#76 Keeping the path cleared

We had quite a windstorm here yesterday. It blew over one of our peach trees and knocked off many of our apples. I went to the State Park to walk after supper--I knew I'd be protected from the wind in the middle of that woods. The trees were swaying way above me--I do remember praying that none of them would fall just as I passed underneath! The path was a little messy--sticks and branches strewn about. I decided to pick up the ones that were not too heavy (that eliminated a couple of rotten tree trunks). I picked up the sticks and branches I could and threw them into the underbrush along the sides. I wanted to keep the path clear for the next traveler.

	"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient...." --I Cor. 6:12
	"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." --Romans 14:7

#75 "To see over the railing"

While visiting Indianapolis recently, our family stopped at the The Indiana State Museum.  This museum  has a huge, eye-catching pendulum suspended from the ceiling. Each of the four floors is open in the middle to allow the pendulum to go through. The openings are circular with a railing all the way around. I felt giddy looking over the edge at that top floor. I was thankful for the sturdy railing. Our six-year-old son couldn't see very well over the top, though....it made me nervous to see him on his tiptoes. I'm sure that railing seemed unnecessarily high to him; a hindrance, even. But it was there for his own protection.

In the same way, God has put some "railings" in our life. We'd like to see over the top, but instead we're just looking through the bars. So we get upset and keep asking "why?" As we grow older in the faith (more mature, I mean...not always just in years), we can sometimes see over that edge...and then we understand more fully why those railings are there: as protection for our souls. Of course, there are some railings we'll never see over in this life; we just have to believe that they are ultimately for our own good.

The guidelines in His word--the "restraints" we need to put on our own liberty"--are there for our protection. He doesn't want us to stumble and fall--especially not from a dangerous height. Don't fight the railings, trying to kick them in or push them over. Respect the railings He has placed in your life for now and be thankful. See them not as hindrances to your enjoyment but rather guardrails for your soul.

the Good Shepherd wants to protect His sheep!
lori fiechter, fall of '97

45: "I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts."
71: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."
104:"Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

#74 Instruments or Decoration?

We recently stayed at a hotel in Indianapolis that had three baby grand pianos just setting around.  But I never heard a piano being played; in fact, one was even locked up. I touched the keys longingly but I don't play nearly well enough to play on the main floor of a hotel; not with people standing around. (Ah, if I had the talent, I'd love to be the "piano man") Still, I thought it curious that no one played the pianos. Why have pianos just sitting around?  My husband answered me, "They are probably just for decoration." I protested, "Pianos were not designed to be decorations!" And then, it hit me.....

We are God's instruments for Him to use according to His design and purpose. God did not create us to sit around and look nice for Him! Christians are not just for decoration! And remember, instruments cannot play themselves (even a player piano needs someone to work the pedals). We are useless without Him.

Now, we aren't all designed to be the same instrument; we are not all pianos, or flutes, or saxophones, or violins. What kind of symphony could you produce with just one kind of instrument? (And don't go thinking that you are just a soloist...Elijah made that mistake. I think God clued him in that the orchestra had 7000 other members!)

We won't all be asked to play the same song, either. How would you enjoy our hymnals if there was only a page 1 and we kept singing that same hymn, ad infinitum? Show respect for all of God's instruments; violins--you are no better in His eyes than the child's flutophone or recorder.

You are God's instrument. Let Him work through you to His honor and glory and praise.and remember, practice makes perfect.

Lori Fiechter, Fall of '97

#73 Truly missed, or just missing?

I was privileged to hear a talk by a Christian lady from Romania and her English husband the other evening. Genovieva lived in Romania when it was a communist country;   hostile to Christians. She told of her faith during that time of persecution. She met her future husband when he was smuggling Bibles into her country. Now they have a ministry taking care of the orphans there. What impressed me about Genovieva was her radiant joy and infectious sense of humor...and especially her love for the Lord and His Word. She talked of giving her only Bible to a brother put in a mental hospital and then praying earnestly for another Bible to come to her (40 Bibles came, the very next day)...she said she could not live without His Word...that she "ate it".

All this left me pondering...do I feel the same way about my Bible? Ask yourself this question: if all my Bibles suddenly vanished, how long would it take for me to notice that they were missing? And more importantly, how long until they were truly missed? For there is a difference between the two. I am afraid that some Christians might feel the loss of their TV remote control (or computer, in my case!) sooner than they would the loss of their Bible. The more you use and need something, the more keenly you feel its loss.

Do you keep a Bible close at hand all day?  Is there one at your desk? on your table? in your car? Look around you right now--can you see a Bible anywhere close? Maybe you wouldn't miss your Bible until it came to the one on your nightstand...where you bumble through that passage just before you fall asleep at night. Do you get so little out of the Word that you wouldn't really notice any difference if you didn't read it for a few days...or weeks?

That talk I heard really convicted me. Just because Bibles are in abundance here, it should not make them any less precious.

have you hugged your Bible today?
Lori fiechter, Fall '97

Job 23:12

#72 "Don't get attached to a goldfish!"

Our boys won 3 goldfish at the fair this week. As I looked at those wriggly orange creatures swimming in their plastic bag containers, I thought to myself "catfood". But I dutifully dug out a clear glass jello bowl and arranged some pretty rocks and artificial plant sprigs (pulled out of my one and only plant). Looking better...but without a real aquarium and real fish food (I don't think that pulverized dry cat food counts) I figured it was only a matter of time before our newest pets went "belly up". (OK, it hasn't yet happened, although we had a close call or two). That is why it isn't a good idea to become too fond of a goldfish (at least not one kept in a jello bowl!)

Now, you probably won't like me comparing your lovely home or new car with those poor goldfish! But the difference is really only one of magnitude. Yes, your car and home are much more valuable and will last a great deal longer but in the end....all these things are ephemeral and are in the process of passing away. They may endure for a long time--but not forever. Think of what your favorite material possession will look like if it is left to itself for, say 200 years. Now you get the idea!

But it is not so with "treasures laid up in heaven". Apparently, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics has no power there. So store up all you want; no need to worry about buying insurance against moths or thieves either! And those heavenly treasures will never go "belly up". Make sure your motives are right and then start filling up that heavenly storage unit.

#71 "All for one, and one for all!"

Our twin sons celebrated their ninth birthday last week. After the excitement of opening all their birthday cards, one of them came to me and said, "we got (this many) dollars!" Not, "I got" but "we got". They added it all together (probably just because it sounded like more that way!) That started me thinking....

As members of the Body of Christ, do we really share in each other's joys and triumphs? Are we genuinely happy over someone else's victories and successes? Sometimes, I wonder if it is not easier to "weep with them that weep" than to "rejoice with them that do rejoice". (Romans 12:15)

Have you ever found yourself a bit bitter or jealous over another brother or sister's accomplishments or opportunities? Think about the analogy: would a foot be jealous of a hand getting all the credit for something? Would an ear feel secret glee because the back is sore? Of course not! Then why do we?

We are called "members" for a reason!

Trying to be a leucocyte and not a pathogen in the Body!

Lori Fiechter
Sept. '97

#70 Duck or Decoy?

How do you tell the duck from a decoy? You may see something that looks like a duck and maybe even seems to quack like one...is it the real thing? You can only tell by closer inspection. Things are not always what they seem; "all that glitters is not gold". We want to be sure that we have the real thing (no, not that brand of soda pop!)

Make a sharp distinction between a generic spirituality and a genuine saving faith. We need spiritual discernment more than ever as this loosely woven spirituality is becoming more popular...and not just among followers of the New Age movement.

You may hear lots of talk about God now (not of Jesus, though!) but the portrait of Him is incomplete. This is not the God of the Bible. Rather, people seem free to pick and choose from among His attributes: "Love? yes, we'll take that, along with mercy and compassion but not that stuff about His holiness, judgment, and justice." We'll talk of heaven but never of hell. Satan is perfectly content to have such religious followers...as long as they don't truly have a saving faith--found only by believing in the spotless, atoning blood of the Lamb of God.

So, what is saving faith? I'll tell you what it isn't: it isn't just going to church and mouthing the right words! We need more than a Christianity of sound-bites. We're not talking about an exclusive club but a personal relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. Can you explain your faith in layman's terms to an unchurched unbeliever? Are you just going through the motions or really living your faith? Be careful! Some of the Pharisees of Jesus' time excelled at looking and sounding religious...but God did not live in their hearts. Does He reign in yours?

Be a duck, a whole duck, and nothing but a duck!

lori fiechter
Sept. '97

#69 Like a bad penny...

You can hide from it, run from it, bury it, deny it, or even pretend it doesn't exist. But, just like a bad penny, it keeps coming back! I'm talking about Truth--with a capital T. It seems that man's perception of Truth is getting fuzzier by the day. We can lament with Isaiah, "Truth is fallen in the streets" (Is. 59:14). I read an editorial a few weeks back where the editor was making an impassioned plea for us earthlings to find truth in outer space. "There is more truth out there...we are just not ready for it yet" (not "evolved" highly enough?).

What about this thing we call Truth? The Bible has plenty to say on the subject. Is truth like a rock or more like a shifting river? God is the Rock and He is a God of truth (Deut. 32:4). I would call that absolute truth! How long will truth last? "...the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.." (Ps. 117:2). Where does God desire truth? In our inward parts. (Ps. 51:6). We are to be girded with truth as part of our Christian armor (Eph. 6:14). We are to speak the truth with our neighbor (Zech. 8:16). How do we find out the truth? God's word is truth (John 17:17) and the Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). It isn't enough to simply know about the truth, we need to experience it for ourselves. How many unconverted souls out there know what the truth is; or rather, know Who the truth is, and yet deny the truth in their lives? How many are among those who are "ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth" (II Tim. 3:7)? How many, like that newspaper editor, have already "turned aside to fables"?

There is the simple truth, the hard truth, and the whole truth (and nothing but!). There is absolute truth and relative truth. But there is only one truth that will save you. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Don't despair. Although for the moment, truth seems to be fallen in the streets, there is coming a time when Truth will triumph and rule--in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11) and one day, He will "judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth". Even so, come, Lord Jesus

Lori fiechter, Sept. '97

#68 A Teflon Brain

How are you doing with your own personal Bible study? You say that you try to read a whole Bible chapter every day--sometimes even more? That's great--unless you have a Teflon brain. With that kind of brain, everything just slides out; nothing ever sticks! What you want to do is to approach the word of God with a nice dry chamois or car sponge--something that can hold lots of (living!) water. And then, once that sponge is full, you can't just leave it that way! You need to squeeze it out--call that application--so that you can use it again. Live out what you've just read and apply it to your life. You'll need a little help with that....that is why it is a good idea to pray before you even crack open the pages of your Bible. Ask God to send His Holy Spirit as a translator for you (yes, even if your Bible is in English, you still need the Spirit to interpret). Ask Him to open up that dusty mind of yours and let His light and truth pour in.

Remember, Teflon is great for omelets; not so hot for Bible study!