Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

What a day yesterday was!  The trucks are loaded; the van is on the car-carrier; the house is all clean – and today we are headed ‘back’ to our new home in NE Ohio.  We hope to be on our way by 6:30.  The trip will take about 9 hours barring the unforeseen.

Change is such a constant in our lives.  Prior to a couple months ago we did not anticipate that such a change was coming.  Then yesterday I received an email from a friend who is hurting.  Other dear friends have just had a job change that was not expected when viewed from the past year.  It too will involve a move for them.  Donna’s knee and hip are really hurting her from all the moving activity.  A very dear one recently had cancer surgery.  The list could go on of just recent ‘changes’ – the unexpected.

Fortunately in the midst of change – no matter how great or small; traumatizing or not, we have our Lord Jesus and the wonderful faith that He gives us.  No matter what – He is there.  No matter how difficult – He is with us.  No matter what kind of questions and concerns we have – Jesus is Lord of all.  He is the keel on our boat, the wind in our sails, the sun in our sky and best of all – our Captain.

This is not mind games or some sort of ‘talk yourself into believing something’ kind of thing.  It is the reality that comes from Him.  A wonderful old hymn comes to mind, “My faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, His righteousness…”  He is our ROCK!  He enables us to build our lives on Him.

Thank you for your prayers today – for our journey and Donna’s knee and hip – for our friends and the changes they are going through.  Fortunately, at the end of today, we will be with family!!!  We have missed them so!  God is so good to us.

Hebrews 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (KJV)

Today is load the trucks day!  We have been so blessed with the help we’ve received over the past couple of weeks in getting ready for this move.  Moving presents such a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to the ones moving (or moving in) and being blessed by the
very giving of our help.  We have been repeatedly aware of our appreciation for the help of our friends who have been able to give it.

The people who have come to help us are ones we have relationship with.  That might sound obvious, but it is a fruit of those relationships.  Friends help friends.  We become involved in one another’s lives.  That is one of the beauties of small groups that are so vital to the life of a local church.  In small groups we get to know one another beyond just recognizing their faces or speaking briefly together on Sunday.

Fortunately, the Christians we were involved with 40 years ago, placed a very high importance upon community and small groups.  These were the places where we learned to ‘love one another’ in practical ways.  We would help one another, pray for each
other, have meals together, do fun things together, vacation together, etc…

We learned to recognize just how important it was for us to be there for each other. ‘Loving one another’ is a learned skill that can be richly developed.  Community helps do that.  We have the opportunity to provoke one another to love and good works by our Godly
examples.  Sometimes we cannot help, but at other times we can miss opportunities just because we are slow to recognize or respond to the need.

Sometimes it is those around us who recognize the need before we do.  We see them respond or possibly they ask us if we will join them to help someone.  We then have a choice to make.  I just thought of the motto that our church in Akron, Ohio has had for many years:  Blessed to be a blessing.  We are grateful for the blessing we have received and grateful for the opportunity to be a blessing to others!

1 John 4:19  We love because He first loved us.

Last night we had dinner at the apartment of our five Kurdish students who are studying English in the Meridian Program the college has.  What a blessing it was!  It was more than having a meal together – and the food was wonderful!!!!  Five other friends involved with these students were also there and they are so dear to us as well.  The time together was truly a love feast.  It was a time to be together with people we have grown to love – and who love us.

It’s amazing how much has happened and how deep our relationships with all these friends have grown in the few months we’ve known them.  Fortunately, Donna was at the heart of the process to facilitate the details of the coming of the Kurdish students.  God used that process to begin the building of friendships that we believe will last a lifetime.  These people have become family – the Kurdish young men like sons.

It all makes us aware of the relational opportunities that God gives us if we take advantage of them.  In our two years here in Franklin, God has blessed us so incredibly with the number of friendships that have developed – friendships that are noteworthy in terms of how meaningful these people have become to us – and we to them.  People we want to see
again – people who are more than just a chapter in our lives.

We have been in tears repeatedly at the warm expressions of love and appreciation that have been poured out to us.  And we feel the same about these individuals.  They have touched our lives so wonderfully.  Most came through the college where we worked and the two churches we attended in our time here and include a significant number of non-Christians.

What a humbling experience it is to be so blessed by the people around us.  The privilege it is to touch their lives – and be touched – with the love of Christ.  After all, Jesus is at the heart of it all.  We are called to love one another.  We are called to love those around us –  and love is so much more than a feeling.  It’s being there for people without any ulterior motive.

The goal is not to be loved by others, but for them to be loved by us.  The principle is similar to giving: we don’t give to get.  We love because our God first loved us!  Jesus makes it possible.  May we have our eyes opened to the opportunities God has placed around us – and share with them the love we have from Him.

Today is my last day working at WCC.  Vacation days until the end of the month give us the opportunity to complete our move to NE Ohio on Thursday (27^th).  One week ago today I announced through my devotional that my time at WCC was coming to an end.  It has been a week filled with hugs, tears, many warm expressions of love and gratitude and a lot of good byes.  It occurred to me to use the very first devotional that I did on December 4, 2009 as a picture of our time here – our impact upon the WCC community and their wonderful impact upon us.  Here it is:

Proverbs 4:18 – The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Consider this verse in describing the trail we leave behind us rather than the path in front of us.  The life we live.  The lives we touch.  The love we share – the way we love the Lord and one another.  The way we serve.  The “fruit” that we leave behind us, i.e., our testimony in the eyes of those we’ve encountered and touched – whether good or bad.

I think of deer trails that I have seen out in the woods.  Some are so faint as to be easily missed.  Others are more obvious to the eye.  I remember one that looked like a deer
Interstate.  Anyone could tell that it was a significant trail.  The trails were evidence of activity and the presence of deer.

Likewise, the “trail” or path we leave behind us is a legacy to who we are – and how much we truly love Jesus.  The more we walk in the ways of the Lord the brighter our path becomes.  The more we love and serve and bear the fruit of the Spirit – the more we reflect Him.  The path we leave is to be about Jesus.   The wonder it is to be His hands extended – for others to see and encounter Him when they interact with us.

Our path is our testimony, but not in our words.  It is where we’ve been and what we’ve done as described by others and witnessed by those around us – both on earth and in the heavenlies.  The more we are transformed into the image of Jesus, the brighter it becomes.

Matthew 13:54-55  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.  “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

If you saw a miracle happen, would you believe it?  Or would you immediately dismiss it because ‘miracles don’t happen’ today!  What if you were the one in need of a miracle?  Would you listen to those around you dismissing it – or would you set aside these opinions and see if a miracle could happen to you?  Some of the people in Nazareth did respond and they experienced what God had for them.

But for the most part, the people of Nazareth and the Jewish leaders represent one of the most difficult to believe ‘phenomenon’ in the Bible for me to understand.  They chose to adhere to opinions they had rather than respond in faith to what is going on before them.  The Scriptures say the people of Nazareth were amazed at what they saw and heard, yet they responded with unbelief.  They chose to hold to what their ‘common sense’ was telling them.

This is a significant principle that God uses and we have to adjust accordingly.  It all boils down to whether we are going to respond appropriately to what He is doing.  Will we respond with unbelief, listening to common sense or fear?  Or will we respond in faith to what we are encountering?  Will we seek Him and allow Him to guide us?

The Lord gives us opportunities to follow Him and accomplish things that He has purposed us to do.  But in the midst of those things, He allows all manner of problems,
difficulties and obstacles to arise.  They can be fearful or overwhelming.  How are we going to respond?

It might not seem fair, but we have a path to choose.  We can be fearful and succumb to worldly wisdom or fear – or we can seek and trust the Lord, lifting all of the problems
to Him.  I think of Joshua and Caleb and the other 10 spies sent in to explore the Promised Land.  There were giants there, but only the Joshua and Caleb had their focus on the Lord.
They knew He would see them through.  The other 10 focused on the giants – fear and ‘common sense’ dictated how they responded.

The things we sometimes face can lead to similar choices.  We can focus on the ‘giants’ or
we can focus on our God – unbelief versus faith.  Each is an opportunity for the Lord in His greatness to enable us to overcome.  The choice is ours.  How will we respond to
the challenging things He allows in our lives?

John 3:8  “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

What is the difference between a speedboat and a sailboat?  Duh – one has a motor and the other doesn’t?  One doesn’t need sails while the other does.  One needs gasoline and the other needs wind.  One can move independently of the wind, the other cannot move without the wind.  One is a whole lot easier to get where you’re going, when you want to get there and how fast you want to get there – guess which one!

The speedboat (any boat with a motor) offers independence – it’s at the whim of its ‘captain’.  The sailboat is dependent upon the wind.  No wind – and it isn’t going  anywhere.  A speedboat can be driven by just about anyone, even someone who’s never been on water; just start the motor and off you go.  Whether a child or an adult, if you
can steer anything – from a kiddie car, go-kart, automobile – you can steer the
speedboat.  It’s also easier to stop!

The sailboat is different; there’s a whole lot more to learn and a lot more skill involved.  But the key things are its dependency upon the wind and the ability of its ‘captain’ to read the wind and sail the boat where it’s to go, and the route the sailboat goes to get there.

Think about it: how do you get from here to there with a headwind blowing straight at you.  That means that the wind is blowing from the direction you want to go.  Instead of
being at your back, it’s blowing in your face.  The question then becomes are we sure that’s where we want to (or are supposed to) go?  If it is, the sailboat can do it, but it sure isn’t a direct route.

Kind of sounds like what we experience with the Holy Spirit sometimes doesn’t it?  He leads us to do something and we encounter ‘headwinds’ – difficulties, opposition, obstacles, etc…  As I suggested in yesterday’s devotional, for the Christian (Jesus Follower), a life of obedience to Scriptures, becomes the sails of our boat.  Walking in His ways, becomes the skill to sail the boat – to read the wind and allow it to choose the route whatever it might be.  Loving God develops the life-dependence upon Him.

That dependence is essential if our lives are to be about Jesus (sailboat)!  Without it, our lives are about us (boat with a motor)!  We must beware of the spirit of independence that is so common in our culture and in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may have relationship with Him and live the lives that experience, enjoy and reflect the glory of our God.

John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Picture a large sailboat, out at sea, with sails unfurled and moving gloriously with the wind.  (Hopefully imagining this doesn’t make you seasick!)  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be on such a ship, on such a day, with a group of dear ones?  Wow – what a great time that would be!  Donna and I have been able to do this very thing a couple of times and the memories we have are ones we treasure.

But take a moment to think about all of the needed ‘ingredients’ in this adventure.  What must we have to make it happen?  First we’ve got to have a sizable body of water for sailing on.  Then we must have a sailboat big enough to handle the group of friends that are going on the adventure – and a crew to sail it.

We would like to have a beautiful day with a strong breeze.  How about doing the sailing amidst a group of islands with beautiful scenes to behold – and a group of dolphin accompanying us?  Of course we want to have something wonderful to eat, so why don’t we
make it a morning sail and we enjoy homemade coffee cake and coffee and orange
juice as we sail.  Can’t you just picture enjoying one another, the breeze, the sea spray, the beauty and the wonder of it all!?

In considering the necessary ‘ingredients’, does anything seem to be missing?  Not at first glance.  But there is something absolutely essential that is taken for granted in the above items.  Without this ‘essential’ the adventure doesn’t happen – except that we sit on the sailboat, wherever it is, and enjoy the scenery, the food, the breeze and one another – but we don’t go anywhere!

What is this essential – that is taken for granted to be there?  Answer: Sails.  And what is a sail?  A piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat, ship, or
other vessel: “all the sails were unfurled”.

From God’s perspective, walking in His ways is as much as a given for Christians as sails are for a sailboat. Just as a sailboat won’t go anywhere without sails, Christians who don’t walk in His ways won’t ‘go anywhere’ either.  This is why we are more and more hearing the term Jesus Follower.  This is how we remain in Him!  This is how we bear righteous fruit!  Sailboats with sails = Christians who obey Scripture (Jesus Followers) = the adventure is on!!

John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Have you ever thought about how wonderful it is to do things right?  To be told, “Good job!”  To have people express their gratitude for what you’ve done or for whom you are?  Boy, talk about something that puts a spring in your step!

Yes, such comments can lead to pride, but they also can lead to us experiencing a heartfelt gratitude for what God has done and is doing in our lives.  Importantly, they can be such an encouragement to do more ‘right’ things; to be more of a ‘right’ person; and in the context of today’s verse, to bear more fruit.  Better still is the desire God gives us to learn what those ‘right’ things are and do them more and more.

Think of sports, hobbies, relationships, work – our goal is to do them well.  The reality is that more often than not, the wrong is eliminated simply by doing the right!  Being kind eliminates unkindness; being patient eliminates impatience; being thoughtful eliminates
thoughtlessness; being generous eliminates stinginess; being loving eliminates being unloving; being other-oriented eliminates self-centeredness.

Then as we bear these wonderful fruits of righteousness, the Holy Spirit asks us, “How would you like to do them even better?”  “How would you like to bear more fruit?”  To which, we reply.  “Oh yes Lord! Show me how!”  And He does so, in a most affirming way.

There’s an old song that Bing Crosby made famous: Accentuate the Positive.  The first three lines are

You’ve got to accentuate the positive
/ Eliminate the negative / Latch on to the affirmative

This is the point!  Our attitude about repentance goes through a significant switch.  Instead its focus being our wrong doing, the focus becomes “Eliminating the negative” so we can “Latch on to the affirmative.”  It becomes a vital tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to enable us to bear more of His righteous fruit.  The more fruit we bear the more joy we have and the more we glorify our God.  It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.

Psalm 23:4b  I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Wouldn’t it be handy to have a gadget that could measure the fear in our lives just like a thermometer measures body temperature?  Whether we use the thermometer typically depends on how bad the symptoms are.  If you have an active child and all of a sudden you find them curled up and quiet a first response might be to feel their head to see how hot it is.  If it’s hot, we find the thermometer.

There are recognizable symptoms that let us know when we are sick.  Some are serious and some are not so serious, but there are symptoms none the less.  Likewise there are symptoms of fear.  Unfortunately, fear can be such a normal ‘companion’ in our lives that  we don’t recognize that we are ‘sick’ – read afraid.

A few weeks ago (9/15/11) I wrote about being angry in a classroom discussion at Grad School and was oblivious to my anger – until the instructor interrupted and pointed it out.  I had become so accustomed to it that it appeared normal.  Unfortunately, those closest to me suffered for it.  Thankfully, God’s grace enables us to repent and change.

Some of the fear symptoms that occur to me are worry, anxiety, anger, annoyance, impatience, lying, deceiving, complaining, selfishness, rebellion, immorality, jealousy, envy, and the list could go on.  These can be indicative of other problems as well, but they are part of the mob that accompanies fear.  What kind of fear?  Well there are lots of them, but to name a few:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of what ‘might’ happen
• Fear of what ‘might not’ happen

The antidote to fear and the negative behaviors associated with it is walking in God’s ways.  The verse preceding today’s verse says, “He guides me in paths of righteousness…”
Even when our journey takes us through the “valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for (God) is with me.”

If you ask, “What are the paths of righteousness?”  The answer is they are the paths you walk in order to be a follower of Jesus.  They are defined in Scripture.  Unfortunately, the term Christian has become so broad that in the minds of many it includes all manner of behaviors that a follower of Jesus will not and must not do.  These are all identified in Scripture.

The Holy Spirit and Scripture are our ‘thermometers’ to detect the fear in our lives.  Likewise those who love us can help point out where we’re not where we are supposed to be.  Ultimately, fearlessness is rooted in God.  The more we follow Jesus, the more ‘fear-less’ we become, because He is with us.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

The unexpected is a fact of life.  Think how often in our daily routine that we encounter the unexpected.  Simple things: running out of paper, ink, dish detergent, the shirt you were going to wear is in the laundry, the lawn mower won’t start; your appointment is delayed.  Then there are those that are a little more noteworthy: traffic jams, canceled appointments, a friend lets you down, something is forgotten by someone who shouldn’t forget, the car breaks down, extra work is dumped on you in your job….

These (and many other) things when viewed from a distance don’t seem to be so bad – annoying maybe – but they aren’t major issues.  We usually don’t perceive them as tests of our faith.  They don’t fall into the category of losing a job, losing investments, losing a loved one, being injured in an accident, being betrayed by a friend, discovering you have a life threatening disease, etc….

But all of these things, whether big or small, have something important in common.  They are all opportunities.  Opportunities for what you ask?  Each and every one of them gives us the opportunity to reflect the reality of our life in Christ.  These opportunities are windows into our soul that give insight to those around us – and ourselves if we have eyes to see it.

Take a moment now and re-read today’s verse.  Now, read it again, out loud, pausing after the first phrase.  This verse describes an unshakeable, bedrock reality that God intends to
become ours as we walk in His ways – truly becoming a disciple of Jesus.  It becomes the reality of who we are to the depth of our being.  The reality of God in our lives is an unshakeable settled-ness that is reflected in our responses to everything we encounter.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.  Although a storm may be raging around us, it’s peaceful in the boat.  The storm doesn’t shake us.  Jesus is our Shepherd and the reality of our life in Him is reflected in all of the unexpected ‘opportunities’ we encounter.  Hopefully, that reflected reality is of someone walking in His ways.