Month: June 2023

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Watch, Wonder, Worship

“The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God who as led us through all and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s song. “- Charles Spurgeon

Might God be at work around us and we are missing it?

The writer of Hebrews talks about God’s own people seeing his works for 40 years in the desert and still not trusting him to take care of them. He said they had hardened their hearts so they would not/could not understand the significance of what God was doing for them.

They ate the manna, but didn’t realize he was providing food because he loved them.

They drank the water from the rock and didn’t recognize his power.

They won wars and didn’t understand his purpose.

How could they have missed his presence, his power, his love, his intervention?

We can criticize their blindness, but maybe we would be wise, instead, to ask if we are making the same mistake. Do we credit “coincidence” with bumping into an old friend? Do we think it was “good luck” that we got the job? Do we think it “fortunate” that our bonus came just when the medical bills arrived?

God is active in our lives every day. We need to look for his hand at work and then thank him. Thank him in the morning for a new day. Thank him through the day for every good thing that happens to you. Thank him at night for his faithfulness. Then worship him for who he is and for how much he loves us. That’s the whole point! Knowing him. Loving him. Worshiping him.

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’” – 1 Chronicles 16:31

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Living Your Best Life

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing” –C. S. Lewis

Wouldn’t it be amazing if life could have purpose, be interesting, and be filled with joy? The kind of life that makes it exciting to get out of bed every morning? In an earlier post, I told you about my recent study of the book of Proverbs. This week, I want to pass along what I think that book teaches about living life to the fullest.

God first.

There is no wisdom, security, or forgiveness without a relationship with God. That relationship doesn’t just happen; it must be developed. Worship, praise, study, and prayer all help to build a stronger, deeper two-way connection with God.

“The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” – Proverbs 19:23

Get personal.

Proverbs says much about friendships, family, and neighbors. These are important relationships that take time to grow. We must be intentional about cultivating relationships that matter.

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” – Proverbs 21:3

Seek advisors.

Proverbs encourages us to be teachable. We all would do well to begin a relationship with a mentor and to listen with openness to the counsel they give. We can learn from each other.

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” – Proverbs 19:20

The good life is possible – if we see it from God’s point of view and live it in light of his instruction. The book of Proverbs is a great place to start!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.“

– Proverbs 3:5-6

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Listen with a purpose.

 “Hope in God, who is not the God of the perfect only, but of the becoming.” – George MacDonald

If you’re like me, you read your Bible every day. You also hear good sermons that share biblical truths. Then we get on with our day-to-day lives often without really living out what we’ve taken in.

Jesus shared a parable about that. He talked about a farmer throwing out seeds, (representing the Word of God) and then watching as the seeds began to grow. Some died, some sprouted, some were choked out by thorns, and some grew to fullness yielding a great crop. What was the difference with those outcomes? Not the seed, but the soil.

Good soil produced a good crop. This is one of the parables Jesus explained to his disciples, and this is what he said, “. . . the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Our spiritual growth and success in the Kingdom of God all depends on our heart!

If our heart soil is right, here are the steps Jesus gives:

  1. Hear the word. We do that by listening to sermons or podcasts and by reading the Bible for ourselves.
  2. Retain what we hear or read. It’s really easy to forget – even if it was good teaching. We need to think about God’s Word, mull it over, and remember what it says.
  3. Persevere. We keep on learning, pondering, obeying, and focusing. Eventually, after patient waiting, we’ll see fruit.

It’s not hard. We all can do it. And Jesus himself guarantees the results!

“. . . walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:10b

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Do they know they will fly?

“The best we can hope for in this life is a knothole peek at the shining realities ahead. Yet a glimpse is enough. It’s enough to convince our hearts that whatever sufferings and sorrow currently assail us aren’t worthy of comparison to that which waits over the horizon.” ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

We had left our artificial Christmas tree outdoors for the winter – with decorations removed and lights unlit. In the spring when we were putting it away, we realized a bird had built a nest in its plastic branches. Inside were four furry balls, and they were breathing. We carefully put the tree back in its place and watched over the next couple of weeks as the little balls became recognizable as birds. Eventually it began to get crowded in that nest as they wiggled and jostled for space.

The day I took this picture, I wondered if they knew they would soon fly? They were likely getting dissatisfied in this crowded nest wishing they could explore the things they glimpsed from their hideaway. I wanted to tell them it would be OK. They just needed to be patient. They would all be flying all over the sky soon.

Where are you in life? Feeling dissatisfied? Frustrated? Crowded? Held back? Wanting something more or different or better? Sometimes God moves us on to the next stage in our life by making us uncomfortable where we are. The discomfort challenges us look beyond our present situation and wonder what may be next. When we are in that place, we, too, must be patient. God has a plan to help us fly!

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

– Isaiah 40:31