Treading Upon Lions and Serpents

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“You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot” (Psalm 91:13).

The symbolism of this language must not be dismissed; not should we pass too quickly from pondering its weighty significance for our lives today. For the language used in this verse is consistent with a recurring theme found throughout the entire Bible.

In the Garden of Eden we first see Satan in the guise of a serpent. Then moving forward to the writings of Peter in the latter pages of the New Testament, we are told that our adversary, the devil, “goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

Lions and Serpents. These are two of the devils favorite disguises. He also likes bats, hornets, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, and all sorts of creeping things. He likes buzzards, but not eagles; ravens, but not doves; flies, but not honey bees.

He is a nasty sort of being, and associates himself exclusively with those earthly creatures that provide him a suitable cover for his onerous presence. However, deceitful to the core, he also dresses himself up as “an angel of light” from time to time, and thereby dupes countless souls who are too gullible to see through his costumes.

But may it never be said of us! May we walk the crimson path in the footsteps of our triumphant King, following closely all the way and seeing His victory become our own. May we walk by faith and tread upon lions and serpents. May the confession of the first disciples now find life upon our lips in these days so close to the End – “Lord, even the devils are subject to us in Your Name!” (Luke 10:17).

I love the Lord’s response to those early disciples – “I know,” He said, “I was watching as you went forth in My Name, and I saw Satan fall from heaven like a bolt of lightning!”

Then He added these words, “See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God, but what God does for you -- that's the agenda for rejoicing.” (Luke 10:18-20 The Message).

Whether it be bold opponents who come against us straightway like roaring lions, or treacherous adversaries who, like serpents, work their schemes against us with charm and subtlety – both alike shall be trodden down by the man and woman whom God protects.

May YOU be such a person!
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In the Charge of Guardian Angels

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“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:9-11).

The Message says, “He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling.”

From the first moment when God set an angel with a flaming sword at the entrance to Eden, to guard its gates from access by all that was defiled, we are assured repeatedly that an unseen host of Heaven’s warriors are ever on guard for the welfare of those whose hearts are set upon the Lord.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the angels are “all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb.1:14). And we have a few stellar examples of this given to us elsewhere in the Scripture.

When Daniel passed through the night unharmed in the Lion’s Den, he confessed openly, “My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me” (Dan.6:22).

Jesus gave a clear warning about how we treat children, “Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven” (Matt 18:10). The implication is obvious – you mess with one of these defenseless ones, and God will unleash their Guardians to sort the matter out!

Even Peter, when he was imprisoned by wicked King Herod, received an encouraging visit in the night by an angel that help bust him out of the prison! “Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, "Quick! Get up!" The chains fell off his hands, and the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, "Now put on your coat and follow me." (Acts 12:7-8).

The promise is true – “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Spurgeon writes, “Not one guardian angel, as some fondly dream, but all the angels are here alluded to. They are the bodyguard of the princes of the blood imperial of heaven, and they have received commission from their Lord and ours to watch carefully over all the interests of the faithful.”

Think about it my friend – even now you are in the charge of guardian angels! And this is no trite matter.

Let me once more cite Charles Spurgeon, as his words say it best, “The protection here promised is exceeding broad as to place, for it refers to all our ways, and what do we wish for more? And as to how angels thus keep us we cannot tell. Whether they repel demons, counteract spiritual plots, or even ward off the subtler physical forces of disease, we do not know. But perhaps one day we shall all stand amazed at the multiplied services which the unseen bands have rendered to us.”

My friend, we may say today even as Elijah said to his trembling servant so long ago as the Syrian army surrounded his camp, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2Ki 6:16).

Be at peace, for you are in the charge of Guardian Angels!
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The Untouchables

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“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.” (Psalm 91:5-7).

The devil has always sought the darkness. Indeed, he dare not come to the light lest he be exposed. It is one of the reasons why those who love evil prefer the night over the day. But while they may “party on” with mindless indifference to the great peril that looms over their heads – nevertheless, the dark prince will most certainly strike them at a time they suspect not. And “the terror by night” shall seize them with great fear.

Speaking of the “terror by night" Adam Clarke writes in his commentary on the Psalms, “Night is a time of terrors, because it is a time of treasons, plunder, robbery, and murder. The godly man lies down in peace, and sleeps quietly, for he trusts his body, soul, and substance, in the hand of God; and he knows that he who keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

Faith in God is the true remedy against the tormenting fear that is unleashed against our souls by the powers of darkness in times of crisis. Notice that the verse does not say that we will not be caught in the midst of the crisis, rather it says “we will not be afraid.”

This is the majesty of faith – it keeps us steady and firm in the midst of upheaval and uncertainty. Furthermore, we know that “all things work together for good, for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose”(Romans 8:28).

Yes, even in the darkness, God is moving in the Light. The Bible tells us that while the Egyptians were buried in the dreadful darkness of a terrifying plague, the children of Israel “had light in their dwellings.” (see Exodus 10:23). So shall it be for us who have placed our trust in the Lord.

Whatever ill may befall those whose stubborn hearts incite them to open defiance of God, “it shall not come near you.” For the Lord has made you a part of the company of The Untouchables!
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Are You in Good Hands?

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"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:3)

It’s strikes me as more than a little suspicious that, in the midst of great financial bedlam, the airwaves are flooded with the incessant drone of marketing plans aimed at helping you secure your financial future, so that you may live out your days in a happy place – dancing, golfing, fishing, swimming, laughing and foolin’ around. And to insure that you will be able to “fool around” to your heart’s content, there are also the non-stop offers for male enhancement.

It seems that there is a plan or a pill for everything -- I guess that’s the new American Dream.

Don’t buy into it, my friend. Put not your trust in princes, for their political prowess is based upon compromise at every point. Rather than govern by the high principles that make for the greatest of people, they opt for the path of least resistance. And that is what make both rivers and men shallow and crooked.

Rest your life in God’s hands alone. Let all your hopes and dreams, your aspirations and plans, your well-being and your future rest securely in His care. And do not allow the prattle of man’s devices to lure you into a lesser allegiance.

Spurgeon wrote, “Assuredly no subtle plot shall succeed against one who has the eyes of God watching for his defense. We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skilful deceiver shall not entrap us.”

Faith in God constitutes a ground of security at such times when the snare of the fowler and the noisome pestilence ransack any nation.

Are you in good hands? You are if your life is placed in the trustworthy Hands of God. For He will cover you “with His feathers” and His truth will be “your shield and buckler.”
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Keep Me Safe Till the Storm Passes By

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“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” (Psalm 91:2).

Many are unaware that Moses was not only the Lawgiver, but also a prolific Poet in his own right. And as the Ten Commandments tower above all other laws that have ever been written, perhaps The Song of Moses (which we know as Psalm 91) stands peerless among the songs and poems of all other men.

Simon de Muis, renowned Christian Hebrew scholar from the 1800’s, wrote of Psalm 91, “It is one of the most excellent works of this kind which has ever appeared. It is impossible to imagine anything more solid, more beautiful, more profound, or more ornamented. Could the Latin or any modern language express thoroughly all the beauties and elegancies as well of the words as of the sentences, it would not be difficult to persuade the reader that we have no poem, either in Greek or Latin, comparable to this Hebrew ode.” (from Spurgeon’s Treasury of David)

Psalm 91 comes into an even sharper focus if you bear in mind that Moses wrote it on the night of the first Passover, as he and all those who had marked their doors with the blood of a lamb were kept safe while the Destroying Angel passed over the land of Egypt executing the final blow in the series of awful plagues that were unleashed against Pharaoh’s rebellious pride.

One cannot but wonder if the God of Heaven still holds in His arsenal such devastating weapons as He used in the plagues against Egypt – pollution of the water, demonic defilement of the land, incurable diseases upon the people, depletion of natural resources, loss of vision and hope, and an end of future generations.

And, if He still holds such weaponry in hand, at what point does He decide to unfurl His banner of War against those Nations today that flaunt their arrogance in His face?

We do know that a Day is coming upon this beleaguered Planet when Heaven and Hell collide in catastrophic battle – and those who are marked by God will be preserved, as in the first Passover. May you and I be counted in that number!

The old Gospel standard by Vestal Goodman may best sum up our sentiments --

“In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.”

Let's follow Moses' example -- “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’”
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The Secret Place of the Most High

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“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

There were many games we played as children: Dodge Ball, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Simon Says (now known as “American Idol”), Red Rover, Hopscotch, and many others. Of them all, Hide n’ Go Seek remains one of the universal favorites to this day. There is just something special about finding the perfect hiding place; a place where you can see, but not be seen; a place no one would ever even think to look. A place that always causes you to emerge as the winner.

We have just such a hiding place in God!

“You are my hiding place,” wrote David. “You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyous songs of salvation.” (Psa 32:7). The imagery of this recurrent theme fills much of his writings. Elsewhere David said, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (Psa 27:5).

David gives a proven word of promise for all those who fear the Lord, who trust in Him before the eyes of a disbelieving world -- “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Psa 31:20).

He knew this from his own personal experience when he fled for his life from insane Saul, and found God’s presence in the cave – “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in You: yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” (Psa 57:1).

In the darkness of the mountain cave, David found the nearness of God’s presence. Could it be that the darkness you feel surrounding you even now may in fact be the very shadow of His wings. It is the perfect hiding place!

Why not make this your confession today – “How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. (Psa 36:7, and Psa 61:3-4).

Do it, and your soul will dwell at ease.
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Taking the Path the Lord Has Chosen

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“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).

I love the way the Amplified Bible puts it – “taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them; living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.”

The Lord cares for us in every way – even in ways that we may never know. He has planned out our lives and charted our course for the highest and best, even if it means that we must pass through the lowest and worst of things. He will never leave us, nor forsake us – no matter what.

A couple of years ago I had a lunch meeting with a friend – Major General Schuyler Bissell (retired); former Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. We discussed his long and honored career in service to our country – especially the 119 combat missions he flew in North Vietnam as a young pilot. I asked him if there was one defining moment during those perilous days. “Yes,” he said, “there was.”

He told me that he had been assigned a mission that was imminently dangerous, and the morning before his squadron was to fly into harm’s way he spent some quiet time in the base chapel. While no soldier wants to yield to the immobilizing power of fear, common sense requires that a man count the cost by facing up to the reality of the risks involved. As Schuyler prayed that morning, the Lord spoke to him in the most direct and calming manner. “I’ve taken care of you your whole life” God said, “what are you worried about?” General Bissell, now seventy three, told me that a peace came over him that was indescribable. He rose from prayer, went on his mission, and has been kept by God to this day.

“I’ve taken care of you your whole life -- what are you worried about?”

Isn’t that what the Lord is saying to each one of us today? Truly a sparrow does not fall to the ground without His knowing…and caring. What a Savior.

George MacDonald, in his sermon Trust God by Obeying Christ, writes: “The care that is filling your mind at this moment, or but waiting till you lay the book aside to consume you – that need which is no real need, is a demon sucking at the spring of your life.”

Lord Jesus, here; take our fretful hearts and draw them near to Thee. Fill us once again with that blessed assurance which comes from casting all our cares upon You, knowing that You care for us. Lift our vision higher and set us walking once again on the path You have chosen for each one of us."

Today let us become those who are “taking the paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them; living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.”
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Beliefs Determine Behavior

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“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 GNB).

Solomon's proverbial insight are as relevant today as ever before. “Be careful how you think," he tells us, "your life is shaped by your thoughts.” In the New Testament we are told by the apostle Paul that our lives are transformed by the "renewing of our minds"(Romand 12:2). In other words, beliefs determine behavior.

We are living in historic times – times that require deep conviction and decisive courage. We must not be so absorbed with self interest that we become easily offended with what we don’t understand and, thus, make rash and stupid choices. Our thoughts must become formed by truth; our opinions must become enlarged by intelligence; our words strengthened by wisdom and grace; our behavior monitored by self-restraint; and our interaction with others marked by respect and civility.

What hangs in the balance in these days of global turmoil and uncertainty could be the very welfare of our world. “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Think truly. Decide courageously. Act nobly. Stand firmly. Live generously. And die honorably. Your life matters now more than ever, and how you think shapes your very life. And what you choose to do with your life has lasting consequences.

"Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.
Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and fortune, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.
Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own."

James R. Lowell, 1845
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Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart

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“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5).

Back up in the hills several years ago the mountain folk pondered a mystery that has vexed mankind from the earliest days. Their musings produced a gospel standard that is sung at camp meetings everywhere. “Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder why it should be thus all the day long. While there are others living about us, never molested though in the wrong.”

Indeed, why do the righteous suffer, and the wicked prosper? Surely you’ve wondered as much from time to time. The only solution those Tennessee highlanders could come up with, still remains the only answer anyone can give to this very day, “Further along we’ll know more about it. Further along we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother; come sing in the sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and by.”

Job, in bitterness of soul, pointedly asked, “Why does God let evil people even live? And not only live; but live well. They grow old and prosper! No calamity comes to their homes.” (see Job 21). Yet. he wisely concluded, "But who are we to tell God how to run his affairs? He's dealing with matters that are way over our heads” (21:22, The Message).

Jeremiah took a more tactful approach, and appealed directly to the Lord, “You are right, O GOD, and you set things right. I can't argue with that. But I do have some questions: Why do bad people have it so good?” (Jer.12:1, The Message).

The Psalmist Asaph, in the typical self-disclosing style of all poets, put it this way, “When I looked at the prosperity of the wicked I became envious. They aren't troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else. Why then should I even try to be righteous?” (see Psalm 73)

We’ve all been there in one way or another from time to time. Life for most of us usually moves along at a pace that’s marked with a routine and rhythm – until something happens that sets us back. A tragedy, a heartbreak, a defeat, a disappointment; failing health, financial loss, relational stress, or a thousand other things that fall like Niagara into our lives without any warning. We sigh, cry, cuss and fuss, groan or moan; shaking our heads at the problem, and sometimes our fists at God.

But wait a minute! God is on our side. King David, a man after God’s own heart, put it in the clearest of terms. “Fret not thyself because of evildoers,” he wrote, “neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:1-5).

Trust. Delight. Do good. Commit. Relatively simple steps, with profoundly significant results.
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The Ministry of Manure (Part 3)

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“Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.” (Luke 13:8).

There was a bird that lived in Canada. One winter he announced to the other birds, “I’m not flying south for the winter. I’m staying right here!” All the other birds said he was crazy, but he answered, “You’re the ones that are crazy. You’ll get down south, turn around and fly right back up here again next year. What’s the point?!”

The other birds took to flight and left him behind.

Wondering what winter in Canada would be like, the lone bird was pleasantly surprised at the stretch of Indian Summer that lingered long into the fall. “Aha!” he said to himself, “I was right to stay. This is wonderful!” But then, winter hit full force in the middle of December. Shuddering in the cold the silly bird finally realized, “I must hurry and leave before I freeze to death!”

He took to flight and made it as far as Montana. There, in mid-air, he froze up and tumbled to the ground; landing in a farmer’s barnyard. “Oh, what a stupid bird I am,” he moaned to himself. “I should’ve flown south with all the other birds, but now I am about to die.”

Just then a cow in the barnyard strolled past the fallen bird and without realizing it dropped a big cow-plop right on top of him! “Oh, this is just great,” mumbled the buried bird. “It’s not bad enough that I’m about to die; now I’m covered with cow manure!”

But then he noticed something he had not expected. The warmth of the plop actually began to thaw him out and restore him to life. “Why, what do you know about that?” said the bird. “This ain’t so bad after all!” Then he began chirping and singing under the pile of poop.

Meanwhile, the barnyard cat was passing by and heard the sound of singing coming from the pile. Curious as a cat can be, he pawed around in the pile and uncovered the thawed bird. Their eyes met, there was a silent moment of suspense, and then the cat ate the bird.

The moral of the story is three-fold. First, not everyone who dumps on you is your enemy. Second, not everyone who cleans it off is your friend. Third, when you do get dumped on, it is best to keep your mouth shut.

The bottom line is this. When the chips are down, the Lord is up to something good. Take heart, and place your trust in Him. You’ll be blessed in every way.
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The Ministry of Manure (Part 2)

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“Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.” (Luke 13:8).

Manure is the "black gold" of the gardening world. It contains a rich and wide range of minerals and nutrients, providing the three main chemicals all plants need -- nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In addition, manure also adds to the composition of the soil and promotes easier and healthier root growth. So, seeing its great value, why wouldn’t the Lord use it on us?

The Holy Spirit digs about our lives to expose our roots. He orchestrates those invasive things that disrupt and overturn us, and He supplies those unpredictable people who frustrate and upset us – all to make sure we are trusting in Christ alone. Paul wrote, “Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him.” (Colossians 2:7).

If you and I draw nourishment from any other person or thing, it will be uncovered and corrected. And it must be, if we truly want to be the very best we can be.

When we put our trust in man we will always be disappointed. Our hopes will fade, our effectiveness diminish, and our lives become aimless. In fact, we become so preoccupied with what others have promised and failed to deliver, that we lose our ability to see the good that comes from God despite our duplicity. We sulk and sag in silence; praise long having left our hearts and lips. Such is the estate of those who look to the arm of flesh for deliverance.

But when we trust in the Lord, He commands rich blessings upon us. Here is what He told the prophet Jeremiah, "I will bless the person who puts his trust in Me. He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. He is not afraid when hot weather comes, because his leaves stay green; he has no worries when there is no rain; he keeps on bearing fruit.” (see Jeremiah 17:7-8 GNB)

Are you trusting in Man or in the Lord? Is your heart set upon riches? Is your confidence in the flesh? Here comes a shovel! Are you trusting in your abilities, your looks, or your own wit and charm? Here comes a herd of cattle! My friends, if we seek stability and security in anything other than Christ, or look for safety and significance in any one apart from Him – the scoop and the poop are just around the corner.

“To what purpose” we ask, “is all this digging and dunging?” Nothing but this: that we might be strong and fruitful. Would you really want the Lord to leave you alone? Would you be content to settle for less than you could’ve been? To accomplish less than you could’ve done? Surely not!

So bring it on, Lord; dig me and dung me! Burrow deep into the unseen places of my anxious heart, and leave not a single root holding on to anything or anyone other than You. And then pack the manure deep and wide, and pile it high as the sky! Don’t let me be a flimsy perfumed man – pale and weak, bending to the whims and fancies of this fallen world. Make me like a tree planted by streams of living water, that brings forth fruit in season. Make me a prosperous man, whose leaves never wither. Amen.

Dear reader, you may as well start praying like this, ‘cause He is determined to do it anyway. Scoop, and poop, and all.

Let me conclude this tomorrow with a short story…one that you will definitely be telling your friends!
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The Ministry of Manure (Part 1)

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“Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.” (Luke 13:8).

It has happened to all of us sometime or another. Usually in the spring time, but not exclusively. Fact is, it can happen anytime, and almost anywhere – even when and where you least expect it. Indeed, the more unlikely the place and time, the more astonishing it is to our unsuspecting senses. In particular, our sense of smell.

You wake up on a cheerful sunlit morning to new mercies and a fresh cup of coffee. Birds are singing in the trees, and a few friendly neighborhood noises hum in the background – giggling kids jumping on a trampoline, a one-eyed dog barking at a squirrel, and the drone of a lawn mower a block away. You step out the front door to greet the day and – wham! The full bodied aroma of rural America has been dumped somewhere in your immediate proximity, and you are located directly downwind.

Though no cattle have been seen in these parts for nigh unto fifty years, it smells like a truck load of ‘em spent the night two doors down, laughing and drinking and having a party. Piles of manure – fertilizer they call it these days – sit in the middle of the street waiting for the lawn crew to disperse it with creative dispatch in a newly landscaped yard. As far as you’re concerned, right now would not be soon enough.

You can’t breathe, at least not through your nose, ‘cause the smell will make your eyes roll back in your head. And you dare not breathe through your mouth, ‘cause that almost feels like your eating something. So you gasp with hands cupped over your face, and your eyes go crossed for lack of oxygen. Strangely enough, however, you somehow adapt to the odor and manage to make it through the unsolicited ordeal. And when its all said and done you see the worth of it in the lush, award-winning landscaping just down the street. Who knows, you might even order a pile or two yourself seeing how well things turned out.

Jesus told a story along these lines one day. "Once upon a time,” He said, “a man had a fig-tree growing in his garden, and when he came to look for the figs, he found none at all. Disappointed, he said to his gardener, 'Look, I have come expecting fruit on this fig-tree for three years and never found any. Better cut it down. Why should it use up valuable ground? This is space we can use for something else.' And the gardener replied, 'Master, don't touch it this year till I have had a chance to dig round it and give it a bit of manure. If it bears fruit after that, it will be all right. But if it doesn't, then you can cut it down.'" (see Luke 13:6-9).

The old King James puts it this way, “Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.” The phrase literally means “to dig all about it, and throw manure throughout it.” In other words, this was not going to be a neat and tidy job, wrapped up in a few surgical minutes. No, it was going to be prolonged, deliberate, disruptive, messy, and stinky.

Do you see any similarities to how your life has been lately? If so, be of good cheer, you are undergoing the Ministry of Manure. It seems that each one of us sometimes need our roots exposed, and a good dose of compost packed about us in order for us to grow strong, and become our most fruitful best.

Tune in tomorrow for another truck load!
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“Are We There Yet?” (Part 2)

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“He looked for a City which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10).

Clearly you have come too far to turn back now. But not knowing how much farther you have to go leaves you in a quandary. Take heart, pilgrim; it is not much further. The best thing you can do right now is to take stock of what you have.

Look now among your stuff, search carefully and you will find it; find the handwritten invitation from the King Himself, beckoning you to leave your own land and come to dwell with Him. It contains a promise that cannot be broken, a promise of peace in the valley and rest for the weary. A promise of forgiveness, freedom, and fulfillment – made by the great Promise Keeper.

Also, look about you along the way for there are the etchings and markings of earlier travelers – the tracings of those who have already passed this way before you, leaving you notes and signs of encouragement to speed you on your way. It is as if they knew you were coming after them, and that you would need to see, read, and know this or that.

There is Abraham, the first pioneer into this great Friendship, saying, “I was seventy five when I set out on this journey, not knowing where I was going. And though the way was fraught with difficulties all along, God was faithful to His promise. He has blessed me indeed. Therefore, weary wanderer, go on still toward that City whose builder and maker is God. For it is surely there, and you will be most welcomed therein.”

There is Moses who says, “I endured, seeing Him who is invisible. Come along now, for there is a place near Him where you can stand on a rock. He will hide you in the cleft of the rock, and make all his goodness pass before you. Up and at ‘em, friend; hasten to that place – for it will be worth it all when you see Jesus.”

There is David singing softly, “The Lord is my shepherd, and He is yours also. He leads us in the way that is right and brings us into His house, refreshing us at His banquet table. Come, friend; onward. There is a place set here for you, and the family is not complete while you are yet in the woods.”

There is Paul, beset on every side by dangers, toils and snares – the likes of which few of us will ever know – and he says, “None of these things move me; so, don’t let them trouble you at all. There is a crown laid up that bears your name, fashioned by the Lord Himself. And He is even now waiting your arrival to place it on your head. Come along then and enter into your inheritance.”

And there is John, Poet of the Apocalypse, now resting by the river of life, reminding us that “He will wipe away every tear. For there is no more curse, no more night, no more sin or sorrow.”

And there is the Spirit and the Bide who say, “Come.”

And always there is the Lord, who walks with you in the glen and converses with you along the way. “Rise, let us be going,” Christ beckons.

And so, taking fresh breath, you stand upright and strike out yet again, ever onward in hope of finding a better country. And because your heart is so inclined, God is not ashamed to be called your God.

Perhaps this short poem says it best for all of us,

Light after darkness, gain after loss;
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears;
Home after wandering, praise after tears;
Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain;
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast;
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last;
Near after distant, gleam after gloom;
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss;
Right was the pathway, leading to this.
~ Anon

“Are we there yet?” No, not quite; but we are closer than you can imagine!
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“Are We There Yet?” (Part 1)

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“He looked for a City which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10).

It is a question that has been asked countless times on adventurous treks across great distances throughout the history of travel, “Are we there yet?” Some trips seem to take forever, and so the question is repeated incessantly by some whining soul stuck in the back seat, while a besieged dad furrows his brow and a long-suffering mom rolls her eyes -- “Are we there yet?”

There are, of course, a few other questions tossed in for variety. “How much farther is it? How much longer is this going to take? When are we going to get there?” We can all relate to this, for we have each been the kid who asked the questions; and the parent who ran out of patience somewhere between Denver and Dallas. “Are we there yet?”

But the question goes beyond the nuisance of a child trapped in a trip with nothing more to do than play the alphabet game, or I Spy. It is a question asked by travelers of all ages who journey through life in quest of something – something more than they have known; something other than the status quo; something sure, something secure, and something satisfying. And when we peel back all the superficial layers we discover we are really seeking something spiritual. Indeed, in the sacred words of Scripture, “We seek a city, whose builder and maker is God.”

Perhaps you are one such pilgrim. A sojourner who set out long ago in the springtime of hope, stocked with enough supplies to sustain you during those arduous desert crossings and bring you refreshed and tan to your desired destination. Resolved in your purpose, decisive in your steps, confident in your God – you pressed forth convinced that just over the next mountain your eyes would catch sight of the city, whose builder and maker is God. But, alas, the road stretches oonward for what seems like miles. In the words of George MacDonald, “For the sake of the vision God longs to give you, you are denied the vision you want.” In other words, “No, we’re not there yet.”

And now, long into your journey, you find that there are more mountains than you at first anticipated. And dark woodlands with brush so thick it tore at your clothing, and left more than a few scratches on your arms and legs. Then there were bugs, and snakes, and spiders, and bogs. And there have been bandits who have pilfered your pouch and depleted your stock. Rodents that have nibbled away at the grain, while fears chip away at your soul.

And though you have suffered the blow of many misfortunes, yet your faith is still undaunted. Sorta. And deep down in places you don’t like to talk about there is a gnawing doubt about whether or not you are really doing the prudent thing. Whether or not this journey is worth it after all. Whether or not those who thought you foolish to leave on such a fancy voyage of faith were right.

“Are we there yet?” No, pilgrim, we are not. But tomorrow I will tell you something that will put a bounce back in your step, and rejuvenate your battered soul with a living hope.
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The Defeat of a Dreadful Foe (Part 3)

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“For there is a greater power with us than with him.” (2 Chronicles 32:7).

These empowering words were spoken centuries ago by a good King named Hezekiah, as he sought to instill faith and hope into the hearts of his frightened people. And his words proved true, for God defeated their dreadful foe.

And as for us, these words are even more true today, for we share in Christ’s triumph over all the power of the enemy. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Yes, because of what Christ did for us at the Cross, it is now said of us as it was of Hezekiah, “So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.” (see 1 Ch.32:20-22). Did you catch that last line? God took care of them on every side. Wow. Isn't that what you want Him to do for you?

Earlier we asked the question, “How does God reward His faithful servant? What does Hezekiah get for all his gallant duty?” The answer is profound – Hezekiah had the high honor of being the one king in all history who defeated the King of Assyria! You see, God set Sennacherib up for destruction by permitting him access into Hezekiah’s life!

And is it possible God does the same in our lives today? Is it possible that He allows the devil access for no other reason but to bring him to ruin and an open shame?

Is it possible that your faithfulness, your devotion, your service are often the occasion for the Lord to draw the devil into a trap? Could it be that we are sometimes used as "devil bait" – the means whereby the Lord lures Satan into battle, and gives us the honor of actually overcoming the wicked one?

Oh how humiliating this must be to Satan, that Christ has placed His victory in the hands of school children who by faith put the devil to fright and flight! What must the hordes of hell think of their dark master now? He who once wielded such power as to shake nations, now buckles when a little girl prays!

My friend, take a new perspective on those unexpected invasions of your life; those times when darkness gathers about you though you have long been faithful and true. Brace yourself not for battle, but for victory.

A celebration is coming, for the Lord has decided to promote you for your service, and to distinguish you with a badge of honor -- by the defeat of a dreadful foe at your hands.
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The Defeat of a Dreadful Foe (Part 2)

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“For there is a greater power with us than with him.” (2 Chronicles 32:7).

The Bible says that the king of Assyria "laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself." The fact is that God had indeed blessed Hezekiah, so much so that the king of Assyria became envious to the point of war. He invaded in order to possess for himself the many blessings God had showered upon Hezekiah.

Sennacherib brandished his blade, and bellowed out his demands to Hezekiah in full expectation of an immediate and cowering surrender – just as many other nations before had done. He could not have been more mistaken.

Hezekiah, good man that he was, never doubted the Lord for a moment, nor did he fear Sennacherib for an instant. Instead, he rallied the people and encouraged them, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from the words of king Hezekiah (see 1 Ch.32:7,8).

While Sennacherib amassed his army and prepared for a full frontal assault, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah bowed their heads in prayer. And the Lord answered them. The Bible says, “the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king.”

Hey, you want to know how powerful God is? He sent one angel – ONE! And annihilated Sennacherib’s army. Wow! What do you suppose an entire army of angels could do?

And what of Sennacherib? What happened to him? The Bible goes on to say, “he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.”

Those who follow in the footsteps of Satan are doomed to meet his own fate. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12). In this story Sennacherib is a figure representing Satan. Just as Sennacherib met a disgraceful end, so likewise will the devil.

Isn’t this in fact exactly what happened to Satan at the cross? Jesus, having accomplished everything His Father sent him to do, finally goes up Calvary’s mountain to die upon an old rugged cross. And just as Sennacherib laid siege to Judah, Satan surely must have thought his moment of ultimate conquest had come as he watched Jesus die at the hands of the Romans. But, in the same manner that God had baited the Assyrian king into a snare from which there was no escape – so likewise the devil was drawn and quartered by Christ at the Cross!

Tomorrow, we’ll finish up this three part series by showing what all this means for you and me today!
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The Defeat of a Dreadful Foe (Part 1)

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“For there is a greater power with us than with him” (2 Chronicles 32:7).

Have you ever wondered why the Lord let’s bad things happen to good people? It’s a dilemma that has vexed the minds of God-fearing men and women down through the ages. Obviously, there are factors at work here that we don’t yet fully understand or appreciate.

While reading my Bible I came upon a curious passage that gives some insight into how and why the Lord sometimes works in such an intriguing manner. The Bible says, “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself” (2 Chronicles 32:1).

At first this struck me as, well -- unfair. I mean, here is guy – Hezekiah -- who was a very zealous, devout, and good man; who did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.

He reinstituted the Passover Feast, which had long been passed over. He restored the Temple, which had been desecrated. He removed all the remnants of idolatry throughout the land. He re-established the neglected Levitical priesthood, and saw that they were properly compensated for their services. He reformed the upper echelons of government , and thereby brought a great revival throughout the nation.

In fact, The Bible says, “In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:21 NIV). See what I mean? He was a good, good man; and a true and righteous king.

And what is the Lord’s response? How does God reward this faithful servant? What does Hezekiah get for all his gallant duty? Simply this -- an invasion of his land by Sennacherib, the dreaded King of Assyria; the single, most feared empire of the day!

And, as far as we can tell, the Lord did nothing to stop Sennacherib. Rather, the Lord actually permitted the invasion and empowered the invaders. But why? I’ll answer that in just a minute.

But first, let me ask you a personal question. Have you ever wanted to cry out to heaven, "Hey, what kind of a deal is this?" Have you ever wondered why your faithful service to God seems often to go unnoticed or unrewarded? Or why, no matter how good you are, bad things just keep happening?

Like David, we often ask, “Why do the wicked prosper?” Indeed, why do they?

And, remember the old campfire song? “Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder why it should be thus all the day long. While there are others living about us, never molested though in the wrong.” Exactly. I wonder if Hezekiah may have whistled that tune when Sennacherib showed up with his army.

The song does go on to say, “Further along we’ll know more about it; further along we’ll understand why.” That’s just terrific; kinda gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over.

OK. So back to my question, Why did God permit and empower Sennacherib to invade Hezekiah’s land? Are you ready for this? Because He was drawing the arrogant King of Assyria into a trap!

And tomorrow we’ll see how the story turns out.
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Have You Taken Inventory Lately? (Part 2)

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“Examine me, O LORD,” whispered David, “and prove me; try my reins and my heart” (Psa 26:2).

Here is an expanded paraphrase of this prayer: “Examine me, O Lord, from head to foot; order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out. Test my thoughts and find out what I am like. Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. Look closely into my heart and mind, and judge my desires and thoughts. Go for it, Jesus; and don’t stop until You are done!”

Is this something you are ready to pray? Are you prepared for the Lord to answer such a prayer? He is more than ready to respond. What is it that holds you back? Is it fear of being found out? Is it guilt over something you have done? Is it shame over something that was done to you? Is it pride? Or, is it unbelief?

None of these things are worthy of your life, and you should not allow any of them to limit you from being who God created you to be, and fully experiencing all that the Lord has purposed for you. The truth is, He already knows what’s in your heart – and, He loves you anyway. The exam is for your benefit; not His.

There was a man who shrugged off his need for such examination. He was a rich man, who lived for only one purpose – to build bigger estates and expand his assets so as to secure for himself a life above and beyond the need for anything, or anyone. He enjoyed great success and fared sumptuously throughout his days upon this earth. Yet, in the end he had nothing. “Fool,” was the final word facing him as he stepped from Time into Eternity. For on the night his soul was required of him, nothing of what he had laid up was of any use in the presence of Almighty God. (see Luke 12:16-21).

Jesus taught that Life does not consist of the things a man possesses. So, when it comes to taking inventory – we must look past our bank accounts, our educational degrees, our celebrated accomplishments, cherished awards, and other personal achievements. We must look instead to the inner chambers of our souls. What do you have in there that will carry on beyond the grave? That, in the final analysis, is what matters most of all.

Some years ago I came upon a wondrous poem in an old book. I was profoundly impacted when I first read it, and have carried it deep in my heart now for several years. Each time I reflect upon it, I am presented anew with a question of where I am as I journey through life. Indeed, the poem itself highlights the very passage of my soul through this pilgrim world. It will do the same for you.
As you read it you, too, will find yourself in its brief stanzas. There are only four, yet they comprehensively sum up the present condition of every person living in the earth. This short poem is about you. In fact, it is in one way or another your very confession at this moment in your life. Here, read it and you will see what I mean.

O the shame and bitter sorrow
that a time could ever be
when I let my Savior's mercy
plead in vain, and proudly answered,
“All of self and none of Thee.”

Yet He found me.
I beheld Him dying on the cursed tree.
I heard Him pray, “Forgive him Father.”
And my wistful heart said faintly,
“Some of self and some of Thee.”

Day by day His tender mercy,
healing, helping, guiding me;
sweet and strong, and O so patient,
brought me lower till I whispered,
“Less of self and more of Thee.”

Now, higher than the highest heavens,
deeper than the deepest sea.
Lord, at last Thy love has conquered.
Grant me now my soul's desire:
“None of self and all of Thee!”
Anonymous

See what I mean? Somewhere in the middle of reading that poem your heart said something to you. What did it say? And what are you going to do about it? Which of the four phases best depicts where you are in life right now? Honestly. What would others say? What would the Lord say? Is it possible that the time has come for you to move to the next phase? Couldn’t you take just one more step forward, onward, and upward ere time end and you come up short of what your life could have been?

In other words, have you taken inventory lately?
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Have You Taken Inventory Lately? (Part 1)

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“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” (Psalm 26:2).

There is in every man or woman who desires to be truly successful and effective in life, an intuitive sense that requires of them a personal commitment to self-examination so as to insure they will have what it takes to deliver the goods when the moment of opportunity knocks.

Indeed, inherent to every significant advance in life is a time of individual introspection; a season when we take inventory and honestly assess who we are, what we’ve got, where we are headed, and how we plan to get there.

Inventory. Webster’s defines it as “an itemized list of current assets; a catalog of the property of an individual or an estate. A list of goods on hand. A survey of resources. A list of traits, preferences, attitudes, interests, or abilities used to evaluate personal characteristics or skills.”

Have you taken inventory lately?

There are defining moments in life when we each need to take inventory; not so much as it pertains to material wealth or other tangible possessions, but rather as it concerns the condition of our souls. We need to take stock on the welfare of our spirit; a real heart examination – not of the cardiovascular pump, but of the deepest interior of our very selves.

However, our inspections can be misleading, for our self-perceptions are not always trustworthy. “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” was the boast of one sad lot of Christians who lived long ago in a town called Laodicea. But when Christ took inventory of their lives, His report was altogether different. “You don’t know how bad off you are,” Jesus said, “you are pitiable like a blind beggar, poor like a miserable wretch, threadbare and homeless like a poverty-stricken outcast” (see Revelation 3:17).

We tend to see ourselves as we want to be, rather than as we are.

Honesty is crucial if our inventory is to serve any real purpose. For if we lie to ourselves at this point, then we have failed before we take even the first step. And to insure honesty, we really need someone else to assist us in our self-evaluation; someone who loves us, and will be objective in speaking truthfully to the vital issues in our lives.

Any story sounds true until someone sets the record straight. Solomon understood this long ago, and wrote, “He that is first in his own cause seems just; but his neighbor comes and searches him out” (Proverbs 18:17). And again, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD ponders the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

Indeed, who better to examine us than the Lord? We’ll discuss this in more detail tomorrow.
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There’s Glory Just Around the Corner

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“Everyone who does right will see His face.” (Psalm 11:7 Contemporary English)

For the past several days our attention has been fixed upon Psalm 11 – The Song of the Eleventh Hour. This wondrous and musical prophecy ends on a promising note: “Everyone who does right will see His face.”

The Good News Bible tells us that, in a day when evil runs rampant, those who nevertheless do good “shall live in God’s presence.” Certainly this is true in the final sense when we all get to Heaven; but it also has relevance for while we are yet in this world. We can live in God’s Presence now; we can experience the favor and power of His blessing upon our lives, even though things may be crumbling all around us.

The grand old blessing that has been handed down through the ages from priest to priest beginning with Aaron, who received this very blessing directly from the Lord Himself, says, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Yes, times may be tough, with even harder things yet to come; but this great promise holds true through it all -- “Everyone who does right will see His face.”

What this ultimately means is so staggering that we could never have imagined it on our own. But the Bible says it, and we know it is so. Here it is in a single, sublime sentence: “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2)!

Here is what Simon Peter wrote to encourage and strengthen all who go though great challenges in this life. “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” (1 Peter 4:12-13 The Message).

Did you know that God is using everything that is happening in our world to mold and shape us into men and women who become more and more like Jesus? And did you know that His face shines upon us in the midst of our darkest days, such that others actually see Jesus in us even when we don’t realize they do? And did you know that one day, sooner or later, we shall stand in His presence and see Him fully for ourselves -- and we shall be like Him!

Now that’s what I call “glory just around the corner!”
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“You Wanna Talk About Real Global Warming?”

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“God will send fiery coals and flaming sulfur down on the wicked, and they will drink nothing but a scorching wind.” (Psalm 11:6, Contemporary English Version).

It is only a matter of time until God will answer the arrogant foolishness of the God-haters. He will "rain fiery coals and flaming sulphur" down upon them.

Whether the language is literal or poetic – the fact is nevertheless undeniable: you do not want to be on the wrong side when God goes to war against the wickedness that is ruining our world.

Before the children's encounter with Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Susan, who is always a bit too concerned with her own well-being, asks Mr. Beaver whether Aslan is safe. "'Course he isn't safe," the Beaver replies. "But he's good."

This much we do know about God – He is Good, and He is Just. His Justice will not linger indefinitely in the face of dark defiance. While His love prolongs His patience, it will be His love that also unleashes His wrath. Love for those who are being oppressed by the deeds of wicked people, and wrath against those who do the wicked deeds.

Later in C. S. Lewis’ narrative we get the famous line, “People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time.”

Moses prepared the children of Israel to enter in the Promise Land, which was filled with many fearful challenges. “Thou shalt not be frightened at them,” he said, “for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God -- and terrible.” (Deu 7:21).

A Day is coming when the wicked will meet this Mighty and Terrible God. Though they fair well and dine sumptuously at the expense of others, their portion in the Day of God’s Justice will be “nothing but a scorching wind.” The Message puts it this way – “He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged. Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind.”

Just ask the ghosts of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the bleached bones of those who once occupied ancient Nineveh. You might also want to have a chat with old Pharaoh and get his take on the Ten Plagues that devastated mighty Egypt.

But, for now, God’s weapons are lowered and His arms are open. He will embrace the penitent, lift up the lowly, forgive the sinner, heal the diseased, deliver the tormented and convert the wicked – if they will but turn and trust Him.

Why not settle this for yourself once and for all? Be done with ungodly living and shameful dealings; come to the Light and walk in friendship with the Almighty. It will go well with you in the day when “global warming” really heats up!
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Liars, Thieves, Cheats and Cowards

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“He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged.” (Psalm 11:5 The Message).

There were three names that would get you shot dead in the Old Wild West -- Liar, Thief, and Cheat. Call a man a Liar, a Thief, or a Cheat and bullets will be flying. Oh, yeah, while we’re at it toss Coward in there as well. Or, Chicken (if your last name is McFly).

“Mister, Them thar are fightin’ words!”

Some things are so intrinsically wrong that we are automatically set off with anger when they happen. Lying, stealing, cheating, and being a coward are chief among these things. Nobody likes a liar, a thief, a cheater, or a coward. Nobody – not even God.

John the Revelator told us, “But as for the cowards, the faithless and the corrupt, the murderers, the traffickers in sex and sorcery, the worshippers of idols and all liars - their inheritance is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur” (Rev.21:6).

These things destroy trust, and trust is part of the foundation for a great and meaningful life. For this reason God, who longs for us to live Life at its highest and best, has set Himself against those who do such things. One translation says, “The LORD watches over those who do what is right. But he hates sinful people and those who love to hurt others.” (New International Reader).

And though it may seem for the moment that they are undiscovered in their deceitful deeds; going along in life, prospering by plundering others; their faces smug and self-assured; their stock increasing and their power expanding – God sees, God knows, and He is outraged. In but a short time He will answer all of this – and we will know that He is the Lord. They will know it, too.

And those who practice such things will be named for what they are – Liars, Thieves, Cheats and Cowards. Their honor will turn to shame, their pride will turn to disgrace, their laughter will turn to sorrow, and their estate will come to ruin.

So…if you’ve been lied to, stolen from, cheated on, or left by cowards to face the onslaught alone – God has His eye on you. He is standing with you, and will see you through it all.

"He everywhere hath sway, and all things serve His might;
His every act pure blessing is, His path unsullied light.
We comprehend Him not, yet earth and heaven tell
God sits as sovereign on the throne and ruleth all things well." — Author unknown
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Proven in the Eyes of God

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“The LORD tests honest people.” (Psalm 11:5, Contemporary English Version).

Think about it: There is nothing in your life worth having if it has not first been tested and approved. Every single thing that now functions well in its place, making your life what it is, had its beginnings in an idea, that became a prototype, which was tested until it became proven. Then it was manufactured and marketed. And now you use it regularly, and are happy with its performance.

Do you think that maybe God might be doing the same with you?

The Bible tells us that “God tests honest people.” His purpose in this is prove them, so that He can use them. And the test is more than fair. For He has promised that He would never let us be tested above what we were able to bear. In other words, He doesn’t stack the test against us, but actually tempers it to our ability to pass it.

He has equipped us for every good work, and He must show us that the equipment works. He does this by testing us. The Apostle Paul said, “God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message.” (1Thessalonians 2:3, The Message).

Remember the wise man who built his house on the rock? The rain and wind hammered his house just as it did that of the foolish man. The purpose of the storm was to prove the worth of his structure. In the same manner, then, the testing of the Lord in our lives only proves that the equipment He has given us to handle great and difficult challenges -- works!

In another place Paul told young Timothy, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me the strength for my work because he knew that he could trust me.” (1Timothy 1:12).

Can the Lord trust you? He can if you weather the storm, and pass the test!

Remember what happened to Joseph of old? He was sold into slavery by his own brothers! The Egyptians “hurt his feet with fetters; he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him." (Psalm 105:17-19).

God had given great dreams to Joseph as a young man, but he had to wait for several years before his dreams came true. The waiting was not in vain. God used the time to refine Joseph as gold in a furnace. The harsh years were not for the sake of proving the dreams true, but for proving Joseph to be true.

The Lord’s refining process does the same in our lives today. It may be, my fellow traveler, that you are undergoing a test from the Lord, which is applied in love to insure that when your dream comes true -- you will be true as well.

You will be proven in the eyes of God!
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Adam’s Unruly Brood

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“God’s in charge, as always, His eyes taking everything in, His eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing.” (Psalm 11:4 The Message).

From the earliest days of recorded history up to this present moment in time, Mankind has been obsessed with self-exaltation. The first smooth-talking politician to arrive on the scene was a man named Nimrod.

Nimrod, one of Noah’s grandsons, was a rebel of self-proclaimed valor. He single-handedly subverted the existing patriarchal order of society by setting up a chieftainship based on personal courage and maintained by aggression. In defiance of the Lord, he invaded the land of Shem, his uncle, and then violently set up an empire of conquest.

His first building campaign was the Mighty Babel, which to this day stands as the quintessential symbol of world power set in its defiant hostility to God.

But even as the Lord confused their languages and confounded their plot, so it will be in this day. “Why do the nations plot, and why do their people make useless plans? The kings of this earth have all joined together to turn against the LORD and his chosen one. They say, ‘Let's cut the ropes and set ourselves free!’ In heaven the LORD laughs as he sits on His throne, making fun of the nations. The LORD becomes furious and threatens them. His anger terrifies them as he says, “I've put My king on Zion, My sacred hill.” (Psalm 2:1-6).

I want you to do something right now. Look up. I mean, tilt your head back as far as you possibly can, and look straight up. Are you doing it? OK, now spit!

Obviously you would be an idiot to follow my suggestion, but mankind has been doing that very thing since Nimrod first shook his fist in the face of God. The lesson we learn is simple and unmistakable: “That which a man spits against heaven shall fall back into his own face.”

What Nimrod started so long ago will end, sooner or later, with the emergence of a smooth and pompous Person we now know only as The Antichrist. But, consider this carefully; before the World will ever embrace such a single individual as The Antichrist, the people must first accept a mindset that is decidedly anti-christian. And that, my dear friends, is precisely what is afoot in our world today. The stage is being set for History's Final Act.

Nevertheless, “God’s in charge, as always, His eyes taking everything in, His eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing.” (Psalm 11:4).

From His throne in Heaven The LORD looks at the whole world, and He searches out the secrets of the heart. His eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. He will answer each man according to his ways. And He will show Himself to be the Strong Deliverer on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him in a day when rebellion against heaven is the popular trend.

Why, He is even looking at you right now!
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The God Who Can Handle It

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“The LORD is sitting in His sacred temple on His throne in heaven. He knows everything we do because He sees us all.” (Psalm 11:4, The Message).

There is no snooze button anywhere in the proximity of God – and that’s everywhere! He is the Unsleeping God; He never dozes off in slumber, nor drifts away in idle daydreams. He is always on the job, and always in charge. He is the God who can handle it.

He is both all powerful and intimately personal. He holds the universe in His hand, and yet knows the number of hairs that are on your head. He calls each and every star by name, and yet feels pain each time a sparrow falls to the ground.

He is the God who can handle it.

The Psalm goes on to tells us, “He's in charge, as always, His eyes taking everything in, His eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing.” (vs.4).

God does not sit in heaven wringing His hands in anxious concern over the alarming state of affairs in our baffled world -- He’s in charge. He is not clueless to the scheming of godless people who seek to build a society without His blessings – He’s in charge. And He is not rattled by the bloated plans of overheated brains for how we here can save ourselves, needing no help from heaven whatsoever. He’s in charge – and He can handle it.

So, whatever it is that’s going on in your life, know this for certain – it is well within His reach. He can handle it. That’s why you need to let Him.

When doubts arise and fears dismay, when foes oppose you and friends forsake you; when the bottom drops out and you are left holding an empty bag, and your castles all crumble while your dreams turn to ashes – He is the God who can handle it.

Trust Him, and hold tight to your faith in His faithfulness – for He will see you through it all. And when the storm passes, as it surely will, the new day will be filled with His presence, and with the endless possibilities He provides for you.

While others around you are falling in fear – you stand firm, trusting the Lord. He is the God who can handle it.
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The Firm Foundation

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“What will the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

The prophet Isaiah gave us these immortal words, spoken directly from the mouth of Almighty God – “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa 28:16). This Foundation Stone is none other than Christ Jesus Himself. And Paul affirms this in the New Testament: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Co 3:11).

Followers of Jesus down through the Centuries up to this present day each hold to an unwavering confession, penned by William Bradbury long ago. "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand!" You want to know what the righteous will do when all other foundations are destroyed? They will stand firm upon Christ the Solid Rock!

Jesus Himself said, “Then everyone who hears these Words from Me, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew, and fell against that house; but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these Words of Mine, and who does not do them, he shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was the collapse of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Those who place their faith in Jesus have an anchor that holds in the stormiest of gales. Their hope is unflinching, the faith undaunted, and their lives unshaken. They shall, in the words of the prophet, “not make haste.” In other words, they do not panic; they are neither disturbed nor anxious, and shall not be disappointed nor ashamed.

The Message puts it this way, “But the Master, GOD, has something to say to this: "Watch closely. I'm laying a foundation in Zion, a solid granite foundation, squared and true. And this is the meaning of the stone: A TRUSTING LIFE WON'T TOPPLE.” (Isaiah 28:16).

Perhaps the old hymn, written by John Rippon in 1787, says it best:

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word! What more can He say than to you He hath said — to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for I will be with thee thy trouble to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply; the flame shall not harm thee; I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose, I will not, I will not, desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”
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When the Bottom Drops Out

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“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).

A leak in the roof can be fixed easily enough, as can a broken window or a busted pipe. But when the foundation is compromised in any significant way – then all bets are off. Everything now stands in jeopardy – because it stands upon a crumbling base.

That’s the point of the story Jesus tells about the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. All was well until the storm hit. And as the rain came down and the waters rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house – it all came tumbling down. Not because it wasn’t built well – but because it wasn’t built right. It had no firm foundation. The bottom dropped out, and the house was blown away. (see Matthew 7:24-27).

A person’s life can be this way. Every person you meet believes something. They have and hold to a set of opinions, ideas, notions, values, and beliefs that make up the basis for how they live. This is their foundation. As long as nothing of any consequence rattles their world they may amble along in life quite blissfully; supposing all is well and good. And on the surface it may very well be – until the bottom drops out.

The same is true of a Nation. What a Society believes determines how it behaves. If its foundations are rock solid and unchanging, it can weather any storm or controversy with confidence that all will hold together. But if its Morals are shifty, and its Ethics unstable; if its Academics are flawed, and its Judiciary biased and untruthful; if its Economy is corrupted by greed, and its Politics driven by ambitious pride – woe be unto the people when the storms come to that land.

Our text asks a question, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Indeed – what CAN the righteous do? What SHOULD they do? And, perhaps more to the immediate point – what WILL they do?

Daniel, a statesman for God in the midst of Babylon, a Great Society doomed for a historical collapse because of its faulty beliefs, gave us not only his own exemplary life as proof that truth works in the midst of error and confusion, but he also assured us with his timeless words as well. “The people who know their God, shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

In a day when deceit and flattery seduce mindless people into meaningless existence, the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do great exploits; they shall stay courageously loyal to God and thus prevail valiantly when the bottom drops out.

THAT’S what the righteous will do! Is that what YOU will do?
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In the Arms of Love

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“I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD. So why would I run away now when you say, "Run to the mountains”? Psalm 11:1).

Mountains have always stood as strongholds for safety. David himself had lived with his band of mighty men in the mountain fortresses of caves and canyons; unreachable by the pursuit of his enemies. These cowering courtiers of Saul’s crumbling administration were urging David to go back to what he knew was secure.

But David knew that there is nothing more secure than the Arms of Love. “I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD,” he answers them. “Why should I even consider running anywhere else?”

And then he drives the point home with power. “GOD hasn't moved to the mountains; His holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, His eyes taking everything in, His eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing.”

In other words, David was reminding his fleeing friends that even though Saul may be wearing the crown as it set crooked upon his twisted head, nevertheless the Lord was on the Throne. And despite the clever maneuvers of those who are corrupt in their abuse of political power – the Lord is still calling the shots. Saul’s spear missed David, not because his aim was off but because the Lord’s defense was up.

And the same holds true for those who will rest in the Arms of Love today.

"His huge outstretched arms protect you -- under them you're perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing -- not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you" (Psalm 91:4-7, The Message).

Why not follow David's example -- make his confession become your very own: "I have already run for dear life straight to the arms of God!"
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The Back Story

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“A Psalm of David” (Psalm 11:1)

There is no escaping it, no matter who you are and no matter where you go. In every place sacred or secular, exalted or common, Mocking Birds can be found doing their business in places where they have no business doing it. These “bird brains” are everywhere in our world today, dumping their smelly load on unsuspecting souls.

In David's day, they were the fearful voices urging him to flee for his life to the mountains. Let me give you some of the back story details which lead up to this Psalm being written.

David had already slain the mighty giant, Goliath. And old King Saul, a cowering man of intemperate disposition, had brought David to sit in his Courts. His decision was based partly upon his own fading memories of when the Lord had anointed him for some of his earlier victories.

There can also be little doubt that envy was at work in Saul’s heart as well. After all, it couldn't have helped matters when the people began singing in public one of their favorite choruses -- "Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands!"

And perhaps Saul's decision was also driven by political expediency, for the people loved David greatly; and Saul, no doubt hoped to gain their favor by showing himself to be David’s friend.

But Saul was a tormented soul, vexed by demonic powers that filled his heart with terror, and poisoned his mind with foolishness. During one of these wicked rants, Saul grabbed his spear and hurled it at David; intending to pin him against the wall and end his ascent to Israel’s Throne. He missed.

It was in this tempestuous political climate that the faint-hearted counselors in the court sought audience with David, and urged him to take flight. “Run to the mountains,” they cried, “for the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows are aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance!”

They were alarmed, and tried to convince David to respond to the situation in the way they thought was best – “Run for your life!”

But David knew better, for he knew the Lord. And this Psalm is his answer to their unwise advice. Thankfully, God led him to write it, and has preserved it for us unto this very day. Now we ourselves can respond as David did when it seems that “the bottom has dropped out of the country, and good people don’t have a chance.”

Tomorrow, we will look at how David replied to their anxious nonsense.
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A Bird in a Buick

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“In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, 'Flee as a bird to your mountain?'” Psalm 11:1

There are at least three things every bird in the neighborhood have in common. They flitter, they fly, and they flee. They flitter when you set out seed and other bird stuff, like a bird bath. They fly because it beats hopping. Besides, its what they are made for. And they flee because they are frightened.

The other day I parked my Buick at the Golf Club, and joined some friends for a round of golf. I left my windows slightly open for air flow; no more than an inch. I also left the sun roof open by about three inches.

After we had finished golfing I returned to my car to head home. I popped the trunk and set my clubs and shoes inside, then opened the driver’s door to get in the car. That’s when I saw it. A huge, gnarly splat of fresh bird poop right smack on the middle console of my front seats – exactly where your elbow sets while you’re driving.

“Nice shot!” I said out loud, complementing whatever bird had been so exacting as to aim and fire his load through such a small opening in the sun roof; while in flight no less! I was truly impressed. That is, until I saw a flitter in the corner of my eye.

The bird was in the Buick! Not only that, he had been there long enough to “do his business” all over the place! Let’s just say he was pooped out.

OK, so I opened the doors and he lit out of there and zoomed to a high perch in a distant tree. He was, in a word, frightened. The flitting bird became a fleeing bird.

By the way, it was a Mocking Bird.

This brings me to our text. “In the LORD put I my trust,” David says to his timid advisors. “How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” (Psalm 11:1).

We will pick up here tomorrow and take a closer look at this. It will be worth the wait.
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The Song for the Eleventh Hour

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“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

The Eleventh Hour is an expression referring to the last moments before a deadline, or the imminence of a decisive or "final" moment. We are now in the Eleventh Hour. And the Clock is ticking.

In 1997, William Strauss and Neil Howe co-authored a remarkable book called “The Fourth Turning.” In it they show that History unfolds in a cyclical series of four turnings, much like the seasons move from Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. In Chapter Ten, A Fourth Turning Prophecy, they write, “Sometime around the year 2005, America will enter the Fourth Turning. A spark will ignite a new mood. It will catalyze a Crisis. The spark might seem as ominous as a financial crash, as ordinary as a national election, or as trivial as a Tea Party.” (pg.272).

Now, here we are twelve years after those words were written, and we are seeing it unfold right before our very eyes. Winter has come.

Do me a favor. No, correct that – do yourself a favor and read carefully and prayerfully Psalm 11. It’s only seven verses in length, but it so fits these days in which we live that you owe it to yourself to ponder its timeless words. I call it the Song for the Eleventh Hour. Here, I’ll even post it for your convenience.

“A David psalm. I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of GOD. So why would I run away now when you say, "Run to the mountains; the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"? But GOD hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids Unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing. He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged. Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, Drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind. GOD's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye” (Psalm 11:1-7).

This is from the Message Translation, but I encourage you to read it from as many different translations as you have available. There is much here for us to consider.

In fact, for the next few days we will take a devotional walk through this Psalm, and together we will discover that it is filled with “meat in due season” which will feed our spirits and strengthen our faith and resolve in these faithless and dissolving days.
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