Day of Thanks, 11.09.08

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Health. I was just thinking this morning about how I haven't really gotten sick in awhile (which is unusual). Others are not so fortunate. My mother is battling some liver problems now. I have a friend with a broken back. Things could be a lot worse. Thank you, God, for health. May I use it for your glory, and when I am sick, may I never complain about my ailments. Instead, help me to trust in you.

2. The weather. The weather has been beautiful as of late. We got a nice rain on Friday. The leaves are changing and beginning to fall. It's warm enough during the day to enjoy the sunshine, while at night, it's cool enough to sit by a fire or turn the heater on in the car. Thank you, God, for controlling the weather, for giving us the exact circumstances we need, and for making the changing of the seasons so beautiful.

3. Falling gas prices. I passed by a station which had gas for $2.00 today. I plan to fill up this evening on my way back from church. I can't believe that less than 6 months ago gas was twice that expensive. My budget is already tight, and high gas prices hurt me, even as little as I drive. Thank you, God, for giving my wallet a break. Thanks for being in control of the economy and for taking care of my transportation needs. You like taking care of the little things, and for that, I'm thankful.

4. The opportunity to preach tonight. I get to preach during our evening service tonight at church. I teach every week during youth, but I always enjoy getting to bring God's Word to the entire church congregation whenever I am able. Thank you, God, for calling me to preach your Word. Thank you for Ronnie asking me to fill in for him tonight at church. Thank you that your Word is bigger than I can ever be. May you use what I say to bring you glory and to encourage and challenge the body of believers.

5. My computer. As much as I curse the thing for being old, slow, and rather cumbersome, I have a laptop. It allows me to do a lot of work here at the house, and it lets me do things at the church, like present our song lyrics in a sustainable manner (rather than killing trees). It allows me to have internet communication, where I can keep in touch with my friends via email, and it lets me do this blog. Thank you, God for this computer. May you bless it for your work, and may I never use it for any sinful thing. May I watch the amount of time I spend on it, and may I never make it into an idol. I do not want to worship the created things rather than my Creator.

Thank you, God, for these blessings, both significant and trivial. You are God, and you are good.

Psalm Saturday: Psalm 1

I’ve really enjoyed starting this blog and posting regularly. Thank you to everyone who reads it! I hope and pray that my experiences can encourage and challenge you in your walk with Christ. In structuring the blog, I’ve decided to make it a 7 day per week task. Monday through Friday will consist of the usual life-lessons from everyday experiences. From now on, Saturdays will now be known as “Psalm Saturdays,” where we will take a look at a Psalm (or part of one) and apply it to our daily lives. Sundays will now be “Days of Thanks” where I will make a short list of some of the things for which I’ve been particularly thankful that week. I’m making these changes as much for myself as for anyone, but I hope that these new weekend “additions” will encourage you to dive deeper into Scripture and to continually live a life of praise.

Follow Him.
- matt
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Psalm 1

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish
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This Psalm gives us a great illustration related to everyday life. If you have a lawn or a garden, you know that water is essential for its prosperity. If you don’t water your plants, they die, and they produce no fruit. If you live in Georgia, you know what dry, dead plants look like in late July, early August.

God’s word compares us to such plants. The righteous man is like a tree planted by water. It is vibrant, lush, and fruit-bearing. It is a prosperous plant. The wicked man is like nature’s waste. It is dry, dead, and produces nothing worthy of eating. It is a useless and futile plant.

Which plant are we? Do we plant ourselves by the streams of God’s living water, being refreshed, renewed, and nourished by God’s Word, or do we distance ourselves from the Lord, doing things the way that we want to? Do we separate ourselves from the trappings of this world, or do we get caught up in the entangling weeds of sin, which choke us from the spiritual nourishment we need? Is our tree growing upward toward the Lord, soon to be in fellowship with Him, or are we satisfied with no growth whatsoever, receiving our rewards here on the earth?

God’s Word is very clear. He demands righteousness, and righteousness begins and ends with God. We start by feeding ourselves on God and His word, and we end up dwelling in those things forever. On the other hand, if we seek wickedness, that begins and ends with the world. We start by attempting to nourish ourselves on worldly pleasures and lusts, and we end up finding our home here forever, in separation from God and the divine.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a tree to go water.

On Waffle House Signs

I was driving home last night from Columbus along a very uninhabited stretch of I-185. I have traveled this highway too many times to count over the past several years, and it has become very familiar to me, particularly on the 3 hour drive back from visiting my parents in south Georgia. Traffic is never really bad, and it’s not that terrible of a ride. It’s just kind of long and tedious.

It was kind of late last night, just past 9:00 or so, and I was really ready just to get home. It had been a long day, I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and I was pretty tired. David Platt was giving an excellent sermon through my iPod, though, so that made things a lot better. Nevertheless, I was ready to get to the house and eat my calzone that Katie made for me (and it was very good, by the way).

Just when I thought I couldn’t stand driving anymore, I saw it. There, in all its brightness and glory, towering high above the trees off in the distance was my sign of hope—a Waffle House sign. This, however, was no ordinary Waffle House sign. It signified my exit. It meant I was home.

I’ve gotten to the point now where I always look for this particular sign whenever I’m driving back from that direction. I can usually spot the sign about 2 miles away when I come over a hilltop. Every time I see it, it thrills my heart. I must admit, I usually speed up a little bit in my excitement (I guess that’s why they say most wrecks occur within 10 miles of your home…). I am almost home.

This phenomenon is not limited to me or this particular Waffle House, though. These towering signs are at exits all over the place, signaling drivers that there is a place to stop from long hours of driving and enjoy a nice All-Star breakfast special, or just a waffle and water (like I usually do). There’s nothing fancy about Waffle House. It’s just relatively cheap, the food tastes good, and it provides a very unique atmosphere of people in their most genuine form. And even if you don’t stop and eat there, they can symbolize the fact that you’ve reached your destination.

Thinking about this particular sign, I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” That’s what Waffle House does. They set their bright, shining signs high up on the hillsides so that everyone can see them. They don’t put a little sign out front. The things are usually so large, it almost looks tacky. Why do they do that? It’s good advertising. People see the signs, they stop, and they eat a waffle. The signs are an obvious statement of what’s inside.

We should be the same way. We should be living our lives in such a way that people can’t help but see us and think, “Wow. God is in that person. I want some of that.” We should be standing tall, offering satisfaction for the spiritually hungry. We can be a light in the darkness to those who are lost. And to the weary traveler, our light is a symbol of home.

Thank you Waffle House for making good food, be it healthy or not. Thanks for providing a warm friendly atmosphere. Thanks for telling us that we’re home.

And thanks for reminding us that we should do the same things for the people around us.

On the Changing Color of Leaves

Fall is my favorite season of the year, hands down. It took a little while for autumn to develop here this year. It was hot, then it was warm, then we hit this crazy cold snap where it got below freezing all of a sudden. Now, though, the climate has stabilized a little. It’s mild in the day, cool at night, and overall just wonderful weather.

One of my favorite things about fall is when the leaves change color. I’ve loved this ever since childhood. I know this seems rather trite, but to me it’s the most beautiful time of the year. I love walking through woods or sitting by the lake this time of year. Even if I don’t have the time to do that, I just enjoy looking at the trees through the window as I drive around town or sit at my desk in my offices (yes, I have 2 – welcome to the world of part-time jobs).

In thinking about the chlorophyll pigments of the leaves, I realized why fall took so long to for them to mature into full color this year. They had to go through that first cold spell. As soon as we hit that really cold week, the leaves changed almost immediately. Now, we’re blessed with an awesome array of color and beauty.

Why does that happen? Why does it have to get really cold for the leaves to change? The answer – when the leaves change color, they are in fact dying. They cannot endure the winter and live. They produce the beautiful pigments only when their life begins fades away.

Our life is the same way. We ask God to bless us and bring us closer to him or use us in a mighty way, and it seems like nothing happens. Then all of a sudden, God places us in the middle of a trial or difficult situation. It is in these “cold snaps” of life, that God can really mold us and make us into the people he wants. Until we emerge from those hard times, we can’t live up to our full potential. Until we die to ourselves, God can’t shine through us.

This principle is present throughout Scripture. Job endured some of the most difficult circumstances any person has ever gone through, and he emerged at the end of that period closer to God and with more tangible blessings. Joseph went through a time of slavery and confusion and came out of that situation as the second in command of the most powerful empire on earth at the time. The best example of this is Jesus. He endured the pain and suffering of the cross, experienced death, and then rose again 3 days later in the glory of the resurrection. Now he’s seated at the right hand of God in heaven. In all of these situations, something had to die so that beauty could be fully experienced, whether it be possessions, pride, selfish ambitions, or the flesh itself. And when death occurred, God emerged in ultimate beauty.

The leaves are in full splendor now, because they’re dying. We can be full of glory too, if we die.

No it’s not easy, but death sure can be beautiful.

On Walking to Work

For the most part, I usually walk to work every day. I’ll drive if it’s raining, or if I have somewhere to be as soon as I get off work, but I try to walk if I can help it. I am fortunate in the respect that my job is only less than half a mile from my place of residence, and it only takes me about 5-7 minutes to walk there every day (this time is dependent upon several factors—Am I late? Is it cold? How many squirrels distract me during my walk? Did I forget something? How excited am I about work that day?...etc.). Either way, it’s not far at all.

It’s a nice walk, down a block through my neighborhood, through a nice little wooded area along a sidewalk, and then I’m there at work. There’s even a little bench by some steps in the wooded area in case I get winded from my arduous journey. The other day someone even left me an oatmeal cream pie (still in the wrapper, mind you) sitting on the bench. I decided to leave it for the next passerby.

I try to ride my bike sometimes as well, going to class in the evenings at the college. It’s about a mile away or so, if that, but I take the back streets so I can avoid traffic. This trip is a little tougher because of all the steep hills, but I get where I’m going in a reasonable time (although I’m pretty winded by the time I walk in the library).

I travel to these places without driving for a couple of reasons. First of all, it saves gas and money. That’s a no-brainer. Secondly, it’s healthy (unless I eat that oatmeal pie that’s sitting on the bench—I might grab it today). Thirdly, I really enjoy the trips. It allows me to slow down and appreciate nature and my surroundings more than if I was in my vehicle. And lastly, I think it’s what Jesus would do.

Now, before you start screaming “But I can’t walk where I need to go! It’s too far! I have to carry stuff in my car! I’m on a time crunch!” let me say that I understand. However, I think we miss out on a lot of things by traveling in our cars by ourselves all of the time. Yes it is necessary sometimes. I have to drive to the church everyday to work up there. But is it necessary all the time? Do you really have to drive everywhere you go?

If you look at Jesus’ life, he did a lot of ministry when he was walking to or through different towns? Why? Because he could actually talk to people. Let us hypothesize for a moment. If Jesus were driving around in a nice car for instance, trying to get to the next town as quick as he could, would he have had the opportunity to heal as many people as he did? Probably not. Would he have been able to stop at the mountainside and give us the Sermon on the Mount? I don’t think so. See where I’m going? Jesus created opportunities for ministry because he interacted with people as he was travelling.

I understand that driving is necessary sometimes. Our cities, jobs, families, and churches are further apart than they were in Jesus’ day. However, we have alternatives. Consider carpooling. It’s a great way to build relationships with others. If you live in a large city, ride a bus or another form of public transportation system. There are hundreds of broken people in those places every day. And if at all possible, take your time and walk.

It’ll help you experience God and experience people.

On People and Presidents

I voted this morning. I have my little peach sticker to prove it. Honestly, the whole experience was rather intimidating. Who I voted for is not the subject of this post. Instead, I’d like to share some of my thoughts regarding my voting experience.

When I voted, I stood in line for 15 minutes (I was fortunate). I handed my little registration card to a woman who gave me a little yellow key-card. I then had a conversation with a woman about our local college football team for a couple of minutes. I got an angry look from the woman in charge when I didn’t immediately step up to the next vacant booth (I wasn’t sure if the machine was ready or not…after all, I didn’t want to be the guy that screwed up the election results by causing a machine breakdown). I stepped up to the machine and felt like everyone was watching me because there was no curtain like you always see on TV. And then I voted.

Standing there before that touch screen, I had an overwhelming sense of anxiety. After all, I was helping to determine who would run our country for the next four years. Sure, I voted in Georgia (which I think will be hard-pressed to swing from a “red” to a “blue” state—for better or for worse). Nevertheless, my vote counts.

Then I started thinking about stuff. In America, we think we have so much power and control over everything that goes on. We’ve been bred to believe that we are in the driver’s seat in all of the occurrences of the world. But we’re not. Not at all.

The Bible is very clear on the fact that God is ultimately in control of everything, including who rules a nation. Daniel 2:20-21 says, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings….” God brought in the Medes and the Persians to overthrown the Babylonian Empire. He hardened the heart of Pharaoh against the people of Israel. If we take the Bible literally, God has done exactly what Daniel 2 says – establish governments.

I don’t want to get into a debate over free will, predestination, or whether or not our prayers mean anything if God’s already written things in stone. For that, I refer you to C.S. Lewis who argues that these things are irrelevant because God does not occupy time as we do; thus, he does not operate on our time table (Screwtape Letters).

We do, however, need to realize that God is ultimately in control. Regardless of how people vote, who gets in office next year, whether or not or our country goes bankrupt, or we get nuked by some other country—God is ultimately in control. He always has been. He always will be. He will never forsake us, and he will never let us go from the palm of his hand—even if we make stupid decisions.

And standing there in front of a voting booth, being reminded of that thought, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable.

On Homework

Some of my biggest fears in life have always concerned homework. Yeah, I was that guy who would always ask everyone else in the class if we had anything due five minutes before class began. It’s not like I could do anything about it if there was an assignment and I forgotten about it. I wouldn’t have time to complete it anyway (although I got pretty good at doing my French homework in less than 5 minutes….).

Forgetting to do homework wasn’t the only thing I stressed about, though. I was always afraid I was going to leave a project at home or lose a paper that was due. I remember a particular case of this phobia when I was in first grade. I had forgotten to get my spelling test signed by my parents, so I had to sit out five minutes for recess. I bawled. I was terrified. I was a horrible student. My career as the “good kid” in school was now done. All the teachers at school would view me as a horrible student now. I would never live up to my brother’s legacy as the perfect kid. Yep, I really thought that. I can still picture the moment in my head. Well, the teacher let me go to recess anyway. Either she felt sorry for me, she thought I had psychological problems, or she just got tired of me crying like a sissy. I’m not really sure, but I got to enjoy recess for the day, and all the cute girls in class felt sorry for me. It was great.

My fear of not doing my homework has always been significant. It makes me wonder, though, why I am not nearly as concerned about doing the tasks that God requires of me. No, God doesn’t give us grades or sit us out for recess, but he is extremely disappointed when we don’t do what he asks us to do. Our assignments aren’t that crazy. He doesn’t make us all write books or come up with these elaborate schemes to save the world. He simply gives us a few commands, most namely, to love him with all of our being and to love the people that are around us. That’s pretty much it. Yes, there are other things that go along with it, but if we do those two tasks, everything else will fall into place as well.

If we don’t do those assignments God doesn’t fail us in life, and God’s grace does cover our shortcomings. However, we will have to give an account before him one day of all the things we have done. Yes, our misdeeds and failures will be covered by the blood of Jesus, but they are still there. God requires holiness of us. He wants our love. He is a jealous God.

Today, I can’t find any of my assignments for tonight’s class. It’s stressing me out. I have to have this project done by 3:00 and I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do yet. Talk about being worried. But at the same time, right now I’m a lot more concerned about my spiritual assignments. Have I done what God wants me to do today?

I’m afraid I’ve got some homework to finish, in more ways than one.