(Open your Bibles, and read for yourselves all of the “lost” parables in Luke 15.  In these three parables, Jesus does no less than sum up the gospel.)

Yesterday, I LOST BARNABAS, my 4 1/2-month-old Old English Sheepdog puppy! (He’s the big one in the picture, if you can’t figure that out.) He was in the house, and then I discovered he wasn’t! I knew something was wrong when I got crushed ice out of the side of the refrigerator, and Barnabas didn’t come running. He loves to eat that ice!

I panicked! When I took him out earlier, did I completely close that door? I was frantically walking all around the house, calling his name. Then I began texting neighbors, who came out to help. My son Greg rode up on his motorcycle about that time, and he joined the search party. I came back in and scoured the house several times, praying with all my might. No Barnabas. I posted it on Facebook, and people began praying, sharing, and some even came out to help us look. Then, I got a wonderful text from Greg: “Come home. I have Barnabas.” Thank You, Lord! That was a terrible, awful experience! I love my animals, and the thoughts of my beloved boy being lost was way more than I wanted to think about!

After I calmed down some, I was reflecting on the experience of something you value being lost. “Lost” is a pretty common word in Christianese. But “lost” is a word the Jesus used intentionally, and I believe He chose it because of how He feels when someone is lost. The way this doggie mom was feeling pales in comparison.

Jesus chose that word in a series of parables he told when the Scribes and Pharisees were criticizing Him for hanging out with the sinners, whom they found despicable.  Jesus was prone to do that – turn a controversial conversation into a metaphorical story, a parable.  Rather than argue with them, He’d just keep His cool and tell a story.  In this case, He told three of them.  He must have known these folks needed the message repeated at least that many times for it to have any chance of sinking into their little religious, judgmental minds.

He told the story of a shepherd who lost a sheep, and that shepherd left the other animals he was tending and went into all kind of danger himself to find the precious lost one and bring him back.  Jesus also related the story of a woman who had lost a precious coin, probably a part of her wedding jewelry, according to people who know the customs of the day better than I.  She searched and searched the house, and when she found that coin, she called in the neighbors for a celebration.  Then Jesus told the famous story of the lost son – actually the lost sons, for neither understood the love of the Father. This story also ended in a celebration when the wayward young man came home.

One story after another centered around the theme of lost and found.  Think about this with me for a moment.  If you misplace something that you don’t care about, you blow it off.  “It’ll show up – or not.  No big deal.”  But if something you really value goes missing – that’s when you say that something is lost.  You turn the place upside down looking for it. You comb the neighborhood! Even worse, what if a precious child went missing? Oh, my heavens, your world would cease to spin!  You would do everything you could possibly do to search until you brought that precious child home. That’s the feeling experienced by the Good Shepherd. That is the intensity of the lost  in Jesus’ stories.  

Jesus was telling the Pharisees in no uncertain terms how fiercely He loved the lost. That’s why He was hanging out with them.  His love for them was so astoundingly intense that He would do absolutely anything to bring them home.  And ultimately, He did just that.  He did the ultimate. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

I grew up in a church in which “the lost” was used frequently to describe those who had not been “saved.”  I’m glad we used that term, for it was accurate.  However, what I was not taught (or didn’t get) was the depths of the meaning of that word “lost” when it came out of Jesus’ mouth in reference to people.  He loves us all so much, He will move heaven and earth to find each one of us and bring us home! This is true whether we actually belong to Him and have wandered away or whether we’ve never experienced first-hand the joy of being a part of the family of God.

If you are praying for a loved one or friend who is still lost,  take comfort in the fact that the Lord intensely loves that individual more than you do.  He will stop at nothing to show Himself and His Love to that individual, beautifully wooing him or her into a relationship beyond compare. This Lord of ours, He really Loves the lost. And when He finds them and brings them home, a big party will break out on earth and in heaven!

The lost – found!

Jesus, You amaze me with Your Love and Your commitment to those You Love!  I trust that You are at work, drawing us in closer and closer to You.  And thank You for helping us find my Barnabas!

Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5: 9)

Jesus said, “Peacemakers are blessed!”  However, obtaining that particular blessing may not be as easy as it sounds.  Some mistake “peacekeeping” for “peacemaking.”  So what’s the difference?

Peacekeepers try not to rock the boat. They tend to avoid conflicts, thinking that if you just don’t talk about it or look at it, it will go away. Anything of significance rarely disappears on its own, but rather it tends to fester and grow.

It’s like the untreated injury from a fall into the rocks and dirt. If you just leave all that debris and dirt in there, simply ignoring it or putting a band-aid over it without cleaning it, infection is the likely result. The same is true in relationships. Continuing to “stuff it” and pretend can produce some raging relationship infections.

“Keeping the peace” rarely does, for two reasons. One, as resentments grow and become more intense, they may result in an explosion where words are said that are regretted and difficult to take back. (Then the peacekeeper resolves to just keep her/his mouth shut from now on, and the cycle starts all over again.) A second possibility is that the peacekeeper does stay quiet, but gradually as the problems are not addressed, he/she withdraws more and more. Neither explosions nor emotional distance, both of which can ultimately destroy a relationship, keep the peace.

In contrast to peacekeeping is peaceMAKING. Peacemaking is an active process, one that requires two elements in order to be done effectively.

1. Courage.

It’s scary sometimes to get up the nerve to talk with a person about an issue that’s bothering you. What if he got mad? What if she didn’t like me anymore? And yet, the scripture gives us clear instructions about how to handle it when someone is doing something that is harming you. (Matthew 18: 15) Rather than talking behind the person’s back, instead of seething inside, in place of just pulling away – Jesus said, “Go talk to the person about it.”

Think through what you want to say. Be ready to describe what happened and how it has affected you. Have an open heart to hear how you may have contributed or what the person’s true intent was. But ask Good for the courage to have such a two-way conversation.

To do this successfully, another attitude must be present.

2. Respect.

Sometimes when you finally get the courage to talk about an issue, you are so fed up that the words come out less than kindly. Prepare what you want to say, then “breathe,” pray, and ask God to help you give the respect you would like to get. Attacks, put-downs, and sarcasm will get you nowhere in really resolving a problem. Paul writes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4: 29) Check your heart. If your purpose is to “get” the other person, you will not come from a place of respect.

Respectfully share your thoughts, be open to listen, then collaboratively work out an action plan for the future. If the other person is unwilling to do so, then ask God for your next steps in dealing with the person, still maintaining a guard over your own heart to see that no bitterness takes root.

In that same letter to the Ephesians, Paul summed up what it really takes to be a peacemaker: “Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him Who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 15) Speaking the truth requires courage; doing it in love is fueled by respect. May this verse be written all over our hearts.

Oh, Lord, help me to find the part of me who wants real relationships deeply enough to be honest.  Teach me how to give respectful behavior to all, even in those heated times when they don’t reciprocate.  Lord, I am willing to do all within my power to really resolve conflicts rather than just ignoring them and hoping they will go away. I’m going to need You in it.  I’m really going to need you.

Read this story in Daniel 3.

Yesterday, I related to you the inspiring story found in Daniel 3 in which 3 young Israeli men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow down to Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s 90-foot golden idol, and he tossed them into the fiery furnace. If you missed that, please read it before continuing to read this post – either on yesterday’s blog or in Daniel 3 itself.

But what does this story have to do with you and me? Plenty! The events recorded in the Bible were selected to provide examples and lessons as current as today’s newspaper – or better, today’s prayers. This amazing account is no exception.

Before we look at the secrets embedded in the experiences of these three faithful men, let’s pause and realize that no matter what we are going through right now, no matter the “topic” of our own fiery trials, these guys would have been able to relate. Their entire national population had been taken as slaves into a strange land. They had been separated from their loved ones. Their old customs were no longer workable in this “foreign place.”

Have you been there? Something happens in your life, and the “land where you are now living” is foreign to you? Then, like these 3 men, just when you thought it couldn’t get worse…well, you know. For them, they were actually thrown into a blazing furnace. You may not have felt the heat of actual furnace flames, but you probably would not be reading this if you had not walked through some hot fires yourself. So the experiences of these guys were not given to be just a cool story, but for our personal instruction and encouragement.

So what can we learn when we examine their experiences? I see within the story 5 secrets for not only making it “through the fire,” but actually coming out stronger on the other side.

1. Though they had been through tragedy, they made the most of where they were.

Do you think that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had planned, hoped, and dreamed about being in Babylon? Far from it. This was their worst nightmare. But they chose, right where they were, to honor God and to perform with excellence. They knew who they were, even where they had been taken against their will.

Action: Do all you can with all you have – where you are right now.

2. They honored commitments to God and themselves, even when they had every circumstantial excuse available to them.

These three Israelites could have easily made excuses. They could have shirked their resposibilities in the palace, assuring themselves that it was OK not to do their best for this pagan king. When faced with the choice of bowing to an idol or dying, they certainly could have said, “God understands that our lives are in danger here. He knows our hearts, so we could just pretend to bow down.” But they did none of that. They stood for their beliefs and held to their commitments. They had convictions, and a conviction is a decision already made.

Acton: Stand for your God-given convictions, and honor your commitments.

3. They trusted God and walked with Him, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Their level of trust in God was amazing. They boldly asserted that their God would rescue them from the fire, and they added in faith that even if He did not, they would still trust Him. The tag line statement did not subtract from their full belief that God was both able and willing to rescue them. Rather, it was an exclamation point to their affirmation of complete trust in God, even when they did not understand their circumstances.

Action: Trust in God’s Love, no matter what.

4. They emerged stronger, trusting God even more because of His faithfulness to see them through.

Because God had walked with them in the furnace, these men came out unscathed. Their skin and their clothes were intact, their body hair was unsinged, and they did not even give off the smell of smoke.

Some people emerge from adversity “stinking” because they become bitter against people and against God. Others emerge with a greater belief in God’s faithfulness, a deeper compassion for others, and a greater sense of purpose. These are the ones who, like the 3 men in this story, have chosen to totally rely on God, staying intimate with Him through the roughest of times. Though they may have experienced deep grief from a significant loss, they have not lost hope for the future. They know that no matter how hot the furnace, God is faithful to see them through.

Action: Choose to refuse bitterness and to embrace God’s Love and Hope.

5. As they walked with God through the fire, they shed the things that had bound them.

Did you notice that while their clothes were not touched by the flames, something was missing? They went in bound and “tied up,” but by the time Nebuchadnezzar peered into the furnace and saw FOUR walking around, those encumbrances were missing. The scripture says that they emerged from the fire walking, unbound.

Have you observed that times of extreme adversity are some of your most dramatic spiritual growth spurts? Amost immediately, you gain the startling realization of what is really important, and you shed your focus on irrelevant distractors. You examine yourself in the Light of the Holy Spirit and make deeper commitments to do it God’s way. As you walk this trial out in faith and utter dependence (at least in part because you don’t know what else to do!), you learn more about Who God really is and His Love and faithfulness to you. When you come to the end of your rope with respect to the consequences of a negative or addictive habit, you finally acknowledge your powerlessness and cry out for God’s help and empowerment.

Clearly, there are blessings in adversity. That’s why Paul tells us, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

Action: When you’re going through a trial, pray for wisdom about yourself and the courage and strength to change for the better.

Jesus reminded us that He gives us “Shalom,” (peace, total wellbeing, health) in the midst of adversity. He said, “These things I have spoke unto you, that in Me you might have peace (Shalom). In this world, you will have tribulation, but take courage (be of good cheer), for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“My Lord, You know that my life is very hard sometimes. Teach me to trust You, to depend on You, to listen to You, and to honor you in the most difficult of times. I choose to rest in Your amazing Love.”

When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43: 2-3)

Every single one of us either has had, is having, or will have the experience of “walking through the fire.” “The fire” is a trial for which there is no immediate relief circumstantially. However, there can definitely be peace in the midst of it that defies human explanation.

The entire Biblical account of this series of events is fascinating. I invite you to read it for yourself in Daniel 3. Contained in it are at least 5 important insights for each of us when we find ourselves in a place that is confusing, overwhelming, or even life-threatening. Because of the length of the story, I’ll just tell it today, then tomorrow we’ll explore those 5 secrets to going through the fire and coming out stronger on the other side, based on the experiences of 3 young men who found themselves in a very scary situation.

First, let’s set the stage by understanding that these guys – Daniel and his 3 friends, (who had been renamed in Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) had already gone through a very difficult experience. Israel had been taken into captivity by Babylon. Their entire nation had been forcefully taken into a foreign country, with customs and spiritual practices that were strange and disgusting to God’s chosen people. That was hard enough.

King Nebuchadnezzar then wisely asked for the best of the best young Israeli men to be brought to his court for training and service. Daniel and his three friends were identified as the cream of the crop. These young men demonstrated their wisdom, insight, learning ability, and most importantly, their commitment to their God. God gave them, especially Daniel, favor with the King. However, this did not make them popular with the Babylonian “wise men.” Can you imagine their jealousy of these Israelite slaves who were given important places in the king’s “board of advisors?”

On this particular occasion, these jealous Babylonians went and tattled to the king that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego were not bowing down to the huge image of gold (90 feet tall) that the king had constructed and decreed that all would worship. This really ticked Nebuchadnezzar off. Raging, he summoned the three Israelites and demanded to know why they were not bowing to his gods. He told them that if they did not fall down and worship his big statue, he was going to throw them into a blazing furnace.

Nope, that didn’t make a bit of difference to them. No way were they going to bow to anyone but the one true God. Here’s what they said about it: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king , that we will not serve your gods or worshp the image of gold you have set up.” (v. 16-18)

Holy moly! Now that’s some commitment and some trust in God! They chose to maintain that commitment, no matter what it cost them. They stated their full belief that God would rescue them – but they boldly added, no matter what happens, we will remain true to our God. Do I have that kind of commitment? Do you?

Well, anyway, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not score points with the King by their commitment to God. Enraged, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace-tenders to make the fire seven times hotter than before. The fire temp was controlled by the number of bellows pumping air into the fire chamber. They opened up seven of them, then they tied those 3 guys up and tossed them right in. Problem was, the fire was so hot, it took out the tossers, burning them up right then and there. Now that’s some hot flames! What on earth must it be like inside that furnace?

Well, actually things are quite well, thank you. When the king looked in, he almost fainted. Instead of three tied-up crispy critters, he saw four men walking around, unharmed and unbound. And the king exclaimed, “That fourth man looks like a son of the gods.” (OK, well the king still didn’t get the real God, one God thing, but he know something very strange was going on – clearly a miracle. And he was gaining a whole new respect for this God they had been talking about.) It was not possible to walk through a fire with that kind of heat and not be burned up by it – or was it? And is it also possible for you and me today?

The king then spoke directly to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, commanding them to come on out. Interesting that he addressed them as “servants of the Most High God.” He had not given up his belief in other gods, but he knew that no god of his could match what their God had just done for them. When the three men came out, they were in fine shape -no burns, no hair singes, their clothing intact. They walked out on their own without any trouble at all.

When God demonstrates His love and power, even the most pagan have to take notice. Nebuchadnezzar gave blessings to the Israelites’ God, who had “delivered His servants who put their trust in Him.” He then ordered that no one in the land would speak anything offensive about the Israelites’ God, adding that if they did, they’d be “torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap.” OK, so the king was a work in progress. He hadn’t caught onto that “love thing” yet either.

I know this has been long, but I think before it’s over, you’ll be glad we took a deeper look at this familiar story. Its powerful relevance to each of us when we are “in a fiery furnace” will become more obvious as we explore it further. I invite you in preparation for our discussion tomorrow to examine the account to discover for yourself the principles that are at work. I’ll share 5 of the ones I see – manana.

Lord, I thank You that there’s no situation I can experience that You are not with me, seeing me through it to come out even stronger on the other side.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!(Galatians 1: 6-8)

Then Paul goes on to explain to the Galatians what the “other gospel” is.

Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2: 16)

I remember back in my childhood in Sunday night “Training Union,” we had to ‘fess up to “how good a Christian” we had been that week by marking on a sheet of paper whether we had read our Bibles every day and prayed every day, (Miss a day, no check mark. Bad Christian.  At least that’s the way it felt to me.) There were some other criteria, too, but I especially remember those because I was constantly struggling to measure up by doing it perfectly. Though I’m sure the creators of this method meant well, they sent a very wrong message to impressionable young minds.

I still have some residue from that, I’m afraid.  If I miss a day writing in my prayer journal, though I pray that morning, I feel something is missing. I have to search my heart to see if I simply miss that meaningful method of communication with God or if I am flirting with “performance” as a way of earning God’s approval and my own.

Making spiritual practices daily and habitual is a good thing.  Feeling somehow “less than” if you miss one – well, that’s edging over into “another gospel” territory.

How about you?  Do you stretch yourself to the max, trying to be all and do all and please all – others, God, and yourself?  At the end of a day when you have “done some good deeds,” do you go to sleep feeling as if you are more accepted by God today than yesterday when you didn’t do much?  In short, has  the notion of “justification by faith” slowly morphed into “justification by works?”

Never let it be so!

Only Jesus did it perfectly, and only He ever will on this earth.  If it depends on mine and your performance to “get us in,” we are in some sad trouble.  At the cross, Jesus made a great exchange!  He swapped His performance for mine and yours! When we come to rest at the end of the day, God no more accepts us when we’ve spent the day feeding the poor than He does on a day when we’ve vegged out on the sofa.  Not that vegging is the way to live a life!  But God loves you the same on that couch as when you’re out doing ministry.

We are justified, made right with God, by faith in Christ.  After that happens, yes, we want to serve, we want to give, and we want to live our lives purposefully.  But we don’t serve, give, and live purposefully in order to be accepted.  .

It’s absolutely important not to get the cart before the horse.

.My faith is in You, Lord.  ONLY in what You have done can I come into God’s presence.  ONLY You withiin me can serve right and live right.  Please nudge me when “religion” tries to sneak into the intimacy of our relationship, Lord. 

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.  In ALL your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.  (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

I love this Proverbs 3: 5-6 passage.  When I was a little girl, this was one part of the message my Dad wrote to me when I asked him to sign my autograph book.  (Some of you remember autograph books.)  He was very ill with cancer at the time, and he passed away not long afterward. He knew how sick he was.  His selection of this scripture to leave with me indicated that he saw it as no less than a roadmap for a successful life.  I would agree.

However, as I was thinking about the passage, a little 3-letter word jumped off the mental page at me.  That word is ALL.  All?  All is a very big word.

I thought about that old hymn we sang hundreds of times in church as I grew up.  It was a song so familiar that we took the words for granted – singing away usually without considering the gravity of the commitment.

All to Jesus, I surrender. All to Him, I freely give.  I will ever love and trust Him.  In His presence daily live.  I surrender all.  I surrender all.  All to Thee, my blessed Savior.  I surrender all.  

So as that old hymn rang out in my heart and as I pondered Proverbs 3, I asked myself a few questions. My own answers are between God and me. Maybe these questions will be catalysts for some necessary conversation between you and the Lord as well.

1.  Are there any places in my mind or heart that I hold back from God?
2. No matter what happens, do I trust God completely?
3. Am I surrendering every single one of my plans to Him?
4. Do I hold all my material possessions lightly, knowing willingly that I may be called to give them away to someone in greater need than I am?
5. Do I struggle to keep things in control – my control?
6. Do I fully recognize that it’s His wisdom – not my education, training, or “smarts” – that will show me what to do in any situation?
7. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of all of me?

~~~

O, Lord, when I meditate on Your challenge to trust You with all my heart and to give You first place in all my ways, I realize that I cannot accomplish that kind of surrender on my own.  Holy Spirit, I want to, but I need You to inspire me and draw to Yourself those parts of me that don’t want to.  I belong to You, O God.  Teach me to trust You in all things and to yield to You all that I am and have.  

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His Face continually [longing to be in His presence]. (I Chronicles 16: 11, The Amplified Bible)

How can it be that you are instructed to seek the Lord’s presence, when He is omnipresent – present everywhere and at all times? There’s a difference in God’s being present and your experiencing and feeling His presence. 

I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I felt as if my prayers (if I bothered to pray them) were bouncing back from the ceiling.  Maybe it was one of those times when I had drifted.  Perhaps I was “going through something.”  Other times, I was holding onto some treasured sinful situation, and I didn’t want to let it go. It’s understandable that these could have produced some interference in my sensitivity to God’s presence.

But I tell you, there have been other times when, as far as I knew, I was committed and clean, and I really wanted answers about something with which I was struggling.  It surely seemed that heaven was silent.  Have you ever had that experience?

So if and when that happens to you, implement 3 things:

1.  Know that God is present, and He hears. God is omnipresent – present always and everywhere.  His Eyes and Ears are attuned to those who truly seek Him.
2.  Check your heart for any hindrances. The scripture talks about not cherishing iniquity in your heart – e.g., secret sins, grudges, unforgiveness. Those will surely plug up your own ears so that God’s Voice sounds silent.
3.   Don’t leave; wait in faith. Times of such spiritual struggle are the enemy’s prime opportunities to peel you away from your walk with God and your fellowship with other believers.  Stand firm against his tricks.  Persist in prayer.  Continue to do in faith what you know to do, though you don’t know everything to do.  (If you did, no faith would be required!)  Everyone goes through seasons of wrestling and confusion.  Keep communicating with God with your ears open, keep walking, and keep waiting.  He’s promised that your strength will be renewed.  Trust Him on that!

My God, I know that You never leave or forsake me.  There are times when the cares of this world or things I nurture in place of You clamor for my attention, and it’s hard to hear You and feel You.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  And even when my heart is clean, Lord, give me the patience to sit still, listen, and wait.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6: 33)

It’s a familiar illustration, but it’s a good one.  When buttoning your shirt or blouse, if you mess up and get that top button in the wrong button hole, the whole sequence down to the bottom will be out of whack.  One side will wind up longer than the other. To further illustrate the same principle, when building a house, you must lay an accurate and solid foundation or else the walls will soon crack. The scripture talks about the foolishness of building a house on a shifting foundation of sand. You have to get first things right.

So what does “first things first” actually mean? Two of its meanings have great spiritual and practical significance.

First things first begins with first in order. Do the first part right, and the rest will fall into place as you continue with diligence.  Spiritually, no matter how hard you humanly try to “be a good person” or to acquire resources, the essential right starting point will make or break your efforts long-term.  Oh, you may experience some short-term bursts of positive results, but your success will not last. Jesus Christ is the firm foundation.

Another way the “first in order” principle applies is in your day’s calendar.  What do you do first (after you stumble to the coffee pot, that is)? Spending intimate time with the Lord sets the tone for your day.  Nourishing yourself with God’s Word inputs just what the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind in the moment you need it.

A second important meaning of the Matthew 6: 33 is to put God first in priority, to make Christ the absolute Lord of your life.  If you go chasing your dreams and plans without stopping to hear what God has in mind for you, they’ll come up empty.  They won’t satisfy.  If you rush in to solve “brilliantly” those tough or impossible problems on your own, you’ll flop, and you’ll miss seeing God work as you never could have imagined.  If you place anyone or anything before the Lord in your heart and your choices, those idols will ultimately crumble.

Seek Him first – in order and in priority – and “all these things” will become yours as well.

God, You are Number One in my life.  Please give me a big old elbow nudge when I begin to drift.

Today’s devotional is a slight departure from the usual format.  Here we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an amazing leader who had the gift of powerful communication that stirred the souls of the hearers.  So many of his speeches do just that for me, inflaming my own passion for the fields to which God has called me.  I’ve picked a few of my favorite MLK quotes to share with you today.  Ask God to show you how these principles apply to your life right now. I’ve added a few thoughts about what they mean to me.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

So much relevance for these times!  On no matter what side of the political controversies you fall, there’s a right and wrong way to address the differences.  Strongly disagreeing with someone in ideology does not justify thinking, behaving, and talking in ways contrary to Christ’s teachings. Pointing fingers at what you believe to be evil while exhibiting what the Lord says is evil is just off.  King was completely on target when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness.  Only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Going along to get along” when the Lord has stirred your heart to speak up and take action to make a difference gradually saps your life energy. The scripture says, “To the one who knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin.” The harboring of sin – even the sin of omission – is a destructive force in anyone’s life.

“You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.”

Martin Luther King, Jr., literally proved that.  We’re always dreaming, imagining.  If we’re not, we’re not tuned into God’s inspiration.  I’m getting older, but I never want to lose the capacity to dream and to be moving in the direction of those dreams.  Which brings me to my current personal favorite MLK quote.

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk.  If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

If you can’t do that, what can you do? If your plan derailed, what’s left to use to keep moving?  When you don’t have the energy for a huge step, where’s the small one?  In my last book, I defined “responsibility” as “doing all you can with all you have where you are right now.”  Keep moving, no matter how you have to adjust, what you have to learn, or how you have to pace yourself.  MLK said to move however you can, but don’t stop.  Keep on moving!

Dr. King, thank you for your faithfulness to your call, even to the death.  May we all discover that kind of commitment to the things that matter most.

And readers, feel free to add your favorite MLK inspirations in the comments.

Lord, I want to keep stretching, keep growing, keep moving.  Help me to learn the lessons from history that develop me into my best.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.” (Phil. 3: 13-14)

Purposeful progress always involves taking some risks.   One of the riskiest feelings is to let go of where you are to reach for what might be.

Ironically, one of the most dangerous places in the world is “the comfortable.” Even if it’s an “uncomfortable comfortable,” at least it’s familiar. It’s like the old saying, “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t know.” Yet the perceived danger “out there” is nothing compared to the personal and professional danger of stagnating, becoming lazy and unproductive, and missing the opportunities for exciting missions and purposes that could be yours to fulfill.

Now I’m not talking about taking crazy, impulsive, ill-planned risks – the food of adrenaline junkies that satisfies only momentarily. No, this discussion is about the courage to step out into the unknown when certain conditions are present.

1. You’ve heard a call in your heart that won’t seem to let you go.

2. You’ve asked God for insight, guidance, and wisdom for the way.

3. You’ve “done your homework,” learning as much about the new opportunity as possible, understanding the possible obstacles and downsides, and thinking and praying about how you might handle the possible difficulties. (Don’t get stuck here!)

4. You’ve recognized that you won’t have ALL the answers now; that’s where faith and trust comes in.

5. You’ve communicated with key people in your life and have enlisted both emotional and practical support.

6. You’ve broken the change into smaller steps and have begun to take some little ones.

7. You’ve asked God for clarity regarding the best timing for the more major aspects of the move.

When you’re ready – no, probably before you feel “completely ready” – it will be time for that leap of faith. God’s encouragement to Joshua about leading the Israelites into “the Promised Land” resonates through the ages to those of us who are trying to muster the courage to venture out into the unknown to fulfill the calls in our hearts.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

But remember, to enter your own “promised land,” you have to be willing to leave “Egypt” or even the “wilderness” where provision was always there. You have to realize there will be some giants in that new land, some battles to fight – BUT as you stay totally connected to God on the journey, He will never leave or abandon you.

Frederick Wilcox said, “You can’t steal second base with your foot still on first.”

The apostle Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.” (Phil. 3: 13-14)

What do you need to let go of in order to move into your own purposeful destiny?

God, please show me what I need to leave behind in order to reach for what You have before me.  Give me the courage to take the leaps of faith that are within Your perfect will for me.