A Woman Named Martha

" . . .A woman named Martha opened her home to him. " (Luke 10:38 NIV)

I personally feel that Martha has been much maligned. There are two sides to us all, a harmony -- an equanimity -- to our natures that includes the Martha-side as well as the Mary-side. It takes the oars of both faith and works to row our ship through earth's uneven waters. The Martha in us takes care of the practical in life: the everyday cleaning and toiling and taking care of our families and the necessary duties of each day; the Mary in us takes care of the spiritual in life: the everyday concern in prayer for others when we join Jesus in the Garden each morning and have Him hold us close to Him while we love Him and thank Him and bring before Him our loved ones and our not-so-loved ones who we want to love. The Mary in us studies to do well; the Martha is us does well. We need both. Perhaps there is a lesson here that we have not before considered. Martha worked very hard to feed at least thirteen extra people that day. She was the angel for this hungry and tired group. While Mary had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Jesus and absorbing wisdom, Martha was busy preparing the meal. We are told, "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (v.40). Surely this is understandable. We all can relate to Martha as well as Mary. Let us remember that God is a God of the hearth-keeper as well as the heart-keeper. Let us remember it was Martha who unwittingly fulfilled the hospitality call: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2). Also, when their brother Lazarus died it was Martha who went forth to meet Jesus: ". . .She went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home" (John 11:20). Some of us are the meeters and greeters and some of us are the quiet ones who wait at home. Neither should be criticized.

... the Mary in us takes care of the spiritual in life: the everyday concern in prayer for others when we join Jesus in the Garden each morning and have Him hold us close to Him while we love Him and thank Him and bring before Him our loved ones and our not-so-loved ones who we want to love.

~ Some Smile ~

Some stare with a cold, stone-hard gaze; Some sneer with a haughty look. Some dreamers will gaze far away; Some souls can be read like a book.

Some faces you see twist in pain; Some droop like a wilted flower. Some eyes dart nervously about; Some eyes just fall down and cower.

Few faces show what Christ has done; Few eyes tell the love He has shown. Few glow with joy that warms the world; Few display the fruit He has sown.

Few look with tenderness and grace; Few show that they really do care. Few eyes are searching to help out; Few eyes are seeking where to share.

Some smile to chase away the thoughts; Few smile in kindness you can feel. Some faces try to fake it; Few faces show love that's real.

Wear on your face the look of Christ; Let kindness be in every line. May what you show be who you are, As you reach out and live define.

Campus Journal, June 1996

A Quick Respite

"He leads me to refreshing streams, he revives life in me ... My cup is brimming over ... Goodness and kindness wait on me ... " (Psalm 23:3,5,6 Moffatt)

I dearly love Psalm 23. We all do. But as I get older I realize the beauty and the pull of this gem. One of the exegetists of this Psalm suggests that everything that brings relief from the ordinary pressures of daily life and revives our drooping spirits we may regard as "green pastures and still waters." When I need a quick respite from the moment, I visualize a stream and I'm standing on the shore. The day is cool and it is quiet. It's amazing the peace I feel from just a few seconds of this picture in my mind. Another writer points out that the pastures of God are always fresh and green because they are sheltered. Around our life is God's protecting hedge of His love and His law. What a wonderful idea this is when we are tempted to set fire to God's hedge with our own ideas of what is right for us. Another writer suggests that life is a feast: "Thou preparest a table for me." I will tell you how life looks to me. 1. I am--personal existence is mine. I have a being, the integrity, the sanctity of which even God respects, the boundaries of which even my Maker does not trench upon. 2. The world is mine. The heavens and the earth are mine. 3. Then there is the world of ideas, which come greeting you like troops of angels, from the books of gifted souls, from the mystic recesses of your own heart. 4. Friendship has been yours. The joy of serving, the joy of charity, the joy of dispensing sympathy, of bearing burdens which are not your own. 5. The happiness and ennoblement of benefitting the world. Anonymous If there is one bit of writing I would recommend for daily study it is this psalm. Yes, I know, we memorized it as a child. Perhaps that is why we need to dust it off now and find out what it really means when we are in a valley and see only dust. In the meantime, let's remember that music, friendship, books, religious privileges, freedom, and love: these all are our pastures and still waters -- and great gifts from our Good Shepherd.

Around our life is God's protecting hedge of His love and His law. What a wonderful idea this is when we are tempted to set fire to God's hedge with our own ideas of what is right for us.

Venting Grievances

"Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul." (Job 7:11)

Job finally came to a point where he had to speak out in his misery. Another example of speaking out in bitterness of soul is Naomi. She chose the name Mara because of her anguish in the loss of her husband and two sons in the ten years of their sojourn in Moab: "I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:20). Both Job and Naomi experienced the circle of life which finally touches us all, for we all at sometime go from ample to empty and from mirth to mourning. "There is a time for everything. . ." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The fact that life is a circle, a revolution, gives us hope that "this, too, shall pass," whatever the grief. It is dangerous to indulge in resentful language while we are stumbling through our valley. As one unknown writer observed, "It's safest when God's hand is on our back, to keep our hand on our mouth." Job and Naomi must have felt chosen for the worst in life, and they vented their grievances. By contrast, David said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth. . ." (Psalm 39:1). We don't know what we would do under similar circumstances. We can't sit in judgment on Job and Naomi; perhaps their complaints were damaging more than sinful. Surely it didn't help their peace of mind to give life to their thoughts of unfairness. What a grand lesson for us as we inch our way through a burden we think is too heavy to bear, forgetting that God is carrying the heavier part of it.

It is dangerous to indulge in resentful language while we are stumbling through our valley.

Fragments

"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted" John 6:12b

God is particular about our fragments, our bits and pieces and what we do with them: fragments of time and opportunity, thoughts and actions. Jesus asked His disciples to gather the broken pieces that represent what is left over from His bounty. When God feeds us, He feasts us! He is able to do exceeding abundantly above that which we ask, even. But He does not want us to waste the fragments from His abundance. Gathering fragments does not mean to stockpile. When the Israelites were in the desert, they were told not to gather manna on the seventh day (Exodus 16:26). They were to trust in their God that He would furnish their needs for that day, also; that there was no need to hoard provisions when God had promised to provide their daily bread. With God little things assume great importance. He gives us all things to enjoy, but He also is concerned about the cup of cold water that we give in His name; He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but He takes notice when a sparrow falls. We think nothing of killing time, that precious substance that makes up life, only to wish it back when the seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months and years have suddenly gone and we are old and sorry for the wasted times and words. But the saddest waste of all is the wasted life which is epidemic today. God surely weeps as He watches humankind destroy itself with drugs and pornography and violence. Some of the most grievous words in God's Word are, ". . .The younger son. . .squandered his wealth in wild living" (Luke 15:13). The parent who has buried a child wasted from riotous living knows well how the little things make or break us. "Let nothing be wasted," especially one for whom our beloved Jesus died!

With God little things assume great importance. He gives us all things to enjoy, but He also is concerned about the cup of cold water that we give in His name; He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but He takes notice when a sparrow falls.

The tiny ant!

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest" (Proverbs 6:6-9).

The tiny ant teaches us many lessons:

1) It is self-motivated and highly industrialized. The ant doesn't need another to make sure it gets its work done.
2) It collects its food in the proper seasons; it is prudent.
3) It is fond of its young, and takes care of them.
4) It has foresight for others and shows kindness.
5) It works quietly without show and until the work is done. In this, it teaches us perseverance.
6) It works in cooperation and organization with others. In union there is indeed strength.
7) It keeps its home meticulously clean.
8) It knows its job and does it.
9) The ant has initiative, that wonderful virtue of resourcefulness that knows the how and when.

God is the God of nature, and it's amazing how even the smallest creatures can teach us such great lessons. We human beings can learn diligence, how to recognize opportunities, and individual initiative from the ant. "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me" (John 9:4).

Don't Blame ME!

"Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" Exodus 32:24b

How preposterous! "You know the people. . .that they are prone to evil" (v.22). Aaron said nothing about the mold he made or the graving tool he used. Aaron blamed society and we're still doing it. Give the crowd what they want and then blame them when the gold and what we in our finite wisdom thought was good for them finally destroys them. Actually, our progenitor Adam started the blame game: "The man said, `The woman you put here with me --she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it'" (Genesis 3:12). Eve took it from there. We have all sinned--and we have all blamed nature and them. "They" made us do it. Society makes us murderers and adulterers because it makes such stringent laws, so we reason. Moses literally broke the commandments in indignation at the sin he witnessed; we break God's commandments in indignation that our so-called freedom is curtailed and then we blame others when that so-called freedom grows a bumper crop of unexpected problems. "But they all alike began to make excuses" (Luke 14:18). Everyone does it, so it can't be too wrong for us to do it; We're victims of a corrupt society; God put us in the furnace of affliction and we came out burned. At one time, children's shirts were sold that had emblazoned on them, "The devil made me do it." That's as good an excuse as all the others combined. I even bought one of those shirts for one of our younger sons, because he was a bit rascally! Someone described an alibi as an excuse that's cooked up, but is always half-baked. Benjamin Franklin made a couple of observations that have stood the test of time and human nature: "The absent are never without fault, nor the present without excuse" and "He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."

We have all sinned--and we have all blamed nature and them. "They" made us do it.

Did God Say That?

"Did God say. . .?" (Genesis 3:1)

The serpent engaged Eve in a conversation that was a confrontation. He didn't ask Eve about the Garden and what she was allowed to do there; instead, he homed in on the one tree God had forbidden to Adam and Eve. Human nature hasn't changed much through the ages since. We still question God about our restrictions and overlook our liberties. The moment we question God about His right and our rights, we engage in a controversy with Satan. When Jesus was led into the wilderness, He refused to enter into a controversy with Satan. His reply was "It is written" to every suggestion made by the great machinator of mankind. When Satan slips up on us and makes us discontent because of what we don't have, let us show him the beauty that lines our garden and that is available to us for the praying. When we give it much thought, the restrictions of life are few and basic and necessary to our salvation, and they touch the core of our being for our own good, if we but allow God the wisdom to know what is best for us. Satan's goal during our life is to make us question God's goodness; indeed, His very character. Augustine is reported to have said, "Love, and do what you like." Augustine understood that, when we love what is good, we understand the character of the person we love and we want to do what is right because we love. We have the liberty to do what we like because we love, and we won't betray who we love. Eve momentarily "forgot the God who gave [her] birth" (Deuteronomy 32:18) and thus began the controversy of the ages. It began with a question that laid an ax at the very root of humanity. God's Word answers Satan's questions. When doubts assail and we find ourselves listening to doubts, our cure begins in God's Word.

We still question God about our restrictions while we overlook our many liberties.

Prayer for Our Leaders

Holy Spirit, we come before you this day in humility and gratitude to plead for your blessings upon those who govern to insure our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Grant them in abundance your gifts of:

WISDOM: that they may always be guided to place the spiritual good of communities and the nation as the highest good.

UNDERSTANDING: that they may recognize the simplicity of truth.

COUNSEL: that they may recognize the will of God under circumstances that discourage lesser men and women.

FORTITUDE: that they may be given the spiritual and physical strength to accept the inevitable burdens of leadership with courageous endurance.

KNOWLEDGE: that they may know the vastness of their mission and yet retain humility of spirit and charity for each and every soul.

PIETY: that in the manifold duties of their offices they may always find time to communicate quietly with You and therein find peace for their souls.

FEAR OF THE LORD: that they would forego worldly honors and recognition rather than bow to the will of evil men.

May you bless and direct our leaders for as long as it is your will for them to guide the destiny of this community, the nation, and the world.

LORD, we thank you that you hear our prayer. Please remind us, too, that you are still in control!

Amen.

God's Gardens

"I have come into my garden..." (Song of Songs 5:1); "Thinking he was the gardener..." (John 20:15).

Many gardens are mentioned in Scripture, but four are extraordinary: the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8); the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36); the Garden of Joseph (John 19:41); and the Garden of Paradise (Revelation 2:7).

Eden tells us of the creation of man in the image of God, a pure and holy genesis of what might have been unbroken fellowship. It also speaks to us of a fall and God's precious promise of lifting up. It was a dark, dark evening for God and man when Adam and Eve were expelled from this beautiful Garden.

Gethsemane became necessary because of this expulsion. Otherwise, we would all be lost. This is where the agony, the atonement, began. In Eden humans fell. In Gethsemane the divine Savior bent to the ground in the ultimate sorrow. It was to restore the lost ground of Eden that the Deliverer endured the terminal spiritual illness of man. Will we ever understand what He endured and accomplished?

The Garden of Joseph tells us of victory. From the cross He went forth to death and seeming defeat; from Joseph's garden He came forth to everlasting life and fulfillment. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" 1 Corinthians 15:22.

Paradise tells us of Eden renewed. Sin abounded in and after Eden so grace much more abounds in Paradise (Romans 5:20). It is here that our beloved Jesus will wipe away every tear. "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4) in our new Eden, our lovely Paradise.

Thank You, Father, for being our Gardener!

Impossible to HIMpossible!

"Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30 KJV); "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

The brooders are the losers. In this passage of faith in the book of Numbers – and fright of numbers – Caleb dares to go against the majority and declare that the land is theirs if they act right away. He wasn’t about to give in to the pessimists who saw only the giants. God had already promised them the land anyway: "The Lord said to Moses,`Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.'" The others walked by sight, Caleb by faith. The land that "does flow with milk and honey!" (V.27) suddenly, through fear, became a land that "devours those living in it." (V.32). "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them" (Numbers 13:33).

The more they thought about it, the more they perceived themselves to be grasshoppers. They saw the same land as did Joshua and Caleb, but they didn't see the opportunities. Their grasshopper mentality stopped them short of possession. But God promised, and "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14). When God tells us plainly what our duty is through circumstances and people, then we are foolish to dwell on what we perceive to be difficulties. He has promised to cover all our problems. Through prayer and faith, we can translate our grasshopper mentality into the mind of Christ with all the potentials that are ours. God wants us to see life in His light of possibilities. After all, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6).

Our impossible becomes Himpossible! When God tells us plainly what our duty is through circumstances and people, then we are foolish to dwell on what we perceive to be difficulties.

Passing By

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. " Lamentations 1:12 NIV

Oh, what an indictment on us all! Years ago someone painted a picture of Christ titled "To the Unknown God." I quote from The Interpreter's Bible, Lamentations: "Past him is flowing, on one side and the other, a crowd of people representative of our modern life, men and women in rich dress and poor people in ragged attire; clergymen engaged in heated theological discussion; men reading newspapers, a priest intoning a prayer, a mother and her child -- all sorts of people. Only one of them looks at the suffering figure of the Savior, and she but for one shocked glance. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? What a picture of our modern life in its neglect of the Christ!" Many years ago a Parisian artist set up his studio in a cab. "He drove from place to place, painted the scenes in the street, and into all these pictures of modern Parisian life introduced the Christ. Even Paris was startled at his daring. In the midst of the follies, jostled by the ... frivolous crowd, stood Christ – his eyes searching, sorrowful, entreating! The painter, too, painted him, not in his Eastern dress of long ago, but in modern costume. It was the ever-present Christ he meant to represent: it was the message that Christ is in Paris and London and New York today, as he was in Jerusalem two thousand years ago; and painting Christ thus in the heart of the frivolous throng, he recalled it to that which alone can glorify life, the power of love and sacrifice" (Anonymous). In yet another painting W.S. Burton painted a picture entitled, "The World's Gratitude." It shows the sad, questioning face of Christ looking out from behind the bars of a prison. "The artist has succeeded in giving to the face an aspect of tender sorrow, there is a haunting look in the eyes which penetrates into the heart and challenges each individual onlooker" (From 2500 Best Modern Illustrations, 1935). Oh, Father, we beg You to help us not to pass You by!

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? What a picture of our modern life in its neglect of the Christ!.

But while He was a long way off....

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20).

The father gave the son a kiss before his son said a word. It was given while the prodigal was still dirty and in rags; therefore, it was entirely unmerited. This first blessing was followed by many others. NOT A WORD OF REPROACH IS SPOKEN. How important this is for those of us who speak words of reproach to God's children because they may not do and speak as we do. This is the story of our Father who runs to us while we are yet far away and when we are desperate after having tasted of the husks of life; when we are tired of searching for what is real and true. The son tells his father that he is not worthy but that does not stop the father from loving him and forgiving him and bringing out the best of what he has, to give to his precious son who has come home. Our Father runs to us and gives us His bestanyway! Can we engrave this bright verse on our sad hearts as a beacon light for those days when we feel that not even the Father loves us? When we feel we don't deserve anyone's love?

Herein we have:

1) A love that is quicksighted: "He saw him a long way off.";
2) A love that is sympathetic: "He had compassion.";
3) A love that is eager to help: "He ran.";
4) A love that yields its all: "He fell on his neck.";
5) A love that delights to forgive: "He kissed him."

Herein we have:

1) Eyes of mercy: "His father saw him...";
2) A heart of mercy: "He had compassion.";
3) Feet of mercy: "He ran.";
4) Arms of mercy: "He threw his arms around him.";
5) Lips of mercy: "He kissed him."

Thank You, Father!

The children God has graciously given your servant...

"They are the children God has graciously given your servant" (Genesis 33:5).

1) My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down, so I can keep up with you;

2) My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily.

3) Housework will always be there. I'm only little for a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4) My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don't nag me all day long (you wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness). Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5) I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6) I need your encouragement to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7) Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires.

8) Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brother or sister.

9) Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10) Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

Anonymous

Women's Rights

In light of the brouhaha over where, when and why we women should be, I'd like to send this poem back out on the circuit:

"A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (Proverbs 31:30); "The wise woman builds her house..." (Proverbs 14:1).

The rights of women! What are they? The right to labor, love and pray;
The right to weep with those who weep, the right to wake when others sleep.
The right to dry the falling tear, the right to quell the rising fear,
The right to smooth the brow of care, and whisper comfort in despair.
The right to watch the parting breath, to soothe and cheer the bed of death;
The right when earthly hopes all fail, to point to that within the vail.
The right the wandered to reclaim, and win the lost from paths of shame;
The right to comfort and to bless the widows and the fatherless.
The right the intellect to train and guide the soul to noble aim.
Teach it to rise above earth's toys, and wing its flight for heavenly joys.
The right to live for those we love, the right to die that love to prove;
The right to brighten earthly homes with pleasant smiles and gentle tones.
And these thy rights? Then use them well, thy silent influence none can tell;
If these are thine, why ask for more? Thou hast enough to answer for.
Are these thy rights? Then, murmur not that woman's mission is thy lot!
Reverend M. Lowry

I read this poem many years ago, and it made sense then - and it still makes sense. God has wired compassion into our genes. Let us rejoice and be glad!

The Upturned Cup

"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup. . ." Psalm 16:5 "My cup overflows" Psalm 23:5b

In his book, The God Who Would Be Man, H.M.S. Richards tells of the visit of a chaplain-general of the forces, Bishop Taylor Smith, to a military hospital during World War I. He noticed two wounded men sitting by a table on which was a bowl turned upside down. He asked the men, "Do you know the two things that are under that bowl?" "No," one of the men said. "Darkness and uselessness," the chaplain replied. Quickly he turned the bowl right side up. "Now," he said to the two curious men, "it's full of light, and ready to hold porridge, soup, or anything you might like to use it for. It's a converted bowl." What a grand concept this is. God has assigned us our cup. We can choose to turn it upside down and be dark and morose and finally useless, or we can choose to turn it right side up and fill it to overflowing with His blessings and then share these serendipities with others. Sometimes we are asked to drink a cup of sorrow. Rather than inverting or controverting what can be a spiritual lesson for us, we can convert our cup of sorrow into a dessert of comfort instead of a desert of corrosive grief. God then blesses the upturned cup for ourselves and others. "When [we] walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains!" (Psalm 84:6 TLB). "The pilgrim band, rich in hope, forget the trials and difficulties of the way. Hope changes the rugged and stony waste into living fountains. The vale blossoms as if the sweet rain of heaven had covered it with blessings. Hope sustains them at every step. From station to station they renew their strength as they draw nearer the end of their journey, till at last they appear before God" (Perowne).

God has assigned us our cup. We can choose to turn it upside down and be dark and morose and finally useless, or we can choose to turn it right side up and fill it to overflowing with His blessings and then share these serendipities with others.

Tungsten or Chocolate?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross... Hebrews 12:2 NIV

The story is told of the little boy who loved to play with toy soldiers. His mother and father gave him a chocolate soldier, carefully wrapped in bright red foil, for his birthday. The little boy was ecstatic. He took it outside on a very warm afternoon and placed "General Julius," as he named his new addition to the family of soldiers, right up front. He played with his little army for about an hour when his mother called him to come into the house to help her. While he was in the house, his precious little chocolate soldier melted into mush. He was not a strong leader anymore! From might to mush, at the mercy of a muggy and merciless heat! When the fires of temptation and affliction bear down, do we melt? Are we made of chocolate -- or tungsten? Tungsten is a rare and heavy metal whose melting point (3410 degrees centigrade) is higher than that of any other metal. Are we chocolate or tungsten soldiers for Jesus Christ? Do we want to please our Commander or ourselves? Are we willing to take the cross directly from Jesus, or do we want to pad it with comforts, the best of health, and always doing things our way? Do we want to always walk in the Garden of Eden and never kneel with our Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? Are we willing to eat the bitter herbs before we eat of the fruit of the tree of life? Do we take flight if we see blood or tears on the cross? Are we willing to wipe from our hearts -- with God's grace -- all traces of revenge and lust and bitterness and flattery so that we may carry the cross with God's weights and not our own? We can't cheat, either, by injecting the steroids of artificial happiness that give a temporary lift, but then attack later to finally destroy us. Happiness is deceptive and it is based on feeling. It is joy that we seek, and sometimes joy is rooted in sorrow. E. Stanley Jones said, "Anyone can have joy on account of, but Jesus had joy in spite of." "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross..." (Hebrews 12:2). Whatever humiliation and suffering there is, it is well worth the effort, for it is outweighed by the prospects of future real happiness of eternity with Him who died for us. The Bible is replete with examples of both tungsten and chocolate soldiers -- and even people of God who were made up of both materials. The greatest Man of tungsten was Jesus: "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). Jesus knew what His mission was, and He determined to face the horror rather than run away. What a lesson for us when we are tempted to run a race in the opposite direction of our problems! Jesus also "fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" (Matthew 26:39). So tungsten men and women may pray for the cup to be removed but the test is accepting God's will, even if it is to drink the cup to the bitter dregs. Another tungsten man was Joseph. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." (Genesis 50:20). Joseph, first-born of the barren Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife, was the favored of the twelve sons. Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave. Later, when Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of his household, it was Joseph's very integrity that led to his imprisonment. That he was able to remain loyal and kind and sympathetic through all the injustices in his young life is quite remarkable. But what surely proved his mettle and metal was his forgiveness of his brothers' cruel act. Their intentional bane became Joseph's unintentional boon and Joseph was able to forgive them. God rules and overrules in lives. "So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them" (Genesis 50:21). What graciousness!

Are we chocolate or tungsten soldiers for Jesus Christ? Do we want to please our Commander or ourselves? Are we willing to take the cross directly from Jesus, or do we want to pad it with comforts, the best of health, and always doing things our way?

Surely NOT I?

They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, `Surely not I?' Mark 14:19

One of you will betray me!" They could hardly believe what Jesus had just told them. They could have said, "It has to be Judas! We always knew he'd come to this. He hates to part with that money, and he's so sneaky!" Neither did they say, "Lord, is it he?" No, they had learned their lesson well that judging is left to God. Each immediately thought of his own heart and motives, afraid that he – not another – was less than Jesus had shared and hoped. The story is told of the preacher in a village church who wanted to bring home in a most forceful way the lesson of evil speaking and thinking. He had his church people go through each letter of the alphabet: A brags, B lies, C steals, D drinks, etc. When they had gone through the alphabet, he told them that they forgot to tell what "I" did. If we stop at "I" and all my sins, then we can't get to "U" and your sins! We all have our secrets and guilts. We have dipped into dishes of sin and come up with defiled hands and hearts. We betray not by grand iniquities but by degrees in the little white lies we tell, in the harsh words by which we condemn, in the acts of omission and negligence that sometimes hurt more than overt acts of commission; yes, we have all sat at the Lord's table and supper and we have asked, "Is it I, Lord, who has crucified You yet again?" By being less than what His gifts can make us, we betray Him through mediocrity and indifference. Thirty shillings is such a meager sum with which to betray our Lord. Yet daily we sell out because we don't want to admit what we are capable of doing and saying: "Even if all fall. . .I never will" (Matthew 26:33). "Lord, is it I who chooses bitter over better and, just as wrong, better over best? Hold me close to you in Gethsemane that I may under-stand what I have done!"

We betray not by grand iniquities but by degrees in the little white lies we tell, in the harsh words by which we condemn, in the acts of omission and negligence that sometimes hurt more than overt acts of commission...

Where are the other nine?

"Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" Luke 17:17

If ever there is a story of indifference bordering on utter ingratitude, it is this story of the ten lepers who besieged -- and beseeched -- Jesus to cure them. No doubt it touched Jesus deeply, for He saw in this sorry display of thoughtlessness the general attitude toward His Father and Himself, both then and always. Again, it is the Samaritan – the foreigner – who returns in adoration and overwhelming gratitude. The others on whom He also lavished love and grace ran off to continue with everyday life and its distractions. They didn't even look back. The nine had faith enough to receive health; the one who returned with appreciation was given that extra measure of friendship with God. The others would never realize what they missed -- what a loss! What excuses have we for our ingratitude? Do we underestimate the cost of His love for us? Do we not realize what it means to our Savior to have us love Him back; to be grateful to Him for the immeasurable blessings He bestows on us every day? "Every good and perfect gift is from above ... " (James 1:17). Perhaps we think it's useless to thank God for gifts that He so willingly presents; that God's joy is in His generosity. But He does want us to thank Him, not for His sake but for ours. Our gratitude is our recognition of indebtedness to Him. To acknowledge another's gift is moral strength; to ignore another's grace is a cruel lack of recognition of the Giver. God hurts when we are indifferent to His love that He gives to all, rich and poor, just and unjust. Contrast this with Elisha's noble reaction to all that the widow had done for him: "You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you?" (2 Kings 4:13).

God hurts when we are indifferent to His love that He gives to all, rich and poor, just and unjust.

Rest!

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" – Mark 6:31c

Our tender Jesus bids us, "Come – with Me." How grateful we are that Jesus meets us at our place of weariness. He says, come, not go. He says to come to a peaceful place. In the rustle and bustle of our world we need Jesus' corner of composure and confidence. He says, come by yourselves. Jesus knows that only when we are alone will we be quiet so that we may hear what He has to say to us. There are many places and ways, reasons for and seasons of rest. Especially in nature do we find a holy intermission. There is nothing like a sunrise, a sunset, an hour on the river, or a walk at night when the stars sparkle, to give repose to our weary souls. Our humane Jesus doesn't want a left-over from labors, so He asks us to set aside our physical and mental stresses so we may re-create – restore – stamina and stimulus. "My soul finds rest in God alone" (Psalm 62:1a). When it is calm we use the oars. It is when the storm comes up that we cast our anchor. When life is sailing along smoothly, we make our resolutions and use our determination but, when the squall bears down, then we take hold of "hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). We cast our anxieties into the calm depths of confidence. "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8). The only guard we need is God. In our world of turmoil we must know there is Someone outside ourselves who we can absolutely trust. It is God only; all other help is vain. "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and the heart never resteth till it findeth rest in Thee" (St. Augustine).

How grateful we are that Jesus meets us at our place of weariness!

Given Your Due

There is going to come a time of testing at Christ's Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone's work will be put through the fire so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished." 1 Corinthians 3:13c TLB

This Source Unknown has helped me through some discouraging times. So often we feel we haven't been given our due for all the hard work we have done and the time we've spent on people and projects. When I start to feel sorry for myself I reread this gem: "The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it, and the devil's business to hinder him if he can. So sure as God has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you. He may throw you from it, he may present other things more promising. He may allure you by worldly prospects, he may assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you at work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Annas and Caiaphas all combined against you, and Judas standing by you ready to sell you, all for thirty pieces of silver, and you may wonder why all these things come upon you. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil? To draw you off from you work and hinder your obedience to God? "Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil's dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work. Let the liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let corporations resolve, let editors publish, let the devil do his worst; but see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work God has given you." He has not sent you to make money. He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you defend your character. He has never set you at work to contradict falsehood which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. "Keep about your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men, but see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, `I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.'" -Source Unknown. Thank You, Lord, that You know our work. After all, that is the only thing that matters, finally.

So often we feel we haven't been given our due for all the hard work we have done and the time we've spent on people and projects.

YET....!

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17,18

I first became aware of this remarkable verse when I read Hannah Hurnard's book, Hind's Feet on High Places, a book I recommend to anyone who doubts that our Shepherd leads the way. This verse is an extraordinary statement of a spiritual fact. The word yet means that no matter what happens, we are held in our Father's heart and hands. This would cover an earthquake in California, a hurricane in Florida, a drought in the mid-west, a depression that makes the 1929 one pale, a personal tragedy: whatever happens to us -- "yet I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." If we can say "Yet I will rejoice" in the midst of the worst, then we have that peace that Jesus promises to all who trust Him to keep our lives stitched together. There is another word here just as important: rejoice. Who wants to rejoice in the midst of terrible circumstances that are beyond our control? It seems unnatural and crazy, doesn't it? And yet this is what our lovely Father and Redeemer asks of us. Yet I will say yes to my Father who is the only One who knows the end from the beginning. Not only will I acquiese, I will rejoice: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18. If we wish to stay in a thankful mode and mood, we need to be careful of the daily paper and the TV news, too. I have a friend who has decided to wait until she has had breakfast and can face the day before she faces the daily list of cynicism and violence and hate. Of course the solution to this would be to quit getting the daily paper. It's so easy to forget that God is still in charge when the whole world is becoming outrageous and so lacking in common sense. It is essential that we walk with Jesus in these perilous times. I personally believe the fig trees will lose their blossoms very soon! Yet we will give thanks.

... no matter what happens, we are held in our Father's heart and hands.

New Leaves

"Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth ... " Genesis 8:11 NKJV

I like to think of the serendipities of life as new leaves. Imagine the surprise and relief, the joy and wonder, Noah felt when the dove came back with a new leaf. It meant new life for Noah and his family. Many wonderful things happen to us in the course of a day, too, if we recognize them. Each day itself is a new leaf. An exciting idea is a new leaf that grows into many leaves of an article or book. A delicious meal, a visit from a friend, an unexpected letter with good news, a compliment, an unusually beautiful sunrise or sunset, an affecting cantata: these are leaves of hope and love. It's an appealing thought. Sometimes all we want is a leaf of a thank you that will stimulate us to further actions. Perhaps our child needs a leaf of appreciation. A student gives a professor a leaf when she tells him that others have recommended his course because he is such a good teacher. Our friend receives a leaf when we write and say, "I love you and I miss you." There is yet another compelling thought here: if we but wait, as Noah had to, we will have joy again. At times circumstances seem impossible and it is easier to give up. The black raven of despair, the carrion bird, settles in our hair and in our heart and we are so tempted to let it make a nest and eat away at our vital life. But our gracious Father will not allow that! The dove, symbol of gentleness, brought Noah the sign of deliverance, and He will do the same for us. Our dry and fruitful land may yet be far off, but God will finally send us His dove with an olive leaf of deliverance! In the meantime, God asks that we trust Him; that we remain within the ark of the circumstance until His good time. How difficult this is! For now He is asking us to prepare ourselves for a great mercy from Him that we can share with others. It is the broken heart that understands other broken hearts. God is getting us ready to share leaves!

Each day itself is a new leaf. An exciting idea is a new leaf that grows into many leaves of an article or book.

An Invitation to Dine

An Invitation to Dine "Come and eat breakfast." John 21:12 NKJ

This is one of my favorite chapters in God's Word because here we can relate directly to Jesus' humanity. Who would have expected Jesus Himself to cook breakfast and invite His beloved friends! Imagine the understanding and love in this incredible act for these cherished followers who fled when He so needed them! Here we find the familiar and intimate relationship with One who does for us, in spite of what we do to Him. Oh, how we need to know this when we have done something that grieves God and others! How comforting and strengthening–and mending and amending–it is to our broken lives to have a Friend! In his book, The Road Less Traveled, author M. Scott Peck, in his section on The Miracle of Serendipity, tells us this is really grace: "...Grace, manifested in part by `valuable or agreeable things not sought for,' is available to everyone, but that while some take advantage of it, others do not...Let me suggest that one of the reasons we fail to take advantage of grace is that we are not fully aware of its presence–that is, we don't find valuable things not sought for, because we fail to appreciate the value of the gift when it is given us.'" Surely Jesus' invitation to the weary disciples was an unexpected grace, a serendipity. "Come, dine with Me!" He asks their companionship and is ready to provide their needs. Here is the sacrament and the ultimate union. He did not demand that they come and serve Him, nor did He tell them to go off to the side and eat; instead, He served them and ate with them. What a glorious testament and truth--and treatment! Many graces–serendipities–overflow in our daily life, but we won't find them unless we are tuned in to God's love, and unless we are most grateful for His providence. Perhaps providence is the gift of the awareness of His many gifts! We will have much more joyful lives if we recognize and appreciate these countless graces. .

... here we can relate directly to Jesus' humanity. Who would have expected Jesus Himself to cook breakfast and invite His beloved friends!

Submit to Being Deprived

Submit to Being Deprived "Must brother really go to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? ... Why not rather submit to injury? Why not rather submit to being deprived of something?" 1 Corinthians 6:7-8 RSV

When our son died I was told by our church lawyer that we had a case for a lawsuit against the college he was attending. He had tried to commit suicide there and they never contacted us. At the time it was the last thing I wanted, for I had sense enough to know that these are not simple things. The cry of the land seems to be, "Sue them!" I've watched with interest the proliferation of all these frivolous lawsuits and always I think, "What does God think of all this nonsense?" I realize there are legitimate reasons for some lawsuits, but this has gotten blasphemous. Years ago there was a story in the paper about a little girl who didn't get her toy in the Cracker Jax box. Her father sued! I thought, what an ideal opportunity for Dad to sit little Princess down and tell her the facts of life: sometimes we don't get our toys! That's life, child! "Why not submit to being deprived of something?" It's a great idea, but in today's aura of rights and things, I rather doubt this would fly. But it would certainly bring some peace to the earth, wouldn't it?

I thought, what an ideal opportunity for Dad to sit little Princess down and tell her the facts of life: sometimes we don't get our toys! That's life, child!