God is always the source of everything we need.

God … Abba … created the vegetation, the animals, the rain, the sun, and … man.  He is the Giver of all we need.  The phrase, “Give us,” insures that we recognize and remember that God’s provision has already been promised to us … and already provided for us.  “This day,” reminds us not to gaze or want beyond today.

Each day of this week’s repeated reading of The Lord’s Prayer, we have offered these short articles to encourage you to look at this example of how we ought to pray in a different and more focused way.  The words are so very familiar to most, if not all of us.  How long has it been since any of us took such small bites and counted each chew, breaking the truths down to their life-giving core nutrients?  Jesus gave this to us as an example of how to pray … this is our guide, our outline to effective prayer.

We hope you continue to read with fresh eyes, and taste with renewed and refreshed receptors.

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS HEAVEN

When I was a kid, I loved the whole idea of Santa Claus.  The thought of going to see him at the store, telling him what my greatest desires were, and then have him deliver them to my house was just awesome to me!

I wonder if our prayers ever seem like a “Santa’s list” to God?

When we pray, “Thy kingdom come,” we are actually asking for God to fulfill the entire Bible!  We are asking for Jesus to return and establish His kingdom on this earth, which is promised in the book of Revelation.  Until that happens, we are praying that His kingdom will be advanced on earth through pastors, missionaries, government leaders, and …. yes, US.  Yet if we made a recording of our prayers, would we be embarrassed to hear what amounts to a “Christmas list” of requests about US?

With this phrase in The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is reminding us that our purpose on this earth is … To Exalt Him.  And our prayers should reflect that.

And what about, “Thy will be done?”  If God already knows what is going to happen, and He is in control of everything … why pray at all?

When I was younger there was a common bumper sticker that said, “Prayer Changes Things.”  Do you believe that … I mean, really believe that?  Ponder this statement for a moment…

When we pray in faith, putting the emphasis on God and His will for our lives, His Will can become OUR will!

In other words, our entire outlook on life and this world becomes God’s outlook.  Remember the WWJD bracelets – What Would Jesus Do?  When our prayers are centered on God and not on our list of wants and needs, we see the world through the eyes of Jesus.  We start to view people the way Jesus does.  We become more caring, compassionate, and patient.  Our hearts begin to open to God’s will for our lives and that becomes our greatest desire!  Someone once defined the answers to our prayers by three categories – those that are Yes, those that are NO, and those that are Wait a While.  When our prayer life is in line with our purpose (which is To Exalt Him) then whatever the answer, we can accept it … even if we can’t fully understand it at that time.

Praying in faith, and in tune with God’s will, Does.Change.Things … Dramatically!

HALLOWED BE THY NAME

How many times have we uttered this phrase?  Now, how many times have we thought about the meaning of the phrase?  Let’s start with the obvious – what is the meaning of the word “hallowed?”

“Hallowed” means “to make holy.” In other words, we are to pray, “God, holy is your name.” Ok, that’s simple enough …but … what constitutes HOLY?

To pray, “holy is your name,” is to acknowledge ALL the attributes of God – His very character, if you will, as we pray.

He is Creator, Righteous Judge, Peace, Unfailing Love, Provider, Salvation…

He is All-Knowing, All-Present and All-Powerful…

Now for step two: if we are indeed acknowledging His attributes, then we will give Him…

Reverence    Honor    Glory    Obedience    Respect

It comes down to this simple yet staggering thought:  if we acknowledge Our Father as Hallowed (Holy) as we pray, then we have to be fully aware of Who we are talking to!

We have entered into the presence of the One and Only True and Awesome God.  And when we realize that, and pray with that knowledge, we will begin to measure other areas of our lives by that yardstick of truth.  We become more aware of our dealings with others, our own obedience and testimony in front of others, and maybe, even our speech and slang ( OMG doesn’t seem the least bit fitting anymore, does it?)

Jesus gave us The Lord’s Prayer as a model of how to pray.  As we enter into a prayer, let us remember the words of Psalm 34:3.

 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.