KEPT BY GOD

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.  Psalm 34:7

 

Sometimes our work involves a touch of risk, and I am awed when God provides ways of escape.  A few weeks ago the city where we were holding a conference  was under attack from warring cartels.  We continued with our teaching and later discovered that the city had been shut down by gun battles after we left.

And then there was an instance when I was doing leadership training in an African nation.  A dispute arose between tribes; university students were unhappy with certain conditions; and local laborers were in conflict with the government.  Three riots broke out over a period of several weeks.  On one occasion there was gunfire in front of the restaurant where I’d gone for lunch; another time opposing groups were shooting at one another at the bottom of the hill where we were in a policy meeting.  But none of it touched us.

My friend Cissy* was driving down the highway with her ranch foreman when they were stopped by members of a group looking for a particular man.  Cissy and the foreman were pulled out of the truck, hands and feet were bound, and they were held for a few hours while they were interrogated.  One man grabbed the gold chain and cross on Cissy’s neck and started to pull it off.  She stopped him while she unclasped and handed it to him.

Cissy and her foreman waited tensely not knowing if they would live or die.  Later, I asked her about her thoughts and emotions at the time:  Was she afraid?  How did she feel?  Cissy said she was praying the whole time, confessing, and repenting, but she felt only peace.  Cissy told God she was ready to go at any time.

Finally, a phone call came back to the thugs to say that they had the wrong man.  Cissy and her foreman had their hands and feet untied, and Cissy’s necklace was returned.  God had kept them in body and spirit, and Cissy moves with confidence wherever she goes knowing that God is with her.

I see God’s hand regularly keeping us at home and abroad.  From drivers who run red lights to household accidents to medical emergencies and everything in between…  He watches over us all.  One of my friends reminds me frequently, “The center of God’s will is the safest place to be.”

I also see saints bravely giving their lives in service to their Lord.  They know that sometimes deliverance means going from this temporal life to being forever with the Lord.  One of those brave ones who travels in one of the risky areas I mentioned reminded me this week, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s”  (Romans 14:8).

 

Father, thank you for saints among us who remind us that our citizenship is in heaven, and we are always kept by you.  AMEN.

* Her name is changed for confidentiality.

BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 89:1

 

 

I was always bemused when, in their Golden Years, my parents would often reflect on their blessings.  “God has been better to us than anybody else,” Momo would say.  And Papa would agree as they recounted God’s goodness.

The reason for my perplexity had to do with my firsthand knowledge of their circumstances for most of the decades of their lives:  I’d seen and lived through various severe illnesses, financial stresses, personality clashes, heated disagreements, griefs, and assorted crises.  And yet my parents thought their lives were better than anyone else’s.

As I get older I am beginning to understand.  My parents were faithful, committed believers but were not perfect.  They lived with the same challenges and struggles many of us encounter and sometimes, I think, they, too, may have been at a breaking point.  BUT THEY BELIEVED GOD.  Romans 4:3 says that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  God knew Abraham’s heart and walked with him through all the dark places of his life just as he walked with Momo and Papa.

As we walk with the Lord, learning from the suffering and failures, praising him for his faithfulness, our trust in him (our belief) is strengthened, and we begin to know him.  We experience his faithfulness; we experience his love, his closeness, his comfort; and, like Paul, we are persuaded that he is able to keep us (II Timothy 1:12).  Over time we begin to know experientially that God is everything he says and will do everything he says.  We know that he will provide desired outcomes or the grace to enrich the most terrible circumstance.  We learn to accept his peace before the storm is stilled, and we obediently rejoice in him always.

Nowadays, I think I may be among the most blessed people alive, and then I remember Momo and Papa.  Yes, I’m beginning to understand what they mean.

 

Father, thank you for the seed of eternity you’ve put within us, and thank you for that joy and hope that continually grows as we walk faithfully with you.  Help me to walk on and on with you, as Enoch did, and someday arrive at home.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

THIS OLD HOUSE

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  II Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)

 

 

The workmen are at it again.  This time they’re stripping off rotten wood siding and trim and lattice work.  Some are painting; some are nailing; some are measuring and sawing.  Living in a house that’s over 100 years old has its own special charm, but it also is terribly demanding, and maintenance is high on the list of priorities.  Last year it was the kitchen when the plumbing erupted; the year before was an upgrade for my bedroom space.  Now I have to attend to the exterior.

Years ago there was a country song that was all about old houses:  This Old House by Stuart Hamlin and recorded by Mel Tillis.  It mentioned all the things the house had been through—storms, darkness, lightning, night winds—but went on to say that the old house wouldn’t be needed much longer.  The song writer was getting ready to meet the saints.

Paul talked a bit about houses when he mentioned having a treasure in an earthen vessel (II Corinthians 4:7), a fragile dwelling place.  We know that treasure, our eternal life in Christ Jesus who dwells within us, continues on no matter the condition of our mortal bodies.

I find that thought comforting in this transient environment that can bring daily challenges to us all:  a child becomes ill; an elderly person falls and breaks a bone; a teenager tears a meniscus; automobile accidents result in injuries.  And though our temporal housing, our body, may suffer and even deteriorate, our eternal life in Christ Jesus is being renewed every single day.

Pains and aches, no matter how severe, do not touch our relationship with our Lord.  Living by faith in his promises, rejoicing in his nearness, and trusting his grace can always lift us beyond the here and now.  In suffering we move confidently into his presence and ask him to hide us (Psalm 32:7) from the storm ravaging our body for the moment.  We rest steadfast in him, knowing that pain and distress are only temporary while he is eternal.

Never will he leave us, and when it’s time to move on from the patched-up house we’ve inhabited for a while, we have the assurance that our heavenly home will be maintenance-free.  And our eternal self will be forever liberated from the shell that demands so much attention.

 

Father, keep me focused on you and not the physical ailments that sometimes tempt me to get obsessed with them.  Thank you that these aches remind me that I am made for eternity and will some day be set free to live forever with you.  Meanwhile, help me to use suffering for your divine purposes.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

GIVING: A TRUE STORY

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

 

 

A colleague and I have been doing lectures for clergy and laity on Christian stewardship.  So many people seem to be of the opinion that stewardship is optional—we pick and choose those things we will care for.  As if our bodies will run on automatic without proper food, exercise, rest, and relaxation…  As if our spirits will continue to thrive without the Word, obedience, or prayer…  As if our souls will be sustained without love, intellectual stimulation, or challenges…

Stewardship is holistic:  our time includes choices and priorities; our talent encompasses sharing those unique gifts with which God has blessed us; and treasure is that which God has planted within these clay vessels as well as all the resources he’s entrusted to us.   Actually, we are brimming over with riches that we can expend on God’s Kingdom and at his direction.

Over dinner, some friends told me how their pastor had graphically illustrated this point last week.  Typically, their church doesn’t pass an offering plate—people entering the sanctuary place their offerings in a box set aside for their tithes and offerings.  The pastor announced he would do something different.  He would preach on giving, and they would take an offering.

After this unusual occurrence, the ushers passed buckets—the pastor asked people to give only the cash in their pockets—and then brought the buckets back to the front whereupon the pastor told the congregation that the buckets would be passed again.  But this time, anyone who had a need was to take out what he needed—that was what everyone wanted him/her to do.  At that, the congregation began to applaud, and the buckets were passed.  Right and left, hands began to reach out and find that there was plenty for all.

This week, the pastor announced the result of this ministry:  Stories were pouring in of desperate folks being touched and helped.  After all the needs were met, there was still $68,000 left over.  He asked everyone to stay tuned to see what God would do with the leftovers.

Does that remind you of a story about loaves and fishes?

 

Father, when we trust you and allow you to be Lord over all you’ve given us, there is always enough—and more.  Thank you.  AMEN.

MISSING THE BUS

…to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ…  Ephesians 3:8

 

My grandson Sam and I were en route to visit friends in Little Plumstead, a tiny village in northeastern England.  Rather than take the train, we decided on a leisurely bus tour through the glorious countryside.

We arrived at the station with minutes to spare, and Sam sought out the particular bus for our journey while I waited in the terminal for his signal.  And I waited.  And waited.  Finally, Sam came racing in, looking to see where I’d gone.

He had been on our bus, talking with the driver, explaining that his grandmother would appear momentarily.  And he waited.  And waited.  Finally, the driver said he had a schedule to meet and could delay no longer.  He ushered Sam off the bus and left while I quietly waited in the station for word of departure.

While I waited, the vehicle that would take us to our destination up and left us.  Instead of a relatively short nonstop drive, we had to purchase a new set of tickets and were put on a route where we stopped at every tiny hamlet (it seemed like dozens), prolonging and delaying our journey.  At last, we arrived and were sympathetically greeted by our hosts.  Yes, in Britain, you buy your ticket and get on the bus.  You do not wait for an announcement and for someone to escort you to your seat.  So, next time I will know.

I am wondering if we ever sit back waiting comfortably for God to tap us on the shoulder and remind us of all the provisions that are ours in Christ Jesus?  Do we ever puzzle over why he isn’t overwhelming us with his grace and bounty when all the while he’s made promises that are as good as tickets in our hands?

I must remember to claim what’s already been bought for me and to put myself on whatever vehicle God has provided.  If I don’t, I’ll miss the bus.

 

Lord, you are so merciful when I am sometimes so vague.  Poke me if I sit around waiting for you to act—when you’ve already given us everything we’ll ever need.  Help me to access all that is mine in Christ Jesus.  Humbly, I pray in Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

TODAY

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

 

We’ve awakened today with a gift from God—this very day.  There will be so many choices and opportunities.  What will we do with the gift?

We will enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts (Psa. 100:4) reflecting on the benefits we derive by being his child.  Thank you Lord for your abiding peace no matter what may come this day.  Thank you for grace to address every situation.  Thank you for wisdom to deal with complex issues today.  Thank you for strength to handle all my responsibilities.  Thank you for guidance with all the different options in this day.  Thank you that you never leave me even when my senses don’t perceive you.

We enter his courts with praise, confidently abiding in the presence of the Lord.  …in him  we live and move and have our being.  (Acts 17:28)  Today if something should try to shake my rest in him, I will redirect my attention and climb back into his arms.  After all, Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

What a great day.

 

Father, keep us steadfast in your love today, rejoicing in you and not allowing circumstances to determine our attitudes or behavior.  We are your children; we rejoice in you.  AMEN.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”  Mark 9:36

 

 

SHE BELIEVED IN ME.  She saw something that I couldn’t recognize, and she acted on it.  I was seven or eight years old, and she invited me to be her assistant teacher for our primary Sunday school class.  Because she asked me, I shyly accepted.  And so, Sis. Reed (that’s what we called older ladies in our church) provided a platform by which I would discover and hone my gift for teaching.  After all these years, I’m still at it.

Then there was “Sheltie,” an older man in our small church who mentored all the youngsters and loved each of us.  He, too, encouraged me to serve and even took me with him to visit the high school class he taught.  He believed in me, and I knew he cared about me.  I think all of us in the younger crowd felt the same way.

My husband had a long and distinguished career in law and on the bench and liked to talk about a teacher in high school who challenged him at the end of a semester saying, “Young man, you can make something out of yourself.”  Being a first-generation American, not many folks had taken time to encourage his talents.  Peter listened to her, set his course, and never looked back.

Some of us have children; some even have grandchildren; and we all have young lives around us who are looking to us to believe in them and encourage their wildest dreams.  We can become mentors or introduce them to those who will, and we can provide resources and experiences that will stir up the gifts God has placed in them.  The greatest investment we can make is in shaping and influencing a life to fill that spot reserved for him or her in the Kingdom.

Here’s a whole summer ahead of us.  What little one can we spend time with… read to… teach in VBS… affirm?   (I really wish I could thank Sheltie and Sis. Reed for the gifts of themselves.  Some day I plan to.)

 

 

Father, open our eyes to see the treasure of the little lives around us, and use us to bless them in your name.  AMEN.