As He Said

 March 31, 2021

“Just as he said.” —Matthew 28:6

The disciples were perplexed. They were defeated. The Man they had followed for the past three years was dead, executed upon a Roman cross. They had seen it with their own eyes, perhaps even watching as Joseph of Arimathea laid the body in his tomb. When they went to pay their respects on the third day, the huge stone that had been rolled across the entrance to the tomb was laying on its side. The tomb was open...and empty. A fine kettle of fish this was!

The two men who greeted them gave explanation. “He is not here; he is risen, as he said.” “As he said:” If Jesus, rising from the dead, is able to accomplish that which is humanly impossible, “just as he said,” what about the more mundane promises, such as providing for our physical needs? Shouldn’t they be pretty easy by comparison? What about giving us the wisdom we need for life? And more importantly, what about forgiving our sins? 

So often, we measure the promises of God by our transitory emotions. We study the options, make calculated decisions, and then second guess our choices. We confess our sins, but continue to listen to the accusations of the father of lies who causes us to question the reality of that forgiveness when we don’t “feel” forgiven. 

“Just as he said” are important words. They direct us away from the constantly changing landscape of our emotions, from the empty promises of this world, toward the constant and unchanging promises of God. There, and there only will we find solid ground upon which to build our lives. 

Prayed for

 March 30, 2021

“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”” —Luke 22:31-32 NKJV

O my soul, do you see the significance of these words? As the old gospel song says, “Jesus knows our every weakness.” The Scriptures here depart from the song, for it is not we who “take it to the Lord in prayer,” but Jesus who prays for us. Jesus is not unaware of the trials we face, nor of the power of the Enemy, but he has prayed for us. Like Peter, we may boast and brag, only to deny him, but Jesus has prayed for us. It may seem that our faith has failed; we have wept bitter tears of regret, but Jesus has prayed for us. We are being sifted, crushed to powder. Can it possibly be that the Father has not heard nor answered those prayers of his beloved Son? Unthinkable! Jesus has prayed for us. Satan has asked in vain. Jesus has prayed for us. 

Others are enduring similar trials. Jesus has prayed for them, too. His victory is sure, even when we fall away and imagine there is no hope for us. He doesn’t say to Peter, “IF you return to me,” but “WHEN you return to me.” And when we do, he doesn’t take us back reluctantly, testing us before trusting us. No, he gives us a job to do, taking our experience of failure and using it to encourage and strengthen our brothers and sisters.

Take heart, O my soul! Our Lord and Savior has prayed for you. The Father hears and heeds his Son. You have a home in the heart of Jesus, who prays for you.

According to

 March 29, 2021

“According to” is an interesting and significant phrase in St. Paul’s writings. In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesian Christians, these words pop up five times in the space of a mere six verses, where he speaks of God working “according to” the good pleasure of his will, “according to” the riches of his grace, etc. The phrase is perhaps most notably found in Philippians 4:19, where Paul states that “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 

Paul could have stated his case differently. He could have said that God will supply our need “out of” his riches in Christ Jesus, which are immeasurable, but he used this different wording. Why? 

If I had a million dollars and decided to give some of it away, there would be a great difference between giving out of that million and giving according to it. I could perhaps be considered quite generous if I gave ten thousand away, or even fifty thousand, but in doing so, I wouldn’t be giving according to my riches. I would be giving out of them. Fifty thousand isn’t even a tithe of the million. Giving according to my million dollars would require me to be far more generous, giving say half or more of it away. 

God

Worshipping Together

 March 28, 2021

I don’t understand Christians who choose to stay home from worship. I don’t say this as a criticism or condemnation; I just don’t understand the mindset that it’s OK to watch a worship service on TV or the internet when in-person worship is available. Last Sunday, Linda and I had to worship from home due to COVID quarantine. It was OK, but it wasn’t the same. 

Hebrews 10:25 tells us to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” When I stay home, I can be encouraged by the music and preaching, but I can’t encourage anyone else. Actually attending worship is a physical act that reminds me that it’s not about me. I mean no disrespect of our pastor and worship team, but most of us can hear better preaching from the masters of the art with national and international ministries. Most of them have highly trained musicians, with everything being choreographed and fine tuned in a way most of us cannot do. 

But no matter how slick and packaged the program, it’s not as good as being present with an ordinary congregation where you are known and loved, where your presence is important to someone else. Today I was able to lift my voice and hands in praise, to add my Amen to the preaching, and to speak to different brothers and sisters, some of whom are going through deep waters, and others for whom a smile and kind word may have helped them take the next step in life. I was able to request prayer for one of our pastors fighting for his life, battling COVID in a Cuban hospital. Being together this morning not only blessed me, but hopefully encouraged others, and added an entire congregation’s prayers for a brother in need. None of that would have happened had we stayed home. Worshipping together is wonderful! I am so thankful for this morning; for the hard work of all who made it possible. You blessed me; I hope my presence blessed you as well.

 March 27, 2021

“Lent is like a long retreat during which e can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual conflict.”                                                                                 —Pope Benedict

If Lent is a period of spiritual conflict, disciplined prayer is even more so. Too often I have approached prayer as a retreat to the still waters and green pastures of Psalm 1; the “Sweet Hour of Prayer that calls me from a world of care” to a place of peace and rest. Prayer however, is not always a time of comfort and spiritual rejuvenation. Conflict is at its heart. My favorite definition of prayer is “rebellion against the status quo.” It is the recognition that God’s kingdom has not yet come and his will is not yet done on earth as in heaven, and is the first step in rectifying that aberrant situation. It would be wonderful if every time I tried to pray the words would flow easily and the glory of God’s presence would descend. Instead, most of the time, I muddle my way through, coming out at the end somewhat frustrated. The key however, is that I don’t stay stuck; I come through it. 

In Matthew 4, Jesus’ experience of prayer took the form of a vicious and brutal encounter—a to the death battle with Satan. It left him so wearied that angels had to come and administer aid (v.11). The struggles I experience in prayer are not merely the human experience of a wandering mind or heavy eyes; these are the fiery arrows of the Enemy, aimed with deadly accuracy in a furious battle, winner take all. There are no human weapons adequate for this warfare; only by taking up the armor of God at the start can I hope to emerge victorious. If I forget the true nature of prayer, I am sure to be defeated in it; only when I recognize that the army of God marches forward on its knees do I approach prayer properly. The gates of heaven are open wide for all to enter in, but to get there, we must fight our way through a demonic foe determined to halt our advance. The Scriptures are clear however: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” —Isaiah 54:7. The battle belongs to the Lord who is victorious. We just need to stay in the fight till we have cut through all opposition. Rest awaits those who fight.

Foundations

 March 26, 2021

.5 mm. It’s not much, but it makes all the difference. Yesterday’s Scripture continues to prod my imagination. Isaiah 58:12—“You shall raise the foundations of many generations.” A half millimeter in foundation may be the key to survival...or death. I’m speaking of course, about the foundation used in honeybee frames. Foundation is the wax sheet with a hexagonal cell design embossed in it as a guide for the bees to build out their comb. Commercially produced foundation has a width of 5.4 mm per cell, while in the wild, bees tend to build cells of 4.9 mm diameter. Commercially produced foundation is designed for maximum honey production; larger cells means a minimally larger harvest, but for a commercial beekeeper with hundreds or thousands of colonies, even a small increase per cell potentially means much more honey. 

The problem with this is that when these commercial sheets are used as foundation for the brood nest, the bees adapt, producing larvae (and ultimately bees) that are larger. The larger larvae take a day or two longer to mature, and therein lies the rub. Some years ago, a mite from the Himalayan area made its way to European and American colonies. This mite, Varroa, didn’t seem to cause too much trouble in its native habitat, but has devastated colonies in Europe and the Americas. It turns out that Varroa needs a bit longer incubation time to mature, which is exactly what happens when the larger cell foundation is used. Bees which build their own comb from scratch seem to be somewhat more able to handle Varroa than those raised on commercial foundation. But letting the bees build their own comb means a smaller harvest, so the response has been to develop chemical treatment of the mite, which brings its own cluster of problems. All because of a half millimeter.

Raising the foundations of many generations is an exciting, but sobering thought. The slightest aberration from God’s original design could spell the difference between someone’s thriving or struggling. I am so very grateful for the foundation laid for me by the saints at Westside Baptist Church when I was growing up. Their faithfulness in life and teaching continue to be a solid rock upon which I stand. They were diligent in instruction, in modeling behavior, in consistently pointing me to Christ. I watch people who weren’t fortunate enough to have such a foundation. They are devout, sincerely following Christ, but often have struggled unnecessarily because they weren’t given the right foundation. It had gaps, didn’t fully conform to the Designer’s pattern, and when they built upon it, it worked somewhat, but wasn’t ideal for healthy Christian living. My prayer is to be as faithful to God’s pattern as I can so the foundation I raise enables those who build to build in such a way as to live healthy, productive Christian lives.

Foundation

 March 25, 2021

Tonight’s musings will be short. For some reason, I’ve been particularly weary today as I approach the end of quarantine. My chest is congested more than it has been. But here are my thoughts, spare as they are. Isaiah 58:12—“You shall raise the foundations of many generations.” At my stage in life, I’m done with kingdom building, with great plans for the future, big ideas for ministry. What I would like more than anything else however, is to be one who raises foundations for future generations, to be able to build into the lives of those younger than me (there are more of them these days). I don’t know what form this will take; perhaps editing my book, perhaps working in Cuba, perhaps with the kids who come to the creek. 

Foundations are not usually seen. They’re buried, but without them, the structure is unstable. I don’t care who, if anyone sees it; I just want to lay those foundations so the young people in my life can build soundly. It’s why I do what I do, even when I’m sick. The Foundation of all foundations is Jesus Christ. Block after block, I keep laying it down, as best as I can. May the edifice bring honor to His Name!

Figure it Out

 March 24, 2021

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD...for my thoughts are. not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.” —Isaiah 55:7-8

How often I’ve tried to figure things out, to make wise decisions, choices that make sense to me, but which ultimately were not of God. If I come up with an idea, I can be pretty sure it’s my own thoughts, not God’s. One of the ways I know God is speaking to me is when the idea that pops into my head is the exact opposite of what I would normally do. An idea that is counterintuitive has a good chance of being from the Lord. I need to listen to those thoughts which contradict my natural inclinations.

The problem is, my thoughts are MY thoughts, so deeply ingrained that they are my default. Changing this requires constant vigilance and regular repentance and confession. The Scriptures are full of encouragement and exhortation to repent and confess our sins, not only at the moment of conversion, but also throughout our daily life. When James tells us to “confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed,” I think he is speaking about not only the healing of the body, but the healing of the soul and mind as well. As I said yesterday, not only must I forsake my old ways, but also my old thoughts, if I am to find healing from the habits and life patterns that are so natural and so destructive. 

Thankfully, when we confess our sins, as John tells us, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

Thoughts and Deeds

 March 23, 2021

“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. —Isaiah 55:6-7

It isn’t enough that when one is converted he changes his ways, his habits and patterns of life. My thoughts must be changed also. The adjustment of one’s activities without a corresponding adjustment of one’s thoughts will result in eventually reverting to the old activities. The addict may quit taking the drugs, the pervert may start living honorably, the sedentary may start a new exercise regimen, but if the thinking hasn’t changed, those new patterns break down rather easily. How often I have proceeded down a wrong road because I allowed my thoughts to take me there! My thought life can be an unruly beast; it doesn’t want to yield to discipline, and must be aggressively curtailed.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 tell us that “there is a way that seems right t o a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.” God isn’t interested in short-term gains. He is in it for the long haul, has a long-distance target. When shooting at something far away, the slightest variance at the muzzle can result in completely missing the target. Our thinking doesn’t need to be wildly sinful or completely heretical for us to miss God’s target for our lives. Only a slight variance from God’s thoughts are enough to cause us to miss the goal. 

Isaiah goes on to say, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:8-11 NKJV

My thoughts are not God’s thoughts, which is why I need the Scriptures, the Word of God which shall not return to him empty, but will accomplish the purposes for which it was sent. The Word of God alone gives me the right thoughts that will enable me to hit the target of holiness. I am grateful tonight for this Word which has been my companion through the day, guiding my thoughts so my actions today and tomorrow and the day after that will line up with God’s plans.

Time Out

 March 22, 2021

Quarantining isn’t all bad. We have plenty of groceries and 2 1/2 acres to be tended, I have a wife who is a pretty good imitation of a warden, and I really feel quite well. The complications we read about in the papers haven’t visited this home, so we are grateful. Without places to go, I have plenty of time in the mornings to not only read, but really meditate on the Scriptures and to pray. I can’t say as there have been any great breakthroughs, but I do feel a bit more settled because I’m getting through my entire prayer list daily. Too often, I get started only to think of something needing to be done, whereupon I jump up and tackle the matter, hoping to get back to prayer later on, which of course, often doesn’t happen. 

When you are quarantined and feeling well, your daily options are tantalizingly limited. Today, after firing up the Ural for the first time since last fall (It sounded so good to hear it running!), I mounted a huge daisy on the front of the house for Linda, and started cleaning out my shop. The only real effect of COVID that I’ve seen is my endurance is limited, so after a couple hours, I was done. The old saying still holds true: “Yard by yard, life is hard; inch by inch, life’s a cinch.” When I look at the COVID statistics, the numbers are on our side, but nothing is guaranteed, as the half-million deaths have proven. I am grateful for the health I enjoy, for God’s provision for our needs, for the strength I’ve received for this day, and even for the interruption in my normal schedule which makes me slow down and attend more seriously to some spiritual disciplines. I am blessed far more than I deserve, and for that, I am thankful tonight.

Love & Hate

 March 21, 2021

“Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” —1John 2:15

Why would anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ love the world? In John’s gospel, chapter 15, Jesus is giving his final teaching to his disciples. In a matter of hours he will be arrested, subjected to a mock trial, beaten, and crucified. He is careful with his words; there is no room for trivial prattle. He identifies himself as the True Vine to which we must remain connected if we are to have life, but then transitions to a different theme.

He speaks of love; the Father’s love for him, his for his disciples, and the centrality of their love for one another. Eight times in s many verses, he uses the word. Love is foundational to his message, to the Gospel. 

Suddenly in verse 18, his words take on a different tone as he launches into a new direction. From such kindly words about his and his Father’s love, he jerks us to a different reality with the word “hate.” “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.” Six times he hammers home his warning with the word “hate.” The contrast is startling...and deliberate. He needs to toughen up these men to whom he has entrusted his message. They need to know what they’re up against so they don’t crumble when they find themselves up against it.

Here in the USA, we haven’t known real animosity towards the Gospel until fairly recently. We are beginning to see signs of it in the suppression of speech in the public sphere and a growing belief that being a committed Christian invalidates a person from public office. The delicate balance that has been a part of our social contract is unraveling. The world, the common social order, is not our friend.

John emphasizes this in his gospel, but then raises the question in his epistle when he has to command us to not love the world. Why would we do so when we know it is against us? I think the answer lies in the power the world has to give us what we want. We want to be accepted; we don’t want to stand out. We love our comfort; we abhor ridicule, persecution, ostracism—all of which the world can deliver with devastating effectiveness. In short, we love what the world can give, and the only antidote to this world-love is the love of the Father. And that Fatherly love will forever be weak and wimpy if I fail to spend time with him. It is only through deep communion that his love is revealed. In John 14:21, Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Intimate communion that leads to obedient faith is the prerequisite for knowing the Father’s love, and only this is greater than the pull of the world upon our hearts. 

Too often, I have forgotten this basic truth that the world hates me. I’ve run to it, arms open wide. Thankfully, my Heavenly Father’s love is greater than my fickle faithlessness, and has never failed to call me back and open my eyes to the truth: Love...real love, is only found in Jesus Christ.

Dennis

 March 20, 2021

Dennis was one of the kids in our first youth group, way back in 1970. When we moved into the parsonage in Alma, NY, we were told there were no kids in the area, just the older folks already at the church. Being young and naive, we didn’t believe it, and went door to door through the valleys that snaked out in three directions from the intersection where was a church, parsonage, general store, fire department, and a couple dozen houses. Within a week or two, we had twenty-five teenagers camping out at our home day and night. Dennis was one of them.

After high school, he made a few bad choices that messed him up for awhile, but he came back to the Lord, and became a leader in his little church down in the Carolinas. God has a wonderful sense of humor! When Dennis was a teenager, we had a youth choir. He and his good friend Charlie were in the back row. The kids would start singing, and we would hear this drone like bagpipes; it was Dennis and Charlie, who didn’t seem to know when a note went up or down. Fast forward, and Dennis is now the song leader for his church.

Over a year ago, he started having trouble swallowing, and was later diagnosed with esophageal cancer. I saw a photo of him at that time; he had lost weight, was thin and gaunt, not the Dennis we had known. He went through the protocol, including surgery, and was soon on the mend, but recently has had complications that required a feeding tube. Nothing by mouth.

Dennis called today to see how I was doing. We talked about the symptoms, about losing my sense of taste and smell, to which he could instantly relate. “Sometimes I take a little sweet tea and swish it around in my mouth just to taste something,” he related. It will be summer before the tube comes out and they can do more surgery to correct the problem. In all this, there was no self-pity, no “Why did this happen to me?” “I’ve seen people lots worse than me,” was all he would say. Then he prayed for me. 

Pastors don’t often get prayed for, face-to-face. People say they are praying for us, but having someone actually pray specifically for me has not been a regular experience of mine. So last week when my son prayed for me, and today when Dennis prayed for me, especially in light of his own trials, it meant a lot. My wife prays for me, I’ve listened in as my granddaughters prayed for me, and friends like Harry have done so. But the prayers and perspective of someone whose physical well-being is more precarious than mine is a special gift. Thank you, Dennis, for your call and prayer, and thank you Lord, for the many years you’ve given us together, though across the miles.

Touch

 March 10, 2019

There’s no sense in hiding it; I am now officially a statistic, a card-carrying member of the COVID community. Yes indeed, I tested positive. Quarantine is my new least-favorite word, especially since it’s the second time I’ve been down this road. I had driven to Ohio for a pastor’s retreat, and to abide by our state’s requirements, went for a COVID test on Tuesday so I would be allowed to re-enter the state without having to quarantine. Of course, that was only if I tested negative, which unfortunately, didn’t happen. I had spent Monday in my room at the retreat center, tired and unable to concentrate even enough to read my Bible and pray, not the best of scenarios for a pastor’s retreat. I kept my distance from the others and decided after the test to simply drive home rather than run the risk of exposing anyone to the possibility of COVID. I guess it was the right thing to do. 

Loads of vitamins, plenty of fluids, lots of rest, and I’m doing pretty well except for losing my sense of taste this morning. THAT I don’t appreciate, but maybe it’ll be enough to lose the five or ten pounds I’ve been half-heartedly wanting to shed. After all, there’s not much sense in eating when you can’t taste it. 

That regimen doesn’t bother me, and neither does the quarantining, except for one small detail: actually being infected means I not only quarantine from life, but also from Linda who is what makes our house a home to me. When I arrived home Tuesday, I couldn’t give her a hug. We’ve had to sleep in separate bedrooms; we eat from TV trays while sitting at opposite ends of our back room. I have learned something from this that I should have known years ago—the importance of touch.

I am not a touchy-feely kind of person, but I long to be able to hold my wife in my arms, to lay beside her at night, to give and receive the small nudges and the brush of her fingertips across my back if she walks by my chair. We are living in mutual isolation; we’re able to talk, but not touch. It makes me think about what it must have been like for the leper when Jesus not only pronounced the words, but also reached out and touched him (Mark 1:40-41). Back then, when someone contracted this disease, they were isolated from the community, but even worse, from family. They had to warn off anyone who came too near to them. Some of them had lived this way for years, never held, never touched, never knowing the warmth and pressure of another human hand upon their skin. I suspect that when Jesus touched this man, it wasn’t the healing of the body that was so important at the moment, but the healing of the soul, the experience of simply not being cast aside.

It makes me wonder about life here and now. How many people are there who simply need a love-inspired touch? In a world where child sexual abuse is rampant and school administrations forbid teachers to touch their students, how many of these children are starving for meaningful touch? How many only know touch as a slap or beating, and are dying inside for someone to reach out tenderly with a hug they’ll not receive anywhere else? We know from babies born in NICU units that failure to touch means failure to thrive. A child can simply die from not being touched.

And what about the elderly, the widow and widower? Over the years, how many of these sweet ladies lived year after year after the death of a husband, never to be touched again? How their souls must suffer; how their spirits would sing if we simply reached out and touched them! The divorcee, the single person who goes home to an empty house or apartment are often people whose spirits are only partially alive. We in the Church speak of Christian compassion, and are willing to serve and give to ministries, but will we touch the unsavory and dirty homeless person, or keep her at arm’s length? 

I’ve only been without Linda’s touch for less than a week. Quarantine rules are stretching it out to another week before I can feel her fingers intertwined with mine, her arms around me, her body beside me at night. Years of this I cannot imagine. So if nothing more comes from COVID than this, I will have learned a valuable lesson I shall not forget. If when this is over, you reach out to touch me, I will remember Jesus who touched the leper and said, “I am willing for you to be whole,” and it was so.

Who’s Boss?

 March 18, 2021

It didn’t take long for this young pastor to come to a sobering truth—it is easier and safer to talk about the sins your congregation doesn’t commit than the ones they do. Back when I started out, it would have been unthinkable for the people in our little country church to have been involved in drugs; there were certainly no murderers amongst them, and no theft of which I was aware. I could preach freely on the vices of alcoholism, drug abuse, and the like, but there were other areas where I had to be a bit more careful. 

Except for the specific sins, things haven’t changed much in the intervening years. It’s not uncommon to have in our congregations people struggling with addictions, whether it be alcohol, drugs, pornography, tobacco. These are generally frowned upon in society at large, so we can tackle them without even a moment’s thought of consequences. Start talking about gluttony, inhospitality, or greed however, and the mood swiftly shifts to a darker hue. We’re no longer preaching; we’re meddling.

In Luke 17:13, Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters...you cannot serve God and Mammon (an archaic term for money).” Money can be a great servant, accomplishing much good. It is however, never a good master. The problem is, it can slip unnoticed from the former position to the latter. We are seldom aware of when it begins calling the shots. Only after it is firmly in control does it reveal itself.

Tithing and generous giving are the only antidotes to this malady. As long as I say to myself that I can’t afford to tithe or give, I am admitting that money is the master, and I am the slave. Monitoring my money attitudes then, is a critical component of living faithfully. 

By the same token, we who are so susceptible to bowing before money are too prone to treating God as servant instead of Lord. We invert the entire scenario. Money becomes Lord, and god is our servant. So when God doesn’t do exactly as we want, when we want, we fire him. How often over the course of years I’ve seen people walk away from Christ because he didn’t dance to their tune, desperate though they may have been. God is God, not me, not money. The proper order is, God controls me, I control money, not vice versa. If money is servant, I tell it what to do; it does not dictate to me. Again, “I can’t afford it” is never a reason. God can afford anything, so the only valid question is, “What does God want,” with a single caveat: It is never his intention that we should simply accumulate wealth and leisure for ourselves. To God, money is like seed, meant to be sown in the soil of life for the blessing of others (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). 

Once again, the Bible challenges me to look at myself and ask, “Who (or what) is Master in my life, and who (or what) is the servant?”

Wog

 March 17, 2021

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t entirely about shamrocks and green beer. It’s also about leprechauns. When our children were little, daughter Jessie made leprechaun traps, hoping to catch one of the little people and get his pot of gold. She came close a few times, once managing to snag his britches and another time, his coat. Her brother Matt made it his St. Patrick’s Day mission to not only catch the leprechaun, but to do so in a way that would leave him squashed by a book or some other weight, causing no end of grief and anxiety to his little sister. The leprechaun had the last laugh however, painting his toes green just before swimming championships. 

Jessie’s daughter Gemma is following in her mother’s footprints, building elaborate leprechaun traps, with the same level of success, but without the interference of her older brother. If she thought about it for awhile however, she might realize she already has a leprechaun in her older sister who was born this day fifteen years ago. In fact, Eliza probably doesn’t qualify as the little people type, but to us, she remains the leprechaun’s pot of gold, enriching us for these past fifteen years with her beauty, creativity, and character. A literal pot of gold pales in comparison to the treasure we have in her, for which we continually give thanks.

Intercession

March 16, 2021

“Sometimes you can get so sick you can’t even pray for yourself.” Sue was back at church after weeks of absence due to illness. Her testimony continued, “When that happens, it’s good to know others are praying for you.” 

Over the past few days, I’ve thought about her words. Monday I was feeling odd; tired, mostly. I slept on an off all day, but hardly at all Monday night. My son Nathan called me to see how I was feeling, and before hanging up, prayed for me. Often when we pray for people, nothing seems to happen, and we wonder if those prayers made any difference at all. I’ve listened to people testifying about how they could actually feel others’ prayers for them making a difference. That hasn’t generally been my experience, except for last night. As Nate prayed, I could feel a difference in my body. Judging from my symptoms, I’m not completely well yet, but I am trusting in the Power behind those prayers, that Jesus Christ in whose Name we pray is actually bringing healing into my body. 

Last night, I couldn’t even think straight. I wasn’t able to gather my thoughts enough to read my Bible or pray, and like Sue, it is good to know others are praying for me when I cannot do so for myself.

 

Sennacherib

 March 12, 2021

What’s the little guy to do? There are always the bullies, the bigger guys who throw their weight around just because they can. But there’s always more to the story than meets the eye. In Isaiah 36 and 37, the Assyrian king Sennnacherib is the political and military powerhouse of the day; no one can stand before his insatiable lust for more power, with all the perks that accompany it. No one has been able to resist, and he now stands at the gates of Jerusalem, mocking, making threats and offering tantalizing promises of safety.

“Hezekiah, you brought this on yourself by disrespecting your God when you broke down all the altars except that in Jerusalem.” This was Sennacherib’s first attempt at breaking the will of the Hebrew king, as recorded in Isaiah 36:7. Things always look different from the outside, and you can’t expect an unbeliever to get it right when it comes to the things of God. The Enemy will twist the Truth, trying to get us to question our own faith and faithfulness. “You thought it was God’s will to do thus and so; look where it has gotten you.” The Enemy is a liar, and one of his most effective tricks is to make us doubt God.

Sennacherib next tried mockery. In 36:8, he says, “I’ll give you 2,000 horses if you can find enough men to ride them.” The Enemy says, “Look at you! You’re facing a problem that can wipe you out. How stupid do you have to be to resist?” When the obstacle seems insurmountable, we need to remember that God is not bothered by the odds. Sennacherib may have had 2,000 spare horses, but the mountains are still to this day filled with Elisha’s chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17).

Power drunk people imagine they have all the answers, but there are always factors of which thy are unaware. We had best not be unaware, also.

If those tactics fail, the Enemy moves on: “It was the LORD who told me to take over,” (36:10). “This impending disaster is god’s will, so you might as well give in or give up.” It may be that God is trying to get my attention, or to discipline me for correction’s sake but the Enemy wants to use God for his nefarious purposes—to destroy instead of discipline. God uses trouble to redeem; the Enemy uses it to ruin.

The Enemy has even more tricks up his sleeve. “Make peace with me; offer me a gift and come out to me, and I will make sure you are cared for...until I take you away. By the way, where I will take you is far better than what you have today.” (36: 16-17). “You are in a tough spot. I have only your own best interest in mind so why not come?” If one trick doesn’t work, the Enemy will find another, but once we’ve cast our vote for him, all those promises evaporate like the dew before the summer sun, and we face the reality of our slavery.

How do we answer such diabolical threats? How to respond to power that looms before us to destroy us? Hezekiah knew. “Don’t say a word,” he commanded. It is impossible to reason with oppressive power. And often, truth to be told, we are not in a position to fight back. Had Hezekiah come out to meet Sennacherib, either by capitulation or conflict, he would have been destroyed. Instead, he remained inside the fortress and prayed to God.

When the Enemy coms in like a flood, we retreat to our Fortress and high Tower, and to the inner sanctuary where we lay before the LORD all the Enemy’s threatens and lies, till we hear God telling us that he himself will deal with it. Too often, my weakness and fear have caused me to react to the Enemy’s taunts instead of turning my attention to my Savior. It is impossible to reason with the devil. The only way to deal with him is to refuse to respond. He hates our silence. Only in Christ’s presence can be found both peace, and promise of protection. 

God delivered Hezekiah. Decisively! he will deliver us, too, if we refuse to cede him the authority he craves. When we lay before the LORD our need, he hears, and rescues his people from the onslaught of the powers of this world. Fear not! Our God is still King of kings and Lord of lords, and he is mighty to save!

Planting

 March 11, 2021

Sometimes the obvious eludes us. How many times I’ve read or quoted the Scripture, “Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians6:7) I cannot recall, but it took someone else’s experience and  perspective to open my eyes to a simple three-fold truth that’s worth remembering.

First, we reap what we sow. If we plant tomatoes, we won’t get carrots. If we sow words of criticism, bitterness, and anger, we’re unlikely to reap kindness and peace. It amazes me how people expect to reap justice after they’ve sown hatred and violence. If I want prosperity, I cannot sow laziness coupled with prodigal spending. If I want a peaceful home, I must plant seeds of grace, understanding, and forgiveness.

Second, we reap after we sow. Too often, when we hear how important it is to take a certain action, we do so and expect immediate results. A man whose marriage is on shaky ground learns what it means to honor his wife. After years of neglect, he brings her flowers, does the dishes, forgoes football to watch Hallmark with her, and even speaks words of support and tenderness where before there was yelling and profanity. To his surprise, she responds with suspicion and caution. He doesn’t understand—after all, he was doing what the counselor said he must do.  

He was expecting to reap a harvest on the same day he began planting the seeds. It doesn’t work that way, any more than getting mad at God because he didn’t answer my prayer the moment I rose from my knees. Some seeds take a long time to germinate, and even longer to mature. The old saying is true; God can grow a cabbage in a few months, but it takes a lifetime to grow an oak.

Third, we reap more than we sow. This is the good part. No less a personage than Jesus himself told us that good seed can yield a hundredfold. Linda and I have been married for more than fifty years. A couple weeks ago, a younger man told me that people were watching us. They noticed how we hold hands, how we treat each other, the kind of words we speak to each other. I was surprised by his comment and somewhat taken aback. It never occurred to me that younger couples were taking notes. Marriage is hard work, but not nearly as hard as divorce. We are reaping far more than we sowed, both in our own relationship, and in that of our children and others who are scrutinizing us. For their sakes, I hope there aren’t too many weeds among  those seeds we planted. For us, some of the seeds we sowed at the beginning  sprouted and have fed us. Others took longer to mature, and some are still growing. We’ve worked hard to plant only good seed, worked even harder to weed out the bad, and are already reaping a bountiful harvest that will continue to bless us (and hopefully others) until one lays the other into the arms of God.

Barrenness

 March 10, 2021

Psalm 63:1 “My soul thirst for You, My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”

There is a thirst inside me that will not go away, a restlessness that refuses to settle. I am often amazed at the state of my own soul. I know where life and satisfaction is to be found, but too often, instead of turning to the fountain that never runs dry, I still turn to the dry and broken cisterns of this world (Jeremiah 2:3) that can hold no water. The daily news, television, internet articles and videos may be entertaining and informative, but they have no ability to settle the soul and calm the restless spirit. Only You, O Lord; your Word, your forgiveness, companionship, wisdom, and love—everything else is but a dry and barren land.

This psalm is all about You. May every thought and every action turn back to You so my soul can continue to be satisfied as it was early this day as I met with two brothers to pray. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me blessing his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

Murder, She Wrote

 March 9, 2021

Thirty-five years doesn’t seem that long ago. When we were much younger, “Murder, She Wrote” was a staple of network TV, and now it’s on cable and internet TV in endless reruns which we often watch before turning in at night. Back in the 80’s and 90’s when this originally ran, Linda mentioned it as a favorite of hers, to which the friend responded by giving it a new title, “Murder, She Puked.” The shows really are quite simplistic, often melodramatic, with the improbable scenarios of a mystery writer being given access to actual criminal investigations. 

One of the wonders of film is the actors and actresses who are forever captured at a particular age, no matter how many years intervene. Being somewhat of a fan of pre-hip hop dance, I’ve watched Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers, Maureen O’Hare, RIta Hayworth, and others, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and even James Cagney and Frank Sinatra tapping and shuffling their way through intricate routines. And no one will ever out dance the Nicholas brothers. 

Whether acting, singing, or dancing, with the exception of the star of “Murder, She Wrote,” who is 94, all of these people are dead, and even Angela Lansbury no longer blithely steps across the sets as she did years ago. The years take their toll, and when I look in the mirror, I don’t see the young man I usually feel inside me, another reminder that subjective feelings are poor judges of reality. 

I am grateful for the memories conjured up by these old shows, but grateful too, to still be here to enjoy them along with the countless blessings I’ve experienced over the intervening years. So many of the people who populated my life when “Murder, She Wrote” was churning out new episodes every week are no longer here, many of them taken in their prime. I am thankful tonight to lay my head on my pillow next to the same woman who lay beside me those many years ago, with the added blessing of children who grew up, married, and gave us grandchildren who could care less about those old TV shows. We’ve been given life, and along with occasional struggles, God has filled that life with goodness and love, for which I thank him tonight, and God willing, expect to thank him in the morning.

Glory

 March 8, 2021

“When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.”

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

—John 13:31-32, 14:13

Have you ever wondered what “glory” means? The word conjures up images of opulence, beauty, and obvious majesty, which images are supported by the use of the word in Scriptures. We are told that when the glory of the LORD descended upon Moses’ Tabernacle in the wilderness, God’s presence was so overwhelming that the priests couldn’t remain inside. Earlier, Moses wanted to see God’s glory, to which God responded, “It would kill you to see it in its fullness; I’ll station you in a cleft in the rock. When I pass by, you may see my back, but not my face.” We read of Jesus’ transfiguration, and although the word isn’t used in connection with it, we infer glory from the cloud that enveloped him, Moses, and Elijah. Lastly, when St. Paul speaks of Jesus’ return, he speaks of him coming in great glory and majesty. Glory seems to us a wonderful, high and holy matter, an experience for which we long.

In his narrative of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, John paints a somewhat different picture depicting glory. Judas had just left the Upper Room on his betrayal mission when Jesus speaks of glory. ““Now” the son of Man is glorified...,” Jesus says. It’s as if he had been waiting for this moment. Now, the betraying apparatus having been set in motion, now the Son of Man is glorified. Not before, but now. The Passion begins, the suffering and sacrifice of the Son of God—this is glorious. How strange it seems to us! To our minds, glory must await the resurrection, but it is now, in the betrayal, Peter’s denial, the beatings, and finally being nailed to a cross—this reveals the glory of the Son of Man. It isn’t majesty, but meanness, not honor, but humility, not power, but submission that reveals the glory of God.

If that weren’t enough, after Jesus comforts his disciples, he once more speaks of glory, not in regal terminology, but in the language of simple and heartfelt prayer. Prayer isn’t the language of power and glory, but of abject need. People who have everything they need have no need of prayer. The Father isn’t glorified in such circumstances.

If we think of glory as the true inner essence of something, we can understand Jesus’ words here. The Father is seen for who he really is in the depth of his love that would offer his own Son for our sins. The Father is seen for who he really is in Jesus, who willingly offered himself for our sins. And the Father is seen for who he really is in the prayers of humble Jesus-followers who know they have great need and so offer great prayer. This is glory.

Take heart! If you long for the glory of God to be revealed, you can be a part of that revelation. Pray. Come humbly before the Father. Confess your need. Fall on your face before him in repentance and petition. The Father is seen in all his tenderness and mercy, in his power to forgive and make whole. His glory—who He really is—will be manifest in you as you pray.

He’s Got This

 March 7, 2021

Things were getting dangerous. Jesus’ disciples had more than once walked up and down the length of Palestine, following in the footsteps of their Master, soaking in his wisdom and learning of his mission, but although he had warned them, they weren’t prepared for what lay ahead. They could feel the tension building, dread hanging like a dark cloud over their heads as they walked step by step towards Jerusalem. The noose was tightening, and Thomas put into words what they all were thinking; “let us go die with him” (John 11:16). 

Now they are in the Upper Room, which could better be called the Gloom Room. Jesus is once more talking to them, preparing them for what he knew would happen later that night. He tells the he is going to leave them, and that for the first time in three years, they cannot go with him. Peter (of course, Peter) blurts out, “I’ll follow you, even if it means dying for you.” He meant well, but Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew Peter. “Before morning, you’ll deny me three times.”

Can you imagine the atmosphere in that room? Maybe you can. You look around you and see nothing but trouble. Everywhere you turn there are problems, danger, and looming disaster. You mean well, are trying hard to keep up with things, and are only looking for a bit of encouragement from God, but instead of comfort, he reveals what is inside you—your deepest fears, your insecurities, your failures and your propensity for failure. Instead of encouragement from Jesus, it feels like a kick in the teeth.

Hear Jesus once again: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Don’t let the garbage all around you get inside you. Don’t even let the garbage in you destroy you. Here’s the truth we too often forget: When Jesus saved you, he factored in your fears, your failure, your foolishness. He isn’t surprised at it, isn’t discouraged by it, isn’t deterred from accomplishing his will in spite of it. We worry about the future, whether we are strong enough to endure it, wise enough to handle it, courageous enough to face it. We know how we’ve failed in the past, and imagine that God can’t overcome that failure in the future. We’ve tried and failed, so we’re afraid of trying again. 

Jesus knew Peter would fail him, but he had a plan that took Peter’s failure into account, and knew that Peter would become a Rock of faith and faithfulness. Peter hadn’t yet failed, but Jesus said he would fail, but even so, “Don’t let your heart be troubled.” No matter how bad things get, don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Jesus. He’s got this!

Unanswered Prayer

March 6, 2021

One of the most common reasons we give up on prayer is that it doesn’t seem to work. We find ourselves facing cancer, a wandering loved one, a financial catastrophe, and we pray—hard. But the cancer devastates, the marriage gets worse, we enter bankruptcy. “God hasn’t heard, or if he did, he doesn’t care,” we reason. After all, if roles were switched, we would move heaven and earth to answer those prayers. The sick would be healed, the tears would be wiped away, the rescue would come.

But it doesn’t happen, and we give up. It’s understandable, but regrettable. Isaiah wrote to a nation going downhill fast. He and other prophets had been warning Israel for generations, to no avail; when momentarily they turned back to God, it lasted only as long as the prosperity held out. Israel was discouraged, so Isaiah wrote...30:18–“The LORD will wait, that he may be gracious to you.” 

We want God to act NOW, but perhaps unanswered prayer is sometimes the only way he can give the grace we really need. It’s in the extremities of life that we discover both our strength and our need of strength. On the one hand, we see God’s hand, on the other, our need, but only the trial exposes either. Love untested cannot know the depths of love. Untested love can only imagine the depths. 

It isn’t enough to pray that those I love be spared from sorrow and disappointment. Such prayers are unrealistic. I must pray instead that in the calm their faithfulness helps prepare them for the inevitable storm, and that in the storm, they remain strong in Christ.

 

Seventeen

March 5, 2021

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” So began Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities, his epic novel of love and loyalty in midst of the collapse of a nation. Looking back seventeen years ago today, these words came to mind. It was the best of times. Linda and I were in Rochester waiting for our first grandson to be born. Waiting anxiously outside the delivery room, we talked softly, silently willing the door to open so we could meet this child whose name their parents hid from everyone till Todd named him in the presence of his family. This child would never bear my last name, but he did hold my heart, and still does.

Miles away, our friends Harry and Beth sat at a table with three other couples—our monthly dinner group from the church. Things had been tense for about a month as the hostess of this group seethed beneath the surface because (in her own words) I didn’t give her the recognition she felt she deserved. Apparently, the atmosphere around the table was somewhat chilly, and Harry being the straightforward man he is, said he thought they ought to get the issues out of hiding and deal with them. Not having been there, I cannot say precisely what transpired or what was said, but needless to say, it didn’t go well. My friend took the shots that were meant for me; something I’ll never forget. Not content to air their grievances, or even to merely leave the church, the host and hostess and other two couples soon left the church, taking about a third of our members with them. It was the worst of times.

Things got ugly, but we weathered the storm. There were lean years—very lean, indeed, and times I wasn’t sure how we would make it. Photos from those days show the leanness in our faces; what they couldn’t reveal was the leanness in our hearts. But through it all, we had Ian, the light in our darkness. Thankfully, those times are all behind us. It took ten years, but we were able to hand over a healthy congregation to my successor when I retired. 

Grace is God’s undeserved favor towards us. We have experienced it in many ways through the years, but one of the most enduring is through our grandchildren, and in this story, through Ian. The leanness is gone, but today Ian turned seventeen.

 

Burn

 March 4, 2021

“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.” —Acts 2:3-4 NKJV

What is it about fire that fascinates us so? We will sit around a campfire late at night in the summer, talking or just staring into the flames till they are mere glowing embers. Our woodstove heats us through the winter, but we have a furnace for that. We don’t sit around the furnace watching the flames flicker and dance as we soak in the warmth; we have the woodstove for that.

The ancients considered fire as one of the four elements that were the building blocks of life. Wind, water, and earth rounded out the quartet. Like the wind, there is something mysterious about it; I’m sure scientists can explain the physics of it, but I am amazed at how fire releases the energy stored in the wood. 

Then there is the grill. The flames sear the steak, sealing in the juices and adding flavor to the meat. Frying a steak in a pan over an electric grill isn’t quite the same.

It’s not all cozy, though. Uncontrolled, it destroys homes, devastates forests, and kills anything or anyone caught in its path. Fire is both a blessing and a curse.

When I hear someone speak about wanting Holy Spirit fire, I wonder if they understand what they are invoking. They mysteriousness of fire fascinates us; like gazing into a summer campfire with its endless movement, we can be mesmerized by what we see but don’t fully understand. Power is certainly there to bless, warming the stone-cold heart, but there is also the danger that comes if the fire breaks out of the confines of the stove. What was meant to bless can become a raging inferno, consuming everything in its path, including the one who prayed for the fire to fall. 

I can’t claim to even begin to understand the mystery of fire, and even less so the mystery of the Holy Spirit. What I do know is this: there is power—great power—to bless, but also destroy. My prayer is that the fire of the Holy Spirit will burn away all that is unworthy of Christ, purifying my soul, making me a vessel fit to contain the power without it burning so out of control that it destroys even the good that God is building into me through Jesus Christ. 

Every so often, I stoke the fire. I want it to warm me through the evening. Tonight, I stoke the fire of the Holy Spirit through prayerful reading of the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit might not only warm me, but those around me. Like Wesley, when asked why so many came to hear him preach, answered, “I set myself on fire, and people come to watch me burn,” I want to be aflame with a holy fire that gathers people to watch and be warmed.

Porcelain Poodles

 March 3, 2021

Two little porcelain poodles. That’s all they are, except they’re more than that. I gave them to my mother more than sixty years ago, and wherever mom and dad moved, they moved, too. I last saw them sitting on a shelf in her bathroom, but when mom died and we had to sort through what we would keep and what had to go, no one, least of all me, thought of those poodles. I remembered them yesterday and thought of my granddaughter who loves dogs. So I asked my sister and sister in law if they had seen them when packing mom’s stuff. They remembered, but didn’t know what box they had been put in or where it ended up. A lot of that stuff we took to the AMVETS in the city. They had another trip to make there and said they would check the shelves. Today I got the text; they checked—no dogs. Maybe mom’s stuff hadn’t even been sorted through yet.

It would have been nice to have been able to give them to my mother and then to my granddaughter, but apparently that is not to be. It’s not a big deal. What is a big deal is the fact that my brother and sister in law were willing to drive back to AMVETS, look all through the store and even inquire about them. Families often help each other out, but going out of their way for a silly couple of porcelain poodles was for me, the extra mile. Over my years as a pastor, I’ve seen my share of families with fissures that completely ruptured at the death of a matriarch or patriarch. I’ve watched as people stopped talking to one another over tiny slights and trinkets. It’s sad to see relationships take a back seat to stuff. Tonight, I am thankful that when mom died, the overall attitude was, “I’ll take it if no one else wants it,” or, “This means more to you than to me; why don’t you take it?” I saw that selflessness again with a pair of porcelain poodles, and am grateful for the family of which I am a part.

Therapy

 March 2, 2021

I Corinthians 12:12-27

“The pain you feel in your hip isn’t really coming from the hip. The problem is in your core. The muscles there are weak, which allows your spine to go out of alignment, which causes the hip pain.” In other words, “The head bone’s connected to the neck bone; the neck bone’s connected to the backbone; the backbone’s connected to the hip bone...” The first sentence is what my physical therapist told me two weeks ago. The second is my interpretation of it. Today began week three of therapy to deal with the shooting pain in my hip that’s been aggravating me for three years.

My therapist was simply reminding me of a truth we know instinctively, but which we independent Americans tend to forget: everything is connected. We admire the Lone Ranger, the Rambo who tackle institutional ills all by themselves, beating the odds, and emerging victorious, but that’s rarely how things turn out in real life. In warfare, stealth operations have their place, but battles are won with a concentration of firepower and manpower.

In the realm of the spiritual life too, everything is connected. A private moral lapse, an unhealed hurt, a hidden resentment, may not be apparent at the beginning, but like a crack in a windshield, it will eventually spread till the whole is spoiled. Looking at the problem as it manifests, you would never imagine where it started. 

Churches and other institutions are filled with these spiritual connections; like spider webs, they are spun over the course of years. The bonds that bless us can become the bondage that binds us. All it takes is an offense taken, forgiveness withheld, a grudge nursed. No one sees it at first, and often by the time the matter is discovered, the poison has spread through the whole body. 

My bones and nerves were designed by God to function smoothly together, but if I get into the habit of bad posture, or receive an injury, the very structure God intended to enable me to live and serve becomes an avenue of pain and disability. I am engaging in specific exercises to strengthen parts of me I didn’t know had been weakened. I do it so my body can function as God planned. It is just as important to engage in corrective spiritual exercises to realign my heart and soul so my inner life corresponds to God’s will. And it is equally important that the entire body of Christ engage in whatever corrective therapy is needed for us to function as the Father envisions.

Reading Backwards

 March 1, 2021

Recently, I got to thinking again about Jesus’ parable of the Sower. To recap, he said the sower cast seed on the path, on stony ground, amidst thorns, and on good soil. He explained that the different ground represents different people. The seed is the Word of God, and that sown on the path doesn’t penetrate because the devil snatches it away before it can sprout. The seed on the stony ground takes immediate root, but withers when the sun comes out and bakes the thin soil. The thorns are the cares of this world that choke out the seed. The good soil is people who receive and bear fruit.

What if we take this story in reverse? Here’s how it might play out: God sows good seed, blessing us with all kinds of fruitfulness. We are prosperous and comfortable, but slowly, we forget the Source of those blessings, get complacent, and begin to allow all the good we’ve received from God to choke out his Word in us. Weeds start to pop up because in our complacency, we stopped weeding. Pretty soon, they begin to overtake the seedlings, crowding them out. Yet we still sit, comfortable and apathetic to the garden of our hearts.

The day comes when the rains that watered the garden cease, and the sun beats down incessantly upon the land until the ground gets so hard that the seed cannot penetrate. The Enemy then snatches it up and we are left with hard, unproductive soil. 

God has blessed us with fruitfulness, but we’ve gotten comfortable, and this comfort has bred apathy. We’ve allowed the weeds—the cares of this world—to crowd out God’s Word. We’ve become unfruitful, but that’s not the worst of it. Because the Word has been crowded out, when persecution comes, we have no deep inner resources to face it. We wither until there is nothing left but a hard, unproductive, useless path as the Enemy walks right in unresisted. 

It is a trajectory that is being played out before our very eyes. We’ve become so accustomed to the blessings that we look to them rather than to the One who gave them. We’ve allowed them to replace our trust in God. When the day of persecution comes, we will see the emptiness of our faith, but it will be too late. Without deep resources of Scripture, worship, fellowship, we will wither away till there is nothing left. 

It’s not too late. The weeds have gotten away from us, but with determined effort, we can reclaim the garden of our hearts, sending our roots down deep. Then the Psalm will have found fulfillment in us:

“[Our] delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law [we] meditate day and night. [We] shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever [we] do shall prosper.” —Psalm 1:2-3