Tag: The Psalms

Today’s Word Is NOURISHED

Tue-Mar-17-2020

If you were promised that all your physical needs (food, clothing, shelter) would be taken care of for the rest of your life, it would still not guarantee that you would be happy or fulfilled or have no worries.

Lots of us, including myself, have at some point in life fallen into thinking that what we need is enough money to meet our basic needs and pay our bills, and then we could stop worrying. However, such is not the case. When those surface needs for survival are pushed aside, underneath is a great longing to be accepted and to feel like our life is worth something to others.

And deeper still within us is that place that can only be filled by the love, grace, and Spirit of God, offered by Grace and received by Faith. This is the foundation. No amount of emotional or physical provision will stand throughout life unless built on God our Rock. Jesus spoke in Mathew 7:24 about building a house on Rock or Sand. For those who built on Rock, when the storms came, “it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” But if built on Sand, “it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Sometimes God makes a miraculous provision of our surface needs in time of drought and desperation to remind us that we should rely on his grace as the provision for our deepest needs in our inner being. While traveling through the desert for 40 years, the Israelites of the Old Testament encountered several times of crisis where food, water, or safety was in short supply. For one period of time, God supplied “manna,” which was an unusual substance like bread that would appear on the ground in the morning. Free food! Along with the following reminder …

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

What goes into our mind and our heart is far more important for “living” than what goes into our stomach. Sometimes God will miraculously get us through some bad times by supplying food, money, or other provisions. What he wants to teach us is to trust him, and to seek deeper nourishment than just food.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he went through temptations in the desert, and during those 40 days he fasted (nothing to eat). So, Satan tempted him to turn stones into bread. (I’m sure some of those rocks were in the shape of a nice freshly baked loaf of homemade bread.) Jesus resisted by quoting the above passage of Scripture from Isaiah … We do not live by bread alone, but by God’s Word.

Keep yourself spiritually nourished … this is one of the keys to “really living.” You have deeper needs than the physical, or the money, or being surrounded by convenience. Your soul, your heart, and your mind all need God-designed nourishment.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

Today’s Word Is STRENGTH

Tue-Mar-3-2020

After you have made it through a tough time, a stressful deadline, a challenging crisis, or maybe just made it through the day, hopefully you get a chance to relax and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe you begin to reflect on how this all worked out, what you learned, and where  the strength came from. As believers, we should know that giving ourselves the credit doesn’t really tell the whole story.

Listen to King David after a victory against an enemy:

I love You, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

And I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3)

When King David says, ”I am saved from my enemies,” he means the battle is over and we won! Yes, we. Through it all, the Lord is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.

How good are you at giving God the credit? It is much easier to quickly acknowledge and thank him when we have started out confiding and trusting in him, asking for guidance in the morning and throughout the day. I have made much progress over the years, but I still sometimes find myself seeing a problem or opportunity and just taking off with my own solution. Carrying on that day-long conversation is a great habit, which can keep me from being too hasty and disregarding my greatest source of strength. Then when the job is complete, problem solved, success achieved, victory won – I am more prone to give thanks to God my Father for the strength.

A famous Budweiser commercial shows a young colt alone in the barn beside the huge wagon that the older horses pull as a team. He steps under the harness, puts his neck in place and tries to pull. At first it doesn’t budge. He pulls harder – then suddenly the carriage moves forward, and he starts walking!

Obviously, he is thinking – wow, I’m really doing it! Then the camera angle widens and you see that the wagon is being pushed from behind by one of the huge Clydesdales, which I take to be his Dad.

So it is with you and me. Whether small or large, the things we accomplish are made possible by the God who is helping far more than we often give him credit. It is actually by his strength that we accomplished anything.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – Jesus (John 15:5)

Give thanks and give credit,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is REST … Plus Friday Humor

Fri-Feb-21-2020

Robinson Crusoe fell desperately ill, and just before dropping into a coma, he called for his man Friday to help him. Friday, not knowing what else to do, went outside of Crusoe’s tent and danced around and prayed for God to come and help his master.

Shortly afterwards, Crusoe awoke from his coma and groggily perceived a shape at the foot of his bed. In panic, he imagined that the angel of death had come to get him. Then the shape came into focus, and he cried out with relief, “Thank God! It’s Friday!”

According to the internet, the phrase “Thank God It’s Friday” was created in the early 1970’s by Jerry Healy, a disk jockey on radio station WAKR in Akron, Ohio. It eventually became common nationwide as an expression of relief at the end of the work week and anticipation of relaxing or partying over the weekend!

It seems to me to be an indication of the stress Americans feel overall. Perhaps there is in our culture a general lack of enjoyment at work, an expectation of excessive work hours, and a high premium on financial success.

Whatever the factors, many people seem to be starving for rest and relief from the demanding work week. Furthermore, we sometimes find our weekends so packed with activities and obligations that we don’t really get rested before it’s time to go back to work. Thus, we often find ourselves advising people to “get some rest.” Guess who came up with the saying, “Now get your rest!” Not your mother. Not your best friend. Not your doctor. It was God.

First, he set the example himself. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (Genesis 2:2) God himself knew when he had done enough work, and it was time to rest. (Do you?)

His work was satisfying. What he did during the work of creation he labeled as “good.” And perhaps we should pause each day, or at least at the end of the week, and say, “That was good. What I did helped me, my family, and others in some way.” And then we should know that we have worked enough, it is time to rest.

Our standard five-day work week means two days off, yes. But there is still work to be done regarding home and family. But at least one of those days should qualify as a “holy rest” in the spirit of the Sabbath commandment. Thus, God gave us instructions to imitate him in getting our rest. “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 31:15a)

Maybe you don’t exactly do a 24-hour continuous rest period, but you and I need a way to refresh each week. The extent of your rest is not supposed to be “however much you sleep at night.” It needs to be supplemented with the renewal of your mind, body, and spirit.

Therefore, resting doesn’t mean just sleeping. Find your way to experience the breezes of God refreshing you in these areas … emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Don’t leave one out. Sometimes we are taking care of one or two of those areas, and still don’t feel fully alive, rested, and energetic.

I have another saying that I use for myself, “Thank God It’s Sunday.” When I don’t worship together with others and find extra time to be refreshed in the Lord, I feel like my week is not complete.

Enjoy your weekend, get some rest, attend worship …

That’s what I’m going to do,

Chaplain Mark

Other Verses:

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

It is in vain that you rise up early, and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. (Psalm 127:2)

Today’s Word Is CREDIT

Tue-Feb-11-2020

Millard Fuller was a self-made millionaire who gave away his wealth to start the Christian house-building group called Habitat for Humanity, which was founded in 1976 and based in Americus, GA. Since that time, Habitat has built more than 200,000 houses to serve over one million people in over 100 countries and attracted prominent volunteers, including former President Jimmy Carter, whose hometown of Plains, GA was 10 miles away.

I had the privilege many years ago of hearing Mr. Fuller speak at a meeting, and his presence was riveting and inspiring … such great charisma. He told a story of being at a conference in Charlotte, NC, which had participated in a world-wide blitz the previous year, an effort of Habitat to start 300 houses at once. Charlotte’s part was to begin 14 houses, the effect of which was to engage thousands of residents. It attracted many outside public figures, including comedian Bob Hope as well as President Carter.

Millard got an inspired idea at this conference that he would take a long afternoon break one day and go out on a curious adventure to see the effects of the previous year’s enormous house-building effort. In particular, he wanted to go to the house that his friend President Carter had helped to construct.

Mr. Fuller hired a car and driver to take him to see the project site, and eventually they pulled up in front of the house Carter helped to build. Stepping from the car, he could see that the house still looked very well-kept. A five-year old boy stood in the yard. Fuller approached and introduced himself.

Thinking that this young lad might have been told the story of President Carter helping to build his house, he stooped down and asked, “How do you like your new house?”

“I like it!” the boy answered.

Testing to see if he knew about Carter’s involvement, Fuller inquired, “Do you know who built your house?”

The youngster grinned, eyes sparkling, and said, “Yes, sir! Jesus built my house!”

That was not the answer he expected, but he realized it was exactly the right answer. Fuller went home deeply moved and inspired by a 5-year old who shared a great testimony.

As I type this article, my eyes have moistened up just thinking about that little boy’s answer, just like when I first heard it, and like every time I retell it to someone.

This is the takeaway … We need to give God the credit, both for what has been given to us and what we have done for others.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

As to what we have received, Psalm 16:2 says: “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” Thanking others is a very important thing, but those who are committed to the Lord know that ultimately God is the source.

And of course, we know that the act of giving is an imitation of God, in whose image we are made. As the Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

If that story doesn’t light your fire, your wood must be wet!

Blessings!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is ANGELS

Mon-Feb-10-2020

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 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 91:1-4)

When I was going to seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, I had a scary moment that I will never forget. I was traveling on Piedmont Avenue near downtown after midnight, returning home from an event. There were no other cars around at that moment, and I was leery of being in this area at such an hour.

Then, a terrible thing happened. My car’s lights went out, the engine shut down, and I coasted to a stop. The car would not restart. I got out and looked around, having no idea what to do next. There were no cell phones at that time, no nearby phone booth. I raised the hood but saw nothing unusual, based on my limited mechanical ability. I was helpless. Immediately, in the distance an old pickup truck appeared, heading in my direction. I didn’t know whether to be afraid or thankful. Should I wave for help, or get back in the car?

No matter, the truck pulled up behind me and an older fellow in what looked like mechanic’s work clothes got out and approached. “Need some help?” he asked. “Well yes, my car just quit. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

He went to the front of the car, looked under the hood, loosened the battery holder, lifted the battery and showed me a broken wire. (That was fast, I thought.) He said, “These Chevy Camaros have a problem where the tiny ground wire gets under the battery and it wears in two!” Lifting up the two frazzled ends of the wire, he said, “Look here!” He pulled out pliers, spliced and taped it back together, and said, “Now start her up!”

Once back in the car, I put the key in the ignition, and it fired right up! I looked out my window to see the old pickup already heading down the street. I didn’t even get the chance to say thank you.

Now, what’s your opinion? Was that a coincidence … that a truck with a mechanic in it, who knew about the particular and unusual problem of this car,  who had the tool and tape in his pocket to fix it, who drove away before I realized he was leaving, and all this after midnight? There is no doubt in my mind that he was an angel God sent to help me.

I know we call kind people an “angel” sometimes, and that is OK, but I hope you understand that humans are not angels. They are two different beings. Having read sometime before this incident a book by Billy Graham called Angels: God’s Secret Agents, the experience I had was very similar to the many stories in that book. So, when this event comes to my mind, even now, I remember that God sent me one of his angels. It is a reminder of the reality of God and his watch care over me. It renews my spirit and my conviction that God is always with me. Whenever I have doubts or difficult moments, remembering this event wipes the doubts away.

Psalm 91 will tell you how God cares for you. When I think about that night in Atlanta, these verses stand out to me …

Psalm 91:3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler.

Psalm 91:5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Psalm 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

There is a condition stated back in verse 1 … that you “dwell” in him. Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Your dwelling is your home. God wants us to know that our home is in him. Make God your home and abide in His shadow. He’s got you “covered.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is TRANSPARENCY

Thu-Feb-6-2020

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” – King David (Psalm 42:9-10)

I had the great privilege during my seminary days at Emory University of attending a lecture by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, author of the classic book, On Death and Dying. The book was based on her many years of working with patients who had terminal illnesses and introduced the concept of the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

During her lecture she told us about an incident when she was in the hospital room of an elderly lady who was dying of cancer, and who was angry at God, expressing it quite openly. Dr. Ross listened patiently through all the complaints and emotions. When she left the woman’s room, she encountered a pastor who had been outside the door listening to what was going on.

(At this point, you need to know that Dr. Ross was born in Switzerland, was very short and thin in appearance, and spoke with a delightful European accent. But as I observed her during her lecture, I surmised that despite her small stature, she was probably pretty feisty.)

The pastor was waiting outside the door with a reprimand. “Why did you let that woman say awful things about God like that? I heard it all the way out here. She was insulting God! You should have stopped her from saying such irreverent things!”

Dr. Ross put her hands on her hips in a scolding manner, and looking up at the much taller pastor, said with a shake of her head, “I think He’s big enough to take it!” And off she marched, leaving the pastor to reconsider his theology.

What this cancer patient was being allowed to do was to practice transparency with God. Her feelings were strong. She was unhappy with her condition and ready to “let God have it!” This openness obviously helps us more than it helps him. He knows our situation and how we feel about it.

If you’re waiting for things to get better in your life before you spend some time or improve your relationship with the Lord, or if you’re afraid to talk to God because you wouldn’t have anything nice to say at the moment … well … It would probably be better just to let it out. God wants to hear all those things. It’s all part of staying on track with God. If this transparent approach to your relationship with him is a new thing for you, I understand. But if you need to shout and complain to God, I feel confident in saying that it won’t knock him off his throne!

Honesty with God helped King David to vent his feelings, as in the Scripture above. But one thing David does in many Psalms is to teach us how to come back around to God’s point of view. The next verse after the above Scripture says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

I’ve heard my share of complaints from people who are suffering from trials and tribulations, including hospital patients. I want to imitate my heavenly Father and be “big enough to take it” and still care about the complainer.

Have a blessed day,

Chaplain Mark

BY THE WAY, the movie The Apostle, starring Robert Duvall as an evangelist, has some pretty good “transparency with God” scenes. (Warning, it’s a little rough in places.)

Today’s Word Is UNSHAKEN

Thu-Jan-30-2020

I hate putting my time or money into something that ends up not being worth it. A couple of years ago my wife and I were doing some painting inside the house. We ordered this great sounding device that was supposed to make trimming a cinch. Well … upon arrival of the product, we discovered that the quality of the gadget was significantly lower than the quality of the idea. In short, it was not worth using.

Suffice it to say that whatever we invest our time and money in does not always turn out to be worth it. Teaching the lesson of unreasonable expectations to the children in the family takes patience. When my sweet mother-in-law was raising my wife and her two siblings and one of them made a request for something that was “not gonna happen” … she would chuckle and say to them, “Yea, and people in jail want out!”

There is no guarantee you will get what you want. There is always a risk that some things you purchase are a waste of money. And sometimes the places you want to go or the things you want to do are not going to work out.

There is, however, something of a spiritual nature that has a trustworthy guarantee.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; … (Hebrews 12:28)

This “kingdom that cannot be shaken” is worth trading everything we are and all we have in order to live in it. In a world in which many people get upset at the things that don’t work like they’re supposed to, the only thing I know of that comes through 100% of the time is the grace of God poured out on us in this “kingdom that cannot be shaken.”

In all my years of adulthood, I can’t think of a single person who ever came back to me and said they were disappointed in the life of faith offered to them through Jesus Christ. This is based on those who were “all in” for the kingdom.

For those who were just trying to “fit God into their schedule,” it seemed to me that they didn’t want to be “in” this kingdom, but just visit occasionally. In that case, God is not really your king. Those folks were frequently disappointed.

I am thankful that there is a “kingdom that cannot be shaken” offered by grace to all of us, in which the warranty never runs out. I’m all in for that! And good news … living in this unshaken kingdom also means that when the events of this life try to rock my world I can remain personally unshaken because of the unshakable foundation of this kingdom in which I dwell.

If you or someone you know is holding out looking for a sure thing to commit to, hold back no longer. And when you take the leap, you will discover that this is not just an idea, it is a Person, the Creator himself, drawing you into a deep, loving relationship that far exceeds expectations … it will produce a sense of “reverence and awe” within you.

King David was all in, saying, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved …” (Psalm 121:1-3a)

This seems strange to say, but I have been shaken up a few times in my life, and yet remained unshaken, because God absorbed the shaking.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark