Leaf Me Alone

Seems like my neighbor's tree turned colors overnight. As we all know, leaves change color when the flow of chemicals into the leaves changes with the shortening of days. Wouldn't it be interesting if we all changed colors according to the spiritual nourishment we're enjoying?

God's Word actually compares us to trees in many passages. In Psalm 1:1-3, it states: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

Would I be a vibrant green if I were drawing daily from God's word? Would my haphazard habits keep me red and orange? Would I be brown or void of foliage?

Woolly Wonderer

While driving through the mountains, I kept noticing all the woolly worms (caterpillar larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth) crossing the road. Of course, I couldn't see them well enough to know whether their black and brown sections indicated a rough winter, but I kept thinking about how I've never seen a woolly worm crossing at any angle other than perpendicular to the road. From their lowly vantage point, how do they do that? I mean, they aren't tall enough to see that it's the shortest distance to the next green patch of grass. And besides, scientists tell us they're practically blind!

And black bears. When they're relocated hundreds of miles from their home, how do they find their way back to it so easily?

Isn't it neat that God equips them both with what they need to go where they need to go?

How do we humans find the right route in our lives? Psalm 119:105 says: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." It's interesting that God's Word is compared to a lamp or lantern, which only shows enough light for us to take a few steps. It doesn't illuminate the whole journey before us. How kind of God to not show us everything that lies ahead!

When God's people were worrying about the direction for their lives in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, He told them they didn't have to send someone across the sea or send someone to heaven (or have a billboard!) for direction. He said the answer was in their hearts!

When trying to know God's will for direction in the next step, we should search our hearts. If we keep ourselves in his word and will, we'll know. Just as innately as woolly worms and black bears.

Bible Health

Once when I was choosing a quilted Bible cover as a gift, a salesman told me that leather bound Bibles should not be covered. He said the oil from our hands keeps the leather "healthy" and without the oil, the leather becomes dry, parched, and stiff. I immediately thought of the Bible from my childhood that I used to keep in my car for "emergencies" and do not use very often. Indeed, its cover is stiff and cracking, and I had thought it was only old!

I wonder how much of our spiritual "health" is reflected by the health of our Bibles. If using our Bibles keeps them in good shape, how much more does it do for US? Just as a Bible that is not used becomes stiff and parched, so does a Christian who does not use his or her Bible! If the oil of our hands is applied to our Bibles every day, and the oil of God's Word is applied to our lives, both receive the benefit. For me, it gives a whole new meaning to the anointing in Psalm 23 if I think of it as a result of God's hand on me.

"Thou annointeth my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." -Psalm 23:5b-6a

From December 30, 1985

Thirsting for God

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2

Lord, seems like I've been thirsty for so long
Wanting to know you.
Wanting to be filled.
To know that satisfaction that can be found only in You.
I've read and I have listened,
but have I really seen and heard?
I have tasted,
but I've never drank my fill.
My lips are parched;
my soul is thirsty;
my heart is a vessel that should overflow.
Lead me, Father, into that living water.
Cleanse me.
Fill me.
Use me.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:2-3

The Palm of God's Hand

We are standing in the palm of God's hand;
when our hearts are aching, God understands.
Our world responds to the Lord's command;
we are standing in the palm of God's hand.

No problem is too large, no concern to small;
our Heavenly Father wants to have them all.
He asks that upon His name we call.
Our Lord is creator, master over all.

He knows of our endeavors, the challenges, the trials
He sees our sacrifice and self denial.
He gives us strength and helps us smile.
He carries us over the longest mile.

Things might not go as we had planned--
we might wander before the promised land,
but we have not built our house on sinking sand;
We are standing in the palm of God's hand.

"The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he had made firm; though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24

A Tree Not-So-Firmly Planted

This view along the Virginia Creeper Trail was strikingly beautiful. I found the leaning tree, whose stand of roots had been washed away by the stream, very poignant in the midst of perfection. (Psalm 1:1-3)

Many years ago when I was very active in my church, I struggled with the question of whether or not God frowned upon women taking leadership roles in ministry. Personal circumstances inclined me to think that Paul had good reason to "suffer not a woman to teach." (1 Timothy 2:12) Yet, I was asked to do so and seemed equipped to do so.

I spent a lot of time in my own personal research of the issue, reading from articles by Robert L. Saucy, A. Duane Litfin, and H. Wayne House, as well as the Broadman Bible Commentary and other sources. For a period, declining specifically to teach men served more than one purpose, even though I felt I was forfeiting gifts and blessings along the way. I saw that Jesus empowered women, but I couldn't argue against the seemingly obvious instruction of Paul's words.

One of the strangest influences in my eventual realization was Dennis Covington's book, Salvation on Sand Mountain, a true story about a preacher convicted of attempting to murder his wife with rattlesnakes. If you read the book, you must also listen to Kate Campbell's haunting song, "Signs Following," which is related to the same story. Near the end of the book, Covington writes about a message he delivered at a snake-handling church:

I knew I was in the Word now. It was close to the feeling I'd had when I'd handled. "Mary Magdalene was the first person to spread the news of the risen Christ!" I shouted. "She was the first evangelist, and the men didn't even believe her! So when we start talking about a woman's place, we better add that a woman's place is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! In Him there is no male or female, no Greek or Jew!" and I spun on Carl. "Am I in the Word?"
"No," Carl said. "You're not in the Word."
"Are you telling me I'm out of the Word?"
"Yes, you're out of the Word." He smiled. It was a smile of enormous satisfaction and relief. At last, we had reached the end of our story, his eyes seemed to say.

About that same time, I read Nancy Ammerman's collection of articles, Southern Baptists Observed. Let's just say a lot of things came into focus for me.

On Wednesday nights, I'm now attending a class that's discussing, "What the Bible Doesn't Say about Women." Still seems to me that we work too hard to climb over Paul's words. Look at how Priscilla taught Apollos in Acts 18:26. Now, about that leaning tree....

God's Resume

Have you ever considered what God's qualities might mean to you personally? Here are a few to consider:

CREATOR: Lord, You created me and each member of my family. You created or allowed the circumstances that we are in now: our jobs, home, teachers, friends, and opportunities. You have created or allowed our resources: financial, spiritual, material, emotional, and mental.

EVER-PRESENT: You are with each of us when we are otherwise alone, as well as when we are together with others. You are at school, at work, at home, on the road, and anywhere we might visit. You're not just here now, but you are present in the future. I cannot go anywhere without you. I need not send my family anywhere without you -- today or in the future. You will be there when I cannot. You are here with me and there with my loved ones when I fail You and them.

ALL-KNOWING: You know my thoughts and the thoughts of others. You know our tendencies, weaknesses, strengths, and limitations. You know our desires, attitudes, motives, and concerns. You know our fears, doubts, and lack of faith. You know every word spoken and every decision made. You know the future; You know the choices we will make, the sins we will commit, and the obedience we will show. You know our destinations.

ALMIGHTY: You can do everything and anything. You can change things; You can bless; You can influence; You can prevent; You can protect; You can set aside; You can intervene; You can empower. You can fill, guide, direct, persuade, and teach. You can comfort and heal.

UNCHANGING: All these things will always be true about You. You and Your promises remain the same throughout time.

"I will extol Thee, my God, O King; And I will bless Thy name forever. Every day I will bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.... The Lord is righteous in all His ways, And kind in all His deeds. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them." Psalm 145:1-3, 17-19.

Psalm 119: Revive Me

Psalm 119 is special in many ways. It is the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses). It is an acrostic that uses the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (all eight lines in each of the 22 sections begin with that same letter in the original Hebrew). It is God's Word in praise of God's Word.

The writer of this Psalm expresses great desire to know and be committed to the Word of the Lord. Many terms are used to describe God's Word: law, saying, commandment, statutes, precepts, ordinances and testimony. Reading Psalm 119 is a wonderful way to prayerfully begin each daily quiet time with our Heavenly Father.
"Revive me according to Thy word."
"Revive me through Thy righteousness."
"Revive me according to Thy loving kindness."
"Revive me, Oh Lord, according to Thine ordinances."
"Revive me in Thy ways."

These petitions and their variations are repeated throughout the Psalm. The sincerity of the psalmist's heart is reflected in his approach and his requests:
"With all my heart I have sought Thee." v.10
"Thy word I have treasured in my heart." v. 11
"Open my eyes..." v. 18
"Teach me..." v. 26
"Make me understand..." v. 27
"Strengthen me..." v. 28
"Incline my heart..." v. 36
"Sustain me..." v. 116
"Uphold me..." v. 117
"Establish my footsteps..." v 133

These are the words and this is the attitude of a person seeking the Lord's revival in his/her heart. Does Psalm 119 reflect our own? The psalmist didn't wait until he had manufactured his own longing for God -- he asked God to create it: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant..." v. 176.

Sing a New Song!

"Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy."
Psalm 33:1-3

Have you ever thought about writing your own Psalm of praise to the Lord? If we are ever guilty of merely mouthing the words to the songs in our worship service and singing without sincere awe and reverence in our hearts, then maybe we need to consider letting praise arise from our own words and "sing a new song"!

Praise the Lord
For it will bring joy to your heart to sing God's praises
God has given us the freedom to worship Him;
He desires to pour out His blessings upon us.
He comforts our hearts and heals our brokenness.
He is in control of everything and has provided for all our needs.
He is mighty; He is all powerful!
He has all wisdom and gives it to us when we ask.
Sing to the Lord and rejoice!
Raise up beautiful music to the heavens.
He makes the beauty of our world and blesses us with the richness of living.
He is not impressed with our intelligence or our talents. He doesn't sit in awe of our accomplishments. He longs to see our pride broken so that He can multiply our joy.
Praise the Lord, dear friends, praise God!

Rummage Sale of the Heart

I decided to have a rummage sale one day, so I went into the attic of my heart to shuffle through so many items I had forgotten: broken dreams and broken promises that I had stored away in pain with hopes of mending them some day; antique habits that I had clung to simply because they had been in my life for a long time; dusty grudges that I had harbored in the dark attic corners of my heart, unwilling to give them up. The broken items were useless unless someone fixed them, but I thought that someone who liked to do that kind of thing might want them. I thought I would also get rid of the old habits if anyone would take them off my hands, but I knew I could easily keep them if they didn't go. The old dusty grudges would be like new if I cleaned them up a bit, but I hoped to get rid of them because I had never really liked them anyway.

I then went to clean out my heart's closets. In one I found forgotten commitments; I had made them long ago with good intentions, and someone might want them now. In another closet I found unused talents that were a little rusty, and I wondered whether they were of any worth. Here and there were unforgiven sins that amounted to quite a number that were cluttering my heart. I knew I needed to get rid of them.

I gathered everything together and organized them on tables in the sunlight of my heart's front yard, and I was amazed to see how ugly many things actually were, while others still had a little sparkle there in the light. I put up my sign down at the road, and soon a man named Jesus came by.

He looked my tables over, examining each item, then He picked up the broken pieces and mended them there before my eyes. He gave me a special solution called Grace that helped me renew my forgotten commitments, and He showed me how those rusty talents could still be used. Then He surprised me by paying a very high price for the things I was most ashamed to have displayed. Instead of carting off His purchases, He helped me bag up and get rid of the ones like my old grudges and habits. And then He left without taking anything with Him. I noticed my pile of sins on the grass. He had paid for them and then forgotten them.

"Hide they face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit withing me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore until me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit." Psalms 51:9-12

Amazed but Shouldn't Be

When I think of all the wonderful things that God has done in my life,
I must admit, I am amazed...
although I shouldn't be.
As I see how he meets my needs and protects me from daily strife,
I must admit I am amazed...
although I shouldn't be.
For this is my Lord, who created the stars and give life to each living thing,
who gives sight to the blind, hope to the helpless, and the wren his song to sing.
He has conquered evil, triumphed over death, and gives us life everlasting.
He promises strength, mercy, and grace, and forgiveness is there for the asking.
And yet, when even the simplest of prayers is answered by my loving Lord,
I must admit, I am amazed...
although I shouldn't be.
Or when I suddenly find a comforting answer there in His Holy Word,
I must admit I am amazed...
although I shouldn't be.
For what do I expect from an almighty God who holds the whole world in His hand?
How can I wonder at the answering of prayer, when all eternity evolves as He has planned?
How can I marvel at life's little joys or be in awe of His promises, unbroken,
when God, in His wisdom, created the world with just a simple word spoken?!
Still, I, in my limited comprehension of things, am left pondering each of God's gifts.
Yes, I admit, I'm amazed
Although I shouldn't be.
And though I may slowly gain understanding, bewildered eyes I uplift,
remaining amazed
when I shouldn't be.

The Bible tells of many situations where man is amazed at the works of God. His love for us, His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and His provision for all our needs are miracles that occur every day in each of our lives. Every answered prayer is an opportunity for wonder, and every second of wonder is worth an hour of praise! How can we be amazed at the answering of a prayer, when God is in control of ALL elements of life? Perhaps amazement reflects a lack of understanding, but still, isn't it wonderful! Take a moment and be amazed-- take an hour and praise Him!

"Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness." Psalm 1 50:2

Sing Unto Him

I hear songs on the radio, songs of loneliness, songs of woe,
songs of someone's lost, imperfect love;
Songs about the way they say to get high,
songs about the things that make people cry,
songs about what to do when push comes to shove.
I hear the countdown of favorite songs,
but it seems to me that the list is all wrong.
There doesn't seem to be any answers given.
It's more like a list of many complaints--
the "can'ts," the "won'ts," the the "didn'ts" and the "aints,"
all the sour notes of what some people call "livin'."
Well, I got out some paper, and I got out a pen,
and I made out a list of my Top Ten,
but I couldn't put them in order or list them there by rank,
For they each have a special place in my heart
at one time or other they've been an important part
of comforting me on Jordan's stormy banks.
They've each been sung in my joyful noise
(I'm short on talent, but blessed with many joys!)
Allowing me in my small way to give glory to God,
to carry me along the path I've trod.
They've all been there throughout the years,
to lift me up, to calm my fears.
I'm so thankful for each hymn's sweet notes.
I'm so thankful for the ones who wrote
the hymns that will always mean so much to me.
I'm thankful for the music played
and the difference that each note has made.
Without them how quiet so many hearts would be!

"Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk ye of all His wonderous works. Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord." Psalm 105:2 & 3

Toward the Son

As I was leaving work one day, I noticed that all the clover leaves in the grass were tilted up toward the setting sun. Upon approaching, I could see the deep green shadows underneath each tilted clover head, but as I glanced back at them, I could see a warmer, richer green as the top sides were bathed in the sunlight. The next morning I made a point to take notice of them again, and sure enough, all the little clover heads had turned their faces toward the rising sun in the east.

The laws of nature are so simple, and yet I am forever amazed at how God's creations go about doing what come naturally and is best for them. As I looked upon the bed of clover, each leaf turned expectantly toward the sun, I thought about God's family and how natural it should be for us to turn our faces toward the Son. Like the clover, we should look to the ultimate source of warmth in our lives, knowing that our needs will be supplied and that we will grow accordingly.

David expresses the same conviction in Psalm 84: "Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.... Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed... For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee." (Verses 5, 9, 11, and 12)

Are we forever looking to God for our strength? Do we depend upon Him daily to guide us and nourish us that we might grow in His ways? Let us look to the lowly clover to see how we should trust in the Lord.