For too long I’ve struggled with doubts. Not about God or Jesus. Or the Bible. But my relationship with the Lord, being one of His own. Am I a Christian or not? Or am I kidding myself, thinking and hoping I’m a child of God, when, well you know? Maybe you grapple with some of the same? I wouldn’t be surprised. But hopefully not.

Still, I must get over this, don’t you think? Can’t I, Lord? A light goes on for me as I read Psalm 46. Why not stop now and read it yourself? Did you? Whether you did or didn’t, let me add my two cents. It’s verse 10 that grabs my heart and mind–‘Be still, and know that I am God…’ (v. 10). Actually, I’m zeroing in on a fraction of that verse.

‘Be still…’ means to be quiet, to stop in your tracks, put your hands at your side and stop fighting. I could almost hear the Lord saying to me, ‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still!’ Stop wrestling with what I promise you. Believe me. Accept my love even as I do with all your faults and failures. So, calm down and let me lift you up, putting you back on track after you’ve stumbled into some dirty, dusty rut.

It’s so hard for me to accept what He promises. To relax in Him. To lead a normal Christian life. Why is that? I imagine it goes back to when I contracted polio and was removed from the suburban home my family had moved into the week before, to a strange town, in an unfamiliar place. Then rushed to a polio clinic in a large city hospital, not seeing any of my family for weeks on end (had they all died?), placed in isolation in a noisy polio ward filled with other crying, crippled children while given hot pack water treatments and exercises that must have felt like I was being tortured for something I’d done horribly wrong. At age two? What did I do? I must have concluded that life could turn terribly wrong at any moment for any old reason. Or none. Who knows?

So, the Lord wants me to hear Him saying, ‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still! In the face of any unknown, beastly, grim whatever–‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still!’ When I think about how far off the mark my life matches up to the holiness and righteousness of God, I hear Him saying, ‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still!’ Or how I’ve hurt others with my careless comments, hoping also that God will forgive me. He again whispers, ‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still!’ Or that I’ll never be worthy in any way, shape, or form to be in God’s paradise, heaven. ‘Shhh! Quiet! Be still!’

He says more. Verse 10 goes on–‘…and know that I am God.’ These promises are directly from the Lord. That Jesus’ love is nothing I can earn or deserve. It’s His gift. His grace and mercy wrap themselves around me, reassuring me that I do know Him. That nothing can rob me of God’s greatest gifts. And that more and better are sure to come. So, relax, already.

‘Shhh! Quiet!’ ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Ps.46:10).

Lord Jesus, I love you and thank you for always holding me close to you. Amen.

Don’t call me Gideon! If you do, I won’t answer. I have issues with him. Here’s the plus side–Gideon’s one of the judges of ancient Israel. An early one before they acquired kings. Both Gideon and Samson have the most written about their terms of service. But Gideon’s unique–the only judge, recorded in the Bible, who speaks directly with God.

So, what’s wrong with good old Gideon? What’s not to like? Here are my thoughts. Even though he hears directly from the Lord, and God encourages and compliments Gideon for his heroic character, Gideon cowers in unbelief and self-doubt despite all God’s promises.

Let’s check out some background. Israel has some nasty neighbors. The Midianites, who are distant relatives, pillage the land and steal as much of Israel’s food as they can. They’re human locusts. That’s why Gideon is found threshing wheat in a winepress, hoping the enemy will not look into this out-of-season place. And in that hiding place is where God calls Gideon to defeat those sneaky, thieving, so-called and no-good relatives.

Gideon grapples with what the Lord promises him–“‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house’. And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you will strike the Midianites as one man'” (Judges 6:15-16). Basically, Gideon can’t imagine how this will work out– this deal with the Lord. He’s refusing to take a risk on the Lord, even with God’s promises of help and protection ringing in his ears. Gideon still begs off, wanting to back out.

Finally, as a last-ditch effort, as if shaking in his boots, Gideon puts those fleece tests before God. You remember them, don’t you? If not, read the latter part of Judges 6. It’s sad to see someone who hears from God and still doesn’t believe, who knows that God has helped his people in the past, yet still lives in fear and trepidation in the present, while biting his fingernails about the future.

Don’t call me Gideon! But if I’m honest, you should. Way too often I read of God’s promises, and yet I walk around fearful of when the next shoe will drop. Wondering if something horrible is just around the bend. That I’ll fall flat on my face as if God couldn’t care less. That my best wishes will dissolve into some nightmare scenario. Like the Lord doesn’t even exist. And if He does, He’s against me, wants to see me stumble, nose-dive, and collapse. Maybe even toss a handful of Kosher salt in my wounds. Oy vey, call me Gideon!

Best not to be too hard on that Bible character. Rather, I myself should learn to trust what the Lord says. To stop testing and fleecing Him. And get in line behind Him, as a follower. Let Jesus take the lead. And for me to trust my Lord that He’s as good as His Word… always.

Okay, I know that I’m no sterling example of anything. I get that. Boy, do I! But lest I ever forget that I’m forgiven, cleansed, made new, and born again because of Jesus and His good promises. Understood, Fischer? I’m trying. I know, very! But God knows that I’m worth the effort. You are also. Do you believe that? Do you?

Lord Jesus, I believe in you and trust you. Thank you for being my Savior and Friend. Amen.

Somewhere I read that the most important words you can say in a relationship are ‘thank you’. I thought it was ‘I love you’, but maybe the article referred to all kinds of relationships, not exclusively a husband and wife. Shouldn’t be hard to say those two golden words, should it? Do you hear them very often? Or have we become an entitlement society? Others expect whatever from us? ‘Hand it over. I deserve it’. You get the point.

I have to ask myself if I utter those two words regularly. Or have I fallen into an ingratitude trap, presuming my rights. Should be easy-peasy to say ‘thank you’. Hardly any effort involved. So, why is that so hard?

That story in Luke 17 tells of ten men with a disease that requires lengthy quarantine. The condition is called leprosy, but in the Bible that word covers several communicable skin diseases. Whatever it is, it’s highly contagious. As Jesus walks by, these ten men cry out from a secluded distance–‘…Jesus, Master, have mercy on us’ (Luke 17:13). Immediately, the Lord does exactly that, while telling them to show themselves as healed to some religious leaders, verifying this miracle. At first, these men notice no change in their malady until they start on their journey and then, yes, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, they’re all healed! Each and every one. Clean as clean can be. Skin as smooth and blemish-free as a baby’s!

The reaction of those ten men to this supernatural wonder? They stampede back to Jesus? Hardly. One, only one, stops in his tracks and heads back to Jesus. He’s the only one to go out of his way to thank the Lord. The only one who bothers to take some time out of his busy schedule to offer thanks. The only one–‘Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving thanks’ (v. 15-16). At least one showed gratitude. But only one? That’s it? Why is that so hard?

I wonder how many Christians spend much time thanking Jesus for all He’s done and is doing for them? Or do we only pray, asking for things for ourselves and some others, time and weather permitting? I’ve known some to ask God to increase the value of their stock portfolios! No, not me. I remember asking a church prayer group to solely offer thanks to God for the first part of our weekly meeting. Praise and thanks exclusively to our God. Well, guess what? That lasted about thirty seconds. Why is that so hard?

Why? To thank God? He deserves it, doesn’t He? We should be more responsive and grateful, shouldn’t we? I’m looking in the mirror now. I’m no better than anyone else. But honestly, I don’t want to stay that way. Effort is called for. A determination to be more open with my thanks. Not in a forced way, though it may feel that way at first. Or rote, when the same old praise words get used, nauseatingly, over and over again. And certainly not hoping that my thank-yous will lead the Almighty to give in on things I’ve asked for that haven’t shown up yet. Twist His arm by buttering Him up. ‘Leave It to Beaver’s’ Eddie Haskell of prayer time!

But be spontaneous, fresh, and alert, and, of course, thankful for many good reasons. Let Him know how much you appreciate and love Him. That without Him, your life would be dull, drab, and doomed. It isn’t, is it? Quite the contrary. And all because of Him. This week I’m going to thank Him more and more. Genuinely heartfelt. At least I hope to.

That won’t be too hard, will it?

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all your love. A million times over, thank you! Amen.

A religious leader approaches Jesus asking a rather pointed question–‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment…?’ (Matt. 22:36). Without a moment’s hesitation, Jesus says this–‘…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment’ (Matt. 22:38).

Here’s my question–how can you command love? Love me or else? Doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Not in our culture, where love is voluntary. A choice to make. A reaction to someone or something that grabs our hearts and minds in the most positive ways. I love my wife. My sons. Our precious grandchildren. My brother and sister. Our church family. Don’t have to force the issue when I say that I love them.

Why do I love my wife? Let me count the ways. My first impression of Sue was her kindness. She was exactly that then and still is. I love her for many more reasons as well. But no one had to command me to love her. That wasn’t necessary. The more I got to know my wife, the more I loved her. And still do. Even more so.

The same with Jesus. The more I know Him, the more I can’t help but fall deeper in love with my Lord and Savior. All the hints God gives in the Old Testament foresee the coming deliverer. The One from God who would also be God in the flesh. Whose humble beginnings were in that little town of Bethlehem. Jesus’ stories, called parables, capture imaginations two millennia later. His healings and miracles reveal someone much more than mortal man. And finally, how misunderstood and mistreated He was by those who should have known better. They did know but turned their backs on Him anyway. Nevertheless, He died for all who place their hope and trust in Him. How could we not love Jesus?

I remember when I first heard about my Savior’s love for me. I’d never heard even a whisper of that in the church I attended. Had no idea that Jesus knew I existed until one Sunday evening when I heard Billy Graham speak on his radio program, ‘The Hour of Decision’. That was my hour when I decided to trust Jesus.

How He’s changed me. Challenged me to be less fearful. More giving and loving. And best of all, since I know myself better than anyone else, His forgiveness. How I need that…past, present, and future! And He gives me what I need. Not only for me. You too?

Heaven awaits at some unknown time. I used to stupidly say that ‘heaven is my home, but I’m not homesick.’ Well, I’ve changed that tune, big-time. For I still want to do what the Lord wants me to do here and now, spending good times with family and church, but to be with Him then and there, well, won’t that be heavenly? Just out of this world!

You see–I love Jesus. And I know what He means about commanding love. That the longer I know Him, the more love I’ll have for Him. It flows from my heart because of who He is. Those of us who know Him can’t help but love Him!

Lord Jesus, I love you and thank you for all you mean to me. Amen.

So many people, even those of us in the Rebel colonies (!), seem captivated by royalty. Their lives and foibles. Their comings and goings. Ups and downs, of which there are plenty of both. Who would want to be one of them, anyway? Not me. Such a lack of privacy, coupled with the temptations of oodles of moolah, along with disloyalties behind every tree. Yet we’re fascinated by them.

The Book of Deuteronomy gives clear instructions for a king. Of ancient Israel, in this case. But as I read Deuteronomy 17, I’m impressed with how applicable those words are for anyone at any time and place. Good words for royalty and for peasants like me!

Moses penned them over 3500 years ago. In ancient times, with technology in its infancy at best, they had the brainpower to memorize what God said and passed it along by word of mouth. Pen and ink, paper and parchment, were too primitive or pricey for the average Josiah. So, they kept God’s Word in their minds and spoke with each other about what the Lord had to say. All with pinpoint accuracy.

Deuteronomy 17: 14-20 gives God’s directives through Moses to any future monarch. They’re stated as a series of negatives and positives. Which shall we start with? Let’s hear some no-nos. What to avoid. Like being a king who has no relationship with the Lord God. The King of Israel not knowing and obeying Yahweh God? Seems rather wacko. On the contrary, it’s was more the norm then and now. Nevertheless, Moses lays down the Law–the ruler must not be an ungodly infidel. Period. No discussion allowed. Finis!

Many years ago I promised the Lord that I’d never be involved in a church that didn’t preach the gospel. Where the offer of salvation by Jesus alone wasn’t made. Where current cultural issues ruled its roost. Rather, I pledged to be in a church where the pastor and congregation take the Bible seriously and are devoted to following Jesus. You’ll sense the difference if either of these is missing. If so, high-tail it out of First Church of Dodge and find one that truly honors the Lord. Take the royal high road as God commands.

Again, the king should know the Lord personally and not be a materialistic greedmonger. Not having wives galore. In other words, someone who is faithful, obedient to God, and helpful. A money-grubber and flagrant sex fiend is not the kind of leader the Lord supports. Okay, that’s the gist of the negatives.

Now off into something more positively heartwarming. All good. Not only for royalty but for all God’s people. Here’s what the Lord says–‘And when he (the king) sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel’ (Deut. 17:18-20).

Be someone who takes their Bible earnestly and thoughtfully. Quit horsing around. Simmer down, already. Spend quality and quantity time in its pages. After all, it’s not some podcast or internet news outlet. Nothing artificial about God’s intelligence. Hardly. It’s the revelation of the Lord Almighty. Give it the respect it’s due. Delve deeper into it rather than toying with what the culture dictates. Not everything in society is evil. Hardly. But when it comes to truth, well, you know, God has the final word. So, let Him have it!

Read those verses in Deuteronomy 17 again, and ask yourself if you’re putting them into action. Am I living like a royal child of the King of Kings? And listening to Him? Am I? In truth, I must admit that I need some improvement. I see that. But through prayer and patience, relying on the Lord to do what He wants with good old me, those upgrades and spiritual retrofits are on their way. Slowly. But surely.

Lord, I want to live the way you want me to live. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

I was reading about what’s called the ‘Imposter Syndrome’. Usually hits very successful people. People with power and wealth. That we envy? Maybe. Maybe not. For many of them, the fear of being discovered, called out as the fakes, phonies, ands imposters that they feel they really are, absolutely shivers their timbers. If only others knew, giving them the jitters from being called a playactor or worse, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, rather than the real thing.

Probably, there’s some of this in each of us, if we’re honest. The person we present to the world somehow lacks genuineness and transparency. We’re not all we’re cracked up to be. The person inside does not match the one outside. Know what I mean? Again, if they only knew.

Like how mean-spirited I can be in my thoughts. The revenge I’d like to see happen while writing about forgiveness and kindness. Those cutting thoughts about someone I consider a friend. That I can be hard-headed and harder-hearted. I could go on and on, but I fear you’ll discover the real person within me! Or will you?

Reading John 15, I’m challenged to hear what Jesus says. To listen intently and without distraction, if that’s possible. Lend Him my ears. And, most of all, to believe what He says. Like what? That I’m a child of God (vs.1-5). Really? That I’ll grow closer to Jesus as I follow Him. Honestly? That my life will be productive for the Lord and others (vs.5-8). No kidding? This is the real deal. Jesus isn’t faking it. But remember, it’s only as long as we stay close to Him. And you know whether you are or aren’t. Don’t you?

Prayer matters (v.7). Not so much my feeble words as the One who answers prayer. And that I’m loved by God the Father and by Jesus, His only Son (v.9). Chew on that for a while. That Jesus calls me His friend (v. 15). Can you imagine? He’s not really that desperate, is He? No! But if He only knew the real me. If only. But He does. Everything. Through and through.

Reading this chapter from John’s Gospel, I’m challenged to believe what Jesus says. Be all in. Allow His promises to sink in for a change, crowding out that imposter feeling of being a phony-baloney Christian. If only He knew. Well, as I said before, He does. Still, He gives His promises. It’s not about me and how good I am. For good I’m not, truth be told. You want good? Look above to the Lord.

So, I’m taking Him at His Word. Yes, two steps forward, one back, remembering that Jesus is patient with the likes of me…and you. After all, He’s our friend. Remember? While you’re at it, take that syndrome and cross it out with all that our Lord did and does, said and says. And stand tall. Standing on what? Right! His promises.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for calling me your friend. Amen.

I shy away from those who seemingly know all the ins and outs of Jesus’ second coming. Ever since I accepted the Lord Jesus into my life and welcomed Him, getting off my high horse and showing some humility for a change, knowing how undeserving I was and am, I’ve been suspicious of second-coming hucksters, out to profit from being so-called prophets of the Lord. When His disciples ask about the details of His promised return, Jesus sets them straight. Makes it clear as a bell.

Matthew 24: 36–‘But concerning the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.’ Get it, boys? The inside story is God the Father’s, and He’s keeping it to Himself. Not to the angels. Not to God the Son. Without exception, only the Father. It’s His prerogative concerning the when, where, how, and what of end times. Details kept close to the vest. We’re in the dark while He’s not.

Does this bother you? Need to know? Have to know? Why keep us in the dark? What’s to hide? Good questions. Here’s a better one: What to do in the meantime? As I read my Bible, I discover that God is good and kind, caring and loving. Yes, He will judge and discipline me when appropriate. He knows what’s best for me. And for you, too. Remember, He’ll never abandon us. When He promises to stay with us, He means it.

With a clearer view of God in mind, I can trust that whatever happens at Jesus’ second coming will be right on target. No mistakes from heaven above. This helps me. I can have some peace, struggling less with things that I can’t know. Staying in the dark, while holding God’s hand, is not so scary after all. Quite the contrary.

But it’s not all darkness. Read Matthew 24: 45-51, and once again you’ll discover what we can do while we wait. Like a good Boy and Girl Scout: ‘Be Prepared’! Take your Christian life seriously. Don’t fool around with your faith. Be who you say you are. Not only on Sunday, but follow Jesus every day of the week as if each one is the Lord’s day. Get in step. But remember to follow. Let Jesus take the lead.

And discover the gifts He’s given you for service, and use them. What He shows you to do, do. That’s enough to keep Satan’s wish of our idle hands quashed, while making us productive members of God’s family. The other stuff? Let’s leave that to the Father. After all, He knows best.

Matthew 24: 42–‘Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming’. Enough said! Is it?

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing me the way to godly living. Amen.

What to do? About what, exactly? Today’s title offers no hints. But the Gospel of Matthew sheds light faster than greased lightning, whatever that means. Jesus’ followers pepper Him with questions about His second coming. He’s told them that someday He’ll return. He promises to make everything right that’s plain wrong, restore what’s been damaged, ushering in a glorious Kingdom without end.

But Jesus’ followers wonder. They speculate. When, already? Next week? A month from the last Sabbath? Sometime over the rainbow? Half past never? They wait, with bated breath, for His reply. What’s on the agenda? Not just when, but what to do in the meantime?

Sorry, guys, but the details of Jesus’ second coming aren’t for us to know. Not our business. Only the Father knows (Acts 1: 7-8). And He’s not telling. Sure, lots of preachers and Bible teachers have made their life’s work predicting the how, when, where, who, and what of Jesus’ second coming. And lots of sincere believers have sold the store following someone else’s guesses, only to come up empty.

The Bible is clear as can be that when the time is right, Jesus will come back. That’s all we need to know. However, the Lord does tell us what we’re to do in the meantime. Read Matthew 24: 9-13. Here’s what’s said in a nutshell– times will get tough for Jesus’ followers. Some will pay the ultimate price: their lives. Others will be tempted to follow false teachers. Love will be a rare commodity. Emotional coldness and apathy will foul the air.

But for the one who hangs in there, who endures to the nth degree, who doesn’t give in or give up, who returns to the fold after realizing their mistakes, those followers will be saved. Jesus calls you and me to remain in His camp. Not to go spiritually AWOL. To take our name as Christians seriously. To mean what we say and say what we mean. No more shilly-shallying, lockstep with the latest cultural fad, begging to be accepted, liked, and popular. Also, no more fence-straddling with God’s Word. Either you believe the Bible or you don’t. God said it, I believe it, that’s settled. Take a stand. Be all in for your Lord. As Jesus said–‘But the one who endures to the end will be saved’ (Matt. 24:13). Be ‘the one’!

There’s more on God’s what-to-do list– ‘ And this gospel for the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’ (Matt. 24: 14). What to do? Get with the program. Support whatever grabs your heart that lets others hear about Jesus’ love for them. Get creative. I won’t tell you what to do. Figure it out for yourself. Better yet, ask for God’s help, His wisdom, and direction. Pray, remembering those on the front lines for Jesus, and especially those behind enemy lines. As you wait on the Lord, has He shown you what to do? Then get with it.

And who knows? I don’t, and you don’t, but maybe, just maybe, Jesus will return even this week. So, as a good Scout–be prepared!

Thank you, Jesus, for promises made and promises kept. Amen.