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March 11

Monday, March 11th, 2024

You made the promise. Keep it!!

One cannot underestimate the importance of keeping a promise.  Keeping your word-being a person of integrity- is so vital to relationships that one cannot fathom its impact.

In the life of David, there is a phenomenal story that shows his character. He had a best friend-Jonathan-who had David promise he would take care of his family after his death. In all the shuffle involving David becoming king (he waited 7 years after King Saul’s death), there came a time when David remembered his promise to Jonathan. As he asked and they investigated, David was made aware of Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth (M). M had been dropped as a child in his nurse’s haste to get him to safety, resulting in him being a cripple. He was called into King David’s presence and bowed before him. I’m sure he was petrified. “What does the king want with me?” David told him, “Don’t be afraid! I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan.” David ended up restoring all the land of King Saul to M; enlisted his servant, Ziba (and his sons), who had been with M for quite a long time, to take care of the land; AND M was to eat at King David’s table as long as he lived. (You can read the whole story in 2 Samuel 9).

WOW! Talk about a promise made and a promise kept! Proverbs 11:20 says, “The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but He delights in those with integrity.” For all of David’s faults (and ours as well), David’s heart was one of integrity. He made a promise and kept it. M’s life was richer because of it.

Follow the Father’s example. Keep your promises.  He showed us the way in that department. He has made promises and has kept His every word. I can think of one huge one. One word: Jesus.

March 5

Tuesday, March 5th, 2024

“Looks can be deceiving.”

Who of us has not heard or even used that phrase (or some form of it)? I think we all understand the implications of that statement. When I was young, a group called the Temptations came out with a song called “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep” in which they applauded the beauty of his girl that was within.

When Saul was chosen to become king twice we are told about his physical stature. In I Samuel 9:2 and 10:23 we are told that “He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.” That’s all well and good EXCEPT it didn’t translate to be being a better leader, or a better anything for that matter.

Take the opposite approach. In I Samuel 16 Samuel is told to anoint a new king after the double failure of Saul and his lack of fitness to be king. (See I Samuel 13 and 15 or look here). Samuel goes into the house of Jesse and his first son, Eliab, comes out.  One look convinced Samuel he was the one, but God said, “Nope.” Seven sons later; seven “nopes”. There was one left-David-considered the runt of the litter. He was the youngest (the word could also mean “smallest”) and he was a shepherd (the lowest of the low). Jesse brought David before Samuel and the rest, as they say, is history.

Samuel learned early on when he thought Eliab was “the one” that God operated on a different playing field than man. A somewhat famous and well-used verse of Scripture says, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  (I Samuel 16:7) NLT

And there it is: looks can be deceiving. Instead of judging someone by looks, look into their heart. See who they are inside, who they really are. Don’t shut someone out just because they may appear different from you or what you expect-finer clothes, worse clothes, wild hair, every hair in place, etc. Get to see and know the person on the inside. They may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing for all you know. It is important to see that person as one who matters to God.  As the Temptations reminded us “Beauty’s only skin deep, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

March 4

Monday, March 4th, 2024

Not all who have the title “Leader” is a leader; not all who carry the title “Follower” is a follower.

There are times a Leader is actually a follower; there are times a Follower is actually the leader.

I once heard someone say, “The one who says he is leading but has no one following is only taking a walk.”

Saul had been appointed and anointed as the first king of Israel. Given Saul’s personality and disposition, it was doomed from the get-go. He was found hiding at the start. But two incidents in his life stand out. In I Samuel 12 Saul is to wait for Samuel to arrive to offer a burnt offering but Saul got inpatient and decided to do it himself. Not smart. Rebuke #1. In a separate incident in I Samuel 15, Saul was to totally destroy the Amalekites, but instead spared the best of the animals (sheep, goats, calves, etc), as well as Agag, the king. While returning home Saul met Samuel and when questioned tried to wrangle out of his disobedience by lying and then throwing his own people under the bus. When Samuel rebuked him (#2) and turned to walk away, Saul grabbed his cloak and ripped it. Judgment was coming.

But perhaps one of the most telling incidents of Saul’s lack of leadership is found in I Samuel 14. The other two events I just mentioned sandwich this one. The Philistines outnumber the Israelite army by a lot. Saul quakes in fear of indecision. Meanwhile, his son, Jonathan, is seen with his armor-bearer taking down the enemy. Jonathan’s words in verse 6 virtually say, “Let’s do this! Perhaps God will fight for us.” In verse 7 his armor-bearer says, “I got your back.” God does intervene is ways that Jonathan’s faith in God is vindicated.

Here’s the sad part: it is only after seeing his son (the supposed follower) take the place of leadership, that Saul (the supposed “leader”) goes to battle. Saul is following, not leading; Jonathan is leading, not following.

Leadership is not easy; it is not always the path of least resistance; it is not always popular or glamorous, but leadership is seen in action, attitude, and attention. Being a follower is not always easy; it is not always the path of least resistance; nor is it popular or glamorous.

Whatever state God has placed you in, be there. Be ready to fulfill your mission.

February 15

Thursday, February 15th, 2024

“Lest we forget…”

I woke up this morning with that phrase running through my mind. “Lest we forget…” It’s not uncommon to hear that spoken at a commemoration service honoring men and women who have served our country. And we never should forget.

In I Corinthians 10 a phrase very similar to that is used not once, but twice. In 10:6 it says, “These things happened as a warning to us…” In verse 11 it says, “These things happened as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”

The gist? Lest we forget.

As a follower of Jesus, I must not forget the lessons learned or to be learned. I need to recall the lessons others learned and shared lest I fall into the same pit they fell into or possibly avoided. Nor should I forget the lessons I have learned from past experiences.

I say all this because of an incident people just won’t let go of. All the “rage” this week has been the Travis Kelce dust-up with his coach, Andy Reid. I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I could care less if Travis was telling his coach about his latest escapade with his overly-hyped girlfriend. I don’t care if he was telling Coach Reid that he had heartburn from his pregame meal. I. SIMPLY. DON’T. CARE.  But since I wasn’t born yesterday nor is my head buried under a rock, I cannot escape hearing or reading about the pundits, especially other overly paid football players. I read an article where several of them said, “If that had been me I would have been…” Then one of them pulled out the race card (Isn’t that getting kind of old?). It is my understanding these players quickly forgot the grace shown to them by the NFL just a few years ago. One was convicted of choking his girlfriend in college and yet…wait for it…he is given a second chance and drafted because he can catch an odd-shaped ball.  Did he forget? Obviously.

My point is this: “Lest we forget.” As a Christ-follower we must never forget what we deserved versus what we received. The Israelites were given the examples in I Corinthians 10 (I encourage you to read the first 12 verses for reference and context) so they would not forget. They must not forget the damage and tragedy of sin and disobedience. But they also must not forget the goodness of God.

Good words for me to remember lest I forget.

February 12

Monday, February 12th, 2024

Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. It is now part of what is being called President’s Day which is a celebration on February 19th, a conglomerate of Lincoln’s birthday and Washington’s birthday (22nd). I can remember when we used to celebrate them separately. Now I can’t even remember when that changed. Perhaps that happened when we got all “revisionist history?” I don’t know. My post today is not going to go down that rabbit trail.

Instead, Abraham Lincoln was known for making wise statements. I’d like to take a brief look at two of them.

One actually finds it roots in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Lincoln once said, “It is better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Those words are very similar to those found in Proverbs 17:28.

The other is a bit more confrontive. With the Civil War spawning bitter feelings all across our country, Abe saw fit to speak a kind word about the south. A shocked bystander asked him how he could do that. His answer was poignant: “Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friend?”

Jesus once said, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt. 5:43). “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If you are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will reap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Pr. 25:21-22).

Instead of responding tit for tat, let’s respond as Jesus has told us, and as Proverbs has encouraged us to. There is power in our actions…or inaction.

{Note: All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}

February 6

Tuesday, February 6th, 2024

Have you ever heard of Judson Van Deventer? Neither had I. Or so I thought. It was not until I read -as Paul Harvey used to say, “The rest of the story”-that I knew more about him than I thought.

Born on a farm, JVD learned to paint, studied art, and became an art teacher. God, however, had different plans for him. Encouraged by his friends, Judson also felt called to evangelism. But it was hard for him to give up teaching art. He finally made his decision.

Following God is not always (like hardly ever) easy. Sometimes we are challenged to make tough choices. Our comfortable, sedentary life is uprooted. Even though we make the choice to follow Jesus and His call, there may still be moments of doubt and even anxiety.

Judson heeded God’s call. Later he went back to teaching. His decision to surrender even led to a song you may heard or sung: “All to Jesus I surrender/All to Him I freely give/I will ever love and trust Him/In His presence daily live/I surrender all, I surrender all/All to Thee my blessed Savior/I surrender all.”

Oh…and one more thing: remember when I said that Judson eventually went back into teaching? One of his students was a young man who name was…wait for it…Billy Graham.

I was speaking with someone yesterday about God’s plan for our life. About how His surprises are endless. And how His timing is impeccable. We never know…only He does.

{My thanks to Our Daily Bread for the story of JVD. The filler is mine}

#LivesAreChanged

Friday, February 2nd, 2024

Watching a child learn to walk is an experience worth having. The first steps are a major accomplishment and come with some pain (on the child’s part as he/she falls and on yours was you watch it). When they do take those first fledgling steps I’m not sure who is more excited-the parents or the child. Of course, there will be challenges and failures (more of the latter to start with), and we expect that. The progression from those first tentative steps to wobbling to more steadiness to running to jogging to sprinting and then to long-distance running is fun to watch.

As in life, so in the Christian walk. Life is not at a standstill. If it is, the person is in deep trouble.

By the same token, if the church is not helping lives to be changed, it is in a rut also. Understand, I don’t believe the church changes lives. Jesus does that. And only Him. But we have a hand in it. if we are not reaching out and spreading the message of the Gospel, then as Paul asks in Romans 10, “How can they hear unless someone tells them?”  It is also important to see that we who name the name of Christ, who claim Him as our Savior also change. To remain the same is like a child learning to walk and at the age of 10 still holding onto furniture, taking a step or two and then falling, rolling over to their knees and getting back up. We would be concerned…as well we should. 

I’m continuing my series on WELCOME HOME…where… 

  • The Gospel is Preached
  • Jesus is Honored
  • Grace is Offered

This week’s message is WELCOME HOME…where…  

LIVES ARE CHANGED

Join us in person or via live stream at 9:00 or 10:45. We would love to hear from you.

February 1

Thursday, February 1st, 2024

I read a heartwarming story of a college basketball star (no name given) who stayed behind after the game to help with the clean up of empty cups and food wrappers. A fan posted a video and more than 80 thousand people viewed it. One person commented, “[The young man] is one of the most humble guys you will ever meet in your life.” It would have been more expected of that young man to go out and celebrate rather than to do clean up work.

That young man learned two words which are rapidly becoming non-existent in our culture: humility and service. And they go hand in hand. While beating the chest and wagging hands and fingers as though asking for and collecting applause are what is seen (and expected from the player), humility and service paint a different picture. While “thug-ball” and “stop-em-in-the-ground ball” and “how-much-money-can-I-make” ball is all the rage, off to the side is the humble one quietly doing his/her job with an attitude of a servant.

Oops, I said that wrong. I’m not allowed to call myself or anyone else a servant these days. It is demeaning. It is a slap in the face. It is misogyny. My one word response? Hogwash. It is not demeaning to be a servant. In fact, I’ll venture so far as to say we need it more now than ever. We have gone so far…down I might add…when we consider being called a servant is demeaning or any of the other adjectives you can use.

Me? I want that. After all, the One I gladly serve and call Lord, the Greatest Man who has ever lived or ever will live (Jesus) once said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Call me a humble servant. Please. There is no greater compliment.

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Please don’t forget to check out my review of Granger Smith’s book Like a River at my other blog, Cycleguy’s Spin.

January 25

Thursday, January 25th, 2024

Have you ever cried out for help and received it? Or maybe not?

I was struck today by a chapter in the Bible I have read countless time before but never saw what hit me until this morning. It is Psalm 107.  It begins with a familiar refrain that was repeated in some previous psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (107:1)

Okay. Sounds like something I or maybe you have read before. But then the writer veers from script and begins to recount different events in the life of the wandering Israelites, as well as other events unrelated to them. What I noticed though (and missed this before) is that four times they cry out the same thing: “Lord help! they cried in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress.” Those same words are used in verses 4, 13, 19, and 28. So four times we see their cry, “Lord help!” and four times we see His response: “He saved them from their distress.”  Now watch what God did:

  • He led them straight to safety-v.7
  • He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom-v.14
  • He sent out His word and healed them-v.20
  • He calmed the storm to a whisper- v.29

Simple point: they cried out for help. God acted. Please read the chapter for yourself and do your own investigation. Let me close this simple devotion with two more verses:

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.”  (107:43)

“Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. With God’s help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.” (108:12-13)

Cry for help. He will answer. He will fight for you. And remember (as I told someone yesterday): God is seldom early, but He’s never late.

{All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}

January 23

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024

“Why?” “Why me?”

Those just may be two of the most asked questions in human conversation. I won’t lie. I’ve said them or some variation of them. We usually say them or hear them during a particularly tough time we or someone we know is going through.

I very, very seldom ask that question any more. In fact, as long as I can remember, I stopped asking it years ago. Why? Because there is no answer to it. I mean, how can you or I honestly know why we are going through this rough patch? We can pile on the shame or the guilt or the “I deserve this” or “God’s getting even with me,” but that won’t answer it.

The real reason I stopped asking that question though is because I started asking another one: “Now that this is happening to me God, how do you want me to act?” How does God want me to respond to this trial?

I just finished reading Country Music star, Granger Smith’s book, Like a River. {Spoiler alert: I am not a CM fan} {Spoiler alert #2: Look for a review of Granger’s book on my other site, Cycleguy’s Spin, soon}. Granger and his wife, Amber, lost their son, River, in a tragic drowning accident in their home pool. This book is his story. There was a lot of good teaching that came through his book, but one that struck a chord was after he tells about speaking at a men’s breakfast conference at the church they were attending. It was exactly one year since he had walked into that same church building for Riv’s funeral. When he was done, he wrote that he wasn’t sure if any of those men benefited from what he said, but he did.  He learned that by sharing his story of pain and redemption God was answering his question. Not the one he asked why. “The one that asked God, ‘What are you trying to show me through this heartache?'” (p.178)  He then wrote that God responded with Isaiah 41:10-“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  He goes on to comment: “God was reminding me to depend on Him. He would be there to pick me up and push me forward from the bottom of the river’s waterfall.” (Ibid).

The question to ask is not “Why? Why me?” The real question to ask is “What now? God, how do you want me to respond? What do you want me to learn?”

Sure changes the perspective doesn’t it?