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.