I Asked

“I Asked” was written by a Confederate soldier.  It was recovered from his body after the battle of Gettysburg…

I asked for strength that I might achieve,

God made me weak that I might obey.

I asked for health that I might do great things,

I was given grace that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy,

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I prayed for power that I might have the praise of men,

I was given weakness that I might feel the need for God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I received nothing I asked for,

My prayer was answered.

I’ve Never Seen God

On June 23, 1973 the young lady pictured in the thumbnail (Jane Smith) gave me a birthday card.  The card has been an inspiration for these many years, and today sits on my desk reminding me of how I should live each day.  The poem written by Helen Steiner Rice is entitled “I’ve Never Seen God.”

I’ve never seen God but I know How I feel,

It’s people like you

who make Him “So Real”…

My God is no stranger,

He’s friendly and gay

And He doesn’t ask me to weep when I pray…

It seems that I pass Him

so often each day

In the faces of people I meet on my way…

He’s the stars in the heaven,

a smile on some face,

A leaf on a tree or a rose in a vase…

He’s winter and autumn

and summer and spring…

In short, God is Every

Real, Wonderful Thing…

I wish I might meet Him

much more than I do,

I would if there were More People Like You.

How Should We Live?

The Old Testament predicted that Jesus would come, sacrifice Himself as an atonement for sin, and that He would return.  The New Testament book of Revelation reminds us (assures us) that He is indeed coming again.

In fact, Revelation 22 quotes Jesus saying (three times) “I am coming quickly.”

“And behold, I am coming quickly.  Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”  Revelation 22:7

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”  Revelation 22:12

“Yes, I am coming quickly.”  Revelation 22:20

How do we conduct our lives while we wait?  Verse 7 says we are to “heed the words of the prophecy of this book.”

In chapter 1, verse 3, John wrote, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near.”

While we await His return we are to follow the guidelines of His instruction manual (the Holy Bible).  It is helpful to read the books of great theologians, commentaries, Bible notes etc., but the Bible is the Word of God (God speaking directly to us) and we should immerse ourselves daily in its content.

Every true believer should diligently study the Word of God and seek to apply it to his life.

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.  “Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”  She did and had a wonderful day.

The next morning she awoke, and looked in the mirror, and saw only two hairs on her head.  “Hmm,” she thought, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.”  She did and had a wonderful day.

The next morning as she looked in the mirror she saw only one hair on her head.  She said, “I think I’ll wear my hair in a pony tail today.”  She did and had a wonderful day.

The fourth day she looked in the mirror and noticed she was completely bald, and exclaimed, “Finally, I don’t have to fix my hair.”

Attitude is everything.

Everyone is fighting some kind of battle, so be kinder than necessary.  Live simply, love generously, care deeply, and leave the rest to God.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass — its about learning to dance in the rain.

The Fish

You see the symbol of the fish on cars, lapel pins, and business logos.  What does the fish represent?

Because of persecution, early believers lived in fear.  When two people met one of them would draw an arch with his foot or finger on the ground.  If the other person was a Christian, he would draw the bottom half, making the symbol of a fish.  Then the other person would print the first of five Greek letters inside the fish.  After writing the letter “I,” the first person would write the letter “X,” then the other person would write the “O” and so forth, until they spelled the word “IXOUS” inside the fish symbol.

The Greek word IXOUS (pronounced “ichthus”) means “fish,” but the early Christians gave the Greek word for “fish” a greater meaning.

I (iota) represents Iesous, which is Greek for “Jesus.”

X (chi) stands for Xristos, meaning “Christ.”

O (theta) is Theos, which translates “God.”

U [Y] (upsilon) represents Huios translated “Son.”

S [E] (sigma) stands for Soter, meaning “Savior.”

So the next time you see the sign of the fish remember that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.

The Devil Didn’t Like It

Several years back I was invited to speak at a church in St. Louis, Missouri.  I chose for my text Jeremiah 36:21-24.

God had given Jeremiah a message of judgement against king Jehoiakim.  After the scribe had read three or four leaves, the king not liking what he heard, grabbed the scroll and cut it in to pieces.  Then he threw it into the fire — burning the Word of God.

I went on to explain that in chapter 22 Jeremiah had described Jehoiakim’s funeral, “Therefore thus saith the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah…he will be buried with a donkey’s burial, dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

After about twenty minutes of elaboration I closed with the words, “I doubt there is one person in this building who would burn the Word of God.  But if your Bible is lying in a horizontal position on the coffee table 24 hours a day — if you never pick it up and read it — you may as well throw it in the fire and burn it.”

As people were leaving the building a woman approached me and said, “Sir, I really did not enjoy that message very much at all.”  I replied, “That’s alright ma’am, the devil didn’t like it either.”

Anger

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and yet sin not….”  In that statement I believe Paul is legitimatizing righteous indignation.  It is an anger at evil, immorality and ungodliness of every sort – an anger for that which is done against God’s purposes.

Jesus expressed holy anger (righteous indignation) at the Pharisees who resented His healing people on the Sabbath.  It was righteous indignition that caused Him to drive the moneychangers from the Temple.  Jesus experienced righteous indignation whenever His Father was dishonored and when others were mistreated.

As for Christians, the more holy they become the more they hate sin.  A Christian should be angry with everything that takes away from the glory and majesty of God and that which is not for the good of all mankind.  Holy anger is a sign of good spiritual health.

God Leads You Home

“God takes you to the depths of your being — until you are at rock bottom — and then, if you turn to Him with utter and blind faith, and resolve in your heart and mind to walk only with Him and toward Him, picks you up by the bootstraps and leads you home.”  NBC reporter David Bloom’s last e-mail to his family.

David Bloom died in 2003 of a pulmonary embolism while covering the war in Iraq.

The Golden Rule

Most people have heard and many have been taught to apply the golden rule since childhood.  “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way,” Luke 6:31 (NASB).

While Jesus never referred to Luke 6:31 or Matthew 7:12 as the “golden rule” His statement summarizes the essence of the ethical behavior expected of His followers.  Believers are encouraged to live in obedience to God’s law by treating others the way we ourselves would want to be treated.

The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “What you avoid suffering yourself, do not afflict on others.”  The Greek king Nicoles wrote, “Do not do to others the things which make you angry when you experience them at the hands of other people.”  But what Jesus said is, “Take the initiative in doing good.”  This is the key to the discipleship that Jesus wants — the kind of love God shows to people every day.

Stop And Listen

For this Friday’s devotional I think we’ll look at Luke chapter 10, where we find Jesus visiting the home of Mary and Martha.

“While they were on thier way Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha made Him welcome in her home.  She had a sister, Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and stayed there listening to His words.  Now Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to Him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to get on with the work by myself?  Tell her to come and lend a hand.’  But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha, you are fretting and fussing about so many things; but one thing is necessary. The part that Mary has chosen is best; and it shall not be taken away from her.’” (NEB)

I guess there are a lot of us like Martha.  We are born with a “getter done” attitude; constantly checking our mental “to do” list.  And there is certainly nothing wrong with being a Martha — but we must also be a Mary.

Each of us have tasks to accomplish – everyday things that just can’t wait.  But as important as those things may be, what is most important is that we remember to take the time to stop and listen to God.