Where Could I Go?

I live in Tornado Alley, the area in the central U.S. known for spawning the violent winds that sometimes tear up whole towns. Kansas is close to the top for frequency and severity of the storms. Of course, you knew that. You remember Dorothy and Toto getting blown to the Land of Oz, don't you?

Although I don't have a specially constructed shelter, I do have my basement outfitted with the items that would keep me safe and marginally comfortable if a twister lifted off my roof. I have spent a number of hours there on occasion, waiting for the all-clear signal so I can return upstairs. It's good to have a place to go. I passed by any number of houses that would have made a good home because they had no basement to provide personal refuge (it is to be hoped) from disaster.

There are other storms in life also, even violent ones. They are able to twist one's heart and mind with incredible pain. They can destroy what has taken years and years to build in just a fraction of that time, leaving grief and loss. They scatter plans and drench hopes. Yes, "into each life, some rain must fall." (Longfellow) But no one ever expects a tornado. "Where could I go? Oh, where could I go, seeking a refuge for my soul?" (an old song by James Coats.) You need a place to go.

I like book titles that send my mind off into wanderings and wonderings. I noticed one the other day: Home for Broken Hearts. That's it, I thought. That describes the refuge that God provides for weary, hurting people in life's tornadoes. "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.' " (Psalm 91:1-4, 14-16)

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Don't Take It Personally

I have often wondered why Moses was called the meekest or most humble man on earth. (See Numbers 12:3) I discovered the other day some things about him that I had never realized before. Moses was so incensed at the injustice meted out to his brethren by the Egyptian taskmasters, that he killed one of the overseers and buried him in the sand. Witness, judge, jury, executioner—Moses was all of those that day. He stepped in where only God had the right. Humble, was he? I don't think so.

Now, move ahead many years. Moses has been out in the wilderness as a sheepherder for forty years. He has met the great I AM. He has a call to lead God's people out of their bondage. He is no longer ready to take things into his own hands; in fact, he has so much personal reluctance that God is displeased by the lack of godly confidence he has. Moses has seen God display His power in the series of plagues that troubled Egypt; he has seen the Red Sea opened for the Israelites to pass through; he has seen water provided miraculously for the huge crowd of travelers.

But then, a month and a half into the journey, the supplies the crowd had brought with them are depleted. Perhaps only a few complained at first, but eventually there was a groundswell of discontent in the camp. "We were better off in Egypt," the people whined. "There we had meat and bread, but out here we are going to starve to death. Moses, do something."


"Your sin is not against me,
but against GOD.

And Moses, who had now learned something about letting God be God, replied, "Your complaints are not against Aaron and me and I am not taking them personally, because you are complaining against God." (Notice that the people had not bothered to complain to God, but only against Him to whoever would listen. Pretty typical.)



Part of Moses' reputation for meekness then, I believe, was coming to the understanding that he should stay out of God's business. It is very easy for us to involve ourselves in applying guilt to those whom we think should feel guilty, and in condemning those who deserve condemnation. We may even keep our distance from those who claim to be Christian but whose fellowship would embarrass, confuse, or "compromise" us. There are some things we just do not need to worry about, take offense over, and try to correct; they are God's business and not our concern.



Granted, if we are offended, we must forgive, but I have just discovered that some of the things I was struggling to forgive were not mine to handle at all. The sin was not, in the final analysis, against me but against God. Forgiveness was not required if I would just let go! That must be why the Apostle Paul wrote, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)



MaryMartha



Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved



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Let It Go

I heard a catchy tune on the radio the other day, but the words were significant enough for me to grab a pen and jot down the gist of each of the verses. (Not the song Tim McGraw made famous.)

What somebody said? Let it go. You love but they don't love you back? Let it go. Those politicians—you hear what they say but you don't know what they mean? Let it go. A family feud? Let it go. You're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about it? Let it go.

A very large part of the things we fret about and carry around as a constant burden are things we cannot change. If those last few words say it all—you're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about the situation?—just let it go! There are enough things where we can make a difference to demand our attention; we don't need to take on situations over which we have no control!

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

--Reinhold Niebuhr, theologian, ca 1934.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Got Your Helmet On?

In the flow of traffic this morning, I saw ahead of me a man on a motorbike. He wasn't dressed conspicuously, except for his gaudy helmet! I was reminded, then, that most states have a law mandating the protective helmet if you're driving a motorcycle, and many extend the law to a passenger as well. I know men—it could just as well be women—who would rather forego riding than be forced to wear a helmet. Well, cardiac surgeons are just waiting for the organ that some careless, unhelmeted rider may eventually donate. As the popular commercial says, "Don't leave home without it."

Even a kid needs a helmet.
Both kinds.



Another kind of helmet protects another part of our being. Protecting the brain is one vital requirement; protecting the mind is another. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, urges us, "But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

Where does all of the mind's input come from? Well, that's really too technical for me to talk about, but there are at least these: sensory impressions from the environment and the people in it, the state of our physical body, our hopes and plans and memories, and our perceptions outside the natural world (spiritual influences). The mind, like the "bowl" that encases the precious brain, should not be unprotected from what could damage it. We see wrecked lives, sometimes, and wonder just what happened. The trauma, we must realize, started in the mind; it did not spring all by itself from the circumstances around it. Confident salvation will help protect the mind.

Got your helmet on? Don't leave home without it.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America.  All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: "Don't Get Mad"

I'm not sure my mother ever told me specifically that it was not okay to get "mad," but if not, I know I picked it up from her own way of life. I cannot think of any time when I recognized that she was angry. Hurt, yes. Frustrated, yes. Even unhappy. But not mad. I now realize that Christians who feel they dare not let inconvenience or displeasure make them angry often cover that emotion with others they consider less dangerous. I should know; I became a poster child for that self-deception.

Anger is a useful human emotion. Like pain, it warns us that something requires attention. Rather than prohibit it, the Bible denounces selfish, misdirected, out-of-control anger. It uses words like wrath, malice, strife, hatred and so forth to describe that family of negative responses and warns us to put them away.

The person who denies their indignation at injustice and avoids every kind of conflict may be as difficult to live with as the person who is angry about everything and ready to do battle. The first is cowering behind a wall of "niceness" so that no one knows what they are really thinking. The second is advancing with tanks and machine guns to do away with an enemy that may be as small as a beetle! Both have some personal work to do on their way of facing life; both need to find respectful, helpful ways to express the dismay and frustration and anger they are feeling.

Lots of people talk and write about how to "fight fair" in relationships, so no lengthy discussion is needed here. The point I want to make is that we must free ourselves from the misconception that it is wrong for us to feel what we feel. Especially in crisis moments, we may be quite surprised at our initial response. No matter. The Holy Spirit is not there to squelch that human emotion, but to guide us, if we're willing, into fruitful resolution or into amicable disagreement.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Loyal

The final post in a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"


The color blue stands for loyalty.
Whenever you see blue sky, think of
GOD"S FAITHFULNESS!



It would be the rare person who had never experienced a disappointment in one or more of their relationships. An employee does not follow through on the assignment or responsibility entrusted to him/her. A service provider turns out to be less than trustworthy. A friend proves unfaithful. Families may be fractured. Even a spouse who promised "till death do us part" sometimes changes his/her mind. We value loyalty—but we cannot always depend on it defining our relationships.



God is different! He is always right here, even if—sadly—we are not welcoming His presence. "Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute—you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, 'Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!' It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you." (Psalm 139:7-12 MSG) Surely when circumstances not of our own choosing lead us to the "underground" or into the dark, we can know that He is already there!



Children ran to Him to be blessed—and still do! He cares for the elderly; "even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4 NIV) He is especially watchful of orphans and widows and the disenfranchised who look to Him for their provision and protection. (See Psalm 68:5, 6)



"Since God assured us, 'I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,' we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:6 MSG) Christians may say, "The Lord has forsaken me, He has forgotten me." No, He responds, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49:15 NIV)

This characteristic of God is very precious!  He is unfailingly loyal!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://sxc.hu/

God Is Reasonable

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"


When I say that God is reasonable, that doesn't mean I can subject Him to examination and figure Him out. He is far, far beyond that! I have learned in practice the reality of " 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' " (Isaiah 55:8, 9) We cannot fit all of God into our tiny little frame of reference.

The story of Job shows us, though, that God is reasonable in that He can be reasoned with; things can be discussed with Him, arguments weighed, and conclusions reached. Notably, Moses and Abraham reasoned with God and He gave consideration to their pleas. This doesn't mean we always get the answer we would like. Job did not. He stormed at God, demanding to know why he was suffering such loss—his riches, his family, his friends, his health. And God did discuss the matter with Job, although the conclusion they came to was not exactly what Job was expecting. It was along the line of: "I am God! And just who do you think you are? What do you really know about anything?"

God is always working for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28) Many of our problems lie in not knowing what will be, in the end, best for us. We may say, "Well, God had a reason." Yes, perhaps that is true. He may have had a reason, and we were not given that understanding. Or often, just because we live in a broken world, bad and "senseless" things happen to good people. Contrariwise, because our world sometimes operates in an inverted fashion, good things happen to bad people! There may be no other reason.

When we come to those baffling times, we can trust God's goodness. He is just. He is also merciful. If we actually need to know the reason, God will give it—maybe now, maybe later. Because He is reasonable.

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: "Add Just Enough . . . "

I'm sure many of you had a mother—or grandmother—who reigned in the kitchen without using a cookbook. Familiar food dishes were prepared without referring to any recipe; the cook just put things together in her own time-honored way and it seemed always to turn out splendidly!

I wanted to learn how to make pie crust like my Mom made, pliable enough to be pressed into high fluted edges, baking up crisp but tender and flakey. Okay, I had lard (a permitted ingredient in those days!), flour, and salt. "Now add cold water a little bit at a time until it feels right."

Can I help it if your mouth is watering?

Until it feels right? How was a beginning pie-maker to know when it felt right? I never did learn. To this day I rely on refrigerated crusts or resort to making a crumb one and pretend that's what the recipe called for!

"Just enough." It's not only in making pie crust that we have not learned very well what that means. Many aspects of our American culture rely for success on our penchant for excess. We drive cars with far too much horsepower, we eat restaurant meals that would feed several people, we trade in electronic gadgets that work just fine for bigger ones with more capabilities than we know how to use, we have closets full of clothes and shoes we never wear. We hardly ever feel we have "enough."

Books, articles in magazines, and items on the Internet give lots of ideas about making it through the continuing economic downturn. The one that appealed to me as the wisest was this: Be satisfied with less.

Learning to be content is not a new idea. The Apostle Paul tells us, in his letter to the church at Philippi, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (4:12, 13) While we often quote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," this Scripture applies most directly to being content, learning to be happy with much or little, knowing what it just enough.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is Forgiving

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"

What is forgiveness? How can we forgive egregious offenses? How do we know when we have forgiven completely? These are questions we sometimes ask about our own intentions to forgive.

The clearest definition and evidence of forgiveness is in this aspect of God's character.

God's forgiveness is freely offered. God is full of compassion. He is not waiting to catch us in some transgression, but when we fail, He is merciful. (1)

God's forgiveness is thorough. God removes our sin and remembers it against us never again. (2)

God's forgiveness gives us right relationship with Him. We are justified (made right) as a gift of His grace. (3)

Jesus' parable of the prodigal son's return
illustrates the forgiveness God extends to those
who come "home" to Him.

God's forgiveness, however, is costly. Because the blood of sheep and calves could not take away sins, God gave His Son to the world, securing our redemption. (4)

There are some things, too, that His forgiveness is not.

God's forgiveness does not mean ignoring or making excuses. God does not pat us on the head, so to speak, and tell us everything will be all right. (5)

God's forgiveness does not mean "paying back but instead, working for our good. He does not give us what we deserve, but rather we share in the inheritance that only Christ deserves. (6)

God's forgiveness does not mean accepting continued wrongdoing. God forbid that we should use the promises of grace to pursue our sin, casually believing that God will "wink" at it and forgive again. (7)

God's forgiveness does not necessarily mean escaping the natural consequences. There is a "law" of sowing and reaping that applies both to the natural realm and to the spiritual. (8)

How can we forgive?  Watch what He does and learn to do the same.
(1) Psalm 86:15
(2) Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:16, 17
(3) Romans 3:23, 24
(4) Hebrews 9:12; 10:5
(5) Romans 1:20
(6) Psalm 103:10; Romans 8:17
(7) Romans 5:20-6:2
(8) Galatians 6:7, 8

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

Is God Necessary?

I read today in a news item that two eminent scientists have authored a new book arguing that the idea of a Creator-God is redundant. Because of natural laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason the world exists and why we are here! It is not necessary, they claim, to invoke God into the process.

"In the beginning, GOD .  .  .  "

Since I have not read their book, I don't know whether the authors say there is no God, or just that He isn't necessary. But in the very first place, the vast nothingness of space was formed by Him! "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1, 2 NLT) God began speaking His "Let there be . . ." commands, and lo! something did come from nothing! No God necessary for creation? I cannot stretch my imagination that far.

Voltaire was a French philosopher and prolific writer living 1694-1778. He was sometimes critical of the Church and organized religion; nevertheless, he stated, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to create him." We need God. He put it all together, and He is the One who holds it together! "We look at this Son [Christ] and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body." (Colossians 1:15-18 MSG)

Many scientists have for a long time been trying to explain the mystery of the universe's creation without recourse to a Divine Creator. With a collection of overlapping theories, they think they are approaching the secret of "the grand design," filling in many—but not all, they admit—of the blank spots.

But anyway, doesn't a grand design imply a Designer?

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/