Commitment

The agony I endured that day has become the stuff of family legend.  A young, head-over-heels in love kid...had decided to ask a man for his daughter's hand in marriage...a large man for his daughter's hand in marriage.

I thought through a hundred different ways to ask, but just kind of blurted out one Sunday morning...something along the lines of "Ed, I'd like to talk to you about my intentions towards your daughter."  And with the escape of that eloquent sentence, He rose from his seat, called out to his wife and left without saying a word.

He was having a bit of fun!  I, on the other hand, was dying a slow death.  It wasn't until after church that day that he (at the prompting of my now mother-in-law) finally said, "how about you and I take a walk."

As we walked outside that day I felt more nervous than any big game I had ever played in.  Here I was walking alone with a very large man...and I was asking for his daughter's hand in marriage.  When he began to question me...I found it difficult to muster up the words to speak.  It was only one question, but to this day I remember the turmoil I felt as I tried my best to answer it.

Here's my best recollection of how things went down that day:

LM (Large man)  - "There's one thing that makes a marriage work.  Do you know what that is?"

ENK (Extremely Nervous Kid - Me) -  "Umm....ugh..." - with a puzzled look on my face.

LM - "It's one word"

ENK - Silent.  Was he wanting me to say a word?  What's a word.  It's one of those things made up of consonants and vowels, right? Oh...yeah..I've got it.  "Love!"  Right?  Love is the answer.  Love is all you need (thanks John)!

LM - Before the "o" in love makes it off of my lips..."Don't you say love!  Love comes and goes.  It changes constantly.  It's important, but it's not enough!"

"I'm looking for another word.  It starts with a letter C."

ENK - A letter C?  What is this Scrabble?  Wow, I should have paid more attention in school. "Umm..." Now at this point I have to be honest...I think I had a bit of an outer-body experience.  There was profuse sweating, an intense desire to see my lunch again, and for some reason I wanted to fall down into the fetal position and start sucking my thumb.

I think I managed to say "Christ?" I mean I paid attention in Sunday school that morning.

It was then, with a firm hand on my shoulder that my father-in-law to be taught me one of the most important Bible lessons of my life.

"The word is commitment my Son.  The word I'm looking for is commitment.  At some point in every marriage...the love fades...one ore both of you wants to give up...you feel like walking away.  But marriage is a commitment to the other person and to God."

The profuse sweating began to subside immediately, but the profound lesson lives on strong...nearly 17 years later.

Commitment.  Being faithful and determined to love and to stay together...even when my heart lies to me and tells me otherwise.  Commitment.  Staying the course in good times and bad....sickness and health.  Commitment.  Being a man of your word and staying the course with resolve much greater than anything man can muster.  Commitment.  Learning to love serving someone and seeing it as one of God's greatest blessings in life.  Commitment.  Sweet death that never says "good by" but gently whispers with a kiss on the forehead...."my love...my best friend...I WILL see you soon!"

That's the lesson I learned that day...and every day since.  God is faithful.  Even when we are not.  He is. (2 Tim. 2:13)  He is steadfast in His commitment towards me.  He loves me with purpose.  He loves me for the long-haul.  It's one of the greatest truths of the gospel.  A God that is committed...a God that is all in for all time.  And it's because of His love...I choose to do the same!

How is my marriage?  A lot like my relationship with God.  There are struggles...usually attributed to me not spending the time I need to on our relationship.  But...the gospel IS being lived out here!  In the deepest parts of who God has created me to be I find resolve to be faithful because God has been so faithful to me!

To this day... "the walk" (as I now infamously call it) stands as one of the greatest Bible lessons I've ever learned.  And as we now "walk" through this crazy adventure called life, with all of it's highs and lows,  I remain steadfast...overwhelmed...filled with love...and most of all...committed.  Committed to God...and committed to my beautiful wife and best friend!

One word with profound impact.  One word that I'm still learning about and learning from today.  I hope and pray you will too!

Is your heart a raging sea of resentment?

Anger...bitterness...resentment.  They beat against your heart like raging waves pummel the side of a sailors vessel.

Only there is one major difference.  These mighty waves of life don't batter us externally...they do their damage from the inside...stirred into a frenzy by a heart that rages from hurt.

And the great problem with this storm is that when you find yourself in it...you loose your bearings. The waves are so great, the wind so strong, that it consumes all of your time and attention.

But to the weary war-ragged heart there is a great hope.  Believe it or not, there is a way to stop your heart from continuing to stir up the raging seas of resentment.

It won't come naturally.  In fact it can't come naturally.  The way that I speak of isn't natural in nature.
There is only one way to calm raging seas.  And it involves super-natural authority.

Jesus taught us that "All authority in heaven and on earth had been given unto Him."  It's the authority that he constantly displayed during His ministry: healing the blind, raising the dead, calming the storm.

And that super-natural authority is still alive and active today...even if it's not as visible to us as it was to the disciples.  When we take our hearts full of raging resentment and turn them over to the ONE who has authority over the "wind and the waves" Jesus does the unthinkable.  He gives us the ability to breathe again.  The ability to love again.  The ability to trust again.

How?  Because He teaches us what forgiveness really is.

And once we have truly understood the depth of His forgiveness...forgiving others suddenly seems possible.

With Christ on board we find new courage to stand in the midst of the strife and speak boldly out into the gale within.  "Be still. You no longer have a hold on me.  In the name of Jesus I forgive."

And with his authority...the unthinkable occurs. The resentment...the hurt...they begin to subside. Our heart stills and we are overcome by calm peaceable seas within.

Treasure

Treasure...it's the focus of any great pirate novel.  You know, the one's with a secret map, a secret cave, and an X marking the spot.

Have you ever stopped to think about why we still read books and make movies about pirates?

I think I may have stumbled across the answer this morning in my devotion time: Treasure.

We are a people obsessed with treasure!

Oh sure...we all love a good pirate joke from time to time, but the thing that gets our blood pumping is the hunt for the hidden.  The pursuit of the pieces of eight and the gold doubloons.

There's a name for it in the mining industry: gold fever.

And it's a well deserving name.  Evidently once a man finds his first bit of gold...his excitement reaches such a heightened place that he ceases to think rationally...begins to fantasize or believe that he is bound to strike it rich.

Gold fever has been the end of many a man.  Loosing everything in pursuit of what's deemed as great gain.

(Do you see where we're headed here?  Can I love you enough to be honest with you?)

According to the bible...we've got a pretty bad case of gold fever too.  It's so bad...it's even made it into many of the pulpits of our churches.  We want possessions and prosperity so desperately that we're willing to listen to anyone and try anything to get them.

We spend out lives in a constant pursuit of consumption...and yet we are never content or satisfied.

And in the midst of our exhaustion...our wrong priorities...our sickness and sin...Jesus steps in and simply tells us to stop.

Stop chasing after that elusive promotion or position of power.

Stop setting your sights on the accumulation of more stuff.

Stop fantasizing about a fleeting romance or a newer version of your spouse.

Stop.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Mt. 6:19)

In other words...stop longing for and living for things that won't last!

"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Mt. 6:20).

Friend...God understands your desire for treasure.  In fact, He placed a great desire for treasure deep within your heart.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has "set eternity in the human heart."

But what you need to understand is that you and I have exchanged that pursuit of true treasure for a poor, man-made copy!

We constantly cling to the wrong things and wonder why our heart aches for more!  Why we feel so distant and discontent!

We fail to understand that our heart can only be in one place.  "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt. 6:21).

This week our family is trying something new.  We are attempting to center ourselves around a single prayer for the week.  Something we desire for every member of our family.

If you happen to be reading these words, I want you to know that I consider you part of our extended family, and thus I want to share this simple prayer with you too.

"More of you Jesus."  That's it.  Less of all the rest.  Everything else has to decrease in our lives, but Christ needs to increase!

That's my prayer for you this week too. Stop chasing after the cheap copies and start spending time with the King.  Jesus is the true treasure.  And when we seek Him with all of our heart we will find Him (Jer. 29:13).  And when He is our treasure...when our hearts are with Him...we find all of the joy, peace, and contentment that we so desperately long for.

I'm not asking you to stop searching.  Rather, I'm praying you'll start searching for the right treasure.

"More of you Jesus, more of your face, more of your glory in this place..." I promise you won't regret the adventure!

Happy hunting friends!

Why Me?

Ever think about why God wants to use you?

I do.  On a regular basis I am astounded that God chose me...that He called me...that He allows me to be His ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20).

The thought of why is bouncing around in my head again this morning as I write in a new journal my youngest son picked out for me this week.

Caleb was out shopping with his mom when he saw it at the bookstore.  It's a "God's Not Dead" journal, and the moment he came through the door with it he had the biggest smile on his face.  This was and act of love.  It involved thought on his part.  He has a journal that he uses and carries to church and he thought I needed one too!

And last night I knew I better start using it!  He moved it around several times so I knew exactly where it was.

Now here's the deal...I've been journaling my thoughts on the computer lately.  It's been quicker...it comes with spell check (which I need).

But as I scribbled down these words this morning...I did so with a pen and my journal.  A journal brought to me by my son who loves me with all his heart.

I don't need to use the journal...but I want to!

Did you know that God chose you and uses you for a reason?

Yes...using broken...simple vessels like us brings Him the  most glory!

But God also uses us because He loves us.  He doesn't need us, but He wants us...because He is our Father and we are His dearly loved children.

And that is the thought that floods every recess of my being this morning as I write in what might be the best journal ever.

It's not the biggest...the pages aren't wide...the lines are narrow...but, it's my son's gift.  It's his act of service to me and that makes it special and important!

Here's the truth...God doesn't need me...and He doesn't need you.

But He loves us dearly and wants to use us...just like I want to use this journal.

Because He loves us, He invites us in to play a part in His great story of redemption.  We get to be used.  We get to do good works which He has prepared us in Jesus to do.  We get to reflect the glory of God so that others take note and turn their eyes to Him and praise His name.  We get to be ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation.

Loving God and serving Him in obedience brings great joy to our Father's heart...and to ours.

In a few minutes...a boy that loves his father with all of his heart will get out of bed to start his day. I'll offer him breakfast and he'll accept. But at some point...as the sleepiness wears off...he will make his way to the couch and the end table where he placed this journal last night.  And when he does, he will find that the once blank journal is blank no more.

And the look on his face will be priceless.  The smile worth a thousand words!

Dad, thank you for using me...even though you don't need to.  It makes me feel indescribable joy in the very depths of my being.  I hope you see the joy it brings me too...and I hope you feel about me the same way I feel about my son.

Listen to the Truth Not to Your Fear

Luke 21:9-19 The Message (emphasis mine) "When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end.”

He went on, “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is falling.

“But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters.

“You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved."

Then, verses 34-36,

“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

I am not one who keeps tracks of all the signs of end times. Honestly, I don't have any real desire to watch the new Left Behind movie. But I do want to know what the Bible says about it all. In Luke 21 (go read it all), Jesus gives us specific signs and specific instructions. We are also told in His Word that man will not know the time or hour, Jesus will return (Matthew 24:36). There's no point in guessing. It tells us that even Jesus does not when He is coming so why do any of us think we might figure it out???? Trust that the Father knows and that He has a purpose in only Him knowing.

We should not be surprised by this world. It's a mess. It's been a mess since sin entered and will be a mess until the Sinless One returns. It's only going to get worse. In all of the hurting, confusion, and pain, we are called to be on guard, know the truth, not to worry, and be able to give words He gives us. I believe that no matters what happens in our world, we are still called to the two greatest commandments, LOVE GOD WITH EVERYTHING IN US and SELFLESSLY LOVE THOSE AROUND US (Matthew 22:36-40). We do this by obeying Him. We do this by knowing His truth. We do this by loving the people placed in our lives. We do not have to save the world, but we are called praise the One who does.

I have no idea who reads this blog.  But if you are reading this and don't know my Savior, I'd love to tell you about Him.  Seriously, anytime, anyplace, just ask.

If you do know Him, don't give way to fear. Fear of this world or fear of man will only cause more pain and confusion. Know His Word. Trust Him when He says you are in His care so much so that even knows the hairs on your head. It may get crazy and then even crazier around here, but He loves you and He's got this.  

God is God

remnantresource.org

"What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

I have read and pondered this quote by A.W. Tozer many times in my adult life.  This morning as I read it again, I realized that often what has come to mind has changed based on my circumstances.  This is a sad and dangerous realization.

God does not change, no matter what is happening in my life or the world around me. HE IS GOOD --not sometimes, not only when life is good, not when it's convenient to believe it-- He is always good.  HE IS LOVE, not based on my definition of love, but He is love because He created it. He gives it. He defines it.  HE IS HOLY AND PERFECT even when I don't understand holiness or perfection.  HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL no matter what I do, no matter how much I choose self, no matter how sinful I am. My choices do not change who He is.  HE IS CREATOR even when I read science that strives to prove otherwise.  HE IS ETERNAL even though I cannot understand or grasp eternity. HE IS GOD even when I doubt.

If we try to define God through what we know (or think we know) or what we've been through, then He is not GOD.   Our "definition" of God must be through the lens of scripture, always, always, always, and it says HE IS GOD.

"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" Numbers 23 :19

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations... Deuteronomy 7:9