Dust Bowl of Faith
A farmer and his two sons during a dust storm in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, April 1936. Iconic photo taken by Arthur Rothstein.
Father, though life is often a rollercoaster – full of ups and downs – I am grateful that You are directly in our sights – constant and rock-solid. I take hold of Your words conveyed through the author of Hebrews.
Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 AMP
John 7:45-53 (<<click here to read the passage)
If there ever was a perfect storm it was a combination of circumstances that took place in the 1930s in the Southern Plains region of the United States. From Texas to Nebraska, people and livestock were killed and crops failed in what would become known as The Dust Bowl. Poor farming practices of the time exposed hundreds of acres to erosion as drought and high winds came together to strip the land bare of the top layers of soil. The Dust Bowl coupled with the crushing economic impacts of the Great Depression drove many people to desperation.
At this point in the Gospel narrative of the Apostle John, Jesus has reached the height of His popularity. As we’ve already acknowledged, the tide is turning but our story informs us the Pharisees and leaders of Israel are unaware of this turn of events, and they are getting desperate. A drought of sorts was upon them, for it was obvious that they were losing ground.
In these few verses, the Temple guards who had been sent to find some evidence for which to arrest Jesus, returned to the leadership empty-handed. They were asked with intense exasperation, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” Their response? “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” vs45-46 NLT
And then, Nicodemus, one of their own, risked his reputation and high position even though he only spoke up indirectly of Jesus when he asked, “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” v51 NLT
With that one question, he confronted the Pharisees with their failure to keep their own laws. Yes…they were losing ground.
In the historical record of farming techniques before The Dust Bowl, they removed the deep-rooted acreage of prairie grass so they could plant their crops. That prairie grass was what was keeping everything together and once removed, losing ground was inevitable…literally.
With all that the Pharisees and religious leaders had added to God’s Law and then when they started pulling out those things that didn’t support the results they desired, they began losing ground, for they were pulling out the deep-rooted parts of the Law that were keeping everything together.
The mighty winds of Truth exposed their hypocritical motives, and as their prestige began slowly eroding, they began to move to protect themselves.
The notes from my study Bible* continue,
Pride would interfere with their ability to reason, and soon they would become obsessed with getting rid of Jesus just to save face. What was good and right no longer mattered.
Lord Jesus, active pride in our lives is a great cause of spiritual erosion. What we hold as holy and sacred in our lives, if not founded on Truth, begins to crumble and we end up with our own Dust Bowl of faith. When we begin to lose ground, nothing is safe, and we will sacrifice just about everything to save face. Help us to fend off the great temptation of pride and may the good and right prevail. Amen.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
June 20th, 2021, Sun, 9:37 pm
Polarized People
A day of relative peace and all of it from Your bountiful hand, Father. May tonight be a night of blissful sleep, as well! Amen.
John 7:40-44 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the wild things about this last year is how much it polarized people. For many people, either you sided with what was set as truth by what many would deem the professionals – we wore masks, social distanced, and followed guidelines to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible. Many others, on the opposite pole, felt they were being led astray by those in power and, instead, chose to not follow the protocol. For them, they only wore a mask, socially distanced, and followed safety guidelines only when they were required to do so. I have many family members and friends that fell to both sides.
Regardless of what side you chose to be on, it is very difficult to understand how anyone could be foolish enough to be on the other! Both sides believe heartily that they are on the side of truth. And honestly, neither side will be swayed to believe in the other side.
The “crowd” associated with Jesus was in a similar position. Some believed that He was who He said He was. Others were outright hostile in their thoughts, attitudes, and eventually their actions toward Him. While others disqualified Jesus as the Messiah because he was from Nazareth, not Bethlehem. For the book of the Prophet Micah, found in the Old Testament made plain,
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
….are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
….whose origins are in the distant past,
….will come from you on my behalf. Micah 5:2 NLT
But in hindsight, we know the truth found in Luke 2:1-7, that Jesus’ parents had to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a census called by the Roman government fulfilling the prophecy of His birth there instead – God’s mighty and sovereign hand at work!
Some of what the “crowds” held to be true, was not based on fact. Jesus may have had a pronounced Galilean accent. If they had looked more carefully, they would not have jumped to the wrong conclusions. When you search for God’s truth, make sure you look carefully and thoughtfully at the Bible with an open heart and mind. Don’t jump to conclusions before knowing more of what the Bible says. *
On this side of eternity, truth – or a lack thereof – might free you or may even enslave you. It could bring life…or it might ensure death. But in the scheme of things, the other side of eternity is all that really matters. What you believe about Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, is the ultimate divider between eternal life and eternal death.
As this past Sunday’s sermon concluded, everybody has to make that choice. It’s either “A” – obey God or “B” – do your own thing. There is no “C”. Truly there’s an eternal polarization. Believe or disbelieve, the choice is yours and yours alone. But choose wisely, your eternal destiny depends on it!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
June 17th, 2021, Thurs, 9:45 pm
Celebration of God’s Blessing!
Father, sometimes it feels like I am a fireman and there are constantly little fires that need to be put out. I get one put out here and then there’s one over there. Before that one is out, there is another one or two somewhere else. I could get panicky, but I look to You and there is calm. There is a steadiness that I can see in You, but don’t necessarily feel in me. It helps so much to quiet my soul, but I have to look to You. The fires will come under control, and You help to keep me under control. I love You, Father. Thanks for loving me like You do!
********
As I sat to write tonight and knowing what tomorrow is, I looked back to last year’s post on this day. I about fell over when I read my introductory prayer and realized it fits where we are as a family today, as well! I will say again, it helps so much to quiet my soul, but I have to look at my Father. He is in control even when so much else is not.
Today’s post lands exactly six years after my very first post way back in 2015. I had never blogged before, but despite myself, God continues to use me. I am still far from perfect, but God takes what I freely give Him, and He multiplies as He sees fit. Honestly, when I sit down to write it is a rare thing that I have any idea, at all, about what I am going to write. There are times when I feel like what I wrote isn’t going to impact a living soul. And ofttimes, those posts are the ones people comment on! I am nothing in and of myself, but with God, I am more than useless. When I give Him my offering, no matter how small, He blesses it. And once that send button is hit, the results are out of my hands and God takes full responsibility for them. It’s a weight He bears magnificently, and I am grateful that I no longer need to.
So as I am want to do, being this is my 6th Blogiversary, I enjoy sharing some stats. In the past six years, I have published 1,518 posts. They’ve been viewed over 60,000 times! God has led over 32,000 people from 142 countries and 16 territories to witness His impact on me. And I know that He impacts them, too!
Maybe for some, it changes a life. Others may have one more drop of God’s mercy to moisten the hardness of their hearts, drawing them ever closer to Himself. Only God knows and eternity will tell, how He has used what I have given. May I remain faithful to His call on my life. And you…you cannot sidestep His call! We are all called by the Creator God of the universe to follow Him, giving Him what we have to offer, no matter how small. And He will bless your offerings as well!
The verse that I have held onto is one that I came across and shared on my very first blog, oh so long ago. Ephesians 1:4 proclaims,
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. NLT
And I have to share it from the Amplified Bible as well!
…[in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight.
He loves us and he has chosen us! What more could we ask! You, my friends, are MORE THAN USELESS!
June 16th, 2021, Wed, 9:54 pm
Come and Drink!
Everything is best when left in Your hands! All praise to You for Your incredible love and faithful answers to prayer! Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!
John 7:32-39 (<<click here to read the passage)
This time of year, some days can get pretty warm. It’s a great time to complete outdoor projects but hard work in high humidity often leads to sweating profusely. The thing is no matter how much moisture is in the air you can get dehydrated very quickly. That’s why it is so important to drink lots of beneficial fluids – water especially – to stay healthy physically.
There is no way, in and of yourself, that you can hydrate yourself. To accomplish that, you have to go to a source outside yourself – a bottle of water, or maybe a water fountain.
But what about staying hydrated spiritually?
Jesus says in verses 37-38,
“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” NLT
In the notes of my Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation, it alludes to many Old Testament passages that pointed to the Messiah. One of them is Isaiah 58:11. It reads
The Lord will guide you continually,
….giving you water when you are dry
….and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
….like an ever-flowing spring. NLT
Oh, my…there have been many times in my life, my spiritual life that is, that I have been dry. My soul has been parched. It’s not God’s fault. I’ve been the one that has neglected to stop and take that much-needed drink. Jesus freely extends the answer to my dehydrated spiritual condition. It is not some measly, limited bottle of water. No, He extends to us His Spirit, an eternal source of “living water”!
The Lord again declares through the prophet Isaiah,
I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,
….and my blessing on your children. Isaiah 44:3b NLT
Also, in Isaiah 12:2-3,
See, God has come to save me.
….I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
….he has given me victory.”
With joy you will drink deeply
….from the fountain of salvation! NLT
There is no need for us to be “dry”. We have no excuse to remain spiritually dehydrated! God the source of our salvation offers sweet refreshment, quenching our spiritual thirst!
From the old hymn written in 1884 by Lucy J. Meyer,
Ho! every one that is thirsty in spirit,
Ho! every one that is weary and sad;
Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,
All that you’re longing for: come and be glad!
Refrain
I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While ye are seeking Me, I will be found.
June 15th, 2021, Tues, 10:14 pm
It’s Nigh Impossible to Keep a Secret Secret
Father, we are all becoming very weary. Enable us to see our situation through in Your grace and love. Amen.
John 7:25-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that I am absolutely awful at telling lies. Even if it is to ensure the keeping of a secret. I just can’t do it!
For example, a few years ago, I was trying to pull off a “surprise” 40th birthday gathering for my wife. We were meeting family at a local Ryan’s Restaurant and Karen saw through my flimsy “story” of why we were meeting my parents there. I told her that my mom really liked their soft serve ice cream – Mom did! – but Karen knew that wasn’t why we were meeting.
Anyway…secrets can sometimes be fun but overall, they quite often get us into trouble, mainly because it is nigh impossible to keep a secret secret! Far too often it finds a way of seeping out. Many people just can’t keep one, so they tell someone else who tells someone else, and ultimately the cat is out of the bag.
Jesus said in Luke 8:17,
For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. NLT
In today’s text, John communicates that although the teachers of the Law were eager to rid themselves of Jesus, them plotting His murder was probably not something that they wanted to be common knowledge among the populace. But there it was. The last part of verse 25 states, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
Of course, Jesus knew the “secret” of what was going on. But that every run-of-the-mill person knew, as well, amazingly didn’t slow the perpetrators down one bit. They kept grasping for anything that might be useful in bringing Jesus’ influence to an end.
Even in this passage, Jesus clearly calls them out, saying, “…I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him.” v28 NLT
The Father had sent His one and only Son, He was true, but the Jewish leaders had no idea who He was. But they did know that Jesus was blatantly pointing His finger squarely in their faces.
Verse 30 goes onto say,
Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. NLT
Though they desired His life, they had no say as to when their desire would be fulfilled. It would only be at the time the Father would set. He always has and always will have the last word, regardless of what we say or think.
We fool ourselves if we think we can have secrets before God. He is omniscient – He knows all there is to know. We can hide nothing from Him. And we – every man, woman, and child to ever walk the face of this earth from day one to the end of time – will all stand before Him of that final day of judgment. May we all ready ourselves for our accounting. Amen.
June 14th, 2021, Mon, 9:45 pm