Be Still

I've seen it over and over and over again this week. "Be still and know that I am God." It comes from Psalm 46:10. I have heard it in various devotions, Christian songs, even a Facebook memory where a friend shared a Jesus Calling devotion with me years ago on that very subject. It got to a point where I said out loud, "OK, Lord, I get it. I get it. I'm not spending enough alone time with you."

Anyone who knows me knows "being still" is not my gift. I like to keep busy. That's not to say I'm always running around, but I'm not one to sit still and do nothing. I'm pretty much always doing something, even in those sitting-still moments. So even during my devotion times with God in the mornings (after reading Scripture or while walking), I'm doing a whole lot of talking to him. To "be still and know" requires blocking out external influences and really listening for God. I suppose that's why I'm drawn to the beach so often ... you do a lot of sitting and "being still" there in awe of Him.

But recently, I found myself going full force first thing in the morning, forgetting to just be still and know Him. I'd walk into my office and see my Bible and journal sitting there on the pink bed and do an "oh yeah, I haven't done that yet. I'll get to it" wave of the hand before going about doing want I thought I needed to do first. I was pushing what should have been my first priority of the day to the side. And you know, when I do that, it seems as if my day gets out of whack pretty quickly. When the Lord keeps putting "be still and know" in front of you countless times in one week, you figure He must have something very important He needs to share with you, convict you of, teach you and/or nudge you to do. Or maybe, just maybe, He just wants to spend time with me.

My daughter calls me every single morning, except Sundays when she's worshiping. On her 25-30 minute drive to work, she calls. We chat about the previous day or the day ahead. We talk about things we're struggling with, joys we're experiencing, adventures we hope to have and funny stories along the way. I look so forward to speaking with her each day, that oftentimes I'll drag myself out of bed after a late night just to be sure I'm up to receive her call. And if I miss it, I feel like I've missed out on a truly precious moment to start off my day.

Now look at it from God's perspective. Look at the above paragraph as if God wrote it. If I love it when my daughter takes the time to call each day, how much more the Father must love it when we take time to "call." God was missing my calls. If Ayla let five days go by without calling, I would miss her so very much ... and frankly worry that something was wrong. Knowing this, I don't want God to miss me. I need Him in my life every single moment. And honestly, when I'm not going to Him, something is wrong.

The moment I sat down to have my quiet time with God this morning reading through my chronological Bible, I thought, "I've got to write about how important this is." So I read my Bible, wrote a prayer in my journal and immediately sat down to write this. So while I read and prayed, I really have not listened as much as I should have just yet. I do believe the Father inspired me to write this for His glory ... but now it's time to be still and do some listening.

Sin Burrs

Cenchrus spinifex. That's it's official name. We call them sand burrs. And they are beasts. Commonly found by the beach, this grassy plant has tiny burrs with 1/4 inch spikes on them that catch onto anything that passes by: shoe laces, pant hems, beach bags. Trying to pull them out without tweezers is risky as the spikes can go into your fingers. They feel like needles going deep into your skin.

On a recent weekend to the Gulf, the trek to the shore from our beach house was through an empty lot that had several of these sand burr plants. We didn't know it at the time, however, and came back with spiky burrs attached to the bottoms of our flip flops. Unbeknownst to us, these burrs were then transferred to the carpets in the bedrooms. On that first afternoon, you heard a number of "Ouch!" "What is that?" "Did I step on glass?" comments coming from the various rooms as people stepped on the nasty spikes. We quickly discovered the burrs and how they were getting in the house. From that moment on, we watched carefully where we walked and checked our flip flops for burrs before entering the house ... most of the time.

It reminded me of the way Satan sneakily creeps into our lives: latching on when we don't pay attention, finding different ways to eerily infiltrate our families and causing so much pain that could have been prevented had we been watching for Him. I watched as Satan did just that between friends who loved each other so much they thought they were impervious to that kind of trickery. But alas, no one is truly safe from the evil one. We know as Christians we are to armor up against such attacks (Eph. 6:10-17), but without a reminder once and awhile, we may forget to put on that protection and watch for the one who seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Precautions will be taken in future situations so that Satan will not have that kind of access, and hopefully repercussions will be minor as folks recognize the culprit. However, we allowed it to occur in the first place.

Praying we carefully examine our surroundings, ask for God's blessings and protection in our homes and relationships and forthrightly remove ourselves from circumstances that appear askew. May we always remember to Whom we belong and that our actions reflect it ... before getting stuck by the burrs of sin Satan hopes become commonplace in destruction of our love for one another and destruction of our obedience to the One who loves us most.

Praising God For Inconveniences

About a week ago while heading to work, the "tire pressure monitoring sensor" light in our van went on, indicating one of my tires was deflating a bit. While I knew it would make me late for work, I quick pulled into the gas station to check the pressure in all the tires. And wouldn't you know this was the day I chose to wear all white, and in a long skirt, no less. So here I am, on the ground, in 100-degree weather, dressed in white, hands covered in grease as I removed hubcaps, checked tire pressure and added air to the inner door specification of 36 pounds per square inch (PSI). I noticed it was the back right tire that had sunk low to 31 PSI. And of course, it was the last of the four tires I checked. But once done, I climbed back in the car, turned the ignition and saw the light was still on. I had remembered when we bought the tires last fall that there were all set at 40 PSI, which I thought was high, but wondered if all the tires should be at 40 instead of 36. So I went back out and filled them all to 40. But I had this feeling that was probably too high. When I couldn't get a hold of my Dad, I called my friend and former neighbor, Jennifer, who owns a auto repair place, for her advice while driving to work. She informed me that the tires should be at 36, so I told her I would deflate them a bit once I got to work. However, knowing that tires should be checked when their cold, I decided to wait until I was done for work for the day.

After work, I went back out to check the tires and get them all to 36 from 40, when I noticed the back right tire was yet again down to 31. I knew that meant something was wrong with the tire. So for the third time I was removing hubcaps and adding air in my all-white ensemble. On the way home, I called Jennifer to see if she could check the tire. She said to bring it right in. Sure enough there was a screw in the tire. A few minutes later, the tire was patched up (at no charge by my sweet friend), and I was headed home.

Here's the thing. On the way to work, I was annoyed that I had to stop. I was bummed I chose to wear a white skirt. I was frustrated the low-inflation light came on in the first place and then wouldn't go off when I thought I had the PSI correct. Then to have to check the tire pressure again, deflate and refill. Arrrggg, it was a pile of inconveniences.

But let me tell you, I praised my Father in heaven for every single one of them. I thanked Him that the light went on, or I would have been stuck on the shoulder of the interstate waiting for a tow. I thanked Him that the light stayed on even when I thought I had the correct PSI. I thanked Him that I over inflated them and that I thought to call Jennifer for advice. I thanked Him that the tire deflated so quickly that I had to re-inflate a second time. Because of all of those inconveniences which truly gnawed at me, I was protected from far worse circumstances.

It gave me perspective. I thought about the many times over the years I have complained about this or that inconvenience in my life. But how many times have those inconveniences actually been a forewarning or protection of some kind? It had made me stop and think a bit before I complain that perhaps God is trying to get my attention focused on something else or covering me with His protection. How I love Him!

I believe those inconveniences are why Paul wrote, "Be thankful in all circumstances." 1 Thess. 5:18 You just don't know how those circumstances are working for your benefit, even if they feel like hindrances at the time.

My husband left for work about five minutes ago, and he just walked back in the door with a shout, "I forgot my phone!" He grabbed his phone and headed back out the door to his car. I ran out to him and said, "Whoa, how about another kiss before you leave?" I have no idea why in the grand scheme of this life journey that he left his phone here at home. Perhaps God was protecting him from something he would have experienced had he not had to turn around. But if I get an extra kiss out of it ... it's worth the inconvenience. Praising God for that, too.

Gently Restore

This morning I listened to Romans chapters 1-4 as I was getting ready to start my day. I am finding much enjoyment and new incites into the Word while listening to it. And something really struck me as I listened today.

I had just heard Paul talk about this list of "godlessness and wickedness" where God's wrath will one day come into play come judgment time. Things like greed, envy, murder, deceit, arrogance, disobedience, slander and shameful lusts among others. Just after Paul shares this in chapter 1, he comments in chapter 2 that we should not pass judgment on someone else when we're doing the same things.  I heard myself ask out loud, "So are we not to judge or are we not to sin?" I almost choked on the words as they came out. That was it. Paul was telling us not to sin.

See in the world today, I so often hear people comment "Judge not lest ye be judged." They quote this from Jesus' Sermon On The Mount where Christ talked about judging in Matthew 7:1-5. And I often remind people that judging is about eternal destiny, not correction for behavior. The Lord expects us to correct one another, especially using Scripture to do so. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." We are absolutely to tell our brothers and sisters when they're behavior is not in line with the Word by using the Word. Even Jesus comments in Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." According to the Savior, we absolutely can correct ... if we have repented, if we have cleaned house, if we are obedient to our Lord. Want to call someone out on their sin? They you better do some soul checking to make sure you don't have something you need to repent of first.

It doesn't mean, however that we should never correct our brothers and sisters when they sin. Good gracious, based on our track record with sin, there would be no morality in this world without that correction. God would give us over to our "sinful desires" as explained in Romans 1. We need to be held accountable to the Word our Father as given us. Paul explains, "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17) and our faith is based on the Word given us.

If we are to look at Christ as our example, look at his behavior with the woman caught in adultery. He asks her who has condemned her. When she replies, "No one, Lord," he says, "Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more" (John 8:11). She's not being judged to eternal damnation ... she's being forgiven and told to never do it again. Do you see the difference?

We are not to turn a blind eye to our brother and sister's sin. We are to correct gently. Galatians 6:1 says, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." 

Next time you hear someone quote, "Judge not lest ye be judged" examine your hearts for conviction of sin to be sure, but remind gently that we are most certainly to correct. And be careful that is the intent and not condemnation. When correcting those who sin, we're not be be hurtful or shaming. We are to gently restore them based on the Word God gave us. Too many point fingers, badmouth and criticize rather than have the intent to draw that soul into a faithful, obedient relationship with our Lord.

What is the goal of correction? It's repentance and restoration. But first, be sure you are obedient yourself.

Eternal Devotion and Servitude

While ironing today I was watching the movie Matrix Reloaded. In one scene a young man is running towards the main character, Neo, played by Keanu Reeves. Neo appears annoyed by the young man approaching and another character comments to him, "You know what they say happens when you save a life," implying this kid will show eternal devotion and servitude to Neo. Sure enough, this young man offers to carry anything Neo needs.

It was the quote that got me: "You know what they say happens when you save a life." It made me immediately think about the fact that I was saved ... saved by the One True God in his Son, Jesus Christ. If that quote and the implied reaction - eternal devotion and servitude - are correct, what does that say about the millions of people who have been saved by Jesus Christ? Are we eternally devoted and serving Him with our whole being?

Jesus asks Simon a question in Luke 7 after telling the story of two men who are absolved of debt by their moneylender: one for 500 denarii and the other for 50. Jesus asks in verse 42: "Now which of them will love him more?" to which Simon responds, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven." This story by Jesus holds comparison to two people, equally forgiven, who apparently had different degrees of sin, one with 10 times as much. Simon acknowledges that the one forgiven the greater multitude of sins will love Christ more than the one with less. Sadly, this may in fact be true. If you lived a life where you committed many sins and Jesus came along and said, "Your sins are forgiven," wouldn't you be eternally devoted and obediently, wholeheartedly serving Him forever? Here's the thing, if all sin is equal in the eyes of God and all people sin, then it shouldn't matter if you've been forgiven for 50 or 500 ... we should be eternally devoted and sincerely serving Him with all we have. We have been saved. Because of Jesus Christ, we are washed white as 30+ inches of snow that recently fell in the Northeast. We are free! We will live for eternity with the One who created things as majestic as mountains, the stars and the ocean and yet saw fit to create us, too. We are that important. We are that loved!

Interestingly, the character Neo in this movie, is referred to as the One. He is the one predicted to save the all humans. We already have that. We already have the One who saved all human beings from themselves. And He paid quite a price for it.

We have been saved by the One. Praying we all move heaven and earth to go out of our way to be eternally devoted to Him and serve Him. Imagine a world where every Christian did that.

A Better Bellwether

In the book of Judges in the Bible, scholars call it the Judge's Wheel. The people sin; they suffer consequences of that sin; they pray to God for a leader to save them; God sends a leader or judge; they obey for awhile; the judge dies and they start sinning all over again. After years of this, the people finally begged God for a king. The Lord tried to convince the people through Samuel the prophet that they did not need a king because they had Him as their leader, but they were not convinced He was enough. The Lord warns them of what the consequences will be once they have a leader: high taxes, daughters taken as wives/concubines, being led in to war, etc. But a leader is what they want, so the Lord gives them one. Then another and another and another. The reign of Kings begins in 1 and 2 Samuel and continues on through the books of 1 and 2 Kings (with 1 and 2 Chronicles expounding or condensing some of those same stories.)

What I noticed about those post-King Solomon kings is what happens to the people based on the personality of the king. If he's a good king, the people follow along and do well. If he's an evil king, they do likewise. It's pathetic really. You never see the people rebel against an evil king, usurp him and put in a good, kind, God-fearing king. They just mull along sheep-like behind the bellwether, regardless of the leadership.

I have noticed this about our presidents, especially in this most recent one. The president can be quite influential. People take note when he speaks. And some will blindly listen and agree due to past affiliations or loyalty. When our recent POTUS chose to support various worldly, cultural choices that were not Biblical, the public in a large way agreed with him. It has been sad to see public opinion sway from Biblically-based morals to solely on the "pursuit of happiness," which I am convinced is not our goal as Christian Americans. The pursuit of God, of Christ, yes, but the pursuit of happiness has brought us to places of complacency with regards to infant killing (abortion), fornication/adultery, gender fluidity and our right to faith. And I believe the consequences on our country if it continues as this rate will be disastrous in many ways.

This is an election year, one I have been waiting for four years ... well, eight if you count the four before that. We have the opportunity, as Christians obedient to the Word of God, to elect into office a person who obeys God, fears Him and loves Him. Because if new leadership does that, he/she will be leading the people based on the direction of the Creator of the Universe, and likewise the sheep will follow the shepherd. Not all of them, but perhaps the majority will see the Light. In the meantime, we need to hold our leadership to a high standard. Compare how they have voted on specific changes in this country with what Scripture commands. If it's not in line with the Word, it's time to find a new leader. Recently Franklin Graham decided to leave the Republican Party after leaders of that party chose to support a bill that funded an organization which commits acts that are in direct opposition to God's Word. Christians, open your eyes. Read the Word. Hear the Word. The Bible isn't a buffet where you get to pick and choose what you want to believe. We need leaders in our country who submit to our One True God. And when our leader is not leading that way, we need to make sure we vote for a replacement who will.

When I read the stories of the people who followed the evil kings in the Bible, I shake my head in frustration at their stupidity. You know it came to a point where the Lord had enough of what the leaders and the people were doing where he took the kingdom away from the king and those who lived there. And likewise in the New Testament when people didn't repent in the cities where Jesus spoke and did miracles, he condemned those cities to the fate of Sodom (Matthew 11:20-24). Woe to us, if we ever face that fate. It's time to be accountable to our God and likewise hold our leadership accountable.

Our future generations are depending on us.

By This Everyone Will Know

The other day I watched as two male hummingbirds flew around our feeder. As one approached, the other swooped in to drive him away. And likewise when that one would dive in for a drink, the other hummingbird came back to force him away. This battle went on for more than 30 minutes. And the result? Neither bird got any sugar water. Not a drop. They were so busy shooing each other away from what they coveted, neither got a chance to enjoy the sweet nectar.

I had a little aha moment while watching this battle. I thought about people within the walls of the church who are fighting: people who are slandering and ignoring one another. While they spend so much time manipulating the circumstances to try to avoid so-and-so or be outright vengeful, neither party gets to enjoy the sweet beauty of worship. With two people focused on the hurt and bitterness, their disagreement, the paranoia of what others are thinking and the unforgiveness, what is done the way of worship, love, compassion, discipleship and grace? You have two people (or more) shooing each other away from the peace that is worship of the Holy One, whose heart is probably broken that His children are on the attack against one another. You can obviously see Satan at work in this because he thoroughly enjoys splitting congregations of churches. How can a church focus on growing the kingdom and bringing people into a loving relationship with the Lord and with others if the people within are fighting? The sad part is, many will not notice they are patsies for Satan's destruction. Their guard is up, their walls are built, their anger is at DEFCON 5 and ain't nothin' gonna bridge this chasm.

When watching the hummingbirds I wanted to do one of two things: 1) take the feeder inside. If they couldn't share (I mean there are six flowers for feeding locations on this feeder - the two of them and four hummingbird friends could all eat at the same time), then no one got it. Or 2) wish that I could speak hummingbird to say to them, "Are you guys kidding me really? I have made this for you to enjoy and you'd rather pick at each other? Seriously?"

Now imagine God watching us in our disagreeable best within the church walls. What if He wonders the same? "You can't love and share with one another? I will take the whole church from you. You can't get along? I have made this church for your enjoyment and abundant life and you're going to squander that time? Be loving towards one another!"

We are going to have disagreements within the church. You will lose respect for the many sinners that sit in the pews next to you. But never forget you are one, too. And remember our Father expects us to strive for peace. "If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Romans 12:18 and "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9. 

I have been on the receiving end and the dishing end of these kinds of pathetic arguments. And I can tell you there have been many times where no matter what efforts were made to reconcile or mend relationships, some people just do not want to forgive 70x7. Some would rather stay in their corner whispering than reach out in the love our Father demands. And it's completely against everything we are taught as Christians to do. 

I don't think God expects all of us to be friends. I don't think He expects us to always get along or agree with one another. But He absolutely expects us to love. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35. He expects us to value others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3). 

If Christians could step outside of their situation to watch the hummingbird battle and realize the damage they are doing and how pathetic they look, perhaps they might reconsider their actions. Perhaps they would realize they are pawns in Satan's great attempt to discredit Christians and destroy the church. Perhaps they would love. We have something worth sharing with the world, but will the world want what we have if we're not sharing it well with each other in the church? There is so much of God to enjoy. If you are engaged in a conflict right now, ask yourself if the struggle is worth the damage. The answer is most certainly a resounding no. God is love. Let people see that in us.