Dog Days

As we enter the month of August with its hot, muggy days you may occasionally hear someone talk about the “dog days of summer.”  These days have nothing to do with dogs, but are usually described as the period between early July and early September when hot, sultry weather occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and the water in lakes and ponds stagnates.

I’m wondering if you have ever experienced spiritual dog days in your life?  These are days when spiritual things seem stagnant in your life and there is little, if any activity for the Lord.  At those times you begin to wonder if God is near or if He is concerned about you.  Maybe you have wandered away from the Lord and allowed your attention to be placed on things or activities rather than on God Himself.  When Dr. Luke wrote the book of Acts he recorded a sermon that was delivered by the Apostle Peter.  In this sermon, Peter suggested that the people to whom he was writing may have been going through spiritual dog days.  He said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Maybe you are experiencing a “dry spell” or “dog days” in your spiritual life or have never taken time to ask for God’s forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  Notice that according to this verse: (1) You can be refreshed; (2) The refreshment comes from a divine source—the Lord; and (3) The time of refreshment begins as you repent and turn to God.  Why does refreshment come to an individual when he or she turns to God in simple faith and trust?  The answer is because your sins are forgiven.  When this happens it is possible for you to have a personal, ongoing, intimate relationship with the Lord.  Why not turn to the Lord today and allow your spiritual dog days to be replaced with God’s divine refreshment?

Retirement and Beyond

Although a person can retire from a work-position at any age, the Bible doesn’t encourage those who are Christians to stop serving God when they retire or reach a certain age.  The Bible tells us that Joshua was well advanced in years and yet the Lord said to him, “You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over” (Joshua 13:1).  There was still work for him to do even though he was probably between the ages of 85-100.  Having a rocking-chair mentality and sitting outside his tent was not the attitude to have nor the place to spend his time.  There was work to do and he was to continue to serve. The instruction in the New Testament that Peter gives is that, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:10).  Did you notice that there is no mention of age?  In other words there is no time at which God-given gifts should cease to be utilized.  Service should be rendered to God at every age.

Throughout life we should be learning, growing and maturing and be ready to share the truths of God’s Word with kids, grandkids, and others, whether early in life, or later.  In elderly years our prayer should be similar to that of the psalmist who said, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18).

A few questions might be appropriate.  You have been learning, growing and maturing – so, are you ready to share your wisdom with others?  Are you sharing the lessons you have leaned with individuals from the younger generation?  If you are retired, what have you learned about God’s power that you can continue to share with your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Summertime and Vacation Time

Warm weather, bright sunshine, fragrant flowers, and green grass all point to summertime.  When we think of summer, most of us think of these things, as well as vacation – whether we travel away to some distant place or stay at home.  When we think of vacation we may also think of resting, relaxing, exploring, or participating in some adventuresome activity.

To be sure, summertime (and vacation time) is a time for all of us to rest and be refreshed.  This is important for our lives because each one of us needs rest and refreshment.  But sometimes our “vacation time” or “summer time” attitude keeps us away from God.  We find ourselves participating in lots of activities but forgetting about the usual disciplines of the Christian life that keep us in touch with God.  As a result we draw apart from God rather than coming closer to Him.

If this mind-set becomes a part of our life in the summer time, we will find that we may be refreshed physically, but we will also discover that our spirit begins to dry up.  That is why we need to rest in God.  The Psalmist said, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

That means that we can rest at the same time that we stay in close contact with God.  As you and I enjoy this special time of the year, let’s make sure that we don’t forget God.  During the month of July we have celebrate Independence Day.  So, as we rest in God, let’s also remember to praise God for the freedom that we enjoy in our great country.

Reason for Thanks

During the Thanksgiving season we are encouraged to give thanks.  That is important because we ought to be people who are thanks givers.  As we express our thankfulness to God we usually do so by rehearsing a list of material blessings that we enjoy such as food, health, clothes, church, friends, or family.  All these are important blessings for which we ought to be thankful.  However, our thanksgiving should be more than simply giving thanks for material items.  The psalmist says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

The motivation and focus of thanksgiving should be God Himself just because He is good.  Goodness is the very nature of God.  In order to explain this goodness the psalmist says, “His love endures forever.”  In other words, the goodness of God has to do with the outpouring of His grace, love, and mercy to you and me in our sin and our need.  In spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be recipients of His goodness, we are.  “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Isn’t that amazing?  God’s goodness, through His grace and love, is available to each of us in abundant measure and it is there for us to personally receive.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are Go’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2;8-10).  Let’s thank God for our material blessings, but let’s also thank Him for being good to us so we can possess and experience eternal life.  “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of god so that you may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:11-13).

Have you received God’s goodness?  You can be a recipient of that wonderful goodness by praying a simple pray of faith to receive Jesus as your Savior.  Do it today and then make sure you give thanks to God because He is good.

What I Heard

During the first week of August on a beautiful, warm day, I had a couple of meetings at one of our Elim Care facilities in central Minnesota.  Between appointments I was doing some paper work and heard someone across the hall whistling a tune that was very familiar to me – “Silent Night.”  As I listened to that song being whistled it reminded me of the truth of the words that the Savior – Jesus Christ the Lord – came into this world for all of us.  It reminded me about God’s great love for us – not just at Christmas time, but even on a hot summer day.  Jesus was born so people might come to God based on His death on the cross.  He wants everyone to have a personal relationship with Him and receive the wonderful peace He offers.  I thoroughly enjoy Christmas, so I just may begin playing Christmas music and celebrating early this year.  Take time with me to silently hum, “Silent night; holy night; all is calm, all is bright.  Round yon Virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild.  Sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.”  It was Jesus who said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

An Interesting Meeting

On a return trip from Illinois to Minnesota, my wife and I stopped for a break and some coffee in the Wisconsin Dells area.  In  a convenience store, someone mentioned my name.  Surprised to hear my name being called in a location that we seldom frequent, I looked up and saw a friend of mine from Minnesota.  We greeted each other and briefly chatted.  He and his wife were returning from Southern Wisconsin and without prior knowledge we both stopped at the same place at the same time.  This meeting reminded me that although we may not see a friend as we travel, there is always someone wherever we go who knows us.  In the Bible Jesus said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).  Knowing that He is always present with us ought to be reflected in the attitudes that we have and the action that we take.  Both attitude and action ought to reflect God's presence with us.  How about you?

Reality

Just last week I received word from a good friend of mine who came out of his bedroom one morning and discovered his wife on the floor, dead from an apparent heart so attack.  His wife was in good health so this was something that was not expected; but it was a reality.  She was a believer in Christ and had accepted Jesus as her Savior years ago.  So, the assurance my friend has, based on his wife’s relationship with the Lord is that she is in heaven today.  This incident reminded me that all of us need to be ready to meet the Lord at any time.  That instant when our life here on earth is snuffed out, could happen when we least expect it.  However, those people who have a personal relationship with the Lord can be assured of heaven.  That is a reality.

Just last week I finished reading a book by Bob Ricker called Assured of Heaven.  How appropriate to be reminded that it is possible for us to have assurance of heaven and not just hope that all things work out for the best.  Listen to what the Living Bible says, “And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died” (I Thessalonians 4:13-14).  The scripture also says, “For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (II Corinthians 5:1).  Have you put your faith in Christ?  Are you ready to meet Him?  Do you have confidence that you will spend eternity in heaven?