Faithscape

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders” * 

God, I often find it hard to shout for you; to praise you for the things that you do for me.

What are those things? Oh, it may be surprising. It is not those earthly, material things that are needed to survive. No, it is the things that are not often seen by the naked eye.

 It’s that inner peace, that inner comfort and inner joy. It’s that unexplainable, undescribed knowing—that vision, that hope, that desire of my heart to be a part of you. It is that desire to be with you, to share you with others. It’s that spiritual resource, the fuel that I need to go another day. To be all I can be until I can dwell in you completely.

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*Psalm 9:1

I saw a bluebird- powerful, majestic and beautiful. My spirit shouted with ecstasy and praise as my God allowed me to view such majestic beauty.

I saw a bluebird-far away on a treetop; but oh, close enough by binoculars to move again my spirit to rejoice.

I saw a bluebird many years ago, an image of perfection and wonder, an image that has not died; nor will die, because God’s spirit that lives in that bluebird also lives within me.

Did I tell you that I saw a bluebird; I mean God?

“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:15 (NIV)

 I decided to check several other versions:

“…for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (The New King James)

“…If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet.” The Message Bible

Oh yes, that’s the one for me; “I won’t trip over my own feet. How many of us have done that—trip over our feet or put our foot into our mouths.

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God, this verse speaks to us today. How can we go wrong, if our thoughts are always on you? Who can hurt us, if our trust is always in you?

 God as we hunger for you; guide us toward your truth and teach us your ways. We don’t want to falter; nor do we want to hurt or to be hurt.

Our wish is to serve and to show others your way. Amen

“I called out to God from habit more than from expectation and because I had no one else to call to” (Richard H. Schmidt, 245).*

God, I thank you for taking the brunt of my blame and anger.  Thank you for being with me even through my doubts and fear.

God, I thank you for hearing my prayers and rescuing me when no one else cared or could. Thank you for being my comforter, and my shepherd.

Thank you for being there when I call on you when I am in distress; and somehow and in some way, you have that answer for me.

Like Richard, I too call upon you out of habit, but you know God some habits are good for our health and our souls. I pray that I will never break this habit. I pray that someday my prayers won’t be out of habit, but a desire to have that special relationship with you. Amen.

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This is written for all wise servant leaders and those who ache to do God’s will

  “Here am I,” said Mary;

“I am the Lord’s servant; as you have spoken, so be it.”  Luke 1:38 (NEB)

 I surrender Lord. My plans are your plans. My wants are your wants.

Though I have doubts and fear; I trust you will show me the way. But count on me Lord to seek clarifications as I pray daily to be “at-one-ment” with you.

I need not fear for my sustenance; my needs are to fulfill the needs of those who call out in the “wilderness.”

I surrender Lord. My plans are your plans. My wants are your wants. All I ask Lord is that you offer help along the way.

Amen.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.   For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

The bible is filled with stories of leaders looking beyond the obvious. Two such stories illustrated Joshua’s perception of current events (see Deuteronomy 1:22-38; Joshua 5:13-6:20). How about David slaying the Giant or Peter’s visit to Cornelius’s house (Act 10:9-48) or how can we forget how Jesus looked beyond the obvious, with the raising of the little girl that was announced to be dead. “She is not dead; she is sleeping (Mark 5:39).

Let’s us not forget our modern day saints who changed the world, such as, Reverend Troy Perry who made it possible for “queer people” to embrace Christianity and believe in a living God again; or the Reverend John Shelby Spong who helps us to look beyond religion and theism to understand the love of God.

It is not necessary to only look at religious figures who challenge us to look beyond the obvious.  Consider Barack Obama who fought the odds to become our first black President of these United States with the theme, “Yes We Can.” Or Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com which has changed our methods of buying, owning and reading books, or Steve Jobs who brought Apple back from near extinction. Who can refute what the internet and the likes of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have done to our political landscape and to our world.

I am sure you know of people, not so famous, who have made your world a better place because they looked beyond the obvious. Let’s not be like the many birds in the picture looking in the same direction. Find the bird that’s looking in a different direction. That’s the one we often need to follow. So what do you see differently that could be changed to improve your life or those around you?

I know it’s hard when you are struggling. What have you been struggling with? Have you taken the blinders off and looked at things in a different way? You are not alone, I am trying too. As I wrestle with the obvious, I know God is asking me to look at things differently; to look beyond the obvious. I pray that you will do the same when you are faced with life’s challenges.

“Only when we are willing to change and invite God to do his good pleasure in us, will the perplexity of our minds and the ache in our hearts abate” (Richard H. Schmidt, Praises, Prayers & Curses, p.35).

I wish I could agree with Mr. Schmidt. It sounds very logical. It’s an easy out to all the perplexing questions about life and all that our eyes see about life. But, then Psalm 13:2 rang strongly in my ears:

 “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?”

It may be a lifetime for me—because I am so stubborn. I want my cake now. What does God want with me (I have been studying Job)? I am a decent human being. I am no different from anyone else.

If God wants something from me—WHY DOESN’T GOD SPEAK CLEARLY? Why must I try to figure out this puzzle? Why must I play this game? I meditate daily; I am obedient to the commandments, yet, this loving God and the life that I live seem not to be in sync.

What do you have me to do Lord? What would you have me to do? Remove my fears; dampen my will; so I can be obedient to what you want me to do. And then God speaks:

You must remain flexible, teachable. I am the potter and you are the clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6).

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Concept & photograph by Tony Crisp. Graphic Design by Jim Whalen

I don’t know what your lot in life has been or will be in the future, but here’s a prayerful thought that I offer you

Photograph and graphic design by Jim Whalen

God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? Psalm 62:1.

I had a pity party yesterday. I felt sorry for myself. Nothing is going as planned. Why should I an innocent, suffer? What is this all about? God, are you teaching me to be patient? Is there’s something better, as we like to say to cheer ourselves, or is this just life; and bad things happen to good people.

I hope not. I have seen bad things happen to good people. It is not pretty and it is not fair. My friends and my colleagues feel my pain too.  But soon they will forget. They have to forget, and life for them will go on as before. But the ones that suffer—suffer still.

Richard H. Schmidt writes: “When we let our happiness depend on some future event, often something unlikely to happen and perhaps something that wouldn’t be best for us anyway, our waiting becomes tense and anxious. The key to waiting contentedly is to focus upon God.”* God, I am definitely focused on you-‘yeah right!’

Max Lucado writes: “(God) said no to good things so (God) could say yes to the right thing….”** I am wondering what that right thing is for me? You have been there too, huh.  

God, I had a pity party yesterday and I want to have another one today. But you know what; I will fight this ‘poor me’ syndrome. I am better than this. I have choices. I choose to embrace the positive and even find good in this bad. This is what I know:

• God alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2.
• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.

So God, I am reminded that I am on a journey. This wonderful journey; a journey that requires me to be attuned to every facet of my life; an opportunity to yearn and learn, to dream the impossible; an opportunity to re-think my direction, but more than anything; to trust you, to put my faith into action, to live out Psalm 23:1: “you are my shepherd and I have everything I need.”

Who needs a pity party?

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*Richard H. Schmidt. Praises Prayers & Curses Conversations with the Psalms. 2005, p. 123.

**Max Lucado. Cure for the Common Life. 2005, p. 106.