LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LIGHT

Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24

“As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: ‘These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.’”

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

“O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments.”

“In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.”

Several weeks ago, my son was reading Isaiah when he suddenly stopped and turned to me. “Dad, how many years before Christ was Isaiah written?” When I told him it was thousands of years, he responded, “That’s crazy. He predicted everything!” Well, not quite, but close enough to prove he knew what he was talking about. In spite of all the political and economic turmoil and uncertainty Isaiah’s world included, he was able to persevere because he was attuned to the Word of God. He was able to look past the present and claim comfort from the future promises of the Lord, and that’s always a good place to be.

I know, we are told not to worry about tomorrow. But the key concept in that verse is worry, not tomorrow. Jesus didn’t tell us He would be coming again so we could forget it and live life as if we had no thought of, or excitement about, the future. He told us the future so we would have something to look forward to and something to motivate us.

Ask people where they get the courage and strength to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone put one foot in front of the other, and after the initial blank stares, the answers will be as varied as the people asked. But on a daily basis, the truth is many of us only think through our motivation when it is at a peak or at a trough. Normally, we just do what we do. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it sure can rob life of a lot of its colors and flavors. Doing things “just because” is neither a great motivator nor an indication of enthusiasm. And there’s the rub: the Holy Spirit wants us to understand and accept life as the adventure it was always intended to be, not as a mundane and humdrum existence. He wants to share His power and authority with us. He wants us to fully realize the potential of our purpose, “to bring all things together under one head, even Christ.” He wants us partnered with Him, helping to usher in His Kingdom. Yet we will never do any of those things – or, at best, we will never do them as well as we were created to do them – if we allow our vision to be limited to the here and now.

I’ve never lived on a farm, but I understand one of a rancher’s greatest fears is a fire in the horse barn. This is because horses have a distinct, instinctive aversion to fire. Even if the beasts have a clear path to safety, most of the time, flames either so intimidate or distract the animals that they cannot even be lead to safety without first having their heads covered. They must not be allowed to become obsessed with the things that might consume them because, in the process, they will become the instrument of their own destruction. Similarly, to most efficiently get a horse from point A to point B, they are frequently fitted with blinders. These simple devices restrict a horse’s peripheral vision and encourage focus on only what lies directly ahead. It helps clarify their vision of the target and direct their energy toward attaining it. One need only participate with kids in one of the many trail rides offered in Colorado (or, probably, elsewhere) to appreciate the importance of blinders. The non-blinded horses are all smarter about the ways of the trail than the city slickers riding them. Given any slack at all, they will quickly begin to graze the local vegetation or even venture off the path a bit on their own to test the authority of their riders. Quick, firm redirection of attention is always the best response to their go-yonder tendencies. It is always the best response to our own lack of focus, purpose and/or enthusiasm, too.

I’ve always looked forward to Christmas, and I’m not alone. The feelings and motivations of that season, especially for those who call themselves Christians, are unlike any other time of year. But God never intended the goodwill and charity of that Holy Day to dissipate over time. Christmas is all about God taking on human flesh. The Christian is all about giving themselves over to that process, allowing the Christ to rule our lives, and making our bodies a literal temple of the Holy Spirit. Adding two and two, then, we have some ability to make every day Christmas for someone. We have a daily chance to make Jesus more real to someone else. In the process, we also have the opportunity to see Him more clearly. That is definitely something to look forward to and a great reason to get out of bed in the morning!

Let us never forget that God wants us, and created us to be, focused on Him and His Victory, first, last and always. He does not want us bogged down in the details and despair of adverse circumstances. Nor does He desire that our blessings turn our attention from the Giver to the Gift. One of the gifts of this journaling is a forced focus on the eternal at the start of every day. Consequently, over the last several months in particular, the little inconveniences haven’t distracted or consumed me as much as they did. Very few things are as immediately necessary as I used to think they were. I have a better sense of who I was created to be, how I might achieve my true potential, and the end result of it all. But most important, I no longer forget as easily that the battle is already won. I no longer feel like such a victim, because I am more intentional about taking hold of the Lord’s power and strength from the get go. True, living in grace is still subject to its share of sharp and unexpected turns and bumps in the road. But at least, I now have a better reason for getting up in the morning and working through the day. At some point, I expect to see Christ, and with eyes wide open, I am never disappointed or bored with life.

HOPE FROM THE LIONS' DEN

Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22

“Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.’ The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’ They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water…. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.”

“Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.”

Scoffers, critics and jealousy abound. We need relief from the envy and distrust that so permeates our world. But they can be difficult temptations to resist, and at times are unrecognizable until we’ve hurt someone. We need to understand the crowd almost never has the best interests of any individual in mind. This is exactly what Darius learned, and why it makes sense to remember the lessons of the lions’ den.

We begin with an ugly fact. There will always be those so threatened by others’ success they cannot grasp the Truth behind it. The so-called “wise” men of Babylon hated Daniel for just this reason. They could not accept his worldly accomplishments for what they were, the blessings of a loving God. They looked for ways to destroy his credibility instead. Finding nothing in his life to undo him, they decided to capitalize on his religion, and in the process, made Darius a victim, too.

Let’s stop here to consider why some people are so driven to find the flaws in others. Jealousy is certainly a sufficient explanation for the advisors’ malice. I wonder if that’s the whole story, though. When we erect pitfalls or obstacles for others, might we also be testing them (at least subconsciously) to prove something or someone actually is worthy of worship? Little is more problematic than the bitterness of intelligent people repeatedly betrayed by unworthy faith. (Many of us live it daily.) Daniel’s faith was different, and his way of life was an obvious threat to what the pagans believed. But as important, it was an untested option for all those who knew Daniel.

The cynicism and sarcasm which has become such a part of our culture thus may not be quite what it appears to be. We don’t mean to tear down all the good things and good people in life. It’s simply that we’ve been disappointed so often that we are reluctant to trust much of anything or anyone that has not been thoroughly tested. To protect our own fragile psyches, we wield a mighty shield of skepticism and a sword of lingering pessimism we challenge God to disarm. We need a faith that will survive the lions’ den. We just don’t know how to properly go about finding it. (Farfetched as it sounds, the same concept of trying to “force” God to prove Himself has been applied to explain Judas’ betrayal of Christ. Explainable or not, betrayal is never the right thing to do. However, understanding our hidden motives and their possible manifestations may help us avoid others’ mistakes.)

So, while Darius’ advisors turned to the literal lions’ den for their own reasons, Darius only did so as – and because - other options failed him. First, he put trust in his “wise” men, who obviously and painfully manipulated him for their own purposes. When they suggested Darius himself was worthy of worship, he made the mistake of believing that. Self-help never lasts long for anyone who knows their own heart, though, but by the time he recognized this, Darius was overcommitted. He had no escape, no hope of redeeming his self-worship from the injustice it caused Daniel. Except for one: the God of Israel had to be as good, and as strong and capable, as Daniel believed Him to be. This is one of the few places in Scripture where an emperor or leader actually hopes the Lord will intervene to change events he set in motion. In the vernacular, Darius realized he’d been “had;” he also knew it would take a divine miracle to set things right. Daniel bet his life on Jehovah. Darius could only watch and pray Daniel’s faith would be rewarded. He looked for hope out of the lions’ den.

Darius’ journey is not all that different from our own. We tend to put faith in the advice of others, or our own innate wisdom, long before we will trust Christ. One day, however, all of us will face insurmountable difficulties we have no ability to alter or avoid. Our ill-considered thoughts and actions may even place innocents in jeopardy. If we have a soul, we will regret our decisions. Then, we can only confess our sins and observe how the Lord will respond.

The Book of Daniel’s message here was not written for those who actually find themselves in the lions’ dens of life. It is primarily a gift for those who put them there, for whatever reason. The Father can redeem any situation. Whether He will may depend on our willingness to repent, as Darius clearly did. But the Lord is capable, so there is always hope.

We frequently overlook the effects our thoughtlessness, jealousy and self-centeredness have on others... until it is too late for us to do anything about them. In just a moment of pique, we can wound those we love, sometimes mortally. We need to turn from and repent of our envy and our insecurities. We desperately need Jesus to intervene to help us treat others as we would treat ourselves, and to make our first priority their needs and situations. The good news is there is no place, no situation, outside the reach of the Holy Spirit. No demon or adversity is so overwhelming it cannot be controlled. There is no circumstance beyond the ability of Jesus Christ to redeem it.

Sometimes, we give ourselves too much credit… or too much blame. We obsess about what others think and the things we cause, both good and bad. As this becomes more and more habitual, we can easily forget that our last resort needs instead to be our first option. In the final analysis, this is the lesson of the lions’ den. Whether we are the ones who wield the keys, or those facing its trials, we can rejoice that the Lord will come and stand beside us. In the lions’ den, the Spirit can save us not just from external forces, but from ourselves and our bad decisions, too. We have but to ask.

WRITING ON THE WALL

Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20

“But when Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself…. [Y]ou have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

“For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its vomit.’ And another says, ‘A washed pig returns to the mud.’”

“My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. Lord, it is time for you to act,”

“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.”

Roughly 2600 years ago, God delivered a message to Belshazzar, successor to Nebuchadnezzar, King of the great Babylonian Empire. He had it written on the King’s wall for all to see, arguably with His own hand. The message, however, was not new. Nor has it changed much in the last 2600 years, either. Pride is a deadly disease. It destroys people, and it can destroy entire kingdoms. No one is entirely immune. Worse, our stubborn persistence in plotting and following our own course is a slippery slope from which few ever recover without choosing an entirely different path – usually from the bottom of the cliff! We need to change our thinking and our actions now, because it’s a lot more difficult to come all the way back up from the bottom than it is to select a different road before we reach a point of no return.

Anyone who has ever run cross country, climbed a mountain or ridden a bike up a steep slope should appreciate this particular spiritual truth. The longer the hill set before us, the tougher it is to ascend. In addition, and somewhat counterintuitively, it is not always the steepest climbs that are the most difficult to overcome. For those recognized trials, we tend to psyche ourselves up and prepare mentally for them in advance. No, the most insidiously difficult climbs are often just the long, slight grades which wear us down and seem to continue on without end or relief. These are the roads we tend to try to conquer in our own strength. These are the times we figure we should be able to handle ourselves. In our pride, we determine to tough things out without help. We make our own strategic decisions, never recognizing that, sometimes, the Lord may have a more indirect course in mind that, while admittedly longer, will not be so hard on us overall and really does make the obstacle more manageable. We choose not to follow it at our own peril.

Ah, if I only had a quarter for each of the times I’ve misjudged the trials before me, or placed too much faith in my own strength or “wisdom,” only to find I had neither the smarts nor physical prowess necessary to complete a particular faith journey. I routinely underestimate spiritual obstacles and overestimate my own ability to cope with them. I forget that, no matter how enthusiastic I may be, emotion runs thin in the face of difficulties. When I try to move forward without the power of Christ focused on the task at hand, I almost always end up bottomed out. Only then, looking up from where I have fallen, do I recognize where I stepped off the Lord’s intended path.

It is a very disheartening place to be, and very disillusioning to be reminded once again that we are not as good or as talented as we’d like to think we are. If only we’d come to the place where we turn and face the Lord directly sooner, we could save ourselves and others a lot of grief. There’s no point in getting to where we become like wild animals away from human society, eating proverbial grass and being soaked to the skin in a storm of our own prideful making. The writing on the wall is absolutely consistent. “Turn back, O Man! Foreswear thy foolish ways!“ …Now, before it is too late, or at least a heckuva lot more difficult on everybody. We simply are not equipped to get through all of life without Christ and all He brings to the table. Besides, the Lord wouldn’t have it any other way.

It is a wonder God does not at some point just give up on us. Watching us repeat the same mistakes over and over again in direct opposition to His directions for a well-lived life must be incredibly frustrating. It is a measure of grace we do not often take that He has not already given us the judgment we deserve. Why He continues to believe in us when we so often disbelieve and reject Him and His ways is truly a divine mystery. But it is also a mystery with a message of hope. The fact that God does believe in us means there is still time: time to change; time to warn; and time to lead back to the One who started it all. As Christians, we need to be much more intentional about doing just that. The Lord is not going to wait forever. We have it on excellent authority that a time of judgment is coming. We need to do what we can to prepare, and help others prepare as well. We must not be daunted by their reluctance to accept counsel or to accept the Lord Himself. The writing is on the wall. Whether we like it or not, and whether we believe it or not, we all need Christ.

THE RETURN OF SANITY

Daniel 4:1-7; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 28:17-18

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”

“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.”

“The blameless will be rescued from harm, but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed.”

Sometimes, sanity abandons us. This is no more obvious than in our current economic crisis. The pundits argue incessantly about the whys and wherefores of our situation, but their pontification means little. They are focused on symptoms, not the disease. The disease is one as old as mankind itself: simple greed. At no prior time in our history was prosperity any more of a given than during the years 1995-2006. As a society, we went well beyond fat and lazy right into complacent and self-obsessed. We gave no real consideration to the effects our actions would have on others. We literally lost our minds over our get rich quick schemes. Now, as painful and harsh as it may seem, sanity has returned and imposed its inexorable hold on the consequences of our actions and our thoughtlessness. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” have been revealed for what they are: empty promises and vain ambition. We have an entire generation to teach how to handle adversity. They must learn about suffering. Above all, they need to be led to the Lord.

We must start at the beginning, by acknowledging the truth to ourselves. Then, we must be strong enough to admit the truth to our children. We are a modern day Old Testament Israel, no getting around it. One cannot miss the parallels. We have chosen our own path; worshipped idols of our own making; and forsaken the One God who got us here. We have steadfastly failed and refused to learn from the lessons of history, so we have repeated them to excess. Personally, I fear we tend to think we are better than our history and better people than our ancestors. We think we can get away with sin. We think we can avoid its consequences. We are dead wrong, literally. In so thinking, we disregard the objective facts and our own prior experiences. Just look around, honestly. ‘Nuff said about that….

Just admitting we’ve screwed up gets us nowhere, of course. There’s much more to any spiritual recovery. We have to tear down our idols. We need to roll up our sleeves and get back to a life defined by right and wrong, and not just by what we think of as good and bad. We tend to see as “bad” anything that makes us uncomfortable, and “good” as its opposite, and we leave the ethical debate to the professionals. How contrary to the Word of God – and the Truth - this perspective is! Morality has absolutely nothing to do with how we may feel about it. Some of the best – more accurately, right – things in life are in fact the most painful. Self-sacrifice, love, even war can be right, but they most certainly do not always feel very good. “Right” typically has very little to do with the way things feel, and any contrary view necessarily purports to put us on a level with God, whether we think of it that way or not.

Anytime we dare define the mores of society based on how we personally feel or believe, we necessarily usurp the role of God. There is another, more objective, standard of right and wrong, which also helps us understand the real difference between good and bad. It’s called the Bible, or more specifically, The Owner’s Manual. The world will not run properly if we do not follow its directions, no matter how loudly we protest to the contrary. History actually teaches this. We have pretty much exhausted our other options. It is time to return to the One who started it all and begin playing the game, and reconstructing our society, according to His Rules.

Finally, our return to sanity will require a healthy dose of forgiveness, even (probably, especially) of those who remain unrepentant. I recently had a conversation with a man who felt another had done grievous wrongs to a number of his friends, as well as to the man himself. The issues had been thoroughly investigated by third parties, and the supposed “sinner” was found to have no guilt in the matter. My friend, however, could not let it go. When I suggested what was needed in the aftermath was forgiveness all around, serious resistance came forward in the form of Christian mind games and simple semantics. “I have forgiven him. But I cannot be reconciled to one who is not repentant.” Please, call a spade a spade. Let’s not make things worse by lying to ourselves. If we cannot be reconciled, we cannot forgive. Make no mistake: forgiveness is not reconciliation, or vice versa. The offending party can decide to reject both our forgiveness and our attempts at reconciliation. But that in no way prevents us from being able to be reconciled, if the opportunity presents itself. The proper Christian response (to be uttered only in cases where it is in fact true) is, “I have forgiven him. I am reconciled to him and accept that he is what he is, as am I. How and if God will bring us together is now in their hands.”

There have been mistakes enough to go around several times over. That’s just life. If we get stuck in the blame game, we have no real hope of bringing the Kingdom to earth, or of ever seeing the New Jerusalem. Let’s be clear: forgiveness and reconciliation are ours to give. The fact that they may not be accepted does not in any way mitigate our refusal to offer both to those we think have wronged us.

Recapturing sanity is a painful process. Just ask Nebuchadnezzar. He would tell you it hurts. But he would also tell you that, in the power of God, it can be done. Instead of obsessing over what’s wrong or bad, it’s time to forsake all that in favor of what’s right. The next generation is counting on us to help them get it right. We led the world into this; it is our responsibility to help lead them out of it. Through Christ, all things are possible.

EMBRACING THE FLAMES

Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-96; Proverbs 28:15-16

“Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.’”

“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.”

“I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me? I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees. How long must I wait?”

It is an old story, one that has assumed the status of mythological legend. We teach it to our kids and wisely nod our heads as the words are spoken. But rarely do we stop to actually consider the radical possibilities of its message, and we very rarely, if ever, actually consider it as fact. Unless one has been inside the furnace and felt the flames caressing their bodies, threatening to consume them, and unless one has been rescued from that fire by the supernatural intervention of the Almighty, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s tale is just a bit too far fetched for us sophisticated adults to accept as reality.

So, we continue to deplete ourselves trying to resist the flames. We refuse to confront our fears, and we pretend all is well with the world when, quite obviously, such is not the case. Avoiding the conflagration is exhausting work, too. Adversity and fear lie behind even the most innocuous experiences of life. As we love, we come to fear the loss of that which we love. As we learn, we risk disillusionment. As we live, we come closer to death on a daily basis. Pretty soon, avoiding the flames – both real and imagined – becomes a full time occupation. We focus so much on dodging bullets we forget altogether that we actually have a Savior who has been there and done that. We forget He waits to share His Victory with us, if we will just stop our defensive maneuvers and begin to trust Him instead.

Looking more closely at today’s Scripture from the Book of Daniel, I am convinced there actually are times in life when the center of the blaze is exactly where God intends to put us, and where we most need to be. It is simple enough to recognize we cannot truly be certain of what we (and the Lord!) are capable of until we are tested. It is another thing entirely, though, to gracefully submit to that testing, especially the more catastrophic we think the risk of failure. We see our fellow men and women engulfed and overcome by adversity, and we are thankful not to be in their shoes. We seldom stop to think what an excellent schoolroom is found in the belly of the beast.

Ask any adult when and where they learn the most, and the thoughtful, honest answer may surprise both of you. We anticipate success; it is in overcoming difficulties that most lessons worth knowing are finally experienced and found to be true…, or not. Challenge is what moves us from faith to knowledge. When we are in survival mode, we don’t often stop to consider that, or what, we are learning in the process. Nevertheless, we are learning… how to live…. Sometimes, we are learning how to die. But as Christians, we also are learning something else, if we keep paying attention to the Holy Spirit in all the noise and confusion. We are learning how to trust Christ in the middle of the flames. This is the single most important life lesson, and the hardest to internalize. Circumstances that require it often are so repugnant that we resist the context and so miss the message God would speak to us through it.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were given a choice: worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol or die. Sell out God or face the fire. They were given another chance to obey the King’s decree, one more implicit chance to run, but they simply stood their ground. They chose instead to embrace the flames. In effect, their response was a remarkable, “Why wait? We know who Yahweh is and what the Lord requires. We need not waste time or effort fretting. Jehovah will protect us, or He won’t, but either way, we trust Him. Bring on the flames, come what may!” This is the essence, the very picture, of vital faith. It is also a faith which lead directly to fundamental, earth shattering knowledge!

Putting our lives into the hands of God is the ultimate surrender, but it is also the ultimate test – and fruit - of faith. Adversity will come. It will test us. Each of us is promised that much. There is, then, no point to struggling or running away. Life catches up. It is always best to turn and face our fears.

We need to learn what we have to learn about the fires of life. I expect to find I am not alone. I expect that the only time I will ever find true peace, in fact, is when I can embrace the flames as a meeting place of my Savior.

THE SECRET THINGS OF GOD

Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:8-4:6; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 28:14

“That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, ‘Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.”

“You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.”

“Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.”

I’d like to know what makes life work. It would be most excellent to have the Lord’s vision and knowledge. At least, then, maybe I could actually avoid a mistake or two. So, why doesn’t the Creator let us in on a few more of His secrets? The thing I’d most like to know is why I don’t know more. As a Christian of some years’ experience, I ought to be getting a handle on spiritual issues, but it sometimes seems as if I am not one step farther along the path God’s set out. Why are so many of the things of God still unrecognizable? Why isn’t the Spirit more real, more easily heard? Why don’t I do what I want to do – what the Father wants me to do – and do do what I know I ought not to do? Why does the Father continue to love us when we seemingly do just about whatever we can to make ourselves unlovable? These are the unfathomable secrets, the eternal mysteries.

Alas, just venting. Most likely, we are destined to remain relatively ignorant about the way our Creator thinks, and why we are what we are, even as Christians, as long as we are on this side of heaven. There’s probably several reasons Christ does not tell us more in advance. We may not like or accept the answers, and might not be able to handle them all that well, either. They’d probably make us look ugly and ungrateful. Oh, sure, Original Sin plays its part in each of our stories, but Christ was clear we no longer have to buy into that if we don’t want to. Thus, deeper answers get very personal. I just stubbornly, stupidly continue to prefer my own ways to His. That’s the simple answer. Does why really matter?

We can quickly lose both ourselves and our faith by demanding answers the Father is not ready to provide, or which we really do not need. So, we need to understand there’s also another reason Jehovah remains a mystery. We refuse to be put in a position to make use of Him. We do not put ourselves on the line for Him, so we are not worthy of His secrets. A big part of faith is moving ahead despite not knowing all we’d like to know. It’s trusting when we’d prefer to have explanations and details. Our Father knows what’s best for us, and that’s pretty much all we need to know. What about this for a concept: we learn from the Spirit when we need to understand, and not before. Our discomfort and unwillingness to respond to the call of Christ says more about our faith than our knowledge. There is always a reason not to grow if we seek to justify our sloth diligently enough, and the Father’s silence is a well-worn excuse. The Lord, however, almost always requires us to actually do something before He will reveal much of anything. Instead of looking for reasons not to live as disciples, then, we should be asking where we might best plug in and learn the game. Think of it as on the job training. Those who prefer to sit on the sidelines rarely come to fully understand or appreciate the game. The challenge is always finding a way to get into the game, not looking for a reason to avoid it.

Case in point: when I was a young teen, I pretty much felt forced to play high school football. Both my Dad and brother were big football players in their days, and I guess I felt I owed it to my pedigree. They were, of course, delighted, and I did not want to disappoint them, either. But the fact was, I hated football. Besides having a decided aversion to the physical contact involved, I didn’t connect with the players or coaches. We shared no interests. My athletic DNA just didn’t run to football. I honestly was glad when I did not play. The entire game seemed futile and stupid, especially from the sidelines. So the sidelines were where I stayed. Then, one day at practice, inexplicably, the coaches put me in at middle linebacker against the first team. (They probably figured it was time to run me off for good. Dead wood does nothing for team spirit.) The first play came right at me. I didn’t do much, but the ball carrier literally ran into me anyway, and I had my first tackle, basically because I was just in the way. The guard charged with blocking me got a public humiliating from the coach, then they ran the same play with the same result. I don’t know why they weren’t blocking me, but the second time, I actually leaned a bit into the ball carrier at contact and enjoyed watching him fall over me. This went on for several series and obviously was as much a mystery to everyone else as it was to me. Finally, the coaches gave it up and just made us all run the rest of practice. I was pumped that day. I found I could play the game, if I wanted to. By the end, I was intentional about stuffing the plays. But my enthusiasm was short lived. I rejected the opportunity presented and went back to thinking of ways to stay anonymous. After that year, I never played football again, because there always seemed to be one reason or another to avoid it. Unsurprisingly, I never learned the game and basically got nothing out of my brief experience on the gridiron.

Similarly, the Lord will not trust His secrets to those without a burning passion for them. Could I have played football? Could I be a better disciple? Could I have a better knowledge of the secret things of Yahweh? The answer to all questions is yes. But not from the sidelines. We have to get into the game before its mysteries and strategies will be fully revealed. God’s question, then, is why we don’t move forward in faith to accomplish His purposes for our lives. Our answer, sadly, is usually just that it’s too much trouble, too inconvenient., too risky or daunting without more information and without guarantees. Yet, then, we still get upset when God no longer reveals His will to us. This is a silly way to live, and if we expect the Lord to reveal His secrets to us regardless, we have silly expectations, too.

ULTIMATE FREEDOM

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 2:11-3:7; Psalm 119:49-64; Proverbs 28:12-13

“When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. Then he said to me, ‘This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.’”

“It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.”

“Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.”

“When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

Freedom! What does it mean, exactly? Every time I hear it as a single word exclamation, I can’t help but think of Mel Gibson in Braveheart. I remember the civil rights marches of the 60s. I recall the retribution that was Afghanistan in the earlier part of this decade. All of these events could fairly be characterized as indications of freedom. Viewed through the prism of those events, among others, it is no wonder we consider freedom most often as that which separates us from some sort of slavery or bondage. Freedom releases us from oppression; freedom transcends and supersedes discrimination. Scripture, however, also speaks of another type of freedom, one that has little to do with separation or independence. The Bible recognizes two completely different freedoms. Only one involves escape, or breaking away. The second, and by far the most powerful, is the freedom that comes from binding ourselves to a greater force or power than ourselves. It is the freedom we have in Christ to give our lives totally over to serving others. The ultimate freedom is the freedom we have to give ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice to the Spirit.

The incontestable fact is that a man’s greatest moments of freedom lie not in separation but in the joining of two lives together. When one of those lives involves the Holy Spirit, miracles happen. We are remade from the inside out, no longer subject to the dark forces that bound our earthly selves. Only in the unity of the Christ can ultimate freedom be achieved. We are never more powerful, and never have as much real freedom, than when we give ourselves to Christ and then others as He gave Himself to us. Only when we are strong enough to sacrifice for others do we have any chance of tasting true freedom.

My wife and son have been away on a mission trip to Guatemala. Consequently, many of the things I take for granted my sweet spouse will do did not get done this week. This was not a major problem. My daughter did an admirable job of standing in the gap. But it was a significant inconvenience, because there were several things my daughter was not available to do, either. Repairmen had to be dealt with; meals needed cooking; clothes required cleaning; then, there were the pets – ours, as well as our neighbors, to name but a few. All these redistributed responsibilities required time that was just not available. I was reminded again that independence is neither all it’s cracked up to be, nor does it lessen our responsibilities. Often, it increases them. My “independence” this week felt a whole lot more like bondage than freedom. It would have been nice to have more hands and hearts sharing the load. I could not be free until my wife arrived home. Her presence literally freed me to do other things to which I have been called.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I am not equating freedom with irresponsibility, either. Humans need a certain structure within which to live their lives, and certain explicit goals and duties, or they become victims, if not instruments, of chaos. As with independence, ultimate freedom is not found in a lack of responsibility. It’s actually found in the right kind of unity and an appropriate sense of responsibility. There is nothing wrong with being bound to another soul. In fact, we were created to be freely bound to each other, not out of obligation, but out of love. It’s the soul to which we are bound, and the way we are bound, that deserves careful attention and consideration.

This world pulls at us so many different ways, it is a fair question to wonder if we can ever be totally free. The answer is an emphatic yes. As Christians, we are not limited by worldly expectations or by the need to get away from something. We are free to run to Jesus and connect our lives with His, so that He is then able to connect it with others, His way. This is ultimate freedom, not that we have no one to turn to or to lift us up, but that we know Someone willing to have us bind our lives to Him and to our brothers and sisters in Him. Those who are truly free are free enough to give ourselves back to the great I AM who has given us all.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; 1 Peter 1:13-2:10; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 28:11

“At that time the land will return to the prince. But when the prince gives gifts to his sons, those gifts will be permanent. And the prince may never take anyone’s property by force.”

“So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”

“Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.”

I don’t think much about being holy. Here’s why. It seems an unattainable, frustrating and self-defeating goal. Don’t misunderstand; I think a lot – probably too much – about my sinfulness, and how to get around and past it. But that’s kind of like seeing the hole instead of the doughnut, or the hurdles instead of the finish line. If all we focus on are our weaknesses, failures and obstacles, we almost certainly condemn ourselves to repeat earlier mistakes. It’s no secret humans tend to return to our sin. We need, instead, to concentrate on holy things, things that will help us be better than we are. This much is obvious. What is less obvious is the insidious way we have of just drifting off course and away from home when we are not positively working toward holiness, even when we are not conscious of going against the Lord’s will.

My daughter has been housesitting for our neighbors this week. They have two mischievous dogs they not so affectionately refer to as “The Cockroaches.” We refer to them as “The Criminals.” No prison can hold them, and they pursue freedom with a vengeance and determination that is terrible in its ingenuity. Any gap in the fence, no matter how small, is an excuse for a road trip. Our neighbors put up an invisible, electric fence to supplement their yard’s defenses, and the pups proceeded to chew each other’s sensor collars off so they could cross the threshold with impunity. They are opportunists of the first magnitude whose sole purpose in life seems to be exploring strange new worlds. More than once we have found them in our backyard, having conquered not one but two fences, lounging in the center of our bird bath. Thankfully, they are not malicious, but they are curious and frenetic to a fault. When they do get out, they are immediately seduced by the scents of their new surroundings. It is not unusual for them to track deer for blocks or even miles at a time. They do not mean to be bad. In their singleminded pursuit of the unfamiliar and enticing, however, they quite literally lose their way. They are not able to return home, no matter how hungry or thirsty they get. They must be found by others, or else. It happened again last night. The Criminals escaped. Fortunately, a very wonderful and considerate neighbor found them at 1AM chasing deer several blocks away from home. They were just having fun. They had no idea they were lost or in jeopardy. But that did not change the fact that they were in fact both of those things.

So it goes with us. Focused as we are on sin and punishment, we figure that as long as we do not sense problems or impending doom, we must be OK, so we allow ourselves to wander. We push the envelope. We don’t think about being holy. We leap out of the grip of God into the unknown for its own sake. We have no sense of how lost we can get even before we realize it.

In the power and blood of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit patrols our world looking for lost ones to guide Home. Many of us do not mean to be affirmatively disobedient; we are just giving vent to the explorer within us. We do not mean to get too far off the path to home, but the sights and sounds of the outside world can be too strong to resist and so distracting that they pull us off course without our being aware of it. We can be glad the Good Shepherd is out looking for us. But we can also be much more intentional about claiming Home and holiness in the first place.

Heaven is a lot more than the absence of sin or punishment. It is more than self-preservation and safety. It is our true Home. Heaven also is where Holiness lives. It is where we are given a completely different perspective that turns self inside out and compels not just good behavior but an affirmative outpouring of love and creativity aimed at others. It is not just “pie in the sky by and by,” either. It begins here. Christ has decreed the Kingdom of Heaven has already come to earth. In our misguided quest for independence, we must be careful not to run from it. That’s why the Father calls His children to be holy in the first place. It keeps us facing the right direction.

Fortunately, what the Lord asks of us He already is, and it is His desire to share Himself with us. As we cultivate holiness, we find there is no need to wander. Christ makes us whole as well as holy. We have all we need. And we can share it with others without jeopardizing ourselves.

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy goes through all sorts of adventures and perils to learn one simple fact: there’s no place like home. Her problem was that she had never seen that before being swooped off to Oz, because she had never really focused on how blessed she was to have love and family surrounding her there. What was true for her is true for us. We are obsessed with what is on the other side of the fence. We are consumed by the idea of freedom, but we mistakenly translate it as independence. Instead of longing for external newness, let’s allow our newness to spring up from within first. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to fill our longing hearts with peace and actually equip us to go out into the world before we just rush out on our own. That’s another definition of “holy,” by the way: being fully prepared by the Holy Spirit to accomplish our God given purpose before we rush off into harm’s way.

UPHILL BATTLES

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 28:8-10

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you…! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord. Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid.”

“ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me!”

“God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law. Those who lead good people along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the honest will inherit good things.”

It was a balmy, humid Spring day. We were ready to run for a share of the District championship. The opposing coach walked us around the cross country course, until he came to a dirt road winding off in the woods. “The finish line is just a little ways up that road. No point to walking that; we’ll just have to turn around and walk out again.” We took him at his word and returned to the starting line. Roughly 45 minutes later, we had covered the course for real and entered the road in the woods for the last leg of our race. Running as a team, we had a clear advantage. The road took a few turns then began an uphill climb. We had been running hard and had little left in the tank but figured that was OK because the finish had to be just up ahead, as the coach had said. The road got steeper with no end in sight. Suddenly, guys started cramping. The finish remained out of our field of vision. We began to crumble as a team. Guys started quitting left and right, and no amount of encouragement or berating by our own coach had any effect. The hill was too steep; we had no idea how far we had to go; and we lost heart. Soon enough, the home team caught and passed us, going right through the middle of our group like we were standing still (which we pretty much were by that point). I finished the race, barely, but none of that is what I most often reflect on when I think of that day. The thing I most graphically recall is the memory of my teammate fallen not 20 yards from the finish. He fell just short of the last bend in the road which would have revealed the end of the course. I still wonder today whether, if he’d known where the end was, he’d have found the strength to finish the race.

How like life that episode was! The final hill was bad enough on its own. What destroyed us as a team and individually, though, was the fact that we did not know where the finish was. We could not set a goal because we knew not the length of the road. And because we were so fundamentally unprepared (and sandbagged by the opposing coach!), we could not muster the stamina to endure or to finish what we started. We were tested and found wanting mainly because we could not fathom the end of our trials.

In a world that only tells us what it wants us to know so it can take advantage of our ignorance, we need to be a lot more strategic about our approach to life. We don’t know where the end lies or what it will actually take to carry us there. We only know it’s likely we’ll lose some of our teammates before we cross the finish line, and that parts of the race will be a tough up hill climb. So, what do we do? How can we prepare for a contest without a predictable end and which we do not and could not possibly fully understand?

First, play fair with others. We need teammates to sustain us and hold us up. Moreover, it sounds trite, but we really should treat others the way we’d like to be treated. That opposing coach immeasurably cheapened his team’s victory by setting us up to fail. He gave his team an unfair leg up, so all they had to do was come in behind us and mop up when we fell. There was little glory in what he’d left for them to do to “win” the race. It was not really a victory at all, but it did present a clear moral. We never know when or how the tables may get turned. A couple of weeks later, that opposing coach and his team were totally disqualified from any further competitions that year because the District athletic department determined their course did not meet standard cross country requirements.

Second, understand that trials can purify, and take advantage of every opportunity to claim the benefits of adversity whenever it arises. Fortitude and stamina are not spiritual gifts; they are learned behaviors. Trials may define our limitations for a season, but they also invite us to live beyond our capabilities in radical reliance on Spirit power, if we will have it.

Most of us spend far too much time running from or trying to avoid trials. What we should be doing is embracing and adapting to difficulties as the purifying fires they are intended to be for us. We cannot avoid trouble. Jesus promised it would find us, whether we went looking for it or not. What we can’t avoid, we should try learning something from. God did not create us to be unprepared. We need to scout the course fully before beginning a new journey, and not take anyone else’s word for what we will have to experience along the way. We also need to learn how to rejoice greatly at all times. There is a plan, and we are part of it! The fact that we cannot see it all the way from one end to another says more about our maturity than it says about our wisdom. We all get lost from time to time, or lose our bearings, at least. Our one solace is that the Spirit will bring us home and will stay by our side throughout, as long as we are sure to keep Him on our team and claim His strength.

HOLY PLACES

Ezekiel 42:1-43:27; James 5:1-20; Psalm 119:1-16; Proverbs 28:6-7

“Then the man told me, ‘These rooms that overlook the Temple from the north and south are holy. Here the priests who offer sacrifices to the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. And because these rooms are holy, they will be used to store the sacred offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. When the priests leave the sanctuary, they must not go directly to the outer courtyard. They must first take off the clothes they wore while ministering, because these clothes are holy. They must put on other clothes before entering the parts of the building complex open to the public.’”

“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

“Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!”

“Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.”

Effective prayer and meditation can happen just about anywhere. I even have friends who claim to have their daily quiet time while driving to or from work! I do not recommend that, for reasons that should be obvious. It does, however, make the point that God is where we look for Him, and that we can have access 24/7 if we set our minds to it.

That said, though, some places are better than others to experience, think about and claim the presence, power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Most of us would benefit from setting aside a particular place to meet the Lord in solitude and security on a regular basis. Having a regular time for Christ introduces spiritual discipline and obedience into our hectic lives. Having a regular, recognized place for meeting with Him reinforces the sacredness of the process and the expectation that real spiritual business will be done there.

I’ll admit to never having given this as much thought as I now think I should have. Still, looking back, the vast majority of my truly crucial meetings with the Spirit have taken place in one or two special places and always, always, in the wee hours of the morning. I figured out long ago the rationale behind the Lord’s timing: it is only then I am settled and quiet enough in my soul to actually listen to what He has to say. Consequently, I now look forward to the times He wakes me up. It’s never fails to provide a great start to the day. On the other hand, I only fairly recently started giving intentional thought to where I spend those times. There is not anything inherently magical or spiritual about my living room recliner. There is, however, a thick carpet in front of it on which I can kneel, and there’s no arguing the fact that it is there when I most often feel the Father’s comforting Presence and receive His Word most clearly.

The bottom line is probably that the process of true worship is actually intended to capture every aspect of who and what we are, and to fully engage all of our senses. That just cannot happen when we attempt it in a less than perfect environment. Mountaintop moments usually have to be experienced, if at all, away from the kids, the cell phone, the computer and the car, for our God is, after all, a jealous God. He brooks no competition. This is not to suggest we cannot worship in those conditions or pray while we are experiencing them. (We are commanded to pray without ceasing, remember?) It’s simply an acknowledgement that there is a difference between eating to survive and truly feasting. A banquet requires complete personal investment to be fully experienced and appreciated. Thinking back to our family feasts during our recent reunion, I recall vividly that the entire experience was much more than the sum of its parts. The flavors, smells and tastes were wonderful, but all were also incredibly enhanced by the environment, conversations, laughter, relationships and sense of blessing in the circumstances in which they were shared.

So it is with the Lord’s love and grace. There are certainly times when it is all we can do just to cling to what we can find in the moment. There are, or should be, other times when we need to give our full attention to the banquet, the Word, the grace, the comfort or the commandments or callings He sends our way. I find it helpful to have what I have come to think of as Jesus’ delivery station at which to receive those messages and experience those special times.

Since I’ve been practicing or focusing on this particular spiritual discipline of “place,” it’s been interesting how the Lord has used it. I’ve stumbled on a pretty effective way for the Lord to call me to prayer and relationship. All He has to say is, “Get in the chair.” Sometimes, it’s said with an exclamation point, sometimes as an invitation I am free to decline. But I try to always accept because I’ve learned that we can always expect a personal touch and communication from our Father whenever we visit our personal “holy place.” Oh, and it’s a lot easier to be patient, too, when we know we are resting in the very Presence of the One who holds our destinies in His hands. Every time I approach my little in-home sanctuary, my spirit leaps because I know the Lord will be there, ready and waiting to meet with me and renew my spirit. It’s nice to have a dependable retreat amidst all that would separate us from Him. It’s also easier to be patient and teachable there, and a whole lot safer than sitting behind the wheel of a car.

THE FUTILITY OF CONQUEST AND COMPETITION

Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; James 4:1-17; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:3-5

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

“Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!”

“Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.”

There is an easy and a hard way to do most anything. However, the two sometimes get confused along life’s way. The typical tendency is to select the path of least resistance precisely because it appears the less difficult. That often means trying to take what someone else already possesses. In so doing, we forget and/or soon learn that not everything that is expedient is necessarily easy or proper. Not every difficult thing requires the most time and energy, either. Sometimes, the very best we can do is the best we can do. But inevitably, there are cold and empty souls who refuse to accept that fact. They are the living parasites of our age.

While I want to be careful about painting with too broad a brush, there are way too many humans who would rather take something from someone else than earn it for themselves. This denies them personal dignity, and leads to all sorts of inter-personal problems and conflict. But more important, when we covet, plot and steal (even when we say we are just taking advantage of an opportunity), we corrupt ourselves and expose our own emptiness. It usually ends up being the most difficult option over the long run in other ways, too. The cost may not be calculable in dollars and cents, but whenever we take something that does not belong to us, we still pay a price. The currency most often is a piece of our souls.

A singular characteristic of humans is our drive to expand our territories and influence, our quest for the feeling of personal significance, frequently without regard for the impact our efforts have on others. I’m not talking The Prayer of Jabez here. (That’s asking the Father to be part of the solution.) I’m talking simple, insatiable greed, a ravenous insecurity we think can only be satisfied by conquest, and more stuff. For example, when it comes down to it, more wars are fought over territory than ideology. We may say we fight for a principle, but we really want control of the land… or the athletic field, the Boardroom, the Church Finance Committee or the classroom.

Wherever we are, few of us ever take kindly to what we see as competition. Competition only makes sense, however, when there is not enough to go around. So we need to honestly ask ourselves what our competitive natures say about the depth and reality of our faith.

The conclusion is inescapable: the more competitive we are, the less faithful we are likely to be. If we see the world as a place of diminishing resources, we will live in fear, desperation and insufficiency. We will never know peace. If we ask the Son for what we need, however, he promises to supply our needs and a peace that passes understanding.

It all comes back to one thing: conquest is not about beliefs. It’s not about faith. It’s about greed. And it’s an exceedingly futile and vain thing. Try as we might, we can never fill our own emptiness, or convey upon ourselves any true eternal significance.

Why, then, would we not ask God for help and blessing before trying to take control ourselves? There can only be a few credible answers. We don’t know a God to ask. We’re afraid He’ll ask why. We worry He’ll say no. Or, we do not want to depend on any spiritual being we can neither see, touch or feel physically. We want to play in our home ballpark or not at all.

Again and again, Scripture tells us the sufficiency of the Lord outstrips anything we can imagine. There’s no need for us to play Crusaders. Manna from heaven; a pillar of fire; the parting of the Red Sea, all remind us that Yahweh never runs on empty. He always stands ready and willing to bless us if we will just turn to Him and ask. Still, like Jacob, we stubbornly insist instead on coveting and usurping the blessings of others for ourselves. Out of such efforts can only come more covetousness, jealousy, anger and insufficiency. For you see, no matter what man can accomplish for himself, or what He can steal or take away from others, it will never be enough. We cannot fill the God-shaped void at our center by ourselves. We have neither the tools nor the knowledge of exactly what is meant to fit there.

Competitiveness is the enemy of compassion. Envy is the antithesis of contentment. Perfect love casts out fear, but fear can do a pretty good number on any love that is not founded on the completeness of Christ. It is high time we give up the silly idea that we can make something of ourselves. The only way to achieve the eternal is to ask for it. We do not need to be jealous of those who already have the security of Christ, and we do not have to wrest it away from them to experience it ourselves. We just have to be humble enough to ask rather than to demand, to receive rather than grab.

DOERS - AND SPEAKERS - OF THE WORD

Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:2

“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”

“…The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.’”

“When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”

“Faith without good deeds is useless?!?” Say what, James? Doesn’t that undo all the “saved [solely] by grace” stuff that Paul was always preaching? Well…, James isn’t here to answer this most pithy of questions, so today, I’ll just take a shot at it. And how I respond (however presumptuously) on his behalf is with an emphatic “NO!” Good works in demonstration of strong faith is not the kind of “work your way into heaven” theology that Paul denounced. For many of us, doing good works – especially when they take us outside our comfort zone and into the realm of risk - is simply the only way we can convince ourselves our faith is lasting beyond the emotion of our original salvation. Works don’t prove anything to anybody, except ourselves. But when they give us evidence the Lord has taken up residence in our hearts, they are an indispensible learning tool, especially to the extent they reflect an actual changed nature in us to us.

Undoubtedly one of the most frequently questions new converts (and not a few old timers) ask concerns ways they can tell if their faith is “real.” First, let’s be careful here. As C. S. Lewis’ famous demon, Screwtape, instructs his charge, Wormwood, on how to “fuddle” a human into Hell in The Screwtape Letters, humans…

“…find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things…. Don’t let him get away from the invaluable ‘real life’.”

Screwtape’s point is that humans who insist on the “reality” of faith by definition miss the supernaturalism of it and so neuter the power of faith down to a nullity. It is, simply, a fatal habit to keep our attention focused on the stream of immediate sense experiences, because at some point, faith won’t “feel” like much of anything at all. In those moments, if we allow ourselves to think of it as “worthless” (because we no longer feel it), we are doomed. Faith does not depend on feelings. It is a commitment to belief outside feelings altogether.

That said, though, faith does have its particular manifestations, and some of the most obvious are good works. Christians do not do works for show or to earn their salvation. They do them because the Spirit of Christ compels them. Oh, and in that compulsion, they actually feel the touch of the Master’s hand.

There are any number of works Christ compels to educate us about His very real and persistent presence in our lives (or its absence), but almost none involve Him more than the taming of our tongues. I know, I know, we do not usually consider our language to be a “work” of Christ in us, but it’s high time we should. Just as there is nothing that can inflame faster than a cruel or thoughtless word, so there is nothing more encouraging than the proper word spoken at the right time. There is also nothing more revealing of the soul than the words of a brother or sister observing us in times of high stress or great blessing. Are they jealous, belittling, critical, judgmental, affirming, excited or enthusiastic? We all know how it feels to be on the receiving end of all of those type responses. One of the greatest works we can allow the Spirit to do through us to prove His existence in us is to speak the Truth in Love in all circumstances and without condition. This has nothing to do with being “nice.” It has everything to do with demonstrating faith. After all, one cannot always be certain of the reception Truth will get.

No one can tame the tongue… except for the Holy Spirit, working through us. If we must ask whether our faith is real, we can look to our language, the “work” of our tongue, as one of the truest indicators. I’ll admit I do not like this particular litmus test. But it sure does provide a lot of clarity. It also shows me I still not as far along my faith journey as I’d like to believe I am….