Squishy

It has been rainy and cold here. God has blessed us with an abundance of rain in recent months, and coming out of a drought, that is a very good thing. The ground is now so saturated with water, our yard squishes when you walk on it. Now, while it lends it self to messy shoes, I know that it is really good for the land which has been so thirsty.

I don't think it is any coincidence that I found myself in Psalm 42 this morning. The first couple verses really speak to where I am these days, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" I am okay, but just the busyness of life and being pulled in so many different directions and much on my mind, I am feeling very dry and barren. My "deep" calls to the Lord's depth again.

David records in Psalm 23 that when we walk with the Lord, He fills our cup to overflowing. If you have ever tried to walk with a full cup to the brim, it splashes out, on the floor. Just the motions of walking slowly causes the fluid to swirl and spill out. That is God's desire for us. To be so filled with Him, that we are squishy and spill on to everything and everyone around us with the simple slow motions of life.

That was my prayer today, that he make me squishy again.

Clock Watchers

"A watched pot never boils." At least that's what the cliche says. We are not a patient people. We are constantly moving faster and faster. Often when I talk with friends and they ask how things are going for me, my new response is it's going in "Fast-Forward." We use flash drives, microwave dinners have mostly replaced home-cooked meals, and the pace seems to quicken the longer I live. And yet, God doesn't move at our pace. He is above our time... he created it!

I began reading the book of Exodus this past week. This book begins its account of the Hebrew people some 400 years after Joseph and his brothers settled in the Egyptian land of Goshen, and even longer since God's initial promise to Abraham regarding the promised land. From this point, they are still a generation away from it. God's people are in bondage and have been for a long time. God has a plan for His people. He made a promise to His people, at yet, it takes hundreds of years to come to fruition. I have to imagine that had they had clocks back then, would they be watching them saying, "Um, hello God? We are a little uncomfortable here. You mentioned something about a promised land?"

God kept his promise, but it wasn't on their schedule, rather it was on His. The Hebrews struggled a lot with this attitude while they wandered in the desert and longed for the onions and leeks they used to have in Egyptian slavery. In the process of wandering, God refines and purifies his people. History tells us that right in his own timing, God answers His people's cry and fulfills His promises. Always has, always will.

In my own ways, I often begin whining and complaining longing for "onions and leeks" of yesteryear, and yet God is refining and purifying me. I must learn to wait patiently for the Lord. When I read the Bible, so often, for me the action that God takes is but a page turn. But to those in the situation, often times it is years in the making, sometimes, generations.

Lord, Your timing is always perfect. Teach me to trust you, and wait on You. I know that Your "apparent delay" always has a bigger picture in mind and is but a page turn away.

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:9)

Home Sick

It has been a while since I have written anything, I find my life allowing not much more than short Facebook blurbs on how life is going, and yet there is so much more to my life than that.

We are awaiting the arrival of our new exchange student and family member, Federico from Italy. He arrives Tuesday. So, I find myself thinking about traveling. I think about some of the travels I have made over the years. Road trips alone and with family. An insanely long flight to Thailand. One thing that all travels have in common is that point in them that you get the desire to get home.

I sit for extended periods of time, and my body cries out to be set free from the shackles of my bucket-seat prison. I desire to get out and stretch, but more than that, I just want to get home. The closer you get, the more you want to get there even quicker and flirt with the vertical pedal on the right. Then, finally you pull into the driveway, turn off the ignition and begin unloading the car. The kids run and play with all the toys they haven't seen in days as if the toys were missing them too. Then, when the kids are in bed, you take a quick shower to rinse off the road grime and then crawl into your own bed... ahhh! Nothing beats the feeling when you are finally in your own bed after you've been gone.

This weekend I hit the wall. You know the wall don't you? That invisible place you get to when you have run and run and then you just don't want to do anymore. You just need a break. You just want to go home. You begin to cling to verses like John 14:1-3.

My pastor has been preaching on faith. Tonight he continued from this morning, talking about faith's hope-- our ultimate destination. I don't remember much about what he said as I was lost in being home sick for my eternal home. Where I truly belong. No, I am not feeling suicidal. But there are times like right now, when I long for the rest that is promised in Hebrews.

Paul wrestled with the same feelings, when he said to "live is Christ, and to die is gain." Maybe I need to go crawl under a tree by a stream, and let the ravens feed me meat and bread. I am just homesick. I will a picture of our new son in a few days. I am going to bed. I pray the Lord will give me visions of my place he has gone to prepare for me...

Tunnel Vision

Melody is learning to ride her bike. Recently, she participated in a bike-a-thon fund raiser. Periodically, she would avoid a near collusion because she would busy herself looking back at me instead of watching where she was going.

I don't know about you, but I don't do so well trying to go in one direction while I am looking elsewhere. It seems when we take our eyes off of where they should be, we get into trouble. There are a number of passages in scripture that speak to this issue. Here are a few: 2 Corinthians 4:18, Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 14:29-31.

When we lose sight of where we are going, we can stumble, sink or be destroyed. I read this passage this morning, "Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. " (Proverbs 4:25-27)

Thank you Lord for Your Word helping me to stay focused.

Taking Care of Business

It doesn't take very long watching the morning or evening news to get frustrated with the idiocy of how people think and behave. Both news features and commercials remind us of the depravity of human nature and the desperate need for a Savior. In James 4, the writer tells us that "friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (vs. 4) So, we are supposed to remove ourselves from interaction with the secular world, have only Christian friends, buy Christian's goods and services, work for Christian employers, etc. right? I am not so sure that is what this verse is instructing.

I began reading the second Chronicle of the history of Israel and Judah this morning. It is a familiar passage to those who have grown up in Sunday School. Solomon is now King and God, in a vision, tells him in chapter 1 to ask whatever he wants. As the story goes, Solomon requests wisdom to govern well, and a pleased God blesses him in every other area in addition to great understanding. Solomon then seeks to complete the task his father David has entrusted to him: to build the temple for worship of the LORD.

Now remember, God is still a Holy God expecting His people to be a holy people. The definition of holiness is being set apart. If this is true, why is it that one of the first decisions that this wise king did was to seek alignment with the King of Tyre a pagan man? Shouldn't he have gone to the people of Israel, the holy people of God to build the holy temple for the Name of the LORD? I believe that Solomon in fact did the wise thing. One, he wanted to honor God with excellence. He wanted the best for God (there is a lesson in there too, but we won't go there today).

He contracts with this pagan King and two good things happens. One, using the best skilled workers in the area, he has built a temple for the Most High that has no parallel in all history. The other, we see in chapter 2. "Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in a letter sent to Solomon: 'Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them.' Then Huram continued, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth,'" (vs 11-12). Huram honors the one true God. Now granted, there is no record that Huram then becomes a follower of God, but because of a respectful relationship, Solomon earns the right to be heard.

This is a lesson we would do well to heed. Peter writes of this same lesson in one of his letters. He urges the readers to keep from being influenced by the world, but not to be removed from the world. In Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17, the Messiah prays that His disciples would be in an amongst the world but protected from its influence. If we are not to be around people that believe just like us, how do we influence them?

We should not rush to get out of the world, but rather, to be Salt and Light as we have been commissioned. How can we do this if we aren't around the world? So, before you quit your secular job, before you stop doing business with those who don't care about the things of the Lord, keep in mind, you may the only godly influence in those people's lives. Perhaps, God will grant you wisdom and people will honor God as a result of your life. Hang in there.

"'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;'" (Matt. 5:14)

Keep Pushing

Recent weeks have brought some significant change in my life. Before we moved here, I had begun to workout; however, when we came here, I had to stop as there wasn't a facility to continue. Well, a few weeks ago, our town opened a new fitness center and I am back at it and working out again 5 days a week. It has been refreshing starting again, and I am starting to enjoy the benefits of the hard work. Pants are fitting looser, I rest well at night and I know that I am working toward an overall better physical condition. Perseverance, however, is the key. It will do me no good if I wane in my regiment. The Lord has brought one theme up over and over to me in recent days so, I thought I would write a few lines about what I am learning.

In my workouts, I have days that are harder than others. I may wake up feeling weary (like this morning) and it takes everything I have to get through. Sometimes, when I start a new level of weights or add reps I have to deal with pain and soreness. There are days that are just routine and boring and I just have to suck it up and move forward. And there are also days when all my ducks are in a row and I jam and feel great after.

Since the place opened, I have seen many different faces. Some I continue to see, some I do not. I am sure some will come and go, hit and miss, some will drop out altogether as the demands on body and time are more than they are willing to commit to. There is an incredible parallel to our spiritual walk.

A dear friend whose blog I frequent has for his blog title, "Finishing Well." I think that is because that is his heart's desire-- to finish well. Over my lifetime, I have failed to finish things I began. Some things it took me a while, but I kept at it and finished. It gives great personal satisfaction to finish what you have started. I am finishing my reading through Hosea, and I am reminded that once again, the life of Israel has some traits that mirror the Christian church in America. They started well, but they were not finishing well. They got sidetracked, by what John Ortberg calls "shadow missions." Shadow missions are things that distract us from what we are called to do. They can keep us from finishing the race.

Hebrews 11 gives a list of folks that finished well. I believe there is another list in heaven that Christ looks at when we enter his presence. It's a list for those who finish well and then He tells those that have loved Him, "'Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" (Matt. 25:21) In order to win the race, we must finish well. The Christian life is filled with many who start well, but don't finish well. In case we become arrogant, we should also mind our own steps, as we are all just a stumble from finishing well. We must trust in God's ability to complete what He has started, not what we are capable of.