Sunbeams and a New Year

 

I was nearly blinded by it last week on my way back to my hometown for the funeral of one of my dearest friends.  As mixed emotions overwhelmed me, and as I was just preparing to exit off the turnpike nearing 2 hours into my trip, the sun started to shine brightly.  

What had started out as a typical dreary midwestern December day, was shifting to a vibrant bright morning.  And I snapped this photo just as I was getting ready to exit the long road that has become quite familiar to me in my recent travels “back home.”

For a few miles I could see a clear separation between where I had been… and where I was going.
The clouds loomed ominous behind me.  Dark.  Gloomy.  Dismal.  Hopeless.  But just in front of me… on the brink of where I was headed… the blue sky with an amber glow graciously greeted me.  Bright.  Radiant.  Brilliant.  Hopeful.

And I said it out loud to myself in the car, “Yes, God, I see it.  I see it!”
My response matched my confidence that the Lord, in His kindness, had composed this beautiful symphony just for me.

Because something in me needed to be reminded that what lies behind me is not what needs to occupy my mind.  That where I have been is only meant to consume as small of a space as that rearview mirror.  Because what’s coming… is far greater than what I’m leaving behind.

And as I stand on the brink of a new year I am reminded of all the year has contained:

• fear
• isolation
• anxiety
• frustration
• loss
• worry
• regret
  

But I stand to remember that only in light of the sunbeams that dominate:

• joy
• strength
• faithfulness
• love
• grace
• kindness
• victory
  

And I make a promise to myself and to God.
I will look ahead.
I will keep my eyes laser focused on Him and what He’s doing.
Not only in the world, but in my heart.
And I will count it all joy.
I will count it ALL joy.

Because where I have been is not where I am going.
He’s doing new things in the earth, and I will be a part of “remaining in Him” (John 15), and rejoicing in the confidence that I, like David, “will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Ps 27:13)

I don’t want to miss what’s coming because I’m too fixated on what hasn’t worked, and what didn’t happen, and what could've been.

“For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Is 43:19)

And it’s time to stop living like we don’t believe that’s true.

Thank you, 2020.
Welcome, 2021.

You have my attention, God.
I’m walking in with You!
Boldly.  Bravely.  Victoriously.

Boundary Line For Burdens

 

I always try to convey the importance of reading, “until you hear His voice.” And while faithfully pursuing the heart of God, we always find His voice.

Jeremiah 5:20-22 says, “Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Have you no respect for Me? Why don’t you tremble in My presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.”

All of the prophesy chapters that are considered “warnings” can be difficult to read.

And they can be even harder to theologically define.

But more than making us “scholars”, I think Jesus is simply calling us to “see” with unimpaired vision… to come simply with a hungry heart to BE with Jesus and to read until you hear His voice speak to your quieted, stilled spirit.

Look at the verses again:

“Listen, you foolish and senseless people.”

“With eyes that do not see.”
“And ears that do not hear.”

Isaiah had prophesied a “bringing out” of “the people who have eyes, but are blind, and have ears but are deaf.” (Is 43:8) AND LOOK - just before that, in verse 7 he says, “Bring all who claim Me as their God, for I have made them for My glory. It was I who created them.”

Could it be, then that the “blind and the deaf” he is referring here to, are the very ones who claim Jesus as Savior, but refuse to live beyond the cross? Who refuse to live in obedience to the very One who shed His blood for them?

Check out too, more about blindness. In John 9:39, in talking with a man who was just healed by Jesus after being blind from birth says this, “I entered this world to render judgement - to give sight to the blind and to show those who THINK they see that they are blind.”

I have personal conviction that even this pandemic we’re in isn’t so much for the ones who NEVER knew Him - but rather the ones who THINK they see, but are really still blind.

Continuing on he prophesies:

“Have you no respect for Me?”

“Why don’t you tremble in My presence?”

Oh isn’t the our nation?


I cried yesterday at the outrage I have seen demonstrated in our country.

I bawled as my heart poured out to God for the return of His people.

BUT then this… and here is my encouragement to you today through it all:

“I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.”

Read it again.

This time slower.

“I the Lord DEFINE the ocean’s sandy SHORELINES as an everlasting BOUNDARY that the waters cannot cross…. they can never pass the BOUNDARIES I set.”

Oh friends.

Do you see it?

Read those highlights again!

He DEFINES the SHORELINES and sets a BOUNDARY that waters cannot cross.

WOW.

Could it be that we could believe today that God sets a BOUNDARY for our BURDENS?

There’s an end to the suffering.

Because the people of God - the true REMNANT of His salvation - CANNOT be brought to destruction by suffering!!!

He is keeping the waters within their appointed bounds.

My commentary on this says, “When God looks down into human society, underneath the (to us) often calm surface, He must see little else than stormy agitation, one human billow dashing against another, each individual in his self-assertion, contributing to make a general disturbance and a disturbance which apparently will not soon have an end.”

It is my STRONG conviction and something God gave me a STRONG vision for is this…

When we have seen calm in the earth before this - returning our minds back to “the good old days”, when things were “normal”… might not have looked so “good” and “normal” to Him. We have been fighting, and warring against the very creation we were designed to love and protect. We have, for a long time now, been creating division and living in evil cycles of disobedience… refusing to give honor and rightly see God in splendor and glory.

YET - in these days…. the ones we would consider “hard” and “disruptive” to us - perhaps God sees as HIS GLORY manifesting in the earth and giving way to the RISE of the real believers… the remnant He has called to rise up in challenging circumstances… to pave the way for other radical Jesus people to follow!

Just think through that for a while.


And be joyously reminded today that GOD sets boundary lines to our suffering.

There is a time… His perfect time… where He will say, “ENOUGH is ENOUGH!”

The storm - with all of it’s destruction and it’s danger is POWERLESS to overwhelm and overcome the SOLID LAND.

Are you solid land???

The boundaries are fixed. The limits have been set by God Almighty.

But He’s patiently waiting for His people to take a stand against the darkness by refusing to highlight the work of the enemy.

He’s looking for the remnant to rise up and praise in the midst of pain.

We just might get to determine, after all, how harshly we’re personally impacted by this pandemic.

God sets a boundary line for it all, friend… ALL.

He is patiently awaiting your return to Him.

Lessons in Mascara!

 

I had this quick thought when I was getting ready to attend a funeral for one of my dear friends last week.  To be honest, it’s a thought that has crossed my mind several times since the start of the pandemic.  But it hit differently on this day for some reason.

As I was applying make-up and getting ready to head out for the four hour round trip back “home”, it dawned on me that my efforts seemed pointless.  As I pulled out the three mascaras that have become a normal habit in my morning make-up routine, I briefly hesitated as I re-evaluated my effort.

“What’s the point?”  I thought.  “I have to wear a mask anyway.  Most of my face won’t even be showing.”

But then, almost instantly, I countered that thought.
“They’ll see my eyes!”  I whispered to myself.
“And so I shall make up for what they can’t see with the best looking eyes I can achieve!”

And that one thought led me to deep contemplation concerning comparison.

It’s funny what masks have been hiding all these months.
Smiles.
Frowns.
Fear.
Joy.

They’ve also been concealing:
restored teeth post braces.
cleared up skin post acne breakout.
that new lipstick you’ve been excited to show off.

And yet somehow in all of this, the parable of the three servants returns to my mind.
A master gives three servants different portions of silver to oversee in his absence.
The first servant received 5 bags of silver.
The second received 2 bags.
The third received 1.

The servant with 5 bags invested the money and earned 5 more.
The servant with 2 bags went to work and earned 2 more.
But the servant with 1 bag who knew his master to be harsh, buried his bag into the ground.

The first and second servants were praised, given more responsibility, and given a celebration.
But the third servant was reprimanded and ordered to give his prided bag that was buried to the one who now held 10 bags in his possession.

The thing is - I might not have a pretty smile to show off now.
But what do I have?
I have eyes that need more attention and can certainly make up for what the rest of my face lacks by a cloth covering.

Our focus so often tends to be on all we lack.
I don’t have money to do that.
I don’t have talent like her.
I’m not as good looking as that person.

But what do you have?
Use that.
No… not just use it… increase it!  Enhance it.  Make it better.

Some might be saying…
I might not have her talent in the area of cooking, but God HAS given me talent in the area of encouragement.  So I will use that mightily and with greater intensity than ever before!
I might not have his intelligence in the areas of business, but God HAS given me a talent in the areas of technology.  So I will use that mightily and with greater intensity than ever before!
I might not be able to speak well in front of a crowd, but God HAS given me the talent of mentoring another.  So I will use that mightily and with greater intensity than ever before!

Whatever it is… whatever you lack… find the thing you ARE good at and then DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.  Use it for His glory.  Use it with the purpose of changing the world and you will.

No, we all don’t have to be good at all things… but we do have a responsibility of using what we DO have lest we waste what God has graciously bestowed.

I will apply the eye make-up a bit differently in days to come.
Because it matters.
I can still love others with my eyes.
I can still show compassion with my eyes.
I can still show the love of God with my eyes.
I will use what I’ve got without reservation.  Because God gives more abundantly than I ever deserve anyway!

I love the way God speaks to my soul and works on my heart.
And it somehow makes me chuckle that this time He used mascara of all things!

THIS Is How I Fight My Battles - Awake!!!

 

Can I be real and honest for a moment?

This last week has been hard.

I would be lying if I said it wasn’t.

Every day has proved to be a challenge in some way, shape, or form.

Sadness has swept in.
Loneliness has nestled in and made it’s home here.

In the last 5 days my heart has felt all the feelings.
Feelings of loss and grief and anxiety and fear and isolation and regret, even.

And although I am somewhat familiar with these feelings, I am certainly not immune to their affect.

I heard the traditional Christmas song the other day and the words made a leap into my soul as though they were echoing my heart song… “A thrill of hope… the weary world rejoices.”

And it feels like that.
We are a weary world.
I am a weary soul.
We all feel it and we are all experiencing it.

And then like an arrow shot in to my heart I read the words in the Book of life.
“Wake up, Deborah, wake up!  Wake up, wake up, and sing a song!”  (Judges 5:12)

And two most interesting observations appear to me as I read:
1.) Deborah is singing this song to herself.
2.) There’s an interesting word… the word, “and” that lies almost highlighted to me within the text.

Deborah is speaking to her weary heart too, “Wake up… AND sing a song.”
She doesn’t wait until she “feels” like praising.
She exercises her will.
She bends her tendencies.
She surrenders her desires.
She strengthens herself in the Lord.

Feelings often fail us.  And they don’t always promise growth.
Feelings cannot be appropriately trusted.
And feelings don’t have to… and shouldn’t… define us or influence us.

Deborah speaks to her soul and tells it to AWAKE!
She calls on her own soul to improve the awakening with praise!

And so must we.  
So must I.

When anxiety and sadness come, it’s not by accident.
Truthfully, they come because we have opened the door and let them in.
I have, even unknowingly at times, invited them in.
And largely because of my entanglement with the world.

And so this right here is how I am choosing to fight the battles that rage within.

To the “feelings” of failure… I will awaken my soul to my purpose and press forward to win the prize.  (Phil 3:14)
To the “feelings” of fear… I will awaken my mouth to sing a song of worship until my heart begins to soften to the presence of our Savior sweetly ushered in by praise.  (Ps 96:1)
To the “feelings” of doubt… I will awaken my mind to remember the countless times I have been carried by a good Father who prevents my feet from hitting rock bottom. (Ps 91:12)

"The JOY of the LORD is my strength."  (Neh 8:10)

And so this is how it looks to fight my battles.
To lean in to see what the Lord is saying.
To awaken my soul the way Deborah does.
To remind myself that mourning is necessary for a season, but the lingering in it weakens.  
That doubt serves it’s purpose, but the recurrence of it destroys my strength.
And groping among the ashes of what I have unintentionally allowed to burn, makes me too earthly and less heavenly minded.

Awaken yourself.  Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you.  
And for heaven’s sake, do it quickly and do it before the feeling for it instructs.

Yes, our good, good Father meets us where we are…  but He is not content to leave us there.

Wake up.  AND sing!
Spurgeon said it best, “Jesus wept, but He also bled.”

Good News! You're In A Wilderness!

 

I get it more… probably more than you know.

 

The longest year in the history of the world, and I think we all get it.

 

This… is the wilderness season.

 

It has been hard.

It has been challenging.

It has bee difficult.

It has been heavy.

It has been lonely.

 

And wilderness seasons generally are.

All of those things, and more.

 

But there’s always been something sacred, almost, about the turning of a calendar year.

 

For me it’s almost always served as a clean slate, a new beginning, a do-over of sorts.

 

It’s like a second chance to get it right.

 

And with that, I wonder, what have I learned in 2020 that will serve to benefit my spiritual growth in the coming year?

 

I’ve learned the importance of connection and community.

I’ve learned the necessity of anchoring myself in the Lord.

I’ve learned the art of encouraging myself in the Word of God.

I’ve learned that for far too long I took “time” for granted.

I’ve learned that patience is far more than a virtue, it’s a life-source.

 

But I have also learned that there’s a significant difference between the wilderness and the desert.

 

The desert is defined as, “a region so arid due to little or NO rainfall. An area which new forms of life cannot exist because of lack of water or presence of proper soil.”

 

BUT… the wilderness is described by definition as, “an uncultivated region. A part of a garden SET APART for plants growing in luxuriance.”

 

And to think I always associated those two things as the same.

 

They’re not!

 

The desert is a destination… a grim finale yielded to harmful external conditions.

 

Ahh.. but the wilderness is a transient locale… a hopeful transition giving way to the deployment of healthier souls that withstand the unpleasant production process.

 

The wilderness breeds promise because of the proper clay best for cultivation.

 

The wilderness propagates hope because of it’s nature to set apart from other decaying regions.

 

And just look at the synonyms for “set-apart” = “divide, insulate, isolate, sequester, disassociate, island, and… QUARANTINE.”

 

Oh God, you’re so good!!

 

And you have reminded this weary heart of mine today, that we are to live separate… set-apart… lives - those who belong to the Lord. (2 Cor 6:17, Deut 14:2). 

 

And though being set-apart isn’t always easy, it is always worth it for those who long to live peaceful, joy-filled lives of purity and righteousness.

 

And so I look ahead from still within the wilderness season with a fresh set of eyes this morning. And I rejoice at the coming year with great determination that as I march out I will look so much different than how I marched in.

 

Good news, friends, you’re in a wilderness. You’re just in a wilderness. Not a desert.

 

And the best truly is yet to be!

 

Keep walking… the finish line is just up ahead!

 

W

No Man Ever Spoke Like This!

John 7.

The Pharisees were worried.

Could this have possibly been the One they had been waiting for?  The predicted One.

He had told them that He was.
“Yes, you know Me, and you know where I come from.”  He told them.  (7:28)

They knew about this One to come, but not the One from where He had come.
“The One who sent Me is true, and you don’t know Him.”  (7:29)

And it’s true they didn’t know Him.

And now they feared that this One who called Himself the, “Messiah”, was gaining ground for His cause by the Authority from which He spoke.
“Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in Him.”  (7:31)

So the concerned cynics attempted an arrest.
“When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering, the leading priests sent Temple Guards to arrest Him.”  (7:32)

And it’s important to note here that these “Temple Guards” referred to were not just some men sent at random… they were hand-picked officers.  The best of the best.  The strongest, the most skillful, and the ones clothed with authority and strictly commanded to bring Jesus in to be judged.

So you can imagine the surprise when the men returned without their subject.
“When the Temple Guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, ‘Why didn’t you bring Him in?’”  (7:45)

And the words of the men may have even surprised themselves.
“‘We have never heard anyone speak like this!’ the guards responded.”  (7:46)

Ahh, yes.  Jesus.  The master Teacher.

My commentary says this, “They were so impressed and awed with what He said that they dared not take Him.  His speaking had so much evidence of truth, so much proof that He was from God, and was so impressive and persuasive, that they were convinced of His innocence, and they dared not take Him to execute their commission.”

And I thought, instantly, about a note I have on my bulletin board in front of my office desk.  “Live in such a way, that if anyone speaks badly of you, nobody would believe it.”

It’s how Jesus spoke.
With authority.
With love.
With sincerity.
With innocence.
With wisdom.
With personal experience.
With faithfulness.
With grace and mercy.
With power.
With sympathy.
With conviction.

And as our Rabbi… our Teacher… we are to model His behavior.  Reproduce His lifestyle.  Demonstrate His demeanor.

Does the way we speak to others illustrate innocence?
Does the way we communicate Jesus to a fallen world reflect our reverence of the One we claim to follow?
Does our cross-carrying conduct attract others to His redemption and persuade them to receive salvation for themselves?

It matters.

Our words matter.
Our actions matter.
Both have a powerful impact on the credibility of a Savior who died for them too.