Kick the Bully in the Pants

With all the cockiness of a neighborhood bully, the thought

swaggers up to the door and says. . .Youre a loser. All your life
youve been a loser. You might as well write the word bum on
your resume, for thats what you are. The average person would
throw open the door and let the thought in. Youre right. Im a
bum. Come on in.
But as a Christian, you arent your average person. Youre led by
the Spirit of God. So rather than let the thought in, you take it
captive; you present the thought before the judgment seat of
Christ. How do you know if Jesus agrees or disagrees? You open
your Bible. Romans 8:1 is a good place to check. There is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
So, give the bully a firm kick in the pantsand watch him run!











You Harvest what you plant
Pretend youve come to visit me. Im working in my greenhouse.
(Neither my house nor my thumb is green, but lets pretend.) Its
the perfect spot for flowers and fruit. Youve always thought I
was a bit crazy, but what I do next removes all doubt. I strip
seeds off weedscrab grass, grass burrs. You cant believe what
youve just seen.
I thought you wanted a greenhouse full of flowers and fruit!
you say.
I do, I answer.
You ask, Then dont you think you ought to plant flower seeds
and fruit seeds?
My foolish response, Do you have any idea how much those
seeds cost? No thanks, Im taking the cheap and easy route.
Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse. Consider your
thoughts as seed. Some become flowers. Others weeds. Sow
seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and
expect insecurity.
Galatians 6:7 says, People harvest only what they plant.






We are all beggars

We are all beggars in need of bread. Give us this day our daily
bread, we pray. (Matthew 6:11). You may prefer, We are all
hungry, in need of bread. Such a phrase certainly has more
dignity than the word beggar. Who wants to be called a beggar?
After all, didnt you create the ground in which the seed was
sown? No? Well at least you made the seed? Right? You didnt?
What about the sun? Did you provide the heat during the day?
Or the rain. Did you send the clouds? No? Then exactly what
did you do?
You harvested food you didnt make from an earth you didnt
create. Let me see if I have this straight. Had God not done His
part, you would have no food. Hmmm. . .perhaps we best return
to the word beggar. We are all beggars, in need of bread!











Resentment
Resentment is a prison. When youve put someone in your jail cell
of hatred, you are stuck guarding the door. If youre out to
settle a score, you are never going to rest. How can you? For
one thing, your enemy may never pay up.
As much as you think you deserve an apology, your debtor may
not agree. The racist may never repent. The chauvinist may
never change. As justified as you are in your quest for
vengeance, you may never get a pennys worth of justice. And if
you do, will it be enough?
You see, resentment is a prison. Jesus doesnt question the
reality of your wounds. He just doubts whether resentment is
going to heal you. What are you going to do? Spend your life
guarding the prison jail cell? Or entrust your wounds to Jesus?















The Fathers Outstretched Arms

The prodigal son. Going home a changed man. No longer
demanding he get what he deserved, but willing to take
whatever he could get. How many years had it been? As the
boy came around the bend that led to his house, he
rehearsed his speech one more time. He turned to open the
gate, but the father already had.
Father I have sinned, he said. (Luke 15:21). The two
wept. Words were unnecessary. Forgiveness had been
given.
If theres a scene that deserves to be framed, its the one
of the Fathers outstretched hands. His hands call us
home. Imagine those hands. Stretching open like a wide
gate, leaving entrance as the only option. He forced His
arms so wide apart that it hurt. And to prove that those
arms would never fold and those hands would never close,
He had them nailed open



Running the Race

You know as well as I do, its one thing to start something. Its
something else entirely to complete it. Relax! Dont start what
you cant finish is not my point!
To be honest, I dont believe you should finish everything you
start. Every student with homework just perked up. There are
certain quests better left undone, some projects wisely
abandoned. Though I wouldnt list homework as one of them! We
can become so obsessed with completion that we become blind to
effectiveness. No, my desire is not to convince you to finish
everything. My desire is to encourage you to finish
the right thing.
Certain races are optional. Other races are essentiallike the
race of faith. Consider this admonition from the author of
Hebrews in chapter 12:1, Let us run the race that is before us
and never give up!
Finish strong, my friend







In Debt

Debt. To be in debt is to owe someone something. If thats
true, isnt it appropriate for us to speak of debt in our prayer,
for arent we all in debt to God? Arent we in Gods debt when we
disobey His commands? Rather than love our neighbor, we hurt
our neighbor. Arent we in Gods debt when we disregard Him?
He makes the universe and we applaud science. Maybe if I wave
at my neighbor or go to church next Sunday, Ill get caught up.
But how do you know when youve made enough? Thats the
problem. You never can.
Romans 4:5 says, People cannot do any work that will make them
right with God.
Youre going to spend the rest of your days huffing and puffing
to get to the drive-through window before the bank closes.
Just try this trust His grace! It is God who justifies your
account!









Only You and God

When I lived in Brazil I took my mom and her friend to see
Iguacu Falls, the largest water falls in the world. Id become an
expert by reading an article in National Geographic magazine.
Surely, I thought, my guests would appreciate their good
fortune in having me as their guide.
To reach the lookout point, you must walk a winding trail that
leads through a forest. I used the time to give a nature report
to my mom and her friend. I caught myself speaking louder and
louder. Finally I was shouting above the roar. Even my mother
would rather see the splendor than hear my description. So, I
shut my mouth.
There are times when to speak is to violate the moment. When
silence represents the highest respect. The word for such times
is reverence. The prayer for such times is Hallowed be Thy
name! (Matthew 6:9).









Spend Time with Him

C. S. Lewis wrote: The moment you wake up each morning
your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild
animals. And the first job of each morning consists in
shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice,
letting that other, stronger, larger, quieter life come
flowing in.
Heres how the psalmist began his day: Every morning, I
tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer (Psalm
5:3).
Spend time waiting on God. And, at the end of the day,
thank God for the good parts. Question him about the hard
parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his strength. And as you close
your eyes, take this assurance into your sleep: He who
watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm
121:4). If you fall asleep as you pray, dont worry. What
better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.








A Basin of Water

I looked for a Bible translation that reads, Jesus washed
all the disciples feet except the feet of Judas. I couldnt
find one.
A couple once told me about a storm they were
weathering. She learned of an act of infidelity that had
occurred a decade ago. And as you can imagine, she was
deeply hurt. She could have left. Women have done so for
lesser reasons. But on advice of a counselor, they went
away for several days. On the fourth night of the trip, he
found a card on his pillow. It said: Id rather do nothing
with you than something without you. Beneath that shed
written these words: I forgive you. I love you. Lets move
on.
Certain conflicts can be resolved only with a basin of
water. Jesus made sure His disciples had no reason to
doubt His love. Why dont you do the same?


No Small Power

Where theres no assurance of salvation, theres no peace. No
peace means no joy. No joy results in fear-based lives. Is this
the life God creates? No. Grace creates a confident soul. His
love isnt contingent on your own. Do you find such a promise
hard to believe? In John 17:11 and verse 20, Jesus prays:
Holy Father, keep them and care for them, all those you have
given me, so that they will be united just as we are. I am praying
not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe
in me because of their testimony.
Our faith will wane, our resolve waver, but we will not fall away.
Jude 1 says, we are kept by Jesus and shielded by Gods
power. And that is no small power! Its the power of a living and
ever-persistent Savior.
From GRACE








His Kingdom Will Never End

In Bethlehem, the human being who best understood who God
was and what he was doing, is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. As
Mary looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His
majestyshe cant take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows
shes holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of
the angel. His kingdom will never end!
He looks like anything but a king. His cry, though strong and
healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. Majesty
in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep
manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a
stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a
carpenter.
God came near!
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:33








Completely Human

When a bookstore owner told me a woman had stomped into his
shop, angry, slamming one of my books on the counter, I knew
exactly what he was talking about. I wrote that Jesus may have
had pimples. He may have had bony knees. But I said, One
things for sure, he was, while completely divine, completely
human.
Theres something safe about a God who never had calluses.
Theres something majestic about a God who never scraped his
elbow. But theres also something cold about a God who cannot
relate to what you and I feel.
Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He
experienced it. Death? He tasted it. And stress? He could
write a best-selling book about it.
Why did he do it? One reason. So that when youre hurt, youll
go to him and let him heal you!
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we areyet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15.





Seeing You

Why does God love you so much?
For the same reason the artist loves his paintings. You are
His idea!
Ephesians 2:10 confirms that we are Gods masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the
good things he planned for us long ago.
In the movie Hook, Peter Pan had become old and looked
nothing like the Peter the lost boys knew. In the midst of
the boys shouting that this was NOT Peter, one of the
smallest boys pulled him down to his level. He places his
hands on Peters face, moved the skin around and reshaped
his face. The boy looked into Peters eyes and said, There
you are, Peter!
Shh. Listen. Do you hear?
God is saying the same words to you. There you are! There
you are!
Hes seeing you and loving the you he sees





Tell the Truth

Some of us could state our credo as, you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you squirm.
Our dislike for the truth began at age three when mom walked in
our rooms and asked, Did you hit your little brother? We knew
then and there that honesty had its consequences. Did I hit
baby brother? Well, that all depends on how you interpret the
word hit.
We want our bosses to like us, so we flatter. God calls it a lie.
We want people to admire us, so we exaggerate. God calls it a
lie. We want people to respect us, so we live in houses we cant
afford and charge bills we cant pay. God calls it living a lie.
The cure for deceit is simply this: face the music. The ripple of
todays lie is tomorrows wave and next years flood.
Be just like Jesus. Tell the truth!








God loves you still

We give more applause to a brawny ball-carrier than we do to
the God who made us. We sing more songs to the moon than to
the Christ who saved us. And if He doesnt give us what we want,
we say He doesnt exist. God has every reason to abandon us. I
sure would. Id wash my hands of the whole mess and start over.
But does He?
You think youve committed an act that places you outside His
love? You think Hed love you more if you hadnt done it, right?
You think He would love you more if you did more, right?
Wrong. Wrong. Gods love sees your sin and loves you still. Do
you need to repent? Yes. But do you repent for His sake or
yours? Yours!
Gods love needs no bolstering. And He could not love you more
than He does right now.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels
nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is
in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)



Holiness in a bathrobe
What you may see in the mirror as morning disaster is, in reality,
a morning miracle. Holiness in a bathrobe! When God sees us, He
also sees Christ. He sees perfection! Not perfection earned by
us, mind you, but perfection paid for by Him.
Scripture says: For God caused Christ, who Himself knew
nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ
we might be made good with the goodness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)
You are absolutely perfect. In Christ, you are flawless. Without
defect. Unrivaled. Undeserved yet unreserved perfection. No
wonder heaven applauds when you wake up! A masterpiece has
stirred.
Go ahead, get dressed, shave, comb the hair. Do it for yourself.
For the sake of your image. Do it to keep your job. But dont do
it for God. Hes already seen you as you really are. And in His
book, youre perfect.








We are Gods idea
Why does a mother love her newborn child? Because the baby is
hers? Even more so because the baby is her! Her blood. Her
flesh. Her hope. Her legacy. It doesnt bother her that the
baby gives nothing. She knows a newborn is helpless, weak. She
knows babies dont ask to come into this world. And God knows
we didnt either.
We are Gods idea. We are His. His face. His eyes. His hands.
Look deeply into the face of every human being on earth, and
you will see His likeness. Though some appear to be distant
relatives, they are not. We are, incredibly, the body of Christ.
And though we may not act like our Father, there is no greater
truth than this: We are His. Unalterably. He loves us.
Undyingly.
And Scripture says, not height nor depth, not any other
created thingnothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
(Romans 8:39)
Id be a fool not to believe Him.






The Names of God

In the three years as I came to know my wife, Denalyn, our
relationship evolved. And with each change came a new name. She
went from acquaintance to friend to eye-popping beauty to date
to fiance and wife. Now she is confidante, mother of my
children, life-long partner. The more I know her the more names
I give her.
And the more Gods people came to know him, the more names
they gave him. Elohim, strong one or creator. Jehovah-raah, a
caring shepherd. Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides. These are
just a few of the names of God which describe his character.
Study them, for in a given day, you may need each one of them.
God, the shepherd who leads, the Lord who provides, the voice
who brings peace in the storm, the physician who heals the sick,
the banner that guides. And most of allHe Is!


The burlap bag of burdens

Worry is the burlap bag of burdens. Its overflowing with
whaddifs and howells. Whaddif after all my dieting, I find
that lettuce is fattening and chocolate isnt? Howell will we pay
our babys tuition? Whaddifs andhowellsthe burlap bag of
worry. Cumbersome. Chunky. Unattractive. Scratchy. Irritating
to carry and impossible to give away! No one wants your worries.
The truth is, you dont want them either. No one has to remind
you of the high cost of anxiety, but I will anyway. Worry divides
the mind. It splits our energy between todays priorities and
tomorrows problems. The result is half-minded living!
Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to boldly approach the throne of
our gracious God, where we may receive mercy and, in His grace,
find timely help. Gods help is timely! God will do the right
thing at the right time. And what a difference that makes!






Dad, your child is You-nique
Every child is born with a unique blend of strengths and characteristics. Dont see your
child as a blank slate awaiting your pen, but as a written book awaiting your study.
What is the S-T-O-R-Y of your child?
1. What is their Strength? Master pianist Van Cliburn, at the age of two, could pick out a
song on the piano simply as a result of listening to lessons going on in the adjacent room.
His mother spotted this and, as a result, gave him daily lessons. The little kid from Kilgore,
Texas won the International Tchaikovsky Piano competition in Moscow. Why? Because a
parent spotted a skill and strengthened it.[1]
2. What Topics turn their heads? Numbers? When are they delightfully lost in a project?
John Ruskin said, Tell me what you like and Ill tell you who you are. [2]
3. What is their Optimal setting? Pine trees need a different soil than oak trees. A cactus
thrives in a different environment than a rosebush does. What about the soil and the
environment of your child? Some kids love to be noticed. Others prefer to be hidden in
the crowd. Some relish deadlines and challenges. Others need ample preparation time and
help. We each have a different optimal setting.
4. How about Relationships? When it comes to people, what phrase best describes your
child?
Follow me, everyone.
Ill let you know if I need some help.
Can we do this together?
The loner is not necessarily aloof; the crowd-seeker is not always lacking focus. They may
be living out their story. In which environment does your child flourish? And, when do they
say:
5. Yes! What gives them satisfaction and pleasure? Do they love the journey or the
goal? Do they like to keep things straight or straighten things out? What thrills one
person bothers another. The Apostle Peter liked to keep the boat steady while Paul was
prone to rock it.
Strength. Topic. Optimal setting. Relationships. Yes! What S-T-O-R-Y is God writing with
your child? God doesnt give parents manuscripts to write, but codes to decode. Study your
kids while you can. The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches but to
reveal to them their own.


Do It Gods way

In the game of golf, logic says, Dont go for the green. Golf 101
says, Dont go for the green. But I say, Give me my driver, Im
going for the green! Golf reveals a lot about a person. I dont
need advicewhack! I can handle this myselfclang!
Can you relate? We want to do things our way. Forget the easy
way and forget the best way. Forget Gods way. Too much
stubbornness. Too much independence. Too much self-reliance.
All I needed to do was apologize, but I had to argue. All I
needed to do was listen, but I had to open my big mouth. All I
needed to do was be patient, but I had to take control. All I had
to do was give it to God, but I tried to fix it myself.
Scripture says, Do it Gods way. Experience says, Do it Gods
way. And every so often, we do! We might even make the
green.









You have hope

For many, hope is in short supply. Hopelessness is an odd bag.
Unlike others, it isnt full. Its empty, and its emptiness creates
the burden. Unzip the top and examine all the pockets. Turn it
upside down and shake it hard. The bag of hopelessness is
painfully empty! Not a very pretty picture, is it? What would it
take to restore your hope? One comes quickly to minda person.
Not just any person. You need someone to look you in the face
and say, This isnt the end. Dont give up. Theres a better
place than this. And Ill lead you there.
David, in Psalm 23, used these words, He restores my soul.
God majors in restoring hope to the soul. Please note that you
always have hope! Psalm 121:7 says, The Lord will keep you from
all harmHe will watch over your life. Hes the perfect one to
do so!









Where does my help come from?

David said in Psalm 121, I lift up my eyes to the hillswhere
does my help come from? And David answers his own question,
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip, He who watches over you will not
slumber. The Lord watches over you. The Lord will keep you from
all harm, He will watch over your life.
Godyour rescuer, has the right vision. He also has the right
direction. He made the boldest claim in the history of man when
He declared, I am the way. People wondered if the claim was
accurate. He answered their question by forging a path through
the underbrush of sin and deathescaping alive.
Maybe you need your hope restored. If so, lift up your eyes.
Like David said, look unto the hillslook unto the One who made
you and He will give you help.








Goodness and mercy
Our moods may shift, but Gods doesnt. Our minds may change,
but Gods doesnt. Our devotion may falter, but Gods never
does. God is faithful, for He cannot betray Himself. He is a sure
God. And because He is, we can state confidently what David
exclaimed in his 23
rd
Psalm: Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life.
What are those words that follow the word surely? Goodness
and mercy. If the Lord is the shepherd who leads the flock,
goodness and mercy are the two sheepdogs that guard the rear
of the flock! Goodness AND mercy. Not goodness alone, for we
are sinners in need of mercy. Not mercy alone, for we are
fragile, in need of goodness. We need them both. Goodness and
mercythe celestial escort of Gods flock. If that duo doesnt
reinforce your faith, try this phrase: all the days of my life!







Stand up

Gods efforts are strongest when our efforts are useless! I
want you to listen to some revealing dialogue between a man
whod been paralyzed for years. Jesus encounters him at the
pool of Bethesda where hed gone hoping to get into the healing
waters (John 5).
Jesus asks him, Do you want to be well?
Sir, there is no one to help me get into the pool. While Im
coming to the water, someone else always gets in before me.
Stand up, Jesus respond. Pick up your mat and walk.
And immediately the man picked up his mat and began to walk.
I wish we would do that; I wish we would take Jesus at His word.
I wish we would learn that when He says something, it happens.
What is this peculiar paralysis that confines us? What is this
stubborn unwillingness to be healed? When Jesus tells us to
standlets stand! Yes, Gods efforts are strongest when our
efforts are useless. So, lets lean upon Him!
from He Still Moves Stones





Managing Tough Times

How we handle our tough times stays with us for a long time!
When youre tired of trying, tired of forgiving, tired of hard-
headed people, how do you manage your dark days? With a bottle
of pills? An hour at the bar, a day at the spa? Many opt for such
treatments. So many, in fact, we assume they reenergize the
sad life. But do they? They numb the pain, postpone the pain,
but do they remove it?
Is there a solution? There is. Be quick to pray. Stop talking to
yourself. Talk to Christ, who says, Are you tired? Worn out?
Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and youll
recover your life. Ill show you how to take a real rest. (Matthew
11:28).
God, who is never downcast, never tires of your down days.Come
to Me, Jesus says. Ill give you real rest!











Children of God

What matters to youmatters to God! You probably think
thats true when it comes to the big stuff; the major-
league difficulties like disease, death, sin, and disaster
you know that God cares. But what about the smaller
things? What about grouchy bosses or flat tires or lost
dogs? What about late flights, toothaches, or a crashed
computer? Do those matter to God?
Gods got wars to worry about and famines to fix. Who am
I, we say, to tell Him about my troubles? Im glad you
asked. The answer is found in I John 3:1. The Father has
loved us so much that we are called children of God. And
we really are His children. I love that last phrase. We
really are His children.
John added that phrase for you. We really are His
children! If something is important to you, its important to
God!








Turn a deaf ear
Two kinds of voices vie for our attention. One says, God will help
you. The other says, God has left you!
And heres the great news: you select the voices you hear. Why
give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same
ear, listen to the voice of God? I had a friend who battled alcohol.
He tried a fresh tactic. He gave me and a few others permission
to slug him in the nose if we ever saw him drinking. If the wall is
too tall, try the tunnel! Try something different God will help
you!
Ephesians 1:19-20 says, Gods power is very great for those who
believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to
raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the
heavenly world.
Turn to God and he will give you what you need. Turn a deaf ear to
the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices










God takes his time

Sometimes God takes His time. One-hundred and twenty years to
prepare Noah for the flood. Eighty years to prepare Moses for his
work. God called young David to be king, but returned him to the
sheep pasture. He called Paul to be an apostle and then isolated
him in Arabia for fourteen years.
How long will God take with you? His history is redeemed, not in
minutes, but in lifetimes. We fear the depression will never lift,
the yelling will never stop, the pain will never leave. Will this sky
ever brighten? This load ever lighten?
Life in the pit stinks. Yet for all its rottenness, doesnt it do this
much?Doesnt it force us to look upward? The Bible promises at
the right time, in Gods hands, intended evil becomes eventual
good. You will get through this!










His child forever
Im entering my fourth decade as a pastor and Ive learned the
question to ask. If we were having this talk over coffee and you
were telling me about your tough times, Id lean across the table
and say, What do you still have that you cannot lose? The
difficulties have taken much away. I get that. But theres one gift
your troubles cannot touch. Your destiny. Can we talk about it?
You are Gods child. He saw you, picked you, and placed you. Jesus
said, You did not choose Me. I chose you. (John 15:16).
I remember a young groom once leaned over, just minutes before
the ceremony and said to me, You werent my first choice. I
wasnt, I responded? No, the preacher I wanted couldnt make
it. Oh, I said. He responded, But thanks for filling in.
Youll never hear such words from God. He chose you. Replacement
or fill-in? Hardly. Youre His first choice. His open, willful,
voluntary choice. Hear him say, This child is mine! His child
forever. Thats who you are!










God Notices the Grateful Heart

God notices the grateful heart. He took a praise-singing
shepherd boy and made him a king.
Theres no hint of God getting out of sorts if we arent
thankful. But there is evidence that we are affected by our
own ingratitude. What of the disastrous days? The nights
I cant sleep and the hours I cant rest? Am I grateful
then? Jesus was.
The Bible records, On the night he was betrayed, the Lord
Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. (I
Corinthians 11:23). Its not often you see the words
betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the
same heart. In the midst of the darkest night of the
human soul, Jesus found a way to give thanks.
Anyone can thank God for the light. Jesus teaches us to
thank God for the night. He says to us, Youll get through
this! And we will.










Thank you, God

If you feel the world owes you something, brace yourself.
Youll never get reimbursed! Henry Ward Beecher said, A
proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he
gets as much as he deserves. The sky is never blue
enough, the steak isnt cooked enough, the universe isnt
good enough to deserve a human being like you.
Pursue gratitude. The grateful heart is like a magnet,
sweeping over the day, collecting reasons for
gratitude. Thank you, God. Your lungs inhale and exhale
11,000 liters of air every day. Thank you, God. For the jam
on our toast and the milk on our cereal, the blanket that
calms us and the joke that softens us and the warm sun
that reminds us of Gods love. Gratitude leaves us looking
at God and away from dread. It does to anxiety what
morning sun does to valley mist. It burns it up!
Thank you God