May 09


Light Through My Windows


Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Matthew 19:14 (NIV)


I am caught up in my man’s world this morning, but God intervenes. I am sweating out a message I will deliver at the men's breakfast tomorrow. The thoughts and words come slowly in the morning light. Bright spots dance off my walls as the cedar’s shadow penetrates glass panes with a frenzied caress.

Voices pull me farther from my mission. Nicole Nordeman’s soprano sings of sunrise and blue skies. She, a pleasing back up to happy squealing 5-year olds. The school kids come charging up the grassy hill and cling to the short fence beside my church office. Their faces beam and only half out of breath, they chatter incessantly—boys and girls reveling in the freedom and beauty of this day. It is pure delight.

This is no intrusion. No, this is a mission of mercy. Taking my focus from the big ideas of my man’s world to the simple reality and the pleasing truth: God has done the hard work and I am His child. The tasks remaining are easy burdens for His faithful children and a source of delight.

This is new light: the kingdom of heaven is simpler than I think. Jesus understood this so well. He was not afraid to take a break, to play, to consider the needs of all His children. So, I turn back to my message with a new thought and new words. Let’s play with this. Let’s have some fun!


Father, when it suits Your will, let the children come to us too. When the time is right, remind us to play, to enjoy all You bring our way. Amen.

May 08


The Love of Christ: Love Beyond Words


And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love.

Ephesians 3:18-19 (NCV)


This morning my heart is full of love and I can’t explain it.

For the Son of God (who holds our universe together) to descend from supreme majesty and glory, for Him to walk this world’s dirty streets and endure the foul smells, and for Him to take on the vicious attacks of smug, self-righteous hypocrites is nearly unfathomable. But for the Ultimate in Perfection to die for the unworthy, for the Holiest of all to suffer extreme agony for me is unthinkable ... but true.

Paul’s prayer is for you and me—that we might know that love. Knowledge is a most powerful thing—even if we can’t find the words....


Too wide to view

Too long to measure

Too high to ever scale ...

Too deep for me to even fathom


This love is ...

beyond my senses

beyond my words.

And yet, this love is true.



Lord, help us know Your love. Amen.

May 07


True Encouragement


We always pray for you, and give thanks to God ... that you love all God’s people. You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God’s great kindness to sinners.

Colossians 1:3, 5-6 (NLT)


Let the words of Christ, in all their richness live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Colossians 3:16 (NLT)


I am encouraged, and I hope I am encouraging others too. How has this latest chapter of inspiration and motivation begun? It came with the turning of pages. It came with the help of others as we started memorizing Scripture. Together.

I think this is a universal truth: the Word of God changes me, renews me, transforms me. It’s all good, and I’ve found it’s especially good, best and most helpful, if I have a partner or a small community to encourage me.

Community offers accountability, and my small group has helped me so much. We are committed to do this together. Now, I think I’ve got all six passages down: Hebrews 12:1, 2; John 16:24; I John 1:9; Hebrews 4:12; Galatians 1:10; and Matthew 6:33. And such wonderful, motivating words!

Indeed, His words have found a place in my heart, and thank God, they are guiding me. These words are my greatest treasure and food for my soul. Without them, I would waste away. I would be a mere shell of a man....


Almighty Father, empower us in Your Word. Encourage us to help one another to grow in truth and in love. Amen.

May 06


Divorce


“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel.... So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.

Malachi 2:16 (NIV)


For some reason, divorce has been a hot topic in my arena these last two days. Yesterday, I heard of a friend who booted his wife out of the house, because she was having an affair. Then I heard about a man who filed for divorce after many years of marriage, because his wife no longer made him happy. That was yesterday.

Today, Kip shared at our men’s Bible study. He testified how God had gotten him through a divorce and how he was able to use that experience to help other guys who were going through the same thing. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “There are so many of them. They are everywhere!”

Finally, another friend shared his testimony. “I was 33 when I came home and heard those words, ‘I want a divorce.’ I lost everything. I lost my wife; I lost my kids; I lost my home; I lost my money. Gone. That was twenty years ago. It’s taken me twenty years to recover, and my kids are still suffering from it....”

My soul is in anguish at what I see and hear. God has built us for relationship, for commitment, and for faithful living.

These last two days, I have been heartbroken. These last two days, I felt the heart of God.


O Lord, have mercy on us, and help us to be faithful. Amen.

May 05


The Best Anchor


So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)


... we are confident that you are meant for better things ... Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. You will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. ... This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 6:9,11-12,19 (NLT)


God’s promise mixed with our faith, yields strong hope—that great confidence that promotes a life of lasting love and endurance. These are the better things of our faith-walk. This is the bedrock of our testimony: true faith producing good and godly works. Works that look at the needs of others and not our desires.


Father, anchor my soul with this confidence: You love me. Amen.

May 04


Choir


Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 103:2 (NKJV)


Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Psalm 103:2 (NLT)


There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it....

Philippians 1:6 (The Message)


I was sitting at least a dozen rows back in Bauman Auditorium. The room was mostly full, but my attention was on the 60-voice choir on stage. They stood on metal risers behind two huge, grand pianos. Ordinary looking college students, but what a sound! They were one of several performing groups that night, but in my mind, they were the best. They only sang four songs, but they sang them perfectly. It was a treat to my ears—contemporary and classical, the Latin, and the old Negro spiritual—all done so well. But it did more. It blessed my soul.

The year before, the college choir was just as impressive, but I was unable to distinguish my son Drew’s voice. This year, he was up front and center, and like the fruit of an excellent wine, he gave the mix a certain distinctiveness. Hearing his voice made me smile, but it brought me more. It brought back sweet memories.

I couldn't help but remember my son, so many years before. There was Drew as a Christmas tree—singing and leading his early-elementary class in the kids’ holiday celebration at church. Spinning, twirling down the aisle, he was smiling and literally all lit up. My mind moved from church to school and I remembered how excited his 6th grade choir teacher was over his new choir student. The school was at Randolph Air Force Base and the choir director was anxious to know how many years we might be stationed there. He said he had never heard such a great boy's voice and that he would love to work with him. For four years Drew sang with that small 16-voice choir. I remembered his first choir competition. Drew's strong singing carried the other four boys in the choir and it was such a delicate song and done so well, the three judges gave them a standing ovation! Unheard of, I was told. Those two songs were recorded and given to us on a CD, and a year later, I deployed to the Middle East with that disk, and every night, alone in the desert, my son and his choir would sing me to sleep.

Back in the auditorium, tears formed in my eyes. They hung there as I savored the quality of every note that college choir produced. Yes, I was the grateful recipient of all they gave me: four songs, wrapped, delivered and handed to me like a gift.

This weekend, I felt God put His arm around me in an unexpected way. After a long and somewhat difficult week, He sat me down in a quiet spot and used a small, college choir to deliver His joy. Music and memories. Children and blessings. Hmm. God’s gifts may seem simple, but they are the best!


Thank You, Lord, for sweet sounds, for touching thoughts and for the pleasing music of memory....

May 03


Respecting the Word


“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:19 (TLB)


We’ve seen what Jesus had to say about the greatest (first) commandment. This is primary to our spiritual formation, but Jesus gives us more. Here, He tells us how important the least of the commandments are as well. In essence, He points to the significance of Scripture in its entirety. Jesus had a deep respect for the written Word of God and ... He calls us to respect it all as well.

On occasion, I’ve seen whole congregations rise to their feet when the Word of God was read. There are examples of this in the Old Testament as well. This is a wonderful display of respect for God’s words to us. What I am coming to understand is the need to maintain that kind of respect deep in my heart. This is what God looks at, this is how and where we will be judged. He looks at what's in our hearts and what we do with it. We cannot handle the Word of God lightly. Jesus won’t let us. He warns us of the importance of being serious with God’s message, and it is convicting.

I am under conviction—not that I am a commandment breaker (we’ve ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23). I am convicted that my heart be in absolute awe of God’s directives. He is God. It is His Word, and it carries great weight. It requires my utmost care to handle it, use it and apply it well.


God, help me hear, understand and apply Your Word accurately. Amen.