The Jack – Discovery and Amazement

Ever since he was very little, our four-year old grandson Jehiel has had a fascination with tools. By far, his favorite place on our property is grandpa’s workshop. He would rather be there with “Lolo” (his version of Abuelo – Spanish for Grandpa) spending time together on a discovery adventure, than anywhere else. Power tools, hand tools, gadgets; wood scraps and absolutely everything arouses his curiosity. As Lolo patiently shows Jehiel what each tool is for and demonstrates how to use it, his already big brown eyes widen with wonder, and you can almost see the gears of imagination and creativity turning in his little head.

A few days ago, Jehiel discovered the jack. Lolo set it up under the cargo van, and together they raised up the back of the van. Jehiel nearly burst with excitement! He discovered that a jack can lift a very heavy vehicle, and no doubt he’ll always remember the day he helped Lolo do just that.

Jehiel’s discovery reminded me of Psalm 145:14, where the Psalmist declared that “The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.” When we are “bowed down”, weary, discouraged, burdened with a heavy load, let’s let Him raise us up! When we turn to His life-giving Word, He raises us up!…When we cry out to Him in prayer, He lifts us up…when we share our burden with a godly friend, He lifts us up…when we choose to believe His truth (that we already know in our heads) and trust His promises, He raises us up! Just as Jehiel discovered the power of the jack to raise up the van, I am constantly amazed at the power of God that raises me up, and I praise Him for it.

Take a few minutes to be blessed by this beautiful song by Selah that so appropriately expresses God’s power to lift us up. http://youtu.be/H2sZuJbxi8Y  Remember the times He raised you up in the past, and trust Him to do it again…today. You’ll be amazed!

THOUGHTS FOR THE NIGHT

Nights are dark. Sometimes they can be long; very long. Looking at some verses in the Bible that refer to night, I found how much God is involved in our lives, even in the night.  Here’s what I found:

GOD’S PEACE: Psalm 4:8: “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Praise God that HE gives us peaceful sleep!
GOD’S PRESENCE: Exodus 13:21,22: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,…He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” Praise God for His presence with us  – 24/7.
GOD’S PROVISION: Job 35:10: “…God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.” Praise God that HE gives songs in the night!
GOD’S PROMISE: Psalm 30:5: “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Praise God that HE promised that the morning will bring joy to replace our tears!
GOD’S PROTECTION: Psalm 91:4,5: “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day.” Praise God that HE protects us day and night!
GOD’S PLAN: Psalm 119:148: “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.” Praise God that we can meditate on HIS word when we can’t sleep!

Next time our night seems too long, let’s rest in His peace; thank Him for His presence, protection and provision, and rejoice in His promise that joy WILL come in the morning!

LOOK UP! Psalm 121

“I will lift my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
If God created the entire universe with such perfection, can I trust Him to take care of me and my little world? OF COURSE I CAN!

“He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel (insert my name in the place of “Israel”) shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Is there ever a time that He is off-duty, or resting? When He’s not caring for me? NEVER!!

“The LORD is your keeper; the Lord is a shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”
Is He looking out for me day and night? ALWAYS!! How close is He? AS CLOSE AS MY SHADOW!

“The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.”
What does He protect me from? ALL EVIL! He protects my SOUL!

“The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
How long will this protection/help/care last? FOREVER! From now on, and FOREVER!

What a privilege! What a blessing that I can look up to God and know that these are not mere words, they are not theories; they are truths that the Psalmist experienced and that I can also experience!
Praise God! I can look up and KNOW that He will always be wide-awake, on His throne, preserving my soul from all evil. He never gets tired of showing me His mercy. He will never retire or go on to bigger, more important projects. While He’s spinning the world on its axis and holding the universe together, He’s concerned about little me, and will be forever. I cling to and believe these truths. And THAT’S why I look up to Him! PRAISE YOU, LORD!

WEEKLY BIBLE READING PLAN – Sept. 20-25: Knowing God Better (2)

MONDAY: Nehemiah 9:31. Reading this verse, we praise God because He is a God of _________ and ______________.

TUESDAY: Psalm 62:7. It’s reassuring to know that God is a _________________ for us!

WEDNESDAY: 2 Peter 3:9. Thankfully, our God is __________________ towards us!

THURSDAY: Jude 25. God alone is ________________________.

FRIDAY: John 3:16. Besides showing us His love for us in this verse, we understand that He is also a _____________________ God.

SATURDAY: 2 Corinthians 1:3. God is the Father of _______________ and the God of all ____________ .

BONUS: Revelation 4:8. Reading this verse carefully, we can find 3 important characteristics of God. He is _______________,  ______________________, and ________________________.

What’s Your “Sleep Number”?

Like a magnet, that question drew me to the TV. My ears perked up when I heard “sleep number” and I dropped everything I was doing in another room to learn about the product being offered: an innovative mattress that is supposedly far superior to all others. Among other facts, the announcer assured the public that 87% of the users of this mattress testify to sleeping more soundly.

It’s indisputable that a good mattress contributes to a night of comfortable sleep; but that isn’t the sole factor. That 87% stat can be improved to 100%, regardless of the mattress that sustains our weary body if our “sleep number” is 33:27…or 3:4-5….or 4:8. Allow me to explain:

At the end of his life, God’s servant Moses, who spent countless days and long nights wandering in the desert – without a “sleep number” – wrote in Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are His everlasting arms.” Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. (Deut. 34:7) Apparently, his “sleep number” was 33:27, the comfort of knowing that God’s everlasting arms were underneath him, sustaining him no matter what!

Many years later, King David revealed his “sleep number”. It was 3:4-5. David’s rebel son Absalom was attempting to overthrow the kingdom when David, fleeing from him wrote in Psalm 3:4-5: “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me…I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.” Under unbearable emotional pain and untold stress, David was assured that God heard his cries, and he rested peacefully in God’s sustaining power!

On another occasion, David again testified to getting peaceful rest even in the most troubling times of his life. “Sleep number” 4:8 attests to that. “I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

Those are my “sleep numbers”. If you toss and turn, not being able to get a good night’s sleep, don’t invest in a “sleep number” mattress just yet! Write down these eternal truths, put them on your nightstand and read them often. Memorize them. Thank God for them. Most of all, commit your entire life to Him, and rest in His peace…with HIS “sleep number”!!

HOLD TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND

 I can still recall the excitement we shared as a family when we got our new stereo in the late 50s or early 60s. We had only a few LPs then, and one of our favorites was a Tennessee Ernie Ford album. Even now I can almost hear his melodious voice ring out from the old Magnavox singing: “Time is filled with swift transition…Hold to God’s unchanging hand…”

“Hold to God’s unchanging hand”….little did I know or understand then that our ancestors, without ever having heard this song, did just that as they faced changes, challenges and devastating losses in their lifetimes. It never occurred to me that one day I would thank God for His unchanging hand, and this wonderful heritage. Reading about our great-grandpa Janos Pavkov, and Grandpa Lazar, and even thinking about our own parents, I’m convinced that the only way they could handle the changing circumstances in their lives was by clutching tightly to the hand of the One who never changes.

The first major change in Janos’ life may have been when he was the first in his family to convert to Christ in 1876 as a teen in Yugoslavia. We know that his new-found faith was a priority to him, because suddenly another change was thrust upon him: he was imprisoned for 5 years because of his faith. As he sat in his cell for days and nights upon end without his parents, without his friends, and without church services or the support of brothers and sisters in Christ, what kept him strong if not God’s unchanging hand?…the same hand that he held on to as he and his wife later experienced poverty raising their six children, and the same hand that gave them strength to keep on going when they suffered ridicule and persecution from their neighbors because of their beliefs and their faithful church attendance. All of these situations cause us to believe that as a child, Grandpa Lazar saw that his parents were serious about their walk with the Lord, and he may have understood at a young age that they had an incredible grip on His hand.

As a ten year-old, Grandpa was sent to live in the home of a shoemaker to learn the trade. He was still a child! He experienced an extreme change! He couldn’t depend on mom, dad, or any of his five siblings. He was alone in a strange home! This may have been the beginning of major changes in his life; he may have had to look to God and hold on to His hand. God’s hand was, also, undoubtedly what he clung to as his circumstances changed by his own choice in 1905: Lazar left his homeland of Yugoslavia and immigrated to America at the age of 20. As the ship neared Ellis Island he faced change again; he found himself alone amidst the countless immigrants. No doubt he tightened his grip on the “unchanging hand” as he faced the uncertainty of the unknown: new people, new places, new employment, and a new language. As a young man under these circumstances, he walked 8 miles round trip every day to work in the rubber factory in Akron, Ohio, and saved enough money to bring his whole family to the US. We can certainly admire the fact that he had such noble goals and strong determination at such a young age; and we can be sure that he was still holding on to God’s hand when he also sent for his future wife, Katarina, whom he married in 1908. Grandpa Lazar was 23 at the time.

We can imagine the challenges they faced as a young couple raising their small children, and we can discover some of the events that happened then in the Pavkov history book (Thanks to the great job cousin Dottie did!!) but let’s “fast-forward” a few years, to the day before Grandpa and Grandma were to celebrate their 12^th anniversary. I weep with Grandpa, and can almost see the grief etched on his face, thinking how desperately he must have been clinging to God’s unchanging hand as he stood helplessly at the bedside of his dear soul mate and whispered his earthly farewell to her. The comfort of God’s unchanging hand may have carried him through many a lonely night and difficult day as he was faced with the reality of raising four small children without their mother. (My Dad was the youngest; he was 5 years old at the time of his mother’s passing) At that time, the country was in a post-war recession and Grandpa’s farm income decreased considerably. I’m sure he was holding fast to God’s providing hand as he instructed his four little ones to choose only the best potatoes from their crop to pay Mr. Clark, the undertaker, for their mom’s burial. How else could he have done it?

Change…nothing new to Grandpa. Yet every night he could be seen reading his Bible by the table after supper, and every Sunday would find him faithfully taking his youngsters to church by horse and wagon, rain or shine. All of this strengthened his grip on God’s hand, and set the example that each of his four children would later follow as they, too, each chose to hold the same unchanging hand that their parents and grandparents found to be so faithful.

We think about the lives of Janos, Lazar, and even our own parents, (whose lives weren’t free from unexpected changes, losses, or disappointments) and we are amazed at how they held up under the worst of circumstances; yet we know that it wasn’t on their strength alone that they stood firm. If we were to ask any one of our ancestors right now how they were able to do it, no doubt they would each look back over their life and testify to having relied on the strength of our unchanging God; and if they could give us one bit of advice, having experienced everything they did, that valuable advice just might be: “Hold to God’s unchanging hand”!

“Your years are throughout al generations.

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They will perish, but You will endure;

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak you will change them, and they will be changed.

BUT YOU ARE THE SAME,

And Your years have no end.

The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”

Psalm 102: 24 – 28

 

 

 

 

HAS GOD CHANGED?

In the past few days, I heard of very difficult situations some friends and family are facing: serious medical issues, rebellious children, an elderly mother’s dementia, a marriage that is going through extremely trying times, a mom concerned about her adult children’s bad choices, a friend caring for her mom who is undergoing treatment for cancer, and the list goes on…and on…and on…

I’m reminded of what God told Moses at the burning bush, when His chosen people were suffering under Egyptian bondage. He said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people…I have heard their cry…I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them…and to bring them up to a good and large land…” (Exodus 3:7-10). God saw. God heard their cry. God knew their sorrows, and came down to deliver them. The prophet Isaiah confirmed that by writing: “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:9)

Has God changed? ABSOLUTELY NOT! He is the very same God! We can look at it this way:

• If He was afflicted in all the affliction of His people thousands of years ago, He’s afflicted in all of our afflictions, too!

• If He redeemed them in His love and Mercy, His renewed compassion redeems us, too!

• If He bore them and carried them all of their days, then He can carry us every day, too!

• If He heard their groaning and every time they cried out to Him, He hears us every time we cry out to Him, too!

• If he saw their oppression, He is very much aware of our situation, too!

• If He knew their sorrows and came down to deliver them, He will come down to deliver us, too!

God assures us through the prophet Malachi that “I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Mal. 3:6) His compassions never change! His faithfulness never changes! His promises never change! His love for us never changes! His strength does not change! Praise God, we can trust in Him today, and know that we can trust Him tomorrow, too, because….

GOD HAS NOT CHANGED!

MAKING RIGHT CHOICES

Like all of us, David had to make some important decisions. In fact, many of them may have weighed very heavily on him as he struggled to make the right moves. In Psalm 56, we can read of a few of the principles he chose to live by.

DAVID CHOSE TRUST INSTEAD OF FEAR: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (v.3) “In God I have put my trust” (notice this is in past tense) “I will not fear” (future tense) (v.4) “In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid…” (v.10)

DAVID CHOSE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS FOR HIM: “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to you, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know; because God is for me.” (vs. 8,9)

DAVID CHOSE TO PRAISE GOD: “I will render praises to You….” (v.12)

DAVID CHOSE TO REMEMBER THAT GOD SUSTAINS HIM: “Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (v.13)

In this situation, David was surrounded by the Philistines and running from King Saul; it wasn’t an easy time for him. He had to choose between despair and trust; between lament and praise; self-pity or remembering that God sees his tears and knows right where he is. He could feel alone, or know that God was with him and for him; he could go on his own strategy and strength, or lean on God to “keep him from falling”. He could be overpowered by fear, or trust in the faithful God who had always sustained him.

Fortunately, this Psalm shows us that he made the right choices, because he knew that God gave him the victory many times in the past. He knew not only what God was capable of doing, but also who God is: the Almighty, who was on His side, upheld him, delivered him, remembered where he was and even kept his tears in a bottle and wrote them down in His book! Yes, David knew WHO he was trusting in. That’s why he could confidently declare: “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid….I will render praises to You…”

When I face difficulties, I want to make the right choices. I want to look back on all the times God showed me His faithfulness in the past, so I can declare with certainty just as David did: “I will trust in You! I will praise His word! I will not fear! God sees my tears! God is for me! In God I have put my trust! I will not be afraid! I will praise YOU! AMEN!”