indeed

Pay Attention

Earlier this week, one of my big projects was turning a pastor's spoken sermon into a written article. One of the major themes of the sermon was God's trustworthiness in keeping His promises. The next morning, a friend emailed me an article abut the importance of contending for God's promises. Ten minutes after that email, a fellow editor handed me a newly printed issue of her September magazine. The title on the cover? "Promises." And the trend continued for the next couple of days in my daily devotional readings and "verse of the day" entries on iGoogle. God was hitting on something: Trust His Promises.

What do you do when a certain theme converges in your life like that? Some people chalk it up to "coincidence." Makes me wonder what God has to do to actually get through to them. It's true that some people go overboard and see every hint of a whisper as a bright neon message from God, but I find that more Christians are much too reluctant to recognize repeated themes in their life as God-messages. I believe God is almost always speaking—Jesus is "the Word," after all—and I suspect that many of His messages fall on deaf ears. For both the Messenger and the receiver, that's sad.

Notice the converging themes in your life, whether during long seasons or even for just a day. Don't let God's messages fall to the ground. If you suspect He's sending you a message, it's okay to ask Him to confirm it. He loves to speak, and He loves for us to listen.

The Blog is Back

Maybe you've noticed that this blog has been stagnant for a while. Or maybe you quit noticing because . . . well, because it has been stagnant for a while. Though a combination of other projects and staff limitations temporarily forced the blog to the back-burner, it's time to bring it back. So check this space for at-least-weekly-if-not-more-frequent posts. I'll try to do a better job of keeping it current this time.

One of the topics I want to cover with some frequency is the issue of trust. I've noticed in myself and quite a few other people that God really seems to be dealing with our trust issues right now, almost as though it's a theme He's especially emphasizing in these times. Deep down inside, most human beings have a sneaking suspicion that God is holding out on them — that though we know He is good, we don't trust that His good gifts will actually be the ones we want or the ones that meet our deepest needs. Have you noticed this tendency in your own heart? Keep an eye out for it — it's the same subtle deception that a serpent first uttered in a garden long ago. Know that no matter how things look, God is on your side. Always. Ask Him to show you that He is and see what He does. There is no problem, no situation, that you can't trust Him with completely.

The Wild Ways of God

I have a new book out, and I'm not sure how it's going to go over with some people. It's a little more "out there" than some of my others. But I think it has an important message, and it has already gotten some good reviews on Amazon, so maybe it isn't as hard to swallow as I think. It's called Fixing Abraham: How Taming Our Bible Heroes Blinds Us to the Wild Ways of God. Check it out at Amazon or at the store on the Walk Thru the Bible web site.

The Power of Testimony

I learned about a great web site yesterday that shows a wide range of people—actors, athletes, musicians, business people, and some names I've never heard of—telling how they came to Christ and how He overcame all kinds of obstacles to change them. If your faith is boosted by the power of a testimony, these will definitely move you. They are very well done. Check them out at www.iamsecond.com.

Stay Encouraged

I've been reading about Elijah lately — how God provided for him during a three-year drought through very unusual provision. (You can read about it in 1 Kings 17:1-16). It made me think about how many times God's people needed Him to come through during desperate times. Whether it was manna in the wilderness or a land flowing with milk and honey, God always had a promise to offer and a way to provide. Remember that if you're one of the many people going through a lean time right now. And stay encouraged!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve, and I'm having to ask myself if I'm doing a good job of remembering the reason for the season. Some days, the answer is yes. Other days . . . well, let's just say it's easy to get caught up in the bustle. (Like when people honk at you to get out of their way -- all in the spirit of Christmas, of course.) Anyway, I hope you are able to keep your focus most days too. Have a great celebration of Jesus!

Now what?

Christians have historically done a lot of praying before elections and very little afterward. Why don't we change that pattern? If we invest as much time and energy into praying for the person elected as we do for the candidate we want to win, we may see some surprising results. After all, in praying for a certain outcome to an election, we're really asking God to sway the hearts of millions of people to vote a certain way. But in praying for the president-elect, we're asking God to sway the heart of one man. And He's more than capable -- just ask certain kings of Israel, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and Rome. So instead of praying for the right person to get into the White House, let's pray for the one in the White House to become the right person. In fact, Scripture tells us to do so for all presidents and everyone in authority -- 1 Timothy 2:1-3. So pray your heart out!

I Wonder

I'm a strong believer in electing Christians to public office, but I wonder sometimes if Christians focus more on public policy than on winning individual hearts one at a time. Not that we shouldn't do both--but real change doesn't happen at the political level. It happens as people commit themselves to Jesus and are transformed into His image. Government is shaped by culture, and culture is shaped by individuals, so nothing changes if we don't start there. Are we neglecting that focus sometimes? I wonder.

When Two Outnumber a Thousand

I went to see Prince Caspian with my son again this week—it left the pricey venues and showed up at the dollar theater nearby—and was reminded of my favorite scene. It's toward the end of the movie, when a vast and angry Telmarine army is crossing a bridge. As the bad guys advance, young Lucy Pevensie stands alone at the other end of the bridge, seemingly doomed. But instead of looking vulnerable, she grins, raises her eyebrows, and pulls out a small dagger—as if she's daring the entire army to take her on. Then we see why: the camera pans upward to reveal the very large Aslan behind her. The invincible lion is on her side.

I feel like Lucy sometimes, and you probably do too. Life has a way of isolating us at the end of a bridge while a vast army approaches. But those are the moments when we need to remember that our Defender is standing right behind us. The picture of you with a dagger in your hand and the Lion on your side is enough to terrify any enemy, no matter how vicious or relentless. In fact, the more vulnerable you are, the more real the Lion is. You have every reason to raise your eyebrows, pull out your smallest weapon, and confidently expect any attacker or obstacle to yield to the power behind you.

Who's Number One?

It’s the time of year everyone has been waiting for—college football season! Okay, maybe not everyone is as enthusiastic about it as I am. But I have high hopes this year. I figure that if the prognosticators were right all those years when they ranked my team lower in the polls, they’ll be right this year when my team is predicted to win the national championship. Right?

Well, maybe not. It’s a lot easier to pick the teams that won’t win a championship than to pick the one that will. You don’t have to be a genius to know that nearly every team will lose at least a game or two. Guessing which one will win them all is just that—a guess. That’s because in a fallen world, things usually don’t go as we think they should.

The kingdom of God, however, reverses that trend. In the kingdom, things go according to the overall plan. Promises come true. Predictions are more than an unlikely hope. And yes, there is a Champion, and we already know who He is. Remember that when you encounter injuries, unfair advantages, and even losses this season—or anytime, really. There’s no doubt about who gets crowned in the end.