Take Time to Find God

 

 

Martha Noebel ,cbn.com

God desires to be a part of our everyday lives. He longs to show His love for us in special ways. If we will take the time, He will surprise us with special gifts of His love throughout our day.

Recently, this happened to a friend of mine. She took the time to find God. No, she didn’t just get up early in the morning and go outside to sit under a large, budding oak tree. She didn’t just stop and smell the fresh spring breeze and listen to the birds singing their songs of praise to God. She didn’t meditate all day while the warmth of the sun caressed her smiling face. She began her day as she always does — she spent time in the Word and then allowed God to show up in any part of her day that He chose. She went to work, and there were special surprises for her.

The Scripture she read that morning was from the Song of Solomon [Song of Songs in some versions]. It was a precious Scripture that she took with her in her heart. As she entered the building where she works, she saw something on the table in the lobby. She decided that she would pick up the small object and throw it away. She took pride in the area where she works and simply wanted to keep things looking nice. But to her surprise, it was a small flower. Now you say, “What’s the big deal?” Well, here is the Scripture that God gave her that morning:

“For the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves” (Song of Solomon 2:11-12, The Book).

It meant so much to her. She giggled and said, “Thank you, Papa” (as she always did when speaking to her heavenly Father) and kept right on walking. God was speaking to her heart about His great love for her. He was sharing with her that just as it was beginning to be spring in the natural realm, in the spiritual realm she was starting into her own springtime. And as we all know, flowers are a sign of spring.

God had allowed someone to leave a special, little flower on that table so that as she entered the building she would discover it and feel His great love for her. Her heart was greatly touched by this incident, and I felt so blessed to be a part of it. I had been right behind her when she walked into the building that morning.

As I thought of how special that moment seemed to her (not knowing about the Scripture God had given her), I knew something very wonderful was happening. As I stepped into the elevator, God spoke to my heart and said, “She took the time to find ME.” She had taken the time to find God. She was continuing the day as we all have to do, working and taking care of family, yet this moment did not escape her.

“Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring” (Hosea 6:3, The Book).

Needless to say, I took the rest of the day to look for God. I made sure I gave eye contact to everyone I met and shared a kind word and a smile. I wanted to find God in my day, and I wanted to be God’s love to someone who might need to see Him in a tangible way.

We can find God. We can feel His love in wonderful ways. We don’t need to think that He is millions of miles away and too busy to care about our special needs each day.

Take time to find God.

Enjoy All Our Years

 

 

Eddie Jones , cbn.com

However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. (Ecclesiastes 11:8)

Twenty-six years ago I drove my wife to the emergency room. For the next eight hours we played backgammon while waiting for her condition to improve. It didn’t. The pain became unbearable; they gave her drugs. This helped, but not enough. My parents were in Atlantic City, gambling. Hers in Charlotte. So there we were, a young couple facing our first life or death moment without friends or family nearby.

I forget what I wore that day. A surf shirt, probably. I do recall wearing a white headband with the word “Coach” printed in blue marker. I guess I was a good coach because later that evening she delivered a baby boy, our first.

Birthdays are a big deal in our family. Not as big as Christmas, but close. Birthdays mark our beginnings and suggest we might leave a lasting impression on others. In our family, when it comes to birthdays, nobody does a better job of celebrating our legacy of life than my cousin Ricky.

A typical “Cousin Ricky” birthday box includes a specially mixed CD with songs from the year you were born, DVD movies tailored to your tastes, toys from the Dollar store and candy. Lots and lots of candy. Sometimes the candy has melted by the time the box arrives, but that’s okay. Chocolate in any condition and shape is good.

In the past I’ve received a plastic whistle (with compass) to help ward of bears and keep me from getting lost on the trails above Black Mountain, old Westerns DVDs, several copies of the movie Jaws (in case the player eats one), CDs with music from Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beach Boys, Beatles, etc… and candy. Lots and lots of candy.

The writer of Ecclesiastes advises us to enjoy all our years – not just those early ones when people were making a fuss over us. Too often we adults discount birthdays and other days and pretend they’re not a big deal. But they are. Every day is huge. If you don’t think so, try living without one.

I wish every family had a Cousin Ricky. I wish I cared about people as much as Ricky. None of us knows how many years we’ll have together; but it seems to me, setting aside one day out of 365 to acknowledge the life of someone we love is a small testimony to their worth.

The Psalmist writes:

“… all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

When it comes to birthdays, “B” in the moment. Inhale the sweet smell of fresh cut grass on a ball field and hear the sequels of laughter on a playground. Taste and see that God is good today and everyday.

The next time a friend or family member has a birthday, give candy and a song from their good old days. The shipping will probably cost more than the gift but that’s okay. It’s the thought that counts.

And thoughts of love and life are priceless.

Are You Over-Righteous?

 

 

Lori D’Augostine , cbn.com

“May all who come behind us find us faithful.” I can still remember chanting those words in our daily chapel meetings in Bible school. Girded by the breastplate of righteousness, a battalion of young soldiers were well-equipped to become the next Billy Graham or Elizabeth Elliot. Was it true righteousness though? Admittedly, I sometimes wonder.

Did you know that there is such a thing in the Bible as over-righteousness?

“Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise — why destroy yourself?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16 NIV)

What does it mean to be over-righteous? According to the Bible, true righteousness is only imparted through the Holy Spirit. Anything else is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). God’s righteousness is imputed to us at the moment of salvation and thenceforth, any true righteousness that flows from us is not from us, but from the Holy Spirit.

George Whitefield, one of the great evangelists of the Englightenment said:

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. Now till the Spirit of God is felt on our souls as the wind on our bodies, indeed, my dear brethren, you have no interest in him: religion consists not in external performance, it must be in the heart, or else it is only a name.”

Many times our efforts may outwardly appear unto Christ. We busy ourselves with the “work” of the Kingdom. Outwardly, we paste on a smile, while sweating bullets inside. You know the drill … early to rise for 7am prayer at church and then off to visit a friend in the hospital. We can hardly keep up with this Christian life. We’re not sure how to fix this, but if we don’t, our friends will be visiting us in the hospital. Martha, Martha, Martha ….

The reality is that all of our toiling is in vain. Our over-righteousness destroys us and perhaps even the people around us. Somewhere in our work for the Lord, our desire to be great for God has deterred the ability to hear His voice. Our walls of pride may have been built up so much that it is difficult to see this coming disaster.

We need to STOP! We are not the Savior of the world. We need to stop filling up our self piggy banks and flaunting our righteousness. We don’t have to strive and struggle any longer. Jesus came for people like YOU and ME!

When Jesus came to this earth, His actions seemed rather un-righteous to the religious folk. He broke the Sabbath, declared Himself equal to God, spent a lot of time with sinners, and urged his followers not to pray in public as the hypocrites. Maybe we should follow His example. The very man who was righteousness embodied, did not even try to out-do the Law. He was always consumed with His Father’s business, no matter how great or small and never wanted to make a name for Himself or be like any other person under Heaven.

“Then Jesus explained, ‘My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.'” (John 4:34 NLT)

If you think that you may be suffering from over-righteousness, I urge you to repent and reconsider that Your soul is starving. Get alone with God immediately and be open to His will no matter how menial or trite. He might surprise you! You may find that the secrets of advancing the Kingdom of God are to be found right under your nose. If you humble yourself, you will see that the smaller, less noble things are the greatest. The last shall be first in the great Kingdom of God (Matthew 20:16).

Keep Pounding the Rock

 

 

Andy Hollifield , cbn.com

“… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

“You’ll never move that rock, Mikey, it’s too big.” Not very encouraging, but Mikey had grown used to hearing it from his friends. Since moving to their home when he was only three, Mikey hated that rock and wanted his dad to move it to make room for a swing set. His dad told him if he could move it, he would buy him one.

Mikey was six then, and he spent every day trying to move that rock. Sometimes, he tried only a couple of times when he went outside to play. Other days, he’d try for hours. He first started with the little hammer in the tool kit he got for Christmas. When that didn’t work, he used his dad’s hammer. Still not successful, he saved his birthday money and bought a three-pound sledgehammer. Mikey had a boat-load of determination. Some might call it a stubborn streak. He never would give up on moving that rock.

As he entered his teen years, Mikey began to accept the fact that rock would probably always be there. Nevertheless, he didn’t give up. By age 14, he’d bought himself a 10-pound sledgehammer. When he made the varsity football team, primarily because of his size and strength, he decided that rock could be useful in his training regiment. Each day he would spend an hour jumping on the top of the rock and pounding 30 licks with his hammer. He would then jump down and back up again and do another 30. By now, he had long since forgotten about the swing set.

On signing day in his senior year, he signed a scholarship letter of intent. It was for a full ride to one of the most prominent football universities in the south. Later that night at supper, he asked his dad, “Are you ever going to move that rock?”

His dad responded, “Why should I? Look what it did for you.”

“What do you mean, Dad?” Mikey asked.

With a grin, his dad began to explain. “Mikey, since you were six years old you have wanted that rock moved. You worked at it every day, even breaking a few hammers along the way. That rock never moved, but it did something for you I never could’ve. It was that rock that made you strong. Although you hated it, it’s the very reason you’re where you are today.  If not for that rock, you would’ve spent your time playing video games or something. Instead, now you’re about to live out your dream of playing college ball. It’s your hard work, determination, strength, and perseverance that got you there. That rock you hated so much did all of that for you far better than I ever could have. I’m proud of you, son.”

Sometimes, it may be the thing that hinders us the most, that molds us into what God wants us to be. The trials we go through breed compassion for others going through them. They create in us a desire to alleviate someone else’s suffering. They cause us to want to encourage others in their struggles. Those things we hate and don’t think we’ll ever survive are the very things that make us who we are.

Keep pounding the rocks in your life. Have a blessed day in the Lord!

As Good As It Gets

 

 

Jennifer E. Jones, cbn.com

A man who incidentally suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder leaves his psychiatrist’s office frustrated and anxious. He steps into the waiting area where other patients are seated and stops as if an epiphany hit him.

“What if this is as good as it gets?” he asks and then he leaves. The patients remain frozen, pondering the possibility.

It’s my favorite scene from the movie of the same name, As Good As It Gets. It’s a funny moment, but it’s really a question about contentment. Can you honestly look at your life as it stands right now and say, “[Freeze frame] Am I okay with what I see?”

You might say no and probably have good reasons why. Life can certainly throw some unfair curveballs our way. You might say, “Yes, but …”, and the qualifiers start coming out. Well, of course, you’d be happier if you had more money, a more attentive spouse, a nicer job, etc.

I am as guilty of discontentment as the next guy. I have pinned a certain level of happiness on milestones that I have yet to achieve. But there comes a time in every daydreamer’s life when she has to ask, “If this is as good as it gets, what am I going to do about it?”

“The future is no place to place your better days” – Dave Matthews, “Cry Freedom”

I think God put contentment in our grasps. Paul, who is among our examples for a Christian life, wrote about being content in his present situation, which was often being homeless, in jail or in some type of peril. If anyone had a reason to be discontented, it was Paul. Here he was doing God’s work and people always wanted to kill him. Don’t believe me? Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-26. Shipwrecked, flogged, robbed, stoned … it wasn’t easy being Paul, yet he wrote to the Philippians:

I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything. (Philippians 4:11-13, CEV)

The rock that Paul leaned on was his belief in Christ. He found contentment in the facts that Jesus never left him and the Holy Spirit was continually helping along his journey. He found the far-reaching arm of grace was enough to hold him no matter how close he came to the brink. Quite simply, to Paul, every day he had another breath was a gift. Life – somewhere in its core, with all its imperfections and pitfalls – was good.

The older I get, the more I know the winds of change are inevitable, but their timing is often a mystery. You just never know when or how your situation will improve. So, when faced with discontentment, the more reliable decision would be to change one’s perspective of the circumstance – rather than waiting for the circumstance itself to change.

Either way, it’s always good to stop in the middle of the crowdedness of life and ask the question, “What if this is as good as it gets?” And if it is, then ask God where you can find joy and peace in this moment. Let God show you where He has hidden His grace for you, because I promise, it’s there.

Perfect Beauty

 

 

Kathleen Grimm Welty, cbn.com

Voluptuous blonde actresses and famous well-built athletes: What do they have in common besides million dollar salaries? One common denominator I observe is the illusion of perfection, modeled by their outward appearance.

This philosophic thought came to me at the post office. Long lines of impatient customers and rows of tiny post boxes do not usually produce an atmosphere of contemplation. But today, I gazed at the stamp designs, enlarged and framed. The splashy illustrations showed perfectly formed bodies. The drawings ignored inborn flaws of ordinary people. As I inched forward to mail my package, I pondered the committee’s choice of stamp heroes.

Did a special stamp commission or maybe a government bigwig vote from a list of persons whom they emulated and revered? Let me describe a person they should have chosen. She is not a glamorous blonde, but has been a beautiful redhead for her 47 years. Or, she did have red hair, before radiation and chemotherapy. She has had brain surgery and a bone plate removed from her skull. She now sports a large hollow spot, her scalp sinking in a four-inch wide circle on the side of her nearly bald head. A large U-shaped scar surrounds that indentation.

This description doesn’t match the images on those postage stamp portraits. But I am certain my sister is more beautiful than any Hollywood legend. She is better qualified to be honored on a stamp than any big-name athlete.

My sister Marilyn has an inner beauty that a scalpel cannot mutilate. Radiation may destroy her hair follicles but they cannot destroy her soul. She models her life as a Christ-follower and has her eyes fixed on a crown. She gives glory to God in all her circumstances. Her earthly tent may be stricken with brain cancer, but the core of her being has not changed. In the face of terminal illness, she has strong faith—even on the hard days.

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV)

In spite of physical misery, she remains motivated to help others. She’s wheelchair-bound, so she phones: ordering gift books, giving words of encouragement; words of witness that everyone can be made whole and forgiven through Jesus Christ.

And I have overheard her side of a phone call with a friend. I have seen her smile when she answers, “Fine! And how are you?” She was not stretching the truth because deep in her soul she is fine. Her healing will come—she knows it. She has told me Jesus may heal her exactly as He did the lame man of the Bible. One moment in time, from broken to whole, instantaneously. Or, she said, He may choose to heal her when she sees His face in heaven. She has come to the point that she is fine with either outcome. This is what makes the anguish of disease bearable. The hope of heaven, walking in The Way, even when a tumor steals your legs. Marilyn knows she is on the right path.

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30 NIV)

So I shall write the Postmaster General: “In hearty recognition of a person who should be featured on a commemorative stamp, I do hereby nominate Marilyn Grimm Sturm.” But, hey! I forgot. If you have your tiny portrait printed millions of times on thin paper with zigzag edges and a sticky underside, it’s no comparison to your name printed once in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Marilyn Sturm has already received the greatest recognition of all.

The Gardening of Our Minds

 

 

Audrey Tyler, cbn.com

What is creeping around in your garden? Like millions of others at the beginning of the pandemic, I planted a vegetable garden. I love fresh, homegrown tomatoes. They taste better than store-bought ones.

I discovered there is a joy and a pleasure in carefully placing the plants into the ground and watching them grow. Watering the plants was calming and refreshing to me, as much as it was to the plants. Seeing how they were changing, growing, and flowering daily gave me confidence in my gardening ability.

One day, as I checked on the garden, I was taken completely by surprise. Most of the leaves on the tomato plants were gone. Something had eaten them. I moved in closer and found a big green worm. Yikes! A tomato hornworm caterpillar. The closer I looked, I found more. They blended in with the leaves and were unnoticed until the damage was done. They were a danger to the tomato plants. The garden was overrun with them. I needed to do something quick! Tomato hornworms can destroy a tomato crop overnight. Fear and panic rushed in. I hadn’t properly guarded my garden. What form of control measures was I to take? How could I fend off these devouring critters?

Sometimes this happens to our minds. We forget to properly guard the garden of our minds from devouring critters. We let ungodly messages and negative and worrisome thoughts creep in.  These critters creep in unnoticed and help themselves to the fruit of our joy and peace.

The gardening of our minds is like tending a garden. Maintaining our joy and peace requires constant work—constant gardening.

Second Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) tells us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

We have to get to work and capture every rebellious thought and pluck them out. How do we pluck them out? What form of control measures do we take? Scripture—the Word of God. God’s Word is a mighty weapon to use to fend off these devouring critters. It’s powerful and effective.

These critters seek to draw our hearts and minds away from God. Gardening our minds requires us to be aware of how we really think and become more aware of how God wants us to think. We focus our thoughts on His thoughts. God’s Word is His “thought.”

As Paul said to the Philippians, we need to “fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8 NLT).

It is important to fill our minds with the Word of God because it leads to success. The Word keeps critters out. If our minds are not fed daily with the Word, we may awake one day to find that devouring critters have helped themselves to the fruits of our joy and peace. Properly gardening our minds protects our joy and peace. How might God want you to garden your mind today?