For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Thirty minutes before the alarm was scheduled to go off this morning my basset buzzer sounded. It is attached to the 65 pound hound who stole my heart as a puppy. Unlike my alarm, Sam has no snooze button. Ignoring him is futile.
As a youngster, Sam had “doggie door” privileges. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased. However, it pleased him to take things outside that shouldn’t go outside (my glasses, snacks, knitting projects, socks, etc.) and bring inside things that shouldn’t be inside (mud, etc.). That didn’t please me so much, so the doggie door remains closed most of the time. The result is that Sam has to ask to go out and come in, and I get to check to make sure no contraband is coming in or going out - it is like a border crossing, except you don’t have to have the mud wiped off your feet to cross the border.
So, this morning I drug myself out of bed and opened the doggie door so that Sam could both go out the door and come back in without disturbing me, yet again. No sooner had I returned to my bed and settled in, then Sam was whining at the door to be let back in. Yes, he had gone out the doggie door. But, he has become so accustomed to whining to get someone to open the door that he totally missed the fact that he had been empowered to do it on his own.
And so, it hit me. My dog is a liberal. He wants food, shelter, health care, and doggie treats, but he doesn’t want to have to work for them. Even when he is provided with a means to take care of himself, he whines and expects me to do things for him.
Here’s the really scary part. I know better. An annoying basset hound is not the fault of the dog. It is the fault of the owner. When I pay attention to exercising Sam (a tired basset is a good basset) and training him to do things the right way, he gets the message and complies. After all, his whining to get in and out is trained behavior as a result of his poor doggie door protocol. I have gotten exactly what I asked for. It is just easier to get up and let him in and out than it is to re-train him.
Anybody seeing where this message is going in relation to government?
Let me just say, it is time for us to start checking to see if the doggie doors in our life are open and we are expecting something we should be able to do for ourselves. It is time to pick up the slack.
Lord, thank you for Your Word that clearly articulates the principles under which you expect us to operate. Amen
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Hope in the Lord
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
Well, the lull before the storm is over. This week the legislative committees have begun to meet with a vengeance. Flipping through channels and catching tidbits from here and there, it appears there is a common thread. “We understand money is limited, but don’t take away from our program.”
It seems easier to motivate a crowd to object to having a program or benefit taken from them than it is to get the general public to object to their money being taken to pay for the program. Of course, that could be because the people whose money is being taken are at work trying to earn a living and can’t afford the time off to come and complain. But, whatever the reason, it does seem that there are more people who would prefer to be kept than who would prefer to be free.
And, that makes me sad.
But, I’m not discouraged. Our Lord is a kind and merciful God who has richly blessed our nation. He is not raising up a new generation of leaders for nothing. My job is not to change things. My job is to be obedient to the purposes and plans of the Lord.
So, regardless of what my eyes see or my ears hear, I will continue to place my hope in the Lord.
Lord, give me courage and strengthen my heart to continue to pursue Your purposes regardless of my circumstances. Amen
Well, the lull before the storm is over. This week the legislative committees have begun to meet with a vengeance. Flipping through channels and catching tidbits from here and there, it appears there is a common thread. “We understand money is limited, but don’t take away from our program.”
It seems easier to motivate a crowd to object to having a program or benefit taken from them than it is to get the general public to object to their money being taken to pay for the program. Of course, that could be because the people whose money is being taken are at work trying to earn a living and can’t afford the time off to come and complain. But, whatever the reason, it does seem that there are more people who would prefer to be kept than who would prefer to be free.
And, that makes me sad.
But, I’m not discouraged. Our Lord is a kind and merciful God who has richly blessed our nation. He is not raising up a new generation of leaders for nothing. My job is not to change things. My job is to be obedient to the purposes and plans of the Lord.
So, regardless of what my eyes see or my ears hear, I will continue to place my hope in the Lord.
Lord, give me courage and strengthen my heart to continue to pursue Your purposes regardless of my circumstances. Amen
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hug a Tree
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10
Over the years when I find myself too busy to read scripture or write the devotional, I have learned that it is time to stop and practice one of the rules we taught our children when we would take them camping in our state parks.
The rule? If you get lost, hug a tree.
The principle is that if you are lost and running around in circles, it is more difficult for rescuers to find you than if you stay in one place. We assured our children that we would come and find them if they were lost, but that they needed to do their part.
So, rather than running around in circles pontificating on the issue any further, I am going to do my part - hug a tree (be still) and let the Lord help me get my schedule under control today.
Thank you, Lord. Amen
Over the years when I find myself too busy to read scripture or write the devotional, I have learned that it is time to stop and practice one of the rules we taught our children when we would take them camping in our state parks.
The rule? If you get lost, hug a tree.
The principle is that if you are lost and running around in circles, it is more difficult for rescuers to find you than if you stay in one place. We assured our children that we would come and find them if they were lost, but that they needed to do their part.
So, rather than running around in circles pontificating on the issue any further, I am going to do my part - hug a tree (be still) and let the Lord help me get my schedule under control today.
Thank you, Lord. Amen
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wars and Rumors of Wars
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation must rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:6-8
Have you been watching the news lately?
Wow! You would have to be living on a desert island or totally engrossed in a legislative session to miss that something significant is going on in the world. The Middle East in melt down mode, earthquakes in New Zealand, riots in Greece, union protests in Wisconsin - the list goes on and on.
What does it all mean?
That was a rhetorical question. I have no clue.
Does it look like we are living in the end times? I suppose every generation has thought so. Eventually one of them will be correct. Personally, the issue is not one that concerns me too greatly, because there is no doubt in my mind that my reservations for eternity have been confirmed through the salvation of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I will be in the “no smoking” area.
If you find the news of the day unduly distressing, take some time to ensure the certainty of your salvation, pray for the Lord’s mercy in these difficult times, and carry on with the work the Lord has given you to do while here on earth.
Other than panicking and running around in circles, those are really the only logical options.
Lord, may your mercy and grace envelope us and give us the peace that passes all understanding in these tumultuous times. Amen
Have you been watching the news lately?
Wow! You would have to be living on a desert island or totally engrossed in a legislative session to miss that something significant is going on in the world. The Middle East in melt down mode, earthquakes in New Zealand, riots in Greece, union protests in Wisconsin - the list goes on and on.
What does it all mean?
That was a rhetorical question. I have no clue.
Does it look like we are living in the end times? I suppose every generation has thought so. Eventually one of them will be correct. Personally, the issue is not one that concerns me too greatly, because there is no doubt in my mind that my reservations for eternity have been confirmed through the salvation of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I will be in the “no smoking” area.
If you find the news of the day unduly distressing, take some time to ensure the certainty of your salvation, pray for the Lord’s mercy in these difficult times, and carry on with the work the Lord has given you to do while here on earth.
Other than panicking and running around in circles, those are really the only logical options.
Lord, may your mercy and grace envelope us and give us the peace that passes all understanding in these tumultuous times. Amen
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What Must You Do?
“Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?” Numbers 23:26
Balaam, the prophet of God, was hired by Balak to come and curse the children of Israel. In his defense, Balaam warned Balak that he could not curse the people. Apparently Balak was what we would call a “slow learner.” Balaam, on his first two prophecies, blessed the Israelites. Not content to admit defeat and cut his losses, Balak asked him to move to yet another spot and try again.
It was at this point that Balaam reminded him, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
It is easy to see in the political realm the tendency of people to do the wrong thing for the perceived right reason. Voting to please constituencies, rather than on principles. Supporting an issue or person for private gain. Remaining silent when you should speak up in defense of a principle or person for fear of reprisals.
But those actions are not reserved for the political arena. They happen every day in every environment. The best way to avoid doing the wrong thing is to keep Balaam’s rule in mind.
Two questions:
Balaam, the prophet of God, was hired by Balak to come and curse the children of Israel. In his defense, Balaam warned Balak that he could not curse the people. Apparently Balak was what we would call a “slow learner.” Balaam, on his first two prophecies, blessed the Israelites. Not content to admit defeat and cut his losses, Balak asked him to move to yet another spot and try again.
It was at this point that Balaam reminded him, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
It is easy to see in the political realm the tendency of people to do the wrong thing for the perceived right reason. Voting to please constituencies, rather than on principles. Supporting an issue or person for private gain. Remaining silent when you should speak up in defense of a principle or person for fear of reprisals.
But those actions are not reserved for the political arena. They happen every day in every environment. The best way to avoid doing the wrong thing is to keep Balaam’s rule in mind.
Two questions:
- Would you say you are a Balaam who believes that ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?
- Would the Balak’s in your say it about you?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
Numbers 22:22-40
One of the joys of reading through scripture is finding stories that make you wonder how you would have responded in similar circumstances. Take the story of Balaam and his donkey.
Baalam was a prophet of the Lord who was called by the king Balak to curse the children of Israel. He was reluctant to go, but finally succumbed to the pressure, saddled up his donkey and, with two servants in tow, proceeded to go meet Balak. The Lord sent his angel to block Baalam’s path. Three times the Angel of the Lord blocked the donkey, and three times Baalam struck his donkey because it would not move. After the third time, the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and she asked, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?And, so Baalam and the donkey proceeded to have a discussion, after which the Lord opened his eyes and he, too, saw the Angel of the Lord. Come to find out, the donkey, in its perceived belligerence, actually saved Baalam’s life in her refusal to pass by the Angel of the Lord.
So, let’s think about how we might have responded in similar circumstances. In the first place, I don’t have a donkey or servants, so I will imagine a basset hound and some grandkids. Now, unlike Balaam’s donkey, basset hounds frequently refuse to move, so it is not uncommon to have to drag them from place to place. Chances are, I would miss seeing the Angel of the Lord as surely as Balaam did.
But, here’s the part of the story that intrigues me. The donkey opened her mouth and spoke to Balaam. And, rather than marvel at the fact that his donkey was speaking, he carried on a conversation with her.
And nobody thought that was odd?
I’m thinking words coming out of the basset’s mouth would leave me speechless, not conversational.
Take aways from the story:
One of the joys of reading through scripture is finding stories that make you wonder how you would have responded in similar circumstances. Take the story of Balaam and his donkey.
Baalam was a prophet of the Lord who was called by the king Balak to curse the children of Israel. He was reluctant to go, but finally succumbed to the pressure, saddled up his donkey and, with two servants in tow, proceeded to go meet Balak. The Lord sent his angel to block Baalam’s path. Three times the Angel of the Lord blocked the donkey, and three times Baalam struck his donkey because it would not move. After the third time, the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and she asked, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?And, so Baalam and the donkey proceeded to have a discussion, after which the Lord opened his eyes and he, too, saw the Angel of the Lord. Come to find out, the donkey, in its perceived belligerence, actually saved Baalam’s life in her refusal to pass by the Angel of the Lord.
So, let’s think about how we might have responded in similar circumstances. In the first place, I don’t have a donkey or servants, so I will imagine a basset hound and some grandkids. Now, unlike Balaam’s donkey, basset hounds frequently refuse to move, so it is not uncommon to have to drag them from place to place. Chances are, I would miss seeing the Angel of the Lord as surely as Balaam did.
But, here’s the part of the story that intrigues me. The donkey opened her mouth and spoke to Balaam. And, rather than marvel at the fact that his donkey was speaking, he carried on a conversation with her.
And nobody thought that was odd?
I’m thinking words coming out of the basset’s mouth would leave me speechless, not conversational.
Take aways from the story:
- If the Lord can use a donkey, he can use anybody.
- Listen to the donkeys in your life. They may see something you are missing.
- Don’t beat up on the ones who see something you missed.
- Use caution carrying on a conversation with your donkey (basset) in public. While it may be the Angel of the Lord, there are people who would call the mental health officers to come check on you in today’s world.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Journey
Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged. Numbers 21:4
Are you one of those people who likes destinations. Or, do you like journeys?
Never could two people be more different as travel companions than my husband and me. He loves every portion of a journey. He likes to plan it, map it out, pick all the spots to see, have travel brochures, a book about the place we are going and interesting tidbits of information of the history of the road traveled.
I, on the other hand, travel as a necessary means to getting to a destination (and because Jerry loves it and I love Jerry). If it is a road trip, napping is my favorite pass time. Like an infant in a car seat, five minutes into a trip, I am out like a light. Early in our marriage I bought Jerry the book Why Stop? because it has the text of every historical marker in Texas in it. When he would want to interrupt my naps by stopping at historical markers, I would just remind him to read about it when he got home and go back to sleep.
Over the years we have had some incredibly memorable vacations. Most of them were good really good trips. But, one of my favorite to reflect on was the year we took our three children to west Texas for a week of camping in the desert. Jerry had regaled us with stories about Balmorhea State Park, home of the world’s largest spring fed swimming pool, located at the foot of the Davis Mountains. We were planning to camp out, swim, check out the observatory in the Davis Mountains and see the local sites.
The only thing between us and our glorious destination was about 550 miles of Interstate 10 going through the desert in West Texas. Three children in the car meant that my nap time was interrupted by my duties as chief referee. Each time I would rouse myself to intervene in the argument of the moment, I questioned if we had made progress or if we were on a giant treadmill. Nothing ever changed. Nothing that is, until we were almost at our destination. Then the weather changed and it began to rain.
And it rained.
And it rained.
And it rained.
Do you know what there is to do when you are camping in the desert and it is raining? NOTHING! And, that’s pretty much what we did for the week. We couldn’t swim because of the lightening. We couldn’t go to the observatory because of the cloud cover. We couldn’t go through the forts because it was too wet. So, the whining and complaining started. Once Jerry shut me up, we had to address the whining and complaining of the children. My fondest memory of the trip was counting the mile markers on the way home. When we pulled into the drive way, my then 14 year-old daughter jumped out of the car and kissed the driveway.
It was a horrible trip. But, it made a great memory for us to laugh about in the years since. And, so it is with many spiritual journeys. If you find that the trip the Lord has you on is not the one you planned, don’t let your soul become discouraged. Check out the mile markers along the way and prepare to kiss the driveway when you get home. This trip will be one you will always remember.
Lord, do not let us become discouraged with our circumstances. Amen
Are you one of those people who likes destinations. Or, do you like journeys?
Never could two people be more different as travel companions than my husband and me. He loves every portion of a journey. He likes to plan it, map it out, pick all the spots to see, have travel brochures, a book about the place we are going and interesting tidbits of information of the history of the road traveled.
I, on the other hand, travel as a necessary means to getting to a destination (and because Jerry loves it and I love Jerry). If it is a road trip, napping is my favorite pass time. Like an infant in a car seat, five minutes into a trip, I am out like a light. Early in our marriage I bought Jerry the book Why Stop? because it has the text of every historical marker in Texas in it. When he would want to interrupt my naps by stopping at historical markers, I would just remind him to read about it when he got home and go back to sleep.
Over the years we have had some incredibly memorable vacations. Most of them were good really good trips. But, one of my favorite to reflect on was the year we took our three children to west Texas for a week of camping in the desert. Jerry had regaled us with stories about Balmorhea State Park, home of the world’s largest spring fed swimming pool, located at the foot of the Davis Mountains. We were planning to camp out, swim, check out the observatory in the Davis Mountains and see the local sites.
The only thing between us and our glorious destination was about 550 miles of Interstate 10 going through the desert in West Texas. Three children in the car meant that my nap time was interrupted by my duties as chief referee. Each time I would rouse myself to intervene in the argument of the moment, I questioned if we had made progress or if we were on a giant treadmill. Nothing ever changed. Nothing that is, until we were almost at our destination. Then the weather changed and it began to rain.
And it rained.
And it rained.
And it rained.
Do you know what there is to do when you are camping in the desert and it is raining? NOTHING! And, that’s pretty much what we did for the week. We couldn’t swim because of the lightening. We couldn’t go to the observatory because of the cloud cover. We couldn’t go through the forts because it was too wet. So, the whining and complaining started. Once Jerry shut me up, we had to address the whining and complaining of the children. My fondest memory of the trip was counting the mile markers on the way home. When we pulled into the drive way, my then 14 year-old daughter jumped out of the car and kissed the driveway.
It was a horrible trip. But, it made a great memory for us to laugh about in the years since. And, so it is with many spiritual journeys. If you find that the trip the Lord has you on is not the one you planned, don’t let your soul become discouraged. Check out the mile markers along the way and prepare to kiss the driveway when you get home. This trip will be one you will always remember.
Lord, do not let us become discouraged with our circumstances. Amen
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