War has been declared. Battle lines drawn. Armaments ready and terribly able. Troops on highest alert. To fight who? Where? What’s its cause?

No, not traditional warfare, but something with spiritual roots. It’s a battle we Christians can sense heading to our shores. Other earthly regions have been in the thick of it as if forever. I’m referring to the fight to follow faithfully our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and God’s Word, as found in the Bible.

It’s never easy to take an unpopular stand for our Lord. And you know what those issues are at the moment. Where we could compromise to better fit in. To avoid criticism and ostracism from family, friends, and even the church. In many ways, we are up against a wall. Either take a stand or be pushed over it.

St. Paul in 2 Corinthians makes a bold statement that we need to hear–‘We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…’ (2 Cor. 10: 5). Is this too out of reach? Impossibly unrealistic? To put Christ at the forefront?

If so, hotfoot it to boot camp. Open your Bible and dig in. Deep, deeper, deepest. And when you note something that’s contrary to modern culture (and it won’t take you very long to land on some doozies!), then decision time knocks at your door. Who will you let in? The Lord Jesus? Or an ungodly society? Which will it be?

Take every thought captive. Make a prisoner of what has violated God’s ways. Lock it up and throw away the key. Now I know that this is no easy-peasy business, and that I fail as much as the next; but, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the fact remains that we’re in a battle. Christian author C. S. Lewis says that we believers have been parachuted behind enemy lines. Hostile territory requires us to be on high alert. Dangers lurk everywhere, even in the safest of places.

This is no Mickey Mouse business. It’s real. Get ready. Take sides. Battle on. Weary not. Read the last book in your Bible to see how tough life can become, but also note who wins the final battle and war. Any guesses?

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for victories in your name. And all for your sake. Amen.

The line snaked out the door at one of our local supermarkets. Some big grocery sale? Not quite. It was for the ‘Imagination Lottery Machine’ of our state’s gambling association. All lucky winners, I’m sure! Me? I’ve never, ever bought a lottery ticket.

The only lottery I’ve won was one I was forced into. Against my will. Pushed and shoved to take a chance. In the late ’60s (1960s that is, wise guy; and no, not the 1860s!), the federal government instituted a lottery system for the military draft. Ugh! Uh oh! I’ve got a 1 in 365 chance of winning based on my birthday. Pretty good odds, or so I figure.

How’d I do? As I looked down the list of birthdays, I didn’t find mine. I’ve won! Off the chart? An oversight? Hardly. Fat chance of that. So, I go back over the register and discover that the first few birthdays are fully printed out with lots of flowery words to soften the blow for those who’ve won. The first and second picks would be the first and second ones to go off to war. My birthdate? Number two. Oh no. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I’ve won. Or lost. It all depends.

Jonah wins his lottery, too. For he’s the one who’s causing all kinds of trouble for the ship he’s on and for those sailors, all in grave danger of losing their lives in tumultuous seas. As they draw lots, good old Jonah wins. Picks the short straw. All eyes are glued on him. The culprit. This runaway prophet of the Lord wishes he could go back to sleep, hoping beyond hope that all this is but a bad dream. Sorry, Charlie! It isn’t.

In Jonah’s case, he’s turned his back on the call of the Lord. Told to go here, he heads off there. What does God want? Well, He can just take a heavenly hike. Get someone else, while you’re at it. I’m out of here on the first boat to anywhere else. And he succeeds. Sort of. Until.

Well, you probably know the rest of Jonah’s story. If not, it’s only four chapters. Can cover it in less than an hour. Go for it. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord will bring to mind something He’d like you to do for Him that you’ve been putting off. An idea pops into your craw? A nagging thought or two? Your conscience tugs more His way for a change?

Ask for God’s help while being determined to follow through and obey His instructions. Not like Jonah, hightailing it out of Joppa. But there’s more to his story…

Lord Jesus, I want to serve you. Help me to do just that. For your sake. Amen.

Have you read Hosea chapter 8 yet? If not, stop in your tracks, pick up your Bible, and take a good, substantial look. You’ll be flabbergasted at what you find. God’s people plainly have a screwloose or two. What they’re doing won’t hold any water with God.

Here’s a brief catalogue of their rebellion (v. 1) —they claim to know God, yet haven’t a clue what that involves (v. 2-3). They make decisions on their own with nary a nod His way (v. 4). After all, who needs the Almighty? We can handle whatever comes our way. Really?

All the while, they create false gods of things they can touch and trade (v. 6), sowing a gentle wind, and reaping a ferocious whirlwind (v. 7). They seek political alliances with pagan nations (v. 7-10). Even if God wrote His laws on their whiteboards ten thousand times, they’d still consider Him as alien, foreigner, and a weirdo (v. 12). The conclusion to this downer list you’ll find in verse 14–‘For Israel has forgotten his Maker…’

Did I read that right? They forgot the God who made them? The One who loves, cares for, and protects them? Who frees them from slavery in Egypt? And gives them a land flowing with a cornucopia of blessings? Blanked Him out of their minds despite all His generosity? How could that be?

I wonder as I look around at the world we live in. Have we learned anything at all about the biggest questions in life? Smartened up by seeking God and His ways? Giving Him but a passing nod? Not even that?

But am I much better? I realize that the tug of this world takes my gaze away from the Lord Jesus, focusing on money and what we can buy on some primed internet site, wringing my hands in nervous anxiety about things I have little control over. It’s about getting ahead, no matter what, being right at all costs, and having more toys than the next bloke. More…more…and then even more.

The irony is that when we get more, we often wind up with less. Less time to thank the Lord for all His goodness. Far less time in the Bible, hearing from God Himself. Less satisfaction with what we have. Less gratitude for all He gives us. Less time sharing some encouragement with someone who needs it. Giving less financial support for causes that we claim believe in. Less time to smell the roses that God created.

This week, let’s kick back and live life as it’s been given to us by the Lord. How? You know, don’t you? Put on the old thinking cap, asking your Lord for more of Him and less of you know what.

Relish more of less, so to speak!

Lord Jesus, I love you and want to be closer to you every day. Amen.

Oh, to be wise. Mature. Level-headed. Patient. Astute. Shrewd? Maybe in a better sense of the word. Not naive or cynical but perceptive and logical. Any of the above said of me or you? No comments, please!

How to garner some wisdom is today’s quest. I find clues in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Throughout this short prophetic work, Daniel and his three Jewish friends are men of prayer–‘Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of Heaven… ‘(Dan. 2: 17-18). Seek the Lord. Pray.

Daniel knows who to turn to. Whenever and about whatever. To his God, the Lord. The same one we cry out to. When we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we have direct and constant access to God. Can you imagine? So get on the horn and talk it out with Jesus. Every bit. Leaving nothing out. Pray your heart out. Again, whenever and about whatever.

Here’s another smart thought–it’s wise to limit your anger toward those you can barely tolerate. I’m sure it grated on Daniel, the lead wise man in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, to have to rub shoulders with the other religious scholars who worshipped pagan deities. Religious oil and water never mix.

Nevertheless, when King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that all the royal scholars and their families and possessions would go up in a puff of smoke if the king’s dream was not told to him in its entirety; and, in addition, correctly interpreted, it’s then that Daniel jumps in to save not only his own skin but that of all the wise men under his command, including the most pagan of all.

Wise Daniel cares about his opponents–‘…Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation’ (Dan. 2: 24). Can you sense a hint there? I struggle with this. Such compassion is rarely in me. I know I need God’s help. Just me?

Near the end of Daniel’s book, we find more savvy words–‘And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase’ (Dan. 12: 3-4).

Here’s a clever idea–tell others about Jesus. Open up about who you worship and follow. Share already! No particular way is prescribed. Most will do. Find yours and go for it. Speak up. Didn’t someone do that for you?

And don’t forget about that ‘book’ that’s mentioned in verse 4. It’s your Bible, life’s roadmap. It’s without equal. You’ll discover the Word of God guides and comforts you. Ignore it, let it gather dust, and you’ll run everywhere you shouldn’t go, all confused and messed up, scurrying down rabbit trails to who knows where. Basically, lost.

Find your path with the Lord and stay on it. It’s found in the pages of your Bible. Grab hold of it and dig in. Keep plugging away. And, by all means, never leave home without it!

Lord Jesus, be my guide always. Thank you for my Bible. In your name and for your sake. Amen.

‘Don’t you remember?’ Those words sear my heart. Sounds like an accusation about a lack of caring. Not listening. Not paying attention. You know what I mean. Remember?

The disciples in Mark 8 failed to bring enough food to meet their needs. Only one loaf of bread for a boatload of hungry men. But Jesus warns them about allowing sin to rise up in their lives like yeast does for loaves of bread. But, as usual, they misunderstand Him. They think Jesus mutters on about their growling tummies, which cry out for the staff of life.

That’s when Jesus utters these unwelcome words–‘And do you not remember?’ (Mark 8: 18). He harkens back to when He fed over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. His point is that little is much when Jesus is in it. They saw this miracle. All the bounty from His hands right in front of their eyes. No problem meeting seemingly insurmountable needs, even with leftovers galore. The sky’s the limit… and beyond. So, remember, don’t forget. Have a little faith, while you’re at it.

But they forgot. Slipped their minds. Failed to ring a bell. How terrible. So unbelieving, careless, and blind. I can’t understand those blokes. It was right in front of their eyes. You couldn’t miss it if you tried. Seeing should be believing, shouldn’t it? But it wasn’t.

That could be my story as well. And yours, too? To still berate ourselves for sins God has forgiven and forgotten decades ago. Ever fearful at the slightest upset. Thinking that God has given up on us, or even worse, rejected us. That’s never what you or I imagine, is it? Think again. That’s me to a tee. Hits the bullseye. I do remember.

So, isn’t it time to believe Him? To learn by heart His promises? To mull them over and over again? To get serious about our faith? To bask in His mercies and love? Isn’t it time? Seems more like overtime.

Lord Jesus, I believe you. Please help my unbelief. Amen.

Do you like being around someone who thinks they’re better than anyone else? Devoted followers of Narcissus? Perfect fussbudgets, even among believers? Holier-than-thou with spiritual noses perched high in the air? Not me. So, I skedaddle far away as fast as my old legs can carry me!

Don’t worry about hanging around with me. I’m as far from perfect as someone can be. I know myself. Warts and all. When times get tough, I can easily waver in my faith in Jesus. Panic before praying. Expecting to be thrashed and smashed to smithereens. Probably not just me. You think?

Here in Daniel 11, the worst character hits Israel’s national stage. A ruthless renegade draws as much blood as possible. He commits what’s called the ‘abomination of desolation’ (Dan. 11: 31), which is a rebuke of God and His authority, unparalleled in the history of the Lord’s people. Their collective backs are smack up against a hellish wall of evil. Sounds like today’s news, doesn’t it?

What happens to God’s people? Do they stand their ground solidly for their Lord? Let’s find out–‘And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end…’ (Dan. 11: 33-35). But does this only refer to the ancients? Hardly.

For when we stumble, there’s a helping hand reaching out to us. Jesus is strong when we are weak. When we fail Him, as regretful as that can be, He’s there to lift us up, to love us, and forgive us. Others may try to flatter us away from following Jesus, but in time, we’ll come to our senses. He allows us to wander so that we’ll learn firsthand that home with Him is better than anywhere else. This I’ve learned. The hard way.

Come home. Don’t let stumbling keep you down and distraught. Let Jesus help you to get up, to dust you off, to shake off any guilt or shame, and to make you right as rain for Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for helping me to stand with you. Amen.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt uneasy with those who seem to have all the answers to life’s tough questions. They’re so self-confident. Comfortable with what makes me uncomfortable. As if to cut off my dastardly questions as soon as possible. To make me go away or plain disappear.

Reading the Old Testament book of Daniel, we note that God gives Daniel an awesome and horrific vision of the future, which he doesn’t understand, that also makes him utterly sick. However, strangely enough, his lack of comprehension gives me some hope. Not everything God tells us, or that He allows in our lives, will we understand.

Even Daniel didn’t have a clue except that tough times were ahead for God’s people. Oy veh, yuck! So, buckle up your seatbelt. Not just wine and roses. Bad things happen to God’s own precious children. We understand that, don’t we? Or do we imagine that being a Christian exempts us from the difficulties that come from living in a fallen world, where our sin makes life even dodgier?

So, what does Daniel do with this sickening picture? Roll over and play dead? Ignore it all, hoping it goes away? Bury his head in the sand? Blame someone else?

Daniel 8: 27–‘And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.’ When we don’t have a clue about something, busy yourself with what God’s given you to do. Keep on keeping on. Get up and get going. Wallow not.

I’ve received numerous rejections for my writings. Nasty editors making terrible decisions! Guess I could fold up my computer and call it a day, moping and groaning, with my chin scraping across the ground. I could, but I won’t. I’ll write some more. Keep sending them off. Do what He calls me to do. Be stubborn for the Lord. Me, stubborn?!

Now read Daniel 9: 3-4–‘Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy…I prayed to the Lord my God.’ There’s a novel idea! Turn to God with whatever is bugging you and pray your heart out. Ask for His help. Even plead like Daniel did. Wait on Him. Pray some more.

Try not to get in front of God, as I often do, but stay respectfully behind HIm, waiting for His direction and guidance, as I’d like to do. I know–easier said than done. But give it a try. Why not?

That’s good Bible wisdom for when the roof starts to fall in on you, figuratively speaking. Get on with your life as best you can, surrounding it with prayer to your Lord. Give it to Him. He can handle anything much better than you or I can.

Bottom line? If it was good enough for Daniel, it’s good enough for…well, you know!

Thank you, Jesus, for helping me to hang tough with you through it all. Amen.

It seems that distractions have become a toxic way of life. Record numbers of cars running over pedestrians, who were both glued to their smartphones, so-called. How many people’s homes have we entered with their televisions blaring and no sign of turning them off? A subtle hint as to how welcome we are? Any guesses?

Even my thinking seems scattered. Takes more effort to focus and concentrate. Old age or way too many things floating around in my pea brain? No comments from those in the peanut gallery!

Jesus’ parable of the seeds and soil, found in Mark 4, directly addresses the issue of being distracted from spiritual matters. He tells the story comparing people to a plant, off to a good start, that gets choked out by weeds–‘They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful’ (Mark 4: 18-19).

It’s that phrase ‘desires for other things’ that gives me pause. ‘Other things’ like what? Worries about family, or health, or politics, or just plain everything or anything?

‘Other things’ as in grasping more filthy lucre or getting ahead, pushing and shoving your way up some ladder of success, tossing aside anyone who dares to get in your way?

‘Other things’ such as gluing ourselves to digital screens, barely coming up for air, or noticing that oncoming truck? ‘Other things’ can crowd out our productivity for the Lord, making us less useful. More unavailable, leading to less quantity and quality time with Jesus and your Bible.

Like the king in Daniel chapter 5. Belshazzar, by name. He’d heard about the One true God, and how He can humble even the most highfalutin’ monarch, like what God did with his father Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4). Yet Belshazzar turns his back on God as if humming Bing Crosby’s song ‘Going My Way’!–‘And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven’ (Dan. 5: 22-23).

This foolish king was forewarned. He’s without excuse, yet he willingly tosses it all aside. God forbid that we ever do much the same. God forgive us for doing those ‘other things’, which displease our Lord Jesus.

So, this week, look carefully at what ‘other things’ distract us from your Lord. Open wide your spiritual eyes, and let your ears be tuned to hear God. Watch and listen. Then you’ll know. A choice is offered. And then what…?

Lord Jesus, help me to focus on following you. Amen.