"7" Minutes Alone with God

      WALKING BY FAITH We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) The Christian life is not the easiest to live but it is the most rewarding here on Earth as well as in eternity.  There are many concepts about what  that life consists of and how to illustrate it.  We can compare it to earthly things as Jesus did in His parables.  One such illustration of walking by faith is to that of a tight rope walker.  Here are a few things included in that word picture: Foundation - Every structure must be formed on a good foundation.  No rope walker would be foolish enough to erect his equipment on shifting sand.  Likewise, Jesus is the foundation on which the Christian life is built: For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ   (1 Corinthians 3:11) Jesus gave an example of this truth when he spoke of a house being built on a rock vs  on sand.  He said ...

The harvest is past, the summer is ended  (Jeremiah 8:20) Harvest time.  What a satisfying season of the year.  Planting and tilling, watering and weeding have ended. The sun no longer relentlessly beats down and hot winds have ceased sucking away vital moisture.  Fruits of our labor hang ripe and ready on the vine, or set in colorful rows on pantry shelves. Gardening, with its plowing and sowing, weeding and hoeing presents a portrait of life.  However, in life we may see little or no fruit yielding from our efforts.  At such times, it is helpful to remember that for us, harvest season has not yet come. God will not forget the things we do on His behalf.  A time is coming when our efforts will cease as the Master returns to take His laborers home: Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me,  to give to every one according to his work.   (Revelation 22:12). Jesus often used stories about things here on Earth to ...

“Are you alright? Is your husband alright? Is your child alright?”  “It is well”, she said  (2 Kings 4:26).  It is an amazing story; yet it is true for it appears in the most credible of all publications.  It is the account of a remarkable woman and her response to a great tragedy in her life. It seems that this well-to-do woman lived with her husband in a large city.  One day she attended a service where Elisha, a traveling evangelist, was preaching.  After the service, she invited him and his assistant to have dinner with her and her husband in their home.  The evening preceded nicely and a warm friendship was formed.  So much so that the couple issued an open invitation to dine with them on future visits to the city. One day, after a number of such visits, the woman approached her husband with an idea.  “How about remodeling the attic into a room where the evangelist can lodge whenever he comes to call?” she suggested.  He...

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ  (Galatians 6:2) Galatians 6:2 does not say, "Bear one another’s burdens so they, in turn, will bear yours." But in all honesty that seems to be our expectation:  I care for them, therefore they will care for me; I support, and will be supported; I listen and understand, therefore I will be listened to and understood. These may not be consciously entertained thoughts but we have only to watch our reactions when the opposite is true to realize that we have a tendency to labor under this misconception.  We are hurt and upset when we do not receive the same consideration as that which we extend.  After all, isn't turnabout is fair play. That may be our way of thinking, but it is not God’s.  His Word reminds us that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (separation)  (Proverbs 14:12) What Galatians 6:2 really says is that we are to be there for others; t...

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me   (Matthew 11:29) How much do you know about yokes?  Chances are not a lot, nor have you spent much time thinking about them unless you grew up on a farm or have an interest in old farm implements. My earliest recollection of yokes goes back over 70 years to a Sunday School classroom where, as a preschooler, I saw a picture of a primitive farmer plowing a rocky field with a team of yoked oxen. I can’t recall anything about the Bible story or the passage that went with it, but that picture made quite an impression on my young mind. I remember how I felt looking at those poor animals wearing a heavy wooden yoke.  It seemed as though I could feel it around my own neck, weighing me down and restricting my oxygen intake. Many years later I realized the impact that picture had on me, and how it was tainting my reaction to passages that refer to wearing a yoke, like Matthew 11:29. I became painfully aware of a subconscious aver...

Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world  but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God  [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact] (1 John 5:5 AMP) A military commander does not send his troops into battle without the appropriate weapons of defense.  To do so would be sure defeat and unmerciful slaughter.  On the contrary, members of our nation’s military are properly fed, trained and supplied with the best equipment available to meet the demands of their mission. Why, then, do we fail to recognize that the Commander-in-Chief of spiritual warfare does the same for members of His corps?  God does not send us to battle against evil forces in our own strength and limited resources. Through study of the Scriptures, we are to ready ourselves in advance in order not to be found ill-equipped when caught in the fray. The fact that we often feel defeated, trapped by situations in which we find ourselves, is evidence that we...

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be  mature and complete, not lacking anything   (James 1:4) For the past few months I have been watching the apples on our tree change from tiny green, barely perceptible dots into reddish-green globes about the size of tennis balls.  This particular tree produces small apples so we don’t expect them to increase much in size, but we know from past experience that they are not ready to be picked until they turn deep crimson red. Thinking of the need for apples to mature before they are harvested puts me in mind of our spiritual development.  Both require protection from harmful elements and proper nourishment while growth is taking place.  Both must also have time to achieve their full potential. When nothing of consequence seems to come from our service for God, we have a tendency to feel that our efforts are ineffective; of little use to Him or His mission on Earth.  Spiritual growth seems to be...

He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust   (Psalm 103:14) Did you hear about the young pastor who received the same telephone call every week?  Early Monday mornings his phone would ring and a deep mellow voice at the other end would say, “Hello.  This is God.  I just called to tell you that today you have my permission to fail.” The caller wasn’t God, of course, but an older pastor who was aware of the unrealistic demands his young colleague made on himself, and was reminding him that God does not expect His children to be perfect. We know from Scripture that this is true, but does God actually condone failure?  The question intrigued me, and as I began to search His Word, I was surprised to find much evidence that in some matters, God does grant us permission to fail.  Here are a few of the ones I found: God grants us … … permission to fail to have all the answers : Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your ...

Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.   Yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness.  Selah. [Pause and calmly think of that!]  I would hasten to escape  and find shelter from the stormy wind and tempest  (Psalm 55:6-8 Amp. Bible) Have you ever felt that way?  With a desire to be free, even for just one day?  Floating aimlessly above the earth in a hot air balloon, in utter silence except for the soft swish of hot air being released to take you higher? Or retreating to a mountain wilderness where the only sounds are of water gurgling over mossy rocks, gentle breezes playing through fragrant pines, or a squirrel chattering to alert his mate of your presence? Away from schedules and demands.  Relaxing.  Taking in the beauty of God’s world.  Enjoying the gentle companionship of loved ones.  Doesn’t it sound wonderful?  Isn’t it too bad that few, if any, such opportun...

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity   (Colossians 3:12-14) . “It’s time to inventory.”  How I hated those words when, as a teenager, I was working at the local five and dime.  I wasn’t alone, either.  Everyone from the manager on down, dreaded inventory.  It meant long hours of counting everything on the counters, under the counters, and in the stock room, without the aid of modern conveniences like calculators and computers. Everything from socks to screws, paint to powder puffs, and pounds of candy and nuts to nylon hoses.  It was a time-consuming task but necessary in order to determine not only what was on hand but what needed to be ordered from wholesalers. There was another ups...

As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him  for He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust  (Psalm 103:13-14) Have you ever known someone who was something of a mystery to you?  That after years of association, you still can’t quite figure them out or know how they will respond to certain things?  Interactions with persons of this nature, whether young or old, male or female, relative or co-worker, tend to make us uneasy lest we alienate them. Under such conditions, it is difficult to develop close relationships. In any affiliation, from casual to intimate, the most essential element is trust. Without trust, it is uncomfortable to open up, exposing one’s true self.  The same is true in our relationship with God.  The degree to which we understand His true nature determines whether He remains a mystery – someone to avoid – or we recognize His love, grace, and understanding. Based on our concept of what He expect...

Show me Your ways, o Lord; teach me Your paths.   Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me,  for You are the God of my salvation; for You  [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long  (Psalm 25:4-5 Amp Bible) There is much confusion in the world around us, and we all have decisions to make, promises to keep, and obligations to meet.  Thinking the right things, speaking the right words, and doing the right thing in every circumstance is daunting; an impossible task.  Being human, there will always be times when we fail. The above-psalm is a good example of how to ask assistance from our Heavenly Father.  Examination of these two verses reveals three actions to take, not only in words, but in the attitude of our prayers: show, teach, and guide.   Notice that while these are being requested of God, they carry a silent implication of action on our part.  Before God can show us something, we m...

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  even then Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me  (Psalm 139:9-10) He caught my eye and captured my attention – a large black bird perched atop the steel beam that held the traffic light over the heavily-traveled street.  The beam dipped and swayed in the ferocious wind, but the bird appeared totally undisturbed by his precarious position.  Watching, I grew fascinated.  Four lanes of traffic whizzed past only a few feet below him and a fall would have been fatal.  But the bird appeared as peaceful as if he were perched on a sturdy limb of a giant tree in some pastoral setting. For weeks I had been turning a number of matters over to the Lord in prayer, asking Him to bring them to their best conclusion, only to realize that almost immediately, I began to fret about them again.  I was as frustrated with my inability to leave them in His hands a...

“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel?   My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family”  (Judges 6:15) Remember Gideon?  He’s the fellow who introduced us to “fleece prayers,” and routed a massive army with only 300 men armed with empty jars, torches, and trumpets. Through a series of tests, God reduced the army of 30,000 men which Gideon had raised, to only 300.  (Judges 6-8) .  From his experiences, we learn that there is victory in surrender to God’s call. We first find Gideon hiding out in a wine press threshing his wheat, for fear of the enemies of Israel.  He had good reason to be afraid.  For seven years the armies of the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern countries had encamped on Israeli land, tramping their crops and slaughtering their livestock in an effort to annihilate them by destroying their food supply.  Things had become so desperate that Gideon’s fellow countrymen had fled to...

Be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create   (Isaiah 65:18) How long has it been since you strolled through a flower garden?  Or sat on a riverbank and watched dragonflies skimming above the water?  When did you last stop to listen to a bird singing outside your window?  Or watch a squirrel feasting on acorns from an oak tree? All around us is the beauty of God’s creation but too often we hurry past with blinded eyes and diverted attention.  We become so preoccupied with the business of living that we fail to enjoy and appreciate the multi-colored, multi-faceted wonders around us.  Though we may not live near a lush forest or a botanical garden, the wonders of God’s creation are none-the-less available to most of us in one form or another. Gazing out my window, I count more than 20 varieties of shrubs and trees in almost as many shades of yellow and green.  Some are blossoming while others are already bearing fruit.  Beds of flow...

We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever  (Micah 4:5) What is your name?  Do you know what it means?  Does it fit your personality?  Many of us know how we got our name and for whom, if anyone, we were named.  Expectant parents often spend many hours choosing just the right name for their unborn child.  Their selection may be based on a family name; to honor a close friend or famous person; or maybe because it is either popular or seldom used at the time. Some chose Bible names, while others select a name because of its meaning. During the period in which the Bible was recorded, the latter was true of Jewish parents.  Selecting a name was a serious matter, for in their culture, a person’s name did more than identify them.  It also foretold the nature of their personality.  In some cases, God even told the parents what to name their child. Jesus is an excellent example.  When the angel appeared to Joseph and...