Without a Sound or Word
(Crew Dragon spacecraft approaching the ISS with part of southwestern Turkey – including the coastal city of Demre – in the background.)
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
…..The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
….night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
….their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
….and their words to all the world. Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)
If I would say the names Bob and Doug, what comes to mind? Somewhere along the line, it makes me think that it must be the name of some cartoon on Nickelodeon. But it’s not. They are the names of two pretty famous guys – Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. And unless you are into what they are into, it still might not ring a bell.
Bob and Doug – as NASA control frequently referred to them – are the first two astronauts to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) from United States soil in almost a decade! The final flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle was on July 8th, 2011. Since then, Russia’s Soyuz rocket has been the only vehicle available to do crewed flights to the ISS, and just one seat on the Soyuz runs NASA about $80 million!
Crazy right?!
I watched the historic liftoff of the Crew Dragon that took place on Saturday, May 30th, 2020. I must admit that I held my breath for those first few moments as I remembered the tragedy that occurred on Tuesday, January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. But for Bob and Doug, it was smooth sailing all the way!
I don’t know what all they had to say about their adventure in getting to the ISS but many astronauts have expressed the awe they experienced at being in space.
It seems that while returning from the historic first landing on the moon 50 years ago, astronaut Buzz Aldrin took part in a TV broadcast the night before splashing down. During the broadcast, the second man to set foot on the moon’s surface read Psalms 8:3-4: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the Son of Man, that thou visitest him?”
John Glenn told reporters in 1998, just after returning from his final trip to space at age 77, “To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible. It just strengthens my faith.”
It turns out that the religious faith of these men is not an anomaly. The 29 astronauts who visited the moon during the Apollo program were a generally religious cohort. According to NASA, 23 were Protestant and six Catholic, with a high proportion of them serving as church leaders in their congregations.
The opening lines of Psalm 19 at the beginning of today’s blog, written by King David around 3,000 years ago, communicate the awe he felt in gazing up to the heavens. Those who have been privileged enough to gaze upon God’s creation from the heavens were in awe, as well.
God’s handiwork proclaims His power and majesty…all without saying a word but as David wrote, “their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.”
Regardless of man’s agreement or disagreement, God is glorified by the entirety of His creation and it cannot be silenced. May we add our voice to the great symphony of praise!
June 25th, 2020, Thurs, 9:33 pm
We’ll Leave the Light On for You
Candles in the windows of the Deyermond residence in Sag Harbor, New York on 10/19/18
The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
….May the God of my salvation be exalted! Psalm 18:46 (NLT)
Luke 11:33-36 (<<click to read the passage)
If I type the phrase, “We’ll leave the light on for you”, I can guarantee that most of you would recognize it. Some would know that it is a commercial slogan. Some might even remember it is used by Motel 6 and some may possibly know that it is a phrase coined by Tom Bodett of National Public Radio (NPR) fame.
What you may not realize is that Bodett was hired by Motel 6 way back in 1986 when a creative director for an ad agency heard him on NPR. A tidbit of trivia is that Bodett ad-libbed that famous line because the radio script was running short. And now every time you hear the phrase, “We’ll leave the light on for you” in your head you hear Tom Bodett’s voice, and more than likely, you’ll have that little folksy tune with guitar and fiddle in the background knocking around in your head, too.
But that phrase…they have featured it in their ads for the last 34 years (that’s as long as we’ve been married!) – and it works for them, exceptionally well, because it communicates a warm welcome.
In our mind’s eye, we see a home a ways out and the sun is setting but we see the friendly glow of a light in the window. It beckons us to come. We are invited to enter, to be a part of the loving hospitality that we will find inside.
The key is that the light is visible. It is not in a corner of a room with the curtains drawn. It is not casting its light in a darkened cellar where only the occupants can benefit from the light that shines forth from it. It is sat in a prominent place for all to see, for all to feel its warmth, for all to understand its invitation to partake of the good found inside.
It’s a little odd to think this way but is very illuminating, as well! (Pun most definitely intended!) Jesus tells us, “The eye is the lamp of your body.”
The eye uses light. That is how we see. That’s how God created us. But Jesus is telling us that “The eye is the lamp of your body.” And he goes on to say – and I’m going to break this down a bit because I don’t want you to rush through it…take your time, ponder each phrase. We miss way too much when we are in a hurry.
When your eye is clear …
….[spiritually perceptive, focused on God] …
……..your whole body also is full of light …
…………[benefiting from God’s precepts].
But when it is bad [spiritually blind] …
….your body also is full of darkness …
……..[devoid of God’s word].
Be careful, therefore, …
….that the light that is in you is not darkness.
So if your whole body is illuminated …
….with no dark part …
……..it will be entirely bright …
…………[with light] …
…………….as when the lamp gives you light with its bright rays.” Vs.35-36 (AMP)
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see…
Remember those words? My study Bible* has this to say,
…the eye represents spiritual understanding and insight. Evil desires make the eye less sensitive and blot out the light of Christ’s presence. If you have a hard time seeing God at work in the world and in your life, check your vision. Are any sinful desires blinding you to Christ?
Lord Jesus, help clear our vision. The world needs to clearly see your loving, warm welcome. May our light not be hindered by the looming darkness, but may it pierce the darkness with its everlasting light! Amen!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
June 24th, 2020, Wed, 6:57 pm
The Flavor of a Water Chestnut
You have given me your shield of victory.
….Your right hand supports me;
….your help has made me great.
You have made a wide path for my feet
….to keep them from slipping. Psalm 18:35-36 (NLT)
Luke 11:31-32 (<<click to read the passage)
One thing that I discovered while working at Kohl’s was the number of international tourists that came to visit Ohio…Ohio! I specifically remember a family from Germany, and I think a family from Russia, as well. I just found it astonishing that Ohio would be a destination of choice when they could have gone absolutely anywhere they wanted!
Many times, it has been a point of discussion about how plain and ordinary Ohio is. We have lots of corn and soybean fields but nothing really tourist worthy.
The namesake for my blog is the song More than Useless by the group Relient K. Another song they wrote was about, of all things, the excitement of being from Ohio! (They are from the Canton area.) The song is Hoopes I Did It Again from their Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right… but Three Do album. Here’s a portion of the lyrics,
“Ohio has the flavor of a water chestnut
It’s not too crazy and it’s not the best but
We’re not setting forest fires just out of boredom
I’d rather see a movie if in fact I can afford one”
There are all kinds of special things to see and experience in Ohio from natural wonders to cultural events and world-renowned zoos, but many locals can’t wait to get as far away from it as possible. (Personally, I like water chestnuts, but they aren’t known for their zest and mouth popping flavor!)
In today’s passage, Jesus was telling his listeners like it was!
“The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. Luke 11:31-32 (NLT)
A local guy was calling them out and they were less than thrilled. I’m sure they were thinking, “Who does he think he is, anyway?” Jesus met none of their expectations. Even His closest companions really didn’t understand all that He was. To many – not all mind you – Jesus “had the flavor of a water chestnut.” He just didn’t fit the bill for what everyone thought the Messiah would be. Many didn’t even think of Him that way because He didn’t.
The queen of Sheba – modern-day Ethiopia / Yemen– was wealthy and powerful beyond belief but she traveled to bring gifts to King Solomon of Israel and to hear his wisdom. He was a great and wise king but was far from perfect. He did pretty well at the start of his reign but crashed and burned badly in the end.
I mentioned Jonah yesterday (did you check out the BibleProject video on his book?). Even though he didn’t care a whipstitch about the lot of the Ninevites and really wished they would all perish, they repented at his message, such as it was.
And here is Jesus – the perfect Son of God -who, though they refused to acknowledge it, loved them more than they could ever have imagined. In spite of all He was, this “water chestnut” was rejected.
So, for us. is Jesus just a commonplace figure? Is He just another part of church that we go to because that’s just what we’re supposed to do? We know His name, but do we really know Him?
Lord Jesus, may we be as the queen of Sheba and the Ninevites. May we listen and repent and find the wondrous gift that You are. Amen.
June 23rd, 2020, Tues, 6:51 pm
“Here’s Your Sign!”
Days of variety, Father – what a blessing! Rain, sun, home, away, normal, special – there is so much to rejoice about in life! May I be grateful for whatever lies before me. Amen.
Luke 11:29-30 (<<click to read the passage)
There is a comedian that runs the country circuits by the name of Bill Engvall. I’ve heard some of his stuff but one routine that he is known for is his “Here’s Your Sign” standup routine. It is based on people asking stupid questions. He laughingly says it would make things a lot easier if people would wear “I’m stupid” signs, it would save time and maybe help them to not do stupid things, if people saw it.
Here’s an example from one of his shows.
I was driving around, and I had a flat tire. I pulled my truck into one of those side-of-the-road gas stations. The attendant walks out, looks at my truck, and looks at me and…he went, “Tire go flat?” I couldn’t resist, I said, “Nope. No, I was driving around and those other three just swelled right up on me!” And without missing a beat, he goes, “Well, the heat’ll do that.”
Sometimes people don’t say smart things. They ask things or demand things and often they don’t even know what they are saying or asking for. From a comedic side of things, we could say, “Here’s your sign!”
In today’s passage, there is absolutely no humor intended or implied. Jesus is totally serious when the people ask Him for a sign – a miraculous sign – and He basically says, “You want a sign? Here’s your sign!”
Why were they asking for a sign? Were they selfishly motivated? Were trying to trip Him up? Were they just wanting to be entertained? Maybe… but overall, they were not looking at who Jesus really was. For many, He was just there to meet their need. “Hey, man, jump through this hoop! Hey, man, do what I say!”
Jesus had no intention of doing their bidding. He wasn’t some kind of circus act. He wasn’t there to entertain or perform on command. He was there to change lives. He was there to bring salvation, where the only option available was damnation.
Jesus said, “…the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.”
So, what is the significance of the prophet historically swallowed by a giant fish?
(The story is laid out in a most excellent way by an online video ministry, called BibleProject. Click here to see their website. Click here for the video of the book of Jonah – you won’t be sorry that you did!) (I also put the Jonah video at the bottom of the blog.)
Watching the above-mentioned video does a much better job of explaining things but let me just say, Jonah was sent to call an enemy nation to repentance and he did everything he could to avoid saving them – he wanted them to die. He wanted them all to die. He sailed the other way, got thrown overboard, got swallowed by a giant fish, got spit out, prophesied (sort of), and was still ticked at God because He didn’t take out His enemies but forgave them because they repented.
Jesus came for all people, not just a chosen few. He came to save the world.
In John 3:16-17 Jesus proclaimed for all to hear…
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (NKJV)
He came to save us but it would involve Him being in the “belly” of the earth for three days, only to be brought back to life by God’s almighty power, conquering death and in that act, He made available to us eternal life…instead of eternal death.
Lord Jesus, may we seek to save the lost. May we be all about showing the lost around us the sign of your salvation. There’s nothing stupid about that…
June 22nd, 2020, Mon, 8:47 pm
Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters
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!
********
I have been writing for longer than I had ever expected. I posted my first More than Useless blog on June 17th, 2015 – so we just passed my 5th Blogiversary! Over that time, I have written 1,251 posts that have been viewed over 47,000 times by over 25,000 people in 137 countries and 14 territories!
There have been times when I have seriously considered not doing it anymore. Just a few months ago, it was time to renew my domain name registration – one of the things I pay for to blog. But occasionally I hear from people who read it and it is always encouraging to see how God uses what He gives me to touch people’s lives.
Looking at those stats, you can see that people see my posts. Some like the pictures I find and others I know look forward to reading it every day – and when I don’t post they go back into the archives and read old ones.
A verse that comes to mind is from Ecclesiastes 11:1. In the New King James Version, it reads,
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
Whatever we do for God does not come back empty. I choose to cast my bread upon the waters, and I trust God to do with it what He will. I also know that it will not come back to me void as it says in Isaiah 55:11,
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me void (useless, without result),
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (AMP)
I would encourage you to stay the course, pursue God’s calling for your life. Don’t give up. What we do for God is not for naught! It will be in His time – we just need to be obedient.
Bread Upon the Water is also a song released way back in 1978 by a group called the Imperials. Here is a link to listen to it, sung by the Gaither Vocal Band, and the lyrics, too. Hold on, God knows what He is doing!
Well, there are people who think they’re not receiving
Anything from God at all
Oh, they are shaken from their believin’
When they don’t see results they quickly fall
But don’t you waiver, keep on living
In the way God wants you to
Don’t get discouraged keep on giving
Soon it will come back to you
Keep on casting your bread upon the water
Soon it’s going to come back home on every wave
Keep on casting your bread upon the water
Soon it’s going to come back home on every wave
Good measure pressed down, shaking together, running over
Soon it’s going to come back home on every wave
Just keep on working, seeking the kingdom
Instead of working for your needs
Just keep on sharing the love of Jesus
You know growing comes from planting seeds
June 21st, 2020, Sun, 7:00 pm