The Lesson of Kudzu

When I went to visit my parents in South Carolina, I noticed a strange vine growing up and over the tops of trees, houses, fences and anything else it could grow on top of. My Dad who knew a lot about botany, told me it was a plant called Kudzu that came from Japan and had been planted in areas that had trouble with erosion. It has been planted along the and overpowers everything quickly. Kudzu is very oppressive stuff!  It steals the light of the sun from everything! It destroys everything it it path. I saw many broken down shacks where it had grown over the tops of, covered and destroyed.

The thing is that Kudzu seemed like a good idea to solve a problem and make agricultural work easier, but it is a monster in disguise, a wolf in sheep's clothing!  Many, many things in life are like the Kudzu plant. I often have had grand ideas to do something that seem so perfect and when all was said and done, they turned into dragging doldrums.

So much in this world is full of hype! So many things and ideas are pushed at us. We fall prey to the latest rage, fads and the desire to be 'with it'!  The outtake many times on following what goes on around us and not our heart, in the end, oppresses us. All that we experience in life can be evaluated by the peace in our heart.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:17

The mind in the above verse is the intellect. Understanding is what we do with our minds.  God's peace goes way above and beyond all that we think. Sometimes our minds seem so over-jammed  with what we perceive is going on around us and what we have to do, it is hard to get up and out from under all that pressure.  We just have to let go  and let God's peace get us up. That is when we become ready to rock and roll!

The peace of God is so real.  We don't just act peaceful, doing peaceful things, we are inwardly peaceful. God loves us even in our scrambled yucky moments.  He doesn't want anything stealing the light  of his son away from us or have anything overpower us. He wants us to live free. Sometimes we just need to chill and let God's light warm us and let him guard us from something overshadowing our peacefulness!

Of Magi and Pilgrims

The Thanksgiving holiday has mutated!  What used to be a celebration of the pilgrimage of some brave men and women who crossed the turbulent Atlantic to find an escape from religious control has become a trek demanding shopping endurance. The pilgrims came to America to find a place where they could freely love the God of the Bible and His son Jesus Christ. The meaning of the holiday has definitely changed for some.

The stores are continuously open right now, to make Black Friday become the harbinger of good economic times ahead. Early reports have indicated the economy is sluggish and Black Friday is in the red. Others say it was great! That's the way the world bounces!

Two thousand years ago, a caravan of some smart wise men set off from Persia (known as Iran today) because they wanted to worship the arrival of a king. They too were on a pilgrimage at this same time of the year. On the way they did not stop at a mall, swipe a piece of plastic and wait in long line to get their gifts wrapped. They were men who knew that some force put this universe together and that the Creator was about to do something big. They were astronomers who believed that even the stars are arranged to magnify the love of a Creator.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. ² Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. ³ There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. ⁴ Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, ⁵ Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. Psalm 19:1-5

Some of my ancestors were aboard the Mayflower and I celebrate them this time of the year. The persecution they faced was for a lot more serious than things  like being dropped from FaceBook or a cyber attack on Twitter. Their personal Exodus was because they loved God because He first loved them. Oh! that we could all get it to love others with the love of God that we have been abundantly given. There would be no judgements, criticism, and gossip. God's love comes with no monthly payment and interest, long lines and frantic rushing around. Instead it always brings a deep abiding peace.

An Answer of Peace

After Joseph settled in in Egypt, he became very successful in prospering his first boss,the captain of the guard. Joseph managed his household until the captain's wife put him in a bad position by lying and Joseph was thrown into prison. While he was there, two cell mates joined him. These men had some strange dreams that perplexed them and God gave Joseph the explanations of the visions. One of men became Joseph's 'get out of jail free' card and brought Joseph before Pharaoh who also had some dreams that troubled him. Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret his two-part dream. Joseph's response was electrifying:

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Genesis 41:16

Joseph was able to give Pharaoh the answer he needed. The answer would have far-reaching effects on not only Egypt, but on Joseph's family and Israel as well. Joseph fully acknowledged the role of God in giving him the understanding of the visions.  God is the only one that can give supernatural revelation.  It is up to God to reveal the meaning for His own purpose. When a man or woman is given revelation to speak what God wants spoken, there is always a very good reason for the revelation and it is solution-orientated. God's gift in operation is an infusion of love in a challenging world. This is not about a gray bearded man standing on a street corner yelling 'sinners repent' at all the passer-bys.

And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:32-33

The vision was doubled and God had Joseph explain that when a vision is doubled, it is established and will happen soon. God is 'the master' of communication. We can apply this same principle when we hear from God. God gave Pharaoh a picture from two different angles just to establish it for him. Pharaoh accepted God's love and he got an 'answer of peace'. God is eager to help!

Today we have all the tools for our own quest for an 'answer of peace' in all situations. God wants us to have peace. We are human so that it can be challenging to believe. We absolutely need God's assurance daily. How many times have you presented a challenging situation to God and then just happen to be reading in a certain section of the Bible and the answer just pops up in your reading. Or how about the times you have wondered about something and then you meet up with someone that says the right thing at the right time and you know it is from God. It might come from a little child, a friend, family member or a complete stranger (like a stewardess on an airplane).

Pharoah indeed took heed to what Joseph spoke and his respect for Joseph was very clear. 

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? Genesis 41:38

Every person who acknowledges God's resurrection of Jesus Christ and accepts God's provision of Jesus Christ as our lord has the spirit of God resident within. We also have the magnificent instruction manual to operate it and we have God's genuine, eager love.  Yes, life is messy, but we can always have an answer of peace!

The Wind in Your Sail

Last week as I wiggled my toes in the sand and looked out over the Sound, I envisioned the sailboats that soon would come out of their storage and take up residence among the hollows and crests of lapping waves of this inlet.  The ocean is amazing to me, its beauty, its color reflecting the sky and its wonderful sounds.  The waves are ruffled at the surface, but deep below there is quiet and it is somewhat motionless.

Last summer for my birthday, one of my kids rented a large sailboat to sail over this area around sunset.  We were there vacationing for a week  and everyday the weather had been beautiful. The night before the sail, however, a big storm had blown in and was threatening the next day. It was supposed to last all day. Miraculously 45 minutes before our voyage, we got a call from a member of the crew of the ship that the storm  had blown by and the sail would be even better in the aftermath of the storm and it was!

Watching big sails unfurl and catch the wind reminded me of what life is like when God is the wind in your sail. It is in reading and quiet times with God that we unfurl the canvas and we are energized. As we then act in whatever situation we are involved in we start to notice fruit in our heart, love (not grouchiness), joy (not misery), peace (not anxiety), longsuffering (not impatience), gentleness (not hardness), goodness (not cruelty), faith (not fear), meekness (not arrogance), temperance (not greed) despite what is going on around us. (Galatians 5:22-23)

With God's strength we are able to tackle even the most difficult tasks and projects. When the waves get rough we also have the courage to make those decisions that are necessary to move in the direction of still waters.

In Acts 12 it is recorded that Herod had killed James (one of the apostles) and Peter had been thrown in jail.  There was great pressure all around and yet Peter was able to sleep (verse 6) in this ordeal and God was able to deliver him.  This had all happened right after his meeting with the Cornelius household in one of the most significant events in God's timetable. Waves of life come with crests and hollows.

I think of things that Peter must have remembered like walking on water, the transfiguration, standing up with the eleven on Pentecost, and healing the man at the temple gate.  Unlike the walking on water incident, he did not hesitate to stand in the wake of the spiritual tsunamis that was pounding on Jerusalem. He did not question himself and his standing with God. He set his sail.

We also have access to God through Jesus Christ. God is faithful to His promises. He listens to our heart and His strength becomes our strength as he directs and guides us to safe harbors.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here's The Point!

Hey! Don’t let challenges intimidate you! (Nana version of Philippians 4:6) There is a tendency under duress to condemn oneself and think privately God is not going to help you cause you think you are such a dork in His book. God’s word says all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God and there’s a really long story to go along with that. God’s Word says that God doesn’t look at you with that in mind. Drag those thoughts to the trash and hit 'delete'!

Thinking like that is how we fall short of the glory of God (Hey! Who turned out the lights?). Read the whole Bible. He is amazing! Start in Genesis 1! Ok if you don’t have time to read the whole thing today, read just a section in Abraham’s life (The first use of the word ‘healing’ is written in an event in his life). How about reading about Moses, Joseph, or David? They all had weakness, their strength was trusting God! Just open any section in the gospels and see what Jesus Christ’s day was like (every day was D-day [Deliverance day]). How about Paul? The Ethiopian Eunich? The Bible is full of deliverance. Now open your mental diary or any place where you have recorded what God has done for you. (If you haven’t done that; DO IT! You may realize you are a walking miracle!)

When a challenge comes up, go ‘to the wall’ with it (check out Hezekiah). Going to the wall means:

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful{anxious} for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

“For nothing” is pretty definite. Just give it to God (thank God we have that privilege!). That doesn’t mean we don’t do anything, we make our requests known to God, we put one foot in front of the other and walk. It may not be your ordinary tiptoe through the tulips but you will be able to handle it. Make a list of things involved and take it step by step. Prayer is simply being thankful and saying God is our sufficiency for every detail. Prayer is not, however, a ‘To Do List’ for God.  By no means do we ignore the challenge. It takes work to give it to God. We can make a list of things that have to be handled and then we cross them off as we get them taken care of. We do our best but we know that God is very much involved and that is why we have peace.

God is so big! There’s a lot written about God’s glory. He is not a glory-hound, he just wants people to see how big he is so he can bless them. There will always be something or someone around to dim the lights. We just don’t let that happen.