Month: July 2021

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

You are blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you will ever eat. Matthew 5:6 from The Message

This past weekend, Randy and I were privileged to participate in the celebration of life service for Dr. Frederick Mickler, Jr. of Jasper, Florida. Frederick was the last surviving child of the four children of Fred and Robbie Mickler and uncle to many first cousins. The service was so uplifting as we celebrated the life of a wonderful doctor, husband, father, grandfather, and servant of the community and the Lord. What a life of service he lived!

At the close of the service, we attempted to sing a hymn which most of us had never heard before, but since it was his favorite so we persevered. The words are so beautiful that I couldn’t believe it’s found in the Broadman Baptist Hymnal but not the Methodist! The name of the hymn is I Am Satisfied, and the last words of the chorus are telling. The words are: I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus, But the question came to me as I think of Calvary, Is my Master satisfied with me? B.B. McKinney

The song should beg the question from all of us, Is Jesus satisfied with us? Is He satisfied with us personally? Is He satisfied with us as a nation? Is He satisfied with us as churches? Is He satisfied with us spiritually? If not, where do we all need to improve?

The word satisfied is defined as contented or pleased. First, is God satisfied with our relationship with Him? Speaking for myself, I know that is an area which could be improved! From the very first chapter of Genesis, it’s clear that a relationship with God is the foundation upon which everything in our lives must be built. If we try to build on anything else, we’re building on quicksand. Human relationships don’t last, relationships with God are eternal.

Secondly, is God satisfied with our trust in Him? God told Joshua as he stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life..I will be with you..I will never leave or forsake you. Jos 1:5 The movie Ben Hur is one of my all time favorites. Charlton Heston, the star, had to drive a chariot for his role. Of course, he was supposed to win the climatic chariot race, but there was a problem. He was having a problem learning to drive the chariot and an even bigger problem staying on it. He walked over to the director and said, “Mr. Wyler, I can barely stay on this thing much less win this race.” Mr. Wyler replied, “Son, your job is to stay on the chariot, my job is to make sure you win.” It’s all about trust. Don’t quit on God and don’t stop trusting in Him. That’s His job.

Finally, is God satisfied with our commitment to Him? The world is watching and waiting to see what God can do through a life committed to Him. He wants us to put aside our own personal glory, ideas, and be nothing so that Christ can be everything. If we fully commit to God’s purpose, receive His humility, faith, love, and power without hindering His plan, He will continue to do His miraculous work in and through us.

With a renewed purpose to work toward a better relationship, more trust, and a deeper commitment, God will be satisfied!

Please, never be satisfied until you can express from your innermost soul that God is an infinitely wonderful Being. There is no limit to what God can do through us if we do not seek our own glory. copied

I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me; He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free. He is with me in my trials, Best of friends to all is he; I can always count on Jesus, Can He always count on me? I can hear the voice of Jesus, Calling out so pleadingly; “Go and win the lost and straying,” Is He satisfied with me? When my work on earth is ended, And I cross the mystic sea, Oh, that I can hear Him saying, “I am satisfied with thee.” I Am Satisfied by B.B. McKinney

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one shepherd. Ecclesiastes 12:11

I will fasten him like a nail in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house. Isaiah 22:23

For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of the horse, a rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy. All for want of care about a horse shoe nail. Ben Franklin

During the long months of quarantine, Randy and I found some entertainment on Netflix. The series Heartland became a favorite of ours because, not only is it a heartwarming story about a multigenerational family, but also, it has been interesting to learn about the heart of horses. It is amazing to see them in the light of their different personalities, expressions, temperament, and love for each other and their human family.

Each horse has their own set of problems, suffer hurt, abuse, have a sense of humor, hearts of love, memories of good and bad committed against them, and many more human like emotions.

It’s interesting that in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Secretariat (the winner), was the last to leave the starting gate and trailed the race until the stretch when he made his move. It is said that most horses are worn out by the first 3/4 mile mark, but they run the last l/2 mile on purely on heart. Secretariat won that race by exemplifying heart, but imagine the possible consequences if his shoe had been missing a nail.

The above proverb reminds us that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences. Small things matter. A horseshoe without a nail can be catastrophic to the horse and its rider. It’s almost impossible to believe that because of a missing horseshoe nail, a kingdom would be eventually lost.

A nail, as small as it is, can be an example of a few things. First, the nail can puncture. Jesus had holes in his hands and feet from nails driven there by those who would punish Him for His beliefs. Sometimes in this life, there are those who try to punch a hole in everything in which we believe. It hurts, but sometimes the only way we can truly know what we believe is when we are forced to defend it.

A nail also usually leaves a scar. Jesus used those scars on His hands and feet to prove to His disciples that He was the risen Lord. Jesus was rejected, criticized and even despised, but because of those scars, He is now the cornerstone or foundation of everything.

A nail is an example of strength. When holes are punched in our life, we get scars, but we also change and grow. God is then able to build us up and fill us with strength and a life that is so much better than we had before.

A nail can also be an example of endurance. Once we have endured the pain, the scars, and found the strength, we find a new commitment to draw on His grace and keep moving forward regardless of circumstances. We realize we can endure!

Finally, a nail speaks of security – it fastens things together. When things are nailed together, it is the nail itself that makes the pieces secure.

The story is told of a man who attended a tent revival meeting and every night tried to give his life to Jesus. Yet, as he left each evening, Satan came to him to try and convince him that if he didn’t feel changed, he wasn’t redeemed. After many nights of the same scenario, the man drove a nail into the ground where he had knelt to accept Christ. As he was leaving, Satan tried his usual tactics to dissuade the man. The man quickly returned to the nail in the ground, pointed to it and said, “Satan, do you see this nail? This is my witness that God has forever accepted me.” Satan departed from him and the man never experienced doubts again. Still Small Voice

The take away for me is, nails can puncture, nails can leave scars, but nails can also symbolize strength and endurance, and nails can speak of security. If we look at the nails as only holes or scars, we miss the beauty they can bring from nailing us as Christians together and making us secure in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Don’t neglect the nails in this life; but rather, build on them.

You are hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! You keep meticulous account books tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s law, things like fairness, compassion and commitment, the absolute basics, (the necessary weights) you carelessly take it or leave it! Matthew 23:23 The Message

Probably twenty plus years ago, some of our couple friends decided that it would be fun for all of us to learn to scuba dive! There was among us a dive master, an assistant dive master, and the rest of us who did not have a clue! There are many things which a diver needs. I learned that among these necessities are a mask, flippers, a snorkel, an air tank, and a weight belt.

As we learned the basics of scuba diving and prepared to fly off to the Caribbean where we would take a test, become certified divers, and do some diving, I remember wondering why we would need a weight belt? The weight belt is interesting because it has pockets where one can add weights or take them out depending on how much weight is needed to keep a person submerged. I ascertained that I had more than enough weight on my body to do the trick so it probably wasn’t necessary for me,

The day of our first dive arrived, and as we “geared up” on the boat, the weight belt I wore seemed unnecessarily heavy, so I reached in and took out a couple of the weights. We entered the water, did our slow descent, and began to enjoy the beauty around us. Slowly, I noticed that it was taking an inordinate amount of energy for me to stay submerged and keep up with the others. As I floated closer to the surface and further away from the others, it dawned on me that some weights just might be necessary weights.

There are times in life when our burdens or trials seem like weights which encumber our lives, cause us undo stress, and hold us submerged in anxiety and apprehension. It would be so easy to reach in that belt of life, take each weight out, and rid ourselves of the trouble.

There are so many things we would miss in this life if we took away all the necessary weights. We would miss the weight of life’s journey. Life’s journey can be wonderful, peaceful, positive, but it can also be difficult. No one ever said the journey of life would always be easy and sometimes it is exhausting, but if we look at life as happening for us instead of to us, it is a blessed time of discovery. Take that weight and turn it into a blessing.

We would miss the necessary weight of compassion. Love in action or compassion should be the center of every Christian’s life. Expressing empathy for one another’s struggles and suffering isn’t enough. We need to turn that empathy into action as we show our compassion and love in concrete deeds of love.

Patience is a necessary weight. It is so hard to exercise patience especially when a wrong has been done to us. The scriptures teach us that just because we don’t understand what God is doing, does not mean that He doesn’t have a plan. The best place to learn patience is from God as we realize how patient He is with us all the time.

The necessary weight of forgiveness is a heavy one to bear, and it would be so easy to take that weight out of our belt and live in unforgiveness. Yet, how many times does Jesus forgive us on a daily basis?

Perseverance is a necessary weight. Even in the darkest times, God promises enrichment to any person who perseveres through hardships. As Christians, we encounter many obstacles to our faith, but Jesus inevitably overcomes if we just persevere. God calls us to look beyond the burdens or cost and persevere to the rewards.

At the end of our dive adventure, we had an opportunity to participate in a shark dive. Unbeknownst to me and some of the others, the purpose of this dive is to gather on the bottom of the ocean, kneel on the sand, stay perfectly still, and watch as hundreds of sharks attack a lowered frozen chum of fish. The weight belt is the only thing that stands between you and the hungry sharks. How grateful I am that I added some weight that day and stayed securely anchored on the bottom

There are times when we are tempted to lighten the load by ignoring the necessary weights of this life, but if we do, we will miss the beauty that is found during the struggle.

Julius Richter said, Our burdens (weights) sometimes seem like a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet, in reality is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls.

For there in the journey and stuck in the sting, the struggle, the struggle, is what gives you wings. Karen Kingsbury

Then Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish.” Luke 5:4,6

Our PaPa and Ida had a beautiful cove lake house on the river when I was growing up. They would usually end each day by motoring on their boat out a little way from shore and catch a mess of bream. The fish were a really nice size, and just big enough to clean, fry with some hushpuppies, and enjoy for our supper. Instead of taking me with them in the boat, PaPa routinely stationed me on the end of the dock to fish because he didn’t want a novice ruining his special places. The fish he brought in were always bigger than the ones I could catch from shore. When I complained about never catching fish as big as he did, he admitted “the deeper you fish, the larger the fish”.

I think God works like that. The deeper we go in our faith, the bigger the rewards. Everything we do to cultivate a deeper walk with God and a deeper relationship with others and our family produces bigger rewards. Take for instance parents that put their children to bed with a routine that includes prayers and time together. Parents might not really know what they are doing while they are doing it, but it’s more than a routine, it’s building a family.

In order to go deeper, the first thing you need is “Jesus in your boat”. When Peter invited Him in, he caught more fish than ever before. Jesus will bless anything you give Him, and that will eliminate our fear of failure and worries about the results. Use Jesus in your boat of life to go deeper, and He will give you everything you need.

We can go deeper by giving Him our career. Too often we think we can separate our secular life from our spiritual life, but this prevents God from blessing our business or job. God is the CEO of the universe, and He promises we will prosper and succeed if we invite him to be our partner.

Go deeper by cooperating with God’s plan for our lives. Sometimes our own plan has to fail before we are willing to accept God’s plan for our lives. Instead of letting our own feelings control us, we should exercise faith in the promise of Christ. The results will be amazing!

We should go deeper in our relationships and treatment of others. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12) has been largely ignored in this day and time. A kind word of love or acceptance goes so much further than disrespect or anger ever can. Many times those kind words offer hope to those who desperately need it and bridge the gap of anger and despair.

Finally, go deeper by standing on God’s promises. When we get God’s presence in our boat, His plan in our head, and His promises in our heart, we can’t fail. Start expecting God to act, and His promises will put new hope in our situation.

If we go deeper with God, there will be risks involved. Sometimes we think God has asked us to go too deep and we are content to stay in the shallow water, but we will miss out on so much! If we let His presence guide us, we will be blessed beyond our wildest dreams!

If we obey God in the small stuff of life, He takes us deeper and gives us bigger and better things. There’s only one thing to do when the reservoir of life is dry and shallow, build on His foundation and go deeper!