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The Prodigal’s Father

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #redemption, #theprodigalsfather on February 17, 2019| Leave a Comment »

It’s a story I had heard enough times that I could confidently re-tell it to completion. There is a difference, though, between telling a story and fully understanding it’s message.

As I listened attentively to the pastor tell the story of the prodigal son, my mind was illuminated to the details and meaning as never before.

I have never quite understood (or maybe I did) the reaction of the older brother as I did Sunday morning, listening to the pastor share the message … but it was not that which caught my attention, my heart’s attention, the most.

It was the return of the younger son.

He is off in the big city, not a hint of any money from what he had demanded from his father, starving as he watches pigs eat their fill. He decides he will go back home and offer himself as a servant to his father.

He plans what he will say:

“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19).

Then he heads home.

Head bowed.
Shoulders slumped.
Moving at a snail’s pace.
Rumbling in his tummy.
Fear and dread in his soul.

Why fear and dread?

Where do you come from? I come from a small town … a very small town, that was still a village when I lived there and the population was under two thousand. Everyone knew everyone, and everything about everyone (at least they thought they did).

This young man, the prodigal son … he knew that returning to his father was the easy part (remember, his father willingly gave his son what he asked for … not what he was required or expected to do … not what was culturally acceptable to ask for). What he was fearing was his return to his village.

In Jewish society, to have left the village in such a shameful way, to go live with, spent his money on, slept with the unclean Gentiles … would all mean that he would face a kezazah (means “cutting off”) ceremony. He knew that as he arrived in the village, the people (older men) would greet him, breaking a large clay pot at his feet, as a public shaming of how he has cut himself off from his village, from his father.

This is what was in his son’s mind as he considered going home, as he took each step closer to the village.

His father knew of this ceremony too.

And the father knew his son.

So …

“ … while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son” (v. 20a).

Aristotle had said, “great men never run in public” and perhaps he knew of the societal norms within the Hebrew society at the time that Jesus told this parable.

It was okay for servants to run, even women were permitted to run (but just a bit), but a man, a patriarch … never. That would be unacceptable, disgraceful!

The father in the story (who we know to understand as representing God himself) saw his son “while he was still a long way off.” This father had to have been looking for his son, perhaps at the village gate. I think we can surmise that he was planning on circumnavigating the villagers and the custom of kezazah.

“(he) threw his arms around him and kissed him” (v. 20b).

The Return of the Prodigal
Pompeo Batoni, 1773

I love the image above, of an oil on canvas, by Pompeo Batoni. This painting, more than any other I have seen before, communicates the mercy that this father offers. Not only are his arms open wide, but see his right hand, grabbing onto his cloak, in an effort to wrap it around his son … in an effort to shield his son from the consequences that are due him.

It is then, in that moment of mercy when the father steps between the son (us) and the wages of sin, that the son abandons the speech he planned in his mind, for a confession born in his soul:

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (v. 21).

And when the father says let’s party, it is a celebration of the lost sheep.

“Behold what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God–and we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Our heavenly father loves us so much that he waits at the gate of the village for our return, prepared to ensure that we will not be “cut off” from a life with him.

” When we find the insufficiency of creatures to make us happy, and have tried all other ways of relief for our poor souls in vain, then it is time to think of returning to God.” Matthew Henry Commentary

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Never Stop Learning

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #neverstoplearning on February 7, 2019| 2 Comments »

Learning is a life-long process, with non-stop homework, assignments, societal grading of our effort, as well as self assessments.

A couple of weeks ago I published a post called Naked and Exposed, where I wrote about my struggle with the sin of gluttony.

A lifetime of struggling with this sin has taught me many things that transfer (I think) to any sin (and we all sin).

Here is what I learned about sin, through my struggle with my own:

the harder you try to fight it, the more obstacles are in your way of success (think of Satan tempting Jesus in the dessert, oops desert … when Jesus was hungry, he tempted him with bread)

Doesn’t that always happen?! We get it in our minds that we are going to try harder, and as soon as that iron is in our souls, something tempting is right in front of us. It is as though, right out of the gate the cosmos is setting us up for failure … of course we know, it is not the cosmos, but Satan … the same one who tempted Jesus, in the desert.

bad advise always comes from people who are not going through what you are going through (though his problems were not caused by his sin), Job, after losing everything, ‘advised’ by his friends at the gate, asking him what he did to deserve the struggle he was in the midst of).

How many times have I heard (perhaps in not so many words) ‘just don’t eat so much’ as advise to lose weight. If it were that easy to curb the sin of gluttony, duct tape across the mouth would do it! Gluttony is not simply about eating, there are the functions of the brain and of the emotions that also need to be addressed … as is often the case with the sins we are inclined to keep doing.

bad choices can lead to opportunities to sin more easily (think of King David, when he should have been with his soldiers on the field, he was at home in the palace when he sees Bathsheba bathing).

When we know what sins we are most tempted to commit, we also need to know what times, places and situations put us the most at risk of committing them. If I am down, or stressed I am more apt to sin. If I am too busy, I am more apt to sin. If I have not made time for creativity, I am more apt to sin. If I allow my schedule to be too full of people, with little alone time, I am apt to sin.

when you are tempted to sin, turn to the Bible, not away from it. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, his every response was with scripture, in the form of “it is written”.

So, how do we finish strong, as spoken of in Hebrews 12:1-3?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

A number of years ago I heard Mark Spurlock speak on finishing strong. He provided three encouragements for how to accomplish this goal:

embrace the race – not our speed, but the quality of our run … perseverance!
refocus often – eyes on the prize, the finish line
run in groups – “let us” … be in the habit of being with other believers

Whatever it is, sin is hard to overcome. It takes a lifetime of living and learning, progressing (and regressing). We are not perfect beings, but that doesn’t stop our pursuit of excellence.

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Circling the Drain

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #circlingthedrain on January 31, 2019| Leave a Comment »

A shower or bathtub are simply great places to pray.

You’re alone, its quiet (there than the soothing sound of water falling or splashing in the tub), there are few discretions and if your prayers move you to tears, the water will just wash them away.

As I watched the water circling the drain, I thought how my bathtub prayer time can, at times, be similar to that water circling the drain.

There are times when I cry a fountain of tears, releasing the tension, as I cast my cares on the only one who can do something of worth with them.

There are bath prayer times when I haul out my list and go through it like a child with their Christmas wish list, continuing my wants and perceived needs, as though God is my great genie in the sky (or shower head, as the case may be).

There are also times when I unload my wants, my needs, and my cares, but then I keep holding onto them, spinning myself into a vortex, like the water circling the drain, into worry and anxiousness … over the things that I have little control over … I have little control over much!

Why do I want to spin that way? Why do I want to hold on to the worries that fill my heart and mind?

There are two things that I need to remember when this circling the drain happens:

I need to share my worries with God, but also with another person. We all need the support of others who will listen to us, pray for us and even be the hands and feet of God to us.
I need to remember that God, in me, makes me stronger and more capable than I could ever imagine. He makes me strong enough … not in my strength, but in his.

These words of Charles Spurgeon are also good reminders when I am circling the drain:

“There is neither in heaven nor earth nor hell anything that we need fear when we are once right with God. Settle the centre, and the circumference is secure”

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Closer than a Brother

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #closerthanabrother on January 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Click, click, click went the four paws of our Wonderdog, through the house, looking for something, someone … me.

On this particular day, I was hidden from view by a large framed print, leaning against a coffee table, and I was snuggled up on the sofa behind it. He had been searching upstairs and down, with no luck in locating his master. I was giggling to myself, for this self-appointed protector of the household was oblivious to my presence … just a few feet away.

He is my constant companion when I am home and I frequently think of the verse from Proverbs:

” … a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 18:24

Anyone who has ever had the experience of being ‘possessed’ by a dog (or cat … if it’s that kind of cat) knows of what I speak.

They think that the moon rises and falls on you. They are excited to see you arrive home, and obviously sad and rejected when you leave (without them). They position themselves always between a stranger/guest and you. They stick close, all the time. They know, though self/nature appointed, themselves to be your companion, protector.

When Solomon speaks of “a real friend sticks closer than a brother”, he is both reminding us that we can have relationships, friendships that are even closer than family. Those are those friends who we choose, who have chosen us and with whom we would go the distance with … they make our hearts soar with delight. We and they would drop what we are doing for the other. With us they laugh, cry and share the deepest of thoughts and emotions. They want to spend time with us and we with them.

He is also reminding us that Christ is also such a friend, for he too will go the distance with us … he has already gone the distance for us. He desires that we share our tears, laughter and deepest thoughts. He wants to spend time with us, to be our companion, he is our protector.

He is closer than a brother or beast.

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It is Written

Posted in GOD, life, WONDER, tagged #itiswritten on January 27, 2019| 4 Comments »

We live in a time when established or preconceived ideas are challenged. In reality, this has always been the case for there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Though it sometimes makes my heart ache and my brain hurt, I do love how such challenges to my own beliefs, habits and preconceived notions force me to think more deeply, to inspect and research my rationale for what I do, what I believe.

I have been challenged in recent months and years with concerning the Bible as the source of truth. This seems to be a hot topic among those of us who call themselves Christians, or followers of Christ.

Though there are those who struggle with the word of God being written by huMAN vessels (both the human and the man parts), I do not, for I can be confident within my own understanding of God that he can accomplish his will, his work through even the most unpredictable of individuals.

I believe this to be continually proved over and over again as manuscripts, scrolls and other ancient writings have confirmed the validity of what we have today as our Bible.

Less than one hundred years ago, in a cave, a group of shepherds discovered what has become known as the Dead Sea Scrolls (found not far from the Dead Sea). There were found portions of every book in our Old Testament (except for Esther). The scrolls of the book of Isaiah were so close to what we have today as the Hebrew Bible, there were only a handful of words that differed (and they did not change the meaning of what was written). Anyone who has ever played the childhood game of Telephone knows this is no small thing!

Some will say, I don’t follow the Bible, I follow Jesus. John 1:1 tells us that Jesus was (and is) the very Word of God … from the beginning of time:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

He is our model, the one who is our light for the path (Psalm 119:105).

So, if we are to follow him, we need to keep what is said of him always in our mind:

“He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God (Jesus) and obey it.” (Luke 11:28)

“Do not merely listen to the word (Jesus), and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” James 1:22.

To live our lives truly following Jesus, the very Word of God, is no small, or easy, thing. For he took his message straight to the cross.

Jesus came to fulfill the scriptures, the prophesies, the redemption of humankind. As we look to his example, I recently was reminded of his time in the desert, being tempted by Satan.

Three times Satan begins a temptation with the words “if you are the Son of God …” then offers Jesus something that all humans may crave; satiation of hunger, immortality and power.

Each time, Jesus responds with “it is written …” He, the very Word of God, responds with referral to the scriptures.

I would say that Jesus is the greatest confirmation of the Bible.

“There’s nothing like the written Word of God
for showing you the way to salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
Every part of Scripture is
God-breathed and useful one way or another
—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion,
correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.
Through the Word
we are put together and shaped up
for the tasks God has for us.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

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Naked and Exposed

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #nakedandexposed on January 24, 2019| 1 Comment »

Last January, I started the new year with the goal of dealing with a lifelong struggle, failure, and self-disappointment that I had not managed to get ahold of in a real, permanent and transforming manner.

I even wrote about it in a post called Stripped Down. In that post I focused on Hebrews 12:1, which encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”

Though I didn’t indicate what my goal was, I did clearly indicate that it was not just about self improvement, but dealing with sin … my sin.

Now, fifty-five weeks later, that resolution, that sin … I failed. Not only did I fail, but I am now two pounds heavier than I was when I started!

The sin of which I speak is that of gluttony, and, yes, it is a sin.

Sometimes, as Christians, we are far too comfortable to point out the sins of others, rather than our own. We are eager to speak of murder, of divorce, of stealing, of (add your own) …

We tend to judge others more harshly,
simply because
others sin differently from us.

I refuse to try to cover up my sin … one cannot cover up something so visually obvious. I refuse to call it my weakness (though it is), or say that God is patient with me (which he is) or that I need to remember that I live a life of grace, not perfection (which I do).

‘Cause, here’s the thing (and it’s not an easy or popular thing to admit, and certainly not to say),

sin is sin

Sin is not comfortable, not easy, not popular, and not pretty. It could be equated with religion and politics … it is something best to avoid speaking of in mixed groups.

But … sin IS sin.

This sin of gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth), and with high rates of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes in the top ten causes of death in developed countries, it truly is a physically deadly sin.

The Bible is clear that gluttony is a sin.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13 reminds us:

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.” (aka, food is not to be valued beyond it’s intent, or valued beyond God).

Deuteronomy 21:20 says:

“They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” (when I was growing up, I never heard anything in church that equated overeating with over drinking).

Galatians 5:22-23 speaks of the opposite of sin:

“The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Self-control is the opposite of gluttony (and drunkenness).

Probably the most compelling verse, for me, comes from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”

Dealing with sin is a life-long process. Perhaps this is what Paul is referring to, when he speaks of his thorn in his flesh? :

“In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^{2 Corinthians 12:7-10}

I’ve gotta say, I don’t think that you will hear me bragging about this weakness, this sin, but I see where Paul was going here.

The thing is that sin separates us from God. When we choose to embrace, accept and continue committing sin, we are distancing ourselves from God.

And he created us for something more.

So I return to where I started, fifty-five weeks ago …

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Not saying that I am joining a gym, starting a fad diet (or any diet) … for the sin of gluttony is really the sin of giving in to eating more than our bodies need. What I am saying is that sin is hard to overcome, and my focus needs to be on Jesus … the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

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Stillness

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #bestill, #stillness on January 22, 2019| 1 Comment »

Today follows ‘Blue Monday’ … in the middle of the dark, the cold, winter.

Christmas is now past, summer is so far away. The bills are coming in daily, no hint of funds for vacation. The light has been replaced with dark … even the moon’s light recently eclipsed from view.

The alarm rings early, in the dark, but the body, mind and spirit cry out for more rest, more escape from the dark until the sun’s latent appearance. It is cold, wet outdoors, and we stand, feet planted in our slippers, unmotivated to move beyond the threshold.

We just want to remain … still, unmoved by circumstances or will.

“Be still …”

Two words that can be a directive, a forcing against one’s will, like the dark that forces our day to close, our bodies to tire, our minds to hibernate.

It can also be two words that are full grace, and mercy, and sanctuary.

The rhythm of our lives gives us this seasonal opportunity to naturally be still.

It doesn’t have to be just a season of bleak and barren, of down and depressed, of Netflix and novels.

“Be still
and know that I am God.”

In the still and silent, in the shadows and sadness, He no longer needs to shout for His silent whispers permeate our mind, our souls.

He is here. With us. In the stillness.

And we know it.

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Hands Lifted High

Posted in community, Faith, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #handsliftedhigh, #intercession on January 20, 2019| Leave a Comment »

So there was a day of frustration, of sorrow, of hopelessness. A day I didn’t know what to do. Prayers had been prayed, with white-knuckle faith, with peace beyond human understanding. Chin up, saying my amens expecting the (right) answers any moment.

Nothing.

No grand answer to prayer … not even a hint that anyone was listening.

Ever been there?

Ever had your chin so far up that the air seemed too thin to provide the oxygen needed to breathe in, breathe out? Ever had your hands folded in prayer ’til they were so white-knuckled that their white-washed bones were shining through your paper-thin skin?

In frustration, in exasperation, as hope and faith fade and we cry out:

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
Psalm 13:1-2

Then, from my pit, I reached out to others, sharing my story, my struggle.

In just a few days, change dawned one morning. Complete, beautiful, better-than-I-could-have-hoped-for answer to prayer.

So, why? Why did the many months of prayers in faith result only in silence? Why did answers only come when I shared what was weighing on my mind and soul with others?

For an answer, lets look to Moses (Exodus 17:8-16).

While the Israelites were still wandering, they were attacked by Amalekites. So Moses told Joshua to choose some men to fight, and that he would stand at the top of the hill, with the staff of God raised above his head.

This all sounds a bit weird, except that this staff is the staff that could be thrown down and transform into a snake. It is the staff that tapped a rock and water came from it. It is the staff that was used to bring on the plagues of Egypt. It is the staff that parted the Red Sea. It is the staff of God.

So, as the story goes, as the staff was raised, the Israelites were winning, but whenever the staff lowered they began to take losses. Battles do not end in minutes, but hours and days, and Moses could only hold his arms up for so long. So, along came Aaron and Hur and they sat Moses on a large rock, and they stayed at each of his sides, helping to keep his arms held high.

“As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.”

Now when Moses raised the staff in the air it provided at least two purposes. One was that of a visual encouragement to those in battle. The other was that of intersession to God.

That staff had been the symbol of the presence of God for these wandering Jews. Moses lifting it up was not a power that Moses had in his own strength, but with the help of Aaron and Hur. Together they were holding the symbol of God’s power acknowledging that they did not have any power without God.¹

Matthew Henry’s Commentary speaks of this intersession, and of the help Moses received from Aaron and Hur:

“We should not be shy either of asking help from others or giving help to others, for we are members one of another.”

We have, at our very hands and sides, people who can and will hold us up when we get tired, when we are weak. Others who are willing to intercede on our behalf. That is the encouragement, the help that we need when in the thick of life’s battles.

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Peace of Mind

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #lifeanywherewithgod, #morethananinsurancepolicy, #peace, #peaceofmind, #peaceofmindandheart, #thegiveristhegift on January 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

A catch phrase that insurance companies often use is peace of mind. The idea being that if we have our life and stuff of life insured, we would, in turn, have peace of mind.

Insurance is also something that some use to describe why people should accept God’s gift of grace. The idea being that if we have been born again, or have accepted Christ as our saviour, is sometimes viewed as an insurance policy, or guarantee for our eternity.

It is as though,
if we buy the plan of salvation
our eternity is insured against hell.

Though I think that the Bible does speak to our eternity with Christ, it also speaks to our relationship with Christ being about more than just a means of protection for after this life.

It speaks to a life with him … right now.

A few weeks ago, I came across the following words of Beth Moore. The setting is in the midst of the desert. Moses is there with the Israelites, and has opportunity to speak with God in the tent of meeting. God wants Moses to lead his people toward the promised land, but Moses is not terribly confident in his own abilities and expresses desire to not be apart from God.

This is where Beth Moore does a little paraphrasing (lets call it an unauthoritative, but very applicable, translation 😉 ):

“I’d rather stay right here in this howling hellhole of a desert and have You. Either we both go or we both stay. What I want is You” … then she goes on to say, “He’d tasted and seen. He knew. The Giver IS the gift.”
(Beth Moore)

Moses had experienced the freedom and ability to go to speak with God whenever he desired. All he had to do was to enter into the Tent of Meeting, and a cloud would descend on the outside of the tent, indicating that God was present. Moses knew the sweetness, the completeness of having access to the Creator, Father, Redeemer. He knew what it was to have the words of God spoken into his ears and onto his heart.

And he could not fathom life without him.

For Moses, he would rather live anywhere, even in the dusty desert with God … without him … presumably even the Promised Land.

His desire wasn’t for eternal insurance, for someday off in the future, he desired assurance of the presence of the one who wrote the policy and paid it in full.

It is true that we were created for a different world, but we were never created to live apart from our Creator …

and why would we choose to live without the assurance of his presence with us each and every day?

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Come Hell or High Water

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #comehellorhighwater, #forgettingwhatispast, #foriamabouttodosomethingnew, #momentum, #newbeginnings, #newyear, #pressontowardthegoal, #whatisahead on January 6, 2019| Leave a Comment »

“Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead”
Philippians 3:13

When one considers a new year, the verse (above) is a good place to start.

As we begin a new year, “forgetting what is behind” can be so helpful. We need to forget the frustrations, the failures, the events that caused us hurt, anger or sorrow.

It is a good time to forgive those who “trespassed against us” … leave those offences in the past, so that they do not follow us into the new year. If the trespasses are ours, it might be beneficial to make apologies, restitutions. Do something that can close the door on the indiscretions of the past year. If it is to forgive, then forgive. If it is to apologize, then do that … and move on from the past.

To “strain toward what is ahead” is all about momentum.

Momentum is “the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes” (Merriam Dictionary) and that is exactly what we need as we move, forward, into a new year, new week, new day.

To grow stronger, to move faster means face forward, feet forward, moving forward … straining toward what is ahead. Straining like a runner in a race, not looking back, not checking to see where we are in the pack, but moving forward, determined to make it to the finish …

As we move forward, there will be times when we are in unfamiliar territory, when the demons of the past whisper discouragements into our souls, when it is simply a struggle to keep pursuing our path. It is then that we need the reminder of the next verse in Philippians 3:

“I press on toward the goal
to win the prize
of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus”
Philippians 3:14

The reminder of this verse is that our pursuit is for a goal which has been seeded by God himself, and if he places the seed within us, well, it will grow … come hell or high water.

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