Patient Endurance

Word of warning to husbands - if you ever use a sander in your houses, particularly in the master bedroom, sweep up the dust immediately - cleaning fairies do not exist, and Hazel the maid is dead!

One rainy Saturday my dear husband decided to use a sander on our bedroom door because it had been sticking. Then, he happily sanded (yes, he loves his power tools!) a sliding closet door that needed to be prepared before it could be painted. I was in another part of the house, and occasionally I heard a strange vibrating noise, but I did not investigate. Actually, I walked into our bedroom at 10 P.M. to get my robe, and suddenly my eyes landed on the one-half inch thick dust on each one of the dressers! I could not believe my eyes. I was stunned! I started dusting and sweeping, and halfway through my cleaning frenzy, my husband, rather foolishly, came and inquired about what I was doing . . . he wanted to go to bed . . . Let's just say, his bedtime was delayed, and by God's grace, he lived!

You might surmise from my reaction that I am not patient. I have tried counting to ten, but I do not have one patient bone or fiber in my body. I literally expect tasks to be done right this red hot minute (or yesterday is even better), so I fully expected him to sweep up his dust and mess immediately after he finished the sanding part of his project. I absolutely did not want to enter the bedroom at 10 P.M. to find a disgusting mess.

I am ashamed to confess that I went to bed in a huff.

The next day as I was doing my devotions, I discovered that the word "perseverance" means "patient endurance." I never thought of putting the word "patient" with "endurance". Not only are we, as sojourners or foreigners on this earth, supposed to plod ahead with our eyes on the end goal (JESUS), but we are to be patient about our trials. Yipes! If I was frustrated and huffy about a little dust, how then might I react when a true trial pops up?

I did not like how squirmy I felt as I read 2 Peter 1:3-4. God wants to empower me to make it to the finish line. He wants me to persevere, and that means I should be longsuffering, forbearing, and graciously indulgent. If I cannot endure these minor bumps with grace and mercy, how on earth am I going to face severe challenges?

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

My behavior was just plain evil. I was called by the One, who is full of mercy, grace, and goodness to act similarly, and I failed miserably. I did not need to be a doormat, but I certainly did not need to go to sleep in a total huff over such a teeny, tiny, inconsequential inconvenience.

Yuk! I was acting immaturely, just like a child stomping her foot in a temper tantrum. I did not want to be patient or kind, and I wanted the muss and fuss gone immediately. I am so glad God does not think or act as I do, or I would still be the same person I was before salvation, or worse, yet, I would still be lost.

I truly love the reminder in 2 Peter 1:3-4 that my success in making it to the finish line has to do with God's empowerment, not my own. My calling is not by my glory or goodness, but by His, so I know my sanctification (my transformation process) will come to fruition!

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge (not head knowledge, but knowing Him intimately) of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given me His very great and precious promises, so that through them I may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

James 1:4 says, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James went so far as to tell us to consider trials a joy! My whiny tantrum over dust certainly was not exhibiting patient endurance, much less joy! When I was failing miserably to demonstrate God's mercy and grace, I should have turned to my heavenly Father, who wants to teach me and empower me, and I should have asked for His help and enabling. He never seems to give us instructions without giving us the means to be victorious!

"With man [and with woman too] this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

If I learn to have victory over these small mini-trials with God's help, I should be more prepared to face bigger ones!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help me find my staying power that I know is buried in me. Help me face these small trivial circumstances with patient endurance, so I might be mature and complete enough to persevere with resolution and resignation when bigger hurdles arise. Don't let me trip over a half inch of dust! Help me turn my childish tantrums into spunky resolve to plod ahead, so you might receive all of the praise, honor, and glory you deserve from me! Amen!

Numb?

When my daughter was a toddler and became confident walking on her own, she moved at about 90 miles per hour. I tried to move equally fast to intercept her approaches to danger, but I was not always successful. Her racing ahead caused bumps, bruises, and bangs, so she became quite attached to her pink booboo bunny because its icy coolness numbed her aches and pains.

Now that my body aches from rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, I have discovered that strategically placed ice packs numb some pain significantly. The ice tricks my brain, and my sensory receptors are desensitized and do not register all of the sore spots.

Unfortunately, I have also discovered that the world's teachings deaden my brain from registering all of God's truths. I become desensitized to minor sins, and suddenly I begin accepting the world's blatant sins in an attitude of tolerance. This cannot be pleasing to my perfect, holy Lord.

I see my generation and my daughter's generation obsessing over materialistic pursuits. I see family and friends seeking financial success and career apexes at the detriment of others. Beautiful young women, dissatisfied with how God created them, schedule extensive surgeries and Botox injections because their faces and bodies do not look like the most popular models and celebrities.

I see friends involving themselves in lascivious behaviors, trying to alleviate stress or emotional and physical pains with alcohol, medications, illegal substances, pornography, and inappropriate liaisons. My heart aches when I see them buying into the world's temporary ways.

These ways are intriguing, shrewd, and entertaining. Popular standards and liberal morals slowly seep into our lives, and suddenly we are not labeling sin according to God's plumb line. Unless we intentionally flood our minds and our lives with God's word and His character, we will find ourselves apathetic to sins, such as greed, envy, covetousness, lust, meddling, and gossiping, just to name a few.

Peter clearly tell us to be nonconformists, living as strangers here on this earth, not as numb participants in an empty way of life:

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" 1 Peter 1:13-16

"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God." 1 Peter 1:17-21

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." 1 Peter 2:11-12

"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." 1 Peter 2:16

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the clear direction you have supplied for us. You do not want us to be followers and lovers of the pagan way of life - full of debauchery, lust, greed, and idolatry. You have called us out of numbness, and you want us to protect ourselves and our children from becoming desensitized to the sinful ways of this world. Help me, Lord, to enjoy your creation, enjoy your people, yet not become entrenched in a life you did not intend for me. Help me to quickly become aware of areas in my life that are not glorifying to you. I pray that you will help me work out my salvation, so I might be blameless when you come again. Amen.

God Gives the Best Benefits

When a friend or family member finally lands a job in our current economic climate, after celebrating, one of our first questions is, "What benefits are you getting?"

Usually, the new employee's answer is detailed and complete. We have come to expect perquisites from our employers along with our regular salaries, such as pension plans, vacation pay, holiday pay, sick pay, maternity and paternity leaves, death benefits, and insurance. Since these benefits are advantageous to us and to our families, we find out exactly what we are being given.

Why then do we not ask our Christian friends and family, "What benefits has God bestowed on you?" And, if we did ask, how would they answer?

Psalm 103 specifically tells us "forget not all His benefits." Our Lord wants each and every one of us to fully know, to remember, and to discuss the advantages, provisions, and benevolences our precious LORD has bestowed upon us as His children. He wants us to inscribe His benefits on our hearts. We must remember!

If we intentionally choose to remember and talk about all that God has done for us, we would live encouraged, edified, positive, and peaceful existences every single day. We would be eager to praise Him. We would give Him the honor and glory He so rightly deserves!

Read the following aloud and slowly. Meditate on David's words.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will He harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on His children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear Him,
and His righteousness with their children's children-
with those who keep His covenant
and remember to obey His precepts.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.
Praise the LORD, you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His bidding,
who obey His word.
Praise the LORD, all His heavenly hosts,
you His servants who do His will.
Praise the LORD, all His works
everywhere in His dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103

Then, make a list similar to the one I have placed here, so you might meditate upon just some of our eternal benefits:

• The Lord's name is holy and worthy of my praise!
• Because of Christ's death on the cross, His resurrection, and ascension, all of my sins are forgiven, and that means past, present, and future sins.
• He heals us - whether He heals us on this earth or takes us home to be with Him - we know He heals us perfectly.
• While I was His enemy, He saved me from the pit of hell.
• He bestowed His mercies, infinite grace, ultimate love, and compassion on me at the time of my salvation, and He continues to bless me abundantly every single day.
• He satisfies my needs according to His will, and His choices for me are exactly what I need, when I need them.
• If I live my life joyfully and peacefully in His will in all my circumstances, my body, mind, heart, and soul are renewed or rejuvenated on a daily basis.
• He is completely and perfectly just! No one can corrupt our Lord's decisions or His plan. He will deal with all situations and all people one day - we will each give an accounting of our lives. We can trust that He will mete out rewards equitably.
• He is not secretive. He wants us to know Him, just as He made His ways known to Moses and His deeds to Israel, His Word divulges who He is to us now.
• He is long-suffering and merciful. He is slow to anger, and His love continues to overflow.
• His love is so encompassing that while we were His worst enemies, He did not treat us as our sins deserve. All of us failed, and the wages of our sin was death, yet instead of sending us directly to hell, He sent His beloved, precious Son to be our sin. Jesus voluntarily accepted His Father's mission; He died the death we deserved. He became our ransom - He bought our freedom, our salvation, with His life. We were not repaid for our inequities as we so deserved. Our sins are forgiven infinitely to the east, and infinitely to the west!
• He lives beyond the three heavens we see - above our sky and atmosphere, above our moon, and above and beyond the sun, the stars, and the galaxies. His love is larger and beyond all of those heavens for those who revere and respect Him.
• He knows exactly how we were formed because He created us from dust. When He finished creating everything, He pronounced that it was "very good."
• We were created to be finite, with a beginning and an end. Our days on this earth have all been numbered by our dear infinite LORD.
• He is from everlasting to everlasting, and His love extends to us who fear Him and are obedient to His will, to our children, and our children's children. His love never fails, and it never ceases.
• The Lord's throne is established in heaven. He is our sovereign Lord, and His kingdom will come. It will be established here on earth, just as it is in heaven!
• Just as David said in Psalm 146:1, "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul."

"Forget not all His benefits" because His are certainly the best!

Dear Heavenly Father,
May I take your charge to forget not your benefits seriously. May I remember that you loved me so much you kept me from the pit of destruction! You put all my sins behind your back (Isaiah 38:17). Refresh my heart, so I may praise you in my soul and live in a tranquility and peace that can only come from you. Your grace and mercy are almost beyond my comprehension, but remembering your benefits brings me closer to you. Your benefits are for my eternal health and well-being, not just my earthly health. May such meditation kindle a deeper love in me for you! Amen.

How the Mezuzah Spoke to Me

The Old Testament tradition of writing scripture on the doorframes of houses has touched my heart. This commitment of placing God's revered word in the face of family and visitors is not only historical, but is beautiful. It challenges me to keep God at the highest pinnacle of my focus. It challenges me to place His word in my face and heed it.

In no way should this blog be considered authoritative or complete. I am sharing what spoke to me as a Christian and lover of the LORD.

The Hebrew word "mezuzah" literally means doorpost. Officially, the word applies to a small rolled, not folded or creased, parchment scroll (Klaff) upon which key Hebrew verses from the Torah are inscribed. Many dictionaries use the word "mezuzah" interchangeably for the container into which the scroll is placed, but that is inaccurate. The mezuzah is the scroll, and the box is just the protective covering.

On one side of the mezuzah the translated Biblical passages of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 are inscribed. On the other side at the top, the word Shaddai (Almighty) is written.

A Translation of the Text in the Mezuzah:

"Hear O Israel, G-d our Lord is G-d the Only One. You shall love G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your power. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children and you shall speak about them when you dwell in your house, when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you arise. You shall tie them as a sign on your arm and as a head ornament between your eyes. You shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your home and your gates.

And it shall happen, if you obey my commandments which I command you today, to love G-d within all your hearts and all your souls that I will give the rains of the land in its proper time, the light rains and the heavy rains, and you will gather your grain, your wine, and your oil. I will give grass in your fields for your livestock. You will have enough to eat and you will be satisfied. Guard yourselves, lest your hearts lead you astray and you will serve other gods and you will bow to them. G-d will then become angry with you and will withhold the rain, and the land will not produce its bounty. You will quickly be lost from upon the good land that G-d has granted you. You shall place these words on your hearts and on your souls. You shall tie them as a sign on your arms and they shall be head ornaments between your eyes, and you shall teach them to your children to speak about them when you dwell in your house, when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you arise. You shall inscribe them on the doorpost of your houses and your gates. So that you and your children may live many years on the land that G-d has promised to your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."1

A mezuzah's text must be handwritten on special handmade parchment. The parchment, prepared by specific processes, must come from a kosher animal, such as a cow or a goat. If it is written on any other surface, it is invalid.  Printing, copying, photographing or producing the text by any means other than writing makes it invalid and unusable.

The inscription must be prepared by a qualified calligraphist - a certified scribe (a sofer stam). He is a holy person - pious, trustworthy, and meticulous. He either copies the text from another manuscript or writes it from memory. If even one letter is missing, misshapen, or the ink is smudged, the mezuzah is unusable. This scribe takes his task seriously, is scrupulous, performs it with reverence, and follows the specific regulations and laws of the faith.

The mezuzah's first purpose was to remind Jews of their obligations toward Israel's God. Just recently Lisa-Jo at http://theygypsymama.com/ gave me insight into this reminder. She says, "Hebrew epistemology assigns heavy weight to knowledge, and knowledge of, requires responsibility to, and care for." Not only did they know God's word, they were obligated to follow it!

The scroll was rolled and placed in a small metal, wooden, or glass case or tube, which was attached to the doorposts of the homes of observant Jews. When the scroll was placed in the rectangular box, the word Shaddai, on the back of the parchment, was clearly visible through an opening in the container.

Wearing a mezuzah box on a chain around the neck is a relatively new practice, and is considered inappropriate in many circles. Those who do wear one around their necks often do so as an affirmation of their Jewish identity. The making of ceramic or other decorative cases has become an art form, but the case and its contents are not to be considered a magical ornament or amulet in any way.

For most now, the mezuzah is a reminder of the centrality of God, the Oneness of God, and His Word. With a special blessing ("Blessed art Thou, O L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast commanded us to fasten the mezuzah"), the mezuzah box was firmly affixed to the outer doorpost of the home (to the right upon entering). Affixing the mezuzah to the doorframe in Jewish homes fulfilled the "mitzah" (Biblical commandment) in Deuteronomy 6:9.

Initially, the position of the box varied from vertical to an angle, depending upon the observer's geographical location. Observant Jews touched and kissed the word Shaddai as they passed, and they recited this prayer: "May G-d keep my going out and coming in from now on and ever more."

Over the centuries, the mezuzah's regulations have been refined in some circles, and diverse traditions have arisen in others, but an observant Jew still follows strict regulations to ensure God's protection, prosperity, success, and long life.

To emphasize the momentousness of this practice, here are just a handful of the custom's restrictions:

• The mezuzah's text contained 22 lines of writing.


• A mezuzah could be anywhere from two inches square to six inches square. However, use of a two-inch square was inadvisable because they were harder to write, and were more prone to erros and spoilage.


• The ink had to be black and indelible and made according to specific requirements.


• Some even interpreted Jewish law to require a mezuzah on every doorway in the home apart from bathrooms and closets too small to qualify as rooms. Others considered it necessary only to place one in the front doorway.


• Traditionally the case was attached at an angle to the top third of the right doorpost as an individual enters, (approximately shoulder height), with the upper portion slanted inward, spaced about a handbreadth from the outer edge of the doorpost.


• If the house were sold or rented to a Jewish person, the previous occupant had to leave the mezuzah.


• In private homes, the mezuzah had to be inspected for legibility at least twice in every seven years; i.e., every three and a half years.


• Observant Jews still take this tradition seriously, to the point of only purchasing mezuzahs from Hashem-fearing Jews. The preparers are expected to believe in every single word of the Torah; otherwise the words are not considered holy. Even if they keep all of the laws properly, if the scribe does not believe in just one word, and he writes a mezuzah, his writing is considered invalid, and what he has written must be buried.

According to the Mezuzah Doctor, "Every time a person enters and leaves, he is confronted with the Unity of G-d, the name of the Almighty, and he remembers his love for Him. He awakens from his slumber and his involvement in the vanity of temporal matters and realizes that nothing has eternal existence but the knowledge of G-d. He then immediately returns to the path of righteousness. Our sages have said that he who has Tefillin on his arm and head, Tzitzit on his garment and Mezuzot on his doorway can be assured that he will not sin, because he has many reminders. These are the selfsame angels that protect him from sin as it says, 'The angels of G-d surround those who fear Him and protect him.'"2
As a Christian, I am freed from the old laws. However, beautiful and significant lessons arose as I read about the mezuzah's traditions. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 speaks of love for the One True God and of making Him THE focus when speaking to our children (and our children's children). Deuteronomy 11:13-21 teaches us the responsibility of obeying God, the results of our obedience, and the consequences of our disobedience. I especially love the reminder that we are "to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Nothing is more important. Nothing!!
These two Deuteronomy passages challenge me to love my LORD with every fiber of my being, to make Him my first focus 24/7, to prod me to revere His Word, to remind me of His provision and protection, and to instruct me to obey Him. Although I am not affixing a mezuzah to my home, as I walk through the doorframe into my house, I will be put into remembrance of such truths. I will be reminded to obey His command, and I will love Him with all of my heart and soul!
Dear Heavenly Father,
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, my Savior, may I purposefully and intentionally fill my home and my life with love for you, passion for your Word, and love for your people. May reading about the mezuzah motivate me and others to think about you, our Almighty God. May we be provoked to spend time in your presence. May we constantly talk of you to our children. We are so privileged to be invited and welcomed to enter your throne room. We are blessed to come into your presence with confidence and certainty that we are supposed to be there! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Amen.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today - to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that the days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth." Deuteronomy 11:13-21 NIV
1 Mezuzah Doctor; http://www.mezuzahdoctor.com/Mezuzah/paragrph.htm
2 Mezuzah Doctor; http://www.mezuzahdoctor.com/Mezuzah/paragrph.htm

From Where Does My Help Come?

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121 NIV

I love the truths we find in Psalm 121. Our amazing LORD never slumbers, nor sleeps. No matter when we are awake, He is listening to our petitions, pains, and praises. At 3 A.M. when the world sleeps, He is wide awake!

When I battle aches and pains associated with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, and sleep eludes me, He continues to be my shade and my sustenance, every single moment of every single day. As beloved children of God, we can rest assured that He is mindful of every single hair on our heads, every single bruise and boo boo, every single hurdle, every single scheduling conflict, and every single cell in our bodies.

As I think about how "able" our amazing LORD is, Ephesians 3:14-21 comes to mind. Not only is our God "able," but He is "perfectly able"; He is "immeasurably more able" than our finite minds can even fathom.

As Christ-followers, we must continually show one another how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, even in times of discouragement. Daily we must show small samplings of this Christ-like love.

Dear Father, may I continue to pray to You who is not only 100% able, but who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine. May I ask You to heal the bodies of friends and family, so they may continue to minister powerfully and serve unhindered in Your Name. Every time I experience your "immeasurably more," may I give you honor, praise, and glory forever and ever! May I proclaim You loudly. In His Name I pray. Amen.

Panting After the Lord

You have not heard anything quite so disconcerting as an American bulldog breathing and panting after a vigorous run. The first time I heard our granddog Ellie after a workout in the yard, I feared she was in dire need of medical attention.

American bulldogs are brachycephalic, which means they are short snouted. Ellie was panting as God intended her to do. He specifically constructed her nose and face in just that way, so she could get a sufficient amount of oxygen.

In the same way American bulldogs were created to pant for more oxygen, God's children were created to pant after our awesome and amazing God!

Psalm 119:130-132 instructs us to open our mouths and pant, to long for God's commands and precepts.

The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant,

longing for your commands.

Turn to me and have mercy on me,

as you always do to those who love your name.

Psalm 42:1 compares our fervor for seeking God to a parched deer panting for streams of water.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

Then, what exactly does it mean to "pant after God"?

World English Dictionary at dictionary.com defines panting as: breathing hard and quickly after exertion; breathing with more effort than usual; convulsive breathing, as from violent exertion or excitement; a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; a gasp; to long with breathless or intense eagerness; or to yearn.

Collins English Dictionary1 adds that panting is: to have a frantic desire (for).

As I think about Ellie's convulsive, noisy breathing after her exuberant physical exertion, I must ask myself, "Can others see and hear my panting after God?"

In my quietest meditations and prayer time, "Am I intensely and breathlessly, earnestly, and frantically yearning for my LORD?"

Faith walks being with a strong desire to commune with our Creator. These Psalms incite us to search our hearts for an even more fervent yearning after our awesome God! This impassioned and breathless pursuit should be increasing as we journey onward. An ardent zeal for a close relationship with God and a burning commitment to follow His commands should be blazing within us . . . even when persecution and trials surround us.

May we emulate the psalmist at the end of Psalm 42 by placing our hope in God, and by praising Him, our Savior and our God, as we pant breathlessly in our pursuit of Him!

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

day and night,

while men say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving

among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of Jordan,

the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me -

a prayer to the God of my live.

I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?"

My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

1 pant. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th

Edition. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pant

Lukewarm

At the top of my "Things I Hate List" are: lukewarm showers, lukewarm soup, lukewarm handshakes, and lukewarm friends. Hurrying into a mildly warm shower on a frigidly cold winter morning is almost torture. Reaching out my hand for a firm handshake, only to touch a limp noodlish grasp, just plain irritates me. Spending time with people who claim to be friends, yet during visits, they busily text, daydream out the window, or talk about themselves constantly, forces me to place them in my "Don't bother; they are lukewarm about friendship" category. Lifting a spoonful of vegetable soup to my mouth, anticipating a hot bite of goodness, only to encounter a tepid broth makes me gag.

Imagine how Christ feels when we are lukewarm in our service for Him. Imagine how Christ feels when our affection for Him is tepid.

Revelation 3:16 could not be clearer:

"So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Strong's lexicon defines "lukewarm" as "the condition of the sould wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love."

Dictionary.com (Random House Dictionary) defines "lukewarm" as "moderately warm; having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent."

Lukewarmness (yes, that is a word) or indifference in faith is the worst condition! Such a half-hearted attitude about Jesus is inexcusable! If we believe Christ is who He said He is, how can we be apathetic in our love for Him, wishy-washy in our devotion to Him, and chilly in our gratitude for the grace He has bestowed upon us!

This is not a place to be neutral. Christ expects us to declare ourselves in earnest - either for Him or against Him. Revelation 3:17 calls these phlegmatic, unresponsive folks "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

Indifference is so important to the LORD that a severe punishment is even threatened in Revelation 3:16. Just as lukewarm vegetable soup induces gagging and vomiting, lukewarm church leaders or churchgoers turn Christ's stomach. Their neutrality sickens Him, and He cannot and will not bear them for long.

When life affords us an abundance of material possessions, the devious trap of indifference is an easy position to adopt. As our needs are supplied and oversupplied, we must guard against overlooking the feeding of our souls. We must be earnest and repent of any aloofness or tepidity in our pursuit of Christ.

"The soul is a different thing from the body, and must have accommodation suitable to its nature, or else in the midst of bodily prosperity it will be wretched and miserable." Matthew Henry

Questions to Consider Spiritual Temperature:

• Do I have a passionate concern for the lost?


• Am I always prepared to give the reason for my hope?


• Do my thoughts center soley on worldly things and circumstances?


• Do my thoughts center on me?


• Do I live my life overwhelmed with anxiety and worry, or do I live in the peace only Christ can give?


• Do I love God first? Do I love others as He teaches me to do?


• How often do I make God a priority in my life? Do I talk to Him? Do I learn more about His character and what He has done for me by digging into His living word?

Revelation 3:19-22 says:

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Dear Heavenly Father,

May I be a pleasing taste to you. May I hear your clear call to overcome. May I repent and be fervently earnest about seeking you! May I ask you daily to protect me from deceiving myself. May you guard my heart and mind, so I am not complacent. May I not become so blase, that I forget all that Christ has done. May my heart burn with a red-hot fervor and love for you, and may I never be chilly in my service to others. Amen!