The Dash
I so enjoy my devotional! So many times, I would love to share the whole thing but… So, here’s a small excerpt from Christ Alone from The Valley of Vision:
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ, though obscurely…
…………………………….…to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
I just love the thought of blessing Christ with my heart, mouth, and life!
********
A few weeks ago, a friend shared pictures of some beautiful blooming thistles. I had forgotten about them until this week when I drove by a patch of thistles that were way past their blooming stage! They were beautiful in their own way but were no longer vibrant pink.
Some flowers last for quite a while. Others continue to bloom for quite a while. But most, like the thistle, bloom for a few days…and that is that. Death comes and they are nothing but a dry, empty shell of what they once were in all their glory.
We live much longer, by and large, but we have our glory days and then death comes upon us, as well. And for a vast majority of us, we have no choice in the matter…death just comes.
One of the psalms attributed to David states,
Our days on earth are like grass;
….like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
….as though we had never been here. Psalm 103:15-16 NLT
What we have to ask ourselves is, what do we do with the time we are given?
I had read about some phrase involving the “dash” between our year of birth and year of death and quickly discovered this poem, The Dash, written by Linda Ellis. As you read it, make sure you factor God and your relationship with Him into it all.
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end
He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth
For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?
Sept 28th, 2022, Wed, 7:40 pm
Guilty…or Not?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the control given me in an earlier interaction. It is only because of Your influence in my life that I am who I am. All praise to You!
Romans 1:21-32 (<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that always grabs my attention when reading the Bible, is passages, like this one, that have a fairly long list of, as Paul puts it, “every kind of wickedness”. What I find amazing is that it includes things we would definitely put in there – like greed and murder – and other things we might put in there – like envy and deception (at least when others are envious of us and deceive us, though it bothers us a bit if we are the ones guilty of envy and deception…). But then, we see things that we feel aren’t really that bad. We feel those things should not even be noticed, things like quarreling, gossip, and those who (gasp!) disobey their parents! I’m sure some would just stomp their feet and say, “Why are those things even on that list?! I mean really, shouldn’t we get a pass on those kinds of things?”
And the answer is…no. No, we shouldn’t. Sin. Is. Sin.
But when we read verse 31, things really hit home.
They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. NLT
Now Paul is messing with things of which we are probably guilty but would rather no one know about. Just a shot in the dark here, but what goes through our minds when we see a panhandler standing at a busy intersection where they know people are going to be stuck waiting for the light to go green? And their signs, written on scrap cardboard, have words like “homeless”, “veteran”, “out of work”, “anything helps”, and a “God bless” scribbled on there for good measure.
Are the first things we think, “Man, I understand where they’re coming from…” or “I’ve thought before, that I should give them something.” “God has been so merciful to me so many times, I really should help…”?
They refuse to understand,
………break their promises,
…………are heartless,
……………and have no mercy…
We judge. We assume. We stereotype. We defend our reasons for doing nothing. Or maybe we’re just afraid…
Lord Jesus, we truly have no excuse regarding any of these things. From beginning to end, if we are honest with ourselves…sin. is. sin. It may not be easy to fess up. And in reality, on a lot of fronts, we are incapable of righting ourselves. But if we would just stop…and think about it, You know that is the case. But You also know that we can be conquerors of it all if, and only if, we rely on You. We are weak. You are strong. We have a bent to sin. You are the means to pull us back into alignment with Your will. We are guilty of being deep in the mix of things that are not of You. But again, You are the means for making us holy – pulled out of the mix and set apart for Your use. Help us we pray. Amen.
Sept 27th, 2022, Tues, 12:52 pm
Undeniable Reality
An excerpt from The Name of Jesus from The Valley of Vision:
In him the enslaved find redemption,
……..the guilty pardon,
……..the unholy renovation;
In him are everlasting strength for the weak,
…………unsearchable riches for the needy,
…………treasures of wisdom and knowledge for the ignorant,
…………fullness for the empty.
Romans 1:18-20 (<<click here to read the passage)
Overall, today was a very nice early autumn day. It was a little cool and breezy. The brightness of the sun was interrupted only on occasion by scattered white clouds.
But as the day wore on the clouds became heavier and as my last route of the day drew to a close, a few droplets of rain lightly pelted my windshield. Something was coming…
As I pulled into the bus lot, the northern horizon was dark and thick. Rain was coming.
When I got home, I quickly grabbed the shed key to try and complete an outside project. Before I had grabbed the second tool the wind had picked up and I heard the deep rumble of thunder from not too far away and rain became noticeable in the rippling waters of the pool. I stepped into the house none too quickly, the rain falling hard.
In the world in which we live today, many “well-rounded”, “educated” people refuse to admit to the possibility of God’s existence. As I said in a sermon a couple of weeks ago, “If they can’t see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, touch it and test it, it can’t be true.”
Well, whether they want to admit it or not, God is all of those things, and we are without excuse.
The Amplified Bible accentuates Paul’s exclamation by stating in verses 18-20,
For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
There’s really nothing else to say…is there?
Lord Jesus, enable us to see the undeniable reality of who You are from what You have made. May our feeble excuses be shown for what they are, mist blown away by the wind. Amen.
Sept 26th, 2022, Mon, 7:42 pm
From First to Last
Heavenly Father, You are always at work. Why should I ever doubt? For behind the scenes, You are moving, and though we may not see it Your will will be made known in this world! All to praise to our God Almighty!
Romans 1:17 (<<click here to read the passage)
I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy watching YouTube videos of people starting with a mess and ending with something “beautiful”. These include old, abused furniture being dismantled and cleaned up, stripped of varnish or paint, then reassembled with everything repaired, then once again stained, or painted, bringing it back to its original glory.
I enjoy the same process with power washing dirty and stained sidewalks, driveways, and patios, and also mowing/trimming extremely overgrown properties. The popular thing now is for people to donate their services as they are supported by revenue from the volume of views, likes, and comments on their YouTube channels.
What I enjoy most is the satisfaction of watching the process from start to finish, from filthy, unkempt, disrepair to a beautiful end product of order and respectability, often at the hands of masters in their field (or at least the very good workmanship of dedicated amateurs!)
In verse 17 Paul speaks about how the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel – the Good News. And in God’s act, we see the Master Himself reveal a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. God left nothing to chance but laid everything out in meticulous detail as only He could. And we, as His children, have the great satisfaction of knowing, beyond any doubt, that we are the beneficiaries of His great love for us. The Righteous One has made it possible for the unrighteous to obtain His righteousness as our own!
And the most wonderful news of all – the ultimate Good News! – is that, while it cost Him everything in the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus, the Messiah, it costs us nothing! Our only responsibility is to accept this wonderful free gift! No one is denied, it is offered to all!
Many in the past – and yet today! – struggle with feeling that they are not worthy of the gift and that because of the unworthiness they feel that somehow, they need to work and “earn” what they ultimately discover to be totally unearnable!
The end of verse 17 is the verse that set Martin Luther free. It’s the same verse that John and Charles Wesley latched on to. And actually, Paul is quoting an Old Testament text. Paul states, “The righteous will live by faith.”
But here is the passage from which Paul quoted.
Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
….and make it plain on tablets
….so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
….it speaks of the end
….and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
….it will certainly come
….and will not delay.
“See, the enemy is puffed up;
….his desires are not upright—
….but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness… Habakkuk 2:2-4 NIV (emphasis mine)
From the beginning to the end God worked to bring about our righteousness and it is entirely failproof because as we trust God, we are saved; we have life both now and forever! Amen and amen!
*Life Application Bible New Living Translation
Sept 25th, 2022, Sun, 7:59 pm
Of Minks and Men
Thoughts have been rambling around in my head, Father. Mold them into whatever you deem fit to inspire me and others who would read these words. Amen.
********
On my early morning route last week, I glanced into a yard off to my right and was surprised to see two American minks running towards a line of brush and trees. I thought, “Were those what I think they were? They were too small and trim to be raccoons, so with their sleek dark bodies, they had to be minks!” It was pretty cool!
They are beautiful animals, but I discovered that to enjoy them, you’d have to spot them in the wild. They are not good as pets in that they can be aggressive and with that, they have razor-sharp teeth. They are in the same family as skunks, and though their scent is not as potent, it still isn’t pleasant. They also require water and aquatic prey to be happy. So, they are not pet material.
From a purely human perspective, one other way to benefit from their existence is to catch them (or raise them in captivity) to take their fur, which in times past was highly prized but today is less so. Another byproduct Is the rendering of mink fat removed from their pelts. The oil produced is used in several medical and cosmetic products. It is also used for treating, conditioning, and preserving nearly any type of leather.
A lot of people probably have no problem with that part of their story, but I struggle with it. I’ve never hunted (in my youth with a small handgun, I tried to hit a target on a huge tree – I missed the tree!) and it bothers me when I hit any kind of animal when I’m driving.
So, here’s our lesson. Are we “consumers” of people? Do we just get what we want out of them, no matter how they fare in the long run? Are we guilty of using, abusing, and milking them for all they are worth, and think nothing of it?
Although many people do those things to others, that is not why God created the victims or the perpetrators. Be warned! God sides with the oppressed.
It says in Proverbs 22:22-23,
Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
….or exploit the needy in court.
For the Lord is their defender.
….He will ruin anyone who ruins them. NLT
How about Zechariah 7:9-10?
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ NIV
Jesus, Himself had this to say in Matthew 25:34-37a, 40,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we (do all those things?)
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ NLT
May we do to them as we would do for Him!
Sept 21st, 2022, Wed, 1:08 pm