Take the Back Road

 

(Photo: Good News Magazine)

More timely words from the journal…

Maybe not every day, but often enough, I come to a crossroads in my decision-making with two paths to choose—one, the well-worn, comfortable, tempting path of the world’s way of doing things, the other one much less traveled and with a One-way rougher but incredibly beautiful route of faith that seems to disappear into who-knows-where over the horizon.

And at each crossroads of life—whether the biggest decisions or the littlest ones— the anthem I keep hearing ringing in my ears is the same: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15). 

Choose for yourself things not to be checked off but to be walked out over and over again.

Things Jesus said and did.

Things He said and did only because His Father was saying and doing them.

Things His first followers saw Him do in the routine of their days, and then sought to do likewise,

And then wrote down for our benefit some 2000 years later.

A roadmap for the much less traveled path.

Things like this:

"Love others well, and don’t hide behind a mask; love authentically.

"Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it.

"Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers.

"Be first to honor others by putting them first.

"Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work.

"Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord.

"Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner.

"Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer.

"Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing;

"Take every opportunity to open your life and home to others."—Romans 12:9-13, The Voice

At every crossroads, then, take the back road and choose Life as it was meant to be lived.

And as you go, stay the course.

Keep listening for the still small voice of Wisdom and lean not on your own understanding.

Listen, even, to the confirming words of the great New England poet Robert Frost, who probably didn’t even realize he was speaking prophetically when he wrote…

“Two roads diverged in a wood,

And I—I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

—from “The Road Less Traveled” 

When It's Always Sunday

 Photo: Daniel Alexander @ stayalfresco.com

“…Day and night, they never stop saying [singing]…” (Revelation 4:8-11)

Let my worship be at any and all times

Anywhere

And not confined to Sundays

Or, even wrapped up in the definition of “singing”

Let my worship be at any and all times

Everywhere

Because, look!

A foretaste of heaven is all around us:

People from every tribe and shape who You love and long for everlastingly…

What it will look like around Your throne

And landscapes that declare Your hugeness and majesty and beauty

Like those tiny, fragrant flowers that bask in the glow of a field that few notice

But You see them all…Because nothing and no one is too small or unimportant to You

And sunrises and sunsets that declare Your faithfulness

Even when my internal weather may be unsettled...

Everywhere I look (if only I will),

I see Your goodness in the land of the living

All things are Yours

Even those things, like black flies and stink bugs

That make me go, “Why, God?”

Maybe, just perhaps, so that I would simply ask You

And keep the conversation going

At any and all times

About any and everything

Anywhere

Everywhere

To remember over and over and over again:

This life and breath You’ve given me is by You, and from You, and for You

And to remember that I can rest in this promise over and over and over again:

In You, "all things hold together”

(Whew!)

You are the glue of my life and of a world that seems totally unglued

Seems

So let my worship be at any and all times

Anywhere

Everywhere...

A worship that grooves to a regular rhythm of

Looking Up, looking all around at what and who You made for Your pleasure

Even in the routine of the day, whether difficult or smooth-sailing

And think good thoughts, yes,

But also, let it out!

Loud, even

Your will be done on earth, in me and from my lips,

As it is, and is being said and sung right now in heaven

24/7

To remind myself that going to church is good...

... But it’s not my destination

It’s a launching pad to bring Sunday with me

Anywhere

Everywhere.

“The blessed and inviting truth is that God is the most winsome of all beings, and in our worship of Him, we should find unspeakable pleasure.”—A.W. Tozer

[Updated from 4-30-17]

On Being Well-Seasoned

(Photo: Justin Meckes @ unsplash.com)

Some timely words from the journal…

If you are an old-fashioned New Englander, this truck is a great image for this time of year. Whether it is firewood or harvested fruits and vegetables, fall is for “putting up” — for storing up fuel and nourishment for cold weather months when it will be greatly needed and appreciated. And when it comes to canning, “putting up” is done in such an intentional way as to “kill off organisms that would create spoilage.”…

“My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.”—Proverbs 7:1, NIV

…This truck is a good reminder that every day, and every time within a day, that  I pick up the Word that I don’t just try to read it like a novel. It's unlike any other book ever written, and so it is vital to ask the Holy Spirit to “open my eyes that I may see wonderful truths in Your Law.” (Psalm 119:18)… to help not just to read good words but to harvest some Truth that God is speaking to me at that moment — and He will if I will just ask. And then, storing it all up inside for fuel when I will need it most, and to help “kill off” the lies of the adversary that are whispered in my ears.

Yup, nice truck. But "putting up” isn’t just for autumn—it’s for every season of life.

Therefore, be well-seasoned, because...

The atmosphere may be thick right now with hateful words, anger and division

But there’s a light for that:

So speak Life.

Speak encouragement to someone along your path today.

Speak value into someone’s humanity.

You don’t have to be great with words or with speaking.

Some of the quietest people you know seem to be best at speaking “the right word at the right time.”

God has appointed each of us for such a message, for such a time as this.

And today is always a good time for that kind of good word, 

And good Word.

To maybe hear, “thanks, that’s just what I needed.”

A simple word, even one stored up from the Word, that may be the one to break discouragement, depression, fear, or hopelessness.

And who knows what larger door for conversation of Light may open after that?

And to remember...

That though all seems bleak, Hope has a Name, and He is still at work!

And He still reigns, no matter what the headlines try to say,

And He is coming again soon to take us Home—maybe sooner than ever.

So, therefore, be ready and watchful ... 

“…let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we can live with Him forever. So, encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

—1 Thessalonians 5:8-11, NLT

And to remember most of all…

"We are indeed the light of the world ... but only if our switch is turned on." — John Hagee

'Open Wide Your Mouth'

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

“The Lord makes us strong! Sing praises! Sing to Israel’s God! Sing, accompanied by drums; pluck the sweet lyre and harp. Sound the trumpet! Come to the joyous celebrations at full moon, new moon, and all the other holidays. For God has given us these times of joy; they are scheduled in the laws of Israel. He gave them as reminders of his war against Egypt where we were slaves on foreign soil.”—Psalm 81:1-5, Living Bible

On the way to church (sometimes this is my story, but thank God, not today. But it might be yours)…

I like to sing, but sometimes I don’t like the sound of my own voice.

I am a musician, or at least I like music, but sometimes the song within can seem silent.

I am tired. Who isn't?

All the more reason to let this new day remind your soul all over again what God says:
“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your Name, O most high.”—Psalm 92:1

“But good for who? God has everything, does He really need my praise?”

Good for you!

It's true—God doesn’t need it, and certainly doesn’t need it to make Him feel good

But He really wants praise—your praise, even this morning.

Because you need it.

Not to go through the Sunday morning motions, or follow a neat and tidy program

But to wake up the wonder again within you...and then stand back and see what God does!

To be filled up again with what is True and good in a world gone mad.

Because, as Dwight L. Moody once said…

“If a man just stops to think what he has to praise God for, he will find there is enough to keep him singing praises for a week.”

So let the praises ring. Remind yourself all over again.

And while you’re at it

Fight to engage your heart with His—even if it’s only your first cup of coffee

Fight against the adversary’s lie: “Pft, it doesn’t matter.”

Because he knows that it really does.

Since ancient times, God has ordained praise from His people to confound enemies, make darkness flee, lift heavy hearts, fuel amazing signs and wonders, and most of all build up His Church.

You.

And not just when you're in church but for your everyday crazy life, and for those He brings into your everyday crazy life.

You know this. You just need to put on the garment of praise all over again.

As the psalmist says in Psalm 81: “The Lord makes us strong! Sing praises!”

So sing and don’t hold back, because God says it is good.

And let the praises remind your soul, and the accuser of your soul, that God through Jesus Christ has forever set you free when He brought you out of Egypt from the bondage of sin:

“I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.”—Psalm 81:6

You can sing your heart out about that forever!

And let your praises remind you that it keeps your focus in the right place of true satisfaction in life and off the cares and idols and temptations of this world:

“I AM the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it!”—Psalm 81:10

And that is just the beginning, because as you know but may have forgotten in the insaneness of this world's events:

Praise is the Song that will never end and cannot be contained.

Not even by darkness or unrest or pandemic. So…

"Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be?"

—Charles Spurgeon

The Big God Who Loves Small

"Does the place you're called to labor seem too small and little known? It is great if God is in it, and He'll not forget His own."—from the gospel hymn "Little Is Much When God is In It"

“It was nothing, really.”

How many times have you—have I—caught myself either saying or thinking those four words in response to:

“Thank you. You don’t know how much it means.”

??

I mean, maybe not nothing, but it really seemed pretty small compared to performing CPR or bringing fresh water to a third-world village. Except while those things are noble things, in the upside down world of the Kingdom of God, they are no more noble than picking up your cell phone when you find out (or even sense) someone is in trouble or hurting and then doing something really outrageous:

Actually calling someone on it. (And invariably, according to the person on the other end, at just the right time.)

That "thank you...you don't know how much it means" comment this week was a re-reminder: Being faithful in the seemingly small and relatively unimportant things matters. A lot. In life. To God. Never underestimate the ministry of the phone call, or the mowing of the lawn when you’d rather be doing something else that by its action is a simple “thank You” for the goodness of the land God has created, or even holding open a door for someone whose shocked expression seems to cry out, “Wow, someone cares about me.”

Jesus had a lot to say about loving your neighbor as yourself, but this is much more than just being nice or neighborly. Because Jesus also had a lot to say about the importance and goodness of doing all the seemingly “it was nothing, really” stuff, and giving what you have, with all your heart...

• To His guys on the hillside wondering how they were going to feed thousands with just a loaf of bread and a few small fish, He said, in so many words: “Give me what you’ve got, and watch what happens.”
• Of the widow who lovingly gave to God out of the stress off her poverty rather than the comfort of abundance, He said, in so many words: “I love this—she gave what she could.”
• Of the man who thought he only had one measly “talent” compared to the ones who seemed ridiculously gifted, He said, in so many words: “Little is much when I Am in it. Don’t bury it—cultivate it.”

The same God whose greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” isn’t just talking about Sundays or songs and prayers and sermons, and then going home to get on with our to-do list. Sometimes, quite often really, the greatest of all God’s commandments is most powerfully lived out loud on Monday and beyond, being faithful in the smallest, “It was nothing, really” moments of our days. Because…

“To GOD, there are no small offerings if they are made in the name of His Son. Conversely, nothing appears great to Him that is given for any other reason than for Jesus’ sake. If we cannot die for Christ, we can live for Him—and sometimes, this is more heroic and will bring a larger reward.”—A.W. Tozer

Parable of the Procrastinating Disciple

 

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”—from "The Sound of Music"

Based on a true story from this week...

In a land not very far away—in fact, very, very close

A long-awaited package arrived

It was big and looked very inviting on the outside

But on the inside, it got complicated

Too many things to figure out, too many hours involved

Too much uncertainty as to how it might all turn out

The long-awaited package continued to be admired

Every day, you looked, you liked, but walked past it

Perhaps another time

When I’m more motivated

When I get these other things done

When I’m in the mood

When I know for certain that everything is going to go as planned…

“Then another said, ‘I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.’

Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’”—Luke 9:61-62, Message

…And then one day, after looking and admiring but still walking by

A step, then another, then another

Until admiration became determination—and you begin

Even though all that was involved inside the box still looks like a puzzle

But look—there’s a Manual for that!

And it didn’t yell at me: “What is wrong with you?”

Instead, it brought (and still brings) order out of chaos

And suddenly, all that was inside the box began to make sense

A lot of sense

And soon, what you had kept in the box all week until the mood was right

Became joy unexplainable inside and out

And a great sense of relief

Not easy, though, and still lots to learn

But so worth it

Not just that first, Life-changing moment either

But all the everyday ones—even all the other difficult boxes that are encountered along the Way

Because Following always begins by beginning

And the best way to begin is to just begin…for the rest of your life.

Or until He returns:

“So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected.” (Luke 12:40, Living)

“The way of Jesus cannot be imposed or mapped — it requires an active participation in following Jesus as He leads us through sometimes strange and unfamiliar territory, in circumstances that become clear only in the hesitations and questionings, in the pauses and reflections where we engage in prayerful conversation with one another and with Him.”—Eugene Peterson

Adventures in Attitude

Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels

“After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!”—2 Corinthians 2:11, Message

One day this week, I stopped walking past the mess that kept saying “it can wait until another day when I have more time and nothing better to do.” With a bucket of cleaner, a long-handled brush, a ladder and a hose, the years of buildup of mildew on the north side of the house and garage disappeared faster and easier than my mind kept telling me it would.

On another day, I stopped digging in my heels in irritation over someone else’s last minute plans that were tossed in my lap that kept singing, “It’s all about you, and this is a total inconvenience and I hate it and so I’m going to grumble on the inside about it until I feel better.” Which, of course, you never do. And so taking the opposite approach of honoring and serving, something strange happened—there was no inconvenience, the day zoomed by fruitfully, and I felt better than my mind could have imagined.

And then yesterday, determined to keep my running schedule on track in spite of pouring rain, I stopped the urge to turn back after the first quarter-mile, already soaked to the bone and miserable and hearing an increasingly louder voice, “Just give up already!” One step in front of the other. And then again, and again, and again until I no longer felt the carwash-like downpour and completed a 5K in a mind-blowing fastest time in weeks.

It seemed like a bunch of nice little personal achievements. Which they were. Until you also realized that all those voices of negativity—“it can wait,” “it’s all about you,” “give up”—were simply typical “sly ways” of the adversary to render your life and witness ineffective, and at the same time, the Holy Spirit may have been working in ways you couldn’t have imagined at the time….

“…be transformed and progressively changed as you mature spiritually by the renewing of your mind—focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes—so that you may prove for yourselves what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect in His plan and purpose for you.”—Romans 12:2, Amplified

...We can get locked into the idea that renewing our mind is all about fighting to absorb scripture and Truth into your skin day by day. That’s definitely a big part of it. But just as important in the battle against giving the adversary an opening to cause mischief in our lives is to fight for the right attitude, to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Ephesians 4:23, Message)

Even and especially in the seemingly routine things of life.

“We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. Our attitude is everything.”—Chuck Swindoll