Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3, 5 – “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  3 … A time to break down, And a time to build up; …5 …A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;” 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”  NKJV

Several years ago, I heard the story of the seven-year-old boy who apparently could not talk.  After his mother served him oatmeal three days in a row, he said, “Yuck, I hate oatmeal.”  His mother became hysterical and ran to him, shouting, “You can talk!  You have not said a word for seven years, and today, you spoke.  Why have you never spoken before?”  He looked at her and said, “Up until now, everything’s been okay.”

Sadly, that is how we do things too often.  It is especially true in many churches concerning their pastors. If everything is okay, nothing is said, but let something go wrong, and you hear them.  I know some pastors who are incredibly effective in their efforts for the local body and the kingdom of God but feel like abject failures.  One wise minister explained it this way:  “We are victims of a system that is too high in expectations and too low in rewards.” 

Some people assume that the minister’s self-image is indestructible.  They expect the man of God to be filled with energy and fresh ideas but fail to give affirmation which is the emotional fuel we all need.  This is true with our children, spouses, employees, etc.  Everyone needs to receive personal affirmation from time to time when things are good, not just criticism that is constructive or destructive when things are not.  In saying this, I do not mean to imply that church members are cold and calloused but are sometimes unaware of the needs of the man behind the sacred desk who carries the mantel of a pastor.

I do not know any Omni-competent Pastors, but I know many flawed vessels who ascribe to that high calling and devote their lives to service.  I read a description of “The Perfect Pastor,” and I honestly do not know who originated it, but it goes like this:

“What is the perfect pastor?  He is 26 years old and has been preaching for 30 years.  He is tall, short, thin, heavyset, handsome, and homely; he has one brown eye and one blue, hair parted in the middle, the left side dark and straight, and the right side brown and wavy.  He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with older folks.  He always smiles with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him serious at work.  He makes 15 calls daily to church members, spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched, and is never out of the office.”

Some hold a myth regarding the pastor’s labors, and as I had a person say to me once, “It must be nice to have a job where you only work one day per week.”  He had no idea what my week consisted of and how many hours I spent praying, preparing, visiting, planning, meeting, and ministering to the needy, etc. He saw me once per week (that’s all he came to church), and to him, that was the sum of what I did. 

I have a friend who heard similar statements, and he invited the individual to spend the day with him.  On that particular occasion, there were five emergencies that the pastor was called to and then the regular schedule of the day to be addressed, so when they concluded their day at 10:30 PM that evening, the man was stunned.  He said, “I had no idea!”  

I make no defense for a lazy pastor, but I want to sing the praise of those individuals who devote their lives and expend their energies tirelessly for the service of God.  They deserve our affirmation even when nothing is out of the ordinary, and everything is going well.  Let them hear you in good times, not just in times of difficulty.  Translate that to your families and work as well.

God bless you as you go through this day!

2 Kings 5:9-14 – “Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So, he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”  NKJV

This account of Naaman, the Syrian Commander, is one of several in the Bible that reflects unrealistic unfulfilled expectations and the problem therein.  Naaman had leprosy, which was a virtual sentence of death.  His wife had a slave girl from Israel, and she said to her master’s wife, “If only my master were with the prophet in Samaria!  For he would heal him of his leprosy.”  Naaman’s wife relayed the information to Naaman, and he, in turn to his master.  The story begins with a letter sent to the king of Israel to heal Naaman. 

Imagine, if you will, receiving a directive from a powerful enemy asking you to do something you could not do.  How would you view it?  The King considered it a provocation to war and was distraught.  Elisha heard of the King of Israel’s hysteria and directed him to send Naaman to him.  Naaman followed the king’s directive, and his entourage proceeded to Elisha’s house, and there the problem brought to light a significant problem and revealed the Problem of Human Expectations.

Elisha told the Commander to go to the Jordan and dip himself seven times.  Naaman became furious, for he considered it an insult for someone of his stature to be instructed to do this.  He expected pomp and ceremony with Elisha standing before the great general, waving his hands over the leprosy and healing him in a dramatic fashion that fit what he considered worthy of someone of his stature. 

He left furious, and one of his servants took his life into his own hands and approached Naaman, asking him what his reaction would have been had Elisha had instructed him to do something great, difficult, or monumental. He would have done it, wouldn’t he? As a result, Naaman realized he had nothing to lose and obeyed.  The result was a complete cleansing of leprosy and restoring his flesh.

Had he allowed his unrealistic and unfulfilled expectations to rule, he would have died in Syria a Leper! How often do we fix in our minds how things should be and proceed to reject everything that does not fit that image and fulfill that expectation? Could it be that we fail to receive answers to our prayers because we predetermine how we expect things to be, and when they do not satisfy those expectations, we reject all else? 

Isaiah 55:9 reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours, and when we attempt to subrogate our ways over God’s, we are doomed to the realm of unfulfilled expectations.  I see it in relationships, businesses, churches, and spiritually that unrealized, unfulfilled, and unreasonable expectations bring disappointment and failure.  We do not have to live at that address, for we can subject our expectations to God’s will and ways and allow the Holy Spirit to birth in us the purposes of God.

Demanding that others meet our expectations can and often is unrealistic and a catalyst to difficulty.  I am human.  You are human. We are flawed vessels and to expect perfection from flawed vessels is unrealistic.  We need to be like the Naaman who went down into the Jordan, not the Naaman that drove off in a huff, wounded because his expectations were not satisfied.  I am learning more daily how Paul could say he was content wherever he found himself.  His expectations were God, not his preconceived ideas of how things should be.

God bless you as you go through this day!

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”  NKJV

David said in Psalm 37:25 – “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”  In verse 24, speaking of the righteous, he said, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”  I do not believe any conflict exists in the three passages cited here or in the remainder of the biblical message. 

Is this a guarantee that we will not have problems or that we could not become a castaway or disqualified, as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 9:27?  Is this a guarantee that we will not or cannot, as described in Hebrews 10:35 – “…cast away our confidence…”?  Is it a compilation of the promise in Romans 8:28 that “all things” are working together for our good? 

I passionately believe that God has promised to keep us against that day, and Nothing can separate us from His love.  Although I am very aware that circumstances, conditions, events, and assaults on our lives can bring us to the brink of despair, God has promised Never to leave us nor forsake us. This is descriptive that IF we ‘cast our burden on the LORD,’ He will sustain us.  Do you see one small caveat or possible problem here?

The instruction is to Cast or Roll our burden on the LORD, which is a requirement for the remainder of the promise.  Suppose we refuse to gather under the shelter of his wings as Psalm 91 describes, and we trust the Arm of flesh rather than coming to him, taking His yoke upon us, and allowing Him to be supreme in our lives. In that case, we place ourselves outside the scope of the promise of the second portion of the verse.  But if we do Cast or Roll our burdens on Him, we are assured that He will not permit us to be moved!  That is a powerful promise!

Therefore, IF we believe the Bible, then would that not be an encouragement for us to be obedient in casting our burdens on the LORD?  In my humble opinion, IF one believes t by turning to the LORD, rolling our cares on Him, and allowing Him to engineer the course of our lives according to His plan would afford security, safety, and victory, what sense would it make not to do so?  The only reason we would not is that we do not genuinely believe the Bible or trust God’s promise.  I know that is a bit harsh and strongly stated but examine it before rejecting it.

When I consider the life of David, I readily understand how he would have developed a mentality of trust toward the LORD.  God repeatedly demonstrated His faithfulness to David.  David either trusted or repented for failure and ran to the LORD.  Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced God’s faithfulness.  I know that in the times I have genuinely cast my burden on Him, He has proved His Promises!  It did not always transpire as I thought it should or even in the timeframe I had in mind, but God Never Failed and Never Will.

May God be with you as you go through this day!

John 8:31-36 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  NKJV

You can be in chains and not be a slave or be enslaved without bonds.  Chains do not determine Freedom; the heart and mind do.  Unfortunately, nothing we do will eradicate human bondage, and men will enslave other men against their will in the natural realm.  I can only imagine the physical, mental, and even spiritual torture that being captive brings.  My heart breaks for anyone who has endured that condition, either as a prisoner of war, a human slave against their will, a hostage, or anything of the like. 

I know two men who, though captives, were never enslaved in their hearts and minds.  One was a Japanese prisoner during WWII who escaped. The Vietnamese held the other in Hanoi and endured years of horrific, inhumane torture and abuse.  Both professed that their faith in God and belief in the Word of God kept them Free though in chains.  They were and are examples of True Freedom!

The only True Freedom is through the shed blood of Jesus and the Grace of God.  If we receive the forgiveness of sin and are born again, we experience True Freedom!  A person thusly free can be imprisoned, chained, and otherwise enslaved physically, but they will never be a Slave in their heart or mind because the Son has set them free!

We celebrate our Independence in America, yet multiplied thousands are still enslaved in one form or another.  Enslavement of the mind is possibly worse than being enslaved in the flesh, for if a person’s mind is captive, the attitude and actions will reflect that condition.  Breaking free and living life to the full is virtually impossible because the mind is in chains to wrong thinking, victimization, and false premises.  But if we receive the Freedom that Jesus came and brought, we cannot be enslaved.  Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? As a friend of mine likes to say, “what difference does it make, who is against us if God is for us?”

God bless you! In Jesus, you are FREE, so Live Free!

Hebrews 2:14-18 – “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”  NASB

The writer of Hebrews, speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pulled back the veil for us to see a truth of possibility and redemption.  He makes it clear that humans experience temptations and trials as depraved creatures.  He further illustrates that as a lost creature under the domain of darkness, man could not satisfy divine justice and needed one to come who was sinless and yet functioned as a man to be a sacrifice for sin.  Adam lost the purity of life in the Garden and, through sin, became a slave of the devil.  Through man’s disobedience, Satan gained a legal right to man as the god of this world.

There had to be one who could operate, live, feel, think, and experience the temptations and trials common to man and do so without sin.  No human could meet that requirement, so God chose the Incarnation of Jesus to come ‘as man’ and ‘for man’ to experience and be subject to all the temptations as we do.  Jesus came and satisfied the divine requirement of being without sin, qualifying Him as the ‘Lamb of God’ to atone for man’s sin.  He was made like us ‘in all things’ yet did not yield to temptation or sin.  As the LAST ADAM, he did what the FIRST ADAM could not do.

When Jesus died on the Cross, the Son of Man paid the price to repurchase us or redeem the race from the devil’s clutches and legal dominion.  That did not and does not mean that ‘all were or are saved.’ It means that the door is open for their salvation.  The debt has been paid, and divine justice has been satisfied. Through this incredible demonstration of unconditional love, the Door to Salvation has been opened for ‘whosoever will’ as per John 3:16.  If you have not received Him, today is the day of salvation, and now is the accepted time.  As the Holy Spirit brings conviction to your heart, repent, and believe!  He is still calling today!

May God be with you as you go through this day!

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 – “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 ” You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” 

Deuteronomy 11:18-22 – “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 19 ” You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 ” You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.”  NASB

It was a sad day in our history when we turned the responsibility of teaching our children to the government or the state.  Initially, the Bible was part of their public education but not today.  It has been said that America is no longer a Christian nation, which may be true.  Most still profess a belief in the existence of God but do they seek to serve Him?

It is the responsibility of parents and grandparents to teach their children the principles of life and the Word of God.  It is not the responsibility of the public school or even Sunday school.  It should be a natural part of family life.  We need to turn off the television, set aside our smartphones, log off the computers, and develop relationships that use actual language and face-to-face experiences with each other and our children.  Biblically we are directed to allow God’s word to be impressed upon our hearts to the degree that we talk of them as a family at all critical times of the day.

No wonder the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  I didn’t say browbeat them; I said TRAIN them.  Demonstrate the importance and respect of the Word in your life and instill in them the core principles and values taught in God’s Word. 

Children are our responsibility; let’s do the right thing for them.  God bless you as you go through your day.  May God’s Richest and Best Blessings be upon you!

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”  NKJV

I love the story of Balak and Balaam.  I do not like the story because of what was attempted but because of God’s incredible wisdom.  Balak was paying Balaam to curse Israel; each time Balaam would stand to do what he was being paid to do, the Lord would put a blessing in his mouth.  This infuriated Balak, and finally, Balaam uttered the words of our text. 

Remember when Saul, the King disobeyed the directive of Samuel the prophet in 1 Samuel?  I love Samuel’s way of approaching issues.  Saul had defeated the Amalekites and Agag, their king, and rather than being obedient, he spared the king and took his livestock for spoil, contrary to God’s directive through the prophet. 

Samuel showed up, and Saul gloated about his great victory and obedience to God’s directive.  Samuel looked around and asked, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”  “Saul, if you had been truly obedient, I wouldn’t be hearing this.” 

Saul protested that he did it to bring the livestock to sacrifice to the Lord, and the prophet said, “Be quiet!”  He let Saul know that God was not the least bit interested in his justifications for disobedience.  In 1 Samuel 15:22, he uttered words that should resonate with us daily, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” 

This reminds me of the pastor struggling with what to do, and one of his little ladies said, “Pastor if God tells me to jump through a hole in the wall, it is my business to jump and His business to make the hole.”  William Burton McCafferty used to say, “God can pull us through anything if we can stand the pull.”  Obedience is our business making the way where there seems to be no way, Gods.  

Paul’s message to the Philippian church is revealed in his declaration in 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” and in 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.”  It is our responsibility to OBEY.   We do not have to understand it all or even see how it will all work out.  We are to OBEY.  That obedience is out of a heart of love and confidence that God is God and will do what He does and NEVER FAILS.

Let me caution you.  I have tried to jump through some walls I wanted God to tell me to jump through, and He had not.  The result was some severe headaches and pains from trying to run through a troop and leap over a wall He had not directed me to do.  However, there have been many times when I knew in my spirit that He had given me a directive, and it seemed impossible.  In those times when I leaped, he made the hole, and victory was realized. 

Our problem, too often, is that we are not listening to that still small voice of the Spirit of God and going with what we think ought to happen or what we have been told.  We need to develop ‘spiritual hearing’ and become Obedient in all things and at all times.  It is daunting to see the wall, hear the directive to jump, and see no hole through which to go.  Yet, it is incredibly exhilarating to take a flying leap, and suddenly there is a hole for you to go through, a supernatural move of God.

If we can trust Him for our salvation.  If we can believe He created the heavens and the earth.  If we can believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins.  If we believe that He loves us with everlasting love, and it truly is His pleasure to give us the kingdom, why is it difficult to be obedient?  I need no credit for anything attributed to me as having accomplished in life for all that I am, all that I have, and all that I have done is the result of being Obedient and His moving on my behalf.

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!