Watch out!

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Margaret

The other day I bought a piece of glass that had a warning attached to it: “This glass may have sharp edges.”

The company wanted to make sure every person who purchased their product would be thoroughly informed, so it printed the warning in 19 languages. In other words, it was made as easy as possible for consumers to stay safe.

God has done the same thing with his warnings, not necessarily with 19 languages in one document, but definitely with words. In the Bible he repeats warnings over and over in an effort to persuade us, wanting us to avoid mishaps just like the glass company does.

For some people, listening is all the caution they need to stay out of trouble. God says, “Watch out!” and they do. Others consider themselves the one exception to every rule and plow past warning signs, assuming nothing untoward is going to happen. They figure the odds are in their favor. Still others believe that most warnings are exaggerations, and on that basis they can be disregarded.

But when God says “don’t” followed by “if you do,” it’s more than just a casual suggestion. He’s really saying, “Don’t hurt yourself by doing such and such. Your life will turn out better if you follow the water-tight counsel I’m giving you. Ignore it to your own peril.” Yet setting aside the “peril” part, we can be pros at the ignoring.

Whatever God says goes, and once he has told us to “Watch out,” if we haven’t, he usually lets us find out why we should have. But lest we think all his advice is “you’d better not,” he’s quick to include plenty of “how about this?”

Scripture includes far more positive promises than worrisome warnings. Instead of, “Don’t do this” God often says, “Do this…. and then watch my blessing flow!” So we can either “Watch out!” or just “Watch….” If we heed the warnings and claim the promises, it’s win-win.

As for that sheet of glass with its 19 warnings, I was so intent on studying the different languages that I cut myself on its sharp edges.

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)

Dogged Determination

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Margaret

Our dog Jack loves the snow. His bear-like coat makes summers difficult, but once cold weather arrives, he’s a contented canine. Despite his waning energy and joint pain, he’s always up for a walk outdoors and often balks at going back in, even in sub-zero temps.

If I was Jack, snow would frustrate me. After all, dogs love to “catch a scent,” and taking a walk in a snow-covered neighborhood doesn’t leave much for a nose to do. That, however, doesn’t stop Jack.

Knowing the good smells are under there somewhere, he plunges his muzzle into one drift after another with dogged determination. And without coming up for air, he enjoys nosing around beneath a foot of snow until we finally tug on his leash, coaxing him to continue walking. His face comes up covered with snow as if to say, “Hey, I’m busy here!”

I admire Jack’s tenacity. He knows what he’s after and is willing to dig deep to get it. I wish I had that same dogged determination in my quest for more of God.

Back in the 1970’s there was a phrase of “Christian-ese” popular in youth groups around the country. A teen who was fully committed to Christ was said to be “following hard after God.” It meant his highest priority was to learn more about the Lord and how to obey him fully.

Recently I discovered that “following hard after God” didn’t originate in the ‘70’s after all, but was part of A. W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God, written in 1948. His first chapter is titled, “Following hard after God,” a discussion of the deep satisfaction that comes in seeking God above all else. He says the results of such a pursuit include unique manifestations of Christ that can’t be had any other way.

From Tozer I learned that the expression “following hard after God” wasn’t original with him, either. He found it in the King James Version of the Bible: “My soul followeth hard after Thee.” (Psalm 63:8)

These were the words of David while he on the run in the wilderness, feeling an intense need for God. He wrote that he was “thirsty” for him, recognizing that “following hard after him” was his only hope. Pursuit of God was #1, and as we see his life played out in Scripture, his thirst for God was deeply satisfied.

In Jack’s pursuit of earth-scents, he isn’t exactly pursuing God. But he’s doing what God made him to do, which brings him deep satisfaction. And I know that if I would faithfully pursue God with that same dogged determination, my gains would be even greater than his.

“You, God, are my God; earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you. Your love is better than life. I will praise you as long as I live. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods.” (Parts of Psalm 63)

Trying to Communicate

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Margaret

As two-year-old Emerald learns to talk, she often struggles to make us understand. The other day she said, “Ah-bye-ya? Ah-bye-ya?” Three of us stood in front of her making guesses as if we were a panel playing a word game and she was trying to stump us.

“I by you? Go bye-bye? Oh baby?”

On and on we guessed without getting it right as Emerald repeated her question again and again. Finally frustration got the best of her, and she left the room with a knitted brow. It’s tough not to be understood when you know exactly what you’re trying to say. The gap in communication between us must have been much like what happened at the biblical Tower of Babel.

Although the building project had begun with everyone speaking the same language, before it finished workers couldn’t understand or be understood. Because the language barrier happened abruptly, intense frustration must have been the order of that day, too.

Ever since then, citizens of the world have had trouble understanding each other. Existing languages number about 6500, and most of us know only one of them. I often think of Adam and Eve and their family. What language did they speak? Surely it wasn’t English.

I also wonder about the language of heaven, which I’m hoping will be plopped into all our brains in one instant: grammar, usage, vocabulary and all. (If I have to attend language school once I get there, it’ll be a huge disappointment.)

Words are a most valuable possession, particularly those of the Bible. And since God assures us his Word-of-words is eternal, we’ll probably be reading/hearing it in a brand new language.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Lord decided not only to put a new language inside our brains but to deposit all of Scripture in there at the same time? No more struggling to memorize, or reviewing to keep it fresh, or looking up references. We would know it, understand it, and have it handy for immediate use. I can’t imagine such a gift!

As for Emerald and her frustration over our not grasping the meaning of “ah-bye-ya?”, a few minutes later she reappeared in front of us with…. her little pink umbrella. “Ah-bye-ya!” she announced in triumph, holding it up for all to see.

Thrilled to connect with her at last, we applauded and said, “Umbrella! Umbrella!” Her broad grin was testimony to the joy of being fully understood. If heaven’s language will make us feel like that, then communicating is going to be great fun indeed!