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Category: Encouragement

Punching Powerful and Invisible Foes

Punching Powerful and Invisible Foes

The other day my wife and I were in Seattle for another routine appointment following her eye surgery.  (Everything looks great, thanks be to God!  And pardon the pun.) 

On the sidewalk near the medical facilities was a man who was boxing the air. 

We’ve all seen similar things; it’s not uncommon for people to sometimes throw a few jabs at an invisible opponent.  But typically when we witness this, it is either a person goofing around or making a demonstrative show, or it is an actual fighter mentally rehearsing technique.

But that wasn’t the impression I got of this man on the sidewalk in Seattle.  It wasn’t just a swing or two for show, and he certainly didn’t seem to have the smooth and defined appearance of someone in training.  No, this man swung clumsily and wildly.  Over and over and over again.  And he showed no sign of stopping.

I couldn’t help but wonder, “Who or what is he trying to hit?  Who is the foe he is attempting to fight off?”

We’ll never know what he was seeing in his mind.  But we can safely surmise that at its most basic state, it was Satan or his spiritual henchmen. 

My heart went out to him.  The man was swinging but missing.  It was a battle he could never hope to win on his own.  Not when his opponent was both powerful and invisible.

Solomon wrote about people like him: “Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed — and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors — and they have no comforter” (Ecclesiastes 4:1).

Paul’s well-known description of the spiritual foes of humans also comes to mind.  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

The flailing gentleman on Seattle’s sidewalk isn’t the only person punching at powerful and unseen foes.  He may have been an extreme example – a physical illustration of a fruitless spiritual battle – but he is not alone.  Every single one of us is punching blindly too.

Perhaps our enemy is an addiction.  Perhaps a health issue, whether physical, mental or emotional.  Maybe a secret and repeated sin; maybe an open one that continues to trouble us and others.  Perhaps an attitude learned via environment or one fostered by circumstances.  Undoubtedly, there are sins of the mind that afflict every one of us … worry, greed, lust, discontent, dislike (or even hatred), despair, scorn (for self or others), self-righteousness … and the list could go on-and-on.

In short, we are all afflicted by unseen but potent oppressors.  We may not physically swing at the air, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually we do.  We detest our spiritual tormentors and want to beat them off!

And like the sidewalk boxer, it is a battle we could never hope to win on our own.  Not when we are permeated with a sinful nature and our other opponent is both powerful and invisible.

But unlike the swinging man versus his enemy, we have a Comforter – one who fights for us!

Our primary solace comes not through a self-help book or podcast, or a psychologist or person who cares (though these can all be helpful.)  Rather, “our help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).  He is the “refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).  And he is the One who brings spiritual victory; the One who always perceives the invisible enemies and whose power is unmatchable.  So “do not be afraid of them [whether physical or spiritual enemies]; the LORD your God himself will fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22).

How do these spiritual truths become engrained in us and empower us in our spiritual battles with the powerful unseen?  Through regular exposure to God’s word!

Notice how Paul surrounds the description of our spiritual foes in Ephesians 6:10-13:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

We become “strong in the Lord,” wearing “the full armor of God” which enables us to “stand our ground” during spiritual conflict (and still be standing afterwards!), when we are immersed in the Scriptures.  That is how the Holy Spirit empowers us and brings our unbeatable God into battle on our behalf against our spiritual enemies.

Without the Lord, we are punching at powerful and invisible foes.  With the Lord, battles are won.  If not completely on earth, then ultimately when the Lord brings us home to heaven.

The victory is always the Lords.  But thanks be to him, we are the benefactors!

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Even Me?

Even Me?

This is a post I shared a few years ago.  I thought I would dust it off and share it again.  I pray it blesses you!

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We humans have the capacity of character to demonstrate extraordinary things.  And especially Christians!  Things like courage, kindness, commitment, compassion, dedication, selflessness, love. and so much more!

We can even forgive others who have wounded us deeply … whether physically, emotionally, or both.  The Gospel can heal our heart and time can ease our pain to the point where we can perhaps pardon even those who have hurt us most and move on with our life.

It’s extraordinary character indeed, and a wonderful gift of God, to be able to mentally maneuver beyond the wrong someone has done to us and settle in a better place!

But many of us, (even Christians, who should know better and do better!), often have one drastic flaw in our makeup.  We might be able to forgive horrible wrongs others have done to us, but often enough can’t bring ourselves to forgive the wrongs we ourselves have done.

We forget to forgive ourselves.  Probably more accurately stated; we refuse to forgive ourselves.  The mistakes we have made are inexcusable … at least in our own minds.  We consider them deplorable, indefensible, unmentionable and unpardonable.

We know Jesus has secured God’s forgiveness for us.  (At least we as Christians should know this, because that’s the recurring theme throughout God’s Word!)  The Scriptures tell us, “… everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).  This is clear Christian doctrine – the heart of the Gospel and the heartbeat of our faith!

Yet all too often we struggle to forgive ourselves.  And if we struggle to forgive ourselves, the next logical step is to struggle to recognize God has forgiven us too.

To which I ask … how did we get bigger than God?  When did we take over the “allocating forgiveness business?”  Are we somehow and suddenly the king or queen of grace?  The answers are: no, we didn’t … no, we haven’t … and no, we aren’t!  Spiritual forgiveness is God’s territory.  Always has been; always will be.

When God writes to us, “Dear children, your sins have been forgiven on account of Jesus’ name” (1 John 2:12), he is writing as the ultimate authority on forgiveness, and he was referring to you and me and all who look in faith to Jesus as their Savior.  That’s full forgiveness, fully provided by God and fully effective!  Signed, sealed and delivered by Jesus … according to the Lord himself.

I’m convinced that our gracious God supplied us with so many vivid illustrations of his forgiveness in his Word because he knew that our “drastic flaw” would be forgiving ourselves.  Guilt would linger in us and harass our hearts; shame would discourage us and foster despair in our souls.  So the Lord was determined to provide us with concrete metaphors of his forgiveness that would be cemented in our psyche.

How does God describe our forgiveness in the Scriptures?  God calls it “forgiving our debts” (Matthew 6:12), “blotting out our transgressions, and remembering them no more” (Isaiah 43:25), “hurling all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19), and “removing our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).  Not to mention the oft-repeated pictures of redemption (bought back), justification (declared not guilty), and sanctification (made pure). 

Sinner, take these lovely pictures to heart, cherish them and pull them out repeatedly to gaze at their beauty yet again!  In Jesus, you are forgiven!

The simple point is this:  God has worked our forgiveness; it is accomplished!  God has spoken our forgiveness; it is fulfilled!  It is what our God and Savior has done and said that matters, and not our point of view.  We might try to conclude that we are forever tainted.  Thanks be to God; he says we are eternally clean!

It is time for us to stop crucifying ourselves; Jesus was crucified for us.  That is more than enough – even for you and me!

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Advancing into the Unknown

Advancing into the Unknown

Dark, impenetrable fog enveloped Chase like swirling eddies in a muddy river; like thick, black smoke pouring from a roaring fire.  He could see nothing – nothing! – but the shifting and roiling banks of murk all around him.

That was disconcerting enough.  The pounding waves banging the bow of his boat relentlessly was also rather alarming.  But even that wasn’t the most troubling aspect of his situation.  The recognition that he was drifting swiftly and inexorably forward into the hiddenness ahead of him was terrifying!

What dangers awaited him in the unseen waters?  What challenges was he about to face with no advance recognition and no possible preparation?  Sharp and sturdy tree branches to impale him?  Partially submerged roots to puncture his boat?  Protruding boulders to upend him?  Tight twists of the river or fierce rapids to negotiate blindly?  Waterfalls to plunge over?  The potential risks were innumerable!

It hadn’t always been that way.  There had been times when the visibility was clear, destinations were discernable, water conditions were calm with the weather desirable, and Chase could direct his boat fairly efficiently and as he saw fit.

Or at least, so it seemed.  It was interesting how often he intended to arrive at one destination only to land at another!  He thought he was a proficient navigator and boatsman, but his past record indicated otherwise.  It was one of the more bewildering (and troubling!) aspects of his previous journeys.

But on this day at this time, things appeared dire and beyond dangerous.  Chase was completely discombobulated by the all-encompassing fog he was drifting through.  What should he do?  Which way should he go?  Should he actively paddle or actively “brake?”  If only he could see through the murkiness, he could orient himself!

The waves pounding and rocking the boat seemed to be increasing in intensity.  That would seem to indicate an approaching rapids with all its associated risks.  Rough water was disconcerting even when one could see the boulders and the drop offs.  Bouncing through “white-water” blind was madness!

Chase had never felt so helpless.  The cloying clouds left him feeling claustrophobic and vulnerable.  He wanted to beat visibility out of the invisibility, but sweeping his paddle through the air accomplished nothing.  It only accentuated his dilemma.

In desperation, he cried out to God.  “Please, Lord, clear the darkness!  Open my vision!  Show me what I need to see!”

To his amazement, Chase sensed a bright glow forming above him.  He lifted his eyes and watched in astonishment as a ray of brilliant sunshine knifed downward through the gloom, driving through the darkness, drawing ever closer.  It wasn’t the distilled light that one typically experienced in the fog.  Rather, it was clear and bright, and repelled the swirling darkness as the beam stretched toward him.

“The Lord has answered my prayer!” thought Chase.  “I’ll finally be able to see again!”

But his consternation rose as it became clear that the beam wasn’t cutting a path to the unseen before him.  Instead, it was descending to a place behind him.

Lower and lower the beam tore through the fog.  Still it was aimed behind him; it’s trajectory in line with the back of his boat.  Chase wondered what good that would do him, but still he watched in fascination.  He couldn’t take his eyes off the brilliant point of the approaching light.

And then he gasped!  Before reaching the deck of his boat, the beam illuminated something totally unexpected.  Jesus was sitting behind him, manning the rudder!

The Lord smiled.  “Hello, Chase.  And you were concerned?”

Tears rolled down Chase’s cheeks, and he gave a weak grin.  He sighed contentedly.  “No.  Not anymore.”  And for the first time since entering the bewildering fog of uncertainty, he relaxed.  He couldn’t see the waters ahead, but he knew who was steering him from behind.  And that was incredibly comforting.

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Proverbs 3:5-6
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.

Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

Isaiah 42:16
I, [the LORD], will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Exodus 15:11, 13
Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you — majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? … In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

Psalm 139:1-12
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. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

How to Interact on This Blog

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A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

Not to be overly dramatic, but the Seattle Mariners happen to be the team with the longest absence from the playoffs – by a large margin!  And not just in Major League Baseball, but in the top four men’s professional sports leagues!

The New York Jets (NFL) haven’t made the playoffs in 11 years.  It’s the same length of time with the Buffalo Sabres (NHL).  The Sacramento Kings (NBA) have missed out for 16 years now.  But the Mariners (MLB) drought extends to 20 years!

That’s two long decades!  A generation of time!  Over 252 months and an excess of 7,300 days of no post-season play!

The last time the Mariners made it, my youngest son wasn’t even born yet … and he’s about to enter his senior year of high school.  My second-youngest son was only 3 at the time and can’t remember a thing about their last playoff appearance.  He is now graduated from college and is actually working for the team.  Both sons essentially lived their entire lives without experiencing post-season play from their favorite ball team.

The “M’s” have come close a few times since 2001 (the last year they qualified).  In fact, last year they still had a chance to back into the post-season on the final game of the regular season … only to miss out again.  So the playoff drought continued for yet another year.

Wonder of wonders, as I write this, the team is actually holding the top position of three in the “wildcard” qualifiers, and their remaining schedule of games is judged by experts to be the easiest in the American League.  Furthermore, the team is finally at full strength.  (They’ve been playing without some of their better players nearly the entire season.)  So there is cautious optimism that maybe … just maybe … they can break this embarrassing streak.

But there’s a saying in “hardball” circles: “It’s baseball.” 

This brief, bland and generic phrase seems to say nothing.  But for those who know and love the game, the saying says it all.  Namely, that the game of baseball is incredibly fluky, uncertain and unpredictable.  Weird things happen.  Streaks of bad luck occur.  Injuries strike.  Slumps suddenly slam players or teams.  Contending teams can plummet from the heights and unexpected teams can rise up.

“It’s baseball.”  Which means no matter how good things may look at the moment, literally anything could happen in the next six weeks of the regular season.  The history of the Mariners has certainly born this out (in a negative fashion).  Their past has been challenging, and their future remains uncertain.

That’s the delicious beauty of the game … and the sickening reality.  No one can know what will happen on the next pitch, the next swing, or the next at-bat.  No one can predict the events of the next inning, the next game, or the next week.  The “experts” are routinely wrong, which is why the teams play each game to discover what will unfold.  And why one simply has to let the season fully unwind. 

Baseball is actually a microcosm of life.  Full of surprises (both good and bad!) and bound up in uncertainty.

However, there is one significant way that life is different than baseball.  At least different for Christians.

In baseball, one never really knows the outcome until the end.  In a Christian’s life, one always knows the outcome!  And, because of Jesus, we always win! 

To stretch the baseball analogy even further, as Christians we will absolutely have a joyous “post-season!”  Heaven awaits us!  No matter how challenging our “season” has been, our future is certain, and it’s delightful!

The Apostle Peter writes exquisitely about our certain hope for a wonderful future despite the difficulties we are currently enduring.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:3-7).

Who can know if the Mariners will finally make it to the playoffs this year, or if their reign of futility will stretch to 21 years?  I certainly hope they are still playing in October!  But that hope is a hesitant and uncertain hope.

My hope for heaven, however, is a confident one.  Not because of me, but because of my Savior who lived, died, and rose back to life for me.  (And for you too!)  So “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

How to Interact on This Blog

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Loving the Light

Loving the Light

Two lengthy flowerbeds stretch along the front base of our house.  Since our home faces west, the plants in those beds receive afternoon sunshine, which means they are bathed in the hottest and most direct rays of the sun for the longest possible duration.  Any plants in those beds must be able to tolerate full sun.

So, of course, those are the types of shrubs and flowers I have planted there.  And they certainly prosper – stretching both up and out and bursting with beautiful blooms in due time.

However, there is an interesting disparity between some of the same types of flowers residing in the same beds but different spots.  And the situation repeats year-after-year.  A few of the flowers are noticeably shorter and smaller than their kindred flowers just mere feet away.

In the one bed, a Younique Phlox and Russian Sage are significantly stunted in stature from their twins further down the line.  In the other bed, a New York Aster and Goura can’t compare to the exact same plants rooted nearby.

Why the difference?  They were planted at the same time, in the same soil, and in the same beds.  The soil around them is equally fertilized and weed-free.  They receive the same amount of water at the same times.  So what’s the issue?

The explanation is simple; the dwarfed flowers receive less sunshine than the others.  They are blocked for one reason or another from the full effect of a full afternoon of sunbeams.  The result? They don’t thrive as much as the other plants that enjoy unencumbered rays.

The same thing occurs with Christians.

Those who frequently avail themselves of the light of God’s word tend to bloom and flourish more than their spiritual brothers and sisters who are “light”-starved. 

Perhaps one might argue that there are plants that actually prosper when they receive limited sunshine.  This is true, of course.  But we are not that type of plant! 

We are rated “full sun.”  If we aren’t experiencing regular doses of light, we will certainly wither and our risk of dying spiritually rises exponentially.  Rather, for our souls to thrive, we need extended time in the brilliant, beaming light of God’s word.  And the more we are immersed in Biblical light, the more we burst forth with spiritual foliage, and the more spiritual fruit and flowers we produce.

The amount of faith, trust, peace, joy, confidence, self-esteem, and spiritual security one owns typically corresponds with the amount of “sunshine” to which they have been exposed, (and still ARE being exposed!).

The contrast between light and darkness, spiritually speaking, permeates the Scriptures.  To list just a few of the many examples, there was God’s promise to send the Savior who would bring light into the darkness of this world (Is. 60:1-3).  Later, Jesus announced that he was that very light – “the light of the world” – and that those who follow him will have the light of life (John 8:12).  Jesus also informed us, his followers, that we are now lights in the world, and urged us to let our lights shine! (Mt. 5:14-16).  Finally, the Bible tells us that heaven will be lit by the glory of the Lord, and there will be no night there (Rev. 21:23-25).

But here is the critical key to all the rest.  For us to understand these pictures.  For us to experience these truths and exemplify them.  For us to escape the spiritual darkness … and remain free from it … we must be the recipients, initially and regularly, of the rays of God’s bright and brilliant “sunshine.”  (i.e. His dynamic word – Romans 1:16).

Scripture emphasizes this, and reemphasizes it!

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).  “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

We were brought into the light of faith by our gracious God through his gospel.  And God’s gospel still provides glorious, life-giving light which results in beautiful bloom and blossoms from believers.  The psalmist writes of the Lord, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. … The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:105 & 130). “For with you, [O God], is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9).

Which is precisely why “full-sun” plants like us love the light!

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2 Peter 1:19-21
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Psalm 118:27-29
The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. … You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 43:2-4
You are God my stronghold.  … Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

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Oddly Elegant

Oddly Elegant

Is there any animal more gangly-looking than a giraffe?   Yet the long-legged, long-necked creature appears almost regal.  There’s an odd elegance to it.  (If you’ve ever seen giraffes in person, you understand; they command one’s attention!)

Giraffes are not your every-day sort of animal. The ancient Romans were fascinated by giraffes, calling them “camel-leopards” because of their body structure and colorization.  The Chinese emperor Yongle, when presented with a giraffe as a gift in the early 1400s, regarded it as a qulin (a mythical creature along the lines of a unicorn). 

The lanky creature still intrigues viewers today.

Giraffes are the tallest land-dwelling animal.  A mature male giraffe stands an astounding 15-19 feet tall, while females reach an almost as impressive 13-16 feet.  Their necks comprise half of their height (as much as almost 8 feet!) while their long legs contribute up to another 6 feet.  Just their tails alone can stretch to 8 feet long!  Males typically weigh between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds; females between 1,200 and 2,500.

These herbivores reach these impressive dimensions by eating primarily acacia leaves, buds and twigs.  But they ingest a lot of it – approximately 75 pounds per day!  Their long, dexterous tongues (18 inches!) are highly efficient at wrapping around potential food, delicately plucking it off limbs and delivering it into their mouths.  After grinding the greenery in their palate, the leaves are swallowed for processing in their complex stomach, and then passed all the way back up the neck for further chewing.

Giraffes gain 70% of their moisture from the foliage they eat, so they typically only drink once every several days.  If need be, they can go without water for as long as three weeks.  When they do drink, they must splay their front legs at a 45 degree angle to reach the water with their mouths.

Their coats consist of patches of orange, chestnut, brown or nearly black, surrounded by white or cream-colored borders.  This camouflage pattern can hide the animals well in the mixed light and shade of savannah woodlands, something especially important for the newborns.  Both males and females have 5 inch cartilage “horns” called ossicones on their heads – the females’ ossicones displaying tufts of hair on top while the ones on bulls are bald.

Giraffes are social creatures, residing in herds for both comfort and safety.  A gathering of giraffes is referred to with the descriptive and appropriate term “tower.”

Full-grown giraffes have few predators beyond lions and humans.  Their excellent vision and elevated sight-plane assist in avoiding danger, and their long, powerful legs brandishing dinner-plate sized hooves (12 inches in diameter!) prove effective at dissuading most aggressors.  However, the young face a 25-50% mortality rate in the first months of their lives due to leopards, lions and hyenas – despite their mothers’ best efforts to defend them.

The calves are born via a headfirst drop of five feet from their standing mommas.  (Imagine that!)  Amazingly, they are rarely hurt in the process.  When born their necks are significantly shorter in proportion than they will be as adults, but newborns still stand about 6 feet tall and weigh up to 150 pounds!  In 20 minutes the calves are standing; within an hour they are able to walk; in a day run.  In just a year giraffe calves can measure 10 feet tall.

The stature of a giraffe is obviously impressive.  A less evident but perhaps even more astonishing feature is the circulatory system in the creatures – their great height necessitating special traits in order to enable basic function.  Their two-foot, 25 pound hearts must generate an extraordinary amount of blood pressure to maintain blood flow to the brain that resides eight feet above. 

Yet this would be a major complication whenever the animal lowers its head, causing excess blood flow to the brain, were it not for a complex network of arteries and veins that prevents it.  Meanwhile, as excess blood is blocked from the head, a series of valves in the neck ensure that blood is also flowing through the veins from the head back to the heart, even with the head down, (countering the pull of gravity!).  In the same way, as it raises its head again, blood vessels constrict and push blood into the brain, keeping the animal from fainting.  (How incredible!)

Another remarkable trait of giraffes is how little they sleep.  They can function with only five to thirty minute’s sleep in a 24-hour period, though they typically sleep several hours.  (Even that amount being scant.)  They will rest lying down, especially at night, but can also sleep standing.  When in a deep sleep, they will bend their necks backward and rest their heads on their hips or thighs.

Giraffes have only two gaits: walking and galloping.  When running, they can sprint about 37 miles per hour, and can sustain 31 mph for over a mile … their necks moving backward and forward in rhythm to maintain balance.

Originally the species populated over twenty African nations.  Now they are extinct in seven.  They are primarily found in East Africa; though Southern Africa boasts some.  The largest concentration of giraffes is found in national parks and reserves.  Typical life span of a giraffe in the wild is about 25 years; they can live longer in captivity.

Not surprisingly, giraffes are the celebrities of the evolutionists, who propose that the animals were forced to stretch and grow longer necks and legs over time as tropical forests reverted to more open savannahs.  The argument goes that the giraffes “needed” the extra length to reach the most luxurious browse in the tops of trees to survive, so over countless years of reaching, their necks and legs evolved. 

Yet, as Wikipedia records, the early fossil records demonstrate that “the elongation of the neck appears to have started early in the giraffe lineage.”  Well, of course that’s what the fossil records show!  Because that’s how the Creator, in his unrivaled creativity, created them on Day Six of Creation!  (Along with all of their other remarkable special features or “adaptations,” as biologists call them).

In fact, the wonders of the animal called a giraffe denounce as foolishness any other conclusion than that the Lord made them with all their unique and astounding features and in all their oddly elegant splendor. 

How imaginative is our God!  How wondrous are his works!   How blessed are we to recognize this, and how natural then is our praise.

The psalmist had it right:  “Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate” (Psalm 111:1-4).

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Genesis 1:24-25
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

If you enjoyed this post on one of God’s amazing creatures, you may also enjoy some past posts on this site about other animals.  To access them, simply find the “categories” window in the side bar, (it’s the final one), and click on “God’s Creatures.”  If the sidebar doesn’t appear on your device, go to the top of the post and click on “comments,” then scroll down.

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Guarded and Guided by the One Who Never Sleeps

Guarded and Guided by the One Who Never Sleeps

I am not an early-morning person.  I have some family members who are, but that would never describe me.  I function much better late than early, so if extra time is needed to handle some responsibilities, I will tack the additional time at the end of my day rather than the beginning.

I can wake up early, if need be.  Say for a fishing or hunting trip, a hike, a metal-detecting excursion, or some other outdoor adventure.  But normally I would not choose to crawl out of bed before a seven is registered on the clock.

Consequently, it is always eye-opening when I am awake early and out-and-about to see how many others are up before the crack of dawn, and clearly are routinely early risers … often by necessity.

Earlier this week, my wife and I needed to be up in Seattle for a follow-up surgery on her eye.  (Her sixth – and God-willing, final – one!)  Her assigned check in at the hospital was at 6 a.m., so we were up and going at “0-dark-thirty.”

It’s remarkable how many people in a larger city are circulating in the wee hours of the morning!  On my caffeine run to a 24-hour convenience store before our commute, there was the clerk … AND a delivery truck driver … AND others getting their fixes before heading to work.  A police cruiser rolled by as I returned to my vehicle.  The freeway was filled with folks flying north or south to their jobs. (Not as filled as it would be later at a more decent hour, but filled sufficiently nevertheless.)  The hospital was buzzing with activity as personnel carried out their various responsibilities. 

There’s a lot of people up early doing what they need to do!  Those of us who prefer to sleep a bit later into the morning sometimes fail to recognize the many folks who start their days … or end their nights as the case may be, while we are embracing our ZZZs.

But they all have to sleep sometime!

Sleep isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity.  The human body must sleep.  It doesn’t take long for lack of rest to severely impact a person’s well-being.  Just 24 hours without it can result in irritability, altered perception, memory deficits, impaired judgement, vision and hearing setbacks, decreased hand-eye coordination, an increased risk of accidents, greater muscle tension, and even tremors.

Add just another 12 hours to that, (36 hours without sleep), and one’s body is significantly affected.  Appetite, metabolism, temperature, mood, and stress level all take hits, creating issues with hormonal imbalances, decreased motivation, inflexible reasoning, decreased attention and risky decision-making. Sleep deprivation can make routine tasks like driving exponentially more dangerous. (www.healthline.com).

Which is why we all sleep.  Why we all HAVE TO sleep.  In fact, we humans actually spend a third of our lives sleeping!

Consequently, the concept of our God never sleeping is challenging for us to grasp. 

But he doesn’t!  The Lord never crawls under the heavenly covers and “crashes.”  He never sneaks in a “cat nap.”  He never accidentally nods off for a moment.  He never intentionally “shuts it down.”  He never even closes his “eyes!”  Never, ever!  We’re told in Job that God “views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24).

Not only does our God never rest.  He never loses his concentration; his mood is never altered; his perceptions remain unphased; his perfect abilities continue unhindered. 

Furthermore, the Lord never ceases to be vigilantly watching over us and acting on our behalf!  God’s unwavering attention is riveted on his people; his loving heart, guiding hand, and providing and protecting arm are always engaged in the goings-on of our lives.  “The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them …” (Psalm 33:18-19).

So while our Lord never sleeping is a challenging concept to grasp, it is at the same time tremendously comforting.  We are continuously guarded and guided by the Loving One who never sleeps.

The psalmist summarizes this truth beautifully!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121).

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Goodbye to Goodbyes

Goodbye to Goodbyes

This is a post I shared two years ago after visiting family in Michigan.  I just returned from a similar visit, and the sentiments expressed here seemed exceedingly poignant … at least to me.  But as always, I pray they bring some insight and encouragement to you.

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I hate goodbyes.  But then almost everyone does, don’t they?  Goodbyes to loved ones are rarely “good byes.”  In those situations, the word is the ultimate oxymoron.

This is a fresh and sensitive topic with me.  Recently I found myself saying goodbye to a number of family members. 

We had traveled back to Michigan to be with loved ones, and the good Lord allowed us to see many!  We spent time with both my parents and my wife’s parents.  We were able to visit with some of our siblings, their spouses and some of their children – our nephews and nieces.  In fact, the members of our entire immediate family (parents, children and grandchildren) were gathered together in one place for almost a week! 

(Because of various circumstances, many of these precious visits occur just once a year.)

Naturally, this led to multiple and heartfelt hellos.  Every day of our vacation brought joyful greetings of one kind or another; warm hellos springing from the shared bond of faith and family.  Hellos that reflect blood ties and past experiences, and which anticipate the wonderful things that the coming moments together will bring.

I love hellos.  Especially hellos to those people embedded deep in my heart.  But every hello in this world ultimately leads to a goodbye, doesn’t it?

Of course, there are a multitude of things to which we sooner or later bid adieu.  Houses, cars, places, experiences, jobs, schools … even previous health and appearance … can all merit “farewells” as we meander on through life.  And then there are those gut-wrenching goodbyes to our pets.  Make no mistake, some of these goodbyes can foster high emotion. 

But the worst goodbyes of all are the goodbyes to people we love. 

Why are goodbyes to loved ones so difficult?  Well, we thoroughly enjoy our time together.  Consequently, goodbye means a pause in those joyful moments, and often bounces us back to the reality of our other responsibilities and less enjoyable activities. 

However, that’s not the fundamental reason we hate goodbyes.  The real reason is very simple; we abhor goodbyes because we don’t know if we will be together again in this world.  The uncertainties of our earthly existence are ever-present in our awareness, and we all recognize that sooner or later there won’t be another hello. 

This inescapable fact rocks us.  It makes farewells to loved ones we rarely see agonizing.  But it even lurks in our consciousness with our day-to-day goodbyes … as much as we try not to think about it.  One can’t live a few years in this uncertain world without recognizing the uncertainty inherent in goodbyes.

My purpose in writing about goodbyes is not to bring anyone down.  Rather I want to underscore a few key points that I have fallen back on as I negotiate painful farewells.

Here’s the first one:  The fact that a person has agonizing goodbyes means that God has blessed them richly with dearly-loved family and friends.  Every close relationship in our life is a precious gift.  Each difficult goodbye we must endure simply emphasizes how profoundly blessed by God we are.

The second significant aspect of painful earthly goodbyes is that they encourage us to eagerly anticipate the day when there will never be any more goodbyes, but only hellos forever and ever.  This is such a foreign concept to us earthlings that we can barely consider it or comprehend it. 

But the day when God ushers us into heaven marks the end of experiencing goodbyes and the beginning of an eternity of hearing only hellos!  “Hello” to the Lord himself and Jesus our Savior.  “Hello” to the multitude of angels.  “Hello” to the great men and women of faith from the Bible and history.  “Hello” to our ancestors who lived and died in Jesus.  “Hello” to our family and friends who preceded us to heaven.  And “hello” to every family member and friend who follow us there!  Never again will we say “goodbye.”  Only “hello” over and over again forever and ever.

The Apostle John was given a glimpse of this wonderful heavenly home where goodbyes are gone and hellos predominate.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain [or goodbyes], for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  (Revelation 21:3-5) 

A goodbye to goodbyes.  Now that really will be a “good bye!”

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Similes of Our Saving God: Our God Is Like … Our Phones

Similes of Our Saving God: Our God Is Like … Our Phones

I’m on vacation for a few weeks, but I wanted to still share new posts while I’m gone.  However, I didn’t necessarily want to create them while vacationing, so I cheated.  Kinda, anyway.  I pulled the concepts and words from a sermon series I preached a number of years ago and consolidated them into blog posts.  Consequently, these posts are a bit longer than usual.  However, as always, I pray you find them interesting and encouraging.  Dave

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When I was a young boy, my parents had one phone.  Yes, you read that correctly.  My parents owned and used just one phone between the two of them.

The phone was actually fastened to the wall in my parent’s house.  It stayed there … all the time.

They never carried it in their pocket or purse.  And the part of the phone that you listened to and spoke into was fastened to the phone cradle with a cord, and you couldn’t move beyond the length of the cord.

Some of you who are a bit older know exactly what I’m talking about.  It was the same way in your homes.  But some of the younger folks reading this are undoubtedly thinking, “What in the world are you talking about?”  And perhaps, “Where in the world did you live that had such isolated and challenging conditions when a boy?”

Some of you have trouble comprehending a world where there would only be one phone in the house.   Or that said phone would be attached to the wall!  Let me assure you that the phone in my parents’ house was just like the phone in everyone else’s houses at that time.  People only had one or maybe two phones, and they were all permanently connected in one way or another in the homes where they happened to live.

And here’s another thing about the old phones.  You didn’t push numbers on buttons or screens to call someone.  Rather, you had to dial a rotating gizmo.  You stuck your finger in the hole over the correct number on the phone and rotated the dial.  This was called a rotary phone.

Let me further astound the younger readers.  When I was young, my parents’ single phone was connected to a “party line,” as it was called.  Party lines were shared with other people.  We shared our phone line with our neighbors. If the phone rang in a series of one ring at a time, it was an incoming call for my parents.  If it rang twice in quick succession, that was a call for our neighbors. 

Consequently, one would know when calls were coming in for the neighbors, but a person did not know how long that call lasted or when the neighbors happened to be making a call.  Which meant that there were times when a person would pick up the phone off its cradle to make a call, only to hear one of the neighbors already speaking on the line.  At those times, unless it was an emergency, we would have to wait to place our phone call.  And, of course, the ongoing concern was who might be secretly listening in on your conversation.

Pretty weird, huh?  And no, I’m not a hundred years old.  That was the way it was just 50 years ago!

All of these things seem so strange to us today.  It’s hard for many to even comprehend living with a phone system like that.  But here is perhaps the strangest thing of all to the younger readers: back when I was a boy, people used their phones for one thing, and one thing only – to make or receive phone calls.  That’s it!  Fifty years ago phones had just one purpose – to talk with someone.  That’s all!  You didn’t use your phone for anything else.

I’m guessing this is a difficult concept for some to fathom.  To only use a phone to make phone calls seems ridiculous.  Unimaginable.  Preposterous.  Unbearable even!

If you’ve ever been in a public place and looked around, you know how many people are using their phones …and almost constantly!

Here are just a few ways that people use their cellphones today:

Keeping track of time – many people use their phones as their watches

As an alarm clock or a stopwatch

Weather reports … locally or anywhere in the world

Taking pictures and movies

Staying up-to-date by reading the latest news articles

Staying organized – one can put their entire schedule on their phones now

Taking notes – people can even write on their phones these days

For navigation – there’s a GPS on your phone

For tickets – for movies, concerts … even plane tickets

For a personal assistant – instant answers

To purchase items … to scan bar codes … to pay bills … or to deposit money

Calculators – phones come with them now

Magnifying glasses – yup, there’s an app for that too

Playing games – choose your favorite game and you can find an app for it

Watching television shows or movies

Listening to music

Reading books

As a mirror – you can get an app that will provide you with the ability to see yourself on your phone screen

To control functions in your house, like your lights and appliances

To monitor functions in your home – is someone trying to break in?

For unique functions like tuning your guitar … or finding studs in the wall … or as a metal detector … or to measure something

As a recorder

To hold a video conference – to be able to see and talk with someone at the same time

To send instant text messages

Oh yeah.  You can also use your phone to make a phone call

That’s a list of 25 different ways people can use their phones.  And there’s so much more that our phones can do today.  That’s why they are called “Smart Phones.”  And many people … especially younger people … can’t imagine getting along without their phones.

In a very real way, our phones have become like gods to us.  If there is something one needs, the first thing they typically wonder is if their phones can help them. 

Is the information they desire on their phones already?  Often it is!  If not, there’s probably an app that they can get which will allow them to fill whatever need that they have

Have a question about something?  Ask Siri or Google.

Want to know the time?  Need to know the weather tomorrow?  Interested in the stock market prices … or the score in the game?  Check your phone!

Desiring to order a pizza?  Need to burn some time playing a game while waiting?  Interested in a movie for you or your children?  Use your phone!

If the typical person has a need, what’s the first thing they tend to go to for a solution?  Their phones!

People look to their phones as the ultimate life-managing, life-entertaining, life-fulfilling, and even life-rescuing tool.  And honestly, it’s hard not to!  Modern technology has made our phones so extremely useful that it’s very easy to get sucked into the idea that they can provide anything we need.

Which brings us to our simile of the day.  Our Saving God Is like Our Phones … only much better!

We think that we can access the deep pools of wisdom through our phones.  Well, the knowledge on our phones is nothing compared to the wisdom of God.

“Where then does wisdom come from?  Where does understanding dwell? … God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:20, 23-24).

Furthermore, all the “wisdom” we find through our phones is not necessarily wise.  There’s a lot of human philosophy and anti-biblical thinking that is presented as truth when it really isn’t. 

Remember what Jesus prayed just before his arrest and crucifixion?  Speaking to his Heavenly Father, Jesus said, “Sanctify them (the believers) by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

So here’s the first thing we should take to heart.  If we need basic information like the weather forecast for tomorrow or the hours when a store is open, by all means we should use our phones. But if we need life answers, we should put our phones in our pockets and open our Bibles.

If we want to know who the true God is, and how he feels about us, and what he has done for us, and how to act towards others, and what to do in different situations, we should search the Scriptures.

If we want to know the answers to anything significant in our lives, we should NOT go to our phones.  Rather we should go to the absolute truth … the Word of God.  We don’t need any extraneous teachings; all we need to learn is what our God tells us.

We don’t need our phones for that, though it’s awesome if you have the Bible on your phones!  If you have the Bible on your phones – and you use it – then at those times your phones actually become wonderful tools for holding the absolute truth.  But otherwise, your phones should be secondary to God’s Word.

And what about our day-to-day needs?  Are our phones the answer?  We are tempted to say “yes,” but the correct answer is “no!”  The true source of provision for what we need in life is much better than our phones.  It’s the Lord!

David makes this clear in Psalm 36: “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.  How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:5-7).

Do we need assistance with something?  Do we need provision or protection?  The first place we should approach for our life needs is NOT our phones, but our Lord, who is like our phones, only much, much better!  In fact, the Lord himself tells us unequivocally, “Call on ME in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15).

And who is hearing and answering our prayed calls for assistance?  The Lord who loves us and who has saved us!  As Paul reminds us, “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).

The Lord is so much better than our phones!

If you are skeptical about that concept, give some thought to this: what will happen someday if or when the phone networks crash?  What good will your phones do you then? 

Or maybe something more easily considered.  What happens when our phones stop working?  I’m sure you have been there. It’s horrifying when our phone croaks, isn’t it?  It can absolutely shut down almost every aspect of our lives.  Dead phones can paralyze us.  And sooner or later, every phone gives out, doesn’t it?

Well, our God never dies.  Our God never stops working.  He never stops providing for us and protecting us.  He never stops guiding us.  God’s Word never goes out-of-date.  The Lord is always faithful; always reliable.  Long after our phones are discarded, our God is still taking care of us.

How incredibly comforting this truth is!  Our God will always be taking care of us; his truths will always be true.  In that way, our Lord is far better than any phone we have, or any phone we ever will have.

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

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Similes of Our Saving God: God Is Like … Our Golden Retriever

Similes of Our Saving God: God Is Like … Our Golden Retriever

I’m on vacation for a few weeks, but I wanted to still share new posts while I’m gone.  However, I didn’t necessarily want to create them while vacationing, so I cheated.  Kinda, anyway.  I pulled the concepts and words from a sermon series I preached a number of years ago and consolidated them into blog posts.  Consequently, these posts are a bit longer than usual.  However, as always, I pray you find them interesting and encouraging.  Dave

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Perhaps the words, “God Is Like … Our Golden Retriever” seems a bit of a reach, and perhaps even bordering on sacrilegious.  But remember, this is a simile.  I didn’t say the Lord IS a dog; I said he is LIKE our dog … which happens to be a Golden Retriever named Bailey.

Please realize that I am not looking for an excuse to write about our pet.  I like our dog a lot, but he and I have had our moments.  My family can tell you that there have been times – especially when he was younger – that I would just as soon have gotten rid of him as have him around.

So how is God like our Golden Retriever?  Well, Golden Retrievers are fairly unique in some ways.  Here is how they are described by Linda Whitwam in “The Complete Golden Retriever Handbook:”

“This strikingly handsome dog with a wonderful temperament, intelligence, love of humans and great desire to please his owners has become one of the most popular breeds on the planet. … [Goldens are] affectionate and loyal, gentle, honest, good-natured and gets on well with people of all ages.”

There are actually a number of characteristics Golden Retrievers exhibit that beautifully picture our loving Lord.  But there is one trait specifically that I would like to use as a simile to God.  It’s a trait that I have not seen as strongly in any other dog we have had, either when I was a child or with any dogs I have owned as an adult.  (But then none of the other dogs we had were Golden Retrievers either.)

Here’s what Bailey does that I have never seen demonstrated so strongly in any other dog we have owned.  This is the trait that reminds me so much of our Saving God: Bailey’s greatest desire in life is to be as close as he possibly can be to anyone in our family!  He would choose being close to people over any other thing.  And I mean any other thing!

For example, when we take his food out to him, he would rather be petted and close to us than eat his meal.  I am convinced that he could be ravenously hunger, and he would still ignore his food if he has the opportunity to be petted instead.

Since he stays outside, (almost a necessity due to his constant shedding), he will always try to lie down by the door nearest to family members.  Ideally, he will park himself outside the sliding door on our deck or by our living room where he can actually see us and be as close to us as possible.  Or if I am working on something in the back yard where he stays, he will remain as close to me while I am working as he possibly can.  If I am in the garage, Bailey will be in the garage too.  If I am in the front yard, Bailey will be lying by whichever fence is the closest to where I am.

I have actually had to train him to give me space so I could work.  If he had his choice, he would have his face right in the middle of whatever I am doing.  I mean that literally!  I had to train him to lie down nearby.  If I didn’t, he would never let me get anything done.

And those of you who are dog owners are perhaps thinking, “Well, that doesn’t sound much different than my dog.  Dogs always want to be close to their owners.”

To which I would reply, “Yes, I know that is the case.  But this is different.  This is a whole different level of longing to be close than most other dogs exhibit.”

Perhaps this will illustrate the degree to which Bailey longs to be close to us.  When we took Bailey on his first camping trip, he loved it.  So many little animals in the forest to smell.  So many other dogs to interact with.  So many other people to pet him.  A lake to splash in.  Forest trails to walk on. 

And the best thing of all – his family all stayed outside with him!  We cooked outside, ate outside, played games outside, and even slept outside in tents.  So Bailey was able to be close to us the entire time!  He loved it.

But he was not content to simply lie nearby.  Bailey continually plopped himself as absolutely close to us as he possibly could.  And I don’t mean simply settling down comfortably at the end of his chain.  That’s what most dogs would do.  They would get as close to their people as their leashes would allow and settle comfortably there.

But that’s not what Bailey did.  We had his chain anchored so that he could reach most of our campsite.  However, the length was set so that he couldn’t quite reach our picnic table (and be “obnoxious” while we were sitting there).  So this is what Bailey did: he stretched his chain to its absolute limit and laid down behind our feet.  And when he laid down, the chain was actually suspended in the air!

Can you imagine how uncomfortable that would be?  Yet he did this repeatedly.  And he would sleep there like that while we did other things at the table, lying as close to us as he possibly could with his chain suspended in the air!

I’ve never seen anything like it before.  But Bailey did it because that allowed him to be as close to us as possible.  And this isn’t just a Bailey thing; this is a Golden Retriever thing.

I think it was on that camping trip that I first thought of the simile that our God is like a Golden Retriever.  Just like Bailey longs to be as close to us as possible, so our God longs to be as close to us as possible.  And not just occasionally, but constantly!   Always!  If Bailey had his way, he would never be further than a few feet away from anyone in our family.  So it is with God.

If our Lord had his way, he would always be as close to us as he possibly could be.  God’s greatest desire is to be close to us … to be embraced by us.  God wants that to be the case throughout our lives here on earth, and throughout all of eternity in heaven.

“But wait a minute” you might say, “the Bible shows us that God is omnipresent (present everywhere).  If God is present everywhere, then by definition isn’t he always close to us?”  Perhaps you would even quote the words of Psalm 139 (below) or the Apostle Paul’s words to the Athenians?  “‘God … is not far from any one of us’” (Acts 17:27).

Yes, God is indeed always close, technically speaking.  But not necessarily close like God desires.

It’s like this.  If you attend a concert or a ballgame with your spouse, the two of you are sitting side-by-side.  You are close to each other.  You can chat, hold hands, even kiss.  Meanwhile on the other side of each of you is another person … a stranger.  You are as physically close to them as you are to your spouse, but you aren’t really close to them at all, are you?

And so it is with our Lord.  He is always close to us.  But he isn’t always “close.”

He longs to talk with us through his Word.  He longs to hear from us in our prayers.  He longs to touch us in his love.  He longs to surround us with his care and presence.

So why then isn’t God “close” to us?  Because we distance ourselves from him.

We don’t read his love notes to us in his Bible.  We don’t listen to his messages of love in his Word.  We don’t bring ourselves into his presence in God’s House.  We don’t communicate with him regularly in prayer.  We don’t avail ourselves of the opportunities to allow him to draw closer to us.  We keep ourselves so busy and distracted that we don’t have time for our Lord.  Our God is longing to come closer to us, but we hold him at a distance.

Just like Bailey wants to be as close to our family as he possibly can, so our Lord wants to be as close to us as we will allow.  Yet all too often we tell God to “lie down” nearby.

Now this is a necessary and good approach with dogs.  But this is NOT a wise or good approach with God.  Yet we do it all the time!

“God, I’ll give you attention when I have time.” 

“Lord, I’ll spend time with you soon.”

“Savior, I know you long to be closer to me, but I can’t be bothered with you at the moment.”

You know what we should be saying to the Lord?  Each and every one of us should be saying,

“Jesus, I repent for not longing to be as close to you as you long to be close to me!”

“Savior, forgive me for my negligence of your Word!”

“Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!”

Dear Christian friends, thanks be to God that he has had mercy on us.  Our Heavenly Father has forgiven us because Jesus made everything right with him for us.

The sinners on earth (you and me!) continually push God away.  We repeatedly distance ourselves from God with our incessant sinning.  But instead of saying, “Fine, if you want no part of me, so be it,” the Lord said, “That’s not fine with me; I will intervene.  I will come close to you!”

And that’s what Jesus, the Son of God, did!  He came to earth, born as a little baby boy, in order to live a perfect life of complete dedication to the Lord, and then to offer his holy life as a perfect payment for our neglect of God and sin against God.  On that bloody Roman cross is your Savior, come to earth to you, to restore your relationship with him.

God is God, and he not only longs to stay close to us, he actually does stay close to us.  God’s love and his presence are always with us.  As the Apostle Paul writes so beautifully:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

Are significant life changes on the horizon for us?  Is our employment status changing?  Are money problems stressing us out?  Are health difficulties, hospital visits, or surgery in our future?  Are we concerned about car troubles or major house repairs?  Are we facing a family crisis?  Are we emotionally frayed to the breaking point?  Our loving God is with us!

No matter where life may take us, or where we may have to journey.  No matter what we face or where we are.  No matter our situation, our loving God is close by.  In fact, he is with us!  Even closer – much closer – than a Golden Retriever!

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

Psalm 139:1-10

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. 

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

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