Are You Perfect?

 

 

By: Linda J. Gilden, cbn.com

Perfectionism is a good thing and a bad thing. It is good to do things right. It is a bad thing to expect life to be without flaw.

Years ago I studied the personalities. As I got to know myself better and why I acted and reacted the way I did, I learned one of the basic keys to my personal happiness was keeping my perfectionism in check. You see, I was an introverted, melancholy, organizer personality and one of my big problems was requiring everything to be perfect. But it gets worse. Not only was I expecting myself to be perfect, I was imposing my expectations on my family and friends. If something was not the way I thought it should be, my day was pretty much ruined!

Since that time I have worked hard to relax my perfectionistic standards. And I live in a happier household and have happier friends.

My quest to achieve perfection is closely related to my desire to be more like my heavenly Father. But I am aware that I can never be anywhere near God’s level of perfection. Only He is perfect.

Look at his instructions for building the tabernacle in Exodus 25. Almost the entire chapter, as well as the next, give very specific instructions for how things should be. In fact, before He gets very far into His instructions, He says in Exodus 25:9,

“Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” (ESV)

God has used one of my favorite words here — “exactly.” There is no room for modification or variation. It must be just as He says. It must be perfect!

God can approach everything in that way because He is perfect. But for me, and you, we must adjust our expectations. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world that seems to get worse every day. If we have to have everything perfect, we are going to be not only imperfect people but miserable.

God’s instructions for the tabernacle included not only the building but all the accessories—the lampstand, the curtains, the mercy seat, the Ark of the Covenant, the table, and more.

Personally, I love a plan. It is easier to get close to perfect when you know what the specifications are. God gave us a plan for the tabernacle. He also gave us a plan for life in the same book, His book. I can find the solution to any problem I have within the pages of that book. But it only becomes the solution to my problem when I apply it.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ends Matthew 5 with the words,

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

Quite a challenge for me!

What about you? Do you struggle with perfectionism? Or is your struggle with something else? If, like me, you struggle with wanting circumstances and relationships just so, cut yourself some slack. Allow yourself to be less than perfect. As long as you keep your focus on the one who is perfect, the result will be a happy peaceful lifestyle that is perfect for you.

Transformational Experiences

 

 

Richard Spangler, author, cbn.com

A God-given experience is just an encounter if we do not allow it to translate into a life-changing event. God gives us these occurrences to alter our lives. When we allow this to happen, they become transformational experiences.

In Exodus 24:9-11, the 70 elders of Israel, Aaron, Nabub, Abihu, Moses, and Joshua saw God and they ate and drank with Him. The Bible also states that God did not kill them (which is a good thing).

This was a fantastic moment for them. This experience should have been life-transforming for them. Sadly, the lives of the 70 elders, Nabub, Abihu, and not even Aaron were radically changed.

We know from reading Exodus 32:1-4, the people asked that a god of gold and a golden calf be made for them to worship. None of these men stood up to oppose the people, to keep them from sinning. The experience on Mt. Sinai was given by God to transform these men into true leaders, not just men with titles.

But before we harshly judge these men, we must remember, it is as true for us today as it was for them. God gives us potentially transformational experiences and we, at times, do not allow them to transform us.

We walk away, come from the mountain as it were, thinking that was a great revelation and immediately start thinking, ”What’s for lunch?” or, “What’s so and so doing after church?”

Some Christians become experience junkies. These are people who move from one God event to the next, always looking for bigger and better happenings. They get that first rush or the high of the experience, but they soon crash, having no real satisfaction.

They do not allow these God experiences to transform them into the Lord’s image. They do not allow themselves to be transformed — to be drawn closer to the Lord and to do the work of the ministry that they have been called to do. This is where we all find true satisfaction in the Lord.

We all need to allow these encounters to transform us. We do this by asking the Lord, “What is the specific purpose for us having the experience?” Then, we need to meditate on that purpose. Finally, we must ask the Lord to help us and allow the transformation to take place in our lives.

The Lord Jesus has chosen each of us to be His people and He wants to transform us into a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, that will transform the world in His name.

The Power of Consequences

 

 

Tim Bishop, author, cbn.com

“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.”

Wow! That’s a radical notion. And it seems extreme. Yet this law comes from the Bible (Exodus 21:15 ESV), before Jesus Christ descended to usher in the era of grace.

As unfair as they may seem, strong consequences can help prevent wrongdoing. An incident that happened to me at a US border crossing drove home this important point.

Several years ago, Debbie and I were cycling across America on our honeymoon. We needed to pass through a narrow security checkpoint, bicycles and all. The entryway was a cross between a revolving door and a head-to-toe turnstile. The metal latticework allowed glimpses of what was within it.

The challenge enticed me. It looked fun and harkened back to Jesus’s metaphor in Matthew 19:24 (ESV). Some theologians have contended that the “eye of a needle” referred to a narrow gate through which a camel entered a city in biblical times. Whether you subscribe to that interpretation or a more literal one, Jesus was emphasizing that a rich person only enters the kingdom of God with much difficulty.

I was facing my own eye of a needle. With some effort, I wriggled my loaded bicycle through the tight passageway. Then, I stood inside a small rectangle with fencing on three sides and a building on the fourth.

Debbie pushed her bicycle into the revolving door until it became stuck. The moment seemed so unusual that I thought it was worth capturing for posterity before coming to her aid. Our friends were not going to believe this predicament. I grabbed my camera and aimed it toward the turnstile.

Suddenly, the building door flew open. Out came a border patrol officer.

“You can’t take pictures here. This is a restricted area,” she snapped as she reached for my camera. “Let me have that.”

I panicked. Debbie and I had cycled from Oregon to New York with some precious memories on the card inside that camera.

“Oh, I won’t take any pictures. I promise,” I said, as I clutched the camera close to my chest.

“Delete that last picture and get on out of here,” she said.

As abruptly as she had arrived, she vanished when the tinted door closed behind her. I was grateful she was willing to look the other way.

Seizing the camera would have been a harsh penalty for an innocent mistake. Nevertheless, the threat provided strong motivation. No way would I breach this law again and risk losing some irreplaceable pictures. When we crossed back into the United States a day later, my camera was stowed away.

Assuming they were enforced, the stringent laws of yesteryear (Exodus 21 and 22) must have been powerful deterrents and commanded respect for authority.

Ramifications serve an important purpose. If border authorities allow everyone to photograph their security framework, the images can end up in the hands of bad actors whose selfish motives will harm innocent people. Scoundrels can learn how to breach security and use that knowledge to perpetrate additional crimes.

Thankfully, God places rules and consequences in our lives. They protect us. The stiffer the punishment, the more likely people will follow the rules. Those rules may even save our lives.

The next time you become frustrated with an inequitable consequence, remember that the law exists for the benefit of you and those around you. If everyone broke it, chaos would ensue.

Fill ‘Er Up

 

 

By: Beth Patch – Senior Producer, cbn.com

You’ve got to know something’s wrong when you pass numerous broken down cars on your usually smooth commute. In July 2018, a delivery truck had pumped the wrong fuel in underground tanks at several gas stations. Many Virginia motorists who had filled their tanks with Regular gas got Diesel instead. Some cars sputtered down the highway and others seized up entirely.

I’ve often thought about these drivers. It seemed so right filling their cars that day. The pump was labeled Regular. Why would they expect anything else?

King Solomon, one of Israel’s greatest leaders, revered for godly wisdom, wrote about assuming you’re getting the right thing in Proverbs:

“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)

I recognize that path. It’s the avenue society says is best for me, too. The one where I figure out what makes me happy and how to get it — the all-about-me road. I spend my time doing things I enjoy, buying things I like, and seeking a safe, comfortable life. I decide what’s right and wrong, what’s fair and unfair. It does seem right. It seems normal.

What could be wrong with it? I’m not hurting anyone else. We all think this way sometimes. Problem is that kind of thinking can lead us down a dark path.

Solomon says it ends in death. Spiritual Death. Sputtering away from the path God intended. Dying, separated from the abundant life God planned for us.

The first commandment given to Moses says, “You must not have any other god but me.” Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

That includes us. We can’t spend our lives chasing pleasures, living by our own code of ethics, always putting ourselves first. That’s placing us before God — making little gods of ourselves. When we trust and obey God, we put Him in the rightful place as Lord of our lives. We align our wants with what He wants. We respect His authority in our lives as our Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of the proper relationship to the Father. He sought time alone with Him, counsel from Him, and He totally surrendered to God’s plan. Even in the face of crucifixion, Jesus said,

“I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)

When Jehovah God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses for His people (Exodus 20:1-20), it was not so much a list of do’s and don’ts, as some might interpret. It was God’s plumb line for humanity. He wanted us to walk in abundant life, not death. Days with purpose.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

Oh Lord Jesus, please help us to know when we are fueling our earthly vessels with the emptiness of this world. We need discernment from the Holy Spirit as we are prone to stray without even knowing it. Accept our confession, oh merciful God. We are guilty of putting ourselves before You. We don’t want to have any other god but You. Please forgive us, change us, and rescue us from ourselves — put us on Your pathway for our lives. Thank you for your unending grace and faithfulness. Amen.

This Is Only a Test

By: Missey Butler, cbn.com

The scene is a jubilant one. The entire Israelite community had been miraculously delivered from the heavy bondage of slavery. Their jaws dropped as they watched God part the Red Sea so they could walk triumphantly into freedom. The book of Exodus gives us the account.

Miriam, Moses’ big sister, led the procession with clashing tambourines in what must have been the biggest “Praise Celebration” of all time. They had witnessed first hand how their mighty Jehovah had brought them out from under the cruel demands of Pharaoh and his chariot officers.

You would have surely thought that they would be riding this “wave of faith” for quite some time to come. But only three days later, they were complaining to Moses, “Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here only to have us die from thirst?”

Moses himself even got out of sorts. He complained to God, “What am I to do with these people”?

God calmly answered Moses (as if He was not surprised at all by their behavior),

“Walk on ahead of the people. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because they quarreled and they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:5-7).

They tested God… but in reality, God was testing them.

As we continue to journey with them in the hot desert sand through the Old Testament, we begin to realize that the picture only becomes more dismal. What the Israelites failed to see was that God was continually bringing them into a “wilderness of testing” for one purpose: to see what was truly in their hearts, to see if they would trust and obey Him without a grand display of miracles.

Even in our own lives, we travel through different places of testing. God has historically used this story of the Israelites as an example of how not to respond when faced with trials. (See Hebrews 4:11.)

The bottom line is that God is after something in each one of us. This thing called life is simply our own desert of testing. Why not allow God to part the “red seas” of your life? He has a “promised land” that He wants to bring you into so He can show Himself mighty and strong on your behalf.

With boldness and courage let us learn from our predecessors the valuable lessons of faith and let us remind ourselves, “This is only a test.”

Useless Against an Assailant

 

By: Kay Camenisch, cbn.com

A loud crash awakened their petite daughter from a deep sleep. As a single mom, her first instinct was to protect her small children. She sprang from bed and grabbed the bat that was close by. With heart pounding and bat clutched to strike, she rushed out her door.

She checked the children’s rooms. They were in their beds and sleeping soundly. White knuckles held her weapon close and ready as she cautiously checked the rest of the house.

Ahhh! A shower curtain had crashed to the floor, causing the disturbance. All was secure. She sighed with relief—especially when she saw the weapon in her hands. She was clutching the hollow plastic bat of her two-year-old. It was useless against an assailant.

However, the story gives us cause to think. No matter what difficulty we face, our weapons are never adequate. They are as plastic bats.

How often have we grabbed from our arsenal only to find our weapons grossly inadequate, even useless against the intruders of our lives? Consequently, when we have to use them, we become overwhelmed because of our inability to cope. We might even question where God is in the midst of our problem. Are we lacking because God has given us inadequate, or useless, weapons? Or is it simply that we are depending on our own weapons — or strength — rather than on our God?

As Moses led the Israelites to freedom, they were trapped between the Red Sea, mountains, and a fierce army chasing after them. As slaves, they knew the Egyptians’ cruelty. Now they didn’t even have plastic bats to fight with. They were doomed and were terrified.

In desperation, they cried out to the Lord for help. However, in the same breath, they hurled accusations at Moses for their predicament.

Then they said to Moses,

“Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:11-12 (NASB)

When we depend on our own strength, we easily become afraid. Then, are we like the Israelites? Do we feel like we have to take care of the problem? Are we terrified because we don’t expect God to answer? If the problem is bigger than we can handle, helplessness and fear easily lead to anger and blame — all because we are trusting in ourselves.

In contrast, Moses’ faith was not misplaced. He did not need a weapon. He was confident God would handle the problem.

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” Exodus 14:13 (NASB)

The Lord parted the Red Sea and His children walked across to freedom. The Egyptian army followed and the sea closed over them. The whole army was destroyed without the Israelites raising a hand. (Well, Moses did hold his rod up and stretched his hand over the sea to part it!)

God sometimes chooses to let us participate in the fight — but we always need Him to fight our battles for us, whether we take part or not. Conversely, He doesn’t need us in order to win. When He fights for us, victory is sure.

God never intended for us to be our sole defense. If we find that our resources inadequate in life’s battles, it’s because we’re not fully depending on God. He is our shield, defense, bulwark, and strong tower. If we trust in the Lord rather than our plastic bats, we will find that He is never useless against an assailant.

For though we walk inkier than learning boldness because we can easily tip the scales too far and become passive. It’s a difficult balance, but a necessary one if we want to reflect Christ to a hurting world.

Guiding Light

 

 

By: Diane Virginia, cbn.com

“Lord God,” Earle cried, “help me to find my ewe. She’s been lost in this blizzard since mornin’ an’ she’s pregnant.”

Earle brushed a tear from his eye, leaned forward in the saddle, and gave his horse, Cooper, his full rein.

“Find ‘er!”

Cooper sensed Earle’s urgency and broke into a lope.

He spotted the ewe only because Cooper dodged her, prancing with high steps.

“Come ‘ere, lady!” Earle said, gliding out of the saddle. He brushed snow from the ewe’s woolen curls.

The ewe lifted her head but otherwise remained motionless.

Earle reached into Cooper’s saddlebag and grasped an alfalfa cube and a handful of molasses-strapped oats. “I got yer favorite treat ‘ere.” Earle pressed the alfalfa cube to the ewe’s nose.

She refused it.

“How ‘bout some oats?”

The ewe roused and nibbled on a few grains.

“Let’s go home,” Earle said.

The ewe placed her muzzle in Earle’s hand, and they inched forward.

Soon, she toppled.

Earle fell to his knees, “Father God, what’s my next step?” He fought panic and listened for the still small voice of the Lord within his conscience.

An idea came to him.  Earle loosened Cooper’s girth, removed the saddle-pad, and placed the ewe on this makeshift sleigh. He fashioned an improvised harness from Cooper’s bridle and some rope. He attached this ensemble to the girth and reattached it.

Earle clucked to Cooper. It was then he realized he was lost. He couldn’t see the outcroppings to center him; all he could see of the blurred landscape was snow! He tried to track their direction, but their footprints were erased. He couldn’t even see the horizon.

Earle pulled the ewe into his bosom. “I’ll get ya home somehow, love. You’ll bed down in my own cabin tonight.” He motioned for his horse to go forward.

Cooper hesitated.

“Go on, boy. Find home.”

Cooper zig-zagged across the landscape, confused.

Earle tugged on the sled; Cooper halted.

“Lord, we need Your help! You led Your people in all circumstances and at all times. Lead me.”

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and by night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, or the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” Exodus 13:21-22 (KJV)

Earle took his gloves off and slipped them onto the ewe’s hooves. “It ain’t much, lil’ lady, but ye need spoilin’ more than myself.” He felt her abdomen. “Hold off there, love! I’ll get you home.”

Earle searched the landscape. Suddenly, he realized he had an unexpected clue he could use to determine which direction to travel. He could smell the wood burning in his fireplace. “Thank You, Lord!” Earle said. He followed the scent, and step by step led the convoy forward.

At last, Earle spotted embers rising from the chimney. “Thank You, Lord! For You, ‘the true Light,’ (John 1:9 KJV) have guided me home.”

Earle opened the cabin door and led Cooper inside. He stoked the fireplace and laughed at the sight of his horse and ewe residing inside his home. Tears streamed freely, for as he bedded the ewe, still upon the saddle-pad, she gave birth to a perfect lamb.

Earle knew that as Moses relied on the Guiding Light, so must he.

And so must we.

When Jesus Is Silent

 

 

By: Anne Ferrell Tata, cbn.com

“But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. ‘Tell her to go away,’ they said. ‘She is bothering us with all her begging.'” Matthew 15:23 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like the Canaanite woman who cried out to Jesus on behalf of her daughter?

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is possessed by a demon who torments her severely!” Matthew 15:22 (NLT)

She cried. She pleaded. She was frightened and desperate to find help for her daughter. Making it worse, those around her tried to silence and dismiss her.

The Bible says, “But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.”

How many times have we prayed and asked, even beseeched God for something we want or need, and like the Gentile woman of Canaan, Jesus is silent? Have there been times when friends or family members have caused you to doubt that God is listening or cares?

I remember a time I cried out to Jesus, and He was silent. My husband and I agreed that I needed to return to the workforce after a brief break situating our four young children in school. Before my break, I had enjoyed a successful career in medical sales. Armed with confidence and a packed resume, I set out to return to the field I knew and loved.

You can imagine my surprise when interview after interview produced zero offers. Two or three times I was in the final round but lost the job to another qualified person. Weeks turned into months and still no job.

I cried out to Jesus. I repented. I humbled myself. I asked God if I was being punished. I began to panic because I knew my husband was counting on me to help with our household expenses. In the past, my medical jobs provided our family’s health insurance.

Jesus “gave me no reply, not even a word.”

Finally, I surrendered. I acknowledged that while I did not understand what or why this was happening, I would trust Him. I thanked Him. He knew our situation, and if I was not getting a job, there was a reason. I thanked Him for taking care of our family as He always had.

A short time later, I received a call from my sister in Florida announcing the news that our father was in the hospital. I left for Florida later that day. As it turns out, he was diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis was not good. For the next eight months, I traveled back and forth between Virginia and Florida so I could spend time with my father and help my mother.

I understood the reason I could not find a job. If I had accepted a new position, I could not have taken so much time off. I was and am eternally grateful that I was unemployed at the time and available to spend so much time with my father. It was an amazing gift, and while those were some of the most difficult eight months, they were also some of the most fulfilling. Our family comforted and supported each other as we said goodbye to a most wonderful man. Jesus was working the entire time. I just did not realize.

When the Canaanite woman did not get a response from Jesus, she did not give up. She had faith. The Bible says she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

He not only healed her daughter, but He praised her for faith,

“O woman, great is your faith!” Matthew 15:28 (NKJV)

God hears our prayers. He loves us, and while His ways are not our ways, He is to be worshiped and trusted. We must keep the faith even when He is silent.

A Unifying Christ

by Katherine Britton, crosswalk.com

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God – Romans 15:6,7

A couple years ago, I spent two weeks with missionary friends in France. Over the course of those days, I learned a bit about buying baguettes, European clothing sales and measurements, and where to watch for pickpockets. I picked up a couple helpful phrases, (often falling back on the always-applicable “pardon” and “bonjour”), took the RER train system, and frequented the French version of Walmart (it’s called Auchan). I got used to hearing a language that made little sense to me in the streets. But two weeks did not instill a sense of belonging. I loved the experience, but the language barrier was too great to tempt me into staying.

The most nerve-wracking moments – for us unilingual Americans – came the day our hosts had other commitments. We were left to attempt a trip into Paris on our own, without our erstwhile friend/guide/translator. In reality, the abundance of English-speaking Frenchmen should have made us easy, but we still felt painfully and distinctly not French. It was intimidating to jump on the RER with its quiet passengers, who knew the route better than we did and would immediately identify us if we opened our mouths. We stuck with “pardon” for the train ride, though we later chickened out and ask the restaurant’s waiter if he spoke English. He said, “Yeah, sure.”

Perhaps the most rewarding evening of the trip was a birthday celebration at our hosts’ home, when several of their French friends came for dinner. The language barrier still existed, but its unease lifted during that evening. We all made linguistic blunders – some of which were funnier than others. But for all of us, we were united in our mutual friendship of the hosts, and our implicit trust that, well, if he’s friends with them, they must be wonderful people. The unspoken bond carried even further in some cases, when we knew we shared a common faith as well as friend.

Our Parisian adventure eventually ended back in Dulles International airport—not the most exciting or warm place in the U.S. But did we ever fell at home! We felt so welcomed and at home. Everything was written in our own language! We could understand the passing comments of strangers! We could joke in line at Starbucks! We could speak without translating in our heads! We could revel in our Americanness because we were home. Our language unified us with total strangers after the immersion of two weeks in France.

Being back in our home culture with our native language made me feel like old friends with total strangers, who probably gave me an odd look at the time. But the unity of our common understanding was wildly apparent to me, and I couldn’t help feeling joyful at the strangeness of hearing my own language again.

Compare this to the miracle of Pentecost, when a chaotic world market suddenly burst with understanding. Those standing the cosmopolitan heard a unifying call where they least expected it. They said,

“How is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:8-11)

After Peter’s presentation of the Gospel, three thousand people were convinced of the truth of Christ and believed in Jesus. How does something like that happen?

Anything and Everything

 

By: Thomas D. Midgette, cbn.com

A very troubled Elijah went into a cave, and the word of the Lord came to him saying, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah then began to explain to the Lord how difficult his life was.

This is how the Lord responded, He sent a great and strong wind which tore into the mountain, breaking the rocks into pieces. Then He sent an earthquake. Then He sent a fire.

Nowhere in the text do we see or hear that any of it frightened Elijah. Elijah never expresses any surprise or excitement about what God just did. He does not become unsettled. He is not moved. He does not run away or respond to these displays of God’s power with any outward expressions.

Afterward, the Lord speaks again in a still small voice and says, “What are you doing here Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:8-13)

Can the tearing of rocks from a mountain be done without a great clamor? Can an earthquake occur without a great shaking taking place? Can a sudden fire burn from nothing nearby without causing a stir? Yet Elijah is unmoved.

I have been through several shakings in my life from God and I have never managed it well. Sometimes my anxieties go through the roof. Sometimes I react with anger or an increasingly smaller faith.

Often when I am going to go to work somewhere, I will pick up my work shoes and turn them over and shake them roughly. I am getting ready to go to work in them and I don’t want anything to be in them that will distract me from my purpose, so I shake them, often more than once.

God is shaking our world today. We are learning to do without. Perhaps our anxieties are flaring up and our minds are burdened with many fears, like the disciples on the sea rowing their little boat and terrified that at any moment they are going to drown; but Jesus is just walking. He is just walking!

He does not rush to their rescue; He does not make a big fuss over them or their hapless situation. He just walks into their lives and tells them not to be afraid (Matthew 14:22-27); and to the world around them He says, “Peace, be still.”

God must shake things, and we will see Him do so increasingly in the days ahead. The only thing that will not shake, when God shakes things, is His presence within us. And for that reason, we can focus more quickly and more precisely upon it.

At that point, we become shoes worth wearing as He takes us to do His will, whether it is in the mountains or on the sea.

Anything and Everything

 

by Shawn McEvoy, crosswalk.com

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?Romans 8:32

When my children were but ages five and three, they already knew my weakness.

They recognized that it’s not ice cream, baseball, or their mom’s chili… or even a hug or puppy-dog eyes from them.

See, none of the above make me cry (although the chili almost did once). Yes, my children have seen their father cry. It’s not something I wanted, or intended. I’m a man, after all. I go to work, show my strength. I coach, help, show, point, and guide. I communicate, discipline, and lead. I pray. I do not cry.

…Except when I read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, that is.

And like I said, my children, who are older now, have known this from early on. And oh, have they twisted that knife. We must own a couple hundred children’s books, but if it’s a night where Daddy is doing the bedtime reading rather than Mommy, what have they invariangly picked through the years? The Giving Tree of course!

I’ve been reading this book, first published in 1964, since I myself was a child, and no matter how many times I do, I am unable to de-sensitize. I mean, when I watch the movie Field of Dreams and Ray has a catch with his ghost-dad, that gets me. But if I see the scene over and over within a certain time frame? Nah. No sweat, no tears. But this blasted children’s book… well… what’s going on here?

First of all, you’re probably wondering that very thing if you aren’t familiar with the story. A tree and a boy are the best of friends during an idyllic childhood for the young man where he eats apples from the tree, climbs her trunk, swings from her branches, and rests in her shade. Then things change, as things do, and we see the boy approach the tree at all the various stages of his life, caught up – understandably, even – more in wanting and needing than in just being. Every time he has a “need,” the tree obliges… and is happy for having done so. She doesn’t have much, but gives all she has until eventually, she is nothing but a stump. At the end of all things, however, it turns out a stump is just what the old man needs – a quiet place to sit down and rest and reflect. “And the tree was happy. The end.”

And I am undone… again.

Is it because I am reading the story to my children, and I know our stories will be very much like that of the tree and the boy, where they are my delight but eventually I must simply become provider as they go out into the world? Yes and no.

Is it because our family copy of the book – the one I read to the kids – carries an inscription from my wife on our first Christmas that says, “With God’s help, may I love you like this”? Yes and no.

Is it because as my father lay dying I told him of the story (he wasn’t familiar with it), and how he had been that tree for me? That’s definitely part of it. My mother, I remember, commented that she didn’t recall it being a “Christian” book. I didn’t really have an answer to that, only to what I saw in it. Which is…

Complete love to the point of emptying. Unquestioning sacrifice, even for someone who isn’t appreciating or understanding what they’ve been given. A desire only to have communion. An entering into final rest. In other words, a perfect example of the immensity of what Jesus did for me, desired from me, provides for me, and will carry me to.

That is why I always cry.

So every time I finish the story, eyes full of tears, my kids look at me wondering if I’m okay. My youngest used to ask, “Why you cry, Dad?” And every time I’ve explained, I think she has understood just the tiniest bit more. These are tears of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the Giver and the immensity of a gift to a person consumed with self-interest who has forgotten innocence. A short time ago these children opened their hearts to receive that gift. Now I pray that they won’t miss the other lesson from the book: all our Giver really wants in return is our time, for us to come to Him as we did as children.