Life under The Son

I started at a new workplace this week and so of course I've spent some time thinking about what the Word says about work. The Lord does not spend time (or maybe waste it) on those philosopical sort of questions that don't really have an answer. The Bible is a practical guide for life. It seems to me that all the oppositions people have with the Bible generally are an excuse to avoid responding to its truth.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon records the greatest wisdom of the human experience. One of the key phrases of the book is "under the sun." Solomon's conclusion for life under the sun is that it is all empty or meaningless. That is the only logical conclusion, looking at the facts from the perspective of a purely physical existence.

But the Holy Spirit graciously revealed more than that to Paul. Maybe it was when he visited heaven. Okay, I'm taking some liberties here. Paul never says he visited heaven, he simply says there was a man. My opinion is that the man was him, but I'll admit I was proven wrong on at least one occasion and rumored to be wrong on several others. Whenever it was, the Holy Spirit provided Paul with a glimpse of life beyond what Solomon observed, of life lived under The Son.

Solomon said, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you have, for the days are coming when you will be dead and cannot enjoy work anymore." True, if this life is all there is. Paul said to the Colossians, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your heart, for you know that you will receive a reward from the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Later Paul said, "If our only hope is in this life we are of all men most miserable." He admitted the same conclusions Solomon had come to, up to a point. But Paul had seen something more. If' this life is all there is, if the only basis for judgement is "under the sun", then it is all meaningless and the joke's on us. Paul's concludes that there is more to this life than meets the eye. Further, he concludes that the unseen part, the part after "under the sun," is by far the most important.

So we take heart in difficulties, knowing that our present and light affliction is working for us a far exceeding weight of eternal glory. When the battle hits close to home, it's good to remind myself that I are already have the victory in Jesus! He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

follow me

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose follows a group of young paratroopers from bootcamp into combat during WWII. Just after D-Day, Lt. Winters is tasked with attacking an enemy artillery position with a small group of men. In the HBO produced series based on the book, he issues instructions then makes sure everyone understands. Then Lt. Winters begins moving toward the guns, calling over his shoulder "Follow me!"

Leadership is not about telling others what to do. It's about doing. I'm not going to get into what leadership is and how to do it - if you want that you have a choice of 219,317 books on Amazon.com (as of about 5:30 this morning, there are probably more by now). There are also countless videos, classes, seminars. Let me tell you, you can even google "leadership pill" and get results! (Ok, it's another book.)

This morning I wrote a note to my pastor. I wanted to tell him how much I have appreciated working with him for the last year and a half. By his choices and conduct, he has qualified himself as a leader in the Body of Christ. None of us can choose our place in the Body of Christ, God Himself determines that. We can however conduct ourselves in such a way that we become all He wants us to be.

Paul said "Follow me as I follow Christ." There are a lot of ideas about leadership, but to me this sums it up pretty well. That is the kind of leader I am willing to follow. And that is the kind of leader I want to be.

See the way

Zacchaeus was shorter than most. I can relate. He lived in Jericho, which I don't really relate to but that's okay. One day Jesus was walking through town. There was a crowd & Zacchaeus couldn't see over the top. He was looking for Jesus but all he could see was shoulder-blades. Or maybe knee-caps, depending on how wee of a man was he.

Sometimes it seems like you're looking for Jesus but there is something in the way. You want to see Him, you want to go the right way, do the right thing, make the right choice, but its hard to see the way. Sometimes like Zacchaeus, it seems that the hindrance is me, or something about the way I am. That's just the way I am. Why do I always do that? Etc., etc., etc.

Zacchaeus didn't let that stop him. He got to a higher place. He ran ahead & climbed a tree. Now he was well above everyone. So much that he attracted the attention of Jesus.

In our hearts, that higher place is often the place of praise. When I can't see Jesus, I need to lift my voice in praise, let my song be heard, lift my heart in thanksgiving. Speaking in faith the goodness of God, thanking Him for everything He has done, gets my eyes off the problem & opens my heart to receive His Word.

Need a path through the Red Sea? God can handle it (just ask Moses). An entire army chasing you down to kill you? No problem (Moses again. Or David. Or Hezekiah. I could go on). The devil himself against you? Already defeated. God does not have challenges, and even if He did, it would have to be something way bigger than the issue I'm facing today.

Praise lifts my heart to the place I can see Jesus, where my heart is open to hear His word. Looks like the Bible says it attracts His attention to me. As my friend Scott says, "Praise Him!"

Please turn to Song #116

When you first meet someone, you are looking for common ground. That's why I have to work to avoid the question "What do you do?" What do you mean, what do I do? I do the same things you do- get up, go to work, hang with the guys, check the weather, bring home the bacon, pull for the team, help clear the dishes, give the kids a bath, try to keep my nose clean, keep it between the ditches, keep the ax to the grindstone, kiss my sweetie goodnight, try not to think of all the things undone when I finally lay my head on the pillow. Oh, you mean what's my job? If I'm pressed for time I usually answer "I do taxes." This is kind of a dangerous answer because 98% of the time that stops the conversation like a brick wall but the other 2% can lead to lengthy discussions on home office deductions and the like. (Side note: In my opinion, if you are legally entitled to a deduction you should take it. No charge for that one, but you should consult your own tax advisor.)

This morning I found a lot that I had in common with a man I've never met. And I don't know what his job is. Or was, I should say. He's been dead for a while now. But something he wrote has become one of the most famous pieces of literature in history. Hopefully someday we'll have even more in common than we do now. Not sure if it was a song or a poem, but it's included in the book of Psalms right before the shortest chapter in the Bible.

Psalm 116 is an expression of heartfelt gratitude that is as relevant and encouraging today as it was several thousand years ago. Our friend recorded the difficulties of his soul, something everyone can relate to. I wish everyone could also relate to the answers he found: that God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion.

When we call out, "O Lord, save me!" we open our situation to the same loving power that caused this guy to declare "When I was in great need, He saved me."

Wait, it gets even better. Not just help for the immediate need, but guaranteed success in the future. Too good to be true? In verse 8, my guy says not only has his soul been delivered from death (and his eyes from tears) but his feet have been delivered from stumbling. Where do I sign? My feet delivered from stumbling? I'll take it! Help for today and hope for tomorrow.

"Be at rest once more, O my soul." Why could he say that? Because God was good to him. Now that's something that I want to have in common.

The Tip of the Scepter

"Now it happened on the third day," the ancient Eastern story goes, "that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace."

Chances are you are very familiar with the story. You know what has transpired up to this point. You know that Esther's life (certainly), and the lives of her family (most probably), and even the future of her entire nation (quite possibly), hang in the balance. You know that it is unlawful to enter the king's presence without an invitation, and that there is only one punishment: death. Unless, of course, the king extends the royal scepter.

Remember the moment you stood on the edge. That moment on the bridge, or the ledge or the edge of the cliff. It takes your breath away. Your body backs away of its own volition. Your stomach is in your throat. Maybe you didn't physically stand on the edge; you were on a different edge. The car hydroplaning or sliding on ice. Or any of a thousand other situations where danger is imminent.

Esther felt it. She walked right to the edge. Then she stepped off. The Bible does not say how Esther felt at that moment, but I have tried to imagine it many times.

There is no way to know for sure, but I do know how Esther felt when the king extended the royal scepter to her. I know what Esther felt as she walked across the throne room, as she looked into the eyes of the king and placed her hand on the tip of the scepter. I know because I have felt it too. I too have known the sentence of death for breaking the law. I too stood condemned, no recourse and no appeal. No hope save one, the favor of the King. I know the relief, the overwhelming joy, the gratitude from the deepest part of the soul, the desire to express something for which there are no words.

I know because I too have touched the tip of the scepter.

The King of Heaven has extended the royal scepter to us in Jesus Christ. Sometimes when my life is busy and my mind becomes consumed with other things, I do not remember. But I remember now. I am so very thankful to God for His love and His grace to me. So freely given, at such great cost to Himself, how can I not give my life to Him and live for Him each day? There is only one refreshing, and everything else is a picture of it. Come with me this morning to say thank you again. Come with me today to touch the tip of His scepter.

Wait for it...

Dark house. The only sounds I hear are a few crickets outside and the occasional random sounds of a coffeemaker that just got done. There is something about the early morning, a sense of expectancy for the day. Maybe our hearts know the dawn is just on the way.

Refreshing. Renewal. The dawn. A new day. Here in the dark and the quiet, I am waiting for it all to happen. Waiting and watching. Hoping. Expecting. Believing.

Sometimes our hearts need a moment with no external demands. Sometimes the heart needs to just be. It is a way of acknowledging God. I embrace humility, quietly seeking God's face.

Waiting, if done right, has good results. "Wait upon the Lord," Isaiah said, "and you will renew your strength." I am waiting to see His goodness. He will renew my strength. A new dawn impends... what does this new day hold? I wait to see what the Lord will do for me.

Beauty on a stick

I'm still thinking about refreshing. I was recently on a trip which was thankfully refreshing. I was outdoors a lot in a wild and beautiful place. Being in touch with nature does something very good for the soul. It is refreshing to view God's handiwork on display, to stop and reflect that our days are few and the only things that really matter have a lot to do with how I treat others. It is refreshing to come to the end of the day exhausted with honest effort and to appreciate God's handiwork displayed in you. It is good to lay down the accumulated cares of the day, and to never take them up again.

One thing that struck me as I was away from my daily routine: I and the members of my party took a lot of pictures. The setting was visually stunning - towering mountains, rushing waters channeled by boulders and cliffs, alpine meadows, forests with wild flowers and fauna. (Including wild trout. I am happy to say I saw a lot of wild trout, but not all of them were as happy to see me.) All recorded with the touch of a button, immediately saved on my camera's memory stick. As I thought about it, I came to realize something deeper was going on.

More than the impressive visual display, we were trying to capture the moment. I didn't so much want to record the view as to record the feeling the view created in me. I wanted to capture the beauty, and I wanted to experience again (when looking at the picture later) the feelings that beauty stirred deep within me. I wanted the beauty on a stick (ok, my camera's memory stick) so I could take it out and feel that feeling again and again and again.

Sounds kind of funny when I say it like that, being so open about something so private. I guess that's the power of a blog. You can bare your soul to another without looking into their eyes. God's creation is a masterly display. Our souls respond to beauty. True beauty refreshes. It's like our eyes have taken something in and, having communicated everything they have seen, they tell us that there are truths they comprehend beyond this material world. In honest and quiet moments we can hear our hearts agree.

All longing for beauty, and all longing for refreshing, are echoes of our hearts crying out for God.