Light On My Path

Monday, February 6, 2023

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.  I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.  Psalm 119:105-106

Habits, either good or bad ones, are formed in memory.  This morning’s text is one of the first I learned as a child.  In those days memory verses were part of Sunday School; we memorized and discussed a different verse each month.  Now, many years later, that verse still calls to me.  That calling is not because of what I must do in parish work as a pastor, (prepare sermons, counsel, help form the life, ministry, and worship of a congregation), but rather God’s Word calls me to Him in the ordering and worship of my own life, one breath at a time.

This devotional blog was born out of a dissatisfaction with my response to the calling.  A decade ago I felt a lack of discipline, a void of orderliness in reading and reflecting on God’s Word.  I felt unrest, blindness, and dissatisfaction.  So, I did what Scripture offered – (re)committed my mornings to the light that guides my pathway.  This was a two-fold commitment:

Private Commitment – I wanted solitary time.  I’m an introvert by nature, and, with all those thoughts bumping around in my brain, its difficult enough to concentrate; I need solitude.  So the choice was to get up an hour (or three) earlier than anyone else.  As I put these words on paper this morning (or the computer screen), the only sounds are an occasional wind whipping by my window, and the gentle snoring of my dog on the floor mat, next to my desk chair.

Public Commitment – knowing my track record of beginnings, and fizzled attempts at routines, I needed some accountability.  Early-on I started publishing these early morning thoughts/reflections on God’s Word for the congregations I served.  In this way I (somewhat ruthlessly) tapped-into my introvert-born dread of public humiliation.  A private promise to self can be rationalized-away; a public promise to others before God, is much more problematic…especially if a preacher wants to keep his job.

Well…that’s enough therapeutic confession for today.  What’s the point?

The point is Psalm 119…God’s Word as a guide…a light that opens up the truth of what’s on the path ahead.  And who wouldn’t rather have insight when the darkness of uncertainty is all around us?

For You Today  

Dark times of economic uncertainty, pandemics, changing morality, and questioning our existence, planetary extinction possibilities, war, aging, and what is in all those classified documents we all thought were so well guarded – isn’t it joy to your soul that God’s Word is unchanging, unparalleled truth you can depend upon, and the best love letter ever written to you, and me, and everyone?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Finding a Straight Path  and  John Wesley - Homo Unius Libri  and   The Secret to King David’s Greatness – Part 4

This is an updated version of “So Much Anger” published on Rocky Road Devotions January 16, 2014

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translatio 

What About You? Part 2

[1]

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”  Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”  But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.  Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.  He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.  As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.  Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said.  “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”  Mark 8:29-33(NLT)

We are preparing for this weekend’s worship (using the Lectionary Gospel text).  As we saw in yesterday’s devotion, there was an overwhelming response to the ministry of teaching, healing, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  Jesus had sent out the disciples to spread the word, and they came back incredibly hyped over all that was happening.

Then He popped a rather innocuous little question on them … tell me, what do the people think; WHO do they think I am?  Some thought Jesus was the return of Elijah or John the Baptist come back from the dead, God’s deliverer, a supernatural Messiah Who arrives on Heaven’s mission to save us all.  Those answers prompted the final question, a real bomb:  How about YOU; who do YOU think I am?  Let’s look at the right answer and the wrong attitude disciples have been carrying around ever since Jesus asked the question.

The Right Answer

Peter, ever the impetuous quick-to-talk-slow-to-think leader of the band got it right.  He got an “A” for recognizing that Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us. 

But then Jesus began dropping the rest of the story on the disciples about how He would suffer rejection by the rulers and be killed, yet three days later resurrected from the dead.  It was too much for Peter; he took Jesus aside and asked him to tone it down.

The Wrong Attitude

This moment of Peter’s wrong attitude in his brash attempt to control Jesus brought about a harsh response; Jesus called his disciple Satan.  Now, it’s not that Peter opted for the red suit, pitchfork, and growing horns; the word means “adversary”.  Peter was coming crossways to Jesus’ mission, and the Lord had to correct him quickly.

This is a moment all disciples experience sooner or later.  It is that moment when you awaken to the reality that actually living the life of your will surrendered to Christ’s is not going to be what you thought it would be, and certainly not as easy as it seemed.  Jesus teaches us he is not our personal vending machine; you just cannot pop-in a nickel’s-worth of prayer and, voila, out pops your answer.

Jesus’ answer to Peter’s (OCD), control-freak management was simple and painfully dead-on the mark … Simon, you just don’t know what you’re saying; you’re looking at it in human wisdom; I’m trying to teach you to see with Godly eyes. 

And this sets the stage for all of us to understand that the basis for becoming a follower of Jesus is the same for living that life – we sing the song:  I surrender all!  Being a Christian disciple means learning from Christ, not instructing God how things ought to be.

For You Today

In preparing to worship this weekend, what is it that you hope will come of the worship service…revival?  People saved?  Lives changed?  Perhaps some miracle to make your life easier?

Here’s a thought: 

If your prayers end with anything other than not my will, but Thine be done, it’s time to get a new way of praying.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO

---

[1] Title Image: Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

What About YOU? Part 1

[1]

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

A Note of Explanation:  Most churches will have a reading of God’s Word as part of the worship services.   Depending on how many people are there, if you made a list of how people understood the Scripture, you would find many different interpretations, and just as many (if not more) questions than answers.  I did a simple Google search on John 3:16, and I found on one site over a thousand sermons (even three of mine).  there is so much that can be said about every Bible text that you must do more than consider the Scriptures casually; they demand further investigation!onsidering that reality I have opted for the last three days of this week to focus on this Sunday’s lectionary text as a means of getting ready for Sunday – which, by the way, is a very important part of devotional life, preparing the heart to worship.  Here is part one of the text:

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”  “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”  Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”  Mark 8:27-29(NLT)

The questions Jesus asked were very interesting, sometimes disconcerting, and always to-the-point.  This question, copied-down by the Gospel writer, Mark, is the mother of all opinion polls.  It asks the most important question, and demands an answer.  What is at back of this question forms another vitally-important question, which demands just as vital and eternal answer:  who are YOU?

Jesus and the Disciples were having an overwhelming response to the Lord’s ministry of teaching, healing, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  Jesus had sent out the disciples to spread the word, and they came back incredibly hyped over all that was happening.

Then He dropped a rather innocuous little question on them … tell me, what do the people think; WHO do they think I am?  Nielsen ratings, opinion polls, and Survey Monkey questionnaires couldn’t have stirred a more active response.  And much of it wasn’t far off.  Prophet – check!  Elijah – check!  John the Baptist back from the dead?  All these answers focused-on God’s promises to send a deliverer, a supernatural Messiah Who arrives on Heaven’s mission to save us all.

Those answers prompted the final question, a real bomb:  How about YOU; who do YOU think I am?

There are many opinion polls which gather volumes of answers of the multitudes, and are fed into computers that average, leverage, classify, modify, and codify all the supposed empirical data into tools a politician, business, or group of whatever kind can use to push their product or agenda.  But in that entire mix there are only two opinions that really matter to an individual – that individual’s answer, and what God thinks of that individual’s answer!

This question, what about YOU, demands an answer, and even a silent response, one of those I’ll think about it later responses, is an answer.  The demand of this question isn’t put-aside by our personal free will; it only intensifies the importance of it.  If we didn’t have free will there would be no question; God would have placed the answer inside us, and we wouldn’t be able to resist it. 

But God gave us a choice, and that presupposes there will be challenges to which way we will go.  Therefore, you must make up your mind about this question, because there are (as C.S. Lewis pointed-out) only three possible answers:  Jesus is LIAR, LUNATIC, or LORD! 

For You Today

Tomorrow we will look at the answers; today would be a great start on preparing to talk about this text this Sunday in church…you ARE going, aren’t you?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO

---

[1] Title Image: Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Faith-Wreck

[i]

Monday, September 12, 2016

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.  For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.  1 Timothy 1:19^(NLT)

More than thirty five years ago I met evangelist Vance Havner.  Born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina, this Southern Baptist legend oozed wisdom couched in down-home sayings and sermonic gems.  He spoke on this passage that day, about faith that gets shipwrecked.  The gem that stuck in my mind all these years was:

Faith that Fizzles at the Finish 

was Fickle at the First

What makes for fickle-ness at the first?  According to the advice Paul gave Timothy it is tied to a failure to consistently filter your actions, words and even intentions through a conscience that is governed by the constraints of Jesus.

A number of years ago the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) movement tried to highlight this important aspect of Christian discipleship; keeping our conscience clear has to do with measuring everything we think, say and do against the life and example of Jesus.  While that “movement” devolved into cult status, the seminal thought stands well in passing the Biblical test.  Imagining Jesus doing what we are about to do is not a bad way to check our motive, and what it might reflect on the Kingdom of God.

A shipwreck of faith can happen quickly; and picking up the pieces can be like trying to gather the feathers of a pillow torn open in the wind!

The most worrisome part of Paul’s warning to the young preacher, Timothy, is that part about those who deliberately violate their conscience.  In the ancient language of the Bible, the word used means to push away, like intentionally giving a shove to something you no longer wish to have close to you. 

There are many possibilities to offer as to how people wind up in this condition, where they find a way to silence their inner voice of reason and conscience just so they can do what they want.  But one thing is certain; that condition is always born of a failure to cling to faith in Christ.  When, out of carelessness, or calculation we choose to leave off daily communing with Jesus, we are cutting the anchor line that holds our ship of faith to Christ’s kingdom.  And when you cut a ship loose to drift, it will not be long before it is in deep trouble!

For You Today

Before you hit the road today, check the anchor lines of your devotional life.  And when you find what you find, ask the question:  What would Jesus do? 

Then ask another:  Am I really satisfied with Faulty Faith that will Fizzle at the Finish?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go To VIDEO

NOTES

---

[i] Title Image: By United States Coast Guard, Richard C. Kelsey, via Wikimedia Commons

Between the Mountains

Thursday, July 24, 2014

 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.  He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction:  “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.”  Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.  And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.  Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups.  One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal.  Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant.  This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.  Joshua then read to  them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.  Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.       Joshua 8:30-35 (NLT)

I’ve attended some long worship services, but nothing like this one.  Joshua read the entire Book of the Law (Genesis thru Deuteronomy) in one sitting…well, more accurately, one standing.  Reading aloud at normal speed it would take about 7 or 8 hours to read through the first five books of the Bible.  That had to be one “pooped preacher” by the end of the day!

And what of the people?  There were no padded pews, no soft rocks upon which to nod-off at appropriate intervals.

But this was not an ordinary gathering. 

Previously Israel’s warriors had gotten creamed because God’s instructions had been ignored.  The little village of Ai had demolished the Israelite army due to one soldier’s greed.  This worship gathering was after that soldier was dealt-with, and then Ai defeated. 

God’s people were now gathered to re-focus everything on serving God…in God’s way.  Joshua read all the history and “begats” of Genesis, all the drama of Exodus, all the law of Leviticus, all the repetition of Numbers and he read every command of Deuteronomy. 

Why?

If you skip ahead to the next chapter you find that the travelling nation of Israel was about to face a coalition of armies from the whole region.  It was to be their stiffest test of faith yet.  They needed to hear from heaven!

Our lesson:

When you’re going up against the enemy, get your God-focus right!

For You, Today…

The truth is you ARE going to face the enemy this (and every) day!

So answer the question before the sleep is cleared from your eyes; have I got my God-focus today? 

The Word of God – don’t leave home without it!