Keeping An Eye On You

Not long ago,  Apple released a new lineup of iPhones... faster, sleeker, and all even able to use your fingerprint as a security key!  One feature that hasn’t changed since its launch is the phone’s ability to locate where you are at any given time. This isn’t exclusive to the iPhone... if you carry a cell phone... yours can do it too.  At any point during the day, your exact location can be pulled up on a map by your service provider or law enforcement.  Many would see this as an invasion of privacy.  But what would you say if I told you that it was happening long before the brick cell phones of the 80s were even thought of.

God’s been tracking you for years.  In fact, He was doing it before you were even knit together as a baby.   And if you think your cell provider knowing your latitude and longitude is personal... God knows your thoughts.  Every thought.  Those that we admit to and those that we hide in the deep recesses of our hearts.  In Psalm 139, David asks God the rhetorical question “Where can I go from your Spirit?”.  Of course, he knew the answer.  God knows where you are, what you’re doing, and what is going through your mind.  Every day.  But why?  Shouldn’t this scare us?  Of course not!  God knowing where we are should be a comfort.  He is always with us...even when we feel like we’re alone.  And God knowing our thoughts challenges us to think His way in our lives... We don’t need to fear God’s direct involvement in our day-to-day... we should embrace it... and give thanks that the God of the universe sees us important enough to keep His loving eye on.  

Believe

Dr. Earl Warrick of the Dow Corning Corporation made an interesting discovery in 1943.  As World War 2 raged on, he worked tirelessly to find a substitute for real (and much more expensive) rubber.  The result?  Something we played with as kids... the combination of boric acid and silicone... Silly Putty.  You remember Silly Putty right?  When you pushed on it, you could change it into any shape you wanted.  And when you stretched it out too far... it would snap.   

Have you ever felt like that?  Pushed on... bent out of shape... pulled to the point of breaking?  Many do.  Scripture has good news for us...  In Joshua 1:9, it says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   Today I challenge you... for the next 24 hours... believe and live out this verse...   

Believe that you are strong through God’s power.

Believe that you can be courageous because He protects those He loves.

Believe that you can live fearlessly because God holds the future.

Believe you are never alone because He is with you...even in the darkness.

Refuse to allow life to bend you to it’s shape.. Believe and let God mold you into the person you were created to be.  

Thankful

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” Psalm 31:19

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “God is good all the time... and all the time God is good!” Do you believe that? After all... you just paid bills last night and you have more month than money. Your child is sick... your parents won’t get off your back... you’re driving on two bald tires... and that nagging pain in your back won’t stop hurting.

Poverty...hunger...warfare...disease...

God is good?

God IS good.

Psalm 145:9-16

The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

Psalm 145 above reminds us of why God is so good all the time...

He is compassionate (vs. 9) - He cares about us on an intimate level... He knows it hurts and He never leaves us.

He is strong (vs. 11 and 12) - God is powerful enough to take our biggest struggles away... and determined enough to let us endure them to develop perseverance.

He keeps His promises (vs. 13) - When God says it... He doesn’t change it. His word is steadfast, true, and meant to be taken literally in your mind and heart. You may not be able to bank on much in this world... but God does what He promises He will do. 

He is gracious (vs. 13) - We get what we haven’t earned. God gives grace when we deserve punishment. 

He helps us up when we fall (vs. 14) - Feeling beaten down? We all do from time to time. God never leaves us when we are at our weakest...when we stumble... when we fail. In fact, it is during those times that when we turn to Him... He helps us back up.

He provides (vs. 16) - Too many times we look to God and wonder... “Why would a good God not provide for me?” What we miss is what we already have. When we look at our situation through the lens of gratitude...we realize that God provides what we need not necessarily what we want. 

Every single thing we have, are, or will ever be comes from God. 

Don’t let your circumstances or emotions determine your opinion of the goodness of God. He is and always will be the same. Unflinchingly in love with you... Committed to helping you discover and reach your potential... Intentionally nudging your heart to obedience... Lovingly whispering encouragement to your soul.

Even when we don’t understand why
Even when we don’t see the fruits of our labor
Even when the skies grow cloudy and the rains fall in our lives
Even when the enemy tries to convince us otherwise...

God is good. 

I may not understand the world but God is good.
Bad things may happen but God is good. 
I may feel life is unfair but God is good.
I may not see the destination and get frustrated in the road to get there...

But God. is. good.

Give Him thanks today.

Happy Thanksgiving… Steph and I love you guys and are so thankful for you! Blessings to you and your families!

Two Turtles

Christian author, Lee Strobel, in his book The Case for Faith, talks about a sign on the door of his office.   It’s a picture of two turtles.  One says, “Sometimes I’d like to ask why God allows poverty, famine, and injustice when He could do something about it.”  Next to him, the other turtle replies, “I’m afraid God might ask me the same question.”

So many question God’s motives... and silently they sit and wait on Him to do something about the problems in the world.  They tweet about God’s apathy... and post Instagram photos depicting starving children with the caption “Where’s God?”  All the while, the situation could be that He is waiting for us to act.  Time and time again in scripture, we are told to go out and change the world... to make a difference... to be the salt and light in the darkness.   We are charged to live unselfishly with convicted hearts filled with love and generosity.  We are knitted together to be world-changers not critics... difference-makers and not judges.  And all the while God promises to equip us with opportunity, wisdom, and the right words at the right time without fail.  Let’s commit to spend less time complaining about the world and more time living out God’s commission for it.  

Are You Positive?

It has been said, “Being well is more than eliminating the negative.  Rather, it requires the addition of the positive.”  

When I read that statement I thought of our walk with God.  Many times we are tempted to read the Bible as a book of “don’t”s.   I need to stop doing this... quit that... get rid of this habit or that behavior.   And while there are many things God asks us not to include in our lives... only subtracting the bad leads to a life that is one-sided and lacking.  Scripture tells us that alongside the “no”s, we have to have some God-honoring “yesses”.  Colossians 3:10 says to “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.”  Want to grow more like Christ?  Be more spiritually healthy?  Get rid of what is holding you back.. and in turn.. fill your heart with things like love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and patience.   Out with what’s bad and in with what’s good.  And before long both mind and heart will be healthier (and more Godly) than ever.  

Everywhere

“But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!”  - King Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6:18

A little boy was playing in the sand on the seashore.  He dug a large pit in the ground and began to scoop water from the ocean into the freshly opened hole.    He did this dozens of times before an elderly man approached him and asked “What are you trying to do by going back and forth from the ocean and pouring water into your pit?”  The little boy said very enthusiastically, “Sir, can’t you see?  I’m emptying the ocean!”

When we read this story we want to dismiss it as the naïve thoughts of a young mind.  We all know that emptying the ocean into a small hole is impossible... that the majestic sea can’t be contained in one comparatively tiny area.  Yet many of us try to do that with God.  We attempt to take His majesty and contain it in a box the size of our faith at the time.   2 Chronicles 6 tells us that even the highest heavens can’t hold God.  He is everywhere.  Big enough to handle what hurts and close enough to hear the quietest desperate prayer.  Resist the urge to think of God in finite constraints.... and praise Him that He is everywhere at one time... ready to help us as the loving Father that He is.  

Sweet Dreams

A father had told his son he would send him to sleep in the attic with only bread and water for his supper if he disobeyed. Well, the boy disobeyed and was sent to the attic. But the father couldn’t eat. He had his son on his mind and his heart. 

His wife said, “I know what you are thinking. But you must not bring the boy from the attic. It would cause him to disobey again. He would have no respect for your word. You must not cheapen your position as his father by failing to keep your word."

The husband replied, "You are right. But he is so lonely up there." 

Maybe this story looks familiar to you.  Not the role of the parent, but of the child.  You’ve done something you’re not proud of even though you told yourself you wouldn’t do it again.   You have broken a trust... or a friendship...or a heart... or a promise.  And there you are.  Night has come and you have to face the shadows again. Alone in the dark.  Punished.  Not by God... but by your own mind.  Sitting in isolation and wondering how you’ll get through it.   Each passing hour brings thoughts of loneliness and regret.  Sleep?  Not even close.  Does God hear your prayers anymore?  Does He even know you’re tossing and turning night after night?  Can God stop your pain and restore your rest?

Absolutely.  We just need to renew our faith in Him.  

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”  Psalm 4:8

God alone leads us to safety... but do you believe He can?  Or are you convinced that the prison of doubt, worry, and fear is too strong for even Him?

Do we have faith He will see us through?  

Do we have faith He will release us from the guilt?

Do we have faith He has overcome the world?

Do we have faith He is all we need?

Do we have faith He is all powerful?

Do we have faith He still heals broken hearts?

Do we have faith He isn’t the God of the accusing finger but of the open arms?

Have we replaced “I believe” with “I think He can”? 

The time has come to break free and believe again...  How do I do that?

Choose reliance not regret.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

  in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

Select peace over pain. 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Decide to have faith not fear.

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”  Hebrews 3:12

Let’s look at the conclusion of our story...

His wife said, “I know what you are thinking. But you must not bring the boy from the attic. It would cause him to disobey again. He would have no respect for your word. You must not cheapen your position as his father by failing to keep your word."

The husband replied, "You are right. But he is so lonely up there." 

The man kissed his wife goodnight, entered the attic and when the child went to sleep on the hard boards, his father’s arm was his pillow.

In the darkest of dark nights... God is there.   When we punish ourselves with memories of the past... He is with us.   When we mess up for the hundredth time and find ourselves wrecked by regret and fear... His arms are there...Ready to cradle our head as if a pillow.  

To allow us a night of deep and rejuvenating sleep... protected by our Heavenly Father who loves us more than anyone.    

Has your faith been rocked?  Choose today to start believing with your whole heart that God CAN.  

And for the first time in a long time there will be...

Sweet dreams. 

Paul's Secret

      What does it take for us to say we have enough?  Many who struggle with this answer the question of “enough?” with “just one more.”  But where does it stop?  

To those that struggle with contentment... there will never be enough.  It will always lie one arms length beyond their ability to sleep at night.   Those that live in this camp wonder when the next one will be and never cherish what is.  Their entire existence is based on what they might miss out on by not having more.  Today’s verse helps with this.  

“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.”  1 Timothy 6:6

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”   Philippians 4:11 (Paul)

Godliness with contentment, Paul says, is of great value.  In fact, he goes on to tell the churches in Philipi that he has “learned how to be content with whatever I have.” [sic].  

What was Paul’s secret?  What helped him move from greedy to grateful?  It’s simple.  Perspective.  Paul saw that his needs were met and that was enough.  He probably had wants...things that he’d like to have in his life... but he realized that these were superfluous to his mission.   Paul was sent to spread the Gospel... and help those around him find Christ as Lord.  He knew that God would provide whatever he needed to fulfill his calling.  

Is that you today?  Are you focused on the things you want instead of giving thanks for the things you have?  I suggest taking the energy you might spend on trying to satisfy discontent and invest it in yourself in other areas:  read more, study the Bible more, take care of your body more, journal more, and serve others more.  

It was once said, “Be content with what you have, never with what you are.”  Interesting idea... Remember, the goal isn’t to acquire things, satisfy desires, or fill up square footage in your house... it’s to become a better you and draw closer to Christ.  How?  

 Stop determining your value by things or opinions.  Only one evaluation matters...and that’s from God.  (Ephesians 2:10)

 Be content with what God provides... and don’t worry about what He doesn’t.  Your needs will be met.  (Philippians 4:19)

 Keep walking down the road to your God potential.   Don’t let discontent shift your focus from gratitude to ungratefulness.  (Psalm 107:1)

Let’s take the journey together!

Two Roles

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT) “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,  throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

Both the artist and the gardener start their work by thinking... they look at what they have and decide how to proceed.  The gardner looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun falls, and so on. The artist sees their subject, the canvas, the paint that they have at their disposal, and the brushes or chisel that sit idly by.. After they’re done thinking, the artist and the gardener begin their work... they both bring their creativity and effort to their respective projects.  The gardener tends what has gone before, making the most of what is beautiful and weeding out what is distracting or useless. The artist can be more daring... they start with a blank canvas or a solid piece of stone and gradually... ever so carefully, they take the paint to the canvas or the chisel to the stone and make something out of it that wasn’t there before.

Maintain what was there before... or create something that’s never been.

Which does God want us to do in our lives?  Pull weeds or blaze trails?   Tidy up what’s already in place or make moves to create new?  The short answer?  both.

Gardener, think back to yesterday.. what worked?  What didn’t?  Keep the good thoughts and actions and ask God how you can sift out the bad.  What needs to be replanted or moved around in your life?  What needed to take priority that didn’t?   What (or who) could use a little more TLC?  What was neglected and is withering away?  If it honored God...if it helped you move forward in your walk with Christ...if it reflected God’s character... water it.  If not, it needs to be uprooted and eliminated from your precious daily minutes.

Artist... today is a blank canvas ready to create something brand new...  What are you planning?  What is something you've been putting off that you've never done before but want to or should?  How about one full day of fasting and prayer about that challenge in your life?  Maybe a phone call to the person you struggled to forgive and tell them you're moving past it?  Perhaps your blank canvas could be filled with giving your troubles to God...and not taking them back.   Something new...something you've never done before during a day.  Be creative! 

God wants us to maximize our lives... both by weeding out and beautifying what has been and looking for brand new things to do that help us become the person we were created to be.  Keep what honors God and moves us to be more like Him, dig out and throw away what's getting in our way from doing so.  Be bold enough to take new ground. To create a new masterpiece... to fill the empty canvas of today with brand-new, beautiful and God-honoring thoughts and actions. 

You are both caretaker and world-changer... manager and pioneer... gardener and artist.

Two roles.  One day.  One you.  Are you ready?

Let’s go.   

Lemonade

Whiners are everywhere.  You probably know a few.  When life gives them lemons... they don’t make lemonade... they make excuses.  Heads down,  voices in permanent Eeyore mode... they wander through life wondering why everything is the way it is... and why they have to be the victim of it.

Whiners have been around for awhile...

[The Israelites led by Moses]
“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”  - Exodus 16:3

[Martha complaining about her sister Mary when Jesus came to visit]
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”  Luke 10:38-40

They aren’t bad people... they just need a new perspective.  And if we're not careful... we can easily become a whiner too.

What happens when we don’t set up boundaries on the influence of whiners?   We become one.  Whining people complain around us... and before we know it, phrases like “good point” or “I’ve never thought about it like that before” enter our vocabulary and we change... We start to say:

-  “That white cloud doesn’t look so white... in fact... it’s light gray…”  


-  “You call it opportunity and blessing from God... I call it ‘luck’ and ‘right place at the right time.’”  


-  “Why me... What if... When... Who cares... “

If you find yourself being the one that people whine to, there’s a reason for it.

You listen.

People take their garbage to the dump... and we can’t allow them to bring it to us.  A good way to protect yourself from whiners is to simply and politely ask them not to gossip or share any information with you if the point is simply to complain.   You don’t need the stress and they don’t need the affirmation that the behavior is Godly.

Remember, nobody likes boundaries, but putting some up is necessary.  If we aren’t careful, especially in the arena of whining, we can let people alter us and our view of the world.  Life becomes a pity party... table for one... with us as the guest of honor.

Stay out of this pit.  Keep your eyes focused on the God who overcomes... and make your way to the palace!  I’ll be praying for you!

Praying in Crayon

Do you like to get gifts?  I remember opening birthday presents when I was a kid.  This was before gift bags were popular so everybody wrapped their gifts no matter what odd size they were.  Before I could even begin to tear the tape from the side of the package, my mom would stop me and make me do something that no kid ever likes to do.

Open the card first.  

I could see myself playing with the toy in my mind... but mom wanted me to stop... read the entire card out loud... and thank the generous relative or friend.  I’d half-heartedly tear open the envelope, rip out the contents, and begin to read the words printed there.  The Hallmark-created words were easy to read and understand... but the others were scribbled below by a relative’s elderly hand or drawn on with crayon by somebody’s little brother.  

Now as an adult, I love reading cards.   Once in awhile I’ll be cleaning out a drawer and find a few from birthdays and Christmases past.  The sentiment is usually the same... wishing me a Merry this or a Happy that.  What warms my heart now is what I read below the professional font... Some scribble from my daughter when she was too young to write legibly...  A beautiful declaration of love from my wife Stephanie... A happy father’s day message from my boys...  I treasure them all.  What they write from their hearts means so much more to me than anything that any store bought card could ever say.  It is genuine…heartfelt…It may not be perfect grammar or fancy words... or properly punctuated... but it’s real.

And I love them for that. 

The other day I was thinking about prayer... and it’s the same way.  God isn’t looking for us to have the perfect words to say to Him.  He’s not looking for lengthy prose or lofty vocabulary-heavy preaching.  God isn’t worried about how long we’ve been praying... or how often we use His name in the communication.  God is looking for heart.  

Like the words written below what’s printed on a greeting card... God wants genuine conversation.  Your words may seem common...you may repeat the same word over and over... or maybe you don’t really know how to put it into words.

Say it anyway.  It’s ok.  Paul says “Pray without ceasing.”  in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.   

God isn’t grading your composition, He’s looking for two things:

1. Is it genuine?  
2. Do you have faith in His ability to answer it in His own way and time.

That’s it.   Pray with everything you’ve got... in whatever way you can... to God who still does what seems impossible.  

I want to challenge you today...

It doesn’t matter how eloquently you pray... what matters is that it you mean it.  That it’s real.  That you expect big things to happen... 

Prayer changes things.

We may pray in crayon sometimes... but God can read it just fine.  In fact, I think He likes it that way.  

Preparing to Win

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 Olympic medals in 5 consecutive Olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic record and tying the world record for the event. As if that wasn’t accomplishment enough... her first medal was in the 1996 Summer Games making her the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting. 

How does this happen?

In an interview with the New York Times, Rhode answers the question of how. She shoots anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds every day of the week year around. To save you the math, this is 3,000,000 plus shots with a shotgun. That’s 600,000 rounds per medal.   Over three million practice shots.  Time after time.  Every single day on her calendar.  

Kim would be the first to tell you... it’s all about the preparation.  What you do on your own time is as important (if not more so) than what you do in the spotlight.  Her excellence on the range is due to her diligence, discipline, and perseverance.  In other words... there are no shortcuts.  Gold medals don’t hang around the necks of those that wing it... that hope for the best... that count on good fortune or a favorable breeze.  Champions don’t materialize... they are made.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this type of preparation.  

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”  

All of us run the race of life.  We lace up our shoes each morning, get on a bus or in a car, and head somewhere that requires us to make a difference.  We make decisions, contribute to relationships, communicate ideas, raise children, and live out the life that unfolds in front of us.  But are we successful?  Do we make the most of every opportunity or do we find ourselves reacting... flat-footed.  Underprepared for the challenges...

Which brings us to the next important question... how much training do we do?   How much of our day is preparation?  How many minutes are spent intentionally trying to better ourselves?  Are we living on purpose?

- How much time is spent reading and meditating on the scriptures? How many Bible verses have I memorized and keep on my heart? 

How many people do I hold grudges against?  Why haven’t I forgiven them?  

Am I raising my children in a way that honors God?  How much quality time do I spend with them?  Do they know Go

Am I being the husband/wife that God wants me to be?  Is most of my energy spent trying to change my spouse or is it spent becoming a better one?

Do I spend my day blaming others or confessing my shortcomings to God?

When was the last time I asked for forgiveness?  Given forgiveness?

Am I living out what I claim to believe?   Or do I tell people I believe it because that’s what they expect me to say?

We can avoid these questions or we can run toward them.  Don’t settle.  Bronze is a beautiful color... but you were created for gold.  The eternal prize Paul was talking about?  The everlasting salvation found in Christ...making a Kingdom difference in the lives of those around you... changing the destiny of someone bound for eternal separation from God into a life-changing eternal relationship with Him.  Growing in Christ... Not surviving life but really living it to its fullest.  That’s what we’re after.  That’s why we train.  To reach the potential that God has placed in our hearts... to fulfill our destiny... to become the men and women that change the world.... and give all glory to God in the process. 

But we can’t do it if we aren’t prepared.  It isn’t easy.   Christ never promised us ease of lifestyle... He promised eternal reward.   The challenges will be hard... the competition fierce... and the opposing team?  An enemy that prowls like a lion just waiting for us to stop growing and start settling.   Ready to win?  Every race... every result... the path to every gold medal was all began the same way.  

Deciding to start.   

A Fast Way To Slow Down

If you’ve ever been to the circus, you’ve probably seen it for yourself.  The lion cage... kings of the jungle... ferocious and growling at all who pass by the thick bars of their cage in the center ring.  The lights dim and a daring trainer makes his way to the door of the enclosure.  A nervous hush sweeps over the crowd… Is he really going in there?  Yep.  He opens the creaking door and steps inside.  You can hear people gasping as the predatory cats snarl and lunge at the source of the intrusion.  Wait... what’s that in the trainer’s hand?  A whip?  That makes sense... but what is that other thing?  It’s a stool.  Small, unimpressive, and hardly intimidating.  Just a few dollars at your local store...

And THAT’S going to stop a killer cat?  Yes.

The lion tamer knows that when he waves the four-legged stool at the cat... it attempts to focus on all four legs at once.  In doing so, it goes through a kind of paralysis... a confusion that overwhelms it.  The once scary roar becomes a tame and weak purr as the crowd cheers approvingly.  Simply put... the lion becomes ineffective when it tries to focus on too much.  

We are the same way.  

Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us a great way to draw our spiritual lives, our challenges, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our opportunities into very clear singular focus.... fasting.

The Bible is filled with scripture about the importance and significance of fasting... here are just a couple of examples.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  Matthew 6:16-18

“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”  Ezra 8:23

But what IS fasting?  It is giving up something that you would normally do in order to use that time to focus on prayer and gaining intimacy with God.  Meditation in it’s purest and most effective form.  Biblically, food was most often given up... but in today’s era, it might be something like the internet... or a hobby... or tv...  It should always be something that will be dearly missed.  I talk to some who say “I’m fasting from taking out the garage... or I’m fasting from healthy food”   This is not what God had in mind.  

 When someone is fasting and feels the urge to partake of what they’ve temporarily given up, they are to spend that time in prayer...seeking God’s will for their lives... memorizing scripture... making every effort to get closer to their Heavenly Father.   Fasting brings focus like no other discipline.  In fact, Jesus Himself did it when the devil took Him out to the wilderness and tried to tempt Him to compromise His mission!

How long and from what you fast is up to you.  Do you need 40 days away from TV to help you grow closer to Christ?  Maybe.  Is a week apart from your iPhone worth a week connecting to God like never before?  Could be.  Can an empty stomach remind you to pray and internalize God’s word?  Yes it can.

Whatever you feel convicted to temporarily give up to have intimacy with God... make the commitment this week to do so.  Fasting is a discipline and as such, won’t necessarily be easy.  It’s worth the struggle... and may just bring you closer than ever to finding God’s plan for your life.  

People Are Watching

“People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.”  Proverbs 10:9

Reuben Gonzales was in the final match of a pro racquetball tournament. In the 4th and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a super kill shot into the front wall to win the game. The referee called it good. Two linesman affirmed that the shot was in. But Gonzales, after a moments hesitation, turned around, shook his opponents hand, and declared that his shot had hit the floor first. As a result, he lost the match and walked off the court. Everybody was stunned. They couldn't believe that a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory at hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!
When asked why he did it, Reuben said, "It was the only thing that I could do to maintain my integrity. I could always win another match, but I could never regain my lost integrity."

One of the most precious things we possess is our reputation.  Our good name.   It takes a lifetime to build it up... but just one poor choice to ruin it.  Most of us have daily opportunities to do one or the other... We either show the world that we have genuine Christ-like character or compromise our values and prove otherwise.  

Think about your last five major decisions... were they God-honoring?  Aligned with scripture?  Honest?  

...or did they damage your name (and the name of Jesus)?

You can always make more money, play another game, seize another opportunity, or take another chance.   You can’t easily rebuild your reputation once you’ve damaged it.  Today you will be faced with choices... opportunities to shine or shame... which will you choose?   If you are a Christ-follower, remember that people are watching what you do when you have the opportunity to be dishonest.  Stand tall... focus on Christ... and take the high road.  God will bless you for your integrity and the world will learn from your example.  

A Faithful Father

In 1989, a terrible earthquake almost flattened Armenia. It killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. One father rushed to his son's school and found the building flat as a pancake. Standing there in tears, he remembered a promise he had made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"  It looked absolutely hopeless, but the dad went to the back right corner and started digging in the pile of rubble. The other grieving parents tried to pull him off, saying, "It's too late! They're dead!”  But he just kept digging for his son stone by stone. He dug for 8 hours, then 12, 24, 36 hours without stopping. Finally in the 38th hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" And a voice answered him, "Dad? It's me Dad!" 

Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved." He remembered his Father's promise: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful. 

But how much more faithful is our heavenly Father! 

You too may feel abandoned... buried... lost...without hope... Never give up hope that your Father will come looking for you.  I love the quote in the passage above, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!”  

God says that same thing to you today:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

God will never give up on you.  

His love is never ending.

His power is unmatched.

He is dedicated to your growth.  

He will allow challenging things to happen in your life to build your faith.  You may feel like the world is falling down all around you... but rest assured... He will turn over every stone until you see the light again.  Then as you rise from the rubble of what the world was trying to bury you with, He will be there to embrace you and remind you that you are His.   You are protected.  You are precious.

God is a faithful God.  He will never let you go.  

Thank Him today for His faithfulness.

Name Above All Names

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor 

      and gave him the name above all other names, 

 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

      in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

      to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11

There is a place that was never designed for human inhabitants... where there is no joy... no light... and no friends.  It’s name?  Gehenna.  Hell.   What’s there?  Separation of Creator from creation... A division between humanity and hope... an eternity where all is lost forever. 

If you are reading this post today... there’s still hope.  And that hope has a name.  Look at today’s passage.  Paul tells us that God called His Son Jesus... “name above all other names” and that when we hear it... “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”   Scripture tells us in Romans 10 that all who call out this Name and believe that He is Lord will be spared the eternal separation and pain of hell.  When we call out and confess Jesus Christ as Lord... name above all names... we are saved forever.

What does eternity look like for you?  Take some time to think about that.  We have a lot riding on what side we take.   I urge you to investigate the claims of Jesus... and it is my prayer that one day you might confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and spend eternity with Him.  

It’s the best and most important decision you will ever make.

Everything You Need

     During Superbowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like the bedraggled Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a suburban home, package in hand. When the lady comes to the door, he explains that he survived five years on a deserted island, and during that whole time he kept this package in order to deliver it to her. She gives a simple, "Thank you."  But he is curious about what is in the package that he has been protecting for years. He says, "If I may ask, what was in that package after all?" She opens it and shows him the contents, saying, "Oh, nothing really. Just a satellite telephone, a global positioning device, a compass, a water purifier, and some seeds."

He had everything he needed at his fingertips...  He just never opened it up.

Life-changing tools sitting dormant...unused... ineffective.

Some of us find ourselves in the same position.  We feel stranded...alone... hopeless... and desperately searching for rescue.  We stare at the sky and wring our hands in worry.  Days pass and we wonder if anyone will ever come to our aid.  And at our fingertips... there sits a Bible.  God’s love letter to us... unopened, unread, and underutilized.  

The answer to every life challenge is contained within the covers of the Book... yet many never go to it.  Instead we sit and just hope things work out... that rescue will just happen... that the problems we find ourselves in will just float away.  We put our cares on a slip of paper, put them in a bottle, and throw them out to sea... hoping they will miraculously drift to where they need to go.  God wants better for us.  He gave us His Word for a reason.... to assure us that life isn’t built on random luck or on the possibility that the tides will change and everything will just fall into place.  God is intentional... and the Bible was given to us for a specific purpose (as seen here in 2 Timothy 3).

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”  2 Timothy 3:16

We are to learn from God’s word... internalize the truths and wisdom contained inside it....and live out what God tells us to do on a daily basis.  And when we do... when we choose to spend daily time reading it... we receive God’s blessing, priorities re-align, understanding grows, we get stronger, and life begins to have greater meaning.   

We move from just surviving to thriving.   From treading water to standing on solid rock.  

All because we read and apply the most wonderful Book ever written.  

If you find yourself struggling to get into the Word... I want to encourage you to start today.  Carve out some time, choose a book (John, Romans, Acts, James... so many good starting places), and dig in.  Read until God tells you something... Something that makes you stop and think.  Meditate on that scripture.  Memorize it.  Write it down somewhere where you can see it.   

And tomorrow morning when you wake up... repeat the process.  Before long, you’ll have clarity and wisdom like you never thought you’d have... fewer questions about God’s heart... and a better appreciation for Christ’s love and sacrifice on our behalf.  

The Engineer

I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers. Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace...

Nobody understood the reaction of that little girl.  

When the storms hit your life... if you don’t panic, they won’t understand you either.  After all... aren’t we supposed to shake our fists at God...wondering where He is or why He hasn’t done something to improve our situation?  Aren’t we supposed to be scared of the lightning... cover our ears when it thunders... or run from the rising waters?  Aren’t we supposed to be terrified of what may happen?

Supposed to?  No.  Do we do it anyway?  Sometimes.

If you’re a Christian, when your life gets rocked... does your reaction look any different than those that don’t know Christ?  Fear. Panic. Worry. Doubt. Darkness. Hopeless. Helpless. Maybe God isn’t enough.  Maybe I can’t do it.  Maybe I’ve put my faith in God when it should have been faith in myself.  The devil will convince you that this is normal.  He’ll tell you that everybody falls apart when things come unglued.  After all, if God were even paying attention, He would have prevented the storm...right?  

Let’s keep reading the story...

 The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?” The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.”

Her Father is the Engineer...and she wasn’t talking about the guy in the front car.   It wasn’t the guy shoveling coal into the engine... or the one pulling the whistle at the intersections.  Her Father created those guys.  And He died so that they could live eternally.  Your Heavenly Father runs things too. 

He knows the track ahead and He knows what you’ve already passed.  He knows how fast to go and the perfect time to get where you are going.  He knows when it’s time to put on the brakes and when it’s time to stop entirely. 

He has been down the tracks before...and He reminds us of it in His Word (emphasis mine):  

“But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

 He made heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them.

    He keeps every promise forever.”  Psalm 146:5-6

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

God has been there.  Felt it.  Seen it.  Been hurt by it.  Understands it.  Is not surprised by it.  Cares about it.  And has overcome it.  

If you are a Christian, the One who drives the train of your life cannot be derailed, defeated, or destroyed.   He’ll never be surprised by circumstances or overwhelmed by the odds.  Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed the flesh He was bridled with so that you could live boldly... unafraid of the temporary and rejoicing in the eternal.  You were meant to see the world’s typical reaction to the unknown and refuse to blend in with those that have no faith.   No, you don’t have to quake and worry.... and just like that little girl, you know one VERY important fact that some others don’t:

Storms will come, but your Dad is the engineer.  

You are in good hands.  

Strong, loving, pierced hands.

Courageous

This is what the LORD says: 

   “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, 

      who rely on human strength 

      and turn their hearts away from the LORD. 

  They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, 

      with no hope for the future. 

   They will live in the barren wilderness, 

      in an uninhabited salty land.

 blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
  They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
      with roots that reach deep into the water.
   Such trees are not bothered by the heat
      or worried by long months of drought.
   Their leaves stay green,
      and they never stop producing fruit.”  Jeremiah 17: 5-8

    In his book, Who Are You (When No One’s Looking), Pastor/leader Bill Hybels writes:

“Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose either to take a carefully thought-out risk or to crawl into a shrinking shell of safety, security and inactivity. We choose either to believe in God and trust him, even when we do not always understand his ways, or to second-guess him and cower in the corners of doubt and fear.”

Courageous or cowardly.   Convicted or caving.  Risk-taker or excuse maker.  

Do we trust God or does doubt run our lives?

Today’s verse looks at both types of people.  Two groups...both loved by God...but with decidedly different paths and outcomes.  The first, those who rely on people (or their own strength), are compared to a shrub in the desert.  Tumbleweed.  Dry...no destination...no hope.   Why?  Because people shift... their wisdom is finite...their loyalty seems ironclad but can rust away.   Even our closest most Godly friends are limited by the flesh they wear.  Can we trust them with a secret?  Sure.  Can we trust them to do what God can in our lives.  Impossible.   In fact, look at the first part of the passage... God says in His word that we are cursed when we put all of our trust in the creation rather than the Creator.  People are great but God is infinitely greater.  

So where should we place our trust?  Our hope?  Our confidence?  

“blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”

God is worthy of our trust.  Our faith in Him as we make decisions is vital in our effort to reaching our God potential.  He promises in today’s passage that if we trust and lean on Him, we will bear fruit... that no matter what happens... drought, loss, challenge, circumstance, sickness, pain, fear, separation, agony, confusion, arguments, or hurt... we will still bear fruit.  We will still shine in His light.  We will still overcome.  We will still be champions. 

We will still be His.  

No matter what.  

And we can still change the world for Christ... in spite of our circumstances.  The storms might be blowing, but, in Him, your roots go deep.  You are planted in the living water.  You are mightier than you think you are.  You are God’s child.  

This morning, when you turned off the alarm clock...God whispered something to you.  Most of us don’t hear it because our minds immediately start tracking the to-do list or checking our Twitter feed.  He does it every morning... and if you listen for it, I guarantee you’ll start to hear it.  It’s the same three short phrases.  Every single day your lungs take in air... God says to you:

I love you.

Let Me handle today.

You can trust Me. 

We CAN trust Him... in spite of circumstances and because of His greatness... we can bear fruit.