Message in a motorboat
I felt distinctly led to rerun this blog entry from last summer. It has a message for our time.
For a summer and a half I had the privilege of working at Ranger, a primitive camp across the lake from the main camp where I was a counselor for six summers. The boys and girls at Ranger slept on opposite hillsides in tents and lean-tos and met in a central valley between the two hills for cooking, camaraderie, jumping into the lake off of a huge two-story diving tower we built ourselves, and for massive games of flashlight capture-the-flag under the night skies.
The most memorable session at Ranger was a year and a half before I got saved. Two of my co-counselors that session were Gordy, the Ranger director that summer, and Carla, both of whom were bold, born-again Christians.
The first time I ever prayed out loud to the God of creation was after jumping off of the Ranger diving tower while taking a midnight dip with Carla.
“Let’s pray,” she suggested.
“Here? Now?!” I asked, incredulous at the non-religious setting.
“Sure! Hi, Jesus! It’s so fun to swim with You under the stars tonight. I love You, Lord…” and on she continued as we swam in the star-illumined, midnight water.
I talked to Him, too, telling Him how cool it was of Him to make nature and summer and camp and freedom. I didn’t ask Him to be my Lord that night, but how could I ever despise a God who listened so attentively and lovingly to two teenage girls swimming in a starlit lake at midnight?
A big deal that summer was the copperhead infestation at camp. As more and more of the snakes were discovered, it became a badge of honor among the guy counselors to catch a copperhead with their bare hands. Even one of the female counselors caught one. I was secretly envious of her; I wanted nothing more than to say I had captured a copperhead with my bare hands, but alas, I had already been bitten by three non-poisonous snakes that summer at different times while holding them. I knew something was off with my snake-handling technique, and therefore, catching a copperhead—although awesome—was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.
Gordy did catch one late in the summer, though, and holding it, asked me to drive him across the lake in the motorboat so he could release it way back in the woods. (We didn’t believe in killing copperheads back then. We all thought that “the children and the flowers are our sisters and our brothers”, a la “Rhymes and Reasons”, a John Denver song. That included copperheads, too.)
Gordy sat in the bow of the boat facing me with the copperhead in his hands. I pulled away from the Ranger dock and motored toward the other side of the lake.
“He’s trying to get away. If he does, he’s mad enough to bite one of us before flopping out of the boat,” Gordy observed.
“Well, don’t let him go!” I demanded, one eye to the lake and the other on the snake.
After a while, the snake stopped lashing around—and that’s when Gordy started preaching a message I’ll never forget. “He’s relaxing. His muscles are not tensed up beneath my hands. He’s just like the devil. If Satan can’t beat you by fighting, he’ll bide his time and seek a different strategy, just like he did with Jesus when he left Him for a more opportune time.
“You see, this snake is very aware of my grip. He’s testing me, I can tell, just like the devil does. He thinks if he backs off, I’ll get lulled into complacency. He’s waiting for my hand muscles to relax. And if they do, he’s ready. He’ll swing his head back and latch onto my arm!
“If a believer stands his ground against the devil, then the devil will back off—but he won’t give up. He’ll bide his time and watch for the Christian’s guard to drop and his life to get sloppy—and then, just like this copperhead, he’ll swing back and strike!”
I didn’t even believe in a literal devil at the time, but eyeing that copperhead as it went through its stages of fight and relax, fight and relax, everything Gordy said in that boat made total sense to me.
You certainly do have an enemy over whom you have authority—the devil. Resist him, firm in your faith, and according to the Word, he will flee from you (see James 4:7). But once he flees, don’t drop your guard; live not only harmlessly, but also shrewdly (see Matthew 10:16), armed with God’s Word every day of your life. That way, when the enemy seeks to return for a more opportune time—and he will—he will find you alert, ready in season and out, and without a single toehold by which he can slither back into your life.
Dorothy
And do not give the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:27
Read MoreDallas reality check for believers
When I heard about the Dallas shooting, I went to bed with a heavy heart. The Lord placed three Scriptures on my heart as I laid in my bed, weeping and praying.
Well-pleased with insults
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
I like to enter into discussions on various topics—including cultural issues—on Facebook, and use it as an opportunity to share a biblical perspective.
Be on the alert
I wanted to share on my blog something I posted today on my Facebook page concerning the horrible mass shooting early this morning at the Orlando, FL nightclub:
Each one of my friends here on FB is an individual, interesting, and very unique person in the way you think, believe, live, and approach—or don’t approach—God. I respect each one of you and am glad to be linked up with you in whatever capacity we can connect despite our differences in thinking, believing, living, and approaching—or not approaching—God.
That said, I want to share with whoever reads this something that gripped me this past Thursday afternoon. I had just worked at my church’s vacation Bible school (called JUMP) and was walking along the huge strip mall in Chesterfield Valley, thinking nothing in particular except perhaps how I had just blocked a bevy of 8th graders from jumping line ahead of some 7th graders at the inflatable Bouncy House maze. Of course, after 22 years of teaching 8th grade, I felt right at home bossing around the big guys and gals with a smile on my face.
So there I was, minding my own business when I sensed the Lord command me, “Be on the alert!” I looked around, saw nothing out of the ordinary, and went into quiet prayer/probe mode—my habit when it seems as if the Lord wants to give me specific direction. After a short time I knew He wasn’t indicating any immediate danger; He was letting me know that real trouble was brewing for the near future in various places and was about to spill over. I was not to allow my spirit to cruise on “sleep mode”; He was requiring me to enter a more alert, focused, “antenna up” prayer mode.
I remembered this when I heard of the Orlando nightclub attack this morning. My gut feeling is this: Many places—whether gay bars, churches, synagogues, shopping areas, sports venues, concerts—whatever—are being scoped for targeting. I’m certain that is what I was sensing from God.
What do we do? If you, like me, are a believer, don’t allow yourself to go into “sleep mode” spiritually. Let the Holy Spirit lead you—or restrain you—as you go about your daily life. Might He direct you to cancel fun plans? Yes, if He knows something up the road could place you in danger. Is it possible that He would lead you to pray for someone or something for which you have no affinity? Yes. Perhaps you are the one He will prompt to pray—and another gruesome attack just might get thwarted. Be yourself, live your life, but keep your spirit primed and ready to hear from God so you can pray or change direction at a moment’s notice.
If you don’t view yourself as a Christian—whether you’re not entirely sure about God or you’re fairly convinced He doesn’t exist; whether you hope He’s real or just don’t want to be bothered, do this for me, anyway—as a friend. If you ever get a “funny feeling” about something—perhaps an event or a place, a setting or a person—and you feel sort of uneasy, then back off. Change plans. If you must continue on that pre-arranged path, at least be on the alert. I want you to live out your life and do your thing as only you can do it.
As you probably suspect, I’m praying for you. I believe that no matter who you are, what your worldview may be, or where your life has taken you, you are loved by God, He sent Jesus specifically for you, and He has a plan for your life. For that full plan to take place, you’ve got to be alive—hence, this warning:
Be on the alert.
Dorothy
Read MoreIn the face of disaster
…Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them. 1 Samuel 23:26b
It didn’t look good; in fact, it was going from bad to worse. David, through no fault of his own, had riled the head of the government. He was being targeted for termination. The reason? Jealousy, pure and simple.
David had gotten some “breaks”; he’d made a lucky shot that brought down a giant; and now the entire nation was drawing to him. David’s new “privileged” status infuriated the king. David must die. Soon.
Several attempts to snare the man hadn’t succeeded. Even the king’s own son favored David and gave him a head’s up on the king’s latest scheme to do him in. David packed his bag and went into hiding, from wilderness to wilderness.
While bugging out in the hills of Ziph, the inhabitants ratted him out to the king. He escaped to the wilderness of Maon; the king found out; and soon David and his men were surrounded by government assassins. It didn’t look good.
In the middle of this mess, David turned to God. Psalm 54 was conceived in that tight place.
“Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your power. Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me and violent men have sought my life; they have not set God before them” (verses 1-3).
David went to the Source; he didn’t embellish his need; he stated his case plainly.
“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. He will recompense the evil to my foes; destroy them [silence them] in Your faithfulness” (verses 4-5).
Instead of withering in fear, David proclaimed the Lord as his helper and sustainer. Instead of obsessing over the evil done against him, he looked in faith to the One who would silence those who were seeking to silence him.
“Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all trouble, and my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies” (verses 6-7).
David, surrounded by those who sought his death, stood firm on the unseen Bedrock he had grown to trust. In the face of certain doom, David proclaimed that his hope and future was in God: I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord.
He defiantly declared his end before it happened. He has delivered me from all trouble, and my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies. He chose to see salvation rather than defeat. I believe he would have uttered those words with his last breath, if need be.
First Samuel 24:26 sets the scene for this Psalm: …Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.
And then, a seemingly unconnected interruption: But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape (verses 27-28).
David was delivered—not by a mighty sign or wonder; not by the power of his own bow or sling; not even by a spirit of confusion sent upon his enemies—David was delivered by a distraction!
- The king sought to kill David
- David hid
- David was ratted out
- David was surrounded
- David prayed
- David was delivered.
Whatever you are facing, remember that nothing—not jealousy, nor hatred, nor even governmental might—can squelch or defeat the one who fixes his faith on the living God.
Dorothy
This is the victory that has overcome the world: even our faith. 1 John 5:4b
Read MoreSkim away the dross
Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith. Proverbs 25:4
I was reading Proverbs 25 recently and paused on verse 4: “Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith.” I asked the Lord to remove any dross that might be present in my life…and then I got nervous for a couple of reasons.
First, dross is made up of impurities —non-silver particles that mar the value of silver. In my life, dross is anything I’m involved with or putting up with that’s not pleasing to the Lord—and I realized that I may have more dross tucked away than I bargained for! Was I really prepared for all the minor—and major—overhauls this dross-removal prayer may have initiated?
Second, the way in which those impurities are removed from silver is to super-heat the metal until it is molten hot. Only then can the dross be skimmed off the top. Did I really want to undergo the fiery crucible indicated by this verse to remove soulish impurities from my life?
I read further in the Proverb as I pondered this, and I noticed several instructions and warnings. And it dawned on me—many of these were dross-removing instructions! If I followed them, the dross would skim right off. And as for the warnings—they were perfect dross-identifiers. I didn’t need to undergo fiery trials to remove the dross from my life—I merely needed to heed the Word.
I found the warnings—dross-identifiers—extremely helpful and eye-opening. Here are some:
Do not reveal the secret of another (vs. 9). Don’t open the door to trouble by telling someone’s secret to others. If you are a secret-blabber, you need to get busy with dross-skimming.
Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely (vs. 14). If you try to build yourself up in the eyes of others by stretching the truth about your gifts, talents, abilities, or accomplishments, you have some dross to get rid of.
Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor (vs. 18). If you lie about someone…or stretch the truth to make them look worse than they are, you’ve got dross. You can’t be a pure vessel until it’s dealt with. This means you need to repent of it and ask for forgiveness from God. In turn, He will likely tell you to apologize to the one you lied to AND the one you lied about.
Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble (vs. 19). Follow through with your commitments to others…including those who have no ability to enhance your resume. When you are untrustworthy or unfaithful to your word, you have some undealt with dross marring the purity of your integrity.
Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda is he who sings songs to a troubled heart (vs. 20). As well-intended as your cheery songs may be, someone who is going through difficulties may view your upbeat treatment as a curse rather than a blessing. “Well, I just don’t want them to go around in the dumps,” you may say; but if you’re not sensitive to the Holy Spirit in the situation, you may find that your “ministry” is more self-serving than it is other-serving. If others tend to wince at your upbeat input when they are going through troubles, make sure that what you’re offering isn’t just a bit of dross you’ve pulled out as a bandage so you don’t have to deal more directly with their pain. This isn’t an easy impurity to identify in ourselves, but it’s certainly a hindrance to Christ-directed ministry.
Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked (vs. 26). One type of impurity comes in the form of the fear of man. When you and I give way before the wicked—when we recognize wicked actions or attitudes overtaking boundaries set by God and do or say nothing about it—we have become like a trampled spring and a polluted well. How can we offer the pure water of life when we yield to the standards of wickedness set up to bring those we want to help into bondage? Are we willing to take a stand when it is unpopular to do so? Lord, help us.
It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory (vs. 27). When you search out your own glory, you tend to turn conversations back to yourself, your accomplishments, your blessings, and how God’s used you. Another verse takes it further: Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips (Proverbs 27:2). If you find yourself turning every get together into a showcase of how great (wise, spiritual, insightful, gifted, giving, ad nauseam) you are, chances are good that you’ve got some dross-skimming to do.
Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his own spirit (vs. 28). We all get annoyed at times. We all feel disappointed every now and then. Many of us have gone through a season or two in our lives when nothing goes right and storm clouds seem to hang over our souls. But if we lose utter control in the face of these things, we become like a city without protective walls. The good news is this: Even our own bad responses to trials can be treated as dross to be skimmed off and thrown away. Here’s how: Through all the messes, aggravations, disappointments, rejections and dashed dreams, you know there is an anchor. You know there is a Rock. You know there is a tower to which you can run and be safe. And knowing this—focusing on this—will bring stability to you when annoyances, disappointments, rejection, loss, or dashed dreams loom large. When your life seems to be going nowhere fast—or utterly falling apart—and you feel like you’re about to lose control, prepare to skim that dross by just saying to God, “I have no idea how You’ll fix this, but I know You are my anchor and my rock. I choose to run to You instead of losing control of my behavior or my mind right now. In You I find safety, relief, and comfort.” As you fix your attention on His ability and loving care, stability will start guarding your heart and will direct you in the way of peace.
The take away is clear: You don’t have to go through a gut-wrenching trial to remove the dross from the silver. All that’s required is for you to allow God to teach you from His Word, granting Him permission to meddle in your life, attitudes, and behaviors. He’ll show you the dross if you’re willing to see it, and He’ll lead you in the simplicity of skimming it off, once and for all.
If you wait for the fiery trials of life before you deal with issues, you are not only short-changing your growth, but you are also a fiery trial waiting to happen! Skim the impurities away now—as you become aware of them—and you will find you’ve become a vessel for the smith!
Dorothy
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21
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