A Father's Love

It's an overcast day, and a father is taking his son fishing. They settle themselves and their gear into the boat and start across the lake... but the waters are rough with the waves cresting into whitecaps. The waves crash against the small vessel and fold over the sides into the boat. Soon the boy begins to make his way to the back of the boat. As the boy huddles near his father he feels a sense of safety even though they must still pass through the middle of the lake where the wind is the strongest and the waves are the roughest. The father, well aware of the tempests, safely and carefully guides the boat to just the spot he had in mind - a calm bay where he knows the rough waves cannot reach.

The son in the story is my dad and the father my grandfather. As my father spoke of this fond memory - one that had happened on more than one occasion - it reminded me of my Heavenly Father's watch-care over me.

The same way this little story shows that my dad viewed his father as his protector, as someone he can trust, as someone who would guide and keep him safe, so our Heavenly Father is to us. "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." (Proverbs 1:33)

My grandfather knew just the right fishing spot to bring my father to - a place of calm amidst the rough waters - and safely guided my father there. Our Heavenly Father's presence provides courage and peace in the midst of the turmoil and storms of life. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3) He has a plan for our lives and is leading us along the right way. "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee." (Psalm 143:8) "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." (Psalm 18:30) Much more control than my grandfather was capable of having, our Heavenly Father controls all things. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)

I'm so very blessed to have a great dad, but I know that not everyone can say this for themselves. Perhaps, someone reading this is disheartened at the image which reflections of their own dad bring to mind. Like my maternal grandma's dad, a drunkard who gambled away his earnings instead of providing for his family's needs. Yet another may even have been deserted or never had a chance to know their father at all. Do you know that it's not too late to be born again into the family of God? Become a child of His to know what this kind of love is really all about. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) Christ also said, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:28-29)

I'd like to wish a happy Father's Day to my dad, and to all the dads that may be reading this. I encourage you to keep modeling the Great Eternal Father above. I imagine some of you dads may have regrets or feel that it's too late to be the great dad you wish you could have been. None of us is perfect which is why Jesus came to suffer and die for our sins. Let me tell you the rest of the second story - the one about my great-grandfather who failed his wife and kids. Near his death, he trusted Christ as his personal Saviour. Christ clothed him in His righteousness before taking him home to glory. May our resurrected Lord fill you with hope and joy as you trust Him with your life. "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14)

The Craven and the King's Son

Do you enjoy poetry? I certainly do! One of the many reasons is because it's a means of expressing one's self and putting into words what might otherwise be hard to say or describe.

The other day I decided to look for a poem that I had to memorize when I was in school. As I learned it, it had become one of my favorites. A brief search yielded the poem I was looking for, and it was even better than I remembered it to be. As I read it for the first time in so long, I noticed how there were analogies of the Christian life that could be taken from it - although I don't know if that was the intent of the author. I'd like to share this special poem with you.

Opportunity
Edward Rowland Sill

This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:
There spread a cloud of dust along the plain;
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by the foes.
A craven hung along the battle's edge,
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel -
That blue blade that the king's son bears, - but this
Blunt thing - !" He snapt and flung it from his hand,
And lowering, crept away and left the field.
Then came the king's son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand.
And ran and snatched it, and with a battle-shout,
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.

One of the meanings this poem holds for me is concerning the area of talents which are instilled in each of us by God our Creator. To those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, He has also given special gifts for the use of ministering to others.

In today's world, there is so much emphasis put on how your abilities and capabilities compare to those of others. It can be easy to feel you don't measure up to someone else or even feel that their talents are "better" or "worth more" than your own. It's a two-fold lie that hinders what we can do for our Lord. First of all, we ought not to compare ourselves to others. The only One we need to compare ourselves to is Jesus. As God's children, we need to focus on His Word and continuously ask ourselves if we are becoming more like Christ. Secondly, it can also influence us to don a quitting attitude instead of using what we have, as if to say, "I can only do 'this', but if I had the talent of 'so-and-so', I could do so much more." God has a reason He has given us the talents and gifts that He has designed for us. The talents He has given to us are the ones that He knows we will use best as long as we remember that our talent really belongs to Him anyway.

Will you be like the craven who was envious and wouldn't use what he had, or will you be like the king's son who used what was available to him to win the battle and save a great cause? Christians are in a battle, you know, a spiritual battle; our cause is Jesus Christ and telling others about His saving power and grace. Will you help win the battle for God?

The book of Revelation promises a victory in the end, yet until then, each day is a battle to be fought. I've chosen to be courageous in the opportunities of life's journey so that I may say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (II Timothy 4:7-8). Is this your choice as well?

Or perhaps you're reading this thinking that the Christian life is powerless - "this blunt thing". Please read other entries in my blog; there are several which reference verses from the Bible about salvation. This is your opportunity to possess freedom like none other: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

Lessons from a Round of Golf

The things that entertain us make me laugh when I stop to think about it. Have you ever pondered about the things you enjoy? Take golf for an example. You take a stick and swing at a small ball. Hopefully, you will not only make contact with it but will get the ball to move forward (preferably even getting it off the ground, except when putting). Then you chase after the ball and do the same thing again! All that just to get the ball in a hole in the ground! Despite its simplicity, I like to golf. Granted, there is skill involved, too - something I have yet to master. But, even though I don't have much skill, I still enjoy the sport.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to do just that: enjoy a round of golf. Being from Minnesnowta, I was expecting my first round to be much later in the year. It was a pleasant surprise to be out on the course so early in the spring. Better still, my brother was there with me. The course was busy, the grass was still brown... and it was obvious that I've had the winter off. My ball managed to find several trenches and some water once, but, considering how the rest of my game was going, it surprisingly never hit a tree or found the sand, yet it never seemed to want to find the cup either. (Of course, it's my fault and not the ball's fault.) Even though my ball did come upon some difficult circumstances, I also had a lot of fun. There was a surprise at the end, too. I shot my personal best for the course! I wasn't even close to par, but that doesn't matter to me because it was still the best I've done.

As I was thinking, I noticed that, in a small way, the path of the golf ball represents the life of a Christian. Sometimes, when life is calm and going smoothly, it's like we are in the fairways. Other times, when life seems full of trials and difficult circumstances, it seems to be similar to the rough and other hazards my ball landed in. Yet, even through those difficult times, we can still find other things to enjoy and make us smile (even though it may seem to be something little compared to all that is happening), and we can still be content. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Whatsoever state, in all things. Paul endured some hard circumstances (beaten and stoned, imprisoned and shipwrecked, and even executed) for preaching about Christ's death on the cross, burial, and resurrection from the grave. Yet he was content in all of those things. Paul trusted God and knew that He would always be with him. Hebrews 13:5b says, "And be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Even upon his execution this must have brought a peace that many would deem unimaginable.

With contentment, abiding joy follows. For us Christians, we also have a peace that comes only from God. When we put aside our selfish desires to walk in God's ways, we can be sure that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). If you have trusted in Jesus Christ to be your Saviour, you are one of "the called", and you can have the assurance that everything will work out for good. And, at the end of the trial, you just might be surprised by what blessings have come about because of it. Oh, we might not know right away like I did when I added up my scorecard, but someday we will know the reason things have happened as they did. So, whether you're battling with illness, grief, loss, or whatever your difficult circumstances may be, please be encouraged because God always keeps His promises.

His Way is Perfect

Have you ever exerted a lot of time and effort into a project to surprise someone special? I usually find much enjoyment in crocheting afghans and baby blankets for gift-giving; however, one afghan in particular came to a point - well over halfway through - where the enjoyment was mixed with obstacles. I was following a mile-a-minute pattern (which means you make multiple strips and then join them together to create a full-size blanket). I had progressed quite smoothly up until I got to the joining rows. I began crocheting the first two strips together, but they wouldn't lie flat like they should have. Instead, much to my dismay, they were very rippled. I pulled out all the joining stitches, then tried joining them more loosely. They still rippled. So I tried a different stitch to join them instead of what the pattern suggests. Yet, when I laid it out, flat is something it was not. I tried another way and another way - those didn't work either. For hours, I tried every joining stitch I could possibly think of. Between attempts I would go back and look at the pattern to see if there was something I missed; I studied the pictures, too. I couldn't find anything. I called my aunt who had taught me most of my crocheting skills; maybe she would have an idea. She, too, suggested different stitches. Sadly, I had already tried them all. Alas! No avail! Nothing seemed to be working. Rather than use the yarn for something else or give up entirely, I decided to set it aside until I felt I could come back and take a fresh look at the pattern and the problem.

I had quite expected months to go by before I would tackle it, so I actually looked at the pattern book much sooner than I thought I would - only a few weeks had passed. I had been organizing and figured it wouldn't hurt to take one last quick glance before filing it with other patterns that aren't currently in use. Anyway, I decided to study the pictures again, then took a even closer second look at the not-so-close "close-up" picture. Indeed, this time something in the picture caught my eye. So I re-read the segment of the instructions which was in question. Sure enough! There was some wordage that could be interpreted two ways (and, apparently, I picked the wrong way). Yet I needed set the afghan aside until I would have the time to undo and redo all of those strips right now to the center section. Almost 6 months later, I finally was able to pick it back up and complete it. While I had it all apart, I decided to also increase the length. I really like how it turned out - and finished with just enough time for it to make the perfect gift for my brother's 19^th birthday.

All the while as I sat there trying to figure out what was wrong, I also thought of God's will for His children. His will for our lives is much different than the crochet pattern I was following, yet I noticed similarities as well. While anyone who uses that pattern will have an afghan much like the one I made, God has a specific plan for each individual. Your life will not be like that of others because He has made you to be special and unique. My crochet pattern came with start-to-finish directions, but God gives us guidance as we go. You see, as long as we follow Him, there is no way for us to mess up because He won't steer us wrong. The Lord doesn't bombard us with things that can be easily misinterpreted, neither will He ever give us more than we can handle at a single moment - He promises that. Better than having beginning-to-end instructions, we have the Bible (the inspired Word of God) to show us the way. Even better than having a picture of a finished afghan for an example, all we need to know is that our lives will look more like Jesus in the end. So one more thing: Just as I liked how the afghan turned out and thought the work of my hands to be beautiful, He will be pleased with us and our lives will be beautiful in His sight when we are obedient to Him and His Word.

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For 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)

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5)

The Perfect Valentine

Have you ever noticed there is an acrostic in John 3:16? I didn't until someone showed it to me. And so I would also like to share it with you.

His love for you is even so much more than a just a simple valentine. Why? Because it was a complete offering of Himself when He gave His life for you. There can never and will never be a love that equals His love for us.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

~I John 4:9-10

Hearing someone say "I love you" is nice, but how much better it is when someone shows you they love you by their actions - it shows they really mean it. The Lord didn't just say "I love you", He showed us by laying down His life for us on the cross. Now that's true love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Divine Love

During this time of year when "love" is in the forefront, I would like to encourage you all to think on the greatest love-gift of all time.  God offers everyone salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It took His death on the cross to pay the price for our sin and His resurrection from the grave to conquer death.  He willingly did this for you, and He willing did this for me.

Several weeks ago I had the honor of singing a couple of songs at a dear lady's funeral who passed away at the age of 90.  Her countenance had been so bright and joyful, even when her health was far from its best.  Yet as joyful as she was on a daily basis, you could always tell when she was thinking or speaking of her loved ones and her (our) loving Lord because her countenance glowed.  When she asked me over a year ago to sing on the day of her funeral, she spoke of how she wanted the songs to reflect her happiness in going home to be with Jesus, of all that He did for her, and what He can do for anyone who accepts Him as their Lord.  And, truly, the joy she had in her daily life came from Jesus Christ her Lord.  The following is one of the songs she chose.  It's a song that clearly speaks of God's love for all of mankind.

 

 

              He the Pearly Gates Will Open

Love divine, so great and wondrous,

Deep and mighty, pure, sublime!

Coming from the heart of Jesus,

Just the same through tests of time.

He the pearly gates will open,

So that I may enter in;

For He purchased my redemption

And forgave me all my sin.

Like a dove when hunted, frightened,

As a wounded fawn was I;

Brokenhearted, yet He healed me,

He will heed the sinner’s cry.

He the pearly gates will open,

So that I may enter in;

For He purchased my redemption

And forgave me all my sin.

Love divine, so great and wondrous,

All my sins He then forgave!

I will sing His praise forever,

For His blood, His power to save.

He the pearly gates will open,

So that I may enter in;

For He purchased my redemption

And forgave me all my sin.

In life’s eventide, at twilight,

At His door I’ll knock and wait;

By the precious love of Jesus

I shall enter Heaven’s gate.

He the pearly gates will open,

So that I may enter in;

For He purchased my redemption

And forgave me all my sin.

 

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

~Romans 6:23

Satiated?

Several years ago, while I was observing the world around me, I decided to write my observations down in a poetic style. Though time has passed since then, and though the world has changed, there are some things that stay the same. One thing that remains is the search for something that will satisfy your life - and that is something each and every individual seeks. And with that, there is one Answer that will truly satiate (fully satisfy) that desire for one and all!

The poem:

Satiated?

Upon this earth, I have noticed,
But one common thing among man.
People are always taking.
Taking.
Always trying to get more for themselves.
Enough to satiate their desires.
But when it comes to the one thing
That will truly satisfy their very being
They reject it.
They won’t accept it.
It is cast aside like a worn-out rag.
But it is the only thing
That can satisfy to overflowing
Their wants, desires, and all else they could ever ask for.
It cannot be found in ads or magazines -
It is a gift!
Free.
And yet they refuse
This gift from the one true Giver -
The Giver of all, even life itself.
A gift of love.
Given far beyond what anyone ever has.
A gift so great it could never be matched.
He gave His only Son.
A Son that was born on earth,
Lived a perfect life,
Then gave His life for me.
He paid the penalty for my sin
Through His death.
And gave me life everlasting
Through His resurrection.
This gift is for all.
Yet so many will not receive it.
They reject it -
Even despise it.
But this gift of love still remains.
And the Giver awaits with open arms.
For anyone that will accept His priceless gift.

People search for all sorts of things trying to find something to give them an inner happiness. Is your hope in something temporary? If so, all pleasure is sure to fade and soon enough the search will continue. Or are you trusting in the One that can satiate your soul now and throughout eternity - Jesus Christ? Have you accepted this matchless gift? It's yours if you but ask Him.