thirsting for god

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”1

What an absolutely wonderful verse that is. And if you’re like me, we really like the second half, don’t we? “He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Woop, woop!  Brand new Lexus, here I come! Uh, no. At least, probably no.

Why do I say that? Because the promise in the second half of the verse is conditional. In order for the Lord to give us “the desires of” our hearts, we have to “delight” ourselves “in the Lord.”

Ah, there’s the catch. You just knew it was too good to be true, right? We have to “delight” ourselves “in the Lord” and then we get the promise.

The key, of course, is understanding what delighting “in the Lord” means. For what it’s worth, here’s my take on it:

·         We have a reverential fear of our heavenly Father and are totally submitted to His will.

·         Our minute-by-minute goal is to please Him and bring Him glory.

·         We’re in love with Scripture and talk with Him regularly in prayer.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Getting the “desires of” our hearts isn’t as close as we thought it was, is it?

And think about this: If delighting “in the Lord” is even close to the description above, our minds are saturated with the Word of God and we’re totally sold out to serve and bring glory to Christ.

What’s my point? The desires of our hearts will actually be godly desires, desires that the Lord Himself has placed in our minds. After all, we’re focused on Him and live to do His will, not ours.

So…could it be God’s will that I get a brand new Lexus? I suppose it’s possible, but I kind of doubt it. While having an expensive luxury car might be critical in somehow contributing to the Lord’s kingdom here on earth, it’s much more likely that it’s a selfish desire that comes from my sinful mind and heart.

Thus, a verse that may initially appeal to our humanity is actually just the opposite. Instead of giving us a license to meet everything on our want list, it’s actually a call to be totally sold out to Lord.

So where does that leave us? If you’re disappointed, that’s understandable. Like you, I kind of like the thought of God being my divine genie. But can I be blunt? We have to fight the urge to pamper ourselves.

The reality is it’s not all about us. Instead, it’s all about the Lord. Because of that, let’s make an effort in delighting “in the Lord.” I know it might sound intimidating, but why not give it a shot?

For those of you who are game, here’s your first assignment. Read the verses below, meditate on them, memorize them, and then own them. If these verses are in your very soul, you’re on your way to delighting “in the Lord.”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”2

1  Psalm 37:4

2  Psalm 42:1-2

spiritually lost

“I hope you have a lousy Christmas and your whole family dies.”

My words ended our yelling match—the man was speechless. Now satisfied that I had gotten the upper hand, I walked back to my car and sped away. He had cut me off and was now paying for it with my hurtful words.

That road rage incident of 25+ years ago shows you what kind of person I was prior to following Christ. I was not only spiritually lost, I had tons of sinful habits including a violent temper and a foul mouth.

Praise God that the Lord has changed me over the years. While I’m far from perfect, I haven’t cussed out or threatened other drivers for several days. Just kidding.

Really, if you had known what I was like back then you wouldn’t recognize me now. While I could be charming and personable when I wanted, I was the king of sin in both heart and behavior. The only thing that prevented me from doing something bad was the fear of getting caught. There was no fear of God. None.

But then came the phone call from my good friend, Sean. Considering he had an inoperable brain tumor, he was awfully happy and chatty. When I asked what was up, he told me: He found Christ.

That Sunday I attended church with my friend and the spiritual blinders were lifted. For the first time ever, the Bible made sense. And Jesus wasn’t just a curse word anymore, He became real.

Why do I share this embarrassing episode from my past, along with how much I’ve changed? Because I’m guessing there’s a “Chris” in your life. That is, someone who’s far away from God and needs to hear about Jesus.

And the only way he or she will hear the good news may be through you. Yep, that’s right, maybe you can be the person’s “Sean.”

“The Lord… is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”1 

While the Lord is waiting patiently for unbelievers to repent of their sins and follow Him, let’s not forget that people run out of time. If you’re not following the thought, people die. And those who die without accepting Christ will “perish.”

That was the fate I was facing until I became a Christian at the age of 35. Not good.

So who do you know that is as spiritually lost as I once was? Somebody hopelessly selfish and oblivious to the things of God? Come on, think about it. Surely you know someone who needs to hear about Jesus.

Come on, keep thinking…

Yeah, that guy/gal.

Now, what are you going to do about it? If you don’t speak up, who will?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’"2

1  2 Peter 3:9

2  Isaiah 6:8

ready or not, here i come

Okay, I admit it. I’m a nerd.

There are lots of reasons to reach that conclusion, but it’s a reference to the fact that I’m an unofficial birdwatcher. Oh, I don’t take binoculars or a field manual on my walks in the park, but I do enjoy spotting birds and trying to figure out what they are.

More than that, I just enjoy watching them do whatever it is they’re doing. And their chirping and song-making makes me smile and helps lower my blood pressure. And that’s a good thing for a Type A Personality like me.

This morning I watched several robins bathing in the creek. One-by-one they’d walk down to the water, wade out a little bid and then do their splash routine. Who needs a shower head when you’ve got wings to get the water where it needs to go?

While that was entertaining, so were the woodpeckers in the trees above. I love watching them walk up and down the sides of trees, seemingly defying gravity. And I never cease to wonder how they can peck so violently and not rattle their tiny brains and then stagger around in pain.

My hunch is most of you aren’t nerdy like me. You probably think birds are okay—maybe even more than okay—but you certainly don’t consider yourself a birdwatcher like me. Shudder!

I hope you are a watcher, however—not of birds, but of Christ.

You see, Jesus told us He’s coming back, and for us to anticipate it and be ready for it. And, yes, to even watch for it.

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”1

I know, I know. This is a long passage and Christ says some strange things. We won’t take the time to explain everything—it would take too long. Instead, just focus on the underlined portions.

This is Christ’s main point: “I’m coming back and you need to be watching and you need to be ready for it.”

So, are you ready? That is, are you living a holy and godly life and serving Jesus to the best of your ability? Are you ready for your master to return?

You don’t need to be a bird-watching nerd like me. But you do need to be Christ-watcher. He’s coming back and it could be any moment.

Are you ready?

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”

1  Luke 12:35-40

make me laugh

“Don’t forget: ‘I’m gonna git you sucka’ is on tonight.”

The note from my wife Paula still tickles me to no end. You see, she knew I’d find a reminder to watch that movie funny. For the record, I did and still do.

I love to laugh, and as often as possible. Maybe you do, too. I suspect there are a lot of us out there.

Because of that I have an assignment for you today: Make someone laugh. At the very least, make them smile. Why? Well, to be blunt life stinks sometimes. Who would dare argue with that conclusion?

So why not take a minute and brighten someone’s day by making them laugh? How you do it is entirely up to you. It could be a phone call, an email, a Facebook page post, the sky’s the limit.

And the strategy is also up to you: Will it be a joke, a funny anecdote or a silly photo? Again, whatever you think will make the person laugh, go for it.

For instance, a friend called earlier today to say he had called the city to complain about a neighbor's dog. Apparently it was really wreaking havoc in the area. The city acted promptly and sent someone from animal control to check things out. When my friend returned from running an errand, he found a note inside his screen door. It seems animal control ticketed him as well, for not having licenses and collars for his cats.

My friend laughed at the irony of being punished for trying to do a good deed, but the story was also funny because the animals weren't even his. He was merely feeding feral cats.

Why did he call and tell me that? Because he knew I’d get a kick out of it. We shared a laugh and went back to our days, but I’m still smiling even though the call was hours ago. That’s the power of a good laugh.

But if you need another reason for going out of your way to brighten someone else’s day, how about this? Doing so is a way to express your love for the other person.

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”1

My wife and friend did what they did because they knew I’d find it funny and they care about me.

Take it from me: It felt good to laugh and even better to know they cared enough to try and brighten my day. When somebody makes me laugh it’s a wonderful gift, a gift that I treasure.

So who are you going to make laugh today? And how are you going to do it?

“I’m gonna git you sucka.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12

a storm's coming

I was already a little jumpy with the high winds and dark clouds overhead, but when the tornado sirens went off I was on full alert. Looking behind me the sky looked like something from a Stephen King novel: Something bad’s going to happen. And soon.

Now walking as fast as I could, I kept checking over my shoulder to make sure no funnel clouds were approaching. When I wasn’t concerned about being surprised from behind I was scanning the side of the road looking for good places to hide in case Dorothy and her tornado came calling.

As I finally approached my driveway it occurred to me I was no longer on edge. Oh, sure, the sirens were still wailing, but I had gotten to the point where I had tuned them out. After several minutes of fruitlessly scanning the sky for danger, I had apparently concluded—unconsciously—that nothing bad was going to happen.

The sirens could continue spewing warnings all day long, but I was at the point where I wasn’t paying attention to them anymore. It was just background noise now. Crisis over.

Unfortunately, the exact same thing can happen when it comes to our consciences. If we’re not careful, we can essentially disable what God has designed as a warning device for sin.1

In fact, the Bible records real-life examples of some people who ignore their consciences so much that bad things eventually happen. Really bad things.

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”2

These false teachers have ignored their consciences so much by teaching lies that they eventually become “seared as with a hot iron.” That is, they've been disabled or dulled so that they're essentially useless. Gradually, over time, God’s warning device for sin has been rendered useless.

Now let’s see if we can make this concept a little more understandable through a fictitious situation.

Let’s pretend for a minute that a man decides to  have sex with someone who’s not his spouse. He knows it’s wrong, but does it anyway. Not surprisingly his conscience bothers him, maybe even a lot.

But the man enjoys the experience and decides to do it again. Once again, his conscience bothers him, but this time not as much. And if he decides to indulge a third time, his conscience bothers him even less.

You get the idea.

If we’re not careful, over time our God-given warning devices for sin become nothing but background noise. Just as I eventually got to the point where I didn’t pay any attention to the tornado sirens, we can get to the point where we totally ignore our consciences.  

In other words, what used to be wrong is no longer wrong. After all, our consciences aren't bugging us anymore.

And by ignoring our consciences we put ourselves in a very dangerous position spiritually. Just ask the guys mentioned in the verses above.

So have you been doing something that you know is wrong in the eyes of God? If so, I’m betting your conscience bothered you in the beginning. But think about it: Do you fret over it much anymore? If you had regrets at first, have they largely faded to the background?

If any of this seems familiar, you need to face reality: What you’re doing is sinful and, over time, you’ve become immune to the fact that what you're doing is wrong. You’ve seared your conscience as with a hot iron.

Don’t look now, but there’s a storm coming.

1  Romans 2:14-15

2  1 Timothy 4:1-2

revenge

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”1

I get chills every time I remember that quote from the movie "Gladiator." Standing in the middle of a packed Coliseum, Maximus, the honorable general who was forced to become a gladiator, reveals his true identity to the emperor, his enemy.

If you don’t know what happens after that scene, well, don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil the ending for you.

But I will comment on Maximus wanting to take revenge on the emperor, who ordered the killing of his wife and son. In movies vengeance can be quite entertaining (at least for me). Fact is, it can also be quite satisfying—as well as a little dicey—in real life.

As a kid my parents got a notice from the city ordering us to cut our grass. Apparently it’s not supposed to be knee high. My brother and I quickly concluded that a neighbor must have sicced the authorities on us.

Believing we knew which one was the guilty party, I took revenge that evening. Knowing our neighbors were obsessed with their lawn, I knew just how to get back at them: Cut their garden hose into little pieces.

Can I be honest? It felt good, really, really good.

A day or two later, however, someone cut our garden hose into little pieces. Gee, I wonder who did that?

I learned a lesson that day about revenge: Be careful or the other person may take revenge against you. I decided to quit while I was behind.

Years later, after becoming a follower of Jesus, I learned yet another lesson about vengeance: We can’t participate in it. That is, no revenge for our enemies.

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ’It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”2

What a drag. It’s the Lord’s job to avenge wrongs done to me.

Unfortunately, it gets worse. These verses follow the one above.

“On the contrary: ’If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”3

Can you imagine Maximus giving food and water to the emperor? Me neither. And I certainly don’t like the thought of playing nice with my old neighbors.

And yet, there it is. We either do things God’s way or our way. We either take revenge or leave it up to the Lord to avenge the wrongs done to us.

So what will it be with you? Has somebody really jobbed you recently? And if so, are you mulling over how to respond?

I encourage you to eliminate vengeance from your list of options. Instead, think of how you can bless them.

Hard? Oh yeah. Make you sick to your stomach at the thought? Me too.

Whatever you decide to do, know this: If you didn’t know about how God feels about taking revenge, now you do. In other words, now you’re accountable. And the Lord is watching.

Sorry about that.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

1  Maximus, the gladiator, revealing his true identity to Commodus, the Roman emperor, “Gladiator”

2  Romans 12:19

3  Romans 12:20-21

doing life together

I just realized something yesterday. I mean really realized it.

I love the people at my church.

Oh, I’ve felt that right from the beginning and it’s grown over time, but it washed over me like a tidal wave yesterday. Despite being totally exhausted last night, I was smiling like a toddler on Christmas Day the whole car ride home.

They’re not just people in the pews and not just members of the congregation, they’re friends. More than that, they’re family. I like them, love them and enjoy being around them. And I’m so blessed that they seem to feel the same way about me.

I can’t help thinking about something the Apostle Paul wrote to a group of believers he used to pastor:

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”1

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at this revelation—I had actually learned something similar many years earlier. Prior to going into full-time ministry I had a part-time ministry in the St. Louis area. After a couple of years of preaching and pastoring, I was burned out. Working full-time in the business world and preaching regularly on the weekends was just too much, so I resigned.

The first couple of weeks were wonderful, as I enjoyed my new-found downtime. But that changed dramatically as the weeks went by. I was totally unprepared for how much I missed everyone. My heart ached so bad I returned a few months later. I loved them, worried about them and wanted to be with them again.

What about you? Are you an active member of a local group of believers? If not, I encourage you to find a Bible-believing church and worship and socialize with them as much as you can.

My hunch is you’ll find a pastor who loves his people as much as I love the people here.

So would you like to feel loved and appreciated? Would you like to be among like-minded people? Then find a church and get involved.

The truth is, we pastors need you as much as you need us.

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”

1  1 Thessalonians 2:8

"you hypocrite"

Our waitress smiled from ear-to-ear and joked with my family. After taking care of our needs, she went to the next table and her smile disappeared. As she collected the man’s dirty dishes and refilled his glass with water, the man never looked up, never said a word, and never even acknowledged her presence.

What a lowlife.

Forgive me for being so harsh, but I don’t understand why people can’t muster a simple “Thank you” or a smile for one another, especially when the other person is serving them in some way.

I resisted the urge to walk over and lecture him on the common courtesies of life. I mean, it’s not like she wanted to be best buddies—he could at least acknowledge her presence and express a little gratitude.

And don’t give me that nonsense that she’s only doing her job. While that may be her job, she deserves to be treated with respect. And respect starts with at least acknowledging that she exists and is appreciated.

In searching for a passage that supported my point I found this one. Frankly, I don’t like what I found out about myself.

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”1

This hurts. After reading these verses it’s clear I’m no better than the man in the next booth. I realize now that I’m the lowlife. You know, “Mr. Perfect” judging others while overlooking my own deficiencies.

You see, I don’t “consider others better than” myself. Oh, sometimes that happens, but not very often. The truth is I’m usually focused more on me.

So, it’s with great regret that I admit that these next verses describe me well.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”2

Can somebody tell me how a blog entry that was intended to label the guy in the booth next to me as a lowlife actually revealed me as the lowlife?

Please forgive me as I abruptly stop writing. Otherwise, I might embarrass myself again. Plus, I’ve got a little work to do. You see, I’ve got this plank in my eye…

1  Philippians 2:1-4

2  Matthew 7:3

jesus in your heart

“Put a screw in your pocket and put Jesus in your heart. Break your pact with the devil and do it from the start.”

Remembering that stupid and nonsensical song we had made up as teenagers, I laid a screw in Sean’s casket. My best friend was dead, but was now with the Lord.

Even though Sean didn’t put Jesus in his heart and break his pact with the devil until he was an adult, he did do it prior to dying in October of 2008. In fact, his friendship and witness was what compelled me to eventually follow Christ as well.

I miss my friend more than you can know—I think about him almost every day. While I wish the whole grieving process would speed up, I’m comforted to know he is with the Lord as we speak. The same place where I’m going someday. And the same place where you’re going someday if you have Jesus in your heart.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.”1

While there’s so much we could say about these verses, notice the first sentence from this quote from the Apostle Paul: “To die is gain.” No matter how good things here on earth may be, being with the Lord in heaven is always better. Always.

And did you notice the last sentence? When we “depart”—that is, die as human beings—we go to “be with Christ.”

So where’s Sean? He’s with the Lord. His earthly body and a screw from my garage may be in the ground, but his soul is with Jesus.

While I still miss him, I like that thought. A lot. He’s more than okay, and someday I’ll see him again.

How cool is that?

“Put a screw in your pocket and put Jesus in your heart.”

1  Philippians 1:21-23

best father ever

The best father of all time? That’s an easy one: Atticus Finch, as played by Gregory Peck in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Remember the movie? Peck’s character is kind, patient, loving, principled and all around awesome. Simply put, he’s the kind of dad I’ve always wanted to be but wasn’t.

If you’re a father and have seen the movie you know what I mean. If I’m honest, even on my best days I couldn’t hold a candle to Atticus. When it comes to dads, he’s the bomb.

Well, let me clarify that last statement: He’s the best when it comes to human beings. The ultimate role model is, of course, our heavenly Father.

In fact, here are seven reasons why our Father in heaven is—and will always be—the all-time champ when it comes parenting.

1.      He loves us

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”1

2.      He saves us

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”2

3.      He forgives us

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”3

4.      He has fellowship with us

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”4

5.      He meets our needs

“So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”5

6.      He comforts us in all our troubles

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”6

7.      He has blessed our socks off

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”7

So there it is: The “w” goes to our heavenly Father, hands down. While I love and respect you, Atticus, the Creator of the universe goes home with the prize.

The best Father of all time? I change my answer. My Father in heaven is my main man.

1  1 John 3:1

2  1 Peter 1:3

3  Matt 6:14

4  1 John 1:3

5  Matt 6:30-33

6  2 Cor 1:3

7  Eph 1:3

victory

We were all standing, clapping and cheering at the top of our lungs, including me. The St. Louis Cardinals were one out away from winning the 1982 World Series. The noise in Busch Stadium that evening was deafening, and shivers kept going up and down my spine.

This was beyond cool. It was the most awesome, most exciting, and most exhilarating moment of my life. I knew it then, and still know it. Six rows from the field, halfway between first base and the right field wall. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Ready to explode. Needing to explode. All 50,000 of us.

Bruce Sutter, the team’s ace reliever, is on the mound. Ninth inning. Two outs. Cards 6, Milwaukee Brewers 3. Three balls and two strikes on Gorman Thomas.

“Bruce, Bruce!” we all yelled. The shivers kept shooting up my spine, anticipating what would happen next.

But Thomas wouldn’t go quietly. He fouled off pitch after pitch after pitch until the crowd was wound up like toddlers full of sugar on Christmas morning. Most of our faces were now as red as our shirts and caps. We wanted this thing to happen, and to happen now.  



St. Louis Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter jumps
into the arms of reliever Bruce Sutter after
cliniching the 1982 World Series.

And so it did.

Swing and a miss. Game over. Cardinals win. Let the celebration begin.

A sea of red-clad players swarmed the mound like bees on honey. They hugged, high-fived and jumped all over one another. I knew at that moment that the money shelled out for my precious ticket had been so worth it.

But we in the crowd wanted to celebrate, too. Yelling and jumping up and down in our tiny piece of real estate—our stadium seats—wasn’t very satisfying. At least to me.

It wasn’t very satisfying to others, either. Despite dozens of police officers patrolling the playing field on horses, hundreds of people were scaling the walls, oblivious to what may happen. Remarkably, the police decided not to intervene or arrest anyone.

Seeing that there were no negative consequences for disobeying the rules, I skipped down the stairs and jumped over the wall as well. To those who may disapprove, well, seventh game of the World Series and we just clinched. Enough said. (By the way, for those who may be bothered with preacher boy disobeying the rules, I wasn’t a Christian back then.)

So there we were—hundreds of us—running around the field like maniacs, yelling, screaming, high-fiving each other and hugging total strangers. And the whole time fireworks are exploding overhead and the scoreboard flashing, "We win!" "We win!" "We win!"

Victory.

The excitement of that evening makes me smile to this day. In fact, I’ve had a big old grin on my face while writing this.

But remembering the Cardinals’ World Series win also reminds me of an even greater victory, a spiritual victory.

We remember our Lord’s victory at Calvary. He didn’t just die on a cross—He rose from the dead.

"You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!”1

Just as the fans at Busch Stadium that night—and Cardinal fans everywhere—got to celebrate the team's victory, as Christians we get to celebrate Jesus' victory. We even get to participate in it.

·         Jesus’ victory over sin means we’re victorious over sin.

·         Jesus’ victory over death means we’re victorious over death.

·         Jesus’ victory over Satan means we’re victorious over Satan.

So why not take a moment and revel in what Jesus has done for you? Why not take a moment to celebrate the victory to end all victories?

After all, the World Series of the spiritual realm is over and Jesus won. And that means you win.

“He has risen!”

1  Mark 16:6

is help on the way?

I had made a complete mess of my life and had no self-confidence. But then God sent Barbara into my life.

As my advisor at the community college I attended, she quickly grasped that I was a lost soul, someone desperately in need of direction and encouragement. Barb provided both.

After bombing out at a four-year college and doing manual labor for a while, this was my last chance to make something of myself. So I enrolled in a few classes just to see what would happen.

Knowing I could unravel at any time, she met with me regularly doing everything she could to make sure I’d succeed. With her help, I did. I eventually graduated with a two-year degree and then completed my bachelor’s elsewhere.

I have two vivid memories of Barb: Her clearing her calendar to help me work through a personal crisis and going with me on a campus visit that was a four-hour drive one-way.

There’s no question in my mind that without her help, I’d still be lost and lacking self-confidence. That was a pivotal time in my life—I could have just as easily self-destructed.

Why do I share this story with you? Because I suspect there are messed up people all around us who need our help. And who knows, maybe you’re it. That is, maybe the Lord wants you to come to that person’s aid.

In the Old Testament book of Esther we read about how she becomes queen at the same time someone in the government comes up with a plan to kill all the Jews. At first she’s reluctant to come to the aid of her own people, but then her cousin says this:

“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"1

In other words, “Maybe, just maybe, God has placed you where you are to do what needs to be done. This is your time. This is why you’re where you are.”

My point is this: Perhaps you’ve been placed where you are so you can come to the aid of someone who needs what only you can give.

Look around. Is there someone in your family, at work or at school who’s lost and in need of help? Someone who’s hurting and needs comforting? Someone who’s discouraged and needs encouragement?

If Barb was around, she’d do it herself. But right now there’s just you.

“And who knows but that you have come to (your) position for such a time as this?"

1  Esther 4:14