Stay Fresh

One of the little joys of my day is picking up my high school daughter from school. Each time she gets into the car there is always something interesting she shares with me about her day. This week she found out that some of her friends that were on the basketball team with her last year were cut from the team this year. She also found out that the team would have a new coach.

After my daughter shared her remorse about her friends being cut from the team, I asked her how she felt about her own skills. This is what she said, “I feel I need to step it up.” That was exactly what I hoped she would say. I reminded her that comfort is not always a friend, but sometimes being a little bit uncomfortable helps us to move out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.

Talking about being uncomfortable, reminded me to share with my daughter the story about the benefits of having a shark in your tank. If you have not heard of this story before, I shared the version of the story below from the site, The Art of Management, Inc.

A Fishing Story:

“The Japanese love fresh fish. However, the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.

The farther the fisherman went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezer on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.

However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.

So how did Japanese fishing companies solve the problem?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state.

The fish are challenged.”

For most of us, in order to prevent becoming ineffective and unproductive, we need to be challenged in order to do our best or other wise we will take the road of least resistance. 

In 2 Peter 1:5, Peter wanted to rouse the complacent believers. This was what he said, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away (James 2:14-17). Peter lists several of faith’s actions: learning to know God better, developing perseverance, doing God’s will, loving others. These actions do not come automatically; they require hard work. They are not optional; all of them must be a continual part of the Christian life. We don’t finish one and start on the next, but we work on them all together. God empowers and enables us, but He also gives us the responsibility to learn and to grow.” Commentary

What a great reminder God gave both my daughter and to me about the dangers of being complacent!

Definition of complacent: pleased, especially with oneself or one’s merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.

Let’s make every effort as the Bible exhorts in 2 Peter 1:5, "to step it up", and let's continue to learn and to grow in every area of our life! If we make every effort, by the Lord's grace, He will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive especially in our desire to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! Stay fresh!

The Shadow

“All whom God uses greatly are first hidden in the secret of His presence, away from the pride of man. It is there our vision clears. It is there the silt drops from the current of our life and our faith begins to grasp His arm.

Abraham waited for the birth of Isaac.

Moses didn’t lead the Exodus until he was eighty.

Elijah waited beside the brook.

Noah waited 120 years for rain.

Paul was hidden away for three years in Arabia.

God is working while His people are waiting, waiting, waiting.

That’s what’s happening. For the present time, nothing. For the future, everything!” Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness, by Charles Swindoll

Don’t you love this encouragement from Charles Swindoll? What a beautiful thought that as we wait and wait and wait in the secret place of His presence, our faith begins to grasp the arm of God!

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

Cling

“…Choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days….” Deuteronomy 30:19

Today I turned 50 years old – what a gift from God to be able to say that!  How wonderful that Deuteronomy 30:19 was in my devotional reading today! We are exhorted to cling to God for He is our life and the length of our days!

For all intended purposes, I should not be here today writing this blog. For you see, approximately five years ago I had a stroke in an area of my brain that controlled all of my life functions. But thanks be to my Lord, I have been able to enjoy an additional five years with my husband, my daughters, my parents and my dear friends! Everyday since then, my eyes have been opened to how quickly life can be taken. I have learned to cling to God, as He is my life and the length of my days. I do not take one minute, one hour, or one day for granted.

In Psalm 90:12, Moses, the man of God prayed a prayer. He prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

“What Moses needed was a new understanding of the meaning of his own life. To number our days is more than just having a sense of mortality; it means valuing the time we do have by using it for eternal purposes.” Commentary

I no longer worry about when He will call me home; instead I value the time that He has given me here on this earth.  My greatest desire is to live a life that loves my Lord, that obeys His voice and that clings to Him for everything!

You do not have to experience a life-changing event like a stroke in order to value the time God has given you here on earth. All you need to do to value your life is to listen for His voice, obey His instructions and clinnnnnng to the ONE who is your SOURCE of joy, love, mercy, forgiveness, help, grace and life!

"You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it." Psalm 139:5-6

                         

Cheers!

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Recently, I was refreshed when I saw a picture that one of my Instagram friend posted. The photo was a picture of just her legs and feet :). In the photo, her feet were crossed as she was lying on a lawn chair while overlooking a swimming pool.  This was her caption: “Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously.”

“A good sense of humor enlivens our discernment and guards us from taking everything that comes down the pike too seriously. By remaining lighthearted, by refusing to allow our intensity to gain the mastery of our minds, we remain much more objective.” Charles R. Swindoll

What a great reminder from my Instagram friend and from Charles Swindoll’s quote above to remain lighthearted and to refuse to allow our intensity to gain mastery of our minds!

As we go through our days, let’s keep remembering the wisdom found in Proverbs 17:22. Being cheerful doesn’t mean we are in denial of the struggles of life, however, it helps us remain peaceful through the struggles because of what Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Be of good cheer means - "be confident and courageous!" Let’s be confident and walk courageously as we remember that Jesus Christ has already overcome the world for us!

“...A cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15

“A cheerful heart serves the rest of the body (and others) a “continual feast”. And what a sumptuous banquet! A well-developed sense of humor reveals a well-balanced personality.” Charles Swindoll

Building A Reputation

“Then Naomi said, ‘Wait my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’” Ruth 3:18

The man that Naomi was talking about in the above scripture is Boaz. Boaz is a major figure in the Book of Ruth. Boaz was a wealthy farmer in Bethlehem and kinsman of Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband. When Naomi decided to go back to her hometown in Israel after her husband and both of her son’s died, one of her young daughter-in-law’s, named Ruth, followed her back to her hometown. Ruth not only left behind her hometown to follow Naomi but she also held fast to Naomi’s God. Naomi knew the God of Israel and openly allowed Ruth to feel all the joys and anguish of her relationship to God.

In the scripture above, Naomi is arranging for Ruth’s marriage to Boaz. Boaz knew that in order to marry Ruth, he needed to find the nearest relative who had the first right as kinsman redeemer and he needed to first offer it to him before he could marry Ruth as the Law provided.  Boaz was a man that wanted to do the right thing in the eyes of God and in the eyes of others. Boaz wanted to do the right thing sooner rather than later - he was a man who was not a procrastinator!

Boaz is known among all the people in his community as a man of his word – he followed through with his commitments. I love how Naomi described Boaz when she said, “For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” What confidence Naomi had in Boaz' character!

One of the reasons I fell for my husband was because of this very character trait. When he says he is going to do something, he follows through as soon as possible even when it hurts. I noticed this trait in him right at the beginning of our courtship and over the thirty years together, I have had many opportunities to see my husband keep his word not only to me but also to his employer, his family, his children and even the strangers he meets for the first time.

“Naomi implied that Boaz would follow through with his promise at once. He obviously had a reputation for keeping his word and would not rest until his task was completed. Such reliable people stand out in any age and culture. Do others regard you as one who will do what you say? Keeping your word and following through on assignments should be high on anyone’s priority list. Building a reputation for integrity, however, must be done one brick, one act, at a time.” Commentary

Do the people in our life have confidence that we are a man or a woman of our word? If so, we will stand out no matter what our age and no matter what culture we are living in!

“LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors whose who fears the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.” Psalm 15

It Is Going To Be A Good Day!

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

A friend shared with me that when her and her daughter were in Los Angeles, they saw the L.A. Archdiocese Cardinal. She shared her great excitement with me that not only did they see him but that the Cardinal had actually looked there way and smiled at them. In her excitement she turned to her daughter and said this to her, “It is going to be a good day, the Cardinal noticed us and smiled at us.”

It is wonderful when someone who loves and knows God looks our way and takes the time to encourage us even with just a simple smile. But did you know that the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, has not only looked in our direction, but He has sacrificed His life in order for us to see God’s smile upon us? And here is the part that melts my heart, not only does God smile upon us because of His Son, Jesus Christ; He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and with me! Yes, a sweet, intimate relationship!

“Christ is superior to the priests, and his priesthood is superior to their priesthood. To the Jews, the high priest was the highest religious authority in the land. He alone entered the Holy of Holies in the temple once a year to make atonement for the sins of the whole nation (Leviticus 16). Like the high priest, Jesus mediates between God and us. As humanity’s representative, He intercedes for us before God. As God’s representative, He assures us of God’s forgiveness. Jesus has more authority than the Jewish high priests because He is truly God and truly man. Unlike the high priest who could go before God only once a year, Christ is always at God’s right hand interceding for us. He is always available to hear us when we pray.” Commentary

My dear friends, because of Jesus Christ, God has turned to look in your direction today and He smiles upon you with great love and compassion. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:14, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.”

Today, just as the Bible exhorts, let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need!  

My friend turned to her daughter and said, “It is going to be a good day, the Cardinal noticed us and smiled.” How much more confident and excited should we be today as we remember that the Great High Priest - the King of kings and the Lord of lords – Jesus Christ - has looked in our direction, is smiling upon us and is more than willing to give us His great mercy, His time and His unfailing compassion!

Our High Priest has passed through the heavens to the very presence of God, where He sits at God's right hand!