The Providence of God and the "three harbor lights of guidance" (Matthew 10:30)

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 10:30 (TM) – larger reading Matthew 10:24-33

He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail - even numbering the hairs on your head!

STORY:

Bob Munford tells of a certain Italian harbor that can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks and shoals. Over the years, many ships have wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted in the harbor on three huge poles. When the three lights are perfectly lined up and seen as one, the ship can safely proceed up the narrow channel. If the pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he’s off course and in danger.

Mumford goes on to say that God has also provided three beacons to guide us. The same rules of navigation apply – the three lights must be lined up before it is safe for us to proceed. The three harbor lights of guidance are 1. The Word of God (objective standard) 2. The Holy Spirit (subjective witness) 3. Circumstances (divine providence)

OBSERVATION:

The Providence of God is not a strong subject for 21^st Century Christians. We kind have gotten away from thinking that there is a constant power and pull of God on our daily lives. We lean more towards fate, chance and choice with the influence of our nurturing which shapes the reality of our world. How sad.

Personal choice and desire has a lot to do with shaping our journey and determining our present reality. There is a huge dynamic at play and that is the psychological and emotional needs that we each possess. We are somewhat controlled by these “basic” instincts and they in turn, pull us away from the “harbor lights of guidance”. We end up on the rocks – emotionally spent… unhappy, confused and bewildered. And yet, what about the “three harbor lights of guidance”… God’s providence?

As the church billboard states: “Faith makes it possible not easy.” And boy, do we want the easy way. We don’t like being told no… wait… have patience…  work harder… change… And yet, there are those “three harbor lights of guidance”. When we line those up into a single whole then the victory will be ours. If we try to navigate through life without those guidelines lining up we will crash against the hazards of life.

Those “three harbor lights of guidance” is the means by which the Providence of God becomes our reality.

PRAYER:

Waiting is hard. Doing it your way is hard. Putting off the meeting of our physical and emotional needs is hard. Trying to line up those three guiding principles is hard. But if that is the only way I can experience your providence so be it!

A call to survive (Matthew 10:23)

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 10:23 (TM) – larger reading Matthew 10:16-23

It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.

STORY:

David L. McKenna tells this story: "One of the aboriginal tribes of the South Seas has a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood called a "walkabout." A boy coming to puberty is sent into the jungle for six weeks without food, shelter or weapons. During this time, he must test all of the survival skills he has learned during childhood. He must also be creative when he meets the unexpected. Talk about final examination! One mistake and he is dead. If, however, he survives to walk out of the jungle, he returns to a celebration that honors him as a man, a hunter and a warrior".

OBSERVATION:

Boy, I’m glad that I grew up in Miami and not as a member of the aboriginal tribe of the South Seas. Aren’t you? Based on what I know about myself I wouldn’t have survived one day let alone six weeks. I’m wondering if that is what Jesus had in mind when he told his followers to be survivors?

It can be brutal to live in this world. It can even be worse to try to survive in the church. Philip Yancey in his marvelous book, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, speaks at one point of ungrace – that which can be experienced among fellow Christians. Ouch! But in reality we have all been there. There is nothing meaner than a self-righteous individual whose soul purpose is to make sure everyone else tows the line. Am I right or am I right?

I much prefer the stories from some of the Native American tribes concerning the right of passage. These are stories of young braves being sent out into the woods to survival through the night. Dark shadows would fall. The coyotes would howl. The bears would roam. Unknown to the young brave, standing in the shadows was his father ever watching to make sure he stays safe.  That kind of survival I can understand. The other… forget about it!

Jesus talks about survival and I imagine the Holy Spirit stands watching to make sure that we do. Is it tough? You bet. Is it scary? Beyond anything that we can imagine. Is it worth it? Oh, my yes… but we won’t know until we go down that trail.

PRAYER:

Help us to become survivors. Help us to become more than mere survivors, help us become triumphant warriors of the Kingdom!

Memories of the D-day Invasion from the soldiers who were there.

My Friday portion of my blog is given over to inspirational stories. Given that today is the 70^th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion I began searching for D-day stories. In the search I came across this web site and began to read. The problem was which of these personal stories to choose to post. I couldn’t decide. They were all personal, powerful and deeply meaningful. Therefore, I am simply posting the link to these stories so that you can read them all or some for yourself. As I do this my prayers are with those who lost their lives, the families whose loved ones are buried overseas and with the men and women who came home with the memories and the stories of what it meant to participate in this tremendous event.

http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent1/?file=dday_index

It is a promise - God will bring us back (Ezekiel 39:27)

SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 39:27 (TM) – larger reading Ezekiel 39:21-29

Once I've brought them back from foreign parts, gathered them in from enemy territories, I'll use them to demonstrate my holiness with all the nations watching.

STORY:

During WWII six Navy pilots left their aircraft carrier on a mission. After searching the seas for enemy submarines, they tried to return to their ship shortly after dark. But the captain had ordered a blackout of all lights on the ship. Over and over the frantic pilots radioed, asking for just one light so they could see to land. But the pilots were told that the blackout could not be lifted. After several appeals and denials of their request, the ship's operator turned the switch to break radio contact--and the pilots were forced to ditch in the ocean.  

OBSERVATION:

Living as an exile can’t be a pleasant experience. Living in a community where the language spoken isn’t yours just adds confusion to the mix. Living in a foreign nation where the customs and traditions are totally lost on you is not a good placing layer upon layer of frustration, hurt and pain.

No matter how hard we try, no matter how long we search, no matter how many times we pray … it is still a foreign land, the language is meaningless noise, and their ways just doesn’t fall into line with what we are use to. We are the outsiders. We do not belong. The Israelites knew that reality on more than one occasion in their existence.

But then God steps in. He searches every corner of the foreign land. He brings back together those living in the enemy’s territory. God does that and he does it not because they/we pray with an earnest heart, not because they/we deserve being brought back home, not because they/we have earned the privilege, but simply because that is who God is. He demonstrates his holiness, his forgiveness, his grace, his love… measure upon measure, from everlasting to everlasting.

God does not remain in the dark playing some sick game of hide-n-seek. God doesn’t permit his children to continue the fruitless task of searching with an ever-decreasing sense of hope that some glimmer of possibility, some light in the middle of all the darkness will be turned out. The Almighty comes searching, he comes to the rescue, he brings us back home because that is just the way God is. Therefore, never give up hope. Regardless of where we might reside, no matter how far afield we might have drifted, no matter how foreign the land in which we presently travel … God will bring us back! Guarantee!

PRAYER:

May we each experience the joy of being found and of being brought back home. It is a very lonely experience living in a foreign land. Bring us come, Lord, bring us home.

Having the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on us (Ephesians 3:20)

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:20 (TM) - larger reading Ephesians 3:14-21

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

STORY:

Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

OBSERVATION:

Paul is praying for the Ephesians. He is praying that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. He was praying that their hearts and minds and souls would be saturated with the power that God can only give. Paul was praying that the Holy Spirit would have a monopoly on them. Oh, to wish that a person like Paul would be so praying for the likes of you and me.

When it comes to walking the walk and talking the talk we seem so powerless. The struggle is nearly nightly. Sleepless nights become the norm. The feeling of failed ministry and missed opportunity dominates the mind and heart. The “if onlys” take control and causes the spiritual train to jump the track. Is this your experience as it is mine?

Maybe if we open ourselves up to the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting God more completely, laying aside our own agendas, face the reality of what needs to change within and without… then, just maybe our “wildest dream” moments will become a reality. Maybe, just maybe the Holy Spirit will have a monopoly on us. Maybe, just maybe…

PRAYER:

Come Holy Spirit and do your thing on us. As you did it at Pentecost do it again today, do it now, do it with us. Come Holy Spirit and do your thing!