THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP

1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him.”

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”

“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”

“Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.”

Worship is a process, not an event. It is a lifestyle, not an experience. It is about God, not us or our needs. And because many Christians either do not understand this or won’t accept it, much of worship has been corrupted and watered down to a once a week passion that is more about show than substance. For many, worship – especially so-called “contemporary” worship – is more about good theater than doctrinal theology. How else could congregants rationalize their decision not to attend because they don’t like the preacher or “just don’t get anything” out of church? As hard a word as this may be, when people put their own agendas ahead of God’s when preparing for and participating in worship, they lose the very heart of the process. Inadvertent or not, putting our own interests first is an inherently selfish act fatal to all true worship. Focusing on our needs and desires places our personal emptiness front and center and actually displaces the bounty and grace of God as the object of our worship. We can discipline ourselves and our children easily enough to know when we go wrong in this regard. We can tell we’re off the track when, if Christ fails to tell us what we want to hear the way we want to hear it, we stop listening. Under those conditions, unsurprisingly, we usually miss the inspiration and power He would share with us through worship. We fall into a vicious cycle of need and frustration the Spirit will not forestall until we change priorities.

There’s a very old joke that pretty much sums up the problem with the way most of us worship. From a church somewhere in America’s heartland, Janice MacGruder’s reputation spread into something of a regional legend. A fervent and passionate soul, Janet loved her church. Every week, she could be counted on to sit smack dab in the center of the congregation and act as the preacher’s self-appointed cheerleader. Suffice it to say she vocalized freely, enthusiastically condemning sinner and praising saint as the sermon dictated. She made a great show of her offering, too, noisily digging through her purse and loudly praising God whenever she found the smallest contribution to “give back to God His bounty to me!” By the time the pastor was winding things up, there was not a soul who didn’t know Janice by voice, if not by name. But it was in her finale where Janice’s enthusiasm really set tongues wagging. Every Sunday at 12:00 sharp, whether the sermon was quite finished or not, Janice would stand and race down the center aisle shouting, “Fill me, Lord! Give me your Spirit!! FILL ME up to the brim!!!” Her goal was always the same and just a touch too predictably theatrical, as she fell to her knees before the altar and would not move until the minister provided her a special blessing. One old codger who had seen this for years finally had enough. As Janice sped down to the front shouting her usual “Fill me!” to beat the band, he, too, stood up to shout a counterpoint: “DON’T DO IT, LORD – SHE LEAKS!!!”

It is beyond ironic how often we attend worship in order to be filled when what we need to be doing is emptying ourselves of ourselves and allowing Christ to simply do as He would with our lives. The spiritual truth is this: when we accept Jesus as Lord, we give Him complete license to do with us as He – not we – pleases. He can quite literally buy us, sell us, sacrifice us or otherwise use us as He sees fit, and our role is just to willingly submit, not demand. What else could being a slave of Christ mean? Oh, yes, He may also choose to fill us in the process, but we must never forget it is a process over which He – not we – has complete autonomy. He does not answer to our expectations, and He does not owe us any explanation for leaving us spiritually bereft any more than He has an obligation to justify it when He does choose to dramatically inspire us. The bottom line is that we are not in control, and this is never more true than in real worship. We come to give ourselves to Him, period. What He chooses to do or not do with our gift is up to Him. We do well to leave the decision in His hands. Otherwise, we risk substituting cosmetic signs of worship – raised hands, tears, Amens and other oral ejaculations which do more to distract others than bring anyone closer to the Throne – for the real thing.

The Spirit actually wants to give us a living and helpful day-to-day relationship. In other words, if the only place we find or feel Christ is in a church building, we need to start doing a better job of seeking Him out every day of the week. The essence of worship does not occur on Sunday mornings or on Wednesday or Saturday evenings, for that matter. The essence of worship is presenting ourselves to God as a holy and living sacrifice at His disposal every second of every day.

THE PROBLEM WITH MEN

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34; Romans 4:13-5:5; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17

“Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.”

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’”

One of the most difficult things for men to do is to connect in any real way with other men. I’m not talking about going hunting, fishing or to a ballgame. Although those experiences certainly have their place, there’s a whole lot of “guy time” that ends up being just another form of wasted time. We fritter away chance after chance to actually avoid the mistakes and benefit from the experiences of our peers because we choose superfluous conversation over the sharing of real feelings. We eschew personal vulnerability at almost any cost. I’m not exactly sure why this occurs, and it is not a problem unique to men. But men seem, at least in my experience, to be peculiarly susceptible to its snare. Certainly, time and other responsibilities can represent significant barriers, but as long as we are making space on our calendars for golf or happy hour, we are only fooling ourselves by claiming a lack of opportunity. I wonder if the true issue isn’t just that we aren’t very good at trusting each other.

From almost the time I was old enough to throw a ball, I remember being aware that I had to compete to earn a position on the team. This competitiveness eventually carried over into almost everything I attempted from grades to clerkships to female companionship and eventually jobs. That females also were challenging for many of these positions and opportunities only amplified my tendency to be independent and isolated from those against whom I might have to compete. Then there were the times I did try to forge alliances and had them blow up in my face. A guy only has to show himself to be the vulnerable (translation: weakest) link once or twice to be permanently branded as something less that his fellows.

So why did King David surround himself with advisors and accountability partners? Because he understood one fundamental principle about himself: he, like most every other guy, could not trust himself to do the right thing if left to his own devices. He needed friends to hold him accountable and fill the gaps in his own knowledge and experiences so he could really be the ruler Jehovah wanted him to be. No more obvious example of his need to have other men to rely on for advice and objectivity can be found than in the story of Bathsheba. That affair took place during the time young men went off to war, but David instead chose to stay home and enjoy the perks of being King.

So, let’s get a couple of things clear. First, men are actually far more vulnerable alone than in fellowship. Competition is fine in measured doses, but when it separates us from each other, it has gone too far. Whether we realize it or not, we need individual recognition and accomplishment far less than we need to be united with each other so we can rely on our collective strength to overcome the hurdles of life. Second, our obsession with competition is not just counter-productive but completely unnecessary. There is plenty of room in our Father’s mansion, and Christ has gone ahead specifically to prepare a place for each of us who calls Him Lord and accepts Him as Savior. Our insecurity and suspicion of others are not God-given conditions at all. They are tools of Satan intended to separate us from the unity that would make us the strongest we can be. The Devil does not want us capable or sufficient; he wants us isolated, independent and weak. He is not in the least interested in letting us surround ourselves with others who will remind us of who and Whose we are. And that is all the more reason why we men – and women, too – should do exactly that! 

FAME'S SEDUCTION

1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 19:15-16

“All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.”

“Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have something to boast about. But from God’s point of view, Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.’ …People are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.”

“Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the light to my eyes.”

Today, nothing happened. I am at a mountain in New Hampshire with my two adult boys enjoying our time together and doing some snow skiing. I haven’t seen a news report. I have no idea how the market did, how our troops are faring in the Middle East or whether or not there was any major medical breakthrough. There were no major tragedies in our family, and no one gave birth. There was weather, of course, and the sun did rise and set. We still had air to breathe, a safe and warm place to sleep, and each other. Our bellies are full, too full. All in all, it was an uneventful day, and a real blessing not to be in charge of anything.

Now, certainly, things did happen. The fact that I may not know of them does not somehow magically wink them out of existence. That much is obvious. Here’s the thing, though, I think. They did happen without me. My ideas were not required or requested. The world got along just fine, and I could not be happier to have been completely insignificant. Nobody asked for my thoughts, and I had no responsibility for getting a single thing done. I guess that, after all, the Holy Spirit does not need my input to be sure the world still spins on its axis or that water runs downhill. Nor does Christ require my opinion on what is right and wrong with the world or how the wicked should be punished (or even who the wicked are). There’s just no reason for me to feel like I need to function as king of the universe or center of the world, and I was not threatened one bit by the idea that, when I return, no one will know or care, or remember me.

Sometimes I wonder if Christians have not over emphasized the gospel of personal significance. I know, I know, Jesus loves each one of us as if we are the only ones to love. We have free will for a reason. Individuality is what gives people personality and interest. Without our uniquely packaged gifts and talents, the Body of Christ would be less than the Lord intends. But that’s all a pretty far cry from saying any of us is indispensible, and when we get to feeling like the world cannot get along without us, we do some pretty silly things. We actually listen to movie stars tell us what is wrong with the country, and what our economic and political policies ought to be. We give credibility to the opinions of those who are not educated or rational enough to actually have any that matter. We begin to believe that our own thoughts and ideas are just as valid and just as important as anyone else’s, and we work to bring the very powers of Hell upon anyone who would dare to think otherwise. No wonder we are so confused and misguided. With all the shouting and all the overload, it should be expected that we are having a harder, not easier, time finding our way these days. Anyone willing to speak loud enough, long enough and fervently enough is virtually certain to command some media attention. However, it does not follow that they deserve it, or that they actually have any thoughts worth listening to.

Perhaps this is just the clarity (or personal pomposity) born of a few days’ vacation, but it seems to me that the world has two major problems. Those who actually have something important and significant to say are not speaking often or loudly enough, and when they do say something, we don’t listen. We are being seduced by the controversial, by the outrageous and by the new, usually without too much regard of for the underlying content. (I am tempted to ask how else it could be that certain  talk show hosts and so-called “commentators” have any credibility at all, but I will leave the political discussion to others more qualified to have opinions in those arenas.) What remains clear, though, is that people are more focused and determined than ever to make sure they get their “fifteen minutes of fame,” deserved or not, and they are more willing to do whatever it takes to claim them, even if it means making stuff up, misrepresenting the facts or even outright lying. Our insatiable drive for personal importance belies a much deeper spiritual emptiness and ignorance.

In fact, we do not need or require the acknowledgement of men to have eternal significance, and our puny efforts to create for ourselves what we have already been freely given must be at least a little embarrassing when viewed from the eternal perspective. It has been known virtually since the dawn of time that we cannot save ourselves no matter what we do, and it is fundamentally futile to try. This does not mean we are to be passive and inactive. Quite the contrary! It simply means that, when we decide to try to have meaningful conversations about the course and impact of life, we need to be a whole lot more intentional about inviting the Author of life into the conversation.

Our efforts mean little. But neither does God play favorites based on performance, so we can stop trying so hard to look important. No one is any more or less intrinsically qualified to be a vessel of grace and love, or to be a temple for the Holy Spirit. Nothing we do is going to change how He feels about us, but it can impact what we allow Him to do for us. We all need to hear that more clearly and respond to it more definitively and quit listening so much to all the garbage. 

RELEASING THE NOISE

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

“Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.”

At the top of a mountain, there is remarkably little noise, especially if you are trying to sneak in a little after-season skiing in the Northeast before the final snow melt. The locals have had their fill, and the snow gets pretty slushy around about mid-afternoon. But morning skiing has been awesome, and alone on the mountain on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is not a bad place to be, either. The views alone are worth the trip. But it is the serenity and calm that are the most helpful in reorienting oneself to the real priorities of life.

These are the thoughts I was thinking at literally the moment when I received the following from a good friend today. Since it seemed to fit my mood as well, I thought others might benefit from his insights, too.

Dear Friends: with a friend's encouragement, I thought I'd share some thoughts that came my way today through my devotion time, hoping that it may help you. Today, Sunday, after returning from a few days' "vacation" with the family in San Diego (I was working all but Friday afternoon), I just felt spiritually "blah." So I tried praying. Nothing. "Blah." I needed to get "un-blahed."

I picked up my Lenten Devotional Book (www.asburyreader.com), and the lesson today was on Jesus' cleansing of the Temple, John 2:13-22 (www.biblegateway.com - pick your favorite version). Great story, but it was the opening prayer in the Devotional that caught my attention. In it, the author said, "Lord . . . I release my noise to you. . . ." That was it! I had too much "noise" going on in my life: worries about work; frustrations over this and that; little things that just take way too much time and energy to even mess with. Just like the money-changers in the Temple were detracting from true worship, this "noise" was detracting from my worship.

I prayerfully listed in my journal the things that are too "noisy" in my life. Then, I composed a prayer of release. Maybe you have too much "noise" in your life.  If so, perhaps you should identify and release it. Here's my prayer. Maybe it will help you.

Dear Jesus: I release my "noise" to you. Cleanse the Temple of my Soul, I pray. Free me for true worship. Free me from all worldly cares that bind me and hold me back from fully experiencing your presence. May you be the focus and object of my love and adoration. Free me from sinful thoughts and temptations that also hold me captive. Cleanse my Temple of this loud noise. Free me from the noise of foul moods - especially among my family members - that I may be free to express genuine love to them. Cleanse my Temple, Lord Jesus. Quiet the noise. May I be in constant prayer and adoration of you. Amen.

May you all have a "quiet" week focused on Jesus!

Noise is all around us. Even the soft whoosh of the wind can be a distraction. But on the mountain, it made me think. Maybe our problem is not so much the noise of everyday life as it is the attention we give it. It’s only human to attend to the loudest and the most outrageous. Seldom will the Lord be found there. On the other hand, there are certainly times for silence and meditation. But the most critical things are those we choose to hear. We can become so attuned to the world we cannot think. There will always be noise, if we choose to heed it. It’s not as much about silence, then, as it is letting go of the noise, and our captivity to it. Skip Oprah today. DVR that ballgame. The important thing is to release our noise to Christ. We will be far better able to discern the still small voice of the Spirit if we do. 

BARELY LOST

1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30; Romans 2:25-3:8; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 19:10-12

“But King David replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!’”

“No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”

“I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, ‘Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! …The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?’ But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.”

Everything is under control. It may not feel or look like it, but that does not alter the fact. One of the great hallmarks of God is that things rarely look like they are. A flood of destruction was actually a cleansing purge. An order to sacrifice a son became a blessing. A land full of giants ended up a sanctuary and home of a new civilization and religion. A Crucifixion gave rise to salvation. Death ushered in eternal life. The very unpredictability of the Spirit should give us all hope. Those who truly have faith can never be really lost.

I remember hiking in Northern Georgia as a young teen. Our little group was following a path that seemed quite clear at the start. However, the farther into the woods we progressed and the fewer landmarks we were able to keep in sight, the higher our anxiety level rose and the harder it was to stay focused on the narrowing path ahead of us. Eventually, as we spent more and more time looking around trying to gain some beneficial perspective and the path narrowed further, we lost sight of it altogether and ended up completely lost. At that point, we hit a true emotional crossroads. The choice was either keep our heads and attempt going backwards to retrace our steps, or go into outright panic mode, scream and shout, and hope a rescuer would come save us. None of those turned out to be what happened. Right when we felt the most lost, one of our least intimidated members simply found the trail again. No more than ten yards from where we stood, it apparently had just jogged a bit downhill, and we had missed it. What felt like the center of the wilderness turned out to be a short distance from where we were supposed to have been the entire time.

We give up too easily, on ourselves, and on Christ. Jesus promised we would have trouble. We have no right to claim surprise when adversity raises its ugly head… unless we choose to confess to ignorance in the process. But at the same time, the Lord promised to be with us always, and to enter into our lives when we open the doors of our hearts and heads. He also promised He already had overcome the world. Note this was not stated in the future or even present tense. It was said as a fait accompli, a deed already done. Let that sink into the very center of your soul: Jesus already has overcome the world. If we are in the world, chances are we are actually pretty close to where we are supposed to be. Problem is, we are looking everywhere but where we need to look for guidance. Jesus may be just off the beaten path, but He is never far away, and He is always ready to help us if we’ll seek Him.

Nothing worth having ever comes without price. No offering means anything that does not represent some level of sacrifice. Most of us are simply too consumed with keeping track of old, disappearing landmarks to see the potential of the coming age. Jesus said we are to let the dead bury their dead. Let go of the old ways! There is a new path awaiting, a new adventure to be had. The Lord is graciously waiting for us to turn back to Him so we can get started down that road together. We’ve spent enough time in retreat. Let’s get back to moving ahead into the future. We are not as lost as some think we are. We’ve just lost our guide.

BIRTHDAY RUMINATIONS OF AN "OLD MAN"

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Romans 2: 1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God!
 What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.
 O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!”

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”

“To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.”

Today is a great day to give thanks. Fifty-two years ago, I was unceremoniously yanked from my mother’s womb and entered a strange, enormous world with which I was completely unprepared to deal. But my parents understood. They nurtured and protected me when I was too young and weak to protect myself. They taught me how to get along in the world, and they introduced me to God in all His forms. They made sure I was provided for, and that I grew socially as well as physically and emotionally. I have never doubted their love or the intensity of their desire that I reach my full potential. They pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits because they saw abilities and gifts which would have never been discovered had I been left to my own devices.

Eventually, love came in a different form. I was at an outdoor sorority summer mixer, and there was this one girl on the volleyball court actually playing instead of (you should pardon the expression) just bouncing around for the guys. It wasn’t that she was overly competitive; what drew my eye was just that she wasn’t afraid to sweat. From that day to this, my sweet wife has never taken herself too seriously; she’s never overly worried about “appearances;” and she has always been God’s example to me of a humble and compassionate heart. She is absolutely the best Mom my kids could ever have hoped for! In a very real way, she filled gaps in all of us we never knew we had. She has also fixed things in me I was all too aware of but had no intention of changing. She has made me a better, more complete person than I could ever have imagined or had any hope of becoming on my own.

Then came the kids. Three lights of my life, each one is unique and as uniquely gifted as a diamond. Each one needed parental “polishing,” to be sure. Still, I think it fair to say Mom and I never forgot the gifts they are. We have understood from the start that God just gave them to us for a season. We are awed and grateful simply to have the blessing of being His hands, His grace, His provision and His comfort to three of His children He loves even more than we do. Each of our kids understands their parents aren’t perfect. But they also know Christ’s love perfects all, and that it starts in the heart. We all get that the Spirit’s love and forgiveness must be the center of our family if we really expect to be able to share and spread the Good News in a way that can be heard in the world.

Today, I leave for a three day ski trip with my two adult sons. (Sissy’s on Spring Break, too, but she’s staying home with Mom for some “girl” time.) Pretty cool the “kids” still want to be with their parents. Even cooler that my youngest actually asked me to go skiing, and is willing to suffer the indignity of having to watch his Old Man struggle down the blue slopes when he could so easily cruise the black slopes on his own or with his brother.

Once again, I wonder if my family isn’t bringing me the Gospel in a nutshell. Sure, God could get along without us. We struggle so much. We are so inept, clumsy and just generally inefficient: there must be a better way to accomplish the Divine Purpose. But Jesus stays right there with us, wherever we go. The Holy Spirit just will not give up on us. When we choose our own path, he allows us to separate, but He never takes His eyes off us and is always ready to circle back and help us to our feet when we get stuck in the snow. He rejoices at our triumphs and weeps with us through adversity. But most important, Christ is steadfastly there with His invitation for us to join Him, to take a chance on the higher, more challenging slopes, and if we are attentive, He will even share a few mountain secrets that will help us over the course.

I need no gifts today. I have been surrounded by gifts of love and grace my entire life. As important as family has been, there have also been a host of friends willing not just to love me unconditionally but to hold me accountable and even correct me when necessary. I thank the Lord for each one of them. Each has presented me with a living example of Christ I will never forget. Every one has helped smooth off some rough edge to help me become the example of the Father my real Daddy (Abba) has always intended. I’ve still got a long way to go, of course, but I rejoice in knowing I do not make the journey alone!

Many folks waste a lot of time and frustration looking for God too high up and too far away. It has been a tremendous blessing to me that I have never had to look for Him much beyond my own backyard. I know, without doubt or reservation, that He has given His own very Self to me. He has done it in more ways and through more people than I ever thought possible. There’s simply nothing else I need or really even want for my birthday, or any day.

RAIN!

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 19:6-7

“O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.”

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Praise God! Wednesday night, I barely got an hour’s worth of sleep. I tossed and turned, prayed and even tried biofeedback relaxation, but it was no use. Now, this could have been irritating. Certainly, Thursday was a long day. But it was well worth it. I spent the time listening to the rain, and giving thanks for every drop. Those who don’t live in San Antonio probably won’t appreciate how it felt to once more get even a little bit of moisture from the heavens. However, we are in the midst of the absolutely driest eighteen month period in the city’s history, so any rain at all is a real blessing.

Eighteen months without any appreciable rainfall is a very long time. Fall crops were nonexistent. Farmers who are braving conditions to attempt a spring crop have to irrigate extensively first just to get the land to accept the seeds. Our water supply is showing signs of falling to dangerously low levels. Even the trees – many of which are hundreds of years old - are wilting. We had one of the warmest winters on record. Already, the city has seen the 90s this month, and the promise is summer will be a real scorcher. But Wednesday night, at least, it seriously rained. The very foreignness of the sound kept me up, and it was wonderful. This all happened, incidentally, the same week the stock market jumped up almost 400 points in one day, and several major banks announced profits for the first time in several years. Again, praise God. A lot of folks were beginning to think He didn’t care.

Now, of course, it’s way too early to say if this front will prove to be a real “drought buster,” and it’s pretty unlikely the economy has fully hit bottom quite yet, but that’s kinda the point. No one ever accurately predicts the end to a drought, and markets are even more fickle. In the middle of it all, though, the Spirit remains and blesses those wise enough to have an eternal perspective and the endurance only Christ can provide. They maintain a divine balance. Even in the center of a storm, they can still recall the drought, and they find a reason to give thanks.

Here is what I think. We have had enough negativism and panic for ten generations. There is absolutely no denying the severity of the very real adversities we face, and it would be intellectually dishonest to try. But the fact that we continue to obsess over them is literally eating us alive.

So, let’s get a few things straight in our heads. First, we’re still here, and just that is saying something. Survival remains a good thing that can be a major accomplishment to be celebrated, even on its own. Second, while we may not have a choice about what we have to deal with on a practical basis, we can darn sure choose what we are going to dwell on and think about most often. Christ still sends us signs of hope on a daily basis. He needs to be our focus, because He is our only real Savior. My plan is to become a lot more intentional about finding reasons to express joy. Leave the “gloom and doom” to those who do not know the Lord and have a real reason to despair.

God is good. God is love. His steadfast love endures forever. It brings with it forgiveness for our sins and a new strength and purpose, a whole new perspective, in fact. Too many of us have let the gift slip through our fingers as we have been too consumed with grasping for other things. Circumstances will change; that much is certain. There are a lot of “downs” in life, to be sure, as there are times of euphoria, but through it all, there is only the Spirit. Those who cling to Him hang on to life itself. Nothing else really lasts; nothing less ever fully sustains, much less re-invigorates and makes all things new. We can absolutely be agents of life and beacons of hope. But only if we stop dwelling on the drought and the markets and intentionally invite the Author and Perfecter of life back into the equation.  Today is a good time to begin. Who says Friday the thirteenth has to be unlucky? Every day can be a blessing, if we know where to look.

A SINGLE PURPOSE

1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5

“All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel.”

“You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours through God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.”

Many of us struggle trying to decipher the purpose of our lives. Does God intend leadership, service, teaching or what as our inheritance from Him? We spend so much time considering our options we sometimes lose sight of the goal completely. We have so many alternatives we can spend virtually forever in “fixin’ to” mode. The Holy Spirit never intended life to be so complicated. To be sure, there are those who take refuge in the choices, pretending a befuddlement when the real intent is simply to avoid a commitment. Others are genuinely perplexed. However complex or multi-faceted the question seems from our view, though, Christ makes it simple: “Follow me.”

This, of course, raises another question. What does it really mean to follow Jesus? Paul shares his ideas in a variety of places, but never more eloquently than in the first chapter of Romans:

You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours through God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pretty clearly, the first step is to respond to and accept the Lord’s call to belong. So much in this world isolates and ostracizes, we can get in the habit of being alone and forget what it feels like to belong to anyone or anything besides ourselves. That’s not how we were created, though. Our Creator designed us to work as a Body, together, with each part performing an appointed task but the whole magnifying its benefits far beyond anything we could accomplish on our own.

Second, we don’t just belong. We belong to the Savior. This is no small thing. When the Father of the universe tells us we are to be His, there’s an irrevocable security in the declaration we are foolish to ignore or understate. In case we don’t get it, Scripture fleshes it out by reminding us of Abba’s peculiar, particular love for each one of us and repeating for emphasis that we are to be His very own people.

The end result is grace and peace. That’s always the result of reconciliation and trust. When we surrender to God’s Will for our lives, we align our individual purposes with the purposes of the universe itself, and we go from being part of the problem to part of the solution. It’s worth repeating that the entire process begins with belonging.

In this world of multitasking and high speed everything, it is easy to lose our moorings. When we are uprooted by changes in our lives, it can be hard to ever regain our footing. We founder from one task to another, hoping to rediscover an anchor that will help us reestablish stability. We try various things, but none satisfy. It’s time for a different approach. We can’t tell where we will be next year, or even next month, but we can say for sure Who will be with us, and Who will be our King. Like the Hebrews at Hebron, we need to develop a single purpose that transcends all the uncertainty and competition that consumes our lives. We need to do what we can to reestablish the King’s dominion over our souls and bodies. If we will open our hearts and minds to His presence, understanding His purpose for us will be essentially automatic. Our will shall become His; our thoughts His thoughts. That kind of single mindedness could be a very positive thing indeed.