Just in case the crowds, the cooking, the turkey, the traveling and the TSA have made you forget what it’s all about, here’s a reminder:

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving.  Sing praises on the harp to our God. Psalm 147:7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:7

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.           Colossians 4:2

Great faith is responding to God when it is hardest to do so, either when the thing He demands of you hurts or else seems totally impractical.  It is faith that continues to respond to the Word of God in the absence of outward encouragement. – John White

(as quoted in the book Faith Crisis by Ronald Dunn, Life Journey Books, 2007)

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Mark 9:23

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  John 11:40

 

 

I’m not sure where they go in the summer, but come November, they’re back.  They aren’t the prettiest of God’s creatures.  Downright ugly, actually.  But from down below, there’s something about watching them circle high above the earth that’s intriguing.

Yes, the turkey vultures are back.

Huge flocks of these enormous black birds are  all over the sky, soaring  to unbelievable altitudes.  From what I’ve read, they catch “thermals” (rising currents of warm air) and can stay up there for 6 hours without flapping a wing.  I’m impressed.  Supposedly, they are up there looking for prey, but sometimes they get so high I think they must be doing it just for fun. 

I also read that they soar so they can rest their wings.   What a contrast to the hyperactive little hummingbirds I watch at my parent’s house in the summer.  At  52 wing-flaps per second they flit here and there, darting and zooming and making it impossible to follow them for very long.

I think I’d like soaring better.  Maybe that’s why God tells us we can mount up with wings like eagles.  He doesn’t tell us to be all frantic and nervous like the hummingbird (as beautiful as they are).  He tells us to slow down, to wait on him, and renew our strength.   

So while the ruby throated hummingbird might be a whole lot prettier, flashier and more exciting, I’d rather be soaring with the big old birds who know how to catch the updrafts and rest.  They might not be as majestic as eagles, but I think they know they’ve got a good thing going on.

I think I’ll give soaring a try today.

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.  Psalm 37:7

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Yesterday was perfect by South Florida standards.  OK, maybe it was perfect by my standards, but it was still a very good day.

A cold front blew in cooler, drier, humidity-free air. The sky was a breathtakingly cloudless turquoise blue. The palm trees seemed a shinier green than usual as they waved in the breeze. The water in the intracoastal waterway was sparkling.  The flowers and trees that bloom this time of year were brighter and more colorful.  And on top of all that, it was a Saturday, and I could thoroughly enjoy it.

It almost made me want to break out into song.

O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

Of course God is in the not-so-perfect days as well.   And admittedly, I’m not so quick to break into song when I’m hot and cranky and tired of seemingly endless summers.   But then along comes a day like yesterday when God gives me a delightful reprieve, and it just does my heart good to be reminded of His power displayed through a “perfect” day. 

Then sings my soul.  Thanks, Lord.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork”.  Psalm 19:1

“PRAISE the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!” Psalm 150:1

How Great Thou Art, Carl Boberg, 1885

It hit me from out of the blue.  There I was, mindlessly clicking through the blog of a woman who left the city, married a rancher and now is raising her family on the prairie and writing cookbooks that sell millions of copies. 

And then, I clicked on a perfectly framed picture she took of that amazing prairie view which came with a description of why she loved her wonderful life, and suddenly I became wistful…and overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed  with an ache to know what God is doing in my life, why I’m living in the tropics when what I’d really like to be doing is kicking through piles of leaves, why I’m managing my single life when what I’d really like to be doing is living with my own cowboy and raising my own little pack of ranch kids. (Maybe not literally, but the thought has crossed my mind that I think I’d enjoy the ranch life).

“God, is my life going on behind your back?”

Of course it’s not.  I knew better than that. It was just one of those questions that bubbles to the surface when one reflects too much.   I found myself turning to Psalm 139, which my Bible has titled,  “God’s all-seeing eye and inescapable presence”.

“Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up.  You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down.  And you are acquainted with all my ways…And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139: 1-3, 16)

While this isn’t where I expected to be at this point in my life, none of it is going on behind God’s back.  He fashioned my days and created my calendar and has me in this place (with palm trees), in these circumstances (still waiting), at this time (November, 2010) – for a reason.   And it’s all going on under His loving and watchful eye. 

So while I can still allow myself to wonder about prairie life and cowboys, this is still a pretty good place to be – in the inescapable presence of God.

Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”  Genesis  16:13

“Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.  Jeremiah 23:24

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  Psalm 121:4

Did you ever get the feeling someone is watching you?  That sense that someone who doesn’t really want to interact with you or even really make their presence known is looking attentively at what you’re doing?  Guess what? 

They are.                                                                                                       

It’s human nature.  We watch other people.  We eavesdrop on their conversations.  In malls, in restaurants, in airports.  People-watching can be very interesting.

There’s another kind of people-watching.  The kind where people watch our lives, not just our attempt to manage our luggage at the airport.   Others watch and listen to see how we react and respond to the events in our lives – the disappointments, the joys, the testing, the trials.  And even more so if we claim to have faith in God.

They are watching to see if we really believe.

Our walk through life is never entirely personal.  The people-watchers are there, even if they don’t say anything.   Will they see us falter in our faith, or will they see a valiant fight against the odds?  Will they see us hold fast to God, or walk away from Him?  Will they see an unwavering trust, or will they see us stumbling over doubt?

God wants to use our lives to encourage and inspire others.  He wants to use us to show others what it means to confidently trust Him – in spite of whatever it is we’re in the middle of.   Don’t ever think you aren’t being watched.  You are.

So as long as they’re watching, let them see something that could change their lives.

“That you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”  1 Thess 2:12 (NKJV)

“…among whom you shine as lights in the world”  Phil 2:15 (NKJV)

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”  Matt 5:16 (NKJV)

Something delightful happens in Florida at this time of year and even though we still have temperatures in the 80’s  – I know it’s Fall. 

We don’t get the beautiful tapestry of changing leaves.  We don’t get to wear sweaters or dream about steaming mugs of hot cider.  But I know summer is behind us. 

The shadows are different.

I look out my windows in the late afternoon, and the shadows are longer.  And even though I’m still running my air conditioning, those long shadows made by a sun setting just a little lower in the sky (behind the odd mix of pine and palm trees) tell me that things are about to change. 

They are “shadows of turning”.  I guess I never really thought about them like that until recently.  The words to one notable hymn have been going through my head. “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee…”.   That’s from James 1:7.  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”.

It’s reassuring to know that my God has no seasons, no times when He changes how He feels about me, no times when His Word can’t be trusted. 

I like the afternoon shadows to change. But now when I look at them, I’m going to think about the fact that my God doesn’t – and I like that even better.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

“For I am the LORD, I do not change”. Malachi 3:6

Faith is the grasping of Almighty power.  The hand of man laid on the arm of God.  The grand and blessed hour in which things impossible to me become possible, O Lord, through Thee.

Anna Elizabeth Hamilton (Irish poet 1843-1875)

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”  Jeremiah 32:27

 

 

Sometimes there’s just nothing like an old word.

I’m reading a book about faith and the author referenced a passage in Daniel that I’d never heard before.   “The people who know their God will display strength and take action” (Daniel 11:32).  Great verse.  I wanted to remember it.  It was “underline-able”.  So I got out my own Bible and this is what the New King James Version said:

“The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits”.

Exploits.  “ A striking or notable deed or feat, a spirited or heroic act”.  It conjures up images of Narnia or Indiana Jones.  The Bible details the exploits of God’s people: giant-slaying, lion-taming, water-walking exploits.

While we may not live in the times of giants and lion’s dens and invitations to literally step out of our boats, God promises that opportunities for action and adventure abound.  We’re told to put on battle armor (Ephesians 6:11), use weapons of warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4),  fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), run the race like we intend to win (1 Corinthians 9:24),  press toward the goal for the prize (Philippians 3:14).

I don’t want to sit in the equivalent of a Christian La-Z-Boy chair with my hand on the remote watching other people’s spiritual adventures.  I want to put on that battle armor, lace up those running shoes, go for the gold – and carry out great exploits. 

Sometimes there’s just nothing like an old word.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.           Ephesians 6:10

Have you ever found yourself worrying about tomorrow? I realize that’s somewhat of a silly question.  I think we’ve all had moments of  “what if _____happens?”, or “what if _____doesn’t  happen?”  Here’s a great perspective by author and pastor Kevin DeYoung on Matthew 6:25-34:

“The big idea of this passage could not be any clearer: Jesus does not want us to worry about the future.  God knows what we need to live.  When He wants us to die, we will die.  And as long as He wants us to live, we will live.  He will provide us with the food, drink, jobs, housing, with everything that we need to live and glorify Him in this life until He wants us to glorify Him by dying.  Worrying and fretting and obsessing about the future, even if it is a pseudo-holy worry that attempts to discern the will of God, will not add one single hour to your life, and it will certainly not add any happiness or holiness either.

Worry and anxiety are not merely bad habits or idiosyncrasies.  They are sinful fruits that blossom from the root of unbelief.  Jesus doesn’t treat obsession with the future as a personal quirk, but as evidence of little faith.  Worry and anxiety reflect our hearts’ distrust in the goodness and sovereignty of God.  Worry is a spiritual issue and must be fought with faith.  We must fight to believe that God has mercy for today’s troubles and, no matter what may come tomorrow, that God will have new mercies for tomorrow’s troubles.  God’s way is not to show us what tomorrow looks like or even to tell us what decisions we should make tomorrow.  That’s not His way because that’s not the way of faith.  God’s way is to tell us that He knows tomorrow.  He cares for us, and therefore, we should not worry.”

Kevin DeYoung, “Just Do Something – A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will”,   Moody Publishers, 2009

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”  Matthew 6:25-27 NKJV