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June 9

Tuesday, June 9th, 2020

Have you ever noticed (I’m sure you have) how we spend a lot of time, effort, and money pursuing what doesn’t last?

  • That new car/truck. Gotta have it. Until it gets a scratch or a year or two old or shock-of-all-shocks we see a shinier, newer model.
  • That job promotion. Climbing the corporate ladder. It doesn’t matter who we step on. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter if we lose our family in the process. Then loneliness and dissatisfaction set in. Time for another rung.  Or go elsewhere.
  • MVP stats. 24/7 dedication. Gain the status of GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
  • Tour de France winner. 7 times. Gotta get to the top. It doesn’t matter who we destroy along the way. Whose lives, careers, or livelihood we ruin. What compromises we make along the way morally, ethically, or athletically. It all comes crashing down.

Many spend their lives pursuing that which doesn’t last. Never has. Never will. I read an interesting quote which came from an unexpected source:

From the cradle to the grave man’s greatest objective is to obtain peace of mind and spiritual security. This is found only in Jesus Christ.

Who said it? An evangelist? A pastor? A theologian? A writer of religious books? A Bible translator? Nope. Wrong on all counts.  Are you ready for this?  Mark Twain. I don’t know when he said it; what prompted him to say it; or to whom he said it. But it most definitely is true. Search the world over. Pursue one adventure after another.  Investigate all philosophies. And the answer comes down to one: Jesus Christ. The one and only way to the Father, and the one and only way to complete satisfaction.

“Father, may I find my satisfaction in You. May the song be true: ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus/ Look full in His wonderful face/And the things of earth will grow strangely dim/In the light of His glory and grace.’ ”

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May 26

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

I was in the 4th grade when I started wearing glasses. Miss Kutzer (whom I was in love with) noticed I was squinting to see the chalkboard. Well, you know how that goes. I’m moved up closer to the front. She tells my mom. Mom takes me to see Dr. Braveman. Dr. B tells me I need glasses. I’m going to translate: “Bill, you’re blind-as-a-bat without your glasses. You are going to need them the rest of your life.” What he doesn’t tell me is my eyes are going to get worse every year until my glasses will look like coke bottles. Fortunately, they developed material that allowed the lenses to get thinner while still helping me see. But that’s another story.

I finally got my glasses and could actually see. Hmmm there was carpet before? It looked like the carpet was right up close to my eyes! It was so cool! Until the next day when I needed to wear them to school. I thought I looked stupid or a dork (if that word had been around those days), so I left them at home. Until Miss Kutzer (whom I was still in love despite her betrayal) said, “Bill, weren’t you supposed to get your glasses yesterday?” “Yes ma’m.”  “Where are they?” “At home.” “I’ll expect you to wear them tomorrow.” Then she betrayed me again by calling my mom!  (Amazing how love overlooks betrayal).

Down through the years my eyes got worse. I wore contacts for awhile; then back to glasses; then contacts again; then glasses for good. My eyes did get worse as I got older and last November at the age of 67 I got rid of glasses forever…except for reading. I had cataracts removed. It was a great two days!! 🙂

I remember my frames breaking; lenses falling out; wearing tape to hold my frames together; vision marred from sweat, dirt, chips and breaks. I remember elbows in basketball games that found my frames which split my eyelids and eyebrows wide open. I remember trying to play first base with only one lens in my broken glasses. It was fine until the first ball thrown to me hit my wrist  and not my glove because my perception was all out of whack.

It is easy to lose sight of the important. Psalm 141:8 says, “But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless.” We used to sing an old hymn: “Open my eyes that I might see/ Glimpses of truth Thou has for me.” (Sorry about the King James English there). With clear vision we need to be focused on God. With open eyes we need to be seeking God in His Word, praying for clear sight in our quest.

“Father, I do ask that my eyes will open and seeing clearly in my quest for a deeper relationship with You.  May my sight and my focus be on You.”

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December 11

Wednesday, December 11th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Knowing vs Knowing About.

In Philippians 3:10 Paul writes, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings…”  I’ve always liked that verse than for no other reason than one word: know. Our English language fails us here because our idea of know is sometimes pretty shallow. But the Greek word goes much deeper. The Greek word means to know intimately. Simply put: there is a difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone.

It goes without saying that there are plenty of people who have a knowledge of Jesus. Many non-theists and atheists have a better knowledge of Jesus and the Bible (for the purpose of arguing) than many followers of Christ. But that is different than what Paul is talking about.

It is also different than the “Christmas experience” (for lack of a better phrase this morning). When Jesus came it was for many reasons, but one of the primary ones was so God could reveal Himself to us. So we might know Him. We will never “know” Him like we should-our ability falls short because we are humans with limited everything. While Mary knew her son because of the mother/child bond, she too had limited knowledge.

But the limits placed on us by our humanness should not inhibit our desire to pursue Him, to want to know Him. If anything it should fan the flame of desire in our hearts. So use this Christmas time to pursue knowing Jesus. More than a baby; the Son of God.

“Father, may my Christmas season be one of a desire to know You. Help me not to be content with the baby in a manger. Help me to want to get to know Jesus-the King of kings and the Lord of glory.”

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October 23

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019

My title for this devotion is Contentment vs Envy.

Have you ever read a passage and your first reaction is initially, “What?” “What in the world is the point?” I read one of those today. It isn’t like I hadn’t read it before. I can’t even begin to count how many time I have read Proverbs. But today this one stuck out. It is Proverbs 23:1-5. So let’s take a look at it.

First, Verses 1-2: Okay, so I’m invited to a king’s or a ruler’s table for a meal.  Not that it’s ever going to happen but let’s suppose. 🙂 I’m to look over what is set before me and if my appetite roars (and it probably will), I am to put a knife to my throat. Sort of extreme don’t you think?  If I’m not eating, why in the world was I invited?

Then I’m told not to desire his delicacies because they are deceptive food (v.3). Wait a second! That is food in front of me. What is so deceptive about that?

This all sounds so whacked doesn’t it? I’m invited to a feast but I’m not to eat. And the food isn’t really real. It’s all so confusing.

Until….

You read the rest of the passage and then it all begins to make sense. At least to me. I believe verses 4-5 spread light on it. I think what the issue is comes to down to envy. Greed. Jealousy. Desire for more. I say that especially because of verse 5: “When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”

Envy is an ugly monster. As is greed and jealousy. The desire to have what someone else has is an insidious disease which can end up taking over our soul. It is an empty pursuit (Verse 4 tells me to not toil to acquire wealth).

“Father, keep my eyes from empty pursuits, from thinking I must have something more. Help me not to desire what others have but be content with what I do have.”

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October 3

Thursday, October 3rd, 2019

My title for this devotion is Hydrated vs Unsatisfied.

I rode my bike two days this week. I would have ridden three if I had not had an eye doctor appointment yesterday (Wednesday). Both days the temps were in the 90s with high humidity. Just the way I like it! Typical Indiana weather…in August! Highly unusual for October but I love and took advantage of it. People ask me how I do it. Not only do I like that kind of weather (it is easier on the joints), but there is one key ingredient: hydration. As I got ready to ride one of those days, a lady who is a nurse commented on me riding in the heat. When I told her I liked it she said, “Hydration. Stay hydrated.” I reassured her I did. I have two insulated water bottles-one of Gatorade Zero and one of water-which have been partially frozen so I have cold drinks for my ride.

This came back to me today as I read from John 4-Jesus’ exchange with the Samaritan woman at the well. In the exchange found in verses 7-14 Jesus asks for a drink.  Her inquisitive nature opens the door to one of Jesus’ greatest statements: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a well of water welling up to eternal life.” (verses 13-14)

Of course Jesus is not speaking of physical water. One will be thirsty again. But to drink of Him leads to satisfaction. That doesn’t mean that to come to Him ends all need for more. My hunger and thirst for Him never ends. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for he shall be satisfied.” (Mt.5:6) But it does mean the end of my searching and longing for satisfaction and meaning to life. It does mean peace has been found. Jesus knew the woman at the well was empty. He also knew her search was hopeless without Him.

So I see this going two ways:

  1. He is the one who is the answer to my (and everyone else’s) longing and searching.
  2. May I never stop hungering and thirsting after Him.

“Father, You have the answers to all the longing and searching people go through. You answered mine. But may I never cease hungering and thirsting for You. May I always long to stay hydrated.”

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September 25

Wednesday, September 25th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Running From vs Running To.

Sometime in the early ’90s we got a dog.  Samson, as I named him, was a drop off. A friend of a friend showed him to the friend who then showed him to my girls and that was all she wrote. But it was soon apparent Samson was my dog. He was part Malamute/part Shepherd and he was squirmy.  He was too big for Janna; Tami dropped him on his head when he squirmed out of her arms; and Jo couldn’t control him. I could. I walked him. Fed him. Played with him.  He knew my car sound as I turned the corner into our cul-de-sac.

We had a side yard with a fence. Only once did Samson get out. We were shingling the roof when someone left the gate open. I saw him take off and foolishly got off the roof to chase after him. Instead of running to me, he ran away. He was only a couple of months old and I was fearful for him. But I should have let him come back to me. My frustration level got greater the longer I went after him. I finally turned around and went back home.  He soon returned.

How much like Samson the human race is. We have safety, security, and all we need at home. But something bites us and we want to check out “the other side.” So we get out of our safety net and roam. Pursue. Chase a rabbit trail of unfulfillment.  God pursues us bidding us to come to Him. To come home. Ultimately, the decision is ours as to whether to continue pursuing the empty life or run to the One who gives life.

Samson came home eventually. I gave him a few swats across the flank then hugged him. He never ran again. We can run from God to a life filled with danger and missteps or run to Him where He may discipline us but then hugs us with arms of love. Run from Him to a life filled with hurt or run to Him and a life filled with love. Which will it be?

“Father, Peter once said, ‘Where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ Help me to always remember that. Help me not to pursue the empty life but to pursue your life.”

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August 6

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Blind Faith vs. Faith in the Unseen.

I know there are people who struggle to have faith. They are pragmatic in their approach. Like Thomas they won’t believe unless they see. Unless they see something tangible, or unless they can touch it, they find it hard to believe.

There are also those who have blind faith. Like someone who dives off a cliff or a rock into a body of water without first checking out the danger, they leap. They leap into the unknown and call it faith. I prefer to call that blind faith. It is my contention that an uninformed step is not really faith at all.

There are also those who cannot see yet believe. I’d like to think I’m in this camp. I have not seen God and yet I believe. I have not physically touched God and yet I believe He exists. I’m certainly far from an expert in all of this and being able to logically and adequately convey my thoughts is not a strong suit of mine. But I am aware that God is bigger than I can imagine and He owes me nothing. Even though He wants my praise, He does not depend on it. He is totally capable of being God without my approval.

Solomon’s prayer of dedication sums it up well. “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house I have built.” (2 Chron.6:18) God is so much more than I can think or imagine. He cannot be contained by a building or in a building. His presence and power is endless. His existence is far beyond my understanding. But I believe. That is not a blind faith. It is a faith rooted in truth. It is rooted in having “seen” Him. I’ll stand with the person who said, “Because God is great, He will be sought; because God is good, He will be found.”

“Father, You have made yourself known. Not by sight or touch, but by actions. My trust is not a giant leap into the unknown. It is a step into proven waters. May my faith continue to grow.”

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June 19

Wednesday, June 19th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Highs vs Lows.

I’ve been there. So have you. We’ve all been high. We’ve all been low. We’ve all been to the mountain top. We’ve all been to the valley. Sometimes in close succession. I’ve known what it is to complete a task, relish a victory, enjoy a feeling of euphoria, only to have that followed by a giant crash.

Sort of like Elijah. His story in I Kings 18-19 shows the highs and lows that often come to one who is faithful and obedient to God, especially when the “odds are stacked against you.” In chapter 17 Elijah comes on the scene with a prophecy of a drought and his time with the widow. But his biggest challenge was in chapter 18 where he challenged the prophets of Baal. After that victory and the rain falling which broke the drought, Jezebel threatens Elijah with death.  Elijah runs and then proceeds to have a pity party about being the only one left. He wants to die. An angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Again the same. Then God speaks.  But He wasn’t in the strong wind. He wasn’t in the earthquake. He wasn’t in the fire. He was, however, in the whisper.

The point for this devotion is not in how God speaks. It is actually two-fold;

  1. Elijah went from the thrill of victory (Mt. Carmel) to the agony of defeat (Jezebel and fear) in a heartbeat.
  2. God will “speak” to us on the mountain top and in the valley. He may appear silent but He’s not. He may choose the silence and despair of the valley to “speak” His loudest.

Don’t despair if you find yourself on the mountain top one minute and the valley the next. More often than not a valley follows a mountain top experience. Listen for God’s “voice.” Sometimes that is when He speaks the loudest.

“Father, I know there will be highs and lows. Help me to never get too high or too low so as not to hear your voice. Please keep me receptive to you no matter where I’m at.”

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June 7/Weekend Extra

Saturday, June 8th, 2019

I’m back from my time away so hopefully I will be more consistent here. I wrote this yesterday (Friday) morning but didn’t have a chance to post it.

My title for this devotion is Overwhelmed vs Underwhelmed.

I think one of the traps that is easy for a Christ-follower to fall into is familiarity. Familiarity with God. More specifically, the presence and power of God. Like the saying says, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Not hatred but a laissez-faire attitude. Kind of like “Aw shucks” or “Been there, done that, seen it.”

This hit me as I read I Kings 8. In verses 10-11 it says the priests came out of the Holy Place and “a cloud filled the house of the Lord.” A bit later in verse 27 Solomon prays and says, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house I have built.”

Now take a moment to read Psalm 86.  Pay particular attention to verses 8-13.

How can I/we read those passages and not take a “gut-check” to see how I/we respond to God’s presence? In worship? In my Quiet Time? In my daily walk? Am I overwhelmed as Solomon and David were? Or am I underwhelmed? Has my awareness of His presence become old hat and unexpectant?

“Father, please guard me against being underwhelmed. Help me to always be aware of your greatness and the power of Your Name. I would much rather be overwhelmed and speechless than underwhelmed and empty.”

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April 10

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

My title for this devotion is White Noise vs Holy Noise.

One last post that links to the previous two (April 8 & 9). I’m convinced we are a “noisy” people. I know I am. Very seldom is it silent. When I study or read I need it quiet. Little noise. No distractions. No music except maybe Classical as background noise because I don’t understand it. 🙂 Other than that? Noise. More noise. Much noise. In most cases the louder the better.  Working out? Music. Driving? Music. Jigsaw puzzles? Music.

Tragically, I seldom escape the noise. Except when I cycle, it is noisy. It is hard to hear from God when it is noisy. How can I hear? It would be hard for Him to get through the drums, guitars, and metal. That is why. what I call my Quiet Time (QT), is so essential.

To quote Tripp:

God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He has promised. Through the wait He is changing me. By the means of the wait he is altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires. Through the wait He is causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom…Waiting on God is restorative. (p.143)

I like that last line: Waiting on God is restorative. I know some friends who are going through a rough patch right now. Not their marriage but life. Not coincidentally, I read Psalm 9:9 this morning: “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Powerful verse for them. For me also. But I’m also convinced that I need to shut down the white noise in order the hear the “holy” noise-the voice of the Father. I know He speaks through the whirlwind and the storm (Job 38:1 and Nahum 1:3), but for me silence in golden.

“Father, speak to my heart, my soul, my mind. As I yield to you and in the quiet, squash the noise-the noise of my life-and let me hear You and You alone. Be with my friends as they navigate the negative noise, and let them hear the “Holy” noise.”

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