embroidery

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. Looking at her work from the underside, I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was.

As I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

 

hurt

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.”

It starts with a growl. “Grr…” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr…”

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?

The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.

I caught my husband with another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not—would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I’d have my pound of flesh.

I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to.

Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay.

Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life—without me.

I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am—a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life.

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God’s mercy.

No wonder, then, the wise man pleads, “Above all else, guard your heart.” (Proverbs 4:23)

David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:10)

-max lucado

burden

Come with me to the most populated prison in the world. The facility has more inmates than bunks. More prisoners than plates. More residents than resources.

 

Come with me to the world's most oppressive prison. Just ask the inmates; they will tell you. They are overworked and underfed. Their walls are bare and bunks are hard. No prison is so populated, no prison so oppressive, and, what's more, no prison is so permanent. Most inmates never leave. They never escape. They never get released. They serve a life sentence in this overcrowded, under-provisioned facility.

 

The name of the prison? You'll see it over the entrance. Rainbowed over the gate are four cast-iron letters that spell out its name: 

                                                                                        "W A N T"

The prison of "Want". You've seen her prisoners. They are "in want." They want something.They want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner. They want.

 

They don't want much, mind you. They want just one thing. One new job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don't want much. They want just one.

 

And when they have that "one," they will be happy. When they have "one," they will leave the prison. But then it happens. The new car smell passes. The new job gets old. The neighbors buy a larger television set. The new spouse has bad habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con breaks parole and returns to jail.

 

Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one transfer away, one award away, one person away, or just "one thing" away. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it -- you are in prison, the prison of "W A N T".

 

"... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."  (Philippians 4:11-12)

 

And what is that secret?  Paul answers that question in the next verse.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." [Philippians 4:13)

fire

"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:3)

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi.  As they were studying chapter three they came across verse three which says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and to report back to the group at their next Bible study. That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

 

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" 

 

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it."

If you are feeling the heat of the fire today, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.

hurting

Have you ever uttered the words "Why is this happening to me?  I mean, after all, we try to live right.  We pray, we go to church, we read our Bible, we try to be a good husband (or wife), but still this terrible thing has happened to me. What did I do to deserve this? Why did they treat me so badly? Why do things happen to hurt me so much? Where is God when I need him? Why did he allow this to happen?"

If you are looking for some fantastic, new revelation to answer these questions you're going to be disappointed, because I don't have one. I have only the old answers you have heard before, but that doesn't make them any less true.

You see, more than likely you don't deserve all the bad stuff that is happening to you.

Where is God and why didn't he stop it? He's still in heaven watching over his creation. Why didn't he stop it?  For the same reason he didn't stop it when they came and took his son to be crucified.

There are some things we just have to see through to the end on our own, not because He doesn't care, not because He doesn't love us, but because that is one way our faith and reliance upon Him grows and is strengthened.

There is a good chance you have heard the following story, because it is a favorite of preachers. A man tells that one morning he had discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree. He noticed that a butterfly was trying to emerge from the cocoon. He waited a while, but it took so long. Finally, he decided to help the poor creature along. Slowly and carefully he tore the cocoon to help the butterfly escape. The butterfly started to come out, but its wings were folded back and crumpled. The butterfly valiantly struggled but could not make it and soon died. The man had forced the butterfly to come out before its time without a struggle. As he held the little body in his hands he realized the terrible thing that he had done. It was the struggle to come out of the cocoon the butterfly needed to pump the fluids into its wings and give it strength - without the struggle it died.

If you are going through tough times right now or if you do in the future, don't label God as uncaring and don't give up on Him. It may be that you need to strengthen your wings of faith to be what you're supposed to be. If he reached out and interfered, you may never grow into what he has intended you to be. Paul writes "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthinas 10:13)

what....?

Have you ever uttered the words "Why is this happening to me?  I mean, after all, we try to live right.  We pray, we go to church, we read our Bible, we try to be a good husband (or wife), but still this terrible thing has happened to me. What did I do to deserve this? Why did they treat me so badly? Why do things happen to hurt me so much? Where is God when I need him? Why did he allow this to happen?"

If you are looking for some fantastic, new revelation to answer these questions you're going to be disappointed, because I don't have one. I have only the old answers you have heard before, but that doesn't make them any less true.

You see, more than likely you don't deserve all the bad stuff that is happening to you.

Where is God and why didn't he stop it? He's still in heaven watching over his creation. Why didn't he stop it?  For the same reason he didn't stop it when they came and took his son to be crucified.

There are some things we just have to see through to the end on our own, not because He doesn't care, not because He doesn't love us, but because that is one way our faith and reliance upon Him grows and is strengthened.

There is a good chance you have heard the following story, because it is a favorite of preachers. A man tells that one morning he had discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree. He noticed that a butterfly was trying to emerge from the cocoon. He waited a while, but it took so long. Finally, he decided to help the poor creature along. Slowly and carefully he tore the cocoon to help the butterfly escape. The butterfly started to come out, but its wings were folded back and crumpled. The butterfly valiantly struggled but could not make it and soon died. The man had forced the butterfly to come out before its time without a struggle. As he held the little body in his hands he realized the terrible thing that he had done. It was the struggle to come out of the cocoon the butterfly needed to pump the fluids into its wings and give it strength - without the struggle it died.

If you are going through tough times right now or if you do in the future, don't label God as uncaring and don't give up on Him. It may be that you need to strengthen your wings of faith to be what you're supposed to be. If he reached out and interfered, you may never grow into what he has intended you to be. Paul writes "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthinas 10:13)

major

David just showed up that morning. He had left his sheep-watching to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers on the battle front. That’s where David hears Goliath defying God.

 

Read the first words he spoke:  "David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)

 

David shows up discussing God.  The soldiers mentioned nothing about him, the brothers never spoke his name, but David takes one step onto the stage and raises the subject of the living God...

 

No one else discusses God. David discusses no one else but God!!!

 

David sees what others don’t and refuses to see what others do. All eyes, except David’s, fall on the brutal, hate-breathing hulk,,,  The people know his taunts, his demands, his size, and his strut.

They have majored in Goliath.  David majors in God. 

He sees the giant, mind you; he just sees God more so.  Look carefully at David’s battle cry: “David said to the Philistine, You come against me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Sam. 17:45)

 

Prayer:  Lord God, train us to walk on your path. Teach us to see you in situations that are dangerous and difficult. Like David, when we are surrounded by overwhelming challenges may our thoughts and words turn first to you. Rather than discuss the problem, remind us to discuss you. May our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night be centered on you. Rather than worry about the impossibilities, let us major in your mighty power. When we am tempted to look at the giants in our lives, we will choose to look at you, Amen.

 

dresser

A woman is dying from an STD.  A minister is summoned to visist with her.  He attempts to share God's love with her, but to no avail.

"I am lost," she said. "I have ruined my life and every life around me.  Now I'm going painfully to hell.  There is no hope for me."

The minister saw a framed picture of a pretty girl on the dresser. "Who is this?" he asked.

The woman brightened. "She is my daughter, the one beautiful thing in my life."

"And would you help her if she was in trouble, or made a mistake? Would you forgive her? Would you still love her?"

"Of course I would!" cried the woman, "I would do anything for her! Why do you ask such a question?"

"Because I want you to know," said the minister, "that God has a picture of you on His dresser."

...wait

"...but those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31)

 

We spend many minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years rushing through life only to find ourselves waiting, waiting, and waiting some more.   We wait at the doctor's office; we wait at the grocery store; we wait at the post office; we wait at the pharmacy; we wait for our children to grow up and then anxiously wait for them to come home again. Waiting is hard, exasperating work. The fact that we hate to wait has created a "quick fix" society.

 

We microwave our food;

We pump our own gas;

We process our words on a computer;

We write notes of affection on the internet (not paper);

We jet to locations far and near;

We hear news from across the world in fractions of a second;

We eat out because it takes too much time to cook...  and so on.

 

In our world, waiting is bad. However, in God's world, waiting is good. God has given us many instructions on the necessity of waiting. Let's look at some of these:

 

"My soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation." (Psalm 62:1)

 

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart" (Psalm 27:14)

 

"Blessed is he who waits..." (Daniel 12:12)

 

"We have waited for Him and He will save us." (Isaiah 25:9)

 

"I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense." (Psalm 59:9)

 

Did you notice the words used by those who wait on God? These are not words of frustration and confusion. These are words of strength, salvation and blessings. Waiting on God, as David, Isaiah and many others learned, means letting go and letting God. It involves study, reflection, prayer, solitude and time apart from the world.

 

We microwave...

    God works miracles.

We rush...

    God refreshes.

We get angry and impatient...

    God gets busy reorganizing our priorities.

 

Hurry Up And Wait!

Spend time giving time to God.

Block out a section of your calendar for the Son of Man.

Then sit quietly...

     sh... shhhh... and wait on God.

live

It is not enough to own a Bible; we must read it.
It is not enough to read it; we must let it speak to us.
It is not enough to let it speak to us; we must believe.
It is not enough to believe; we must live it.

"Be ye doers of the Word; and not hearers only..." (James 1:22)
-william a. ward

his-story

We have just come through the Easter season, and this season has caused me to realize once again the importance of the "Historic Reality" of the Word of God.  Almost two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul called the time span of the Life of Jesus Christ "the fullness of time".  It was God's given moment in time when the Father chose to send forth His only-begotten Son to be the Savior of the world - to live, to die, and to resurrect from the dead.  It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that declares for all mankind that salvation is now a reality for all who believe!

The Bible is a book of history - "His-story"!  It is a historic record of God's salvation extended to mankind.  The Old and New Testaments are a continuum of events that declare the reality of God's love for mankind, and His desire for all to enter into His plan of salvation.

In fact, the plan of God for mankind's salvation began even before the world was created.  Ephesians 1:4 states, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."  Mankind must decide what they are going to do with that reality!

As I recently re-read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John concerning the last days Jesus spent with His disciples, I was reminded of the historic importance of these eyewitness accounts.  Men who were there, and who experienced the tension of the last days in Jesus' life, the horror of His crucifixion, the despair of His burial, and the JOY of His resurrection were commissioned by God to write down these historic events for all of mankind.  This commission was carried out through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Peter's words recorded in 2 Peter 1:16 declare, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."  John affirms the same eyewitness testimony when he declares that he was an eyewitness.  Here is John's statement in 1 John 1:1-2: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us!"

We have just celebrated a historic reality - Easter - just as we will celebrate the historic reality of the independence of our nation on the fourth of July!  Many today will not give the same credibility to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as they do to the historic reality of our nation's independence.  This, however, does not make Jesus' resurrection from the dead any less credible.  The same rules of historic evidence apply in both instances.  Each individual must decide what he or she is going to do with these historic records of Jesus Christ.

I remember one time when I was ministering in the jail there was a young man of the Muslim faith who shouted at me, "Are you telling me that if I do not believe in your Jesus that I am going to hell?"   We had been talking about the statement of Jesus in John 14 verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."   My response to him was, "The words I just read are not my words, but they are the words of Jesus Christ."  This young man was going to have to decide for himself what he would do with the words of Jesus Christ.  This decision is one that everyone who hears the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, and Him alone, will have to make.  This historic proclamation found in Scripture is one I want to encourage Christians to declare with boldness.  The assurance of the historic record was declared with boldness then, and we must declare it unashamedly in the trying times we are living in.

Please, be encouraged to declare with boldness God's message of love and salvation in Jesus Christ - the same boldness Peter demonstrated before the Sanhedrin when asked to give an explanation of how a lame man was healed at the temple: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?  Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?..Rulers of the people and elders of Israel; If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  [Acts 3:12-4:12]

-chaplain ken trevethick

story

Herman and I locked our general store and dragged ourselves home. It was 11:00 p.m., Christmas Eve of 1949. We were dog tired. We had sold almost all of our toys; and all of the layaways, except one package, had been picked up. Usually we kept the store open until everything had been claimed. We wouldn't have been happy on Christmas knowing that some child's gift was still on the layaway shelf. But the person who had put a dollar down on the package never returned.

Early Christmas morning we and our twelve-year-old son, Tom, opened gifts. But I'll tell you, there was something humdrum about this Christmas. Tom was growing up; I missed his childish exuberance of past years. As soon as breakfast was over Tom left to visit his friend next door. Herman mumbled, "I'm going back to sleep. There's nothing left to stay up for." So there I was alone, feeling let down.

And then it began. A strange, persistent urge. It seemed to be telling me to go to the store. I looked at the sleet and icy sidewalk outside. That's crazy, I said to myself. I tried dismissing the urge, but it wouldn't leave me alone. In fact, it was getting stronger. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer, and I got dressed. Outside, the wind cut right through me and the sleet stung my cheeks. I groped my way to the store, slipping and sliding.

In front stood two boys, one about nine, and the other six. What in the world? "See, I told you she would come!" the older boy said jubilantly. The younger one's face was wet with tears, but when he saw me, his sobbing stopped. "What are you two doing out here?" I scolded, hurrying them into the store. "You should be at home on a day like this!" They were poorly dressed. They had no hats or gloves, and their shoes barely held together. I rubbed their icy hands, and got them up close to the heater.

"We've been waiting for you," replied the older boy. "My little brother Jimmy didn't get any Christmas." He touched Jimmy's shoulder. "We want to buy some skates. That's what he wants. We have these three dollars," he said, pulling the bills from his pocket. I looked at the money. I looked at their expectant faces. And then I looked around the store. "I'm sorry," I said, "but we have no --"  Then my eye caught sight of the lay-away shelf with its lone package. "Wait a minute," I told the boys. I walked over, picked up the package, unwrapped it and, miracle of miracles, there was a pair of skates! Jimmy reached for them. Lord, let them be his size. And miracle added upon miracle, they were his size.

The older boy presented the dollars to me. "No," I told him, "I want you to have these skates, and I want you to use your money to get some gloves." The boys just blinked at first. Then their eyes became like saucers, and their grins stretched wide when they understood I was giving them the skates. What I saw in Jimmy's eyes was a blessing. It was pure joy, and it was beautiful. My spirits rose.

We walked out together, and as I locked the door, I turned to the older brother and said, "How did you know I would come?" I wasn't prepared for his reply. His gaze was steady, and he answered me softly.  "I asked Jesus to send you."

The tingles in my spine weren't from the cold. God had planned this. As we waved good-bye, I turned home for a brighter Christmas.

Author unknown 

decided

There is a song I remember from the days of my youth that I still find running through my mind. The opening line goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back." Those were brave words for a young man in the early battles of life's struggles with Satan. They brought to mind shiny new uniforms and victorious battles -- a hero of the Faith with medals of valor. 

The second line was even more presumptuous. "Though none go with me, Yet will I follow. No turning back, no turning back." It never crossed my mind how lonely that boast might be. After all, if David could "Walk through the valley of the shadow of death" and "fear no evil," surely I could walk alone in the earthly shadows and be brave. 

But, the years have passed and the battle is still engaged. The uniform is worn and tattered. While there are many scars from the wounds, there are no medals to attest to heroism. In fact there has been precious little to point to with pride. There have been days of glory, but also days of shame. 

Wonderful moments when the Spirit has blessed me "soar on eagle's wings," and days of deep darkness and despair. I have come to understand the Psalms of King David much more clearly as he rides the roller coaster of the battle of life. But, the song is still there... and though ragged and scarred, I find the words of decision no less true. 

I have learned that with all my strength I am a pitiful mismatch for the forces of Satan, but I serve in the army of a King who has assured the victory! I long for the faith of Job to cry out, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him" (Job 13:15), but I find "O God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), much more appropriate. Still, the song hasn't gone away, "I have decided to follow Jesus!... No turning back, no turning back!" 

-bill sherrill

prayer

"And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years" Acts 13:21

 

One of my friends said it yesterday. I had heard it before. I have said it before. "You had better be careful what you ask for (in prayer), you might get it."  Indeed, that is exactly what happened to Israel. 

All the other nations had kings. Israel had an old prophet. All the other countries had national leaders. Israel had a high priest. Israel asked the aging prophet for a king. They wanted to be like other nations. They wanted a figure they could look to for protection. They wanted a king. (If you remember, Moses said this time would come. He prophesied that they would want a king. He also said that king would lead them in wrong paths.) 

So God gave them a king. Saul. He reigned for forty years. He was an imposing figure, head and shoulders taller than his countrymen. He was strong. He was humble. He was promoted to king of all Israel -- and he was a failure.  As time passed, Israel began to see that their king was just a man with all of man's weaknesses. He may have been strong as an ox, but he was as weak as a hollow tree in spirit. He lacked the mental strength to be a powerful leader. He became overwhelmed with his own authority -- his own ambition. And he fell. And he almost took Israel with him. 

We have all been in Israel's position. We want what we want and we want it now! Not only do we want it, but we demand that God provide it. We don't want to wait for it. We don't want to pay the price for it. We don't want to save for it. We want it -- NOW! And God had better come through because if He doesn't we will do it ourselves. And we pay the price. And that price is much higher than the cost of the thing we want. It is a spiritual price that goes far beyond a few dollars. It saps the soul of strength. It drains the spirit of energy. It taps the resources we have reserved for God's mission, and we suffer for it. We are in pain. We are weakened. Because of our weakness, others begin to suffer with us. 

We no longer have the spiritual fortitude to help our brother or our sister. Instead we are pulling from them the strength they need for their own battles. A downward spiral has begun. The trail of smoke can be seen for miles around. Doom and defeat seem eminent. But wait. Inside that hulk of a dying body is a pilot -- no, The Pilot. He has not bailed out yet. He has not given up the ship. He is pulling. He is fighting the battle for us. And He has the strength to pull us out of that fatal nosedive we have forced upon ourselves. 

At the last moment, the flaming hulk of our life is saved and set on a path to recovery. Not because of our strength, but because of the authority of the One who knows how to save the dying. 

Israel had his David. We have our Jesus. Both are redeemers. David saved a dying nation. Jesus saves a dying soul. Behold, your redemption draws near. 

soldier

I am a soldier in the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of Warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,
    ...trained by experience,
    ...tried by adversity,
    ...and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this Army or die in this Army;
But, I will not get out,
    ...sell out
    ...be talked out
    ...or pushed out.

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.
If my God needs, me, I am there.

I am a soldier.
I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered,
    ...petted,
    ...primed up,
    ...pumped up,
    ...picked up,
    ...or pepped up.

I am a soldier. No one has to call me,
    ...remind me,
    ...write me,
    ...visit me,
    ...entice me,
    ...or lure me.

I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place,
    ...saluting my King,
    ...obeying His orders,
    ...praising His name,
    ...and building His Kingdom!

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.

I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
   I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
   I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this Army, I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even.
I will win.

My God will supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ.

Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me.
Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me, and
Hell cannot handle me!

I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain.

I am a soldier, in the Army, I'm marching, claiming victory.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am a soldier, marching, Heaven bound.
Here I stand! Will you stand with me?

fixer

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

I am into fixing things. If something breaks, get out the masking tape, superglue, or bandages. We all knew my dad could fix anthing, from a picture frame that fell apart to a table leg that had broken. All you had to do was take it to him and you knew he would get it fixed and back to you.

My husband is a fixer, too. Our granddaughter says emphatically, when something, like a flat tire on her bike needs fixing, or a splinter in her finger, “PopPop can fix it.”

There are some things we just cannot fix, though, no matter how hard we try. We cannot fix broken hearts. That is a real tough one, but not too hard for our God.  Luke 1:37 tells us, “nothing is impossible with God”. The Lord himself said, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)

When we take our broken hearts to the healer, the One who created our hearts, we can have them fixed. The only real fix for a broken heart is the Lord….His mercy, His kindness, His gentleness, and most of all His loving presence. He is not only the ultimate creator, He is the ultimate fixer.

That is good news.

-sally i. kennedy

encouragement

"Let us encourage one another." (Hebrews 10:25)

One writer observed a mother walking with a small handicapped child whose both legs were in braces. He was having a difficult time but his mother was right there with him encouraging him at every step.

"That's great! You're doing splendidly," she kept repeating.

"I want to run," the boy called.

"Very well, try it," his mother encouraged enthusiastically. As he did, he tripped and almost fell and as would have excepted his mother was right there beside him and caught him so he wouldn't hurt himself. "You did fine," she said again, "and next time you will do even better."

God, too, knows our limitations. He sees our brokenness and doesn't expect us to be able to make it alone. He knows we can't run with a broken leg. He also knows we can't live the Christian life without help and encouragement. He wants us to know that he is right there beside us to encourage us to keep trying and to keep growing and become stronger.

God also knows that we need supporting friends to encourage us, to help keep us on track, and to keep us accountable-as none of us can make it alone.

-dick innes

choice

"I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91:2)

Mrs. S. had lived alone for many years and got out only with the help of a wheelchair. Every Sunday she wheeled herself into the side aisle of our sanctuary (one without handicap access) where she worshiped enthusiastically. She always seemed to be "up." People smiled when they were around her.

One evening Mrs. S. spoke to the youth of the church and was asked how she could always be so alive, so full of joy. She responded, "Because I *choose* to. I had no choice about living the last half of my life as a widow or having one of my sons killed in the Korean War. And I certainly I didn't choose to have to ride around in this chair for the past ten years. But one thing I did choose - to be happy. I decided to make the best of every day and to see the best in every person."

A friend who had been a missionary in South America told me of taking some American visitors through his city. One of them spotted a beautiful, large poinsettia tree in front of a small house as they passed by. The visitor wanted to take a picture and, not realizing that the plant was brittle, reached up to pull down a branch for the camera. A six-foot length of flame-red poinsettia snapped to the ground.

At that moment the woman of the house stepped out of the door and confronted the gringos standing there, poinsettia branch in hand. Humiliated, they offered to pay for her loss. But they could no more fix the personal damage than they could repair the tree. Still, instead of adding to their embarrassment, the woman cheerfully asked them in for tea. She chose to forgive them, to overlook their clumsy behavior. She chose to offer them grace.

Nothing is more crucial to the quality of our lives than the choices we make about how we approach the circumstances and relationships of each day. In the end it is that attitude which largely determines the outcomes we will find. The Lord made today, but it is we who decide how we will live in it. I *choose* God as my refuge . . . I *choose* to believe . . . I *choose* to find a way. 

-dr. michael a. halleen

waiting

"Those who wait upon the Lord, will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like the eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

"...for twelve years she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse." Mark 5:25

"While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said, "Why bother the teacher any more?'" Mark 5:35

Parents waiting for children out past curfew know it. Couples having trouble conceiving a child know it. A family separated by overseas military service knows it. A person needing an organ transplant knows it. A candidate for law or medical school knows it. A pregnant mom 10 days past due knows it. A person struggling to be hired for a job knows it. In fact, at one time or another, most of us come to know this brooding beast. It's the long wait -- that drawn out time of fretful anticipation and extended longing.

"Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength..."

Often, this is easier said than done. Before we get to "mount up on wings like eagles," we often have to obediently grind away through the brutal passage of agonizing time. Before we can "run and not grow weary," we have to trudge on as anticipation dims and hope's flickering flame fights against the winds of despair. Many times, we just have to keep walking and trust that some hidden grace will help us "not faint."

That's what makes this story of Jairus' daughter so compelling to me. Like you, I don't like to wait. In my mind, if there is any privilege for those with power and position, one should not have to wait! "They" surely don't have to wait like I do. "They" get to move to the head of line. "They" get to throw around their weight and get what they want when they want it.

In this case, however, "they" (or more accurately, "he") didn't. (see Mark 5:21-43) Instead, Jairus' humbling approach to Jesus, an approach that could cost him everything in sacred society, was interrupted by a desperate woman who had faced "the long wait" herself as she had hopelessly gone to every healer available to her, and no doubt prayed incessantly for her own cure. This woman, who could not go into the synagogue because of her uncleanness, derailed the hope parade of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue.

I find two things amazing about both of them. First, neither complains about his or her wait. Not the woman, who has spent her fortune on false medical hopes, nor Jairus, who has spent his respect capital to associate himself with a suspicious teacher. Both wait for their Lord to act.

Impatiently waiting? Probably! But, they waited and received their grace. Second, they both received the personal attention of the Lord -- the man of power who could expect that attention and the woman on the fringes who, in her day, could not expect it.

Jesus refused to let the woman have an anonymous miracle!

He personally and specifically blessed her. Jairus' daughter would not be healed for the crowd, but only in the closed intimacy of Jesus' chosen few and Jairus' family. Both waited faithfully. Both received the personal attention of the Master! Each received his or her heart's greatest desire.

This is not a story about long ago and far away. It is a reminder that Jesus is there for those who wait. It is a renewal of the ancient hope that God will act for those who don't give up during the long wait. You see, the issue isn't the wait. Instead, it is all about refusing to give up hope when the journey seems so long (12 years for the woman) and the problems so insurmountable (a dead 12-year old daughter for Jairus).

Maybe you face the long wait right now. Maybe your heartbreak or shame or disappointment or loss seems insurmountable. If so, I want to encourage you to come back to this story of the powerless woman and the powerful man and remember the place their broken hearts met, the place their broken dreams were mended, and the place their long wait ended. Know that place is really a person, and his name is Jesus.

-phil ware

...shift

Night Shift

(Psalm 134:1-3)

Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. (Psalm 134)

Years ago when I was attending seminary, I worked the night shift on occasion. It paid a little more money than the day shift, but I was a bit lonely. If you've ever had to work the night shift, you will appreciate Psalm 134.

God never slumbers or sleeps. Therefore, we can serve and praise Him any time of day. The psalmist says there were priests who prayed and praised God in His temple at night. There was a constant repetition of praise and prayer from the temple.

We can bless the Lord in the night seasons. It's not easy when we are going through the nighttime experiences of life to lift our hands and bless the Lord. But He does give us songs in the night. Paul and Silas were able to lift their hearts in praise to God while in the Philippian jail (Acts 16).

They were on the night shift. They knew that God was awake, so they blessed Him, and He sent deliverance. We can get some strange blessings in the night seasons, for God speaks to us in different ways. Others may not see your praise at night, but God sees and hears.

Whether you are in the sunshine or in the darkness, whether you are serving on the day shift or the night shift, remember that you are serving the Lord. Because He never slumbers or sleeps, He hears your prayer and praise at all times, and He will bless you.