Only Believe

And as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. Mark 5:36

Fear and doubt plague our lives from beginning to end, yet the antidote is so simply given us here: only believe. Simple. Not easy. As a matter of fact, learning to just trust is a life-long process. This is a journey never completed in this life, but one we must embark on if we ever want relief from the doubt and the fear. It's a decision we must make often and one that never really becomes second nature or easy to make, this choice of faith over fear and belief over doubt. I cannot and will not tell you you will ever "arrive" and become a person of immense and unwavering faith; I can pretty much guarantee you will not. But I can tell you this: if you don't start down the road by choosing to trust Him for today's trial, you're that much further from that person. Faith is a choice. So is fear. Which will be yours?

Near Or Far

And came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them that were nigh. Ephesians 2:17

There are a myriad of testimonies out there. There are people who came to Christ from lives of great sin and degredation, drug use, alcolholism, immorality, violence, hatred. And there are those who were raised in Christian homes and saved as children, who've never made the sort of choices that haunt others. People like to glory in the stories of the former...and many would rather build their churches on the latter. The reality, however, is that Christ brought the same good news for all of us. It took the same blood to redeem the "innocent" child as the aged drunk; just as much a miracle of grace to save the upstanding businessman as the maligned hooker. And He came to preach the same message of peace to each one of us, "far" from Him or "near". Your story isn't any less important or wonderful if you didn't have a lifetime of deep sin to be saved out of. You aren't any less a child of God if you rejected Him and His way for decades. The blood of Christ--His love, mercy, grace and peace flowing in it--is the ultimate equalizer.

Seeds Of Faith

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. Luke 17:6

The mustard seed has a variety of uses as a spice and a medicinal herb, but, as with any seed, it's primary purpose is reproduction. Here's the thing about seeds, though: if you don't plant them, they are utterly worthless. Here the disciples ask Christ to increase their faith, and Jesus brings out the analogy of the mustard seed--one of the tiniest of seeds that grows into one of the largest of garden plants. He tells them, in essence, "You don't need me to increase your faith--you already have it. You need to USE what you have, and it will GROW!" Sometimes what we need isn't for God to give us more of something (ie--faith, grace, patience, love, et al), but for us to actually employ what we do have. Faith and patience and love...these things increase with practice. They're like seeds or muscles. They can't grow until they've been used. We could all use more faith, so let's get to planting.

The Truth

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me. John 14:6

There's a growing school of thought that insists that truth is a fluid concept, that reality and truth are what we make them to be. Ridiculous. Truth is not subjective. Jesus said that He was "THE truth", singular--the only one. The problem comes in when we feel the need to explain and understand everything. A few thousand years ago people thought that lightning was the weapon of Zeus. Of course, we know that it is a natural release of atmospheric electricity. Lightning didn't suddenly change at some point from being the darts of the gods to a natural phenomenon. It is what it always has been. Our understanding of truth may change and is certainly subjective; but the truth itself is unchanging and definite. And some things are simply beyond our comprehension. We can't try to force truth through the filter of our experience--we filter our experiences through truth, realizing that the truth is infintely larger and more grandiose than our experiences and understanding ever will be.

Real Fleece Or Fake Fur?

Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. Judges 6:37

People throw the phrase "laying out a fleece" far too flippantly. We want to say, "I'm going to put out a fleece by asking God to do ______ if He wants me to ______," then fill in the first blank with something we expect to happen anyway and the second with something we want to do. We try to manipulate situations and make God's will into our will...then call it faith. God isn't a bureaucratic system that we can put to work for us. We don't get to work the system to tweak the outcome in our favor. That's not faith and it's not laying out a fleece for God. Gideon asked God to do the impossible, not the probable. If you want to see God work and want Him to really show you something, you have to stop playing the odds and trying to slant the results--you have to square your shoulders, clear your throat, and ask for the impossible.

Heaven Now

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Hymnist John Peterson wrote:

O, what a wonderful, wonderful day--day I will never forget;
After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
O, what a tender compassionate friend--He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

Heaven came down. Why is it that we want to put heaven off? Heaven is already come to us! If you've been saved, heaven is with you RIGHT NOW! The Jews were looking for a Messiah Who would set up a kingdom, and Jesus said, "The kingdom is being installed within you now!" They were looking for a physical throne they could see, but His plan was something much better. We're already living forever, eternal life has already begun, and heaven has already sprung up within us. You don't have to wait for it...heaven came down! Enjoy it TODAY!

Pulled Aside

And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, Numbers 3:14

It's funny how often in the Scriptures we see God pull someone aside to talk to them. Abraham on Mount Moriah, Moses at the burning bush, Moses on the mountain, Gideon when he was thrashing wheat, Elijah under the juniper tree, the disciples were called into "a desert place", Paul in Arabia, John on Patmos, and here, where He pulled an entire nation into the wilderness to commune with them. But the first time I could find where God spoke to someone He'd (directly or indirectly) pulled aside was Hagar. A lowly handmaid, dishonored, despised, and cast out. Alone. Hopeless. Lost. And God showed up to comfort her. God has various reasons for pulling us aside, and sometimes the process is painful and unpleasant--most of the listed examples occur in less than ideal circumstances. But it's when we are, for whatever reason, seperated from things that God can make Himself real to us in ways we're normally too distracted to notice. His still, small voice can be drowned in the whirlwind of our busy lives; so sometimes He pulls us aside. Maybe you're feeling alone and abandoned and seperated from everything; you feel like you're wandering aimlessly in some wilderness. Be quiet. Listen. God may have led you there so He could get some important message--of redemption, of hope, of love, of direction, of wisdom, of peace--through to you.

Largeness Of Heart

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 1 Kings 4:29

There's a little phrase here that we often blow by without taking notice: largeness of heart. God gave Solomon the wisdom and understanding for which he asked, but He threw in something else. He threw in something that wisdom must have to stand upon. God gave Solomon a big heart--He made him a compassionate king. See, wisdom without compassion is empty. Solomon could have had all his great, vast understanding, but without compassion and a heart for people he would have simply been a very wise tyrant. Instead Solomon became a well-loved, world-renowned and respected leader. We seek wisdom...and we should. We need it. But I wonder if we also seek the compassion to properly use that wisdom? We ought to constantly strive to become big-hearted, caring people.

Together With

For we are labourers together with God: 1 Corinthians 3:9a

I have no idea how many times I've read this verse, but that's the great thing about the Bible--it's a living book that can show you something new everytime. I'd never really caught what this phrase is saying. We hear all the time that God wants to use us, to work through us, to work in us. But God wants more than that. God wants to work WITH us. God has great faith in you! He believes in you, is confident in you. God is involved with man and with His work in this world...but He also entrusts it to us. He wants us to have a part in His work, not as mere tools, but in the capacity of partners. God knows you, He loves you...and God TRUSTS you!

Learning To Fly

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

This afternoon I watched a bird teaching her baby to fly. The pair caught my attention when the little one plummeted, squawking, from a nearby tree onto my roof. The parental unit (mother or father, I don't know but will assume mother) had a bit of trouble here. Seems little guy was not pleased with the process, because he clung stubbornly to the edge of the gutter. After a good deal of pushing and pecking and yelling, his mother managed to force him off. Awkwardly, and more than a little frantically, he winged his way to the lower branches of another tree...until she chased him from there, too.

Now, judging by his vocalization and resistance, this was not a pleasant experience for the young bird. From my own experience, being in the air with nothing solid beneath one's feet is generally an uncomfortable feeling. It tends to inspire fear and uncertainty. But no bird can survive without learning to fly. Uncomfortable or frightening though it may be, it is undoubtedly a good thing for the bird.

Sometimes God has to treat us the way this mother bird treated her young one. He has to poke and prod and push us; sometimes right off the edge. It's not fun. It's not pleasant. It can be scary and briming with uncertainty. But it is ultimately good for us. We may not see that in the moment; but after those first frantic moments (days, weeks, years...), and after the initial awkward flapping of our unpracticed wings becomes normal and natural, we will be better for it.

Dig A Little Deeper

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalm 42:1

I heard someone singing an old spiritual earlier and got the tune stuck in my head. Now, I crossed the verses up (first part of verse one with second part of verse two), but it says:

Nearer to thee (Nearer to thee)
I long to be. (I long to be.)
I wanna dig a little deeper in the storehouse of His love, of His love.
Each passing hour (Each passing hour)
I want more power. (I want more power.)
I wanna dig a little deeper in the storehouse of His love, eternal love.

As I sung through these words in my head, the depth of their meaning struck me for the first time. That desire--that need--ought to be each of ours. A healthy believer hungers for God just as a healthy body hungers for food and water. He is our source of strength and nourishment. If we don't have that craving to be closer to Him, to know Him better, to burrow deeper into His love and power, it's a sign that something isn't right with our spiritual health. Somehow we've gotten out of whack. Coincidentally, the way to fix that is too seek Him out; and as we make our way back to Him, our appetite and desire to be with and like Him will grow. How big of a driving force in your life is knowing God? How intense is your desire for Him?

Unspeakable

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15

We sing about the goodness and greatness of God. We praise Him. We talk for hours and write volumes about what God has done for us. And we ought. We should speak forth His praises all the time. It's important. It's healthy. It's edifying and encouraging to those around us. But at some point we run out of words. God has simply done too much for us to explain or vocalize. It is impossible to completely put into words the greatness of His gift to us. Our languages can barely begin to tell it. So in our thanking and praising and glorifying God, it is ok to, at some point smile, shrug and say thanks. He understands.

Daddy's Shoes

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; Ephesians 5:1

How many kids climb into their parents' shoes and stumble around the house? How many young children adopt their father's mannerisms, their mother's axioms? We learn by imitation, and early in life, the ones we imitate most are our parents. This is the analogy Paul is drawing. We're to be like little children with God. We ought to be striving every day, in every way, to be like Him. We ought to be watching him intently, trying to pick up His mannerisms, His language, His walk, His attitude. I wonder if I'm trying on God's too-big shoes as much as I should be? Yes, they'll be more than I can handle, and I know I'll stumble and stagger and maybe fall...but I'll also be increasing my spiritual coordination and strength in the process. And in copying His adages I'm sure I'll mess some of them up; but I'll certainly absorb some of His wisdom along the way. This is what it is to be a follower of God. It means imitating Someone bigger and stronger and wiser than I...and becoming just a little more like Him in the process.

Get Serious

...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b

I hate ritualistic, habitual prayer recitations. Prayers before meals, public prayers of any sort, any type of "regularly scheduled" prayer...I am, at best, leery of these. Prayer is an amazing, important, invaluable thing; yet how often do we turn it into an empty recitation? Think about it the next time you go to pray for your meal: are you even really aware of what you're saying, or are you merely repeating the same mantra you did before your last meal...your last dozen meals? Are you genuinely expressing thanks for the blessing of food, or just saying words because you think it is expected of you? God doesn't want a memorized, rehearsed spiel. He wants to hear your heart--the good, the bad, the ugly. He knows it anyway, so you may as well bare it. The word "effectual" here is energeho, which means to be active, to be mighty in. It means to be energetic. God wants us to be zealous and energetic and determined in prayer. He wants to know we really mean it, we really want it, we really expect it...and we're not going to stop until we see something happen. Is that how you pray? You want to see something happen in your prayer life, maybe you need to infuse a little energy into it.

Salvation Today

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24

How often do we think of salvation as something that comes into effect when we die? It's about Heaven and Hell, right? Well, yes. And no. It is about that, but it's about so much more. Our problems don't start when we die, do they? So why would our salvation? We have a NOW salvation. We have a NOW God. When we get saved, eternal life begins immediately. Look at the verbs here: "hath"; "is". Present tense. Christ doesn't wait to save us, and salvation doesn't wait to kick in. Salvation is organic and living and RIGHT NOW. We need it's help and healing and life, and we need it today...and it's here. Today. Start enjoying your salvation and your eternal life today--they are already activated!

Will Ye Also?

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? John 6:67

Following God isn't always easy. As a matter of fact, it rarely is. We have people who don't understand us coming from every direction--including other believers. And sometimes the lessons God has for us are just hard to grasp. That's what happened here. Jesus' teachings didn't make sense to the Jews, didn't seem to line up with how they thought God worked; and many of them stopped following because they didn't understand. They quit. Then Jesus asked His twelve closest disciples a question He had recorded for us, too: Will ye also go away? So what of it? When it gets difficult, when the world doesn't get your stand, when other believers don't like how you do things, when the truths of the Word seem to clash with how you've always been taught...what will you do then? Will you stick it out and cling to Him? Or will ye also go away?

In The Morning

But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Psalm 88:13

I have called out to God in the dark and felt my pleas getting lost in the night. I have sent prayers into the void fearing that it was, indeed, a void. I have poured out my heart and wondered if there was any point. I have lain in the night and felt like the darkness around me was light in comparison with that within. I have been lost, confused, hurt, scared. But pleas are not lost in the night, prayers do not merely drift away into a void, and there is substance to spilling my guts to God. No matter how lost, confused, hurt and scared I may be tonight, God has a morning coming in my life. And my prayers are heard.

The Hinge Of The Gospel

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40

I don't usually use so many verses for one of these, but it's really not a terribly long passage...when you consider Christ just said He'd summarized the entirety of God's commandments. Yes, He says that all the law, all the prophets--in short, the entire Word of God as it was known at that time--hinged on two statements and one principle. Love. we hear it alot. We use it alot. Mostly it's misused anymore, adopted as a nice way to mask lust, bandied about to excuse any number of things. But love is a very big, very important thing that simply cannot be over-emphasized in Christianity or in our personal lives.

A Muslim man (in Yemen, I believe) recently told a missionary he'd been talking with, "I never knew until I met you that there were any Christians who actually loved God." How sad a statement is that? When I heard that, I kind've felt like I'd been punched in the solar plexus. It ought to make us all feel a little sick. I wonder how many of our friends, neighbors and co-workers think the same? Oh, you'd be surprised. The Gospel hinges on love just as the law did. Based on our love, I wonder how much leverage it has.

Put On Pause

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Life is a ratrace and getting worse by the day. Fast isn't fast enough. We've gotta run, run, run to get everything done, yet still feel like we've accomplished nothing. There's a constant increase in pressure to do more in less time. And the pressure flows over into our Christian lives as well. Every aspect of our lives is affected by the stress and pressures we're put under. But sometimes God says, "Just wait." The one thing we're more and more programmed not to do is the thing that God demands. We need answers and results, and we need them RIGHT NOW...and God says, "Wait." We don't understand it, and we certainly don't like it; but God whispers to simply be patient and wait on Him. And it's in these times of waiting, which we hate so much and which frustrate us so badly, that God can start the healing and rejuvinating process in us. He knows how much we can handle, and He'll never put too much on us. Sometimes, though, we put too much on OURSELVES, and He has to intervene and hit pause. When you're stuck, when you find yourself drumming your fingers impatiently and demanding answers and solutions asap, realize that God knows what He's doing...and just wait. You probably need the rest anyway.

A God-Sized Thirst

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2

There are some longings that can only be filled by God. We're just designed that way. We NEED God in every aspect of life. Our spirits crave a relationship with Him, whether we admit it to ourselves or not. And no matter what sort of substitute we try to plug that hole with, we'll never be happy until we acknowledge our need for Him. Friend, you need God. You need Him because by Him you live and breathe and have your being, but also because your spirit and soul cry and thirst and long for a personal relationship with Him. Acknowledge and accept the thirst...then you can start to get somewhere.