God's Not A Weatherman

I had an interesting conversation with my 8-year-old son a couple days ago. Here's the gist of it.

"Dad, is it going to snow?"

"Well, son, one thing I've learned is that when it comes to snow, you can't always trust what the weatherman says."

"I guess your right. I think I really only trust the radar."

It looks like my 8-year-old has learned a valuable life lesson. Here, in Southeast Texas, snow is a rare find. I can probably count on one hand how many times I've seen it actually snow here. Naturally, when the weatherman says there's a chance, there's a bit of excitement in the air. And, when he says there's an 80% chance like he did this week, even the biggest skeptics can start to believe.

Even with a huge chance like that in the forecast, we awakened this morning to find no snow on the ground. I thought it a bit humorous today when one local weatherman fielded some questions from some elementary children who were a bit upset at discovering the ground absent of white fluffy snow this morning. He tried so hard to explain what happened and why there was no snow. Needless to say, I think most kids didn't really care about why it didn't snow, they just are bummed it didn't.

With all our modern technology, forecasting the weather is still done with a great margin of error. The computer models, the weatherman's expertise, and the hopes of all the children still can't make this process an exact science. While they are much more accurate than they were a few decades ago, they still miss it. The truth is, the job of forecasting the weather requires a great deal of speculation and educated guessing. Sometimes they nail it and sometimes they don't.

Back to my son's comment about the radar. He's figured out that the radar represents what's happening now. It's not forecasting. It's not guessing. It's what is. If he sees rain on the radar, he knows its raining right then and there. Its not hard to trust something like that. It's real. Although the radar may show its raining hundreds of miles away you can rest assured that its raining there even though you are not there to personally witness it.

Our faith in God is a great deal like that. We don't see Him, yet we know He exists. Like that radar screen, God's Word reveals truths about Him. Those truths, coupled with our faith launches us past the point of believing into the place of knowing. A place of assurance. A place that doesn't require any of our five physical senses to experience anything in order to know with confidence. My son never has to see the storm with his own eyes to know that it exists. All he needs to see is the image on a radar and he knows it is. Our Creator is revealed throughout Scripture. Page after page, there He is. Yes, He's in heaven, He's here on earth and He's everywhere else. But, in Scripture we can see Him. Not with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our understanding, our eyes of faith. He's more real than anything we can see with our natural eyes.

Our biggest problem is we trust our five physical senses more than we do God's Word. Our five physical senses though are a lot like the weatherman. They can't always be trusted. No, I'm not dissin' the weatherman. I'm just making a point, that if we want to trust in something that is absolute, unchanging, and completely stable, then we'll have to learn to tap into this thing called faith. We'll have to learn how to gravitate toward believing God's Word more than we do our five senses.

God is real. His kingdom is more real than this world we live in. His kingdom is forever. Its eternal. The economy in His kingdom doesn't rise and fall. He's not on His throne wringing His hands and working up a sweat at all the calamity that's going on in the world. He's not worried about how things are going to play out. He's not sitting around throwing around odds with the angels as to whether things are going to go as planned. He wrote the script and it'll play out the way He said it would. He's at peace because, His kingdom is superior to the one in which we live in here on this earth. When our faith is rooted in His kingdom, then all is well with us. When our faith is truly in Him then we can walk through life with an assurance and confidence that is puzzling to those who trust in things that are filled with uncertainty.

The kind of life God designed each of us to live is one in which our trust and confidence is in Him and nothing else. God's not a weatherman. His Word is not full of speculation and educated guesses. His Word is full of truth and absolutes. When He speaks, its a done deal. Faith anchored in Him will prove to be more certain than confidence in anyone or anything else.

I Can't See A Thing!

A few weeks ago we took a family vacation to New England. We had a great time taking in the history and sights of that part of our country. On one particular day we decided to drive up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Now, the summit of Mount Washington reaches a height of only 6,288 ft. To put that into perspective, Pike's Peak is 14,115 ft., Mt. McKinley is 20,320 ft., and Mt. Rainier is 14,410 ft. So, having been up Pike's Peak several times, we thought a drive up Mount Washington would be piece of cake. Afterall, the city of Colorado Springs sits at an elevation of over 6,000 ft. and we've taken several trips there without any problems.

The initial part of our journey was incredible. The colors of autumn were unbelievable as slowly we made our way up the mountain. The road was a bit narrow and the absence of guard-rails made the drive a bit adventurous. As we continued up the mountain, some clouds blew in and our ability to see became increasingly more difficult. Onward we drove with the summit as our goal. Thicker and thicker and thicker the clouds became until we could not see past the front of our vehicle. Oh, did I mention the wind? The wind was hitting the car like a linebacker hitting a running back. Needless to say, our drive up the mountain that was suppose to be a piece of cake was turning into anything but. My crew's confidence in me was failing. Well, actually my own confidence in me was failing. I'm pretty sure I saw a turtle pass us like we were sitting still.

Now, although I've driven in some difficult weather before, I have to admit this was a first for me. That being said, I've faced this scenario many times walking through life. Those moments when you have no idea what lies ahead. You want so desperately to know how this thing is going to turn out, but there's know way of knowing. Just like us on that mountain, even the next step is cloudy. Maybe, you've heard God speak and you step out in confidence knowing that you've heard him clearly. Then, life takes a turn and you begin doubting. Circumstances are screaming loudly and the journey you anticipated is not the one you're experiencing. The fun has given way to work and everything in you is saying turn back. Everyone around you is screaming turn back.

Your mind becomes flooded with questions and doubts. "Maybe you didn't hear from God." "Maybe you missed God on this one." "Maybe this is God saying, NO!" In those moments for some reason its hard to hear his voice. Perhaps its because there are so many other voices competing for your attention. Whatever the reason, the truth is that so often here is where we lose the battle. Its in those moments when what we know is challenged by the world around us. Our five physical senses begin taking in thousands of inputs and most of them oppose that one input we originally received from God.

We are no different than the disciples who think the boat is going down in the storm or who can't wrap their brain around the day Jesus died. We're no different than Abraham trying to figure out how God was going to give him and Sarah a son at such an old age. Just like them we are faced with the decision to continue on or throw in the towel. We are faced with the cold hard reality of how firm our faith is.

On that mountain, I couldn't see a thing. I had never been there before and I had no idea what was up ahead. I would love to say I forged ahead and made it to the top. I didn't. I found a place to turn around and started back down the mountain. Sadly, that has been the same outcome many times throughout life. Fear, doubt, and unbelief win and the summit is never reached.

I know it would be great to journey through life with no obstacles. It would be so wonderful to be able to hear God's voice clearly, see the big picture and step out with no opposition. But that kind of life would require no faith. God has designed us in such a way that faith is a necessity for how we are to live life. Its living life in such a way that regardless of how our five senses interpret the world around us, we simply believe and trust God. Its understanding that there is a reality that is more real than what we can touch, see, hear, smell, and taste. Its banking on the promises of God when your experience is telling you something else. Its seeing with another set of eyes when your natural eyes see nothing.

While we had a great trip and I will never forget the experiences we had there, I do regret not making it to the top of Mt. Washington. I know that on that day once we got there we would have not been able to see anything. That's not really the point though. The point is just finishing the journey. Its about fighting the fear, the obstacles, and every urge to throw in the towel and just pushing forward to finish the journey. I pray today that wherever you find yourself on the journey, you fight through everything that says turn around and you fight to press ahead. The summit awaits!

An Awesome Place To Live

Worry....it happens during those moments when we have more confidence in an unfavorable outcome than we do in a favorable one. It occurs when we have little or no control over a situation and the outcome is completely out of our hands. Worry leads to stress which in turn can lead to some major physical problems.

So, why do we do it? Why do we sit around wringing our hands worrying about those things we can do nothing to fix? It's as if something inside of us just takes over doesn't it? We can't fix it, remedy it, or control it so everything in us tells us to worry. Of course, our worrying always fixes the problem. Yeah, right. Truth is, it never does. Worrying never fixes anything.

Think of all those moments when you've sat around worrying about something and the end result proved that you had nothing to worry about in the first place. Or, how about those moments when you've worried about something that turned out just as bad as you expected. Honestly, did the worrying help? Of course, it didn't. Here's my point, there are things in life we can do nothing about. Now, all you faith people don't shut me out here. I'm talking about those times when we've prayed, we've believed, we've quoted scripture, and done everything else we can possibly do in order to affect a situation or circumstance. Once you are there, there is nothing else you can physically do.

So, we worry. We panic. We get all stressed out. We sit around wringing our hands hoping things somehow, someway turn out better than we anticipate. It is only when we get to a place in our life when we truly trust God that worry is no longer our default state of being. It is only when we really trust that He's got our best interest in mind, or that we have total confidence in God's ability to be in control. Yeah, we know He's God, but our problem is sometimes we're not really sure He's up to the God role. At least, our actions say that.

When we can lay our head on our pillow at night with the confidence that God's at the helm and because of that all is well, that's faith. No, I didn't say that all is well with the world around us, just the fact that God is the one that's sitting on the throne. He's the one in charge. When we know that, I mean really know that, our actions and reactions take on a much different look. When we know, not just hope, that He's working in our life, righting the wrongs, fixing what's broke, and preparing us for what's ahead, it affords a confidence that we could have no other way.

Faith isn't quoting scripture or claiming something through the power of positive thinking. It's knowing. It's not a formula or a ritual. It's the point where my hope has given way to a confidence so sure that it no longer requires me to hope. It's the point at which the thing I hoped for, I know I have even though I've not actually touched it, smelled it, tasted it, or seen it. As a result, my life becomes a reflection of that confident knowing. Do you think a person who knows acts different than a person who hopes and wishes? Absolutely!

God longs for us to trust Him. He so desperately wants us to know that He's trustworthy and faithful. He wants us to live in such a way that our lifestyle screams all is well because God is on the throne even when what we see is telling us different. The truth is, this world around us and how our 5 physical senses navigate through it, can be a constant challenge for our faith. The main problem is that we are so acquainted with this world and the way it works. What is necessary for us is to become more acquainted with God and how He works. When we determine to do that is when our faith and confidence in Him begins to grow. Its a journey. Its a process of learning to trust and believe God. The final destination is a sweet one though. Its a place void of worry, and fear. Its a place of perfect peace, and complete confidence in One more capable than any other. Its a place of rest and relaxation. It's a place called faith and believe me when I say, you've got to go there some day. It really is an awesome place to live!

The Faith Of A Child

Friday night we were waiting to be seated at a restaurant when a guy in a wheel chair rolled passed us. My inquisitive 2 year old asked, "What him in?" I told him he was in a wheel chair to which he responded, "Why?" I went on to tell him that there was something wrong with his legs which made him unable to walk. As I watched the look on his face as he watched the man leaving, it appeared to be one of great concern. I simply asked him if he wanted to pray for him and he responded by holding my hand and confidently said a quick prayer on his own. "Jesus heal him, so he can walk amen." He then looked out the window looking for the man and said, "Now he doesn't need that wheel chair."

Wow! Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy. Actually, it is. It just comes down to trusting God with that kind of faith. The kind of faith that believes that God can do anything. The kind of faith that takes no thought about how big the problem is, but just knows that God is big enough, strong enough, powerful enough, to fix the problem.

I remember when I was little, I had that kind of faith. I never doubted God's ability. I prayed about everything and truly believed that God answered prayer. I really believed that nothing was impossible with God.

Perhaps you found yourself there in your younger years as well. Then life happens and we begin putting God in a box. We begin to limit him in our minds and although we pray, it is no longer with the kind of faith we once had as a child. Then we follow that up with religious jargon that we learn along the way in an effort to explain the ineptness of our prayers.

The Holy Spirit, used my little one Friday night to speak loudly to me and remind me how simple trusting God is. No, the man didn't get out of the wheel chair and miraculously start walking across the floor. But, that's not really the point. My responsibility is not performing miracles, that belongs on God's shoulders. What is necessary on my part is simply to believe and trust Him. Its to approach God with a child-like faith that views God as the omnipotent, compassionate, limitless God that He is.

I wonder how different things would be if we saturated our prayers with that kind of child-like faith. I wonder what types of humongous, mind-boggling, feats we would step out and attempt for God, if we approached life like we serve a God who can truly do anything. I for one would like to just see it, rather than just imagine it.