PERSISTING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

In preparation for the building of the Temple of the Lord, King David thought of everything.  Well…how about God thought of everything?  How about God thought of everything and David was so in tune, so united, so in harmony, that he heard God.  Do we hear God?  Are we that in tune, united, so in harmony with God that we can hear Him when he speaks?  Do we even care to hear from God?   Wouldn’t you like to hear God? 

I wonder if David wore glasses?  I know, random.  If you wear glasses you’ll get what I’m saying.  For some reason, I hear better when I wear my glasses.  You too?  Why is it that?  I’m sure there are some very scientific and psychology reasons for it.  Hearing loss – not that I’m aware of.  Melding of the senses – sight and sound.  Maybe.  No matter to me the reason, as long as I have my glasses, I’m in good shape because I can see and hear. 

First and Second Chronicles “chronicles” David’s preparations for the building and administration of the Temple.  Even though he would not build the Temple, David assisted by planning and preparing.  Remember, God told David no, his son Solomon would be the temple builder.  David was preparing for something he would never see.

So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing blocks of stone for building the Temple of God.  David provided large amounts of iron for nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than they could ever weigh.  He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.  David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced, and the Temple of the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world.  So I will begin making preparations for it now.”

1 Chronicles 22:1-5

Do you remember the science fair and the social studies fair that your kids participated in?  Just as you helped your kids with the planning and preparation of those projects, David was helping Solomon in preparing for his project.  What an enormous project and what a huge responsibility — building the Temple to house the Lord.   David raised funds, gathered materials, and made meticulous plans for the Temple.    You might call him the Temple Director.  He secured skilled goldsmiths, silversmiths, stonemasons, carpenters and craftsmen of every kind.  David gave instructions to them all to “seek the Lord your God with all your heart” and to “Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.”  1 Chronicles 25:19.  The Temple was built to honor the Lord’s name.  The Church was built to honor the Lord’s name.

In addition to making plans for the physical building (trustees), organizing the priests (pastors, Sunday School teachers and lay leaders), the gatekeepers (janitors and Church council), and appointing administrators (office staff), David also made plans for the worship that was to take place in the Temple.  He planned the worship services. David was on the Worship Team!  All of these instructions came from God. 

David specifically organized and appointed the musicians:

David and the army commanders then appointed men… from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals.

From the sons of Asaph…who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s order.

Jeduthun had six sons…who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the harp, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.

All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord.  Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, lyres, and harps at the house of God.  1 Chronicles 25:1-6

David made Temple plans and preparations based on what he heard from God.  Do we make our Temple plans and preparations based on what we hear from God?

He who belongs to God hears what God says.  The reason you do not hear is that to do not belong to God.  John 8:47

The only way to hear what God is telling us is to belong to Him.  To be linked with Him.  To be in harmony with Him.  To be in relationship with Him.  To accept Him.  To see Him.

My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  John 10:27

Do we hear His voice?  Do we listen to what He has to say?  What Temple plan might He be giving that we might not be hearing?  What building, priestly, organizational, administrative, musical, leadership plan is God giving us?   How does God want us to conduct our worship services in our homes, our Church, our community, our town, our state, our country, our world?

I’m pretty sure David wore glasses, because He heard God speak.  God does speak.  David was so in tune with God because he belonged to God.  Do you belong to God?  If you do, He speaks.  But we hear Him best when we’re willing to see.  Do you need to put your glasses on?

Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth you have for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unlock and set me free. Silently now, on bended knee, ready I wait your will to see; open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth you send so clear; and while the message sounds in my ear, everything false will disappear. Silently now, on bended knee, ready I wait your will to see; open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Some of this is a repeat blog. It’s one I post periodically because I need. The world is a noisy place, and I need to be reminded. The world we live in tells us we can say what we want, how we want, when we want, to anyone we want, in any way we want. The world today tells us that our opinions and thoughts and our expressions of those opinions and thoughts are all that matter. That we have a right, and some would say a duty, to allow those opinions and thoughts to flow freely from our minds out of our lips and through our pens and keyboards, without filter. The world is wrong. Full stop.

The problem is that we can become so caught up in the world and our own entitlement that we spew forth our thoughts and opinions in an effort to persuade and influence others, often unchecked. Guilty as charged! Another problem is that the more we hear others offering opinions and thoughts, be it on the television, radio, in the store, or in print, the more of an obligation we feel to do the same. But, I heard a Bible verse last week on a program recently and it felt like it had my name on it:

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

Proverbs 10:19 (NLT)

The less we say, the less we sin, Beth! And it’s rarely just what we say, it’s most often how we say it. Our tone, our attitude, our inflection, our words, our volume, our eyebrows matter. Sometimes(?) we’re just not nice.

In my humble opinion, I think our world could do with a little less thought and opinion and a little more thoughtfulness. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth gives some great advice for us who live in this world when it comes to what we say. Four questions to ask ourselves before we speak and offer our thoughts or opinions:

Is it kind? Is it wise? Is it true? Is it necessary (does it need to be said)?

Kind. Wise. True. Necessary. Running our thoughts and opinions through those filters may lead to a lot less picking and pecking. Running our thoughts and opinions through those commonsense filters may just help to lower the temperature in a world that’s running so hot (literally and figuratively) that it cannot hear the persuasive and influential love of Jesus.

WHEN DID IT GET OKAY? Initially posted, August 30, 2018.

You might have heard about my girls – my chicks – there are seven of them.  I love those stinkin things.  We do a lot of chicken watching at our house.  During the day they run a muck – they cover every inch of our 12, every day, and where they go, they go all together.  They’re flockers.  They stick together unless someone’s sitting anest.

During the day they wander and at night they’re cooped up – it’s one of those two story jobs.  Settling in for the night is a process, which doesn’t voluntarily begin before darkish.  When dusk hits they instinctively head for their coop.   Settling in for the night is a process for them.  They take turns going in and out before the doors close.  They run in and think about roosting then they run out for one last bite.  In.  Out.  Bite to eat.  Drink.  Hop up.  Hop down.  Jostling.   They chase each other and squeeze each other out, jockeying for the best roost position.  If one tries to go up the ladder before another thinks they should, they get a peck or two on the head.  Maybe even a pluck.  Ouch Georgie Girl!  Poor Ethel is always the last to ascend she’s most often pushed, pecked and bullied.  It’s a tough crowd.

After finally ascending to the coop, the jockeying for position is not yet over.  They move, they ruffle, they peck, they squawk.  It’s constant.  I try to intervene, to restore calm, but I’m reminded that it’s what chickens do.  They’re animals – fowl, technically.  They have a pecking order. 

One thing I’ve noticed is that we, me, I, have chicken-tendencies.  We, me, are not so different from them, really.  We do the same sometimes.  I know I do.

After watching the news the other day, I started thinking how very similar we are to my girls.  We treat each other the same way my girls treat each other, and it’s permissible and acceptable.  I wondered to myself – when did it get okay?  When did it get okay to be mean?  Push.  When did it get okay to call people names?  Squawk.  When did it get okay to degrade other people?  Bump.  When did it get okay to mistreat others?  Peck.  When did it get okay to speak our minds without care for others’ tender hearts?  Pluck.  When did it get okay to say what we want, regardless of the cost to someone else?  Scar.  When did it get okay to bully?  Jostle.  When did it get okay?

Clearly, my chickens have not heard about the Greatest Commandment.  Sometimes I act like I’ve not heard it either.

The most important commandment is this:  Hear, O Israel! 

The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,

All your mind, and all your strength.

and your neighbor as yourself.

Mark 12:29-31

According to Jesus, this is the most important commandment.  Notice He gives us a few directions before we are to love each other.  His directions are just that – listed in order of importance.  First, he gets our attention.  Then He identifies Himself.  Next, He tells us exactly what we must do.  He says:

Listen up folks!

I am the only God!

You must love Me with absolutely everything you have – heart, soul, mind, strength,

Only when you do that can you love your neighbor as you should.

Only by putting God first in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, with all the strength that we have, can we love others as we should.  He knew we would struggle with love because we are human, that’s why he gave us the directions – He’s shown us how to work this love thing.

God did not tell us to love our neighbors if we want to, if they love us first, if they’re loveable.  He said love your neighbor as yourself.  Do we do that?  Do we love each other as we love ourselves – maybe.  Maybe that’s our problem.

Paul tells us living in the Spirit – heart, soul, mind, strength – produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We can pretty much tell if we’re living in the Spirit or living in the world by the fruits we produce.   Will they know I’m a Christian by my love?  By my words?  By my deeds?  By my eyes?  By my life?  The fruits are not to be practiced occasionally; they are to be how we live our life.  They are to be practiced consistently.  What a wonderful world it would be if we all immersed ourselves in the fruits.

We peck.  We bump.  We shove.  We squawk.  We pluck.  We scar.  We jostle.  We act like animals.  We act fowl.  That’s the truth.  Ugh!  We need a Cross check.  We are sinners living in a fallen world but that doesn’t excuse our actions.  Because we are His we are to be of the world and not in the world. When did it get okay to peck, bump, shove, squawk, pluck, scar, or jostle each other?  It didn’t.  It never did.  It’s just not okay.

If He said come on, let’s go.  If He said, follow me.  If He said, drop everything.  If He said, I have something for you to do.  If He said, I have somewhere for you to go.  If He said, I have some folks you need to talk to.  What would I say?  What would you say?  I will follow, I will drop everything, I will do what you want me to do, I will go where you want me to go, I will talk to who (whom) you want me to talk.  Those are all the right answers, right?  Those are all the things we’re supposed to say if we are followers of Christ, right?

Well, let’s talk reality.  For me, I’d say, with great enthusiasm…Yes, yes, yes, I will follow, I will drop everything, I will do what you want me to do, I will go where you want me to go, I will talk to who (whom) you want me to talk but, let me first finish this load of laundry – I need clothes to take; run to the store – I need snacks for a road trip; gas up the car – how else will I get there; run to the bank (yes, we still do that) – you need a little jingle in your pocket; make a call – people gotta know where I’m going; set my email autoreply – someone else has to take care of others in my absence; get a horse/chicken/dog/cat-sitter – someone needs to take care of my babies here while I’m there.  I am one prepared woman!

Then I’d say…Where’re we going?  All that way?  Am I going alone?  That might be best.  Who else is going?  Do they have to?  Will they be good traveling companions?  Maybe.  How long does it take to get there?  That long?  What route will we take?  That’s a busy road you know.  Who are we going to see?  Why them?  Do they know us?  I don’t know them.  What will we say?  Can we write out a script?  Will they like us?  What’s not to like?  Can we stop and eat on the way?  Let’s get our priorities in line.  Are we there yet?  How much longer?  All these thoughts would flit through my mind in a nanosecond.  Jesus would probably look at me and say good grief girl!  Relax!  Slow down!  And I’d be going but, but, but…

Did the Disciples have any of those same thoughts when Jesus called them?  We don’t really know what all of them were thinking when they were called.  I kind of hope they had some of the same thoughts I did.  I’d like to think of them as just as human as me because they were just as human as me, as you. 

The Disciples were not called by chance, they were called by choice.  Jesus prayed, called and instructed those He chose.  Jesus prays, calls, and instructs us as well.  Why?  Because we are Chosen.  Chosen to be His.  Chosen to follow Him.  Chosen to be His Disciples.  Chosen to spread His Word. 

Look what Jesus said to His Disciples in Matthew 10:

Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep.  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.  Give as freely as you have received.

Matthew 10:7-8

You know it’s the same for us, right?

Jesus Prays:

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony.  My prayer is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father – that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.

John 17:20-21

Jesus Chose:

You didn’t choose me, I chose you.  I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

John 15:16

Jesus Instructs:

Don’t take any money with you.  Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick.  Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.  Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy man and stay in his home until you leave for the next town.  When you are invited into someone’s home, give it your blessing.  If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it’s not take back the blessing.  If a village doesn’t welcome you or listen to you, shake off the dust of that place from your feet and leave.
Matthew 10:9-14

Jesus prayed.  Jesus called.  Then He gave instructions. Where to go.  Where not to go.  Where to stay.  What to say.  What to do.  How to do it. 

He prayed.  He called.  He instructed.  Because He’s a Forever God, He’s still doing that today.  He’s praying for us.  He’s chosen us.  He instructs us. The question is not really “if” Jesus calls, it’s “when” Jesus calls.   Is there something He’s calling you to do?  Is it something too big?  Is it something too scary?  Is it something too uncomfortable?  Is it something too difficult?   If we are His, He is calling.  If we are His, we go in His power.  If we are His, He is right there beside us, every step of the way, praying for us and instructing us.   When Jesus calls, how will we answer?

Jesus call us; o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea;

Day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow me.”

Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store,

From each idol that would keep us, saying “Christian, love me more.”

In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease,

Still He calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love me more than these.”

Jesus calls us – by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear They call;

give our hearts to Thine obedience, serve and love Thee best of all.

I’ve been preparing lately for things.  Preparing for the Women’s Retreat.  Preparing for a  Sunday lesson.  Preparing for this blog.  And of course, the preparing for daily life stuff, in general.  As I was thinking about the preparations, I was reminded of this incident.  I’m sure you have many such incidents just like it in life.  Even if you are normally prepared for everything, a band aide in the bag kind of person, I bet you can think of a time or two you were simply unprepared.  But I do pray that there is one preparation you have made in advance because you may not get another shot at it.  Eternity.

Unprepared – November 2018

Did you notice anything missing?  Yep.  No picture today.  This is what happened.  The first morning after turning the clock back, I woke up super early.  My internal alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., no kidding.  I figured I might as well make hay before the sun shines, so I did.  By 6:00 a.m. it was fully light out.  I peeked out at the mountain and oh my, what a sight!  The sun shining down on the frost caused all to sparkle.  It was simply glorious.  I told Shenandoah to wake up, we didn’t want to miss the glorious sight.  She reluctantly got off her bed.  I grabbed my camera.  Off we went.

We walked a little and just enjoyed – the sun, the sparkle, the breeze, the colors, the silence, the peace.  Sigh.  We rounded a corner in the front field and I caught a sparkle on the ground.  I bent down to look at the frost covering a weed.  The frost was so thick it made the plant visually multi-dimensional.  I know, it sounds weird, I just don’t know how else to describe it to you.  It was stunning!   I pulled out my camera and zoomed in as close as possible because I wanted you to be able to see it.  You could actually see the individual ice crystals.  I line it up.  It automatically focuses, because I can’t.  It is perfect.  Snap.  My camera lens retracts, the big red battery light comes on and my camera shuts off.   Ah!!!!!!   That beautiful moment lost forever, except in my mind.  It won’t last long there either, I promise.   No pictures of the sun shining on the mountain.  No pictures of the fall colors.  No capture of the breathtaking morning.  All because I wasn’t prepared.

Earlier this week I was out in the woods looking for eye-treasurers.  I noticed then that my battery was low.  I should have charged it days ago.  Now a moment in time is lost.  I can’t get it back and I can’t share it with you.  All because I wasn’t prepared.

I began to wonder, how many moments in time do I miss simply because I am not prepared.  Not just picture moments, but real make a difference life-moments.  How do I make sure I’m prepared?  Prepared to see God in everything?  Prepared to tell others of Him?  How do I make sure I don’t miss those snapshots of life?  How do I make sure I don’t fall prey to the powers of the evil one?  How do I make sure I’m prepared for Him?

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 1:13

There it is!  There’s the answer!  Gird up the loins, people!  Yes!  But wait…what does that even mean?  To understand the “gird up,” we have to go back a-ways.  Moses and Aaron are instructing the people of Israel for The Passover.  These instructions came directly from God.  Let’s look at Exodus 12:11:

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste:  it is the Lord’s Passover. (KJV)

or

Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal as though prepared for a long journey.  Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands.  Eat the food quickly, for this is the Lord’s Passover. (NLT)

Gird up!  The fashion of the day for all was a neutral colored flowing robe, accented at the waist by a belt or rope.  As you can imagine, a flowing robe could have been a little tricky if you had to move quickly, especially for those of us who get easily tangled up.  Girding up the loins meant to pull the back of the robe between your legs and tuck it into your belt in the front, pulling up the flowing material so that you didn’t get tripped up.  The belt was not just an accessory, it was a necessity.   The first piece of armor mentioned by Brother Paul in Ephesians was the “belt of truth.”  Coincidence?  I think not.  Anyway, God’s message was to be prepared.

“Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast.  Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.  There will be special favor for those who are ready and willing for his return.  I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!  He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.  But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready.  Know this:  A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would not permit the house to be broken into.  You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”  Luke 12:35-41

Gird up the loins of your mind.  The New Living Translation says to “think clearly and exercise self-control.”  I struggle to think clearly and I lack self-control.  You too?  So, how do we gird up the loins of our minds?  How do we ready our minds for action?  How do we become more alert?  Let’s start with what’s currently in our minds.  Is there stuff there that needs to be handled, processed, dealt with and disposed of?  Are our minds full, cluttered, so weighted down with the temporal that we can’t even think, let alone think clearly?  Sometimes.  If we belong to Jesus, thinking clearly and exercising self-control are more difficult.  Why?  Because those are two things smutty face (as C.S. Lewis calls satan), doesn’t want us to do.  Smutty face is in his glory when we are confused and out of control.  That means he will do anything to keep us that way.   Just look at our lives.  Isn’t it obvious?  Smutty face does not want us to be prepared.   He doesn’t want our minds to be girded or guarded.   BUT…

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power.  Let heaven fill your thoughts.  Do not think only about things down here on earth.  Colossians 3:1-2

You see, for all time, it’s been about Jesus.  His coming to save.   All time has prepared us for Him.  Are you prepared?  Will you miss the once in a lifetime shot to see eternity?  Will you miss the opportunity to share eternity with someone?  Will you get tripped up or be girded up?

I’ve been thinking so much on The Word of God, maybe because I just came off a two week 30,000 foot flyover of Psalm 119 that has reinvigorated, revived and given me a renewed appetite for more of it. I mean who wouldn’t want to learn more about the road to happiness, blessedness, joy? So, I’ve been taking a really deep dive into it and I’m trying to dissect and absorb it. You know, go from 30,000 feet to 2 feet. I’ve been trying to meditate (and memorize) on it day and night (yep, that’s where it came from). The meditating is going well, the memorizing…

So, in my thoughts about absorbing and taking in The Word, I was reminded of my sweet Shenandoah, my Worst/Best (may she rest in peace) and the time she ate my Bible. Although frustrating at the time, I have recalled this event often. She unintentionally taught me one of my big life lessons. We are to absorb The Word of God. Take it in and digest it. God’s Word is true and wonderful, powerful and active, life-guiding, life-changing, comforting and healing.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Psalm 34:38

Literally. 

I’d left a Bible sitting on the couch and came home to this.  You’d think the Worst/Best at 10 years old would be over eating the stuff she shouldn’t.  For years you could leave things laying around, except for socks, and tea towels, and tissues, and gloves, and food, and vacuum cleaner parts, and she wouldn’t mess with them.  Now, all of the sudden, she’s decided to eat it if it’s laying there.  The other thing the Worst/Best has taken to chewing on is an old magazine we roll up to encourage her not to jump through the window when a car goes by with a whack on the bottom (don’t go all PETA on me a whack with a magazine doesn’t hurt a 90 pound, fully unglued, dog).  It just seems a little ironic to me that the two things meant for good in life (hers and ours) don’t really work unless applied.   We all need a whack (figuratively) and The Word (literally).

When I saw this chewed on Bible, so many thoughts came to my mind – I’m sure they did to yours as well. Initially I was annoyed, but then I thought she did something I (we) should all be doing.  But the one thought that gave me pause was that I want to be that hungry for the Word of God.  So hungry that I want to completely devour like Jeremiah.

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.

Jeremiah 15:16

What food for thought.  I won’t belabor the many metaphors and puns that immediately come to my mind about this incident. I’m sure your wheels are turning too.  But, it does remind that the Word of the Lord is to be consumed, not by dog, but by man.  In fact, many versions call it feasting — feast on the Word of the Lord.  If we are followers of Christ, why would we not want to take it in?  It is our provision, our sustenance, our life.  It is meant to be read, absorbed and applied to our lives. We cannot know Christ, follow more nearly, love Him more dearly, know who He is, if we do not read The Word of God.

We can come up with all kinds of reasons excuses (maybe even idols) for not feasting on the Word of the Lord, but James laid it out too perfectly for us, didn’t he – to know what we’re supposed to do and not do it is a big problem.  That problem is sin. He tells us to seek Him, continually, with our whole heart (yep, Psalm 119). To know what we’re supposed to do and not do it is a big problem.

Here’s the thing, the Word can change our lives but not if we don’t read it.  The Word is filled with such love, hope, encouragement, promise, comfort, healing, peace, mercy and grace.  Don’t we all need just a little bit of that in our lives?  The Word is also filled with protection, instruction, teaching, wisdom, boundaries, and guidance.  Don’t we all need just a little bit of that in our lives as well?

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3

I am a mountain person.  Sure, the beach is beautiful, the ebb and flow of the tide can be mesmerizing, but if I had my druthers, I would look to the mountains.  There’s just something about the tall reaches and peaks that reminds me of the magnificence and power of God.  It’s almost as if the mountains are stretching on tippy-toe to meet the Kingdom of Heaven.

I am privileged to live at the foot of this mountain .  North Mountain.  Specifically, just to the south of Boyd’s Gap and  just to the north of Roundtop.  Both ridges are decent sizes for this area, about 1,480 and 1,673 feet, respectively, give or take. That’s a lot of reaching Heavenward.  We’re situated half way in the middle of two peaks of North Mountain, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains.

O beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

Oops, where was I?  I get positively gooey when I look at my mountain.  For sure it isn’t the biggest mountain in the US, Mt. McKinley, Mt. Rainier, the Rockies, White Mountains, and the Great Smokies are all much, much larger than North Mountain, but the Appalachian Mountain Range is the oldest  mountain range in this Country.  For real, check it out.

I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 121:1-2

I often recite this Psalm as I walk Haddy Girl in the mornings.  It brings me such peace.  But, as we walked one day last week (between rains and before the oppressive heat), I noticed something new about my Beautiful Mountain, it had a utility path on which a power line traveled.  Of course, it was not new, and of course, I had seen it before, but for some reason this particular day it really stood out to me.  And I thought to myself, although it does interrupt the beautiful flow of the mountain, it really was quite a wonderful path.

It made me ask – What path am I on?  We’re all journeying through life, we’re all following some kind of path. We’re all following someone or something?  What path are you on?  I pondered that for a bit.

My second thought was the Sound of Music.  Climb Every Mountain, Search High and Low.  Just looking up at that path makes us feel the burn, doesn’t it?  As we follow our life path it can sometimes feel like this steep rocky path.

But the thing that jumped out to me most, and I realize it’s a little hard to see (if you’re on your cell blow it up), between the cell towers on either side of the path, at the very top is a powerline.  Let’s think about that for a minute.  A powerline.  What is powering my path as I’m climbing every mountain, searching high and low?  And although I know it’s a little difficult to see, note that the power line is not just at the top of the mountain.  The powerline comes up from the bottom of the mountain, right where our journey starts.

Note how tidy this path seems to be.  In order to make way for the utility line, vegetation had to be cleaned up.  Much brush and overgrowth had to be eliminated to set the powerlines.  But some good vegetation also had to be removed.  We know in our lives brush definitely has to go in order to make way for the powerlines, but sometimes even good things, or things that are not necessarily bad, need to go in order to make way for the powerlines.

And as I looked at the top, it dawned on me, the powerlines don’t stop at the top, there would be no purpose in that.  The powerlines lead over the mountain into the valley.  The peaceful valley.

Like cattle going down to the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make for Yourself a glorious name. Isaiah 63:14

Just as the cattle no doubt felt the burn on their mountain path up and over, they descend to the valley floor and receive rest from the Spirit.  Isaiah tells us the Spirit of the Lord will do the same for us.  He will power His people on the path up and over the mountain. 

O Zion, messenger of good news,

shout from the mountaintops!

Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.

Shout, and do not be afraid.

Tell the towns of Judah,

“Your God is coming!”

Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power.

He will rule with a powerful arm.

See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd.

He will carry the lambs in his arms,

holding them close to his heart.

He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Isaiah 40:9-11

What a beautiful picture of rest after the climb.  With trembling, burning legs we walk the mountain path of life.  On the way we must get rid of all things in life that encroach on the path of our powerline, good and bad, that pull us from the power source that takes us safely over the mountain and to the restful valley.

He makes me lie down in green meadows;

He leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

Bringing honor to his name.

Psalm 23

What a beautiful portrait of the God of the Mountain, our powerline, from where our help comes from!

Have you ever noticed a years old road?  Dirt, gravel, asphalt, or as my Grandfather always said macadam.  The other day as Haddy and I were taking our morning walk on a years old road, I was reminded.  The road to and from our house is a years old road.  The road we walk on, drive on, ride on.  I suddenly noticed something about this road I’ve been traveling on for over a decade.  Something that I would not necessarily notice if I were driving or riding on the road.  Something I would only notice if I was walking…it’s not flat.  Now I don’t mean that it has hills or movement with the terrain, the road itself is not flush with the ground.

Because of years of weighty traffic – cars, trucks and tractors, the road has gotten compacted where the wheels roll making this ever so slight ridge in the middle of the road.  It’s not as noticeable to the seeing eye as it is to the walking feet.  It’s not a king of the mountain size ridge, just a modest rise.  It’s just enough to notice the path on either side is lower.

If you are not on one side or the other of this hump in the middle of the road it can mean disaster – a stumped toe, a twisted ankle, an all out fall, especially if you’re walking in the dark. 

As I’m walking along, I notice that I have been trying to walk the rise, the middle of the road, and it made me feel completely off balance.  I realized that I couldn’t safely walk on the middle of the road.  I could not straddle the lanes.  Straddling on the ridge was dangerous, it could cause missteps and could land me on the wrong side of the road.

If we intentionally choose our path, which side of the road we’re going to walk on, we are less likely to find ourselves drifting to the middle and losing our balance.  But, that also requires us to pick what side of the road we will travel on.  Another thing I noticed is that the middle of the road is wider than the grooves the tires cut.  The groove on the right or the left is narrower than the middle.

As I was walking it occurred to me that I could either stumble down the middle of the road in the dark, which will eventually result in jury, or I could walk on the right side.  There is no middle ground with Jesus.  It’s a red letter thing.

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.  So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Matthew 12:30-31

There is no middle ground with Jesus.  For or against, it’s just that simple, in fact it is exceedingly clear.  Walking the middle of the road, one toe in-one toe out of the world is super dangerous terrain.

I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.  Isaiah 42:16-18

We’re not so different than “blind Israel” sometimes. I think of that lonesome valley that Jesus traveled.  Even though He knew the events about to unfold before Him, events predicted long ago, Jesus chose the road to the cross for me, for you.  He chose the cross so that I didn’t have to walk an unbalanced, unstable, uneven road. He chose the cross so that I didn’t have to trip along in the darkness.  He chose the cross for my salvation, how could I not chose Him?

He chose the cross so we could chose life.  There’s just no middle ground here…We must chose today whom we will serve. 

My current employer is completely fascinated by the Good News Guys. Two Christian fathers who are passionate about teaching the Bible to children. They teach counting, letters, singing, nature, etc., all solely through the use of the Bible. In their teaching of David and Goliath they sing a song written by Arthur Arnott in 1931 called Only A Boy Named David. It’s a catchy tune with words that stick. Especially the chorus:

And one little stone went in the sling,
and the sling went round and round.
And one little stone went in the sling,
and the sling went round and round,
and round and round and round and round,
and round and round and round.
And one little stone went up in the air,
and the giant came tumbling down.

I’m sure you can imagine round and round and round and round and round and round and round…playing over and over and over and over and over in your head all day long. You can also probably visualize the motions of the slingshot going round and round and round and round and round and round and round.

We all know the story of David and Goliath. David a boy of 16-19 years old, hit a nine feet tall bully with a stone and dropped him.  In a nutshell, that’s how the story goes, right?

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel.  He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall!  He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds.  He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back.  The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s bean, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds.  An armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a huge shield.  1 Samuel 17:4-7

Goliath was one huge dude.  It’s hard to even imagine what he looked like.  He was intimidating, confident, full of himself.  Twice a day for 40 days (sounds like the wilderness again, doesn’t it?) Goliath would come out and taunt the Israelites.  They were scared to death.   But it took something very small in the hands of someone very faithful to remedy the situation.  One stone.  Not a rock, or a boulder, but a small stone.

The Lord involves ordinary people when he does extraordinary things.  David, powered by God felled Goliath with just one stone.  The stone, without the power of God would never have sufficed.  You see, it wasn’t the stone.  It was the power of God through David.  Just like when Moses led the people to the sea, it wasn’t the staff that parted the waters.  It was the power of God through Moses.  Over and over in the scriptures the Lord gives us examples of His mighty power at work through us.  He worked through David.  He worked through Moses.

…Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth.  She was a worshiper of God.  As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart and she accepted what Paul was saying.  Acts 16:14

He worked through Paul.  Paul was the messenger, but the Lord did the work.

“When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.”  Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures.  “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again for the dead on the third day.  With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.  There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.” Luke 24:44-45

It happened again.  The scriptures of old gave the message, but Jesus did the work.  He opened the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures.  Had he not done so, the scriptures would have just been words on a scroll, nice stories, history.  The scriptures held the message, but Jesus did the work.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!  Isaiah 52:7

It happened again.  The feet on the mountain brought the news,  but Jesus did the work.  Isaiah foretold of the deliverance to come.  He became sin who was sinless in our place so that we may be saved.  Hallelujah!  That’s good news those feet were taking everywhere.  The prophets were the messengers, Jesus did the work.

The smallest tract may be the stone in David’s sling.

In the hands of Christ, it may bring down a giant soul.

Robert Murray McCheyne

That’s how it will work with us as well.  Round and round and round and round and round and round and round… One small stone, the smallest word, the smallest gift, the smallest gesture, the smallest smile, the smallest act… and the giant may come tumbling down. The smallest can bring down the a giant soul when powered by the Lord.  Not a comparable sized giant, not an expert sling shot operator, but a faithful message-carrier and Jesus will do the work.  Not because of what we do, but because of who He is.  We are to be the tellers of the peace, salvation and deliverance that has come to the giants. We are the messengers, but God does the work. We speak only to the ear but God speaks to the heart.

Everyone, then, who professes to be a Christian should ask himself, “Is there evidence of practical holiness in my life?  Do I desire and strive after holiness?  Do I grieve over my lack of it and earnestly seek the help of God to be holy?”

Yikes! Talk about a little self-examination. . . As I read those questions, one after another, in Jerry Bridges’, The Pursuit of Holiness, all I could think about was that clown bag when we were kids.  You know what I’m talking about?  Remember, those plastic punching bags that were about three feet tall, filled with air, sand in the bottom.  As you punched (this is probably not allowed today – too violent) the clown face (or another character) the thing fell over and because of the weight in the bottom and the air in the top, it popped back up.  Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, all depending on the amount of air and the power the punch packed.

Is there evidence of practical holiness in my life?  Ugh!  Down I go.  Up I come.

Do I desire and strive after holiness?  Ugh!  Down I go.  Up I come.

Do I grieve over my lack of it and earnestly seek the help of God to be holy? Down again.  Up again.

See what I mean?  Whack.  Whack.  Whack.   First of all, I don’t even know if I completely understand what holiness is.  Do you?   It’s kind of like I think I know what it is, but I’m not sure I can explain what it is.  Well, let’s pray God’s wisdom and dig in.  Since the Lord said be holy as He is holy, it’s kind of important. 

Holy is  translated from the Greek word hágios which means different, unlike, special, distinguished, distinct.  Holy for a follower of Christ means in the likeness with our Lord, different from the world, set apart by or for God, dedicated or devoted to the service of God.  So far so good.

For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

Leviticus 11:45

God told the Israelites, they must be holy because He is holy.  We are to be like Him.  He called them out of Egypt to be a holy nation, to be unique, set apart.  (Sound familiar?) They were headed to Canaan, a pagan and worldly nation.  He told them, you can either conform to the world, or conform to Me.  Be like Me or be like the world.  You are either obedient to the world, or obedient to Me.  You must throw away your idols and worship only Me.  You must turn from sin.  You must be holy. (Sound familiar?)  The message to the Israelites has been the same message down through time, hasn’t it?

So, if holy means we’re to be different, distinct and dedicated to God, what does that look like in my everyday life?  First, just like the Israelites, in order to be holy, we must be spiritually different.  That spiritual difference should bleed into every aspect of our life, it should be who we are, not just a part of who we are.  Our holiness should be evident in our decisions, our actions, our speech, and our thoughts.  But, we can’t be holy on our own. Christ’s death and resurrection make our holiness possible, nothing else. 

But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence.

Colossians 1:22

Friends stay close together.  Being holy is not simply about separating ourselves from this world we live in.  It is about staying close to God.  We cannot be holy as He is holy if we are not close enough to Him to know what holy is, what it looks like.  It’s not only about separating ourselves from something but separating ourselves to something, to someone, to Him.  Not from but to.  If we spend all our time and energy on the from, we won’t have time and energy for the to.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

The veil represents the spiritual blindness and hardness of a heart that prevents us from seeing the truth, the Good News.  In days gone by, brides wore a veil on their wedding day with a blusher.  The blusher was a piece of the veil made of thin netting that covered the bride’s face.  When the two were pronounced one, the blusher was pulled back, that part of the veil was taken away, removed, and the bride and groom could freely see each other.   

Before we knew the Lord, the veil separated us from Him.  It covered our minds and our understanding of Him.  Now that our hearts have been unveiled we are no longer separated from seeing and experiencing His holiness and His glory.  The veil is stripped away.  The barrier gone.  Now that we see Him clearly, we can clearly reflect His holiness.   Now that our minds have been unveiled we are to be like Him.

So, let’s look at those questions again:

Is there evidence in my life that I am daily more like Christ and less like the world?

Do I want to be more like Christ and what am I doing to become more like Christ?

Does it bother me when I’m not wholly devoted to God and do I ask Him to help me be different?

I said, Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12

Plowing, tilling, sowing, tending, waiting. 

The first step in gardening is always plowing, tilling, breaking up the hard soil in order to make it ready to receive. Breaking up the hard ground, the fallow ground is to remove obstacles and prepare for new growth, to prepare for fruit.

We don’t like to think of our hearts as stony and hard, but they are. It is our nature. No excuse. Sure, sometimes our hearts are harder than others, sometimes they are hard longer than other times, sometimes they are always hard, filled with bitterness, anger, hatred, fear, and are never able to receive the new growth. That’s really quite sad.

We may know those garden hearts, one’s so broken, so bitter, so stubborn, so self-righteous. Some, even ours, so full of clumps of dirt that a planted seed could not penetrate to even take root. Some, even ours, so full of rocks, hurled by us and hurled at us that the planted seed falls on and then is washed away. Some, even ours, so full of worldly weeds, sin, idols, again, those we have planted or those that have crept over the fence.

Reaping is usually the fun part. It’s the purpose of the garden, to watch the fruit form, pluck it from the vine and take it in to be blessed by it. But, before we can reap, we must sow and before we sow the soil must be prepared to accept the plant.  There’s really no way around it, there are no shortcuts, if you want a fruitful garden.

There are a couple of ways to prepare the soil. We can get a shovel, a pick, a hoe, slap on a pair of garden gloves, and go at it. Bit-by-bit, row-by-row. A long laborious task, complete manual labor with much sweat and many blisters, that would leave me with a garden only 1″x 1″ because the labor would be too much and I would be all tired out too soon, and give up because I don’t have the woman-power to finish. There would not be much reaping of fruit from that plot.

Another way to prepare is to use a rototiller. A high-powered piece of equipment. A machine that breaks up the clumps. It digs down deep and turns the earth to finally reveal a rich beautiful soil. Plantable soil. Soil ready to receive. Soil without hard clumps. Soil where the weeds have been destroyed. Soil where the rocks have come to the top and can be remove. This method of plowing is still exhausting, and we may still get a few blisters, but the rototiller is doing the most difficult task of preparing the soil. The spinning blades loosen the soil, turn under the grass and weeds, and make it so the rocks can be tossed, to expose the beautiful, rich, healthy soil that is now ready to receive life.  The gardener is the one who prepares the garden to receive life.

Loosening the soil, turning under the grass, and picking out the rocks in our hearts is laborious and oft times painful as well.  Exposing the rich soils of our hearts in order to receive Life can feel like that rototiller.  Ripping, tearing and exposing our hurts, pain, our idols and sinful actions attitudes, tongues and actions – all those things that would choke out the Life planted.  The tiller through our hearts can be long-suffering and exhausting.  But, the Gardner knows what He is doing.  Cleaning out our garden hearts is simply opening them, and making more space to receive more of Him,  making room for Him to sow rows of seeds that produce the fruits of the Spirit. The Gardner is the one who prepares the garden to receive life.

Just like the two kinds of garden preparation, manual labor that quickly gives out, or an all-powerful solution that works to reveal plantable soil, we have two options to break up the hard ground of our hearts. We can get our pics and shovels out, we can try to hoe those rows by doing better, thinking more positively, going to church more, throwing more money in the plate, or we can do His way, the all-powerful way – for now is the time to seek the Lord that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. God says hey, seek me and I will come. I am the All-Powerful One. Let me help you get rid of that hard, rocky heart you have. 

Let me plant within you eternal Life.  Be wary of weeds and lack of Living Water that will take all sustenance and dry out your heart and make it hard.  He offers a fence around the garden of our souls to keep out those things that would snatch us up by the roots and eat us right down to the ground –it is His Word.  The Sower has sown Life into our hearts.  It is our responsibility, along with His help, to tend that Life.

All of this leads me to the question for myself and maybe you too, am I cultivating a life that is open and receptive to divine instruction and blessing. Not am I a good person, a nice person, an upright citizen, but am I cultivating a life that the Lord can shower with righteousness? Am I plowing up the hard ground of my heart? Am I using manual, powerless labor, or am I seeking Him and relying on Him to break up the fallow ground of my heart and making it ready for Him? Am I praying “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit in me?”

One more thing I love about the garden that I didn’t even notice until I looked at the snapshot — The footprints of the Gardener.