What the Forest Knows

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble…A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”—Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12 NLT

The forest knows, because God knows…

Earlier this summer, several towering oaks that had begun to drape themselves over my house were taken down piece by piece, under the skillful watch and hands of a team of arborists. All of a sudden, the sky opened up and much of what had been dark or shaded in my back yard woods was now engulfed in light. Smaller trees were now free to dance when the wind blew.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on those—often, the larger ones help them stand strong in a storm, but on their own, well, they can get into trouble.” The arborist probably didn’t realize he was uttering a modernized version of Solomon’s wisdom from Ecclesiastes, but as he writes elsewhere in the same book, “for everything, there is a season…”

And a reason.

Several weeks later, on a perfectly beautiful day when all was going well and much was being accomplished, and the warmth of the sun and the breeze were better than any multivitamin ever created...broadsided. A conversation remembered that the adversary used to rekindle lying words of accusation, and anxiety, and a strange sense that God was out of the picture on this one. The serpent’s voice from Eden took its cue: “Did God really say?….”

Suddenly alone in a forest of high winds, I was like those saplings floundering for strength. And it is in these broadside crashes of testing when the choice becomes: suck it up like a man and a good independent New Englander and work it out yourself, or call 9-1-1. There are plenty of occasions when the former is an admirable trait, but in moments like these, the best course of action is often to call on a stronger tree.

“Got your back... That’s what I’m here for.”

More than just good a vibe, something supernatural happened as I heard those words. Whatever the broadside was, its stranglehold suddenly began to relent.

There is clearly something comforting when you know someone else is praying or standing with you, but when God is in the middle of it as that “triple-braided cord,” there’s much more (unexplainable) power going on behind the scenes…

…at about the same time that 9-1-1 call concluded, I looked up, and before my eyes was this:

On this day, it wasn’t just another pretty woodland landscape. Instead, it was engulfed in incredible beauty, order, and peace. Tree upon tree, some leaning on others, standing strong and erect together. First, "woah!" and then inner laughter as I thought of my backyard and the words of the arborist: “We’ll have to keep an eye on those—often, the larger ones help them stand strong in a storm, but on their own, well, they can get into trouble.” 

Ecclesiastes, the Word of the LORD, in living color.

Coincidence? I think not. Solomon and many other authors of the Bible’s books continually seek to compare the nature of the perfect God to what can be seen in imperfect nature all around us. It’s not even close, but it’s the closest thing they can think of. “Every analogy between God and natural things,” says John Piper, “is imperfect and will distort if you press it. Nevertheless!…”

The Divine intent is never to worship nature, no matter how much we love it. But we can love it full-on because nature is God’s 24/7 navigator to the One who is worthy of all worship with heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He speaks to me, to us, about Himself, everywhere, every season.

Even on this dark, late fall morning, there is the sound of rain, and with it, a reminder to soak in His presence this new day and seek to be fruitful—not just a hearer of good Words. And, that I can rest in God’s power behind it all to pull off whatever He wants done, even if and when I get broadsided….

“For as the rain and snow can’t go back once they’ve fallen

But soak into the ground and nourish the plants that grow

Providing seed to the farmer and bread for the hungry,

So it is when I declare something.

My Word will go out and not return to Me empty,

But it will do what I wanted;

It will accomplish what I determined.”—Isaiah 55:10-11, The Voice

So be it, yet again, for all who pass by here….

Air Freshener

“But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead—slain—by our own shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for it is by grace—His favor and mercy which you did not deserve—that you are saved, delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation. And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together in the heavenly sphere by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus. He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing riches of His free grace—His unmerited favor—in His kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.”—Ephesians 2:4-7 Amplified

Sometimes, quite often really, you just have to remember to breathe in rich words like these.

Because as glorious as it is to remember the promise of Ephesians 2:8 —“For it is by grace you have been saved…” — it’s those verses that lead up to it that are worth remembering, too, especially during times of much-needed attitude adjustment. The symptoms are unmistakable: that distinct feeling deep in your gut that borders on “butterflies” and queasiness when you realize that your attitude hasn’t even come close to being Christ-like: the way you reacted to a comment, stewed over a situation, or dwelt on the “can’t be done”s instead of the “find a way”s. 

And inevitably, because you're desperate for a way out, half-joking words to break the tension come out of your mouth: “God must be running out of patience with me!” At the same time, in the back of your mind, the enemy of your soul adds lying fuel, “Well, I wonder if that’s true?”

To which we can change the atmosphere entirely by replying (and reminding our own souls, too), that Ephesians 2 is right on, because the Word of God is still active and powerful, a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, and a sword that pierces every attempt of darkness the would try to invade from sunrise to sunset. Words of life, from the heart:

“How can God, the maker of heaven and earth, run out of anything—including patience, grace, and mercy? It is written: God is RICH in mercy and has INCOMPARABLE riches of His grace expressed toward me—in the light and carefree days, and, well, yes, even on “those” days. Always. Endlessly. It is written: His kindness and goodness—and patience—toward His kids is IMMEASURABLE and LIMITLESS. My God doesn’t fold His arms and shake His head no matter how many times I choose to look and run to Him when the stink quotient of my attitude rises. On the contrary, He is richly all in toward me, continually grabs me by the hand, and gets me turned around (again!) in the right direction on this wonderful, never-dull, winding road toward Journey’s finish line."

Few things are truly amazing, but speaking those truths aloud sure qualifies.

Breathe deeply...attitude adjusted.

[ADAPTED FROM 11-19-14]

Fog Chaser

"Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it." (Hebrews 11:1, New Century Version)

What does faith look like? 

On our best days, we like to think faith looks like hiking a mountain trail on a beautiful blue-sky morning, with nothing but trees and rocks and brooks for miles, but knowing that when you get to the top, you will see the panoramas that have always been there. The joy and sweat, and obstacles, and stumbles are all part of the journey. But it's all worth it because once you get to the summit, there it is in all of its breathtaking, never-gets-dull beauty: Glory. 

But maybe faith more often than not looks like hiking a mountain trail on a gray October morning, like yesterday, with nothing but trees and rocks and brooks for miles, but instead of being rewarded with the expected panoramas at the summit, you see...fog. The details of the landscape are all fuzzy. "Where's the big picture? I want to know what it looks like." You want to grab the remote and switch it all to vibrant HD color, but you can't. And with that thought, a jolting reminder: in the journey of faith, there is no remote to grab anyway...

“... Faith is having the courage to let God have control*.”

This particular hike, not the one where everything is sunny and clear, is the real deal, and despite all appearances is the good and right path. Fog along the way is all part of the plan, because if everything made sense and turned out as expected every single time, who would need to believe in a huge God who has never failed on every promise He's ever made? There would be no communion, no relationship, no chance to daily experience the best kind of Love of them all. It would be all about us, and that sort of thing never has a happy ending. This is the kind of hike for which the writer of the book of Hebrews commends those who have gone before us...

Men and women who didn't go to seminary but who nevertheless made a habit of taking God at His word, no matter what the weather, and stepping out, trusting Him for the landing of the next step, assured it was there but still not sure what to expect.

Everyday men and women who had fears and doubts and yet courage and Godfidence*, who like Noah perhaps wasn't sure about this ark thing and yet believed God when all around scoffed, and who like Abraham had a "tent"-living mentality about not settling in to the things of this world like everyone else but living in and enjoying it all the while focused on the naturally supernatural ways of the place that is truly Home. And bringing some of that to the 24/7 routine.

Regular folks who left a legacy for us by determining through trials and triumphs alike that eternal treasure always wins over passing pleasure because as enjoyable as the latter can be, the former always lasts and never loses its joy. And, who like Joshua at the walls of Jericho, reminds us that sometimes standing on God's promises requires a willingness to step out in faith and do what seems foolish and illogical to some, and totally out of your comfort zone....

My hiking companion, who like me had hoped to see nothing but blue skies, surveyed the foggy summit and said something rather unexpected but spot-on, to the effect of, "I like this, too. It's peaceful." Because as much as we think we'd like to be holding that remote, we know we'd make a mess of things really fast. The fog of life is a reminder that there is great peace in a faith that holds fast to the One who has not only blazed every trail but created them, Who always knows the way, and Who is before us, behind us, and beside us every step of the way. Who is never confined by circumstance or weather or anything else but is always there in all of His breathtaking, never-gets-dull beauty: Glory. 

And just as two hikers on a beautifully murky October morning continue their journey, so does Hebrews 11 walk in to the "never give up" encouragement of the opening words of Hebrews 12:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..." 

...Even in the fog.

* Pastor Lon Dean, House of Praise, Castleton-On-Hudson, NY.

Fire Hose Meditation

"Too often, my worship is tamed by the complications and struggles of this world. But I long to be in a place where my fire for God cannot be quenched or washed away, even by the mightiest rivers of opposition. I long for a worship that can never be extinguished."—Matt Redman

A meditation for just another Sunday (or not)...

For every fire hose of life's circumstance this week that has tried to extinguish the priority of First Love, let this morning be a choice to rekindle, to draw near once more to the Fire and comfort of unfailing Love, to be reminded once more by tasting and seeing—not with arms folded, or checking the phone one more time just because, well, who knows why—but by leaning in hard to what and Who alone is truly good so that we won't fall over.

The how is never complicated. The beautiful, Life-giving, Life-renewing choice is always up to us. And this day, we fight again for the good. Today, this morning, let it again ring inside of all who enter to gather, "yes, and amen!" The Sons of Korah in Psalm 48 are pointing the way...

1. Remember to take the time and savor the lyrics even if you've sung them a thousand times before, fight the urge to daydream when the Word is spoken or to keep a mental checklist going so you can go home, and by all means make room for God to invade all our best-laid plans. God is never in a hurry, so go and do likewise..."We pondered Your love-in-action, God, waiting in Your temple."

2. Remember to let the Name of Jesus be found frequently on your lips, in prayer, in praise, in routine. But of course. Except today is the day to choose to remember what you already know but quickly forget when that fire hose hits: There is power, there is peace, there is clarity and direction, there is hope in His Name beyond your imagination and unlike with any other word you can ever utter..."Your Name, God, evokes a train of hallelujahs wherever it is spoken, near and far."

3. When sighing wants to invade and rule your soul, speak back and keep gratitude always and forever close by, and know that when you ask Him for what you need, as we were told on retreat last weekend, "Don't whimper when you ask—you're His kid!" Choose gratitude over and over again because "Your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action."

Lord, no matter how big the fire hose was this week, one more time, we're coming back to the heart of worship..and it's all about You.

"I found that the goodness of God, the very foundation of worship, is not a thing you pay your respects to out of some kind of disinterested reverence. No, it is something to be enjoyed: 'Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!'”—John Piper

"I'm Right Here..."

"In the glory of Your presence, I find rest for my soul. In the depths of Your love, I find peace makes me whole…" from "I Love Your Presence"

After a week of mostly gray, a glorious sunrise followed by a near cloudless sky and warm breeze never ceases to be a beautiful thing. Especially on a Saturday. Everywhere you go, the sun goes—in your face walking, through the open roof on the way to the recycling center, adding golden glows to the emerging colors of fall in the wetlands. And as you go about the day, there is a sense in the back of your mind that the sun is still up there in all of its glory, but as is often the case, life happens and you get caught up in that instead. You forget. You forget that the beautiful thing is still powerfully with you…

…and then, while enjoying a homecoming soccer game, and talking with friends and former classmates about growing up in a small town and the bittersweet of people who have come into our lives and moved on, you stop mid-sentence and grab the back of your neck. It has become really, really, really hot, and you become incredibly grateful that you had the sense to load up with sunscreen beforehand. The sun that you knew was there all along but you had taken for granted, or simply forgotten in the busyness of the day, suddenly grabbed you by the neck as if to remind you: “I am not just up there in the sky somewhere, I am all over you, up close and personal…”

Let's just say that I really needed that type and shadow reminder yesterday, and a whole lot of other days, too—that God’s loving presence that is everywhere, whether we’re asleep or awake, is more than some ethereal, misty feeling without substance. It's a tangible, loving reality that is rooted in the power of His Name, and far more amazing and beyond what my feeble brain can ever imagine or try to figure out.

The great love of the God of the universe is…always…right…here. Dependence, assurance, strength, rest, companionship, and awe are all somehow wrapped into this one mind-blowing, so easily forgotten reality:

“You have surrounded me on every side 

Behind and before me,

And You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder. 

It is the most amazing feeling to know 

How deeply You know me, inside and out; 

The realization of it is so great that I cannot comprehend it. 

Can I go anywhere from Your Spirit? 

Is there anywhere I can  go to escape Your watchful presence?” 

—Psalm 139:5-7, The Voice

Today, whether at church or a soccer field, or someplace that life has carried us, it's a good time to remember (maybe for the gazillionth time), that for every "God, where are You?" there will always be this goodness reply: "I'm right here."

That even if I feel distant, I can know that He is not.

That whenever I am fearful or unsettled, even in an unexplained way, I can know that He is not.

That when caught up in going through the motions and thinking "there's got to be more than this," His answer will always be: "There is. Come and see."

“God’s omnipresence will comfort you better than your own breath. It will comfort you in your own soul. Your own thoughts are heard by Him just as loud as your loudest shout, because God is as near to you as your own breath, as near to you as your blood, as near to you as your nerves, as near to you as your thoughts and your soul.”

—A.W. Tozer

The Good Plan

"A day spent helping no one but yourself is a day wasted."—Abraham Lincoln

A funny thing happened on the way to the daily longing—sometimes spoken, too often merely thought—of “show me Your way, Lord…order my steps today.” God threw a curve ball, and I…

…Where would I be without a daytimer, that old-fashioned paper thing that is a roadmap for my day, and week ahead, smudged with constant erasing of a Number 2 pencil and coffee cup marks? One word: Lost. My smartphone is great at pinging reminders, but sometimes, nothing beats having the big picture right in front of you.

This is my day.

These are my plans.

I will be going here then, so I can’t go there, sorry.

No accidental conflicts.

Looks messy in places, and some days are overloaded.

But it’s all under control.

Until you remember Who has the ball.

Because you can’t always schedule that most noble of Christ-one virtues:

Serving.

Someone else, not yourself.

It is the heart of Jesus, who came to serve and not be served.

“Follow Me…”

But most of the time, you can’t pencil it in.

And more often than not, “Follow Me” shows up on one of those days that’s already on overload.

Or, on those cherished days known as “I’ve already got plans.”

“Here’s the wind up, and the pitch…curve ball. Caught looking!”

“Hey, what was that?”

“Son, you weren’t focusing on the big picture, and why I put you here in the first place. You are not your own—you were bought with a price. Remember, that it is not what you do and all your to-dos (I’ve got your back on all of that), but who are to be. Even today, when your daytimer doesn’t look like you could squeeze in one more thing. Serving can be inconvenient, messy, and disruptive. But it is good. Always good. In fact, being one who serves is the most important thing you can be: “… and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.”

….Back in January, a daytimer of a different sort penciled in all the books I aimed to devour in the coming months. For the most part, it’s gone according to schedule. But I am grateful for a few much-needed curveballs along the way that have helped get that focus back on the big picture “and why I put you here in the first place.” One of those has been frequently revisited but continues to speak loudly and practically: “Naturally Supernatural—God May Be Closer Than You Think,” by Gary Best. Not coincidentally, this passage just so happened to show up right about the same time as the daytimer wake-up call…

“Keep your focus on serving others with all the grace that God supplies, fully expecting Him to breathe on your seemingly natural abilities and empower them to produce supernatural results…and, actively reach for every possible Gift that is needed to build up —whether or not it feels familiar to you.”

And, no matter what your calendar looks like...so help me, God.

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.”— Galatians 5:15, The Message

Crazy Dreams with Good Purposes

Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name.—Psalm 86:11, Living

It happened one night...

I was standing in front a group of people of all ages and several walks of life. The location was not familiar but seemed to be outside. In the front was a group of people who looked eager to be taught the Word of God and were there with a sense of expectancy. Behind them was a group of young children who were, oddly, not fidgeting and wiggling but seemed to have been touched in a powerful way by the Holy Spirit. Behind them was a group like a gospel choir in robes, ready to worship at the first downbeat. And then these words began to come out of my mouth: "God, thank You that You always desire to reveal Yourself to us through Your Word and in other powerful and real ways, so please send us revelation today that we may see and hear..." At that moment, a loud noise arose as from a nearby construction site. The people in the front row were all interrupting, complaining that they couldn't hear. At the same time, the choir group was making hand motions that said "take a picture! take a picture!" of the young children who seemed to be in the wonderful grasp of the Spirit. The voices and noises grew louder, even with an overriding sense that all of us had come, and were determined to stay, to hear from God....

A crazy dream can be chalked up to things like spicy pizza for dinner, life on overload, and a brain working to process through a weighty to-do list. But when the things of God show up in the plot line, it's a good idea to think again.

This one didn't take too much unraveling. This was my life. Maybe yours, too. Despite our best intentions of starting the day with eagerness and expectancy to hear from God, to be filled with the power of His Spirit in a naturally supernatural way, to want to set aside time to breathe in thankfulness and breathe out praise, something inevitably gets in the way:

The noise of every day distractions, from just about every direction. And every time they get in the way, it can feel like our good intentions and mission were a waste of time. "Why bother? Just wait until Sunday morning...."

...Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 19:38-42, ESV)

For some reason, Jesus loved hanging out in the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus in the town of Bethany. And in pulpits down through the ages, the good example of Mary's devotion has been lifted up over that of sister Martha, who seems to be the Gospel's poster child for what distraction looks like. Mary, good. Be like Mary. Martha, not so good. Don't be like Martha.

Except later on, when Jesus learns that brother Lazarus is seriously ill and He purposes to head back to Bethany, these are the stunningly comforting words that John records:

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (John 11:5)

The dream come true is this:

Thank You, Lord, that despite what we may have heard about this story down through the years, You don't play favorites with Your kids. You love us just as much in our times of focused devotion as in our multiplied-more times of unfocused distraction, when life noisily crashes in as an uninvited guest. Thank You that You totally get us. We look at circumstances and how other people may respond, but thank God, You always look at our heart and its intentions and desires. And You love us, oh how You love us still. Love us so much as not to let us off the hook, but to help us to remember, yes, Mary. But not as a comparison to measure up to but as an example for persevering in the good journey; that distractions are a given (even to Mary) on any day, and may be the Adversary's biggest weapon to try to get us off course, but as You said of her, to keep choosing over and over the "good portion," the  better thing. If not hours of devotion, then 15 minutes somewhere in the chaos, or on the run between Task A and Task B. Just...keep...choosing to go there. Or rather, here. Because Here, is strength. Here, is joy. Here, is peace. Here, is perspective on what really matters. Here, is wherever You are, which is everywhere I am, no matter what time of day. However this day unfolds, in peace or going nuts, "let every fiber of my being unite in reverence to Your Name." Yes, and amen.

"So I will rest in Your promises

My confidence is Your faithfulness"