journey onWord with us

For a large portion of Americans, Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday (count me in that group). It may be the once a year feast that families enjoy, or it is more likely the family time and spirit of thankfulness that the holiday evokes. And for some of you, it may even be black Friday (count me out). But for all of us, it is a time to remember, and give thanks for all of the gifts that God has favored to bring our way. Even for those going through a difficult season, there is room for thankfulness.

Let the words of this Psalm be your Thanksgiving anthem this year.

Psalm 100 (MSG)
On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re His people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank You!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him, Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Without a conscious effort to remember the good things that have come our way in the last year, Thanksgiving can become just nice words in our Thanksgiving prayer. I was reminded and convicted of how easy it is to “not remember” His gifts just this week. When our daughter was little, we had a “praise jar” that we would use at the dinner table throughout the year. Each of us would write our praises on slips of paper at dinnertime and place them in the praise jar. It was amazing to see God’s goodness and then be reminded again as we emptied the jar at Thanksgiving. I wonder why we stopped the praise jar?!

Did God stop blessing us? … I think not!
Did our daughter get too old? … Never!

As my wife, daughter and I reminisced about the praise jar this week, it started the memories of the last year flowing. Our family, like yours, has had joy and difficulty, but many things happened that are worthy of the praise jar. I don’t want to forget again any of the goodness of our Father. I trust that this Thanksgiving season (even if you read this note late) you will revisit God’s grace in the last year, as our family will.

We serve an all-generous God who loves us and is loyal always. Look at every gift from the last year (large or small) as from the hand of the Father. You know the password…it is “thank you.” In a world of endless passwords, there could be none better. Turn your heart to Him this Thanksgiving, and be blessed! One last word……start a praise jar!

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 the heartbreaks of the last year. When President Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving a nation-wide holiday in 1789, he knew the struggles behind and before them. 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, there are still joys and difficulties, but God is still good and genuine thanksgiving to Him is in order.

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 our 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 not changed … and never will. 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 biggest thanks and highest praise.

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

Have you ever noticed how Monday mornings are a time of good self-talk? We have thoughts of a better week, a better diet (no french fries this week), plus an “I can do it” attitude. But as we journey through the week, something happens. And by Thursday we are just surviving and eating those fries again. What happened? Energy drains come from a multitude of angles. It could be people who drain you, kids who pull at you, or just the sheer amount of responsibility that conquers your week, and leaves you gasping for air as you head into the weekend. And then the cycle begins all over again! Perspective on how to approach your “days” may just help you convert weeks into meaningful victories.

Proverbs 27:19
As water reflects a face so a man’s heart reflects the man.

As I have thought about this verse, it has become obvious to me that the heart too often reflects a weary man. The weight of the journey and the energy drains too often are a reflection of tired hearts. If you don’t believe me, just look around. But I am, at the same time, convinced that an acceptance of just a couple of verses with an attitude of, “I can apply them,” can help anyone begin a strategy of daily rejoicing. The weeks may not be easier, but the energy gains from the Holy Spirit will be noticeable. When a person’s heart reflects the joy of the Father, others (even our families) have visible evidence of life as He meant it to be.

Psalm 118:24
This is a day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.

You would probably agree that the above verses are easily passed over. We all know the principle of rejoicing, but the practice may be a bit fanatical to most who call themselves Christians. Just look at your life this week, and evaluate how you have approached each new day!  And don’t confuse these verses with happy self-talk. They can be the norm for anyone who has come into a life changing relationship with Christ. But how?!  A couple of thoughts may give us a start:

1. Start each day by personalizing the prayer of Psalm 118:24.
   “Father you have made this day for me to be a reflection of your love and grace. I rejoice now with a glad heart in the opportunities you will place before me today”.
2. Decide that rejoicing is a reflection of your trust, not a reflection of your day. Every day will have its set of trials, but the Father says rejoice and by a choice of the will, we can.

Challenge yourself with the above verses daily for just one week. You will find that the application of Scripture in such a simple form has the power to change your life. Believe the verses, quote them, personalize them and leave each day to the Father. Rejoice in your journey!

Airplanes and cell phones are becoming an irritation to me. I did it again. As I was sitting at the gate waiting for my plane to depart, I realized my cell phone was missing. My wife and I had been talking to someone on my way to the airport, and I placed the phone on the console. But alas, my wife to the rescue!  She actually got the airport personnel to help me retrieve my phone just before taking off.  Other than having to go through security twice, everything worked out great.  I am glad that my life will not be defined by my airport-cell phone adventures. <insert short self-deprecating chuckle here> But my life and yours will most certainly be defined by some attribute, and I wonder what it will be.

Just this morning I was involved in the dedication of a prayer garden. It was dedicated to a friend whose life was absolutely defined by prayer. In the year since her passing there has been a book printed of her prayer letters, and those letters give incredible insight into her life.  In the last decade of her life, with constant sickness balanced by a deep relationship with God, she persevered.  A quote from her last prayer letter, struck me as indicative of her life. “I need extended time and a constant communication with Him through the day”. Her prayer letter defined her.

Since all of us can be defined, what are the dominant passions in your life that are in full view of everyone around you? It would be easy to just look at personality traits, but let’s narrow the scope to our spiritual journey. As Christ followers, we know that our lives leave an imprint. God has uniquely gifted us to serve, and our hearts should be sensitive to His design. Fulfilling His design, and creating a great life definition starts with being a fully devoted follower of Christ.  If we will live fully devoted to our Savior with a surrendered heart, others will be able to easily define who we are.

If you have walked in faith for very long, you will agree that disillusionment and life’s battles try their best to define us. Persevering in the race God has marked out for us can only happen as we keep our eyes on Jesus. But it will not be easy. How is the definition of your life evolving? Does the “you “ that others see match with what “you” want to be defined by? Remember, as we often say, “yesterday ended at midnight”. That truth offers both an encouragement and a challenge.  Our challenge is to live the surrendered life in the series of today’s he gifts us, and then get back up each new day and live it again.  And no matter what our today was like, with true repentance and a new sunrise, God gifts us a new day to make count for Him.

Cell phones and airports help define some of my weaker moments. But the real me (and the real you) will ultimately be defined by our relationship with Christ. Simply living every day fully devoted will build a definition that pleases God. My friend endured through extreme sickness, and her life legacy will forever be defined by prayer. How will yours be defined?

Can you remember from childhood the great lesson of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? (thanks to all those teachers who taught the story) For not serving the gods of Nebuchadnezzar, or worshipping the image of gold he had erected, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar got so mad he ordered the furnace seven times hotter than usual. Imagine the life and death faith that these men were tested with leading up to the epic moment of being thrown into the furnace. Was the faith they modeled about the assurance of rescue, or about their undying trust in their God? As we answer that question, it will be obvious that there are parallels to our journey … only in cooler circumstances.

Daniel 3:17-18
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Certain death would be their fate if “He does not.”  But “He did” miraculously protect them from the flames. This is no doubt a great story to teach, but we can all be challenged by the way that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego approached their moment of truth with allegiance to our God. No matter what God would choose to do, they would not bow down. Today or tomorrow, all of us will be confronted with an issue of faith. Like our young friends from the Old Testament, we won’t know what the Father will choose to do. Although we probably won’t be facing flames, we will face difficult choices. These three men trusted God (and the flames got seven times hotter). When they couldn’t predict their outcome, they stood firm. And so can we! How will we navigate our epic moment(s)?

In all of our lives there will be epic moments that test us to the core. We can live with obedient faith, even without knowing what the Father will choose. Whether you are a new believer or a long time Christ follower, prepare for the moment. My experience has taught me that all the love, care and encouragement others can give will never take the place of letting God prepare us as we seek Him. Stay close to His Word. In those epic moments, you will be glad you did. Below are some verses I think the fiery furnace trio would have affirmed.  And I trust we will as well, as we remain steadfast in the Word, preparing for our fiery moments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on to the heights.

Being certain that difficulties will come, should move us to the Truth.  Be obedient!

Tired people are everywhere. If you combine the pace of life with the emotions of life, and the people who dominate our lives, it is easy to see why being tired is a natural part of our existence. When was the last time you sat around debating what to do with your empty schedule? Can you remember a recent time when there were not frustrating emotions, or people consuming your day?  A natural result of all the energy expended is the effect it has on the spiritual dimension of life. Spiritual exhaustion will manifest itself in feelings of frustration (at others, and the Lord), faith that is weakened, and a general malaise about the most important area of life. Although, I cannot change your world, I would like to give you hope through the life of someone who lived an especially hard life. Take a look with me at the prophet Jeremiah.

You may have read the book in Scripture that bears his name. He was known as the “weeping prophet”. To be honest, the book of Jeremiah is a hard book for me to read. There is a sense of the darkness created by the people who continually disobeyed God. Jeremiah prophesied to this group of people (Judah), that lost the blessings of God. He denounced the people for their sins, and announced the seventy-year captivity they would face. How would you and I handle being a prophet that had to continually deliver such a hard message?  He obviously was not very popular, and from my reading experience, Jeremiah’s life was a weary existence. But through it all, he obeyed God!

By comparison, our pace of life, and the frustrating emotions and people who drain us, pale to that of Jeremiah’s story. While it was surely not devoid of moments of weakness, it is amazing that Jeremiah stood firm against the wickedness of his day. God’s words of hope to him were recorded in chapter 1, verse 8 …

“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

The same truth, in almost exactly the same words is given at the end of chapter 1. When God says He is with someone, He is! Through all that Jeremiah went through, God was present and in control. In the Father’s design, Jeremiah was given a tough journey.  One that would make any of us weary. But only eternity will tell how useful he was to the Father’s cause.

We all have fingerprint-type journeys, no two are exactly alike.  The events and experiences in our lives can sometimes cause us to question God, leave us spiritually confused, and asking “why is life so hard?” God promised Jeremiah that he would be with him, and in Christ we too can rest in the words found in Hebrews 13:5b-6.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

It is so easy to get tired, and distance ourselves from doing all that God has chosen for us to accomplish. But if we choose to act obediently, I believe that eternity will give evidence of how useful we were to the Father’s cause in, and through those times. If you are a bit weary today, think about Jeremiah, and remember God is with you, and is always in control!

Sitting and looking out the window recently, I observed a fundamental truth of the Fall season.  And it resonated with a truth that I can so easily become discouraged by.  I observed a lawn that had been freshly mown just the day before.  The owner taking great care to hand rake a sizable batch of leaves that had fallen, and then catching some stragglers that had blown in from a neighboring yard as he trimmed his turf.  Those who live, or have lived in a deciduous region can relate to the borderline euphoric feeling of the pristine patch of bright green grass that is revealed each time fallen leaves are either raked or blown away.  And can certainly also relate to the discouragement that all too soon follows as even a breath of wind causes a new batch of leaves to cascade from the crowns of trees to that formerly pristine turf.

One-by-one I watched the leaves fall, slowly and randomly, until a freshened wind caused them to rain down en mass.  It took only a minute or so for it to appear as if the homeowner had never raked at all.  The toil and sweat of yesterday, all but washed away in the typical cycle of Fall.  It is a fundamental truth of the season, that as a homeowner blessed with the beauty of colorful maples, oaks, and elms, you must be resigned to consistently repeating the process of removing fallen leaves.

It struck me how similar this is to our own lives, whose slate is wiped clean with every act of confession and appearance of a sunrise.  Only to be followed just as quickly with our broken and fallen selves in the form of “leaves” that sometimes drop slowly and randomly, and other times rain down.  But just as quickly as I observed the scene of the falling leaves, and empathized with my neighbor’s assumed discouragement, I was blessed by the Spirit with another truth that is even greater.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

If you woke up today in despair with the sight of a new layer of leaves in your life, take heart.  If you woke up today staring at the same mountainous pile of leaves that has been growing in your collection of yesterday’s, take heart.  If you feel consumed by schedule, by commitments, or trials, take heart.  If you are in a season of suffering, anywhere on the scale from annoyance to addiction, take heart.  Reach out, call out, cry out to God, whose compassions never fail, and are new every morning.  This is not a promise that you will be removed from the suffering or strife, but it is a promise about who God is in the midst of it.  And it is a promise of what is available to us in Him … we are not consumed.

At the root of God’s design for us, is relationship.  I pray that you never suffer in isolation.  In calling on Him, reach out also to others around you.  If you feel as though you don’t have someone, pray that God will send them.  And never hesitate to let us know if we can support you, and be in prayer for you.

About this time every two years we all come to the same conclusion: Thank goodness the elections will soon be over. If you and I believed all the advertisements that are paraded before us, there would be absolutely no one to trust. Just last night as a television ad started, I asked my wife to change the channel (it was her turn to have the remote). It doesn’t matter what our political leanings are: by the late evening on the first Tuesday of every election year, we are just glad the elections are complete. But at that moment, we are left to question, “can we trust our leaders?” Wisdom would lead us to pray for our elected officials (even those who are not our favorites), and give them every chance to be proven trustworthy. However, our real trust for life, joy, and hope for this moment and all of our tomorrows, can only rest secure in the Lord.

Trust is a key word in the Christian vocabulary. Most reading this article have trusted Christ as your personal Savior. You probably even live with a conviction that you can trust all of your cares to the Father. Intellectually, the Christian world has a great handle on trusting, but our shared experience of living out that trust is woefully lacking. Make no mistake; we all struggle in this area. Think about what you have staring you in the face this coming week. Do you have a sense of calm that He is in control, or are words like stress, worry, and maybe even frustration, a better measure of your feelings? Take heart, there is hope!

Often, as we look forward, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Admittedly, we cannot fix all of our family problems, work issues, and simply make everyone see life as we do. Nor should we try! But we can trust Him in each moment. It is my feeling that we often look at life with too broad a lens. Any of us can get worn out just considering the next week and all it entails, much less dealing with the associated events and people in our lives. Could it be that the Lord doesn’t want us to manage our lives this way? Hudson Taylor found a secret that may give hope for this week and beyond. In the book, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret we find words that helped change his life.

“Abiding, not struggling; looking off unto Him; trusting Him for present power…”

When we look at tomorrow, life and it’s issues can be overwhelming. Taking a shorter-term view (this moment, this hour, this day) of trusting the Father can be liberating. We absolutely know He will give us all we need in this moment. Trusting Him for present power keeps giving us confidence when it is needed, right now. Two hours from now, or tomorrow morning will come soon enough. But to enjoy, trust and feel confident moment-by-moment can change our perspective from worry to joy. David gave us great words in Ps: 55:22:

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Doesn’t it make sense to give Him today’s cares and then trust Him for present power throughout the day? Obviously, planning and having strategies for the future is important. I feel however that the weight of tomorrow is robbing far too many Christians of joy today. We may not know which politicians to trust, but God is absolutely trustworthy. If you have great trust in our God, but are struggling with internal rest, simplify your journey. Trust Him right now for present power, and then tomorrow, trust Him for present power again. And eventually the elections will be over!

It was well over 20 years ago on a Saturday evening. We had been out with another family for the day, and I was just relaxing after returning home, sitting on the floor in our family room. Our daughter Lindsay was still very young and was writing something on the side of my face. What should have been fun for dad was getting annoying, and it hurt. So with great spiritual insight (yea, right!), I asked her what she was doing. She was writing “I love you” on my face. Can you imagine how dumb I felt?  Far too often in life we all find ourselves making quick decisions, snap judgments and, in a word, failing others and ourselves.

Because of selfishness for my time, I almost missed a scene that I remember vividly to this day, and that I will never forget. Can you remember moments with your family, friends or colleagues where you sensed failure? It could have been in what you said, or didn’t say, or even by your reactions. If you are anything like me, it is easy to see where you have failed yourself, others and especially our Father. God has chosen to let us view the failures of some of His most choice servants as we journey through Scripture. Abraham probably never forgot how he failed Sarah by lying. Moses went to the grave never entering the Promised Land because of failure. David failed morally and Peter denied Christ. I think it is fair to say, that failure will always be a part of our lives. How then should we view our failures without excusing them?

In thinking on this question, two statements come to mind that help me with perspective. I trust they will encourage you as well. In his book Failing Forward, John Maxwell used words from Mother Theresa that I have never forgotten. She said that “failure is the kiss of Jesus.” Her words remind us that we are weak and need grace from our Lord. How must Peter have felt before Jesus restored him? With all of the demands of our families, jobs and sometimes even churches, it is easy to become consumed and eventually wound those that we love. But when the inevitable failure occurs, we are reminded of our weakness, and long for His kiss.

Another quote that has stayed with me over the last few years comes from the song, “We Fall Down” sung by Mark Lowry. In the song, these words are stated over and over: “saints are just sinners who fall down and get up”. It may sound funny to you, but those words are comforting to me. Christ followers are going to fail. After all we are sinners. But when we fall down, we get up and keep going. Again, if we look at Scripture, some of God’s great servants failed, but moved forward in His grace. “Saints are just sinners, who fall down and get up”. Don’t let any failure keep you from getting up and living with joy.

We all have regrets. We have failed, and will fail again. However, if we let yesterday hinder us and tomorrow cause fear, we lose today. Just like me, you can remember being selfish with a child, or failing someone else. Look at your failures as “the kiss of Jesus.” Always let falling down be an opportunity to get up. And for goodness sakes, when your child writes on your face, don’t get frustrated!

If you were to walk into my office and look around, your eyes would eventually land on the words written on a thin piece of wood. This office memento was purchased about a year ago at a very cool store containing incredible Christian merchandise. If, by wisdom I would look at my wooden strip daily and internalize the words, my perspective would stay in a better place. But I don’t always look at it, and then when I do…. well, maybe emotionally applying it is difficult. It is logical to assume that since I bought the wooden piece, I think the words are important. And I do! The words?  Oh yeah, right, I’ll tell you. But only if you promise to work on applying them with me.

Good morning, this is God. I will be handling all your problems today.

As you read the above statement, what was your reaction?  Do you long for that to be true?  Does it just seem too simple?

I am going to make an assumption that, like so many, you prefer to handle your own problems, and struggle with committing them to the Father’s care. Would you agree that even when you are committed to involving God in every part of your day, it’s really hard to let Him have exclusive access to your problems? But be encouraged, we can do it! And also be warned, that if we choose to leave God out of our plans, and direct our own journey, we have no right to expect Him to guide us. Perspective on trusting God to guide you through each day, even in the midst of problems, can be found in a quote taken from Dallas Williard’s book, Renovation of the Heart.

“At the beginning of each morning I commit my day to the Lord’s care.”

A simple statement, yes, but one packed with incredible insight. In Christ, you and I have the ability to present our day before Him, and trust Him for the results. None of us has the ability to make today or tomorrow a perfect day. We live in a fallen world. Our Lord already knows what is in front of us with all its joy and sorrow. Do you think He will give us direction? Of course He will! Just remember throughout the day, when the inevitable problem arises, whisper words like these: “Father, I have given you this day, and now I trust You to guide me”. And He will!  Look no further than scripture for assurance …

Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

There can be no doubt, when we trust, that God will guide us. I see the illustration of God’s desire to keep us on track in my relationship with my daughter. If she has a problem, I will move mountains to help her. But she can choose not to involve me. Our Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, wants to direct our paths. But we choose daily whether or not to involve Him. Begin today (and then tomorrow, and the next day) by committing your day to the Lord’s care. Lean on His truth, not your own. Trust, and He will guide.  Take heart, He is able!