Questions +

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" 

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Mark 9:21-24 NIV

Our text comes from an interesting story about a child who was deaf and dumb. The father heard about Jesus and His ministry and was desperate to get help for his own son. His words are telling - "If you can do anything..." He believes what he's heard from the others - or at least partly; otherwise, he wouldn't be there. He wants to believe. His words reflect what's in his heart... "If you can..." But he's honest before Jesus. "Help me overcome my unbelief!" I read that verse the first time as a child and I've never forgotten it. I always wondered how he could say he believed and then ask for help because of his unbelief.

As a child, I just believed. As an adult, I understand his quandary. Perhaps that's why Christ said we must be as children...

Can you believe when you don't see? Can you continue to believe when you don't get what you want? When you don't get what you feel you need? When it doesn't go according to your plan? Do you question God and / or His ability when you feel your prayers are unanswered? Can you follow - be His disciple - adhere to His Word when there is calamity? Chaos? Cancer?

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. Can you? Do you? Will you?

Prayer:

Father,

          There are many unanswered questions in our lives. In spite of them, we know You are trustworthy and You are faithful and You are God and we are not. This we know. We do believe; help us overcome our unbelief. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Starting Position

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.

Psalm 50:14-15 NLT

I've talked many times before about giving thanks in the midst of life's trials. You may remember the story about Does your eyebrow hurt, Mom? Then can we give thanks that your eyebrow doesn't hurt? Well, we often do the same thing when we're struggling with repeated mistakes in our lives. We listen to the lies of satan. I must not be saved. I always do that. I can't be a Christian and still struggle with that. I'll never get victory over it. I might as well give up... Any of that sound familiar?

How did we learn to walk when we were children? Did we just decide one day that it was time to walk and then up we got and walked our little selves all over the place? No, it was Get up. Fall. Get up, step, fall. Step, step, fall. Get up, fall. Get up, fall. Fall. Fall. Cry. Resolve. Get up... Even if you've never had children, more than likely, you have watched a little one's first steps or attempts at walking.

As children, the first thing we learned was to pull ourselves up on something sturdy to see if our legs would hold us. Then we fought to get balance...and we struggled to keep our balance. Sometimes, we no sooner got that first foot up off the floor, then we found ourselves back on the floor in the starting position. The good news is we eventually learned how to walk, right? You may not remember the process, but your life is the proof.

It's the same principle with our Christian walk. Get up. Fall. Get up, step, fall. Step, step, fall. Get up, fall. Get up, fall. Fall. Fall. Cry. Resolve. Get up... Proverbs 24:16a NLT reads, The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.

So often, we find ourselves focusing on our mistakes rather than giving thanks for what God has made new in us. I would like to point out that the starting position is not Get up. The starting point is while you're on your knees or face down on the floor... Don't beat yourself up over it. Jesus was already beat up for it. Use His Cross as the one sturdy thing that you can utilize to pull yourself up. Okay, everyone! Starting positions...

Prayer:


Father,

          Your goodness and mercy and grace overwhelm us. Your Word is a continual lamp for our feet and light for the path You have chosen for us. Help us to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

*Fresh Bread

Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:11

There used to be a grocery chain in Texas called Albertson's. Now personally, I detest grocery shopping, but I liked going to Albertson's. When you walked in the door, you were greeted with the aroma of fresh-baked bread. They baked twice a day. Once in the morning, so you could smell it if you stopped in on your way to work, and once in the evening, so you could smell it if you stopped in on your way home. They would serve it up hot and have it by the checkouts in an open-ended bag to let you get the full effect of that delightful come-and-get-it-smell of just-baked bread. 

If I grabbed a loaf of that bread on the way home, my family would sing my praises like I'd just baked it myself. Yet, all I did was pick up what was already available and serve it to them. You can almost smell it now, can't you? mmmmmmm...

As wonderful as the bread was that night, by the next morning, it was hard. It wasn't the same. Didn't have the same flavor, either. It was still bread. It still had all the same ingredients. It still had all the same nutrients, but it wasn't fresh. It could not evoke the same delight as it did fresh from the oven. I know because I bought many loaves of that bread and my family was delighted every time...

Let me ask you something. Do you think I would have bought stale bread on purpose? No, of course not, and neither would you. Do you think my family would have been thrilled if I'd served them stale bread? Would you serve stale bread to your family and friends or those you work with?  How long do you think you would eat stale bread? If you had nothing else, you might eat it one day, maybe two, but eventually, you throw it out.

The Word of God is our bread from heaven. And yet, we think if we've read the Bible before or memorized verses, that will suffice; that somehow we don't need to get it every day. Where do we get that idea? 

I don't want to survive on stale bread. And I don't want to serve stale bread to those I care about. I want it fresh - the aroma of heaven in my nostrils because I have been to the Throne Room, served up hot because of the fire that forged it in my spirit. Same bread recipe - different day. Served up fresh. How delightful - every time.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your Word that is fresh every day. Thank You for its life-giving power. Thank You for making it available to us - right there and ready for us. Help us to be holy and diligent, workers who do not need to be ashamed, Your people, rightly dividing the Word of Truth and serving it up fresh. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Following the Leader +

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 15:10-13 NLT

The Pharisees thought they could live righteously by their works - all the dos and don'ts. A religious sect that set itself up as leaders. And nobody wanted to cross them. They had connections. They could get you thrown out of the temple. They had such power over the people that Christ's own disciples asked Him, Do you realize you offended the Pharisees...? Amazing, isn't it...and not a good amazing...

We sometimes wonder how people like this get into leadership. They dress the part, they pontificate, they're educated by the world's standard, or just very enigmatic, and people listen to them and then follow them. The Godly principle of 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word' doesn't only work through hearing the Word of God. God's principles work and apply in all facets of life.

So, what are you listening to? WHO are you listening to? If you think it doesn't make a difference, think about this. Have you ever noticed that you pick up your friends' idioms? Do you catch yourself using expressions your friends use? What you hang around - what you feed your spirit - what you constantly hear and or listen to - these are the influences of your heart and soul.

Further down in our text for today, verses 16-20; “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you."

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 16:25, There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. God refers to us as sheep and sheep follow the voice of the one they know - the one whose voice is familiar. Who are you following? Because whoever you're following - that's your leader. Where is that person going? Is it the right way or a way that seems like it is? Watch out for the ditch...if you can see it...

Prayer:

Father,
            Open our eyes and hearts to Your Truth. Deliver us from evil for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

T.H.E. Thing to Do +

The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!
Deuteronomy 30:6 NLT

In the engineering realm, they use acronyms for everything - more so than even IT people. Some of the acronyms make sense because the thing to which they refer would take 5 minutes to say. Some of them are silly or misleading. For instance, 'lb' - To most people, that refers to pounds, but to my company it means, 'lay barge.' Fortunately, I used to be quite good at solving acronyms. In fact, I find them to be a lot of fun, and on occasion, try to create them - mostly for a laugh.

I think I've mentioned before the one created as a result from learning the rules of driving for the state of Missouri. In most of the country, a stop sign is literal. It means stop. In Missouri, it's an acronym for S.low T.o O.bvious P.ause. BIG difference. In engineering, STOP is an acronym for Safety Training Observation Program. It's all about what you're used to and where you are…and remembering where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing. That’s T.H.E. thing.

Sometimes in life, we get into a situation that becomes a habit. Sometimes, they're not good habits. And in the course of it, we get lazy and we gain weight or become unhealthy. Sometimes, a season in life seems to last so long that we get tunnel vision and can't see life or God from any other angle. So we stay there because that is what we have allowed ourselves to become used to. We say, 'Well, this is where I am.' Sometimes we even go so far as to say, 'This is where God has me.' because we only look inward instead of up and around and we lose sight.

So what is T.H.E. thing to do that can change it? What if you really can't change the circumstances of where you are? What if it really IS where God has you for the time being? And what if you really don't like it? What can change? What is T.H.E. thing YOU can do to change it?

Psalm 107:8, Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! We can thank God for something - for anything. Sometimes when I mention that to a person, their response will be, 'What for? What do I have in my life to thank God for? I have nothing. I am nothing.'  Hmmm, how about that He lets you live and breathe and doesn't just strike you dead for whining? Or thank Him because He's changed MY heart so that I don't have the inclination to just smack you for whining? Just kidding... 

This isn't a new concept. We've talked about this before. Finding one thing to be thankful for –  You want to be heart-whole? You want heart health? Develop that muscle to be strong! I have created a form called T.H.E. Thing To Do list. T.H.E. stands for T.hankful H.eart E.xercise. I think it’s self-explanatory. If you want a copy to use, just let me know. Try it for one week. Make it T.H.E. Thing to do.

Prayer:

Father, 
           Forgive us when we don’t recognize Your faithfulness and goodness to us. We do know that You are God and every good and perfect gift comes from You, even when they’re not packaged quite as we would like. Thank You, Father, for loving us enough to give us what we need. Give us grateful hearts to recognize Your love. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* I Had No Choice

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;
Deuteronomy 30:19-20a NKJV

I watched a movie the other day about a young woman looking to fulfill her purpose in life. She had a plan. Then she got a job that turned out to be life-changing for her. 

At first, it was just a job; the means to an end. She didn't even like it all that much. She was just there on her way to being where she wanted to be. Then being there every day, being with the people, seeing it all first-hand, she got caught up in all of it and it literally changed her life.

She was a bright girl and a hard worker and she knew she could improve the position. She poured everything she had of herself into it. She worked her way up, fought hard, performed well, moved into a position of importance and traveled the world over. She became VERY successful and it not only changed her life, but it changed all the lives she touched, as well.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? However, it was NOT a change for good. She lost the way - the purpose of her life - on her way up. She bought the lie. Hook, line and sinker... and because of it, she lost the truth of her life. She had no true confidant. There was no one who knew her for herself, let alone loved her for who she was. Yet throughout the unplanned course, she would say,  "I have no choice. I have to work." "I have no choice - she's the boss." "I have no choice - I have to do what she says." All the while, climbing the ladder, feeding the frenzy of her ego and competitiveness and the desire to win. "You don't understand. I didn't choose to do that - it's part of my job. I have to. I have no choice."

There is ALWAYS a choice. God said so. He set it before us. Sometimes, we may have to choose to not go somewhere that everyone else is going, or choose to do without something we want in order to provide for someone in need, or - horror of horrors - make a stand where people will think we're weird or call us a goodie-two-shoes. 

Psalm 40:8 reads, My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart.

Luke 6:22 reads, What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.

Mark 8:36, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

You DO have a choice. Choose wisely. Choose Truth. Choose life.

Prayer:

Father,
           You are our life and the length of our days. We want to love You with all our hearts and all our minds and all our strength. We want to obey You. Be our strength. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Losing My Marbles

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.
Psalm 39:4 NLT

It is my opinion that of all the resources we squander, time is the one that most affects us and those around us. One of my friends, as part of her email signature line, has included a quote (I'm paraphrasing), Choose carefully what you do today for you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

We tend to think we are invincible - that time and life go on and on. We think we have plenty of time to do what we want to do or to accomplish what we want to accomplish. Plenty of time to catch up later - tell that one we love them or send a note to encourage this one or call so-and-so... and somehow, time gets away from us and we don't.

There's an internet story that goes around about a man who recognized the value of time by filling a jar with an exact number of marbles - one for every Saturday of his projected life. Fifty-two weeks in a year, so 52 marbles for every year. And every Saturday, he would take one of the marbles out of the jar and put it in the used jar and reflect on how that time was used. Ten years ago, the expected average life span of men was 74.1, and for women - 79.8. Rounding that would be 3,848 marbles for men and 4,160 marbles for women. According to this, I've used two-thirds of my marbles. I now have only one-third left...

If we spend our lives in trivial pursuit, then all we have to offer is trivial. I'm not talking about not taking time to relax or play with friends, I'm talking about making trivial a lifestyle. If I spend all my time after work in a-muse-ment = non-thinking = then what do I have to offer my family? My friends? What do I have to offer that woman whose life is overwhelming? That man who is desperate in his life? That child who needs my time?

 If I spend all my time after work in a-muse-ment = non-thinking, then I'm losing my marbles.

Prayer:

Father,
         Forgive me for squandering that which You've given me - be it time or the Grace bought by Your Son's sacrifice on the Cross for my sin. Continue to shed Your light on those areas in my life that must change. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Stay In the Race *

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NKJV

Hebrews 12 follows the chapter most Christians refer to as the 'Hall of Faith' - those whose faith was counted as righteousness before God. Those are the ones who endured SO much more as Christians than most Americans could even imagine. Those are the ones who have gone before us and are waiting for us to finish this race.

Pastor Glen Harding related the story of the 4-man relay team who led the circuit throughout the season in wins - they were unbeatable. When it came time for the world games competition, the starting shot was fired, and the race was on in an electrifying launch. The first runner of the team was out in front - feet flying. Coming into the first turn, he misstepped, twisted his ankle, lost his balance, and fell face-first into the cinder track. The crowd uttered a collective gasp and then, "ohhhhh..."

The other teams' runners raced right on by. The projected winner was face-down on the track and for all practical intents and purposes was out of the race. However, he had been in training. Training taught him - you finish what you started. You finish the race. Slowly, painfully, his face, hands and knees bleeding, he pushed himself up off the track and searched for the dropped baton. With it in his hand, he began to gimp his way to hand it off. In his mind, all was lost. His heart was broken and as he handed off to the next runner, he fell to the sideline, sobbing. Broken. Failed... He had failed... but as he lay there sobbing...

The second runner ran for all he was worth. His goal was to get to the next runner. He successfully handed off to runner 3 who had already started running. Runner 3 ran with all his might while runner 1 was still inconsolable on the sideline. Broken. A failure... Not seeing, not knowing that runner 3 had caught up with the pack and was handing off to the 4th and last runner. 

The last runner had his eye on the goal. He did not think about his teammate on the sideline. He did not regard those in front of him. He did not consider the obstacles he had to overcome. He had the baton and he did what he was trained to do. Run for the finish. Run for the prize... and he did. Against all odds. They won. Runner 1 was still on the sideline, sobbing that he had let down his team. Broken...a failure?

No. He wasn't a failure, but he didn't know it yet. He had gotten up against all odds and finished what he set out to do. Hand off the baton to the next runner. He could have lain there and not gotten up. He could have hobbled off to the side because no one expected him to get up and run. People would have shaken their heads in pity and totally sympathized.

What do you want? Victory or sympathy? Solomon said the race is not to the swift. Christ never said it would be easy. He just promised He would never leave us. Did you see His run? You've got the baton. Stay in the race. Get up. Run.

Prayer:

Father,
         Your Son - the Author and Finisher of our faith - who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. Help us to endure to the finish line. By Your grace, we will win when we stay focused on You. Help us to keep our eyes on the prize and press toward it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Don't Forget +

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
Psalm 103:1-2 NLT

I love using sticky notes. I think I may be personally responsible for keeping that company in business. And another whole multi-million dollar industry has been built around teaching us to improve our memory. They instruct us to repeat something several times immediately to get it into our brain - to mentally "write" it down. Say it aloud again and again. Burn it into the brain. Write it down on something we can see throughout the day and we won't lose it.

It seems the older I get, the more I forget. I don't mean to, I don't want to, but I do. If I don't write it down, it's a goner...and I'd better write it down where I can find it. And just in case you don't know this - don't buy cheap sticky notes if you expect them to stick... How many of us have ever written a number or name or important something on our hand so we didn't forget? You can be relatively certain THAT note won't disappear.

Has God ever done something for you and you've forgotten? We think we won't, but we do. Someone reminds us, "Remember when God did such-and-such for you?" And we reply, "Oh, yeah! I forgot about that..." 

What are some of the things He has done for us? We have only to look in the next few verses of our text for today. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 

David wrote it down - Let ALL that I am... with my WHOLE heart... Which reminds me; Deuteronomy 6:5-6 tells us, And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Then you know what it says? The Old Testament equivalent to today, continuing in verses 7-9;  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Don't forget!

Prayer:

Father,
           We are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are amazing! Science, with all its intelligence and technology, cannot do what You do by speaking Your Words and the world into existence. You are the Creator. We stand amazed... Father, teach us how to love You with all our heart, with all our soul -  our mind, will and emotions - and with all our strength. You loved us that way by sending Christ to purchase our salvation. Help us to never forget all that You have done for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen