The Importance of Friends

1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Good morning Zebras,

Last week I went to the hardware store to pick up a bag of sand for Katherine.  I went in, paid for the sand, and walked confidently outside to claim my fifty pound purchase. That is when the trouble started.

For the first time in my adult life I was unable to lift fifty pounds.  And to add insult to injury a very nice WOMAN came along and offered to help.  Even though I protested that I could do it myself, she grabbed it up and carried it to my car.

I was totally shocked that I couldn’t lift fifty pounds.  I have always been able to lift fifty pounds.  But here is the really sad part.  I have been going to the gym off and on years and in my mind I was getting stronger.

When I go to the gym I enjoy the elliptical and I tolerate the stationary bike but I really don’t like lifting weights.  I do it because I know it is good for me, but I don’t really push myself as hard as I could.  “No pain, no gain” is not my gym motto.  My motto is more like “Don’t do enough to make it hurt.”

However I am now painfully aware that just going and doing the easy stuff means I have been basically wasting my time. I have not been building new muscles like I thought, in fact I haven’t even been maintaining the ones I had.  I have been slowly slipping backwards and I never even noticed.

That’s when I knew the lesson wasn’t really about the gym.  And it wasn’t about the importance of building good strong spiritual muscles.  It was about the deceitful nature of the human heart and our amazing ability to convince ourselves that everything is going well, when in reality we are way off track.

Of course this never would have happened if my nephew had been with me.  As a physical trainer he would have noticed right away that I was just “playing gym.” He would have told me to knock it off, hopefully I would have listened.

And that reminded me of a story about a king and a lady who was taking a bath. 

King David’s encounter with Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel 11, his rebuke by Nathan in 2 Samuel 12 and his contrite heart before God in Psalm 51.   All of which are great reading if you need to be reminded of the importance of having Godly people in your life who love you enough to confront you when you are wrong and the way you should respond when they do.

Love,

Jill

Job Clarification

John 6:5–6 (NIV84)  

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”  He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Good morning Zebras,

I absolutely love God’s Word.

Recently I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I am so excited about the doors God has opened for me to go and teach His Word, but to be honest living right alongside that excitement is fear.

Who am I to go and teach others what God’s Word says?  The answer of course is nobody.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to go. It just means I’m supposed to go and rely on God to do the work.

Which is easier said than done.

Following God when you are feeling strong and capable is much easier than following God when you know what He has asked you to do is WAY beyond your abilities, but I think the latter is where we are supposed to be living.

Look at Moses.  When he tried to free the Israelites through his own power, they turned on him and he had to flee to the desert for forty years.  By the time God called from the burning bush Moses seemed totally convinced he couldn’t do what God asked him to do. He made one excuse after another only to have God reassure him that it was God who was going to be doing the work, all Moses had to do was go along.

And the same is true of Joshua.  When God sent him into the Promised Land, He encouraged him by telling him: be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Which is all great stuff but to be transparent, it wasn’t helping me much.  And that’s because going where God is sending me wasn’t really what I was afraid of.  So God let me see another story, one I was very familiar with, through new eyes.

Jesus was teaching and thousands of people were following Him.  He had been teaching for a while and the disciples realized the crowd was probably getting hungry so they told Jesus to send them away so they could get something to eat.

Instead Jesus turns to them and says: “You give them something to eat.”  Can you imagine the fear the disciples must have felt at that moment?  Jesus had just told them they were responsible for feeding all those people!   

But of course they weren’t.  Jesus was. He was just going to use them to do it.

And that’s what I needed to hear.

I needed to be reminded it’s not my job to meet the needs of everyone I meet.  It is just my job to point them to the person who can.

Love,

Jill

I Need A New Name

Romans 7:18 (NIV84) I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Romans 8:2 (NIV84)  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Good morning Zebras.

All of us have two natures, the sin nature that we were born with and the spiritual nature we inherited when we accepted Christ and although the sin nature is dead, crucified with Christ, it sure can cause a lot of trouble when we resurrect it.

I have been reading Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur.  It is about the disciples and how God chose ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. There is a chapter on each man and in the chapter about Peter, MacArthur makes an interesting observation.

We all know God changes people’s names.  In Genesis 17, God changed Abram to Abraham and his wife Sarai to Sarah. Then in Genesis 32, after he wrestled with God, Jacob became Israel. The name change signified a change in their relationship to God.

And In Matthew 16, Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter. He does it in response to Simon’s answer to the question: “Who do you say I am?’

When Simon answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus responded with:  “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock (the truth of Christ) I will build my church.

But here is the interesting part, according to MacArthur, when Peter messed up Jesus still called him Simon,  and even when he was doing well the others, especially those who had known him his whole life, often referred to him as Simon Peter.

It was as if the two people lived side by side. Peter, who knew the truth of who Christ was and would go on to be a great leader in the early church, and Simon the impetuous man who often spoke and acted before thinking.

And I thought that was so cool. The perfect picture of where we all live. Striving to become what God has called us to be and yet influenced by the patterns and habits of a life time.  But take heart, like Peter, with God’s help, we too can overcome!

If God has been “encouraging” you to deal with some areas of sin and disobedience in your life, this may be why.

Like Peter, we can’t be who we used to be and still become who God wants us to be.  One or the other has to go.

Love,

Jill

Incomprehensible

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV84)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Good morning Zebras,

Last month my herd pondered on the incomprehensible nature of God. And to drive the point home that His ways are so far beyond my understanding, He gave me the privilege of teaching a passage from Revelation to the middle students at my church.

The passage we were looking at was Revelation 20:11-15 where each person stands before Christ holding the book of their life.

In preparation for the lesson each student had a few minutes to write The Book Of their Life.  Questions to help them included:  “What is the worst thing you have ever done?” “What is the best thing you have ever done?”  and “List six people who have greatly influenced your life.”

Of course, the point of the lesson was that we can’t earn our way to heaven.  Even if the page of good deeds was full to overflowing and the bad deeds page had only one or two entries, if Jesus’ name was not written on the page of people who changed your life you were not getting in.

But the lesson didn’t end there.  Because although that’s absolutely true-it’s only faith in Jesus Christ that gets us into heaven- even middle school students instinctively knew that how we lived our lives still mattered.

So then we talked about the judgment of believers.

The Bible says we will all stand before God and give an account of the deeds we’ve done in the body, so we know it’s going to happen, but how can it be both? How can we stand before God totally forgiven because of Jesus Christ and yet also be held accountable for the things we done.  

The answer is: “I don’t know, but God does.”

When I was little I understood math. 1+1=2 and that was good, even multiplication, division and fractions were clear understandable concepts.  But then I hit “higher math” and suddenly I had no idea what they were talking about.  I knew what they were saying was true, but it sure didn’t make sense to me. 

Sometimes that is how I feel about God.  I know what He says is true, but it doesn’t always make sense to me.  But then it doesn’t have to, because incomprehensible is an attribute of God. And Isaiah 55:8 clearly says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and neither are your ways My ways.”

Love,

Jill

Righteous

2 Corinthians 5:19–21 (NLT)

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them… For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Good morning Zebras,

Today’s attribute is “righteous.”

When I pulled it out of the box my immediate thought was “Yup, God is holy and righteous.” And although it is true God is both the attributes are not quite the same.

Holiness is a chief attribute of God and a quality to be developed in His people. “Holiness” and the adjective “holy” occur more than 900 times in the Bible. The primary OT word for holiness means “to cut” or “to separate.” Fundamentally, holiness is a cutting off or separation from what is unclean, and consecration to what is pure.

Righteous is the conformity to a certain set of expectations, which vary from role to role. It is the fulfillment of the expectations in any relationship, whether with God or other people. It is applicable at all levels of society, and is relevant in every area of life.

Not only is God righteous, revealing his righteousness in His mighty acts, but He also expects righteousness of others, who are to reflect the nature of their Creator. The expected response to God’s rule is in the form of righteousness, that is, conformity to His rule and will. In this basic sense, Noah is called “righteous” because he walked with God and showed integrity in comparison to his contemporaries. Abraham was righteous because he ordered his life by the revealed will of God.

And that is where my problem lies.  I have a tendency to start thinking about what God expects rather than what He has done and I try to earn what is already mine. And, I have found, trying to earn God’s favor is a surefire recipe for disaster, because I always fail.

I can never be holy.  I can never be righteous.  I can never be perfect before a Holy God. But Jesus was all of those things and because of my faith in Him so am I.  And when I focus on that, suddenly the pressure is off and joy, accompanied by the desire and ability to obey, returns.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son, and doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. Thank you for making us holy and righteous in Your eyes, not because of what we do, but because of what Christ did.

Love,

Jill

Consequences

James 4:2b (NKJV)

Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Good morning Zebras,

My son likes to tease me that in all my illustrations I always get to be God, which is usually true.  But not today, today I am a repentant sinner unable to change the consequences of my actions.

Over a year ago my little moodle dog started developing REALLY bad breath.  I mean his breath has never been good, but it got so bad that we would jokingly say he had “death breath.”  In my heart I knew something was wrong, but I just chalked it up to him being a boy and doing what boy dogs do which is licking things that stink.

I was never totally convinced that that was the reason and I kept coming across literature that said bad breath could be a sign that there was something wrong with your dog’s mouth or teeth. I did ask the vet how much it cost to have his teeth cleaned, but I let the matter drop when I found out it was five hundred dollars. Until Monday.

On Monday I decided maybe brushing his teeth would help.  Katherine had just gone to the dentist and she had gotten one of those little toothbrushes that they give away for free and it just seemed like the perfect size for his little mouth.

But when I opened his mouth I saw we were way beyond the brushing stage.  Four of his little teeth were loose and the bottom gums were brown and squishy.  Looking at it made me sick to my stomach, because I knew it was bad and I knew it was my fault.

 
Needless to say I called the vet immediately.
 
Today Josh is in surgery having his teeth cleaned.  They had to pull five teeth because they were rotted beyond repair and although they say he will be fine, I’m still feeling guilty. Because I know the only reason I didn’t take him in sooner was because it was so expensive and I wasn’t sure where the money would come from.

But you want to know the really sad thing?  I never once asked God to provide it.

Love,

Jill

Not My Job

Matthew 7:3–5 (ESV)

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Good morning Zebras.

I am so glad that I am not in charge of the world.

The other day I was driving and talking on the phone which is illegal in the state of California. I hadn’t been talking long, I had just placed the call in anticipation of the long line at the Costco gas station, but I was breaking the law and as I turned into the gas station a gentleman let me know.

He started honking and yelling at me through his window and I could tell by his gestures that it was my cell phone usage that had him disturbed. Now I don’t know the reason he was so upset, he or someone he loves might’ve been in an accident involving a driver who was talking on the phone or he could’ve just been someone who hates to see others break the law.

But he was clearly upset and all I could think was: “I am so glad it’s not my job to get everyone to behave.”

Which was kind of a surprising thought, since “controlling the world” used to be a hobby of mine, but somewhere along the line God showed me that was His job and not mine. I’ve found that when I watch others and try to get them to “behave,” I have very little time or energy to do what God has commanded me to do which is to love them.

But why is it so much more difficult to do when it is someone I know?

Maybe it is because I do love them and don’t want them to suffer the consequences of their foolish behavior or maybe it is because I still have a tendency to want to control the world-I have just narrowed my fiefdom down to include only my family and friends.

But it is still wrong and the same principles apply. It is not my job to police others, it is my job to police myself, pray for others and speak truth when I am prompted to do so out of a spirit of love and not a spirit of “I told you so.”

Love,
Jill

Gardener

John 15:1–2 (NIV84)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Good morning Zebras,

I am not a gardener and I don’t even pretend to be.  I’m the type of person who kills every plant that has ever been given to them.  So I am always impressed when I see someone who really understands how to make things grow, like Steve.

Steve is a landscaper.  He redid our yard about five years ago and it looked amazing.  But after a few years of helping us keep the yard looking nice Steve moved away and Dan stepped in to help.

But Dan was just a “hired hand.”  He hadn’t designed and planted our yard.  He didn’t love our yard; to him it was just a job.  So it looked okay, but slowly over time it faded from its former glory.

Then Steve returned.  He took one look at our yard and started in to “fix it.” 

By the time he was done he had trimmed or removed every bush and tree in the yard.  And the difference was incredible.  Without all the overgrown limbs, bushes and dead leaves, each one of the plants that are left look so much better.  There is definitely less foliage in our yard now but it also looks a lot better.

Of course Steve isn’t finished.  He is just waiting till spring to plant some bushes to replace the ones he ripped out.  Bushes, he said, that had reached their maturity and needed to go.  They were either too large for the space or they had been allowed to grow unchecked for so long that they would never be what they could have been if they had been pruned and shaped as they grew.

And it reminded me of life. 

We fill our lives with tons of things, activities and events and it quickly gets overgrown.  Things that should be a “small accent plant” grow totally out of control and take over because we don’t keep them in check.  And the thing that should be front and center gets pushed out and forgotten.

Six times in four gospels God basically says: “I MUST be first! Nothing in your life should be bigger than Me. Not your family, not your ministry not your job, nothing.” 

And, I have found from personal experience, if that’ s really the desire of your heart, God will come in and prune your life, taking out things you never expected and then replanting it with new things that are even better than what wes originally there-all for His honor and glory.

Love,

Jill

Forgiving

Matthew 18:32–33 (ESV)

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

Good morning Zebras,

Today’s attribute is “forgiving.” 

When Gary pulled it out of the attribute box I had a twinge of sympathy for pastors who have to come up with something new to say each and every Sunday.  I felt like I just talked about this there doesn’t seem to be anything else to say.

God has forgiven us our sins because of the finished work of Christ on the cross and because of that we must forgive others.  It seems pretty cut and dried, one of the basic truths of the Christian faith.

But that doesn’t mean we always do it.

A few months ago I shared I was having trouble forgiving someone.  The truth is I didn’t really want to.  What they did was wrong and they never asked for forgiveness, they just continued on their merry little way oblivious to the damage they left in their wake.

But God kept working on me.  He kept bringing it back around; he wouldn’t let the issue die until I finally just gave in and forgave them. It wasn’t a big and dramatic thing; I didn’t magnanimously call and tell them that they were now forgiven.  I didn’t need to, I just needed to let it go and move on.

And I’m glad I did because nothing weighs down your spirit more than unforgiveness.

God did not tell us to forgive others to make our lives difficult.  Nor did He hinge His forgiveness on our ability to forgive. He forgives us because of Christ, period. And He told us to forgive others because He loves us and knows what’s best for us.

Maybe that is why it’s so important for us to understand forgiveness and why God keeps bringing it up.  Because He wants us to really understand down to the bottom of our soul that we are “dirty rotten sinners” completely unworthy of His forgiveness and yet totally forgiven because of Christ and then, because of that, be willing  to extend that same love and forgiveness to others.

Love,

Jill

Following God

2 Timothy 4:9–11a (ESV)

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me.

Good morning Zebras,

God used to tell people to do crazy things.  This morning I was reading about Ezekiel, who was told by God to lie on his right side for 390 days, during which he could eat only one eight ounce meal a day cooked over manure.  Weird.  But what was Ezekiel’s reward? He was used by God as a prophet to the nation of Israel.

And what about the disciples?  When Jesus called them, He told them to leave their jobs and their families to follow Him.  They gave up everything to follow Christ.  And what was their reward?  God used them to spread the Good News to the world.

But that was during Biblical times.  It doesn’t seem like God is asking for that much these days.  It seems, when you really look at the way we live that God has changed His mind and that He’s willing to share the spotlight, to let us have a little bit of the world and a little bit of Him.  Or is He?

Yesterday I went for a walk and I hadn’t gone very far before I was joined by a stray dog.  He was a big golden retriever, very friendly, who I stopped to pet.  After which he decided to join me. Sometimes he walked a little ahead, sometimes he walked a little behind and sometimes he walked right at my side, but he kept checking to see if I was still there.

It was obvious he lived in the area because he seemed to know where we were going, that is until I took a turn to the right and started heading down the hill to the park.  At that point he sat down and looked at me.  I stopped and petted him one more time and then continued on my way.  He, however, didn’t come.  He sat and watched me until I turned a corner but he wasn’t willing to walk alongside me any further. 

On my way home I started thinking about that dog and how different it would have been if it had been Joshua, my incredibly loyal little dog.  Joshua never would’ve stopped; he would’ve kept following me no matter where I was going.

And that’s because Joshua knows and loves me.  To the stray I was just a person to keep him company for a short while; to Joshua I am the “reason he exists.”

This started me thinking...

Maybe it isn’t that God has quit asking to us to follow Him and do crazy things, maybe it’s just that we don’t know Him well enough to hear Him, or maybe we don’t love Him enough to go.

Love,

Jill