essays 47-59

1. #59  "Pig Food or Manna"
2. #58 The Zucchini and the Olive Tree
3. #57 "Swatting flies and slaying dragons"
4. #56 Air-conditioning!
5. #53 "Moths, Roaches, and Fireflies"
6. #52 "Shoot again--I saw it move!"
7. #51 "Hanging out Socks"
8. #48 "What have you been swallowing?"
9. #47 "The Mind and Ways of God, 101"
10. #49 "Dirty Dishes and Daily Disciplines"

#59  "Pig Food or Manna"

Ah, there is nothing like having a nice hearty bowl of pig food to start your day off right; a filling bowl of lukewarm slop to go along with that glass of rusty water! (I hope that you have already eaten your breakfast!)

What? You don't care for pig food? You say you would never even try it? Well, then, how about some tasty manna instead?

How many of us fill our spiritual stomachs with the husks of the world? Then we don't have any room left for God's manna. Didn't Jesus say that He was the living bread sent down from heaven? Even the prodigal son wised up after a while and realized that those husks he coveted were poor fare; some of us are still munching away!

They say "you are what you eat". So which are you: pig food or manna? Too many of us treat God's word as dessert or an appetizer...eat a little bit to go with the regular meal. But God's Word is to be our daily bread, not a tiny slice of dessert!

get away from the pig trough and start picking up manna!

#58 The Zucchini and the Olive Tree

This is the Plant Kingdom version of "The Tortoise and the Hare" (sort of). What we have is a match between the zucchini and the olive tree. Who will win? If you are looking strictly at rapid growth and an abundance of fruit, the zucchini would win, hands down! It certainly seems to yield 100-fold! But how valuable and long-lasting is zucchini? I get tired of zucchini after eating just 2 or 3 (I mean the entire summer, not at one meal!) Now I remember why I haven't planted any for several years! Prolific, yes. Valuable, no. Hardy? Not very. I remember the story of Jonah's gourd (had to be a close relative): one little worm and the gourd was dead. (Come on, worms!)

On the other hand, olive trees take a long time to produce and they have fruit that ripens very slowly. These trees can still produce olives when they are hundreds of years old--as long as they have been properly pruned to keep the growth new and vital. New shoots wil sprout out of a seemingly dead stump. The tree is valuable for oil as well as its wood. (Try to make anything useful out of a zucchini stem!).

Zucchinis can be fun to grow--they yield quick results. But in the long run, the olive tree (or around here, the walnut tree) is a better choice. Likewise, in our Christian walk, it takes time and patience to produce fruit of lasting value. We don't want to have a "flash in the pan" kind of Christianity (sounds like sauteed zucchini to me!). We want to have the kind of faith that endures to the end, the kind of fruit that is valuable.

Quick results or slow, steady growth?

"Slow and steady" still wins the race!

#57 "Swatting flies and slaying dragons"

Now which would look better on your resume: "Dragon-slayer extraordinaire" or "Dandy Fly-swatter"? How much more glamorous and important it seems to go out and slay dragons than to take care of those pesky flies at home. How does the hymn go, "Faithfulness in Small Things"? Often it is the little things in life that can get us down. We usually remember to take our "sword" when we see a dragon ahead....but sometimes we forget our fly-swatters.

Keeping those "flies" down is just as important as slaying the occasional dragon. How do you handle the "little things", the daily choices in thought and deed? Do you get all "bent out of shape" at minor irritations? If you can't even "run with the footmen", how will you "contend with horses"? (Jer. 12:5)

Pay attention to the small details--God does! (He must, if He even has our hairs numbered...and look at the detail in His creation!) And whatever you do, "do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."

some days you are a dragon-slayer, some days you're doing well to swat one fly!
summer '97

#56 Air-conditioning!

I am thankful for air-conditioning! I would not go back to the days of relying upon open windows and fans to stay cool. (I think I know another reason those kings of the earth will be hiding in caves in the book of Revelation--caves will be one of the few cool places left on earth!) I just stepped outside and a wave of humid air blasted its hot breath at me. But inside...it is still nice and cool! Our home usually maintains a comfortable temperature regardless of the weather outside. It is similar to the constant body temperature of mammals, as opposed to cold-blooded animals such as reptiles.

So, which do you resemble? Are you warm or cold-blooded? A mammal or reptile? Do you maintain a consistent Christian walk no matter what conditions prevail in the outside world? Or do you adapt yourself, chameleon-like, to your surroundings?

God has called us to be a separate people, "not conformed to this world" but "transformed by the renewing of your mind". (Romans 12:2)

let's have hearts that are conditioned by His indwelling Spirit, not by outward circumstances!

#53 "Moths, Roaches, and Fireflies"

Summer is a great time for observing nature..and with 3 young boys at home, that includes lots of insects! In the daytime, there are rocks to overturn to find "bugs". At night, we catch fireflies and watch the craneflies and moths that congregate around the yard lights. It is interesting to see how different creatures react to the light...

Which kind of insect do you resemble? Moths are attracted to light; watch them hover around porch lights. And fireflies give off their own amazing kind of light-- 100% efficient (ordinary light bulbs are only 3%)...very little wasted as heat--we don't even know how to make that kind of cold light (another good argument against evolution...imagine producing such a marvel by "chance"!). But what about roaches? When you shine a light on marauding roaches, or let the sun shine on some pillbugs or centipedes hiding under rocks, what happens? They scurry away to hide--they can't escape back into the dark fast enough!

What is your reaction to the light; that is, God's light, found in His Word? Are you attracted to the light of His Word, having a desire to hover close to it? Or are you like the roaches that run and hide? Do you love the light or the darkness? It doesn't do any good to try to hide from God: "the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." (Ps. 139:11)

We need to walk in His light so that we (like fireflies!) can shine as His beacons in this dark world!

A FIREFLY VERSE:

A MOTH VERSE:

1ST HALF ROACH, 2ND HALF MOTH:

#52 "Shoot again--I saw it move!"

I like this quote by C.S. Lewis:

Numerous Bible verses speak of being dead to sin; buried with Christ. And yet, how many of us are lifting the lid to the coffin of our "old man" and then trying to give it CPR? That sounds repulsive, doesn't it? But sin is repulsive!

Being "saved" does not make us immune to Satan's devices. Some of us seem to think that we are so strong that we do not have to worry about falling into sin. We flirt with temptation and casually saunter across moral minefields. That seems like overconfidence to me. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall". (I Corinthians 10:17) Could overconfidence in self be one way of opening that old man's "coffin"?

Why else do we fall back into sin? I was reading in Proverbs 4 and these verses struck me: "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

"Ponder the path of thy feet...." Maybe we are walking carelessly, or recklessly, or letting our emotions get the best of us. Or perhaps there still a hint of rebellion in our hearts...

It is painful when God keeps pointing out flaws in our lives: weak areas that He needs to be allowed to enter in and scour out. Sometimes that "old man" still looks like fun; we're not sure we'd really enjoy being completely "dead" to that old lifestyle. Maybe we are content with where we are--but God is not! He keeps working to take us up to that "next level"--to make us more fit for His kingdom. Let Him do it!

Remember, some things are not meant to be resurrected!

read the 1st 17 verses or so of Romans 8 to get a feel for the difference between living in the flesh and walking after the Spirit. Also there is:

#51 "Hanging out Socks"

It has been much too hot here lately to use the gas clothes dryer so I've been hanging all of our laundry outside. Now I don't mind hanging out laundry...except for socks. Socks are tedious! It takes as long to hang out one pair of socks as it does to hang out a nice big bath towel. And socks waste clothespins! Also, a basketful of towels is emptied in no time; a pile of socks seems to last as long as the widow's cruse of oil! .....but I guess socks need to dry as well.

I doubt that too many of you can relate to hanging out socks but everyone has some kind of tedious task they dislike: something that requires a time input all out of proportion to output. It is the same in our Christian walk...

We prefer rewarding jobs or projects that bring quick results. But it is not always that way. Why does God allow some of us to continue "hanging out socks" year after year--especially if we feel our talents are surely being wasted? Consider...how does God view our task? That which seems a waste of time and effort may indeed be valuable in God's eyes...if it is done in the proper spirit and to His glory and honor. It is not only the high-profile efforts that bring praise to Him, but also the quiet, unnoticed tasks. Remember Colossians 3:23--

I think I'll go check on those socks again; they take forever to dry!
Maybe we should all just go barefoot this summer!

summer '97

#48 "What have you been swallowing?"

I woke up with a sore throat on a Monday morning and by mid-week it really hurt to swallow. So I thought a bit about swallowing...

Have you ever seen a picture of a snake swallowing a pig? That is how I feel when I have to swallow my pride! I don't like admitting when I "blew it"; I don't like asking for help; I don't like realizing that I am not as "good" as I'd thought. Yes, pride is hard to choke down.

But then there are things that go down a bit too easily: such as lies or less blatant deceptions. Look how many have swallowed the lie of Evolution, or the lie that all of our problems are due to a lack of "self-esteem", or the lie of Secular Humanism or of New Ageism ("everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better"). We need to check out everything we hear and see how it measures up against Scripture. We must never give man's word precedence over God's revealed truth.

Why did sin enter paradise? Because Eve swallowed Satan's lie: "ye shall not surely die...ye shall be as gods...." Let's not be gullible Christians. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good". (I Thess. 5:21) be careful little mouth what you swallow!

Matt. 23:24 "Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel."

this is a "gulp" I am waiting for!--

Isaiah 25:8 "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces..."

#47 "The Mind and Ways of God, 101"

Or the title could be, "How to figure out God in just 15 minutes a day". Rather presumptuous, isn't it! I taught the story of Job in Bible School last Wednesday and while reading through parts of the book--especially chapters 38-42-- I was left with this impression: God is absolutely unfathomable!

We think abstractly, "Yes, God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent" but I don't think it really sinks in. God is far, far bigger in scope than our puny minds can comprehend! Even Job, the most righteous man of his day, had to admit: (from chapter 42)

"I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee...I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not....wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"

If God could be figured out, He wouldn't be much of a God, would He? He would be a more manageable deity, like the pagan man-conceived gods. We can and should study His creative work, His word, His hand in history but His ways are past finding out. Who are we to say that God made a mistake in a particular circumstance; that we would have done things differently? It reminds me of the childish response to the question: "and what would you do if you were president?"--" I would make everyone get along so there would be no more wars". We smile at such infantile understanding of a complicated office! But how does God see our pathetic endeavors to comprehend His workings!

Be careful that your God is not too limited. We serve an awesome God! We are as "grasshoppers" in His sight--not a bad picture to remember occasionally, especially when we start to think that we are pretty important in the scheme of things. It is never "what would God do without me?" but rather the awful realization, "where, where would I be without Him?"

#49 "Dirty Dishes and Daily Disciplines"

I must confess: I left a sinkful of dirty dishes (make that two sinkfuls) in the kitchen last night. I'm not proud of that fact but those dishes didn't disappear (one could only hope!)-- I will tackle them this morning (sometime) My point is, some things will keep until morning while other things need to be daily disciplines. If I were really lax, I could let housework go all week and then attack it on Saturday (come to think of it, that's not much different from what I do now--except for the "attack it on Saturday" part). But some things need to be done every day, such as eating and sleeping. Likewise, if you want the maximum benefit from exercise, you can't just load up on the weekend. And what about time spent in prayer and Bible reading? That feast on Sunday will wear off. We don't want to be spiritual "weekend warriors", either.

I've been asked, "when do you find time to study and write?" I laugh, "you should see my house!" (which translated means, "under no circumstances will I allow you into my home without at least two weeks notice!") OK, so I need to be a little more "Martha-like" and a bit less like Lazarus' sister Mary. And yet, would I trade in all my quiet time with the Lord for a spotless house (knowing that it wouldn't last long anyway with my three sons running around in it!)? I will just try to make the right trade-offs for my own situation.

a time to clean and a time to read, (and perhaps a little less time on the Internet...)

and just exactly 100 chapters later: