Truthworks

“Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.” (Proverbs 13:12, The Message)

A friend in the promotion business says, “Every time someone tells me “NO!” I get happier — because I’m one step closer to that person who will say “YES!”

Some people cannot bear to be told “NO” even once; let alone repeatedly. And then there are others who stop just one person too soon. All they needed was to ask one more time. But they didn’t. Disappointment can do that to you if you let it. Especially if it seems to be unrelenting — one blow after the next.

Years ago I discovered a splendid little poem that has anchored my life in those times when everything seems to be going wrong — times when your hopes are dashed, your dreams have faded, your deepest desires thwarted, and when so many great expectations become inexplicably disappointed. Maybe you will find it helpful, too.

“Disappointment. HIS appointment.
Change one letter, then I see
that the thwarting of my purpose
is God’s better choice for me!”

It is true, as the proverb says, that unrelenting disappointment can leave you heartsick. But the rest of the proverb is also true — “a sudden good break can turn life around.” One doesn’t come without the other.

Draw yet another breath, my fellow traveler; though you have paused alongside the road — you have not stopped. Your journey is not finished. There’s a bend in the road up ahead. And the bend in the road is not the end of the road — unless you fail to make the turn.

Tip your hat respectfully to old man Disappointment, and then be on your way; for God has something better in mind for you. And though you have heard “NO” perhaps a thousand times — you are actually one step closer to a “YES!”

And that single “Yes” can turn your life around!

“Who could ever have told GOD what to do or taught him his business?” (Isaiah 40:13, The Message).

On the first day, God created the dog and said: “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.” The dog said: “That’s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I’ll give you back the other ten?”

So God agreed..

On the second day, God created the monkey and said: “Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I’ll give you a twenty-year life span.” The monkey said: “Monkey tricks for twenty years? That’s a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?”

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said: “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and labor under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer’s family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.” The cow said: “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I’ll give back the other forty?”

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said: “Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I’ll give you twenty years.” But man said: “Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?”

“Okay,” said God, “You asked for it; you got it.”

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we labor in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

The moral of the story is: It’s best to let God do His own work in His own way. He knows what He is doing. When we interject our own ideas into the process, we only mess things up royally!

“In His public ministry Jesus never taught without using parables; but afterward, when He was alone with His disciples, He explained everything to them privately.” (Mark 4:34. New Living Translation)

In any field of endeavor, the surest and best way to attain the highest summit of excellence and achievement is to personally learn from the very best in that field.

To the artist, a prolonged visit with Michelangelo or Da Vinci, privately explaining the use of perspective, shape, color and shade to bring out the true wonder of a work of art would be priceless indeed. To the writer, a private session with the likes of Shakespeare would make all the difference in their world — listening to him explain the art of turning a phrase to capture the heart of his readers. The musician would be well graced to sit in on a private session with Beethoven, Bach, or, if it suits your style, the Beatles. The take-away of such an encounter would be life-defining.

Anytime one gets an opportunity to sit at the feet of a Master, the smart choice will always be to seize the opportunity. And that is what has been provided for us in our relationship with Jesus. But take note of these key points, for they must not be overlooked if you would experience this unique privilege.

First, it happened when they were alone. Sometimes one must break away from the hustle and bustle of the never-to-be-interrupted-quest for more before they will ever be able to fully hear the Lord speak to them.

Second, Jesus expounded all things to them. That’s the word the Old King James uses, and it means “to loose further.” It’s like a package being unwrapped; with each passing moment it becomes more and more apparent, until we openly hold in our hands what had previously been hidden to us.

Finally, like the disciples, we must be teachable. We must be ready to learn more than we suppose we need, and to be taken to places we never knew to go.

The Master is calling you; take a break and get away for some private explanations.

Are you listening?

“While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.” (Matthew 1:20, The Message).

The Bible tells us that Joseph, the Nazarene carpenter engaged to Mary, was a noble man. Chagrined by the shocking discovery that Mary was pregnant, he sought to handle the matter with discretion, so as not to bring shame to Mary, or her family. And while he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.

And that dream changed the world.

While the challenges you may be facing in these tumultuous days may not register on the same historic scale with Joseph’s dilemma, nevertheless it is still true that God often speaks to troubled men in their dreams — showing them what to do.

The Book of Job tells us, “For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword” (Job 33:14-18, NIV).

Ask God to speak to you in a dream. Sometimes it’s the only way He can get through all of our whirling thoughts and emotions, bypassing our natural disposition to debate what He is saying or doing in our waking lives.

Before you close your eyes in sleep tonight, pray the words of Solomon, “I sleep, but my heart is awake, listening for the voice of my Beloved!” (Song 5:2). You just might awake to a new day in the middle of the night!

“And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.” (Matthew 8:23).

It’s simple, really. Matthew tells us that Jesus got into the boat, and His disciples followed Him. Very matter of fact, with not much else needed to be said. But, when we look at the story from the perspective of Mark and Luke — we see it somewhat differently; not so clearly — indeed, a little ambiguous.

Marks puts it this way, “And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship.” (Mark 4:36). And here is what Luke says, “Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with his disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.” (Luke 8:22).

There are subtle differences in these verses, and I can best point them out by telling you of a conversation I had with a friend, Scott, who was struggling in prayer over the topsy-turvy, upside down economic turn that is redefining the lives of so many in our world today. He was reading the account of Jesus and the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee, caught in the midst of a horrific storm beating against their boat. Jesus was asleep in the boat, and the disciples concluded  that the Lord didn’t care if they lived or died.

Scott felt as if the Lord was equally indifferent to him in his own turbulent financial storm. Can you relate to that in your own boat?

But while reading and reflecting upon the story from all three Gospel accounts, one thing in particular struck Scott with great perplexity. Let me explain.

In Matthew’s account of the story, Scott was consoled in knowing that Jesus got into the boat first and then the disciples followed Him. This gave him hope for the financial storm he was facing. ‘After all,’ he reasoned, ‘If the Lord has led me into this, then surely the Lord will certainly see me through it. No worries.’

But then he read Mark’s account, which says that the disciples “took Jesus” with them into the boat. ‘Oh, no,’ Scott thought to himself, ‘is this what I have done?’ Many times we make our plans and rush headlong into our decisions, asking the Lord to bless us — even if it is not His will. Scott wondered if the financial storm effecting his personal holdings was something he brought upon himself, and it could’ve been avoided had he only listened to the Lord first.

Then Scott read the account from the Gospel of Luke, where we find that Jesus “went into a ship with his disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.”

Wait a minute! Matthew says Jesus got in the boat first, and the disciples followed Him. Mark says the disciples took Jesus into the boat with them. And Luke says they went into the boat together. Well, which was it?

Scott was pondering this question when he heard God speak to his heart – “Learn to live with ambiguity.”

Often the Lord is deliberately vague, speaking in riddles and parables, which leave us doubtful of ourselves. The beauty of this dilemma is that it prohibits any measure of self-confidence, and renders us totally dependent upon the Lord — no matter what is happening in and around our lives.

Are you storm-tossed and facing loss? Are you bewildered with uncertainty at the turn of events that have reordered you otherwise well-ordered world? Is your faith being tested, and your doubts exposed? Does it feel to you like the Lord is sleeping in the boat, oblivious to your peril? Are you second-guessing yourself, and thinking maybe you deserve this because you didn’t pray hard enough, go to church more often, tithe better…..etc.

Hold on there Junior. Yes, your boat is in the middle of a storm, but Jesus is in the middle of your boat!

Right now it doesn’t matter if He initiated the process and brought you into it; or if the whole thing was your idea and your drug Him along for support. The fact remains — HE IS WITH YOU NOW! And together you will make it to the other side.

That much is unambiguous! You’ll just have to learn to live with the rest.

And again He said, “Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. (Luke 13:20-22).

Here we have an interesting thing, seen clealy when we put these two verses together. First, Jesus says….and then Jesus does.

Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven is like leaven which spreads throughout the whole of the meal. Then, He Himself goes throughout all the cities and villages teaching about the kingdom ennroute to His ultimate destination – Jerusalem.

The Yeast King is speading the influence of His kingdom.

Once in Jerusalem the unthinkable happened. The King was rejected and executed. And at the moment when a dismal gloom all but deadened the souls of the disciples – the unimaginable happened. The King rose from the dead!

He gathered with His followers and said to them, “The works that I do, you shall do.” And then, before His ascension, He said to them, “You will receive power from on high, and shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

He started in Bethlehem and carried the work and word to Jerusalem; His disciples started at Jeruusalem and have now carried the work and word unto the whole world – such that virtually every living person in the world today is in some way being touched and transformed by this Man’s influence.

How ‘bout you? What message do you carry forward in your life’s mission?

“You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8, English Standard Version).

The New Living Translations says, “My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with Me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” There is an old saying, “Deep calleth unto deep.” It suggests that something deep within us is ever hungering after, and always listening for that Voice that gives us life.

This aptly fits many of us today who remember the beginnings of our journey with Jesus. The move of the Spirit was strong and widespread, the preaching of the Word was without manipulation, and Worship was innocent — unchained from the love of money.

But these days now are rather mediocre in comparison. The presses are filled with over-stated claims of how God is moving here and there, while people are running to and fro to jump in the river. Preaching has all but been stripped of prophetic power, opting instead for power-point presentations that give neat and tidy tips on how to improve just about anything in your life. And, as for worship — send in the clowns! Is this the church, or a club reviewing the latest trends in bands and fashion? Is it possible to be too hip to be holy? Too relevant to be reverent? Too cool to be Christlike?

Deep calls unto deep. We long for a renewal; a return to the days of our first love; a fresh awakening in our fellowship with the Lord. If these longings are present in your heart, then be encouraged — for it is the Lord calling you back!

Back to that place where you delighted in God’s ways and learned how to discern God’s will. Back to that place where you desired God’s Word above all other things, and could always be found doing His work. Back to that place where faith was passionate, and devotions were enlightening. Back to that place where worship was real, and prayer was sweet.

“Sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the Tempter’s snare by thy return — sweet hour of prayer!

“Sweet hour of prayer; the joys I feel, the bliss I share with those whose hungry spirits burn with strong desire for Thy return! With such I hasten to the place where God my Savior shows His face. I gladly take my station there, and wait for thee — sweet hour of prayer.

“Sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear to Him, whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless; and since He bids me seek His face, believe His word, and trust His grace — I’ll cast on Him my every care, and wait for thee: sweet hour of prayer.”

Deep calleth unto deep. The Lord calling you back! And He is even now awaiting your reply.

“I sat down utterly baffled” (Ezra 9:3, Living Bible)

When Ezra learned that the leaders had defaulted to the pagan mindset of the surrounding nations, and had by their example permitted the people to believe and behave in manners that were directly opposed to God’s Word – “he sat down utterly baffled.”

As indeed he should have. For they were in the midst of a historic move of God; a great revival of epic proportions. And now, their indifference to the ways of God threatened the entire thing!

Have you ever been faced with a situation that left you utterly baffled? I have; many times over the course of my life.

In times like these I go to the only source of life and love I know to be sure and unchanging — I go to the Lord. And I seek from Him a word that will enlighten my darkness, and empower me through the difficulty of any situation. And God is faithful — He speaks, and the entrance of His words bring light and hope.

I thought it would be of benefit to you for me to tell you the steps I take when ever I need a word from God.

First, I get quiet. By shutting out all other voices, I can zero in on the one Voice that truly matters.

Then, I get alone. Often the distractions of familiar things can preoccupy my thoughts and prevent me from actually listening for the still, small voice of the Lord.

Next, I open the Bible. It is the Great Lexicon of God’s language, a complete panorama of His astounding Vocabulary. Somewhere in these worn and proven pages there awaits for my searching eye a life-impacting word from the Lord.

Then I open my heart. God speaks to our heart far more clearly than He speaks to our heads. It is not knowledge that I am seeking; it is revelation. And that can only happen when the eyes of my heart are opened.

The next thing: I look and listen as I read. I am in no hurry, and I take in all the sights as I stroll through the passage of Scripture. I pay close attention to every word, pondering both its obvious and deeper meaning; ever waiting for that flash that comes when the Lord turns on the lights.

Then, I write what I see and hear. This is important; for the Lord may indeed have much to say to me, and if I trust all to my feeble memory I will do a great dis-service to my soul.

Afterwards, I reflect upon it. I mull it over and over in my mind; and as I do so, each pass seems to unpack even more insights than I at first had gleaned.

And then I tell it to others. This is one of the great secret of the Kingdom — if you want to keep something that the Lord has given to you, give it away to others! For by doing so you not only bless them with fresh bread from heaven, but you solidify the word in the depths of your own soul as well.

Get quiet and get alone. Open your Bible, and open your heart. Look and listen as you read, and write what you see and hear. Reflect upon it, and tell it to others. That’s it. This process has served me well now for over forty years of following Jesus. I encourage you to try it for yourself, and you will find that it works for you also!

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22, NIV).

In a day when the Economy is tanking and frustrations (as well as fears) are rising, Wealth must be measured by more than one’s bank account. For the value of a man’s life is not in what he possesses — it is seen in the difference he made for the better in the lives of those he touched during his years on the earth.

Many a wealthy man has gone to his grave cursed. Consider the timeless words of Sir Walter Scott –

“High though his titles, proud his name,
boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
despite those titles, power, and pelf –
the wretch, con-centered all in self,
living, shall forfeit fair renown,
and, doubly dying, shall go down
to the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
unwept, unhonored, and unsung.”

Yes, it is possible to become so captured by greed that one’s life ultimately becomes ravaged by sorrow. You do not want this to happen to you.

Listen to what the Bible tells us — “But they that will be rich (i.e., crave riches) fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9,10).

This is the World’s way to wealth. On the other hand — we have God’s way. “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”

Should the Lord pour out His blessings upon your life and your riches increase — then respond by deepening your devotion to His name and expanding your passion for His purposes in the earth. See to it that your life exhibits humility in exaltation, that your generosity is applied with wisdom, your charity exercised in love, and your kindness to those who struggle from day to day becomes legendary.

That’s the true wealth of a devout life. It is what Legends are made of in this world…and in the Next!

“Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Here is how The Message puts it — “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. (Proverbs 3:5-10, The Message).

This passage of scripture gives us the sure and proven way to a life of real significance and security. I encourage you to read this from as many different translations of the Bible you can find. And then to memorize it.

There is much here that is worthy of your full and undivided attention. He tells us to “listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go.”

I assume you are a person who wants to hear God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; to be guided by Him into that which is best, and to be kept by Him from that which is worst. To stay on track when others are spinning out of control. Yes?

And I assume that you want to be healthy and vibrant; to live a full and meaningful life; to wake up in the morning with purpose, and go to sleep at night with satisfaction. Yes?

And I assume that you want to prosper in all things; that whatever you set your hand to do becomes successful and fulfilling? Yes?

Then this scripture is for you! Trust God in all things and at all times. Follow Him faithfully in each and every decision you make. Honor Him with your wealth by being generous towards others. This is the sure and proven way. Wouldn’t you like to navigate your life along its path? Yes?

Well, then do it! You will be glad you did….and so will everybody else around you.