I have often contemplated the meaning of Colossians 2:8 which reads, “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that comes from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” It’s increasingly difficult in our world where all manner of philosophy is out there. It’s on our televisions, in our newspapers and magazines, and taught in our educational institutions. Therefore, to discern between what the world teaches and what God teaches becomes blurred.
I find this to be so in the area of when to speak, sharing our hearts, or when to be silent, guarding those things that are hidden away. James tells us in James 1:19, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” Then there is that verse in Ecclesiastes 3:7, “…a time to be quiet and a time to speak.” Oh, to have God’s own wisdom reigning in our minds rather than the philosophies of this world.
I have a dear friend named Lucy Shockney. I met Lucy years ago when I had the joy of speaking at a Christian conference in France. She and her family had been missionaries there for many years. We have kept in touch ever since. I have often benefited from the wisdom that God gives Lucy in a variety of matters. Recently she wrote concerning transparency and honesty. I have asked her permission to share her thoughts with you.
“Had a great conversation yesterday. Here is what I discovered. In this day and age TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY are valued above RELATIONSHIP. Trust me when I tell you that you need me to be genuine, you don’t need to know every little thing inside of me. Frankly you might not be able to handle the weightiness of what is going on inside me and it could wreck our relationship.
So I will be genuine but I won’t be transparent. That’s saved for people I trust and who love me. Honesty is for those relationships where we have forged the dark waters of hurt and came out ok on the other side. Otherwise my honesty can wait till we are in a stronger place.
This is not a compromise, this is an issue of maturity and timing.
Stop being TRANSPARENT 24/7 (and all over social media) and start being discreet and save your tender truths for someone who cares enough to keep them safe.” Lucy Shockney
The world’s philosophy encourages us to share all in order to build relationship. Jesus taught that it’s not wise to spill out everything to everyone called friend in an attempt to establish deeper understanding. Our good intentions in speaking truth can turn around and bite us and the friend. Jesus said in Matthew 7:6, “…Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” Jesus was not actually calling people pigs; rather, He was teaching that, to pour out everything in our heart to everyone at any given time, is unwise. What is in your heart is precious. Some things need to stay hidden away, shared only with God. It takes His own wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent.
Anyone who has spent time living in the southern U.S. states comes to realize that storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes are a natural and frequent part of life. We had such a storm last Friday night. There was heavy rain, great flashes of lightening, and ferocious winds. Conditions were right for a tornado; sure enough, one hit our house.
It could have been so much worse. As it happens, it broke two large, twenty foot limbs from one of our pecan trees, peeled back part of the tin roof over one end of the house, tore off a strip of vinyl siding from the back porch, and blew in the shed doors. All these things are repairable. Like I said, it could have been so much worse. We remain thankful.
What has interested me in the days following the storm are the limbs that were broken from the pecan tree. One limb was completely severed. It lays stretched across the ground below. Another limb is hanging straight down to the ground, but it’s hanging on by a sliver of bark. Now, here is the interesting thing: the limb completely severed is already dried out and the leaves have turned brown as if it were autumn. However, the limb still attached to the tree, although only by the smallest fragment of wood, is as leafy and beautiful as the rest of the tree. All the leaves are green; there is every evidence of life.
As I have observed these two limbs, it has occurred to me that the limbs are not unlike people in their relationship with Jesus. Those who don’t know Him are like the dried up limb on the ground. True and lasting life, full of the purest peace and joy in any storm, comes only through knowing Jesus Christ. There is no other way.
Then, there are those who indeed know Him, but perhaps they feel spiritually dry, not unlike the limb on the ground. Haven’t we all, at various times in our lives, felt empty? Has your heart ever cried out like the Psalmist in Psalm 10:1, “Why do You stand afar off, Oh Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?” We know of a certainty, in our minds, that Jesus never forsakes us; but in times of trouble, we don’t always feel it. We love feelings. Who doesn’t smile at memories of the sweetness of God’s love wrapping around us? We feel we can almost tangibly grasp hold of Him, such is the loveliness of His presence. We want to feel those emotions all the time! Why can’t we?
Perhaps the answer is, as the song, Through It All, by Andrea Crouch, states: “If I never had a problem, I’d never know that God could solve them.” Like tornadoes swirling on the ground, wreaking havoc to everything in its path, we also get tossed about in the storms of life. We are battered and bruised, but never forget — we are attached to the Lord Jesus! We may feel we’re only hanging on by a sliver! Be gladdened! A sliver is enough! A sliver still brings comfort and peace to a troubled soul. What we feel is only a sliver, is the lifeblood of Jesus pouring into all our aching places.
Take heart, oh, slivered one, for you are not dying; you are hanging on to the One who will never let you go.
A friend shared a prayer request with me this week. It was for her daughter. She gave no details. All I knew was to pray. One night I couldn’t sleep so I used the time awake to pray for various concerns; this friend’s request came to my mind. As I prayed for her daughter I was compelled to pray that the daughter would know “holy understanding.” Upon checking with my friend, she assured me to keep on praying that prayer.
A day or two later my friend wrote something both joyful and sad to me. She said her daughter had written just a few sentences, but by this contact my friend knew her daughter was alive! Until reading that statement, I had not realized that my friend and her husband had no idea whether their daughter was even living. My heart broke for them as I tried to imagine the depth of their concern; the burden they had been bearing, the anguish of not knowing.
I have not been able to get this out of my mind; indeed, I don’t want to get this out of my mind. I want to pray on that the Holy Spirit would whisper into this young woman’s heart. It has been as a result of sharing in this burden that Father’s Words in Deuteronomy 32:10 came to my mind, “He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; He guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.” The parents of this young woman don’t know all the details of where their daughter is or what she is doing — until this week they weren’t sure she was even alive! Even so, our heavenly Father sees over all. He knows just where this loved and missed daughter is, what she’s doing, and who she’s with at all times. Our Father knows her every thought.
With the reading of this blog entry, would you do two things? Would you say a prayer, right now, for this young woman to once again enjoy contact with her parents? Would you pray that whatever is troubling her, that she would know of a certainty that, “with God nothing shall be impossible?” Second, if there is someone in your life with whom you are estranged, would you take comfort in knowing without doubt that our Father knows and sees all things. He knows where your loved one is and He cares, both for your estranged loved one, and for your own hurting heart. Call out to Him and take His comfort.
In praying for my friend’s daughter this week, I have also been reminded of an old song I learned in my childhood. It has comforted me often over the years.
“His Eye Is On The Sparrow”
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is he
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
I sing because I’m happy
I sing because I’m free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
Satan, author of evil, is the arch enemy to every Christian. From the beginning of his own attempt to overthrow God, he has been wreaking havoc in the world and particularly in the lives of Christians. His schemes have been treacherous; his attempts murderous.
He tried to destroy Jesus at birth when he instigated Herod to order all male babies under 2 to be killed. He thought he had destroyed Jesus at the cross; instead, Jesus conquered death, rising again, and assuring that all who are in Christ will rise also. Even as Jesus ascended back to heaven before His resurrection, when He appeared to Mary and the disciples, (Eph.4:8-10, Col.2:15) demons tried to cling on to Him, keeping Him earthbound, desiring to keep Him from presenting Himself at the Mercy Seat of God, as the fulfillment of the perfect sacrifice for mankind, but Jesus shook them off, revealing again His absolute authority over all.
Today, Satan does everything he can to keep anyone from receiving Jesus as their Savior. Failing that, he does everything he can to keep a Christian from walking close to God, scheming with all manner of wickedness to draw one away from the One called the Lord Jesus.
There are persecutions against Christians around the world. There have always been persecutions, and until Jesus comes to take us to heaven to be with Him, there always will be terrible maltreatment. That fact is not a surprise. Regarding this, I quote a dear brother, Tim Herbert, founder of Syzygy, a UK based organization giving practical and pastoral support for Christian Missions, who wrote to me this very week concerning the persecution of Christians. He said:
“The writers of the New Testament letters frequently referred to suffering when they wrote to encourage their flocks. They regularly stressed that it was normal, that we had been warned in advance about it, and that it’s all part of the conflict in which we are on God’s side. Jesus said that the world would hate us because it hated him first (John 15:18ff). We in the west have been mostly insulated by the ‘Christian’ nature of our culture from the normality of suffering which is only too familiar to people in central Asia.
The Apostles’ teaching did not deny the tragedy of their suffering, but placed it into a larger context. We read of Peter and John rejoicing that they had been considered “worthy” of suffering shame after they had been flogged (Acts 5:41)! Paul talks about “momentary light affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17) and says that the suffering of this life cannot be compared to the glory of the next (Romans 8:18).”
In the west, we do not currently suffer murderous threats on the scale as happens daily in so many other countries. Nonetheless, there may come times when we are called upon to stand up and be counted. Let us not forget our Christian brothers and sisters who suffer physical pain, even death, and emotional heartbreak and grief everyday. Let us hold them up to our Father in prayer, and let us pray for ourselves, that if given opportunity to suffer for Jesus, we, also, would stand and be counted with God’s own courage and joy.
When evil seems to triumph, remember that Jesus has already conquered everything devilish and wicked. A time has been promised when Satan will be cast away from us for eternity, and God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Until that time, we can encourage each other with Paul’s words found in Romans 8:18-19 & 31, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are…What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
Every now and again someone will ask me, “How can I know when God is speaking to me? How can I know that something I’m thinking is God’s will and not just my own idea?” These are questions that come to every Christian. We all want to hear God speak into our lives. We want to be certain of His guidance. We don’t want to make a mistake in discerning what we are hearing.
When answering this question, I think of two verses of Scripture. The first verse is found in I John 2:27, “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know…” Now, this verse doesn’t mean that we have no need to study God’s Word; it means that as we study and seek God, the Holy Spirit will speak His truth into our hearts. He will be the best teacher, showing us what is correct. He will give us an assurance that what we are hearing is of God and not of ourselves.
We know we need to study because of the second verse I want to share — II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourselves approved before God; a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” It is clear that it is of utmost importance that we read God’s Word and meditate upon it. As a valid part of our study, it is extremely helpful to examine the culture and Bible customs of the time. This will help us to keep God’s Word in proper context. Then we will learn how to adequately apply God’s truth to our lives. In other words, as we study God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, as our teacher, will speak the truth of those words and guide us into its life application.
The things we study are used by God’s Spirit to lead us. Often when I have prayed, seeking guidance in some particular matter, a verse of Scripture has come to my mind. As I meditated upon the verse, the path of God’s choosing became clear to me. If I had never studied, then God’s Word would not have been in my heart for the Holy Spirit to bring to my remembrance.
It stands to reason that, the more familiar we are with the Holy Words of God, the more familiar we become with His voice. We learn to recognize when God is speaking, or when it’s someone else, or when it’s our own desires getting in the way. It is only by studying God’s Word that the Holy Spirit is best able to teach us, mold us, and sharpen our spiritual ears to discern the voice of God.
Practicing to recognize His voice is an exciting endeavor, and developing the ability to perceive His truth is a journey that keeps us on a path of continued peace, joy, and amazing adventure in walking with Him!
I so enjoy reading into the book of Revelation. Especially in times of personal difficulty, or when I contemplate world upheaval, I find a calm that comes through reading this powerful and amazing book. It provides a hope that is lasting. It’s a not a hope implying that something “might” take place, but it’s a hope that is full of assurance; a hope that can only come because of the unshakable promises of God.
Just read the following words found in Revelation 22:1-6, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there — no need for lamps or sun — for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. “
When I listen to the news and hear of world chaos or when I endure personal hardship, a tremendous encouragement comes when I remind myself that, “this world,” as the song says, “is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t be at home in this world anymore.” This song also reminds me of another encouraging passage of Scripture. It’s found in II Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Isn’t that uplifting? Oh, how positive is God’s Word! How reassuring that, whatever distasteful situation we find ourselves in, it’s only temporary. The angels already look on the face of Jesus, living in a place that we can only imagine. We are promised that one day we also will see the same wonder.
I close with two things my father once said. I often recall them when I am in the midst of less that hoped for circumstances. He said, “Every episode that happens to us is just the Lord stirring the cup of life to make Heaven a little bit sweeter.” The second is this: “The dark things of life take on a new character when we look at them in the light of eternity.”
Oh, yes!
Many of you who know me well, know that my Bible hero is the Apostle Paul. His Holy Spirit inspired letters have greatly influenced me, rousing me to look to the heavens in the middle of adversity. From that place of focus I have always, without exception, found the strength and courage needed to face anything at all. I thank God for the example of Paul in helping me to determine always to keep looking up! When I’m going through difficult times, I like to look again into Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth.
In Paul’s second letter, he shares with the church some of the tremendous suffering he has endured, all for the name of Jesus Christ. In II Corinthians 11: 24-27, we discover that Paul has lived through being thrown in jail, given thirty-nine lashes during three different arrests. He was stoned once and shipwrecked an astounding three times! During one shipwreck he floated on pieces of the broken ship for a day and a night. He faced floods from rivers and had to always take caution in his travels because many robbers were about. How did all this affect Paul? Look at what he writes in II Corinthians 1:8: “I thought you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can even raise the dead.”
Isn’t that amazing? To have experienced any one of the above would be enough, we tell ourselves, for anyone to endure, but all those things? I try to imagine how I would feel if time and time again some calamity, nothing of my own fault, were to fall upon me. What would my attitude be? What would yours be?
We can always encourage ourselves with the reminder that God allows nothing into our lives without using it for our good. He makes us stronger — if we let Him. God so knows the human spirit. On this topic, my father wrote, “Many people will not turn to God until there is no one else to turn to. Many people will not trust God until they have used up all other resources. Many people do not learn that God is enough until God is all they have.”
When we read of Paul’s adversities, there is a theme that emerges. It is a great truth to learn, that God’s purpose for His children, above everything else, is to destroy in us forever any possible confidence in the flesh. God wants us to trust Him alone. It’s not our gifts or talents, our abilities, our experiences, our knowledge or our own wisdom that will get us through life’s terrible times. The key is to know beyond all doubt, that getting through any suffering, is nothing of ourselves but everything of God.
Those of you who regularly read my blog will know that I put out a new entry every Friday. I missed this Friday due to unforeseen circumstances that would not allow me the time needed to simply sit down and write. Several of you have noticed; you have emailed or texted to ask if all is well. I thank you for noticing and for sharing your concern. You have touched me with your expressions of care.
We’ve all had days or weeks — months even — when life takes over our schedules in ways we do not desire. Events happen that move us out of our routine. We are pushed by the unexpected into a realm of anxiety. Such has been the case for me this week. Several events happened all at once and they wouldn’t go away! I felt a bit knocked over sideways, like a football player when they’re running toward the goal and all of a sudden they’re tackled to the ground. They just didn’t see it coming.
Unexpected and unwanted events happen to us all. When they do, we can be placed into a spin of a myriad of emotion. Questions begin to take over all other reasonable thoughts in our minds. Will things turn out alright? What will be happening tomorrow? Will I feel hopeful again? Will this sinkhole of hurt ever spit me back up onto solid ground? Am I doomed to feel this way forever? Plaguing thoughts can push out our hope and keep our wheels spinning in a mire of stress, taking us no where.
Events of life can seemingly take on a life of its very own, ruling our time, holding us in a grip of tremendous pressure. We wonder if and when it will end. Does this describe the results of unwanted events that have come into your own lives at various times? No one can escape unwanted, hurtful, stress filled days, but wonderfully, for the child of God, no one has to remain in the clutches of such tension.
God’s Word, our Father’s own love letter to each of us, is filled with words of great encouragement. Our Father’s words are more than meaningful words on paper; they are living words that reach down, bringing lasting comfort, lifting broken spirits, mending shattered dreams, soothing the grieving heart. Our Father watches our every step. He knows there will be times of difficulty and suffering. Does He merely watch — knowing but doing nothing? Oh, no! He watches and begins pouring in His balm of love and hope and peace. He never leaves us in good times or bad; He scoops us up into His strong arms, whispers His own love into our waiting ears, bringing hope that nothing else can bring. This is our Father.
My own shattered peace has come to know another peace that no other could bring; only my Father can love so perfectly, heal so quickly, and whisper sweet, living words of hope. I especially have loved this verse in Jeremiah 29:11 during many times of unrest in my life. “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” That’s the God we serve, the One who is capable and desiring always, to breathe into our worlds of confusion, bringing His peace, taking our hands, leading us through to peaceful streams and greener pastures.
Thank you, my dear Father. There is none like You. Thank you.
Last night I walked outside and looked up. I love living in the countryside because the stars appear brighter stretched across a black velvet sky. There were so many; each one twinkling in brilliance.
Then the thoughts came flooding in: Jesus is the author of the beauties of heaven and earth. He made it all and He shares it with us who personally know Him. In fact, to everyone who has received Jesus as their own Savior, He has promised that all the riches of heaven are theirs. Until then, while we are still pilgrims on this earth, He has promised us a treasure chest of everything we need to get through anything at all. What a wondrous, loving, perfect God, who would reach down to imperfect and selfish us, and make a way that we can live with Him in the beauty and perfection of love — forever!
“The heavens are Yours and the earth is Yours; everything in the world is Yours — You created it all. You created north and south, Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon, praise Your name. Powerful is Your arm! Strong is Your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength! Your throne is founded on two strong pillars — righteousness and justice. Unfailing love and truth walk before You as attendants. Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of Your presence, Lord. They rejoice all day long in Your wonderful reputation. They exult in Your righteousness. You are their glorious strength. Our power is based on Your favor.” Psalm 89:11-17
To think that we can actually know God personally, and only because His love is so great and beautiful that He wants us to know Him. He made that way possible through His dear Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible, God’s love letter to us, tells us in Romans that there is no other entrance to the beauty of heaven, except through His Son. There is no greater joy than to personally know Jesus, for He is the epitome of love itself, and He wraps us in His arms, and He whispers His words of love into our hearts. Oh, how wonderful, exciting, and true!
I hope everyone reading this knows Jesus personally; if not, just ask Him right now. Ask Him to forgive all your sin. He promises to forgive all, no matter what. Ask Him to come right now, this very moment, into your life. He will do so by His Spirit and He will never leave you. Instead, He will prepare your place in heaven, and He will steer you along your life’s journey. He loves you, and He will guide your steps, and fill you with His own peace, all because of His unmeasurable love. Love, love, and more love. That’s Jesus! Oh, I do hope you know Him.
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a story about Kitty, our partially blind cat, who lives on our enclosed front porch. She is happy in her little world. She is safe there; well, until it thunders. Then, Kitty isn’t so certain of her protection.
Late yesterday afternoon I noticed blackened clouds getting closer. The wind picked up. Very soon rain would be upon us. Sure enough, in just a matter of a few minutes, here came the rain and the wind. I went to have a sit in one of the front porch rocking chairs to watch the rain. It was pleasant. Kitty paid no attention to it — until a clap of thunder sounded overhead. Then Kitty’s body shrank down, her head dipped, ears pinned back, pupils large.
“Kitty?” I called her name softly. She looked in my direction. I put my hand down so she could feel my touch. Immediately her stiffened body relaxed beneath my fingers. Then, another crack of thunder shot across the sky. Fear claimed her nerves once more. I kept talking to her, giving my assurance that all was well. As long as she focused on me, she was relaxed. Thunder continued but her panic eased away.
After several minutes Kitty decided to go over to her perch. She jumped onto the rocking chair, made her way along the windowsill, and settled onto her window perch. From this point Kitty observes the outside world going by. Her eyes stared at the pouring rain. Another sound of thunder boomed but how did Kitty react? She contentedly began to groom herself! I smiled in her trust that she was safe in my presence.
Every now and again in the midst of her grooming she would glance toward me. Seeing I was there she ignored the sounds of pelting rain and cracking thunder. Nothing could hurt her in the presence of her enemy because I was there, like a shepherd looking over a flock of sheep, and I would take care of her.
It’s no different for you and me is it? Don’t we have a Shepherd who is with us in every one of life’s storms, protecting, guiding, whispering words of hope and comfort?
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” Psalm 23:4
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