Month: November 2023

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. Luke 16:10

Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Black Friday buying frenzy is over, and now it’s time to move our thoughts to Christmas! It’s hard for me to believe, but I seem to be one of the few who haven’t totally decorated the house already! The Christmas wreaths are on the doors, the blow up Santas are in the yards, and the little lights are twinkling all around. It seems that every year the decorations around are getting bigger and bigger as folks join the rush to start the Christmas celebration!

When I look at all the decorations, I am reminded of our family’s favorite Christmas movie, Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswold is determined to have the perfect Christmas celebration for his family, and he is so absorbed with the lights and decorations that he forgets the little things. In the process of focusing on the project, he neglects the little things like plugging in the lights, safety on ladders, his family, and the reason for the season.

I was reminded this week how often the little things are overlooked as we concentrate on the bigger ones. Every year at Thanksgiving we fry a turkey. This requires preparation such as cooking oil, gas for the cooker, thermometers, etc. We have had a couple of close calls in years past as the “chefs” got caught up in conversation and forgot the little things such as the temperature of the oil, etc. This year in preparation, I asked one of the “chefs” if he had everything he needed. “Absolutely” was the answer.

We are fortunate to have friends who are like family who celebrate with us, and thankfully he doesn’t forget the little things. The obvious big things we needed were there, but our executive “chef” had forgotten the little things such as an internal meat thermometer, a sharp knife, and hot pads to lift the turkey. Fortunately for him, our guest had provided all the forgotten little things! The turkey was perfect!

The Christmas story is full of examples of the way God took such care with everything to make the story of the birth of Jesus perfect. There was nothing fancy or opulent, but rather many little examples of beauty, love, kindness, and peace that made it a fitting entrance for our Lord and Savior.

Our lives are filled with little things, and it’s so easy to despise them, overlook them, or count them as interruptions or hassles. The trivial things such as airport delays, work deadlines, preparing for a party, an unwanted telephone call, etc. all add up to frustration and even anger. God uses the little things in our lives to have an impact beyond anything we might realize. He delights and works in those little things.

A few weeks ago our grandson was running late for a meeting before his football game that evening, so he was driving over the speed limit to make it on time. A sheriff pulled him over, and began his questions: “Did you know you were speeding? Why are you speeding? Where are you going that is so important?” Coop was honest with his answers. The little thing here is that the sheriff was a huge Buford football fan, so instead of handing out a ticket, he just said, “Slow down, and ya’ll better win that game tonight.” It was a lesson in the little things and an example of grace.

God has used the little things so many times in the Bible. It was just a little sling shot that killed Goliath. It was a little colt that Jesus used to ride into Jerusalem. A little boy with five loaves and two fish fed the five thousand. Jesus was born in a little stable in the little town of Bethlehem. In God’s hands the little can become much.

During the Christmas season, let’s be mindful of the ways we can turn the little things into big things for His glory. I love the story of an old farmer who was asked to give the blessing at a men’s breakfast one morning. He started his prayer thusly: “Lord, I hate buttermilk. Lord, I hate lard. And Lord, you know I don’t care much for raw white flour. But Lord, you know when you mix ’em all up and bake them, I sure do love fresh biscuits.” It is the little things mixed together that make this life complete.

Let’s come before Him with thanks. Psalms 95:2

Thanksgiving is only a few short days away, and grocery stores are packed with all of us who are preparing a feast for this special day! Turkeys across the nation have given their lives so that we may celebrate the tradition of setting this day aside to officially give Thanks to our God for all the blessings we have enjoyed this past year. We should be a nation of Thanks-givers on this day!

We all know that our Thanksgiving of today is based upon the observance of the Pilgrims back in 1621. Their faith in God was a major factor in those days, and our faith in God has brought this country through some perilous times. The direction we go from here forward is going to be based on our continued faith in God or our lack of faith in HIm.

The observance of Thanksgiving as a day of gratitude and prayer has been a national holiday since George Washington was President. Unfortunately, many in our country today have chosen to be unthankful to God and rather look to themselves for answers and guidance.

The phrase thanks givers is defined simply as “one who gives thanks.” This is such a simple definition, but it is something that is sometimes so hard to remember to do. There are people in all of our individual lives who seem to always be positive, always look for the silver lining in situations, and always give thanks to God no matter the situation. These folks are always trying to do good for others while giving God all the credit. I like to call these folks thanks-givers.

It is easy to become ungrateful when circumstances don’t look good, when sickness or adversity hits home, or when sacrifices are required. Thanks-givers know that God can turn bad circumstances into blessings. Gratitude isn’t a natural response to adversity, it is a discipline we develop.

In the classic Little Wome, Mrs. March tells this story to her daughters. “Once upon a time there were four girls who had enough to eat, and drink and wear, a good many comforts and pleasures, kind friends and parents, yet they were not contented. These girls made many excellent resolutions, but they were constantly saying, ‘If we only had this or if we could only do that.’ So, they asked an old woman what spell they could use to make them happy and grateful, and she said, ‘When you feel discontented look back over your blessings and be grateful.’ The girls decided to take her advice, and soon they were surprised to see how well off they were. One discovered that money couldn’t keep shame and sorrow out of rich people’s houses; another found that she was a great deal happier with her health, youth, and good spirits than a certain fretful, feeble old lady who couldn’t enjoy her comforts; a third that as disagreeable as it was to help make dinner, it was harder still to have to go begging for it. In the end, they all agreed to stop complaining and enjoy the blessings they already possessed.” They learned to be thanks-givers.

Once we become thanks-givers, we are eager to help others and pass on the joy of giving. Shortly before his death, 80 year old farmer Hody Childress asked his daughter to continue a practice he’d quietly conducted for years. The practice was taking a $100 bill to a local pharmacist on the first of every month. Childress anonymously came to the aid of neighbors in Geraldine, Alabama who couldn’t afford medications. “Don’t tell a soul where the money came from, ” he instructed the store owner. If they ask, just tell them it’s a blessing from the Lord.” Thanks to his generosity, that pharmacy could fill presciptions for about 24 uninsured or underinsured people each month. After his death, his generosity became known, and because of him, others stepped up to continue to help those in need.

This year as we go about our business of celebrating on Thanksgiving Day, when we sit down for our Thanksgiving meal surrounded by family and friends, let’s not forget to offer up our gratitude and thanks to our Lord for all that He has done and continues to do for us. Be thanks-givers on this this day and every day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May God himself, the one who makes everything holy and whole make you holy and whole, put your together – spirit, soul, and body – and keep you fit for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The one who called you is completely dependable. If He said it, He’ll do it! 1 Thessaloanians 5:23-24 from The Message

One of the most interesting Bible Studies in which I have been fortunate enough to participate is our small group study of Women of the Bible. The study looks at 52 remarkable women – those whose names are familiar and those about whom I have never heard!

The stories of their lives are ones of strength, courage, suffering, heartbreak, sorrow, loneliness, fear, faith, trust, and so many more characteristics of women of faith both then and now! The story of Rizpah falls into the category of women whom I never knew. The story is told in 2 Samuel and is a story of a mother who loved her children fiercely.

Briefly, Ritzpah was a concubine of the late King Saul. Saul attempted to exterminate the Gideonites and seven men were killed in retaliation for this. Jewish law states that they should be buried within 24 hours, but their bodies were left to rot. Two of the seven were Ritzpah’s sons by King Saul. Her grief was so intense that she spread a sack cloth near their bodies refusing to leave them until they were buried. Her vigil of protection lasted for several months. She would not bury her grief as long as the bodies of her sons remained unburied. The point was made that perhaps she wished she could be God even for a moment so that she could decree a better plan.

Many of us would feel the same in this world of today as we wonder “What if we were God? What would we do?” The story is told of a rabbi who stood on a hill overlooking a certain city. The rabbi watched in horror as a band of Cossacks on horseback suddenly attacked the town, killing innocent men, women, and children. Some of the slaughtered were his own disciples. Looking up to heaven, the rabbi exclaimed, “Oh, if only I were God!” An astonished student standing nearby asked, “But, Master, if you were God, what would you do differently?” The rabbi replied, “If I were God, I would do nothing differently. If I were God, I would understand.” (A story told by Joanna Laufer and Kenneth Lewis)

What would we do if we could suddenly be God? Many of us would say that if we could be God, there would be some changes made. We would handle problems differently, and we surely would have answers for all of the problems that are facing our world right now! People these days love to preface their remarks with things such as: “If I were president..if I were governor..if I were the coach..if I were the minister..if..if..,” but what if we were suddenly thrown onto the throne of all the universe. What would we do? Some men have actually tried to be God; people such as Hitler, Napoleon, Nero, but what would we do with that power?

If we were God, the first thing I know is that we would be partial. It’s just human nature, and I think we would all put our family, loved ones, country, ethnicity, and even religion first. The second thing we would probably do is lose our patience with those who don’t think like we do. Next, we would probably be “wishy washy” on the things which we would hold as most important. The Ten Commandments could possibly become The Ten Suggestions. Finally, we would probably hold grudges against those who dared to hurt or have disappointed us in some way. These are just a few reasons why we shouldn’t even for a moment want God’s job.

The above scripture lets us know that God is God for a reason. Only He can be trusted to get the job in this world done while holding fast to His promises. Ritzpah’s story has an ending which shows God’s justice and love. King David’s heart was touched by Ritzpah’s loyalty and courage, and he ordered the enemies of the executed to be buried. David’s act in honor of the dead helped the land to heal and the Israelites to be reunited under his leadership.

What would we do if we could change God’s world, His laws, His creation? We would undoubtedly make a mess of things because only He can understand “why”. Remember, “If He said it, He will do it.”

As the rabbi said, “If I were God, I wouldn’t do anything differently. If I were God I would understand.”

Therefore, we are strong in the Lord and in His might. Ephesians 6:10

This coming Saturday is Veteran’s Day. This is a day that is set apart to remember, celebrate, and honor those veterans who have sacrificed so much for this country. It seems to me that in order to celebrate it properly, we should first have a better knowledge of how we define a veteran. The dictionary describes a veteran as; someone who has extensive experience in some field, and /or someone who has served in our nation’s military. It is safe to assume, I believe, that any one who has served in our nation’s military has had extensive experience in some field.

In the midst of all the atrocities happening around us, we are reminded again of the fact that nothing good is found during a war. However, as much as we hate wars, we are forever grateful to the men and women who were and are willing to go into the awful places, be totally apart from their loved ones, and to fight and even die for those left at home.

My senior year in high school, our small town was brought to its knees by the death of two of our hometown boys. One of them was killed in action in Viet Nam, and the other was declared MIA. My grandmother owned a hair salon downtown, and I was working there the day a black car pulled up on the street and two soldiers in uniform got out. They walked solemnly to the other hair salon two doors down and emerged with the wife of our friend who was killed. It was the most sobering thing I have ever witnessed to see first hand the heartbreak of war and how much our military and their families sacrifice. Our friend who was MIA was declared dead several years later. Their family endured years of praying that he would be returned to them.

After the Civil War, General Sherman gave the commencement address at a military academy in Michigan. In that speech he said, “War is hell.” Later in a newspaper article he repeated that, and he added, “and thank God soldiers are from heaven.” That is why we set aside a day to honor them for their great service and just to say “Thank You” for keeping us free.

There are veterans among us who have been in wars in some terrible places, endured injuries both physical, mental, and emotional, been prisoners of war, but who love this nation and have sacrificed mightly for others. What kind of person does this?

Throughout history, from the Founding Fathers of this country until this day, we have those who refused to give in to tyranny. They stood up and fought for freedom. Every generation since that time has fought their own battle against evil and tyranny to preserve freedom.

Just as soldiers through the ages have left their homes and loved ones so that we could enjoy freedom, there was another who did the same. His name was Jesus Christ. In John 15:13 Jesus says, “There is no greater love than laying down one’s life for a friend.” I believe that verse describes a veteran very well. He or she may not like doing so, and certainly doesn’t look forward to it, but is willing to lay down their own life to save another if the situation demands it. Our veterans have given us so much, but I think the most precious gift of all is that they have given this country and all Americans a piece of themselves. How can that not be honored and appreciated?

I am very honored to be an American citizen living in the land of the free provided by those who were brave. So as we celebrate this Veterans Day, let’s give our veterans what they need and what they deserve; our remembrance and thanks for what they have done, our encouragement, and our respect. As the Apostle Paul said, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you for your faith is being reported all over the world.” Romans 1:8

Thank You!