Servant Resources

Listen Once, Hear Twice

In my regular reading of scripture, I almost always include a chapter from the book of Psalms. They have always been a strong encouragement to me. It’s as if David wrote out of the flow of his mind. All of his thoughts are displayed in their rawest form. Knowing that he was highly favored and greatly loved by God makes me want to peer into his life and draw every bit of information I can from him.

 

Today, one particular verse stood out to me as I read. It’s found in Psalm 62:11. David makes the statement:

 

“One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: That you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord are loving.”

 

First, I am intrigued by the idea that God speaks once, but David hears twice. The great commentator, Matthew Henry explains this “twice” as meaning to hear diligently, fully and completely. In other words, to hear with both the mind and the heart.  He goes on to say “to some, God speaks twice and they will not hear once; but to others he speaks but once and they hear twice.”

 

That thought causes me to stop in my tracks and ask: “Which one am I?”

 

The second portion of this verse tells us what David heard when God spoke to him. And what he heard is an encouragement to us all. He heard the Lord say that He is strong and that He is loving.

 

He is strong enough to carry you. He is strong enough to infuse you with hope. He is strong enough to give you victory. He is strong enough to lift any burden you carry. He is strong enough to meet your every need.

 

He loves you as well.  He loves you so much that He offers you light in the darkness. He loves you so much that He promised He would never leave you alone. He loves you so much that He allows difficulties because He knows you will grow through them. He loves you so much that He accepted the sentence of death for your wrongdoing, and paid it Himself.

 

He is strong, and He is loving. Carry that with you no matter what.

Forget, Accept, Pursue

Sometime I find myself looking back in life and remembering certain points or life-stages. It’s not that I’d rather be there, but there are things I would certainly change if I could. We make certain decisions in our lives that take us down one path or another; sometimes we make decisions that can haunt us the rest of our lives. Like the teenager who chooses to take their first drink, only to wake up later in life, a full-blown alcoholic.

 

 Some people can’t let go of the past; they’re like the uncle in the movie, Napoleon Dynamite, who never could let go of his High School football days. They call them the “glory days.” How sad an existence if you believe that your glory days are behind you.

 

The apostle Paul had some amazing glory days in the religious world. He talks about it in Philippians 3. He lists all of the things that made him right before God in his own strength and in his own eyes. Yet he realized later in life that all of his right living counted for nothing in God’s eyes. In fact, he said that he considered all of his personal accomplishments and trophies to be garbage in comparison to knowing Christ.

 

Then he lets us in on the thoughts of his mind, how he dealt with the glory days. He began by letting them go. In verses 12 and 13, he talks about accepting his present situation, forgetting the past and pursuing future objectives. A pattern that is beneficial to us all if implemented in our lives.

 

To forget, to leave the past in the past and to accept your current situation is a great starting point, but it is not enough. If you stop there it can work against you by causing you to become complacent and plateau right where you are. The call of God is always looking toward a future and a hope that is yet to be. Like Paul, we are encouraged to “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

 

He has a purpose and a plan for each of our lives. For us, the glory days are yet ahead, as we participate with him in fulfilling his desires in this world. Let’s join together in looking forward with anticipation to all he desires to accomplish through us.

You Can Plan, but You Can't Control

I have to admit a fault I have…I like to make plans and then stick to them with regimented focus. Do not deviate from the plan…stay the course at all costs.

 

Like most dads, it’s frustrating to be making great time in the car, driving toward your vacation destination, and someone has to go to the bathroom. An unscheduled stop, 2.3 miles off the main thoroughfare!

 

But it seems that life is chock full of unplanned interruptions. John Lennon wrote that life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans. Why is that exactly?

 

One reason is that planning occurs in a very controlled environment, and our plans often don’t make room for contingencies. Another reason is that everywhere around us, others are making plans as well and these competing plans collide into each other. Circumstances that are beyond us can also crash into our plans.

 

Scripture tells us that “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverbs 19:21

 

God has a plan as well. He has a purpose that he will achieve. Neither circumstances, nor the pitiful little plans of men or even the plans of Satan can thwart his purpose from being accomplished. Throw anything at him to block his way, in fact, go ahead and throw everything at him, but it will be to no avail.

 

It’s not that making plans is a bad thing. I just need to remember that I can trust the Lord in the midst of my plans going off course. Because so very often, that’s where I find him waiting to…

 

show me something new about himself,

 

or teach me about his purposes,

 

                        or use me to reach out beyond my plans and connect with his.

More Than Enough

A friend’s little son had just sat down to dinner with his parents. The father gave him his plate of food, but the boy wasn’t satisfied with the amount. He proclaimed loudly that he wanted more. His father told him that he had enough to eat and if he finished what he had, he could have more. But as little boys are prone to do, he wouldn’t accept his father’s explanation. He wanted more. His father was as persistent as he was and told him that more would be too much; to which the boy replied, “I want too much!”

 

Sometimes I find myself wanting too much. Too much pizza…too much TV…too much coffee. It’s usually in relation to something I want to fulfill a personal desire. Give me too much, and then I’ll be satisfied.

 

I often read the stories of the Old Testament. They are written for our encouragement and for us to learn from. Like the biographies of great men and women, these historical narratives carry with them examples that pull us toward God’s work in our lives.

 

One particular narrative has been an encouragement to me lately. It’s found in Exodus 36 and the surrounding chapters. It takes place in the Israelite nation and has to do with the building of the tabernacle…God’s house.

 

God gave Moses very detailed, specific instructions on the exact materials for the construction of the tabernacle. He also provided the skilled leaders to make it happen. In fact, he chose them by name…Bezalel and Oholiab.  He filled them with his spirit and gave them skill, ability and knowledge to do this great work.

 

Every morning, people from the tribe of Israel brought their gifts of gold, yarn, fine linen, silver, bronze, acacia wood and other materials for the work to be accomplished. God could have miraculously provided those things like he did with manna and water; but he chose to have the people provide these things from their own treasures

 

One day, all the skilled workmen that Bezalel and Oholiab had trained stopped working. There was a problem that needed to get resolved, and it was significant enough for them all to stop everything to address it.

 

They came to Moses and told him what was wrong, and Moses took action. What exactly was the problem? They told Moses “the people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done!”

 

The big problem was too many resources!

 

Perhaps we should be praying and expecting God to bring us too much, so that we can accomplish the purpose for which he put us here. I’m not talking about more to fill our own desires for selfish gain or personal ambition. But more than enough to do his work, to build his kingdom and to lift his name high.

Puddles

When I was a boy, puddles were meant to jump in, wearing rubber boots up to your knees. Take a flying leap and land in the middle with both feet. Then jump and splash around until everything around you, including yourself, was soaking wet.

 

But lately, I’ve noticed that I’ve moved into a “puddle avoidance” mode.  Step around the puddles, keep out of the mud, don’t get your shoes wet, let alone your entire self.

 

What if puddles were tears? All the tears I’ve ever cried were there in puddles. The tears I’ve cried that others could see, as well as the one’s inside that don’t make their way out of my eyes. Puddles created and then expanded by hopes dashed, hurts rendered, dreams crushed…a heart broken.

 

Would I avoid them? Tiptoe around them lest I allow the pain to splash back on me again?

 

What if, when the tears came, I danced around in them for a bit. What if I splashed around in them and allowed myself to feel them fully and completely. To celebrate my human emotions at their deepest level.

Would I be able to go off afterward, and be whole again…restored? Healed and delivered from the brokenness completely? Would I be fully alive and unhindered by the puddle baggage of the past?

Perhaps it’s worth a try.