Browsed by
Category: Faith/Trust

No Way!

No Way!

Comments 0 Comment

What do all of the following have in common?

The 2020 pandemic, rioting in the Pacific Northwest and in Washington DC, the presidential election, and war in Ukraine.

Garbage removal, yard care, snow shoveling, obnoxious music blaring loudly from car speakers, semi-truck drivers, commercial airplane pilots, championship trophies and cell phones.

Fishing, hunting, hiking, vacationing, flying in a plane, treasure hunting, and driving a Mustang GT.

The cosmos, mountains, oceans, lakes, sunshine, rain and snow.

Wolverines, dogs, giraffes, rabbits, rats, eagles, crows and hummingbirds.

Falling, tearing muscles, homesickness, an escaped dog, stolen plums, priorities, goodbyes, moving, unpacking and settling.

Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, and Easter.

Christian numerology, spiritual warfare, spiritual health, self-esteem, faith, trust, hope, peace, joy, providence, angels and heaven.

What could all these disparate items have in common?  There’s no way there could be a connection between so many different things!

Well … actually there are several.

The first connection is that over the past four years I have written about each of these at least once in this blog. 

Monday, April 22, marks the 4th anniversary of Heading to Heaven.  It seems incomprehensible that four full years have passed since I timidly and tentatively began this venture.  In complete honesty, there was no way that I ever would have imagined beginning such an endeavor!  It wasn’t even “on my radar.”  I only tackled it because the Lord laid it on my heart to do so during the many restrictions of COVID. 

And there’s absolutely no way that this blog continues to exist and prosper.  No way I’ve covered so many different topics.  Yet this is my 212th post – a new offering almost every Saturday over the past 48 months.  Almost 20 of the posts were original stories on spiritual matters.  (If interested in reading or re-reading them, you can find them in the sidebar of the site under the Archive category called “Allegories and Stories.”  In fact, all of the posts can be found there under various categories.)

The other connection … the much more important connection … that all the different topics mentioned at the top of this post share is this: our God is over them all and in control of them all.

This is no small thing!  Our loving Lord is fully aware of and actively involved in every detail of our personal lives – physically, materially and spiritually.  And not only our lives, but our family’s lives, our church’s ministry, and our city and world’s welfare!

“The Son [Jesus!] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him …” (Colossians 1:15-19)

There’s no way we can wrap our minds around this, but it’s true nonetheless.  And it demonstrates the magnificence of our God.  This fosters awe in us.  This is also the source of tremendous comfort.  The awesome, unimaginably supreme and magnificent God loves us, died and lives again for us, and is intimately involved in our day-to-day well-being.

No way!  Yes, way!

Thank you, dear Lord!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is my prayer every week that “Heading to Heaven” will bless someone somewhere at some time in some way.  As the byline states, my goal is that the words shared provide “encouragement now until we get where we’re going.” 

I pray this blog has blessed you at some point.  I know I have been blessed through my preparation and writing each week, and I have been encouraged by everyone who has read a post, and especially by those who have subscribed and those who have commented.  A sincere thank you to you all.

And thanks be to our gracious God.  Truly, all glory goes to Him for anything good that has come from this endeavor!  There’s no way this blog exists or encourages anyone without Him and his comforting truths. 

If you don’t already subscribe to the blog, please consider doing so.  Subscribing is free, and brings each new post directly to your email box.  Perhaps something I share will arrive at just the right time and encourage you?  Every new subscriber really is an encouragement to me.  If you are inclined to follow this blog, I would be honored.  The info on how to do so is immediately below.

Embarking on year 5?  No way!  But yes, here we go.  I invite you to share the journey with me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Psalm 89:1-2, 5-8
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Who Is Like Our God?

Who Is Like Our God?

The text was unexpected, as was the question posed in it.  I was stunned when I read it.  It was from my son, a new father for the fourth time. 

Here’s a paraphrase of his message: 

“Hey Dad, I’m catching up on things and saw that the blog you shared on February 24 was titled, “Hope Springs Eternal.”  If the date on it is correct, it would have been released on the day Hope (his newborn daughter) was born.  Was that coincidence or deliberate?”

And here was my reply:

“That was providential!  I knew you were at the hospital, but Hope wasn’t born yet.  Nor did I even know that was your chosen name for a girl.”

In fact, I didn’t even know she would be a girl!  Nobody but perhaps a few medical personnel who saw the ultrasounds knew the gender – by special request of my son and daughter-in-law.  The new parents wanted to be surprised.

And surprised they were.  A girl after three boys!

Then the wonder was compounded when it was discovered I inadvertently used her name in the title of that morning’s blog … AND discussed the very meaning of her name in the article!

Perhaps even more startling, no one made the connection – not even me! – until Hope’s father finally had a chance to pull up his email. But when noticed, it was striking.

God had done an extraordinary God-thing once again!

The internet isn’t big enough to contain all the examples of the Lord doing incredible things for me … and sending incredible messages to me … during my stumbling stroll through life. 

Like the miraculous events – multiple times! – that kept me from inadvertently injuring myself seriously or snuffing out my life altogether during the false security of my youthful conviction that I was immortal.

Or the out-of-the-blue phone call offering me my dream summer job when I was a teen, which I subsequently worked multiple summers.

Or the time I nursed a struggling car into the first parking lot available on a trip many states from home, only to discover it was the parking lot of a mechanic who just happened to be there on a Saturday when he normally wasn’t, and who fixed the car in only hours.

Or the unsolicited phone call from a dear lady in the congregation made simply to thank me for being her pastor and to tell me I was doing a great job at a time when I was privately quite discouraged.  (Clearly she was moved by God to punch in my number and pass on that message that day!)

Not to mention the countless times the Lord sent me just the passage I needed … or an unexpected visual during the normal routine of life … to reassure me that He was with me and working for me and that all would be well.

The list could go on-and-on.  And I am confident that your list of similar experiences could too! With minimal thought, every believer can look back on a long list of God’s interventions – of times of miraculous provision and protection, of unexpected epiphanies and astounding blessings. 

It’s what God has already done for us; it’s what God will continue to do for us!

Which leaves us praising our Lord in awe, as did Moses, Miriam and the Israelites after the Lord brought them through the Red Sea on dry land, only to have the waters come crashing down on the Egyptian army pursuing them: “Who among the gods is like you, Lord?  Who is like you — majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

Are you discouraged; disheartened; even despairing?  Exhausted to the extreme; weak and worn down?  Uncertain in current circumstances and searching for clarity?  Unsure how to proceed?  Feeling isolated or even abandoned?  Relationship quandaries?  Health issues?  Financial challenges?  Struggling in life in any way?

You have a wonder-working God who is always with you, who always loves you, who is always fighting for you, who is always working everything for your good, and who still does miracles!  Even today.  Even in your and my life! 

He’s a God who created and controls everything in the cosmos, yet who knows you personally and fully.  A God who is aware of every minute detail in this busy world, yet who is actively engaged in your life and who is intricately involved in caring for you … someone whom he loves with all his heart and blesses in infinite ways.  Sometimes even … (especially!) … through incredibly tough times!

Who is like our God – the God who brought Baby Hope into the world and the God of our hope?  The God who sees to it that an article about hope is unknowingly shared on a day Hope is born?

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, [a poetic name for God’s people], who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:26-27).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Isaiah 44:6-8
“This is what the Lord says — Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. … Do not tremble, do not be afraid. … Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”  (Isaiah 44)

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  (Micah 7:18-19)

Psalm 89:1-2, 5-9
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. … The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 

Psalm 113:1-6
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?  (Psalm 113)

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

A Thoughtful Reflection at a Significant Time

A Thoughtful Reflection at a Significant Time

This weekend marks my 60th birthday AND my 199th Heading to Heaven post. 

Neither of those events are probably all that significant to you.  But they are to me.  I’m honestly not sure which is less likely: to have reached 60 years old or to have shared almost 200 posts over the past 3 ¾ years. 

Those who know me well know that I was a wild one when I was young.  Not immorally wild, but risk-taker wild.  It is not an exaggeration to state that I should have been killed multiple times due to some of my adventurous and impetuous decisions.  Yet, here I am.

Nor was it ever an expectation of mine to share a weekly blog for almost four years.  Not in my wildest dreams.  Yet, here it is … with great thanks to all who follow this website and read its posts.

Neither of these significant (to me) events would have happened were it not for our faithful God. 

And as I considered what to share in this post to mark both (significant?) occasions, I really wanted to share something … significant.  I prayed about it and pondered it.  The conclusion I drew crystallized quickly and clearly: our awesome Lord is always faithful. 

You nod your head and think, “Well, of course he is!  I already know that.”  But when was the last time you really considered this attribute of God?

The Lord is many wonderful and incredible things, certainly.  But perhaps the very best of them (at least in regard to his dealing with us) is summarized with that all-encompassing adjective “faithful.”

It’s a description of God that is used often in the Scriptures … and especially in the hymns of God’s Old Testament people (the psalms).  Over-and-over-again the Lord is praised for his faithfulness.  In fact, one of the refrains used repeatedly in the psalms are these words: “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).

Not only is the concept of God’s faithfulness rejoiced in, but the extent of the concept is as well!  The Lord’s “faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Ps. 36:5), “continues through all generations” (Ps. 100:5), and, in fact, “endures forever!” (Ps. 117:2).  He is “a compassionate and gracious God, … abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15), and “faithful in all he does” (Ps. 33:4).

Of course, the ultimate example of God’s faithfulness was literally embodied in the incarnate Jesus. 

In his birth: “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5).

In his death: “… [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

In his resurrection from the dead: “God … raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:24-25).

And in his ascension, resuming his heavenly reign, and his ultimate return … as Jesus himself said: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

Faithfulness throughout!  From the Lord’s first promise of the Savior in the Garden of Eden to the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus to the moment when God’s believers are ushered into heaven … God is faithful.  Always faithful.  Were he not, we would not be saved.

This is incredible!  But God’s faithfulness isn’t reserved only for our redemption and salvation.

It extends to our physical lives as well, impacting us on a daily level.

We wake up each morning, our heart beating and our body functioning, because God is faithful.  We climb out of our beds in homes God has provided, get dressed in clothes God has given, and eat breakfasts God has supplied … all because of his faithfulness.  And our day is just beginning! 

If only we open our spiritual eyes, we see the bounty of God’s faithfulness all around us all day long, every single day.

Even in the confusion of our uncertainty and the deep dark of our difficulties, our Lord is faithful.  His inspired Word assures us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).  And who doesn’t need that comfort now and again?

Many were the times I floundered through the dreary valley of extreme challenges – wondering, struggling, seeking, longing, praying – only to emerge in the Son-light and find Jesus smiling at me, and to realize in astonishment that he had been faithfully holding my hand and leading me all along (Mt. 28:20).  I suspect you have experienced the same.

Our God is eternally and extraordinarily faithful.  It’s who he is!  This is true in hugely important things … and in seemingly insignificant ones.  The events of our lives are all tied together in a lovely and loving chain of God’s faithfulness.

60 years.  199 posts.  Those benchmarks occurred only because the Lord is faithful.  The same is true of every other “accomplishment” and blessing I … or you! … have ever experienced.

Indeed, “your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Psalm 89 – selected verses
1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. 8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

13 Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. 16 They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. 17 For you are their glory and strength …

52 Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Future Good Fortune!

Future Good Fortune!

A few months ago I put out a request for suggestions for topics to address in this blog.  Here is one of the suggestions that came in.  I pray it brings blessings to you!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It wasn’t really a part of either my wife’s or my upbringing in the Midwest, but while out in the Pacific Northwest we learned to enjoy Asian cuisine.  We’ve brought that appreciation back to the Midwest, and make a point to stop in now-and-then at a (relatively) nearby Chinese buffet.  

Any readers who share a similar appreciation for this type of food know that one of the bonuses of such a meal is having “fortune cookies” delivered to your table along with your bill.  It’s always mandatory to break your cookie open and discover the interesting message delivered to you regarding your personal life.

Perhaps surprising to American consumers, fortune cookies aren’t typically found in Japan or China.  They seem to be a distinctly American tradition which has now transitioned to some other countries … but generally not Asia.

There is great debate on the actual inventor of the cookie as we know it.  The concept apparently originated in Japan, but the cookie took a different form … both in ingredients and presentation of the messages.  The originals were called “fortune crackers” and had the message tucked into the fold on the outside.

It seems Japanese immigrants brought the fortune crackers to California in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  There is great debate on exactly where and who originated the fortune cookie as we know it, with immigrant-based companies in both San Francisco and Las Angelas claiming the honor. 

Ironically however, it was during World War 2 that the cookies began to gain popularity.  In the sad chapter of American history of mandated Japanese internment, Chinese American entrepreneurs jumped at the opportunity to capture the fortune cookie market. 

And capture it they did!  Today “fortune cookies remain a massive business.  New York-based Wonton Food, the largest fortune-cookie producer, manufactures more than 4 million of them daily, with an estimated 3 billion cookies produced annually” (www.history.com). 

This might also be a good time and place to share with you the proper fortune cookie etiquette. When your table is served cookies, it is said that one should always pick the one that is furthest away.  After reading the fortune inside, never tell anyone what it says and never rip it.  (Supposedly, either action voids the “prophesy.”)  Rather, to lock that fortune in … burn it!

I doubt too many people take fortune cookies predictions or advice too seriously.  Most seem to regard the messages in the cookies as an enjoyable but temporary diversion.  However, the temptation is always there to somehow, someway gain special, seemingly unknowable insights into one’s life.

I was initially glad to read an online article on fortune cookies which stated that the likelihood of the “fortunes” in the cookies coming true was rather dubious.  But I was immediately deflated with the advice that followed which suggested that horoscopes or professional fortune tellers might be more reliable sources to discern one’s future.

The Lord speaks strongly in his Word about seeking hidden knowledge – that is, information about one’s present or future that God has not revealed to us – from nefarious sources.  He also shows us where we are to look for wisdom – God and His Word!  (Deut. 18:14-15, Is. 8:19-20).

There are things that the Lord does not reveal to us; things we are simply not meant to know.  However, there is a Bible-full of truths that God does want us to know and to treasure.  God’s “fortune messages” are much more comforting, encouraging and important than anything to be found in a cookie!

Here are a few “fortunes” promised by God that mean a great deal to me:

“I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32).

Then there is Jesus, the Son’s, promise: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:26-27).

And yet another promise from our Savior: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

The almighty Lord also assures us that “… in all things God works for the good of those who love him …” (Romans 8:28).

Jesus said, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

There are so many, many more!  But here’s perhaps the most encompassing and comforting promise of all from our God: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Looking for future good fortune as we begin a new year?   Opening God’s Bible will always be a far better source of advice, assurance and truth than opening any hollow vanilla-flavored cookie!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here’s a few fun fortune-cookie messages regarding fortune cookies:

Help! I am being held prisoner in a fortune cookie factory.

It’s about time I got out of that cookie.

A foolish man listens to his heart. A wise man listens to cookies.

Some men dream of fortunes, others dream of cookies.

Person who eat fortune cookie get lousy dessert.

You will live long enough to open many fortune cookies.

The fortune you seek is in another cookie.

Here are a few interesting fortune-cookie suggestions for life:

Atheism no fun. No holidays.

Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.

Your reality check about to bounce.

A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.

He who throws mud loses ground.

Probability of being seen directly proportional to stupidity of act.

Easiest way to find lost object is buy replacement.

When marriage outlawed, only outlaws have in-laws.

Smart husband buys wife fine china. Then she not trust him to wash it.

He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.

If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving not for you.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

He who dies with most toys, still dies.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

So You Have Things Figured Out?

So You Have Things Figured Out?

It’s been an interesting few days.

God-willing, our youngest son will be returning to our Michigan home shortly on his Christmas break.  He is currently competing on a team in an intramural bowling league at the college he attends.  He was excited to know that there was a bowling alley less than a mile from our house.  He intended to visit it frequently to improve his skills.

This week that 6-decade-old facility burned to the ground, making news across the state.  He’ll now have to travel a bit further to work on his delivery and spin, and he’ll get there less often.  A shocking and disappointing turn of events.

Friday morning my wife climbed in her van to drive to the school where she teaches.  The van wouldn’t start.  Her wonderful husband (me!) tried to come to her rescue.  But a quick inspection under the hood revealed a battery leak and damaged battery cables.  No immediate rescue possible.

This set off a chain reaction of unexpected results.  My wife had to call in and excuse herself from teaching.  I had to drive our other vehicle around town to prep for the repair.  Arrangements were made to tow the van to a shop.  And I had to postpone my multiple visits scheduled for the morning to deal with the unanticipated dilemma.

In short, the day went very differently than either my wife or I expected.

It’s not the first time unforeseen circumstances have happened in our personal “world,” and it certainly won’t be the last.  Nevertheless, these interesting few days led me to some introspection.

As humans, our usual approach to life is to orchestrate our activities day-by-day, fully expecting to see our plans come to fruition.  Often they do (by the grace of God).  But every now and then the Lord has to remind us that we are not in control of events as much as we like to think we are.

And sometimes the Lord really shakes things up to show us our complete incompetence at running our lives and reining in circumstances.  (Or reigning over them, for that matter!)

This is good for us!  We need reminders of who the true God is, for we are far too prone to crown ourselves as gods.  We are God’s creation and not the Creator.  We are subject to circumstances instead of ruling over them.  We are carried by the currents instead of directing them; blown by the breezes instead of funneling them.

This is a hard truth to hear, but a critical one to recognize.

Thomas a’ Kempis, a 15th-century German theologian, summarized this fact when he wrote (in Latin) the well-known maxim, “Man proposes, but God disposes.”

The Lord states this truth several ways through Solomon: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9).  Then, a few chapters later, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

And the principle doesn’t only hold true for individuals, but entire countries! “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples” (Psalm 33:10).

It’s a concept the Scriptures emphasize repeatedly.

For example, James writes, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’ (James 4:13-15).

There is also Jesus’ striking story of the foolish rich man who made extensive plans to enjoy his wealth, only to have the Lord demand his life that night (Luke 12:16-21).  And multiple real-life Bible events as well, such as the tower of Babel, Pharaoh in Egypt, Haman in Esther’s day, and many more.

Even Jesus’ enemies had their own plans, conniving to arrest him, kill him, and “get rid of him.”  Little did they know that they were fulfilling God’s plans and promises, and their selfish and evil intentions only served to accomplish God’s loving purposes to secure salvation, and ultimately to exalt Jesus.

It really is true: “man proposes, but God disposes.”  Stated differently, “man suggests; God corrects.”  Or perhaps my favorite summary of all: “man plans, and God laughs.”

The point is … we make recommendations on our lives, but the Lord is the one who makes the ultimate decisions.  We must recognize this truth and acquiesce to our God.  Our plans are little lines in the seashore sand, and no matter how ambitious or ingenious they may be, it is the waves of our God which refashion them as he sees fit.

So you think you have things figured out?  Not a chance!  But thankfully our God does!

And thankfully, our God is a God we can trust implicitly.  He loves us beyond comprehension, working “all things for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Furthermore, he makes this promise to us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

To which we might reply, “OK, Lord, with your help, my plan going forward is to trust you, and to fall into and follow your plans!”

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Miracle Deer

Miracle Deer

When I was a teenager living in Michigan, I couldn’t wait for the fall.  When the leaves started turning and the crops were being harvested, it meant that hunting season had arrived.  I could join my brother and father on the boat in the Bay to wait for ducks to approach our decoys, walk the farm fields hoping to flush a rooster pheasant, and sneak into my dad’s woods before first light to hunt squirrels, rabbits, and the ultimate quarry … whitetail deer. 

Though I tried hard and came close a number of times, I never harvested a deer in Michigan.  And then I was off to Wisconsin for college and the Seminary, and didn’t really have the opportunity to resume my hunting endeavors in the “mitten state.”  Though I was still able to get out in the timber in the state “across the pond,” I dearly missed those Michigan fields and woods in the fall.  I especially missed my dad’s woods, where I had spent so many enjoyable hours.

Upon graduation from the Seminary, the Lord sent me to Washington state and its bounty of outdoor activities.  I loved the fall opportunities dearly there, (pun intended), and filled a few tags … both deer and elk.  I was even able to share a number of fall outdoor activities with my sons and be with the three oldest ones as they shot their first deer.  Precious moments.

But I never really had much opportunity to hunt my old haunts.  Not for over 40 years.  And then the Lord brought us back to Michigan – a mere hour-and-a-quarter from my old stomping grounds.  This meant I could spend regular time with my Dad and Mom, whom I hadn’t seen much over the past three decades.  It also meant that I could use my days off (Mondays) to revisit Dad’s woods.

I got reacquainted with its layout.  (A lot changes over 40 years!)  I located the deer trails, strapped up a few game cameras, and eventually installed a 16-foot ladder stand.  I didn’t have time to hunt the bow season this year, but I counted the days to gun season.

When it arrived, I was in my stand before first light.  And I actually lost count of all the deer I saw that morning!  Michigan regulations now allow the taking of a doe with a buck license.  Plus, I actually had purchased an antlerless tag.  I could have filled it multiple times that morning, and the next morning as well.

But I had talked with God extensively.  I had seen multiple bucks on my game cameras … some quite impressive … and I had asked the Lord to please let my first Michigan deer be one taken in my father’s woods, and please let it be a buck.  I didn’t expect Him to grant my prayers, but I wasn’t going to be surprised if he did.  I certainly wanted to give him the opportunity to do so!

However, by the third morning with only one little buck spotted, and him not offering me a shot, I was ready to take a doe.  I did see one that morning immediately under my stand, but it was a small yearling.  I passed.

Opening days were gone, and I had three unfilled deer tags in my hunting jacket pocket.  My lovely wife wondered why I hadn’t taken one of the fine deer the Lord had presented me.  I explained my requests to the Lord.  My better half was largely unconvinced and fairly unsympathetic.

The next opportunity for me was the following Monday.  I bunked at my parents’ house for an early start the next morning.  But every indication from my weather apps on my phone was that the wind would be blowing from the worst possible direction to hunt from my raised stand.  None of my other natural ground blinds would work either.  Which meant I had to transition to plan C. 

I had no plan C.

Finally, I decided I needed to enter the woods with the wind in my face and work my way to the thicket where I had seen a lot of activity recently.  The problem was I had cut no trails into it, and it would be a noisy and prickly approach, with multiple downed trees to climb over.

So I prayed repeatedly that night and the next morning.  This was my redundant prayer: “Lord, please lead me to where I need to be … and please lead the deer to me.”

Not much of a hunting plan, I know, but it was my best shot under the circumstances.  (Really, it’s the best shot under any circumstances!)  I was absolutely confident the Lord could do it.  Whether he did or not was up to him, and I would find out in the morning.

An hour before daylight, I was fighting my way through the tangles.  I knew roughly where I wanted to end up, but had no idea if I could even find a suitable spot to take a stand.  I continued to pray my prayer.  Eventually I stumbled onto an area that was fairly open.  I said, “Alright, Lord, I guess this is it.  The rest is up to you. And Lord, obviously you are going to have to bring them close.” 

I was tempted to try to find a better spot.  And although I shifted just ten feet over to a more comfortable spot, I determined I had asked the Lord to lead me, so I would trust that he had led.  Now I had to also trust that he would lead the deer to me.

A few hours later, I still sat there.  I was chilled, but I was determined to wait.  I ate a few mini-Snickers bars for energy and to pass the time.  I heard some leaves rustling over my shoulder.  “Probably squirrels,” I thought, but still turned slowly to investigate. 

I couldn’t see anything, so I turned back.  And a doe was walking briskly broadside 30 feet in front of me!  She took a hard right behind some brush, walked closer to me, and plopped down 15 feet away beside a large fallen tree!  All I could see where her ears above the log, swiveling this way and that to listen.

Well, where there’s one deer, there are often more.  I looked where the doe had crossed and sure enough – there was another deer crossing in the same spot.  This one also took a hard right and came to a stop over the doe … 20 feet away.  The sun was behind it, but when I tilted my head and shifted my view, I spotted antlers.  I whispered a “Thank you, Lord!” and filled one of my buck tags. 

It was immediately evident to me that the Lord had just brought about a remarkable miracle in answer to my prayers.  He allowed me to harvest my first Michigan deer in my dad’s woods, and it was indeed a buck (a 6 point).  Even more remarkable, the Lord led me to exactly where I needed to be that morning, and THEN brought two deer directly to me.  Any closer, and they would have trampled me!

I know many would dismiss it all as blind chance or astounding luck.  What I know is that this deer was a miracle brought about by a God who loves me, blesses me despite myself, and answers prayers in dramatic fashion.

Oh, there’s one more rather amazing event I need to share.  When I turned on my truck to retrieve the deer after dragging it out, my all-time favorite Christian praise song filled my ears: “Holy Forever” by Chris Tomlin.  It’s a song about worshipping our God and Savior forever.  “Your name is the highest.  Your name is the greatest.  Your name stands above them all!”

The Lord didn’t need to remind me what had just happened.  I already knew.  But he emphasized it nonetheless.  I couldn’t help myself; I began to cry and worship.

Our Lord loves us dearly.  He hears our every prayer.  He has unending power.  He still does miracles, even in our lives.  He won’t always, but he always can.

Thank you, Lord.  You are amazing!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Psalm 77:14
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

The Enforcer

The Enforcer

You’ve been there.  You’re traveling on an interstate when the road construction signs come into view.  We all know what that means.  Slowdowns.  Lane revisions.  And probably merging traffic. 

Then, sure enough, the merge signs begin appearing.

Most drivers are pretty decent about it.  When the merge notices pop up, they begin making their way into the appropriate lane. 

But there are always a few who fly by everyone else to get to the front of the line and then cut over!  I don’t know how you feel about that approach, but I find it rude, unfair, and extremely irritating.  Not only that, but their selfishness actually slows the entire merge process down with the backup they cause at the bottleneck.

This past weekend, my wife and I were driving over to Wisconsin for a family wedding, and we had any number of slowdowns, lane revisions, and yes … lane mergers.  And, as always, some folks were determined to storm to the front of the merge line.

But multiple times they couldn’t!  The reason?  The “Enforcers.”

The Enforcers (my name for them) were the semitruck drivers who would have none of it.  Once the merge messages were posted, those semi jockeys shimmied their 18-wheelers over to take up both lanes.  No cheaters got by them.  The would be “pass-everyone-else-on-their-way-to-the-front-of-the-line-drivers” behind those big-rigs were forced to merge with everyone else who was being obedient and courteous. 

I have seen this done before, and I witnessed it several times this past weekend.  Those Enforcer dudes are my heroes!  I applaud them every time I see them take that approach, and I still grin and salute them as I think of it. 

And who doubts that those huge trucks could impose their will on all the smaller vehicles around them.  They are the unmitigated kings of the road.

You and I have the unmitigated King of the Cosmos in our corner as we drive through life.  How incredibly comforting to know that the Lord has our back!  Nothing gets past him that he doesn’t allow.  And if he allows it, he has a loving reason for it.  (Romans 8:28).

Our God has absolute power, complete knowledge, and unending love.  He is always with us, and is unaffected by circumstances or the boundaries of scientific principles.  Nothing escapes his notice; no threats sneak past his view.  Meanwhile, he funnels tremendous blessings our way.

Undoubtedly we can all reflect upon times where our gracious God clearly intervened in our lives.  His involvement was so obvious even the most obtuse believer could recognize it.

I suspect, however, that we would be astounded if we really, truly knew how many times … and how drastically … the Lord has acted to provide for us or protect us in our day-by-day history.  In fact, he does it to some degree … every single day of our lives.

In his final encouragements to the Israelites, as he was about to die and the people were about to invade Canaan, Moses assured them, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

It’s a similar concept to what Moses stated to their parents 40 years early as the newly freed Israelites spotted Pharaoh’s army chasing after them.  “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14).

And who or what can stand against the Lord? 

These truths are truths for you and me to take to heart as well.  Our God goes before us, is with us and always will be, and he fights for us!

I have always cherished the words David wrote upon his deliverance from Saul and his enemies.  They speak of devotion to the One upon whom the believer can totally rely.  “I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:1-2).

The ultimate Enforcer?  That would be the Lord.  He’s bigger, badder, and better than any semi, and he’s on our side!

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Under the Surface

Under the Surface

I’m fortunate to live on a lake.  I’m even more fortunate to be able to fish on that lake every now and then.  Since the underwater vegetation is rather thick along our shore, the best way to fish from our dock, (that is, the least frustrating way), is with a bobber.  Which means the best time to fish off our backyard is when the surface of the water is calm.  The calmer the better.

Sometimes the water is so still that the surface becomes an exceptional mirror.  (Currently providing a very lovely “double” view of the changing leaves on the far shore!)  When in this ultra-calm state, the surface isn’t only a reflection of God’s beauty above the waters, but also a revealer of some of God’s creation below.

When we look at a lake, we tend to see the surface and not really reflect much on what is happening below it.  Yes, we are aware that there is a whole other world in its depths, but we can’t see it, can’t really understand it, so we don’t really think about it too much.  (At least I don’t.)

Of course, if we’re trying to hook a fish or two, we give it a bit of thought.  What kinds of fish might be there?  Where might they be hanging about?  What might induce them to ingest my hook?

Other than that: unseen and unconsidered.  It’s a dimension unfamiliar to us, so what’s occurring there doesn’t register.

But when the water is exceptionally still, it provides a glimpse into the activity below the surface.  And there’s a lot more happening than we realize!

Certainly, if you pay attention while near water, you will notice the rings made by rising fish … even when the water is somewhat turbulent.  On a smooth surface, especially in the morning and evening, those rings are everywhere.  If near or on the water, perhaps one will even hear the slurp of a hungry fish sucking in a dead or dying insect, or hear (and maybe even see) the splash of a leaping fish – whether due to feeding, fleeing, or purely for “fun.”

Most fascinating to me is to see the funnels on the flat surface formed by fish swimming just below.  Sometimes the funnel is large; sometimes small.  Sometimes brief; sometimes prolonged.  Sometimes straight; sometimes not.  Sometimes incredibly swift; other times slower. 

Even though the fish are unseen, their presence is revealed by the displaced water forming wave paths above.  One can’t always discern the size or depth of the fish, but there’s no doubt that they’re there.  

Fascinating.  Also frustrating when one notices some paths leading right past or under one’s bobber, with no pause for a nibble!

I marvel to see those moving paths sometimes crisscross.  Is one fish higher and one lower?  (They must be.)  Even so, they have to be close to each other and still close enough to the surface for their movements to register.  

And the sheer number of funnels!  It’s frenetic.  There is a LOT going on under the surface!  Far more than we imagine.

So it is with our God.

We tend to be one-dimensional creatures, taking note only of those things in our sphere; the physical and observable world forms our “reality.”  We notice what registers with our five senses.

But there is another dimension; the spiritual one.  It’s largely unseen but no less real.  And that’s the sphere where the Lord loves to work!  He certainly is active in the physical realm.  He created all things, “and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). 

But he does his best and biggest work in the spiritual realm.  It’s work often unnoticed, but critically important and eternally significant.

Yet if we turn our eyes of faith to the seemingly still surface of the spiritual waters, we will notice the hints of a frenzy of activity in the spiritual depths below.  God is working.  Always working.  When criticized by his enemies for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17).

So too is the Holy Spirit who enlivens and empowers the Word of God.  He assures us this Word ”will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).  More wonderful work by our wonderful God!  In souls and minds and lives!

We often can’t discern the nature of God’s activity, and usually not its substance.  At least not in the present.  But it’s clear that God has a LOT going on, and it’s all good for those who love him. (Romans 8:28).

Confused?  Discouraged?  Anxious?  Wondering where God is and what He is doing?  Be assured that under the surface your God is doing incredible things!

There is great peace and joy in that truth.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Picking Up Pennies

Picking Up Pennies

We’ve been at our new home for just over 2 1/2 months now and, believe it or not, we are still trying to get settled into our house and our new jobs!  (For those of you who have gone through a major move like ours, I suspect you believe it.)

In addition, we are still waiting on our Washington house to sell in a slow market for a house that size.  It’s all rather overwhelming.  

So this post I shared a while back is a good reminder to me that the Lord is faithfully guiding all things.  I pray it is a good reminder to you as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I always pick up any pennies I see.   In fact, I just picked up one yesterday – the one side scraped almost clean by tires grinding it on the pavement.

Technically they are not pennies, but cents.  (If you dispute this, look at the back of the coin.  There you will see clearly printed, “ONE CENT.”)  Indeed, numismatists (coin experts) will insist on the proper term, but most people still call them pennies.

Just as most people don’t care what the coins are called, most also don’t care to have them.  If the change after a purchase happens to be pennies, it’s not uncommon for customers to toss the coins in the spare change containers on the store counters, or to tell the clerks to keep them.  If a penny is dropped, many leave it where it falls.  If a penny is sighted on the ground, few will take the effort to bend over and retrieve it. 

At least, that’s my observation from years of picking up pennies in parking lots and retrieving them from the ground with my metal detector.

Why does it make sense to me to retrieve cents?  In short, picking up pennies is always a joyful reminder to me of my faithful God, and of a number of comforting spiritual truths he shares with me in his Word.

The most obvious reminder is actually cast into the coins themselves: “IN GOD WE TRUST.”  Despite an atheist petition to the Supreme Court in 2019 to have the phrase removed from our currency, as well as the current American malaise toward God, the phrase remains stamped into our cents.  (As well as our other currency.)

Yet to someone like me who does trust in God, every penny I pick up is a reminder that I have a loving Lord who takes wonderful care of me.  In fact, almost without fail as I pluck a penny off the pavement, those words flow through my mind … “IN GOD I TRUST.”

Which is a blessing to me, as the Bible attests, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him” (Jeremiah 17:7).

There are actually multiple aspects to this slogan and this concept.  I don’t reflect upon them all every time I retrieve a cent, but I am certainly aware of them.

For example, there are Jesus’ thought-provoking and comforting words, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).

There is also the poignant example of the poor widow and her offering.  Mark records the event. 

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on’” (Mark 12:41-44).

Did the widow trust the Lord?  Implicitly!  Did she give to God gladly and generously despite her poverty?  Absolutely!  Can we be confident the Lord provided for her?  Undoubtedly!

Will he also provide for all his people?  He already has, and he always will!  The Apostle Paul states the obvious: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31).

Furthermore, I have often recognized this simple truth: little blessings add up to great blessings.  5 pennies equal a nickel and 10 a dime.  And between scanning parking lots and retrieving buried coins while metal detecting, I’ve picked up literally thousands of pennies.  Those add up!

And some of those pennies … even many of those pennies … were worth more than 1 cent.  A few much more.  Seemingly insignificant, often disregarded “trinkets” by many sometimes might be treasures.  Some rare cents found in circulation can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  So I check my change and I pick up dropped coins.  Even pennies.

Every time I spot another cent on the sidewalk, I consider it just another blessing from God.  An unexpected reminder that God loves me and provides for me.  A beneficial reminder that “my God will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20).  

So I pick up pennies.  Always have; always will.  They remind me that IN GOD I TRUST!  And that’s always a smile starter and a morale booster.

“Praise the LORD.  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!

Our Transcendent God

Our Transcendent God

Rochelle waved her farewells to some of the other folks from church as she unlocked her car door and climbed in.  It was a good sermon today; very timely.  A message about God’s infinite love, power, wisdom and faithfulness, and how his children can and should trust him completely. 

But anxiety still roiled her stomach and tormented her mind.  “I want to trust you, Lord, but the uncertainties in my life are so many and my problems so large,” she whispered.

Her health had unexpectedly declined in the past few months, and her illness threatened her job, her finances, and her family’s well-being – not to mention potentially her very life.  To say that her circumstances dominated her thoughts would be an understatement.  They were an ever-present shadow in her days and nights.

At her insistence, her husband had taken the kids camping that weekend for one more hurrah before school began.  She didn’t have the energy to go along.  The truth was she actually craved a bit of peace and quiet before the next medical appointment and whatever news that would bring.

Rochelle said it again … tears brimming in her eyes.  “I want to trust you, Lord.  Help me!  Help me trust!  Give me peace!  Reassure my troubled heart!”

She sat there a moment in earnest prayer.  Finally, she sighed deeply and prepared to leave.  Realizing that she’d be heading into the blinding morning sun, she lifted her hand and flipped down her visor.  Something toppled onto her lap.  She retrieved it and was shocked to find it was a gold-colored flash drive.  Even more shocking was the silver label on the drive that read, “Your Transcendent God.”

What was this?  Her first thought was that someone from church had left it for her.  But no, the car had been locked.  She looked around anyway; no one was paying her any attention. 

Her second thought was that it had been left there by her husband.  But that couldn’t be either.  She had lowered that visor just yesterday … after the family had departed for the campground.  There had been nothing there.

“Who put this here?” she wondered.  And immediately, the initial question presented itself again: “What is this?”  She rolled it over in her fingers, trying to make sense of it.  No obvious answers came, so she tucked the drive in a pocket of her purse and drove home.

Even as she changed into more leisurely clothes, her mind never strayed from the flash drive.  So many questions!  The most significant one being … should she open it?  Was it safe?  What would she find there if she did?

After much internal debate and a number of fervent prayers, she sat down at her computer and turned it on.  Despite her concerns, her curiosity compelled her.  With another prayer, she popped the drive into the proper port and held her breath.  “USB Drive (Divine:)” showed up on her screen.  Rochelle inhaled in shock; she had never seen a USB designation like that before.

Slowly … so slowly … she moved the cursor over the name, paused, and then clicked.  There was only one file listed.  It was named, “A Special Message for Rochelle.”  She sucked in another astonished breath and dropped back against her chair-back, staring.

It took a moment before she could move.  But when she did, it was numbly and seemingly without thought; her hand reached for the mouse and she opened the file.

Her screen was filled with a lovely ladybug.  Rochelle initially thought it was a picture, but as she watched, the ladybug extended its wings.  They fluttered and then returned to their place.  Not a picture then, but a video!

The ladybug faded from view and the black sky with thousands of stars took its place.  Golden letters appeared one-by-one from left to right to spell, “Your Transcendent God.”

The words faded from view and the stars took on a crisper focus.  Then gradually what appeared like multi-colored lasers began to crisscross the screen, bursting every which way.  Rochelle intuitively understood that this was energy being dispersed, every particle having its own light display.  The beams continued to increase in number until the entire screen was a writhing spiderweb of color. 

The view was beautiful but bewildering.  Rochelle found herself dizzy and nauseous.  She was about to look away when the beams disappeared, and a new message took form.  “The cosmos: too much for you, but not for God.”

Next, the world took shape as it was viewed from space.  The features became defined; continents and oceans.  Then the flashing beams began to appear again, flying every which way and gradually increasing in number – each an indicator of energy and a display of activity.  When it reached the point of unbearability, it disappeared and these words emerged: “The world: too much for you, but not for God.”

This same scenario was repeated with the nation, her state, and her city.  Each time, the statement “Too much for you, but not for God” marked the end of one view and the beginning of another. 

Rochelle was mesmerized at what she had witnessed.  However, she was truly overwhelmed when an aerial view of her house showed up, the same process occurred, and she was informed yet again, “Too much for you, but not for God.”

The overhead view of her house and yard was presented once more.  This time though it zoomed slowly in on the decorative wooden cross they displayed in their front yard.  The energy shots gradually resumed, but different this time in that Rochelle could see the sources of the beams.  Winged maple spinners dropping from the nearby tree and bouncing off the crossbeam.  Various insects climbing up and down the center post.  Sparrows landing and then taking flight again.  She was amazed at how much activity took place just on the cross alone. 

That’s when the rain began – each droplet a blue laser which erupted into multiple lights when striking the wood.  The rain increased in intensity, and soon the cross was ablaze in blue.  This time the message read, “The cross: too much for you, but not for God.”

The video continued with the cross visible again.  The focus drew closer until it centered on the point where the arms extended from the beam.  There was the ladybug again!  The rain pelted all around it, but it seemed to be untouched.  As was the wood upon which it was resting!

A new proclamation: “Keeping a ladybug dry in a downpour: too much for you, but not for God.”

Then a new and longer message scrolled unto the screen, each line displayed below the previous. 

“I know all.”

“I control all.”

“I love you.”

“I will take care of you.”

“I will take care of everything.”

“I always do!”

“Your Transcendent God.”

The video froze there.  A thunder-burst pulled her attention from the screen.  It was actually raining!

Rochelle couldn’t help herself; she ran to the closet and grabbed her raincoat.  Bursting out the front door and dashing toward the cross, she realized that the rain was letting up.  She slowed as she approached the cross, reluctant at what she might find.  Or not find.

She eased closer.  The back of the cross was completely soaked.  She stepped around to the front and drew closer.  There in the center of the cross sat the ladybug!  Rochelle gasped, then took another step nearer.  Though the front of the cross was also drenched, immediately around the ladybug was a small dry spot, and the dry area was shaped like a heart!  The lovely ladybug extended its wings.  They fluttered and then returned to their place.

Rochelle began to sob uncontrollably.  Her God who died for her knew her and what she was going through, and he loved her and promised to take care of everything.  He truly was a Transcendent God!  He was a God worthy of her trust.

When Rochelle returned to her computer, the flash drive was gone.  But not her hope and joy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our Transcendent God

All-Powerful

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?”  (Jeremiah 32:27)

Jesus said, “… With God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:26)

All-Knowing

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him …(Hebrews 4:13)

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.  (Psalm 139:1-4)

Full of Love for Us

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”  (Jeremiah 31:3)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  (1 John 3:1)

Faithful

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.  (Psalm 89:8)

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

Worthy of Trust

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  (Psalm 18:2)

Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you.  (1 Peter 5:7)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7)

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title and start typing.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

To Subscribe – Go to the “Follow This Blog Via Email” column.  If you don’t immediately see that box, click on the “Comments” tag under the title, and scroll to the very bottom.  You should find it there.  OR simply comment you want to follow and I can add you!