Heavenly Ink

 "Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness."

Isaiah 30:8

Writing is not a craft I simply like to do.  It is a passion I must do.  And when my ink well runs dry, I long for it to be refilled.

Like bats in a cave, themes and titles of unwritten stories flutter their wings in my mind but are unable to take flight out onto the blank pages that lie before me.  The entrance is blocked by the world with boulders of worries and questions, doubt and shame, and weak faith and trust.  They are workers trapped in a mine, languishing in darkness and desiring to be released into the brilliance of the Light above.

But the words must wait to be rescued by the One who will bring them forth from their prison.  I can not give them life if the life I choose for them is my own.  They must be freed by the Spirit of Truth; sovereign in their originality, and divine in their intended purpose.  It is only then that the words that swirl around the prison of my mind will finally take flight.

In order for the words to gain freedom, I must wait for the empty well to be filled with the heavenly ink that will never fade from eternity’s pages.  In handwritten form, they will pour forth divinely inspired speech.  God will be their Author.  Truth will be their content.   And as they are given life and seen by the eyes of those brought here, there will be found within them a message of hope and an everlasting and unbreakable promise to all those who believe the words.

Drat it! Winter's Here!

Well, our beautiful and warm fall days have finally ended.  In one night, we went from having 65 to 70 degree days to a balmy 35 and dipping well below freezing at night.  The first storm also brought with it a couple inches of snow and cold winds.  And the bears are looking for a place to hibernate.  Looks comfy, doesn't he?

So, in honor of Winter and more snow to come, the blog has been given an appropriate seasonal face lift.  I only wish that I, too, could get one...I'm getting too old to play outside in the snow...my old bones just don't handle the cold like they used to...I'm complaining already - and so is my dog. She's decided it's better to hug the heater than brave the outside.  We're fighting for position.

I know we're told not to wish our lives away, but I wish winter was already over!  Here's to a quick one and the warmth of Spring to come - soon!  I can hope, can't I?

(I wonder if that bear would mind it if I just curled up next to him and slept the winter away?)     :o)

Karen

P.S.  The bears may curl up  and snooze through the winter, but I'll still be slugging along here on the blog... that is, if the snow doesn't bury me.  Keep checking in once in a while, will you?  I may need you to come and rescue me.

Oh! And bring hot cocoa...and maybe a few extra blankets...and a shovel...it'd be nice if you would load your truck with some extra firewood...and...

Stuck in Idle

Psalm 38:15

There are times when I feel as if the mental gears that keep me going are stuck in idle and preventing me from moving forward.  The day to day physical tasks are accomplished with no problem; although, I have to admit that there is a lack of gusto in completing them.  But it is my thought process, the part of me that is the most alive and productive, that is mired down.  It is in these moments that I wonder why the Lord is so quiet, why He seems to be standing to the side with a pensive look on His face.   Truthfully, His silence makes me uncomfortable.

It causes me to wonder if there is something I need to do, something I have been avoiding or delaying.  But then I think, if so, why is He not revealing it to me; why has He not made it obvious?  I mentally fuss about it, pray about it, often lose sleep over it, and even sometimes verbally express it to my husband.  But still, the answers fail to come and it only exacerbates my discomfort and frustration. 

As I have mentioned before, patience has never been a virtue of mine.  I have prayed my entire life for the Lord to give me more.  And God has been faithful in His response.  But during the idling times of silence is when I realize I have not yet reached that pinnacle.  I still have a long way to go before I am able to rest there, trusting that He is still present and still working in and through me.

Sometimes it requires waiting in the silence for God to get my attention.  Because I know He never rests and there is a great deal of work to be done with me, He must downshift my gears and bring me to an idle in order to be heard.  It is then that I realize that He was not failing to speak or reveal something to me.  Rather, His voice could not be heard over the roar of my mind's engine that drowned out His voice.  By going back into His Word and faithfully applying it to any and every situation that brings me to a halt, and realizing there is a lesson of patience to be learned, I become more content. 

If I remember that very important lesson, then being stuck in idle is not such a bad thing after all.  As I impatiently wait to hear God's voice, my mental wool gathering is no more productive than sitting down and doing nothing.  What I actually do with what the Lord will eventually reveal to me while I am stuck in idle is that which will propel me forward.  And the wait that I had to endure will be well worth the silence.

Now that I have that behind me, Lord, I am ready to shift gears.

Keep Your Eyes Focused

Psalm 19:13

Today is a day of questions.  They are some things that have plagued me for a while, or those that have cropped up unexpectedly lately, demanding explanations, answers, and corrections.

The problem is that I want to apply unacceptable answers of my own for some of the questions that trouble me the most.  I can state the over-used excuse that I am under attack by the enemy who tirelessly assaults me, trying to disrupt the fellowship I have with others.  But then, I must admit I am not truly addressing the very basis that caused the question to arise in the first place.  I am only pointing the blame away from myself, perhaps at someone else, and unwilling to admit that it was probably a moment of weakness on my part that caused the response I received.

I have been thinking about this all morning.  Sometimes it takes a great deal of soul-searching to arrive at the proper conclusions to the questions that come to the forefront.  And the hardest thing for us to do is admit that there may be something about us that needs correction.

If, for even a split second, I take my eyes off of Jesus Christ, I become vulnerable and often display characteristics of the “old man” I once was.  I thought he was gone.  Or, at the very least, I thought I had him under control and could rein him in if he threatened to slip out.  It does not necessarily mean that the thing which I may have said or did was wrong, but it was the way I delivered or performed it that revealed part of the old nature of sin within me.  And it can be very subtle.  The enemy may have used that moment for his advantage, but it still does not excuse me for allowing him to do it.  I am the one who faltered and allowed him access to the situation, and it is my fault that it may have momentarily gotten out of control.

The comforting part of resolving the problem of the “old man” is in the length of time it takes me to regain the “new man” within me (2Corinthians 5:16-18).  Conviction is coming more rapidly, now days.  I am more easily able to recognize that, within everything I do and say, the enemy is lurking to take advantage, and I am more equipped to prepare myself ahead of time to deal with it.  I am being changed, transformed into the image of Christ, being made more like Him so that, when these instances do occur, the recovery time is much less (2Corinthians 3:17-18).  Even better is the fact that the conviction of my offense stays with me so that I am less apt to repeat it in the future (Romans 12:1-3).  I am able to give and receive forgiveness more eagerly (Colossians 3:13), and readily acknowledge that others also bear the burden of staving off the “old man” and allowing their new nature full control over their lives.

So, the answer to today’s question is this:  If I remember to keep my eyes focused fully upon my Lord, the fear of stepping into the enemy’s traps and allowing him entry and control over the situation, no matter how brief, will lessen.  It will also eliminate the desire to battle on my own the questions I have, for the right answers to all my questions are found in Jesus Christ.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
  Look full in His wonderful face,   
  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
  In the light of His glory and grace.”

The Coming Season

2 Timothy 4:2

Winter is coming.  Just a few more turns of the earth; a miniscule tilt of its axis causing the sun to ride lower in the heavens.

The trees are preparing for their slumber as the sap that gives them life slows in the cooling air.  They have changed their dress.  Green leaves that once adorned their skirts turn to vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red.  Soon they will stand bare in the crisp fall air, awaiting the blanket of heavy snow that will cover their nakedness.

The wild meadow grasses that grow beneath the forest’s feet have dropped their seeds to the earth below.  Their once verdant crowns, burdened and leaning with life, now stand brittle and stripped.  They will lie down on the wintry earth that encases their tender roots and patiently wait for life’s renewal.

The squirrels are busily gathering.  The fox is donning his heavy winter coat and fat bushy tail to wrap around his nose and protect it from winter’s frost.  And the birds have been teaching their fledglings the heavenly patterns of migration in the brilliant autumn sky.  Calling back and forth to each other, their voices echo between the mountains.  Those that stay behind are feeding to fatten themselves on the fruits of summer for the harsh mountain winter that lies ahead.

All of life is preparing for the coming change of season.  There is a mechanism installed in each of God’s creatures to prepare as one season passes to another.  Man is no different than the lesser creatures.  He has been given the ability to recognize when to toil, when to sow, when to tend, and when to reap.  If he is awake, he will look to the Sun and the life that surrounds him. His storehouses will be bursting with the fruit he has gathered.  His coat will protect him from the bite of winter frost.   As he keeps diligent watch over the habits of God’s creation, he will be prepared for the season that is coming.

When the long, bright days of summer wane into the darkness of winter, man will sleep.  But like the grains that wait slumbering in the earth, and the sap that is stilled and lies resting in tree’s veins, he, too, will awaken from his repose to a renewal of life.  There is a new season awaiting him; a season that will remain.  The Sun will shine once again upon his face, but more brilliantly than before.  The final harvest will be gathered and stored.  The trees will bear fruit year round.  And with all of God’s creation, he will forever rest from his labor…and winter will come no more.

The Sea and Its Boundary

Job 38:8-11

Unlike the sea that rages and bellows but knows its boundaries and goes no farther, the waves of my discontent rise and swell.  The tides of my complaints attempt to breach the bulwarks and flood the shorelines of contentment that have been established for me.  My “proud waves” reach stupendous heights that crash down upon the budding seed of faith, intent upon drowning it in a murky sea of sin.

The tumult of my rebellious youth roars loudly in my ears like the bellowing sea.  I was but a grain of sand burdened by the weight of the great sea of sin.  Tossed about and carried by the raging waves, helpless and unable to free myself from its terrible grip, it carried me deeper and deeper into the vast abyss waiting below.  Falling away from the light above, the dark sea began to swallow me as I struggled against its force.

But as the sea of depravity threatened to drown me forever in its depths, the Lord heard my cry, “Save me!”  His ancient eye saw me as I impotently fought against the powerful and dreadful pull that was hurling me away from Him.  And with a loud voice He commanded, “No farther!”

As the sea has a boundary established by its Creator, there was also one set for me.  Among the myriad grains of sand hurtling through the raging torrent, God stretched out His arm and plucked me from amongst them.  He had set the limit to which He would allow me to sink before He would intervene.  And when the time came, He pulled me out of the sea of sin, set my feet firmly upon His Rock, and surrounded me with a impenetrable wall of protection against the pounding waves of the world.

The stormy tempest of tribulations and trials will come often.  They will assault the harbor of safety in which my ship is moored.  I will be tossed about on waves of indecision and buffeted by the winds of doubt.  The tides of despair may even threaten to drown me.  But even these have a limit prescribed by God.

The Lord has set another boundary for me which cannot be breached by the storms of this life and the world that woos me toward its briny deep.  I have tasted the sweetness of the water from the bottomless well of His grace, and my soul has been washed clean of the brackish and bitter water of sin.  Like the travailing winds that fill the ship's sails and steer them to safe harbors, I have felt His soft breath upon my cheek as He carries me into the safety of His.  And I have felt His powerful hand of divine protection pull me away from the desiring currents of sin and anchor me firm and fast to His Rock.

Never again will the raging sea of sin threaten to carry me into the dark abyss below, for the ship upon which I sail is captained by the Lord, and the sea knows its boundary.

The Servant

 John 14:6

There once was a servant whose Master had shown  him the Way.  His love for His Master and others was so great that he traveled from place to place to share the Good News, hoping that the others would see the love and concern he had for them and also desire to know it.

As he journeyed through villages, towns, and cities that bustled with people rushing to and fro on their own pathway, he thought to himself, “I will approach them and point them to the Better Path, and they will see how much my Master and I love them.”

While he watched the crowd scurry about, he spotted a man he knew well who was struggling to pull a heavily loaded cart through the mass of people in the street.  In his attempt to move the over-burdened cart, he would gain a few feet, then be driven back by the bodies pushing against him.

Seeing an opportunity, the servant approached his friend and said, “My friend, I see your cart is overloaded and you are unable to move freely.  Perhaps if you lightened the load by  removing some of the burden, your progress would be easier.”

“What kind of advice is that?” his friend growled.  “I have worked hard to acquire the things in my cart, and you are telling me I should throw them in the street?  They will be taken by others and then I will have nothing!  If you truly love me, you will help me pull the cart!”

Not to be discouraged, the servant said, “But, my friend, I can show you a Better Treasure, one far beyond the value of anything in your cart.”

Suspicious, his friend peered at him.  “Why would you want to share a priceless treasure with others?  Why not keep it for yourself?”

“Because it is a free Treasure that is available to all who would accept it.  The cost to my Master was great.  But He has given it to me, and now I freely offer it with great love to you.”

“Nothing is free!” scowled his friend.  “I have spent everything I have on my possessions! If this treasure is free, it must have no value in it!  There is always a cost for true treasures!”

“The only cost is unburdening yourself of the items in your cart and allowing me to show you my Master's Way to acquiring this Treasure,” the servant replied.

“You are a thief and a liar and so is your Master!” the friend roared.  “I want nothing of this Treasure you imagine!”  In anger, the servant's friend turned back to his cart and inched his way down the street.

Because of the servant's great love for others to learn of the Way, he moved on in search for willing ears to hear of it.  As his eyes scanned the busy street, he spotted a woman sitting on the corner.  Her eyes were fixed on her hands that lay limply in her lap.  But as he approached her, she lifted her eyes, revealing in them despair and sorrow.

“I have seen you before,” she muttered, averting her feverish gaze.  “What is it you want?”

“I saw you sitting here in the gutter and my Master's love for you drew me to you,” said the servant.

“If you love me, you will give me what I need,” she replied.

“But the need you desire is not what is best for you.  There is another Way that is better, a Way that will free you from your despair,” he offered.

“Take it to someone else.  I have pleasures that serve me well and I have no desire to give them up.”  Rising from the gutter, the woman wandered away from him and blended into the rushing masses on the street.

Saddened that the two people he had approached refused his gesture of love, the servant looked up to see a small crowd that had gathered on the corner.  They appeared to be deep in conversation with each other.  Standing, he slowly moved toward them, curious over their lively discussion.

As the servant got closer, he overheard a well-dressed man exclaim, “The conference was enlightening!  There were representatives from all the ways, each proclaiming the deception of only one Way!  I went away from it, awakened and encouraged!”

“I was there, too!” a woman said with excitement.  “It opened my mind to the reality that we can all share our many ways and attain the same goal!”

"That is so wonderful!” another said.  “A true break-through!” another gushed.  “Their teaching has certainly answered a lot of questions,” said still another.

“It is a lie,” the servant quietly said to them.

All eyes turned to him in anger, and the first man asked, “Who are you to say their way is not truth?”

“Because there is only one Way to point to Truth,” the servant answered.  “And there is only one Truth that will give you Life.  My Master has shown me this Way.”

Outraged, the crowd all began to speak at once.

“These were men and women educated in truth!”...“Who are you to say they lie?  You  and your Master are the liars!”...“You are being hateful for those who have a different way!”...“How dare you judge another way!”...“You need to open your mind and be accepting of other ways!”

The servant stood silently among them until the furor died down.  Looking at them with compassion, he said to them, “If you knew me, you would know that I bring you this Truth with a tremendous love for you.  And my Master, Who has shown me the Way, has sent me to tell you He loves you more than I.”

“What kind of love is that!” one man sneered.  “You are bringing us a lie and your Master falsely condemns others who follow a different way!  Be gone from us!  We have no use for His intolerant and exclusive Way!  There are many truths!  Take His to another!”

And they all turned their backs to him.

Moving away from the angry crowd, the servant felt sorrow in his heart.  “Is there no one willing to hear me as I speak of my Master's love for them?”  The man wandered down the street, his heart heavy and downcast within him that none wanted to know the Way to Truth and Life.

“Hey, mister?” a voice called out to him.

Lifting his eyes, the man saw a dirty and bedraggled child standing alone in the town square.

“I have been following you and listening to the things you have told others,“ the child said.  “I would like to hear more of your Master and His Way.  Would you be interested in telling me?”

Love and hope once again over-powered the servant’s heart.  As the sun set on the busy street and the people rushed to and fro, he began to tell the child of His Master's Way to Truth and Life.

When the servant had finished, with excitement the child said to him, “It is true!  Come!  There is not much time!  We must go and tell others about our Master's Way!”

Rising to their feet and taking each others hand, they moved with great love and boldness into the bustle of the crowded street, searching for those with a willing ear and an open heart to learn of their Master and the Way that had set them free.

The Only Absolute

Acts 17:22-28

There is an old saying that the only absolutes in life are death and taxes.  That paints a pretty grim outlook on our short lives here on earth, and it certainly offers no joy in the anticipation of living them out.   But in reality, the only absolute we have is in God Whom we have never seen.  Think about it for a moment.

Because we are human and sinful, we only want to believe in the things we can see, touch, smell, taste, or hear.  They become our realities on which we rely to survive in this world.  Our senses are tuned in to respond to physical stimuli and tangible objects, sending currents of electricity speeding along the vast and complicated organism of nerves that wind through our bodies to our brain, and back to the object.  The pen I hold in my hand becomes a reality to me with such speed that, unless I focus my entire attention upon it and consider the magnitude with which my nervous system responds, the pen is taken for granted.  I can see the pen in my hand, I can feel it resting there, and I can watch it as the words flow from my mind onto the paper.  But as I do so, the paper then becomes another absolute because of its own physical existence, the table the paper is resting upon becomes another reality, and the list goes on and on as we live out our lives in commonplace ways.

But what if you were suddenly deprived of all the senses you so heavily rely upon?  If, all at once, you were unable to see, to smell, to feel, to taste, or to hear what you consider to be your absolutes, would you continue to believe in their existence?  The answer to these questions depends solely upon what you base your own existence.  If you believe, as many do, that your physical life here and now is all that you will have and that you will just cease to exist when it ends, then your answer would be “no”.  But if you believe that there is a greater unseen Absolute - the One Who created all your realities and gave you the ability to experience them - your answer would be very different.  You would know with undying certainty that there is only one Absolute, one continual and eternal reality that can never be taken from you.

It is no wonder that unbelieving men build idols of wood, stone, money, possessions, and even other people.  They are objects they can physically hold and see.  But like all the elements in our universe, they also have no value and rot and decay over time.  It is the spiritual realm, that men so often fail or refuse to believe in, where the sole Absolute of all creation dwells.  Because unbelieving men can not see God, can not touch Him, or hear Him, He does not exist for them.  They continue to cling to what they consider to be the only absolutes, those that are physical and tangible and genuine to their perception of reality.  By remaining in their unbelief, they may one day find themselves deprived of all their senses.  Except one.  Thought.  As they are separated from God for all eternity, they will realize that their failure was great, that there is only One Absolute, and they will mourn throughout eternity for refusing to acknowledge Him.

I do not need to see my God to believe He exists.  Although He is currently invisible to our sinful eyes, He has made Himself plainly known in all of creation (Psalms 19:1-6) and revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-14).  Our Creator continues to hold the balance of all things in His capable hands (Psalms 50:1), knowing that we are in need of certain worldly absolutes in order to survive.  He dwells in a place He is preparing for those of us who believe that He is the only Absolute in which we can find salvation, peace, and eternal life.  And He will one day fulfill all the things He promised long ago that will bring us the joy we could not find here.

Of this, we have His absolute guarantee.

Suggested reading:

• Numbers 24:17
• Job 42:5
• Psalms 8:1-9
• Psalms 29:1-11
• Psalms 33:6-8

The Rich Man's Camel

 Luke 18:18-30

If Jesus asked you to give up all your money, your possessions, even your family, to follow Him, would you?

We continually announce our undying love and devotion to Jesus but, for now, the majority of us live in relative comfort with all of life’s necessities surrounding us.  We are used to having certain comforts in our lives and, often, take them for granted.  Our priority is to succeed in establishing a good life for ourselves; a well-paying job, a home, a family, and eventually, a secure retirement.

We live in a nation that has afforded us the ability to climb the ladder of success and achieve great things.  The mantle of success in America is determined by how much wealth, power, and prestige a person has amassed in his lifetime.  The property he possesses and the name  he has made for himself are viewed as great accomplishments for the one who conquered all odds.  But how willing, regardless of our station in life, would any of us be to give it all up to follow Jesus Christ?  Or would we hang our heads and walk away as this young man did?

The answer Jesus gave to the rich young man was not directed at his purse strings.  It was aimed at his heart.  Our Lord knew what dwelt there as the man approached Him.  Although the young man had been educated in the law and felt he was blameless because of his adherence to it, Jesus could see what he truly prized the most: his wealth, his possessions, and the life of ease he had created for himself.  He mistakenly thought he could continue to maintain his position and wealth and, at the same time, gain heaven through his struggle to follow the Law of Moses.

Jesus response threatened the very basis of this man’s security and identity.  It threw him into a tailspin over the possible loss of his material wealth and the fear of being thrown into poverty.  The man’s original zeal was two-fold.  He wanted to retain his stature in the community, and wanted to add to it by being called one of Jesus’ disciples.  But Jesus was telling him he could not have both in the way he desired them.  Although the man seemingly possessed every bit of life’s comforts and rewards, Jesus pointed out to him that he was placing all of those things above the most important treasure he could possess.  Forcing him to make a choice, Jesus revealed within the nature of the man an unwillingness to give up his temporal possessions because, to him, they had more value than what Jesus was offering.  The young man walked away, dejected over the answer he had received.

The rich young man had burdened his camel with what the world could give him.  Going to the heart of the matter, Jesus pronounced the difficulty of securing eternal life for those of us who value our current lives and current successes over the One Who is able to give us eternal life (v 24, 25).  Most of us would be no different than the rich man who was saddened over the prospect of giving it all up.  Whether we belong to the Fortune 500 Club, owning a caravan of camels, or are as poor as a church mouse, we view our possessions as a necessity with which we are not willing to part.

The thing the young man lacked was the understanding that a greater treasure awaited him in heaven.  By trying to load his camel with all the worldly possessions he could amass was not going to gain him anything.

Jesus concluded his conversation of conviction by declaring that if we would unload the camel in this life, much more would be given us in the next.  By forsaking what the entire world has to offer and making Jesus Christ our most prized possession then, perhaps, that camel might make it through the eye of the needle.

Suggested reading:

• Matthew 6:19

John 20:10-18

Is your faith in Jesus Christ as simple as was Mary Magdala's? 

Mary, an eyewitness to and a recipient of the miraculous healing of our Lord, selflessly followed Him as He traveled through Judea proclaiming His gospel.  Through her own means, she tended to His needs.  In the quiet twilight hours of evening, she sat at His feet like a child as Jesus taught His disciples.  Mary absorbed His words and adored being in His presence.  By her actions, she was a disciple in her own right.

When Jesus was crucified, Mary followed His steps to the cross, remaining there until His precious body was taken down.  Trailing after Joseph and Nicodemus, she watched as they prepared His battered, broken, and pierced body with myrrh, aloes, and spices, and wrapped it in a burial cloth.  As they laid His body in the tomb and rolled the massive stone across the entrance, the apparent finality of her walk with her Lord brought unimaginable grief.  So great was her sorrow that she returned to the tomb on the third day to demonstrate her tremendous respect for the man who had freed her from her terrible burden.  Jesus had treated her with dignity in a culture that demanded otherwise, and she honored Him for that.  And for her childlike devotion, Mary was rewarded by being the first to see our risen Lord.

Mary's faith was not complicated.  Doctrine held less importance than simply walking with Jesus.  She had a willingness to believe in Him.  She faithfully obeyed the words Jesus spoke.  Mary had an eagerness to serve Him, even to His death.  Her joy was in merely being in His presence; so much so that she waited until He breathed His last upon the cross.  The loyalty and love she conveyed upon Him drove her twice to the tomb where His body lay.  Just by being there, she found comfort.  It is no wonder that when He appeared to her, she wanted to cling tightly to Him.  Mary realized with ecstatic joy that her Lord and Savior lived and obediently rushed to tell the others the astounding news. 

We should all desire the simple, childlike faith Mary had for Jesus Christ.  She is an example of gratitude for all that He did for her.  Not just in the miraculous way He healed her of seven demons, but for the fulfillment of the promise He had made to redeem her and all mankind.  Her faith was as simple as being the recipient of His grace and believing He would accomplish all He set out to do.

The strongest faith is the simplest faith; childlike belief of healing, mercy, and grace.  We must begin there.  And if our faith ever falters, we must return to where it began.  As Jesus did for Mary, He will do for us.  If we find ourselves sitting before His tomb and grieving for what we think we have lost, He will again appear and renew us.  With the simple faith of Mary, we will then be strengthened so that we can rush to tell others that our Lord, our God, is risen - just as He said He would.