I Would've, Could've, Should've.....

     How many times do we do things without really thinking about the possible consequences before we do them?  It can be something simple like eating an extra cookie we don't need or more painful like pushing yourself beyond your limits after you have had surgery.  Yes, I qualify in this department and it isn't the first time.
     Yesterday, I was feeling pretty good on my new and improved knee so I practiced walking around the house without a cane.  Thinking this was a sign of better days ahead, I decided to vacuum a portion of the house today.  My inner German housecleaner came out in full force because I cannot stand a gritty floor thanks to our dear dog who loves to walk in the black sand.  However, after I finished, my left knee started screaming at me that maybe this was not such a good idea after all.  Its only been three and a half weeks post surgery.  I felt good about the clean floor...but not so good about my knee.  Now, I just need to take it easy for a while so I can calm the knee down.  My husband reminds me often that "No pain means no gain" when it comes to rehab.  He is right and I need to remember to count the cost before plunging into a daily activity.

A memorial to a Covenanter in Scotland who gave his life in the
cause of Christ

     Jesus also spoke to His disciples about counting the cost, thinking about consequences, and determining if they had what it takes to follow Him.  Luke 14:25-34 is the passage that describes His discussion with the disciples following Him.  He made clear to the crowd that they would have to leave behind father and mother or perhaps their wife and children.  They might even lose their own life in order to follow Him.  Many today, in the persecuted church, have had to do just this.  Others who convert from some religions have been put to death for becoming a Christian.  So the Lord made it clear that there would be a cost for following Him.  He didn't promise rainbows, happy days and endless material gains.  He offered them a cross, self sacrifice, and asked them to count the cost.  The key verses are 28-33:  "28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’  31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."
     Somehow in this day and age, people who come to Christ and follow Him often expect life to be different.  They expect no illness, heartaches, or troubles.  Yet, Jesus plainly laid out in this passage and others that trials and tribulations are a part of  life i
n this fallen earth.  However, He did promise to be with us through all those valleys.  He told us He would never leave us or forsake us, but there is a cost to being a disciple.  We may lose old friends or even family members may cut ties, but the rewards and joy we receive in Christ are eternal.  They outweigh the hardships we may face.
     While we might not suffer the same fate as those in closed societies around the world, Jesus asks us to count the cost.  Are we willing to follow Him no matter where, when or how He calls us to serve Him?  There may be sacrifice required so we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to push on and take up our cross and follow Him.  Just as there is no gain in my ability to use my new knee without discomfort, there is no growth in the Christian walk without the commitment to face whatever God asks of us.  Our rewards and citizenship are in heaven.  We will see Him face to face one day and all we have suffered and lost will fall away in the light of His glory.  Though the cost is high, the blessings are without end when we follow our Master.  I may have been a bit foolish today when it came to overdoing it with my knee, but in 48 years of serving Christ, I have never had any regrets.  I am all in for Jesus Christ...are you?  Selah!
     

Only One Sovereign

     What's your view of God?  Do you see Him as sovereign over all the affairs of men?  Many see Him as merely a power that started the great machine of the universe and then stepped away to let it run as it will with no interest in individual lives.  Others see God as a "cosmic bell boy" as R.C. Sproul used to say.  He is merely a benevolent power who always loves us and is ready to bail us out of any circumstances we face.  However the only source with correct and true information is the Bible.
     Unfortunately, today, many people do not take the time for daily study of God's Word.  Even in some churches, there is more talk about how to have a better life than how to know the Lord who made us and the Universe.  Perhaps this is one reason why so many seem to disregard "The Ten Commandments" and treat them as suggestions.  Or why many laugh at Christians who desire to walk in harmony with the Lord and obey His teachings.  We are called old fashioned, bigots, and many other names because we believe the Bible is the truth and cannot be compromised to make others feel comfortable about their sin.

The Castle at Warwick England

     Of course none of this is new.  Since the Garden of Eden, man has rebelled against God's reign and chosen to go his own way.  Psalm 2 depicts this effort by nations and rulers to disregard God's sovereignty.  As Solomon wisely pointed out, there is nothing new under the sun.  Verses 1-6 paint a picture for us: 1 "Why do the nations rage
                         and the peoples plot in vain?
                    2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
                        and the rulers take counsel together,
                       against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
               3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
                         and cast away their cords from us.”
               4 He who visits in the heavens laughs;
                       the Lord holds them in derision.
             5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
                        and terrify them in his fury, saying,
              6 “As for me, I have set my King
                        on Zion, my holy hill.”
     Like Wiley Coyote trying everything he can to catch the Road Runner, the world leaders, movers and shakers often think they do not need to take God seriously.  They gather together to conspire and consolidate their power not realizing that the Lord sees their efforts from His throne in heaven.  These leaders think they know more about setting an agenda for mankind than the Creator does.  They do not need to follow God's commandments and teachings so they strive to create their utopian world according to their fallen natures.  However, the Psalm tells us God's reaction.  He laughs at them.  He established His Kingdom ruled by His Son Jesus Christ.  One day, they will face His wrath and see Christ return to set up a kingdom that is fair and just according to the Word of God.
     The Psalm concludes with these words in verses 10-12:  "Now therefore, O Kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."  A wise ruler as well as a wise person would do well to take to heart the instruction of God.  We are here to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.  His ways need to become our ways and His thoughts need to become our thoughts.  If we want to live a life of grace, peace and joy, it will not come through any human government or political party.  This only will arise when we have a new heart given to us by God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  God is sovereign and His Word is true.  We cannot add to it or take away from it.  Our place is to seek Him first who rules over all powers in this universe.  Let us pray for our nation, our world and all leaders that they may acknowledge the only true Lord and Sovereign over all countries...the Lord Jesus Christ.  Selah!

A Merry Heart is the Best Medicine!

     Recuperating from surgery is about as much fun as walking barefoot through a patch of sand spurs.  Best way I can describe it!  However, our outlook makes all the difference in the world and without a sense of humor each day, we lose touch with the hope of our high calling in Christ.  This is one thing I learned early in life.
     My parents both had such a sense of humor and at times, we would fill our home with sounds of laughter over the silly things we said or did.  Lets face it.  We all have those moments when we do some funny stunt and it is far better to laugh than to cry over them.  For example, I will never forget the day my father had learned to fry an egg.  He was so excited over his accomplishment that he left his plate on the table instead of bringing it to the stove.  So, as he walked across the kitchen carrying the egg on the spatula, it fell unceremoniously to the floor making a mess.  Instead of getting mad, we both looked at each other and started laughing over his accident.
     Proverbs 17:22 tells us: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."  Even doctors will tell you that laughter releases chemicals in the body that help you feel better and heal more quickly.  On the other hand, depression and anxiety weigh us down.  Jesus also reminded us not to worry or be anxious for anything in "the Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 6:25-34).  We can't change anything by being upset about it now can we?  However, Paul tells us what we should be doing instead.
     In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul wrote these encouraging words (Phil. 4:6): "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Somehow, when we get into a mode of thanksgiving in our prayer time or even in our discussion with friends, it not only glorifies God but it lifts our mood as well.  We are a blessed people in Jesus Christ.  He has given us cause for laughter even in the midst of pain.

Branson Thayer...the joy in our lives!

      Today, as I worked with my physical therapist, we talked about the loss of our first grandchild in 2014.  She had seen all the pictures in our living room and wondered what happened.  I described him  and the wonderful joy he brought to our lives.  She seemed surprised that I could share and chuckle about his many giggles he would give over the times we played with him.  Yet, this is a gift of God who does heal the broken hearted.  I explained that while I missed him terribly we still had him for six wonderful years.  He was a gift from God about which we can never thank the Lord enough!
      When we look for the humor in life, the joy of living in Jesus Christ and seek to find the good in each day, our lives will be storing up the blessings that God provides.  We need a reserve for those days when things are not so bright and cheery.  Then, we can look back and see all that the Lord has done for us and smile again.
      Worship is perhaps the greatest way for us to store up the joy of the Lord and singing His songs of praise can lift even the most morose soul.  Being in the choir, I try hard to smile during worship services because I have the love of the Lord living in me.  I do wish more would smile back and as one preacher said, "Inform you face that you
are happy in Christ."  Sometimes, we have to make an effort to smile, laugh and be in fellowship with others.  Yet, the dividends that we receive are without measure.  Try smiling more, laughing more and rejoicing in Christ more.  I guarantee it works!
      Today, for example, I sat down on our couch much too fast, with too much bend in my operative knee and for a moment, I think my dear husband thought I was talking another language as various sounds came from my mouth.  My knee quickly reminded me that it is not ready for prime time yet.  Both my husband and I had a good laugh over my gibberish.  Certainly helps to keep the pain at bay.
     Whatever season of life you are in right now, I challenge you to remember that a merry heart does work like medicine.  God wants us to laugh and rejoice in all He has done for us despite the circumstances of life.  Jesus overcame the world and so can we in His power!  Paul said it well when he wrote:  "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Phil 4:4).  Keep smiling and always maintain a sense of humor.  It will see us through the darkest valley as we walk with the Lord.  Selah!