PERSISTING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Look at that big momma! Ain’t she a beauty? That’s my pumpkin plant. Yep, right in my front yard. I love pumpkins. I don’t know what it is about them. Maybe it’s the reminder of fall. Maybe because their color is so rich. Maybe because they’re just kind of goofy looking – bumpy, lumpy, misshapen. I don’t know why – I just love them.

This pumpkin plant is special to me. I’ve always wanted to grow pumpkins, but have had very little, actually, no success. I’ve planted pumpkins three different times, using three different techniques, in three different places on our property. The first time, I dug up the soil, carefully placed the pumpkin seeds in holes two feet apart, and mounded the soil on top of them – that’s what the package said. They never came up. The second time, I tried the “container method.” Starting from seeds, I dug a hole, placed the seeds in the hole in a container. After the plant became strong and mature, I was going to remove it from the container and place it in the ground. It never came up.

My third attempt was successful, as you can see. I got a pumpkin last year at Orr’s Farm Market. It sat on my porch through fall and when it started to cave in a little I thought I’d try to harvest my own seeds. Maybe that was the problem with my other two attempts. You know, GMO. So, I harvested my own pumpkin seeds. It was a painstaking task, ahem. I picked this caving pumpkin up – if you’ve ever waited too long to remove your pumpkin you know what happened. It turned to mush in my hands and I dropped it beside my front porch. I had every intention of going out and cleaning it up. You know what they say about good intentions…As the story goes – fall became winter, winter became spring, spring became summer, and summer became pumpkin! A pumpkin plant right in my front yard! My very own victory garden!

I am so excited about this pumpkin plant. It really is huge, probably about 8×10 and it continues to grow. As you can see, it overtook my rooster, it has overtaken my sidewalk, and I have no doubt it will continue through the front yard to the road in front of our house. The leaves are so big you could use them as umbrellas. The blooms are gorgeous, brilliant orange. It looks so healthy. There’s hope!

There’s only one small problem – it has no pumpkins. Not a one. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nadda. Oh, it started out on the right path. We had one pumpkin about four weeks ago. It got to be about six inches in diameter well on its way to Great Pumpkin fame! One day I walked outside and my Great Pumpkin had started to rot. Aaahhh!!! My neighbors heard that. Anyway, I have this massive, beautiful pumpkin plant and no pumpkins. Folks, I got no fruit. We’ve theorized about the lack of fruit. Too wet? Definitely not too dry! Bad seeds? They came from last year’s perfect pumpkin. Not the right soil? Look at those healthy leaves and the size of that thing and tell me the soil’s not right. Lack of pollination? Haven’t seen bee one. There’s only one explanation – it’s not getting something it needs to produce fruit. Duh, you say. Now I’m no horticulturalist so I don’t really know what the problem is, I just know there’s a problem. To be honest, I don’t care what the problem is, I just want pumpkins! A colorful, beautiful, lush, fruit bearing plant is no good without fruit! A pumpkin plant has one job in life — to produce pumpkins.

Paul tells us, just like the pumpkin plant purpose, our lives too are to be all about the fruit:

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25

Do we have fruit? What’s our fruit look like? Ouch – get off my toes!

You see, there are two forces at work in our world. Sin (evil) and God (good). Our sinful nature, which leads to death (destruction) and our Spirit nature, which leads to life (eternal fruit producing life). When we follow the desires of our sinful nature (our old life) we cannot follow the desires of the Spirit (our new life). If we do, we are not changed.

So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. Galatians 5:16-18

Our sinful nature is in direct contradiction to our Spirit life. Our sinful nature is what the law speaks against. The law that’s designed to protect us. The law has never been able to change our sinful hearts. Only Christ’s sacrifice on that cross could offer freedom from the law. The law where people thought they could gain acceptance by God by being obedient to the commandments, by following the rules. Impossible! You see it’s about the heart – it’s about the Spirit. Our sinful nature cannot produce fruits of the Spirit. Only changed hearts and the indwelling of the Spirit can produce good fruit – the Great Pumpkin! If we are being ruled by our sinful nature (it’s all about me) and not by our Spirit nature (it’s all about God) we will not produce the fruits of the Spirit.

If our hearts are changed, we will want to keep his law, not to gain His acceptance, but out of our great love for Him. In Psalm 40:8, David wrote “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” If our hearts are changed, our lives are changed. If our hearts are changed, the Holy Spirit is in control. If the Holy Spirit is in control, we produce good fruit, Holy Spirit controlled fruit!

In Romans, Paul quotes King David from the Psalms when he says there is no one perfect, “not even one!” But that does not give us an out. Matthew 5:48 says: “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” We cannot be flawless, completely without fault, but we are to make it our goal to be as much like Christ as possible. When we do, the fruit appears.

So, I ask again: Do we have fruit? Have we turned from our sinful nature to the Spirit nature? What’s our fruit look like? Have we nailed our passions and the desires of this world to His Holy Cross? The ways of the world are very wily. The world will tell us it’s enough to have beautiful, healthy looking leaves – to be big and powerful — and to have beautiful blooms. That’s a lie. The world doesn’t care about our fruit. The forces of the world don’t want us to have fruit. Have we given the Spirit full reign to produce good fruit within us or do products of the sinful nature still appear in our lives?

My poor girls – they’ve just been through it!  I came home from work two weeks ago on a Friday.  Stuck in my usual routine, I walked over to the kitchen door and looked out at the barn.  And, what do I see?  A hawk sitting on the fence not 10 feet from my gals’ coop.  Of course, the first thing I did was scream  “Hawk!” and I took off out the door, work clothes and all and Tony was right behind.  We ran to the barn, hollering and arms flailing like mad.  It flew away across the road.

We went into the barn to look for the girls and on the way, we saw feathers, white feathers.  A clump here, a clump there, a trail of two on their path to the barn.  My heart sunk.  Now I know that free range chickens are also free game chickens, but I don’t have to like it.  Seeing the hawk and seeing feathers, I saw the writing was on the wall. 

I came back to the house, changed from my work clothes, and I began the search as Tony continued chasing the hawk out into the woods.  I was full of angry emotions and as he headed out I told him to get rid of the hawk.  He said he couldn’t it was a protected bird, it was against the law.  This made me angrier.  My terse retort was that I could be fined and jailed for killing a bird, but not a baby.  Yes, I said that out loud.  I told him that I needed someone, somewhere to explain that logic to me because it made absolutely no sense.

Anyway, I went to search for my girls.  There was only one.  Sitting in the bottom of the coop was one of my black girls, completely frozen in place.  She didn’t even blink.  At first I thought she was dead from fright, but looking super close, you could see she was breathing, barely.  Now we don’t know how long the hawk had sat a fence, but we do know that from his vantage point, he had a birds eye view of black girl and she of him.  She was literally scared stiff, and really, who wouldn’t be?

I went looking for the other three.  I walked through the woods, I went to all their hiding places.  I called and called.   About an hour later, having a fruitless search, I went back to the barn to check on stiff girl.  She blinked.  I knew she’d be ok.  But still no others.  After a few minutes trying to comfort stiff girl, I heard a rustle in the feed bags behind a wheel barrel in the barn.  I made my peep-peep sound and I heard a faint peep-peep back.  I continued.  She continued.  And then a girl made her way out of the feeds bags.  It was white girl!  Unharmed!  She ran to stiff girl and stiff girl got up.  I hung out with them a little bit to reassure them and then started back for the house.

I continued to call the other girls on my way back to the house.  Half way back I heard a slight peep.  I called and called.  Eventually, a little black head and a little red head appeared from under the horse trailer.  They had been hiding in the woods across the road and were making their way back to the barn.  They were super scared.  It took some coaxing, before they’d come and then they ran from brush pile to brush pile (this has been the only time I’m grateful for the brush piles) straight to me. Seeing I was on guard, they took off for the barn at top speed, butts awaggin.  Ever body is home, safe and sound – well, sort of.

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3

For now, my gals are in hiding. They know danger lurks and they aren’t coming out of the barn.  They know the risks should the hawk come back around, which he has.  I think I should learn from my chicks.  This world is full of hidden and open dangers.  The evil one is quite wily and we must constantly be on our toes for danger.  This danger may or may not be a physical danger, but there is another more dangerous danger, spiritual danger.  Anytime we are tempted and then act on sin, we put ourselves in dangerous danger.  Anytime we drift from God, we are in dangerous danger.  Anytime we are disobedient, we are in dangerous danger .  But here’s the thing, there are things we can do to avoid spiritual danger.  There are actions we can take to protect ourselves.  We must be in the Word of the Lord and we must communicate with the Word.

Most things in life we absolutely cannot control.  We may not be able to keep ourselves from physical danger, but we absolutely can keep ourselves from spiritual danger. An active relationship with the Jesus Christ is all the protection we need.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

We’ve seen the hawk lurking in a tree beside our house.  Just as our chickens know that staying in the barn conceals them and keeps them safe, we also know that when troubles come our way, the Lord will conceal us and keep us from danger.  He always keeps His promises and we may take refuge in Him.

Isn’t it a wonder how the Lord God knows our every thought,  hears our every word,  sees our every action, feels our every feeling?  That’s called omniscience.  All knowing.  How do we know that He knows everything?  First, the Bible tells us so.  Second, He tells us so.  He communicates with us directly as individuals, and at times collectively.

It boggles my mind to think of His omniscience, His all knowing.  Of course, we can say God knows everything, but when we stop and think about that for a hot second, and truly ponder what that means, it is a little overwhelming.

O LORD, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

Psalm 139:1-4

One of the fascinating things about God’s omniscience is that it’s omnitemporal.  God exists now.  God existed then.  God exists forever.  Amen.  There was no beginning to His existence and there is no end.  He knew us before we were born, remember?

Lord, through all the generations

you have been our home!

Before the mountains were born,

before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

from beginning to end, you are God.

Psalm 90:1-2

All of this simply means God knows all things for all time.  Then to take it one step further, God is omnipresent.  All present.  Always there.  Again, the thought of that is a little wow, isn’t it?

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

Psalm 139:7

I’ve gotten a little into the weeds with my preface here, but God communicated directly with me last week about such things and I want you to know that that communication, that communion with God is possible for every single believer out there.  Here’s what happened…

I was talking with a coworker at work, you know shooting the breeze, and I don’t even know how it happened, what sparked it, but a little later I was reflecting on the conversation and my mind pointed out to me that I was grumbling, you know complaining, whining about life.  Not life specifically, but generally.  I know, I know, I was the person who wrote last week about rejoicing and joy!  Guilty.  Convicted. 

Anyway, we were chatting and I started talking about the heaviness of the world, the underlying current with life experiences, Covid, our families, our work, the state of our country, the world, the news, the needs, and how all those things were on my mind and how it affects all our lives and that how some days  I can deal with it better than others.  I even compared it to the cloud that hovered over the Addams Family car.  I hope I’m not the only one who feels this way. 

Anyway again, as I said it dawned on me later that I was just bellyaching.  I was wrong.  I later went back and apologized, she was gracious, but frankly, it was a little too late, the whining words had come out. The tone of the conversation had been set. The horse was out of the barn.  This was on Friday.

So, Saturday morning I sit at my desk, open my prayer book and what do I see?

You have been on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent.  Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand.  I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me.  Jesus Calling

I was thinking, Yes!  Thank you Lord, you are pleased with my efforts.  You now, a little pat-pat on my own back.  But, He was not finished speaking…

There is one thing, however, that displeases Me:  your tendency to complain.  You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following.  I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you.  You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

Complaining to others is another matter altogether.  It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage.  Jesus Calling (Continued)

Don’t you just love the way the Lord speaks to us?  And yet, His smack down of me, which I completely deserved, was done because He loves me and to remind me of who is really in charge.  Omniscient.  Omnitemporal.  Omnipresent.  He knew what I would say. He knew when I would say it. He was present when I said it.  Ouch!  He said, Beth you’re not in charge, you’re not in control, you are damaging My reputation, just keep your mouth shut.

The omniscient, omnitemporal, omnipresent God I serve heard my every word, before it even came from my grumbling lips.  Because He is omni, He could not let my sin go unchecked.  Where’s my Rejoice?  Guilty.  Convicted. 

Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out.  As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.  Jesus Calling (Concluded)

He promises to refresh the weary and bring back the faint.  Instead of complaining, I will pray.  Instead of grumbling, I will rejoice. God is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present.  God knows us, God is with us, and his greatest gift is to allow us to know him. 

I came across one of my favorite verses the other day and it felt so good to be reminded.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength!  He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.  Habakkuk 3:19

In my job, I sometimes have to go to Court and play AV tech.  I say “play” because I’m no expert.  For those who know me well, you know that AV frustrates me.  Nevertheless, it’s required.  It makes me so tense to be called on to display a document and all in the room looking to me to make it happen.  If you’ve every operated a computer, an ipad, a smartphone or even a dumbphone, you know that things don’t always go exactly how they are supposed to.  A document won’t open, an error message pops up, wifi goes down, the wrong webpage comes up, the wrong text is sent, the link won’t open, you butt dial somebody.  That’s just the way tech works.  It’s life changing when it works and life changing when it doesn’t.  I know, that’s a little dramatic.

Anyway, I’ve had a occasion over the last weeks to spend some time in Court and am headed that way again next week.  My job is to project documents for those in the room to see.  The information on these documents is pivotal to the issues before the Court.  So, there’s absolutely no pressure there, right?  Wrong!  Now I tell myself all those things like – I’ll do my best and that’s got to be good enough – I can’t control everything and that’s ok – If the technology doesn’t work right (or I don’t work it right) it won’t be the end of the world — If I mess up they won’t cut my arm off – I’m human I make mistakes too – etc., etc.

But, the most comforting thing I tell myself is that God will make me as sure-footed as a deer and bring me safely over the mountain.  In fact, I have this written on a post it and taped to my keyboard.  I cannot look at my laptop in Court, I can’t attempt to project a document, without seeing that verse and boy has it saved me from a world of panic.

I came across the verse in my Prayer Book again today, only the reference backed it up a bit.  Instead of just verse 19, it started at verse 17 and that gave even greater perspective:

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Talk about some difficult times, this is a little more devastating than a tech glitch.  We’re talking the potential starvation of a nation.  This would be terrifying, and is, to any nation.  But, Habakkuk would not be controlled by his feelings or the events going on around him.  Even though the troubles were seemingly insurmountable, Habakkuk looked to the strength of the God of his salvation!  In fact, he didn’t just have faith in the God of his salvation, He rejoiced in the God of his salvation!

Do we rejoice in the God of our salvation during difficult times, during trying times, during scary times, during stormy times?  We should – this is where Brother Paul’s training lesson comes in handy.  Human nature (sinful nature) is to get bogged down in the difficulties, the trying and the scary.  But, we need to take our eyes off of the difficulties, the trying and the scary, and look to God.  He will give us strength in those difficult times.  He will make us sure-footed, He will give us hind’s feet, so that we can safely navigate the rough terrain we must travel, with Joy!

So, I think I’ll add to my post it the word “Rejoice.”  Bringing us safely over the mountain doesn’t mean that the terrain is less dangerous, that the terrain less steep, it means exactly what it says, He’ll bring us safely over the mountain.  Having faith in the God of our salvation that He will do what He says He will do should cause us to rejoice, regardless of the terrain we traverse.

The literal is “I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin around for delight in God.”  Here is the hilarity of faith!—joy at its best with circumstances at their worst!  What a victory!  May it be yours!

Sidlow Baxter

So, may you twirl with absolute joy in the God of your salvation as His strength brings you safely over the mountain!

“Danger, Will Robinson!!!”  Remember that?  Robot, on Lost in Space alerted the Robinsons by saying “Danger, danger!” and “Warning, warning!”  What was Robot doing?  He was alerting them to disaster.  Robot was telling them that there was danger around.  What do you do when you see a destructive path up the road and others are heading right for it?   Just like Robot, we give a warning, we give a signal, we wave a flag.  Just like God did for the people he loved.  Just like Jeremiah did for the people he loved.  Just like Paul did for the people he loved.  Just like countless other examples in the Bible did for the people they loved.  Shouldn’t we do the same?    “Danger, danger!”  “Warning, warning!”  Wouldn’t you want to know if you were the one on the path to destruction?

“Your own wickedness will punish you.  You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to forsake the Lord your God, having no fear of him.  I, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, have spoken!”  Jeremiah 2:19

You’re probably thinking holy mackerel, that’s a scary verse, that can’t really be in the Bible.  But, it is.  From one of the greatest flag wavers of all time, Jeremiah.

The prevailing theme of the Book of Jeremiah is that of national sinfulness and imminent judgment.  It’s a book of warnings.  The messages of Jeremiah were to convince God’s people to turn from their sin back to Him.   Know anyone else with that same message?  Jeremiah was written to Israel, specifically, the southern kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem.  Ah, he’s talking to the folks of The Holy City.  The same Holy City that Jesus rode through on a colt on Palm Sunday while the crowds sang Hosanna!  Hosanna!  We’re a little bit like Israel too, aren’t we?  Disobedient to God one minute, singing His praises the next.

Anyway, Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was destroyed, and the Israelites were captured and taken off to Babylon.  All because of sin.  Sin has serious consequences.  We don’t like to think about that too much.  Jeremiah is a book of messages from the Lord.  Jeremiah the Prophet gives the messages from the Lord, issues warnings, and then weeps in anguish for their disobedience because he knows they are working out their own destruction.

Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land.  Cry out loudly…Lift up a signal flag toward Zion.  Run for cover!  Don’t stand still!  Jeremiah 4:5-6

Lift up a signal flag.  It’s the Flag-Factor.  Why would you wave a flag?  To signal.  To advise.  To warn.  To alert.  Jeremiah was one flag waving dude.  Change your ways, be obedient to God, because there are consequences.  The alarm was sounded because the message was alarming.

But God also gave Jeremiah a message of hope for the captives:

“The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years.  But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.  For I know the plans I have for you,”  says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.  I will be found by you”, says the Lord.  “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes.  I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your land.”  Jeremiah 29:10

Here’s the beauty of the message – God rescues his people – to give them a future and a hope.

So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  For if you keep following it, you will perish.  But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live.  Romans 8:12-13

Same message.  It sounds much more palatable from Brother Paul though, doesn’t it?  More gentile, more lovey, less harsh.  Nevertheless, the message is the same.  Sin has consequences.  Here’s the beauty in the message, God gave us a way out, the only way out.  God sent His Son, they call Him Jesus.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Don’t you just love the buts…the free gift of God is eternal life, a future and a hope, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here’s the question I asked myself – if we as Christians are to build each other up, we are to encourage each other in the faith, we are to help each other stay on the path to the narrow gate, shouldn’t we also be flag wavers?  Shouldn’t we be sounding the alarm?  Would we let our children walk into the street if we saw a car coming?  No, we would tell them to stop, look both ways, decide whether you have time to cross before the oncoming danger.  Stop.  Look.  Listen.  Why would we do that?  Because we love them and they could die.  Jeremiah loved his people enough to wave the flag.  Paul loved his people enough to wave the flag.  John loved his people enough to wave the flag.  Peter loved his people enough to wave the flag.  Jesus loved his people enough to wave the flag, in the form of the cross.  Shouldn’t we too love our people enough to wave the flag?  To alert.  To warn.  To signal.  To advise. To sound the alarm.  Isn’t that what we’re called to do?

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.”  Jeremiah 1:5

Look what the Lord said to Jeremiah.  There are so many messages packed into that one verse.  We’ll leave all that unpacking for another time.  It says what it says.  Look at Jeremiah’s response to the Lord:

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you!  I’m too young!”  Jeremiah 1:6

Jeremiah’s saying “Send Aaron!”  We too have many excuses, don’t we?  But look what the Lord says to Jeremiah:

“Don’t say that, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.  And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Jeremiah 1:7-8

So, are you willing to wave the flag?  To warn?  To alert?  To advise?  Do you love someone enough to do that for them?  To save them from the consequences?  Are we afraid to do that?  Sure we are.  But didn’t He say He would be with us?  Didn’t He say He’d take care of us?  He, the Lord, has spoken. It is our job to take care of each other.  After all, wouldn’t you want someone to signal the flag for you if you were headed in the wrong direction?   Me too.  If we truly love each other we will signal the flag and we will appreciate it when the flag has been waved our way.  That’s what true love is.

See my poor girl, it’s kind of hard to tell from the picture, but she’s molting. Again, it’s that time of year. She’s shedding feathers to make way for new feathers. Molting occurs to replace worn out or damaged feathers.

As you can kind of see, after being nearly bald, she has new downy feathers growing in to replace the old.

It made me think about what I needed to molt, drop, get rid of in my life that is worn out, useless, no longer needed. You now, what attitudes, actions, sins do I need to shed? What needs to go to be replaced by new attitudes, actions or habits? It’s certainly worth thinking on.

Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Are you wrestling too, or is it just me?  Am I the only one feeling like this?  You know, overwhelmed and exhausted trying to make sense of the world we live in?  You know, desperately trying to keep up and conquer each new day and all its new compounding challenges?  You know, feeling angry and frustrated about everything and absolutely nothing?  You know, searching for meaning or explanation in the last couple of years of our lives?   You know, looking at our lives and our world and wondering what in the world is going on?  You know, desperately trying to stop the speeding ferris wheel before you fly out of the top car (buckle up!)?  You know, desperately trying to gain control of all that’s uncontrollable?  Our lives, others’ lives, our world…If you think you’re the only one wrestling, look around.  Everywhere we go, home, work, school, grocery store, craft store, restaurant, church, folks are wrestling.

“I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”

Mark 9:24

I think most of us can say we know exactly how the father of the demon-possessed boy felt.  I think most of us can say regardless of what is going on around us and the challenges we all face daily, we do believe, we may even be a little defensive about it, but…

See what I mean?  Believers know, that God is sovereign, that He is in complete control at all times, that nothing happens without passing through Him, without being checked within His plan.  This father had faith, He did believe, but his humanness made him doubt.  He looked at his son’s situation through an earthly lens and not a Heavenly lens.  When the circumstances of life are right in front of our faces, we say but too, don’t we?

As a soul realizes Me and My Power, and knows Me as Helper and Savior, that soul believes in Me more and more.  At the same time it is more conscious than before of its falling short of absolute trust in Me.

The soul’s progress, an increased belief – then a cry for more faith – a plea to conquer all unbelief, all lack of trust.

That cry heard.  That prayer answered.  More faith, and at the same time more power to see where trust is lacking.

My children seek to go up this path, leading by each stage, nearer to Me.

God Calling, Two Listeners

When I look at this sweet prayer it gives me such hope and encouragement with my buts. It gives me encouragement to cry out for more faith in those you knows of life, courage to trust our Sovereign God.  It gives me courage, like Jacob, to take all my unbeliefs, all my doubts, all those things I’m wrestling with to God.  And to stay on that mat, through prayer and petition, until he blesses me with more believes and less buts.  Upon wrestling, Jacob lost the physical battle, but in the spiritual  battle he was absolutely victorious.

The sun rose as he left Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

Genesis 32:31

What a  beautiful verse.  Peniel, face of God.  The Light comes out and we see the face of God.    Don’t we all want to see the face of God?  Then, like Jacob, we must keep wrestling, keep persevering, only with God’s help can we get through the you knows to get to the believes with a few less buts.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble…

The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1, 11

We’re taking a little break from the grind.  We’ve headed south for a few days and this is our view. The feel of the surf winds, the wave sounds, and the magnificent scenery all remind me of how incredibly good our God is.  Paul put it best:

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 3:14-15

As I’m thinking about the Creator and His creation, I’m distracted by a voice I hear in between the crash of the waves.  A beautiful, sweet voice praising our Lord on the beach.  The voice sings one word over and over, Amen, and that really just says it all.  As I watch, the voice lifts her arms and her face toward Heaven and continues the Amen praise.  I find myself joining in this impromptu praise from my balcony perch.  It’s Sunday and a little later we’re headed to Church, but I feel  I’m already there.

The view from my seat is a little different than in years past, not quite as high.  This view is slightly obstructed by a palm tree.  Now, I have nothing against palm trees, but this one happens to be in my way.  As you can see, it is obstructing the sunrise.  Despite the obstruction, I’m still reminded of the length and breadth of God’s love.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

Ephesians 3:16-18

I read about Charles Inglis, a ship’s captain, who once had a passenger, a German, 19^th century evangelist, George Muller.  Mr. Muller had a speaking engagement at a certain place and time.  Because of the dense fog, which had kept Captain Inglis on watch for 24 hours, that engagement was in jeopardy.  Mr. Muller suggested to the Captain that they head to the chart-room for prayer.  Captain Inglis says:

I looked at that man of God and thought to myself, What lunatic asylum could that man have come from.  I never heard of such a thing as this.  “Mr. Muller, do you know how dense this fog is?”   Mr. Muller replied, “No, my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.”

He knelt down and prayed one of those simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but, he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray.  “firstly,” he said, “because you do not believe God will, and secondly, I believe God has, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.”

George Muller said, “Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get an audience with the King.  Get up and open the door, and you will find the fog has gone.”

I Will Life Up Mine Eyes, Glenn Clark

Our view of the Son may sometimes be obstructed, but our faith and our praise can bring it fully into sight.  Our prayers and our praise will cause the fog to dissipate and give us a clear view.

Interestingly enough, as the songstress concludes her praise, the sun comes into full view on the horizon.  The view that was once obstructed is now fully visible.  Some would say it is the tilt of the earth, I say it is an answer to prayer.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19-20

…The praise being offered at the beach was the exact same praise we sang that morning at a Church we attend when we’re this way.  Further confirmation that prayer and praise, focusing on the God who controls everything versus the obstruction hiding our view, always clears the way ahead to see the Son.  He is just that good.

Sometimes we just need to reflect.  Take time to think about the deeper meaning.  You know, peel the onion.  We know an onion is an onion by its appearance, but we must always peel away the outer skin to get to the onion, to get to the rings of flesh.  You know, break off the papery skin that protects the meat inside.  Most times, the peeling process brings with it a few tears as well.  To get to the good stuff, the outer barrier must be removed.  The useable sweet stuff is well below the papery outer surface.

Our walk with Jesus is much like an onion.  We may attend Church, hang out with His people, put some money in His plate, all the surface stuff that can be done (seen) without peeling back the layers, without getting to the meat.   Why am I rambling on about onions, you ask?  I’m not quite sure.  Here’s my thought process…

I was studying on a few verses in 2 Timothy.  When I read the Bible, I try to think about it as more than just words on a page.  I try to think about the words and check myself against them.  I try to apply, sometimes over-apply and end up in a rabbit hole (as I did with the onion).  I try to think below the surface and actually to the sweet relationship with Jesus.  So, when I read, I’m asking myself questions about The Word, trying to peel away the outer skin.  Often, these questions bring tears, but I know of no other way to get to where I need to be with Jesus than to peel back the layers. 

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

2 Timothy 2:5

As I read this verse and studied on it, the do I’s or did I’s, come to mind.  I end up with more questions then answers, sometimes.  It’s a probing, a prickling.  In the case of this verse, I started thinking about me being an athlete in a competition.  When I ran track in high school (not well, I might add), there were certain rules to follow in the race.  I ran the 1600 meter (1 mile — I know, why would anyone do that to themselves?).  That’s four times around a football field.  You might think you just get out there and run, but not so.  You’re assigned a lane, that’s a rule. For the first full lap you must stay in your lane, that’s a rule.  You must not impede other runners, interfere, trip them or knock them down, that’s a rule.  You must complete all 1600 meters of the race, not three laps and you’re done (that’d be the only way I could win, maybe), that’s a rule.  You must cross the finish line in order to complete the race, that’s a rule.  There are many other technical rules to running a race, but those are the obvious ones.

In the context of running a race, here are some of the questions that I wrote down about this verse:

1.         How did I run the race, how did I compete?

2.         Did I false start, take off out of the blocks but was DQ’d?

3.         Did I finish the race?

4.         Did I follow the rules?

5.         Did I give my all in the race or slip slap along, running some, walking some, resting some?

6.         Did I train properly for the race, was I conditioned?

7.         Did I talk to my coach, my trainer, to get the guidance, instruction needed for the race?

8.         Did I follow the training guide, did I even read it?

9.         Did I put forth my best effort or did I do just enough to slink over the finish line?

10.       Did I cut the course and hop over the fence instead of running straight through the  gate to the finish line?

12.       Did I pull others along with me or were they left in my wake?

13.       Did I encourage others throughout those grueling laps?

14.       Did I offer to train with any of the other runners?

15.       Did I share my training materials with them?

16.       Did I introduce them to my coach, my trainer?

17.       Did I make sure the other runners were hydrated with Living Water?

18.       Did I point them to the protein, the nourishment that would give them the strength needed  to begin the race and the endurance needed throughout the race to the finish?

19.       Did I see to it that they had the proper footwear?  Gospel shoes – a pair of Air Jesus’s?

All of these questions for just a 12 word verse.  So many layers, so much to think about, so many questions to answer.  But, this is how you build relationship with Jesus by getting below the skin and to the meat.  Not just being content with the words on the page, but being willing to strip away the outer covering to get to the heart of the verses or to get the verses to your heart.  By probing the scriptures and peeling back, our lives and the lives of others should be changed like Paul’s.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Make no mistake, it is me that needs the peeling not The Word.  The Word has no covering, no skin, it is flesh, it is alive, it is not hidden.  We need only spend time in The Word and on our knees in order to be changed by It.  We need only to humble ourselves and peel back those things which would keep us from the meat.

Meet my friends.  Black Cow and Black Cow.  They live in the field behind us.  As I walked the road they kept a close eye on me, watching my every move to see where I was going and what I was doing.  I was curious about them too.  When they wandered over to the fence, I kept thinking how much they looked alike.  I really couldn’t find a distinguishing feature – something that set one apart from the other.  They looked about the same age, they had the same build, obviously the same color, and I really thought if I saw them out in the field from a distance,  I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.  But, I can tell you right now, there’s one person, or cowson, that could tell them apart and that would be their mothers.  If their mothers saw them standing together at the salt lick, they would be able to tell which one belonged to them.  They’d be able to tell by sight, smell, actions and instinctively know which cow belonged to them.  To me they look exactly alike – four legs, two ears, same color, same walk, same actions, same moo…

It made me wonder…do I look like everybody else?  Not do I have two legs and two ears, but am I the same as everyone else?  Do I walk the same, do I act the same, do I say the same things?  Can others tell me apart from others or do I look like every other two-legged, two-eared person?  Do you hear what I’m saying?  Can the world see a difference in me or do I look like the rest of the world?

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,

and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD.

Don’t touch their filthy things,

and I will welcome you.

And I will be your Father,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the LORD Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Brother Paul tells us here to separate ourselves from the world.  Don’t look like others.  Don’t talk like others.  Don’t act like others.  Paul’s not saying that believers are to insulate or isolate.  He’s not saying don’t engage with the world.  He’s saying get out there into the world but be different from it.  He’s saying get out there in the world but don’t look like the world.  There’s only one difference between all the black cows of the world…

One day Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’  If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.  How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

Exodus 33:12-16

The difference between us all is our hearts.  Moses said it – God’s presence among us sets us apart.  God’s presence in our lives makes us distinct, different.  We should not look like, act like, talk like, be like everyone else in the world if God’s presence is among us.  If we do not have God’s presence in our hearts, we will look like the world.  If we look like the world, God’s presence is not among us.

“Most people have heard about Jesus in our world. Our country was founded upon Christ and Christian values. The thing is, there’s a cognitive dissonance. They hear Christianity, and they’re seeing Christianity. It just looks like the world. It looks like everyone else except that you just slap a label on yourself,” Gokey shared. “People who not just talk about it, but live it sacrificially, they’re the ones that grab people’s attention. So we need Jesus people to do that.” Danny Gokey

Gokey is saying you can call yourself a Christian, but if you are not living like a Christian you look like every other black cow, there’s no set apart in that.

We are a chosen people, a people belonging to God.  Do our lives look like we belong to God or do we look like every other two-legged, two-eared person?  Do we act like chosen people, those set apart? 

What does set apart look like in real life?  How about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control?  How about generosity, faith, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, grace, selflessness?  All those things our Jesus lived out.  All those things the world is diametrically opposed to.  If the world is completely opposed to those things, when we practice them, people will see a difference.  Unlike, those mother cows who were the only ones to be able to tell their babies apart, the world must be able to tell us apart.  The world must be able to tell who the Jesus people are.