Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

Matthew 5:38-42  ³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.³⁹But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

I woke up this morning thinking about going the second mile.  When I looked up the verse I was stuck by its context and by how unlike our typical thinking it is.  This is a whole different mindset – a different world view.  It is seeing and responding to things so differently.

An old classic movie comes to mind that illustrates how radically different things can be seen and how things sometime aren’t what they seem.  That movie is the Wizard of Oz.  It begins and ends as a black and white movie.  I remember as a boy seeing it and being so stunned when Dorothy wakes up in Oz and everything is in full ‘living’ color.  The richness of the color versus the paucity of the black and white – they don’t change the story line, just what we’re seeing.  Then there is the ogre-like Wizard who is so authoritarian on the screen, but in reality is a little old man behind the curtain.  Here, what is perceived is very different from its true reality.

I would suggest that the situations described in these verses are like the Wizard up on the screen – their reality is very different than how we tend to perceive them.  We typically respond to them as threats (like the ogre on the screen), rather than as opportunities.  Our viewpoint is one of self and cultural orientation, and we react accordingly.  It’s like living in ‘black and white’.

But Jesus wants us to perceive these as opportunities and not as threats – and we must recognize how critical our perception is to the process.  It’s not about us but it’s all about Him.  It’s not about reacting but responding with faith.  They are opportunities to glorify our God in how we respond – or not.  Our lives are to be salt and light in the world and reflect the ‘living color’ of the life of Christ.  What a contrast!

Jesus wants our perceptions, understanding and responses rooted in His Kingdom – not in the world.  In this world we  tend to react rather than respond.  We look out for ourselves rather than be guided by His ways.  Life is filled with opportunities for us to respond wisely, reflecting His life within us.  We need to remind ourselves just how different a citizen of His Kingdom is from one of this world.  The people around us will be drawn to Him by seeing us live such lives.

Psalm 62:8  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Have you ever noticed how refreshing some little things can be?  Like a gentle breeze on a warm summer’s day when you’re working outside?  When you’re going through some difficulties and a friend calls to encourage you simply because you were on their heart.  Reading a scripture, a testimony or about a Biblical truth that speaks precisely to your situation.

Some of these things are what I refer to as ‘tokens of kindness’ from the Lord.  It is so wonderful when the Lord gives them to us.  A few summers ago we were really busy with a lot going on.  Added to it was the word from our landlord that we needed to move before our lease expired September 30.  She was planning to move back into the house we were in.

One night in late July when we went to bed, we were really feeling it and Donna said we need to pray – so we did.  In the midst of the ‘stormy stuff’ going on we prayed to our Lord, acknowledging that we were looking to Him and trusting Him to lead and guide us through everything.

The next morning I woke up really early and was working around the house.  I picked up a book that I hadn’t looked at for a long time, not even remembering what was in it, and just opened it.  I didn’t even look at the front cover.  It turned out to be filled with two page true stories of His Mysterious Ways – Miracles of Prayer.

The random story I turned to and the two that followed all described situations where He provided supernatural presence and guidance to people in need.  One was a blind woman and her guide-dog out in a snow storm with an angel walking with them.  The other two dealt with people driving through dense fog and a snow storm and making it due to following the lights of vehicles that turned out not to be there!

These three stories all spoke precisely to God being with us and guiding us – just as we had prayed hours earlier.  He might not have manifested His provision supernaturally as He did in the stories, but He didn’t have to.  They reaffirmed the importance of our focus and trust in Him.  What a timely token of kindness!

We weren’t in danger of giving up or anything.  It was simply our Lord giving us some loving encouragement that lifted our spirits – like a drink of cool water when you’re thirsty.  It’s amazing the sustaining power such experiences can have!

We still got to walk through the situations we were in.  But we did so with a renewed joy simply because we had been reminded of and refreshed by His wonderful love for us.  Pray that our ‘eyes’ will see Him more and more as He works in our lives.

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.

Remembering 1 year ago: Donna returned from celebrating the life of her best friend of 45 years who is now with Jesus. The Memorial Service for Paulette was such a special time of joy and celebration of her marvelous loving life. Her legacy was so evident to her family and friends and those who knew her!

Proverbs 22:6  Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

A few days ago (June 22) I used the illustration of training our children when they were little in the principle of obedience and disobedience.  The focus of any discipline was upon disobedience not upon the specific action they did or didn’t do.

This brought to mind a very significant experience that we had in Grad School that underscored the effectiveness of this approach.  I was taking a class on Moral Development.  The (secular) textbooks we were using described that children had to be 7 or 8 years old before they were developed enough to understand certain things.  They contained the following illustration:

Billy is asked to help set the table for dinner.  While carrying a tray of 5 glasses to the
table, he trips and breaks all 5 glasses.

Nancy is told that she cannot have a cookie before dinner.  But when her mother is in another room, she gets a chair to stand on to reach the cookie jar.  While reaching for the cookies she bumps 1 glass, knocking it to the floor, breaking it.

Who is naughtier – Billy or Nancy?

The authors indicated that children younger than 7 or 8 would say Billy was naughtier because he broke 5 glasses while Nancy only broke 1.  Their focus would be upon the number of glasses broken.  The one who broke more was naughtier.

We had 2 sons at the time and they were 3 and 4 years old.  The next day I read the illustration to Johnnie, the oldest, and asked him, “Who is naughtier – Billy or Nancy?”  His answer was wonderful.  Johnnie, the 4 year old, replied, “Only Nancy was naughty.  She disobeyed.  Billy wasn’t naughty because it was an accident.”

Needless to say I shared this experience with the class the next week.

Proverbs 12:25  An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

For a season I worked at Wal-Mart in the GardenCenter.  The spring and summer were really busy times and we had thousands of plants for sale. Those plants all needed to be watered each day and it typically took hours to do it.

My job was outside in what was called a corral where bricks, soils, fertilizers and more plants were kept.  I would load the purchased items into a customer’s vehicle.  Needless to say I got a lot of exercise.  Although watering the plants wasn’t my responsibility, there was something that just had an affect on me that I couldn’t ignore.  Periodically, I would see plants that were in a full wilt because they had been missed in the watering process.

It just bothered me so to see plants dying when all they needed was water.  As much as possible I would water those plants to bring them back to life. My eyes became trained to spot them.  What a blessing to walk by later and see them fully revived and blooming.

Have you noticed that we have people around us that are in various stages of ‘wilting’?  It’s not from lack of water but from anxiety, concerns, family crises and all manner of difficulties.  Maybe it’s just from being buried at work.

A kind, encouraging word can do for them what water will do for a plant.  It can cheer them up; it can revitalize; it can be sunshine on a cloudy day.  We’re not talking about a major conversation, but a simple, sincere word of kindness that will lift someone’s soul.

Take time today to notice those around you.  Remember water isn’t just for wilting plants.  Water keeps healthy plants blooming – it prevents them from wilting. The same is true with people.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18   Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.  This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (The Message)

It’s been a bit frustrating as I’ve grown older to lose some of my sense of smell.  I particularly notice it when it comes to sweeter more subtle fragrances – like perfume on Donna or food cooking.  Likewise my hearing isn’t what it used to be (what an understatement) and I miss things – though in the middle of the night, it’s not so bad.  Praise God for hearing aids.  They do wonders.  When people speak softly, I can push a button and the volume increases.

I think these physical phenomena are similar to how we live each day and how we respond to what goes on around us.  We have deficiencies and God wants to fix them.  These verses talk about being cheerful; praying all the time and being thankful.  This is how God intends us to live.  This is being normal.  God’s plan is for these attributes to become second nature to us; they are to become who we are.  Unfortunately, they can be diminished just like my sense of smell and hearing are.

The verses go further – we are to be cheerful no matter what!  We are to be thankful no matter what happens!  We are to pray through it all – meaning that our focus is upon the Lord.  There is to be constancy in our lives that is reflective of the wonder of our God and His goodness that overrides everything – no matter what!  But it’s easier to be cheerful and thankful when things are going well than when they aren’t.

How often do we hear of a close friend who has died; or that someone very dear to us is unexpectedly having surgery for cancer; or that a contentious situation unexpectedly arises that has to be dealt with by those close to us; – and this is all on top of the stuff we are already dealing with.  This is part of life.

Fortunately, God has made gratefulness and focusing upon Him to be like an artesian spring within Donna and me – they are always there, flowing.  They’ve become normal.  The wonder and blessing of their genuineness never ceases to amaze us.  We experience the joy that comes from the utter confidence that we and those we love are not helpless or alone; that we have a God who adores us!  Through tears and pain, the joy and gratitude are there.  All of these difficult situations just cause us to embrace Him all the more – they push us into Him.  We don’t have to understand – we have Him.

Philippians 4:19  And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Donna and I were married in the fall of 1970 right after I graduated from Michigan State.  That next January we were involved in a coffee-house street ministry called The Master’s House in downtown Lansing, MI.  We were open evenings and late into the night.  While we had no salary, we were provided with a little 2 bedroom home across from the Oldsmobile forge plant on the west side of town.  We got to pray everything else in and were so blessed by God’s provision.

We went an extended period where we had no money – not a dime.  Groceries, gas, everything was provided – just no money.  One evening Judy Potter, a college friend who was helping with the ministry, came up to me and said with a little embarrassment that the Lord had told her to give us $1 – not $5 or $10 – just $1.  I grinned and took the dollar and placed it in my shirt pocket and told her it was $1 more than I had.

Later that evening another helper came and asked if we could give him a ride home when we closed.  He lived on the south end of Lansing.  I was a bit concerned because we were low on gas but I agreed to take him home.  Our old Ford had about 8 gallons below empty and we had been on the empty mark for a couple of days.

After dropping him off after midnight, we were near home when we had to stop at a railroad crossing for a train.  I no sooner stopped when I ran out of gas.  But much to my relief, next to us was a police car!  I got out and went over and asked them to call AAA.  Fortunately, at Christmas we had been given a AAA membership.

The officers pulled behind us with their lights on and we waited.  When the AAA guy arrived, he didn’t say a word but he took a 5 gallon gas can, poured it in my car and then walked up to me and his first words were, “That will be $1.”  (Gas cost 19.9 cents/gallon.)  I took the $1 out of my shirt pocket – the only dollar that I had – and handed it to him.  We rejoiced all the way home!

Our friend didn’t give us $5 or $10 but she sensed the Lord said to give just $1 – the exact amount we would need.  Here 50+ years later I continue to be thrilled by the amazing power of this experience with God.

Ephesians 3:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Have you ever ran out of water?  If you’ve ever lived in a home that used a well, you might have had such an experience.  My first encounter with running out of water was in our home in Peninsula, OH.  We had just moved in and I was in the shower covered head to toe in soap when the water ran out.  Making the experience even more memorable was the well could still generate a slow drip of cold water.  I got to stand there for a long time until the cold, slow drips rinsed me off.

We were told a good well had a recoupment rate of 3 – 5 gallons of water per minute.  Ours was 1 – 2 quarts per minute.  We learned how to adjust our water usage so we wouldn’t run out (most of the time).  As the well got weaker, we drilled deeper and found some improvement.  We added holding tanks in the basement to increase our usable supply.  Eventually, the well ran dry and we had a choice to build a cistern, like many in the village had, or we could drill in another place on our 1 acre.  We chose to drill.

The individual who drilled wells asked if we wanted him to “witch’ for it.  We said, “No.  We’ll pray for you that the Lord will guide you where to drill.”  The result was amazing.  He not only found water, but he said this was the strongest well in town.  He could measure up to 25 gallons of water per minute recoupment and this was beyond that!  What a gift from the Lord!!

I would like you to consider that forgiveness –  specifically, the ability to forgive – as a gift from the Lord to each of us, that has amazing similarities to the “well / water” illustration described above.  There is an abundant supply available, we simply have to live lives that tap into it.  Just like water, we use forgiveness repeatedly every day.  Some have “strong wells” and are able to forgive with little effort or concern.  The supply is there in  abundance because of decisions they have made to conform to the teachings of our Lord.

Others have “weaker wells or drying up wells”, where they find forgiving others to be more difficult and at times they seem to “run dry”.  Instead of soap, they find themselves covered with anger, resentment and bitterness and no “water” (read ability to forgive) to deal with it.  This develops in lives due to not conforming to the teachings of our Lord.  Unfortunately, it is a whole lot easier for us to recognize when we run out of water, than it is to recognize when we run out of forgiveness.

The ramifications of unforgiveness are profound.  No matter what happens to us, the Lord expects us, and requires us, to forgive one another – just as we have been forgiven.  Proverbs 4:23 speaks to this in a particularly fitting way given our illustration today: “And guard your heart for it is the well-spring of life.”

Romans 13:10  Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Over the years I have been greatly helped by focusing on the importance of biblical love.  Love always takes priority.  While we are free in Christ, our freedom is always constrained by love.  It is to be a guiding principle in our lives.

While scripture gives us many ‘dos and don’ts’, love should not be primarily viewed that way.  A helpful illustration comes from raising children.   Donna and I had the good fortune to receive wonderful teaching on raising children right after our marriage.  One of the most essential things we learned was to focus on the principle of obedience and disobedience.

Our sons were taught to obey what we told them to do – that disobedience brought discipline.  For instance, if one boy hit the other, he was not disciplined for ‘hitting’ his brother.  He was disciplined for disobedience.  We would take him aside, and say to him, “You have been told not to hit your brother.  Did you obey us?”  He would say no and acknowledge he had disobeyed.   The discipline was never focused on the specific action the child had done.  It was always focused upon the principle of disobedience.

If they broke a window by throwing a ball in the house, they weren’t disciplined for breaking a window.  They were disciplined for disobedience because they knew they had been told not to throw balls in the house.  Lying is disobedience.  Cheating is disobedience.  This idea is huge.  Children learn the principle rather than a big list of dos and don’ts.

Likewise, we must learn the principle of love as defined by scripture (not by our culture).  The more we understand what constitutes love, the greater is our ability to apply it in every circumstance we find ourselves in.  God’s word is so essential to this process.  The more we grow in love, behaving in an ‘unloving’ manner becomes as recognizable and inappropriate for us as disobedience is for children.

John 15:14  You are my friends if you do what I command.

Friends.  Have you ever considered what a broad spectrum that word covers?  People we see and speak to at church, at school or at work.  People we hang around with.  Our neighbors or the people in a small group we’re a part of.  From people we enjoy seeing and being with – to those who are important in our lives – to those we absolutely treasure.

Hopefully, we all have some friendships that are in the ‘treasured’ category.  Typically, we don’t have many and to have even one is beyond a blessing.  Some friendships move into this treasured category because of shared hardship.  One of you, or a couple, was going through a very hard time and you were there with them – or they were there with you.  Praying together, crying together, hurting together – friend letting friend know they are important and loved!  It is a refining process that brings forth a quality and depth of friendship that wouldn’t be there without it.

I never cease to be blessed by the treasured friends Donna and I have who enjoy us as much as we enjoy them.  They love to bless us as much as we love blessing them.  They enjoy being with us as much as we enjoy being with them.  The joy and pleasure we experience when we see that a call or text or email is from them.  They brighten our lives.

This is the nature of the friendship that Jesus offers us.  It’s not just being one of the group.  It is an opportunity – an open door to a relationship that He wants to have with us.  It is not just a theological truth.  It is real – something that He wants to manifest in our lives.  It is the stuff that dreams are made of – dreams that can come true!

Treasured friendships are priceless and Jesus offers each of us the best one we can ever have – a friendship beyond imagining.  All we have to do is love Him.  Thankfully He has given us His commands so that we can know that we do love Him.