-
When Your World has Shifted; Is Restoration Possible?
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, and the great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. Joel 2:25-26 Like a student waiting out a tornado warning in the dark hallway of a school building, there are times when it is safer to pull in tight, cover your head with your own hands, and be still while the ties that bind your world snap one at a time. Life is not very tidy. And quite…
-
Marvelous Light; Climbing Out of your Pit
He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light. Job 33:30 At one time or another you will find yourself deeply invested in pit living. Pit living? Yes, living (and often quite comfortably) in the muck and mire. Unwanted circumstances or relationships may lead you to pit living. Choices made by you or others may prepare the slippery path for your feet. Wallowing in self-pity, anger, guilt, shame, resentment, fear, anxiety, and bitterness (go ahead, add to the list of negative mindsets that long to bounce on the walls of this self-made prison) will fasten your feet deep in the murky…
-
Praying; When the Rain Comes Down
I do not know much about God and prayer, but I have come to believe, over the past twenty-five years, that there’s something to be said about keeping prayer simple. Help. Thanks. Wow. Anne Lamott – Help. Thanks. Wow. The Three Essential Prayers Help. Thanks. Wow. That’s all I’ve got. Turns out it’s enough. Anne Lamott happens to be one of my favorites. Eclectic, authentic, raw, and true, she gives it to us straight. Somedays all we’ve got is help, thanks, wow. It is raining in West Michigan. Raining, not just today, but what seems to be everyday, for a long run of days. The weather forecast hints this will…
-
The Invitation of the Cross; Walking Like Jesus
Fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 My preference is to skip the gospel accounts of Christ’s crucifixion. I begin the preceding chapters that tell the story of the last supper, the betrayal by Judas and the tears in Gethsemane, and I want to stop. I want to jump over the next chapter and celebrate the resurrection. I won’t describe the gory details of death by crucifixion. But the word “excruciating” is derived from the words, “out of the…
-
Boundary Lines and Obedience ; Living your Best Life
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6 They make it, finally, to the Promised Land. Joshua leads the way after a chorus of reminders from Moses and the LORD God to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid, to remember and to know. Joshua was not a battle novice, many years before he had gallantly fought the Amalekites (Exodus 17) with a ragamuffin army under the prayers of one somewhat elderly man whose arms were held high by the strength of two…
-
Be Still; The Ever Powerful Presence of God
See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and His arm rules for Him. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. Isaiah 40:10 The earth is abuzz with spring, birdsong has been calling forth the morning since before dawn. There are whitecaps on the lake across the road, small waves awakened by the wind. Chainsaws are humming in the distance, clearing what winter has left behind. Children are playing, shouting, pups are claiming their boundary lines. The world is loud on this typically quiet goes nowhere street. I sit as the morning sun hits my face, bombarded with the noise, trying to discern what is what, wondering…
-
Hide and Seek; Stepping into the Storm
I said, “You are my servant”, I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10 Like a spring storm that quietly begins to rumble in the distance, doubt rolls in ever so subtly winding itself around this thing called faith. Uneasiness sets in, joy and peace crumble, questions that have long been answered emerge like unwanted shoots firing through my mind. Faith is a shield (Ephesians 6:16) and my shield is down, flaming arrows…
-
Digging Out; Where Does Your Help Come From?
I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 The boy’s day starts long before his sister or I consider waking. Winter brings challenges to our West Michigan home, primarily in the form of a relatively long driveway built on an incline. There is a slight curve in the middle, identifying those who belong to this driveway and those who do not. Experience is required to navigate both an entrance to and an exit from the home that sits atop the hill, experience or a four-wheel drive vehicle. The boy’s…
-
He Loves Me, I Loved Him Not
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him. Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22) I want to know the rest of the story. What becomes of this young man who so earnestly ran and knelt before Jesus, referring to Him as the “Good Teacher” and asking how he could earn eternal life (Mark 10:17). Will he lose what he desires to gain what…
-
Weariness; When Inadequacy is a Gift
But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his arms were steady until the going down of the sun. Exodus 17:12 Somewhere between “Moses! Moses! Take your sandals off your feet” (Exodus 3:4) and “there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10), we find a man desperately inadequate doing a mighty work for God. Reality confronts Moses in Exodus 17. His people are grumbling, blaming him…
