The Feet of a Deer

Some of you will know that Florence and I live on a riverbank. I say bank, but in places it is more like a cliff, where the water course had run years ago before changing its route and had worn away the bottom of the bank creating some pretty treacherous terrain that requires a significant degree of caution. I was out there today and noticed tracks in the fresh snow. And it was quite obvious that the deer had, with great agility, negotiated the terrain that for me would have resulted in definite injuries to my person. I was reminded of the words of King David:

“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.”
2Sam 22:34

[I found the King James version of this passage quite curious when I was a young believer…. ‘hind’s feet’. Wasn’t there a well known devotional called ‘Hind’s Feet on High Places’? Who was that written by?]

The words are actually part of a song that David wrote and sang and the context does include the background which helps us to appreciate what David meant by those words.

“David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” 2Sam 22:1

Can you just imagine with me what it must have been like for David to have lived in exile in the wilderness all those years with Saul and others hunting him constantly? Can you picture David watching the deer scale the heights and thinking about how God protected him by giving him great abilities. Sometimes God just delivers us quite in spite of ourselves. But sometimes, in fact a lot of the time, God gives us abilities and these too we need to acknowledge Him for.

We come to the New Testament and we read the words of Paul:

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13

After all, God made the deer with his feet. So can God make my feet like the feet of a deer.

And then there is that notion of ‘heights’ again. I could launch into some musings about mountains but I’ll restrain myself. But I think it is just pretty cool – the feet of a deer… standing on the heights. What a picture!

Spending Money We Don't Have

Well, the news is full of it. Yesterday I spoke on debt. I mentioned the 34 year old temporary maintenance worker in the US who got trampled to death last month by rampaging shoppers rushing to get bargains on DVDs and big-screen TVs. I mentioned the fact, that in the US, advertisers spend almost $300,000,000,000 a year on advertising. I also mentioned the fact that Statistics Canada says that both Canadians and Americans have been spending more than we earn consistently for the past six years now. Credit card debt has tripled over the past 20 years simply because of ‘easy credit’. Our governments are in debt, our corporations are in debt and our households are in debt. It seems we are consistently spending money we don’t have.

Contrast this to the words of Jesus. Even though these words are lifted from a parable intended to teach about the cost of following Jesus, they are significant even in and of themselves apart from the context.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” Luke 14:28-30

Paul Baloche on Leadership

Reading an issue of Worship Leader Magazine (Nov/Dec 08) this week and found an article written by Paul Baloche of real interest. For those of you who aren’t familiar with his name (though most of you probably are) he is the author of such songs as ‘Open The Eyes of My Heart’, ‘Hosanna’, ‘All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises’, just to name a few out of hundreds. But Paul is much more than a song writer. He really is a worship pastor.

In the article he shares his personal experience of going from being pretty much uninvolved to being stretched way beyond his comfort zone as a young believer and how that set him on a path that eventually led him to pastoral ministry. It is the same old story that I never grow tired of hearing - how, against fear and trepidation, someone steps out (or is pushed) and ends up, eventually, being just an amazing leader.

It is quite a journey with lots of learning along the way. I found the following words from Paul to be particularly thoughtful:

“The church needs leaders. It’s easy for us to sit back and let someone else do it. It’s easy to analyze and criticize the decisions that our elders or pastors make. But I learned very quickly how difficult it is to wrestle through the endless array of problems when I stepped up to be an elder myself. Wow! What a revelation it was. Since then I have gained such an appreciation for those who are willing to sacrifice hours and hours for the sake of the local church, getting involved with everything from the most difficult personal issues of church members to mundane minutiae of buildings and budgets. So many times we want to walk away and leave it for someone else to figure out, while we sanctimoniously sip our Starbucks from the sidelines and point out the flaws and inconsistencies.”

Enough said,
Steve

Sunsets

I didn’t get to see the sunset tonight. I bet it was beautiful. I didn’t get to see the sunset last night either. But I did get to see the sunset Tuesday night (my day off). It was spectacular and not only did I see it but I took a few shots too. All three of these pictures were taken the same night as we watched God put on a show for us.

I love sunsets. One of the things that I am reminded of as I watch the sun set are those old movies where the hero rides off into the sunset. What an ending! But, I don’t think I ever watched a show or a movie like that, without somewhere in the back of my mind being caused to wonder whether it was really ‘The End’? After all, there is always the chance of a sequel, right! And not only that, but there is just that knowledge that we have that the story never ends there.

As we watch the sun set each day, or on those days when we are able to catch it, and think about it, it is a kind of signal for us. Not only does it bring a close to the day, but it goes down in hope - the hope of another day; a sequel if you will. It speaks of life. When the sun sets on our lives we have the amazing hope that it is not the end. There will be a sequel. There will be another day, and it will be glorious.

I think of the words of Job who said,

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.” Job 19:25,26

Steve

My Weather, My Wife, My World

Welcome to winter. A narrow band of snow has been sitting over our area for days now. While most of Nova Scotia has some, we have more than 2 feet of the white stuff, and even as I type this I’m watching it come down still!

It has really caused me to think lately about how much the weather is a part of our lives here in Nova Scotia. Being a maritime region that juts out into the Atlantic makes for lots of weather. And then, on top of that, our more northern location bring the winter upon us each year. It is no wonder we obsess about it really. It seems that everything we do is effected by it.

I have to tell you a story. Yesterday, late in the day, Florence and I were cuddled up to the fire in our home watching it snow. After a period of silence, she says, “I love winter.” And then she adds, “Don’t you?”. I say, “Well, I don’t much like shoveling snow and chipping ice and driving in slush and …”, to which she responds, “Yeah, you’re right. I hate winter.”

Sometimes I don’t know how she puts up with me really. I do know I am so thankful for her and I shutter to think what I would be like if God hadn’t brought this positive source of joy into my life. I guess this post isn’t so much about the weather as it is about her. Or is it about me? Yeah, I think it’s about me and how difficult this attitude thing is.

I think back to Saturday when I wrote … “I began by pushing the broom across the roof. When I did, it made a tunnel through the snow and the thought that immediately ran through my mind was – this is perfect snow for digging snow tunnels and building snow forts and…” Maybe there is hope for me yet!

I took this picture on my way home this morning after driving Florence to work. I didn’t want her driving on those roads today because I still have summer tires on the car.

Steve

The Down Side of Growing Up

Today we woke up to another several inches of fresh fallen snow. When I went out to first try and ‘sweep’ the snow off the car, I began by pushing the broom across the roof. When I did, it made a tunnel through the snow and the thought that immediately ran through my mind was – “This is perfect snow for digging snow tunnels and building snow forts.”

Isn’t it amazing how our perspective changes as we age, I mean in some cases, totally! Our situation determines to a great degree how we see things. Something can go from being a blessing to being a curse, without really changing intrinsically at all, but only because our situation has changed which then changes our perspective on it. As they say, “Some see the glass half empty and some see the glass half full. And then there are those who know if they stick around long enough they are going to end up having to wash that glass.”

This is not a new thought and hardly original but every time I come back to this realization I can’t keep from thinking there must be some profoundly practical lesson that we should be learning in these instances because they present themselves to us a hundred times a day. So what is it, I wonder?

Maybe, and I hesitate to even continue because usually when I learn a lesson, it is one that I have learned a thousand times before and have somehow managed to forget again! Anyway, maybe God is trying to tell us that we are what needs to change, not our situation or the circumstances around us.

I read a story one time about a farmer who had two boys. One day a neighbour was giving him a hard time because he was making his boys work hard all day out in the corn field. The neighbour made some comment about how reprehensible it was for the man to be treating those boys like that just so he could raise a bunch of corn. His response is a classic. He said, “I’m not raising corn. I’m raising boys.”

Maybe that is how we need to look at all of this. After all, God does control the weather. (See Job 38:22-30) He can make it snow or stop whenever He wants. But maybe God isn’t so much concerned about the weather, or our plans for the day either for that matter, as He is about us. And maybe He isn’t as concerned about our comfort, or our agendas, as He is about our character. Maybe the reason we are always struggling with our environment is because without struggle, without adversity, there is no growth. Maybe God isn’t changing the weather. Maybe He’s just changing us.

Steve

The Season's First Snowfall

Well, it is inevitable, isn’t it, the changing of the seasons. This was the scene out our front door this morning. Beautiful!

Isn’t it interesting though, that something can be so beautiful, on the one hand, and so uncomfortable, even deadly, on the other. I’m not just thinking of the treacherous driving conditions, although that could be a case in point. I mean just the elements themselves directly upon us. Whether it is the scorching summer sun or the freezing winter cold, they display the glory of God but they also remind us that God is not like the things we control at will.

In this sense, God is not ‘safe’. He is not like a warm soft puppy or a cup of ice tea on a warm summer’s day. The Bible rarely uses these types of metaphors for God. The writer of Hebrews says our God is a ‘consuming fire’.

I seem to recall a passage that says that God is ‘terrible’; meaning that He is able to strike terror in the heart should He choose to reveal Himself in that way. We could use the word ‘aweful’ as it is meant to be used to recognize someone or something that causes us to stand in awe. We have to be careful that we see God, not just as a loving friend, as wonderfully true as that can be for those who know Him, but also as He is as well, the ‘Almighty God’ who is worthy of constant reverence and praise.

I suppose an elephant and a mouse could become friends, but the mouse would be wise to always remember a few key facts.

Steve