Being Still & Going With God

I have really been chewing on the scripture I used for this past week’s message at Lighthouse UMC. As I began working on the message, my intent was to focus on Moses parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross the riverbed on dry ground. The more I worked on that story, however, three verses (well before the sea was parted) stood out, practically screaming at me for a closer look. Take a gander at Exodus 14.13-15, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

I’m not sure if you caught that, but in successive verses, we read, “be still” and “move on.” The Israelites were fleeing Egypt after the plague that killed all of the first-born in the country. Suffice it to say, Egypt wasn’t too happy with God and His people. Pharaoh’s anger was getting the best of him, so he pursued the Israelites to kill every last one of them. As terror gripped the Israelites, hearing the Egyptian charge, God reminded them that they would be delivered. As this is taking place, Moses tells the people to be still.

When we perceive a potentially perilous situation, our bodies experience the physiological condition known as “fight or flight.” This means that we go through a conscious and subconscious deliberation to find out if it’s wiser for us to stand and fight or run away. Our pertinent senses become keener. Adrenaline rushes. It often happens in a split second, and while we’re at it, we’re gauging our own well-being. It really is amazing to try and comprehend what our brains can do, and this was happening to anywhere from 20,000 to 2,000,000 individuals hearing the Egyptian battle cries, horse hooves and chariot wheels bearing down on them. Some, I’m sure, wanted to run where some wanted to fight. Through it all, Moses says, be still. What!?!?!

God wants us to be still, but He doesn’t necessarily want us to stay that way. For in Exodus 14.15, He tells the Israelites to move. Is this a contradiction or a mistake? It’s neither. The people – even in the middle of the crisis with Pharaoh – needed to stop, regroup, and focus on God. He had done so much for them to that point, He wasn’t about to leave them at the water’s edge to meet their demise. He did want them to move, but he wanted them to move in His direction under His purpose.

The same is true for us today. It isn’t that God only wants us to be still … He does want us to go … He just wants us to go His way. When “fight or flight kicks” in, God wants us to know that if we are to fight, He is there with us. If we are called to flee, then He is leading the way.

How good are you at standing still? We don’t do that very well anymore, do we? From our hyper-active culture to the rapidly emerging reliance on up-to-the-second technology and media, standing still seems like a need for ages past. Yet, we can see that Scripture tells to be still and know who is God* – not a smart phone, day planner, laptop, or any other modern convenience. Let’s face it, God has been telling us for millennia that we need to be still and we’re making it harder and harder in the name of advancement and convenience.

I want to invite you to join me in a little exercise today and for the remainder of the week. Take some time to be still, and while standing still, look to the Lord to see where He wants you to go. He will show you; He might even be screaming it at you, but the loudness of the world is making you oblivious to His call. Once you know how and where to go, then go; but make sure you are going with God.

The Lord is delivering you. He is fighting for you. He is also leading you to safety. Let’s go with Him and make sure we are going with God!

*Psalm 46.10

Happy Father's Day

About 12:03am this morning, just as Tiff and I were getting ready to go to sleep, she looked at me and said, "Happy Father's Day." With a smile, I said, "thank you and I love you for making me a father."

As I wrote in my posting, 25 Things About Me, "Being a dad is the coolest thing I've ever been blessed to do." I remember the day Ethan was born (I wore a Superman tee-shirt given me by Tiff's mom at the baby shower!) and having that profound sense of awe knowing my life would never be the same. How true! As I watched my little guy swim yesterday at a friend's house (I've also blogged on teaching him to swim), I could not help but think about how proud I am that he is who he is and the incomparable love I feel for him and his mother.

I am also grateful this Father's Day for the fatherly love in my life. I have been blessed with a loving father, grandfathers, and now step-father. Their examples in my life have helped me consider how to handle situations with my own son as what to do. From dealing with simple life-lessons to how to handle bullies, I can draw upon my own life experience with the father-figures in my life for how I should love and lead my own son.

I say these glowing things about the father-figures in my life, but they were not perfect. I also realize I am not perfect, either. I strive to be perfect and do the best I can, but I need divine help to meet me where I cannot go. On this Father's Day, I know I must draw upon the love of God to fill in the gaps of my own experience and that in my relationship with Ethan. I turn to God -- though not often enough -- for help in doing and being the best I can be for my family. It can be scary to think of how far I have to go, but it's also inspiring to see how far I've come. It more or less falls into the category of elephant-eating instructions, I take it one bite at a time.

Though I only have a linear sense of time, I know that God has a vertical sense of time that is grounded in love. He does not want us to fear and he does not want us to worry. He has given us the supreme example of love that we might know his eternal concern and desire for us to know Him as our heavenly father. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Regardless of your life's impressions of father, may you come to know just how deeply God loves you. Dads aren't perfect, but our Lord is. He can, and will help you, if you give Him the chance. So if you never have before, allow this Father's Day to be one of a new and profound awareness of God's presence in your life.

“Every father should remember that one day his [child] will follow his
example instead of his advice.”
~ Source Unknown.

Happy Father's Day!

Today Is National Doughnut Day!

I used to love doughnuts! I still think they're tasty, but I got burned out on them. You see, when I worked at Six Flags, and shortly thereafter when I entered the ministry, doughnuts had a perpetual presence in my workplace. Let me tell you, I ate plenty. I repeat, plenty. I ate so many I'm not much of a doughnut eater these days. I learned something today, however, that might lead me to eat a doughnut, or at least make some kind of charitable contribution: Today (Friday, June 5) is National Doughnut Day!*

Here is a blurb regarding National Doughnut Day from http://www.holidayinsights.com/.

"National Doughnut Day honors the Salvation Army "Lassies" of WWI. It is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.

The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by Salvation Army in 1917. During WWI, Salvation Army "lassies" were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a moral boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in oil inside the of the metal helmet of an American soldier. The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army's "first doughnut girl".

On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If you find them, please be generous."

If you are a doughnut eater, make sure to think about today's significance. If you're like me and not a doughnut eater, find a way to give thanks for your freedom and consider doing something nice for the less fortunate.

Shine On!

*National Doughnut Day is always the first Friday in June