Monthly Archives: February 2016

Are you looking forward to heaven?

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I remember our first trip to the Smoky Mountains. We researched get away cabins that we could share with our friends the Neudahls, and then studied about the places where we could hike, eat, and visit. But our temporary vacation home was really at the center of all our plans. It had to be large enough two accommodate two couples, remote enough to give us a sense of living in the beautiful mountains and also close enough to access other nearby attractions. The closer we got to our vacation time, the more we longed to enjoy it.

 

I wonder, do you long for heaven like you long for a vacation or future home move across country? I remember one distinct day when there were two ladies in the nursing unit of the care facility where I worked. One’s body was failing quickly but she was clinging to stay alive. The other was longing for heaven but her body would not surrender. Odd isn’t it, how some long for one thing and others long for another. Typically, the deeper our trials on earth, the more we long for heaven. The more comfortable and content we are with our plot in life, the likely we are to aspire to remain here.

 

We all seek happiness in life. Why are we not always so eager to long for the even greater happiness we will experience in heaven? And where do we get our views of heaven? Do those views bring you to fear death or look forward to it as the step into the next and greatest adventure? Do you perceive heaven as an unending and boring church service? Is it more than sitting on clouds and playing harps? Will it be a peaceful yet purposeless existence or will it be filled with great celebration and endless rejoicing?

 

God made us to desire both life and heaven. And we will more fully enjoy each if we look at both life here and in heaven through God’s eyes. JC Ryle said, “I pity the man who does not think (accurately) about heaven.” For inaccurate thinking leads us to fanciful conclusions that have no bearing with reality. Yet when you consider the number of books on living life and the number on heaven, you quickly see where the disparity lies. How many times do you think about heaven in your daily life, as if it were the main thing that guides your life? How much do you hear about heaven in your own church? Perhaps we don’t much long for heaven because it just isn’t on our radar screen. It seems that most Americans believe in heaven, but are willing to let what they believe about heaven to be influenced by the media. What would happen if we let scripture guide us in understanding what we might about heaven? Instead of being the last thing in our thoughts and plans, what if it were the first? If we don’t think about heaven as our permanent home, then surely by default, this earthly existence will demand all our attention and passions! Can you imagine us spending thousand of dollars renovating that temporary cabin the mountains just for a one week stay? Ridiculous, you’d say. But then why on earth do we spend so much of our resources on this temporary earthly home, instead of preparing and longing for our permanent home in heaven?

 

We live in a world of spiritual blindness, too often ignorant and oblivious to our spiritual and heavenly reality. Our naturalistic assumptions are symptoms of this blindness. But where as “the god of this world has blinded the minds of believers so they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,” (2 Corinthians 4:4) God has bound the mind of the mind blinding deceiver. If only we would turn to him for the truth on this matter!

 

Have you been so blinded by the shiny things of earth that you’ve lost theo desire for your true heavenly home? I invite you to step out in faith and pray at least once each day for God to increase your desire to spend time with him – on earth as it will be in heaven.

 

Thinking about heaven

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How often do you think about heaven? Often, occassionally, rarely? I’ve been thinking about heaven more and more over the past three years, and more so in recent months. It seems to me there are things “I know,” things I’ve “forgotten” and other great and wonderful mysteries that yet remain to be revealed.

 

It seems likely that people of all nations and cultures have dreamt of some sort of a life after earth. While our views of heaven may differ, typically we all view heaven as a place of great happiness, satisfaction, and reward. And while most of us might tend to consider heaven as some unknown and distant land, the Bible consistently refers to heaven as our true home, our “native land,” the place where we belong and were meant to be.

 

Furthermore, unless we are raptured, we all share a 100% mortality rate. We ought to be prepared! Some of us will have advance notice of the event with disease or other failing condition announcing the impending event. For many others, the moment we step from this life on earth to the next step in our eternal realm, will come quite suddenly and unexpectedly. It seems only prudent that we should think about and plan for that time and place when we will truly be home. I’m certainly not proposing that heaven is everyone’s eternal reward. God is quite clear in distinguishing between those who love and obey him and thus inherit heaven, and those who prefer to “have it my way” and either ignore or actively rebel against God’s plans, who will choose themselves a devastating place for all eternity. (The thought of death should be quite fearful for them but that’s a subject for other writings.) But for now, our focus is on heaven, the true home for those who love God and believe in his Son Jesus.

 

I’m reading Randy Alcorn’s book on Heaven these days and look forward to sharing my reflections on his extensive studies with you. More so, I hope these writings will stimulate your own appetite to think and live in an increasingly heavenly minded way. But how should we approach the subject of heaven, this real place with houses and rooms where we will be “at home with the Lord?” (2 Corinthians 5:6-7, John 14:2)

 

To me, it makes sense that we hold up whatever preconceived notions and fanciful thoughts we have about heaven against what the scripture says. After all, isn’t this the approach you take in your search for truth in any situation? If you believe, as do I, that the Bible is God’s true and infallible word, then it only makes sense to examine what God has to say about heaven and to let his thoughts guide us in our thinking about and preparing for our eternal home.

 

I say this because it is quite easy to ignore heaven and simply throw ourselves into the depths of our earthly existence. In fact, chances are you have a whole list of things pulling at your attention right now that threaten to keep you from living a heavenly minded life.

 

Alcorn retells the story of world renowned swimmer Florence Chadwick, who in 1952 attempted to swim the 26 mile distance between Catalina Island and the California coast. Her quest was a difficult one, looking out for sharks, battling fatigue, and then finally a thick fog that set in, preventing her from seeing the shore ahead of her. Exhausted and frustrated, she gave up and asked to be brought into a nearby guide boat. To her dismay, she discovered she was only a mile from the shore. She said had she known how close she was, she surely would have completed her journey successfully (which she did later that year).

 

What conditions bring a “thick fog” to settle around us, keeping us from seeing how very close we are to our heavenly shore? Let’s persevere and not give up. Rather, let’s set our minds “on things above,” (Colossians 3:2) and start to live our life in view of heaven’s shore. Maybe a practical way to begin, is to ask yourself about any frustration you currently face, “Does this really matter in the light of heaven?5

A new way to fill the spaces of your day

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Ah, the weekend, a time to kick back from the pressures of the week, to pursue more pleasurable activities, our two day refuge from toil. That’s how a lot of us feel when the weekend approaches. Being retired, I’ve lost some of that sense of marking time. Most of my days center around constant medical care. Perhaps, you’ve been in that place at some point in your life, where one thing seemed to take more than its share of attention: your job, money, children, parents, health or some other pressing demand.

 

Whether it be relief from work or from medical procedures, where do you turn for refuge? We might think a night of mindless activity might be a refuge for us; no pressures, no decisions, just put in the DVD and be entertained. Other times we might pour ourselves ambitiously into hobbies and projects, or service to others. Have you ever considered, when you are shoveling snow or raking leaves, that someone else might need your help? Or when you grabbed a refreshing milkshake, that it might be fun to celebrate together with another person? I remember years ago talking with someone on the phone who said they were having a pity party. We decided to bring ice cream. What’s a party without ice cream, right? 🙂

 

While we find refuge from the mundane in so many ways, the bible consistently speaks of turning to God alone as our true refuge, our strong tower of protection and safety, his shadow under which we might hide, indeed our hiding place from all that threatens to consume us.

 

Psalm 31 says “in you O Lord, are my faith and refuge. You saw my afflictions, how I’ve become like broken pottery. Save me in your unfailing love. In the shelter of your presence, hide me.” Psalm 32 says of our loving God, You are my hiding place, my place of instruction of the way I should go.  Psalm 28 speaks to God’s protection when we must face our battles: “You O lord, are my strength and shield.”

 

We’re tempted to think our ways through trouble, to devise schemes and plans that will see us through them. We build up walls of financial protection, we lean on our jobs, and depend on our health and intellectual prowess and skills. But all these are fleeting. In the end, our only true and faithful refuge is God himself.

 

The antidote to our troubles is to find refuge in the Lord, to see how many places in our day we can infuse praise and joy. “I will exhalt you O Lord, for you lifted me from the depths. Weeping may remain for a night but joy comes in the morning!” (Psalm 30)  We need to make time in our schedules to “Sing joyfully to the Lord and praise him with shouts of joy. The plans of the Lord endure forever. We trust in his holy name.” (Psalm 33)

 

We have time to mourn and moan and complain, time even to throw ourselves pity parties. And we also have time to pursue so many pleasurable and beneficial things. How many places in your day can you find reason to turn to the Lord your refuge and proclaim his greatness in praise?

 

Let your day be marked by the celebration of God’s goodness, regardless of your situation!

 

 

 

Is there time in heaven?

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Time is how we measure our lives. it seems to sometimes pass slowly, and sometimes quickly, depending on our circumstance and perspective. While our measure of time remains constant, we perceive a different reality. As we pause at a cemetery tombstone we observe a person’s life summarized by a date of birth and a date of death, and perhaps a few words to describe the impact of their existence. Some have noted it’s the “dash” between those dates that really describe our lives; the days, years, and even solitary moments when decisions were made that marked and defined a life measured by time.

 

Will we experience the concept of time in heaven when “our time on earth” is up? What will heaven be like? Often, when there is no other alternative made available to us about great mysteries, we turn to popular explanations passed down through time. Movies, cartoons, and folklore portray heaven as an endless and meaningless time of sitting on clouds and playing harps. We think of the Pearly Gates where we stand in line to see if we did enough good deeds to outweigh the bad. Children are told by uninformed parents that Grandma and Grandpa are now angels who watch over us; in movies we’re asked to believe that some angels have to come back to earth because they didn’t do enough good deeds “to earn their wings.” In the absence of authoritative truth, we seem plenty comfortable to fill in the blanks with our own conjecture.

 

For believers, the Bible offers God’s authoritative Word on heaven, and yet even turning here there remain many things about heaven we don’t really know. We know from God’s Word that heaven is where God dwells. Have you considered that “Heaven on earth” may be where he dwells in the hearts of his believers? There will be no more death and no more tears in heaven. The old will have passed and the new order come. There will be no need for sun or moon because the “glory of God” will be our light. The way we measure time by our days and nights will be gone. Yet, as we are informed in Revelation 8:1, John’s vision indicated “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Whether that was John’s concept of time or heaven’s measure of time, we don’t know for sure.

 

How long will our eternal lives seem? Revelation 6 describes the martyered souls who cry out, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of earth and avenge our blood?” Their plea seems to indicate a sense of time after the end of this life. Revelation 22 speaks of the tree of life that bears fruit every month. With no light of the sun or moon, God himself will be the light that sustains life. We’re told that God reigns forever and ever which also indicates a passing of “timeless time,” quite different from our earthly measures. In the book of Genesis we read “in the beginning” and later on we learn God’s kingdom will not end. It will be timeless.  Jesus describes himself as the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Does “the end” indicate to you an end of time as we know it, or the fulfillment of the time of our lives?

 

In the end of our search,  we find out there are many mysteries of heaven – and God – that we can’t fully understand. We have only God’s Word about it and our own fanciful considerations. I wonder, does this uncertainty unsettle you or give you great hope for an exciting life when God will make “everything new?”

 

Whatever we we know and don’t know yet, I’m excited about a life of redemption, restoration, and renewal that will go on forever in the presence of the one who created me, accepted me, loved me, and adopted me into his timeless joy. As we spend the time of our earthly lives of toil and frustration and passing celebration, doesn’t it behoove us to ponder on our endless time in heaven’s joy?

 

“Those who are victorious will inherit all this and I will be their God and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:5-7

 

 

A better way

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LIfe’s challenges sometimes seem so overwhelming we want to escape them at all costs. But often the the best strategy is to face them head on in the strength that only comes from humble prayer. The bible encourages us not to impress others, but to pray in private, humbling ourselves before our mighty God. In The War Room movie, Clara’s closet was her prayer room. It’s where she fights the battles of her life. Her character had a prayer strategy for each and every area of her life. How about you? Do you have a quiet place where you can pray, free from distractions? Are your prayers focused on your family and home, your finances, your church and its leaders, your elected officials – even the ones you don’t like? Do your prayer strategies reach out to your community and country and cross the oceans to express your concern for those who have so little and are fighting just to stay alive? Every day, you encounter employees, employers, friends, and strangers you meet in the marketplace – and do you have a prayer strategy for them? And what about the people out of sight? Those who are sick, in prison, going through financial diffciculties, dealing with de depression…do you have a prayer strategy for them?

 

Often we think we have no time to pray. But evidently, we do have time to fight a losing battle our own way without prayer!  How much time are you going to spend whining and complaining and crying? Let God take care of others. Let God handle your circumstances. Ask God to change you.

 

If this seems to step on your toes (as it does mine) perhaps it’s time to awaken the prayer warrior within you. Be the church others want and need to see, the bible others need to read. Live a real faith that stands firm and also kneels humbly before the Almighty Lord of Lords.

 

And in dealing with others who are difficult, in light of all their faults, do you think God still loves them? Of course he does. That’s what undeserved grace is all about. We all want it. But we can’t ask for forgiveness until we forgive others. You think you can’t or shouldn’t have to forgive them. God will give you the grace to forgive if that is your heart seeks after him. He wants to free you but there’s not room for both you and God on the throne of your life. when you face your real enemy who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy, you have to decide who’s going to be in charge.

 

Pray in secret, without distractions. acknowledge God. Confess. ask, pray for whatever and whomever God brings to mind. Take your time and listen. Remember we’re not the judge of others. The theif comes unexpectedly to steal, but the Lord comes to lead you to an abundant life. Submit to God. resist the devil. Decide once and for all that Jesus is the lord of your house, your family, and your life.

 

Stop fighting others. Start fighting the real spiritual battle that is raging within and around you, the battle for your mind. Remember that God will fight for you. He is faithful and powerful. Whatever happens  repeat your praise: “Still I will trust you God.”

 

Don’t let selfish pride get in the way. learn to fight a better way… on your knees and with the power of God’s own Spirit. Experience the power he intended for you to have all along!

 

Flight or fight

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I suspect we are all familiar with the phrase “fight or flight” and how we tend to pursue one strategy or the other when confronted with stressful situations. In truth, I think most of us would rather flee from our crushing circumstance than stay around and face them in battle. Our first prayer is likely, “Get me out of here Lord” instead of “Help me to stand firm in the battle and let me honor you.”

 

It’s natural to want to escape the pain and chaos in our lives. Given the chance, we’d gladly press the Fast Forward button on life’s remote control and skip past the crummy parts if only we could. Don’t see them as wasteful disruptions to our lives? But here’s the truth. Pain, chaos, and disturbing interruptions ARE our life.  They come as a bundle package along with the comfort, joy, and love we experience along the way.

 

Beyond running marathons and triathlons, the real key to building strength is to find meaning, purpose, and even joy in the midst of our troubles. We want to choose flight from our woes, but it is in learning to fight that which strives to defeat us, that we build strength and endurance. Be it money, the fight for control, or even death, we might as well face it with a well planned winning strategy because victories don’t come by chance. One strategy is to focus on the source of the problem which is also the source of the solution.

 

I remember Evelyn Christiansen’s book, Lord Change Me. She went to church, studied the bible, and prayed while her husband stayed at home, having nothing of it. Furthermore, his belligerent attititude and lack of gratitude or appreciation for his wife made for an unpleasant marriage. For years she prayed for God to make her marriage better. “Lord change him,” she would plead over and over. Until one day, she became convicted by the Holy Spirit that God was interested in changing her heart. It was her resentment and bitterness and disappointment that he wanted to change. As she obeyed God in praying for her to be a more loving wife, her husband took notice and her marriage improved.

 

We often assume that where there is conflict the problem is with the other person. Lord change them is our plea too. But whether it is an annoying or abusive person, or a situation like pain or suffering that oppresses us, the prayer strategy that works is Lord Change me. That isn’t to say we shouldn’t pray for the other person, or the pain to be removed. But it shouldn’t the center of our prayers. A better approach is to focus on God’s greatness and drawing closer to him. It seems to me that one of the primary reasons for prayer is not to beg for changing others or our life lot, but to change us. Create in me a clean O Lord. Renew a right Spirit within me. Draw me closer to you.

God’s mercy and power and bestowed on those who seek him with all their heart. (Jeremiah  29:13)

 

 

Ask God to search your heart and see how many times the source of the problem – and the first step toward a solution – is within you. Don’t let selfish pride get in the way. Confess and let him show you how to fight in prayer. Ptrayer releasesmGod’s power. learn to fight in his strength.m

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Corinthians 7:14

We’re called to the battlefield to proclaim Christ,, the King of kings, Lord of lords. We need a generation of believers not only to stand up for their faith but to kneel in prayer to build it up. Will you fight for God’s best in your life today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you believe you can?

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Like most kids my age, I grew up on “The Little Engine That Could” who, in face of a tough challenge,  kept repeating, “I think I can, I think I can,” until he could finally proclaim, “I thought I could, I thought I could.” Disney taught us, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.”

 

As I grew older, I was influenced by the positive thinking mantra of Norman Vincent Peale.   Meredith Wilson brought us the delightful musical, The Music Man, which had con man Harold Hill telling his students,  “you don’t have to bother with the notes.” Instead he taught them his “Think System,” which stated all you had to do was think it and it would happen. In recent years the mantra of many motivational speakers has been, “If you believe it you can achieve it.” Over and over we’re taught that road blocks don’t have to stop you. Find a way to get over them, around them, or through them. Be positive and it will all work out.

 

 

Actually, there’s something to be said for the power of positive thinking. At least it sure beats the failure of negative thinking. But will a “think system” help you accomplish all your dreams? If you simply believe you can, will you be able to accomplish the impossible?

 

With God all things are possible. Going to the source of that quote we find Jesus answering a rich man’s question about how to get to heaven. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) That is, if it’s God’s will that something be done he can and will do it. Do you believe it?

 

Maybe you’re saying, “Yes, I have a faith that is real and strong and true, but I don’t see the power. My prayers are still unanswered.” Maybe you ask, “How do I get a bigger faith?” I’ve asked that question. But a bigger faith isn’t necessarily the answer. Jesus taught us if we have the faith of a tiny mustard seed, we could move mountains.  (Matthew 17:20) Move an actual mountain? Do you  think of yourself as the doubting, “ye of little faith” or as one with faith the size of a mustard seed, that can move the mountains in your life? In other words, do you believe what you think and say you believe or do you know that without a doubt your faith is real and powerful? That’s what Jesus said. Do you really believe it to be true in your life?

 

The truth is our faith can move mountains, IF moving mountains is what God wants to do. But this mountain moving faith is not in ourselves. Scrunching up our face and straining our muscles will not move the mountain anymore than the branches of a grape vine “work out” to produce grapes. Our faith produces fruit when we abide in the vine (John 15) and our faith is placed in what God desires.

 

And still, James tells us that faith doesn’t sit idle. It works. All throughout scripture we’re told that real faith:

Faith feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, visits the sick and those in prison, clothes the naked, gives to others when a brother is in need, has mercy on the poor, gives drink to the thirsty, bears each others’ burdens. (Matthew 25:25-40, Isaiah 58:10, Luke 2:14-18, Luke 3:11, 1 John 3:17-18, Proverbs 31:20, 4:31, Romans 12:20, Galatians 6:2) Real faith works. Do you believe it?

 

In each person’s life there comes a moment of truth when we determinedly decide to act on what we believe or hide in the shadows of denial; when we choose the will to face our fears and anxieties with action, or we cower in unbelief.

 

With God all things are possible.

 

But what happens when God moves in his mysterious ways and your pain and troubles  continue unresolved? When the cancer isn’t healed? When your friend’s grief will not be abated? When your pain finds no peace? It is then that he will see you through the struggle.

 

It takes courage to believe and more so to act on it. Don’t hold on to your mustard seed. Plant it, nourish it, and let it grow. Keep on believing. Your journey’s not done yet. And neither is the entire plan of God for you yet completed.

 

Whatever mountains you face, keep on believing. Don’t worry if your faith is small. Let it be real by acting on it.

 

 

Aspiring to be more than we could imagine

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I think most of us aspire to be like someone we admire. It could be a teacher, friend, public figure, close relative, or that rare politician who looks to God for their wisdom. We look at the way they handle things and contemplate their wisdom, devotion, excellent skills, their way with words, their sense of calm and peace in the face of adversity, their compassion and living faith.  We might think, “I’d like to be more like them.” On the one hand, God created us to be us, unique in our own way. At the same time he calls us to aspire to such goodness, encouraged by others and stretched to let his transforming power change us into his likeness.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:1-2

 

These days I’m reading through the book of Revelation. In the opening chapters, John tells of how he was commanded by the Spirit of God to write to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And then in a vision he saw seven golden lamp stands and also someone in their midst. The words he uses describes only Jesus. (the son of man, the one who conquered death and now lives, the first and the last, who holds the keys to death and Hades. The lampstands were the churches who would carry the light of Jesus.

 

It’s common today for some folk to think of “the church” as a building with a particular brand name on it. In reality, the bible clearly says that we believers are the church, an active and living entity. Consider the words God gave to John to describe these seven churches. Which one would best describe your life and which would you most aspire to be?

The church at Ephesus: hardworking and persevering, but having forgotten their first love (for Jesus).

The church at Smyrna: “rich” in afflictions and poverty, and urged to continue on in their faith.

The church at Pergamum: Faithful, yet also holding to idols. Believers are promised a white stone with their new name written on it . . . IF they live as overcomers, not dissuaded by things that distract them from God.

The church at Thyatira: Known for love, faith and perseverance; repaid according to their deeds.

The church at Sardis: They had a reputation of being alive but in reality, actually are dead. (Like a facade of being religious but living life without God; lacking integrity.)

The church at Philadelphia: Faithful. Lacking strength yet keeping God’s Word.

The church at Laodicea: Not hot nor cold, but lukewarm toward God. Not actively rejecting God or living passionately for him, but wishy washy in their faith. “A little bit of Jesus will do.”

 

In your prayers, thoughts and actions today, aspire to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Hold him as the whole reason you live, not just a part of your life. Be imitators of God and let him transform your life into something more than you could imagine. Live the adventure to which we are called.

 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

 

 

 

I shall not want

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Let’s make a list… What do you want right now? Your mind might quickly turn to a needed vacation to get away from the daily grind. I suspect many young mothers with toddlers in tow might dream of a quiet moment alone in the bathroom – without interruptions. Maybe if a friend invited you on a shopping trip, you could list several items that you’d want to buy. Or maybe your greatest want is less tangible; what you want most is peace, relief from pain, the feeling of being valued and appreciated, of hearing those tender words, “I love you.”

 

We want a lot of things, but can you imagine being in a state of mind where you didn’t want anything? Have you ever been in a place where you lacked nothing? David, the Psalmist did. Let his words linger in your mind and heart as you read them quite slowly, as if you sipping them in, treasuring each phrase. (Psalm 23)

1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

It is a psalm of comfort that soothes our painful woes. It calms us in the height of our anxiety. It speaks hope to our despair.

 

It’s said that a pastor once walked up to the pulpit to deliver his Sunday message. He opened his bible to the familiar Psalm 23 and spoke thoughtfully and clearly,

“The Lord is my shepherd…and THAT is enough for me!”

And then he sat down, alooking a period of silence for that very short message to sink in.

 

Why might having the Lord as your Shepherd bring you the very most satisfaction and contentment? Because he cares for you more than anyone else. He paid such a very high price for you and me even when we didn’t “deserve” it. His plan for us is so much better than our own, even if we act contrary to this. Even if our journey leads us to a very dark and painful place he restores our soul. In those times we most need to remember he wants to lead us THROUGH the darkest valley. He won’t leave us there alone. There are better times ahead! He comforts us as no one else can. Though we may lose everything and we feel abandoned, his mercy and love will follow us wherever we go. And perhaps most amazing…we will dwell in his house forever!

 

What about you? Is the Lord enough for you? It’s been said, “You don’t know how much you need Jesus until Jesus is all you have.” If you lost your job, your finances, your health, all your possessions, and maybe even your family, would the Lord your Shepherd be enough for you?  I think it’s a hard question to answer honestly. We’re tempted to say, “Well yes, of course, Jesus is all I need. I’m fully satisfied with him. And yet, we are satisfied by so many lesser things. CS Lewis wrote:

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

 

It’s hard to imagine a trip to the beach or drive to the mountains being like “making mud pies in a slum” until we open our eyes to all that our loving God has in store for us! That’s the real choice we face. Let’s not be “too easily pleased” but rather seek that which satisfies most: a day focused on listening to the Shepherd’s voice and following him more closely – day by day.

 

“Day by day, oh, dear Lord, three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly, day by day.

– lyricist Stephen Schwartz, Godspell