ALL FIGURED OUT

Proverbs 16:19 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

We all have those wonderful people in our life who THINK they have life “all figured out.”  You can just feel their beady little eyes peering down their nose at your own chaotic, merry-go-round of a life.  They can barely keep the disdain from seeping out as they let loose a fountain of advice.  And sometimes you wonder, “Am I the only one who just can’t get it together?”  Every time I see a hint of blue sky, a storm cloud moves in and strong winds scatter my puzzle pieces all over the floor…and believe me, they’ve been stepped on multiple times.

Well here is a little secret that those “life together/figured it out people” don’t want you to know…IT IS JUST A FAÇADE or at the most a temporary situation.  It never fails, just when I start to fit the last puzzle piece in place, ready to lean back and say, “finally, it's finished,” God says, “Here is a part you forgot to finish” and hands me another pile of confusing pieces.  Most of the time, He doesn’t even let me see the box, so I can at least envision the finished picture. BUT, that doesn’t mean, I have to put the pieces together alone.  Oh no, if I will invite Him to join me, He directs my hand to the right piece and helps me fit it in perfectly.  It is only when I think I can finish the picture on my own or change the picture to fit my ideas; when I think I have it “all figured out,” that I get in trouble.

Luke 12:18-19 So he said, “I will do this, I will pull down my barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods.” And I will say to my soul, “Soul you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink and be merry.”

Luke 12 relates a story of a man who finally had life “all figured out.” He had spent his life working hard, had spent his money frugally and was now ready to rest.  The final piece of the puzzle was in his hand and he was ready to finish the picture.  After all, what could be wrong with enjoying the fruit of his labor?  He would get the barn built and spend the rest of his life pursing pleasure…He would finally get to experience all the things he had dreamed of all those years.  BUT, he forgot to ask God to be involved…God, however, had not forgotten him or the finished picture; He had planned for the “barn builder” from the beginning.

Luke 12:20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then who will those things be which you have provided?”

OOPS!!! Not the words he wanted to hear.  “The best laid plans” etc, etc, etc.  How differently the ending of the story could have been, IF ONLY…IF ONLY, he had consulted with God; IF ONLY, he had not spent his life pursing temporary happiness; IF ONLY, he had placed his hope in things eternal…IF ONLY!

The ending of my story has not yet been written and my puzzle is still unfinished, surrounded by many confusing pieces but years ago I surrendered the pen and the box to Jesus Christ.  He sees the finished picture and is writing the beautiful ending. 

So, peer down your nose with pity at my life or look me straight with eyes of pride at your own life, I am not afraid to admit, “I DON’T HAVE IT TOGETHER!”  And I don’t have to because I not only desire God to DIRECT MY STEPS but I am asking Him to also put His plan, complete with the ending in my heart.

TRUST, DO GOOD, DWELL, AND FEED

Psalms 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.

I read and reread Psalms 37:3, several times today.  The last line, “feed on His faithfulness,” keeps bringing me back to this chapter.

Psalms 37:1 Do not fret because of evildoers nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

Verse 1 begins, “Do not fret because of evildoers.”  Talk about Prophetic!!! The Psalmist could have been watching the evening news.  It seems there is one story after another, blatantly or with underlying evil.  The world is turned upside down…right is wrong, wrong is right and you had better just accept it!!!  But the true Child of God cannot accept the wave of ungodliness that is sweeping across the country…SO WE FRET!

If you turn off the news, you are faced with the evildoers in your own family or the evildoers that dwell among your own congregation…Yes; the devil is one of the most faithful church attendees and he also likes to join your Thanksgiving gathering.  Unless you wrap yourself in a “prayer blanket” cocoon, evil is inescapable; it permeates the atmosphere…SO WE FRET!

WHAT IS A BODY TO DO??? Read and obey Psalms 37:3…

TRUST in the Lord…STOP, looking to Presidential Candidates to fix things, become your provider or even “make America great again.”  KNOW in whom you have believed and BE PERSUADED that He is able to keep all that you have committed to Him…TRUST IN THE LORD!

DO GOOD…So what, if some don’t believe…DO GOOD!  So what, if they laugh at the “ark” you are building for your family…DO GOOD!  So what, if you are considered intolerant and old-fashioned…DO GOOD!  So what, if you are shunned, ignored and stepped on…keep DOING GOOD!

DWELL in the land…About that “prayer blanket,” use it frequently; wrap yourself in prayer but it IS NOT a cocoon…come out from under the blanket and DWELL IN THE LAND!  The “land” needs the LIGHT to help guide them back to the right path.  You must shine the light, so DWELL IN THE LAND!

FEED on His faithfulness…God hasn’t left us to flounder and finally drown in the cesspool of this world.  He is a PRESENT help in time of trouble and He is FAITHFUL.  It is in the knowledge of His faithfulness that we can draw strength to keep on walking; to endure to the end…FEED ON HIS FAITHFULNESS!  Don’t lose heart, it isn’t a lost cause, Jesus has a “table spread,”…FEED ON HIS FAITHFULNESS!

God has a great reward waiting for all who will TRUST, DO GOOD, DWELL AND FEED…He’ll fight the battle and you can enjoy the “last laugh.”

Psalms 37:6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.

WE WIN!!!

KICKING RANGE

Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Caleb and Nathan were scuffling and as is usual with boys, the scuffling escalated into a kicking match.

Grandma: “Nathan why did you kick Caleb?”

Nathan:  “Because he kicked me.”

Grandma:  “What does the Bible say about how we should treat each other?”

Caleb:  “The way we want to be treated.”

Nathan goes to Caleb and says:  “Go ahead and kick me, Caleb.”

(If you didn’t quite get what Nathan was saying, think about it for a little bit.)

How many times has God rebuked us for entering into a scuffling match with our brothers and sisters; then reminded us to treat each other as we would like to be treated.  But in our stubbornness and desire for revenge, we invite continued abuse.  In our hearts we are saying, "GO AHEAD; kick me!"  The "wheels of revenge" are already turning in our mind and a master plan is forming.  "You just wait!  GO AHEAD; KICK ME!"

STOP!!!  You CANNOT justify your own bad behavior and treatment of others by offering up yourself to be a victim.  Set an example to those who “use and abuse” you with LOVE AND FORGIVENESS…and stay out of kicking range.

PENTECOST COMES TO THOSE WHO WAIT

Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (NKJV)

FEAST OF PENTECOST/PENTECOST SUNDAY…50 days after Passover/Easter; celebrated across the world today in Christian churches.  If you belong to a Pentecostal Church or have experienced the infilling of the Holy Ghost, as the disciples did on the Day of Pentecost, excitement wells up inside you as you prepare to gather with other believers.  Could it happen again?  Will we experience a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit today?  Perhaps at least 1 or 2 will receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit, this morning….maybe the preacher will preach a sermon using the text, “And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come…” hopefully the speaker will at least mention that it is Pentecost Sunday.

This afternoon, there are various reports of a “powerful” move of God, baptisms, and infillings of the Holy Ghost. It is so wonderful and encouraging to read, but I dare say no one actually experienced a “DAY OF PENTECOST.”  WHY?????  Is there a secret formula?  Maybe a dynamic, dramatic speaker could hype up everyone?  If we sing very loudly, “Holy Spirit, you are welcome here,” with our hands raised, perhaps the fire of God would fall…The prophets of Baal tried that in 1Kings; it didn’t work.  What if we installed a talented worship leader, new lighting, or instituted exciting programs?  NO, no and no!!!  SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

We need to look no further than Luke 24:49 to find the key to experiencing a “DAY OF PENTECOST” in every one of our congregations.  Jesus tells His Disciples, “I’m going to send you the Promise of the Father; my Spirit to dwell within you but you need to go back to Jerusalem and WAIT.”   WAIT?????...WHAT???? 

Can’t God move and breathe a fresh wind of the Holy Ghost over our congregation in the time we’ve allotted?  We give him a whole hour and sometimes even add an extra half hour every Sunday.  Surely God doesn’t need more time than that to pour out His Spirit…after all it’s not like it is the first time He has ever done this.  Besides, I have dinner in the oven, the restaurants will be full, there is an afternoon ballgame to watch, I need my Sunday afternoon nap…Lord, I need you to move NOW and HURRY UP!  Please.

Yes, I think we’ve identified the problem, we don’t like to WAIT!!!  And you’re right, God doesn’t need time to get His “act together;” WE DO!  The WAITING is for us; not for God.  It is to bring our minds into ONE ACCORD in ONE PLACE!!!  We may be gathered together in one room but our minds are NOT in one place.  Oh no, they are on Sunday dinner, afternoon activities and tomorrow’s responsibilities…we couldn’t hear the “Rushing Mighty Wind” even if it entered with the roar of a hurricane.

ACTS 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord, in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.(NKJV)

Hearing and receiving from God requires so much more than a weekly gathering on Sunday Morning; so much more than our beautiful buildings, professional musicians, state of the art sound systems, talented program directors and eloquent preachers.  If we really want to experience a DAY OF PENTECOST in our midst, we are going to have to be willing to WAIT.  Wait for an hour, 2 hours, a day or maybe even 10 days.  WAIT until we hear the SOUND of the Wind of God; WAIT until we receive the PROMISE OF THE FATHER; WAIT until we are ENDUED WITH POWER from on High.  We are going to have to learn to WAIT!

UNDERSTANDING, BEAUTY AND ETERNITY

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.  Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Life hasn’t turned out the way you had pictured; the fairy tale has been shattered, your body is broken or perhaps you are walking through a fog of overwhelming grief.  Whatever your situation, it isn’t fair, it isn’t beautiful and “if this is God’s plan for my life” it wasn’t thought out very well.

Every one of us views the world through the prism of our current situation.  If life is good and “all is right with the world,” our rose-colored glasses are just another accessory as we stroll merrily along the path.  And then, without, warning, the rose-colored glasses get “stepped on” and we grab the dark “shades,” not because the sun is shining brightly but to hide the dark circles under eyes swollen with tears.  Where is the beauty?  Does God even notice; does He Care?  Where IS God in my situation?  I will never understand WHY!!!

UNDERSTANDING!!!  Our wisdom has met its limits and “no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”  We look at a puzzle piece and fret because we cannot visualize the finished puzzle.  We have been around the entire puzzle, turning the piece in every imaginable way but it just doesn’t fit the picture.  Tightly clutching the seemingly, errant puzzle piece will never bring the solution.  Open your hand, let go of the confusing piece; God has been working on your puzzle from the beginning.  Perhaps this is the piece He needs to complete the work He has started in you.

BEAUTY, when does that happen?  Life gets messy and sometimes downright nasty; we search but we see no beauty in the storm clouds that have gathered.  How can this be the WILL OF GOD?  IT ISN’T!!!  I know that there are many Preachers and Fellow Believers that will tell you, “ACCEPT IT!  THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!!!  “BALONEY”  This is NOT what God intended for you from the beginning, but He WILL USE IT for your good, if you stop trying to figure it all out and place it in His hands.  Though the back of your tapestry may look like a “knotted mess,” God sees the front…a beautiful masterpiece, fashioned by His hands.

“This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.”

When WHY is illusive, ask God to give you a glimpse of ETERNITY…the eternity He has put in your heart. Embrace the truth, life in this world is just temporary; it is just “staging;” preparation for all God has planned for our eternal joy.  Not one of us is going to get out of this world alive, but death is merely the GATEWAY TO ETERNITY.  Though we may never understand, we can conquer the flood of fear, secure in the knowledge of His great love and the faithfulness of His sacrifice on the cross.

 So we give in and we give up…Go ahead GIVE UP; place the situation and your trust in the only one who can work all the twists and turns of life into a beautiful ending; IN ITS TIME.

NEVER BE ASHAMED

Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

“America, America, God shed His Grace on thee.”   Is there anyone left who would write that song today?  And if someone actually penned the words, would it be accepted in the halls of our schools and government?  Or would they be labeled a right wing kook or religious fanatic?  We may as well face the truth; we live in a country, founded on Godly principles, where it is no longer “cool” to be identified as a Christian.

It is ok to be identified with a religion or even have a baptismal certificate from childhood, as long as tolerance has become your central TENET OF FAITH.  If you believe in ABSOLUTES or Heaven forbid, SIN, you will be ridiculed on SNL, in our colleges, from the Supreme Court and even prominent religious leaders.  So…we who hold fast to our Faith and the Word of Truth are relegated to our ever decreasing world, where we can still worship in freedom, whisper encouragements and risk loss when we dare to stand on principle.

You may feel that you are another Elijah in I Kings 19 and just want to hide in a cave until death or Jesus comes; which ever happens first.  But listen; the “still small voice” continues to whisper, “What are you doing here, Elijah, John, Mary, Susan?”

I Kings 19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.

Though our voices may have been silenced in the Public Square our faith and resolve have not waned; God has thousands who have not bowed to Baal and kissed him.  There is no reason to be ashamed, WE HAVE A HOPE!  Make the decision today, be determined, take a stand; God will uphold you according to His Word…which by the way is forever settled.  Grab hold of the WORD OF GOD…love it, live it, hold it close; it will sustain you and you will NEVER BE ASHAMED!

BE STRONG AND STAND; GOD IS ON OUR SIDE; ARE YOU ON HIS?  HE IS OUR HOPE!

LESSONS FROM MY MOM

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her.

Things my Mom taught me by living life….

LIVE WITH JOY IN THE ROLE GOD HAS PLANNED FOR YOU.

My Mom’s greatest joy is being a wife and Mom and now a Mamaw and Mamaw-Great; just ask her.  No wait…if you are around her about 2 minutes you will hear about her 6 kids, I mean 12 because she has no daughter-in-law or sons-in-law, 16 grandkids; 22 because she includes their spouses, 13, soon to be, 14 great-grandkids and of course her Beloved Deloy; our Dad.

She has never felt left out because she didn’t have a CAREER; she had a MINISTRY.  Mom and Mrs. were the only titles she required and she has defined and perfected both of them.

HONOR GOD BY HONORING YOUR SPOUSE.

We knew that Dad was “King of the Roost.”  When we sat down to a meal, Dad would pray and we sat as quietly as 6 kids can until Dad was served first…that’s right…can you believe that the kids were “so disrespected” and unaffirmed?  Mom believed in God’s order of the family and taught us kids to Honor God by Honoring Your Spouse.

Although I’m sure my Mom disagreed with my Dad at times, actually I can remember a few arguments, she always showed him honor and esteemed him in our eyes.  She never went against him, behind his back and if he told us NO, she either stood with him or quietly persuaded him to change his mind, so that he retained his dignity and position.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

My Mom believes in the POWER OF PRAYER and she takes the scripture, “to pray without ceasing,” literally.  Every morning and evening she takes every name of her 63 kids, grandkids and great-grandkids to God in prayer, plus neighbors, friends, her pastor and special needs.

My siblings laugh with me, as we remember being separated from Mom in a store.  There was no fear, we merely listened quietly and looked up.  Soon we would see her big hair and hear her quiet whispers of “Jesus, Jesus,” as she looked through the racks. Her prayers have allowed we, the subjects to find our way many times.

BE THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING

Mom lives a lifestyle of thankfulness.  Every breath she takes, every task she performs, her possessions and even her family, to her, are a witness of God’s goodness, and…she is careful to express her heartfelt thanks for them every day.

Mom and Dad and 3 little kids had moved into a new house, for which she was so thankful but she didn’t have a washer and dryer.  Dad bought a washing machine on time and mom would either hang the clothes out to dry or in winter, Dad would take the wet clothes to the local Laundromat and dry them.  Finally, Dad was able to purchase a dryer; Mom was so thankful.  I remember walking downstairs and finding her on her knees, by the washer and dryer, thanking God.  A lesson that so impressed me to LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF THANKFULNESS in my life also.

BE A GIVER; EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN.

Mom’s “Love Language” is GIVING.  She gives her time, her resources and her talents to everyone she meets whether they are in need or just because.  She is always shocked when someone does something nice in return.  As she told me yesterday, “I feel so unworthy of all the nice things you kids buy for me.”  It comes as natural as breathing to her; MOM IS A GIVER.

As kids, we had the whole neighborhood in our yard and Mom would pass out popsicles, Kool-Aid or whatever snack we were having, to everyone.  There were pies and cookies for neighbors, boxes of fudge for the doctor and druggist and special little surprises for whomever happened to have a birthday; somehow she knew and remembered everyone’s special day.

Today, at almost 80, Mom takes a homemade lunch to the people at the Funeral Home at least a couple times every month; I think she has an ulterior motive to that one.   I found out a couple of years ago, she made chicken soup for the owner of the local grocery store because they were so sick.  WHO DOES THAT?  Even the florist loves her because of the special “treats” they have received.  Through her I have learned this lesson…A LIFE OF BLESSING COMES THROUGH GIVING.

LOVE GOD BY LOVING PEOPLE AND A HUG ALWAYS WORKS.

My Mom LOVES GOD above all and because of that love, she LOVES people.  Mom tries to see the best in someone in spite of their display of the worst.  It was so aggravating as kids to hear her to find a reason to excuse someone, when we wanted her to “trash” them right along with us.  She never put up with our bad behavior with an excuse, however, but we always received a HUG after correction was applied.

Mom taught me to HUG.  Mom would hug the dirty little babies that were left at the church nursery on Sunday Morning, then give them a bath and put on clean pajamas that she had purchased at a rummage sale.  Mom will hug the new believer that she has just prayed with, as they get up from the altar, reborn.  Mom will hug the lonely Pastor’s wife, the distraught neighbor, or the acquaintance at the grocery store, who has suddenly become her “best” friends. Sometimes, WORDS won’t fix things but a HUG will help and God’s love will shine through.

So many of Life’s Greatest Lessons have been exampled by and learned from My Mom.  But the greatest lesson of all is LOVE GOD, BE FAITHFUL AND ENDURE TO THE END. 

Thanks Mom, I love you and Happy Mother’s Day.