Finishing Well

Home.

It's where I long to be. 

To be 'home' is a universal longing, as the following song lyrics well portray:

"Home, where my thoughts escape, at home, where my music's playing,

Home, where my love lies waiting silently for me..."

Travelling, hitting the road, exploring new destinations, embarking on a long jaunt into the wilderness.  This can all be wonderful and exhilarating—for a time.

But after a long day, or week in the mountains, beautiful as it may be, my heart has a homing instinct—a beacon—drawing me home. 

Home, where my love lies waiting, silently for me.  

I love to get up early, before the sun comes up, hot cup of coffee in hand, and get out on the road to my favorite river.  As I head west and drive through the countryside, the beauty of the sun coming up, illuminating the valley, is spectacular.  There's something about morning, when everything is new. 

In the newness of the morning, you can—if you choose—put the failures and disappointments of yesterday behind you. 

Arriving in the desert, as the sun begins to warm the canyon, the scent of sage brush and the sound of red-winged black birds, and the gentle sounds of my favorite river warms my soul, as the cares and difficulties of this life fall off my back, one-by-one, like old fish scales.

Experiencing a long day on the river is like a snapshot of spring, summer and fall—all rolled into eight hours or so.  The coolness of morning is like the spring.  The heat of the day is like summer.  And the long shadows and burst of color as the sun drops low is like autumn. But as the long day closes, I long to be home before the darkness falls like winter.

Driving back through the farmlands heading towards home, the smell of freshly cut alfalfa and mint stirs my senses. The scent of newly harvested onions is intoxicating. Even the pungent smell of smoke from burning stubble fields has it's own memorable charm. 

The end of summer signals the harvest.

I love driving home as the light is fading, but still illuminates everything enough to see clearly. There's something very cold and lonely about being out on the road after dark.  I was not created for darkness.

I was created for Home.

Home, where the fire is crackling in the fireplace, warming the house.  Home, where the smell of something wonderful is cooking in the kitchen.   Home, where the sweet sound of my wife singing fills the entire house, and warms my heart and soul. 

Home, where my Love is waiting for me.

As a follower of Christ, I feel like I am on that long drive Home, as the sun is setting on this life. 

Must get home before darkness falls.

Much of my adult life has felt more like a long, hot summer day than anything else.  There have been many wonderful moments, and untold blessings in this life, to be sure.  But there has never been a time when I felt like I am no longer struggling.

Yes, it is a wonderful life.  But life is hard.

Learning to be content—no matter what state I'm in—this is key.

What I am learning as I'm in this life-long process of learning to be content, is to be very careful about having unrealistic expectations.  God did not promise me a perfect life where there will never be any trials, struggles or disappointments.  

Jesus said:

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer—I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)

In this world, we will have tribulation—pressure: affliction, anguish, burdens, persecution, trouble.

So, it's a pipe-dream to have the expectation that this life is going to be perfect and trouble-free.  It won't be.  It isn't.   That was never promised to us.

As I'm often reminded, "This isn't Heaven."

So how do we finish well?

First, we finish well by constantly remembering how well we started—in Christ. 

He translated us out of the kingdom of darkness, and into His marvelous Light!   He set us in His eternal family!   Our sin and iniquity, He will remember no more! 

That's a great start!

But as we continue on, in our long journey towards Home... it's easy to get complacent, and we tend to forget how well we started, and who we are in Christ.

We get so bogged-down and bound up by the troubles of this present life—as if this is all there is.

This is not all there is.

We finish well by remembering—and believing—that our Father in Heaven promised us that He has good thoughts and good plans for us, and that He has given us a hope, and a future. 

Perfect love casts out all fear.

We finish well by not believing the lie of the enemy who tries to keep God's people in fear, and who would say to us that God will not keep His promises to us, and that we do not have a hope and a future.

We finish well by choosing to trust in God to manage our life—no matter how difficult our circumstances may be.  No matter how bad the world and the economy looks right now.  No matter how much we are suffering presently.

We trust in God's promise to us that "He will present us to Himself, a perfect Bride, without spot, or blemish, or any such thing." 

He will present us to Himself—perfect, complete, without blemish, stain, sin, or shame. Our perfection is not up to us to complete.  We are Christ's workmanship—not our own.

And for that, I am eternally thankful.

We finish well by clinging tightly to Jesus, trusting Him in all things, being content with where He has us right now; knowing He has promised us an everlasting Home with Him that is beyond our wildest dreams. 

Jesus said:

"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  (John 14:2-3)

Since we know the end of the Story—we can finish well with all assurance; by pursuing Jesus more passionately, by loving more unconditionally, by sacrificing more sincerely and by speaking the truth in love more intentionally. 

Finishing well is our destiny. Home is our destination. Don't give up—we're almost there! We were not created for darkness.

 We're well on our way Home. 

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.

   

Not Easily Broken

"Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, 

And a three-fold cord is not easily broken." 

Imagine yourself suspended, a thousand feet up, on the face of El Capitan, a single-strand rope your only lifeline, and the rope you've chosen is rubbing against the sharp edge of the rock and is beginning to fray...

This story will not end well.

No one in their right mind would embark on such a climb with a single-strand rope.  To do so would be utter foolishness. 

Wise, experienced climbers use abrasion-resistant, multi-strand climbing ropes, and they carefully inspect their ropes before each climb.

It's a matter of life or death.

Now, think of the analogy of the strength of a multi-strand rope in the context of friendships, family and marriage.

We were not meant to go it alone in this life.

Marriage for the Christian was never meant to be merely a two-strand cord. It would never stay together with only two strands.  No, marriage must be a three-fold cord—husband and wife braided and bound together with the Love, Spirit and Person of Jesus Christ.

What's fascinating about this analogy of a three-fold marriage, is the writer of Ecclesiastes does not say the three-fold cord is impossible to break.  He says it is not easily broken.

It can be broken if we let it.

We can break the three-fold cord by our selfishness. 

Husbands, if we go off and do our own thing, pleasing ourselves, and neglecting our wives, the three-fold cord will eventually break.  No, it won't instantly snap. But over time, just as the climbers rope begins to fray from the abrasion of rubbing against the sharp rocks, so too will our relationship with our wives begin to fray and weaken from the sharpness of our bad attitudes, harsh words, and neglect.  And unfortunately, once that marriage cord has been severed, more often than not, it ends up being beyond repair.

In the context of friendships, true friends are bound together by a shared love for Christ, as well as a common respect and affection for one another.  Good friends share common interests.  We look out for each other.  We encourage each other when the other is down.  We lend a hand to help without being asked when a friend is in need.  Friends don't allow themselves to become divided over trivial issues or get in disputes over superficial things.  Friends give each other the benefit of the doubt and extend grace to each other. We forgive one another. We are there for each other.  We always have each other's back.  We would literally take a bullet for one another.

Since my wife is also my best friend, this doubly applies to my marriage.

Now think of the three-fold cord in the context of family—particularly for us men and the relationships we have with our sons, and with our fathers.

Fathers, what kind of example are you setting for your sons?   How do you treat their mother?  What is your conversation with your buddies like when you are standing around the barbecue and your sons are listening? What do your children hear you say about your job or your boss? 

Does your son see you honoring your own father by visiting him regularly in the nursing home he is living in?

Grampas, do you take your son and grandsons fishing?  Do you continue to instill wisdom into them?

The three-fold cord of father, son and grandson is a powerful force when you are bound together in the love and selflessness of Christ.  But today, many guys are off doing their own thing, and there is no three-fold cord relationship between the three generations.

The Apostle Paul wrote that in the last days perilous times shall come.

May we all today, examine ourselves and see if we are truly in the faith.  Are we loving sacrificially, dying to self?

Or are we being the kind of men that Paul writes of in 2 Timothy 3:1-5

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having a form of godliness but denying its power."

Grand Fathers, dads and sons... if Jesus were to return right now, what kind of men would He find us to be today?

Would He find men who are truly in the faith?

Jesus said,

"There is no greater love than this—that a man would lay down his life for his friends."

May we as sons bring honor to our Father in Heaven, by loving Him, and loving people, laying down our lives for others.

This is what it means to be a real man.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.

Without A Paddle

We've all, no doubt, heard the old expression, "Up a creek without a paddle."

If you're a kayaker, half-way down a remote stretch of class IV white water, and you lose your paddle, you are in a very tough predicament indeed. You absolutely have to have your paddle to navigate the turns, obstacles and dangers that lie ahead.

Not a good predicament to be in, to say the least.

Same goes for a pilot trying to fly in the pitch black of night.  If you lose your navigation system, you're toast.

Life is like that.

Without a trust-worthy navigation system, we're absolutely un-equipped to navigate the obstacles and dangers of this life.

For those who trust wholly in themselves to navigate life in this difficult world, I think an honest observation of history, and the current state of this extremely messed up planet, clearly illustrate that this hasn't worked out so well.

However, for those of us who place all of our trust in the Lord—we have a 100% trust-worthy G.P.S.

We have an implanted God-Positioning-System. 

He is the Holy Spirit.

And we cannot hope to navigate the obstacles, pitfalls and dangers of this life without Him.

But if we are to find our way, we first have to be plugged-in to our GPS. Your life will never work if you disconnect from your GPS and try to go it alone. 

Without a continous connection to your GPS—you're toast.

How does our GPS work?

A man named Elijah discovered his GPS about three thousand years ago:

"Then God said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Elijah was a man who was said to be just like us.  When he should of been obeying God, doing what He told him to do, instead, he was hiding in a cave, afraid of a woman named Jezebel, who threatened to take his life.

And just like us, Elijah clearly couldn't make it on his own, and he needed a trust-worthy navigation system to guide him, and help him navigate the pitfalls and dangers of life.

Elijah's GPS was exactly the same navigation system as ours—the indwelling, still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

And the still small voice of the Holy Spirit is always, absolutely 100% trust-worthy.

You can't navigate the twists and turns of your life without being led by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  You'll walk into a pit, or drive off a cliff if you are trying to go it alone, and lean to your own understanding.

Guys, if you are trying to "Lone Ranger" it...you are truly up a creek without a paddle.

Plug into your God Positioning System.

He will never leave you or forsake you. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which you are able to bear, and with the temptation, He will always show you the way out.  He will supply all of your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. And even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you need not fear any evil for He is with you, and He will comfort you.  He is your strength, and your refuge in times of trouble.  He knows how to deliver you from tribulation.  He holds all things together by the Word of His Power.  He has set His eternal seal upon you, and He has set you in His family forever.

The only question that remains is—are you plugged in?   Are you listening for His still small voice.

You have to be quiet, yielded and still to hear Him.  He speaks in a gentle whisper.

If you're like me, far too often you look for His leading and direction to come in a totally obvious and dramatic way. I want His direction for me to be loud and clear, like fire, wind, or an earthquake.

But as Elijah experienced, God is not in the explosive wind, fire or earthquake.

God doesn't part the clouds and speak to us audibly, telling us to go to a specific place at 2:45 PM, and talk to Mr. so-and-so. He doesn't write on our wall literally, and spell it all out for us categorically.

No, He dwells in our inner-most heart, and He speaks to us ever-so-softly—in a very gentle whisper.

We will never be able to hear His still small voice if we are constantly allowing ourselves to be distracted by ringing cell phones, blaring TV's, our own selfish agendas, or by other peoples well-intended, but misguided expectations of us.

This is why spending lots of alone time with God—quiet time—in the secret place—is so vitally important to hearing His still small voice. 

Quiet time, where we don't spend ten minutes reading off our shopping list of instructions to God as if He is some sort of divine mall Santa Claus.  

Time to be still, and know that He is God. 

Time to sit patiently and allow Him to speak to our hearts in His gentle whisper. 

It's similar to being in sales.  If you are not attentively listening at least seventy percent of the time—you are talking way too much.

Learn to be still. 

Learn to listen.

There are so many other voices out there.   Voices that we constantly need to be on guard against. Voices of the Enemy that speak things to us that are, on the surface, very enticing, but equally deadly.  Voices that, while well intended, are actually misguided and are not speaking God's will for us.  Voices that subtly call us away from time with our Lord in the secret place.  Voices that are actually our own flesh, wanting us to do what feels good to us, while ignoring the greater call of what God would have us do in that moment.

Learn to identify all of those other voices and then tune them out.  Testing all of those voices by the Scriptures in the Bible is the best way to identify the source of the voices.  You have to know the source. 

You have to know Your Source. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Listen only for, and to, the still small voice of your Savior.

And then follow Him...

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.

Walk By Faith

"O LORD, be gracious to us;

We have waited for You.

Be our arm every morning,

Our salvation also in the time of trouble."

"Lord, what am I supposed to do now?"

I'm in one of those extremely challenging seasons in my life where I know that eventually, the painful trials that I am going through are all going to work out in the end—but right here, right now, I don't have the slightest clue of how I'm going to get there.

I just can't see exactly how this is all going to work out.

Perhaps you too are in a season like that right now in your life.

You're not alone.

I know a lot of people who are going through all kinds of difficult and painful trials.  Marriages that have ended, or are on the brink of divorce.  People who have been out of work for extended periods of time, and whose options are running out.  People who have serious health issues and don't know what the outcome is going to be for them.  People who are close to losing everything they have and don't know what to do next.

So many of us have been praying for an open door in whatever our situation is, but that open door we so desperately long for, seems elusive.

What do you do in times like this?

In your despair and desperation you cry out to God with all that is in you. 

That's what He wants you to do.

Today, I hit the wall and pretty much lost it.  I felt like I had hit rock bottom.  Emotionally, there was nowhere to look but up. I haven't cried out to God like that in a long time. Oh sure, I've asked for help and wisdom and for many other things.  

But this cry to the Lord was from the deepest place in my soul.  It was primal.  My cat came and brushed up against my leg as I sat at my desk.   He was checking on me to see if I was okay.   Thank You, Lord, for that little guy.

Just a few moments later, a friend of mine called and just wanted to talk, and see how I was doing. The timing of his phone call was literally a God-send.

Cry out to the Lord.

That's what we do when we hit the wall—when things look hopeless—when we don't know how all this is going to work out. We cry out to the Lord.  And then, we call someone else who is going through hard times and we reach out to them, to see how they are doing, and we encourage them. We reach out and extend God's love, kindness and mercy—to them.

Unbelievable!  I have been taught this lesson so many times, and yet, here I was, again, so focused on my own problems—so self-absorbed—that I let myself wallow in my little pit of despair.  I have no excuse for forgetting this lesson. I've been down this road way too many times, and I have reminded so many other people who are going through hard times that the secret of joy is to forget about our problems and reach out and encourage someone else.

Today, when I cried out to God with all that was in me, He did answer my prayer.  He did intervene and had my friend call me when I absolutely needed to hear from a friend.  But more importantly, He reminded me that it's not about me.  It's about serving and encouraging others.  No matter how difficult my trial is, many other people are going through far more difficult times than I am.  

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted.  

As Christians—the Body of Christ—we are His hands and His feet.  We are to be "Jesus with skin on" to others who are hurting and suffering.  We are to bring encouragement and comfort to those who are lonely and who need hope in the dark night of their souls.

This is a timely reminder of the acronym for J.O.Y.

Jesus

Others

Yourself

Our love, devotion and adoration is to always be for Jesus first. This the first and great commandment.

The second commandment is like the first—to love others more than you love yourself.

Your focus on yourself should always come last.

And the secret is, if we will invest all of our time and focus on loving and serving God and loving and serving others, we won't have time to dwell on our own problems and circumstances.   And we will experience great joy.

Jesus said, "It is far better to give than to receive."

It really is.

Waking by faith is to trust in God and wait for Him—even when we can't see how things are going to ever work out.  Walking by faith is trusting in God, that He will do all that He has promised to do, even though we can't always see Him doing it in that moment when we feel that we can't go on. Walking by faith is trusting in God and not giving up, even though we may feel that God didn't answer any of our prayers in the way that we had expected Him to.  Walking by faith is loving and trusting God, even when He didn't heal us when we prayed and asked Him to.  Walking by faith is trusting in God to provide for us, even when we've been out of work for a year and still have no prospects for a job.   Walking by faith is trusting in God, even when our spouse wants us out of their life forever, even though we've done all we can do to love them and seek to be reconciled to them.

Walking by faith is trusting in God to cause all things to work together for our good—even when our whole world is falling apart.

Most of the time, the difficult things we go through in this life just don't make any sense.

But remember, God said, "My thoughts are higher than your thoughts; and My ways, higher than your ways."

A good friend of mine and I were having lunch today and he reminded me that Jesus, responding to Thomas who had doubted that He had risen from the grave, said to him,

"You believe because you have seen Me.  But, blessed are those who believe and who have not seen."

Friends, we walk by faith—not by sight.

We can't see right now how our problems and situations are ever going to work out for our good.  Many of our situations appear hopeless... at least to us.

But our God—Jesus Christ—defeated Death, Hell and the Grave by rising again and ascending to His throne in Heaven. 

To us, our problems and situations look impossible.  

But with God, nothing is impossible.

We can only see where we are at in the parade of life.  We can't see the end.  But we know the end of the Story.  We've read the Book.

The same God that defeated death and rose from the grave, knows the end from the beginning.  He holds us safely and securely in the palm of His hand, and absolutely no one can snatch us out of His hand.

Cry out to Jesus today, with all that is in you. Wait for Him. Trust in Him.

He is the Arm of our Strength every morning.

He is our salvation in times of trouble.

Look up.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.