The Last Place We Look

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Psalm 105:3

They split up to cover more ground.
“Where’d you see it last? And how long ago was that?” Tony hollered up the stairs. He and Jill had been searching for her butterfly necklace for half an hour.

"I don't remember," she hollered back. It's perfect for the gown I'm wearing, was the thought that drove her to find the necklace, even if that meant being late for their dinner engagement. 

Tony had checked the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. Nothing! He’d pulled the cushions from each piece of furniture and reached into every crack but had come up empty. Now in the guestroom, he began looking through drawers while asking God for patience. This is not my favorite pastime, Lord!

Jill continued searching through jewelry boxes. Still no necklace. “Any luck yet?” she hollered.
Tony reined in his frustration. “Not yet...”
Then suddenly, “I found it!” Jill hollered triumphantly and whispered, “Thank you, Jesus!”
As Tony worked the clasp, fastening the chain around his wife's neck, she explained, “It was in the zipper compartment of one of my backup purses! Wouldn't you know it, it was in the last place I looked!”
Tony couldn't help himself, “Of course it was in the last place you looked! You wouldn't continue looking once you found it, would you?!”

†

If we knew exactly where we’d lost something of value, we wouldn't waste time looking for it somewhere else. We would go straight to that spot and retrieve the lost item.
So why is it that when we feel lost God is frequently the last place we look for guidance when seeking the path back to safety and stability? Sometimes it's because we feel a need to rescue ourselves.
Self-sufficiency is a form of pride. Yet generations have been raised by the maxims: “Stand on your own two feet,” “Buck up,” “Get in there,” “No one is going to do it for you.”
We've become a do-it-yourself society without much God-sufficiency.
What are we teaching our children?
David, for all his faults, constantly sought God’s wisdom and strength. No matter how many mistakes he made, David relied on God’s loving guidance until the day he died.
It is not God’s desire to be found in the last place we look.

Prayer

“I need help today and every day, Lord. Help me come quickly to stand in Your strength. Amen.”

Shocked to His Senses

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Jim regained consciousness. He was dazed and confused but alive. He’d been filling the grain silos. With one silo full, he was moving the boom of the elevator over to the next silo. As the boom swung, it came in contact with a bare power line. Thousands of volts of electricity shot through his body, discharging through his toes into the ground. The resulting shock knocked him unconscious. Awakening, Jim crawled to his neighbor’s. He was transported to the county hospital where he received treatment and was later released.
The following week, Jim received a visit from a local pastor. He had come to invite Jim to church. “I can talk to God anytime I want right out there in the fields,” Jim said, swinging his arm expansively.
The pastor asked, “But do you? If you had died that day, do you know if your soul would be in heaven?”
Jim had to admit he didn’t. As for talking to God while out in the fields …
He took the pastor up on his offer.

†

Jim’s true relationship with God began the day he was introduced to his own mortality. That relationship grew over time as he came to know the One Who saved his life. He eventually became the pastor of a local church.
Instead of harvesting grain, Jim began to reap souls for the kingdom. And though now with the Lord, Jim’s legacy of harvest continues through his family and parishioners.
One significant moment can bring change to our lives and the lives of countless others. Today’s text says that we have the ability to gain wisdom by our actions, the act of learning from God what He has in store for our lives. Do we continue on in false ignorance?

Prayer

“Lord, teach us to number our days according to Your Word. And to walk uprightly in relationship with You. Guide us into wisdom that is pertinent in our lives and Your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

*

The Secret

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.
Philippians 4:12

In light of her circumstances, Elsie had a tremendous outlook on life. Her secret? She looked for the brightest part of each day and refused to let circumstances dictate her attitude. She certainly had reason to do otherwise.
Elsie’s multiple myloma had resurfaced after twenty years of remission, and she’d just come through colon cancer that had required several surgical procedures. Right now, her doctor was advising her to undergo chemotherapy on top of her radiation treatment. Having been through this before, Elsie took a moment before she responded to the doctor’s suggested course of treatment.
“What do you think, Tommy? Are you up for this again?” she asked her husband.
Tom said, “I’m up for whatever you decide, Els. No matter what, God’ll get us through this.”
She looked at her surgeon. “Can we have a couple days to discuss things and pray about it, Doc? I’m involved with the kids at the hospice center. If I undergo therapy, it’ll mean giving that up for a while. I want to be sure.”
He was inspired by Elsie’s concern for others in the midst of considering her own welfare. She motivated him to approach life with tenacity. He smiled, “Sure, Elsie. You and Tom take whatever time you need. Then call me with your decision.”

†

How we live gives witness to what we believe. Others read us like a book. So what do they see? Contentedness or contention?
Elsie knew this was something God would handle and guide her through. It was evident God had her trust, and He was in control of her life.
A grouch is not difficult to spot. Neither is someone who inspires us to live above defeat and despondency.
Paul discovered what Jesus already knew: by looking to our ultimate future, we are better able to walk through today with hope in our hearts.
Elsie’s thoughts? “Live like heaven begins tomorrow; sing like no one is listening; dance like no one is watching; and love like you’ve never been hurt before.” Sounds like a good place to start.

Prayer

“Teach me the secret, Lord, of being content by trusting You for everything in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

4

Reverence and the Flag*

July 4

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

As the Color Guard marched in the parade, Chet, a retired Air Force pilot, was saddened by how many people remained seated, with hats on their heads as the American flag passed by. The men and women from his generation would never show such a lack of respect and blatant disregard for their country’s flag and the sacrifice it represented. These people seemed indifferent about the freedom they enjoyed and took for granted. Chet had lost friends and comrades in WWII, and how or why these succeeding generations failed to honor and respect such sacrifice was beyond his comprehension.  

As they proceeded, Chet’s eye caught a small boy suddenly stand to attention, salute the men and the flag, and hold his salute! With a tear sliding down his cheek, Chet returned the prescribed military gesture, realizing, There is still hope that what we’ve done will not be forgotten or taken for granted.

†

The right for Americans to arbitrarily snub their nose at their Nation’s flag has been paid for with the blood and sacrifice of brave men and women, and their families, who’ve given of themselves, building the foundation upon which others have continued to build, knowing that freedom comes at a price.

This Nation was founded by fearless men and women who stood on godly principles which, when not adhered to, breed ignorance and disrespect. By failing to pass along a sense of duty, honor, and self-sacrifice, we have lost who we are and how we arrived at this moment in history.

It is, therefore, our responsibility to train and nurture each succeeding generation, teaching them to cherish the freedom they enjoy, and help them understand what a precious commodity it is. This applies to our spiritual heritage as well.

If Jesus were to walk by would our children remain seated on the curb, or would they stand in reverence and honor, recognizing the sacrifice that was made to set them free?

Prayer

“Father of our freedom, we thank and give You honor. May we never lose sight of the sacrifice for our freedom, and may we never fail to pass on the importance of the price that was paid. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

* Dedicated to Chester Miller, a good friend and good man

1

Some Will Perish

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2Thessalonians 2:10

Mindy’s sense of guilt and shame deepened as the pastor continued his message, “There is a Heaven to be sought and a Hell to be shunned! The Bible says that once we’ve accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must maintain good standing with God, so that on the day we see Him face to face we will be acceptable in his sight."

To Mindy it was just more proof that God was vengeful and unyielding. She’d heard of God’s great love for her, yet the God this man preached about sure didn’t sound like someone who cared about anything but keeping track of her mistakes, so He could read the long list to her on the day she stood before Him to be judged. All she could expect from this God on that day was a sentenced to Hell.

Where’s this great love I keep hearing about? Mindy wondered. How could I ever hope to measure up to those standards? She felt the grip of hopelessness tighten on her heart. There’s no way I could ever meet his demands…Mindy left the service feeling defeated.

†

My prayer is that you understand we can no more maintain our salvation than we can earn it. So when you hear a message of ‘sustaining our good standing with God in order to be acceptable’, that message is not accurate. We should want to honor our Creator out of our love for Him. But to fall down and fail does not rob us of our right-standing with God. His grace abounds in this world that so desperately needs such love.

But as real as this misconception of a vengeful God is, so is the danger of presenting a God who will allow no one to perish; even to the extent that He withholds judgment completely. Some say this is the meaning of grace.     

Here is the truth: God’s holiness cannot abide the presence of unrighteousness. Jesus’ death provided victory over all sin, with one exception: We must personally accept God’s gift of Jesus’ atoning blood. Failing that, we sentence ourselves to Hell, by rejecting such love. This is not the act of an angry, vengeful God. It is the act of a selfish, petulant child refusing to be saved.

Prayer

“Lord, help me to know You as the loving Father You are instead of the vengeful bully some present You to be. In Jesus’ Name, amen.” 

Set Them Free

Set Them Free

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:17

Kevin had been the sole survivor of an attack on his M2 Bradley tank. Tears began to build in Lauren’s eyes as she listened to her brother’s story. “The IED came out of nowhere. One minute we’re haulin’ along, the next there’s this deafening explosion, and there’s fire everywhere!” Then his voice lowered. “Guys were screaming.”
Fighting for composure, he went on. “Next thing I remember is waking up in Walter Reed. That’s where I found out I was the only one that made it; someone from the Humvee behind us had pulled me free.” Kevin’s face mirrored the loss he was feeling. “They were my friends,” he whispered. “Why them and not me? Why’d they have to die?”
“I don’t know the answer to your question, Kev,” his dad quietly answered. “But sometimes good people die so that others might live.” He continued, “Freedom will always have its casualties. War is a reality in the world in which we live. When tyranny sets itself up to steal freedom from those who hold it precious, there will be conflict. Your willingness to fight and set others free was shared by each of your friends, son. Remember them. Never forget they understood the sacrifice of freedom, just like you, and paid the ultimate price. When others are held captive, our freedom, if it means anything at all, must rise up and defend them in their weakness. We must set them free.”

†

When Satan set himself up against his Creator, he began the work of pitting man against man, good against evil. Since then there have been casualties of war. Sadly, there will be more.
Seeing what mankind had done to His plan, God undertook the means by which we are set free. He submitted Himself to the hardships of a war He could have won with the utterance of one word. Yet with a love so deep that He could not bring Himself to destroy His Creation, He spoke to His Son, “We must set them free.” And in one act of love, They set us free!

Prayer

“Mighty God, thank You for Jesus. May we never take His sacrifice for granted. Amen.”

The Art Of Listening

The Art of Listening

Listen to advice and accept instruction.
Proverbs 19:20

Gary’s patience was being tested. His young trainee continually interrupted his instruction, trying to finish Gary’s sentences. Yet each time he spoke out of turn, he found himself embarrassed as Gary showed him the error in his assumptions.
“Look, Bobby, I know you’re intelligent,” Gary began. “But every time you interrupt, you display an inability to listen to instruction, and you extend the length of this training session. Please listen and hold your responses and questions until we complete each phase. All right?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I just get kinda nervous in these situations. I want you to know I’ll be able to handle whatever you give me to do. I don’t want to upset you. I really want this job and want to impress you. I guess that was a crash and burn effort.”
“Look, Bobby,” Gary confided, “we don’t mind training someone who is willing to learn. That type of person takes instruction well. And that’s who we’re looking for.”
“I understand. If I promise to listen, will you give me another chance?” he asked, his countenance showing he meant what he said.
Gary was sensitive to the young man’s uneasiness. “Sure, Bobby. It’s understandable that you’re a little bit nervous. But in the future … I suggest you train yourself to listen. You’ll learn a lot more.”

†

Listening is a discipline. Bobby is not unique. We've all spoken out of turn only to find out we were wrong. It’s easy to want to showcase our experience. But in our eagerness to succeed, we can speak when we should be listening. A willingness to show ourselves teachable is far more attractive than continually trying to outguess or impress someone.
Active listening is the art of controlling our emotions and our tongue, trading our silence for knowledge we might not possess. Failure to listen robs us of vital knowledge that may benefit us in the future. It also shows us as immature and impulsive. It is better for us to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open our mouths and confirm it.

Prayer

“Help me learn to listen, Lord. Still my tongue and open the ears of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”