It Ain't Over 'til It's Over!

Aaaah, summer break! No more pencils; no more books; no more teachers' dirty looks! No more alarm clock! No more mystery meat in the school caf! No mo-- Brakes screech. Record scratch. We're at the beginning of July, and there are only eight weeks remaining! That's right, summer ain't forever. And for all of you 2026 graduates --I hate to be the bearer of bad news --neither is the wave you've been riding. There's college or career, interviews and bills and obligations and upgrades and... Well, it really never ends. That is, not until the fat lady sings. And while, in the rat race that is American society, that might be a discouraging word, in light of eternity, in light of one's opportunity to surrender to Jesus and serve Him in bringing glory to God, that is great news!

Take King Saul, the first king of Israel. Tall, handsome, and for a time, obedient to God. But once he got comfortable with his own authority, he began to show his true colors; once he defied God's orders, he became pretty good at it. For many years, God gave Samuel to Saul, a prophet to lead the king and correct him when he veered from the course of God's righteous way. Saul was given the shepherd, David, to soothe his spirit through the playing of music. Saul's son, Jonathan. was a faithful follower of God's commands. Saul had opportunity after opportunity; yet he rejected the Lord. In Samuel's final words to Saul (1 Samuel 28:16-19), Samuel asked the king, So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? That was the choice Saul had made. Yet, God allowed Saul to hear these words when he sought counsel from a witch in Endor. I don't want to get too far off track with regard to the hows of Samuel's appearance to Saul, but suffice to say, this was the mercy of God. If Saul had repented right then and there, would his relationship have been restored? I tend to believe it would have been. Speaking solely from human experience, when one of our children has defied our wishes (or sound advice), when the child's heart is set on following after his/her own way, we stop speaking. Fool around, find out, as they say. You have been warned, and you have chosen. But God did not stop speaking to Saul. I'm not saying the consequences would have been removed: the kingdom had been ripped from Saul's hands and given to David. But I do believe God would have honored Saul's repentance just the same; Saul could have died unburdened by sin and at peace with his Creator, rather than in torment.   

God is no respecter of persons. We all have opportunity to repent; the first repentance, recognizing our inability to save ourselves from the condemnation we are due, and every repentance thereafter. As I look back through some of my old journals, I see God's mercy in speaking to me again and again about areas in which I struggle. I don't mean these are sins I regularly commit out of refusal to obey, but these are things toward which my old nature is inclined. I tend to be fiercely independent, standoffish, arrogant, annoyed, and stubborn; I can react poorly to disturbances in my plan. Is it as bad as it was ten years ago? No, but those things are not quite dead in me. Not yet. But God, in His mercy, has not given up on me. His promise to all His children is that He will not! What a great comfort that is! He will, by His Spirit living in us, transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ; we will take on His character as we continue to walk with Him and cooperate with His will. Year after year, day by day, until the fat lady has sung and we are in His presence! Unlike summer break, it ain't over 'til it's over. God's goodness and mercy toward His children never end! That is music to my ears. 

Midweek: Happy Birthday, Family!

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday this weekend, I think it's important we understand value doesn't equal perfection. For instance, "Birthday Season" has begun for our family; there are birthdays that begin the end of June and go all the way to mid-December. Outside of a rogue delivery in February and another in May, it's on! Not one of those family members is perfect --me especially --but they are all loved and valued. We never stop praying for them. We never stop helping them be better people. We never stop celebrating the time we have with them. We never stop thanking God that He has guided and guarded our family and its members for years.

I don't believe any rational one of us is denying the issues present in our country. And it's important to know what needs to be changed and, as a collective, work toward those revisions. You know, our Founding fathers weren't perfect either. But our fellow Americans are not our enemies, and this is a pretty great country even with its problems. So, let's pray for her. Let's work on discussing some constructive criticisms and --maybe --roll up our sleeves to implement the things that will work better and preserve our nation. Let's celebrate the time we've been given with her. Let's thank God that He has guided and guarded our country and its citizens for years (and, perhaps, invite Him to an assembly or two. 

Happy Birthday to us! 

Upsetting the Fruit Basket

Ten bucks?! Our youngest lamented the price of a watermelon. They really are outrageous this year. Not trying to throw shade at the growers, but it seems that every summer, at least one crop is threatened by weather, and we're warned prices will go through the roof. Experts are already threatening our peaches while we're still reeling at the cost of melons. Summer in our area usually makes eating healthy a little less expensive, but this year, good fruit is gonna cost us.

The good fruit of a life lived for Christ comes with its own costs. Our lives must be led surrendered to the will of God according to Scripture and with constant listening for, seeking out the impressions of the Holy Spirit with regard to our thoughts, words, and behavior. The fruit of the Holy Spirit comes at the cost of our own way. If you think about it, the desire for fruit and the determination to apprehend it in a manner other than through obedience to God, was man's downfall. Because of sin, our flesh remains conditioned to taste the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, etc., in ways other than through the sometimes difficult, sometimes time-consuming work of the Holy Spirit. Instead of submitting to His authority, we manufacture love in multiple relationships or in the possession of things. Instead of drawing near to God in prayer and devotion, we manufacture joy in attaining status or wealth. Instead of resting in the true peace of Jesus, we manufacture peace by cutting off difficult relationships (I don't mean dangerous) or seeking answers wherever they may be found. We are trying to grow our own fruit. And it is rotten to its core; poisonous and leading to separation from God, not unity with God.

How, exactly, is the fruit of the Spirit developed? Let me point out, the fruit of the Spirit is not the "fruits" of the Spirit. This is a union, not a buffet. Character is developed in a way that is dependent on and requires the cooperation of other characteristics. For instance, the other day, I heard the voice of Old Me handling a situation. I was annoyed, snarky, impatient. I communicated to others that my being kind was of less importance than my being on time; that my being kind was of less importance than my getting my own way. New Me, the me that imitates Jesus and His apostles, however, values and places kindness above the desires of my self. It's not behavior modification; I must value kindness before I can willingly, regularly place it above my own comfort. That value is cultivated by love, fruit of the Spirit. That value is cultivated by self-control, fruit of the Spirit. That value is cultivated by gentleness, fruit of the Spirit. As character is developed in me, it is developed as a union: peace manifested in goodness and faithfulness which produce further peace, all of which condition me to patience and bring fullness of joy.     

If you've ever enjoyed a delicious fruit salad, it's quite a different experience than a simple fruit basket. In a fruit basket, apples remain unpeeled, uncut, and easily separated from whole bananas or grapes. But the marriage of flavors in a fruit salad is what makes it most enjoyable. Yes, there are individual ingredients, but they are exposed to one another, peeled, diced, and they function as a whole. The juice that remains in the bottom of the bowl is fruit juice --not "fruits" juice, though it contains hints of all the flavors. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit is the entire character of the Christian life; not a checklist of ingredients. It is developed at the discretion of the Holy Spirit and as much as we are willing to cooperate with His work. So, how much are you willing to lay down for the sake of your sanctification; for the sake of Holy Spirit growth in you? It might cost more than a ten-dollar watermelon, but the benefits will last throughout eternity!