"Go and
Do the Same"
Just a Meadow Minute
More than thirty years ago now, I purchased the volume by William J. Bennett, The Book of Virtues. Bennet served as the Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan. The book is a collection of traits essential for good character. Chapter titles include Responsibility, Courage, Compassion, Loyalty, Honesty, Friendship, Persistence, Hard Work, Self-discipline and Faith. According to the intro, “In order for our children to develop such traits, we have to offer them examples of good and bad, right and wrong.” I used this collection when my grandson Ethan was just learning to read. My hope was to plant in his young mind the principles needed to serve others. Before long, Ethan was reading some of the shorter selections to me. I highly recommend The Book of Virtues. Below is a story found in the chapter on Loyalty taken from an old Boy Scout book.
One of two brothers fighting in the same company in France fell by a German bullet. The one who escaped asked permission of his officer to go and bring his brother in.
“He is probably dead,” said the officer, “and there is no use in your risking your life to bring in his body.”
But after further pleading, the officer consented. Just as the soldier reached the lines with his brother on his shoulders, the wounded man died.
“There, you see,” said the officer, “you risked your life for nothing.”
“No,” replied Tom. “I did what he expected of me, and I have my reward. When I crept up to him and took him in my arms, he said, ‘Tom, I knew you would come—I just felt you would come.’”
Bennet then commented, “There you have the gist of it all; somebody expects something fine and noble and unselfish of us; someone expects us to be faithful.”
God’s Word has much to say about our relationship with our Creator. Each of us is encouraged to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” That love can in no way earn our place with Him. Neither can we, through our good works, our lives of love and sacrifice and service for others, save anyone to eternity—not even ourselves. It is by His grace that we are forgiven. It is because of His great love that He has prepared a place for us with Him in heaven. Still, we are commanded to live our lives in thankfulness and commitment to God. The love we show to God through the life we live in His Name is always to be validation that His Spirit is in fact living in us.
We are likewise commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Bible continually speaks about our relationship with each other. We’re told to honor our parents. We are told to honor the marriage relationship. We are told to love and discipline our children. We are told to “rescue the perishing…care for the dying.” In Scripture is the call for each of the relational traits found in Bill Bennett’s book. Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Loyalty. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Hard Work. Self-discipline. Faith. And like last Sunday’s message from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, our Lord is calling us today to serve others as men and women who are growing more and more in the image of our Savior. Seeing value in others strengthens our relationship with the One who valued each of us enough to send His Son. Mercy begats mercy.
Remember, our Lord expects something fine and noble and unselfish of us; He expects us to be faithful.
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Grace,
Tom
Meadow Minute Archives
Previous ten articles of the Meadow Minute can be located by date and content.
It’s time to tell you about another of my favorite hymns. I hope you love it, too. It was first published in 1787 by John Rippon, a Baptist minister in London. Even today, most hymnals still list the author simply as “K” because the composer wanted to remain anonymous. Most interested parties believe the writer was Rippon’s assistant, Robert Keene.
The original title of the hymn was “Scripture Promises.” Stanza 2 comes from Isaiah 41:10. Stanzas 3 and 4, from Isaiah 43:2. The “biggie” from Hebrews 13:5 comes on the final verse. We know the song as “How Firm a Foundation.” The melody calls you to join in even if you’re not a singer! This is one of those hymns to which we can apply James 1:7, “Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” Sing along…
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
“The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”
Oh, the promises of God found in His Word! The verses of this great hymn could go on and on. In that 1787 hymnal, above the first stanza, was printed a portion of 2 Peter 1:4. “…He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises…” How long of a sermon series would “Scripture Promises” end up being? I would start with Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” That promise covers my needs in this life, and my need of Him for life everlasting. If you’ll give it half a minute, you’ll have your own list of God’s promises started that you love and cling to.
Imagine sitting down alone in a quiet and reflective moment with pen and paper in hand. You have tasked yourself to write out the deepest, most personal feelings you could ever have for that one “to whom your soul loves”. You would write of your commitment and desire for that one’s best. With passion, you would tell that precious one of your love over and over. Then, imagine discovering that person never took the time to open and read your love letter? Might God feel that same longing for each of us to read and understand and recall all the great promises He has made in His love letter to us?
What more can He say than to you He has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Grace,
Tom
When you were a kid, were you the captain when picking teams for dodgeball or some other game? Or, like me, were you just hoping not to be the last one chosen after everyone else had already been picked? More times than I care to remember, one of my brothers (who usually got to be captains) would “pity-pick” me so I wouldn’t be left dangling. I rarely thanked them for that, but I should have. It is good to feel wanted, to be chosen. When I was five years old, a bear in a ranger hat came on TV and told me that I am the only person who could prevent forest fires. Why I was chosen, I’ll never know, but I appreciated the effort he went to in getting the message to me!
Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might become the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called, and whom He called, the He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” I believe in the necessity of personal faith in Christ, and the responsibility and free will of each person to respond to the gospel. Not wishing to offend any Calvinists brothers who might see this Meadow Minute, I want to share my heart about the idea of being chosen by God.
God has absolute and perfect foreknowledge. He knows from the end to the beginning and back again. Consequently, there is no contradiction between God’s foreknowledge and man’s freedom of choice. God just knows in advance the choice each person will make. The means and opportunities of our salvation were arranged before even time came about. God’s plan of salvation was from the beginning. Romans 8:28 says, “God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
The elect are called. Ephesians 1:4 says, “just as He chose us before the foundation of the world…” So, whom did God choose for election before the foundations of time? Those who believe on His Son. And what parameters did He set out? “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” God foreknew who, in faith, would call upon the Name of the Lord to be saved—His elect. And to whom was the message given? To only some? No, to everyone. Out of all men, those who call upon the Lord will be saved, will be chosen, elected. God foreknew who that would be, those who would choose the way He laid out from all eternity. God, in His foreknowledge, set the parameters of our salvation. Those parameters, that election where all of us are guilty of sin, is our only ground for hope. God grants us our free will, and through the blood of Christ, lays out the process by which we are called His elect, His chosen. In His foreknowledge, God knows what choice we will make. And God’s election is always inclusive, never exclusive.
Here it is as blunt as I can share it: Predestination IS NOT God’s predetermining from past ages who should and who should not be saved. Scripture does not teach this view. What it does teach is that this Doctrine of Predestination concerns the future of believers. Jesus said that not one of His would be snatched from His hand. Predestination refers to the destiny of believers who are “in Christ.” It’s about what happens to “those who believe.” It has been determined beforehand that all who are truly His shall be conformed to His image.
It's good to feel wanted, to be chosen. And like me with my brothers, you and I as followers of Christ probably don’t thank God enough for choosing us by His omniscient grace to be on His team. But we should.
Grace,
Tom
One of my favorite memories of growing up in the church involved the story my mom told me about my oldest brother, Barry, when he was just a toddler. He loved to stand on the pew with his hands gripping the one in front of him so he could sing during the song service. Mom said Barry didn’t know the words, but he gave it his all anyway. Her story’s example was from the chorus of the hymn, “At Calvary.”
Barry would sing, “Mer-cy, mercy, mercy, mer-cy, me. Mer-cy, mercy, mercy, mer-cy, me. Mer-cy, mercy, mercy, mer-cy, me, at Cal-va-ry!” (Did you just try and sing that?)
One Sunday after each hymn that the congregation stood to sing, Barry was slow getting off the pew and sitting down. Each time, Barry’s hands got pinned on top of the pew in front of him by the man there sitting down. The man would then have to lean forward to let this little kid get his fingers free. Finally, after the Offertory Hymn, before the man leaned up to release Barry’s fingers, he took the time to grind his shoulder blades into Barry’s fingers—just as a teachable moment. Mom said before she could stop him, Barry grabbed a hymnal out of the rack on the pew back and gave the guy a whack across his head! Mercy message received and replicated. According to God’s Word, my brother was singing some great theology.
The phrase, “God desires mercy over sacrifice” or similar ideas appear several times in Scripture, both the Old Testament, and the New. Even with variations, each passage carries the same message: mercy, love, and justice must be prioritized over judgement, ritual, or legalistic observance. Jesus Himself speaks of this twice in the Gospel of Matthew.
The first time, found in Matthew 9:1, was in response to the Pharisees asking the Lord’s disciples why their Teacher would choose to eat with tax collectors and sinners. Maybe the Pharisees were trying to shame the disciples into turning their backs on Jesus. The selfish and self-righteous Pharisees were avoiding the ones who most needed spiritual help.
Jesus says, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion (mercy), and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The second time in Matthew 12:7, the Pharisees were shocked at Jesus’ lack of respect for the Sabbath. Well, more to the point: THEIR rules and regulations regarding the Sabbath. The Pharisees saw the disciples’ act of picking grain from the field to eat as threshing and harvesting—working on the Sabbath. Breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Taboo. The disciples had been around Jesus long enough and had heard His teachings to know the difference between the Mosaic Law and man-made traditions. They knew they weren’t breaking the Sabbath. How typical of a legalist!
Calling the Pharisees out on their hypocrisy, the Lord uses that phrase again. “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion (mercy), and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”
Do you ever allow a mindset of legalism and ritual and judgement to control you? Is your growth in the Lord being adversely affected by your not dressing yourself with mercy and grace each day? That whole “Do unto others…” thing does seem to come to mind, doesn’t it?
James 2:13 says, “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Grace,
Tom
I’ve always loved timepieces. I am fascinated by them. In fact, I have the kit for a wooden Da Vinci cut-out clock I just can’t seem to get around to putting together. Maybe someday…when I have more spare time on my hands. (Pun intended.) I also have the gold pocket watch that was carried by my Great Grandfather, Albanus Heath. And though I have tried various clock shops, I have been unable to find anyone capable of replacing the very rare, broken crystal, and restoring the watch back to keeping accurate time. Sometimes that heirloom pocket watch ticks, and sometimes it doesn’t. Which brings me to this Meadow Minute, and a story I once heard about a renowned clockmaker.
The old man lived in a very small town, much like Meadow, yet he was known far and wide for fixing even the most stubborn, silent clocks. People came to him from miles around bringing him everything—from antique grandfather clocks to little travel alarms. The unassuming clockmaker rarely said much, but he always listened. Literally.
As the story goes, a curious young girl once asked him, “How do you know what’s wrong with the clocks?”
The old clockmaker smiled a wise smile and said knowingly, “I listen for what’s missing. Every clock, new or worn, large or little, is supposed to have a rhythm. When I hear what’s missing, I know what needs fixing.”
In many ways, God is the Master Clockmaker. He knows the rhythm of your heart and soul. And when, for whatever reason, your spiritual life loses its tick—when you stop listening, when you’re too distracted to notice the signs—He’s still listening for you. Your Heavenly Father is always ready to repair what’s offbeat. And He is still speaking if you’ll be still enough, long enough, to hear.
In last Sunday morning’s passage, Matthew 16:1-4, the Pharisees tested Jesus. They demanded to see a sign. But He answered and said to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” The logic of the Lord’s response to these supposed learned men was unassailable. Jesus wasn’t just criticizing the Pharisees for missing the signs already given them, though there had been many. After all, how could they have missed His feeding thousands with a kid’s lunch? They didn’t remember the once blind that could now see. Did they fail to connect how the once lame who could now walk. Even the once dead, Jesus had raised. They missed the Messiah standing right in front of them. Still, Jesus was inviting them (and us) to tune our ears, open our eyes, and return to the rhythm of God’s voice.
Do you hear God’s rhythm in your life—or are you letting the noise of the world drown Him out? Are you out of sync with the Lord? Have you become oblivious to His blessings showered on you, while ungratefully demanding a sign that He’s still there? Are the voices of the world around you so loud that you can no longer hear the still, small voice of the Spirit, guiding and comforting you through struggles and times of grief? Have you missed His quiet, tender presence, too busy looking for a way through the storms of your life? Jesus knows what makes you tick. He knows what’s missing in your life, what needs fixing. His Word, His truth, can help you find the rhythm.
The Lord is still speaking. Are you listening?
Grace,
Tom
Last Friday morning just after 9:00 a.m., we launched the FBC church van from the front lot with six students and two sponsors on their way to Fuge Youth Camp at Glorietta, NM. The expense of going to Glorietta has continued to climb each year. It costs several hundred dollars per student to go to Fuge, but any of us who have been to Glorietta will attest…there’s no place like it! This last spring, along with the Annual Church-Wide Dessert Auction, most of these young people also took part in earning their way to camp through service to others. These students recognized the opportunity to go as worth the effort to put some “skin in the game.” As a church, we should all be very proud of them and their families who have encouraged them and supported them in getting to camp. In a day when much is said about how entitled young people think they are, it is uplifting and heart-warming to see youth such as these step up and earn a large part of their own way to Glorietta. May God bless each of them with a Spirt-filled, life-altering week.
God’s Word continually highlights the importance of supporting and nurturing our youth. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Passages emphasize that children are a gift from God, a heritage to be treasured, and that young people should be taught and encouraged to live a life pleasing to God. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth…”
Other verses of Scripture encourage the youth themselves to be strong in faith and to set an example as a team.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
The Bible doesn’t pull any punches, and our youth are stronger than we often give them credit for. It’s time to shoot straight with them about the things God expects.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”
2 Timothy 2:22 says, “So flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do no lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Those like our young people at camp warrant our prayers, our support, our example of faithfulness to God’s House and His purposes. As important and memorable as the mountaintop experience of camp can be, the Christian Walk most often is in the valleys and flatlands of daily living. Let’s do all we can as a church to encourage them in Bible Study. Let’s include them in fellowships and opportunities of service in using the gifts God has bestowed on them for His glory. Make it a part of your prayer life to lift these students and those who so faithfully work with them to the Throne of Grace, that God might grow His kingdom His way and to His good pleasure.
Grace,
Tom
Though many of us have before heard the account of Horatio Spafford’s circumstances in writing this favorite hymn, it bears repeating once more.
Spafford suffered financial disaster in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. He and his wife were still grieving over the death of their son just before the fire and they both longed for a chance to get away. Hearing that their friend, Dwight L. Moody, was going to be preaching in evangelistic campaigns in England, Spafford planned a trip for his entire family to England. His wife and four daughters went ahead on the SS Ville du Havre, and he was to follow them in a few days.
Out on the Atlantic the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank within twelve minutes, causing the death of 226 people including all four of the Spafford’s daughters. After being rescued and finally reaching shore, Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband with just two words, “Saved alone.”
Spafford booked passage on the next ship. Crossing the Atlantic, he was told by the captain where it was thought the Ville du Havre had gone down. That night, Spafford penned the words, “When sorrows like sea billows roll…it is well, it is well, with my soul.” Sing these words in your heart…
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—O, the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin—not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so”—it is well with my soul.
Oh, to have faith like Horatio Spafford! To know, “whatever my lot,” that still, “Christ has regarded my helpless estate.” And while the enemy “should buffet” and certainly in this life, “trials should come,” I remain redeemed because my Savior “has shed His own blood for my soul.” We all should long to live in the assurance and hope that there will be a day when our “faith shall be sight.” Scripture tells me to “look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” I long for the day when, “the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend.” Glory!
Romans 5:2b-4 says, “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Grace,
Tom
Each year, just like in countless other places around our world, many people gather at the Meadow Cemetery on Memorial Day to acknowledge the sacrifice of more than 140 soldiers interred there, who died in battle or once served their country in the various branches of the military. It is a reverent place and a special time of remembrance.
Last winter, during December and January, was the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Every year during Memorial Day events, I think of my dad’s older brother, Leslie A. Heath, Jr. (Uncle Les). Les was one of 19,000 American soldiers who died during that last major German offensive in the forests between Belgium and Luxembourg during the Second World War. Though a ministerial student with deferment, Uncle Les chose instead to enlist. He fought as a member of the tank infantry during that harsh and merciless winter. Les’ wound should not have killed him. But Les’ commander, General George Patton, advanced so quickly that supply lines for medical supplies could not keep up, and Les died as a result.
My grandad, for whom Les was named, never understood why his son would “run to the sound of the battle.” When Grandad refused the offer to bring his son’s body home, Uncle Les was buried in Europe at the Luxembourg American Cemetery. Interestingly, that is the same cemetery where General Patton chose to be buried alongside his fallen men. Grandad first refused the Purple Heart given posthumously to Les. When the medal was finally sent to him, Grandad gave it to my father, still just a young boy at the time, as a “trinket of war.”
Uncle Les’ sacrifice inspired my father, CM/Sgt James B. Heath, who is himself now in glory, to give 34 years to his country, serving in the USAF. I now have Uncle Les’ Purple Heart with me, as it hangs in the Pastor’s Office at FBC, Meadow. And I possess something else my father gave me before his death. Dad gave me an engraving of a quote by John Stuart Mill, that I cherish and proudly display in Dad’s and Les’ honor.
“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
Christians should be people seeking peace, following the example of our Prince, Jesus. He alone is Lord of all. And Christians can serve honorably and justly in military service…seeking peace. Like millions of others who love this country, and feeling blessed by God to be a citizen of America, I believe in what is known as the Principles of Just War. There are limits on what conduct is allowable within the act of war. That includes submitting to the governing authorities as Paul wrote, in preserving peace through strength. May God bless our memories of the fallen who “gave their last full measure of devotion” in preserving the liberty and freedom, including religious freedom, we so cherish. I pray we honor the price they paid by acknowledging the sacrifice of our Lord to die in our place, “that we might be called the children of God.”
Psalm 62:5 says, “Thou hast given me the inheritance of those who fear Thy name.”
Yes, I believe in outward expressions of respect for our Country. I stand, hand over heart for the pledge, and I sing at the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner (usually with tears in my eyes). I do it in reverence and remembrance to the God of my fathers for the undeserved blessings He has granted to me.
Grace,
Tom
Put on your thinking caps, and let’s play a game. Our category today is Bible Trivia. Please make sure your answers are in the form of a question. Ready for Single Jeopardy? “In the beginning, God…” (Jeopardy music plays) Next, Double Jeopardy. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word, was God.” (More Jeopardy music plays) Now for Final Jeopardy. Besides the Triune God, the Bible says this female was at the beginning before Creation. Again, please be sure your answer is in the form of a question. (Jeopardy music plays to fade.)
How did you do? The initial answer should be, “What are the first four words of the Bible?” I’ll wager you got that. Next, “What is the first verse of the Gospel of John?” I’m thinking most reading this got that correct, too. Now, apart from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this female “master workman” was at the Creation. The correct answer is, “Who is Wisdom?”
In Proverbs 8:22-31, Wisdom says, “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old, from everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. When there were no depths…when there were no springs…before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth…when He established the heavens, I was there…when He made the skies above…when He set for the sea its boundary…when He marked out the foundations of the earth, I was beside Him as a master workman, and I was daily His delight.”
Wisdom has been with God since before time began.
King Solomon, who the Bible says became the wisest man ever, sought understanding from God rather than wealth and victory over his enemies. That in itself was a wise choice that pleased God so much that the Lord not only granted Solomon’s desire for wisdom, but granted also what Solomon didn’t ask for. King Solomon’s kingdom was the richest, most prosperous, most peaceful reign known to man.
We often limit God by the things we ask of Him. Rashly, we think no further than, “God, fix this!” Or, if we’re not careful, we lessen Him to our spiritual genie with every prayer beginning with, “God, I need…” Certainly, there have been times in my life when the only prayer from my lips has been, “God, help!” Sometimes, my prayer is nothing more than, “Please God, restore in me…” Such prayers are valid and heard from our loving Savior. I am not discounting simple, heart-felt, straightforward conversations with God. But according to His Word, we are counting Him short when we fail to ask for wisdom. Wisdom has been with God since the beginning. That means Wisdom probably has the answer for what God desires from His creation. Wisdom is a gift from God that can erase the self-imposed messes we get ourselves into before needing to say, “God, fix this!” or “God, get me out of this!” His wisdom granted to us can help us see the way to filling needs—not just our needs, but also the needs of others. His wisdom, in us, becomes discernment against temptation, patience against retribution, hope against desperation.
So, through this entire Meadow Minute you’ve been asking yourself, “Why does Tom refer to Wisdom as a female?” Hey, I’m just going by what the Bible says. In Proverbs 2, Solomon pleas with his sons to “get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and SHE will protect you; love HER and SHE will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding, esteem HER, and SHE will honor you,. SHE will set a garland of grace on your head, and present you with a crown of splendor.” Okay, Wisdom is an "it," but you get my point.
Grace,
Tom
Just a Meadow Minute
Don’t blink. You’ll miss it.
It’s been on my mind for some time to write this Meadow Minute about how quickly the years pass when we have children at home. Hearing those lines, we typically go through a certain thought process. Don’t blink. You’ll miss their first taste of French fries and their potty training and their nights in your bed during a storm. Don’t blink. You’ll miss their birthday parties and their Christmas mornings and their skinned knees. Don’t blink. You’ll miss their T-ball games and their school plays and their lamb showings. Don’t blink. You’ll miss their driving lessons, and their first date and their High School graduation. Don’t blink. You’ll miss their College graduation and their wedding and your first grandchild. Life is short. Life comes at us quick. Don’t waste the daylight. Don’t blink. You’ll miss it.
Actually, those lines led me to the timing for the Child Dedication Service last Sunday on Mother’s Day. A reminder to parents and families—don’t blink. You’ll miss the opportunities of your child’s formative years. You’ll miss hearing the honesty in your little one’s first prayer. You’ll miss showing your child being a Christian is walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Don’t blink. You’ll miss teaching your precious charge the disciplines of regular worship at the church and regular prayer at the dinner table and regular Bible study in their own first Bible. Don’t blink You’ll miss it. The world will claim them more and more every day, and then before you know it, your child won’t need you to take them anywhere. Don’t blink. You’ll not know where they are late at night when you finally surrender to sleep. Don’t blink. You’ll miss the chance to help them seek God’s guidance in the snap decisions they’ll be forced to make. Maybe at a party. Maybe on an overnight stay with friends. Maybe in the back of a car. Don’t blink. You’ll miss it.
Before you know it, you won’t be the most important relationship in your child’s life—ever again. Teachers, coaches, boyfriends and girlfriends, BFFs, and YouTube celebrities will all be jockeying for that position. And then a spouse and likely kids will come before you. Will Jesus even be in the mix? Will the Lord’s influence, His guidance, His abiding Spirit in your child’s heart remain the deciding force in where he or she will go with who for what? You may not be invited, but Jesus can be there. You’ve been given a privilege, a window of opportunity, a few short years as the single, most impactful relational influence in your child’s life that very well may decide his or her eternity. Don’t blink. You’ll miss it.
Maybe you’ve read this far and in your season of life you’re telling yourself, “Well, I guess I blinked. I guess I missed it.” That’s the enemy talking. The enemy would relish the idea that you’re disappointed with yourself as a parent. He would love you to believe you missed that privilege, that window of opportunity. But the enemy is the Prince of lies. “While it’s still called today,” you have not run out of time. The very best time in your life, the most appropriate time in your life, the most privileged, impactful, influential time in your life for letting Christ lead you to be everything He wants to be, and by extension, everything He wants to be in your child’s life is what we refer to as NOW. Not later. Not sometime. Not eventually. NOW. While you still have the opportunity. While it’s still called today.
Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘TODAY,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Life IS short. Eternity IS long. If you’re breathing, it’s still called today. God’s grace is sufficient. Don’t miss it.
Grace,
Tom
How long has it been since your LAST “Mountaintop Experience” with God? Sermon after sermon, devotional after devotional, focus on how life is lived in the valleys, in the trenches, but rarely about the mountaintops. That can lead to thinking that having a life-changing, awe-inspiring, eternity-glimpsing time with God is only some memory of an event that happened in the much-too-distant past, perhaps as far back as your conversion. Are you one who thinks, “Easter is over this year, Jesus won. Now can’t we just go back to the drudgery of everyday living”?
Yes, God is with us in the shadows of grief and the struggles of parenting and the pressures of paying the bills. Praise God, He NEVER leaves nor forsakes us. As His children, we can never be loved by our Heavenly Father more—or less— than He already does. But when was the last time you climbed to the mountaintop to present your body again as a living, holy, sacrifice to God, intentionally surrendering your all to Him?
It was those very feelings that inspired Frances Ridley Havergal on February 4th, 1847, to compose one of my favorite hymns. She would later write, “I just yielded myself to Him, and utterly trusted Him to keep me.”
Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days—
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move,
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always only, for my King
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold--
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine--
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart--it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love--my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself--and I will be
Ever only ALL for Thee,
Ever only ALL for Thee.
May this hymn be my lasting testimony.
“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Grace,
Tom