Five verses . . . only five short verses in 1 Kings between two bookends stating, "The word of the LORD came to him". First Elijah is instructed to go hide by the brook Cherith where ravens would provide for him. The brook dried up; then God told him to move on from there to Zarephath where a widow would have provisions. What a simple series of events when written in so few words, why wouldn't Elijah be faithful. But let's be careful to remember that Elijah was a real man living in real time with a real body and hunger and fear. Imagine with me what our prayer might have been in Elijah's shoes:
Elijah: "Good morning LORD, thank you for the raven breakfast this morning, these guys are getting good at not getting beak marks in my eggs (ok, I know it probably wasn't eggs). Thank you for guiding me to this place and for your wonderful care. However, I couldn't help but notice this morning that I'm seeing a few more rocks and a little less babble out of this brook. Just thought I'd mention it."
Surely, Elijah noticed as each day the bank got a little taller and the water got a little quieter between where we read "The word of the LORD came to him" and "the brook dried up". However, he stayed the ground the Lord had given him. God had told him to go to the brook Cherith and water or no water there was no better place to be than in the path of the Sovereign God. Elijah trusted God's guidance and certainly was rewarded with His provision and presence. Perhaps you are on fresh soil of new ground with trembling feet, perhaps you're dusting the dirt of a dry brook off your shoes, or maybe you are where we spend the majority of our lives, somewhere in between, down on your knees measuring the water to see if God will be faithful. Get up. He is.
The brook dried up, but in the midst of famine and scorching sun the faithfulness of God is a downpour.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Filing Chapter 11
Lately I have been reading in 1 Kings. Just recently the Queen of Sheba has come for a visit with King Solomon. In chapter 10 we read that word had gotten around about Solomon's wealth and wisdom and like most of us women the Queen of Sheba needed to see it for herself. She was overwhelmed. Not only was everything she heard about Solomon true but the tales had been understated. She was so impressed that she gave generously an abundance of gifts to the king and his kingdom.
Solomon had everything. God had given him wisdom greater than any man and more wealth that we can properly understand. He had power and prestige and favor among men of every status. More than that He had fellowship and favor with God and no good gift was withheld from him. Solomon had everything. . . but then comes chapter 11 and Solomon's spiritual bankruptcy. Every good and perfect gift wasn't enough. Solomon accumulated hundreds of wives from varying religions and divided his heart and loyalties, reminding us that wisdom not applied is still foolishness. More was not better.
I picture the scene somewhat like Let's Make a Deal. Behind door number one - everything God has according to His wisdom, love, and glory. Behind door number two - getting to choose for myself and have what I want in the moment. The difference is the closed doors are made glass by the revelation of God's word and we do not choose blindly. We know the riches of obedience and faith and yet we choose ignorant independence.
Keep it up and Chapter 11 is coming.
Solomon had everything. God had given him wisdom greater than any man and more wealth that we can properly understand. He had power and prestige and favor among men of every status. More than that He had fellowship and favor with God and no good gift was withheld from him. Solomon had everything. . . but then comes chapter 11 and Solomon's spiritual bankruptcy. Every good and perfect gift wasn't enough. Solomon accumulated hundreds of wives from varying religions and divided his heart and loyalties, reminding us that wisdom not applied is still foolishness. More was not better.
I picture the scene somewhat like Let's Make a Deal. Behind door number one - everything God has according to His wisdom, love, and glory. Behind door number two - getting to choose for myself and have what I want in the moment. The difference is the closed doors are made glass by the revelation of God's word and we do not choose blindly. We know the riches of obedience and faith and yet we choose ignorant independence.
Keep it up and Chapter 11 is coming.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Faith Goggles
Do you remember those puzzles they used to make (I don't know maybe still do) that the words were blurred into the background and you could only read them clearly if you put that red plastic thing over it? That's the way I sometimes think of faith. Like, having faith is a means to understand the mysteries of God and of living in this world. I was looking at a 3D movie without the special glasses, but I put on my faith goggles and suddenly I can see. My best friend's husband just got contacts. (He finally realized that there are probably letters on road signs - sorry, Carter) It has been kind of funny to watch him "see" everything now. He said it feels like his eyes got HD. It wasn't that he couldn't see before but now everything is clear. Now it looks like it should. He sees what the rest of us see.
Is this the job of faith? When we view faith as the special goggles that make life completely understandable what do we do when we just can't make sense of loss, tragedy, and unthinkable disaster. Have we lost faith? Or worse has it failed us? I like simple answers. I thrive on complicated questions, but I want simple answers. I like to understand. But faith is not a pair of magical goggles that makes everything clear. "Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) Yes, faith in Jesus Christ and our relationship with God through His death and resurrection allow us to be filled with knowledge and wisdom, but until our salvation is perfected in glory we can never really make out all the letters on the chart under that big E. Do not be discouraged by life's blurrier moments, let them spur us to hope because of faith.
Is this the job of faith? When we view faith as the special goggles that make life completely understandable what do we do when we just can't make sense of loss, tragedy, and unthinkable disaster. Have we lost faith? Or worse has it failed us? I like simple answers. I thrive on complicated questions, but I want simple answers. I like to understand. But faith is not a pair of magical goggles that makes everything clear. "Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) Yes, faith in Jesus Christ and our relationship with God through His death and resurrection allow us to be filled with knowledge and wisdom, but until our salvation is perfected in glory we can never really make out all the letters on the chart under that big E. Do not be discouraged by life's blurrier moments, let them spur us to hope because of faith.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Taste This
I have a sickness. For some reason I think it is my job to make people eat and love all of the things that I love to eat - especially if it something weird like a deep fried Oreo. Yes, I am "that person" that plunges a fork in your mouth saying "try it" without giving an opportunity for rebuttal. I don't know why except that when I like something I want other people to get to like it too. I do not want anyone to miss out on what I consider are wonderful things. I am as delighted to cook something delicious for someone else as I am to eat it myself because I have on some other occasion tasted that it is good. (sometimes great!)
Recently, I have been reading 1 Peter. As I was reading through chapter 2 of 1 Peter, verse 3 jumped off of the page at me "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." I must have been reading on autopilot because it was as if I had suddenly been awakened or perhaps that I was suddenly reading in a language I understood. I HAVE tasted the kindness of the Lord. So often. He is so good. So I backed up to read what was before the "if". "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
If we are in Christ then we have tasted the kindness of the Lord and rather than be satisfied we are to crave Him and His word all the more. We are to clear out and cast away all that is bad and impure that we may be properly nourished. Malice and deceit and hypocrisy and slander sullies the taste of the pure milk of God's Word. I have tasted His kindness and like really good brownies want to share that goodness so that others might know.
Recently, I have been reading 1 Peter. As I was reading through chapter 2 of 1 Peter, verse 3 jumped off of the page at me "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." I must have been reading on autopilot because it was as if I had suddenly been awakened or perhaps that I was suddenly reading in a language I understood. I HAVE tasted the kindness of the Lord. So often. He is so good. So I backed up to read what was before the "if". "Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
If we are in Christ then we have tasted the kindness of the Lord and rather than be satisfied we are to crave Him and His word all the more. We are to clear out and cast away all that is bad and impure that we may be properly nourished. Malice and deceit and hypocrisy and slander sullies the taste of the pure milk of God's Word. I have tasted His kindness and like really good brownies want to share that goodness so that others might know.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Welcome Mat
The welcome mat in front of my door looks rough! I am either very sentimental or quite lazy because I have had the same welcome mat since I moved away from home after high school. This welcome mat has weathered four years of college, a move to Nashville TN, a move to Montgomery, AL, and now 11 years after its debut finds its current residence in Prattville, AL. I like my worn out mat. It is a reminder of all the feet that have stepped in and out of my home, my life, and my heart in the past 11 years. I can stand on that mat and stand with strangers who became friends, friends who became family, and family who make the mat worth its welcome. My mat has beautifully worn to ruin; but after all isn't that what a mat is for?
I like my couch with its now uneven cushions and hollowed out sweet spots. I like the discolored spine of my Bible and the creased up pages of my favorite books. I like foot prints in my carpet and fingerprints on my car windows. I like crows feet (I better) and laugh lines and freckles and scars. These are signs of life lived loved.
My new goal is to not try to avoid wear and tear but instead to wear out well. After all, isn't that what a life is for?
I like my couch with its now uneven cushions and hollowed out sweet spots. I like the discolored spine of my Bible and the creased up pages of my favorite books. I like foot prints in my carpet and fingerprints on my car windows. I like crows feet (I better) and laugh lines and freckles and scars. These are signs of life lived loved.
My new goal is to not try to avoid wear and tear but instead to wear out well. After all, isn't that what a life is for?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Jesus and Indiana Jones
The last time my family went to Disney World was a couple of years ago. As always we went to watch the Indiana Jones stunt show. My youngest nephew, Logan, had just turned three at the time and was sitting in my lap. If you haven't seen the show then you should know there is a lot of fire and noise and action. Logan was a little afraid often covering his eyes and peeking through his tiny fingers to see what was happening. During a particular scene, Indiana Jones is being chased and attacked by the bad guys. Logan, in one quick motion, pulled his hands from his face, turned and looked at me as if a lightbulb were over his head, and declared, "Jesus will help Indiana Jones!"
Do you remember when Jesus seemed enormous to you and able to leap tall buildings and rescue you from the monsters? When "my God is so big, so strong, and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do" was not just a song but the reason you loved Him and the foundation of your faith. As we get older, we shrink Jesus and put God in a box. He goes from Mighty Warrior to something we sew on a pillow. But God's Word tells us, "Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in! Who is the King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of hosts. He is the King of Glory." (Psalm 24:7-10)
The King of Glory is strong and mighty. He is mighty in battle. He is able to conquer the enemy and overcome every opposition and obstacle of this world. My God IS so big. There IS nothing He cannot do. May we be like Logan who's first solution and hope was the Mighty Lord Jesus who is able to save.
Yes, buddy, Jesus will help Indiana Jones.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Vacuum Lines
When I was a kid I hated to vacuum (well, let's be honest, I don't love it now. When I would get to our basement, where I was out of sight, I would turn the vacuum on and leave it sitting in the middle of the floor roaring proudly while I took a little rest. Of course then there was the problem of a freshly "vacuumed" carpet with no vacuum lines. So, after I wrapped the cord I would run the now silent vacuum around the room so the carpet would have lines. Smart, huh? No one would know. Years later I told my mom about my ingenious scheme; she replied, "for all that work, you could have just vacuumed." She was right. The truth is, I had to take extra steps and do more work to fake vacuuming instead of just vacuuming. The work was actually harder - I mean, just try moving a vacuum around the room while it is off.
How much time and energy do we spend trying to make ourselves look like we are living obediently instead of just being obedient. I think of Jesus' woe to the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:27, "For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." We work hard to make it seem like we are committed instead of just being committed. We work hard making it seem like we are kind and loving instead of just being loving. We work hard to make every excuse in the world as to why our "obedience" and "godliness" doesn't look like what Scripture demands. We painstakingly beautify our tombstone hoping no one will notice the bones inside. Oh, we have the vacuum lines but the carpet is far from clean and really, no one is falling for it - especially our Heavenly Father.
What could you do "for all that work. . ."?
How much time and energy do we spend trying to make ourselves look like we are living obediently instead of just being obedient. I think of Jesus' woe to the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:27, "For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." We work hard to make it seem like we are committed instead of just being committed. We work hard making it seem like we are kind and loving instead of just being loving. We work hard to make every excuse in the world as to why our "obedience" and "godliness" doesn't look like what Scripture demands. We painstakingly beautify our tombstone hoping no one will notice the bones inside. Oh, we have the vacuum lines but the carpet is far from clean and really, no one is falling for it - especially our Heavenly Father.
What could you do "for all that work. . ."?
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