Category Archives: Knowing Him

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April 5, 2016

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Obedience, Peace of God, Trusting God

LOST

The Lord says, “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you. [Psalm 32:8 (GW)]

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere. [Proverbs 15:3a (GW)]

DSC09352webAfter the GPS flawlessly led us to our hotel in Orlando, we wondered how a satellite navigation system can keep track of countless cars and their various destinations. The following day, I looked at the GPS screen and the arrow indicating our position was several blocks east of us. It seemed to think we were driving over a golf course, across a canal and into a lake. Apparently, that eye in the sky is nowhere near as accurate as we’d originally thought. There are around 24 satellites orbiting at any one time to provide us with global positioning and we need to receive signals from at least three of them to get accurate directions. The line between the satellites and GPS must be unobstructed, so tall buildings, heavy woods, tunnels, mountains, and storms can all interfere with receiving a signal. We figured something had interfered with the satellites’ view of us. Later that day, after following its directions to Sea World, our faith in the system was shattered. As we passed Sea World’s clearly marked exit, we were told to continue five miles eastward and then go north. At that point, we consulted a map and turned around. Personally, I think we got someone else’s directions to an entirely different location! We were just one car among thousands of tourists using their GPS to guide them through the land of Mickey Mouse. Perhaps the system was overloaded and some other poor soul was being led to Sea Word when he probably wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom. Who knows? All I know is that I’m not getting rid of our maps anytime soon!

While we may need at least three satellites to guide our cars, we only need one God to guide our lives. Fortunately, He knows where we are all of the time, even when we don’t! That’s true for each and every one of the 7.3 billion of us. Nothing external can obstruct God’s view of us, he doesn’t lose us when we are in a valley, and his voice doesn’t weaken when we’re in a wilderness. If His signal seems weak, it has nothing to do with tall buildings or thunder storms—we’re just not listening. Moreover, whenever we’re unsure, He’s even provided us with a map in the way of the Bible.

With my GPS, I tell it where I want to go. With God, however, it’s wise to remember that He is the one who tells us where to go. Neither Abraham nor Moses knew where they were going or how they would get there, but God guided them. The disciples certainly didn’t know what the future would bring when they joined an itinerant rabbi in his travels. Have you ever looked at a map of Paul’s travels? Even a GPS would have difficulty following him as he traveled from Damascus to Arabia and back and then to Jerusalem, Caesarea, Tarsus, Antioch, Cyprus, Asia Minor and more. These men of faith, without benefit of GPS or even modern maps, went where God sent them. They never let fear keep them from taking the next step and neither should we. Unlike these Biblical heroes, most of us won’t be remembered for our travels. Nevertheless, wherever God sends us, we need to go. He is our true north—our guiding star—our compass—our guide—and we are never out of His sight.

O Lord, you have examined me, and you know me. You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away. You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways. … Examine me, O God, and know my mind. Test me, and know my thoughts. See whether I am on an evil path. Then lead me on the everlasting path. [Psalm 139:1-3,23-24 (GW)]

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February 23, 2016

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Plan, Knowing Him, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Temptation & Sin, Trusting God

LORDSHIP AND OBEDIENCE

Steamboat ski area
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” [1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)]

The topic of study at SK8 church the other night was “Lordship and Obedience.” When the pastor mentioned the word “obedience” you could almost see the kids’ heels dig into the floor and their hackles rise. Submission to any higher power is difficult, especially if you’re a rebellious teen or young adult. Thinking of any restriction on us as an attack on our individuality and rights, however, isn’t limited to the younger generation.

That night, the pastor started with the easy word: “lordship” and its definition—a person who has authority, control or power over others and decides what is acceptable or not. One of the young men immediately understood exactly where the pastor was going with the lesson and shared his observation that lordship and obedience are two sides of the same coin—having a lord or master requires obedience if the relationship is going to work.

In actuality, from the very beginning of our lives, we’ve had to submit to authority of some kind. Parents say no to hitting your siblings, sticking forks into sockets, and drawing on the walls. Teachers tell us to sit at our desks, raise our hands, and study hard. Bosses require us to arrive on time, dress appropriately, and be conscientious. Landlords tell us we can’t have dogs and must pay rent promptly. Banks insist we repay our loans and not overdraw our checkbooks. Municipalities tell us to pay taxes, stop at red lights and obey parking regulations. Unfortunately, many of the young people at church that night had experienced difficulty with their earthly masters—they’d been kicked out of their homes, expelled from school, fired from jobs, evicted by their landlords or arrested by the local police. Regrettably, not all of our earthly lords and masters are worthy of unquestioning obedience—there are unstable parents, bad teachers, unethical bosses, shoddy landlords, greedy banks, corrupt governments, and dishonest cops.

There is, of course, one authority figure who is Lord and Master over all creation and worthy of our full submission: God! Unfortunately, it’s not just those young people who have trouble with this one. Many people think of obedience to our Lord and Master as an unwilling submission to an intolerant narrow-minded grouchy old man sitting on a throne in heaven rather than as our willing and eager submission to a loving father. Many picture God as restrictive rather than giving, punishing rather than encouraging, and angry instead of caring. But this is our God, a God who loved us enough to sacrifice his only son for our salvation—a God who has etched our names on the palms of His hand, knows the number of hairs on our heads, hears all of our praises and prayers and, if he had an iPhone, would have our photos on it. We have a Lord and Master, our loving Father, who wants only the best for us and knows exactly what that is!

The words succumb, submit, capitulate, acquiesce, yield, surrender, and concede all imply losing a battle of some sort but our relationship with God isn’t a battle of wills. If we turn it into one, we better understand that it is a battle we are destined to lose. God is relentless in His love for us and His determination to save us. Moreover, He is not our opponent; rather, He is our ally! When we cede control to God, we can’t lose—we can only win!

If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship. [R.C. Sproul]

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. … Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. [Matthew 7:21,24-27 (NLT)]

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February 22, 2016

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Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, Knowing Him, Obedience, Prayer, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith

GOD’S LOST CHILDREN

Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  … Do what the Lord says is good and right so that things will go well for you. [Deuteronomy 6:4-5,18a (NCV)]

Lake Catamount, Steamboat Spgs., CORecently, we provided dinner for a local skateboard church ministry that serves teens and young adults. If church is a hospital for wretched souls, this one is a MASH unit for them! Most of the youth have troubled pasts and few come from faith-based homes or with any knowledge of the Bible. Many, however, have transformed their lives as they have come to know Jesus through this ministry.

During Bible study, I overheard a young man claim he was his own lord and master and had to be obedient to no one. He was his own god; in fact, he added, we are all our own gods. Clearly, the pastor has his work cut out for him. Earlier that evening, the same young man said he couldn’t pray because he didn’t feel God. Of course, he couldn’t. Just as there was no room in Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph, by thinking he’s god, there’s no room in this young man’s heart for Jesus. “How’s that working for you?” I wanted to ask. Since he’s unemployed, homeless, using drugs, and unwelcome in his family’s home, his god doesn’t seem to be doing a very good job.

What will it take for this fellow to finally see the truth? What will it take before he knows he is loved, forgiven and valuable? What will it take for him to cede control to a higher power? What will it take for him to embrace the concept of obedience to God rather than obedience to self? Will he have to be knocked to his knees before he sees what is right in front of him? I pondered Saul of Tarsus, another man with no room in his heart for Jesus. Determined to defeat Christianity, he went from house to house arresting believers and hauling them off to prison. On his way to Damascus, however, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind and confronted by Jesus in one of the most dramatic conversions in history. When Saul was down and blinded, he finally saw the truth; the persecutor became evangelist and Saul the Pharisee became Paul the Apostle, God’s chosen instrument.

The good news is that, somewhere deep inside, this young man knows his way isn’t working. He was at a SK8 church prayer meeting and Bible study. Granted, we were serving a delicious hot meal of ham and potatoes and skateboarding followed Bible study, but he didn’t have to arrive early for prayers or stay after dinner for Bible study. I offered a prayer for him, asking God to make Himself known to this young man. I know God has been knocking at his door (or he wouldn’t have been there that night) but maybe God needs to knock him to the ground as he did for Paul.

Heavenly Father, I offer this prayer for the many young men and women who are deaf to your voice, blind to your presence, and unwilling or afraid to make room in their hearts for you. Please keep knocking, even it if means you have to knock them to their knees. Make your presence known, your love sensed, and your forgiveness felt. Thank you for the pastors, mentors and sponsors who work with young people. Keep filling them with the incredible patience, self-control, wisdom and love they need to bring your lost children home.

Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven. The Son of Man came to save lost people. If a man has a hundred sheep but one of the sheep gets lost, he will leave the other ninety-nine on the hill and go to look for the lost sheep. I tell you the truth, if he finds it he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that were never lost. In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost. [Matthew 18:10-14 (NCV)]

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February 3, 2016

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Faith & Hope, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Knowing Him, Thanks & Praise

BECAUSE HE LOVES US

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time – to show us his grace through Jesus Christ. [2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)]

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. [Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)]

passion flower (scarlet) - NBG736webOne morning, while getting ready to go out for a day with my friends, my husband brought me a small box. Upon opening it, I was stunned to find a beautiful silver and inlaid stone necklace that I’d admired more than six months earlier. When I asked what the occasion was, he simply replied, “I’ve been waiting to give it to you and thought it might match your outfit.” Flabbergasted at seeing the jewelry, I felt undeserving of this lavish gift and regretted my sharp words earlier that morning. It wasn’t my birthday, Valentine’s Day or our anniversary and I had done nothing special to deserve such a gift. It was just a beautiful, “Because I love you!” present. When we’re surprised with a gift like this, a gift from the heart, we tend to question our worthiness to receive it and feel uncomfortable because we have nothing but our thanks to give in return.

We are all undeserving of the most wonderful gift we have ever received: Jesus Christ. God gave His only Son and sacrificed him for our sins. That is the most magnificent and unwarranted gift ever and we did nothing to deserve this splendid present. In fact, we have done much that is wrong. That, however, is the astonishing thing about God’s grace: it’s not something we deserve and it’s not something we earn. It is something given to us by God simply because he loves us.

Thank you, Lord, for the gracious gift of your Son and our salvation. As unworthy as we are, fill us with your Holy Spirit. Empower us to do your work and honor this precious gift by the way we conduct our lives.

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. [2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (NLT)]

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February 1, 2016

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Challenges & Difficulty, God's Grace & Love, Knowing Him, Peace of God, Thanks & Praise, Trusting God, Worry

COMFORT ME

As a mother comforts her child, so I’ll comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem. [Isaiah 66:13 (MSG)]

9-26-15Family-WEBRecently, a new mother I know had to leave a restaurant in the middle of dinner. The sitter had called in desperation; nothing would stop the baby from crying and she was at wit’s end. I’ve had that happen both as a sitter and a mother. We’ve probably all had an occasion when there is a fussy baby and his mother isn’t near; it is not a good situation! The infant is passed around from person to person. The baby is sung to, bounced, rocked, jiggled, walked, patted, and even tickled; the binky is offered, diapers are changed, funny faces are made, and a bottle is tried. The adults try in myriad ways to comfort the crying baby but absolutely nothing works. In fact, the child usually gets more agitated the harder everyone works at calming him down. Then, miracle of miracles, his mother returns to the room. She reaches out her arms and cradles her child. Almost instantly, he quiets. These are arms he can trust; he knows he’s loved and that all of his needs will be met.

We are God’s children and, sometimes, we’re not much different from that crying infant. Something is wrong in our lives and nothing and no one can still our troubled hearts. Fortunately, God is like that mother; while other people, try as they may, can’t calm us or ease our fears, He can. When we let God’s arms surround us, He will bring us comfort. We just need to be still, feel His embrace, and accept His reassurance; we are safe and loved.

Thank you, Lord, for the life you gave us. Thank you for nurturing and sustaining us through the years. Thank you for the comfort you offer us, the caress of your arms as you hold us, the tenderness of your voice as you soothe our troubled souls, and your gentle touch as you dry our tears.

Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised. Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. [Psalm 119:76-77 (MSG)]

Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I’d never forget you—never. [Isaiah 49:15 (MSG)]

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December 31, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Faith & Hope, Holy Spirit, Knowing Him, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

I AM WHAT?

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. [2 Timothy 1:1 (NLT)]

This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. [Titus 1:1 (NLT)]

julia butterfly- NBG2122aweb“I am….” How would you finish that statement? I recently came across an Internet article by Mark Papadas in which he posits, “How a person finishes that statement defines who they are, their beliefs about themselves and the world, and the standards they live by.” While we commonly say that people will live up or down to our expectations, Papadas writes that, in reality, they will live up or down to their own expectations and adds that people rarely give conscious thought to what it is they expect from themselves.

The Apostle Paul certainly knew who he was and what he expected of himself. I wonder if the rest of us are that clear about our identity and purpose. Who am I? Am I a wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker, writer, volunteer, photographer, retiree, senior citizen, or friend? Yes to all but, while those words may describe me, none of them define me. We’re not our roles, resumes, paychecks, pasts or pedigrees and we mustn’t let those define us. We’re human beings and not human doings.

Who am I? I am a child a God and a follower of Christ. As such, I know He expects me to love Him completely and my neighbor as myself. As a child of God, what do I expect of myself? I should love God and man, repent and forgive, study God’s word and pray, be part of the church and spread the gospel, live an upright life and do God’s will. I want to be as much like Christ as humanly possible. Can I live up to my expectations? Probably not completely but, with the power of the Holy Spirit, I can sure try. Why? Because I am a child of God.

What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God. [Hans Urs von Balthasar]

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. [Galatians 3:26-27 (NLT)]

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