Failing to recognize and appreciate God’s watch care over us is not just a sin committed by the non-Christian.  It can happen to followers of Christ as well.  Some Christians are not content to live under God’s control.  They aren’t satisfied in Christ.  They are somehow dissatisfied, always feeling the grass is greener outside the Lord’s boundaries and purposes.  These carnal Christians are fence crawlers.

I have gotten quite a few comments about the illustration I used to end the sermon Sunday, looking at “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  So, here it is again.  I hope it speaks to you.

In 1978 while attending Angelo State University, I was working at the Texas A&M Research Center north of San Angelo.  One of my responsibilities was working with an animal whose conduct exactly typified this sort of person, this kind of dissatisfied Christian.  The animal was “Buster” the steer, and Buster and I had a unique relationship.

As a young calf, Buster had been fistulated with a canula just behind his ribcage by Dr. Charles Livingston, the resident vet at the Center.  The canula had flanges inside the rumen and on the outside of Buster's hide, with a cork put in place for access.  One simply unscrewed the cork and reached in to draw out digesting matter that would be squeezed into a thermos to obtain stomach juices.  The juice was put into multiple test tubes and then various grasses from area pastures were introduced to see which pastures at different times of the year produced the best nutrition.  The idea was to assist ranchers in deciding the best year-round care for their herds and flocks.  Sound’s simple enough, right?  Well, my job was to unscrew the cork and extract stomach juices.

Sometimes I used a palpating glove, sometimes I just barehanded it.  You can probably imagine the odor.  Buster and I became friends, and apart from swishing his tail at me while I stood beside him, he pretty much let me do my job.

As our “lab assistant,” Buster was kept in the best pasture with shelter.  He got the very best nutrition and the freshest water.  He got superior vet care and essentially, Buster did not have a “want” in the world.  But Buster became a spoiled, restless sort—discontent—a “fence crawler.”

During my time at the Research Center, I hunted for that steer all over the property, and he showed up in some very strange places.  In the parking lot.  Out on the highway.  Usually, he ended up in a bare, brown, burned up, prickly pear filled pasture.  No water…nothing.  Buster was simply never content with things as they were.  He was always looking somewhere else.  That steer, despite all the care given to him, despite his every need being met, always wanted something else.  Eventually, the vet no longer let Buster roam the good pastures.  We had him penned up in a small, high-fence enclosure for the rest of the time I was there.

There is a warning here for the carnal Christian—the backslider—the “fence crawler” who is never satisfied with the abundance of Christ.  If Buster describes you, don’t be surprised when you find yourself trapped, isolated, lacking freedom, miserable, and blaming the very One who wants nothing BUT freedom and abundance for you, His own possession.

Psalm 68:19 says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, the God who is our salvation.”

Don’t be a fence crawler.  Don’t be a Buster.

Grace,

Tom

The Biltmore House known as America’s Largest Home, took over eight years to build in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Ashville, North Carolina.  More than 125 years later, the estate is still owned by the 4th and 5th generations of the Vanderbilt family and is completely self-sustaining.  I remember one family member’s quote from a previous visit.  “We don’t maintain the estate to make a profit.  We make a profit to maintain the estate.”

During every trip we’ve made there, starting with our honeymoon, Diane and I have discovered new things about this amazing place.  I’m sure there are some who read the Meadow Minute who have experienced Biltmore—the mansion, the 8,000 acres of carefully managed gardens, forests, farmlands wildlife—but if you haven’t, it belongs on your bucket list.  The Biltmore experience is as close to American Royalty as you will ever see.  There’s a swimming pool and bowling alley in the basement.  There are secret passageways and awe-inspiring architecture like you will find nowhere else in America.  The Biltmore collection of treasures includes over 92,000 items.  The home has one of the very first elevators in the U.S., along with a system of levers and bells connected all over the mansion to alert staff to the needs of the three permanent residents the huge home was originally intended for.  I have always loved the library.  George Vanderbilt, the original owner/builder was not a formally educated man.  He learned by listening and reading and doing, and the library reflects his insatiable hunger for information.

I suppose what has become my favorite room in the mansion is also the longest at 90 feet.  It’s known as the Tapestry Gallery and was designed to showcase part of a set of wall hangings known as the Triumph of the Seven Virtues.  Woven from wool and silk between 1525-1535, the three tapestries found at Biltmore are the Triumph of Prudence, the Triumph of Faith, and the Triumph of Charity.  I cannot find any information about the original residents’ religious beliefs.  There is much evidence of their involvement in the community and their commitment to improving the lives of those who lived and worked on the estate.  Still, in the center of this room, the Triumph of Faith tapestry illustrates a multitude of biblical stories—Jacob’s ladder, the prophet Elijah and the chariots, the apostles John and Mark, Ezekiel, and multiple representations of Christ.  This tapestry is believed to be the only one of its kind left in existence.

I don’t consider myself a travel guide, so what’s my point in this Meadow Minute?  Why talk about the obvious desire of this family to leave a particular legacy.  Each time I visit Biltmore I recall a verse of Scripture that I have shared here before, Psalm 61:5, “Thou hast given me the inheritance of those who fear Thy name.”

Have you heard the expression, “Christianity is but one generation away from extinction”?  I know very little about the lives of those connected to America’s Largest Home.  I wish I knew more.  But in all the extravagance of Biltmore, all the paintings and sculptures and architecture and grandeur, there are but few indications of a personal, abiding, sustaining relationship with God.  That shocks me.  Some would say it’s natural for a pastor to look for those things, focus on those things.  But how about you?  What legacy are you desiring to leave?  Are you genuinely concerned about the eternal condition of anyone?  Many sermons have ended with, “If you died tonight, do you know you’d go to heaven?”  Well, Christian, how about this: “If your spouse, your parents, your child, your grandchildren, your very best friend died tonight, are you confident they would go to heaven?”

How much of your life is encompassed by your faith?  We are called to live our faith, speak our faith, be known for our faith.  Jesus does not want to be a little influence in your relationships, your work, your decisions.  If Jesus is your Master, He has the right to be the guiding force behind all those things.

We’ve begun a message series on Psalm 23 and you are invited to join us in person or via Facebook at First Baptist Church Meadow Texas.  Are you telling your world, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”?

Grace,

Tom

Many in the Meadow community have a connection and history with Ruidoso, NM.  Several from Meadow have property there.  It’s a favorite get away from the Texas wind and heat during the summer.  It’s a great weekend hideout when things get a bit too hectic.  And there’s always the “snow fun” of Sierra Blanca during the winter.  There’s the Midtown shops and the lush golf courses.  There’s Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and a casino—if you want to give away some money.  Diane and I dragged a camper up those hills for extended stays and rented several cabins for anniversary trips and the like.  Years ago, while still in retail, I spent many weeks there, managing the renovating and remodeling of the Alto convenience store at the top of the mountain.  Think of all the memories you and your family have of Ruidoso.  The town and its surrounding area are a beautiful and wonderful place to spend time, normally.

But right now, that community is dealing with tragedy upon tragedy.  First, in recent weeks, came the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire devastating over 25,000 acres of land, countless homes and businesses, and more importantly, the loss of two lives.  Investigations into their causes are still underway.  Due to heavy rains recently, there is massive flooding and mud slides causing more damage to businesses and property.  Now comes the shock and awe as folks are being let back into the area to see what is left…what can be salvaged.  Such struggles cause great anguish.  Not just for those of us here who watch and read about all that is going on in Ruidoso, but especially those at ground zero who find themselves at a loss of what to do next.

How should we as Christians respond to disasters such as the fires and floods of Ruidoso?  What about the regular occurrence of seeing someone holding up a sign along the side of the road seeking some kind of assistance?  Are they a Christian’s responsibility?  Think for a minute of the heart-wrenching ads we see on TV or the internet for sick and starving children, abused elderly, or abandoned animals.  What guidance does God’s Word give us in directing us to be like Christ in our response to need.  We all have limited resources, limited time, and limited abilities.  We each must make decisions on who to help, by how much, when, and how often.  The Lord’s half-brother, James, tells his readers, “Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

Is James in conflict with Paul who says that we are saved by faith in God’s grace alone and not by works, lest we boast about earning our way to heaven?  No.  In fact, their writings complement each other.  Paul was talking to those who had a list of things to do to earn and prove salvation.  James was responding to those who believed that mere intellectual agreement was enough to obtain salvation.  Paul was talking about the beginning—at conversion.  No one can earn God’s forgiveness and salvation.  We must all accept it by faith.  James was speaking to “brothers and sisters,” professing believers, who had already accepted that forgiveness and salvation.  He was explaining that such a person must, by faith, live a new life.  No one can be saved by good works.  No one can be saved without producing works.  We are not saved BY good works.  We are saved FOR good works, accomplished through the power and resources given by God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.”  He went on to say, “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.”  Boo-yah!  We make the decisions of helping others in need by the faith and power granted through the Holy Spirit.  As He leads, we trust and obey.

Certainly, we should pray for all those affected by what is happening right now in Ruidoso, NM.  There are already several relief operations started in the area. Rather than try to list them all here, I suggest you Google Ruidoso Fire Relief and Donations for information about how you can help should the Lord so lead.

Grace,

Tom

I read a story recently about a little boy that got his hand stuck in a very expensive vase.  No matter how hard he tried, the kid could not get his hand out.  His dad did his own pulling, but the boy’s hand would not budge.  Just before deciding to break the expensive vase, the dad tried one more thing.  He told the boy to point his fingers out as straight as he could and maybe his hand could be freed.  Horrified, the little boy said, “but Dad, if I do that, I’ll drop my penny!”

We hear that and think how misguided the little boy was.  And yet, are we caught clinging to things that will not last?

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

You have probably heard the statement that Jesus spoke more about money than anything else.  It is true that the Lord taught on money.  But it is untrue that Jesus spoke about finances more than any other individual topic.  Jesus spoke most often about the Kingdom of God.  The Scripture verses quoted above are a good example of the Master’s words that are often misconstrued as being all about money.  These words taken from the Sermon on the Mount ARE NOT primarily about money, or finances, or “stuff” that we work for, worry over, and cling to with all our might like a penny in a vase.  That’s not what our Lord is saying…at all.  These verses are all about God’s call for us to pour our time and our energy and our resources into the Kingdom of Heaven, and the importance of prioritizing the Kingdom of Heaven in our lives.

Jesus is telling us that there is no permanence in this world.  Our most prized possessions—our homes, our vehicles, our lands, even our families—are not to take first place in our lives.  As hard as we work, as special and memorable as our achievements and relationships may be, we cannot take our earthly treasures with us to our heavenly home.  But…with the right understanding of heavenly treasures, we can send them on ahead through eternity-minded stewardship.  The point of our mortal life is preparation for the world to come whether we are materially blessed here today with much or with little.

There are rewards in heaven.  Does that sound strange to you?  Isn’t salvation enough?  Galatians 4:7 not only promises we are sons and daughters of God, but because of what Christ has done, we are “heirs.”  God will make good on His promises that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.  But don’t miss this.  Our heavenly rewards depend not on our actions, our efforts, our accomplishments, but on the power and goodness of God.  Through Christ’s victory over death and the grave, we gain an inheritance in heaven.  The rewards we gain in heaven are not like the rewards we earn here on earth—recognition, wealth, etc.  The only permanent things in this life (things headed to heaven with us), are built on Christ.  Those are the treasures Jesus is talking about in Matthew 6.  And that is where Jesus is telling us to store those treasures.  Rewards we gain in heaven will be precious to us because they represent our relationship with God, and because they remind us of what He did through Christ for us on earth.

Enjoy this life with all the blessings God has given you.  But treasure your life with Christ.  Look to that place “where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.”  Come, Lord Jesus.

Grace,

Tom

This last Sunday, we wrapped up the message series on the Principles of Forgiveness, primarily using the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  Jesus told this story in answer to Peter’s question of how many times we are expected to forgive someone.  Peter thought he was being generous in suggesting seven times.  Jesus responded we should follow our God’s example and be ready without measure to forgive.  Our text was found in Matthew 18:21-35.

Principle #1: Forgiveness is not a question of man’s math but of God’s method.

Principle #2: Forgiveness is not forgetting.  It’s remembering without anger.  (I had read that before, and it was too good not to include!)

Principle #3: There is a weighty price for unforgiveness.

Principle #4: Christian forgiveness is not limited to forgiving Christians.

It was a tough and timely message series that spoke to all of us.  Many in our church know my mind works like a ping-pong match.  If I serve up one thought with enough “spin” on it, that sometimes leads to a crazy backhanded return.  My study for the messages on forgiveness led me to what God’s Word says about our judging others.  That’s when something jumped out at me from the pages of both the Old and New Testaments.  There must have been a whole lot of rocks laying around the temple area.  Either that, or folks lugged an ample supply to church with them just in case the need arose.  The Bible never once says that everyone who would take part in the communal punishment of stoning a violator to death were unprepared.  There’s no record of anyone having to go out and gathered enough rocks to get the job done.  Apparently, there were always plenty on hand.

By now, you probably know where I’m going with this.  When a fellow believer stumbles, does it surprise you?  Does it catch you off guard.  Does their behavior break your heart.  Or have you been waiting for it to happen?  Have you been anticipating their slip up?  How about in the world outside the church?  Are you no longer shocked at the meanness and insensitivity some people have toward their fellow man?  Are you so easily offended that you daily expect to be wronged?

In John 8, Jesus said, “He who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…”

There is so much more in the Lord’s statement to those who would consider themselves “keepers of the faith.”  He wasn’t simply giving His permission for any perfect people to start chunking rocks.  He was calling for introspection and self-evaluation.  From them, and from us.  He certainly got the attention of those that day who were ready to “get the job done.”  After the Lord set the rules, the Bible says, “they began to go out one by one beginning with the older ones,” until Jesus and the woman caught in sin were left alone.  The words of Jesus should get our attention as well when we find ourselves warming up our throwing arm.  Ever heard the expression, “Stone throwers should not live in glass houses?”  The Apostle Paul said it better, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

So, as “keepers of the faith” today in the church of the Living God, would we be found hoarding superiority stones and retribution rocks?  Do we carry a handy supply of quick judgements around with us just waiting for the opportunity to get them out and start slinging?  According to God’s Word, there seems to have been a whole lot of rocks laying around in biblical times, available to mete out punishment.  I pray that’s not the case in our fellowship.

Grace,

Tom

We have all heard the expression, “There are exceptions to every rule.”  But as a rule, during my time in Meadow, I have learned that those who work the land are forward-thinking people.  There may be some who see only a dreary existence, driving back and forth over the same acres year after year, but those are the exception to the rule.  Most who work the land are looking for something.  They see a future.  A result.  A harvest.  They till the ground for a reason…the harvest.  They plant their seed and fight against the enemies of drought and weeds and insects, for a reason…a harvest.  Theirs is a life of hope.  They look for and pray for the future… for the harvest.  As a rule, those who work the land are forward-thinking people.

And as a rule, that is the Christian life.  As a rule, believers in Jesus are forward-thinking people.  As a rule, Christians are looking for something.  They see a future.  A harvest.  They till relationships for a reason…a harvest.  They plant the seed of the gospel and fight against the distractions and dangers of the enemy in this mortal life for a reason…a harvest.  As a rule, followers of Christ are forward-thinking people, living in hope and praying for harvest time.

In recent weeks, our community has faced the loss of two very significant people—Pam McCaul and Don Bingham—both connected to the same extended family, and uniquely connected to the FBC family here in Meadow.  Both come from backgrounds involving working the land.  They have been looking for something for a very long time.  Pam and Don were forward-thinking people.  And now they are part of God’s harvest…in heaven.  Pray for their family.  Reach out to those in their family left here who are still looking to the future.  Love on them in Jesus’ Name.

As a rule, Christians are forward-thinking people.  But as I said at the start, there are exceptions to every rule.  Many God-fearing people have found themselves lulled into living only in the present.  They are looking only for the “next thing” instead of for the “last thing.”  Oh, life here can be quite fulfilling…and distracting.  The “next thing” might include a memorable vacation, or a new home, or a coming wedding, or a new baby!  Maybe the “next thing” is nothing more than next weekend to have some time off.  Those are all good things.  We should all praise God for the simple joys and wonderful “newness-es” of this life.  Still, as a rule, Christians must not find themselves living only for the “next thing.”  We must be forward-thinking people.  We must be looking for and living for the “last thing.”  God’s plan for His children includes “a future and a hope.”

“For I am confident of his very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 1:6.)

So, believer, enjoy life…as it comes.  Stop and smell the roses…today.  Take that vacation…ASAP.  But don’t get side-tracked by the “next thing.”  Be a forward-thinking person.  Look for, long for, live for the “last thing,” a place being prepared for you even right now in our Father’s heaven.

And for the record, there are a few rules without exceptions.  God loves you.  Christ died for you.  Through faith in Him your sins can be forgiven.  You can have the Holy Spirit live in your heart.  And an eternity with Jesus awaits those who trust in Him.

Grace,

Tom

There is a great story told by Billie Graham.  Martin Luther was once going through a period of discouragement and depression.  For days, his long face darkened the family table and dampened the family’s home life.  One day his wife came to the breakfast table all dressed in black, as if she were going to a funeral service.  When Martin asked her who had died, she replied, “Martin, the way you’ve been behaving lately, I thought God had died, so I came prepared to attend His funeral.”

Her gentle but effective rebuke drove straight to Luther’s heart, and as a result the great Reformer resolved never again to allow worldly care, resentment, depression, discouragement, or frustration to defeat him.  By God’s grace, he vowed, he would submit his life to the Savior and reflect His grace in a spirit of rejoicing, whatever came.

Are you and I able to praise God come what may?

Reverend Graham never related this story to encourage us to skip through life with some Polyana attitude.  He’s not suggesting we smile in the face of every adversity.  Life can be and will be messy.  Other people will hurt us.  Relationships may shatter.  Our health may fail.  Our finances might crash.  As Graham’s story revealed, worldly care, resentment, depression, discouragement, and frustration are not things we can wish away.  What Luther determined was to never again doubt God’s goodness and grace, come what may.

In our best days and in our worst, in our ups and in our downs, God remains constant.  Malachi 3:6 says, “For I, the Lord, do not change…”  God’s love for us is not contingent on how our day is going.  His mercy is not dependent on how we feel.  His grace is sufficient in all circumstances.  His power is not lessened because we fail to trust in it.  His comfort is constantly available whether we claim it or not.  His victory over death and the grave is not cheapened by our failure to acknowledge all its ramifications.  God is not dead.  He is our constant.  The Lord does not change.  “If God is for us, who (or what) can come against us?”  Praise God!

“Who (or what) shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”  Praise God again!

In writing this Meadow Minute, I have no way of knowing where you are in your walk with God.  I have no idea what is coming next for you.  But our God sees around the corner.  He knows.  I would never attempt to trivialize your worries, your cares, your pain, or your circumstances.  Neither is my intent here some feeble attempt to take away what you are going through.  I cannot.  Whatever is going on in your life might very well be God’s discipline because you are His child and He wants to grow you, to strengthen you.

Our circumstances change.  The message here for you AND me is that our God does not.  His love, His mercy, His grace, His power, His comfort, and the victory of His resurrection are constant.  Cling to that when life goes south.  Praise Him for that in the middle of the mess.  You get to go through all of that with the God who does not change.  Praise Him, come what may.

Grace,

Tom

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “Recreational Christianity”?

No, I’m not talking about a Church-League softball team!  I’m not describing a faith-based gym membership or a “Relay for Jesus” track and field event!  Recreational Christianity should recall the idea of the casual Christian, the “every now and then, Sunday morning sometimes" believer who has little to no influence on others for God’s Kingdom.  This is the follower of Jesus who gets around to praying only when he or she needs something or needs out of something.  The one who faithfully attends funerals and memorial services but would not be caught dead (pun intended) at a Rally for Life or VBS volunteer training.  Recreational Christianity is a harshly critical expression.  It is a label to be avoided rather than a badge to be proudly displayed.

At the end of the third chapter of the Book of Revelation, Jesus chastened the church at Laodicea saying, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  God’s children are called to fulfill the purposes intended by their Creator.  Like a bowl of melted ice cream left out on a warm summer’s evening or a bowl of tepid soup on a cold winter’s day, recreational Christianity is a turn off.  Our Lord calls us to fulfill His purposes in our lives.  Such a “religion” is a turn off to anyone wondering if following Jesus has something vital and important to offer in this life.  Recreational Christianity has little impact in the world and is more of a distraction than a witness.  To an unbeliever, a recreational Christian’s Christianity sounds like nothing more than end-of-life fire insurance.  It is as appealing as something gooey on the bottom of your shoe or a sticky doorknob.  No one wants to touch it!

Is Christ the “influencer” of your life, or is YouTube?  Are you afraid to let the world see you take a stand for the Lord?  Do you ever find yourself compromising your honesty, integrity, and morality?  Is your witness ever something you turn on or turn off based on the circumstances you find yourself in?  Do you ever exhibit only a recreational attachment to Jesus?  Is His love letter to you where you go for guidance?  Or do you turn to the Bible seeking loopholes in Scripture to explain away your life choices and personal “rights”?  Are you part of changing the world…or is the world changing you?

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

This is a hard Meadow Minute.  None of us leads the perfect Christian life.  None of us.  Yet, we are called to be transformed by the Holy Spirit’s movement in our life, and not conformed to a world that desperately needs the very message living within each of us.  We are called to live a life that proves the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect, something to be desired, something to be pursued.  How can we expect to influence our children, our family, our place of business, our community, our world for Christ if we take our commitment to Him so matter of fact, so casually, so lightly?

A Church-League softball team might be fun…for someone much younger than I am.  A faith-based gym membership is not even on my radar.  And, trust me, you would not want me in your “Relay for Jesus” event.  But much more importantly, may we all never be found a lukewarm disciple of Jesus.  May we be found fighting the good fight, finishing our course, and keeping the faith.  Don’t let the fire die.

Grace,

Tom

High Schools all around our area are wrapping up another school year.  Here in Meadow with our four-day school week, there are a few final days before summer break.  The baccalaureate service for MISD graduating seniors this last Sunday evening was a very special time, and congratulations goes out again to all eleven of our town’s graduates and those who have loved them through this important moment in their lives.  Our oldest grandson, Ethan, will be graduating from Frenship High School in Wolfforth before heading off to LCU in the fall.  Diane and I are very proud of his accomplishment.  For some like Ethan, the next step is college.  For others, trade school.  Still others may be laying out a while or beginning their careers immediately after High School.  All of them should be encouraged and supported as they move forward.

It is easy to imagine these graduates thinking, “Finally!  Finally, I am out of school!  That took forever!”  But their parents are thinking, “Life is just a blur!  It’s not possible our little boy/girl is already graduating!”

Whichever one you relate to, both are right, and both are wrong.  We’ve all been “clock watchers” sometime during our lives.  Don’t be too quick to chasten the young people who seem to be wishing their lives away.  True, they’ve longed to get out of school.  But how long did you plan for and dream of retirement without making the most of each and every day?  Is that next step still out there, evading you or has that goal been reached?  Now what?  Do you have anything else you are looking forward to in service for your Savior?

Samuel Clements (Mark Twain) once wrote, “True retirement is lying horizontal with a lily in your hand.”  Life IS a blur.  Blink, and you’ll miss it.  Yet at the end of our lives, we will likely look back thinking it all happened too quickly.  To the very end of our lives on this earth, however long that turns out to be, our witness is to matter for God’s Kingdom.  There is some kindness to be shown, some loving emotion to be expressed, some faithful witness to be given.

So, what does God’s Word have for us concerning our time here on this “big, blue marble?”  Is it all over too fast, or is there more, much more for us to accomplish in whatever stage of life we are in?

Psalm 39:4-5 says, “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days, let me know how transient I am.”

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like a mere breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”

As quickly as our life may pass, and while we all have our obligations and our aspirations, Jesus spoke to our need for right priorities throughout our lives…and beyond.  Matthew 16:26 says, “For what will a man be profited if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

The clock is ticking.  To you it may seem to be stopped, or you may be wishing it would stop speeding forward.  Either way, we ARE transient, and this is not our home.  Our days ARE numbered, so we should make the most of each one.  Our lives ARE but a breath.  Our lives are but a passing shadow.  In the strength of His blessings on your life, and by the direction of His Spirit in your heart, cast a long one for Jesus.

Grace,

Tom

Most of us have become acquainted with GPS in getting to our destination when we travel.  The days of owning an atlas or carrying around several state maps in our glove box are long gone.  (I could never get those blasted things to fold back up correctly anyway.)  Our smart phones and dashboards can now provide us with directions to the most obscure places imaginable.  We just enter an address and start listening for directions!  Now, in the days of AI, wouldn’t it be fun if the pleasant voice giving directions on our GPS had the freedom to tell us exactly what she was thinking.

What if your car spoke to you and asked, “Where in the world do you think you’re going?”  Then the voice would get a bit louder.  “Are you listening to me?  I said stop!”  She might start sounding a bit irritated.  “Now you’ve done it.  You missed your exit!”  Then your car’s frustration might come out as, “I’m not giving you one more course correction…just go back and start over.”  Could it ever get so bad that in exasperation the voice would say, “You can’t even get there from here!”

We listen and respond to the calm computer-generated voice because we are confident the GPS sees the big picture and knows exactly how to get us where we need to be.  But even the GPS sometimes misses road construction, accidents, or other obstacles and can get us lost or sent to the wrong address.

In this life, we are starved for direction, and the world presents us with a multitude of options.  Some can be ruled out easily, while others are enticing enough to put us on a track that leads to misery and destruction.  Just as bad, though we may not want to admit it, are those times we rely on our own “sense of direction.”  In our mind, we think we know what’s best for us.  We choose our path based on the selfish desires of our heart, chasing dreams of our own comfort and well-being.  Eventually, we find ourselves stuck, or in a mess, or not knowing where to turn next.

Our loving Heavenly Father has a better way.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”  Getting directions from God means, first and foremost, getting Him.  Even non-Christians can find direction for life in the pages of the Bible.  The teachings there of love and kindness and honesty and friendship are beneficial and practical in day-to-day living.  But for God to truly “direct your paths,” He must do that from within your heart.  Having the Holy Spirit in your life will change your character, your outlook, your priorities.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit, like a spiritual GPS, might challenge you with, “Where in the world do you think you’re going?”  The Bible says the Lord disciplines those He loves.  Maybe His Spirit would ask, “Are you listening to Me?  I said stop!”  But the Lord will not give up on you.  And He will direct your paths.

This amazing proverb does not simply start out with, “He will direct your paths.”  Gaining the spiritual direction and leadership of God starts with turning your life over to Him, repenting of your sinful rebellion against Him, and receiving His grace by faith.  His directing your paths comes from your trusting Him with all your heart.  That means refusing to lean on your own “sense of direction.”  You can then listen and respond to the Spirit’s leadership in your heart.  You can travel through life with the confidence that God sees the big picture.  God sees around the next turn.  He knows exactly how to get you where you need to be.  And the best part?  The Father will never, ever get you lost or headed in the wrong direction.  He will see that you arrive safely at your destination…His heaven.

Grace,

Tom