Monthly Archives: November 2014

KNOCKING AT THE DOOR… Revelation 3:14-22

Posted on by

I can hardly remember any one of my relatives who was interested in the things of the Lord. Some yes, but precious few even darkened the door of a church except for a funeral or a wedding.  They seemed uninterested in God.  These were not bad people.  They didn’t commit murder or adultery, that I knew of.  No, these were my Aunt Bertha, my Uncle Herman, Uncle Heinie, Tanta Olkers, Nana Gibson.

Ordinary folk, funny characters all, my family.  But so many seemed to have no interest in God.  After decades of Christian ministry,  I wonder about their lack of curiosity… and my longing for Him.  Why?  What happened?  After all, I’m no great shakes, no one special, no one marked for any sort of greatness.  Not at all.  As you can guess.

Of course, who knows what goes on in the private quarters of one’s heart and soul?  I don’t.  But they seemed to have no interest.  And I always did.  All that I could see around me, from a little boy onward, bore the imprint of His hands and heart.  I could hear Him knocking at the door of my life.  Knocking gently.

Knocking…knocking…knocking…somewhere within.  I sensed that quiet voice speaking my name, wanting to know me and be with me forever.  Me?  Yes…me!  That voice of Jesus…now my friend, my Savior, my Lord having crossed the threshold of my heart.  I don’t know why many of my relatives didn’t seem taken with God.  Maybe they didn’t hear Him knocking at their door or whispering their names?  Why did I?  Have you?  He’s there.  Knocking and whispering to come to Him.  Who could reject such a gentle call?  Not me!

 

 

Prayer:  Lord, I hear you and thank you for being in my life through your Son Jesus Christ.  May all in our families hear you and love you as their own Lord and Savior.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

WOULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT!…Psalm 124

Posted on by

It was so embarrassing.  I couldn’t believe it.  I was sharing with a client how someone else, who remained anonymous, had done so well in the stock market because they didn’t know how to stop their monthly bank authorization of $20.  Every month for years and years, $20 mysteriously flew from their bank account into their unfathomable mutual fund account with our company. These folks were now wealthy, but didn’t have a clue.  A financial planner with our company hadn’t been to see them in decades.  They couldn’t even make heads-or-tails of their quarterly statements, which were dense and arcane.

As a brand new planner in their area, I went to see them.  Very quickly it was obvious that this was an uninformed  couple– now worth quite a bit of money!   I asked them why they continued putting hard-earned money into something they did not understand.  Their answer was priceless–‘we didn’t know how to stop it!’  As it turned out, they sure were glad that ignorance was bliss, with a lot of shekels thrown in for good measure!

Now this wasn’t embarrassing for me, it was joy and happiness for them.  What was, though, was that when I was sharing this story with someone else, they finished my punch line for me because I had told them this same inspirational story before.  I was repeating myself… and they let me know it.  Red in the face!  Where’s the door, let me out!  I still cringe at the thought.

Maybe I’m just getting older(who said there’s no ‘maybe’ about it?!), repeating myself over and over.  Here’s a helpful thought, though.  Psalm 124 repeats a thought unashamedly!  Verses 1 and 2–‘if it had not been for the Lord who was on our side…’  Stated and then restated in the next verse.  Why repeat the idea that without God, we’re toast?  Wiped out, ruined, come to nothing and no good?  Well, I guess it’s repeated because we need to keep reminding ourselves of where and from whom all of life and its blessings truly come from–the Lord and He alone!

Keep repeating it even when you don’t feel like it.  Especially then.  Over and over.  Would you please repeat that– ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth'(verse 8). Keeps us humble and grateful.  For if He made all creation, He can and will take care of us.  He’s on our side.  He loves us.  Really!  That’s worth repeating all day long!  I’ll say it again…’if it had not been the Lord who was on our side…’

 

 

Prayer:  Oh Lord, how easy it is for us to forget that all of our life is from you.  Thank you, over and over, for everything.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

GIVING WHO THE COLD SHOULDER? … Jeremiah 6: 1-15

Posted on by

I don’t like it when someone gives me the cold shoulder.  Who does?   Being looked down upon, held in contempt, with an eye-full of scorn.  I remember a boss of mine, in a church no less, who used to greet me by saying, ‘well, how is everything in your little life.’  Little life?!   I was too young at the time, and too afraid to say what was on the tip of my tongue!  Poor guy, he was so impressed with his big-shot life!  Guess I should have been too, but I wasn’t!

No one likes to be treated with scorn.  And that’s what the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah says about how God’s people treat Him and His Word.  With scorn and the cold shoulder. Can you believe it?   Jeremiah 6: 10–‘to whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear?  Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen;  behold, the Word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;  they take no pleasure in it.’

God and His Word an object of scorn?  Might as well spit in His face.  That I do not recommend.  For us, who are believers in Jesus Christ, we know that with the difficulties of life, we can place each and every one of them squarely on His broad shoulders –and He will carry them for us.  He shoulders our burdens.  His are the best to lean upon.  The God, in whom I take such great pleasure, and whose Word is a lamp to my feet, a light to the bi-ways  of my not-so little life!

Give Him the cold shoulder?  Who…to God?  What are you crazy?  In Jeremiah 10:21 the Lord tells the prophet to proclaim that ‘…the shepherds(the religious and political leaders) are stupid and do not inquire of the Lord…’  Call it what it is…to ignore the Lord, not to seek His will and love is just plain s…t…u…p…i…d!  That’s what it says.

Let’s be smart…lean on Him, His shoulders are broad and strong and good.  Take pleasure in Him and His Word.  Enjoy!

 

Prayer:  Lord, we love you.  We need you and thank you for always being right there, shoulder to shoulder, next to us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

SO NICE TO BE INVITED… Psalm 122

Posted on by

Isn’t it nice to be invited?  Whatever the occasion, it doesn’t really matter to me.  A graduation, a wedding, dinner at a friend’s home, to our church to pray for all kinds of needs.

Years ago, my wife and I were invited to a Bar Mitzvah of a dear friend’s grandson at the local synagogue.  It was quite an honor to be included as if we were special friends to them, which we were.  To be invited meant so much.  To be thought of,  to be wanted, for them to be honored with our presence…that’s so special, isn’t it?  Don’t you feel that way when someone you care about let’s you know that they want you to be with them,  to share that special moment together?  Of course you do.

Psalm 122 verse 1–“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!'”  Invited to God’s house…they were wanted and welcomed into the house of the Lord.  Not them alone,  but you and me as well.  Invited to be in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  His nail-pierced and -scarred hands are always open to us.  Always reaching out in our direction…to reassure us of His love and His desire for us.

God is reaching out to everyone all the time.  If only they would listen…and open the door of their hearts (Revelation 3:20).  If only they would open their ears and eyes.  If only they would stop the cacophony of strident voices all around, and to sit in silence at His feet and hear His wonderful voice in the Word of God, the Bible.  If only…

The invitation has been in the mail for a long time.  Have you responded to Him, to His invitation?  He loves you and will forever.   Like the psalmist who said ‘I was glad when they said to me…'(Psalm 122:1), you’ll be glad that you RSVP’d the King of Kings and accepted His invitation of salvation and new life.  I’m glad, so glad… And you?

 

 

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for inviting me to have a relationship with your Son Jesus Christ.  What a privilege.  In His name.  Amen.

HIDDEN BUT NOT IN HIDING… Psalm 119:9-16

Posted on by

The other day I decided to read all of Psalm 119 in one sitting.  It’s the longest chapter in the Bible.  The longest Psalm–all 176 verses.   Have you ever done that?  I’ve done it many times.  It is the most amazing psalm of all.  Dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that it is an Hebrew alphabet acrostic. What in the world is that, you might ask?

There are 22 sections of 8 verses each in Psalm 119, with each section beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The first letter of each of those 8 verses of every section begins with the same letter.  So, the 1st eight verses all begin with the letter ‘Alef’, the next 8 all begin with ‘Bet’… and so on until you get to verses 169-176 where all begin with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, ‘Taw’.  A masterpiece of creative writing, at its very best.  All praising the Lord for the gift of His Word.  His Law and commandments, statutes and precepts…all those synonyms for His gift of the Bible, from A to Z, all inspired, all truthful, all encompassing.  From beginning to end, we have a gift from Heaven that is incomparable.

While visiting our son and his family, one of our grandsons blessed us by repeating some verses from the Bible that he had memorized at his kid’s church program.  He was six years old.  And to hear him share God’s Word from his heart was about the biggest joy we could ever experience.  He is hiding God’s Word in his heart.  Hiding it, not hidden away for none to see, but putting it in the deepest part of his life, his heart and mind, so that as he grows up and experiences all the things that happen in life, those words will be there for him.  To help him…to guide him…to bring him back to where he needs to be and where he needs to go.

Did you start that young in life putting God’s Word deep within?   I didn’t.  I was a teen and my memorizing the Bible was hit-and-miss, at best.  But who cares when you start?  The only tragedy would be to never start at all.

No matter what your age…get into God’s Word.  Get it into your mind and heart.  If you do, I know that that’s a regret you’ll never, ever have.  Start today…maybe sit down and read that amazing Psalm 119, all in one sitting!  Not a bad idea, if I must say so myself!

 

 

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Bible.  As I spend more time with you each day, open up its treasures to me to see you in all your glory.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.