  
The best of Hope: 2011
Here are 21 of my most hopeful posts for the past year. I hope you find them encouraging as you face the new year.
(And click for "The Best of Humor: 2011.")
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Drama King: God is a great script writer
In an action/adventure film, the hero never defuses the bomb with one hour to spare. Not even one minute. It's always less than one second! (And, of course, the agonizing decision as to whether to cut the red or blue wire.)
That's just good script writing. Ratchet up the conflict to the breaking point, then resolve the imminent, inevitable disaster with just a split second remaining. Or, in the case of Speed, resolve the conflict (hero, heroine and passengers are safely off the bomb-laden bus) and then throw in an entirely new conflict (heroine is now strapped into bomb-laden vest)!
God, the "author and finisher of our faith," is the ultimate script writer!
Gideon's "army" of three hundred men takes on the enemy army of 100 thousand—with pots, torches and trumpets.
The Israelites don't simply stroll out of Egypt. They're trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea.
The three Hebrew young men don't talk their way out of the fiery furnace. Daniel doesn't have his sentence of the lion's den appealed. They're all tossed right in.
Jesus ignores Mary and Martha's plea to heal their brother. When Jesus finally arrives, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days.
With dramatic flair, Gideon triumphs. The Israelites walk through the Red Sea on dry land while the Egyptian army drowns. Daniel and his friends miraculously survive their sentences, while their enemies are tossed to the lions and furnace. Lazarus walks out of the tomb.
What drama are you facing? Does a resolution of the conflict seem impossible? Keep in mind that God loves drama. Just before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, He explains the reason for His last-second resolutions of conflict: to "see the glory of God" (John 11:40).
And, like Speed, the resolution may be followed by an even greater conflict. (Right now, I feel as if I'm strapped in a bomb-laden vest with the timer reading 00:00:01. Thanks for your prayers!)
But through it all, believers are promised to see God's glory!
In fiction and scriptwriting it's called Deus ex machina—god out of the machine—a miraculous
conflict resolution that can only be explained by, well, a miracle from God.
So, after we have done our best to defuse life's challanges (more on that in a later post), try to ignore
that ticking sound and pray for a dramatic, divine ending.
© 2011 James N. Watkins
Related pages:
God is never late—but He sure is slow
Squeezing Good Out of Bad
Email a comment to jim @jameswatkins.com
Monday, January 3, 2011
How to move a mountain
I love the story of the man who prayed for God to miraculously remove the huge pile of dirt from behind his
new home. He claimed Matthew 17:20's promise: "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible
for you."
All night, he fervently prayed, but when he awoke, there—still—was the huge pile of dirt. But in
front of it, something new: a shovel and a wheelbarrow!
God won't do what we can do!
For instance, in this true story, a church in West Virginia needed the mountain behind the building moved
so that they could build a parking lot. The pastor declared a "Move the Mountain Sunday," but alas, Monday
morning the mountain was still there. But there was also, at the church door, an official from the state
highway department. "We need several thousand tons of fill dirt for a road project. We were wondering if
we could remove part of the mountain from behind your church."
In John's Gospel, we see the same principle: God won't do what we can do. Jesus is going to
raise Lazarus from the dead, but He asks the bystanders to move the rock sealing the tomb. And after the
miraculous resurrection, Jesus asks the bystanders to help Lazarus off with his grave clothes. Now, you would
think, that if Jesus could raise a man from the dead, he could also easily beam Lazarus right through the stone
and give him brand new clothes as well!
This principle appears throughout the Bible. God is more than willing to do what we can't do, but He refuses
to do what we can do. Gideon's band of 300 men can't possibly defeat an army of over 100,000, but they
can create a commotion around the enemy camp with their pots, torches and trumpets so the enemy is terrified
and turns on itself. The lame man's friends can't heal him, but they can tear up the roof and lower him in
front of Jesus. Christ's disciples can't multiply loaves and fishes, but they can distribute the food and
collect leftovers.
What mountain are you facing today? Rather than a miracle, God may provide a shovel—or the state
highway department!
© 2011 James N. Watkins
Note: Both Lois and I are facing a huge mountain. Thanks for your prayers. (Yah, I know, I write this stuff
just for me!)
Related page: God is never late—but He sure is slow
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Christ’s career path: obscurity, popularity, animosity
Jesus' ministry can be divided into roughly three one-year periods: obscurity, popularity and animosity.
That sounds a lot like my so-called writing and speaking career. For ten years I wrote for Sunday school take-home papers and published
books with small publishers.
The next ten years, I had three books with Tyndale House, contributed to Zondervan's Study Bible,
won a Campus Life Book of the Year
award along with a Christian Retailers Choice award, was guest on national TV programs such as the 700 Club, had a weekly column in
three secular newspapers and a column each issue of minister's magazine, and spoke across the United States and overseas.
But alas, the dawn of this decade has brought books with small publishing houses, two self-published
books, and lots of rejection slips. This year, my speaking engagements are down to a third of 2010's schedule.
So, apparently, I'm following Christ's career path. And, although crucifixion isn't likely in my future, it still hurts!
Author Mary DeMuth has also had a Christ-like career in publishing. But I love her prayer
in a recent blog and newsletter:
Jesus, for those toiling in obscurity, bring Your kingdom perspective. Help them know You are working through them in hidden, secret ways. Help them not lose heart and grow weary. Give them tenacity and perseverance.
For those in the midst of popularity, I pray You'd bless them with perspective. You are the God who gives and takes away. Blessed be Your name. May they withstand this trial of popularity with grace and humility. May any fame that comes their way become an avenue for Your fame.
And for those who are walking through rejection right now, I pray for relief. I pray You would show up in secret and open ways. You have deeper fellowship and communion with those who suffer for Your sake. lift up their eyes, their heads, their hearts. Send encouragers. Bring relief. Show up. Amen and Amen.
Thanks, Mary, I needed that! And I suspect there are a few others who may need it as well.
The most important point is that our purpose
is not to be successful authors, business people or even rodeo clowns. It is to be conformed to the image of Christ
(Romans 8:28-29)—which often includes
obscurity and rejection. Ouch!
Related pages:
Squeezing Good Out of Bad
When dreams die
Thursday, February 3, 2011
‘I understand . . .’
I just received an email from a woman grieving the deaths of her brother and father from suicide
a few years ago and her mother's recent death from heart failure. She wrote asking for some "helpful words."
I felt the same helplessness while writing The Why Files: Is There Life After Death?.
A student asked, "How could a loving God let my five-year-old brother die?"
Here's what I wrote in the book:
The Bible doesn't give us all the answers, but because of God's incredible love, He understands our questions.
Why do good people die so young? I understand your question. I died at 33.
Why do some people have to die such painful deaths? I understand your pain. I was beaten, whipped, and nailed
to a cross.
Even though I know he's in heaven, I miss him so much here on earth.
I understand your grief. I left heaven to come to earth.
Why can't people just live forever and not have to die? I understand the problem. I came to give you
eternal life.
I pray those are helpful and hopeful words.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Psalms for the disillusioned
I love Asaph's psalms.
Who, you say? Asaph (circa 1029-920 BC) was director of music in David's tent of meeting and Solomon's Temple.
Everyone thought Solomon would become the Messiah as he built the magnificent Temple. This was the golden age of
Israel. Camelot!
But Solomon turned his back on God and pursued wealth, luxury and his thousand wives' foreign gods. To fund the
king's materialism, all of Israel was burdened with taxes and many forced into slavery. Asaph's brother, Zechariah,
was murdered by Solomon's henchmen for opposing the godless king (2 Chronicles 24:20-21). The northern region
rebelled against Solomon's taxes and lavish lifestyle and split the country in two kingdoms. This made them an
easy target for an Egyptian attack which saw Jerusalem burned, the Temple looted and many of Asaph's family,
members who served in the temple, killed.
It's no wonder that the psalms of Asaph (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73-83) are filled with discouragement and
disillusionment:
I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
"Will the Lord reject forever?
"Will he never show his favor again?
"Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?" (Psalm 77)
He may be referring to Solomon's wealth and wickedness when he writes:
Truly God is good to Israel,
to those whose hearts are pure.
But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness
Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments (Psalm 73).
So what kept Asaph from giving up in despair?
When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever (Psalm 73).
I love Asaph's psalms. He's honest about life here on earth and hopeful about life in heaven.
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever (Psalm 73).
Friday, February 25, 2011
Weight-lifting 101
I'm working on a week's worth of devos for Light from the Word. Here's one of my favs:
Read 1 Peter 5:6-11
After you have suffered a little while, [God will] restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast
(1 Peter 5:10).
I needed three credits to finish my physical education credits for college. Unfortunately, the only classes open were "Weight-Lifting" and "Basket Weaving." So, at 115 pounds—soaking wet—I signed up for weight-lifting.
To say the least, it was a painful and humiliating experience. Everyone else in the class seemed to be steroid-stokes Olympians. While they were "cleaning and jerking" hundreds of pounds, I was struggling to hoist the bar. One muscle-bound brute delighted in coming up behind me and lifting me up by my gym shorts. Painful and humiliating!
But, even though I looked like the "before" picture in Muscle magazine, I kept showing up for class, kept working with the ever-increasing weights, and kept being picked up by my shorts.
However, the class was graded on "improvement," not on the amount of weight lifted. So, I earned an A in weight lifting while the guy lifting my weight got a C.
That summer I worked at the Kellogg's cereal company lifting fifty-pound boxes of raisins into the chute that dropped to the lower floor's Raisin Bran packing room. After weight-lifting, I could crack open the boxes like an egg with just one hand.
After I had suffered a little while, I was now strong, firm and steadfast. In the same way, "the God of all grace . . . will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
—James N. Watkins
Taking up the cross is the most productive weight-lifting.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Over-the-top victors
I just finished up a week's worth of devos for Light from the Word. Here's one of my favs:
Read Romans 8:31-39.
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
"I CANNOT DO THIS!" While I was having radiation treatments for cancer, I was scheduled to speak at a large conference. My strength was totally depleted, and I had no idea how I was going to present the closing keynote address. As I sat on the front row listening to my introduction, I thought those words: I cannot do this. To which God seemed to say, "That's exactly what I needed to hear."
God promises us victory. When the apostle Paul couldn't find just the right word to express a truth, he simply combined Greek words. In today's scripture, the apostle needed a way to describe the kind of victory that believers have in Christ Jesus. So Paul created the word upernikwmen by combing the Greek words hyper and nike.
If you have a "hyper" child, there's no need for a description. Hyper means "over the top," "above and beyond." And we all recognize the word Nike from athletic wear. It means "victor."
So Paul describes believers as over-the-top victors. Believers who transcend death and life, angels and demons, the present and the future, any powers, heights and depths, and anything else in all creation.
Suddenly I was filled with over-the-top energy for the talk—after which my exhaustion instantly returned. But God provided hyper nike just when I needed it!
—James N. Watkins
God's power and love will make you an over-the-top victor today!
Ash Wednesday, March 9, 2011
For Lent, I’m giving up . . .
Two years ago, I posted my Top ten things I (Jim) am giving up for Lent
Seriously, though, I did try to give up dark chocolate for the 40 plus days leading up
to Easter. It was an agonizing 40 minutes! This year, I'm attempting to give up something even more near and dear
to me: fear.
As a self-employed freelance writer, speaker, editor and college
instructor, fear has been a constant companion. In Freelance Land, it's always "feast or famine"! So, while
fear is an occupational hazard, Jesus claims it's a spiritual hazard. Twenty-one times, the Gospels record
Jesus telling His followers to "not be afraid" or "not fear" or "have courage" or "take heart" or "be of good cheer."
Twenty-one times! The "Greatest Commandment" to love God and our neighbors only gets eight mentions. So, by
numbers alone, "fear not" is also a pretty great commandment.
Fear indicates I'm not trusting God
Jesus teaches:
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of
the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of
little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them" (Matthew 5:28-32).
Fear requires as much effort as trust
Fear is an emotional black hole that attempts to not only swallow up peace and joy, but energy and creativity. So,
I'm trying to expend my energy on trust rather than fear, since both require the same effort.
Fear borrows trouble from tomorrow
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 5:34).
Tomorrow, it looks like I don't have any paying work. Today, however, I have meaningful work. Today I have
money in the bank and bills are paid. Today I'm healthy.
One of the best pieces of advice for the best-selling book
Jesus Calling is to keep the door to tomorrow shut tight.
So, on this Ash Wednesday, I'm giving up fear. It's going to be harder than giving up dark chocolate, but I'm praying
for God's strength and grace to give it up for forty plus days. And, hopefully, make it a life-long lifestyle.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Which path is ‘right’ path?!
I recently received this email:
Here's my dilemma: I'm trying to figure out how to determine whether the decisions I'm making are based on my own "inner voice" or whether God is directing things. Some of these decisions haven't worked out very well, and I find myself saying, "Okay, that was ME deciding and not God", or, sometimes, "Okay, God wanted me to do THIS, and now He wants me to do THAT". See the problem? Sometimes I think I'm doing what God wants (because of the way things seem to have fallen into place) but then I just don't know. Any advice for the lost and confused? I sure would appreciate it :-)
I'm very much in the same situation: trying to follow God and yet things don't seem to be working out right now. I joked on Facebook, "I feel like King Gidas. Everything I touch turns to mold."
I've tried to live out Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
However, I'm not always sure I'm on the "right" path. So, here are a couple thoughts:
First, "God's will" is all about loving Him and others. It certainly sounds like you've done that by your email.
I think we get too concerned if we're on the right "path" when God simply wants us to love Him and others. Everything else is secondary.
Second, I've tried to follow this PAT answer:
What are my passions?
What are my affirmations?
What are my talents?
When my passions, affirmations, and talents all align, that's probably where I'm living out the purpose for which I was created.
So, many times, there's no one path. Notice Proverbs 3:6 says "He will guide your paths." Plural!
As long as you're loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit, and your neighbor as yourself, you're right where God wants you to be. So, God would be pleased with either choice you're facing.
© Copyright 2011 James N. Watkins
Related page:
God's will is not lost—for those trying to find it
Keep your back to the future
Maundy Thursday, April 21, 2011
Knowing who we are
Jesus certainly practiced what He preached.
Mark 9 records the disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest.
"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the
servant of all.'"
Throughout His ministry, Jesus exhibited servanthood, but never more than on the night He was betrayed:
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the
Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love (John 13:1).
Jesus is going to be arrested, unjustly condemned and cruelly executed within hours. He had every right to think
of His own physical and emotional needs and expect His disciples to minister to Him. Instead, He stripped down to
His tunic and washed the feet of the man who would soon betray Him, the man who would deny Him three times, and
the ten others who would desert Him in His hour of need.
How could Jesus possibly do this? The key is that "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power."
Jesus knew who He was. He didn't have to prove His power and authority by demanding honor and praise from men.
He knew He was the very Son of God and that performing menial tasks—like washing dirty feet—didn't change
His status. It takes power to be a servant; strength to be gentle. (A powerless person doesn't serve but subjugates
himself.) And Jesus proved to be a powerful servant as Paul writes, "he made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant . . . becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8).
If we are trying to prove our value or status, it will be difficult to truly serve. But if we believe we the
Father's beloved children, it will be easier to serve, since we have nothing to prove.
© Copyright 2011 James N. Watkins
Thursday, June 9, 2011
‘Helping’ God take out the trash
When granddaughter, Hannah, was two years old, she loved to help "Papaw" take out the trash. She would grab
one of the ties on the bag and I would lift the other. She was so proud that she was "helping."
Of course, she only carried about 1 percent of the total load—more often adding to the weight as she
leaned into the trash bag.
I'm sure that God is equally bemused when we proudly perform some righteous acts: writing a book,
preaching a message, singing in the choir, helping the poor, etc. He's carrying 99 percent of the
load—more often carrying the whole load as we lean on Him.
You can learn a lot of good theology from a two-year old!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
What succeeded, what sucked
I'm having one of those days when I sit down with my journal and write down everything that's going right and
everything that's going wrong with my life. This week has sucked like a ShopVac! So I made a list for this
century of what succeeded and what sucked.
Succeeded
I came up with fifteen things I'd consider successful. Those included: four adorable
grandchildren (I did
contribute one-fourth of their DNA), wonderful speaking
opportunities in Africa,
India,
and all across North America, a 30th anniversary trip to NYC, a column in each issue in
Rev. magazine, and publication of a few books (Communicate to Change Lives,
Squeezing Good Out of Bad,
The Why Files three-book series,
Writers on
Writing and Writing with Banana Peels).
Sucked
I came up with fourteen things that truly sucked. Those included: cancer, losing two
wonderful ministry positions (one where Lois and I served for 16 years), a couple of family crises, several
business plans that crashed on take-off, and of course lots of
rejected book proposals.
Putting it all down on paper helped me realize a few things:
I've grown so much more through the times life has sucked than the times life has succeeded. [More]
I've learned what's really valuable through loss—and restoration.
What God considers "success" (loving Him and others) is not what the world considers success.
[More]
And if I get up one more time than I fall down (15-14), I've succeeded!
Thanks for listening. I feel better.
[Originally posted October 17, 2009. Since then, we've added another granddaughter,
Keren.
Success!]
Monday, August 8, 2011
Hope & ‘hell in a hand basket’
If you're one of those who thinks your country is "going to hell in a hand basket," you may be right. But
there is hope
In a country where the economy was based on human trafficking, smuggling of contraband, and brutal child labor;
where blood sports like cock fighting, bull and bear baiting and sword fights were
popular entertainment; where alcohol abuse was epidemic; where the capital was described as
"a sink of vice" and "the wickedest city in the world;" where the punishment for crime was considered "barbaric"
with over two hundred offenses worthy of
capital punishment; where the clergy were "noticeably and lamentably
conspicuous by a very free, secular and irregular way of life;" a revival occurred that changed the world!
That was the environment in which evangelists George Whitefield (1714-1770) and John Wesley (1703-1791) began their
life-changing, culture-transforming ministries in England. There is hope!
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Thursday, August 18, 2011
When dreams die
God promises Joseph that he will become a great leader—and he ends up enslaved and imprisoned in Egypt.
The prophet Elisha promises an infertile woman that she will bear a son—and the boy dies in her arms.
Jesus promises to bring a heavenly kingdom to earth—and then He and the promise are crucified and buried.
Is this disturbing pattern playing out in your life? You sense that God gives you a dream job—and months
later you're laid off. God miraculously fulfills your dream of a child—and now she's clinging to life in
neo-natal intensive care. It seems God has brought the man of your dreams into your life—and now he's
killed in a traffic accident.
When our dreams die, a part of us dies as well!
I mentioned in Keeping your dreams
alive another biblical pattern: The dream is received,
the dreamer is refined, the dream is resized and the dream is realized. But what happens when the dream
dies?
In each of the biblical instances above, the dream dies, but is miraculously resurrected! For the Shunammite woman, it took
three attempts for her son to be brought back to life (once by Elisha's servant, twice by the prophet). In Jesus'
case, three days in a stone cold grave. But for Joseph—and this is not exactly encouraging—13 years of
slavery and imprisonment.
Perhaps the miraculous resurrection of the dream is God's way of assuring us, it was indeed His dream for
us. (There's no way we could have brought our dead dream back to life.) And, more importantly, the dream is now
infused with God's power—not our own—to be "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"
(Ephesians 3:20).
If you're facing the death of your dream, I'm right there with you waiting for my miraculous resurrection as well.
I'd love to pray for you during this difficult time.
Email me at jim@jameswatkins.com.
I'm believing with you for a resurrection!
Related posts
• Keeping your dreams alive (audio from "Writing for the Soul" conference)
• When plans are dashed
• When plans are delayed
Monday, September 19, 2011
What’s your life’s ‘story arc’?
Fiction writing follows a rather rigid formula called the "story arc." Here's how
Nancy Lynn McLane plots it:
1. Defining event: must be something the character cares about
2. Raise the stakes: the call to action; the character tries to resist
3. Rising action: pulls the character into the activities
4. No turning back: must resolve problem; can't get around it
5. Exceptional event: character is over his/her head, although actions may appear successful
6. Dark moment: all seems lost or moral dilemma demands a choice; character must sacrifice
7. Climax/resolution: the final confrontation: problem/obstacle is overcome or resolved; loose ends tied up.
Real life often follows that very same pattern. We see it the life of Bible characters.
Moses' "defining event" was seeing a fellow Israelite being abused by an Egyptian slave master. Joseph had an
amazing dream. Jesus' disciples were called to follow Him.
We see God "raise the stakes" with Moses as, forty years later, He confronts the exiled shepherd with the burning
bush—to which Moses resists with a multitude of excuses. Joseph is over-powered and sold into slavery.
The disciples leave their fishing nets and tax collecting business behind.
"Rising action" occurs as Moses finally agrees to go before the mighty Pharaoh and demand, "Set my people free."
Joseph is put to work in Potifer's Egyptian household. Jesus commissions the disciples to share the good news of
the coming kingdom.
Now there's "no turning back." Once you've stood before Pharaoh and thrown down the gauntlet—actually,
the rod which turns into a snake—you're committed. Joseph is thrown in jail with no hope of returning to
his home. And the disciples, especially Peter, has vowed to die for Jesus.
The Nile turning to blood, along with nine other supernatural plagues, are certainly "exceptional" events—way
beyond Moses' abilities. God provides Joseph with additional dreams that he hopes will win his release. And
Jesus' miraculous transformation before Peter, James and John definitely qualifies!
Then comes the "dark moment"! Moses and the Israelites are released from captivity, only to find themselves
between a rock and two hard places: a sea and the Egyptian army sent to destroy them. The released jail mate,
doesn't bother to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph's prophetic powers and he remains in jail And, of course, Jesus
is crucified and His disciples scattered.
But there's always a dramatic "climax/resolution." (God is such a drama king!) The Red Sea opens
up. Joseph is released and appointed second in command of Egypt. And Jesus rises from the dead! Now that's
climatic!
So where are you in your life story's story arc? Trust that the plot will play out with God's climax/resolution.
© Copyright 2011 James N. Watkins
Monday, October 10, 2011
‘You can’ take it with you.’ Sure you can!
Here's a sneak peek from a week of devos I wrote for
Light from
the Word.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it (1 Timothy 6:7).
I'm not sure I agree with the apostle Paul's claim that we "brought nothing into the world, and we can take
nothing out of it."
Yes, we brought no physical things such as money, clothing or wide-screen TVs; but we brought a lot
into the world and will take a lot out.
Psalm 139 implies that we brought an eternal soul into this world in a body that is a unique, wonderful creation
of God. And 1 Corinthians 12 teaches that a part of that creation includes our unique talents and abilities that
we can use to serve Him.
And when that body dies, our eternal soul will live on. Our influence will also live on through our example and
teaching. And our good deeds will "store up for [us] treasures in heaven." (That's why we're not judged immediately
at death, but only at the final judgment since our influence will continue to effect others' lives long after
we're gone—for good and bad.)
So, Paul, I completely agree with you that we brought no money, clothing or wide-screen TVs into this world and
we'll leave the same behind. But the secret, as you wrote, is to invest in those things that are imperishable:
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).
How are we treating this wonderful creation of our bodies? How are we using the talents and abilities God
inbred into our lives? And what kind of influence are we making upon our friends and family, coworkers, and
fellow travelers?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Emotions real, but not reality
During the American Civil War, the Confederate Navy filled Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico with mines,
which at the time were called "torpedoes." As flag officer David Glasgow Farragut led the Union's fleet of 18
ships into the bay, he issued one of history's most memorable orders:
"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"
The tactic succeeded. Only one ship was lost and the last Confederate stronghold on the Gulf of Mexico fell to
Union control. (And Farragut was made admiral of the U.S. Navy and honored with two postage stamps.)
It's also a good strategy for our emotions:
Damn the emotions! Full speed ahead!
Don't deny emotions
I'm certainly not denying that my life is a mine-filled sea of emotions. I regularly struggle with clinical
depression,
so there are days I just want to go below desk and hide in the hull. But I'm not alone. I have
plenty of company with the psalmists of the Bible. One-third of all psalms are known as "laments."
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief (Psalm 22:1-2 NLT).
O God, why have you rejected us so long?
Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture? (Psalm 74:1).
When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted (Psalm 77:2).
Don't deify emotions
The psalmists certainly didn't deny their emotions, but neither did that make their emotions their god. Inevitably,
the psalms above are followed by a psalm of praise:
The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams (Psalm 23:1-2)
We thank you, O God!
We give thanks because you are near.
People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds (Psalm 75:1).
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the LORD,
about his power and his mighty wonders (Psalm 78:4).
Paul sums up these "bi-polar" extremes of emotions:
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Do defy emotions
Emotions are fickle feelings that may be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, a subconscious reaction to
an event in the past or present, or something we ate the night before. Emotions are real, but they are not reality.
(That's good! You may want to write that down and post in on the bathroom mirror!)
So, I find myself paraphrasing Admiral Farragut's order: "Damn the emotions! Full speed ahead!"
And most
days, I'm successful—with prayer, persistence and Prozac—in navigating the emotional mines floating in
my life. I can't deny them, but I also refuse to deify them. They are not my God, but bio-chemicals, sub-conscious
reactions or, perhaps, the pizza I ate before bed.
Full speed ahead!
Thursday, October 26, 2011
Feeling inadequate, unequipped, in the dark?
I love the story of Gideon: not the guy who keeps leaving his Bible in hotel rooms, but the Jewish judge who describes himself as "the least in my entire family." God has called Gideon to liberate the Israelis from the cruel oppression of the Midianites. But to defeat the enemy of over 100,000 troops, God provides him with 300 men. (Nope, I didn't leave out any zeroes. That's 100,000 v. 300!)
Totally inadequate
God seems to delight when we feel totally inadequate. He tells Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength" (Judges 6:2).
So, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of challenges coming against you—physically, financially, spiritually, relationally, etc.—know that God is with you, and that makes you a majority!
Utterly unequipped
Not only does Gideon's 300 men face over 100,000 troops, but God orders them to fight with some very, shall we say, unconventional weapons: clay pots, torches and rams' horns! Not only are they hopelessly outnumbered, but they're facing swords and spears with these non-weapons.
Are you feeling completely unequipped to handle the challenges you're facing? I don't have the finances. I don't have the education. I don't have the emotional strength. Gideon commands his troops, "Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!" (Judges 7:15).
Completely in the dark
To make sure this military maneuver is humanly impossible, Gideon is told to launch his offensive in the middle of the night. No one, at that time, fought wars at night!
So, here's the point: God seems to delight in using us at our worst, weakest and darkest moments. That way He gets the glory!
With trust and obedience, Gideon's men surround the enemy camp with their torches hidden inside the clay pots in one hand and their rams' horns in the other. At the signal, pots smash, the hills alight with flames and the horns sound. (Some believe that since troops usually had one trumpeter per one thousand men, the 100,000 believed they were surrounded by 300,000 troops. The panicked Midianites begin swinging their swords in the dark and effectively kill each other.
So, no matter the odds, no matter the resources, no matter the time, God can give you victory for the challenges you're facing. At least that's what I'm holding onto as Lois and I face some menacing Midianites. And I pray for victory for you as well!
© Copyright 2011 James N. Watkins
Thursday, November 10, 2011
‘Pressed . . . but not crushed’
In less than one week (six days to be exact) . . .
. . . my mom was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with a second possible stroke.
. . . my cousin's husband,
58, died suddenly of a massive heart attack.
. . . a college friend, who sang with Lois and me in a Marion College group, was told by doctors there was nothing
more they could do for her cancer and she was sent home to die.
. . . another friend's work hours were cut in half and her husband is out of work.
. . . Lois
will have surgery to remove her gall bladder and a suspicious lump in her breast Thursday.
And did I mention, I also spoke at a writers' conference for two days? So I'm indentifying—just a
bit—with the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9:
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Contrary to TV preachers
who promise
"health and wealth,"
Paul honestly teaches that we can have great faith and still have great trials. In fact, I don't have any objective
research results, but I suspect there is no statistical difference between the amount of tragedy that
holy Christians
and heathenistic non-Christians experience—the same amount of trouble, perplexity, abuse and being knocked
down.
There is, however, a huge difference promised in two little words: but not!
For instance, Earth's atmosphere is pressing against each square inch of our bodies with a force of 14.7 pounds
per square inch (1 kilogram per square centimeter). The force on a little larger than a square foot (1,000 square
centimeters) is about one ton! You and I should be flattened by this crushing weight. But God has graciously
created each of us with 14.7 pounds per square inch of pressure on the inside, so we aren't crushed.
Both Christians and non-Christians face the same pressures, but believers have the strength and power of
God's Spirit
within to keep them from being crushed. If you're having one of those weeks, I pray that you will experience
God's miraculous "but not." And thanks for your prayers!
Related posts
• God is never late—but He sure is slow
• Squeezing Good Out of Bad
• Why? Some thoughts on life's tough questions
Monday, November 21, 2011
Giving thanks for bad news
To receive your daily adult dose of bad news, take two minutes of the evening news. Just this week:
Sixty Minutes reports that members of Congress are regularly receiving classified information that allow them to conduct insider trading with no legal consequences.
The assistant coach of Penn State is charged with sexually assaulting young boys in his "Second Mile" charity. Allegedly, head coach Joe Poterno, knew about the assaults as early as 2002—and did nothing.
"Occupy Wall Street" protestors accuse Wall Street bankers of being the greedy, immoral and out-of-touch "1 percent" who financially oppress the "99 percent."
And a man is accused of taking "pot shots" at the White House—literally—shooting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with an assault rifle.
Bad news, indeed! But that's actually reason for Thanksgiving. "Why?" you ask shaking your head in disbelief.
[Continue reading]
Note: We'll be traveling over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving in Michigan, so no post Thursday.
Have a grateful Thanksgiving Day!
Email a comment to jim@jameswatkins.com
Thursday, December 15, 2011
‘One of those days’ . . . weeks . . . months . . .
Ever have "one of those days" that stretched into a week . . . a month . . . forty years? Here's some hope from Deuteronomy 8:
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test
you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands" (v. 2)
God led Israelites into the wilderness to humble and test them! (We often get ourselves into messes, but
sometimes it appears God is the one who has "led" us into the mess!)
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors
had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth
of the Lord (v. 3)
And it appears that God "caused" the Israelites to hunger. (Again, we often get ourselves into financial
messes, but apparently sometimes God Himself causes us to be hungry.)
God answers in a way that "neither you nor your ancestors had known" (that phrase is repeated in verse 16).
No one expected God to answer with manna (meaning "what is it?"). What totally unexpected ways, is God
going to answer our prayers?
Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord
your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out
into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil
and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are
iron and you can dig copper out of the hills (vv. 6-9).
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his
decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine
houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and
all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God,
who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (vv. 10-14).
Perhaps the reason that we—or at least I—spend so much in the wilderness of life is to
protect us from ourselves. It's "to humble and test [us] so that in the end it might go well with [us]"
(v. 16). God always has our best interest in His heart and mind—even while we're in the desert.
That's a comfort, but I do wish I had something for dinner other than another manna casserole!
Copyright 2011 James N. Watkins
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