Life in Small Bites

“Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father…. I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught.”—1 John 2:24-27, The Message

With a piece of toast in hand, and the clock pleading to get going before the traffic builds up, two little phrases jump out from a larger story as your Bible opens to 1 Corinthians 4:

“Do not go beyond what is written.” (vs. 6)…and a reminder to your hurried soul that the Gospel is enough, and that though many authors and teachers may shed a flashlight on its gems, they are not the Light. And perhaps more important for these times, a much-needed first alert to stay the course while a variety of voices and influences compete for your attention, and a cultural tsunami dares you not to watch this, think about that, or go there.

“I am sending to you Timothy…who is faithful in the Lord.” (vs. 17)…and a reminder to your hurried self that no matter what is on your plate for this or any day to come, let this be your one aspiration, and what remains when all is said and done—not as an achievement to check off but as an expression of Love that overflows...somehow, some way, somewhere.

And you are the most surprised person in the world to realize that, at the end of the week, these two little phrases gleaned while trying to get out the door are sticking to your ribs. How does that work?

Not that we should settle for a habit of worship-lite, but it's good to know God is not confined by our own preconceived ideas of what an ideal “quiet time” or “daily devotional” should look like. Instead, He is more into having His kids keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking —to learn to build and nurture the relationship as you go, to “stay with what you heard…and let it sink into your life.”

Perhaps especially on those days of "toast in hand and the clock pleading."

Speak Volumes

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you creatures of the ocean depths,
fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    wind and weather that obey him,

mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all livestock,
    small scurrying animals and birds,
kings of the earth and all people,
    rulers and judges of the earth,
young men and young women,
    old men and children.

Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
    For his name is very great.--Psalm 148:7-13

These words may lay silent on the page, but plug in the sound effects and see what happens... 

The volume becomes deafening beyond anything we’ve ever experienced. Not obnoxiously loud, but a joyous surround-sound so symphonic and full that, instead of wanting to plug your ears and run for cover, you just can’t contain yourself--even if you feel you can't carry a tune or handle words very well. It is the sound of every created thing shouting "Glory!," and though you can't explain how or why, you just know you were born to add your voice....

Lord, somewhere underneath yet another snowy sky this morning, the sun has come up and a new day is dawning. And today is the day that You have made to make Your glory known yet again, and for Your kids to rejoice in an unshakeable Hope when all around seems to be shaken and uncertain.  Help us to remember, yet again, that praise to You isn't praise unless it's expressed.

Even the snowflakes dance.

Making a Statement

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves." –John 14:8-11

At one time or another, we've probably felt dazed and confused like Philip, or Thomas who spoke before him, in the presence of the living God:

 “Yes, but how can I know for sure?”

 “I’m trying to grasp this, God, but my head is spinning—nothing You’re saying seems to make sense at the moment.”

We can picture ourselves so clearly in their shoes, it can be uncomfortable to read what comes next.

Not surprising, then, that it’s easy to zoom right past Jesus’ response and think we heard Him say: “C’mon, man, don’t you get it yet?!,” instead of what He is really and lovingly saying, even today: “C'mon, have I ever steered you wrong? Won't you trust Me?" Instead of a full-on rebuke, there is encouragement in the correction—a timeless understanding by our Father that every one of us is prone to get spun dizzy by a world gone mad and think, “Gosh, I don’t know what I believe anymore.”

And this is why, whether in the early morning stillness of the kitchen, before the pounding surf at ocean's edge, or gathered as one voice with the saints, our worship regularly needs to make a statement. For all of our Philip and Thomas moments (and there are lots of them), we need something at the ready, deep from within, that we can assertively nail to the wall with an emphatic, “There!”

We need a creed. A chiseled-in-stone statement of faith that "believes on the evidence" of things both seen and experienced, and that rests on the fact that it is enough that God has said it. So be it, Lord.

An Apostle’s Creed.

A Nicene Creed.

A singing creed.

Better still, even one of our own making, in our own words from His Words that shout "This I believe!" in the face of sometimes un-believable-I-don't-get-it circumstances. A creed is a stout reminder that ours is a fantastic walk of believing faith, far removed from being blind because it is led by the only One who has never misstepped. Ever.

Nail your creed to the wall, read it, read it aloud especially, sing it, eat it. Do it again and again. For your own soul, and especially so that you'll...

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.—1 Peter 3:15

Choice Words

“Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.”—Psalm 19:14

God, this is clearly one of the best things I can pray each day.
What could possibly be more uplifting to You, to my soul, and to others
Than to ask You to help me to choose spoken and written words carefully...
And suppress the urge to speak and write those that are careless?
And then the root of it all:
To know that if my heart stays tender by sticking close to You and Your Words,
Seeking to please You in thought, deed, and attitude...
...Then the words that overflow out of my mouth and brain
Should be mostly devoid of sarcasm, poison, and barbs.
And instead be
Mostly powerful ones of grace, encouragement, and humility.
What the world needs now.
(By the way, I’m really glad You’re OK with words like “should” and “mostly.”)
This may be a prayer-in-progress, but not mission impossible.
Because You inspired that verse in the first place. 

For a good reason. 

So, since You have said nothing is impossible with You, 

I’ll put all my chips on that promise and go for it. 

Because You also inspired this:

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. “—Philippians 4:8

And there are no better words to live by than those.

The Ride of Your Life

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”—Philippians 1:6.

Some mornings on the way to work, there’s someone with a 5-speed on your bumper, itching for a chance to blow by you once there’s an open stretch of highway.  And then there's you and the three hybrid car drivers in front of you, who for some reason have no itch at all and are barely reaching the speed limit.  You desperately wish you were that other guy with the zippy 5-speed Focus sport edition, enjoying the ride.

Because you love those mornings. The words in the Word seem to zoom off the page straight into your heart, and you are jolted with wonder, amazement, and insight. But other days, you feel like you're hugging the breakdown lane: the words move by slowly without a sound—or worse, stare right back at you.

“God, what have I done I wrong? And where are You, anyway?”

Probably nothing. And still here.

There are a million reasons why our passion for God on some days is not as zippy, white-hot as we’d like. Go no further than everyday distractions, discouragements, and a mental to-do list that often seems overwhelming.

You just…can’t…Focus.

It’s good to know that God is not puzzled or freaked out by any of it. In fact, He has a great response for all our days, whether 5-speed or stuck in traffic:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

Unswervingly may not qualify for most dictionaries, but to break it down, to swerve means “to turn aside suddenly from a straight course.” So, to un-swerve would simply mean:

Stay steady.

Look straight ahead.

Hold on tight to what you know is True.

Beware of "I've got this" cruise control.

Relax, trust the Road Map, and keep going.

To live unswervingly is learning to rest in the simple fact that the ups and downs of life are God’s way of building and refining the character of Christ in us—that in all things, He's doing a "good work within" to make us better reflectors when we get out onto the road of a new day.

“Gospel-centered discipleship is not about how we perform, but who we are—imperfect people, clinging to a perfect Christ, being perfected by the Spirit.”—Jonathan Dodson, “Christ-Centered Discipleship”

'Even When I Cannot See...'

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.’”—Genesis 12:1

Someone has described blind faith as something that “can be practiced by anyone, including atheists. Blind faith occurs when someone puts their faith in something without any evidence.” (As a side note, this same definition listed a word related to blind faith: “stupidity.”)

It's good to remember that no matter how nice, pleasant, and almost antiseptic our culture has reinvented the definition of faith, the one handed down to us by Abraham is hardly blind and definitely not stupid. In fact, the example of Kingdom faith set by our spiritual fathers and mothers is, in more ways than one, “out there” bold. It’s life-on-the-edge, extreme power walking with the Creator of the universe, and has a seed so volatile, it can move mountains with just one word.

Faith in God’s leading in our lives may not mean actually leaving one place to go to another, but it will continually challenge us to let go of what is familiar, safe, comfortable and practical—even to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” Each day presents "trust Me" moments that are a mind-bending adventure, challenging every comfortable thought pattern, mindset, or habit that makes sense...

...and that wants to keep our finger on the control button.

Contrary to blind faith, the kind of faith we get to grab hold of is, as the Amplified puts it, “the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality—faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.”  And what is that conviction? Simply that there has never, ever been an exception to this: “God said…and it was so.”

Lord, help us yet again today to remember that amazingly wonderful conviction, and to step out as You lead.

Would I believe you when you would say

Your hand will guide my every way

Will I receive the words You say

Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith

Even when I cannot see ....

(from "Walk by Faith" by Jeremy Camp)

Follow the Oak

"In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." — Isaiah 61:3

For most of the spring and summer, oak trees tend to go unnoticed, blending in with the rest of the landscape. But they sure stand out in the fall when you're trying to rake the lawn and are waiting, waiting, waiting for the oak to drop the last of its leaves. Never happens. And in the dead cold of winter, you look up, and there they are, still hanging on. "What's with that?"

Well, consider:

• Where other trees tend to root in shallow soil, the oak's tap root goes deep and straight down for nourishment and water, so that it is able to adapt to and withstand prolonged seasons of drought;
• Its root system when added up is measured in miles, not feet; it is not satisfied with surface or easiest to grab soil, but can dig, twist, turn, and stretch around hard or rocky ground in search of sustenance and strength;
• That nourishment and persistence results in a wood whose density is known as one of the strongest and most hardened of all God's trees;
• And, accordingly, resistant to attack by bugs, fungus, and "ites" of every kind;
• And those leaves that won't fall off? Something within an oak's fruit system is always alive, no matter how cold or difficult the season. 

Not surprisingly, the same God who calls the stars by name also really knows His trees, and more than that, knows which one in particular best symbolizes the child of God who believes, increasingly trusts, and persistently walks with Him. The great oak is what we are positionally, and what God desires us to be practically.

Little wonder, then, that there seems to be this strangely persistent longing to put down deeper and stronger roots in our walk. Maybe because that's what we were re-born for: to stand faithful in a world of ever-increasing confusion, to love more with the kind of Love that endures forever...

...to be one whose life is so marked by persevering faith, hope, and joy in its Maker that it might prompt someone, someday, to ask "What's with that?"