Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

James 1:2, 3  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

One of my favorite characters in C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Tales is Reepicheep, the talking mouse.  He is gallant, fearless and a warrior.  If a mouse could be a knight, then Reepicheep would be one.  Nothing was too challenging.  No obstacle too great.  When daunting circumstances were before him, he always considered it a great adventure.  He loved Aslan, the great lion and would fight anyone in Aslan’s behalf.

The thing that I have appreciated most about Reepicheep is the fact that no challenge was too great.  Nothing intimidated him.  No matter how difficult or frightening a situation was, he considered it an adventure.  The greater the risk – the greater the adventure.  I have followed his example and consider life’s challenges to be adventures.

The point is not to make light of serious challenges, but to view them from a perspective of overcoming faith.  When the Lord allows challenging things to come into our lives, it is redemptive to step forward into the adventure rather than step back in fear.  This doesn’t apply just to big things, but to little things in our everyday lives.

Suppose you have an opportunity to share your faith with someone.  One response is to hold back out of fear and uncertainty.  The other is to view it as an adventure and to move forward; committing the results to the Lord.  This dynamic occurs repeatedly in our jobs, ministry opportunities, relationships, so very many areas of our lives.  Do we move forward and seize the opportunity or hold back?

Several years ago, I read one of the most moving quotes I have ever seen.  It is by Teddy Roosevelt and never fails to stir me:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…  who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.“

“Citizenship in a Republic,”
Speech at the Sorbonne,Paris,April 23, 1910

May our focus be upon the joy we have in Jesus Christ – no matter what manner of trials we face, remembering the opportunity they give us.  Our lives are about Him!

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Years ago I was an assistant pastor and was going through an exceedingly difficult and painful situation with some members of the high school youth group and their families.  In addition, there was also an amazing mini-revival going on with other high school students at the same time and I was in the middle of it all.

I was loved by some and hated by others.  I had never experienced anything like it in my few years of ministry.  The pain and stress of the situation was compounded by the fact that I just didn’t understand why such negative things were happening – and they were happening!  Fortunately, the senior pastor was very supportive of me.

This situation went on for months with no end in sight.  Early one morning I was walking around the sanctuary, carrying the names of all the young people, and crying out to God for help.  I finally knelt down, weeping as I cried to the Lord, because I just didn’t understand what was going on.  At that time, the Lord spoke to me – not audibly – but unquestionably!  He simply spoke the name of a book and the chapter number in the Bible, one I hadn’t read yet.

I immediately opened to the chapter and read it.  I was stunned – it explained everything! – specifically!! – down to the details of painful things that had been done to me!!!  It gave me understanding of what was going on and the ‘why’!  It explained why He had brought us there and what we were to accomplish.  Importantly, it also expressed His expectations of me to respond to it all in a godly manner.

It was not information and understanding that I could use against anyone.  It was meant to help me.  We still had to walk through the painful circumstances, but the Lord had given us understanding and encouragement.  It was like the Lord put outriggers on BOTH sides of our canoe as we were going through turbulent white water to keep us upright and stable through the worst of it.

The fact that He had intervened and answered my cry was and is beyond priceless.  An incredible peace settled within Donna and me because we now understood what was going on, but more importantly, God had spoken to us.  This was a supernatural intervention of God into my life that would be part of the bedrock of my faith for the rest of my life!

We were at that church for another 15 months before leaving for grad school.  Before we left and in the months following, every one of those ‘problem’ high school students apologized to me for what they had done and the pain they had caused us.  To this day my Bible has a highlighted copy of that Bible chapter that the Lord spoke to me taped inside the back page.  It’s like in the Old Testament when the Lord told Israel to erect a memorial to remind them of the wonder God had performed.  It is an ever present reminder that God always hears our cries and is our source for wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

This week we’ve talked about ‘Why?’ and ‘Why not?’; skunk factors, saltiness and excellence.  All of these have addressed particulars of our lives.  As Christians we all want to ‘get it right’.  This involves dealing with all aspects of life.  But at the heart of it all is a pearl of great price – who we are in Him and who He is for us.

We are God’s chosen people, but it’s a whole lot more than that.  We are dearly loved!  He swept us off our feet.  When we thought we were unlovable and lost.  He found us and made us His own.  When we were lonely and feeling rejected.  He said, “I want you!”  Do we understand that we are talking about the God of the Universe!  The maker of stars and heavens and planets!  He knows our names.  He cares for us!

I think of little Samuel, as a child in the temple being awakened by the Lord calling his name (1 Samuel 3).  The final time it says, “The Lord came and stood there calling as at the others times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!”  Try to grasp the thought of the Lord standing by you and calling your name!  I remember a chorus on this theme that has always been dear to me, “I heard the Lord call my name, listen close you’ll hear the same.”

Our Lord and Savior didn’t just set us apart like choosing members of a team.  He made us His.  He made us new.  He radically changed us so that we could be like Him. He desires that we show forth His love by developing and showing forth the qualities that He has expressed to us – the ones identified in today’s verse: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Can you think of finer attributes than these?

Yes it’s important to know what not to do and what to avoid – but the thrill of our hearts can be –and must be – becoming like Him.  We can never repay Him for what He has done for us, but we can bring Him pleasure!  He enables us to live out these very qualities that express His love and that will draw others to Him.  He wants to use us to extend His family!

Galatians 5:1 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Have you noticed that everything that is considered ‘excellence’ requires effort and work?  Music, sports, writing, college, cooking, careers, parenting, marriage, gardening, etc… it makes no difference.  Excellence doesn’t happen by accident.  Each area of endeavor has its own requirements of things to be learned and mastered.  They all have standards that identify what excellence is.

Donna, my wonderful sweetheart, makes a bread pudding to die for.  The recipe came from a master chef in New Orleans that we got at a sales conference many years ago.  There are 10 different ingredients in it including pecans, raisins and coconut – and a marvelous sauce to go with it.  The recipe has nuances, such as the nature of the bread used, that are critical to the outcome.  It is warm and moist – not dry or mushy – and the flavors are amazing.  It doesn’t happen by accident.

Excellent, Christian lives don’t happen by accident either.  We need to understand what constitutes such a life, what must be done to develop it and cultivate the desire for it to happen.  The Holy Spirit is central to all of this.  We must listen and respond to what He shows us.  A major arena of our lives in which He will continually work with us on deals with the desires of the flesh.  These are identified in many places but let’s look at those identified in Galatians 5:19-21 (New Living Translation)

¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

These are all ‘skunk factor’ land (see Wednesday Dec 14, 2022 Devotional) – and will undermine and overcome our efforts to live a Christian life.  Their impact is far worse than just making us ‘smell’ bad.  They will radically affect who we are.  These are things to run from – just as you would from an approaching skunk with his tail raised.  They are the antithesis of walking in the Spirit.

To be continued…

Matthew 5:13  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Yesterday I wrote about what we allow in our lives and something I called the ‘skunk factor’.  A serious issue with a bit of humor applied to make a point.  I received a comment from a dear friend, “Have a great skunk-free day ;-)”   We must recognize that the effect of allowing inappropriate habits, behaviors, attitudes, etc… has a far greater negative impact on us than dealing with the temporary smell of a skunk.

The ‘inappropriate’ items I refer to include both what we do and how we do it – and what we don’t do.  Scripture is filled with descriptions of things to do or attributes that should characterize our lives – they reflect our ‘saltiness’.  Think of something as simple as saying thank you for a kindness that is done.  Failure to say thank you communicates a lack of recognition or gratitude.  It also might be due to an unfortunate habit of allowing a preoccupation with other details to override its expression. (Think unsaltiness.)

Saying thank you can be perfunctory – and while expressing recognition, it will be low on salt.  (Think pass the salt)  When sincerely done, it reflects genuine gratitude in one’s heart.  It communicates appreciation – rather than taking something for granted – and this quality is typically conveyed through how the thank you is expressed.  (Think – oooh is this good!).

Consider this parallel illustration:  On my first flight to Europe, shortly after take-off, the flight attendants passed out moist, hot hand towels to everyone.  This had never happened on a domestic flight and was wonderful! I vividly remember holding that moist, hot towel against my face and running it over my hands.  Such a simple thing can be so small yet so noteworthy and wonderful to experience.

Now consider these three alternatives in light of our discussion of expressing genuine gratitude: 1) Failure to say thank you = No towel – it’s absence is noteworthy!  2) Saying a perfunctory thank you = A moist, cold towel – better than no towel but not what it could be.  3) Expression of a genuine, sincere thank you = A hot, moist towel – YES!

Salty lives reflect our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Saltiness has to do with who we are.  The world is in desperate need of salty Christians!

To be continued…

1 John 3:3  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

“Why not?” – and the ‘skunk factor’!

This is another question that we might frequently ask or hear asked of us.  It is in response to someone questioning what another is doing or about to do.  Sometimes it refers to innocuous things but at other times it is used in defense of questionable or unwise actions – the nature of which we may be blind to.

We want to do something and are told we can’t.  How many times in such situations have we heard, in response to our ‘why not?’ because you have homework to do; you have to clean your room; you have to mow the lawn; it’s your turn to drive the kids, it’s dinner time…  These are instances where we’ve simply forgotten or want to forget responsibilities that we have.

But there are situations where asking ‘Why not?’ can be used as a defensive barrier to allow behavior that is questionable, unwise or wrong.  Consider these questions asked by someone of us – or by our conscience:

• Is s/he someone you should be hanging out with?
• Is that a program you should be watching?
• Should you be visiting that website?
• Is that something you should be doing?
• Why are you doing that?
• Why are you coming home so late?
• Should you be wearing that outfit?
• Why would you take that from your employer?
• Should you be reading that?
• Should you be talking like that?
• Should you be listening to that?

The other night I woke up several times and the phrase “Why not?” was center in my mind.  I alternated between being asleep and awake praying for perspective and insight.  Then, just before I woke up I had the clearest, shortest dream – and it startled me.

In my dream I was outside with Snuggles our pekingese and she saw a little black creature with some white stripes come out the bushes and she took off to meet it.  I immediately recognized it for what it was and called her to me.  She immediately stopped and came back.  I did not want Snuggles to be sprayed by a skunk. I then woke up.  I was startled by the clarity of the dream (I never remember what I dream) and immediately connected the ‘skunk factor’ to “Why not?”

Think about it, assuming the animal isn’t rabid – we aren’t afraid of being bitten by a skunk.  It’s the smell we don’t want anything to do with.  Associate with a skunk – and you will smell like one.  We recognize the ‘danger’ immediately upon seeing a skunk nearby and avoid it.

The question for us is, “If we are honest, how many of our activities have what we could call a ‘skunk factor’”?  They will contaminate us just as surely as messing with a skunk would.  Let us pray to have our eyes opened so that we may purify ourselves of any such activities in our lives.

2 Kings 5:11, 12  But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman was a valiant soldier and commander of the army of the king of Aram.  He was highly regarded and viewed as a great man by the king because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram– but Naaman was a leper.

A young girl from Israel had been taken captive and served Naaman’s wife.  She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”(5:3)  So Naaman traveled to Israel with his horses and chariots (befitting a great man) and came to the door of Elisha’s house.

Then ‘the event’ happened!  Elisha didn’t come out, but instead, sent a messenger with word for Naaman to, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”  But Naaman exploded as expressed in today’s verses and went off in a rage.  In his pride, he expected to be treated with honor and respect, by the prophet himself; in a manner consistent with his greatness and stature.

But it didn’t happen that way.  [Note: His response reminds me of how the religious leaders reacted to Jesus when he performed miracles on the Sabbath.  They were so angered, they missed the Christ!]  Fortunately, Naaman was an extraordinary man and he had some extraordinary servants:

¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Naaman, listened to his servants – in spite of his anger and pride – and responded in obedience, and received the miracle!  If he hadn’t listened – or if they hadn’t spoken up – he would have returned to Aram as a leper.  But he set aside his pride, responded to God’s word and received God’s provision.

This lesson is HUGE for us!!!  We must recognize that in our daily lives we encounter situations where if we listen, respond with humility and do what we’re told, we receive the blessing.  If not, we miss God’s provision for us.  How many times do we reject the message because we reject the messenger, or because of how it is given?  May we learn from Naaman’s example!

Psalm 9:10  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

“Why?”

This is a question that many of us frequently have.  Sometimes there are ready answers, i.e., “Why did I do poorly on that test?”  Answer: I didn’t study.  Question: “Why is my spouse upset with me?”  Answer: I behaved like a jerk.

Then there are the ‘why’ questions that are more difficult to answer.  Why did I have to lose my job now?  Why couldn’t that accident have been avoided?  Why does it seem we are always going through difficult times?  Why does it seem that everyone else is being blessed and we’re not?  Why did I have to lose that client? – That sale?  Why did we invest our savings in something that was going to collapse?  Why did she have to die?

Two thoughts for us to consider: The first is our culture is preoccupied to an unhealthy degree with the question ‘Why?’  We want to know the why of everything.  Often this question and how we respond to it lead us down a road with no outlet – leading to frustration, discouragement, anger, a sense of ‘victimhood’, rejection or abandonment.

The other thought is to choose to make the question ‘why’ an invitation from the Lord.  By that I mean that whenever we are hit with a difficult ‘why’, we look to our Lord for wisdom, insight and understanding.  Think of it as a wonderful learned reaction.

If Ohio State Buckeye fans hear someone say “O-H” the immediate response is “I-O”.  Likewise in these situations when we think or hear “W-H-Y” our response needs to be “J-E-S-U-S”.  He is our refuge and resource.  He is the one we trust.  Even in silence, He enables us to become secure experientially – not just in theological head knowledge – but in the reality of His trustworthiness.

For many of us, this is going to involve a significant transition process. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, counselor and guide.  He lets us know we need to change; He shows us the way and enables us to learn how to walk in it.  He will help us establish new God-centered habit patterns that bring life and righteousness.  The more our lives reflect our dependency upon Him the freer we become.

Deuteronomy 8:2  Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Suppose the Lord spoke to you in a dream and let you know that the next day you were going to be tested by Him, but He didn’t go into the particulars of what it would entail.  When you got up in the morning you were excited and a bit nervous because you wanted to pass the testing.

Spend a moment and think about what kind of things the Lord might do to test you.  Might it involve work – dealing with what you do and how well you do it?  Would it involve relationships?  Would it involve the possibility of a promotion, where it would be an interview or performance evaluation regarding how well you know your job?  Would the testing involve big things or small things?  How do we tell the difference between big things and small things?

Suppose when you got to work, your boss told you that he needed you to prepare an important presentation for that afternoon that could result in major new business for the company.  This unexpected opportunity would involve you working with a bunch of people throughout the day to put it together.  A lot to do; with little time to do it; with a major opportunity as the potential outcome – what a test!

Most of the day was an adventure interacting with co-workers to obtain what was needed.  They were all so busy as it was and helping you seemed like just one more unwelcome task.  Their responses to you ran the gamut from helpful to wanting to ignore your requests.  Fortunately, the presentation was completed, delivered to your boss and the big opportunity was won.

But at the end of the day, you discovered that winning the opportunity wasn’t the test the Lord was referring to.  Your boss was pleased with the end result, but the Lord had been looking at something else.  His test involved all of the human interactions that you had in preparing the presentation.

Given the importance of the project, did you fall into a more abrasive style where ‘the ends justify the means’ mentality kicked in – in order to get the job done?  Did you take offense at some of the resistance you encountered and respond in kind?  Did you assume fences could be mended later?

Or, were your attitudes, words and actions consistent with your faith? In difficult human interactions were grace and kindness there?  Would your co-workers be grateful for the way you performed your task in spite of how they might have behaved?  We have a real tendency to focus on the ‘destination’.  The Lord is vitally concerned with how we get there.  In His eyes, the process is the goal.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Long ago a man embarked on a journey home.  It required him to be on a ship for the major part of the journey.  This was still during the time when slavery was common and there were slaves serving on the ship.  Over the course of the voyage the man struck up a friendship with one of the slaves.  As the days went by they enjoyed the times together more and more.

When they arrived in port the captain came to the slave and informed him to get his belongings because he had been purchased.  When the slave discovered that he had been sold to the passenger who had become his friend he was outraged.  The slave confronted his new owner and asked, “I thought we were friends!  But now you have purchased me to make me your slave – to serve you!  How could you do this to me?”

The man looked at the slave and said, “You misunderstand.  I didn’t purchase you to make you my slave.  I purchased you to set you free!”  Upon hearing this, the slave exclaimed, “I will serve you all the days of my life!”

I heard this story many years ago and never cease to be moved by it – maybe because I relate so to the slave.  The details of my life are obviously very different from his, but I remember the struggles I was going through 50+ years ago – the loneliness, lack of direction, the inferiority complex.  I always seemed to be struggling with feeling un-chosen, left out or left behind.  I didn’t realize it but I was a slave.

Only, I didn’t have a voyage to get to know someone who would surprise me with freedom.  For me it was totally unexpected and what He did was so much more than just physical freedom.  In my stunning encounter with Jesus (October 11, 1968), my ‘Matterhorn of doubt’ regarding God was leveled!  He made me someone entirely new!!!!  I am still amazed at how utterly transformed my life was in a single moment.  I so understand the slave saying he will serve his new master for the rest of his life.  Even now I am overcome with emotion and gratitude thinking of what my “new owner” did for me 54 years ago – and Jesus has never stopped doing it!!!  He overwhelms me with love!

I am so grateful that I get to serve Him the rest of my life – only it is so much more than that: He enables us to love Him in return.  We become friends and family – in relationship with Him every day of our lives.  The more we realize the incredible wonder of what He has done for us, the more we want to love Him.  That is what makes the Christmas season so special to me.  God so wanted us that He gave us Jesus, so that we might become His – forever!