Shade Tree Wisdom 5/31/10

Blessed, and most welcome, rain last night, so the air was a bit washed this morning, but getting humid too.

Have you noticed it too? The absence of pockets in short sleeved summer shirts for men? I regard that as a conspiracy, because that’s the pocket I carry my card in because it is easy to reach and check.

So many things in the news to comment on. Number one surely must be the most recent action of the ACLU. They want the cross shaped grave markers removed from the soldiers’ graves. I do not know what legal stuff they are using to make their case. It is mostly by shouting and hysteria, that they get done what they want done. St. Peter warned about it. “The devil, as a raging lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, who resist steadfast in the faith”.

It took five years, and $ 265 million to build, but on June 18th ,The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens. The 20 acre attraction is just 13 miles from were Walt Disney opened 39 years ago. By the way, the turrets of Hogwart soar 15 stories into the air. In the park, you do not stand in line for a ride, instead, the line is a part of the experience. Author J.K.Rowling has not been there for a visit, but she has been very hands-on in making selections and choices, including approving the exact taste of Butterbeer. (Tastes like cream soda).

Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative in Orlando which planned and created the park, says, “the end object is to take people on a journey that will blow their minds”.

Then there are the storms, the floods, and losses in South America. Is this the beginning of the hurricane season that is to be very bad?

Then, we have the stand-off situation between North and South Korea, a tinder just waiting to be ignited, it sounds like.

Life goes on, doesn’t it?

What a mix to speak about. But life is like that, and we take the good and the bad together. St. Paul, many centuries ago, in writing to the Christians in Colossae, encourages them to be holding steady. I am quoting from The Message. “We keep hearing reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. . .This is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken with time.” 1,4.5. “So, if you’re serious about living the new resurrection life, act like it. Pursue things over which Christ resides. Don’t shuffle long, eyes on the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. . .your old life is dead, your new life, which is your real life – is with Christ in God, even though it is invisible to spectators.” 3, 1-4.

That letter, written to Christians also living in this world, gave them the needed courage and strength to go on. So let it serve us as well in 2010.

GPD 5/31/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/28/10

Still in May, and already the thermometer reaches high 90’s. The paper adds to the misery by announcing that it looks like a very busy hurricane season, since the part of the Atlantic where hurricanes form is already quite warm. However the scientific community is not ready to commit completely. So the prudent Gulf coast makes preparation for possible winds and high water.

The Christian, however, looks elsewhere first, doesn’t he?

This is what the Child of God sees, and trusts.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
And the firmament showeth His handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech,
And night unto night showeth knowledge.
There is no speech, or language,
Where their voice is not heard”.
Psalm 19, 1.2.3.

It comforts the anxious person, this knowing who is really there always. When our youngest daughter received her first assignment to teach for the Department of Defense overseas, it was to a bit of an island in the east China Sea. Okinawa was her first destination, teaching for Air Force children stationed on that distant rock. We were in the Federal building in Memphis where she finished her paper work. On the wall was a large world map, and I finally spotted the bit of island and said, “There?”

So she quoted this to me:

“Where shall I go from thy spirit,
And where shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up to heaven, Thou art there,
If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell
In the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me,
Thy right hand hold me up.. . .
The darkness and light are both alike to Thee”.
Psalm 139, 7-12.

And it gave peace to our worried selves.

So, when storm predictions come, when the world seems to be running amuck, when things seem out of control, do remember that God is there, just as He promised.

GPD 5/28/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/27/10

“Though he giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh.
His the loving purpose solely,
To preserve them, pure and holy”.

LSB 725,4.

That thought is good to remember. That God does watch, protect, guide, and preserve us. For without His care we would indeed be lost.

In my morning devotion today I read this, “Our Lord says, ‘He that is not with Me, is against Me.’. Think of the double, and low, standard of morality so prevalent in our modern age, the winking at wrong, the absorption in trivial things, the indifference to Religion, and that self-satisfying, conventional religion which so many have fashioned for themselves”.

Then turn your eyes to the Lord Who said, “He that is not with Me, is against Me.”

For there is our light, and our salvation, in the Cross where Jesus the Son of God, paid for our sins, and gives us the promise of life eternal. But we tend to forget, neglect, disregard, treat lightly or scornfully, that which brought us here. I mentioned this the other day, and ask again, “Do we cherish our heritage?”.

Moses was troubled by that too. He knew after he was gone that they were inclined to forget the blessings, and follow the example of heathen around them, so the Lord instructed Moses to teach them this song. Deuteronomy chapter 32 is that song. It is a shocking song of warning, designed to get the attention of those who forget God and fill their lives with trouble.

[Something like the Texas effort over this weekend, “Click it, or ticket”, and the ticket for not wearing seatbelts is $200. That seems to get their attention to the law.]

Moses ended his song with this word: “Set your hearts unto all the words which I command you this day, which you shall command your children to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing unto you, it is your life.” Deut. 32,46.47.

Maybe there is a favorite Psalm, or verse of some hymn, or line from some Scripture, that settles your heart on the right track again, for “It is Your life” to be an obedient child of God, whose desire always is

“To preserve them, pure and holy”.

GPD 5/27/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/25/10

The morning walk is warmish made better with a little breeze. So I persist, especially since my heart Doctor says it’s good for me so to do.

After last Sunday the choir is taking a brief vacation to relax, regroup. But they left us with that wonderful Aaronic blessing with its sevenfold Amen. That always sends a deep message. You can just see the children of Israel at day’s end, bowing deeply and hearing Aaron, their High priest, speak these words into their ear. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee” to remind them, they are always under His watchful care. Then, “The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious unto you”, so He is ever watchful, but also filled with grace and favor toward them and their lives. So finally, “The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace”. How best to see the setting sun and the ending of the day. To know they have peace with their God because sins are forgiven and God Himself has declared them righteous.

What better way to leave a worship service than to have those promises ringing in our ears. It eases the way for the soul and strengthens the faith in the heart that may be burdened with sorrow and cares.

That, too, is a part of our Christian heritage we cherish, but so often carelessly toss aside as ‘old fashioned’ or ‘out of date’.

And that attitude depresses me, scares me, for we see the fall- out all around us when we forget sin is sin and man is born that way.

We ought to live like Daniel did. He was living in a land where he was much alone, not surrounded by familiar people, not even having a temple near. Babylonia was a heathen land. Yet when he came, he determined not to leave his moorings. The report reads, “And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” Dan. 1,8, He made up his mind before any tests came how he would act. And God blessed him as he served his heathen king. Daniel did so well and was so able that he received promotions, and that provoked jealousy and brought on further tests. When his jealous opponents could find no fault in his work, they said, now listen closely, they said, “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God”, ch.6,5. So they had a law passed about prayer, and Daniel prayed only to God, and did it openly. So he ended in the lion’s den, which he survived because God kept him safe.

When we look at the many problems and troubles facing us today we cannot but be dismayed how we are squandering our heritage, not only in this country, but also in Europe. The Christian Church is not the sound foundation to be counted on to lead and teach. Christians have too often not been faithful in their stated faith, for too many were not even sure just what that faith is. The Christian Church has not been forthright in declaring “Thus sayeth the Lord” because they declared parts of the Holy Bible irrelevant to this day. So for many there simply is no certain bugle call, no sure word, no certain guide.

I pray we will live like Daniel in this world, letting our light shine as God’s children, who may be living by a different drummer, but know where they are going and who saved them. They know and believe their sins have been paid for when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, suffered, died, and then rose again. The debt is paid, and they have “peace with God.” May it help you sleep better.

GPD 5/25/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/20/10

It is getting warmer now, so nature does what it always has been doing, and we forget that so often and complain about this “awful; heat” or “this humidity”. Hey, that’s been around much longer than we have, hasn’t it? But the Lord who provides the weather also gave us minds to work things out and so we invented air conditioning, and in Houston, tunnels for living during the summer. I forget how many miles of tunnels connect stores and shops underground, but there is a bunch. Why, there is even a business that gives you a tour of them. [Now there’s an item for the ‘things to do list’ next time you visit]

We just had elections in several places, and it is kind of amusing, and somewhat tiring, to hear the explanations, and what they portend. But they point up that sin is still alive and active in this world.

The Book of Romans is a short course on religion, why Jesus came, and why what He did is important, indeed, vital for our very eternal survival. In the first chapter after greetings, Paul sets forth his agenda when he writes, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes,: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith”. Romans 1, 16.17.

Then St. Paul speaks of the wrath of God. This wrath is revealed against sin, against men, “who hold the truth in unrighteousness”. And for this behavior, St. Paul says “they have no excuse” because they can clearly see God’s works in the nature that spreads all around them. But instead of accepting the clear evidences, they “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” V.21.

And that sets the tone of this letter. St. Paul speaks of this plight of man and then shows what God has done in Christ Jesus to give him a way out of his darkness.

The Book of Romans is not easy to read. It needs much prayer, much effort, and work, but the work of God is made plain in it. I can but urge a quiet reading again and again much prayer, and may the Lord give insight and understanding, for it leads to a stronger faith. May God bless this for you.

GPD 5/20/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/17/10

“Take no thought, therefore, for
Tomorrow; for tomorrow will take
Thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Matthew 6, 34.

These are the ending thoughts on Jesus' word on worry. Where He speaks of lilies of the field clothed in rich color, and adds, “shall He not much more clothe you, oh ye of little faith? V.30.

Thomas Carlyle said, “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what likes clearly at hand”. Good advice. One man read that line and determined to live his life in “day tight compartments”. By that he meant what happened yesterday is history what may happen tomorrow is in the future, so I will tend to what lies at hand for me to do, and do it to the very best of my ability.

The Psalm said it this way,

“This is the day that Lord has made,
We will rejoice, and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118,24.

The ancient Roman world lived by this motto: Carpe Diem. Seize the day, use the day handed to us.

When we face some problem that seems insurmountable, what do we do? Throw up our hands in defeat and say, “what’s the use?” Or do we start to think, what is the worst thing that might happen here. OK, be willing to have it so, accept it. Then, having done that, we can start to think how to solve it, or at least ease the burden. We are ready to take some direct action.

The chief thing about worrying is that it keeps us from doing, isn’t it? So why worry, do instead, and remember what Jesus said to us, not just the words above, but also, ”I am with you, even to the end of the world”.

What a welcome, assuring, restful promise that always is.

GPD 5/17/10

Shade Tree Wisdom 5/15/10

Blessed rain last night, and more this morning. It greened the grass and washed the dust off the trees and made the world look a bit brighter. But it’s a gloomy sort of day which lends itself well to contemplation. The story of the rocking chair brought this story to mind.

Henry was now alone. He had married Luetta in their church in town and moved to this farm that Henry had inherited. Here they had raised four children, all now married and gone, but all still living fairly close. They saw them often, had family dinners together and such things. Now Luetta was gone and Henry could no longer farm, so he had sold the farm and today was the auction to sell his worldly possessions. His son had made arrangements for him to move to a nursing facility in town. It was nearly ten o’clock, the time set to start, and lots of people were already there. The farm machinery went first, then the livestock.

Henry had Jersey cows, for their milk had a high butterfat content, and he sold that to the creamery in town. Funny, when he saw they being loaded up he remembered that this creamery made a string cheese that was sold over the country. His friend, who had visited Houston, Texas, had brought him some that he bought there at a place called Specs. Small world, Henry agreed.

Now they were auctioning off the household goods. Everything was going. He had packed a small suitcase with some clothes, and his Bible and prayer book. It now waited in the front closet. There went the lamp they had bought from Sears and Luetta had always used to read by, and do her knitting and patching. Gave him a jolt to see it going.

Most of the day Henry watched all this from the front porch. He was sitting in the rocking chair that he had bought Luetta one Christmas. She used it a lot, sitting on the front porch, shelling peas, or reading her Bible, or just relaxing in the evening.

The day was filled with memories. When he saw their canoe loaded up he noticed it had been bought by that young couple who bought the Johnson place. He remembered the fun they had canoeing, either fishing for their supper, or just gliding along the stream that ran through their farm. So relaxing, and so satisfying. He hoped they would enjoy using it as much as he and Luetta had.

Now the crowd was gone. The auctioneer and his son had gone to the bank to get things settled, and then his son was coming to take him to his new home. So Henry just waited, sitting in the rocking chair and enjoying the cool evening breeze, and the psalm came to mind. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” And he prayed for a peaceful move, and a quiet life.

And that’s where his son found him, a smile on his face, a restful pose, and peace at the last.

GPD 5/15/10