Stopping for a Rest

In the book, Theo of Golden, we find a character (Theo) who has decided something important.  He will spend his remaining years in active pursuit of peace and rest that comes from doing 'Jesus things.'  Psalm 23 spells out some of these 'Jesus things' in one of the most beautiful poems found in Scripture.  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He maketh me lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul!"

Theo has lived a life of celebrity, success, pain, and loss.  He could be bitter.  He could become helpless and broken.  But Theo, a man of faith, becomes better.  Why?  That's what Jesus does.

Psalm 23 is all about what God does to create in us a character that makes the world around us better.  These first few verses speak to our hearts ... but do they change us?  Here are a few things Jesus is doing:

1. Jesus claims governance of our lives.  Sheep follow the shepherd.  Sheep are led by the shepherd.  Sheep stray and are sought, found, and brought home by the shepherd.  

2. Jesus provides.  The passage, "I shall not want," can be read several ways.  It can be read as having an attitude of being content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11). It can also be read as a command.  I think both are true.  Jesus is sufficient.  In the song "Resting Place" (a 2016 song by I Am They), the group revives a 1891 song by Eliza Hewitt. Eliza Hewitt was a teacher who was attacked by a student in her class, an incident that left her in severe pain and with a lifelong spinal injury.  Wheelchair-bound, she still became a Sunday School Superintendent in her church and wrote hundreds of Christian hymns.  Jesus provides!

3. Jesus brings comfort. Jesus causes us to stop for rest.  The shepherd monitors the state of the flock, and knows when to stop.

4. Jesus brings peace. Did you know sheep don't like fast-moving water?  It gives them anxiety.  The shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters.

5. Why does the shepherd do all of these things?  He restores our soul.  That's what Jesus does!

I pray for church people who are so caught up in where they have been that they forget the shepherd is leading us somewhere.  I pray for many friends who constantly post about their frustration and anger with one political party or the other, to the point that they are obsessed.  I pray for those who are lost and need the shepherd to find them.  And then I think of the lesson of Paul (Philippians 4:11) and Theo from the book.

Theo has chosen to get out of God's way.  So he watches for the good in people.  He sees past facades and looks toward the soul that has been created by God.  Where he passes, lives are made better.  God is using him to show the story of shepherds, contentment, still waters, green pastures, and restored souls.  And THAT is a beautiful thing!

Presence

What does it mean when Scripture said, "Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:21)?"  Here's what it doesn't mean:

1. He had a perfect family.  Samuel lived in Eli's house with Eli's sons, both evil priests.

2. Israel was stable and peaceful. Israel was a country filled with corrupt leaders, and Samuel's calling would place him in difficult and dangerous conflict with some of those leaders.

3. Samuel's people were faithful followers of God.  Samuel's people envied being like the people in the land.  They had forgotten God called them to be different, peculiar, and chosen.

I wonder if God is saying something simple and profound.  Maybe 2 things:

1. God's presence rises above our circumstances.  In Philippians 4:7, Paul called it "peace that surpasses understanding."

2. God's presence lifts us out of our circumstances.   Psalm 130:1 says, "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD."  The Psalmist goes on to say God heard the cry and lifted him up and set his feet on solid ground.

Oh, and that first word ... "Meanwhile."  Do you know God is present with his people when life is happening all around us?  Culture ... God is with us, guiding us.  Turmoil ... God is with us, teaching us.  Victory ... God is with us, keeping our heads from getting too big, or too self-centered.  Defeat ... God is picking us up, and encouraging us to go on in His perfect grace.  

Samuel, because he prayed, listened, communed with God, and lived in God's presence, saw a God that was bigger than anything he faced.  That same God was strong enough to give him the strength to live out his calling.  May we all live in that blessed place!

Pride Goeth Before a Fall

We have all heard the Proverb, "Pride goeth before destruction (Proverbs 16:18)."  Many of us have learned this the hard way, haven't we?  We revel in our situation ... our victory ... our prowess ... our superiority.  And then something happens to bring us down from our pedestal.

A man was given a medal at a church.  The medal was "To The Most Humble Man In Our Congregation."  The next week they took the medal away ... he wore it to church! That is how pride and arrogance work.  They both tell us the lie that we are better, smarter, stronger, and superior.  A Rabbi died and was given the ability to come back for a day.  A friend asked, "What does heaven think is the worst sin?"  The Rabbi responded, "Thinking you are better than other people."

Samson (Judges 16) had plenty to be proud of. He killed a lion with his bare hands. He defeated thirty Philistines. He caught 300 foxes, tied torches to their tails, and burned the Philistine crops. He killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. He tore the gates off the city of Gaza and carried them away. After a while, Samson must have begun to believe he couldn't be touched. Enter Delilah.

By Judges 16, Samson isn't simply flirting with a woman. He is flirting with disaster. Delilah keeps asking for the secret of his strength, and Samson keeps playing games with her. First he lies. Then he lies again. Then he gets closer to the truth. And finally, Samson tells her everything. Why? Maybe Samson had become so confident in himself that he believed even Delilah couldn't hurt him. This brings Samson to "the destruction" the Proverb mentions.  His hair is cut, but Samson wakes up and says, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free! (Judges 16:20).” Pride creates failure to see what was really going on.  Scripture says, "But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.” he apparently forgot where his power came from.  And while a blind, humiliated Samson went out in a blaze of glory, his end came quickly, not as a hero but as a fool.

Can we learn from this story?  Can we see ourselves clearly ... and see God's better path?  Can we understand where any true power we have comes from?  Can we repent and learn the humility that truth brings?  "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord," "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8)!"  AMEN 

A Reason To Sing

So ... God chose Deborah to lead Israel.  Yep!  Controversial in that time, and apparently controversial in our time.  But there are things about Deborah that add depth to the story.  Here are a few of them.

Deborah wanted to make sure the people remembered God's goodness, God's provision, and God's greatness had delivered them from their enemies.  God, and only God, was the source of their season of prosperity and peace.  I remember the Willie Nelson lyric, "He'd rather give you a song, than diamonds or gold (referencing cowboys)."  Maybe Deborah was a cowgirl (the Hebrews were shepherds), because she writes a song of praise to God, thanking Him for what he has done and will do.  Judges 5 constitutes Deborah's song.  If you read this song, you will find it expressing Deborah's attitude about God ... and how God empowers and delivers His people.  She knew this from personal experience since she held several revered positions in the Hebrew culture.

1. Deborah was a prophet.  God spoke to and through her.  When she called upon Barak from the tribe of Naphtali to assemble 10,000 men to fight against Sisera, he said, possibly out of respect to her leadership, "If you go with me, I will go (Judges 4:8)!"  Deborah responded that she would go with him, but Barak would not receive the honor for the victory.  That honor would go to a woman but, if you read the song, she doesn't mean herself.

2. Deborah was a conduit.  Because Deborah was a faithful leader of the Hebrews (the Judge was the national spiritual and political leader of Israel), God's power and promise flowed through her into the circumstances the Hebrews faced.  Sisera sent 900 chariots against the Hebrews, which should have been sufficient to defeat them.  God sent rain, mud, and defeat to Sisera's soldiers.  God sent death to Sisera through Jael, a Kenite woman.  It was Jael who received the honor of the victory.

3. Deborah was a wise Judge.  She settled her people's disputes under "the Tree of Deborah."  God and the people respected her wisdom (that came from God) and her leadership, for which God chose and equipped her.

While the details of this story are hard to follow in the Biblical account, the message is pretty clear.  God chooses His leaders carefully and perfectly (even if they might be out-of-order with the norms of the day).  God provides victory, wisdom, and authority to those He ordains to lead.  God ignores our posturing, bickering, pettiness, and prejudice.

How can I say that?  Do you remember Philippians 2?  Verse 7 says, "He made Himself nothing."  The God who is all-powerful became nothing to bring us to Himself! So maybe God, allowing a song of praise and deliverance from a Judge, a prophet, a spiritual leader, and a woman, should have our continued praise and awe as He delivers us from our enemies and brings us to Himself!  AMEN?  AMEN!

God Things

Do you ever have something happen that you know is a God thing?  It might be something you see.  It might be a Scripture that is particularly applicable to your current situation.  It may be a person or persons.  But God is active, present, and speaking, if we will take the time to notice and/or listen.

This morning, I got to share with the ACA staff about back-to-school thoughts.  Every year, they use our facility for the first "in-service" event.  It is good to see both new and not-so-new faces, as the staff learns, shares, and fellowships together.  We shared the Scripture from Lamentations 3:22-23, in which the prophet (after many words of lament [go figure?]) breaks into praise ... "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!"

In the book, Theo of Golden, the author writes, "It is better to see one thing well (in the light of truth) than to see many things poorly."  As we begin the almost fall season, let's make that positivity our mantra.  Most of you are clueless about the rest of Lamentations, and couldn't quote a single verse.  But I bet most of you remember Jeremiah's words of comfort and beauty as you sing the old song, Great is Thy Faithfulness.

"It is better to see one thing well, than to see many things poorly."  The Lamentations passage and this quote are "God things," meant to make us stop, think, look, listen, and see what God is doing.  Go thou, and do likewise!

A Temporary Lesson

Have you, as a teacher or a parent, ever thought, "I thought we covered this lesson!"  I wonder if God does the same thing as I (and we) stub our toes or totally fall down over the same obstacle?  The Hebrews found themselves learning and relearning over and over again, as they traversed the wilderness southeast of Canaan.

Kadesh Barnea was the term in Hebrew.  It meant wilderness, filled with little water and food, serpents, and uncertainty.  A generation had died off, and now Moses prepares the people for entering the land ... a land he would not be allowed to enter because of his own unlearned lessons.  Moses' preparation, and several associated sermons, are contained in Deuteronomy, called Devarim in Hebrew.  It means "these are the words." In the 1st chapter, Moses recounts the spies being sent (the 1st time) into Canaan. The trip was a resounding failure, and maybe lessons were learned (at least temporarily).  In Joshua, two spies are sent.  The spies are not told to assess the armies.  Instead, they are sent to "Go look over the land (Joshua 2)."

Let's stop here.  The first spies (12 of them) were sent to assess the power, the cities, the land, and the obstacles the Hebrews would encounter.  The report came back in a fearful tone.  "The cities are fortified." "The land is good."  "The people are large and strong."  "Why is the Lord sending us up from Egypt, only to die by the sword!"  The report, the spies, and the people failed to follow God's explicit command.

In Joshua 2, 2 spies go out.  I love what they say as they return.  "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us (Joshua 2:24)."  Even Rahab, the prostitute who hides the spies in her home, remarks, "I know the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of us (Joshua 2:9)."  

The first spies came back fearful, defeated, and rebellious.  The second spies realize that the people in the land are "melting with fear" because of the God of Israel.  Imagine that?

The very people of God, God's treasured possession, God's "kingdom of priests," and the people delivered from Egypt had seen what God did, first hand.  Yet, they faltered and reverted to their fear.  They became resistant and stiff-necked.  They were distracted by their false feelings and blinded to the truth.  40 years later, the next generation of Hebrews learned the truth.  They discovered that the people living in Canaan were terrified (more terrified than the Hebrews) of the God that brought them out of Egypt 40 years earlier!

Let that sink in.  Do we (the Church that has been told by Jesus "the very gates of hell will not prevail against us" [Matthew 16]) believe Jesus? Or do we see obstacles, barriers, fortified strongholds, and failure?  Read Psalm 18 (especially verses 6-14).  Tell me if your God is weak or strong?  Proclaim to me if your God hears, listens, and comes to His people?  Is God who He says He is, or is god who you have made him?  

The Art Of Missing Things

Last week at Art Camp, we had over 100 people (children, students, adults) in various capacities, working and serving.  They were a blessing, and the 1st Annual Abbeville Sacred Arts Initiative Summer Art Camp was a beautiful success.  God showed up, and many gifted people worked really hard.  I was blessed by going class-to-class, and I repeatedly saw the beauty, the giftedness, and the smiles of children from every walk of life!  I wanted to run around and say, "Look and see what God has done!"

During a devotional time on Friday morning, I was talking about a scene in Andy Andrews' book, The Traveler's Gift, in which Andrews paints (with words) a scene of a vast storehouse in heaven.  The main character is being led through a storehouse filled with beautiful things like inventions that would make human life better, including cures for all kinds of diseases (cancer, Alzheimer's, etc.).  The question is asked, "What is all this stuff?"  The angel answers, "These are the things that were never invented or never developed, because the person who was assigned that task missed their chance to change the world for the better."  Sometimes blessings are happening all around us, and we miss them!  

WOW, what a thought!  What if each of us could do something that would make life and the world better for everyone, but we missed our chance?  Here is where I want us/you/me to ponder our part in this!  How could we miss such an important thing?  Here are a few lessons from the experience of Hebrews travelling from Egypt to Caanan.  

1. Busyness - We get busy and think our little task is more important than what is happening right beside us.  We might not see, or care, about the connections God is trying to make.  In the Pentateuch, God is binding His people together with a braided cord of 3 strands (Eccl. 4:12) ... the individual, the community, the Lord (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

2. Fear - I wonder if people let fear overcome them to the point they freeze up and fail God?  We fear what people will say, so we avoid the altar.  We fear a response, so we either walk on eggshells or respond with bluster to show our false "lack of fear" (and we miss that 'truth in love' thing God calls us to show).  We see the magnitude of the task and say what the spies did in Numbers 13 ... "there are giants in the land, and we are like grasshoppers!"  All of these things have a common denominator.  They all rely on the power of self rather than the power of God.  So we continue in the wilderness of fear!

3. Being 'Chippy' - God, speaking to Moses said, "these people are stiff-necked (referring to bickering, being prideful, being rebellious, being "difficult). In Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (of the Old Testament) the #1 thing stopping the people wasn't the enemies they encountered along the way.  It was THEM!  Moses had more than one conversation with God about God's anger with the people. God was NOT amused!  I saw a sign in a restaurant that said, "If you are difficult, demanding, or rude, you will be charged an extra $10."  God clearly notices this behavior, and God clearly doesn't like this behavior.  

Part of the reason the people wandered in the desert for 40 years is that they didn't trust God enough to follow in faith.  They missed multiple chances to receive God's blessings.

How do we keep from missing the chances God gives us?  We trust God more than bickering, busyness, and fear!  We rely on Him, not self!  We always have 2 choices.  We can choose to see, observe, notice, and buy into what God is doing.  Or, we can lean on our own understanding, failing to trust God or the people God has placed to complete His work. We can do this!  And, we can do this well!

One last comment from that devotional.  When I had finished with my story, Nicey Eller was going to pray.  She had selected a book (without any conversation with me) as her lead-in to prayer time.  It was The Boy Who Changed The World by Andy Andrews!  I asked, "Did you see that, or did you miss it?"  Most didn't recognize that God's Spirit had connected my story with Nicey's prayer.  Maybe they were focused on what they had to do.  Maybe they were fearful of the wave of children about to enter the door.  It's how we miss God's plan, God's blessings, and God's work through our coworkers and us.

I challenge each of us to see, hear, taste, listen, smell, and touch God today.  Let's become experts at these things, rather than being skilled at missing God's things!  God is not silent... we are sometimes not good listeners.  Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!