Strengthen Your Hands

Having spent time this past Sunday in the book of Nehemiah, I am reminded again this morning of the response of the people as Nehemiah presented the huge task at hand of rebuilding the wall.  The Word of God says in Nehemiah 2:18, "And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, 'Let us rise up and build.' So they strengthened their hands for the good work." In the last month here in Louisiana, I would venture to say that hands have done things they may have never done before. I made a list below of both the ways I have personally had to strengthen my hands or the ways I have watched others strengthen their hands for the good work around them. Perhaps you too can very much relate. Do you remember...

• grabbing hold of the hand of someone in need of rescue from the forceful flood waters?
• gripping a hand of someone rescuing you from the evacuation of your own home?
• squeezing the hand of a stranger who offered a helping hand?
• shaking the hand of a stranger of whose hand you helped?
• wiping the tears flowing from your eyes as you saw the daunting task of so many around you?
• wiping the tears streaming from your eyes as you stood overwhelmed by the daunting task of demoing your own home?
• sorting countless donations to setup for those in need?
• shuffling through countless donations to gather belongings to meet your need?
• yielding a hammer to begin the sheetrock removal of homes invaded with flood waters of varying heights?
• yanking up flooring where you once gathered in your living room for laughter and love?
• Facebooking need after need in hopes of someone being able to help?
• flipping through the pages of Scripture to feast on the Word before beginning another day?
• joining hands together as you positioned yourself for prayer with strangers around you?
• juggling numerous tasks at once for the hope to remain mold-free?
• dragging waterlogged belongings to the curb?
• delivering meals to friends, family and strangers hard at work?
• blowing up air mattresses for those displaced staying in your home?
• bringing cases of water from site to site to quench the thirst of those overcome by the heat?
• opening the tailgate of a friend's truck to transport belongings because your truck was totaled in the flood?
• offering to take the handles of the wheel barrow so someone could take a rest?

And the list could go on and on.  Looking back on August, I feel as if this was the longest month.  But even saying that, I can't imagine what this month has felt for those overcome by the disaster which swept through so suddenly.  

So indiscriminately. 

So overwhelmingly.

Yet, I sit here on September 1 and wonder what still lies ahead.  For what other tasks and good works will I need to strengthen my hands?  What is coming for your hands to accomplish?  And as those answers come, may you be reminded continually of the work our Savior's hands accomplished...so to the point of still carrying the scars from the loving, atoning work He finished to the end.

I don't know how long September will feel, but I know the events of August will still continue to loom nonetheless.  May you today, ask God to help you strengthen your hands for the good works He has laid before you.  And, may His joy consume you as you persevere.  

4Hisfame.

Pull the Emergency Brake!

Driving home from vacation this past weekend gave me quite a bit of "windshield time," as a friend once identified it.  This time simply involved staring into the vast sky and admiring its beauty, while at the same time, continually pumping the brakes because of the tumultuous holiday traffic overwhelming the interstate.  I found my mind consumed with the reality of heading back into "reality."  The full calendar of events December brings.  The battle against materialism that ensues.  The constant reminder to "Keep Christ in Christmas."

And that is where I camped out in the perplexing array of my thoughts - what does it even mean to "Keep Christ in Christmas?"  Don't use an X and write out Christ in Christmas?  Make sure to have a nativity set on display during the season?  Say "Merry Christmas" instead of the more general appeal of "Happy Holidays?"

I tend to believe that at least preachers mean it to remind us that it would be easy to lose our focus on the One for Whom the celebration of the season revolves.  The One Who left the glory of Heaven to become a helpless babe, born in the most humble of circumstances to one day grow and die the most humble of deaths as the Shepherd laying His life down for His sheep.  How does He remain a focus for us?  

Some attempt to tell us that we need to "slow down."  I admire the sentiment and understand the suggestion.  However, if you are like me, my calendar doesn't get extra days added to slow down the pace at which I run in the holidays.  There is always another event that one feels obligated to attend.  Another run to the grocery.  Another family gathering.  Another gift to buy.  Another text to make.  Another call to take.  The same amount of hours in a day to accomplish more in this time of year than potentially any other.  And it's supposed to be "jolly?!"  So, how?  How do we slow down?

I think the suggestion should shift from "slowing down" to simply making an attempt to STOP at times.  Diligently scheduling blocks of time where we can protect a time to keep Christ as focus.  To engage with the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords in fellowship with His Word and Spirit.  To plead with Him to aid us in focusing less on ourselves and more on Him and others.  To insist that continued devotion expressed to Him actually brings JOY in the midst of the season.  To enjoy Him.  

Wow.  

What a concept.  To ENJOY our Maker.  To bask in His character. To relish in HIs Truth.  To rest in His sovereign grace and purposes.

So, STOP instead of slow down.  Intentional times of pause.  I think about how often we use our brakes to slow us down while driving forward through the terrain of life.  Yet, how often do we use our emergency brake?  Whenever we need to park and protect our vehicles from back-sliding.  Perhaps this is the word picture we need to help us this time of year.  That we schedule a break, pull over in the hustle of life, and utilize the emergency brake to help us ensure a COMPLETE stop - instead of sliding back into the attitude we despise, rest to obtain an attitude we desire.  Perhaps then we can honor the words spoken by the Psalmist in Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Friend, I feel the need to declare that I LOVE this time of year.  I LOVE honoring the birth of my Savior.  I LOVE the Christmas cheer of carols and colors.  I LOVE the enjoying of family and the giving of gifts.  But to survive it in a way that truly honors God, I believe its not just about slowing down, it is about taking time to completely BE STILL and KNOW He is God.

May you be able to "deck the halls with boughs of holly" as your heart stays steadfastly focused on the Giver of Life, God Almighty, Lover of your soul.

Merry Christmas.  Truly.  Merry.  CHRISTmas.

4Hisfame.

Joy in the Moment

While driving the family van the other day, I had a beautiful experience with my middle and oldest sons.  My mind was preoccupied with a thousand to-do's, concerns, and prayer needs.  Selfish wants.  Praises here and there.  Thoughts on my Maker were rare in this particular outing.  I felt a heaviness in my spirit.  How to accomplish it all?  How to remember to pray for this and that?  And so forth.  My mind was going way faster than the van.

But then the Holy Spirit worked.  Many people say God doesn't force Himself upon us.  I tend to disagree.  I believe the Maker has the right to invade the lives of those He has made when and how He chooses.  As was this moment.  The Spirit had me look up into my rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of something special.

Joy.  Fantastic joy.  

Where?

On the faces of my two boys.  They were smiling and radiating with something that was very foreign to my thought processes during that drive.  The view was so stunning that it forced me to stop focusing on me (because essentially that was what was happening) and to take in the moment.

Out of the speakers blared a song from the movie the boys were watching - whereby an animal was being saved.  People were happy and emotional in the movie (I wasn't watching it - I have just seen it before - I do try to be a safe driver :).

And it was contagious.  And my boys were expressing that reality of joy that life was precious.  That great things are taking place.  That life is not all bad (although we live in a fallen world - God is still working redemption through the fabric of history).

They didn't see me watching, but I just stared.  In awe.  They were tapping into something at the ages of five and seven that I was choosing to ignore at thirty-six.  And because of their smiles, I experienced joy also.

It was contagious.  These two precious gifts that God had given me are a source of expressing joy by the Spirit within me.  I mean, as Paul wrote in Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."  And man, does God give us reason after reason to abound in hope by the overwhelming joy and peace we have in believing in Christ!
 
And then...the thought came rushing in:

Do others experience joy when they look at me?  Am I a contagious source of joy for others to experience Jesus?

Conviction.  Yet, comforting.  I get to play a part in my Maker's plan to display the reason for joy, the source for joy.  Jesus Himself.  No matter the to-do's.  The wants.  The busy thoughts.  I get to express the ONE worth experiencing - and this holds such eternal ramifications.  I want JOY Himself to be displayed in me.  And when others see, may they too sense the contagiousness of His joy in my life. Through my life.  In spite of my life.

And with that, I looked back to the road ahead.  Still driving.  Still thinking.  But now...smiling.