Sleeping Soundly

Let me ask you a question.  If you knew you would die the next day, how well would you sleep? Would your eyes close in deep, restful slumber or would you toss and turn, watching the clock, anxiously awaiting the arrival of morning?

Now, let's make the deal a little more intense.  Add to that mournful thought a couple of soldiers chained to either of your wrists and see if that makes a difference.  Maybe their snores would keep you awake, but I don't think that's all that would be holding your eyes open.

Then tell me, how in the world did the Apostle Peter close his eyes in SLEEP the night before he was probably going to be executed by Herod?  The king had already killed James for preaching the Gospel - a horrid action which pleased the Jewish leaders of the day.  Yes, Peter's head was on the proverbial chopping block, and yet, he slept - hard.  As a matter of fact, when the angel appeared to free Peter from his chains, the holy light that filled the room didn't rouse him at all.  Instead, the angel had to poke Peter to stir him back into reality.  What could make his sleep so sound?  What could make Peter sleep like a baby on THIS particular night?

I think I know.  You see, Peter would have had access to the Old Testament, especially the book of Isaiah...Isaiah 26:3 for instance: You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  

Peter knew.  He knew that God was still in control, shackles or no shackles.  He knew that whatever happened, it would be okay, whether that meant he was freed or whether he became a martyr. Peter found that "perfect peace," and therefore, sleep came easily for the apostle - even in the midst of serious circumstances.

Now, back to the first question:  If you knew you would die the next day, how well would you sleep? Would your eyes close in deep, restful slumber or would you toss and turn, watching the clock, anxiously awaiting the arrival of morning?  Something to think about, isn't it...in light of what we've just read.

It all boils down to trust.  Do we really, really, really trust Him?  Do we believe that God wants us to be at peace...to be able to sleep, even in the most dire of times?  Our overwhelming response should be "YES, He does."  He is our Heavenly Father, and the One who would never do anything other than what is best.  So, whatever He does, is good...whatever He does is right...and whatever He does is worth our trust.

So, keep your mind upon Jesus and sleep well, my friend.

Dearest Jesus, thank You that I can trust You.  Thank You that as I keep my mind on You, I find perfect peace.     

    

Shadows of Things to Come

That spider was huge! My husband and I sat in the car and watched as this gargantuan-looking creature built its web outside our garage. Normally, I would be horrified. Spiders and I are not on speaking terms...screaming terms, but definitely not speaking terms. This night, however, I wasn't concerned.

First of all, we were in the car. It wasn't like this giant creature could penetrate the windshield of our vehicle to reach its mortified occupant. Secondly, I was with my husband. Surely, he would take care of me...jumping in harm's way to protect me from that creepy, eight-legged, horrifyingly-ugly thing...surely. Lastly, I wasn't concerned, because the spider's size was a little more than exaggerated. You see, we were seeing just an enlarged shadow of a rather normal-sized creature. He was building a web directly in front of our garage light, so the shadow being cast on the garage was daunting, but nothing of which to be afraid.

Merriam Webster gives us this definition of the word “shadow”: An area of darkness created when a source of light is blocked. So really, there's nothing to be afraid of with a shadow. It might look scary and mysterious, but it's simply an area of darkness, nothing more.

With my curiosity peeked about this word, I Googled “shadows in the Bible.” I was surprised at what I found. There were 52 references – 52! One of which, I am sure, you have heard many times. It might even be that you haven't just heard it, you fear it. It's the Shadow of Death.

Sounds horrifying, doesn't it? Sounds like something big and daunting, hanging over our heads waiting for just the right moment to jump onto the windshield of our lives and break through. It's something that we can try and try to escape, but one day, it will find us all.

Yet, it's just a shadow. Did you get that? The thing we all usually fear the most as humans, is just a shadow...that is, for Believers. If you do not know Jesus, then you have every right to be fearful. For you, death is not a shadow, but a terrifying journey of torture and “lastingness.” It will be something that you will never escape. Fear and pain will be your friends and your companions...forever.

If that is your position, I pray that you will do as Romans 10:9 says: “Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with all your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be saved.”

Now, that doesn't mean that you just utter those words and pray some prayer of simplicity for your salvation. It means that you confess that you are an enemy of God. Romans 5:10 says, “For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” You can't have friendship with God – reconciliation – apart from Jesus, His Son.

Next, you confess that Jesus is the ultimate Authority over your life – the One who knows what is best, and the One whose life you choose to follow and emulate. You believe, truly believe, that God resurrected Him. You believe that Christ's life and death and life again are a reality. The Bible says that if you believe that - with ALL your heart - then, death will be your friend, not your enemy. You WILL be saved. If you want to know more about this relationship with Jesus, please let us know. We'd love to walk with you through this journey.

And the Good News for those of us who DO believe? Well, as I said, death is merely a shadow. It may be big. It may be terrifying. It may be dark, but it can't hurt you. You will pass through it, only to find that it wasn't some big, scary monster. Instead, it was a beautiful path that brought you to a place of the greatest comfort and joy – a place more spectacular than you could ever imagine.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

The Wisdom I Desire

They're everywhere:  How to Lose 25 Lbs. in 30 Minutes or Less; How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too;  How to Eat a Popsicle and Type a Newspaper Column at the Same Time.  Okay, so maybe the last title only applies to me, but you get the picture.  If you want to know how to do something - I mean, really KNOW how to do it, you can find books and articles in every medium.

But, I've got ONE particular book that is my favorite "How-to" book.  You may or may not be surprised at the answer.  On second thought, you probably won't be surprised at all.  Yes, it is the Bible...and it is IN the Bible.

The book of Proverbs is a treasure-trove of wisdom - of "how to" most everything, except maybe How to Fix Your Dishwasher in Less Time Than It Takes To Wash a Sinkful of Dishes!  It does include, however, how to respond when the book about fixing your dishwasher doesn't work for your model.  :)

I turn to the book of Proverbs often these days - almost every day, as a matter of fact.  It has 31 chapters, so it's easy to just choose the number of the date and begin reading.

I have been feeling a need to grow into this gray hair I am now sporting, so my thirst for wisdom is greater now more than ever.
Because of that, my help for your day (and my day) is to share a little "wisdom" with you from Proverbs.  These chosen passages come from Proverbs 15, because today is, you got it..the 15th.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger," v.1.  How's that for a day starter?  It's a reminder to us that if we want to be more peaceful with those around us, we won't retaliate when attacked.  Instead, we will respond properly and with thoughtful control of our tongue.  That, in turn, will help to calm a heated situation, instead of agitate it.

How about v. 4?  "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."  How many times has a lie crushed YOUR spirit?  It happens, doesn't it.  So, in light of how that affects us and others, it should be our choice to speak truth and life in every situation, not lies and deceit.

Again, v. 17, "better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred."  Oh how I can relate to this one!  There were many times we ONLY had vegetables grown in the garden. Money isn't everything.  We can work ourselves to death to afford our families everything they desire, but if we lose sight of our love for one another in the process, being monetarily wealthy doesn't matter anymore.

And one more...v. 31-32:  "He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise."  Yes, I want to be wise.  Yes, I want these gray hairs to mean something, but if I am not willing to accept the kind rebuke of a godly friend, then I will never live up to my hair.

I do have to add that this passage doesn't just say "rebuke."  It says a "life-giving rebuke."  There is a difference.  For instance, if a friend enlightens me to a fault in my life or some sin, and I get angry and refuse to consider his/her discernment, then I will not grow in wisdom.  However, if I listen...if I really HEAR them and understand what they are saying and respond accordingly...wisdom will crown my head in beautiful silver strands, mixed with a touch of static electricity.  

A good dose of Proverbs every day.  I highly recommend it.

God, I want to grow in wisdom.  I want to not just be smarter, but wiser in the things You teach me.  To do that Father, I have to study Your Word and spend time with You.  Call me to Yourself constantly. Don't let my feet wander from You.  I love You.