God in Man's Image

“No one can serve two masters." ~ Matthew 6:24

Every Saturday morning Eric and his children gather around the kitchen table for devotion.  Even with the bribery of hot chocolate and marshmallows, it’s still a lot like herding cats.  But every so often, the Spirit of God shines through the haze of competing attention bandits.

Last week, for example, their journey through the Old Testament led them to the book of Daniel.  Mesmerizing stuff for an 8, 5 and 3-year-old: pet lions, crazy dreams, pagan magicians … and unwavering faithfulness in an ungodly culture of nonbelievers.

The story told of a giant, golden statue.  Back in Bible times, false gods were easier to identify.  But idols aren’t quite as obvious today.  So, Eric asked them, “What’s an idol?”  The middle son replied immediately: “Anything you love more than God.”

Pleased as a dog with two tails, Eric continued.  “What are things that some people might love more than God?”

The answers came quickly: “money, Smartphones, big screen TVs.”  Sophie, the youngest, pivoted into a series of ridiculous things that could be idols: “picture books, chocolate cake, and puppies.  Their attention was waning; time to wrap things up.

“Okay.  So those might all be idols.  But how do you know if something is an idol; something that you love more than God?”  Unexpected silence followed.

Then Jason, the oldest, nailed it. “You know it’s an idol if you think you can’t be happy without it.”

Bam!  There it was, almost like God served up something for Eric in this devotion too.  The more he pondered it, Eric realized just how right Jason had been.

Money, power, beauty, comfort - which of these did he hold in such esteem that he couldn’t be happy without them?  More than he’d care to admit.  But, no one can serve two masters.  It’s one or the other.  God designed us to do only one thing for all time—and that is to keep our heart, soul, mind, and strength focused on serving Him alone.

Humanity is broken.  We’re all looking for answers to solve our problems and too often turn to the wrong things for hope.  Instead of striving to behave in God’s likeness, we’re trying to mold God in our own image of what He should be like.

Thousands of years of human existence has proven that we aren’t on an evolutionary trajectory upward; but rather a continuous cycle of chaos.  The only way we’ll ever escape this mess is stop turning to gods that can do nothing but deceive us.

True satisfaction; true worth; true joy; true fulfillment - can only to be found in Christ.  Everything else pales in comparison.  And if they were all taken away?  If there was nothing or no one?

There would still be Jesus.

Almighty God, thank You for Your amazing work in our lives.  Thank You for Your goodness and for Your blessings over us.  Thank You for bringing hope through even the toughest of times – turning anxiety into peace, sadness into joy, and grief into comfort.  Amen

Reckless Love

“Be merciful to me, O God, because of your unfailing love. ~ Psalm 51:1

Cory developed his profound love for music and songwriting in the mountains of North Carolina.  An innocent boy with goofy, spiky hair, he was carefree and confident with boundless energy.

In 1999 at the age of fourteen, he began leading worship at his local church.  Six years later, Cory launched into full-time worship ministry at the International House of Prayer in KC where he fell in love with an 18-year-woman named Anna.

But on the journey from boyhood to manhood there were many potholes in the road.

Even as a full-time worship minister, he secretly struggled with an addiction to pornography and other sexual immoralities.  Unable to confess his failings, Cory found himself in a perpetual cycle of guilt and self-loathing.

He and Anna married in 2006, but the cycle didn’t stop.  On top of hurting God’s heart with his sins, Cory now carried the additional burden of breaking Anna’s heart as well.

They welcomed a son, Gabriel, in 2008.  “And when I held him for the first time, everything changed.  I had to become a father to learn how to be a son (of God),” he shared.

It wasn’t until he prayerfully pored over David’s life from the Old Testament that Cory envisioned a path toward forgiveness, atonement and reconciliation with God.  David, a preacher, also struggled with lust when he penned the words of Psalm 51.  And instead of beating himself up, he threw himself wholly on the mercy of God, knowing that God wasn’t after sacrifice, but a contrite heart.

“If David could still lead worship as a man after God’s heart, surely I could as well,” Cory knew.  Inspired by David’s testimony, Cory broke free from his addiction and other sexual transgressions.  He also promised to share his story so that others could benefit from his experience.

With the help of a fellow songwriter (Caleb Culver – both worship leaders at Kalamazoo’s Radiant Church), Cory Asbury co-wrote the hit single “Reckless Love” in 2017, inspired by his own spiritual odyssey.  “I thought of a word to describe the way God protects and watches over us.  Its intense; it’s with “reckless” abandon.  He’d do anything to stop whatever force is fighting against us.”

The song was nominated for a Grammy in 2019 after winning two GMA Dove Awards the previous year.  His album of the same name soared quickly to the top of the charts, becoming Worship Album of the Year in 2018, and one of the top 10 of the decade.

Then he did something unheard of - perhaps a bit ‘reckless’ by some accounts.  After a year of extraordinary success, he announced to his 230,000 Instagram followers that he’d be taking 2019 off from music and social media; choosing, instead, to rekindling the family time taken from him by a year of success.

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.  I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away.  Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. ~ Cory Asbury (2017)

His Endless Presence

“Create pure thoughts in me Lord, and make me faithful again." ~ Psalm 51:10

Aliyah’s anger boiled from deep within; hot as Dragon Chili Peppers.  It hungered for destruction, forcing her to act in ways she couldn’t control, say things she didn’t mean, and even express thoughts repressed for months.

God was the target of her angst tonight – due to the suffering her tumor sparked, because He let her down when she needed Him most, angry too that Jayden, her 11-year-old son, had a front-row seat to this tragedy.  When the electricity went off on this already-sweltering August night, her heart readied to punch God if He ever come close again.

Hot flashes were one of the side effects of Aliyah’s cancer treatments as her hormonal levels dropped.  That change affected the part of her brain that regulated body temperature.  Even under a light cotton sheet, she radiated heat like a brick right out of the oven.

Jayden knew his Mom was sick.  The tumor’s damage caused her to become often exhausted and overheated.  This sweet boy also realized she shouldn’t have to do everything herself.

He rushed to her bedside with his battery-operated fan and two ice packs.  He put the fan at her face, one ice pack on her legs and one on the back of her neck.  He’d read somewhere that ice packs placed on certain areas of her body would help keep her cool.

A child of rare compassion, he acted like a bird in flight, making something nearly unbearable appear easy and natural.  He instinctively knew she needed him there … to stroke her hair, to whisper encouragement, to sense his undying love.  With just his presence, Aliyah’s pain meds worked better, her breathing relaxed, and her body temp cooled.

Jayden loved her so much.  He wanted her to be healthy and happy.  He checked on her many times that night, until he could no longer stay awake.

But he never left her side.

And when the first hint of daylight broke the horizon, he hugged her, delivering reassurance in his kindest voice, “It’s gonna be alright Mom, God told me so in my dreams last night.”

Aliyah knew immediately that, despite all her struggles, everything was as it was meant to be.  His presence had become flesh in the angelic presents gifted by a loving son.

There’s a difference between expressing our anger to God and being angry at Him.  He can handle our fury; neither surprised by it nor afraid of it.  He sees the BIG picture; we don’t.

God didn’t create evil, and He’s not out to harm us.  Whatever we’ve experienced isn’t a personal attack from God, but either a result of evil of the world, or a refining by Him to ultimately fortify us because He loves us.

Loving God, please help us when we face overwhelming trials.  Help us be able to share with You what we’re feeling and release it to You.  Remind us of Your Sovereignty and that one day we’ll understand the mysteries that confuse us.  Amen

Baby Prays for Babies

“Let the children come to Me and do not hinder them.” ~ Matthew 19:14

As the room began to fill with children, loud voices and exuberance filled the space.  It took a couple of ‘reminders’ for them to quiet down before their morning snack.

But asking 3-year-old Makhi to sit would be like trying to tell a sparkler not to sizzle.  His eyes were alight; every muscle needed to move.  There’s something so intoxicating about an excited child; for every idea escaping his mouth there are usually seven more queuing up in his mind.

Makhi, in his school uniform - a red polo and black pants – was about to light up the room during his birthday celebration.  He stood confidently beside the table with his hands clasped reverently and his eyes shut tightly.  And as he spoke, adults marveled that, except for a few hushed whispers, the preschoolers listened intently.

He began, “Father God, we thank You for this food.  We ask You to bless it.  Make it nourishment to our bodies.”  While the sweet boy prayed, he paused frequently so that the teachers and fellow classmates could repeat his blessing.
He went on to say, “Bless all the boys and girls all over the world to receive food.”

As you might expect, the video was posted on social media and immediately went viral, even though the left and the Freedom from Religion Foundation probably didn't like it.

View it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0SDZcDJI2A  

They say you can't bottle love but they're wrong.  Makhi is proof!  The devotion in his facial expression was so poignant; he clearly had put his whole heart into thanking the Lord.  And you can’t help but shout “Amen” with him as he finished his prayer.

It’s a joy to hear children speak to God.  They know they can talk to Him about anything; the words don’t really matter too much.

Jesus clearly advised His disciples that no one was to hinder children from seeking Him!  He values our little ones!  He loves and truly enjoys their affection!

They seem to have a direct connection to heaven.  Their earnest prayers demonstrate confidence in a Father whose tender reach extends to every corner of their world.  Their wholehearted expressions of love for others reflect a joy that can come only from God.  They believe without doubt, trust without reservation, live without reluctance, sleep without worry, laugh without restraint, and explore without fear.  When children pray, God seems to move more powerfully.

Their unobstructed confidence has a direct bearing on how God views their petitions.  No deep theology to boggle the mind, they just accept that He is there and that He is God!  And their faith reveals the simple trust many adults long to recapture in their own relationship with God.

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red, brown, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.   Jesus loves the little children of the world.”   (George Frederick Root – 1864)

Poised For Influence

“A Christian represents the One who sends him." ~ Acts 11:26

Familiar faces walked, even limped into church: NFL superstars who spent their day off to be with their former coach.

The death of a loved one is never easy.  But, death of a child by suicide makes the process of grieving especially challenging.  The coach’s son had hung himself from a bedroom ceiling fan with a leather belt; an act both violent and unexpected.

For situations like these, suicide survivors continually replay their last encounter in an effort to understand.  He’d regret not giving his boy a hug when he’d left the house for the last time.

There’s a powerful stigma attached to mental illness (a factor in most suicides).  Some religions condemn the act as a sin, so parents may justifiably keep the suicide a secret from outsiders, children, or relatives to avoid shame.

After a homicide, survivors can direct their anger at the perpetrator.  In a suicide, the victim is the perpetrator, so there is a bewildering clash of emotions.  On one hand, a person who dies may appear to be a victim of intolerable circumstances.  On the other hand, the act may seem like an assault on, or rejection of, those left behind.

On the day he buried his son, Tony Dungy, who compiled a 139-69 record and a Super Bowl ring in 13 seasons as an NFL head coach, stepped to the lectern.  He addressed the crowd of 2,000 people at the Idlewild Baptist Church by saying, “It’s great to be here today.”

“I know that’s a strange-sounding message,” he continued, “but when you came in today, one of the first songs you heard was, ’I Will Bless the Lord at All Times.”

“The words come from Psalm 34, which David wrote while fleeing for his life from King Saul.  Even so, he was able to say that he would continually praise God and bless Him.”

“I’ve always believed my Christian values were more important than anything.  And when we lost our son, I wondered if I were just saying this, or truly believe it?”

“Today, I trust God more than ever!”

Dungy took the tragedy of his son’s death as an opportunity to prove his faith was genuine; just as quick to praise Christ during the good times - like when his Colts won the Super Bowl - as the bad times when losing his son.

He won convincingly in a very rough sport, but did so without raising his voice, without profanity or intimidation.  The players he treated with dignity and respect became champions.

His purpose in life is simply to glorify God.  He uses his influence for faith-based causes; avoiding commercial endorsements to keep a focus on his family message.  He and his wife Lauren have quietly adopted children to blend with their birth children.  Tony Dungy is a role model we need but too few prefer.

Father God, men who dunk, throw, or hit a ball for a living routinely become role models.  But, too many of them have let us down.  Thank you for men like Tony Dungy who embrace their celebrity status with the Godly poise of a gentleman.  Amen