Remembrance of a Dead Coyote

03.31.12

Psalm 49.20 20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish. NASB

The other day, while driving out in the wheat-lands of central Oregon, I stopped to make a u-turn and head in the other direction (I wasn’t lost – I was just unsure of where I was…). I got out of the car momentarily and just happened to notice a dead coyote on the ground at the edge of this dirt road I was on. The carcass had been there a while and was pretty well decayed and didn’t have any of its former glory (not that coyotes have that much in the first place). In another few months there won’t be any evidence of it being there at all. That’s like a beast that perishes.

Men seem to share a common trait: they want to make a name for themselves; they want to be remembered. That’s why they aspire to leadership, sports accomplishments, the arts, or other endeavors (like blogging). And so men pursue their pursuits and hope in some measure or another to be successful and to be remembered for being successful…it’s part of being human.

All this week, I have listened to the news about the state of our nation, the issues we face, and of the several individuals who are trying and vying to make a name for themselves in the presidential primaries; hoping to be the one who gets elected this November. The promises are flying, and the resumes are being shown so that they can make the case for them to be the winner. And then, this morning, I read Psalm 49.20: man in his pomp, yet without understanding is like that dead coyote you saw out along that dirt road this week: glory-less.

I am not trying to disrespect anyone or minimize the issues we face but without God we cannot overcome any of them successfully or for any significant length of time. Our nation lacks morality and we cannot get morality without God – and that is precisely the point the sons of Korah were making: man in his pomp, yet without understanding of what he really needs to solve all his problems is no more than a dead coyote. The citizenry cries out for the resurrection of the American Dream but the dream is a nightmare without the presence and power of God. We just don’t seem to get that.

Part of my reading today in the Scriptures took me to Judges 9 and 10. The people of Israel were acting so stupidly because they forsook God that all you can say of them was they were like a bunch of coyotes doomed for death along the side of a dirt road. They felt they didn’t need God and got what they chose as a result: chaos.

The other part of my reading was in 1 Corinthians 16 where Paul told the Corinthians: Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (Vv. 13,14 NASB) They too had chosen to work things out on their own (see chapter’s 1-15) and were suffering the consequences of that choice. Man in all his pomp, in the family, the city, the state, the nation and the church without understanding (the knowledge of Who God is) is like a dead coyote that has perished alongside a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, I want to be remembered: but I want to be remembered for my steadfastness in the faith and only on the doorstep of heaven where I’ll hear the words of the Almighty say: ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...' That’s remembrance worth living for.

The Mother of a Meanie

03.28.12

Judges 5.28-30 28 “Out of the window she looked and lamented, the mother of Sisera through the lattice, ‘Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?’ 29 “Her wise princesses would answer her, indeed she repeats her words to herself, 30 ‘Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A maiden, two maidens for every warrior; to Sisera a spoil of dyed work, a spoil of dyed work embroidered, dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?’ NASB

Deborah, Barak, and the people of Israel had a great victory over Jabin, the king of Canaan. It was so good that the judge of Israel, a woman named Deborah, orchestrated the victory. It was so good that Jabin’s evil henchman, Sisera was killed by a woman named Jael; she pounded a tent peg into his head. First, what a way to go; and second, this guy is killed in a tent under a blankie, with a stomach full of warm milk. The victory was so good that Deborah sang a song about it and (I’m sure) all the people joined in. It sounded something like, “Our God reigns, narney, narney!”

Except not everyone was singing – Sisera’s mother wasn’t singing. A proud mother was fretting that her boy was late in coming home from work. I have often thought about this passage and it speaks to my emotions; it conjures up a picture in my mind. Even evil guys like Sisera have mothers who are proud of them. But what a proud mother is proud of may not be something the Lord is proud of: don’t mess with God’s possession. Momma’s don’t let your babies grow up to be henchmen. Especially henchmen who decide to oppress God’s people.

I’m assuming Sisera was proud of his mother too. I’m assuming that he came home from battle and gave his mother the gifts of a victor. Even evil henchmen have a weakness for their mom. But it is the object of the henchman’s wrath that is the problem: God. Don’t mess with God’s people and don’t mess with God no matter how good your relationship is with your mom; not even being mommy’s prized possession will save you on the day of wrath. A mother’s love is one thing; God’s judgment is another. Familial affection doesn’t make up for being a meanie.

And so, Sisera’s mother said, “Why is he so late? Shouldn’t they be done splitting up the plunder by now? Isn’t he going to bring me something nice from all of his raping and pillaging? Where is he for crying out loud!?” And she asked these questions and never got the answer: Sisera paid for his crimes with his life. And one day before God she was told: Your son chose to severely oppress My children and you approved because you waited for his gifts.

The greatest thing we parents can do is to give our children to the Lord and teach them about Him. The greatest blessing a parent can have is to know that despite their trials and errors, the kids are safe in God’s will and that even if they are late someday – we’ll meet them again in heaven. The proud mother of Sisera was a meanie as well – she had no sympathy for the mourning mothers in Israel who asked through their horror and tears, why is my son so late in coming home today?

All Sisera’s mom had was this life, and when it ended, all she was left with was judgment. For the believer, all he has is heaven and when this life has ended the next one starts and never ends – no more crying or sighing, no more dying…

Becoming A Man Truly

03.27.12

Judges 2.17 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers. NASB

I think Judges is the saddest book in the Bible. I think it’s sad because it displays the decline of a nation which had so much promise and fell so quickly. Now there are a couple clues that help us to understand what happened. One is: “…and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.” (Joshua 2.10b NASB) The other is: “Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly).” (Judges 3.1-2 NASB)

In our lives we are faced with many things that teach us where our heart really is. Sometimes it is pain; sometimes it is pleasure. Sometimes it’s scarcity and at other times it’s abundance. The question is what do these things do to us and how do we respond when they do what they do?

This morning I awoke with this thought: I am truly a man when I am most vulnerable and have only God to come to my aid. That is when I am a man. I am not a man when I am in control of my destiny (God must chuckle when He perceives we actually think that). He must chuckle a lot! I am a man when I trust in the Lord and maintain my unshakable faith in His care and provision. But there are two things that must be in place for me to truly be a man. First, I must know the Lord personally; and second, I must be experienced in war.

The Book of Judges is the account of the apostasy of Israel after Joshua and his generation died. The apostasy happened because the survivors didn’t know the Lord and didn’t know how to fight. If you don’t know how to fight when the bully comes then you are at his mercy. If your sufficiency isn’t in the Lord when the bottom falls out then your only other option is to depend on yourself. That’s what happened to them and what happens to us. So, we must know the Lord and know how to fight.

The key to success then is to know that the Lord is on my side always no matter the pain or disappointment; the prosperity or pleasure. When I accept that, then I know I am being schooled in how to fight. But I must accept that the Lord is always on my side. And part of the fight is learning to accept that. I am only a man truly when I learn to keep my eyes fixed on the Lord and my heart in His realm no matter is going on around me.

And when I finally realize that and eagerly accept it, then my saddest days become my gladdest days knowing that the Lord is truly helping me to become all He’s created me to be. I then become a man truly: walking humbly and obediently at His side.

Perkless Faith

03.24.12

1 Corinthians 9.18 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Paul didn’t seem to believe in perks. His approach to his ministry appeared to be along the lines of: I’ll do it for free if I have to – if I cannot trust God to take care of my needs when I have nothing, then my faith is in vain, and my God is unable.

Paul had the ‘right’ to expect certain things from his ministry; after all, it takes the basic three to do anything on this earth: food, clothing, and shelter. And so I think Paul though knew this he refused to depend on anyone (humanly speaking) for any of it. Paul’s Source was the Lord Alone. And I suspect he felt if he had to go hungry, or exposed, or outside then it was God’s doing and not his. (And if it was God’s doing, it was not to be ignored or taken lightly: God never does anything to His kids apart from divine, unconditional love.)

The Apostle was smart enough to know how the human mind operates. Even I know that if you wave enough green under most folks nose, they are likely to sell out their convictions. The world runs on green energy in the form of cash and the more the cash, the more things get done. That was never the intent of God for His people and it certainly wasn’t His intent for His priests and preachers; the Levites themselves were not given any land – they were to depend on their brothers to take care of them. Paul wasn’t putting down Peter and James over the use of their right: they used their rights! Nothing wrong with that. Paul was just under the conviction that for him, his rights would be left alone and God would provide as necessary. To Paul, using his rights somehow took away from the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel: he saw it as: pay for play.

I deal with thorny political issues in what I do. I ask people to invest in the fight and often they want to know how much I get paid for what I do; their suspicion is I only do it for the money. I do it for the money – I need to get paid. Paul needed to get paid as well but Paul believed that somehow that sack of groceries would show up at just the right moment; and God would be responsible for it. Paul chose to live that way and from what I read people couldn’t believe he really made that choice – that somehow there were some worldly shenanigans afoot. Paul’s faith in God made him somehow unbelievable – or at least suspect.

Do you know anyone who lives like Paul does? I know many who seem to want to but I’m not sure I’ve ever really run across anyone who actually does. It takes a different kind of heart and it takes a different kind of commitment to say to the Lord: whatever You do or don’t do is fine with me – as long as I have You, I’ll be okay.  

Now, whether you or I have that kind of faith is one side of the coin. The other is this: Lord, whatever You choose to do or not is fine with me because You have promised to take care of me in all of these things. May I have the kind of faith that believes in You regardless of scarcity or abundance. I know You know what I need, and I will trust You for what You provide because You are faithful and I can take that to the bank. May I too, walk in perk-less faith.

A Tenant in This Tent

03.21.12

1 Corinthians 6.19-20 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. NASB

I don’t know how much time we spend, or ought to spend, on thinking about our bodies. Is that right? Is it bodies or body? Maybe it’s body. Who knows, who cares? The body is the issue here. Ownership is the issue of the body – who owns it? Did we think about that the last time we shoved another Twinkie (right, they don’t make those anymore) in our cake-hole? I wonder. If I could do it, I would put together a photo of two average overweight Americans and entitle it: Graze Anatomy. The things we do to what is in our skin.

Today, as I swilled my 69 cent cup of McCoffee (I think they are secretly giving me senior discounts) I didn’t give much thought to my body and the fact that it’s a temple of the Holy Spirit – that it’s not mine and it was bought with a price. I didn’t think much today about glorifying God in (or with) my body. Did you?

So what does it mean to glorify God in our body? Does it mean take care of it; give it proper rest and nourishment? Does it mean I wash it, and clothe it, and make sure it gets the right kind of physical stress? Does it mean not too much of the wrong kind of stress. Do I use my body to glorify God with my voice in what I say and how my vocal cords are used? Do I use my body to glorify God with my thoughts – thinking things that are pleasing to Him? My body is in one sense a tool to help me accomplish a life for God. That ought to count for something. I couldn’t do much life without it.

And what is a temple anyway? It is a sacred place? Does it have a sacred space? I think the body is all of these things and more. I know it’s a marvel of creation. I cannot think of any mechanical instrument that matches the agility of the human hand in its ability to manipulate (in the truest sense of the word) the smallest objects. The fact that our mind can make our mouth work (and that our mouth can sometimes accommodate our foot, all on its own) – it’s a creative marvel! I can’t speak for you but I will admit, I don’t think about the sacredness of this carcass all that much. Usually about twice a year when I read these verses… But I ought to do it more – after all, twice a year I am reminded that it is a temple of Holy Spirit.

Tonight, I am grateful for the health I have despite the things I have done to God’s property all these years. Lately, I have been thinking about taking a little bit better care of what I live in that doesn’t belong to me. It’s probably about time to quit just thinking and start just doing – after all, I’m only a tenant is this tent. And this tent is the medium God has chosen for me to enjoy the marvel and wonder of this present life; and to get ready for the next.

So I ought to take care of what I have. I need to be careful not to worship it (at my age it isn’t too tough to avoid that), and I really need to have a proactive approach to taking better care of it. I think my first step is to use my knees as prayer-bones and give God thanks and glory for the body He has given me; and then tuck it into bed at about nine or so and let it sleep until about five or so, so that, fully rested, I can go out tomorrow and walk, hand-in-hand, with my Creator throughout the day He’s provided as well…

One Who Chose

03.20.12

Joshua 7.1 1 But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. NASB

You know, the writer of Joshua may have made a mistake: he said the ‘sons’ of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban… It was only Achan wasn’t it? I mean, he was the one who did the deed, not the sons of Israel. So why would the writer make it all-inclusive like the whole bunch sinned? Let’s get back to that in a minute…

If we spin forward to the New Testament and read in 1 Corinthians 5 we see: It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. (Vv.1,2) One guy made the whole bunch guilty because they wouldn’t deal with his sin. Maybe they didn’t know how… or maybe they didn’t think it was such a big deal.

Sin spoils the whole recipe. Sin makes the extraordinary picture mundane. Sin makes the attractive person appear common. Achan’s sin stained all of Israel because Achan took it upon himself to disobey orders; and not just Joshua’s orders, but more importantly, God’s.

And it’s not because God is a spoil-sport, but because God knows the ripple effect of sin in a person’s life – in a family’s life – in a church’s life – in a community’s life – in a state’s life – in a nation’s life – in a globe’s life. Adam was one man, but from him and his one act, all of humanity is judged as sinful. A little leaven leavens the entire batch, not just a small portion.

The lesson for me today is to consider the ripple effect of my choices and live in great respect of what they’ll do. The lesson for me today is to remember that I don’t live isolated in a vacuum and what I choose to do or not to do has an effect on the people around me – my family, my church, my city, state, and nation – and yes, even the world. I can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

And I can be part of the redemptive process as well: in my home, my church and wherever I find myself these days. The world needs those who will step up and live responsibly before their God. That is the calling of the church. And that makes the calling on our lives to live responsibly and accountably even more important: for what we do affects the whole whether we like it, or believe it, or not.

So, the call for me again today is to remember the story of Achan: one who chose. And to remember the story of the Corinthian Church: a church who chose. If we chose to ignore our actions and choose to ignore our responsibility in dealing with the choices of others, we do ourselves a great disservice and perpetuate the vile notion that it’s no big deal. I don’t want to be party to that. Scripture is filled with the repercussions and rewards of those who chose to go one way or the other…

Jesus Knows Me

03.19.12

1 Corinthians 4.4 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. NASB

You know, it isn’t who you know it’s Who knows you – and what they say about what they know. Paul said he wasn’t aware of anything against himself. I’m not aware of anything against me…oops, there goes my nose again! Ah, but Paul the Apostle was a pretty interesting guy. He wasn’t claiming sinless-ness; but he was claiming that even his own testimony and his own clear conscience weren’t enough to clear him of whatever might be floating around out there. Paul could toot his horn all he wanted, but even then, he wasn’t going to use that as any evidence he was who he claimed he was.

Paul’s out (if there was one or he needed one) was: Jesus knows me; if you have a problem with me, take it up with Him. Bold words? Arrogance? Perhaps; but he claimed the judgment of the Lord as his vindication. Big statement! The bottom line Paul was saying, if you want to judge me, judge the Lord; I work for Him. Really big statement!!

I’m amazed at what Paul committed to in his heart. He was saying if you want to judge me, judge Jesus. That is really huge (of course I am always astounded at the things that the apostle said…). Paul placed all of the attention on Jesus. That meant that he was so into the Lord that he was willing to stake his reputation only on the Lord’s reputation. To do that meant to be saying in essence, if you see me, you see the Lord. Now we’re talking massive statement. But Paul was so confident of his standing and calling with the Lord, that he could do that, and say that.

What makes a person sell out to Jesus on that level? What would you or I have to do to sell out like that? Is it possible – I mean for us? Is it something we would even want to do? Is it even worth the effort or investment? Paul certainly seemed to think so… Paul staked his life on it – he staked the Lord’s reputation on it as well. Who do you want to be like? Who do you want to emulate? What effort will you go to, to be able to say, if you see me, you see: _________________ (add a name).

But that is our calling in Christ. That is our responsibility in private and public life. Do I think Paul had bad days? I suppose so; I assume he did. But I also know he was sold out to the point that I think he would scare the bejeepers out of most folks today. I think he scared them out of most folks back then. I think the Corinthians were undone by a lot of the things Paul said to them – but apparently it worked because at some level (See 2 Corinthians) they were willing to deal with some of the thornier issues and try to modify their behavior and beliefs.

As I sit here tonight and think about Paul and Jesus and being sold out, I know I have a way ways to go in order to get where Paul was. My prayer is simply this: Lord Jesus, You know my heart and my soul. I ask that You enable me to live more and more like I think I want to live and less and less the way I live. May I learn to sell out in steps and may what I do be pleasing in Your sight. I’m not Paul but I’d sure like to make progress like he did. That’s my prayer, I leave the answer up to You – amen.

Stand Amidst the Flood

03.18.12

Psalm 37.3-5 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. NASB

This is one of my friend Roger’s favorite verses. (Thanks Roger, thinking about you and praying for you!) It’s one of mine as well. It is a word I needed to hear today. It seems I need to hear a lot these days but that’s an indicator to me that I’m trying to do this in my own strength: fretting and worrying about the future.

David was concerned with leadership – after all, he was called by God to be the king of Israel. Not a bad calling, except that he was called while another guy – Saul – was already king. Kings who are already kings don’t like competition from those who are anointed king and work right down the hall. BTW: David was also concerned with what Saul thought about his calling.

So, David came to the understanding that the only way to survive (literally) the position he was in was to trust in the Lord and do good; to dwell in the land (perhaps here he meant his circumstances) and cultivate (or concentrate on growing in) faithfulness. He felt he needed to delight himself in God so that God would give him the desires of his heart (which may have been the ability to serve Saul fearlessly, loyally, and faithfully). David seemed to make up his mind to commit his way to the Lord and also to trust Him who calls, believing that somehow, God would provide for him.

David had lots to worry about, and lots of good reasons to worry, but he chose instead to trust in God. He knew his calling was real and was genuine and he chose to believe that and leave the results up to God. He had numerous occasions to even kill Saul and grab the throne by force, but something in David made him reject that notion. He seemed to know if he himself did that, somebody else might someday do that to him (like Absalom).

As I stated yesterday in my perspective, the battle isn’t necessarily the battle – it’ what the battle does to me that’s the battle. So my best defense is to learn to give these things over to God and faithfully trust Him to pull me through. Failure might come perilously close at times but for me to commit my way to the Lord and let Him lead means that He will do just that. David said, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” He will see us through.

I admit it: I am a small guy; I worry about small things and let fear shove me around. Today, I read these words and am encouraged that another small-fry, David, chose another way to live and God put his words in a book so I could regularly read them and remember who is really in charge.

So, for the week ahead and for all that I face: Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Amen. In Him, I will stand amidst the flood.

An Ordinary Day in Heaven

03.17.12

Deuteronomy 32.3-4 3 “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! 4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He. NASB

I needed to hear these words in my soul today. I read them on a page but heard them in my soul. After a week like mine, I needed something more than enjoyable conversation with my wife; I needed something more than softly petting the dog and the cat. I needed something more than a break from the routine of work. I needed something that would satisfy and I found it in the ancient words of Deuteronomy with Moses singing: “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

Sometimes, just taking a break is necessary. But even then the break is over and back to the grind we go. But hearing the words, His work is perfect, for all His ways are just – well that reassures me that what He’s doing in my life, despite how I feel, is perfect and just.

A recurring thought I’ve had this week is that the battle is not what I’m currently going through: the battle is keeping the faith. If what I am going through is driving me to greater and deeper faith then it is of infinite benefit to me. If what I am going through increases and intensifies my focus on Jesus, then it is doing perfectly and justly what it was designed for. The battle is the Lord’s, not mine. What I am going through is His to be concerned about, not mine. My battle is to keep Him at the forefront of my heart, soul, and mind with all of my strength. He’ll take care of all the rest. Overcoming is not defeating the battle – the Lord has already done that. Overcoming is finding the spiritual wherewithal to keep my eyes fixed upon the Savior. When I, in faith, do that the battle becomes just another way to celebrate His perfection and justice.

Today’s reading was a crescendo of that truth: “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” How bad could I possibly feel with a statement like that?

Today there are those who are suffering from various maladies from the annoying to the terminal. Today there are those whose lives are being rocked by tragedy and heartbreak. Today there are those facing a very uncertain and daunting future. Moses’ words to us are these: “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!”

No matter what you or I are going through, proclaim the Name of the Lord. Today, whether it’s just annoying or totally terminal, proclaim the Name of the Lord. We can and should do that because He is greater than anything we face and this life is simply a training ground for the next. I might add with humility, the greater the suffering, the greater the calling of God whose ways are just and true: whose Name is Faithful. He is our Reward and He is preparing us for an eternity of adventure, growth, and happiness beyond anything we can describe. The greatest day on earth is but dust on the scales of an ordinary day in Heaven. “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

Avoiding the Slime

03.15.12

Galatians 6.9 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. NASB

Since Paul said, let us not lose heart in doing good, let’s look at what causes us to lose heart in the first place. Before we go there however, I want to share briefly about my day. For one thing, I’d already done my devotions for the day – or so I thought. At about 2:30 pm or so I was beginning to lose heart. I had seven interviews in for the day – not bad by my standards (I shoot for 10). I had one enrollment. Not bad. But boy, was I looking for a way out because I had put a lot of miles on the car in the meantime and been told no a-plenty. I was beginning to get pretty discouraged.

Now, why do we get discouraged and why would Paul posit the reality of losing heart in doing good? The obvious answer is that when we do good (help, pray, encourage, befriend, etc.) we are by nature anticipating something to happen – even to the point of maybe even expecting a thank you or some visible or tangible sign that something of our effort is working. We want to see fruit. And when we don’t see something we naturally tend to think nothing is happening despite our effort. And that is precisely where discouragement begins to grow.

First, if Paul wasn’t concerned about this he wouldn’t have mentioned it; and remember: the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to mention it. God knows who we are and how fallen we are. The reality of discouragement is truly multi-faceted and there are many reasons for it but one of the biggest is our desire to see results and when we don’t, we tend to think it’s all in vain. The result of that kind of thinking leads to wanting to “chuck it” because we to think it just isn’t working.

But God (through the Apostle) is telling us, don’t chuck it, you don’t do good because of what you see, you do good because of who you are and in the long run the result of doing good will reveal itself in blessings you could have in no other way had. Doing good is like putting a small amount of money in the bank each month and seeing that money grow in value over the years that we keep at it. The net result far outweighs the monthly discipline.

So today, tired and frustrated, I kept at it. I was doing good my God, the membership, my prospects, my country, and for myself. And at the end of the day I wound up with three enrollments (that’s the goal) and I came home after a long day of hanging in there happy that I did.

I wish doing good, in the sense that Paul was sharing, was that easy – it’s not. The people- factor precludes that. Sometimes no matter how much good we do the result is still the same slimy person doing the same slimy things. A motive-check at that point might be helpful: just why am I doing what I am doing for this slime-ball? A quick reminder of the reason might help too: because Jesus ...while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2.23-24 NASB) We are healed from our tendency to give up, and we are healed in our tendency to write off a slime-ball as never amounting to anything more than an eternity of being a slime-ball. God doesn’t want us to go there – this former slime-ball attests to that!