2 Kings 6:17 - And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Look, here's the story. Some bigwig in Syria is a little miffed that his well thought-out plans against Israel are foiled even before he can act. Not happy, he questions his staff. There's got to be a lead somewhere! To his surprise, he finds himself up against a prophet who's so into God that he doesn't have to go anywhere close to Syria to know what's going on. This is only the backdrop to the real story. Truth is you get to see how tight Elisha is with God. So tight that this Syrian king sends an army to surround Elisha's dwelling place. Morning comes and Elisha's servant goes outside for the paper (no, not really, but he did go outside), sees the army and comes running into the house screaming, "what shall we do?"
This servant has seen reality right out his front door and holy man, Elisha, who hadn't seen a thing, responds with "do not fear, for those who are with you are more than those who are with them." Hello!!!!! Mr. Elisha, you weren't the one outside! You weren't the one outside greeting an angry army ready to kick some serious...well, you get the picture. What do you mean, "do not fear?!" But isn't that so like us? We got bills due yesterday, creditors lining up calls today and no money prospects tomorrow! In our distress someone gives us a few words of encouragement and we think, "who do they think they are?" Prophet? Pastor? Well-meaning Christian friend? Ha! They're so heavenly minded that they aren't worth any earthly good and now they're telling us, in the midst of some major trouble to "fear not," or "don't worry, God is faithful." Reality check here!!!
But wait. With God's word, let's do a reality check, shall we? Elisha must have known something to obviously be so faith-driven that he didn't even have to look at the situation to know everything was going to be alright. What? Look at 2 Kings 6:17 - And Elisha prayed and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he say. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Whoa (no horse pun intended), wait a minute. Opened his eyes? Wasn't the servant just out there beholding the reality of an angry army? Yeah, but, isn't faith the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen? (Hebrews 11:6)
The situation remained the same, but what changed? The servant's perspective. This young man was seeing things in a totally different light. And God was not about to become inconsistent with His nature and with His people. Elisha saw things through God's eyes. That's why he was able to report to the king of Israel everything going on in Syria without ever leaving the comfort of his home. And when impossible situations presented themselves, Elisha was secure enough in his faith to believe the vision of a faithful God and pray that his servant would see things a little more clearly.
If you haven't figured it out by now, there is a moral to this story. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Times are rough. Hey, don't I know it. Problems on every hand. Circumstances can, and I do mean will, get the better of us all. We've lived in the servant mentality from time to time because we just can't see beyond the reality before us. We're human and we do have a tendency to "see" with the human eyes God's given us. Hey, go figure. But a changed perspective -- no matter what the situation -- can save us a lot of heartache, grief, pain and sorrow. Fear not. That's right. Fear not. God is a perspective changer. Circumstances may never change but our perspective on the matter can and should. Life's too short to sped it worrying if things will ever get better. Diligently seek God's perspective on the situation and allow it to change and transform your sight!
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A LETTER TO AN ADOPTIVE HEART
James 1:22 & 27 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...
Dear Adoptive Heart! Hello and how's it going? I thought I'd write a short letter to say how blessed we are to know you. You don't know me exactly, but we share a common bond. You have loved my brothers and sisters by taking us into your homes. We were once orphaned. I know that's not a very popular word, but it's true. Some of us were abandoned by our moms and dads and some of us are still working through those issues. You rescued us and for that we can say thank you enough.
Can you imagine? Our plight has stretched the globe. We were born into poverty of the soul, pain of the heart, abandonment and abuse of the spirit. We only wanted what every other child needs - love, security, shelter. There was a time we didn't think we deserved it, but then you came along and changed all of that. You cared enough to make us your sons and daughters. We all came with our unsightly baggage, but you were patient enough with us to help us unpack our troubles. You spent time with us. You gave us lots of hugs. You believed in us. Thank you.
Now if it's not too much to ask, can you do me a favor? Can you get the word out about my extended siblings? I have other brothers and sisters still orphaned. Everyday is a challenge for them. I don't want them to lose hope, but can you blame them? If everyone cared as much as you do and made a place for them to call home, my brothers and sisters wouldn't feel so lost in the world.
I know adoption isn't for everyone, but there are ways people can help my orphaned siblings. They can pray for them. They can be foster parents. They can be court-appointed advocates. They can adopt an orphanage overseas. They can sponsor an adoption fair or start an adoption fund at their churches for those who can adopt. There is so much to be done, but so few people to do it. You were one of the few. And I bet there are others out there just like you. They see how you've brought us into your homes and made us apart of your family. You can say you're a poster child for adoption!
Well, thanks for listening. Thanks also for doing what God's word says about caring for the orphans. I know Jesus is pleased; you can tell by the smiles on our faces!
Sincerely,
Anadoptive Child
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NOVEMBER IS ADOPTION MONTH - LOVE ON A CHILD!
Dear Adoptive Heart! Hello and how's it going? I thought I'd write a short letter to say how blessed we are to know you. You don't know me exactly, but we share a common bond. You have loved my brothers and sisters by taking us into your homes. We were once orphaned. I know that's not a very popular word, but it's true. Some of us were abandoned by our moms and dads and some of us are still working through those issues. You rescued us and for that we can say thank you enough.
Can you imagine? Our plight has stretched the globe. We were born into poverty of the soul, pain of the heart, abandonment and abuse of the spirit. We only wanted what every other child needs - love, security, shelter. There was a time we didn't think we deserved it, but then you came along and changed all of that. You cared enough to make us your sons and daughters. We all came with our unsightly baggage, but you were patient enough with us to help us unpack our troubles. You spent time with us. You gave us lots of hugs. You believed in us. Thank you.
Now if it's not too much to ask, can you do me a favor? Can you get the word out about my extended siblings? I have other brothers and sisters still orphaned. Everyday is a challenge for them. I don't want them to lose hope, but can you blame them? If everyone cared as much as you do and made a place for them to call home, my brothers and sisters wouldn't feel so lost in the world.
I know adoption isn't for everyone, but there are ways people can help my orphaned siblings. They can pray for them. They can be foster parents. They can be court-appointed advocates. They can adopt an orphanage overseas. They can sponsor an adoption fair or start an adoption fund at their churches for those who can adopt. There is so much to be done, but so few people to do it. You were one of the few. And I bet there are others out there just like you. They see how you've brought us into your homes and made us apart of your family. You can say you're a poster child for adoption!
Well, thanks for listening. Thanks also for doing what God's word says about caring for the orphans. I know Jesus is pleased; you can tell by the smiles on our faces!
Sincerely,
Anadoptive Child
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NOVEMBER IS ADOPTION MONTH - LOVE ON A CHILD!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
TOYS, BIG BOOKS AND NESTING DOLLS
Colossians 3:1-4 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Marketing the “Biggest Big Book Ever,” this popular toy store sells entertainment to children of all ages. Whether it’s the latest dual-screen game cartridge or the strangely-alarming, mind-reading head band (I am not joking about this one), today’s toys are worth their weight in fools’ gold. I have no problem with a toy’s entertainment value, but when one’s imagination is replaced with a power charger and batteries, I have to ask the question, “What message is being taught to our children?”
In my mother’s day (notice I refuse to date myself), all a child needed was a ball, a stick and a few neighborhood buddies. Get them outside and you had the makings of a sandlot team. Dolls and tea sets turned little girls into Suzy Homemakers…oops, responsible caregivers. Trucks and blocks sent boys on journeys uncharted. Yesterday’s toys were no substitute for the creative and inquisitive. They only lent a minor hand to the art of a child’s imagination.
A toy stretching the imagination is one thing, but if it has a built-in teachable component, I am all over it like a pit bull to a pork chop! Take the Matryoshka nesting dolls. Stacked one within another, these oval-shaped, wooden dolls became popular outside their native Russia. The concept is as simple as the design – open its crown and reveal its hidden treasure. Paul reminded the Colossians that they could set their hearts and minds on things above because their lives were “hidden with Christ in God.”
Open the Word of God and you find that earthly things expose our hearts and minds to all manner of maladies. We worry over bills. We fret over our children. We agonize over the next drama in life. As we hide our hearts and minds with Christ, we aren’t left alone in our struggles nor with the sole purpose of figuring out what’s next. He sits with the Father. We are with Him and He lives within us. His Word reveals purpose, direction, hope, a future. And as we study His Word, He reveals His truth.
Such a revelation uncovers another precious truth – hidden in Christ, we are less likely to entertain or eventually succumb to earthly notions and worldly mindsets. Much like Paul’s warnings to the Colossian church, Christ is the only one with whom we can place our trust and in whom that trust originates. The world may offer its options to true enlightenment; in Christ, He is THE way, THE truth and THE light. The world will make empty promises; in Christ, all His “promises have been thoroughly tested” (Psalm 119:140) and “no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Today’s toys are designed for entertainment value, but there’s a lot to be said for the toys of yesteryear. And much like the nesting dolls, God’s Word challenges our imaginations and arrests our spirits with its valuable lessons. The “Biggest Big Book Ever” may get published once a year, but God’s “Biggest Big Book” goes on forever in the hearts of His children!
Marketing the “Biggest Big Book Ever,” this popular toy store sells entertainment to children of all ages. Whether it’s the latest dual-screen game cartridge or the strangely-alarming, mind-reading head band (I am not joking about this one), today’s toys are worth their weight in fools’ gold. I have no problem with a toy’s entertainment value, but when one’s imagination is replaced with a power charger and batteries, I have to ask the question, “What message is being taught to our children?”
In my mother’s day (notice I refuse to date myself), all a child needed was a ball, a stick and a few neighborhood buddies. Get them outside and you had the makings of a sandlot team. Dolls and tea sets turned little girls into Suzy Homemakers…oops, responsible caregivers. Trucks and blocks sent boys on journeys uncharted. Yesterday’s toys were no substitute for the creative and inquisitive. They only lent a minor hand to the art of a child’s imagination.
A toy stretching the imagination is one thing, but if it has a built-in teachable component, I am all over it like a pit bull to a pork chop! Take the Matryoshka nesting dolls. Stacked one within another, these oval-shaped, wooden dolls became popular outside their native Russia. The concept is as simple as the design – open its crown and reveal its hidden treasure. Paul reminded the Colossians that they could set their hearts and minds on things above because their lives were “hidden with Christ in God.”
Open the Word of God and you find that earthly things expose our hearts and minds to all manner of maladies. We worry over bills. We fret over our children. We agonize over the next drama in life. As we hide our hearts and minds with Christ, we aren’t left alone in our struggles nor with the sole purpose of figuring out what’s next. He sits with the Father. We are with Him and He lives within us. His Word reveals purpose, direction, hope, a future. And as we study His Word, He reveals His truth.
Such a revelation uncovers another precious truth – hidden in Christ, we are less likely to entertain or eventually succumb to earthly notions and worldly mindsets. Much like Paul’s warnings to the Colossian church, Christ is the only one with whom we can place our trust and in whom that trust originates. The world may offer its options to true enlightenment; in Christ, He is THE way, THE truth and THE light. The world will make empty promises; in Christ, all His “promises have been thoroughly tested” (Psalm 119:140) and “no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Today’s toys are designed for entertainment value, but there’s a lot to be said for the toys of yesteryear. And much like the nesting dolls, God’s Word challenges our imaginations and arrests our spirits with its valuable lessons. The “Biggest Big Book Ever” may get published once a year, but God’s “Biggest Big Book” goes on forever in the hearts of His children!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
ANSWERING THE CALL TO SERVE
Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Here’s a test. Who said, “Ask not what God can do for you; ask what you can do for God? Actually, I did, but with a little poetic license borrowed from a 20th century, U.S. President.
Throughout Biblical history, many heroes and heroines of the faith looked beyond self gratification and placed themselves in the hands of God to be used for His plan and purpose. Ruth, Esther, Gideon, Joshua, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Mary, Paul, Timothy, Peter – each one offering his or her unique, yet untapped gifts. And when the time came, they carried out great exploits for the sake of a coming Savior and a worthy King.
Most carried little clout within their tribe or amongst their people. That doesn’t matter to God. Joshua was an understudy to a stuttering Moses. Ruth was a transplant from pagan Moab. Gideon’s “clan [was] the weakest in Manasseh, and [he was] the least in [his] family” (Judges 6:15). Even so, the common denominator they shared was an unswerving commitment to be used by God. Their commitment was enough to bring encouragement to those needing it most.
Those willing to be used are just ordinary people placed in the hands of an extraordinary God. You’ve heard the story of how a multitude was fed with five loaves and two fishes, right? But did you know it is only mentioned in John’s gospel account of a child giving up his provisions to feed them (John 6:9)? The Savior used what this boy had and those benefitting from his offering left that mountainside well fed physically, emotionally and spiritually.
It is not the size of the offering, but the willingness to give of oneself in order to be used for a bigger purpose. Upon confirmation, Gideon had ideas of going into battle with thousands; God, however, instructed that “With the three hundred men that lapped [water to their mouths], I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands” (Judges 7:7). And as they say, the rest is HIStory!
What do you have to offer? Great or small, you would be quite surprised what God can do with an unswerving commitment to serve. If you’re like me, you may need a bit of motivation to get you started. Here’s a wonderful opportunity to be used by God and also be a blessing to others. I've put together a modified version of what my church called a "Month of Blessings Calendar." The calendar is formatted for Adobe Reader (.pdf file). Each day during the month of November, follow its daily instructions. At the end of the month, count what you’ve collected and donate the proceeds to…
~ Your church’s benevolent fund
~ Your church’s missionary fund
~ A local charity
In December, let me know how you answered the call to serve God and bless others either through a posted comment or via email!
For those interested in receiving a copy, click here to send an email. In the Subject box, just type "Calendar" and I'll get it out to you!
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