Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Prayer and Meditation

But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. - Habakkuk 2:20

Although we don't think about it much, our communication with God consists of two equally important parts: prayer and meditation. Prayer is talking to God. Most of us have this aspect down. Meditation is listening to God.  And it's here that most of us need a bit of work.

Have you ever been in a relationship where the other person does all the talking? It gets old fast, doesn't it?  The one up side is you become a good listener while the other person gets everything off his/her chest. But there's a down side too: always listening and never talking leads you to begin to feel unknown, a little unloved, and sometimes, even used.

Now, think about how this applies to your relationship with God. Are you doing all the talking, without ever taking the time to listen? If you're sharing with Him from the depths of your heart, that's fantastic!  By all means, keep it up.  Just make sure, that you also take the time to use the ears of your heart to listen to God as well.

Remember, God tends to speak with a still, small voice; He very rarely shouts at His children. I heard it explained this way once, "God is a gentleman." That's why meditation is such an important aspect of prayer.  It teaches you to develop a quiet, patient heart and an open, attentive ear. These are essential components to growing in your walk with the Lord.

"Silence is deep as eternity; speech is shallow as time." - Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

[Judy Harder]

Studying God's Word

Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. - Isaiah 2:5

When I receive a letter from a close friend I usually find myself doing two things: first, I read the letter with interest—hanging on every word; and second, I read the letter a second and in some cases a third time—hoping each time to gain insight or catch something I might have missed previously.

Who wants to be closer to us than God? The same should be true with regard to God's Word, and by reading that message intently and repeatedly, we can get to know Him truly and more accurately.

In Psalm 119, David likens Scripture to a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. You need to keep God's Word close by and read it often. Otherwise, you'll find yourself walking in darkness. And if that happens, you're sure to stumble and fall.

Remember, God's Word, the Bible, is a series of letters from your closest friend. Read them closely. Read them often. And after you read it once, read it again!

"You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in." - Arlo Guthrie (1947-    )

[Judy Harder]

A Better Way

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. - Malachi 3:6

Let me be honest. Too many of you travel through life basing every decision you make upon how you feel and what you experience. You don't study God's Word, and you spend very little time talking and listening to the Lord.  Consequently, you don't know much about the Good Shepherd who is expecting you to follow Him, no matter how you feel and regardless of your circumstances.

Now let me give you some encouragement. If you place your focus squarely upon Christ and you try to see things around you as He would, it will become second nature to look to Him and depend upon Him rather than yourself. And you won't get lost when you walk through dark seasons of life. Jesus will be your unshakable strength. And your focused gaze upon Him will keep you from altering your direction due to momentary discomfort–and from drifting off into spiritual shipwreck!

In a world that is endlessly fickle and fleeting, God is an immovable Rock.

Our faith, when focused on the true God, will not be shaken by adversity or unexpected turbulence. As long as we hold tightly to Him by faith—trusting in His goodness and love—we can come through pain and struggle with a deeper and richer relationship with Jesus, rather than a strained faith resulting from a prolonged failure to seek the one true God.

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." - J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

[Judy Harder]

Maintaining Focus

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. - Hebrews 3:1

Has it ever been easier than now for a believer to become distracted and lose focus on God?  If the apostle Paul found himself "greatly distressed" that Athens was "full of idols" (Acts 17:16), what would he think after checking out today's culture–the internet, TV, movies, DVD's, video games, radio, faxes, email, cell phones, etc.?

A recent Wall Street Journal article quotes an Internet guru who plugged the word "God" into a popular search engine.  He received 600,000 responses—remarkably close to the 775,000 sites listed for "sex."  Yahoo lists 17,000 sites devoted to religion and spirituality, compared with 12,000 about movies.

And these figures are expanding exponentially.  We're only a mouse click away from countless links, Web pages, and chat rooms, that attempt to define God, recast Him into our own image, or explain Him away altogether.

With all this at your fingertips, it's more important than ever to stay connected to and focused on the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by things that aren't true.  In other words, hold onto God's Son for dear life!  Even when the distractions of the world are tugging at your sleeve to let go.

"We can tell from our experience that His light is more powerful than the deepest darkness. . . How wonderful that the reality of His presence is greater than the reality of the hell about us. - Betsie ten Boom, to her sister, Corrie (1930-1944)
 

[Judy Harder]

Narrow and Healthy

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -                         John 14:6

A friend of mine once wrote a children's book about heaven.  When checking out the reviews of his book, he came across a reviewer who said she was attracted by the book's title and artwork.  Then she noted how her excitement was replaced by dismay when the author claimed the only way to heaven was through Jesus Christ. The reviewer was deeply offended by what she called the book's "obvious bias against non-Christians."

We live in times where tolerance and diversity are the buzz words—particularly in the world of religion.  How could any faith be called "healthy" that claimed only one way to God?

But have you listened to the advocates of this thought?  Their message is that the way to salvation is through our moral virtue.  "Be good, do good, and it'll all work out."

My problem with that is this:  I'm not that good a person—certainly not good enough to stand before God on the basis of my own feeble virtue.  What about you?

As unpopular as it might be, the truth is, we are all sinners.  But thankfully God made a way for us to come to Him and not be seen as such—through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Maybe it's narrow—but it's true!

"Jesus came to raise the dead.  He did not come to teach the teachable.  He did not come to improve the improvable; He did not come to reform the reformable. None of those things works." - Robert Farrerr Capon (1925-    )

[Judy Harder]

The "Nubbies"

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.                                                                                - Romans 5:1

A psychologist friend recently told me about Cliff—a client he described as "a believer after God's own heart."

After years of service to The Lord, Cliff's wife developed aggressive cancer. Many people joined Cliff in prayer for his wife, but she declined rapidly and died. Through it all, Cliff didn't break his determined gaze upon Christ.  Instead of allowing the tragedy to shake his faith, he allowed his experience of pain, suffering, confusion, and grief to push him deeper into the arms of the living God.

Cliff knew two things, and held to them tenaciously. The first was that God was good. He didn't understand the circumstances surrounding his wife's sickness, or why she had to suffer and die. But he knew a reason resided with God, and that he would come to understand in the light of eternity. The second thing Cliff held to was his certainty that God loved him—in spite of everything, no matter what, and through it all.

When you're in severe pain or distress, life becomes pretty simple. You're in survival mode, and you have neither the heart nor the strength to spread your emotional energy around.  As Chuck Swindoll might say, "Life gets boiled down to the nubbies."

When pain or distress boils your life down to the "nubbies," do what Cliff did. Keep it simple. Grab hold of what you know is true about the living God, and hold on like a pit bull.

"The nearer the dawn the darker the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882
 

[Judy Harder]

Habits That Strangle

I'm Steve Arterburn with a New Life moment.

A strange species of vine known as the matador grows in South America. Roughly translated, the Spanish word matador means "killer." This plant has certainly earned its name. The matador begins its life growing at the foot of a tree. At first, it looks like a harmless little plant. But as it grows, the matador relentlessly winds its way around the tree, makes its way to the top, and slowly strangles the tree. When the matador reaches the tree's top, it bursts forth in flower—as if celebrating its kill and crowning itself victor.

Many habits in our lives are like the matador. They seem harmless at first and grow slowly. But left unchecked, they're dangerous.

Is there a matador-like habit winding its way around your life right now?

[Judy Harder]

Work Ethic

Are you feeling worn out? An editor of the Atlantic Monthly once told the story of a Harvard University freshman who was late handing in an assignment. He came to his professor's office to explain.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but I wasn't feeling well."

The Dean replied, "Young man, please bear in mind that by far the greater part of the world's work is carried on by people who are not feeling very well."

Isn't that the truth? Children are raised because parents are willing to exert enormous amounts of energy. Companies are built because people are willing to work hard. And communities are forged through long hours and persistent dedication.

[Judy Harder]

Lessons In Humility

I recently heard a story about a woman who invited guests to her home for dinner. As they sat to eat, the woman turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Sweetheart, would you like to ask the blessing?" The little girl replied sheepishly, "Yes, but I wouldn't know what to say."

Mom spotted a teaching moment, and perhaps an opportunity to draw attention to her own piety. "Just say what you hear Mommy saying, dear," she said. The counsel seemed to work. The little girl clasped her hands, bowed her head, and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Life is a school for humility. And we dare not ignore the lessons—especially if you're a Christian. St. Augustine once said the three essential components of the Christian life are as follows: humility, humility, and humility.
 

[Judy Harder]

Out Of Control In America

I'm Steve Arterburn with a New Life moment.

Do you think life in America is out of control?

Economists have repeatedly warned that Americans have become addicted to spending and crushed by debt trying to attain lifestyles beyond their means. Doctors and nutritionists speak regularly of the rising obesity rate and the danger it represents. Educators, pastors, and child professional have long testified that generations of over-indulged American kids are growing up seriously lacking in discipline, direction, and conviction.

The common denominator here is excess. It's become an American way of life, and to be brutally honest, it's destroying us.

I don't think the question can any longer be: do we know? We must ask ourselves an even tougher question: do we care?

If you're struggling with excess, or trying to help a loved one who is, you're certainly not alone. I care and I'd like to help you.