SPARROWS IN THE RAIN

                I sat looking out the window of the coffee shop as the rain intensified and the water dripped off of the front of my car. Two sparrows flitted down onto the sidewalk and began pecking at the front bumper of my car. I don’t know if they were picking at the bugs stuck to the bumper or if they were catching the drops of water that were dripping from it. Either way, they flitted about in front of my car pecking at something. One of the sparrows turned away from the car and shook vigorously, clearing the gathering water from its wings. Then it hopped under the front of the car, seeking shelter from the rain, which had intensified even more.

                We do not give much thought to sparrows. They are so common that we hardly even notice them. Their brown color does not capture our attention, like the cardinal or the blue jay. Their sheer numbers tend to make them less interesting. Yet they are an example of endurance and vitality. They are one of the birds that accompany us throughout the winter. When we had bird-feeders in our back yard, sparrows were always in attendance throughout the year. They have adapted well to living among people. Most backyards boast a fair number of sparrows.

                Although we may not give sparrows much attention, God does. Jesus used sparrows to remind us of the depth of God’s love for us. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7) Jesus reminds us that God is paying attention to even the minute details of our world. Few people concern themselves with the fate of a single sparrow, yet God watches over each one. In the same way, God is watching over the minute details of our lives, even to the state of the hair on our head!

                In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus again used sparrows, actually the birds of the air, as an illustration of trusting in God. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26) Jesus is not telling us to neglect food and clothing, but to not obsess over them. His point is, if God cares for the birds of the air, like the common sparrow, will He not care for us who are made in His image?

                The Psalmist also draws upon the example of the sparrow. In this context, he is talking about being invited into the very presence of God in worship. It is an image of safety and security, an image of total trust.

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young--

a place near your altar,

O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

Selah

Psalm 84:1-4

                God allows the sparrows and swallows to live in close proximity to Him. It is an invitation for us to draw near to God and find rest, comfort, and joy in His presence.

                Sparrows are one of the most numerous bird species in North America, and around the world. Almost anywhere that you go you will encounter some variety of sparrow. So it is not without cause that Jesus chose the sparrow as a symbol of God’s loving care for us. Although we too often take it for granted, God’s love and care are constant. The sparrows that occupy our backyards and feast at our feeders are a constant reminder of just how close our loving God is watching over us.

THE FOOT BRIDGE

                It is not very long. Its gentle arch spans the deep cut of the Tongue River below. Its supports are constructed of rust colored iron, its deck of thick, weathered wood slats that have a slight spring in them as you walk across. This simple foot bridge has been a regular part of my morning routine as I make my way from home to my office.

                In many ways, the bridge not only spans the river, but for me it has spanned the seasons. In the fall, the river below was thin and shallow. From the vantage point of the bridge, it looked like no more than a narrow creek. As winter set in, the view from the bridge changed. The water below was quickly covered with a coat of ice and snow. Snow hung on the barren tree branches that hung over the bridge. More than once I was showered with snow as I knocked against a branch. As the winter progressed an array of animal tracks appeared in the snow that covered the water. It was also evident that some animals found the bridge a handy way to get across the deep ravine. The tracks would lead up to the bridge deck, disappear, and then appear again on the other side.

                The real beauty of the foot bridge has emerged in the Spring and early summer. As the snows of winter melted, the creek below became a rushing river again. The waters climbed high on the sides of the ravine. I would often pause at the middle of the bridge to gaze down at the scene below. As spring transitioned into summer, the trees began to leaf out. All winter, the foot bridge was basically open to the sky. Now a canopy of green has formed over the bridge, shielding it from the increasingly hot sun. As the temperature has climbed, the short span of the bridge has become a cool oasis on my daily walks to work.

                Our faith in Jesus is like the foot bridge. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, He has created a bridge between spiritual death and spiritual life. As Jesus said in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

                Just as there is but one bridge over the ravine on my path to work, so there is but one bridge from earth to heaven. That bridge is Jesus Christ. In John 14, Jesus promised the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. Thomas questioned Jesus about how they were going to get to that place. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

                But this spiritual bridge, which leads us to heaven, has a profound impact on our life today. Every time I walk across the foot bridge, I get a different perspective on the scene below. In a similar way, as we walk across our spiritual bridge, it gives us a different perspective on life. As the seasons of our life change, our vantage point from the bridge reveals new insights and new truths. Our eyes are opened to things that we would miss otherwise. Our bridge keeps us from being swept along by the torrent of worldly values and changing morality.

                I enjoy crossing the foot bridge every day. It is like stepping into the woods and for a brief moment being transported into another world. It is a vivid contrast to the paced streets and square lawns. But much more, I revel in the reality that I have stepped onto the bridge of faith that leads to eternal life.  

THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF NATURE

                It had rained during the night. As I walked to the office in the morning the ground was littered with seedpods from the trees. They covered the street like a blanket. I was struck by the sheer volume of them. It made me think about the extravagance of nature.

                Nature rarely, if ever settles for the minimum. Instead, nature usually produces things in abundance. The various seed pods from trees are just one example of such extravagance. There have been multiple springs when the little helicopter seeds of the maple tree have covered my driveway and clogged my gutters. In the fall, the leaves of the trees blanket the yard. In addition to seeds and leaves, flowering trees explode with colorful flowers each spring. For a short time, the flowers cover the entire tree obscuring even the leaves.

                We are not always pleased by nature’s extravagance. When it comes to things like mosquitoes, dandelions, and field mice, we could do with a little less abundance. Raking leaves and cleaning gutters is a chore. But it is a small price to pay for a lush, vivid, alive world.

                Some would relegate this abundance to purely a need for survival. The more that is produced the greater are the chances of the species surviving. Although this may be true, it misses the obvious excess even toward the need to survive. I believe the extravagance of nature is there to point us to something far greater; the extravagance of the Creator.

                God didn’t create this extravagance just to keep things going. He did it to produce awe and wonder in us. He did it to show His extravagance. He could have created a world with one kind of tree, one kind of flower, one kind of bird, one kind of animal, one kind of fish, but He did not. He created an extravagant world of extravagant diversity. He did it to reveal His own nature to us.

                The Bible continually points us to the extravagant love and grace of God. In a general sense, God demonstrates His extravagance to all of humanity, regardless of their attitude toward Him. In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus highlights this extravagance. “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” The extravagance of nature is God’s gift to all of humanity.

                But the extravagance of God goes even farther with those who put their faith and trust in Him. When it comes to God’s love for us, He is extremely generous. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a) That lavish love was demonstrated through Jesus Christ as He went all the way to the cross for us, so that we might be made right with God.

                For those who put their faith in Christ, a new extravagant life is opened up to them. As Jesus said in John 10:10, He came that we might experience life to the fullest. To live in relationship with Jesus is not to settle for the minimum, but to be invited into the extravagance of God. The extravagant love, grace, and mercy of God is available for all who will open their heart to Him through faith in Jesus.

                So the next time you see those seedpods flooding down from the trees, stop and give thanks to God for His extravagant love toward you.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

   

A LESSON FROM A RAINBOW

                It is raining today, a needed refreshment of the parched earth. If the sun peaks through the clouds before the rain ceases, we can expect to see a rainbow. I have always been fascinated by rainbows. No matter how many times I see them, they never become old hat. They always manage to capture my attention. Sometimes they are vivid, sometimes faint. Most often there is a single rainbow across the sky, but on rare occasions there will be two.

                This morning in my devotions, I read the story of the rainbow in Genesis 9. After the great flood, God promised Noah that He would never destroy the world in that way again. As a sign to Noah and to every subsequent generation, God gave us the rainbow. It is intended to be a sign of the grace of God.

    And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:12-16

                People have always been fascinated by rainbows. They have been incorporated into myth and legend, story and song. Scientists have studied the conditions that cause the rainbow to appear. They discovered that as the light passes through the droplets of water, they act as prisms, which separate the white light into its colorful component parts. The colors of the rainbow are always in the same order because they represent the spectrum of light as we know it.

                Because we can describe how a rainbow is formed, many people have dismissed the Biblical account of its creation. In our scientific world, we have done this with many things. Because we are able to describe a process or explain a phenomenon in scientific terms, we think that we no longer need God in the picture. In our arrogance, we have assumed that we have unlocked the secrets of our world and mastered them. But have we really?

                Just because we can describe something or explain how something works does not mean that we fully understand it. It does not mean that we have discovered the final word on a subject. All we have done is stated the obvious. The real question that needs to be answered is, why do things act the way that they do? Someone might answer, the rainbow is caused because of the refraction of light. That is true, but why does the refraction of light always result in a rainbow? Being able to describe something does not explain its origin, it only explains how something works.

                What the story in Genesis 9 makes clear to us is that it is God who created the phenomenon that we observe in our world. The rainbow didn’t just happen, God made it happen. The best that science can do is answer the question “How”. It can never fully answer the question “Why”. We can describe in detail how a rainbow is formed, but we cannot answer the question, why is it there in the first place?

                All of the phenomenon that we marvel at in our world are there for one purpose, to point us to the one who created them. Paul made that crystal clear in Romans 1:20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Let he who has eyes to see, see!

                The rainbow is an enchanting, marvelous display. It causes us to pause and stare, in part because it is not always there. It often marks the end of the storm. The rainbow is worth marveling at. But it is only a sign, a reminder that God so loved the world that He sent a Savior.

NO UNDO BUTTON

                I am not a big video game person. I dabble in them from time to time, but they are not a regular part of my life. The exception would be what are called casual games. These are games like solitaire that you can play on your phone. They are relatively simple and can be played in a short amount of time. Although, beware. They can consume quite a bit of time if you are not careful. One of the features in these casual games is the undo button. It allows you to undo the last move that you have made. It comes in handy when you realize that you have just made a fatal mistake.

                I have often thought it would be amazing if there was an undo button in life. All of us, from time to time, make choices that we wish we could undo. In a rash or unthinking moment, we choose a course of action and then realize that it was a mistake. Unfortunately, there is no going back. Once the choice has been made, once the action has been taken, it is too late. We must live with the consequences.

                In our Tuesday morning Bible Study, we have been working our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. This morning we were in chapter 10, which is a contrast between being wise and being foolish. The foolish person rushes ahead in life without much thought about the outcome. Consequently, they find themselves in negative situations. Solomon gives a rather graphic example to make his point in verse 18. “If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.”

 On the other hand, the person who is wise considers the outcomes before he or she acts.

                The book of Proverbs is filled with vivid comparisons between the wise person and the fool. Here are just a few examples.

Proverbs 10:8

    The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

Proverbs 10:14

    Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Proverbs 12:15

    The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

                The Apostle Paul challenges us to pay attention to the way that we maneuver through life. Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

                It would be great if we always chose wisdom over foolishness. Our lives would be richer, happier, and more fulfilling. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Even the wisest of us make foolish choices from time to time.  It is at those times that we wish there was an undo button for life. Alas, it is not to be. We cannot go back and change the past. But that does not mean that all is lost. God has offered us, not an undo button, but a fresh start option. It is found in 1 John 1:8-9.

    If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

                The truly wise person is not the one who never makes a foolish choice. The truly wise person is the one who recognizes what he has done and takes ownership of it. Instead of denying or ignoring the reality, he accepts it and brings his failure to God. In doing so, God promises not only to forgive, but to restore and redeem. The real beauty of this promise is that it is not a limited time offer. There is no expiration date and no limit on the number of times that a person can use it. It is always available.

                Jesus expressed this in a conversation with His disciples, recorded in Matthew 18:21-22.  

    Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

    Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

                In this exchange, Jesus is not only challenging His disciples to forgive others. He is expressing the extent to which God will go to forgive us. God’s forgiveness goes beyond anything we can imagine. This does not give us the right to be foolish, but it assures us that when we are God will be there to restore us.

                When playing video games, the better a person gets at them the less they need the undo button. In the same way, the more that we grow in our faith and our commitment to Christ, the less we will need His refresh button.

Proverbs 3:13-14

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

the man who gains understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver

 and yields better returns than gold.

   

ROUTINE: A MIXED BAG

1 Corinthians 14:40

    But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

                Routine is a double-edged sword, a blessing and a curse. Our lives are managed by routine far more than we realize. Without routine our lives would descend into chaos or immobility. Think about all of the decisions that you do not have to make each day because of your routine. Routine brings order to our lives, but it can also drain the vitality out of our lives.

                Wherever we look in our world we see routine. Routinely the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Routinely we progress through the seasons of the year, each coming in the same order. Routinely the earth revolves in its daily and yearly cycle. Routinely the grass (and the weeds) grow. Routinely birds make their nests and have young. Routinely migratory birds make their way to the right place at the appropriate time. Our world is filled with routine. So is our life.

                Routine is a blessing in so many ways. Routine frees us from making mundane decisions on a daily basis. Without thinking about it, I follow the same routine every morning as I prepare for my day. My week is ordered by a basic routine that places me where I need to be when I need to be there. Much of the routine of my day is under my control, although not all of it. I have established a basic routine that guides me through my week. Each day that I am in my office I begin with a time of prayer and devotions. I reserve the rest of my morning for study and creative work. After lunch, I engage in meeting with people and working on projects that take less creative thinking. As I go through my week, my routine leads me to a culmination on Sunday morning. Although each day is not filled with the same activities, each day follows a similar pattern, a familiar routine.

                Routine frees our minds to focus on things of greater significance. Routine creates a rhythm to our life, like the underlying theme in a piece of music that is not always evident, but holds the piece together. Routine can smooth the choppy waters of daily life.

                Routine also has a dark side. Unexamined routine can dull our senses and drain us of vitality. The sameness of routine has a way of placing us on a treadmill that continues to move, but with little or no purpose. We can be so caught up in our routine that we mindlessly go through our day without ever thoughtfully examining what we are doing. I have become aware lately of how easy it is to fall into the routine of sitting in from of the TV for several hours after dinner. If we are not careful, routine can lead us into an unproductive, unexamined life.

                Routine that is never altered can also drain us of our energy. For many people, the routine of their lives is slowly killing them. They feel trapped with no exit in sight. Their senses have been so dulled by routine that they are no longer living life, they are just enduring life. Many have given up hope of breaking free. Others have rebelled against routine in destructive ways.

                Like most things in life, routine can either be a tool that enhances our lives or a burden that imprisons us. The question that we all have to ask on a regular basis is, are we in control of our routine or is our routine in control of us?

                Jesus regularly challenged the established routine of the Pharisees. God had established a system of worship that was intended to enrich people and draw them closer to Him. The Pharisees had taken that system and turned it into a heavy burden that weighed people down and crushed their spirit. In Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees, recorded in Luke 11, Jesus specifically addressed their abuse of the people. Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. (Luke 11:46)

                One of the heaviest burdens that was laid on the people was the many requirements attached to the Sabbath. What God intended to be a day of rest and freedom became a day of stress and confinement. Again, Jesus challenged how the Pharisees had taken what God had established and turned it on its head. Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

                Jesus was not against routine. He was against routine becoming a person’s master. Jesus had his own routine. He routinely got up early in the morning to be alone and pray. He routinely taught in the synagogues in Galilee. Jesus routinely responded to the needs of the people, both by teaching them and healing their diseases. In all of this, Jesus was always in control of his routine. When something unexpected came up, he was free to vary from his routine. He was not flustered by interruptions or a change in plans. He was always flexible, able to adjust to what was needed at the time.

                None of us can live routine-less lives. Our human nature always nudges us toward routine. The thing we need to do is to be intentional about our routine. When our routine starts to become a burden, we need the freedom to alter our routine. It is good, from time to time, to take a break from our routine. On a regular basis, we should examine our routine to see if it is still moving us in a positive direction. Above all, routine should always be our servant, never our master.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

   

WALKING IN THE WIND

John 3:8

    “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

                As I left my office for the walk home, it was bright and sunny. I walked to the corner and turned north, heading up the main road. As soon as I turned the corner I was accosted by a stiff wind. I had to hold onto my hat to keep it from blowing off of my head. The wind blew grit and sand into my face. I tucked my head down and leaned into the buffeting wind.

                Later I mentioned the wind to a friend. I told him that I had not gone for a run because of the wind. His remark was telling. In North Dakota, the wind is our hills.  I didn’t catch his meaning right away, and then it became clear. Running into the wind is hard, just like running up hill.

                Several years ago, I wrote an essay titled, “Running into the Wind Makes You Stronger.” As a runner, the wind can be both your ally and your adversary. When the wind is at your back, it assists you. When the wind is in your face, it puts pressure on you.

                In the Bible, the word for wind in both the Old and New Testament can also be translated spirit. Jesus used this play on words to equate the workings of the Holy Spirit with the dynamics of the wind.

                Wind is a constant reality here in North Dakota. Scientifically we can explain the wind. More and more we have discovered how to harness the power of the wind. But we will never be able to control the wind. You could say that the wind has a mind of its own. This reality about the wind is true about the Holy Spirit as well. We can understand the theology behind the Holy Spirit. We can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. But we cannot control the Holy Spirit.

                In my younger days, I had the chance to experience the thrill of sailing. Sailing is dependent upon the wind. If a sailor desires to move his craft in a particular direction, he must adjust his sails to catch the wind. If he does this correctly, the wind will carry him along at an exhilarating pace. If he does this incorrectly, the wind will stop him dead in the water. In the same way, our spiritual journey is dependent upon cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:25, Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. When we set the sails of our life correctly the Holy Spirit carries us along in amazing ways. When we set our sails incorrectly, the Holy Spirit works against us.

                As we grow in our faith, the Holy Spirit works like the wind to both assist us and to challenge us. Sometimes the Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish things far beyond our capacity. Like running with the wind at our back, the Spirit carries us along in an almost effortless fashion. On the other hand, there are times when the Holy Spirit intentionally pushes against us, like running into the wind.

                Sometimes He pushes against us to warn us of potential danger ahead. He puts up a spiritual stop sign to keep us from yielding to temptation. He also makes us aware of sin that has entered our life. (John 16:5-11)

               

                Sometimes the Holy Spirit pushes against us to redirect our course. On one of Paul’s missionary journeys, he was trying to go to a certain place, but the Spirit prohibited him. (Acts 16:6-10) The Spirit will do the same for us, if we pay attention.

                Sometimes the Holy Spirit pushes against us to make us stronger. When I was training for a half marathon, I came to appreciate the wind, because it made me a stronger runner. We grow and mature in our faith more when we face resistance than when all is going smoothly. Paul drew that conclusion when, instead of healing Paul of his thorn in the flesh, God told him that His grace was sufficient to carry the burden. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Although we don’t like it when the Spirit pushes against us, it really is for our benefit.

                God created the wind for a purpose. It helps to shape our world. Without the wind our world would be dead. But the wind is an untamable power. It can refresh us as a gentle breeze, or terrorize us as a tornado. God has sent us Spirit to us for a purpose. It is the Spirit that shapes our lives as believers in Christ. Without the Spirit we would be dead. (Romans 8:9) But we must always remember that the Holy Spirit is untamable. Instead of fighting against the Spirit, we need to learn to yield to Him and allow Him to carry us to the place where God wants us to go.

John 16:13

    But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.