While reading a book called “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge, I was spurred to consider David and Goliath and how God many times waits until the cards are truly stacked against him before He shows up. Even in the death of His own son, from our perspective, He didn’t show up for three days. I often worry about problems and finances that ultimately are really just manifestations of fear, pride, and lack of faith.
As John Eldredge describes David and Goliath, “a freckle-faced little shepherd kid with a slingshot" vs. “a seasoned soldier and trained killer”. I’m sure the other Isrealites thought to themselves, “who sent this kid?” This is what we see when we get real about who we are versus who we are up against in this world. But the truth of it is that if we can expand our view further out we can see that that our brothers and sisters in Christ are behind us praying on our behalf. If we expand our view even further, we can see that there is an army of heavenly hosts waiting for the battle cry to be sounded so they can act on our behalf. And if we can expand our view as far as possible, we see that God is also standing behind us ready to act on our behalf. Like a kid who gets picked on in the school yard and finally stands up to the bully only then to realize that his dad was standing behind him the whole time. Maybe we can’t quite see God because of his enormous size and grandeur or because his glory is too much to behold. But as long as the "Son" is shining, we can see his shadow. God stands ready and sometimes waits until we think all is lost, then He shows up and saves the day in such a way that we know all the glory is due Him. Hebrews 13:6 says “So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” If we can talk our hearts into believing that this is true, then fear will leave us, God will get the glory, and we will reach the heights of success.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
They did as the Lord commanded...
You may often read the Old Testament and ask your self, "What’s the point"? It's mostly a historical story that is questionable whether it applies to our lives or not. There are some analogies that are useful, but we don't follow the law because we're under grace. Right? Not exactly. If you look twice, you will see that it is more than just historical. It's radical.
The phrase that I have seen many times in Exodus and Numbers is "They did as the Lord commanded." Many of us wish that God would tell us specifically what He wants us to do, but let me remind you that when you know exactly what you are supposed to do, then it is your responsibility to do it. Sometimes the struggle is knowing what to do, but often, I think that many of us simply don't want to do it.
Moses would meet with God daily and listen to instruction and follow it. Take this animal...kill it in this manner...with a hin of oil...place the blood on your right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe...don't touch certain things...do certain things...etc, etc. God was very specific and we again consider the phrase, "they did as the Lord commanded." These were not old customs that God was restarting and reminding them about. These were nutty, off the wall, requirements that came out of nowhere. But God made it clear that He had chosen these people, that he was trustworthy, and then gave them instructions. Are times so different today?
Don't think of daily time with God as a requirement (mainly because it's not). We don't meet with Him every day because we have to; we meet with Him every day because we want to. God wants us to live relationally with Him every day so that we don't drift to the left or to the right. His ideas are sometimes radical, but His ways are good. How do you know He is good? You won't know the first time you trust Him. That's why they call it trust. But the second time, you'll remember the first; the third time you'll remember the second; until one day you won't know any different. Then you wouldn't think of going about your day without Him because to do so would be like heading out without directions and that gets you nowhere. Let the people of God show ourselves to be followers of God. Pray. Listen. Follow. Then future generations can say "they did as the Lord commanded" and they reached the heights of success.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Forgiveness
In January of 2004, I wrote in my journal - "The reason you feel guilt is because there is a standard unseen written in a code buried inside you, and you know what is right and wrong. Who's code is it? I didn't put it there. He (God) put it there, so the guilt I feel is from offending Him. All I can do is ask for forgiveness from Him. Then, the only thing I have left to do is believe that He really forgave me." I wrote that but I don't think I followed my own advice.
I think that I also was focused on forgiveness for one event and I forgot one main thing: He forgave it ALL. I've recently been brought face-to-face with a reality of an old phrase - not guilty. The wonder of the gospel is not that we are innocent, but that we are not guilty. The courtroom picture is an easy analogy and I've apparently breezed past it many times because the picture is quite familiar, but if you stop and think about it, do you feel not guilty? If you don't and you carry in your mind a rememberance of all the bad things you have done, then you have not forgiven yourself and accepted His finding of not guilty. Now you can accept the verdict and walk out a free man or you can sit there and refuse to accept this gift.
The age old question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it, did it really happen? Yes, but if you don't go get it and use it for firewood, it will just lay there and rot. Are you still in the courtroom? Do you believe that God has saved you from eternal damnation, but you still feel guilty? Ask him to stamp the verdict on your heart so that you can accept the free gift of true freedom. You are not guilty and free to go. Now go give Him the glory and reach for the heights of success.
I think that I also was focused on forgiveness for one event and I forgot one main thing: He forgave it ALL. I've recently been brought face-to-face with a reality of an old phrase - not guilty. The wonder of the gospel is not that we are innocent, but that we are not guilty. The courtroom picture is an easy analogy and I've apparently breezed past it many times because the picture is quite familiar, but if you stop and think about it, do you feel not guilty? If you don't and you carry in your mind a rememberance of all the bad things you have done, then you have not forgiven yourself and accepted His finding of not guilty. Now you can accept the verdict and walk out a free man or you can sit there and refuse to accept this gift.
The age old question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it, did it really happen? Yes, but if you don't go get it and use it for firewood, it will just lay there and rot. Are you still in the courtroom? Do you believe that God has saved you from eternal damnation, but you still feel guilty? Ask him to stamp the verdict on your heart so that you can accept the free gift of true freedom. You are not guilty and free to go. Now go give Him the glory and reach for the heights of success.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Daily Prayer
Dear Lord,
I was not the first man created nor will I be the last. You need only my love for You, but I need you for everything. So, with the best intention of heart and succces only limited by my reliance on You, may everything that I do today bring glory and honor to your name and yours alone. May my heart and my mind serve consistently toward that end and may the foundation of my belief be strong enough to withstand the path that I must walk through today. Please grant me your strength, your patience, and your love, and help me not to forget that you are God and I am not.
I was not the first man created nor will I be the last. You need only my love for You, but I need you for everything. So, with the best intention of heart and succces only limited by my reliance on You, may everything that I do today bring glory and honor to your name and yours alone. May my heart and my mind serve consistently toward that end and may the foundation of my belief be strong enough to withstand the path that I must walk through today. Please grant me your strength, your patience, and your love, and help me not to forget that you are God and I am not.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
He raised the knife
He sat for just a moment looking longingly at his son. His hopes and dreams all rested on the life that lay before him. He thought of all the days they had walked and talked together, and he remembered the day he was born. The excitement and the unknown possibilities were more than he could imagine. He wasn’t just a good boy. He was a boy whom his father loved dearly. He was a smart boy who helped get the work done, learned quickly, and was extremely helpful. He loved to laugh and could make you laugh, too. Everything about this boy was what every man dreamed for in a son.
Then he raised the knife.
He didn’t just begin to move slowly toward the boy. He raise the knife high over his head with intent to deliver a strong and deadly blow. He hoped to be quick so as to cause no pain for the boy and yet the pain in his own heart was almost too great to bear. He caught a glimpse of the boy’s tears running down his cheek and forced himself to ignore the look of horror in the boy’s eyes. He could scarcely see because of the tears in his own.
Now consider this. We know the end of the story, but when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his sone, Abraham did not know the ending. When he pulled the knife back, he wasn’t looking around for the ram. He didn’t pause at the top and say “God, are you sure about this?” I suspect that his intent was so focused that the rustling in the bushes had to be close by and fearfully startling. Why? Because when he raised the knife, he was prepared to come down with the knife. Abraham loved Isaac, but his devotion to God was greater than his love for his son even though it was contrary to everything he knew and believed to be true in his past and promised for his future.
On this father's day, I ask my self, "Am I willing to sacrifice what God is asking of me?" What is God asking of you? Is He asking you to sacrifice your children, or is He just asking you to stop watching television. Maybe He is just asking you to cancel your cell phone and send the money to a missionary every month. Maybe He is just asking you to quit your job. Maybe He is just asking you to pray with your wife every morning or submit to your husband’s leadership. These things are trivial compared to sacrificing your children, but they are not so trivial in every day life. It also wasn’t trivial when God Almighty held back His power and was willing to watch His own son die to be able to have a relationship with you, and, still, we have a long list of things we can’t give up for Him.
Why not? Are these things so great that being obedient to the Creator pales in comparison? Living with peace in your heart knowing that the God of the universe is pleased with you isn’t worth it? Let’s do a priority check. Let’s take whatever it is and tie it up so tight that it can’t get free again. Don’t look at it and think about how much you want it. Ignore it if it seems to call to you and beg you not to do this. Then raise the knife and don’t look for the ram. God will provide if we obey Him and then we will reach the heights of success.
Then he raised the knife.
He didn’t just begin to move slowly toward the boy. He raise the knife high over his head with intent to deliver a strong and deadly blow. He hoped to be quick so as to cause no pain for the boy and yet the pain in his own heart was almost too great to bear. He caught a glimpse of the boy’s tears running down his cheek and forced himself to ignore the look of horror in the boy’s eyes. He could scarcely see because of the tears in his own.
Now consider this. We know the end of the story, but when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his sone, Abraham did not know the ending. When he pulled the knife back, he wasn’t looking around for the ram. He didn’t pause at the top and say “God, are you sure about this?” I suspect that his intent was so focused that the rustling in the bushes had to be close by and fearfully startling. Why? Because when he raised the knife, he was prepared to come down with the knife. Abraham loved Isaac, but his devotion to God was greater than his love for his son even though it was contrary to everything he knew and believed to be true in his past and promised for his future.
On this father's day, I ask my self, "Am I willing to sacrifice what God is asking of me?" What is God asking of you? Is He asking you to sacrifice your children, or is He just asking you to stop watching television. Maybe He is just asking you to cancel your cell phone and send the money to a missionary every month. Maybe He is just asking you to quit your job. Maybe He is just asking you to pray with your wife every morning or submit to your husband’s leadership. These things are trivial compared to sacrificing your children, but they are not so trivial in every day life. It also wasn’t trivial when God Almighty held back His power and was willing to watch His own son die to be able to have a relationship with you, and, still, we have a long list of things we can’t give up for Him.
Why not? Are these things so great that being obedient to the Creator pales in comparison? Living with peace in your heart knowing that the God of the universe is pleased with you isn’t worth it? Let’s do a priority check. Let’s take whatever it is and tie it up so tight that it can’t get free again. Don’t look at it and think about how much you want it. Ignore it if it seems to call to you and beg you not to do this. Then raise the knife and don’t look for the ram. God will provide if we obey Him and then we will reach the heights of success.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
They did nothing
You can drive around town and see many houses that are sitting unoccupied. Many of these houses look like all the other houses and if didn’t look in the windows and see they were empty, you wouldn’t know it. But some really jump out at you because of the level of degradation that has taken place. The yards look terrible. The weeds are overgrown. Maybe a window shutter is hanging crooked. These are the kind that no one has to tell you that they are abandoned. It’s obvious.
Did someone tear these houses apart? Did someone go during the night and adjust the shutter to hang crooked? No. It just slowly fell apart over time. Why? Because the owner of the house did nothing.
It is the same in life with our minds, our bodies and our souls. Every day is a chance to learn, grow, succeed, change, expand, hone, sharpen. Every activity is chosen to make something different. Did you ever get up and say, “I hope today is boring and that nothing I do today makes a difference”? No. We hope that what we do makes a difference in our lives or in someone else’s life. We go to church to be changed inside or to give worship to God. We go to school to learn and grow partly for knowledge, partly for simple completion of what is expected, or simply to pad our resume for a better job or better pay. But no matter what or why you do it, you are doing it in hopes of some change. The problem is that we walk away from an activity and start thinking about the next one and we don’t let the change happen. We hear a great sermon and then at lunch, the meaningfulness you felt seems to slip away. We study for a test and then let the answers drift to the back of our minds where they get locked away and slowly forgotton. Life goes on and then we forget to let change come even though we made the effort to go seek it out. The problem is that simple change doesn’t occur until you act on it. You mind sees it, hears it, and thinks it’s a good idea. But our habits take over and “normal” life carries us away from the dream that for a moment was reality.
The only bad day you could ever have is one where you do nothing. And after a while, your house will show it. Let’s make a difference today in our own lives or in someone else’s life by acting on those good ideas and dreams. When you realize that there is something in your life that you should do and somehow, you just know in your gut and in your heart that it’s good for you, then go do it. It may not work like you think, but at least you will know. This will start a process of learning about faith and who you are inside that will help you reach the heights of success.
Did someone tear these houses apart? Did someone go during the night and adjust the shutter to hang crooked? No. It just slowly fell apart over time. Why? Because the owner of the house did nothing.
It is the same in life with our minds, our bodies and our souls. Every day is a chance to learn, grow, succeed, change, expand, hone, sharpen. Every activity is chosen to make something different. Did you ever get up and say, “I hope today is boring and that nothing I do today makes a difference”? No. We hope that what we do makes a difference in our lives or in someone else’s life. We go to church to be changed inside or to give worship to God. We go to school to learn and grow partly for knowledge, partly for simple completion of what is expected, or simply to pad our resume for a better job or better pay. But no matter what or why you do it, you are doing it in hopes of some change. The problem is that we walk away from an activity and start thinking about the next one and we don’t let the change happen. We hear a great sermon and then at lunch, the meaningfulness you felt seems to slip away. We study for a test and then let the answers drift to the back of our minds where they get locked away and slowly forgotton. Life goes on and then we forget to let change come even though we made the effort to go seek it out. The problem is that simple change doesn’t occur until you act on it. You mind sees it, hears it, and thinks it’s a good idea. But our habits take over and “normal” life carries us away from the dream that for a moment was reality.
The only bad day you could ever have is one where you do nothing. And after a while, your house will show it. Let’s make a difference today in our own lives or in someone else’s life by acting on those good ideas and dreams. When you realize that there is something in your life that you should do and somehow, you just know in your gut and in your heart that it’s good for you, then go do it. It may not work like you think, but at least you will know. This will start a process of learning about faith and who you are inside that will help you reach the heights of success.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I'm not even driving the boat
Welcome to the Heights of Success. The title of my blog is based on my motto that I have had for many years and struggle to follow each day:
"If I have given God glory today in the things I have done, I have reached the height of success."
This is my first attempt to publicly share my thoughts on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I find it strange that this pursuit is so difficult and rewarding at the same time. Each day is a blessing and each struggle feels like a curse yet all of these ups and downs come from a desire to reach one final end - fullfillment.
For many years, I have felt like I was driving the boat, but I wasn't sure where I was going. Now, I'm not even driving the boat. I have a new captain. He's trustworthy. Knowledgable. He's sailed these seas many times before and even walked on water.
What you will find here will be irrational. Sometimes seemingly nuts. I don't know where it will lead and what it may mean to you as a reader, but it's real and it feels more real than I've ever felt before.
"If I have given God glory today in the things I have done, I have reached the height of success."
This is my first attempt to publicly share my thoughts on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I find it strange that this pursuit is so difficult and rewarding at the same time. Each day is a blessing and each struggle feels like a curse yet all of these ups and downs come from a desire to reach one final end - fullfillment.
For many years, I have felt like I was driving the boat, but I wasn't sure where I was going. Now, I'm not even driving the boat. I have a new captain. He's trustworthy. Knowledgable. He's sailed these seas many times before and even walked on water.
What you will find here will be irrational. Sometimes seemingly nuts. I don't know where it will lead and what it may mean to you as a reader, but it's real and it feels more real than I've ever felt before.
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