Monthly Archives: October 2019

THE SWEET LIFE

“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” (Psalm 119:103)

Has anyone ever tried to ‘sweet talk’ you? If you are known to have a competitive edge, were you challenged by the thought of a ‘sweet victory’ ahead? Or have you ever spent a lot of time bargaining for a certain outcome and ended up making ‘one sweet deal’? As Halloween approaches and children look forward to trick-or-treat activities, those who anticipate sharing in a sampling of the gathered candy might be asked if they have a ‘sweet tooth’. We even find that our music has references to sweetness, from the reassuring lyrics of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” to the cherished hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” For the most part, the concept of being sweet generally brings forth pleasant feelings. However, a very different impression is created when the words sour or bitter are used. In fact, there may have been a time when you may have been reduced to use the phrase, “it left a bitter taste in my mouth,” if you were involved in something that did not turn out particularly well.

The Bible contains many references to sweetness and bitterness. Moses threw a piece of wood that God had shown him into water that was bitter, and “the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them” (Exodus 15:25). The Psalmist declared that “the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether . . . sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalms 19:9-10). One of the most interesting stories tells of God commanding the prophet Ezekiel to speak to the nation of Israel after he consumed a provided scroll. He was “to fill [his] stomach with it” and share the words with its people whom God considered to be “obstinate and stubborn” (Ezekiel 2:4). In Ezekiel’s vision, he eats the scroll God handed him . . . and we find the creation of an interesting image by which he needs to ‘fill up and digest God’s Word.’ By Ezekiel following God’s direction, he was able to absorb the message before it would be delivered.

Scripture states that both sides of the scroll “were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom” (Ezekiel 2:10). Logic would expect that for any normal person, this unusual request might have been a bitter pill to swallow. But Ezekiel claimed that “when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth” (Ezekiel 3:3). Ezekiel seems to have acquired a taste for God’s correction. Instead of viewing His reprimand as something to be avoided, Ezekiel recognized that what is good for the soul is “sweet.” He was a man living in the center of God’s Will and in sweet communion with Him. He didn’t gloss over the sins of his people and chose to not focus on the what little good he might have been able to find within that society. What he did do was continue to warn his countrymen with all his heart, because that is what God specifically told him to do. Accordingly, he was hated for his testimony.

If we focus on how much God loves us, His challenging truths will begin to taste more like honey. If we are to become one of His messengers, we must first internalize these truths for ourselves before we are equipped to share them with others. When we do, we will encounter those who will accept its sweet aroma while we can anticipate there will always be some who will reject it. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). As Christians, God wants us to be full of sweet things, and it starts by being filled with His Word and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. As I assume this in my own life, I can’t help but reflect on the lyrics of a chorus I have come to appreciate: “There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place; and I know that it’s the spirit of the Lord.” There are times in each person’s journey when we do our utmost to avoid hearing the truth of God’s message. At times, we may find it to be a ‘bitter pill’ to swallow. Ultimately, we must begin to recognize that there is one true voice to whom we must listen. Then we will develop a decisive understanding of what it means to begin to live the life He has always had planned for us.  That, my friend, is the sweet life.

REFLECTION: How pleased do you think the Lord is with the aroma you set forth? When you seek spiritual guidance, have you ever found sweetness in challenging words that do not necessarily conform to your way of thinking. Can you deliver God’s truth to others who are seeking your advice about lifestyle issues that you do not believe to be in agreement with the teachings of Jesus? How might you apply Proverbs 27:9 – “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” – in these instances?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., NOVEMBER 2 , 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

TOLERANCE

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” (Colossians 3:13)

It was an unusual question, particularly in light of the setting in which it was posed. Nonetheless, the political candidates engaged in questioning were asked: “What friendship have you had that would surprise us, and what impact has it had on you and your beliefs?”  Obviously the question was intended to demonstrate that the individuals on the stage had tolerance for those who subscribed to a different political persuasion. Their answers would serve as the conclusion to a three-hour televised debate.  Just days before, a former conservative head-of-state was caught on camera laughing with and sitting next to a well-known liberal entertainment personality at a pro-football game. The entertainer was criticized in a social media backlash as to how she could possibly be friends with someone who held partisan views so different than her own. Her response: “Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything does not mean I’m not going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don’t mean only the people that think the same as you do, I mean be kind to everyone.”

Our world no longer defines tolerance as an acknowledgement that there are those with a differing belief. Instead, it has come to mean that we are expected to have full acceptance for the beliefs of others. There was a day not so long ago when we would respect individual differences.  No so much in recent times. On one hand, we hear much public discussion about the need for tolerance. On the other hand, those who stand for the truth of their own convictions are often branded as being narrow-minded, intolerant and judgmental. Unfortunately, this is often the case when it comes to matters of faith. The Lord has uniquely created each of us with our own personalities and preferences. Therefore, we won’t always agree with one another. This doesn’t mean that we can’t still love and respect each other in spite of our varying persuasions and convictions. It’s possible with the help of the Holy Spirit to respect those with different opinions. Colossians 4:6 instructs us: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” The ability to rise above personal feelings and respectfully treat the intolerant reveals the true measure of our spiritual maturity.

Being labeled ‘intolerant’ for one’s Christian faith is an expected part of the journey, and at times we will suffer when we stand up for the word of God. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that we are to provide for those who may not be very tolerant of us. By doing so “you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads” (Romans 12:20). The Lord allows our interaction with people who don’t believe in Jesus or who differ in their views about matters of the faith. The key to being Christ-like in these situations is to keep your eyes on Him and not the person. We must be careful, however, to not endorse the modern belief that all religions lead to God. For the Christian, Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), and that must not be compromised. We are called to tolerate and even love those whose beliefs (or lack of belief) is different than our own. In doing so, we place ourselves in a position to become an effective witness for what we believe to be true. Scripture says, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth” (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

Even the most intolerant of individuals can recognize true and unconditional love from Christians. Loving those who are intolerant of the faith empowers the believer to show love, just as Jesus did. If tolerance calls us to be respectful of the beliefs of others, then Christianity is in full agreement. Those who demonstrate true tolerance will seek God’s wisdom and discernment before speaking with people who they know will disagree with them (James 1:5). In the end, there are times that you just have to respectfully agree to disagree.  It is one thing to have and maintain a differing position; it is quite another to ridicule a person. We must hold fast to the Truth while showing compassion to those who question it.

REFLECTION: What types of personalities trigger your tolerance button? When you are challenged in your Christian belief, do you find that you are respectful or do become defensive? What steps might you take in order to become more tolerant of others who hold positions different than your own?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., OCTOBER 26 , 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

AUTUMN FINGERPRINTS

“For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.” (Psalm 144:4)

As I look out my window or take a walk through the park, it’s easy to see that the season is changing. We are reminded of the ending of the vibrancy of summer as evidenced by the beautiful flowers which have lost their grandeur surrendering to hues of brown and gray.  Once thriving leaves drop from their branches bursting with color but are now dying. Colder temperatures flow in and bright, long days full of sunshine move out. Yes, Autumn is here again, and I have never been a fan. I have often wondered if it somehow stems from my youth when the darkness of the early evening signaled that it was time to put aside playtime and redirect my focus on the more serious task of my studies. Then too – the arrival of ‘Fall’ meant that when I would go outside, I had to “bundle up so I wouldn’t catch cold,” as my mother would so aptly put it. This week I pulled the remaining tomatoes from the garden and discarded the fresh flowers which had been brought in from the yard to escape the pending frost waiting in the wings.

It was the tossing of those wilted flowers that got me to thinking. For the past week or so, they had been held in water contained in an antique vase which has been in our family for generations. As I washed out the vessel, I held it carefully to make sure it would not slip out of my hands and break. I wondered about the many ancestors who had held that vase and how long it had been since their fingerprints remained on its surface. Then I thought again about those brown leaves on the ground just outside. Those very leaves that displayed the green of summer and later the colors of early autumn now provide a fingerprint on the earth. Their decay will provide nourishment for the soil and in the spring will help to bring forth a new season of beauty. It brings enlightened meaning to that familiar scriptural passage, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). Certainly God must have a purpose for the seasons of nature as well as the seasons of our life. As I watch these leaves drop one by one, I should consider that He is simply making room for the gifts which He is preparing for us in the future.

For those of us who have never been crazy about autumn, we might ask what it is that God intends for us to see. When we look at a fallen leaf or disintegrating summer flower, it might be appropriate to reflect on this Biblical thought: For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25).  We too are a finite and fallen creation soon to pass. Any glory we claim to have is as short-lived as the leaves of summer. We seek to accomplish much, but in the end – we disappear from this earth. Therefore, it would be prudent for us to ponder what fingerprint we will leave for those generations which follow. We will make our greatest impact if we would strive to understand the Word of God and follow the teachings of Jesus.  Unlike the decaying leaves of the season, these will endure, because God never changes. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

So we find ourselves caught between the abundance of summer and dormancy of winter in the momentary uniqueness of autumn. Autumn is a study in contrasts, and the result is a strange mixture of nostalgia, blessings, and potential. It yields the harvest of seeds we’ve sown throughout life and braces us for colder days to come. We might find that this a good time to focus on our commitment to God. When life’s autumn arrives, we look back and gain a better understanding of the way He has led us. But in this time of transition, we should recognize we still have work to do.  We are reminded that we need to let go of anything that would hinder a fresh relationship with Him. During this season, trust God fully as you wait for the harvest. He has a good plan for each life, though some days the fruit may not be evident. As we watch those dancing leaves fall to the ground and place their fingerprint on the earth, we too must reach an understanding that we must die unto ourselves and become a new creation (Luke 9:23-24). As we do this, we will soon learn that the rebirth of springtime is just around the corner.

REFLECTION: As you look back at the various seasons of your life, in what ways do you find evidence of God’s loving presence? What are you holding onto that is preventing a freshness to the current season ahead? What fingerprints of your life will you leave behind that will positively impact others?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., OCTOBER 19 , 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.

WHO’S IN CHARGE OF YOU?

                        “But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, ‘You are my God!’                            My future is in your hands.”  (Psalm 31:14-15a)

You have no doubt seen the bumper stickers which profess, “God is My Co-pilot.”  The saying was perhaps taken from the 1943 Robert Lee Scott Jr. World War II memoir using these same words and later adapted as a 1945 film. Some in the Christian community have been critical that this expression sends the wrong message. They argue that when we say that God is a ‘co-anything’ – it makes Him the same as that with which He is compared. For instance, by saying God is your co-pilot, you may be giving the impression that you are equal to God. You may also be unintentionally indicating that you don’t totally trust God, because you are not allowing Him to be fully in charge. In the specific case of an airplane, the co-pilot fully takes over the controls from the main pilot only when told to do so. This begs the question:  if God is our co-pilot, do we do as we please and go where we want and only let God take over when needed? Would it be better perhaps to say, “God is My Pilot.”  It’s certainly food for thought.

In her 2019 book, Nerves of Steel, author Tammie Jo Shults tells a powerful personal story of landing a damaged Southwest Airliner. On April 17, 2018, Shults was the captain of a routine four-hour domestic flight carrying 148 passengers from the LaGuardia to Dallas airports. Only 20 minutes into the flight at about 32,000 feet, a piece of a turbine fan blade dislodged and caused catastrophic engine damage. The plane began to violently shudder, and debris shattered one of the passenger windows releasing air out of the cabin.  Passengers screamed, prayed, and began to send messages to their loved ones on the ground. Working together, Shults and her first officer were able to stabilize the aircraft. It was then that Shults made an intercom announcement stating, “We are not going down . . . we are going to Philly.” When the aircraft was cleared for landing, the Captain uttered two words in the form of a question: “Heavenly Father?” It was as if she yielded the control of the plane to a higher authority by asking, “Okay God – you got this?” With an aircraft that was resisting being steered in every way, Shults knew they had only one shot. And one shot was all that they needed.

One of the major reasons many Christians consistently fail in their lives is because they want to be in charge using God as a back-up when their plans do not work out. This attitude is always a platform for disaster. Consider the times you have tried to maintain control of your own life and ended up in one big mess. On those occasions you most likely turned to God ending up being rescued only when you finally surrendered to His will. When we decide to follow Christ, we must unlearn the falsehood that we are not the ‘captain of our own destiny’. Moses instructed Joshua and the people of Israel: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). In the midst of a life-or-death emergency, the Lord prepared and guided Captain Tammie Jo Shults through incredible feat. Afterwards, passengers said that her one simple reassuring message, “We’re not going down,” made all the difference. By stating this, the distraught travelers knew that their pilot was in control and that there was a plan and a safe destination awaiting them. As followers of Christ, we must cling to that viewpoint in our spiritual walk as well.

The passengers of the Southwest Airlines Flight quickly learned a lesson that sometimes the road is going to get bumpy. However, if you fully place your trust in the right captain – you will realize that He is in control. Like the Apostle Paul, we are affirmed by the turbulent times we experience. “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering” (Romans 8:17). When we say God is our pilot instead of our co-pilot, we yield to His direction and recognize that because of His grace – we are indeed co-heirs.  Someone once said, “If God is your co-pilot, then switch seats. If the devil is your co-pilot, then switch planes!” Asking God to guide our vessel is a life-altering decision.  So . . . who’s in charge of you?

REFLECTION: Have there been aspects of your life you have released to God’s control? What parts have you attempted to personally control? What will it take to for you to fully allow God to be in charge?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., OCTOBER 12 , 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.