My coach and training buddy Jim recently purchased a Garvin portable GPS with all the bells and whistles (it was a father’s day gift). When we’re training he straps it to his wrist and it shows you where you are; guides you to where you want to go and then you can download the entire training session and workout information to your computer – incredible!
It’s cool alright, but wouldn’t it be really cool if we had something like this for our spiritual lives? What if we could get our hands on a spiritual GPS? One that would tell us where we are and then help us get where we want to go. Many of us don’t realize it but we can.
We have a “compass” if you will that keeps us on track and headed true north; if we let it.
You guessed right, it’s called the Bible. Sometimes, however, in the midst of the craziness we call busy we overlook that which is so close. In our hurried “searching for significance” lives we miss the most significant. It’s the human condition and it’s a quandary we’ve been wrestling with for generations.
Psalm 119:9-16 (the Message)
9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I'm single-minded in pursuit of you;
don't let me miss the road signs you've posted.
I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won't sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.
I'll transfer to my lips
all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
I attentively watch how you've done it.
I relish everything you've told me of life,
I won't forget a word of it.
Questions:
1. Why do we overlook the incredible worth and immeasurable depth of God’s word?
2. In our search for significance why do we so often miss the obvious?
3. What or who is it that runs “interference” between us and listening to God?
4. Could it be that we have an adversary? Read Ephesians 6:11-17.
5. Are you ready to finally pause, take stock and start heading true north?
Okay, so stop, take a breath, sit on a park bench, paddle a kayak, run a trail, go to the lake, or find a place in the woods, climb a tree or hide under the bed and ask God for help. Do whatever it takes to stop and figure out how you can make the reading of God’s word a regular part of your life. I know it’s a struggle; hey, it’s not easy for me either.
Hmmm, if only I could wear it on my wrist. Now that would be really cool.
You'll have to take it from here, but I have a hunch you know what to do next (if you need a place to start you can read all of Psalm 119)...
Ron
Compassion Rules! Live your Life...
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Get out of the boat...
Last Wednesday I volunteered at the T-Rex sprint distance triathlon sponsored by Running Fit. My job was to help the athletes check in, get their race packet and then find their way to the transition area (the place where they keep all their equipment and make the transition from the swim, to the bike and then to the run). When that job was finished I went over and helped guide the swimmers, then I went over and helped those who finished the race turn in their timing chip. It was fun and I had a great time. It was almost as thrilling as being in the race myself – almost.
Stop and think about this for a while; you’ll never experience the fullness of God unless you take a huge risk and get “out of the boat”…
Do you really believe it?
Read the following:
Joshua 1:1-11…
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." 10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
Joshua had been second in command most of his life because it was the “call” of Moses to lead the people of Israel into the promise land, or so he thought. Moses up and died and God then asked Joshua to “get out of the boat” and lead a nation into the fulfillment of a promise that had been around for thousands of years. It was time for Joshua to stop helping and start leading; time for him to actually “run in the race himself”; time for him to get out of the boat and into the water (how’s that for a truck-load of metaphors?). When he did he experienced the power and grace of God in ways he never dreamt possible.
Dr. Henry Cloud suggests that courage is what we need to face the demands of reality – a reality that reveals to us the plan of God to spread the message of hope, justice, restoration, healing and peace with God in Christ.
What is that plan? You…
Need help getting “out of the boat” and into the water of kingdom service? Let me know and I’ll point you on the right direction.
Does this scare you? Me too, so welcome to the club...
Ron
Compassion Rules! Live your Life...
Stop and think about this for a while; you’ll never experience the fullness of God unless you take a huge risk and get “out of the boat”…
Do you really believe it?
Read the following:
Joshua 1:1-11…
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." 10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
Joshua had been second in command most of his life because it was the “call” of Moses to lead the people of Israel into the promise land, or so he thought. Moses up and died and God then asked Joshua to “get out of the boat” and lead a nation into the fulfillment of a promise that had been around for thousands of years. It was time for Joshua to stop helping and start leading; time for him to actually “run in the race himself”; time for him to get out of the boat and into the water (how’s that for a truck-load of metaphors?). When he did he experienced the power and grace of God in ways he never dreamt possible.
Dr. Henry Cloud suggests that courage is what we need to face the demands of reality – a reality that reveals to us the plan of God to spread the message of hope, justice, restoration, healing and peace with God in Christ.
What is that plan? You…
Need help getting “out of the boat” and into the water of kingdom service? Let me know and I’ll point you on the right direction.
Does this scare you? Me too, so welcome to the club...
Ron
Compassion Rules! Live your Life...
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Endurance = Pain...
Last weekend I had the privilege of participating in the 6th Annual Steelhead Half-Ironman. My training buddy Jim and I managed to complete the race around the same time (five hours and forty minutes) and as we sat there reviewing the various parts of the race (the highs and lows) it occurred to me; without my dear friend Jim I would have never been able to do this race. It has been said that triathlons are individual efforts because you’re actually racing against yourself; simply trying to set a new personal record. This may be true in a narrow sense, but in a larger sense nothing could be further from the truth.
Last Saturday I learned two significant lessons about endurance: 1) Endurance involves pain. During the last seven miles of the ½ marathon, the last element of a triathlon, my legs and feet were killing me; cramping up to the point where I was forced to walk for 2-3 minutes of every mile. 2) Endurance is not an individual effort. If it were not for Jim who had prepared me for running through the pain, and those along the run course encouraging and cheering us on, I may not have finished.
The same can be said of life; endurance, living through the highs and lows of life, involves pain and it was never intended to be experienced or worked through alone.
Read the following and then think through a few questions at the end…
Romans 8:26-39 (The Message)
26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Questions:
1. What challenges in your life cause you to want to quit or give up? If think you’re exempt from this you’re not being honest…
2. Why do you think that we all face these types of challenges that can cause so much pain? There are no easy answers here…
3. Who do you turn to for help and encouragement along the way?
4. Are you running your race (life) alone, or do you have a network of friends who help you?
5. How do you let Jesus encourage and sometimes carry you during the painful times of life?
Personal note: One of the most painful times in my life was when my wife and I were turned down for adoption the third time. It was agonizingly painful and I still have vivid memories of the rejection and hurt. Along the way, however, Jesus and some dear friends have come alongside and helped us see that life has much more to offer. Furthermore, we can still play a major part in the lives of children around the world, and the best part is unlike “real” parents we don’t have to pay for their college education (just kidding).
Stay strong my friends and endure; even during the pain. You’re not alone…
Ron
Compassion Rules! Live your Life...
Last Saturday I learned two significant lessons about endurance: 1) Endurance involves pain. During the last seven miles of the ½ marathon, the last element of a triathlon, my legs and feet were killing me; cramping up to the point where I was forced to walk for 2-3 minutes of every mile. 2) Endurance is not an individual effort. If it were not for Jim who had prepared me for running through the pain, and those along the run course encouraging and cheering us on, I may not have finished.
The same can be said of life; endurance, living through the highs and lows of life, involves pain and it was never intended to be experienced or worked through alone.
Read the following and then think through a few questions at the end…
Romans 8:26-39 (The Message)
26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Questions:
1. What challenges in your life cause you to want to quit or give up? If think you’re exempt from this you’re not being honest…
2. Why do you think that we all face these types of challenges that can cause so much pain? There are no easy answers here…
3. Who do you turn to for help and encouragement along the way?
4. Are you running your race (life) alone, or do you have a network of friends who help you?
5. How do you let Jesus encourage and sometimes carry you during the painful times of life?
Personal note: One of the most painful times in my life was when my wife and I were turned down for adoption the third time. It was agonizingly painful and I still have vivid memories of the rejection and hurt. Along the way, however, Jesus and some dear friends have come alongside and helped us see that life has much more to offer. Furthermore, we can still play a major part in the lives of children around the world, and the best part is unlike “real” parents we don’t have to pay for their college education (just kidding).
Stay strong my friends and endure; even during the pain. You’re not alone…
Ron
Compassion Rules! Live your Life...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
