Quote for the day… June 1, 2009

“Please note: You haven’t left the jungle. The trees still eclipse the sky, and the thorns still cut the skin. Animals lurk and rodents scurry. The jungle is still a jungle. It hasn’t changed, but you have. You have changed because you have hope. And you have hope because you have met Someone who can lead you out.”
(Let The Journey Begin – Max Lucado)

Circumstances loom over our heads to darken our days, people tear at our emotions, some lurk to destroy us completely with no remorse or covertness to their motives. Others sneak like rats, pleasant to your face, but bringing out the knife the moment you turn your back. Who we are is offense to most, uneasy for many, and, dare I say, ludicrous to the world. This world, who cannot imaging a Shepherd that cares for us in spite of who we are, calls us to be His with no prerequisite required (i.e. we do nothing to “qualify”), and loves us without prejudice no matter how many times we fall. He is still there to lead us out of the jungle to a better place, His presence. It is only to this hope that we need cling. In an ever changing world, we stand firm for an ever steadfast LORD.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” -Psalm 40:20

Stay tuned… August 16, 2008

It’s been a while and boy has the summer been crazy…

stay tuned for some cool updates on the summer!

Ice, Ice, Everywhere… February 17, 2008

The funniest thing happened today. You see, early this morning, it freezing rain started coming down and put this blanket of ice EVERYWHERE. The car was covered, the roads, the stairs, even each individual needle on the pine trees. So we went to church and afterwards we got in the car and went to drive up to the car port to pick up my mom. On a normal day, this task would have been effortless, with just a tiny incline that the van could handle with ease. Today, however, was much different. We backed out of the parking space and began our attempt at going to the door. No luck. We just sat there as the wheels spun and spun. We backed up a little more and gave it another try. Still nothing. Finally we backed way up and got a “running” start and at last we made it!

Isn’t our spiritual life much the same? On a good day, the incline we have to climb is effortless. Then the day hits that even the smallest task takes a running start to accomplish. Today is one of those days for me. So you could say that the weather fits my mood God is still good and no matter what comes my way He is in control and all that I need.

I am currently reading a book for the Puritan Challenge called The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. This book is ENTIRELY fitting for days like today. I got to the end of one chapter to find this written prayer:

“‘Lord, I believe,’ (Mark 9:24), with a weak faith, yet with faith; love thee with a faint love, yet with love; endeavour in a feeble manner, yet endeavour. A little fire is fire, though it smokes. Since thou hast taken me into thy covenant to be thine from being an enemy, wilt thou cast me off for these infirmities, which, as they displease thee, so are they the grief of my own heart?”

What a great prayer for a gloomy day such as this

The Tentacle… January 19, 2008

This is one of the most ridiculous products I have ever seen. If you are someone who visits my husband’s blog (www.brainofshawn.com) you will see this picture a little ways down on his page. He really wants one of these things and the response he has gotten from nearly everyone in our family is “FOR WHAT???”. Silliness aside, it really makes it seems as though the person wearing this “thing” has a tentacle for an arm. It looks like the monster lost the arm to its human costume.

Of course this got me thinking. The monster within… we all have one… some of us don’t try too hard to conceal it… some of us are mortified when it shows it’s ugly face. It’s different for everyone, yet it exists. My “monster” usually appears when dealing with friendships. I really am terrible. I can be a super-sensitive, anger-prone, grudge-clinger. At times, this is what my monster looks like and the tentacles come out! It really is quite the ridiculous mental picture… going along then all of the sudden… THE SWAMP MONSTER RETURNS!

Anyway, what does God’s word say about this? It’s a matter of the heart really…

Before Christ, we work alone at trying to earn our way through… and the result?

“The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?”-Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

“No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins.” -Isaiah 64:6-7 (NIV)

So by ourselves, we can do nothing…

“…apart from me you can do nothing.”-John 15:5

We MUST rely on Him and Him alone…

“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” -John 14:5-6

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” -John 15:4

 

When we do accept Jesus as our Lord we are washed clean, punishment paid (by Christ on the cross), and we are given the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Even when words fail us and we are so caught up in the battle against our “monsters” the Spirit intercedes for us…

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” -Romans 8:26-27

Constantly depending on our Father in heaven, the work of His Son on the cross, and giving access to the Spirit who lives in us, we can claim victory through the fruits that He gives us…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:22-23

How do we slowly eliminate this “monster” with-in? Continually give ourselves to God. When I become that super-sensitive, anger-prone, grudge-clinger I go somewhere quiet and bare my soul to the Lord of all creation and let the Holy Spirit work. Reliance on the Father is the only defiance against such a beast!

 

 

What if… October 21, 2007

What if, though you wanted to do something so great for God, He asked you to be a plumber. Not to pick on plumbers, but in the social status of today’s world, they are viewed as being at the bottom of the rung (though I could think of worse jobs).

See here’s the deal. I have had a shift in my life recently where everything that I used to define myself by, suddenly is no longer. So I am looking at myself and saying, “Ok God! Here I am, do with me what you will!” One problem… He hasn’t responded. The “jobs” that consume my time are things that I feel are so insignificant. I am not trained for anything, I have no degree, I’ve always been a home schooling mom and a coach. Now, my kids are enrolled in school and I resigned from coaching effective this season.

I know the answer, but I will be honest, I can’t seem to grasp it in my heart of hearts. The “answer” is to embrace God and find my identity in Him and Him alone because all these things are only temporary at any given moment. The only constant in the equation of my life is my God! Why do we refuse to cling to the only One who is unchanging, constant, stable, unfading, and unfailing.

I feel so out of touch. Maybe you’ve been there, maybe you’re there right now. Pray for me and with me as I take one step at a time through each day. Tonight it seems like each step takes a prayer and my feet feel heavy. I need my Lord to remind me of who I am and who He has made me to be through His Son. I am on a journey of self discovery and I am scared to DEATH! I cannot be concerned over what people think no matter their age, it’s between me and God.

Some verses for pondering:

“Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. ” [Psalm 27: 14]

“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;” [Psalm 37:6-7a]

“Wait for the LORD and keep his way.” [Psalm 37:34]

“I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.

I wait for you, O LORD;
you will answer, O Lord my God.” [Psalm 38:14-15]

“I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.” [Psalm 40:1-3a]

So what if God calls me to be a plumber? It’s a dirty job… but somebody has to do it… and hey, at the end of the day, I’ll know that even though you may act better than me… your poo still stinks

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” [1 Peter 4:11]

[Suggested Reading: Psalm 40]

Fright AND Flight! September 13, 2007

Have you ever had to let go? Just close your eyes, let go, and jump? It’s not an easy thing. You have to release control, depend on something or someone besides yourself. Some people may be good at this… but not me! Nope. I’m the type that likes to be in control of my surroundings and circumstances. This is very difficult to achieve when one is going down a zip line! That’s right, a ZIP LINE! I have mentioned before that this summer our family volunteered at Bair Lake Bible Camp. The second week I was there I lived at the Farm House with all the junior staff teens. We tried to hold nightly activities for them after they got done with their jobs and on one particular night, we decided to go down the zip line. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is a steel cable that is approximately 50 feet in the air. You, as the participant, are equipped with a helmet, and a harness… that’s it! You climb two flights of stairs, get hooked to the cable with a rope and a couple carabiners and OFF YOU GO! Skyrocketing through the air over an area the size of a football field with nothing keeping you from dropping but this rope that attaches you to the cable, that at the moment seems all too flimsy (even though they test it by sending a car across). It’s a ride that takes all but three seconds or so but it’s a ride that TERRIFIED me.

I watched all these kids go up those stairs, hook up, and then you hear the guide say “3,2,1… GO!”. They go flying down the line, some of them even flip upside down to try to grab leaves off the trees! I walked up the stairs (one of the longest walks EVER), got hooked up to the cable, then… I looked down. THAT’S RIGHT!!!! I looked down, 50 FEET! What took everyone else less than five minutes, took me THIRTY! I could not make myself let go! I would have rather run down those stairs and quit! It wasn’t a fright or flight situation, it was fright AND flight!

This gave me insight to who I am and the one of the biggest struggles I face… letting go. I was faced with a situation that requires me to let go. For the past eight years, I have home schooled all three of my girls. For the past eight years, I have been a stay-at-home mom. This year, the kids are enrolled in public school. I thought that it would be fine, until today. They started school a week ago, but I kept myself busy, today… not so much. So I was out of control of my kids lives and their environment. If someone is mean to them, I can’t do anything about it! I haven’t been called to the office yet for them beating anyone up so I figure everything is going fine. So I have to let go.

I think of Moses’ mother. She protected him for as long as she could and then she had to let go. Granted I get to see my kids every day when they come home, AND I didn’t keep them home to save them from death or anything, but still, she had to let go. She had to rely on the fact that God would care for him when she could not. Hannah is another example. She prayed and prayed for a child and promised that if God would answer she would give him to the Lord. She conceived and bore a son. The Bible doesn’t say, but I wonder if she even had a moment of hesitation or worry. She had to let go and rely on the fact that God would care for him when she could not.

There are times when we just want to hold on. We want to handle things on our own without any help from God or man. We want control. Now you might not be a stay-at-home mom who has a hard time sending her kids to school, but there must be something that you struggle with giving to God. I have a hard time relinquishing control, some may have a hard time giving God their spending habits, their temper, their tongue, their thoughts, their relationships, their lives.

May I offer a word of encouragement to both of us?

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Here’s an exercise, try re-writing the psalm in your own words! Make it apply to your life and claim the promise of God’s control. The “river” that is mentioned is referring to the Holy Spirit the dwells within us and gives us grace and consoles us even though we do not deserve it. Selah is a word that is found about 74 times in all of Scripture, it’s meaning is interpreted as “pause” or “silence”; “to raise” or “lift”. What does this tell us? The word Selah appears after verses 7 & 11:

“The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah“

“The LORD Almighty is with us;
the god of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah“

Do you see the point that the psalmist is trying to communicate? All these “scary” things may come our way, the fear of letting go is to be out of control, but it is to allow God to be IN control. He is in control whether we let go or not, but we can melt in His arms knowing that He is our refuge, strength, “and ever-present help in trouble”, our fortress.

I need to let go. God loves my kids far more than I ever could (though that is hard for me to imagine, I know that it is true). In this journey of letting go, I have combined the definitions for Selah. I have “to raise” or “lift” my kids up to Him, “raise my voice” to my Heavenly Father, and then “pause” in “silence” as He does His work. You can do the same. LET GO! Lift it up to God, raise your voice in prayer, pause, be silent, BE STILL…

“Be still, and know that I am God”
Psalm 46:10

HOOAH! September 6, 2007

You can hear it echoing in military bases, it’s cited throughout history, the spelling is debated (hooah, hoo-ah, hoorah, etc…), but it’s definition rings clear! It’s the battle cry of those who protect our country. HOOAH!

I attended a varsity volleyball game tonight. Whenever they got a kill (when they attack and the ball goes down for a point) they chant, “AHHH KILL, KILL, KILL (pound, pound, pound), HOOAH!” As I listened to this chant, it reminded me of a retreat that our youth group had. We did a military theme and “HOOAH” was our battle cry. When you look at the meaning of hooah, you will see that this term is not something to be used lightly! I Googled the phrase and the results where plentiful! 27,700 results for “hooah definition” and each site I clicked on rang the same resounding chant!

“No matter how one might spell the word… [it] is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, hooah seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound…”. (U.S. Army Infantry Home Page)

“Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan has his interpretation. ‘I don’t know how exactly to spell it, but I know what it means,’ Sullivan said. ‘It means we have broken the mold. We are battle focused. Hooah says ‘Look at me. I’m a warrior. I’m ready. Sergeants trained me to standard. I serve America every day, all the way.’ ‘” (U.S. Army Infantry Home Page)

As I watched the first game tonight, HOOAH was definitely a battle cry of a team who was battle focused! They were pumped and determined, and no one was going to stand in their way. It was a close defeat, and after that, hooah just became a word. The passion slipped away as the night continued and they didn’t seem to regain their focus.

The same thing happens to us. We are like race horses in the gate, we bolt out at the sound of the gun. Our day begins and we are gung ho and ready to go! As we become subject to moments of defeat, our battle cry dwindles to a mere whisper. Our faces hang low, and the bounce in our step all but fades. Those of us who know Christ, know where we must turn in moments like these. When defeat knocks at our door and temptation lurks around the corner, we must remember who we work for. Paul is very encouraging in this and is somewhat of a “drill sergeant” to our dedication to our Lord:

“…my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 – MSG)

“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 – ESV)

We should be facing each days challenge with a roaring HOOAH! Each battle that comes our way should be met with a resounding BOOM that could only come from God Himself, and why? Because it does. When we rely on Him, we can be confident that we will gain victory through Him who lives in us.

“Ye (you) are of God, little children, and have overcome them (evil spirits who try to lure us away from Christ) : because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 – KJV) [parenthesized words are mine]

Let’s us look back at 1 Corinthians and take a glance at the context. Verse 15:58 was one of our key verses for our retreat and when you look at the what comes before that, it ties it all together.

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 – NIV)

We are the perishable who are clothed with the imperishable! We are the mortal clothed with the immortal! And all this through Christ! So we could say “Donuts in the lounge, you have been swallowed up in victory!” Or “Where, O foul mouth, is your victory?” “Where, O lying heart, is your sting?” ALL of our struggles will be swallowed up in the victory of Christ! Our part (yes, we have to make a choice, as usual) is to wail a deafening HOOAH!

IL Volleydogs, stand up and say HOOAH! Look at the definition, sense the pride, feel the burning passion to complete the task that you have set out to achieve! Defeat has no hold on you! Grab hold of this battle cry and mix it with the adrenaline that runs through your veins as you hear the whistle that signals the serve. Execute your play with the skill that you have acquired from the discipline gained in practice. Beat your bodies to make them the tool used to turn defeat in the other direction. Lean on each other as you conquer together the adversaries that you face!

Christians, stand up and say HOOAH! Look at the definition, sense the pride, feel the burning passion to complete the task that you have set out to achieve! Defeat has no hold on you! Grab hold of this battle cry and mix it with the strength that has been granted you through your precious Savior! Execute the tasks set before you by your Heavenly Father with the discipline gained from study and prayer. Beat your bodies to make them the tool used to turn defeat in the other direction. Lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ as you conquer together the adversary we all face!

TAKE THE STAND!

“Christ has broken the mold! I am battle focused. Look at me! I’m a warrior! I’m ready! I have been trained to standard! I serve God every day, ALL THE WAY… HOOAH!!!!”

[Suggested Reading: Psalm 91 (The Soldier's Psalm)]
(The picture above and the quotes where taken from the U.S. Army Infantry Home Page )

 

Gesundheit! August 28, 2007

They say that when you sneeze, you should listen to see how many people bless you to know how many friends you have.  Well when our oldest daughter Amanda was a toddler, she took the blessing after a sneeze quite seriously.  Whenever she would sneeze, if no one responded, she would pipe up, “I SNEEZED!!”.  It was an announcement that EVERYONE had to hear and it was always followed by a chorus of “bless yous” and a satisfied baby girl.

We aren’t all that different from Amanda.  Only our “sneezing” comes in the form of works.  We often look for approval, acceptance, and even a pat on the back for the good that we do or have done.  We can say the right things when we are recognized but inside we feel a satisfaction that we have been noticed for all that we do.  When we join with a group of people to accomplish a large task and everyone is mentioned in the thank you, everyone that is except you, we feel like we have gotten the shaft.  We begin to feel unimportant and worthless.

What we need to do in times like those is to remember that we each have a purpose and that God sees us when no one else does.  It’s not very fulfilling now, but our reward lies in Heaven where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.

In Matthew 6 Jesus instructs us on the issues of giving, praying, fasting, what we treasure, and worrying.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (v.1)

 ”… when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (v. 5)

 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (v. 16)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (v. 19-20)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (v. 25)

The scriptures speak for themselves.  If we seek a reward here on earth, our reward here is all we get.   We should do things, not to be seen by others, but so that others will see our awesome God.  That through us His name would be glorified!  In return, God promises to reward us in heaven.  Is it something that we can see now?  No.  It’s not like the fund raiser pamphlet that you get every year from the school with the prizes pictured on it.  God knows that if we had the knowledge of what our specific rewards would be, our sinful selves would begin to boast about what WE have accomplished.  Our lives would no longer be about faith, and it would be all about works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God knows that if we think that we can earn ANYTHING that we become boastful even to the point of looking right past Him!

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Every day when we wake up, we have a choice… to live for God or… to live for ourselves.  God has our best interest in mind.  When we live for Him, He gives us a joy and peace that passes all understanding.  Look around you!  EVERYWHERE there are people looking for those very things!  They spend endless hours searching, longing, seeking… and they are sadly disappointed at every turn.  We have the answer!  We have the one thing that can fill them and satisfy their souls!  But… we have to be willing to be His vessel.  To be used BY Him, to GLORIFY His name and see others come to know the King of kings, and Lord of lords!  It all starts with seeking to please God and let the temporary praises of man pass us by.

So the next time you “sneeze”, stop and think… will you be looking for the blessings of man or the blessings of God?  Will you introduce the world to Him today?

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both…” (Matt. 6:24)

[Suggested Reading: Matthew 6]

Feeling Faint? August 25, 2007

A word of encouragement… Jesus can do ANYTHING! I have seen Jesus do wondrous things is the lives of so many. We often find ourselves in situations and times where we are screaming, “Even so come Lord Jesus!”. I have been feeling that way lately. Just sitting here tonight, I made a play list in my music program called “Encouragement”. It’s for the moments I feel faint. Have you ever heard that song? It is excellent!

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement.
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You’re telling me that there’s no hope.
I’m telling you your wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus
When the world around you crumbles
He will be strong, He will be strong

I throw up my hands
“Oh, the impossibilities”
Frustrated and tired
Where do I go from here?
Now I’m searching for the confidence I’ve lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear

I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
Gather my insufficiencies and
place them in your hands, place them in your hands, place them in your hands

(The Moments I Feel Faint -Relient K)

I am such a music person. When I am feeling happy, there is nothing I’d rather do than sing my heart out to my God! When I am low, I find peace in a song. Different songs appease different moods. It is the companion that never judges, never leaves, and never expects anything in return. I think we all need that sometimes. God is very much like that as well. He is all about us. He pours out His love on us, He protects us, He is always there, never changing, ever-present, all-sufficient. Even when we are faced with trial, we have to cling to the promise that He is there, loving us through our trial and yet He is not finished with us in that He is helping us grow through our experiences 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year! The moments we feel faint we need to realize that God still holds us in those moments, we only need to allow Him to raise us up to be all that we can be. These times more than any other, we need to be on our knees in prayer. I saw a plaque the other day that said, “It’s hard to stumble when you’re on your knees”. Good quote! I am not sure who it is by, but it hits home for me right now.

Are you feeling faint? Think of it as climbing. Have you ever seen someone climb a cliff? It’s amazing! The ones who are really good. They are these muscular instruments that are on a mission to conquer! Do they do it alone? No. They have equipment, sure, but the most important thing is the life line. The line that holds them up if they slip. Do you see where I’m going with this? We are the climbers. We are these muscular instruments, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, climbing toward the goal set before us by our Father in Heaven. He is our life line. We may feel alone and that there are no other climbers out there, and even if they aren’t, it’s ok. If we slip, He is there to hold us up… we need to just rely on Him. Ever felt like rejecting His comfort and relying on ourselves? It’s like taking a knife and cutting the life line. It’s there to hold us up! When you feel faint… fall into the hands of a Father who loves you! Don’t cut your life line by turning your back on the One who loves you more than anyone you’ll ever meet.

“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:28-31

Looks Can Be Deceiving… August 21, 2007

Isn’t this a lovely cup. My husband LOVES coffee and has tons of to-go mugs. This is one of his most recent that he purchased when he visited Cabela’s which is a three hour drive from our home. If you are ever in a pinch to get him a gift, a coffee cup is always a winner.

Well, it’s two weeks before school starts and there is cleaning up to do. Shawn’s office is in a terrible state. So I went in to help clean. He had begun to organize and there were some things set aside for me to take back home with me… a box of coffee mugs being one of them. You see, he is always getting coffee to go from home and every once in a while I receive a box full to clean out. Nothing out of the ordinary, I brought them home and began to wash them. I opened his prized Cabela’s mug and plunged my hand into the black interior only to be met with this…

…yes, it is disgusting!!! That reminded me of a time in the Bible where Jesus was publicly scolding the Pharisees for their legalism and there outward “show” of faith when really they had no faith at all. All the external “to dos” and “traditions” but they completely missed the mark when it came to being right with God and accepting the One who came to save mankind.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” – Matthew 23:25-26

You would think that it would happen the opposite of what it did. One would imagine that the Pharisees, who have studied the Law and been the most knowledgable of the prophesy of the Savior, would be the first in line to meet, greet, and welcome the Christ. Who would have thought that some lowly fishermen would do this instead. They were lowly fishermen, smelly and dirty. Their exterior apperance matched the inward apperance of the Pharisees. But everyone saw how “righteous” and knowledgeable the Pharisees were. Everyone that is, except Jesus. Who being in His very nature, God, saw them for who they truly were…hypocrites. Hypocrites who were keeping men from seeing Jesus for who He was, God in the flesh, come to seek and save those who were lost.

The fishermen on the other hand, had no “superior knowledge”. They knew that a Savior was coming, and when Jesus summoned them, they followed. They weren’t perfect, they often didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, they sometimes would doubt, and they even fled from Jesus the night He was betrayed. But they had moldable hearts. They knew they needed cleansing and that they were full of sin.

The Pharisees enjoyed their power and position in the eyes of man. The fisherman were not so popular to those around them. But Christ could see. He could see them on the inside…

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

When He looks inside you… what does He see? Does He see someone who looks to man for acceptance, edification, and merit? Or does He see someone who lowers themselves before Him, and declares Him their only source of strength, knowledge, fulfillment, and being? You may be able to fool your fellow man, but you CANNOT fool God. He created you and He knows who you are when no one else sees you. He saw through the Pharisees “fanfare” and He sees through ours.

The cup may look pretty on the outside, but what awaits on the inside? Is it clean? Or is there a clump of slimy ooze sitting there beginning to grow mold? We can look great and go through the motions and still be stinky like a fisherman on the inside.

So once again we are faced with a choice…

God Seeker or Man Appeaser?
Cleanliness or Oozines?
Fisherman or Pharisee?

“choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve”
- Joshua 24:15

[Suggested Reading: Matthew 23]