A Bark Worse Than a Bite
Father, I have every reason to rely on You. When I am shaky at best, You are solid as a rock. May I fall into Your almighty arms for You will surely get me through anything and everything I might come up against! Amen.
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Early on my elementary route, there are two stops across from each other. The first house has a German Shepherd (and a couple of other little dogs) and the other house has three Labradoodles. Inevitably when I pull up to the first house, the dogs are at it. I think the German Shepherd has been trained to not leave his yard and the Labradoodles have an invisible fence in theirs. But believe you me, that doesn’t stop communication between them. The one on the left holds his own with the three on the right – back and forth, bark, bark, bark!
I don’t know if they are just catching up with everything since their last meeting or if they’re giving a vocal defense of their territories.
How often do we “bark” at each other? (And my mind isn’t going down the path of friendly interaction here.) I’m pretty sure that I am not alone when it comes to “barking” at my loved ones on more than rare occasions. When we are close and familiar with those around us it is very easy to jump on easy targets. Things are said or done and we in turn “interpret’ them to mean such and such. How many times are they just things said and done with no offense or affront intended? But we are all over it with quick retaliation!
Or how about when we are tired – maybe totally worn out, even – and when things don’t go the way we think they should, it doesn’t take much for us to blow up and really, we are just blowing things way out of proportion! Many times there is non-stop “barking” with our “opposition” getting no opportunity to get a “bark” in sideways!
Thoughtfully take time to digests these verses from the book of Proverbs and see if, just maybe, your bark may be worse than your bite. (All passages are from the New Living Translation.)
With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
….but knowledge will rescue the righteous. Proverbs 11:9
It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
….a sensible person keeps quiet. Proverbs 11:12
Your kindness will reward you,
….but your cruelty will destroy you. Proverbs 11:17
A gentle answer deflects anger,
….but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1
Gentle words are a tree of life;
….a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4
Kind words are like honey—
….sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24
Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
….the right words bring satisfaction. Proverbs 18:20
Telling lies about others
….is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,
wounding them with a sword,
….or shooting them with a sharp arrow. Proverbs 25:18
Lord Jesus, may Psalm 141:3 be the prayer of our hearts today.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]. AMP
Mar 2nd, 2021, Tues, 7:15 pm
Gotta Keep on Keepin’ On!
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
….your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalm 36:5 NLT
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I have sat here for 30 minutes and I am no further ahead than when I began. I’ve read through portions of John and, at least for tonight, nothing. I have looked through a couple of my books regarding hymns and again…nothing. In desperation, I looked back to this day 5 years ago when I was in the middle of Titus. As I backtracked to the beginning of my writing of that particular epistle of Paul it took me to my writings for January 11th, 2016. I wrote concerning Titus 1:1-4…
I am still struggling, and time is ticking away. I suppose I could compare myself to the island of Crete where Titus was sent to minister. The Good News had touched many lives but there was much to be done – to take numerous individuals all going different directions in life and attempting to bring them together as one body of believers would be the challenge.
Established mindsets are difficult to overcome. Even some who seemed solid in their determination to follow Christ would have issues with things that had long ago been laid to rest. As are we, the church is a living breathing organism. And as in any and every setting, the church continues to grow and decline, and mature and fall back. It is an ongoing endeavor both for the church and the individual to maintain their relationship with You, Lord, through all the many ups and downs. We kid ourselves if we think it doesn’t happen to us or that it only happens to us. All of us must continue to strive to keep our relationship with You alive and well. Jesus, You are there for us, You don’t give up on us, You forgive us when we fall but We are the ones who must decide to move forward – to not give up, but to advance.
Five years later that is still my plea. It has been a relatively short period of time, but our world has changed so much. I, too, have changed. No matter your take on COVID-19 we have all been impacted.
When I look back over the last year, I realized that our last date for “normal” worship was March 8th, 2020. Initially, I made attempts to contact people of my congregations but as time has gone on it has overwhelmed me. I have interacted with some, but my time seems to be taken with preparation for virtual services, writing, and work, as well as family responsibilities. I realize that I really need to reach out and interact with the people of my churches and they probably pray that I would.
Have you ever been in a position where you needed to tackle a big task but were stymied by the sheer volume of it all? You’ve held back not knowing where or how to start, so those roadblocks totally immobilize you. It is a difficult place to be.
Lord Jesus, my prayer from 5 years ago is appropriate in this time and place, too.
Lord, help me to keep in line with You – to not throw in the towel but to keep on, keeping on!
May it be so. Amen.
Mar 1st, 2021, Mon, 7:25 pm
Cleaning House!
It’s been one of those days, Father. I am weary of body, mind, and soul. Please guide and direct us in all we think, say, and do. May You control every aspect of it. We fall into Your hands of love, mercy, and wisdom. Amen.
John 1:19-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
Early in our marriage, I served as an associate pastor in southern Ohio. We lived in a simple duplex that sat behind a ranch-style home. Karen at one point was invited into the home and was shocked to find that it was so full of piled-high “stuff” that there was but a single path through a good part of the main living area!
Today we would think of them as hoarders. Many are held captive by that lifestyle. I see homes on my bus route where people of the same mindset live. We have extended family that at one point lived that way as well.
If someone of great importance to them were to say they were coming to visit them in their home, there would have to be an overwhelming amount of work for their visitors to even get into the house! Much more so for them to make it presentable for their guests.
Many people struggle in the same way when it comes to their souls. The clutter of the world and its many vices are piled high in their lives. When someone attempts to introduce them to Jesus they are just overwhelmed! They may realize their need for meeting Him but the work they would have to do to ready their “house” is too great to gain Him entry and they balk at the idea.
In today’s passage, John the Baptist, when asked who he was, right away said, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)! v20b
When pressed further, he also denied being Elijah or the [promised] Prophet. v21
The nation of Israel was eagerly expecting all of these characters but finally, in response to the religious leader’s query, John proclaimed,
“I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” v23 (quoting Isaiah 40:3)
My study Bible* points out that the religious leaders were demanding to know who John was, but John’s emphasis lay only in proclaiming why he had come! “Alright, boys! It’s time to clean house! There’s too much clutter!”
The [the preeminent One] – that is the expected Messiah! – was even then standing among them. But they did not recognize Him and though they thought they knew it all, knew nothing of Him whatsoever! v26
John was there at that moment in time specifically to ready the world for Jesus’ arrival. He was literally shouting in the wilderness for them to ready themselves for His coming. He’s not what you think. He’s really way beyond what you think He will be, but we’ve got to start somewhere…right?
Yes, it’s a starting point but in the bigger picture what we must grasp is that we have to accept what Jesus has come to do but He in His greatness will take care of cleaning our “house”. If there is any point of contention in the process it will be us letting Him do what needs to be done. So many things are deeply embedded into our hearts and minds and eliminating those things at the very least is uncomfortable and at most, it can be heart-wrenching.
Most importantly we must realize that He is there, not to hurt us, but to help us. He loves us beyond anything we can comprehend and has only our best interests in mind. Even those of us who have followed Him for many years can require a good “house” cleaning. As any homeowner can tell you, things often accumulate, and to regain use of our garage or that spare room, some hard decisions may have to be made.
Lord Jesus, help us not shy away from Your work in our lives. May we give ourselves over to Your will for our lives for Father knows best! Amen!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Feb 28th, 2021, Sun, 7:57 pm
Understanding Stretch Bands
Father, thank You for the opportunity to share in so many different capacities in my life – at work, through this blog, via our virtual worship, in funeral services. You are in it all and can use me wherever I may be. May Your Kingdom abound!
John 1:18 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the last areas I supervised before I left Kohl’s was the Jewelry Department. Before working in that area, I knew some things about watches but not a whole lot. I may have replaced a couple of batteries before that but nothing more. Over time I learned all kinds of things involving battery changes and band adjustments – and there is a very wide assortment of things to know!
One type of band that I was advised to avoid was the stretch band. I was told they were too difficult and time-consuming to do. So, we told customers we didn’t do them. Then new management came on board…and they knew how to adjust them.
For a while, I would call them to do them. Then finally one of them said to me, “I’m too busy to keep coming up here, you need to learn how to do them yourself.”
So, they taught me how and I understood. It took some time for me to be proficient and eventually efficient, but I finally understood how to do them.
To a much greater degree, God, for millennia could not really be understood. He communicated with humanity – Adam and Eve, Noah, and eventually Abraham and his descendants, up to Moses, through whom He gave the Law.
God communicated through a long line of prophets, but we just didn’t get it. We would do OK for a while but in short order, we would crash and burn…over and over and over and over again. It was a vicious cycle. God went above a beyond to help us, but we just weren’t getting it. Some understood but they were few and far between.
It wasn’t that God was incapable – we were the ones who were incapable. In reality, He was laying the foundation for His greatest and most impacting communication of all – the Word! The problem was that No one had ever seen God. He was holy and pure, and sin could not exist in His presence. His plan then was to make Himself available to His creation and that is where Jesus steps into time. …the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. And in His coming to live amongst us, He revealed God to us. John 1:18 NLT
With our limited knowledge and experience trying to do what God wants us to do in this life is just too difficult to handle. It was just easier to avoid it and we tell ourselves that we just don’t do God…and go on our miserable way.
In God’s perfect timing, new “management” came on the scene, and He – the Word – knew how to take it all apart and put it back together. And…he showed us how it was done!
…the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father]. AMP
He has shown us the way and now we can understand! It takes time and effort and application of what He has taught us, but we can do it! And best of all He is with us all along the way!
Feb 25th, 2021, Thurs, 8:05 pm
A Song to Get Me Through
Father, thank You for Your guiding hand in what I’ve been reading. I thoroughly enjoy fiction and You have open doors to things both uplifting and inspirational. My soul is fed!
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As I think back several years, Karen and I were still in our first decade of marriage (it will be three and half decades this summer!) and Massey was just a tot. I had worked in a Christian retail environment and transitioned to a totally new job for me – I went to work for a company that warehoused freight for Sears. I actually learned to operate a forklift! I am talking washers, dryers, refrigerators…even lawn tractors! It wasn’t a difficult job but boy was it hard!
I started in the summertime and between the heat and the stress, I lost several pounds. In my first week of training, I attempted to go through one of the big openings that connected the different parts of the building. Each of those had a huge fire door that would roll down to prevent a fire from spreading into adjoining areas.
Well, the problem was, I drove through the opening with my mast still fully extended! I would probably have been fired then and there but they were so desperate for help that they kept me on (when I started, they were so far behind that for months we worked 13 ten-hour days with one day off – the overtime pay was great!)
I have all kinds of stories from my time there but for the record, the only thing I damaged for the rest of my time there was a range hood that I may have just barely scratched.
I will tell you that it had me so stressed that I prayed a lot every day! And being that running a forklift is pretty much a solo act, I sang quite a bit, too.
I remember one song in particular, My Jesus. I Love Thee. (I sang it when I first started driving a school bus, too!) It is a beautiful hymn written a century and a half ago. Interestingly enough it was written by a young man by the name of William Featherston after he came to know the Lord Jesus as his Savior – he was 16 years old at the time.
It definitely got me through a tough time in my life, and I’ve read other stories about its impact on people’s lives. Maybe it has done or could do the same for you! Here are the lyrics and a beautiful rendition sung by Casting Crowns from their Hymns of Faith release.
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
Feb 24th, 2021, Wed, 7:14 pm