PUPPY LOVE

I made a terrible mistake while my daughter was in town visiting. We went to our local mall and entered through a back mall door that led straight to a pet store. Before we knew what hit us, there we were inside holding puppies. It doesn’t matter what kind of day or season you’ve had, if you hold a puppy it will be better.

Our time was limited but that didn’t seem to matter in the moment. All we could do was smile and embrace the warmth our hearts felt as they were filled with love for these adorable, furry creations.

The worker was notably sweet to give us ample time to meet several different breeds and talk all about the old girl I already had at home. I told her how we acquired her, her name, her breed, and even shared how amazing it is that she doesn’t shed throughout the house. I entertained the possibility that her patience may be motivated by a potential sale, but she seemed very genuine.

My daughter, granddaughters, and I finally decided to continue on with our shopping. As we did, we kept talking about leaving time to stop and bid our new friends farewell on our way out.

We re-entered the shop and we were surprised at the crowd within. We quickly realized that a group of special needs adults was there to get some puppy therapy of their own. Ooing and aahing filled the space now chaotic with love. I was already impressed by the employee in charge and increasingly more so, knowing that there was no chance of selling anything to anyone there.

My eyes welled with tears when I witnessed the unrestrained compassion this worker displayed. She was so patient, so kind, so tender with individuals our culture can all too easily pass on by. The cherry was placed atop the scene when one individual leaned in to hug her and she welcomed the embrace without hesitation. Her hard work was evident in her glistening brow and her character through sincere compassion for others.

God loves people this way and we can too.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells believers to clothe themselves with a few things, the first of which is compassion. He also tells them that they can do this because they are “holy and dearly loved.” (Col. 3:12)

His love is full of unbridled sweetness. It doesn’t consider some worthy while holding others at arm’s length. He doesn’t consider what you have to offer him before extending his arm. He is near and longs for us to draw close and receive his embrace full of care, tenderness, kindness, mercy, grace…compassion.

I don’t know about you, but even knowing all this doesn’t guarantee I will act on it. What keeps you from drawing close to God? Do you worry about your unworthiness? Do you consider what you have to offer our glorious God and deem it too little? His compassionate arms are open wide and ready to receive you and me right now. Would you take this opportunity to consider just how much God thinks of you and how that knowledge compels us to do likewise to others? 

PATIENTLY WAIT

Do you struggle with patience while waiting on the LORD? It’s not a problem with you, it’s a problem with mankind.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai with the LORD for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24,32), the Israelites had a hard time waiting for his return. In fact, their impatience caused them to do the very thing that God had instructed them not to do. They fashioned their own god in the form of the golden calf to “go before them” on their way to the promised land. This is important because the LORD himself had promised to go before them in angelic form.

With all these promise-laden instructions, why was it so hard to be patient? They couldn’t see their intercessor, he had been gone a long time, and no one stood up to confront their misdirection, but ultimately their actions revealed what was in their hearts.

Before we get too tough on God’s chosen people we may want to consider our own struggles. When trials get long and it seems like we are going nowhere, we too can be quick to fashion a solution with our own hands. The action we most needed was to continue to wait on the LORD. He has a plan. Waiting can feel like God doesn’t see, it can feel long, and it can lead us to take matters into our own hands.

Dear One, sometimes the action you need to take is to continue to patiently wait on the hand of God. The hand that holds time also fashions the very best plans for your life. 

DILIGENT

“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes…” Exodus 15:26a

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions?

Me too.

I wish it were easier to make changes for the better, but someone once said that anything worthwhile bears difficulty. The difficult part is retraining our own thinking.

After the Israelites came through the Red Sea, God had something in mind for them that may go unnoticed. He was testing them or training them. A fair question may be, for what? His own chosen people were now set apart for his service. Simple. Right?

They had learned servitude in its’ worst form to a power-hungry Pharoah. At one point this ruler was harsh enough to hurt his own profit to make the work harder for his slaves. Eventually, he is even willing to sacrifice his son in order to prove his position of power.

Serving the LORD would be different, radically different.

God wanted his children’s obedience. Therein lies the training. They had to learn to obey their God by diligently listening to his voice and keeping his statutes.

Diligently listening.

Of all the things we can be diligent in this New Year, maybe what needs to rise to the top is to listen to the voice of the LORD.

He wants our obedience, not because He’s building a grand kingdom for Himself and is power-hungry. But rather because He wants us there with Him enjoying a relationship with Him so much so that He was willing to give His son for us.

Dear One, let today be the day you commit to diligently listening to the voice of our LORD for He loves you and desires a relationship with you. That is why He has delivered you.

RETURN TO THE LORD

“…for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” 2 Chronicles 30:9b

Turning back to the LORD after a season of walking without him takes humility. One may find it very difficult as shame likely pervades your thoughts. We know we should walk with him, we just don’t always choose obedience. We know better. The mercy of our heavenly Father is, however, what should comfort us through the process of returning to doing what we already know is right.

King Hezekiah called for God’s people to return to him by sending letters throughout the land. His urging pointed to a few items; first, he told them to refrain from being like their parents and other Israelites who had been unfaithful, second, he told them not to be stiff-necked like their ancestors had been and to instead be submissive, and finally, told them to serve the LORD.  All these points culminated in the statement about God’s grace and mercy for his children. These characteristics of God may have been the words you need as you contemplate an about-face.

What is holding you back from returning to the LORD if you need to? Are you feeling shame or some level of fear about God’s thoughts toward you? Do you think he will not accept you this time? This passage is a great reminder of how God actually feels -when you turn back, he will not turn his face away from you.

LORD, thank you for your grace and compassion especially when we have been unfaithful, stiff-necked, and unsubmissive. Remind us again that today is the day to return to you and serve you once again.

PRIDE’S DECEPTION

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’” Obadiah 3

Pride is a deceiver. It resides in our hearts. Pride makes me think more of myself than I ought to, trust more in my own power than I ought to, and deceive me into thinking everything I have has been made possible by the trinity of me, myself, and I.

Obadiah brought the message of the Lord to a prideful people. The Edomites foolishly thought highly of themselves, secure in their own undefeatable strength. Security, however, rests in God and these people opposed God’s own from their beginning to their end, so God’s accounting stood against them.  God brought these enemies low and humbled every aspect of their trusted resources, their secure homes, wealth, allies, and wise men. Nothing they placed their hope in remained intact.

It is so tempting to allocate our trust in the things God alone has granted to us. Once we trust in those things more than the giver of all things, we are one quick step away from taking pride in the work of our own hands. And if I am proud, my pride will bring me low rather than exalt me. Proverbs 29:23 says, “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Do not be mistaken, God has given us everything we have, whether we have been deceived into believing otherwise or not. Honor comes through humility, whereas pride deceives to bring us low.

Dear One, Is there something you are boasting in or trusting in for security other than God?

SHE LAUGHS

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Proverbs 31:25

Do you wear your worry on your face? I know I do. It’s hard to laugh when you’re bearing a burden -wrapped up on the inside with worry about your future. Cracking a smile from the corners of your mouth may even prove to be difficult.  

There is something that can turn your frown upside down, your mourning into laughter. In Proverbs 31, the wise woman is summed up as a woman who fears the LORD and is worthy of praise. This woman, whether one individual or a cross-section of many, portrays several desirable Godly attributes. She can even be intimidating if you’re trying to emulate all of her qualities.

Before trying to imitate her diligence, ability to provide for her family, wisdom, and concern for the poor, don’t miss what drives her exemplary conduct -her reverent fear of the LORD. It would be easy to assume that she has her act together and therefore has no fear of the future. The truth, however, is found in the foundational fact that she trusts in the one who holds her days. She is then free to do all kinds of good work with a countenance that portrays a light heart, not weighed down with worry about the days to come.

Dear One, may the LORD grant us the gift of laughter today as we place our trust in him for our future no matter what we’re facing today.

FOOLISH VENTING

“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Proverbs 29:11

“I need to vent!” We’ve all most likely heard this phrase or said it at one time or another. I know I am guilty. I am also greatly convicted by this Proverb. Venting is indicative of an outward response to anger lying under the surface. Such an arousal of fume can be traced to a lack of being granted my own way. In other words, venting happens when my selfishness overruns my self-control.

Here are some helpful things to consider the next time you are about to let your emotions spill into spewing sentences and venting venom: Is this something I should pray about? (The obvious answer is almost always, if not always, yes.) Is this an offense that needs to be discussed with the offender rather than venting to someone else? Am I responding in a spirit-controlled manner? Have I spent time trying to understand another point of view on the matter?

Taking a matter to God first is a great way to quietly hold back our emotional outpourings. It’s also a great way to practice being spirit-controlled in our walk. It’s not easy if you’re  naturally an expressive verbal processor, but consider the damage control you could have. Being wise is, in part, holding back when we are tempted to give full vent to our raw emotions.

Dear One, let’s ask the LORD to give us grace to walk in wisdom with our emotions, and grant us the discipline of self-control today.

CRY FOR HELP

“But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!: Psalm 70:5

My husband and I are not DIY-inclined. After watching several videos, consulting neighbors, and laboring for three consecutive Saturdays, we gave up trying to fix our broken dryer. We were aware of the fact that we didn’t know what we were doing. It’s good to know what you don’t know. (You’re probably a lot handier than we are!)

In the Psalms of Lament, we often see the Psalmist bringing their complaints to God. They come with their grief, frustration, and questioning. How wise are they? Time spent trying to fix problems beyond their capacity to comprehend is time wasted. You may not know how to figure out your problems, but you can quickly go to your God who does. He is our very present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1b.)

We could have saved a lot of time by calling a repairman upon the onset of our appliance aggravation. Thankfully, we found someone who knew exactly how to quickly remedy our problem. All it took was enough humility to ask for his help. Does your current problem beg for you to turn to the one who knows what to do? Don’t waste time, he’s just a cry away.

Dear One, turn to God with your trouble, he loves his children and delights to comfort our cries to him for help.

POWERLESS BEWILDERMENT (JEHOSHAPHAT: PART 2)

“For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b.

I am sure I am not alone when I admit there are times when I feel completely powerless and have no idea what to do next. This feeling resonates strongly when I think of times when family members were suffering from disease or sickness. The desire to do something was strong, but the power to change anything was completely absent.

Jehoshaphat had a massive problem in front of him when he received word that an enemy army was on its way to attack. He knew two things for certain; he had no power over the desperate situation, and he had no idea what to do. Jehoshaphat’s awareness led him to look to God quickly for help.

We do not have to hesitate. We can come transparently before the throne of God and cry to him acknowledging our own powerless bewilderment. It takes humility to approach our God in this way. Like Jehoshaphat, we can come quickly when we are simply willing to put our eyes on the God from where our help comes from.

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

Dear all-powerful God, help us keep our eyes on you especially when we have no idea what to do.

ALARMED (JEHOSHAPHAT: PART 1)

“Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.” 2 Chronicles 20:3-4

Alarms are valuable devices. Their name reveals the exact emotion they elicit -alarm. In our home, we have a freezer that screams obnoxiously when the temperature rises too high inside. The noise sends a message loud and clear. This warning is a call for action that cannot be ignored, without which great loss would occur.

Jehoshaphat was alarmed when he received word of a pending enemy attack. “A great multitude is coming against you…” 2 Chronicles 20:2. Although he lacked wisdom in other daily decisions of life, his call to action in this scene is a powerful display of his faith in the one true God. Rather than being paralyzed by panic, he gathers his people together so they can fast and seek the Lord together.

What is the first step you take when you receive alarming news? If we are honest, we can list multiple go-tos in response to our emotional condition. Any response that keeps us from God is also keeping us from the source of the very help we need. Anything or anyone that deters us from Him, although well-intended in most cases, isn’t actually helpful. When you are tempted to be paralyzed by panic or turn to the wrong resources, let the example of Jehoshaphat be a model to follow; come together with your community of believers, and have a pointed time of seeking God together. 

Dear One, call on him when the alarms of life are sounding instead of being paralyzed by panic.

STORM CONTROL

“And he said to them,’ Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’” Matthew 8:26

Have you ever paid attention to things that are closely connected? Like how your hunger affects your mood or how time constraints affect your stress level? How about how your faith affects the level of fear that rises within you? Identifying how things are related may help us manage ourselves better.

As we see in this passage, our faith has the power to impact how afraid we are. Jesus inquires of his disciples the reason for their fear and calls them people of “little faith”. If the disciples had had faith in the one who has power over even wind and waves, they would not have had reason to fear. This was an intense lesson on the sea. The size of the storm was not connected to the power Jesus had to calm it. Storms are in God’s control, weather related and otherwise.

If it was possible for the disciples who walked with Jesus to lack faith, then it is possible for us too. Do you believe God is in complete control especially during the storms of your life? Your answer may help explain the amount of fear resident in your heart. It is likely that we spend much time in prayer about our needs, but acknowledging our deep need for increased faith may not roll off the list of supplications quite as readily. Our increased faith is always a request that when answered, brings lift to the storm.

Dear One, let”s ask God to  increase our faith in him today.

HEMMED IN

“Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.” Numbers 22:26

It was truly a trip of a lifetime. The sites to see were amazing and the hustle and bustle of the city was overwhelming to experience. We did, however, run into one problem -trying to leave New York City just prior to rush hour. Gridlocked. When we tried to turn to the right or to the left we were completely boxed in. What should have been a two-hour drive, turned into a four hour crawl back home.

Have you ever felt hemmed in? In your efforts to go this way or that you hit the proverbial brick wall and can’t seem to get to where you want to go. In the account of Balaam, and more well known as Balaam’s donkey, Balaam’s aggressive action toward his donkey was unleashed when it wouldn’t go where he wanted it to. What he didn’t know at the moment was that an angel of the LORD was directing the donkey’s way. “I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.” (v.32) We can potentially be unaware of a desired path’s  reckless results.

Yet another delay evoked even more frustration as we headed home from the city. This time though, it became obvious that there was something serious up ahead as billowing smoke preceded an overturned, blazing semi-truck in the road. Thoughts of the hemmed-in protection  of God earlier in our trip quickly flooded our minds. Our once frustrating traffic-delayed departure was actually God’s hand guiding us in safety.

Dear One, thank God today for the way He guides and directs our path, and even the way He hems us in.

PRACTICE FALLING

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. 1John 1:9

Pole vaulting is a scary field event. Clearing the bar is daunting, and success brings even riskier heights of which to conquer. At some point, defeat is inevitable and along the way falling is not just expected, it is what has been practiced. While the gasping crowd looks on, the vaulter always falls towards safety.

We would do well to practice the right way to fall. To think a fall should never happen or could never happen may lead to responses that don’t bring true healing: denial, cover-up, discouragement. In contrast, knowing life will bring such times may lead us to practice falling -into the arms of Jesus, into conversations with helpful mature believers, into safe places where grace is found. When we fall this way, we can get back up and attempt new heights of our Christian walk over and over again.

“If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If here is a big if. God is willing and able to forgive and cleanse us…if. The transaction is dependent on our willingness to come to terms with the reality of our state. We will fall, but God will also safely restore us.

Lord, help us practice falling into you, for you Lord are faithful and just to forgive. 

A HURTING HEART: PART 2

“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” (1 Sam 1:10)

Where do you go when you have an unfulfilled desire? If we are honest, I think we can identify many places we run to try and fill the void. We may run to a friend, try to fill our desire our own way, or even dull the hurt by involvement in less than godly activity. A heart bent on a desire will find itself doing many things that it may not otherwise do. A heart seeking the Lord, however, will find its fulfillment in Him, whether the initial desire is met or not.

Hannah went to the Lord with her unmet desire and resulting hurt. She wept bitterly to him in light of wanting a child of her own. Her record reveals a few things about her character. First, she didn’t complain about the mistreatment of her ridiculing counterpart or express any jealousy toward Peninnah herself, even though the opposite was her own experience. She never retaliated or took the matter into her own hands. Second, she went to the one she already worshiped with her desire. Hannah vowed to the Lord to pledge the very thing she was asking for right back to Him which unveiled the pre existing commitment of her life to him.

Our hearts want what they long for. When we long for God first, the gifts he chooses to bestow on us are recognized as his and offered right back up in thanksgiving and often for his service.

Thank you, Lord, for what you grant and what you don’t. Help us worship you in it all, the desires fulfilled and the ones yet unmet.

A HURTING HEART: PART 1

“But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her because the LORD had closed her womb.” (1 Samuel 1:5-6)

Have you ever found yourself desiring something someone else has been blessed with? You may want to rejoice with them, but instead all you have is a deep hurt within your heart. Where hurt is, there is also an opportunity to respond in sin. One such response may be jealousy and it, left unchecked, is a primer to a series of downward spiraling sins.

Peninnah was jealous of Hannah because her husband loved her. Her hurting heart led her to hurt others in return. She knew the very thing that would hurt her rival Hannah most -jeering at her infertility. Jealousy cannot withstand someone else’s happiness. It seemingly says, “If I am unhappy because I cannot have what I want, then I will make sure you are unhappy too.”

Taking our hurt out on others is never the answer, but it happens often. Our true need is to turn to God with our unmet longing. He may not fulfill the original desire, but he may grant us a brand new one as we turn to him. A heart that chases God, will find Him, and also learn contentment in Him.

God, when my heart is hurting let me run to you with my hurt. Keep me from the sin of hurting others.

GOD LOVES YOU

Ephesians 5:1

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

More and more, I think there is a missing piece in the puzzle to living an obedient life in Christ. We talk about obedient living and focus on putting off the old man in exchange for the new, and this is critical. But it is likened to beginning a story in the middle.

People aim for obedience and struggle for victory in leaving their old ways to live holy lives. They try and retry all sorts of approaches. Some even turn for help from sources that are well-meaning, but not rooted in scripture.

The secret isn’t a secret, we simply have to start at the beginning.

God loves us.

It is that simple and profound. When your relationship with your creator is based firmly on the foundation of his love, holy living can be built upon that security.

If you or someone you care for is struggling with obedience, go back to the beginning. Refocus on the love your Heavenly Father has for you. Breathe that love into your soul through truth in scripture.

You will be amazed at the transformational difference it will make in your desire for living in obedience.

Dear One, he loves you.

STRENGTH IN THE LORD

“Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmen. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD.” (1 Samuel 30:4-6)

Victory has a way of arriving just when all seems lost. This is a shocking realization when we reach the other side of difficulty and can identify clearly that if we had given up at our lowest point, we’d have never lived to tell the victory!

With all the intensity of struggle, David faced in his lifetime, there is one event that strikes me in this way - the raid of Ziklag. While gone to serve King Achish, the Amalekites had captured all who were there and burned it to the ground. David had lost everything, including the trust of his own forces. If ever there were a time he may have given up, this low point would be one of them.

This was a pivotal moment. As he had done many times before, David “strengthened himself in the LORD his God.“ (1 Sam 30:6). What David could not have known was just how near Saul’s defeat was, thus making way for his own crown’s fruition.

What if he had given up?

What if his faith had failed?

Instead, the man after “God’s own heart“ continued to seek his face even in such travesty.

Dear one, are your circumstances causing such a spirit of defeat in you that you feel like giving up? Seek your strength in your LORD today, and trust him for the battle like David did. Victory may be just around the bend. Don’t give up now.

BEWARE OF THE ENEMY

“So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” (2 Samuel 15:6b).

Evil doesn’t always strike with one swift blow to carry out a plan. Slow steady steps are thought out in detail in some cases. For example, when Absalom conspired to take over his own father’s throne he was methodological. His plan unfolded over time.

Absalom waited two full years in Jerusalem before he could enter the presence of the King upon returning from his flee to Geshur for the murder of his brother. Once he had the King’s kiss of approval, he wasted no time in carrying out his wicked plan. That plan hinged on one key element -winning the hearts of the people.

How could people follow along so willingly? Absalom appealed to their need to have justice. “Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”

The scoundrel knew exactly how to conduct himself when he intercepted the Israelites on their way to seek justice from the reigning King David. He greeted the unsuspecting with an endearing kiss.

He was patient too. Four years passed before gathering his unwitting following to invade the kingdom.

Satan does much of his work in this same way. He poses as an ally, appeals to our felt need, steals our heart, and moves in for the takeover on our life.

Be wise to the ways of the evil one as well as those among us who carry out his bidding.

He is a schemer, he is patient, and he always aims for the heart.

Lord, help us to guard our hearts with all diligence.

GENEROUS LOVE

Proverbs 11:25

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

While at a local dairy with my daughter’s family, I was blessed by the heart of my son-in-law. We watched an elderly woman approach the storefront as we came in like a whirlwind. We were all conscientious of her presence and paused to allow her to order before us.

Sweet lady, unaccompanied…I thought of the effort it took just to go out by herself and climb the steep steps all for the sweetness of ice cream.

We were all busy deciding what we wanted and herding our kids toward a final choice, and just then my son-in-law stepped up to the counter and offered to buy this stranger’s treat for her.

She took some coaxing to get her to agree to the offer. “You have your own family to pay for. I ordered a more expensive sundae!” She argued.

Through tears I managed to place an order. How precious is genuine generosity. Sweet care for a stranger. Alone.

God loves this way.

He offers to pay the cost of our sin even though He’s already got so much to attend to. And even though the price of my sin (and yours) is so costly.

How precious is the generosity of our loving Lord.

Generosity comes with a price, but the heart of the giver has predetermined that it will be worth it.

Dear One, who can you generously love today?

A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES

“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17

The value of a good friend should not be underestimated. When you have a good friend, you may find yourself relishing the full value of the relationship during times of hardship, and if you don’t, you may feel the lonely longing in your heart during the same.

David was blessed to have at least two notable good friends in the course of his lifetime. One, Jonathan, was there for him as a protector while David spent his many years on the run from Jonathan‘s own father, King Saul. Jonathan‘s loyalty to David was life-saving.

Later, during his successful rule as King, David was fortunate enough to have another close confidant. As sometimes can be the case for us, David fell into sin during a season of successful reign, and it was then that Nathan was able to help him see it for the grave situation it was. A different kind of life-saving was in play this time, one that involved a rescue from himself rather than a jealous ruler.

Jonathan and Nathan; protector and exhorter, both had the honor of being a friend that pleased God to King David.

We need that too.

Whether we are experiencing treacherous times or times of victorious living, a godly friend will always be of help.

Dear one, who in your life is the friend you can count on to point you to Jesus? Are you that kind of friend to others?