The Curb

And this is love: that we walk in obedience …
2 John 1:6

Winnie stared at the curb, wondering why Daddy had warned her that it was out of bounds. In her four-year-old mind, she couldn't understand how a curb could be a boundary; it looked to be quite safe. She didn't understand boundaries. But Daddy had spanked her once when he’d caught her sitting on the curb, so it must be more dangerous than it appeared.
She didn't remember feeling scared while sitting on it. But Daddy had been so upset that he had actually shouted at her, and Daddy never shouted.
Winnie walked closer to the curb, staring at it as if it were about to tell her the secret danger it presented. But nothing happened. “Oh well. Maybe Daddy is wrong.”
As Winnie started to turn away, she looked across the street. Mattie, Winnie’s cat, came out from behind the neighbor’s house. She’d been rummaging through the neighborhood. Seeing Winnie, Mattie began bounding in her direction. As Winnie watched, Mattie ran into the road at the same time the next-door neighbor arrived home from work. Amid the squeal of tires, accompanied by an accelerated heart rate for the driver and Winnie, Mattie managed to leap out of harm’s way! In that moment, Winnie received new understanding in regard to the curb. She scooped Mattie into her arms and scolded her, “I warned you to stay away from the curb! It’s dangerous! Do you hear me?”

†

Crossing the curb represented disobedience and a total disregard for authority. Like Winnie, we may not see any immediate danger and think, “Maybe God didn't say … ” In disobedience, we push on; the lines become blurred, and God’s commands and authority become mute.
We know we shouldn't be there; yet each time we cross the line, we lose a little more sense of the impending danger, and we lose a little more respect for the One in authority. If we persist in disobedience, we eventually find ourselves standing on the wrong side of a chasm we cannot cross on our own. It’s in that moment we recall the Holy Spirit’s warning, “Please, stay away from the curb.”

Prayer

“Forgive me for my disobedience, Father. Help me to accept without question the limits You place in my life. Amen.”

I Am the Greatest

Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3–4

“C’mon, James!” Lester pleaded. “Just throw me a few pitches, pleeeeease? I won’t ever ask again—I promise!”
“I can’t, buddy. I gotta get to work. Just toss it up and hit it like I showed you.”
Disappointed, Lester headed out behind the barn to do as James suggested. “Maaaaan.” The word dragged out. “How am I ever gonna be the greatest?”
But Lester, being who he was, made the best of things.
Imagining the hay field was Yankee Stadium, he tossed the ball into the air; it hit the top of its arc and began its descent. Lester hauled his bat back and swung, missing the ball completely. “Strike one!” he declared. Undeterred, he picked up the ball and repeated the process, this time tossing the ball a little higher, giving himself more time to prepare. The ball came down; Lester swung and missed again. “Strike two!” his mother heard him cry.
Taking a break from hanging out laundry, she peeked around the corner of the barn in time to see her youngest son retrieve the ball and launch it skyward once more. The toss was perfect! She watched the ball drop as Lester timed his swing. He swung for the fence and missed a third time. “Strike three!” he hollered. “You’re out!” What she heard next made her giggle. “I am the greatest; that is a fact. But even I didn't know I could pitch like that!”

†

Lester’s hope-filled character is a lesson for us all; Lester’s spirit prevailed. In his mind, he succeeded in spite of his apparent failure. He chose to view things from a lofty perspective. He saw himself as a victor no matter what it looked like in the natural.
In each of our disappointments, God includes a lesson for our benefit. These are character-building moments. If we lose hope and allow disappointing results to influence us negatively, we miss an opportunity to learn and grow. If we seek to learn the lesson God provides, we gain understanding.
Are you the greatest? The choice is up to you.

Prayer

“Sometimes it seems as if I fail, Lord. Teach me to see with eyes of hope instead of a heart of discouragement. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Incline Thine Ear

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Proverbs 4:20 KJV

Janelle bundled the covers around her hands and pressed them tightly against her ears. She was hoping that by doing so she’d be able to shut out the sirens and street noises below. But it was to no avail…her first night in their new apartment felt like anything but the honeymoon they’d just returned from.

Sleeping soundly, her husband, Jim, was oblivious to his wife’s plight.

How is that possible?! she wondered. Is he deaf?!

Sometime around 3:30am exhaustion won out. In and out of fitful sleep she dozed, never really finding complete rest. When morning finally arrived, Jim was surprised to find Janelle sitting against the headboard sound asleep. He watched as her body involuntarily shuddered. After extended observation he realized her movements coincided with noises emanating from outside.

“Hey,” he spoke softly. Janelle stirred and opened her eyes. “You okay?” he asked.

“How can you sleep through all that racket?” she questioned.

“I’m sorry,” Jim responded sheepishly. “I should have warned you. But it’s been so long since I’ve heard the street at night that I forgot how loud it was when I first moved in here.” Drawing her close, he assured her, “After a while you’ll learn to tune the noises out. You’ll get used to it.”

†

It is possible, even for God-loving Christians, to ‘condition’ the ears of our heart to silence the whisper of the Holy Spirit. We tell ourselves we know what we can handle the temptation...no problem…it’s okay to watch this…to allow our children to do this…to not respond when God nudges us about certain things.

When we don’t want to listen to God’s warnings we simply disregard His advice and go our own way. Done enough, we harden our heart in that area of our lives.

God instructs us to incline/focus the hearing of our hearts to His voice, not tune Him out, because He knows how easy it is for us to fool ourselves. Complete surrender to God isn't easy…but it is rewarding. It also keeps us out of a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Is there an area of your heart shut off to God? If so, ask Him to help you adjust your spiritual hearing.

Prayer

“Help me, Holy Spirit, to listen for the sound of Your voice in every issue of my life. Amen.”

Septic or Sanctified

But you were washed, you were sanctified.
1 Corinthians 6:11

Warren listened as the group discussed sanctification. There were varying perspectives, but the main assumption was they were saved, and that was enough. He smiled as he recalled the vision God had given him a few years before at a time when he had felt the same.
“Think of it this way, Warren,” God began. “You’re struggling through life, doing the best you can. But then you realize you’re standing up to your chin in a septic tank. In your revelation, you determine that you cannot get out of the tank on your own, yet you come to believe that Someone else has the power to lift you out of the stench and onto solid ground, i.e., salvation.
“Let’s say you accept His offer to be removed from your helpless situation, and He lifts you out of the mire and stench. In that moment, you are saved—but you still stink! You are still covered in contaminants that must be removed so you can be free of the vile things in your life. That is the process of sanctification. Unless you allow Me to wash away the dirt a little at a time, you will continue to smell like the world.” Warren smiled as he shared with them God’s desire that we be washed in the water of sanctification.

†

For many Christians, there is a sense of complete relief when they receive salvation, and that’s as far as they care to venture. Their lives are filled with things they would need to give up if they intended to come into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. They don’t care that they still stink like the world; saved is good enough.
Others don’t know there is more. So they continue on in blissful ignorance, smelling, not knowing something can be done to ‘purify them.’
Some come to the knowledge that God wants more for us, and they set out to be washed in the waters of sanctification only to become uncomfortable, stopping part way through the process. God’s desire is that we make a life-long commitment to sanctification, and in doing so, find unknown depths of cleansing!

Prayer

“I still have an offensive aroma, Lord. Continue to wash me until I am completely clean. Amen.”

My House…My Rules

And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Luke 16:12

“Sure,” Chet answered the caller, “the hall is available the Twenty-Third. I’ll put you on the calendar. Just remember, no alcohol and no smoking.” With that he hung up and wrote the caller’s name on the calendar, securing the hall for their wedding reception.

His final comment caused me to ask, “Do you get requests to rent the hall for wild parties?”

“You’d be surprised,” he said. “There was a group a few years ago,” he reminisced. “When they failed to return the key long after the appointed time, I went down to see what was going on. I walked in the back door and found two guys lying on the floor, drunk as skunks. I ignored them and went into the main hall. I’d never seen such a mess. And haven’t had one since,” he emphasized. “Whiskey bottles littered the floor. They’d had beer on ice in a couple large washtubs; both of which had been dumped on the floor; there was water everywhere.”

Chet chuckled as he shared how he’d handled the situation. “I grabbed those two by their collars, pulled them up off that floor, and ran them out the back door. I told ’em, ‘Take your money and get out! This is my house! When you come to my house you abide by my rules. If you can’t do that, don’t bother coming back!”

†

Respect of others and their property is something we learn the same as good manners and good moral character. If it is found lacking in someone it is generally because they were never taught how to behave themselves, whether at home or in public.

You never have to tell someone with good manners to respect someone else, or their property. It never enters their mind to disrespect someone.

Sadly, in our ‘it’s all about me’ society, self-interest presumes that because they paid to rent the space, they are entitled to bring their own set of rules to the party.

By failing to teach our children to respect others and their property, we are fostering an untrustworthy generation.

Prayer

“Lord, may I treat others as if I’m doing it to You. Amen.”

Stay In The Race

Fear of men will prove to be a snare.

Proverbs 29:25

Speaking in regard to some friends who didn't believe as he did, Andrew began, “I was constantly arguing with them, trying to validate my position. I even showed them scripture to back it up. Didn't matter…they weren't listening.”

He continued, “I decided to talk to a godly friend outside my church. He patiently listened as I poured out my heart. ‘Andrew,’ he said when I’d finished, ‘I see you running a race. And you’re running well. You’re out ahead of everyone else and things are going well. But I hear the spectators on the sidelines jeering…telling you you’re running the wrong race. I see you leave the track and run up into the grandstands to argue with them.’”

Andrew paused a moment, remembering his friend’s words so he could quote them verbatim. When he continued his voice carried the power of the revelation he’d received, “He put his hand on my shoulder. ‘Andrew,’ he said, ‘even if you win the argument, you’ll lose the race. Don’t waste time vindicating yourself. Just run the race God set before you and let Him handle the crowd.’

Andrew smiled, “That one statement wiped away years of frustration and completely changed my perspective. And it’s kept me focused on the work God wants me to do instead of on what men think about what I’m doing.”

†

In our need for affirmation, it’s easy to let what others think dictate our actions and behavior. And while we should always, in humility, consider the welfare of others, we must never allow their opinion to hinder our taking action upon God’s intended purpose for our lives.

When God gives us a directive there should be no discussion in which we look to affirm His instruction through human intervention. Although it is wise to seek godly counsel in implementing the process by which we act, it should never deter us from the course set before us.

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a human, that He should lie.” Therefore, if He tells you to do something, don’t leave the race to argue in the grandstands.

Prayer

“Help me put to death the fear of men, LORD, that I might run the race with the singular purpose to carry out Your will for my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

The Gun on the Bible on the Desk

In the beginning God created…

Genesis 1:1

Nicole walked into the pastor’s office to tell him two reporters from the New York Times were here to see him. That’s when she noticed the handgun lying on his Bible. Bemused, she asked, “Is that for our two guests?”

Following her line of sight, he smiled. “It’s a thought,” he teased, in light of the reason the reporters were here. They’d come to interview Pastor Ron and one of his parishioners.

Jack Newbrook, a science teacher at the local Middle School, had been embroiled in an employment-termination hearing for more than a year following the school board’s demanded that Jack remove all religious symbols, including his Bible, from his classroom. Jack had removed everything but his Bible, sighting his First Amendment right to leave it on his desk as long as he didn't teach from it. Terminated without pay pending the final ruling, the hearings had just passed their first anniversary. It had been a long battle.

As Pastor Ron locked the gun in his desk drawer, he explained to Nicole how the gun had come to be there. “I bought it from my brother-in-law. He was in town so he dropped it off to save me a trip.” Then on a mischievous note, he added, “But the Bible stays where it is. And if they mention it, I might just unlock this drawer.”

†

Though somewhat humorous, today’s scenario is disturbing. Regrettably, events like this take place on a daily basis in our public schools across America because the immoral-minority hates the sight of the Bible. To impose their ideology they must discredit it, part and whole, and are currently working toward that end by attacking “In the beginning…” with Evolution.

Satan is patient. He’s been around for millennia. A few short generations mean nothing if he can attain his objective. He’s fine with baby steps as long as the silent-majority passively play spectator, unwilling to engage in the controversy. Because given time without opposition, he’ll get what he’s after.

What will we do—or perhaps it will be our grandchildren—when they come to our homes and demand that we remove all religious symbols, including our Bibles?

Prayer

“LORD, may I not be ashamed of my life’s purpose as a Christian, to influence the world for Jesus Christ. Amen.”