Please, can I have a drop to quench my thirst?

People Are Thirsty

Every time I come in from this Africa-hot Texas weather I beg for water, sometimes in a not-so-pleasant manner. This heat makes me sticky and irritable. I’ll be “glistening” all summer while searching for refreshment.

Others also look for cold water. Some head to rivers and lakes (my prayers for those involved in Arkansas’ flash flood). Others turn to vendors and waiters. I heard of a rich guy that was burning up in the heat. He could not buy a drop of water and was desperate for a cold drink. No one helped. “Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue” (from Luke 16:24), he begged, while knowing he was shut off from the life-giving water.

Drinks All Around

His desperation created in me a desire to help. I wanted to dig a well, pipe in some relief, do something. It was too late for him, but I could share my life-sustaining drink with others before they reach the same horrifying end.

I decided to tell as many as I could about the water that flows deep, puts out the heat and satisfies our thirst. Such water is found in Jesus. He offers living water and to the one who drinks it, no more thirst (John 4:10-14). I want to be the pipe bringing life, the well that overflows, the spout that pours sweet words of hope, life and redemption. I want no one to go thirsty like the rich guy. I promise to share my drink.

The Choice to Drink Deep, or Not

I may not be able to make others taste, but I can be a pleasant, enticing glass that holds cool and refreshing water. My acceptance and love can leave people with a desire to know more about me and my God. In these irritable, hot, hazy days of summer, fill my cup Lord, and make me a pleasant presentation of your living water.

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.) (John 7:37-9)

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Today, on the National Day of Prayer, many pointless prayers will go nowhere. There is a time where prayer for our nation, our leaders and our families are noticed by God. But that season is after a reflective prayer where we humbly approach God in repentance acknowledging our wrong doings and dependence upon his forgiveness. Without that personal relationship and preface to prayer, we are participating in meaningless utterances.

As a “praying” nation, we fashion a god and clothe him to fit our belief. We are a spiritual, religious people like those in Jeremiah 10:1-10. In our minds we adorn god with garments of gold, making him some sort of controllable idol, boxing him in a manageable package that fit whatever limitation our faith holds.

God is beyond measure, beyond comprehension, beyond our ability to grasp entirely. We cannot explain him. We cannot contain him. We cannot pray to him on our terms. We must read his letter to us, the Bible, to catch a glimpse of the holy God we want to petition in prayer.

When we do . . .

When we seek him, we will find him, especially when we seek him with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 4:29, 1 Chronicles 28:9). God wants to relate with us. He wants us to pray, to have conversations with him—both listening and talking. But we must pray on his terms: humbly, repentant and personal followed by corporate repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 10:9-10).

Instead of a national day of religious whims, how awesome would be a national day of repentance, prayer on God’s terms.

Picture: To buy a t-shirt at www.recoveryrocksmesa.com

Spring has come…along with a few other uprisings. The skies are blue with scattered puffiness. The air is crisp with fragrant smells. And the temperature is pleasant, inviting outdoor activity. I can’t bear to be under a roof when lying in the sun beckons. It’s like my skin begs, “More vitamin D, please.” Vitamin D and sun on skin are related somehow. Spring is healthy and makes me feel good, until it happens.

Along with spring, come the menaces—the bugs, bees and weeds. Then from out of nowhere pops my bulging disc. Somewhere between L4 and L5 (lumbar vertebrae) I hear a scream, “Stop pulling weeds!” I admit it. I’m kind of soft, very much like a worm. It looks like the weeds win.

But God has a promise for us worms. “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Though you are a lowly worm, . . . You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth” (Isa. 41:13-15).

Whew. I needed help, but I got more than that. I got TEETH. Ever seen a worm growl? “Grrrr.” God is making me new and powerful. Move on over weed, the whole hillside too, if I choose.
God tells us to, “Forget all . . .for I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun!” (Isa. 43:18-19). He goes on to say he is making pathways clear, deserts full of water and wild things thankful. Why is God doing this?

He’s doing it for me, the lowly worm, “so my chosen people can be refreshed” (v. 20). God promises to pour out his Spirit and his blessing (Isa. 44:3), so we can proudly claim, “I belong to the Lord.” And we “will write on [our] hand, ‘The Lord’s’ (v. 5).
That’s right, God’s making me new and powerful like a new plow. Picture a shiny, new John Deere on a field of weeds. I might smell like a worm but I’ve got new teeth, a refreshed growl and “The Lord’s” painted in yellow and green on my hand. Menaces beware.

(I hope my spine reads this blog.)

So how’s your spring? Send a comment, share your spring experience.
May you find time to be in the sun, to growl at the menaces and to brand “The Lord’s” on your hand. Be blessed.

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Peace.      Still.      Rest.

Peace in a World of Disturbance

The Burden.
Ever push to make things happen? When I do, I become anxious, worried, and stressed. All actions feel like my responsibility. Like it’s my fault when it doesn’t go well. Or when it does, the credit is mine. During these times, everything seems to key off of me, what I do, or don’t do, if I’m good enough, or not. I don’t like the stress of that kind of responsibility.

The Freedom.
When I place myself in the presence of sovereignty, I have peace. Overriding the swirl of troubles, struggles, and circumstances, a peace prevails. My actions become obedience to the sovereign God instead of an ambition to control. I realize the results don’t hinge upon my behavior or ability. God’s responsible for the results. I’m responsible for obeying. By sitting down in submission to him, I find a peaceful freedom.

The Counsel.
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (Ps 37:7). I should work physically while sitting still in God spiritually. But I forget that God’s in charge, and get busy, working, feeling responsible for the outcome. When things don’t go right, the responsibility turns into temptations to take control, get frustrated, and become angry. Psalms 37:8 states, “Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.” “Be still,” or “Stop being angry!”

The Choice.
I must choose. “Be still,” or push-through-with-all-I’ve-got. The choice leading to peace is simple, but the “Be still” follow through isn’t easy. The option keeps coming back and needs a fresh resolve. Sometimes I make the right choice, and others…

Anyhow. Do any of you, like me, search for peace in a world of disturbance?

*picture by MJ Photography

Great Master, touch us with Your skillful hands;
Let not the music that is in us die! ~Streams, p. 335

That line of poetry pierces into the struggle for my passion and alludes to the difficulties of life. Job said:

Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand…who longs for the shade…waiting to be paid. I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery (Job 7:1-3).

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Things aren’t always rosy and cheery, BUT things can always be good in God. It’s a perspective. A matter of where you place your hope, of what to surrender and to whom. If everything fails, God will not.

God Pointed, God Knew, & God Killed (Acts 2:22-28)

God pointed out Jesus as the Savior with God-moments—miracles, signs and wonders (vs. 22).

Pick a Gospel and list all the amazing things Jesus did, the fulfillment of prophecy, and words of authority Jesus spoke. Go ahead and glance through the headings of Luke. I’ll wait . . .

Oh, you’re back. Pretty amazing stuff, huh? Take a mental inventory of God-moments in your life. Think back as far as you can remember. Got at least one? These moments are God’s pointing you to Jesus as the Savior.

God knew what you’d do (vs. 23). God knows everything. He is bigger than Big Brother.

God knew you’d chose to do bad things, stumble, and sin. We all do it. (Rom. 3:23) He knew beforehand that our sin would kill Jesus. It is amazing that he loved us enough to forgive us ahead of time. (John 3:16, Rev. 13:8)

God not only knew, but he had a plan. He saw a cause worth dying for—that’d be us—then killed death itself. Death couldn’t hold Jesus (vs.24-28). This passage is a quote from David in Psalms 16:18-11. David focused on God, and the sight of God gave him power, fearlessness, gladness, a mouthful of praise, and heart of peace in the midst of circumstances. When we keep our spiritual eyes sets on Jesus, we gain those same things. Death has no hold on one who has hope and full vision of Christ.

Receiving God’s love in our sinful state, and passion to see him gives us a cause worth dying for as well. Some purposes and pursuits carry high costs.

The movie The Last Samurai

portrays a fight to the end for a principle. Compromise was never a question. Discipline and life purpose in the face of death made life worth living. I need that same kind of focus, purpose to give my life for, and I found it in Jesus. Whether in living or in dying, I have purpose. He has “revealed the paths of life to me” (vs.28). And DEATH has no hold on me!

Thank you, Jesus.

Blessings,

Robin

Life’s Purpose: Distracted, Assured, Engaged (Acts 1:9-12)

Searching for life’s meaning and purpose is an age old quest. We question, “Why? What for? What now?” The disciples had given three years of their lives following Jesus and now what? As soon as Jesus finished talking he was taken from them. He had just given them their life’s purpose (see verse 8). He had just given them their job description, the purpose and meaning for all they were to do. His last words give us a meaning to life as well. Be covered by the Spirit (see previous post Finding God in Sequels, Unknowns, & Promises), Tell everybody about what God has done.

As the words still hung on Jesus’ lips, he was taken from them in a cloud. His mission, his job was done. He said in John 19:30, “It is finished.” Right before their eyes, a cloud hid him and he was whisked away to heaven. Clouds have been God’s chosen chariot all throughout history (Luke 21:27, Dan. 7 13). God’s presence is hidden in a cloud, for his glory cannot be looked upon with human eyes or death would be the outcome (Exodus 33:20). Jesus was returned to his glory and position in heaven, the fulfillment of his ruling his kingdom.

God was working right next to them on the ground as they stood distracted by staring hard into the clouds for Jesus. We need to be careful to not to be distracted by mystical searches in the clouds or by mundane routines of earthly pursuits to the point we miss God working amongst us.Two men, most likely angels, appeared out of nowhere to give them assurance. In this case, God used some spectacular white robed guys to assure some pretty distracted believers. Yes, believers can be distracted and need assurance. And God is big enough to deliver.

We have a work to do and God will do his part. Jesus will come again in the same way he left. The disciples had to first go to Jerusalem according to verse 8. We can see, according to verse 12, they engaged their work after being assured by the angels.

An interesting tidbit about prophecy is involved concerning the place where all this happened. They were on Mt. Olives a little more than a half mile to the east of Jerusalem. Jesus left them on Mt. Olives and since he is to come the same way he left, a good supposition is that a cloud and Mt. Olives might be significant. The prophecy of Jesus’ return from long before he walked the earth is, “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.” (Zech.14:4) And a prophecy from long after the passage in Acts is, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.” (Rev. 1:7)

We have no need to be distracted searching the clouds for some sign of God, because believers are assured of his return with all eyes able to see him. Instead, believers can live out their purpose, engage the mission that gives life meaning—being covered by the Spirit and telling others about God and the amazing things related to Jesus.

1. If you’ve found practical meaning for your life, would you share it?
2. What kinds of distractions commonly keep people from living out their purpose?
3. What ways can we be given the assurance we need?
4. What are some realistic ways to engage our mission in our culture?