Insert happy face here.

Sometimes you don't know how meaningful an item is to you until you lose it, or break it. Like the thing I broke the other day. I don't even want to say what it is, it's so trivial, but when I broke it, my day suddenly became sad (insert sad face here). And the annoying thing is that it happened in the middle of a time that I had set aside to seek God, and then I got distracted by this thing – the thing that I broke (insert sad face here). Even the next day, I sat down to spend time with God again, and I noticed the broken item (because I still had it) and it made me feel sad again (insert another sad face here). And that got me thinking...

How important is this thing to me? And for that matter, how important is any other thing to me? When I felt the pang of sadness the second day, I knew I had to deal with it once and for all, and I began praising God for the many things that really matter, like knowing Him, and for all the benefits of knowing Him, such as what David lists in Psalm 103. I also made sure that I told God how low I wanted this broken item to be on my List-of-Things-I-Value. In other words it shouldn't matter that it has a small crack in it. There are more important things to dwell on!

Then it occurred to me that I had recently seen an online list of books on a specific subject that had been rated from best to, well... not best. There were three sections to the list. First, it had the books that had been deemed worthy of a numerical rating. Then it carried on with books that were worth including but hadn't seemed good enough for a numerical rating. And then it mentioned books that weren't officially included in the list but were noted at the bottom. And, of course, there must be other books on this subject that weren't even mentioned (Sorry; thanks for playing!). If I had such a list of all the best things in my life, I'm afraid the item that I broke the other day wouldn't make the list! Not even a note about it at the bottom. And yet breaking it made me sad for two days. How shallow is that?!

Then today as I was reading Psalm 137 in my Bible, I came across this phrase: "May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth [in song] if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy!" (Psalm 137:6). Craig Boyles writes, "We must not misunderstand this passionate attachment to Jerusalem as a mere reflection of cultural identity or nostalgia. In the context of the Songs of Zion, Jerusalem had been where Israel met with God." Jerusalem stood for covenant with God, the presence of God, the place to worship God; it represented God's dwelling place, His kingship, His atonement, His forgiveness – and every "benefit" David encouraged God's people to remember (see Psalm 103:2ff)! And yet as I had gathered myself to enjoy my King in my own place of worship, some petty item that hadn't even made my list of things I value in life threatened to make me sad. In other words, it tried to make itself "my chief joy" so as to compete with my joy of meeting with Jesus.

And how often does that happen? Probably more often than we'd like. How often do we allow less important things – things that may seem super important at the time, and may have even caught us by surprise – crowd our hearts, seeking to make themselves so important that they distract us from our time with God and diminish our joy in Him? Such things are not meant to become our "chief joys" placed high on the list of things we value. The top of such a list should be reserved only for such things that can never be broken and never be taken away from us: the love of God, the faithfulness of God, the promises of God, and so much more! 

So if that ever happens to you – if something of little or lesser importance ends up robbing you of time with the God you love and of the joy He wants to give you – do something about it! Forbid it from becoming a "chief joy" by putting it where it belongs on (or off) your List-of-Things-You-Value, remind your soul that God is your highest joy, and ask God to insert a happy face where the joy of the Lord belongs in your heart! He'll do it. He promises.

"You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever!"

Psalm 16:11

© 2016 by Ken Peters

Reflections on a photo

After taking the above photo of a highway near my house and workplace, my friend Andrew invited me to write a poem about it. The thought had never occurred to me, but I thought I'd give it a try. As I pondered where to begin, I began to see things in the photo that the Lord had been speaking to me about for many months - perhaps years. The title is based on a quote from a movie in which the title character suddenly says, "I've come to the end of myself." What a great place that is to find oneself, for only there will we find true fullness in Jesus!

The end of myself

I’m done, he breathed

As he raced on and on

Unsure why,

Unsure where,

Comforted only

By the familiarity

Of a repeated path,

A repeated task,

That left his mark

Upon a familiar plain.

I’m done, he sighed

As he pressed on and on

Looking up,

Looking beyond

The lights too low,

Seeming stars that only

Imitated the One

He longed to see

And touch amidst

The unfamiliar void.

I’m done, he rejoiced

As he followed on and on

Sensing Him,

Sensing Life

In the One who

Shines so brightly,

Brighter than all

Competing lights,

Who says, “It is finished!”

As He looks upon our hearts.

© 2016 by Ken Peters

What about the others?!

I'm fascinated by the story of Jesus visiting the pool of Bethesda in John, chapter 5. That's why I wrote a post a couple days ago in which I sought to dramatize the scene, followed by some liberties I took at the end. The reason I took those liberties was to draw attention to the intriguing fact that Jesus appeared to heal just one individual amidst a "multitude" of others who were all in desperate need (v.3), leaving the rest of them untouched and unhealed, somewhat like the way He chooses to save each of us amidst so many others around us who still need saving.

This leaves me with the same question every time I read this story: Why? Why didn't Jesus heal any others there that day? Why heal only one man, and then "withdraw" from the multitude that was there (v.13)? After all, Bethesda does mean "House of Mercy." That just doesn't sound like the Jesus I know. This is the same Jesus who when He tried to withdraw to a secluded place to grieve the loss of John the Baptist, and was followed by a multitude of over 5,000 people, Matthew writes that Jesus "felt compassion for them and healed their sick" – and then He fed them! (Matthew 14:13-14) So why withdraw from a multitude of desperately sick people at the pool called Bethesda after healing only one person?

Well, the answer to that question may point directly to the cross on which Jesus would provide a way of salvation for the healing of the entire human race! Is it possible that Jesus' purpose in healing that one man that day was to set in motion His redemptive plan for the multitude that fills an entire planet?

There's more to this story than the extraordinary healing of a man who had been lame for 38 years (v.5). I'm sure that Jesus knew as He approached the pool that He would find a great many sick people there, and I'm also sure that Jesus knew that He was visiting the pool on the Sabbath day. John points this out to his readers immediately after writing that the newly healed man did as Jesus instructed him to do and picked up his bed and walked. He then wrote, "And that day was the Sabbath" (v.9). Boom! Cue the foreboding music. This was the first time Jesus had openly violated the Sabbath in Jerusalem.

John then immediately explains that some of Jerusalem's Jewish leaders noticed the man carrying his bed on the Sabbath, something expressly forbidden by the 39^th of 39 work-categories in the Mishnah, which was the written interpretation of the Mosaic Law. 

So the Jewish leaders who saw the man said to him, "'It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.' He answered them, 'He who made me well said to me, "Take up your bed and walk."' Then they asked him, 'Who is the Man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk"?'" (vv.10-12). He didn't know, because Jesus had withdrawn. In other words, Jesus didn't go to the pool to heal the many sick who were there, as He would do just before feeding the 5,000, but to heal just one man, and to thereby get the attention of the Jewish authorities.

The Jewish reaction was swift and extreme. Once the Jews found out it had been Jesus, John writes: "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath." (v.16)

This happened very early in Jesus' ministry. Most place it in the early part of his first year of ministry, and already the Jews in Jerusalem wanted to kill Him. This would not have taken Jesus by surprise. I believe this was a calculated act, in obedience to His Father. It was a miracle designed to get the attention of the Jewish leaders who would eventually be instrumental in God's redemptive plan: they would be key players in ensuring that Jesus was crucified.

And in light of the strategic nature of this particular miracle, I think it's worth noting a few things about the man who was healed. He never asked Jesus to heal him, nor did he even directly answer Jesus (yes or no) when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed. And then he sought to save his own skin among the Jewish leaders by being the one to eventually report Jesus to them once he realized it was Jesus who had healed him and had told him to break the so-called Sabbath rules (and he was only able to report Jesus because Jesus intentionally revealed Himself to him again and urged him to "sin no more" (v.14-15)). This was not a grateful man. He was a self-preserving man at Jesus' expense, which suited Jesus's purposes just fine, for Jesus wanted to upset the Jewish leaders.

So what are we to think of all this? I believe Jesus saw His own death in the healing of this ungrateful sinner (a man not unlike ourselves, lest we be too hard on him). And I believe Jesus healed this man primarily to begin the process that would result in His death for the salvation of a desperately needy world. Jesus had the world in mind at that House of Mercy, not just the people present.

If we continue reading John 5 and see the many things that Jesus said in response to the Jewish leaders' persecution of Him, we would see how Jesus emphasized His unity and oneness with God the Father and with all the Father's eternal purposes. These purposes surely included His plan of salvation, and perhaps that is what Jesus had in mind when He said that the Father "will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel" (v.20). 

So to return to my original question of what about all those other poor hurting people at the pool called Bethesda – why couldn't they be healed? The answer is that Jesus certainly had them in mind when He healed one man among them so as to set in motion a plan that would take Him to the cross for them all. When Jesus appears to be ignoring our needs, we can be certain that He hasn't forgotten us – He's simply after a higher purpose in our lives!  And Jesus would also want us to know that if He could choose one ungrateful man to be healed as He pursued God's overall plan, we can be sure that we will not be disqualified by our own selfish sinfulness as we look to Him who saves and heals us from all our sins.

© 2016 by Ken Peters

Do you want to be healed?

Imagine that you're wandering through Jerusalem in the days when Jesus walked the earth, and you come upon an unusual scene. But before you see it, you hear it, and then you can smell it. Nothing can prepare you for this, though for the local people, it's an uncomfortable reality that they're well acquainted with.

You first hear the sound as you approach a row of columns that are parallel to the road you're walking down, but you can't yet see what's on the other side of them. At first you're not sure you heard right, as you can barely make sense of it amidst the competing sounds of the city: a chorus of baa'ing from the nearby sheep market, the haggling among the many sellers nearby, a donkey braying in the distance, a group of men arguing heatedly over some land title over by the Sheep Gate. But as you get closer, the sound becomes more recognizable. It's the sound of moaning; moans mingled with occasional cries that sound like prayers of painful desperation. In fact, it sounds as though many people must be in pain. Curiosity draws you closer until you notice the smell. You wonder what it could be as your senses are assaulted by the awful stench of infection mixed with body odour in the stifling heat. You've now walked close enough to begin seeing between the columns, and as you draw closer, an unforgettable scene opens up before you. On the other side of the columns, you see what appears to be a multitude of beggars in ragged clothes lying on several sizable porches – no, there are five porches, each with a roof overhead, all of them surrounding a pool of water, and each one crowded with sickly, crippled and even paralyzed people! Some are blind, many clearly can't walk, and others have bloodstained bandages that barely cover their broken limbs. Your eyes fill with tears as you wonder who all these people are, and why there are so many of them lingering here by these waters.

The place you have discovered is Bethesda (John 5:2-4), which in the local language of Aramaic means, "House of Mercy." But considering the scene before you, it would be fair for you to wonder why this horrible place of pain would be referred to as a place of mercy. According to local lore, it is said that in certain seasons, an angel of the Lord visits this pool and stirs the waters, and then whoever first steps into the water after the angel has stirred it will be made well from whatever ails him or her. That sounds like mercy. But considering the multitude of suffering people who wait for this precious moment, the sense of desperation and impending disappointment is palpable in this place.

As you gaze over this morbid scene, covering your mouth and nose with your hand and listening to the groans that are now unmistakable, your heart is overcome with sorrow and with hopelessness. But then suddenly you see movement nearby – about a dozen men are approaching the multitude just a few columns away. And then one of the men in that group crouches down to talk to a man on a mat, and you can just make out their brief conversation.

The man crouching down puts his hand gently on the lame man's forehead as He softly asks him, "Are you here because you want to be healed?"

The invalid replies, "Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." (John 5:7)

And then suddenly, and without warning, the man crouching beside this sad, defeated man says, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!" (John 5:8)

You're taken aback at this, and the initial expression of shock you see on that poor crippled man's face reflects your own reaction to this unexpected demand! What could this man be thinking in being so bold?! By the way that crippled man's bony legs look, he hasn't walked in years – even decades! But then as you watch the man on the mat stare into the gentle eyes of this unusual stranger, he begins to stir. A smile begins to spread across the stranger's face as He extends His hands and begins to stand from His crouching position. You watch in awe as the crippled man takes His hands and struggles to kneel. As he does so, you do a double-take as you see his legs thickening with muscles that appear to be forming before your very eyes! Soon the man is tentatively standing, grinning from ear to ear, but unsure where to look! First at this stranger's beaming face, then at his newly strengthened legs, and then back at the joyful face of this man who has done the impossible! Soon the newly healed man is comfortable enough to stoop down and pick up his mat, and with a cheer, excitedly set off, likely for home, you suppose.

One man's life, among a multitude of others, unexpectedly chosen and forever changed. You're left open-mouthed, still staring at the amazing man who worked that great miracle, and suddenly he looks your way and catches your eye with a smile on His face. "Do you want to be healed?" He asks. 

And your heart leaps with a great yes! You imagine what it would mean to be well from all that ails you – not only from an illness that's lingered far too long now, but also from the sin that so easily besets you, the ruts you can't get out of, the weaknesses you've been unable to overcome! Perhaps this House of Mercy is actually a place where we all belong, a place that reflects the realities in all our souls, a place where we can meet this wonderful man who stands before you now, looking gently into your eyes and asking with the conviction of One who can save you, "Do you want to be healed?"

© 2016 by Ken Peters

That look...

Have you ever gotten that look? You know, that look from someone close to you – whether it be a spouse or a boss or a parent or a teacher – after you've just done something really bad? I mean, you really blew it, and then they turn and look at you with a disappointed or even an angry expression – or worse, that resigned "I knew it" look in their eyes as they shake their head at you. Have you ever gotten that look? I have, and I've even wondered at times if God ever gives me that look too.

So how then shall we interpret the look that the Lord gave Peter in Luke, chapter 22? Peter had just blown it big-time! He had denied Jesus three times, finally deceitfully exclaiming that he doesn't know what people are talking about (Luke 22:60a) and even going so far as to curse and swear to make his point (Matthew 26:74). Then Luke writes, "Immediately, while he [Peter] was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:60b-62).

Somehow, Jesus was able to see Peter, and it sounds likely that their eyes met for at least a brief moment before Peter rushed away in tears. What was the expression in Jesus' eyes? Was it "that look" we've received from others in our lives?  I don't think so.

I think we can be reasonably certain that the look in Jesus's eyes wouldn't have been a harsh or condemning look, because the night before, not only did Jesus tell Peter it was going to happen (Luke 22:34), but He even sought to encourage Peter about it (Luke 22:31-32). He said, ³¹"Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. ³²But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." It's worth noting that the Greek word "you" in verse 31 is plural, but singular in verse 32. In other words, Satan wanted to cause trouble to all of Jesus' disciples, but Jesus singled out Peter (who was also named Simon) as the one He wanted to use to encourage and rally the others.

So even though Jesus knew Peter would fail Him, He still had high expectations for him. That's why I don't believe Jesus looked at Peter with surprise or even with disappointment or anger. I believe He looked at Peter with a loving and imploring gaze, probably even with a prayer in His heart for Peter, confident that he was going to repent and return to Him a new, and humbled, man.

I also think that Jesus looks at us the same way when we blow it. That's how big His love is for each of us. He knows we're going to make mistakes – sometimes big mistakes. And even though Jesus knows that Satan wants to mess with us, He doesn't necessarily pray that Satan will leave us alone. He prays instead, just as He did for Peter, that our faith won't fail. For even though sin and Satan will cause us to stumble, Jesus is certain that the plans and purposes He has for each of us – good works prepared long ago for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10) – are still going to be fulfilled for all who turn back to Him in humility. 

So when you blow it, don't put your head down to avoid Jesus' gaze. Look up, and look for the expression in His eyes – for that loving look that will lead us to brokenhearted repentance and restoration. You will see His face as you read and study the Bible, God's Word, for Jesus is the Word of God in bodily form (John 1:14). And the look you discover in His Word will be one of love and understanding and encouragement to return to Him, confident that as you do, there will be a place for you in His heart and in His plans!

© 2016 by Ken Peters

You really only need these two things...

Two things. That's it. That's all you need – it's all you'll ever need. I've grown fond of repeating these two things to my soul whenever I feel a dip in the road, because whenever I'm frustrated or discouraged or frightened, these two things lift me up.

They're both found in an oft-quoted Bible verse I memorized many years ago:
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

The two things are actually one thing: faith in God, that faith being an assurance of the things we hope for and a conviction of things promised that we can't always see with our physical eyes (Hebrews 11:1). But Hebrews 11:6 describes biblical faith in two parts: (1) confidence in God being who He says He is, and (2) confidence in all God's promises being available for those who seek Him. That's all you need when the chips are down and you're not sure how things are going to turn out.

So when you feel like you're struggling keep a good perspective, go ahead and ask yourself, 

"Is God still who He says He is?" (The answer is always yes.) 

And then also ask, 

"Are all God's promises still true?" (The answer to that is also always yes!) 

That is the kind of faith that pleases God – the kind that remembers God accurately and lifts our gaze to be encouraged by His promises.

That means it's vital for us to keep a lookout for who God is as we read the Bible and to remember what we've read so that we can look back to it in times of trouble. God's Word tells us all about who God is! Remember these things when you ask yourself if God is still who He says He is...

1. God is holy (Psalm 99:3; Rev. 4:8)
2. God is good (Psalm 25:8; James 1:17)
3. God is loving (Psalm 13:5; John 3:16)
4. God is faithful (Psalm 89:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
5. God is merciful (Psalm 103:8; Ephesians 2:4)
6. God is powerful (Psalm 29:4; Ephesians 6:10)
7. God is wise (Psalm 104:24; Romans 11:33)
8. God is just (Psalm 37:28; 1 John 1:9)
9. God is ever-present (Psalm 139:7-10; Matthew 28:20)
10. God is all-knowing (Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20)

...and so much more!

And we also need to remember the promises of God as we read the Bible so that as we ask our soul if all God's promises are still true, we know what promises this applies to. This isn't complicated stuff! It's just a matter of remembering what we read so that we can remind ourselves in times of need. What has God promised to those who seek Him (which we can only do through Jesus (John 14:6))?

1. That we can personally know God (1 John 5:20)
2. That we can be filled with and empowered by His Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17)
3. Forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
4. Abundant life (John 10:10
5. Eternal life (1 John 2:25)
6. God's abiding presence (Hebrews 13:5)
7. God's peace (Philippians 4:7)
8. God's joy (Romans 15:13)
9. God having a purpose for our life (Ephesians 2:10)
10. Answers to our prayers (John 16:24)

...and so much more!

So remember! When life is tough, these are the two things you need in your holsters: To believe that God is exactly who He says He is in His Word! And to believe that every promise He's ever made is true and available when we are following Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20)!

© 2016 by Ken Peters

Marveling at Marvelous

How often do we marvel – I mean truly marvel with wonder and astonishment at something? Because as I recently began reading Luke's Gospel, I noticed a whole lot of marveling going on! And that got me wondering about how often I marvel at things, and about what makes me marvel. Northern lights can do it, or even some sunsets. But even with such examples in mind, I don't find myself actually marveling very much. 

It feels important though, because if marveling is a part of the Gospel story, then I want it to be part of my story too as I embrace the Gospel. And yet I feel sort of dulled to the feelings of wonder and astonishment that are mentioned in the definition of marveling. Is it all the special effects in the many movies I've seen, or is it the never-ending electronic gadgets that keep coming out designed to impress me enough to buy them? The other day, I heard about a space craft heading for Mars and basically shrugged. Big deal. Mars is old news. How does one find more to marvel at?

We certainly get excited about some things. For example, some people get pretty pumped about the newest Marvel movie, and then when they see it, they're often even more excited. Are we marveling at Marvel movies? Perhaps some of the excitement about those movies includes wonder and astonishment, but those movies don't touch us as deeply as the story Luke was writing about. They're not life-changing or life-giving.

The marveling of the Gospel story began long before Jesus even grew up and began His ministry. Luke uses the word four times at the beginning of his book and surely could have used it many more times! (Bible translators use various words for the original Greek word thaumazo, but I'm presently using NKJV, which prefers the English word "marvel.") One of the early mentions of marveling is in Luke 2:18 after the shepherds told the crowds in Bethlehem what the angels had told them and what they had found in a stable. "And all those who heard it marveled at those things that were told them by the shepherds." Reports of a sky full of angels and a mention of a Saviour was easily enough to cause wonder and astonishment!

The marveling only increases throughout Luke's Gospel as Jesus began His ministry and taught the Scriptures with an authority people had never heard before and as He performed miracles greater than what anyone had ever witnessed in all of Israel's history! And after reading through the all the instances in which the word marveling is used, I'm left asking myself: How much does Jesus cause me to truly marvel? How often do I find myself reflecting in wide-eyed wonder at what Jesus is up to in my life or in this world?

I want there to be more Gospel-marveling in my heart! As I embrace Jesus and the good news of the Gospel, may I marvel more with wonder and astonishment at how amazing God is! Perhaps this is a way we can be more like children – consistently expressing wide-eyed wonder at God. So ask yourself: What has Jesus done recently that has astonished you? How has He filled your heart with wonder by how He has shown Himself to you? Because Jesus would love to see us continually marveling at Him and giving thanks to Him as He daily and lovingly reveals Himself to us!

© 2016 by Ken Peters

The Grace of God's Guidance

I'd like to do a one-question survey to see how people would respond to what is likely a little-read passage in the Old Testament book of Numbers. I'd ask, What's your first impression when you hear the phrases "at the command of the Lord" and "kept the charge of the Lord" and "according to the command of the Lord" repeated nine times in six brief Bible verses?

Christians sometimes tend to view commandments in the Old Testament with a bit of a sideways squint as though we're nervous of getting caught up in legalism. We don't like defining our spiritual lives with do's and don'ts. We like to focus on grace and on freedom in the Spirit. Too many repetitions of "at the command of the Lord" can feel like Old Testament living according to old covenant laws.

But why does there need to be a distinction between "the command of the Lord" and the grace of God? Could God's commands actually be an expression of His grace? 

When I most recently read Numbers 9:18-23 where the phrases above are repeated nine times, I was struck at how the great grace of God shone forth! Go ahead and look it up and see how those six verses impact you. Or check out how it feels to read all nine phrases quickly in succession...

v.18 - "at the command of the Lord"
v.18 - "at the command of the Lord"
v.19 - "kept the charge of the Lord"
v.20 - "according to the command of the Lord"
v.20 - "according to the command of the Lord"
v. 23 - "at the command of the Lord"
v. 23 - "at the command of the Lord"
v.23 - "kept the charge of the Lord"
v.23 - "at the command of the Lord"

As I was pummeled by these phrases one after the other, I thought, isn't it great that God directs and leads His people in such clear ways! How wonderful that He condescends to give His people such clear instructions so that they'll know how to remain close to Him!

Jesus understood this. He saw God's commandments as a confirmation of our relationship with Him and a means of assuring ourselves that He loves us. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 15:15) and "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." (John 16:10). 

To obey God's commands indicates that we value His guidance and trust Him as our Leader, and our obedience to His commands is an indication that we want to stay close to Him. That's why the repetition of all those phrases in Numbers 9 should lift our spirits! Every instance of those phrases is a reminder that God wants to reveal Himself and what His will is, and wants us to walk with Him and Him with us!

This should take the heaviness out of God's commandments because it means that God is not interested in obedience for obedience's sake, but for relationship's sake. He never intended for His commandments to be a burden. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3). John went on to write that God's commands are not heavy because He has given us victory over the world's resistance to God's will through faith in the One who walks so closely with us in this world (1 John 5:4-5).

So what does all this mean? It means that the way to draw near to God is to walk in His will and His ways, and that requires moment by moment attentiveness to Him.

We may find this quite natural when facing big decisions, but it can also be appropriate when approaching smaller everyday decisions like whether or not to see a certain movie or to make a sudden purchase or to address a certain issue with someone. Why not seek God's counsel? His answers may sometimes be both immediate and obvious, but sometimes He may surprise us, as I think we are sometimes too quick in assuming we know God's thoughts – or don't need God's thoughts – regarding some decisions we face. The point is, we want to obey God, and sometimes we take for granted that we know what His will may be.

So when you're wondering what to do in a particular situation, or you're facing a decision for which you want to know God's will – that is, His command, if He is Lord of your life – have TALKS with the Lord...

T - Thank God that He cares about you and the details of your life, and the details you're bringing to Him.
A - Ask God for direction when facing big decisions (eg- Lord, do you want to me take that job offer?), as well as for some of the fairly ordinary decisions you face (eg- Lord, do You want me to buy this new coat?). 
L - Listen carefully as you wait for God to answer. He may answer through Scripture, a circumstance, another person, an impression you have, or in various other ways. For big decisions, it's always wise to seek confirmation from someone you respect.
K - Keep God's command! Once you hear from the Lord, it's important to obey Him if you want to maintain a close walk with God. 
S - Seek God's Strength. Ask the Lord to help you so that you can obey His commands according to His grace rather than trying to obey Him by your own efforts. Because when you rely on God for strength, your walk with Him becomes even closer and He is even more glorified in your life.

© 2016 by Ken Peters

Painting an Invisible God

I want to paint a picture of an invisible God, but unfortunately, I don't know how to paint. I'd want it to be a vibrant painting, full of colour and substance, to display God's stunning character. In fact, I'd want it to portray God the same way King David so wonderfully described Him in Psalm 36...

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O Lord, You preserve man and beast.
Psalm 36:5-6 (NKJV)

I would paint the heavens beyond the clouds so that they were filled with beautiful radiant light to display God's measureless mercy. As you gazed upward, your view would be filled with glorious colours. It would be too much to take in just standing there. You would need to crane your neck back and turn your head from side to side as you spun around gazing at the heavens, and even then your view would be restricted by the horizons all around, which God's abounding mercy would lavishly spill beyond, stretching infinitely in all directions. Oh how I want God's love and mercy to be that enveloping and compelling as I live for Him!

I would want the sky from the earth to the clouds to be its own delightful colour to display God's faithfulness – a special hue as the dew of heaven filled the atmosphere, faithfully falling upon the land. To stand in its midst, you would soon be as wet as a morning meadow in springtime, with innumerable beads of liquid love covering you from head to toe. The sky beneath the clouds would practically sparkle as the moisture in the air gently descended. That is the atmosphere I want to live and move in so that I'm forever saturated in God's great faithfulness!

And there would be mountains. Strong, awe-inspiring, immovable mountains of God's righteousness, so high there'd be clouds amidst their lofty peaks, looking as though they had stood there forever and would forever remain. It would be a mighty mountain range that would leave you feeling small, but a part of something vast and amazing. You would know that the pinnacles of those mountains were far too high to conquer, but that with help, you could explore the beautiful and ever-rising slopes. I'm so grateful Father that You clothe Your children in the righteousness of Jesus, but also that Your majestic holiness will forever be beyond compare!

A great sea would also be a part of the painting, with powerful waves on the surface of deep waters – deeper than anyone could ever explore. There would be great mystery in those depths, unknown plans and untraceable judgments. Staring into those clean, clear waters, one would find some clarity near the surface, but the deeper waters would be impenetrable, reflecting no light and giving no answers. It's such an encouragement that the mercy and faithfulness of God are visible above that daunting sea, but I would want those waters to be no other way, for God's thoughts are far beyond ours, and His wisdom is so much greater than the wisdom of man. 

David goes on further with his imagery in verses 7-9 speaking of a river and a fountain and of God's house in the midst of it all. That's the wonder of all this: this awesome God wants to be very near to us. He wants to make His dwelling place right in our hearts so that we can enjoy Him in His awesome splendour every day on this earth. 

That's why the painting I described above would never be something to put on display, but rather, it's meant to be an illustration of something to be lived! I don't feel fully acquainted with every vista I've just described, but I want to grow increasingly so as I follow the God who lives in my heart and whom David portrayed so poetically.

© 2016 by Ken Peters

Just sittin' here, enjoying the Lord!

I've been off work for nearly 50 days now, and at times, it has felt like a prison sentence. You'd think I'd enjoy such a long break! That just hasn't always been realistic while dealing with the symptoms of the pneumonia and the endocarditis I was diagnosed with. But even as the meds I'm on have helped to improve how I feel, I've still felt frustrated that I can't be working right now. 

On my eleventh day in the hospital in early February, I texted the following to a friend: "Day 11. Still no word on my sentence. A little mouse has begun to visit. I am glad to share my meager portions with him. I think I may have found a way out of here. My plastic spoon is able to remove the rotting wood from beneath the broken sink. But it may take weeks. I will not give up."

I'm home now, and recently as I was shuffling around the house, the Lord suddenly spoke to me amidst my struggles with being off work for so long. What He said was quite simple: I want you to enjoy Me.

I'd been focused on working. The Lord was focused on our relationship. And He wanted me to enjoy our relationship. Amidst my discontent, it was that emphasis on enjoyment that got my attention. Then later that morning, I turned to Psalm 31 as part of my Bible-reading schedule, and it didn't take long for the Lord to reinforce His message to me. King David wrote, "I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul" (Psalm 31:7). Amidst his troubles (afflictions that the Lord knew all about, but hadn't prevented from happening to David, even though God loved David dearly), David chose to rejoice and be glad in God! That's because David knew all about God's affection for him, regardless of the circumstances. And that awareness is abundantly clear in the declaration David made later in the psalm, and which leapt from the page as I read it: "Oh, how great is Your goodness..." (v.19a)!

The Lord was clearly wanting to send me a message! "Whatever your troubles, whatever your frustrations, whatever your distractions to do with work, I want you to enjoy Me, and My abundant goodness is available to you even now!"

In my weakened state, my work-focused mindset seemed more inclined to declare "Oh, how great is the work I feel I must be doing for You!" What a contrast to Psalm 31! The work I wanted to do clearly wasn't something the Lord felt I needed to be doing, because just as in David's case, He hadn't prevented the afflictions that were now hindering me. It then began to dawn on me that the work I was so eager to do was more important to me than it was to God! I wondered if that was because I thought I needed to be busy working just to please God. It's as though I thought my good deeds were necessary to experience God's goodness. And God was gently turning all that thinking upside down.

"Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!" (v.19). Is my trust in how hard I work or in how much I accomplish? Or is my trust in the great work that Jesus accomplished on the cross so that God's abundant goodness is freely available to me as I make Jesus Lord of my life? 

I know that choosing the latter is much more likely to result in me enjoying the Lord, as He has affectionately invited me to do in this season. And that is exactly what I intend to do!

© 2016 by Ken Peters