Judgment Day

 

One day we will all stand before the Lord on judgment day to receive from Him the rewards for what we have done. II Cor. 5:10. 

I think I speak for all of us in that we fear we have not done enough or that what we have done is not good enough. 

I want to encourage you this morning.  

I remember an experience I had years and years ago!  
I was in 7th grade probably toward the end of the school year. 

One Sunday afternoon we had the house full of visitors.  Adults and kids, it was loud - our house was small. I was playing with the other kids when suddenly I remembered,  I had homework I had not done. An essay for English Literature - showing how  a certain theme  ran through one of the character's lives.  I panicked,  knowing that when the visitors finally went home it would be bedtime and Mom was very strict about bedtimes..  So, I got paper and pen and sat down at the kitchen table, distracted by the noise around me, but I got the essay written.  Relieved, I was happy that at least I had something to hand in the next day. 

On Tuesday morning we were waiting for class to begin when our teacher walked in, visibly very upset about something. 

Without any greeting he said, "I am going to read you one the essays that were handed in yesterday."

To my utter horror, as he started reading I realized it was my essay he was reading.  I was hot/cold, so embarrassed and desperately wishing my desk would sink into the floor!  

When  finally he finished reading it, he threw it on his desk and exclaimed, "Now, if ONE of you can write like that, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THE MATTER WITH THE REST OF YOU !!"  

What? ???   He was PRAISING my essay?   

In remembering that experience I thought about how that will be the same for many of us on judgement day. 

We all  judge ourselves  according to the world's standards or expectations and compare ourselves one to another.  But I believe God judges differently. 

I let my mind drift  over the women in the Bible that are praised for something they did. 

Ruth - has a Bible book named for her - but she did nothing more than be loyal and kind in her relationships. 
Abigail - became the wife of King David -- she did nothing more than cover for a wicked husband.

Esther saved a nation -- but she did nothing other than honor and obey her cousin/uncle. 

The Shunamite woman  - whose heart desire was granted - did nothing other than be hospitable. (to Elijah) 

The widow of Zarephath - used by God to feed Elijah, as well as herself and her son  - did nothing more than be willing to feed a stranger passing by. 

Dorcas/Tabitha - raised from the dead -  did nothing more than sew clothes for widows she knew. 

Hanna -- was given her heart's desire - she did nothing more long to be a mother and was a good one. 

Mary, Martha - were hospitable - loved Jesus - and their brother was raised from the dead. 

Peter's mother - was a good cook - hospitable -- and was raised from the dead. 

The woman at the well -  all she did was share her experience - and a whole town was taught by Jesus. 

Lydia - did nothing more than gather with women to pray at the river.- she worshipped God and opened her heart to hear Paul's message, yet her name is recorded in our scriptures.

The above women all have a place of honor in the pages of our Bible but if you note , none of them did anything extraordinary.  They all just did what was in their heart and mind to do.  It wasn't something they thought about and purposefully planned out  because they thought it would please God!  

We are so performance oriented .... and believe that for something to be worthy of  praise from God it must be something difficult - something we would rather not do - something painful. 

As a parent,  is that what you wish for your children?  Do they please you only when they do something they don't want to do?  are not even suited to do?   Then why do we think that God- the perfect FAther - would expect us to do what is difficult for us to do?   Has He not created each of us, unique in our person, and placed exactly where we are suited to serve Him! 

When we one day stand before God on judgement day, trembling like I did on that school day before my teacher, we will be surprised at what God points out in our life that was praiseworthy. 

I don't think Billy Graham will be praised for his huge revival meetings, or altar calls.   It will be something much more personal, something that he didn't even realize was praiseworthy.  Something he did out of his heart because it didn't occur to him to do otherwise! 

So I encourage you today to go through your day doing what you desire to do because it gives you pleasure or fulfillment - and know that God expects or wants nothing more - or less !   

 

That Which is Not as Though It be! 

ju

Have you ever wished you could live your life backwards and avoid all the pitfalls and regretful decisions you made?  Sadly, it isn't possible of course. 

Our kitchen patio door blinds broke and we needed to get new ones.  The problem was the patio door blinds and the other 3 kitchen windows all match, so buying one new meant buying new for all four windows.  That was okay because I really wanted to get rid of the window mini blinds and was happy to have an excuse. 
We found blinds we were happy with at Home Depot and placed the order.  We were told because they were custom blinds the waiting time would be 6-8 weeks, no rush orders.  Okay, if that's the way it was, we would just 'wait'. 

The day before we left for our vacation I got a call from Home Depot to let us know the blinds had been shipped and were in transit. 

The phone call came only a few days after the order was placed and I was rather dumbfounded!  I asked the sales person on the phone when they were sent out for delivery.  He replied that he would check and came back to me saying they had been shipped on July the 29th.  After I hung up, I thought, 'something doesn't make sense' and I checked the invoice for when we placed the order ,  July 31st.  What?  Time warp?? 

When we came back home, I called Home Depot,  curious to know what was going on.  I talked to a friendly staff member and commented on their 'efficiency' after I explained my confusion.  He laughed and said he hoped that was all it was, he would get back to me.   Yes, that was the case, for some reason, our order was filled weeks before the promised date, and the 'shipping date'  had for some reason been given in error.  

I enjoyed sharing our experience regarding the 'efficiency'  of Home Depot that they could ship blinds before they were ordered and get it right!!  

But then I thought,  isn't that what God does for us all the time?  

He says in Isaiah 46:9b,10 - "I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure!" 

This thought is repeated in Romans 4:17 that reads, "God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did !!" 

God can send out for delivery what we have not yet asked for or even before we recognize a need for it!   In Isaiah 65:24 we read , "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear!" 

Why do we 'doubt' a God as amazing as our God? He knows what we will need tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or fifty years from now, and sends it out 'beforehand'.  

In the context of the Romans verse quoted above, Paul refers to the experience of Abraham.  As far as he knew, the possibility of him having a son was beyond ever happening!  It was impossible.  Yet, God declared that the 'son' was on his way and would arrive in due time!   And so it was!  

We are inundated  today by men/women, 'self-proclaimed' prophets who believe they can 'see' the future and predict what is going to happen.  Yes, some of them get some of  it right some of the time, but God gets it right every single time!  He has not ever missed, not a single detail !  

So why do we doubt??  Why do we worry and drown in our anxious thoughts?   Why don't we believe the track-record of an infallible God and rest, knowing everything is taken care of ? 

Yes, I know...  easier said than done! 

Our grand-girls used to love to go to Castle Fun Park to play the games in the arcade.  One of the games involved hitting pins with a hammer when they popped up, but they didn't stay down.  When you hit them they went down, but popped right up again.   I often think that is how our thoughts are, we see them when they form and know they are wrong -- we hit them with our 'faith-hammer' and they go down, but rarely stay down. They pop back up again if we don't stay vigilant! 

But the more we focus our thoughts and minds on God and  study His word, the more our 'trust' in Him grows  the 'pins' of doubt lose their ability to pop up again when they are knocked down. 

We can look ahead and see nothing but cause for fear to fill our hearts  for what is happening in our world - wars and rumors of wars are a reality in our world, but God said it would happen, Jesus warned us.  So if He knew what would happen and has already prepared what we will need, we have no reason to fear !  We just need to stay hidden under His wings where we are safe, and He will provide according to what He already knows we will need .

Story out of this year's Olympics in Paris. 
High Jump  Champion Gianmaro Tamkeri  had one passion and love - high jumping.  He was dedicated, pouring himself into disciplined training, preparing for the most important race of his life!  His dream was about to unfold.  He was at the Olympics in Paris, one day away from fulfilling his dream! 

  In his words, "Tomorrow at 7:00 pm the race of my life. All for one day. Everything for the moment. A little more than 24hours to the one I wish with all my heart I will remember for the rest of my life as one of the best nights ever !!!"

But, all his dreams were about to crumble. Five hours before his race he was in agony, kidney stones.  He was vomiting blood and was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he lay as the race he had spent years training for was run without him.  Everything  - the years of training, his hopes , his dreams , his future - all crumbled at his feet. 

I feel the agony, the devastation, the loss that athletes like Kamkeri must feel , when they pour everything they have into the anticipation of one moment when everything will be won or lost.
 It's like someone who invests every dollar they have into what is presented to them as 'a sure thing' and then they find out it is a Ponzi scheme and they lose every dollar..  There is no recourse, no re-do, no way to regain what they have lost, or even redeem the time that they spent on their pursuit. 

I feel so 'helpless' for them because they must feel like they are living their worst nightmare and know they will never wake up. 

How stark a contrast this is to the child of God.  We know that when we trust Him and follow our Shepherd, even if we encounter difficulties or pain, it will NEVER be for naught, it will never leave us devastated, it will never leave us at a dead-end.  God looks ahead, has already planned the 'way-through' any difficulty to the 'good' that He has waiting for us !  

A Mango Seed

Faith is not an emotion, nor is it a head-belief. Faith is an action word.

Here is a photo of my mango tree.

 Do I see mangoes hanging from the tender leaves? No!! Does it look possible? NO!!

I love mangos and being fascinated with the strange center "bone" that hides the seed, I decided to try to grow it. My faith was not in my ability to grow things, I do not have a green thumb!! My Faith was in the seed. I have faith that in each seed is a promised mango tree!!

And so my action was motivated by what I believed.  I wrapped the seed in damp paper towel in a zip lock bag until it began to sprout and then I planted it in a pot.

It doesn't look like a mango, it doesn't smell like a mango and I know it wouldn't taste like a mango, but I know if I water it it will grow into a mango tree and bear fruit.  It is actually easier to believe it WILL grow to produce mangos than to believe it won't. (aside from my lack of gardening skill).

 So again, my faith is not in my green thumb, it is in the seed!! I have no doubt at all that there is a mango tree in that seed - not an apple tree, not a grape vine, not a peach tree. I don't have to be convinced by some agricultural scientist. I took the seed out of a mango therefore I know it will grow into a mango tree. No one can tell me otherwise.

We know the promises of God, but we listen to contrary voices  including our own, and we begin to doubt   We doubt when our faith shifts from the 'Seed'  to ourself, trusting in our own ability to make something happen!  We will struggle and fail if we try to make faith effective through our own efforts or strength. We simply need to focus our faith in the 'Seed' , Jesus, who cannot fail to do all that He promised. If it comes from God, it is true! It is a given as surely as the mango seed promises a tree. Every time! 

There is another thing the mango plant has taught me. It takes 5 - 10 years before the mango plant will bear fruit. That is a long time...but the 'time' doesn't hinder or diminish my faith. I don't give up and think it won't happen. 

I know that is simply how long it takes!

So also our faith in God...we pray , we ask, and nothing happens! Do we give up? Think God hasn't heard?  Why do we not give up on the mango plant, but we give up on God?

Is He not the creator of the mango seed , with the lesson that if God doesn't immediately answer our prayers it is simply because 'time' is carefully calculated to be dependent on God's perfect answer - always worth waiting for!

"For the vision [answer] is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak and it will not lie. Though it tarries wait for it because it will surely come,  it will not tarry"

Habakkuk 2:3

Have faith in God, my friends!! He cannot fail!

Children and Ants

I never know where my inspiration will come from for my  devotionals, but somehow they always 'pop up' somewhere!!  

This devotion was triggered by 'sunshine and kids'.  

We live in a complex on Thom Mountain.  It is very quiet, most of the time. Until summer.  There is a complex next to ours that we cannot see - it is separated by trees and a berm and some swampy area but when people are outside on their decks or backyards the sounds travel very clearly. Doesn't help that our house is the closest to our neighboring complex.. 

I was sitting outside for the first time this year enjoying the warmer weather and the sound of children playing in the neighboring complex  was loud enough to be 'intrusive' - if I had had a bad attitude about it.  But I didn't and I don't.  First, I quite enjoy the sound of happy children playing and the second reason is that I remind myself of how much better it is to hear children playing than the sound of sirens, bombs or  gunshots and violence. Right?? 

So... as I listened to the children I realized something.  Children cannot play without laughing. Everything is laugh-worthy to them, or at least it seems every happy thought or action immediately triggers a response of laughter!  

Jesus said that "unless we become as children we will not see the kingdom of God."  Matthew 18:3,4 That is pretty serious !  So I want to invite you to focus for a few minutes on what it means to be a child.  I know we all know the difference between childish and childlike.  It is the childlike that God wants us to emulate.  

It is when a child feels loved and safe that we see a 'happy' child , free to live in the blessings of childhood.   I love the below image.  

Doesn't the image melt your heart?  How safe do you think that child feels?  God says He holds us in His Hand. -John 10:28

As I listened to the neighborhood children's'  laughter resounding again and again, I had to smile . Children find it so easy to live in the moment, enjoy whatever is before them, and laugh with delight.. 

Scripture tells us that God says, "Rejoice and again I say rejoice!?"  Philippians 4:4 

And we all know the scripture "laughter doeth good as a medicine!" Prov. 17:22 Have you taken your 'medicine' today??

There is another reason, I think that children laugh so much more than we as adults do.  It has been said that nothing bonds two people quicker than when they laugh together!  So doesn't it make sense that children who want to be accepted, want to belong, to feel loved would still be using the 'bonding'  instinct that God gave us?  Too bad we as adults too often  forget how to use it  

There are so many child-like characteristics we could point out but I want to focus on just one more.  Curiosity.  I was born with a double dose, that was not limited to my childhood!  

An example -- 

I had occasion to indulge my curiosity recently.  I had a problem with pavement ants in my kitchen.  They found a pathway  from under one of my counter electrical outlets.  I really hate killing anything but I cannot allow ants to roam free in my kitchen !!!  

I did what I had to do, mix peanut butter with Borax and lay my 'offering' below the plug-in outlet. That is 'poison' to them but they only see the peanut butter and take it back to their nest - eventually killing the entire nest. 

I spent some 'quality' time observing them.  Obeying scripture --  Proverbs 6:6 tells us to "go to the ant, consider her ways, and be wise!"  

I was curious -- watching these tiny , tiny creatures..  And I did learn some things. 

They were not aware they were being deceived. That the food was not what they thought it was !  And I thought about how much the enemy wants to deceive us -- we need to be on guard,  watching for 'truth' that is mixed with a little error !!  It is enough to 'kill us'. 

They worked so hard, I never saw them rest, just back and forth carrying the 'food' back to their nest. As I watched them I felt sad for them that all their hard work would end in their death. I thought of how many people rush here and there , working so hard to reach their goals in this life, but if their work is in the flesh, it will end in death.  

I also noticed how they worked together. They  had to go single file up their grout path to the outlet but they stepped out of each other's way and focused on helping one another meet their 'common goal'.  

I felt so bad that I had to cause their death, but there was no alternative!  I could not have them in my kitchen !!  And I understood better why God cannot allow 'sin' to enter heaven.  Why, even though He does not take pleasure in even the death of the wicked, He cannot overrule man's free choice to choose 'evil' instead of 'righteousness' .And there is no way 'sin' can be allowed in God's holy presence. .  I looked at my little ants and thought, "you silly little creatures, why didn't you stay outside?  You could have lived !!"

There was something rather astounding that I noted and I share this risking the probability that you will think I  have gone 'buggy' . (that's okay!! smile) 

My sister told me that these tiny creatures will carry away any dead ants in their area.  So, even though I felt some guilt, my curiosity was stronger, and I killed one of the little ants and let it lie a few inches from the peanut butter mix. 

I watched ...  and it wasn't long before I saw two ants run toward the dead ant ,then making a very sudden stop about one inch from the dead ant.   One of these ants literally shuddered, turned around and ran back to the peanut butter.  

 The other ant did something amazing. 

it didn't run away, but rather stood up on its hind legs stretching up to its full tiny height.  It stood there for a long while.   What it looked like to me was that it was standing before the dead ant, honoring it, paying its last respects.  It was so moving, I could not believe that this tiny creature had the ability to 'think' and 'feel' .  Was it possible?  Was this dead ant related to him?  I have no idea , of course.   But then I had to walk away for a minute and when I came back the dead ant was gone.  

What struck me was how the ants showed respect for the dead body of a fellow ant.  Is that what God is showing us through these tiny ants?   That even though our bodies will die and decay and are made of nothing but 'dust' , because our physical bodies are what house our souls and spirits they have 'worth' and God-given honor even after death? 

We of course have a hope and promise the ants do not have.  Our bodies though they will die and decay will be raised up  in perfection when Jesus comes back. 

And so, I feel a little  'wiser',  because I observed the children and the ants, and I hope it was at least interesting enough for you to think about !  

Conclusion -  Let us remind ourselves of what we see in our little ones that delights us,  and know that God looks for those same characteristics in us, HIS children.