Be Still

 "My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." Psalm 119:28

    God is a delight. I found strength in the most unexpected place this week when I really needed it.

    Lately, I'd been feeling the effects of the weary war zone of spiritual battles. Like a dust-covered soldier, I'd been asking my King to "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10) 

    My bi-annual visit to the dentist had me cranked back in the chair, an open mouth above a paper bib. The mostly one-sided conversation with the hygienist meandered here and there until it entered the familiar green pastures of scripture, much to my delight. From beneath her mask as she scraped my tartar, the gal known to me as Margaret shared her Christian beliefs with me. After quoting one of my favorite verses from Romans chapter eight, she also knew Psalm 46:10 by heart: "Be still and know that I am God." In true God-like humor, in my presently prone position, how could I do otherwise?

    This bonus cleaning from Margaret gave my heart a sparkling gleam. I left feeling strengthened, ready to rejoin the ranks.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4

    

Empowering

 "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we may not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us." 2 Corinthians 1: 8-10

    With the onset of a new school year, the work-related meetings have begun for me with their usual pep talks containing the appropriate buzz words like "impactful" and "empowering." The oft-repeated ideology that nettles me most is this belief that we can empower ourselves, that somewhere within the core of humanity, we have the ability to rustle up ample amounts of faith, courage and power simply by believing in ourselves. 

    Is this really so? Do we have transformative power? It may appear true for a while, as long as the sailing is smooth, but when the patterns of sin and brokenness leave their gritty trails causing self-esteem to plummet like iron to the ocean floor, then where does one turn? 

    Do we have the power to delay a sunrise, add an hour to our lives or grow sunflowers without seeds? As the Lord rhetorically quizzed Job, "Have you shown the dawn its place? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you entered the storehouses of snow?" (Job 38: 12, 17, 22) 

    True empowerment only comes from the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that, while we were still powerless, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6) When Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection, He gifted His believers with His Holy Spirit who incredibly takes up residence in our hearts! He's our own personal source of power, like being plugged in to an electrical outlet. And what a source this is, for "the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)

    When at work, I passed a small poster taped near a classroom entrance which was meant to be inspirational. From a secular standpoint, I am sure it sounds like good advice to tell students to "have faith in yourself, believe in yourself, empower yourself," but these words are like eating styrofoam peanuts. There's no nourishment in them.

    The writer of the verses above had reached such dire straits that he felt he could not go on, despairing even of life itself. When he had depleted all human resources and his strength was gone, that's when he realized from Whom his deliverance would come. He had to fully rely on God. Only He has the power to empower you.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

Superhero

 "The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation..." Isaiah 59:15, 16

"He put on righteousness as his breastplate and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17)

    When I was a kid, there was a cartoon called "Underdog" I liked to watch. The meek and mild shoeshine boy, who had a secret crush on the beautiful reporter, Sweet Polly Purebred, would hear her cry for help whenever the antagonist dragged her away (which was an every day occurrence.) In true heroic style, he ducked into a phone booth so he could modestly change into his caped costume and herald his arrival by saying, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

    The array of super hero movies follow a general good vs. evil theme in which the ordinary folk are powerless against the foe and are in dire need of a savior. There is always an antagonist who is unstoppable until the hero arrives, who saves the day. 

    When I was reading Isaiah, chapter 59, I couldn't help but see the parallels between reality and the fantasy of cinema. The following description accurately paints a modern canvas: "So justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey." (59: 14, 15) We see this everywhere we look. As the deceptions of evil increase, those who attempt to stand tall become prey themselves and are cancelled. Who has the power to save? Don't we, as "evolving" humans, improve upon ourselves as time passes? Can we not save ourselves? Do we really need saving? YES, we do!

    The Bible hones in on the problem: "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear...So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows." (Isaiah 59: 2, 9) Our very real antagonist, Satan, has an army of demons at his disposal, but he has no power over our protagonist, Jesus. 

    We are powerless to save because we've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but God has come to the rescue! "He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." (Psalms 130:8) "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) 

    Why stand helplessly by as your life hurtles toward impending doom? Look up! Your salvation draws nigh! Turn from evil, repent of your sins and be swept up into the arms of your loving Redeemer who has come in person to save you.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7: 24, 25

    

     

Relatable

 "That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake." Matthew 13:1

    During my morning devotion, I opened my Bible to the suggested scripture and began to read from the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, but I didn't get past the first verse. It lent such a smile that I couldn't proceed without pausing to write. 

    The above verse is so relatable to me because it recounts what I did only yesterday: I left my house and walked down to the park where there is a pond. It's one of my favorite places in Lake County. How beautiful is the humanity of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us! What other god ever came down here to sit by a lake? "Can you imagine," I wondered aloud, "seeing God sitting on a bench down at Granger Pond?"

    Then it dawned on me: I did see Him! He brushed past a family of five-leafed plants that dwelt on the forest floor. His glory was reflected in the smooth water's surface. I felt His presence as He pointed out two spotted fawns following their mother's footsteps into the glade. I recognized His humorous touch on the toadstool tucked beneath low boughs. His winsome voice could be heard in the birdsong above me as the sun showcased His exquisite craftsmanship in a spider's web.  His softer side was quite evident in the frothy pink blossoms that resembled a lady's swaying form. 

    I wonder what Jesus pondered as He sat by the lake before the crowd found Him? Did He recount those early days when He spoke and these came into being? Perhaps He recalled the fun He had fashioning a stool for a toad, knowing how it would fuel the imagination of children. Did the birds above sing more exuberantly for their Creator as the clouds bowed before Him? Did the breeze ruffle His hair, as it had mine?  

    I am left to wonder, yet my heart is content just knowing Jesus sat by the lake.

"For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Now I See

 "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'" John 3:3

    My sister wrote a poem to commemorate our aunt's 100th birthday. She sent it to family members via a group email for us to read, but I was having trouble with that particular mode of communication and could not open the attachment. Others were commenting their praises in response, but I could not see the object of their praise until I asked the author to send it to me via text. Only then could I share in their joy.

    There are various modes of religions swirling around us. There's Christian Science, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, Unitarianism, Islam, New Ageism and a host of "spiritual" cocktails at our disposal. On which do you click if you want forgiveness of sins and eternal life for your soul? 

    The answers are found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. If a religion does not hail the power of that Name, declaring His deity, then they are of the devil. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

    Just as I was unable to open that attachment, there is an adversary in this broken world whose goal objective is to bar people from finding life in Christ. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4) 

    If you are searching for God and, like Job, may in frustration cry out, "If only I knew where to find Him, if only I could go to His dwelling!" (Job 23:3), I have good news for you! "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:4) The very words of Jesus, the one for whom you seek, give this blessed assurance: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)

    I was born on October 15, 1961, but the part of me that will live eternally was born of God in my early twenties when I sought Christ. He was there between the pages of the Bible my parents gave me. He was there when I asked for guidance and forgiveness as I cried out in prayer. Now I see Him because, "he is not far from any one of us." (Acts 17:27) He is in my heart.

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it to proclaim it to us so that we may obey it? Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, 'Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it." Deuteronomy 30: 11-14

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10: 9, 10

    

Cat Food Alone

 "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:3

    Before Dave and I headed to Texas in July, we made arrangements for the care of our cat, Kiwi. A team of two were on board to provide the necessities of life and, as animal lovers, we knew these two would also do their best to share love, if Kiwi would allow them. They had both texted news and pictures from home to reassure Kiwi's "parents" of his happiness. Upon our return, the first thing we did was to look for the cat, who was very glad to see us. He melted in my arms as if, with a grateful sigh, to say, "At last, my people are here!"

    The verse above came into my mind during our reunion. It wasn't enough that Kiwi ate, drank and slept. He needed more. Evidently, he does not live on cat food alone. He needs love. He needs us.

    If that is true of cats, what of us? We can be sustained for a lifetime by devouring the love letter from our Creator: the Holy Bible. If we wait until Sundays for a serving, we will be like Kiwi, starving for attention. There's such a banquet of blessing awaiting us, we need to read and apply it every single day. We need to.

    Like a scrumptious meal, you won't want to push away from the table once you get started. Here's a sampling of the menu:

• "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous..." Joshua 1:5, 6
• "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust." Psalm 56:3
• "God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins..."Colossians 2:13
• "Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isaiah 35:10
• "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be nor more death..."Rev. 21:4
• "His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away." Daniel 7:14
• "In love and mercy, He redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." Isaiah 63:9
• "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11
• "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22
• "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves..." Colossians 1:13
• "So do not fear for I am with you..."Isaiah 41:10

 To quote the words of Jesus, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25) Yes, it certainly is! Now, open the storehouse and dig in.

"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:2

The Worth of One's Soul

 "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16

    The older I get, the longer it takes to get ready for an outing. Flossing, filing and fooling with my hair, finding proper clothes to best cloak the evidence of age all take time.  I wonder, how does that time compare with what I have invested in the nurturing of my soul? 

    The dictionary definition of "soul" is "the spiritual part of a human being, thought to be immortal," but what does the Bible have to say about the soul?

• Our soul is made for praise: "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name." Psalm 103:1
• Our soul is designed to love: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5
• Our soul needs rest: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29
• There is longing within: "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil." Proverbs 13:19
• Beware! It can be condemned to hell: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
• Sadly, it can be forfeited: "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Matthew 16:26

     I was trying to remember an old movie I saw once in which a guy sold his soul to the devil. When I googled around for it, I found information on real folks who have, reportedly, sold their soul to Satan! Unbelievably sad. 

    The opening verse for this post indicates a crossroads, a blip on one's timeline where there's a choice to be made that has eternal consequences. How important is your soul to you? Do you spend time feeding it with good things or is it expendable, up for sale? For all the time and care spent on the body, it will decompose in the ground one day, so doesn't it make perfect sense to concentrate on the immortal part of us? 

    Your soul is so valuable to God that He sent His only Son into this world, not to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved! (John 3:17) If there's a hole in your soul, fill it with the One who loves you, will never forsake you and will come again to take you to be with Him where He is in glory. Why sell it to a scoundrel?

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10: 29-31

Who Am I?

 "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' And God said, 'I will be with you.'" Exodus 3: 11, 12

    Has God ever asked something of you of which you felt incapable? Or maybe you just didn't want to do it.

     Years ago, a pastor of a church we attended at that time approached me, asking me to deliver the children's message during the service. Engulfed by my fear of public speaking, I begged off stating, "When the Bible speaks of the roles of the body of Christ, I am the buttocks in the illustration, strong but better left unseen." Though my response elicited a hearty chuckle, I always felt I had let the pastor down.

    Perhaps I should have researched the Biblical giants of the faith, who also had ready-made excuses cloaking low self esteem as I did. Take Moses, for example. He peppered God with his reasons why he was the wrong man for the job, but God patiently insisted. 

    Then there's Gideon, who was called by God to save Israel from the Midianite bullies: "But Lord, how can I save Israel?" he asked, "My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family." As He had done with Moses, God replied, "I will be with you." (Judges 6: 15, 16)

    When God came knocking on Jeremiah's door with a prophetic role to fulfill, his response was, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak. I am too young." By now, it's not surprising to hear God's reassurance, "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you." (Jeremiah 1: 6, 8)

    Three reticent men who all received this same answer from the eternal, omnipotent God: I will be with you. When they stepped out in the strength of the Lord, they accomplished the task and are, no doubt, receiving their reward for faithfulness in heaven. 

    Had I stepped out of my comfort zone, I would have seen the hand of God in mine as He led me into a place He foreknew would be best for me. I not only let the pastor down, I failed to recognize the limitlessness of God, thereby missing out on the opportunities that stem from obedience. 

    The next time I hear the voice of the Lord say, "Whom shall I send?" I will, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, mimic the response of the prophet Isaiah and eagerly reply, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8) After all, it's not who I am that matters, it is who He is.

"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