Month: November 2016

Valley of the Shadow

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Valley of the Shadow Part One

 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me Psalm 23:4

When I read about the valley of the shadow I sometimes remember driving through a place called Sugar Hollow. Though everything might seem sunny, dark shadows would begin to intrude across the road as it twisted and turned into the entrance to the hollow. The hills on both sides were steep and they cast such a shadow that in the late afternoon drivers quickly put on their headlights. The brightness of the day disappeared as we passed through that mile.

In the same way, God has chosen to lead us through a region called “the valley of the shadow of death”. The presence of a shadow tells us that we are close to the object which is blocking the source of light. The closeness of our enemies brings darkness into our lives but Psalm 23 gives us some lampposts to light the way to our Father’s house.

 

First Lamppost -He is with us Pathway

 

When Joseph discovered that Mary was

pregnant he was afraid and ready to quietly abandon his hopes of marriage and happiness at her side. But God told Joseph to not be afraid because Mary’s miracle child was to be called –

 

Immanuel “God with us” Matthew 1:23

 

What will they See this Thanksgiving?

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In the gospel of Luke we find a story about 10 lepers who came to Jesus for help. They are a lot like people in our neighbors today. They knew that Jesus cared about their needs and has the ability to help. These 10 men also were ready to  immediately do anything that Jesus asked.

Luke 17:12-15

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God

Jesus had made an impression on people because they knew that He was willing to touch lepers and that He had the power to help them Because of how Jesus ministered He was continually surrounded by people longing to get close. Some wanted to touch Jesus, others hoped just to see Him and still others sat quietly listening to what He had to say. It must have looked a little bit like a hospital emergency room. People were lined up waiting to be seen. Others brought their loved ones and family to Jesus. He was constantly presented with opportunities to demonstrate the love of God.

Sadly our local church today bears a distant resemblance to the ministry of Jesus. Too often we seem to function more like an understaffed medical clinic. Sick people still show up regularly but they find few people around to help. Our nurses are out on strike for a better benefits package and our doctors are having coffee together reviewing their retirement program. When folks press their nose against the glass and look inside the office they hear the sounds of a business meeting called into session to discuss how to reduce the number of sick people allowed in! If any hospital functioned like our churches they would quickly find themselves in court. The front page of the paper would be filled with angry headlines. The 6 o’clock news would begin with a lead story demanding immediate change to how that medical facility functioned. nepal-and-india-260

So as we approach this Thanksgiving let’s consider what we can each do differently. The world has as much need as it ever did. Do our altars act more like walls to keep folks off the podium rather than a meeting place for prayer? God  is still willing to cleanse. Jesus is still ready to heal. He still welcomes the sick, the blind and the sinner. They are outside looking in our windows. What will they see this Thanksgiving?

 

What Are You Afraid Of?

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wp-image-23810372jpg.jpgRobert Frost wrote “Good fences make good neighbors” as his neighbor’s response to him in the poem “Mending Wall”. Frost had wished there were no separations, no boundaries behind which we needed to hide. Yet all of us do need some fences in our lives. Some of our fences were built by our families to protect our lawns and gardens from trampling feet. Most of us are happy to feel the protection of solid walls to protect our savings in the bank. Who doesn’t appreciate and the line of protection we have when we call 911? In this world we will always need fences.

But in the book of Proverbs King Solomon warns us about another kind of fencing.

The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe              Proverbs 29:25

This is the mental, emotional and spiritual fencing we build because of fear. We erect a fence of words to protect ourselves from what others might think. We run behind a wall of busy holiday preparations to hide from what our family might say. We lean  on our position in the community to protect us from what others might do.

But while each of these barriers which we hide behind seems acceptable and yes, even good in our eyes, God tells us that they act as a snare in our lives.We might say that God just isn’t being reasonable. But in fact it is we who are missing on how the snare works. In real life , a snare will catch a bird or small animal only when it is hidden and placed in exactly the path which they are planning to take.When once their foot steps into the noose they discover that they have seen the snare too late!

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I stopped this week  to consider my own way of talking. I had to confess that sometimes I stretch facts because I am afraid of what others might think if they knew the truth. There have been times when I have omitted something in a document because I feared what might happen if that detail were found out.Or  I have failed to call and make up with a friend over an offense which I  committed because I was afraid of what they would say. These have all been snares in my life! I had never seen them that way, but my loving Father in heaven did! He came and brushed back the leaves hiding the snares and asked, “What are you afraid of?”

The good news for all of us is that the second half of the verse is God’s unfailing promise. “BUT whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe!” We do not have to be afraid! If instead of worrying about what my friends think, what my neighbors say or what consequences I face I say, “But I trust the Lord”  If I were half as concerned about what God might think, say or do as I was about others I could discover the glorious liberty of His true freedom. God will set us free from our snares. God will protect us and will give us safety even in the face of our greatest fears!