Focused

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. II Timothy 4:5

 My Daddy taught us lots of things and as the oldest child, I learned first. I learned how to pound nails, line up tools by fractions, skin rabbits, and tie up tomatoes. Daddy loved playing ball. He wanted us to excel in all we did whether it was school, or gardening, or playing ball, so he taught me first how to pitch. The first and most important lesson was to keep my eye on the ball. Never look away. The ball would always follow my eye. I think the player in the picture pitched a strike. Look how focused she is on the target. 

In Matthew 14:24-32 the disciples were in a boat crossing the sea at night. A wind blew up. If you've ever been on the water at night when the wind gets up you know the fear and the apparitions you might see. The disciples thought they saw a ghost coming toward them. Jesus knew their fear and called out to them. Peter said, " Lord, if it be you, bid me come to you on the water."  

Jesus told Peter to come. Peter got down out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus. He knew the wind was blowing. He knew he was on top of the water, walking, but, BUT, he looked away. Never look away. Never take you eye off the target. Peter began to sink. "Lord, save me!" Jesus put out his hand and put Peter back in the boat. 

Peter was a saved man. He trusted that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world, no doubts. But when he took his eyes off Jesus, he lost focus and began to sink. 

Even we as Christians can find ourselves in crisis situations and instead of walking on through, keeping our eyes on the only One who can help, we lose focus. We allow ourselves to be distracted, to focus on the problem instead of focusing on the One who can walk us through the situation. 

Father God, help me keep my eyes on You. Help we walk with you, paying no attention to the distractions of this world. In Jesus' name. Amen

The Rain

 

Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;

They shall be revived like grain,

And grow like a vine.

Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

~Hosea 14:7 (NKJV)

There's a storm brewing over on the mountain. The billowy clouds rise above the haze. The thunder rolls like distant cannon fire, ever increasing in intensity as the battle draws closer. As of yet, there is no sight of lightning, only heat and humidity and the silence of waiting. No stirring breeze. Then the wrens begin to fuss, the robins chirp, and the crows call alarming the trees to the impending weather war. Do they feel their lives are endangered?

 As the storm draws near, it broadens its spectrum, rolling from one valley to the next. Down the hillside and up the other. How long before I must retreat inside to safety, away from lightning bolts and pelting rain, swaying trees? Aww, it's just a summer storm, they say. It will pass. But what will lie in its path? Will there be trees down, houses crushed, fires? Or simply the passing of another summer storm?

As I survey the skies of my younger days, I see political storms that came and went, leaving a little more destruction in their path each time. The last fifty years, for the most part, have not been kind to us. Apparently, we haven't learned a thing. As Israel mocked Jeremiah and the prophets, mocking seems to be quite the rage of our day. Morality, life, God-given identity, and Christians are mocked in the marketplace of today's cancel culture. 

The storm brought a passing shower, and now I see a rainbow forming. I am also beginning to see a rainbow forming in the political storm of Socialism and communism. Right now, the storm rages, but maybe there's another storm forming underneath. People are coming together. 

 Maybe it's the rain of revival. 

Mercy drops round us are falling, 

but for the showers we plead. 

~D.W. Whittle (1840-1901)

Father, we pray for wisdom in the midst of the storm. We are thankful for the mercy drops of revival we see. Lord, daily, may we pray for the showers, the downpour of revival. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Freedom Depends on Prayer

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ~II Chronicles 7:14

What do you know about the story of the Pilgrims? I was taught they lived in the Netherlands for a time to escape religious persecution until their children began to be more Dutch than English. I heard about the Speedwell that leaked causing them to return to England and load everything on the Mayflower. I even knew about the Mayflower being blown off course but, not until my children were in school did I begin to learn some of the most miraculous happenings. 

In the midst of a storm more than halfway across the Atlantic, the main crossbeam supporting the mast cracked. The sailors scrambled to prop it up but nothing worked. The Pilgrims began to pray. Mr. Brewster remembered the great iron screw of his printing press (Marshall, Peter; The Light and the Glory. pp118,119). A great iron screw for a printing press? Why would Pilgrims need such a thing? Mr. Brewster brought a printing press to print Bibles, likely copies of the 1599 Geneva Bible. The great iron screw did the job of holding the crossbeam together to get the Mayflower on across the waters. And so begins the voyage to hide Christ's church in the wilderness protected from the persecutions of Europe.  

A long hard winter followed the landing of the Mayflower, but the Indians, who died of disease, left a store of corn. This small stockpile of corn sustained the Pilgrims until spring planting. But they knew nothing of planting in this new world. They knew nothing of hunting and fishing in the vast wilderness. One day an Indian walked into the Pilgrim's village with "Welcome". Welcome? No screams or raised tomahawk? No unknown language? In perfect English he greeted the Pilgrims with "Welcome". (Squanto by Eric Metaxas). Though half the passengers of the Mayflower had died that winter, still God was preserving a people to bring the gospel to the new world and establish the laws that would be the founding document of the US Constitution. That document was the Mayflower Compact. 

Throughout the history of the United States, the hand of God is obvious in times of war and peace. One of the main reasons could be the call to prayer. Washington called the nation to prayer and so did Lincoln.  But since the Supreme Court misconstrued the Constitution to mean freedom from religion instead of freedom of religion, we've been on a downhill slide that goes faster every day. Is all lost? No, President Trump has once again, called us to prayer as a nation.

II Chronicles 7:14 tells us that there is a way out. Not by the device of man but by the power of God. Read the passage again. 

We must humble ourselves, realize we are not in control. 

We must pray and seek God's face. It doesn't take a preacher to pray, just willing people who talk to God with all sincerity. 

We must turn from our wicked ways. What is that? The 10 Commandments say we shall have no other gods before the Lord God. What do we do in place of worship? When was the last time we read our Bibles or attended church, or prayed? Is our language riddled with profanity? It's not just a habit. 

The rest of the verse says, turn and God will listen and heal our land. What needs healing? 

Heavenly Father, our land seems to be almost in collapse, yet you have given us the way of escape. Just as you provided and protected the Pilgrims working miracle after miracle for them, you will do the same for us when we turn from our wicked ways and turn our hearts to you. In Jesus's name. Amen.