Week Fifty One - Stranger Danger

In Deuteronomy 10, Moses reminds Israel of their history and challenges them to remain faithful to God, fear Him, walk in His ways, love and serve Him, and obey the commandments. This is something oft-repeated! And it makes for good advice for us as well, but in verse 19, Moses adds a little reminder for Israel—one that we might benefit from today.

"Love ye therefore the stranger" (Deuteronomy 10:19).

When we follow the history of Israel, we see they did not love the stranger. They grew so insular that they would not touch the unclean; any non-Jew was considered unclean. They would not enter their houses, eat their food, or even rub shoulders with them. They took stranger danger to the extreme and became a stumbling block to spreading faith in God.

Now, lest we condemn them too quickly, we would be wise to examine our own Christianity. How often do we allow pride to slip in? We love, obey, and worship God, but push away strangers. We fear things outside our control, things we don't understand. We grow so separated that we exist only in our Christian bubble and have no room for any strangers.

As Bethlehem bustled with excitement, Mary and Joseph faced rejection. There was no room for the strangers arriving in town. We think the innkeeper is heartless, but he doesn't know who is at his doorstep.
How could he? And how can we know who God places before us?

Strangers are arriving on our doorsteps, towns, and churches. Will we turn them away? Will we not "touch" the unclean? Because they are not like us, will we push them away? Are we so separated that mercy only extends to those who agree with us or look like us? 

Deuteronomy 10:18 says God "loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment." Are we willing to do the same?

So here's the challenge: To fulfill the Great Commission's demands, we must interact with strangers. You cannot give someone the Gospel or hope to build an opportunity to witness without personal interaction. 
Don't let stranger danger keep you from sharing God's Word or opening your hand of mercy.

Week Fifty - Cookie Cutters

Today, I wanted to share some thoughts about cookies—not the type associated with computers, but those we see in abundance during the Christmas season—those we make and decorate with our kids, those shaped to look like gingerbread men, Christmas trees, or even reindeer.

I've had many fails with Christmas cookies! Some I rolled too thin, and they turned out crunchy; some lost their shame and came out like blobs. And my decorating skills are almost zero when it comes to icing cookies or cupcakes! But that's not what I want to think about with you either.

You and I are not cookies—that's my thought! We are uniquely designed. No two of God's children are the same, but His will for His children is consistent. All of us are to give thanks, walk worthy, be saved, and live sanctified lives. That's His perfect recipe, but none of us are the same because He designs each of us according to His specific purpose. That's what makes us individually unique.

As I thought more about our individuality, I understood that we will give individual accounts to God for what we decided to do with Jesus in salvation, how we obeyed His Word, and how we served the Lord. We have only one life, one opportunity to fulfill God's perfect design for our lives, but there is no need to fret and search with bewilderment. His Word reveals His ideal design. All we have to do is follow the instructions given in the recipe.

If we do that, if we follow God's instructions, we won't miss His plan for our lives. However, if we cheat on the recipe, cut corners, swap things out, or fail to follow the instructions, things won't turn out so well. And yet, God knows all about that, too! Even misshaped cookies taste okay!

Everyone who knows Christ as Saviour is worthy in God's eyes—not because we are cookie-cutter perfect, but because of Christ's sacrifice. We are the apple of His eye, the child in whom He delights, and He directs His eternal love toward us, even those of us who are a bit too crispy or look like a blob!

Week Forty-Nine - Who Are You Listening To?

It is often difficult to distinguish lies from truth on the news and social media. It all depends on who you listen to and the motivation behind their information. 

I got to thinking about the war in Ukraine, Trump, Biden, and Putin, increased energy prices, the new government here in the UK, and a host of other things. I grew concerned, trying to figure this all out. 

Well, you know that was a waste of effort. I'm not in charge or responsible for any of those things. I cannot change them, and my voice would make little difference. Neither would yours. We are just peons, victims of this world's actions. But are we?

I had to align my thinking with scripture. When it comes to war, God said we would experience it. Nothing new there. Trump and Biden? Putin? God is the one who raises up and takes down leaders. Increased prices are scary and unpredictable, but these things always fluctuate. God already knows about that, and He knows the outcome of everything. It is all His to design.

Isaiah 40 popped up in my mind. It holds several promises and thoughts. Verse 4 assures us God will make the crooked places straight and the rough places plain. He will make a path for us, and His Word will stand forever, verse 8.

Then, verses 13 and 14 put before us a serious question. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?" In other words, who am I to think I could outfigure God or tell Him what to do? I needed to get back into my place.

Then, verses 15 and 17 really caught my attention. "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance... All nations before him are as nothing." Wow! What difference when you get things back into God's perspective.

Chapter 40 finishes with a couple more great verses. Verses 28 and 31 read, "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding...But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faith.

Finally, Proverbs 14:15 gives this admonition, "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his goings." So, let's not listen more intently to the news and the world than we do to our God's eternal, unchanging voice.

Week Forty-Eight - Hushed Praise

"Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of grateful saints, and every day should be a censor smoking with the sweet incense of thanksgiving." Charles H. Spurgeon

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day 2024. Are you ready? This is one of my favorite days of the year. There are no presents to buy, no fireworks to shoot off, and no silly outfits are required, but still, there is an awesomeness about taking time to share a meal and observe a day of thanks with family and friends.

My mind goes back to my childhood on the farm and the sumptuous flavors of grandma's meal, the permeating smells of the kitchen, and the hustle and bustle of preparation. Surrounded by aunties and uncles, crazy cousins, and extended family, we would eventually settle down to prayer. Oh, how my grandfather could pray. The hush of the family, the sacredness of the moment, and the love that rose from his gentle and humble praying voice always moved me to tears, and the memory still does today.

I don't know what your Thanksgiving will look like. Mine certainly doesn't look like it did when I was a child, but I still experience that moment of hushed and sacred praise when the prayer of Thanksgiving goes up before the meal.

That same sacredness and thankfulness should not be reserved for once a year but be a part of every day, a sweet-smelling intense that burns consistently. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads, "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

In every thing, and every day, may our prayers of thanksgiving rise to the Lord. Why? Because this is His will, and we are His people. Happy Thanksgiving!

Week Forty-Seven - Morning Dreams

Do you ever wake up in meditation? I sometimes do. A while back, I woke up meditating on the universe and how small I am by comparison. God controls the universe, every star, every dust particle, every dark planet, and my puny frame. Every raindrop has a purpose. Every microorganism and cell in our body works according to His purpose and design. He is attentive to every detail. 

Praise welled up in my heart as I felt His love for me and marveled at God's greatness—to think that He looks upon me with love and tender care. Not a word or thought passes without His notice. What precious and humbling thoughts opened my day.

Then, I went to my study, and God directed my thoughts further as I read Spurgeon's devotion. He wrote,

"Some things in nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds beyond which it cannot go. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this is true concerning things which are seen and temporal, I may rest assured that it is even more true for matters spiritual and eternal. Why then, have I been torturing my brain with speculations as to destiny and will, fixed fate and human responsibility? These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to find out the depth which lurks below, from which the old ocean draws her watery stores."

He contemplates why the human mind is so curious about the Lord's providence, action, and design and then arrives at my morning's thoughts.

"Shall I ever be able to clasp the sun in my fist, and hold the universe in my palm? Yet these are just a drop in the bucket compared with the Lord my God."

Humility becomes the position of the child who yields to the greatness of such a Father. We cannot fathom the least of God, but we are a part of Him. There is no need to waste our energy on figuring; instead, we can rest our thoughts on His greatness. "Let me not strive to understand the infinite but spend my strength in love. What I can't gain by intellect I can possess by affection, and let that satisfy me," Spurgeon continued.

"Solving deep mysteries do me no single bit of good, for the least love for God and the simplest act of obedience to Him, are better than the profoundest knowlege. My Lord, I leave the infinite to You, and pray that You put far from me such a love for the tree of knowledge as might keep me from the tree of life."

I walked into my day in agreement, covered in God's love and assured of His greatness and omnipotence.

Week Forty-Six - The Lottery

Playing the lottery is an accepted activity these days. In England, the Lottery is a resource for charities and community groups to apply for funds for events, and most people don't think twice about using Lottery money, even for the church.

By definition, a lottery is the collection of funds by selling numbered tickets and then giving prizes through a random draw. It is an activity whose success or outcome is totally governed by chance.

I don't play the lottery, and I'm so thankful the Lord doesn't govern my life by chance. I am not a random draw, and neither are you. I am not a pawn, either. I have a purpose, and so do you.

The Bible does talk about something called a lot. In Proverbs 16:33, it says, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." This lot was not the selling of tickets with the promise of a possible prize. It was more like rolling the dice to determine a direction or make a decision. So, if the disposal of the lot is the Lord's, if He guides even the simple rolling of the dice, how much more the events of our entire life?

You see, life isn't a lottery. It is designed by God. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. He knows every thought, every word, and every motive of your heart. Nothing is outside His governance. This should bring a greater calmness to your soul. Your anxious mind should rest in this truth. 

Spurgeon wrote, "An anxious person cannot pray with faith; when troubled about the world, instead of serving your Master, your thoughts are serving you. You are meddling with Christ's business and neglecting your own when you fret about your lot and circumstances."

I find nothing but frustration when I try to figure out life. When I wake in the night, fretting over the whys and hows of the past and even of the future, I know I am way out of my realm. I am not the one whose design is all-knowing and ever-present. I am but a tiny cog in His glorious design, and I must remind myself to get back into my place. 

He will not let me starve while He has such great abundance. He will not forget about me. He has a plan for my life, and it includes His grace, mercy, and blessings. He will not abandon me, for He has promised to be with me forever. So I can obey and claim the promise of Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

That is where I would rather cast my lot! His heart of mercy will never prove unkind, and His wisdom will never be at fault. He is my Intercessor, pleading for me before the throne. Sounds like a much better bet!

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Week Forty-Five - The Bigger Slice of Cake

Oh, how I hated giving my sister the bigger slice of cake! But my mother often talked about putting others first as a sign of maturity. 

When my sister and I fought over who got to sit in the front passenger seat, my mother would say, "The more mature will give way." I'd take the back seat because I was the oldest and wanted to be considered the more mature. Even though I felt begrudging, I also felt proud of myself for letting her have the front seat and, sometimes, even the bigger slice of cake. 

Learning self-denial can be untasteful, but it is a life skill necessary for happiness and fulfillment. The greedy, narcissistic, and selfish child never feels complete and rarely finds any deep level of happiness or satisfaction because they are always looking for what they might have missed out on or who got more than themselves.

Sadly, the quality of self-denial seems lost in our society and rarely displayed, even by our public leaders. Our pulpits and classrooms are full of teaching on self-worth, self-promotion, and identity based on the idea that giving to others is only beneficial when we also benefit from it ourselves. That is far from Biblical teaching.

Philippians 2:3 tells us to "esteem others better than ourselves." Isn't that a crazy thought? To view others as more important than ourselves? To think of their needs and value ahead of our own? To lift them up ahead of ourselves? To give them the front seat or the biggest slice of cake? How in the world would that help us get ahead in life?

Let me suggest two benefits. First, we would gain respect. Most people admire and appreciate a thoughtful person. Using manners like opening doors for ladies or giving someone your place in line or your seat causes people to take notice. Kindness breeds kindness, and respect is earned, not demanded. So, maturity means giving place to another.

Another benefit of self-denial is an inner knowledge of goodness. A little verse in Proverbs 14:14 says, "A good man shall be satisfied from himself." Knowing we have done right and not been greedy or grabbing gives us a feeling of goodness. We see ourselves as good people because we show our goodness in action to others.

Let me add another benefit of self-denial: It tends to self-control. For example, we have not learned self-denial until we say no to things like overeating, overspending, or speeding. There is a level of maturity that calls us to submit to the law, especially God's law.

Elizabeth Elliot wrote, "The earlier the parents begin to make the laws of order and beauty and quiet comprehensible to the children, the sooner they will acquire good, strong notions of what is so basic to real godliness - self-denial. A Christian home should be a place of peace; there is no peace where there is no self-denial."

Let's return to Proverbs 13:10. "Only by pride cometh contention, but with the well-advised is wisdom."

A lack of self-denial is pride. It is putting oneself first. And what does the Proverbs say is the result? Contention. Contention is fighting, opposition, and struggle. 

And oh, how my sister and I could fight when we didn't want the other one to have first place when our pride drove our decisions and actions. We've all been there. We've all worn the T-shirt. Haven't we?

But what is the second part of that verse? "With the well advised is wisdom?" How thankful I am for a mother who gave me good advice. 

Being willing to put others first and not demanding that my prideful self be given the biggest slice of cake or the biggest anything has kept me out of many problems. 

Being demanding is taxing on everyone, but thoughtful, generous people are a source of joy.

People who only think of themselves cannot be trusted. They look out for themselves, and you are not in their equation. Self-focus causes short tempers and resentment on both sides, leading to poor relationships.

God's way is different. "Give, and it shall be given unto you." "Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought." Condescend - give way for others. Share what you have. Look to the way of others - not for gain, but to be a blessing, etc. Many more instructions in God's Word teach us the quality of self-denial.

So, take the back seat and give your neighbor, or even your sister, the bigger slice of cake!