Today's passage: Jeremiah 42
I hate running. I've always hated running. I remember having to do a track unit in high school where we trained to run the mile and for the majority of the P.E. hour we ran. And every night, before or after dinner, I tossed my cookies (and broccoli, chicken, potatoes, or whatever else we had eaten that night.) Sorry for that visual, but it's important to show how my body rebelled against running. Walking, cycling, aerobics I could handle just fine, just please don't make me run. But as much as I hate to say this, running probably does things for me that other exercise can't and won't do. I think of cross-country runners (a sport a couple of my nieces love and I just happen to think they are crazy--just kidding 😜), and the pace and discipline it takes to maneuver uneven terrain or the ups and downs of the hills. Going uphill is hard! Downhill might seem easier, but depending on the incline, it takes almost as much stamina and energy to resist the pull of gravity. And the pounding of feet to ground can be brutal on the body. However, the muscle and endurance those girls build from that activity probably surpasses my aerobics.
In Jeremiah, the kingdom of Judah has endured a lot. Babylon ransacked Jerusalem, took the inhabitants captive, and left behind a scene of desolation and despair. Jeremiah was being held prisoner in the north, but he told the Jews this would all happen. Finally released, Jeremiah goes to the newly appointed governor of Judah: Gedaliah. Gedaliah, a grandson of Josiah, has been appointed by King Nebudchadnezzar and tells the people they have nothing further to fear from the king of Babylon if they just do as they're told. But not everyone is excited about this plan, and seven months into his governorship, Gedaliah and many of the residents of Mizpah are murdered, their bodies dumped into a pit. I'm still not clear on the motivations of Ishmael, the perpetrator of this crime. Even reading back in II Kings 25 which gives another account of these acts, doesn't make it completely clear for me. Guess that's a study for another time. But I do know that the survivors are frightened. They don't know where to go or what to do. Then they remember that Jeremiah's prophecies have come true so far and he has been one of the few faithful men to declare God's message. Usually it isn't what they want to hear. And this time is no exception. Because this remnant has already decided plans for tomorrow. Egypt. They are confident it would be better to flee to the land of the pharaohs than to risk Judah's unstable future. Why not? With Judah in turmoil, wouldn't it be safer to flee? Wouldn't it be easier than rebuilding, than being fearful, than having to trust again? Imagine their surprise--and disdain--when God through Jeremiah tells them to stay put. That if they continue in their human wisdom, the opposite will happen; they will face certain death. But, as so often has been the case with God's people , they decide not to listen and to pursue the plans they have already made. Their hearts and minds were decided and they really only wanted God and Jeremiah's blessing for what they have already determined.
We're much the same way. Surrounded by the hard stuff in life, nobody wants to walk through it. I know I don't. I'd rather escape, find an easier way, avoid God's plan when it is harder than what I'd envisioned. Here in Jeremiah, God promises the ones who stay that Babylon will no longer be a menace. Taskmasters, yes, but not oppressors. God promises them that their homes and lives will flourish, even though the torched gardens and tumble-down walls paint an opposite picture.
And God gives us those same promises. Of course we want easier and shorter and lighter. That is our human nature. I don't want to run. I'd rather exercise in a way that doesn't cause my body to respond with nausea and puking. But God knows running will develop endurance in my life in ways other things can't. He knows that the trials and tribulations I would rather flee from will make me stronger and more stable. He knows that my feeble wisdom and plans, though safer in my eyes, will not produce the necessary fruit in my life. If I remember that He is there with me through the ups and downs, through the pounding my heart and mind are likely to take, and I stop making a fuss when He puts me through my paces, I might just find that He's building something in me. Maybe, like He tells us in II Timothy 2:3, he's helping us develop endurance. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Standing Fast
Today's passage: I Corinthians 16
Paul says farewell to the Corinth church in this chapter. He addresses some individually and the church as a whole. He gives them a few last words of encouragement and advice. Some of this encouragement is found in verse 13: "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
Standing fast. In this verse, that probably means, be firm, don't give up, defend what you believe. Can I make a parenting analogy? As a parent, when I think of standing fast with my kids, I always have to stay a step ahead of them. This means I have to think through each stage in their life, and prepare myself for the challenges they present. I need to have ready answers and planned reactions. When Paul says to stand fast, I'm sure he means all the definitions I already mentioned, but what if he also means to be quick? Shouldn't we, as Christians, be a step ahead of Satan and his attacks? Shouldn't we be watching for what the world will hurl at us, to knock us off balance?
How can I stand fast, when standing indicates not moving, but fast indicates movement? It seems a little contradictory. Going back to parenting, I have certain values and principles I want my children to learn. They will test these and question these things in various phases of their lives. I never relinquish them, I never abandon them, but I rush ahead and plant my feet again, so they understand that when they needed to obey Mommy and Daddy as a toddler, they still need to heed Mom and Dad as a teenager. So how do I do that with God's Word? I think the other phrases in the verse help me to see what I need to do. First, I need to watch. I know many people are not keen on current events. Personally, I only watch the news because my husband is a news hound. It forces me to pay better attention. I think it is important that we watch worldly trends, not so we can participate, but so we can defend against them. When we see something, we ought to gauge it by the Bible, and see what His Word has to say about particular activities. A few years ago, I kept hearing teenagers talking about a particular celebrity who had burst onto the music scene. I wondered why the sudden hoopla. I decided to check it out and oh my! Did I get an eye and earful! This particular singer was so ungodly in her lyrics and videos, I was just stunned. That is what is influencing our teenagers! I was seriously appalled. Now, I don't recommend turning on MTV on a regular basis. But I think sometimes to stay a step ahead, we need to be aware of what is out there. We need to watch and pay attention to the trends, because those are the snares Satan has set for our kids.
This verse also says to "quit you like men". Quitting doesn't seem like it belongs in this verse, since he is talking about standing firm and being watchful. The definition by Webster I particularly like is "To carry through; to do or perform something to the end, so that nothing remains; to discharge or perform completely." When I think of doing this like men, I think of the military. Soldiers follow through with an order given by their commander. It is what they are trained to do. Sometimes they have to quit a station to move ahead of the enemy and not allow them to advance further. Sometimes they are engaged in combat. As a woman, that does not appeal to me. At all. I am generally a peacemaker and do not like to engage in conflict. There are those occasions when my husband hands me the phone when a political party calls for donations. He chuckles when I won't back down from my conservative views and advise them that if they want my money they better get on the right track. He lets me answer the door when religious organizations preaching heresy try to give us their literature. When it comes to defending God's Word, I can be tenacious. Now, I don't try to engage in debate, I never find that works. But I am determined to let them know my resolve will not weaken on these issues. If I am going to stand fast, I need to be studying God's Word, and praying that God will give me the words to say when I am engaged in battle.
The last phrase in this verse says to "be strong". Physically, I am not all that strong. I know women with more muscle and are stronger. Emotionally, I am often a weakling. My heart is easily touched and I get all feminine and woman-like, crying at weddings, at sappy songs, at chick flicks, at people in need. How strong am I spiritually? I hope in that area, I have the strength to fight the good fight. I could do a much better job memorizing Scripture. I know a lot of parts of verses, but don't ask me where to find them. I'm horrible at references. Yet, if I want to stay a step ahead of my attacker, if I want to stand fast, I better be able to point out where I can support my position. Satan will challenge me on this. Just as he tempted Jesus in the wilderness by presenting Scripture, he will try to twist and distort God's Words so that I am convinced they say what he wants me to believe. Its also important to know the context of verses. Anybody can take a verse out of a passage and make it say what they want it to say. I try so very carefully here, not to do that. Sometimes I will do that by way of application, but hopefully never by way of interpretation or doctrine. How many cults have been founded on a verse taken out of a passage that did not mean anything that they were trying to make it say? Satan is a master at this. If I want to stand fast, and stay that step ahead of him, I need to know what all of my Bible says. Reading the whole passage is a really good way to defend against this.
As a parent, as a soldier, as a Christian, God wants me to stand fast. He wants me to watch the signs of the times, He wants me to defend His Word, He wants to give me spiritual strength to fight the Wicked One. He wants me to stay a step ahead of the devil so I can defend against him properly. God says His Word is quick and powerful. Using it can make me the same.
Paul says farewell to the Corinth church in this chapter. He addresses some individually and the church as a whole. He gives them a few last words of encouragement and advice. Some of this encouragement is found in verse 13: "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
Standing fast. In this verse, that probably means, be firm, don't give up, defend what you believe. Can I make a parenting analogy? As a parent, when I think of standing fast with my kids, I always have to stay a step ahead of them. This means I have to think through each stage in their life, and prepare myself for the challenges they present. I need to have ready answers and planned reactions. When Paul says to stand fast, I'm sure he means all the definitions I already mentioned, but what if he also means to be quick? Shouldn't we, as Christians, be a step ahead of Satan and his attacks? Shouldn't we be watching for what the world will hurl at us, to knock us off balance?
How can I stand fast, when standing indicates not moving, but fast indicates movement? It seems a little contradictory. Going back to parenting, I have certain values and principles I want my children to learn. They will test these and question these things in various phases of their lives. I never relinquish them, I never abandon them, but I rush ahead and plant my feet again, so they understand that when they needed to obey Mommy and Daddy as a toddler, they still need to heed Mom and Dad as a teenager. So how do I do that with God's Word? I think the other phrases in the verse help me to see what I need to do. First, I need to watch. I know many people are not keen on current events. Personally, I only watch the news because my husband is a news hound. It forces me to pay better attention. I think it is important that we watch worldly trends, not so we can participate, but so we can defend against them. When we see something, we ought to gauge it by the Bible, and see what His Word has to say about particular activities. A few years ago, I kept hearing teenagers talking about a particular celebrity who had burst onto the music scene. I wondered why the sudden hoopla. I decided to check it out and oh my! Did I get an eye and earful! This particular singer was so ungodly in her lyrics and videos, I was just stunned. That is what is influencing our teenagers! I was seriously appalled. Now, I don't recommend turning on MTV on a regular basis. But I think sometimes to stay a step ahead, we need to be aware of what is out there. We need to watch and pay attention to the trends, because those are the snares Satan has set for our kids.
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| Courtesy of http://breadsite.org |
This verse also says to "quit you like men". Quitting doesn't seem like it belongs in this verse, since he is talking about standing firm and being watchful. The definition by Webster I particularly like is "To carry through; to do or perform something to the end, so that nothing remains; to discharge or perform completely." When I think of doing this like men, I think of the military. Soldiers follow through with an order given by their commander. It is what they are trained to do. Sometimes they have to quit a station to move ahead of the enemy and not allow them to advance further. Sometimes they are engaged in combat. As a woman, that does not appeal to me. At all. I am generally a peacemaker and do not like to engage in conflict. There are those occasions when my husband hands me the phone when a political party calls for donations. He chuckles when I won't back down from my conservative views and advise them that if they want my money they better get on the right track. He lets me answer the door when religious organizations preaching heresy try to give us their literature. When it comes to defending God's Word, I can be tenacious. Now, I don't try to engage in debate, I never find that works. But I am determined to let them know my resolve will not weaken on these issues. If I am going to stand fast, I need to be studying God's Word, and praying that God will give me the words to say when I am engaged in battle.
The last phrase in this verse says to "be strong". Physically, I am not all that strong. I know women with more muscle and are stronger. Emotionally, I am often a weakling. My heart is easily touched and I get all feminine and woman-like, crying at weddings, at sappy songs, at chick flicks, at people in need. How strong am I spiritually? I hope in that area, I have the strength to fight the good fight. I could do a much better job memorizing Scripture. I know a lot of parts of verses, but don't ask me where to find them. I'm horrible at references. Yet, if I want to stay a step ahead of my attacker, if I want to stand fast, I better be able to point out where I can support my position. Satan will challenge me on this. Just as he tempted Jesus in the wilderness by presenting Scripture, he will try to twist and distort God's Words so that I am convinced they say what he wants me to believe. Its also important to know the context of verses. Anybody can take a verse out of a passage and make it say what they want it to say. I try so very carefully here, not to do that. Sometimes I will do that by way of application, but hopefully never by way of interpretation or doctrine. How many cults have been founded on a verse taken out of a passage that did not mean anything that they were trying to make it say? Satan is a master at this. If I want to stand fast, and stay that step ahead of him, I need to know what all of my Bible says. Reading the whole passage is a really good way to defend against this.
As a parent, as a soldier, as a Christian, God wants me to stand fast. He wants me to watch the signs of the times, He wants me to defend His Word, He wants to give me spiritual strength to fight the Wicked One. He wants me to stay a step ahead of the devil so I can defend against him properly. God says His Word is quick and powerful. Using it can make me the same.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Just Around the Corner
Today's passage: I Corinthians 15:51-58
My son's favorite game on the Wii is Mario Karts. I have to admit, I really enjoy it too. The first couple times I played, I was a very bad driver. The graphics of the game are so incredible, but because the game is only 2D, it was sometimes hard for my undiscerning eyes to separate the background from the actual course. I drove off every bridge, crashed into every wall, fell into every body of water. And then there are those blind curves. You know, those curves that you can't see what is around the corner and smack into whatever ends up being around the bend. Yeah, did that numerous times. It would be easy to get frustrated and give up on the game. Fortunately, I do have a bit of a competitive side, and it rises up and won't allow me to do that. So although, I rarely ever finish in first place in these races, I don't always finish in last either.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." We often quote this verse to emphasize the importance of being faithful to a task. But it is really important to read the verses beforehand. There is a reason we can be steadfast, unmoving, and abounding. It is because Christ will return. Christ may come within the next few seconds, as I'm typing these words, and I want Him to find me hard at work, going about the Father's business. He's coming very soon. That is why every Bible verse I review with my kids, every prayer I offer for a loved one's salvation, every tract I give to the grocery store cashier, is urgent. It is not in vain. It may be the last time I get to do those things. Christ's coming is like the blind curves. I can't see around the corner, so I don't know when it will be, but everyday is a little closer to the time Jesus will come back for us. It would be easy to get frustrated and give up. I mean, really, there is a lot in the Christian life that is discouraging. There are days, when I wonder, what's the point? This morning I was feeling a bit like this. I have felt like giving up this blog, on more than one occasion. But I am not a quitter. I'm amazed sometimes to see that someone in a different country has read something here. I mean, that is astounding. Now how much was read, I don't know. How often they read I don't know. For me, I have always benefitted from reading the Bible and then writing about what I've read. I just get more from my devotions that way. In the past, I have written them in a notebook, now in the electronic age, when I learned about blogging, I decided this might be the outlet for me. I could give it up. I could go back to spiral-bound pages. But Christ's coming is just around the corner, and who knows if someone might happen upon these pages and find the Lord? I'm not saying that has or ever will happen, but shouldn't we use every avenue possible to see people saved? I think so. It may be that someone puts a word in a search engine, and somehow this blog shows up. So maybe someone just takes a peek. Maybe they will peek at a page explaining how they can know Christ. Isn't that why God leaves us here? To be that witness? I need to stay faithful to the things Christ has given me. Like a Mario Kart driver, I need to follow the course to the best of my capabilities, even though I may drive into a wall, fall off a bridge, submerge my vehicle in the CG lake. Satan will put many pitfalls in our path. We must do our best to avoid them, because Christ's coming may be just over the hill, and if I stop my work a little early, I may neglect to point someone to Him. If today is my last day on this earth, this minute, this hour, what words can I leave behind to direct others to Him? That is my whole life's purpose, and I want to be faithful to it until the trumpet sounds.
My son's favorite game on the Wii is Mario Karts. I have to admit, I really enjoy it too. The first couple times I played, I was a very bad driver. The graphics of the game are so incredible, but because the game is only 2D, it was sometimes hard for my undiscerning eyes to separate the background from the actual course. I drove off every bridge, crashed into every wall, fell into every body of water. And then there are those blind curves. You know, those curves that you can't see what is around the corner and smack into whatever ends up being around the bend. Yeah, did that numerous times. It would be easy to get frustrated and give up on the game. Fortunately, I do have a bit of a competitive side, and it rises up and won't allow me to do that. So although, I rarely ever finish in first place in these races, I don't always finish in last either.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." We often quote this verse to emphasize the importance of being faithful to a task. But it is really important to read the verses beforehand. There is a reason we can be steadfast, unmoving, and abounding. It is because Christ will return. Christ may come within the next few seconds, as I'm typing these words, and I want Him to find me hard at work, going about the Father's business. He's coming very soon. That is why every Bible verse I review with my kids, every prayer I offer for a loved one's salvation, every tract I give to the grocery store cashier, is urgent. It is not in vain. It may be the last time I get to do those things. Christ's coming is like the blind curves. I can't see around the corner, so I don't know when it will be, but everyday is a little closer to the time Jesus will come back for us. It would be easy to get frustrated and give up. I mean, really, there is a lot in the Christian life that is discouraging. There are days, when I wonder, what's the point? This morning I was feeling a bit like this. I have felt like giving up this blog, on more than one occasion. But I am not a quitter. I'm amazed sometimes to see that someone in a different country has read something here. I mean, that is astounding. Now how much was read, I don't know. How often they read I don't know. For me, I have always benefitted from reading the Bible and then writing about what I've read. I just get more from my devotions that way. In the past, I have written them in a notebook, now in the electronic age, when I learned about blogging, I decided this might be the outlet for me. I could give it up. I could go back to spiral-bound pages. But Christ's coming is just around the corner, and who knows if someone might happen upon these pages and find the Lord? I'm not saying that has or ever will happen, but shouldn't we use every avenue possible to see people saved? I think so. It may be that someone puts a word in a search engine, and somehow this blog shows up. So maybe someone just takes a peek. Maybe they will peek at a page explaining how they can know Christ. Isn't that why God leaves us here? To be that witness? I need to stay faithful to the things Christ has given me. Like a Mario Kart driver, I need to follow the course to the best of my capabilities, even though I may drive into a wall, fall off a bridge, submerge my vehicle in the CG lake. Satan will put many pitfalls in our path. We must do our best to avoid them, because Christ's coming may be just over the hill, and if I stop my work a little early, I may neglect to point someone to Him. If today is my last day on this earth, this minute, this hour, what words can I leave behind to direct others to Him? That is my whole life's purpose, and I want to be faithful to it until the trumpet sounds.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Bearing and Believing, Hoping and Enduring
Today's passage: I Corinthians 13:7
Charity..."Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
I remember a preacher in my Bible college chapel preaching on this passage and saying that this verse was a progression. In us, it probably is. It would be hard to endure if I didn't hope, believe, or bear first. But with God, who has perfect charity, it can not be. He doesn't ever need improvement, His love doesn't have to build. Here is what I have learned from these four characteristics about the Trinity.
Beareth all things...God is strong enough to bear all of our problems. He doesn't whine or complain about the weight. For Him, the lifting is easy. Jesus bore the weight of the cross, the weight of rejection, the weight of our sin. Bearing these things not because He was forced, but because of His love for us. The Holy Spirit bears with being pushed away, with being grieved, with being ignored. He puts up with a lot.
Believeth all things...God believes me to be righteous and holy when I am not. He believes it because of the debt His Son paid to make me righteous and holy. Jesus believed in my worth and value by dying for me. The Holy Spirit believes in His ability to transform me. He believes in the power God has given Him to make me a different person from what I am naturally.
Hopeth all things...God hopes every sinner will come to repentance. He hopes all of His Creation will realize He is the Creator and He deserves our worship. He hopes that if He allows this earth to remain one more day, then one more soul will be saved. The Lord Jesus hopes people will recognize that His sacrifice is enough. Nothing more needs to be done, nothing added. His substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary paid it all, and He hopes that every person trying to work their way to Heaven will someday realize that. The Holy Spirit hopes that the tapping on the heart will open wide to Him. He hopes the call to the mission field will be answered. He hopes the nudge to talk to the person in the grocery store about Christ will prompt action.
Endureth all things...God endures His name being used in vain. He endures people who claim He doesn't exist. He endures us transgressing His laws and explaining why they shouldn't be there. He endures people tossing His Words in the trash or burning them. He endures His Words being twisted, simplified, changed. Jesus endured over thirty years in a human body. He endured limiting His power. He endured questioning, ridicule, unbelief, semi-belief in the form of being made a mere historical figure and not the Son of God. He endured betrayal, beatings, crucifixion, burial. He endured separation from His Father. The Holy Spirit endures living in a Christian heart that is cold, indifferent, unresponsive. He endures getting too much glory for the work in our lives, and sometimes, not enough glory for the work in our lives. He endures having His gifts squandered or exaggerated.
When I see these traits of love, and I think of how marriages are entered into so quickly, thrown away so lightly, exited so frequently, it is clear that we don't understand God's love. If we did, we would put up with a lot more to make marriage work. If we understood God's love better, we would never walk past a person without asking about their eternal destination. We would sacrifice and tolerate more if it would make a difference in a person's eternal soul. If I loved God like He loves me, I would spend more time with Him, listen to Him better, do more for Him. He has given so much for me. He has given so much to me. I am amazed that anyone's love for me could be so perfect. I can never get into an argument with Him about not loving me enough, about not understanding me, about not doing enough for me. I might think those things about my family and friends at times, but God can never be accused of it. Can I ever love like He loves? I can only attempt. And even though my attempts will fall short, it is better than not trying at all.
Charity..."Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
I remember a preacher in my Bible college chapel preaching on this passage and saying that this verse was a progression. In us, it probably is. It would be hard to endure if I didn't hope, believe, or bear first. But with God, who has perfect charity, it can not be. He doesn't ever need improvement, His love doesn't have to build. Here is what I have learned from these four characteristics about the Trinity.
Beareth all things...God is strong enough to bear all of our problems. He doesn't whine or complain about the weight. For Him, the lifting is easy. Jesus bore the weight of the cross, the weight of rejection, the weight of our sin. Bearing these things not because He was forced, but because of His love for us. The Holy Spirit bears with being pushed away, with being grieved, with being ignored. He puts up with a lot.
Believeth all things...God believes me to be righteous and holy when I am not. He believes it because of the debt His Son paid to make me righteous and holy. Jesus believed in my worth and value by dying for me. The Holy Spirit believes in His ability to transform me. He believes in the power God has given Him to make me a different person from what I am naturally.
Hopeth all things...God hopes every sinner will come to repentance. He hopes all of His Creation will realize He is the Creator and He deserves our worship. He hopes that if He allows this earth to remain one more day, then one more soul will be saved. The Lord Jesus hopes people will recognize that His sacrifice is enough. Nothing more needs to be done, nothing added. His substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary paid it all, and He hopes that every person trying to work their way to Heaven will someday realize that. The Holy Spirit hopes that the tapping on the heart will open wide to Him. He hopes the call to the mission field will be answered. He hopes the nudge to talk to the person in the grocery store about Christ will prompt action.
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| Jesus stands at the door knocking Taken from Standard Bible Story Readers, Book Six By Lillie A. Faris Illustrated by O.A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland The Standard Publishing Company, 1929 |
When I see these traits of love, and I think of how marriages are entered into so quickly, thrown away so lightly, exited so frequently, it is clear that we don't understand God's love. If we did, we would put up with a lot more to make marriage work. If we understood God's love better, we would never walk past a person without asking about their eternal destination. We would sacrifice and tolerate more if it would make a difference in a person's eternal soul. If I loved God like He loves me, I would spend more time with Him, listen to Him better, do more for Him. He has given so much for me. He has given so much to me. I am amazed that anyone's love for me could be so perfect. I can never get into an argument with Him about not loving me enough, about not understanding me, about not doing enough for me. I might think those things about my family and friends at times, but God can never be accused of it. Can I ever love like He loves? I can only attempt. And even though my attempts will fall short, it is better than not trying at all.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Gold Medal Standard
Today's passage: I Corinthians 9:19-27
The Olympics. How I love to watch the Olympics. My husband dreads them because I will watch every event possible. Seriously. I think the first time I watched them was the summer they were in Los Angeles. I remember wanting to stay up every night to see women's volleyball, swimming, and of course gymnastics. I loved hearing the life stories of these athletes who had given up so much to train for their event, to train to represent our country, to train to win that gold medal. I love that they stagger the Winter and Summer Olympics so that one is viewable every two years. Now I only have to wait half as long to see an Olympics.
Last year, my son watched speed skating with me and we both rooted for Apollo Anton Ohno. He decided he wanted to take up speed skating and go to the Olympics to win a gold medal. I explained to him that it takes years of training. You don't just show up at the Olympics and participate. You have to become the best at your sport, which means school in a different way, not a lot of play time, hours and hours of drills and skating. I was not trying to discourage him, but I knew he had no idea what it would take to achieve that level of competition. After listening to the amount of dedication it would take to get to the Olympics, he decided maybe he would just watch it on TV.
I am astounded at the discipline these athletes exercise to vie for that gold medal, once, maybe twice in their lifetimes. It means pushing your body to unbelievable limits. It means dying to self in many facets of life. It means pushing through injuries and adversities. We glorify the athlete (I think disproportionately) because we know the effort it takes to subject our bodies to those physical demands. We know the difficulty of exercising such will power when chocolate cake is calling out to us, and think, well maybe just this once, when a trained athlete will say, not even this once. We know when we want to skip a workout because we have had a draining week, and the competitor says, I will workout twice today. There must be a drive in them that compels them to keep going. And we've seen it. Who can forget Keri Strug's memorable vault which secured a gymnastics team gold medal? After spraining her ankle to record a lukewarm score, she vaulted into the hearts of America by braving a second attempt. Furthermore, she sacrificed her chances at the All-Arounds with this endeavor. She took one for the team. Had she not pushed her ankle, giving it a chance to mend before the Individual events, she might have had opportunity to take more than one medal home.
How much am I willing to sacrifice to give out the gospel? Missionaries do it. They represent us in all parts of the world, giving up the daily comforts we take for granted. They eat foods we would not even taste, let alone eat. They learn difficult languages that require years of study. In some places, they travel dusty terrain to reach the outlying villages. They encounter incurable disease, unsanitary conditions, untamed wildlife, government regime changes, inflation that alters their financial support. These seem like big things, but they also deal with daily nuisances. Insects, electricity blackouts, water shortages, rodents, corrupt officials, homesickness and a host of other things. Paul gives quite a lengthy list in II Corinthians 11 about just a few of the things that had happened to him as a missionary. He wasn't complaining, he was just explaining that the missionary life is not always easy. He was willing to go through all that because he knew that people who die without Christ will go through a lot more.
Athletes punish their bodies to achieve a gold medal. Sure, it looks great on the mantelpiece, the gold reflecting in the homefires. Yes, it brings international fame and recognition at every breakfast table chowing down on Wheaties. Surely, there is satisfaction knowing that those years of intense training had been rewarded.
Missionaries leave previous (sometimes lucrative) occupations to go to an unfamiliar culture. They raise their children far away from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who deem them strangers when they return for furloughs. They make difficult decisions about how those children will be schooled, abroad or at home. They will not bring home a gold medal at the end of their tenure, but they will have something far more precious at the end of this life.
Is it a lot to ask for me to give a little time to pray for them? And not just a "Please bless the missionaries" but praying specifically for each family, for each field, for each need. Is it too much to give a little of my money to support missionaries? Maybe to even give a little more for special missionary projects? I'll admit it. I am embarrassed when I don't know who our missionaries are. I may not always recognize each face, because I don't have a missionary card for each of them, but I should at least recognize each name. Just yesterday, I was reading some of the missionary letters on the church bulletin board (something I should do far more often) and saw a name I did not recognize. Have I prayed for that family before? I didn't see it on our regular prayer sheet, so I'm not sure what the situation is, but now that I know it, I will do my best to pray for them regularly.
If athletes and missionaries can discipline themselves to give their all, can't I discipline myself to give just a little? In the Olympics, they are competing for a temporary reward, and I never see a one of them giving up even though the first three cross the finish line. Every competitor finishes that race, even it means pushing a broken luge across by foot. They do not want to let their country down. They want to finish their race with pride. Shouldn't I want to do the same for my God? I know I will never be Olympics material, but shouldn't I be a gold medalist on God's team? It might take a little work, and a little dedication, but a gold crown will last longer than a gold medal.
The Olympics. How I love to watch the Olympics. My husband dreads them because I will watch every event possible. Seriously. I think the first time I watched them was the summer they were in Los Angeles. I remember wanting to stay up every night to see women's volleyball, swimming, and of course gymnastics. I loved hearing the life stories of these athletes who had given up so much to train for their event, to train to represent our country, to train to win that gold medal. I love that they stagger the Winter and Summer Olympics so that one is viewable every two years. Now I only have to wait half as long to see an Olympics.
Last year, my son watched speed skating with me and we both rooted for Apollo Anton Ohno. He decided he wanted to take up speed skating and go to the Olympics to win a gold medal. I explained to him that it takes years of training. You don't just show up at the Olympics and participate. You have to become the best at your sport, which means school in a different way, not a lot of play time, hours and hours of drills and skating. I was not trying to discourage him, but I knew he had no idea what it would take to achieve that level of competition. After listening to the amount of dedication it would take to get to the Olympics, he decided maybe he would just watch it on TV.
I am astounded at the discipline these athletes exercise to vie for that gold medal, once, maybe twice in their lifetimes. It means pushing your body to unbelievable limits. It means dying to self in many facets of life. It means pushing through injuries and adversities. We glorify the athlete (I think disproportionately) because we know the effort it takes to subject our bodies to those physical demands. We know the difficulty of exercising such will power when chocolate cake is calling out to us, and think, well maybe just this once, when a trained athlete will say, not even this once. We know when we want to skip a workout because we have had a draining week, and the competitor says, I will workout twice today. There must be a drive in them that compels them to keep going. And we've seen it. Who can forget Keri Strug's memorable vault which secured a gymnastics team gold medal? After spraining her ankle to record a lukewarm score, she vaulted into the hearts of America by braving a second attempt. Furthermore, she sacrificed her chances at the All-Arounds with this endeavor. She took one for the team. Had she not pushed her ankle, giving it a chance to mend before the Individual events, she might have had opportunity to take more than one medal home.
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How much am I willing to sacrifice to give out the gospel? Missionaries do it. They represent us in all parts of the world, giving up the daily comforts we take for granted. They eat foods we would not even taste, let alone eat. They learn difficult languages that require years of study. In some places, they travel dusty terrain to reach the outlying villages. They encounter incurable disease, unsanitary conditions, untamed wildlife, government regime changes, inflation that alters their financial support. These seem like big things, but they also deal with daily nuisances. Insects, electricity blackouts, water shortages, rodents, corrupt officials, homesickness and a host of other things. Paul gives quite a lengthy list in II Corinthians 11 about just a few of the things that had happened to him as a missionary. He wasn't complaining, he was just explaining that the missionary life is not always easy. He was willing to go through all that because he knew that people who die without Christ will go through a lot more.
Athletes punish their bodies to achieve a gold medal. Sure, it looks great on the mantelpiece, the gold reflecting in the homefires. Yes, it brings international fame and recognition at every breakfast table chowing down on Wheaties. Surely, there is satisfaction knowing that those years of intense training had been rewarded.
Missionaries leave previous (sometimes lucrative) occupations to go to an unfamiliar culture. They raise their children far away from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who deem them strangers when they return for furloughs. They make difficult decisions about how those children will be schooled, abroad or at home. They will not bring home a gold medal at the end of their tenure, but they will have something far more precious at the end of this life.
Is it a lot to ask for me to give a little time to pray for them? And not just a "Please bless the missionaries" but praying specifically for each family, for each field, for each need. Is it too much to give a little of my money to support missionaries? Maybe to even give a little more for special missionary projects? I'll admit it. I am embarrassed when I don't know who our missionaries are. I may not always recognize each face, because I don't have a missionary card for each of them, but I should at least recognize each name. Just yesterday, I was reading some of the missionary letters on the church bulletin board (something I should do far more often) and saw a name I did not recognize. Have I prayed for that family before? I didn't see it on our regular prayer sheet, so I'm not sure what the situation is, but now that I know it, I will do my best to pray for them regularly.
If athletes and missionaries can discipline themselves to give their all, can't I discipline myself to give just a little? In the Olympics, they are competing for a temporary reward, and I never see a one of them giving up even though the first three cross the finish line. Every competitor finishes that race, even it means pushing a broken luge across by foot. They do not want to let their country down. They want to finish their race with pride. Shouldn't I want to do the same for my God? I know I will never be Olympics material, but shouldn't I be a gold medalist on God's team? It might take a little work, and a little dedication, but a gold crown will last longer than a gold medal.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Continuing Education
Today's passage: I Corinthians 2:9-16
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
Some people quit school. Some people drop out of high school. Some people, because of their upbringing and the region they lived, were forced to end their schooling at an earlier age then most. Some people never go to college, or start it and never finish. Hold on now, I'm going to say something pretty shocking, and especially as a former educator, you may not believe what I am about to say. Education is not the end-all to success. Learning is not the single most important thing. Recently, in my city especially, we have legislators and city officials pushing to lengthen the school day and school year. I am so against that, you have no idea. I certainly believe education is important, it is needful, learning is necessary for most things in life. But do you know what? There have been plenty of people who have been successful, who have made something of their life, who have forged ahead without as much education as "experts"say you need. Does this mean I won't encourage my children to finish high school or go to college? I absolutely will. And I will explain to them exactly why it will be to their benefit. And I will also show them the choices they are making to pay Mommy and Daddy rent to live here if they decide to abandon their education early. Don't worry, we won't charge them a lot, in fact far less if they were to get an apartment on their own, but enough that they understand that once school is over they have to start earning their own way in life.
I veered off on a rabbit trail there, but I just thought of comparing the education I achieved through school, and the education I achieve through the Bible. People spend years in school. I stopped with my Bachelor's and had no desire to go on to get a master's or doctorate. For me, cramming four college years into five was plenty. I was done. Applause for those who go on to more training. Seriously. College is a lot of work. So is reading the Bible. I mean, it isn't the easiest Book to read. And as the verse at the top says, there are some deep things in there. I don't know if I have read any of the deep stuff yet, but if I quit reading, I know I will never get to them. God says His Holy Spirit will help me to understand the deep things. Ever met somebody who seems to understand all there is to understand about the Bible? Pastors are generally knowledgeable about what is in it. That is because they spend hours studying it. Now most of them will tell you they don't know everything there is to know, but they probably know more than the average Christian. But here is the exciting thing. If I spend as much time in it, I can know as much about it as a pastor (that doesn't mean I should become one, the Bible is also very clear about that). But if I quit early, if I drop out, if I decide not to continue my education, I won't know as much. It would be very beneficial for me to know everything it has for me. God may just be getting to the deep parts but if I give up, He will never get to show me.
I am a fan of continuing my education, just not in the college realm. I am in favor of gleaning as much as I can from God's Word, and if I really want to go deep, I need to spend more time in it. If I want to be successful in the Christian life, I can read a little (and have a little success) or I can read a lot (and prayerfully, have a lot of success). So I guess I better buckle down and do some homework, cause God has some deep things to reveal to me.
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
Some people quit school. Some people drop out of high school. Some people, because of their upbringing and the region they lived, were forced to end their schooling at an earlier age then most. Some people never go to college, or start it and never finish. Hold on now, I'm going to say something pretty shocking, and especially as a former educator, you may not believe what I am about to say. Education is not the end-all to success. Learning is not the single most important thing. Recently, in my city especially, we have legislators and city officials pushing to lengthen the school day and school year. I am so against that, you have no idea. I certainly believe education is important, it is needful, learning is necessary for most things in life. But do you know what? There have been plenty of people who have been successful, who have made something of their life, who have forged ahead without as much education as "experts"say you need. Does this mean I won't encourage my children to finish high school or go to college? I absolutely will. And I will explain to them exactly why it will be to their benefit. And I will also show them the choices they are making to pay Mommy and Daddy rent to live here if they decide to abandon their education early. Don't worry, we won't charge them a lot, in fact far less if they were to get an apartment on their own, but enough that they understand that once school is over they have to start earning their own way in life.
I veered off on a rabbit trail there, but I just thought of comparing the education I achieved through school, and the education I achieve through the Bible. People spend years in school. I stopped with my Bachelor's and had no desire to go on to get a master's or doctorate. For me, cramming four college years into five was plenty. I was done. Applause for those who go on to more training. Seriously. College is a lot of work. So is reading the Bible. I mean, it isn't the easiest Book to read. And as the verse at the top says, there are some deep things in there. I don't know if I have read any of the deep stuff yet, but if I quit reading, I know I will never get to them. God says His Holy Spirit will help me to understand the deep things. Ever met somebody who seems to understand all there is to understand about the Bible? Pastors are generally knowledgeable about what is in it. That is because they spend hours studying it. Now most of them will tell you they don't know everything there is to know, but they probably know more than the average Christian. But here is the exciting thing. If I spend as much time in it, I can know as much about it as a pastor (that doesn't mean I should become one, the Bible is also very clear about that). But if I quit early, if I drop out, if I decide not to continue my education, I won't know as much. It would be very beneficial for me to know everything it has for me. God may just be getting to the deep parts but if I give up, He will never get to show me.
I am a fan of continuing my education, just not in the college realm. I am in favor of gleaning as much as I can from God's Word, and if I really want to go deep, I need to spend more time in it. If I want to be successful in the Christian life, I can read a little (and have a little success) or I can read a lot (and prayerfully, have a lot of success). So I guess I better buckle down and do some homework, cause God has some deep things to reveal to me.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Inside Out
Today's passage: I Samuel 27
I have never known anyone in the Witness Protection Program. Actually, I can't really say that, because if the program really works, I may know many people in it, but their identities are so well concealed, that I would never know.
Imagine a lifetime of always living as someone else. Changing your name, the way you look, inventing a new history for yourself. It would seem odd. You wouldn't be able to visit your extended family, because you could not put them at risk in revealing where you are. If you had children, you would somehow have to re-program their memories. You would have to tell them that lying is okay in this case, because it was for your own protection. But you wouldn't call it lying, you would call it pretending. I'm not being critical or judgemental of that, I'm sure it is how I would handle the same situation. You would live in a new house, with new belongings (I'm guessing you would have to leave your old ones behind, because you couldn't risk rental truck agencies or movers to not give out your information) in a new neighborhood in a different city or state. You would always be reviewing your story, trying to keep every detail straight so that you would not stumble when asked. When enrolling in school or establishing a bank account, you would produce government issued fake identification. Not even the picture would be you because your hair color and eye color would have altered with the help of Clairol and tinted contact lenses. It would be as if you had vanished off the planet. And that is the strategy. Still, you would be alive. You might have to go through this routine every couple months or every couple years, just in case you were being tracked by the very people from which you were hiding. Can you sense how discouraged someone going through this might get? How could you ever really establish friendships when your whole life was made up? How could you ever really trust anybody to keep your secret? You couldn't. You would just keep moving and medicate yourself for the daily anxiety attacks you experience for fear of being discovered. Maybe I have it all wrong, and protected witnesses lead perfectly normal, average, boring lives.
David could have used a Witness Protection Program. Every time he looked over his shoulder, Saul and his soldiers were right behind him. David manages to stay a step ahead, but he is tired of this nomadic life. He is ready to settle down. He has a family after all, and although it is not clear whether his children have been born, this was still no life for the two wives who traveled with him. I don't know how many years David has spent in the wilderness (I guess I could find that out, I'm just too lazy to search it out right now) but wouldn't even a week of wandering seem taxing? I don't think I could manage living that lifestyle for a couple days, let alone a couple years. I imagine David thought in the beginning, this would be a temporary situation. Who would think that he would be running from Saul for months on end? Who wouldn't get discouraged under the circumstances? I would. At first, David probably had all the faith in the world, and believed implicitly that God would deliver him. As time passes, and the situation has not resolved, David questions whether he will ever be established on Israel's throne, because he is not sure he will ever make it out of the wilderness.
That's something to think about. This world is my wilderness. We face problems every day, and for some people it seems those problems never resolve. Through no fault of their own, they are faced with trial upon trial. God has allowed it. I don't refer to me in this scenario, because as I have said before, I don't feel like I've had to face anything. But I know people who seem to be confronted with problems day after day. They were convinced God would have intervened by now. They had faith that God would handle the situation. And He will. But what if He doesn't do anything about it this side of Heaven? Then what? At the end of this chapter, while David is a fugitive in Philistia, he attacks some of the enemy nations that have for so long bothered Israel, including the Amalekites that Saul so badly fails to destroy. David is accomplishing something now, that will help him in later years when God installs him as king. It may seem that David's life has been wasted, but God is training David. The trials we face are the training ground for something greater in our lives. Even if that something greater is simply to throw our crowns at Christ's feet. I know it can be discouraging. I know that the day-to-day that develops into the year-to-year lends itself to defeat. David was ready to quit. He is certain that no matter how much space he puts between himself and Saul, one day the hour glass will have poured its last grain and Saul will be victorious. Of course, we know the end of the story and can tell David it is not true. God will deliver him. God will deliver you. I can't tell you when. I can't tell you how. I can't look at your trial and answer, well, only for this long. I wish I could. Some trials are for a lifetime. Why? I can't answer that either.
When faced with having to flee my home, my family, every thing I hold dear to escape certain death from an enemy, I would wonder, how long? If I were forced to adopt an alias to be able to live the rest of my life, I don't know if I could do that, because I would never know when it was to end. Sometimes the greatest part of the trial is not knowing when the trial will have an ending. If I were in the Witness Protection Program, I might never get out. My greatest struggle would be the seeming eternity of it. And yet, that is how God teaches us to wait on Him. We are so bad at waiting. We have to wait for Him to say, "Okay, now. Now, I will take this from you." For some of us, that may be right away. For some of us, that may be after years of praying and struggling. And for some of us, it may not be until we leave this life. Is there a formula to shorten the waiting period? No. Because God works something different in all of our lives, and only when we look back, can we see what He has accomplished. Only I know that when He put that particular problem in my path, it produced this fruit. Maybe nobody else could see it. But I could. Nobody can see the inner workings of my spirit. That is between me and God. That is between you and God. David had times of discouragement. Read the Psalms and you can see that. But David endured. He did not give up. He still believed that God would help him, even though the help did not come right away.
Protected witnesses enroll in the program so they can have a life. Even if that life is not what they desired. It would seem that only the exteriors have been changed, but anybody going through something like that knows they have changed on the inside too. No trial leaves us unchanged, so maybe the outward transformation is not so far fetched after all. Maybe the name changes, the relocation, the altered appearance only hints at the inner turmoil we experience. We can't divulge how God is working inside us in every instance. We can't always explain how God is changing us from the inside. Our old self doesn't really match who we are anymore anyway. In that case, maybe we are all enrolled in witness protection.
I have never known anyone in the Witness Protection Program. Actually, I can't really say that, because if the program really works, I may know many people in it, but their identities are so well concealed, that I would never know.
Imagine a lifetime of always living as someone else. Changing your name, the way you look, inventing a new history for yourself. It would seem odd. You wouldn't be able to visit your extended family, because you could not put them at risk in revealing where you are. If you had children, you would somehow have to re-program their memories. You would have to tell them that lying is okay in this case, because it was for your own protection. But you wouldn't call it lying, you would call it pretending. I'm not being critical or judgemental of that, I'm sure it is how I would handle the same situation. You would live in a new house, with new belongings (I'm guessing you would have to leave your old ones behind, because you couldn't risk rental truck agencies or movers to not give out your information) in a new neighborhood in a different city or state. You would always be reviewing your story, trying to keep every detail straight so that you would not stumble when asked. When enrolling in school or establishing a bank account, you would produce government issued fake identification. Not even the picture would be you because your hair color and eye color would have altered with the help of Clairol and tinted contact lenses. It would be as if you had vanished off the planet. And that is the strategy. Still, you would be alive. You might have to go through this routine every couple months or every couple years, just in case you were being tracked by the very people from which you were hiding. Can you sense how discouraged someone going through this might get? How could you ever really establish friendships when your whole life was made up? How could you ever really trust anybody to keep your secret? You couldn't. You would just keep moving and medicate yourself for the daily anxiety attacks you experience for fear of being discovered. Maybe I have it all wrong, and protected witnesses lead perfectly normal, average, boring lives.
David could have used a Witness Protection Program. Every time he looked over his shoulder, Saul and his soldiers were right behind him. David manages to stay a step ahead, but he is tired of this nomadic life. He is ready to settle down. He has a family after all, and although it is not clear whether his children have been born, this was still no life for the two wives who traveled with him. I don't know how many years David has spent in the wilderness (I guess I could find that out, I'm just too lazy to search it out right now) but wouldn't even a week of wandering seem taxing? I don't think I could manage living that lifestyle for a couple days, let alone a couple years. I imagine David thought in the beginning, this would be a temporary situation. Who would think that he would be running from Saul for months on end? Who wouldn't get discouraged under the circumstances? I would. At first, David probably had all the faith in the world, and believed implicitly that God would deliver him. As time passes, and the situation has not resolved, David questions whether he will ever be established on Israel's throne, because he is not sure he will ever make it out of the wilderness.
That's something to think about. This world is my wilderness. We face problems every day, and for some people it seems those problems never resolve. Through no fault of their own, they are faced with trial upon trial. God has allowed it. I don't refer to me in this scenario, because as I have said before, I don't feel like I've had to face anything. But I know people who seem to be confronted with problems day after day. They were convinced God would have intervened by now. They had faith that God would handle the situation. And He will. But what if He doesn't do anything about it this side of Heaven? Then what? At the end of this chapter, while David is a fugitive in Philistia, he attacks some of the enemy nations that have for so long bothered Israel, including the Amalekites that Saul so badly fails to destroy. David is accomplishing something now, that will help him in later years when God installs him as king. It may seem that David's life has been wasted, but God is training David. The trials we face are the training ground for something greater in our lives. Even if that something greater is simply to throw our crowns at Christ's feet. I know it can be discouraging. I know that the day-to-day that develops into the year-to-year lends itself to defeat. David was ready to quit. He is certain that no matter how much space he puts between himself and Saul, one day the hour glass will have poured its last grain and Saul will be victorious. Of course, we know the end of the story and can tell David it is not true. God will deliver him. God will deliver you. I can't tell you when. I can't tell you how. I can't look at your trial and answer, well, only for this long. I wish I could. Some trials are for a lifetime. Why? I can't answer that either.
When faced with having to flee my home, my family, every thing I hold dear to escape certain death from an enemy, I would wonder, how long? If I were forced to adopt an alias to be able to live the rest of my life, I don't know if I could do that, because I would never know when it was to end. Sometimes the greatest part of the trial is not knowing when the trial will have an ending. If I were in the Witness Protection Program, I might never get out. My greatest struggle would be the seeming eternity of it. And yet, that is how God teaches us to wait on Him. We are so bad at waiting. We have to wait for Him to say, "Okay, now. Now, I will take this from you." For some of us, that may be right away. For some of us, that may be after years of praying and struggling. And for some of us, it may not be until we leave this life. Is there a formula to shorten the waiting period? No. Because God works something different in all of our lives, and only when we look back, can we see what He has accomplished. Only I know that when He put that particular problem in my path, it produced this fruit. Maybe nobody else could see it. But I could. Nobody can see the inner workings of my spirit. That is between me and God. That is between you and God. David had times of discouragement. Read the Psalms and you can see that. But David endured. He did not give up. He still believed that God would help him, even though the help did not come right away.
Protected witnesses enroll in the program so they can have a life. Even if that life is not what they desired. It would seem that only the exteriors have been changed, but anybody going through something like that knows they have changed on the inside too. No trial leaves us unchanged, so maybe the outward transformation is not so far fetched after all. Maybe the name changes, the relocation, the altered appearance only hints at the inner turmoil we experience. We can't divulge how God is working inside us in every instance. We can't always explain how God is changing us from the inside. Our old self doesn't really match who we are anymore anyway. In that case, maybe we are all enrolled in witness protection.
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