Happy Thoughts
4/25/24
Seek Ye First
For a couple of weeks Matthew 6:33 has been simmering on the back burner of my brain. As all good food when it simmers, the aroma is compelling. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I like the King James better — “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Karen Lafferty’s iconic melody to that verse became a major contribution to the soundtrack of the Jesus Movement back in the 70s. Many of my generation will remember singing that song sitting on the floor in someone’s living room, shoulder to shoulder with friends enjoying the wave of Jesus awakening sweeping the country. That simple, singable melody endures, and the truth it carries, even more.
Today is a good day to check ourselves to see if we are seeking God and His kingdom first. Far from a duty to be fulfilled, it is an adventure to be entered into. God will never be anyone’s debtor, nor will He ever lay out a way to live that does not render the ultimate of everything desirable. The needs and desires much of humanity busily, daily goes after will be “added unto” those who seek God and His kingdom first. Added unto. Added unto. “And all these things shall be added unto you.” Sounds to me like an effortless arrangement on our part. Another verse with a similar encouragement is Palm 34:10 "..but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” No wonder God’s people are the happiest people on earth!
4/6/24
He Cares!
A couple of days ago I remembered the apostle Peter’s encouragement in chapter 5 of his first letter — “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” (good ol’ KJV) The verse came to mind as the accumulation of stuff I had to get done was snowballing in my mind. Newer translations substitute “anxieties”, or “concern” for “care”. Whether we call it care, anxiety, concern or worry, we’re all familiar with that suffocating, drowning sensation of being overwhelmed when we look at all we've gotta do and realize we ain’t got enough to git er dun. What struck me the other day in that simple verse was HE CARES FOR YOU. It was like, “Daniel, you’re concerned about all that stuff, but God is concerned about YOU.” What a thought! Being weighed down with anxiety happens when we’re not sufficient for the task at hand. God, being All-Sufficient, never experiences that. He can handle it. We’re not built for many concerns. God is. "Maker of Heaven and Earth" is on His resumé.
In Luke 10 Jesus told Martha, “You are worried and upset about many things…” She was having trouble getting her stuff done, and was visibly spiraling. In her self-induced swirl she accused her sister of not helping, and accused Jesus of not caring. Oops! Thankfully Jesus didn’t rebuke her. He just suggested a better way. The fact is, God DOES care, and we are the target of that care. "Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you.” Wow! We get overwhelmed when we’re not enough. God is more than enough. We can’t handle it. He can. So take all that stuff you’ve been worrying about and throw it on God, cuz He really does care about you. It worked wonders for me the other day. I have a feeling it might work for you.
3/25/24
Paid in Full!
As we enter what is traditionally known as Holy Week, I am again astounded at the great salvation we’ve been freely given. We come to God completely guilty, hopelessly lost and saddled with a debt we could never pay, and we walk away 100% free because Jesus paid our debt in full. Can there be better news than this?! How can what we've experienced at no cost to us not evoke eternal gratitude and exuberant praise? For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Enjoy!
3/15/24
Waiting
Buried in Lamentations chapter 3 is a very familiar verse about God’s mercies and compassions being new every morning. The whole section is worth noting. Read it with me: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” So much good stuff in there!
As I’ve waited on the Lord over the past month or so, God has been unusually quiet about some things, or at least that’s how I’ve perceived HIm. But I know that I know that HE is my portion, therefore I’m gonna wait for Him. In the end, trust in God and reliance on Him is the only way to live. Everything else will fail us. Everything. Maybe He is methodically removing all my “sweetest frames” so I will “wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” Sure feels that way. Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. But even if He does not, we will not bow down and worship the image of gold you have set up.” Selah.
3/7/24
Friendly Reminder
During my time of seeking the Lord in February, the very first thing He reminded me of was the fundamental purpose of our gatherings. That is, to minister to the Lord. Duh! Core value numero uno. Everything else should follow that priority. Revelation 1:5-6 says: “To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His own blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests unto God and His Father — to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” A kingdom of priests ministering to God. Think of it — the Creator God, Who needs nothing, brings us near and delights to receive our affection and devotion. Mind boggling. Speaking of delighting in us, a couple of chapters later in Revelation 4, the elders around the throne say: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (KJV) Seasons and issues ebb and flow, but one thing never changes — God made us for Himself — to enjoy us, and for us to enjoy Him. That is, and always will be the main thing. What a happy thought!
Another aspect of our gatherings is how we interact with what God wants to do in the earth. Romans 8 tells us the Holy Spirit helps us pray when we don’t know how to pray. Don’t know about you, but for me, that’s pretty much most of the time. God has an agenda, and He is willing to share it with any who will go there with Him. Our nation is hanging by a thread right now. Evil forces, once hidden, are now openly, blatantly threatening to destroy us. Make no mistake — this evil cannot be stopped by cultural and political engagement alone.We must step up and appeal to heaven for help. Worship Watch and Wait is the perfect context for lifting a corporate cry and prayer of agreement for God’s intervention. That. Is. Our. Only. Hope. During WWII, Reece Howells and a small band of intercessors were instrumental in turning the tide of evil in their day. Documented evidence abounds to bear that out. We can do the same in our day. Let’s do this together. We must.
2/22/24
Trust and Rely
Hope y’all are enjoying this amazing February Spring as much as I am! Punxsutawney Phil was right on the money this year. Speaking of groundhogs, I’m coming out of my unplugged mode for a minute, not to look for my shadow, but to share a little, and give y’all a heads up on our March WWW schedule.
One of my favorite go-to passages of Scripture when I’m seeking the Lord is Isaiah 50:10-11. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: you will lie down in torment.”
None of us likes to walk in the dark. However, those times, by design, can deepen our trust and solidify our reliance on God. That’s where I am right now. During my time of seeking Him these last couple of weeks, God has rekindled first love and reminded me of core values. Decluttering is powerful! Regarding a couple of practical issues on how to proceed, however, I remain in seeking mode. More questions than answers. But I’m holding steady, resisting the temptation to light my own fires. I want my trust in the Lord and reliance on God to be solid. So far so good!
1/24/24
Sailing
Who can forget the compelling intro to Christopher Cross’ mega hit “Sailing”? In two seconds you’re out there on the water with him. “Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be — just a dream and the wind to carry me, soon I will be free!” I have a friend who is an avid sailor. He says there are dozens of things to remember about the boat, the water and the wind. By far, though, the most important thing is your sail. Is it up?
There is a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing right now. I could feel it beginning last week. God has spoken in His word and He has also put dreams in our hearts of where He intends to take us. His wind is blowing in order to get us there. It’s time to hoist our sails! It’s time to catch the wind!
12/25/23
Joy!
Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” One of my mentors used to say that the bottom line of the kingdom is joy. That has stuck with me over the years. I suspect the thing that most made sinners and kiddos comfortable around Jesus was that He was happy. Joy is attractive. It is contagious. That night when the sky exploded above those unsuspecting shepherds, the angel said, “I bring you tidings of great joy!” The hosts of heaven chimed in with the announcement that the party was on!
God loves a party — so much so, that Jesus’ very first miracle was to turn water into wine at a wedding because they had run out. Scholars estimate that between 120 and 150 gallons of water was turned into wine that day. I’d say that’s a pretty clear statement! Hear these words of John the Beloved in the wake of that miracle, “He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him.” He thus revealed His glory. Boom!
Don’t you let anything steal your joy! Hang onto it! It’s worth fighting for! Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength!” Even king David, repenting for his sin of murder and adultery prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” And the ultimate commendation that joy is indispensable is found in Hebrews 12, “Jesus…Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” There it is.
12/13/23
Chariots and Horses
Back in the day we would raise the roof with a catchy chorus taken from Psalm 20: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” If you remember singing that, you’re telling me how old you are.
The context of that Psalm 20 is worship and prayer. The theme was national protection for the nation of Israel, and victory over its enemies. Even a casual reading of the history of the kings of Israel and Judah shows the temptation they faced to rely on chariots and horses. The consequences of that misplaced confidence were disastrous.
In our own nation we are facing forces that threaten to destroy us — the nation God intended us to be. If you are in touch at all with the concept of powers that be exerting their influence covertly behind the scenes, then you know that pretty much nothing is as it appears to be. So what do we do? How do we respond? Do we have any viable recourse at all?
We could go ten different directions here with some very Biblical ways to respond to this ominous threat. And many would probably have merit. But I wanna cut to the chase…“But we will remember the name of the LORD our God” is the basket I’m putting my eggs into. Each of us have our own personal chariots and horses we are tempted to rely on. Turning back to God and proclaiming our reliance on Him refocuses us, and is itself an offensive strategy against the prevailing evil of our day. Over and over and over when Israel would do this, God would send deliverance outta nowhere.