GREAT THINGS FOR GOD

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:18

As a little boy, my son Samuel kept me on my toes. This is the child who used to crawl inside the empty dishwasher and peer out at me with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes. The child who loved to drop G.I. Joes and Hot Wheels down the laundry chute. The child who smuggled four frogs into the house in his sister’s pink Easy Bake pot. You get the idea. Every family has one: Adventure Boy!

On days when he would try my patience and stretch my endurance to the limit, I would catch myself losing my cool, and I would stop. Taking his angelic little face in my hands, and looking him straight in the eyes, I would say “Samuel, someday you will do great things for God!” He would beam, then run off to find fresh adventure. I don’t know how many times I said that to Sam, his eyes twinkling with mischief. But I can tell you, it was a LOT of times!

One particularly difficult day, when John the newborn was fussy, and Caitlin the two year old was bossy, and Samuel the three year old was racking up rascally deeds, he saw me about to melt down. He reached up, cupped my face in his sticky little hands and said “Mommy, I’m gonna do great things for God!” Wow. That was a “mom moment” that took my breath away. Now it wasn’t just me looking beyond his impish ways to a time when he would serve God. Now, Samuel believed it, too. Today, Sam is a sixteen year old worship leader, serving God with all of his heart. He’s doing great things for God!

If all we ever “see” is frogs in a pot, we will miss what God sees. His eyes are on what we will become in Christ, not what we are in ourselves. Next time you get into some mischief of your own, try to see Him taking your face in His hands, saying “You will do great things for Me!”

Prayer for today: Father, thank you for not only seeing my life as it is, but as it will be, in Christ. Help me to look not at the things which are seen, but at those things which are unseen and eternal. Take my ordinary days, my failures and my shortcomings, and make them an extraordinary life that makes a difference in the world. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

"I'M BEAUTIFUL!"

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18, NLT

I often see scripture illustrated in living color through the lives of my children. The way kids see things, the way they react is so transparent, so honest. When my daughter, Caitlin, was in kindergarten, she was invited to attend the “Cinderella Ball” with her Daddy. It was a fundraiser for a local school, and it was to be a memorable Father-Daughter event, chock full of Kodak moments. Dads would wear suits and ties, and the daughters could wear anything that made them feel like a princess. What a wonderful idea!

I must confess that when Caitlin was little, I dressed her like a frosted cupcake! She had dozens of fluffy, ruffled confections hanging in her closet, in every shade of the rainbow. Well, every pastel shade, anyway. She had lacy socks, and darling hair bows, and she never objected to anything I put on her. Fast forward to the preschool years. Jeans and t-shirts became her outfits of choice. Though she wore cute little dresses to church, she much preferred the comfort of her well worn jeans. She got used to seeing herself that way.

So now it was time to choose something “princess-y” to wear to the Ball. We shopped at the local pageant and bridal store and found a sweet ballerina length dress of white matte satin and tulle that made her feel very royal, indeed. After what seemed like years to Caitlin, the day of the Ball finally arrived. Her hair was done in a charming up-do, we put on a dab of mommy’s perfume and a little clear lip gloss for fun. When she was all dressed, she looked in the mirror and gasped “Mommy! I’m beautiful!” It wasn’t an expression of vanity, but of surprise! She was so used to seeing her reflection with tousled hair and hand-me-down jeans, she was truly shocked at how she looked!

Today, Caitlin is a beautiful fifteen year old. She’s returned to jeans and t-shirts, and hasn’t been to any Balls with her dad lately. But there’s a powerful truth illustrated here. Our sin makes us feel like we’re dressed in tatters and rags. We’re used to seeing ourselves that way. But if we’ve trusted in Christ, His blood has washed us clean of our sin. And God doesn’t see our old ragged “clothes” when He looks at us. He sees us all dressed up in the finery of His righteousness, sparkling white as snow. Like Caitlin looking into the mirror at home, we can look into the “mirror” of God’s word, discover who we really are in Christ, and exclaim “Daddy! I’m beautiful!” because He made us that way. Have you trusted in Christ?

Prayer today: Father, I believe that Jesus died to wash away my sin, to make me a child of God, to make me whiter than snow. Be the forgiver and leader of my life, starting today. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

POWER WASHING

Our house is on the market right now, so I spend a lot of time seeing this place through the eyes of others. Today, I noticed the exterior of the house really needs some TLC. The grass needs mowing, the hedges are kind of scruffy, and a thin layer of southern slime has attached itself to the house. There are even weeds growing in the rain gutters! We've been a little busy planting a new church, ok? The fine points of home maintenance have been pretty low on the priority list. So the place needs a bath, a good power washing.

As I stood there taking it all in, I thought how our lives are like my house. We can get so wrapped up in the business of living, we neglect the upkeep of our spiritual "house". The Bible says God's Spirit dwells in us, we're His house! But we can be "covered" with layers of grunge......worry, doubt, fear, bitterness, anxiety. That can make spiritual things hard to see, like trying to look through a dirty window. What we need is a good power washing! What that handy machine does for the house, God's word will do for us! Let's look at Ephesians 5:25-26:

....just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. NLT (emphasis mine)

God uses His word to wash us clean from sin, from the gunk of the world! Listen to the words of Jesus in John 15:3.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. KJV (again, emphasis mine)

That's why we feel so good after church on Sunday. We've been washed with the water of the word, and we feel clean! So the next time you feel like life is sticking to you, get clean! Get out your Bible for a good old fashioned power washing! I'm thinking a daily bath is a good idea......