Spin That Ball

Although I have seen them on TV a thousand times, I still enjoy watching the Harlem Globetrotters every time they come on. In fact, I watched them yesterday. These guys are not only the most talented basketball players in the world, they are also just down-right entertaining! I am amazed at their level of athleticism and dedication to perfecting their craft. Yesterday, I watched their leader, Special K, spin the ball on his finger for over 30 seconds. Not only on his finger, but also on his head, his knee, his back, and his foot. Amazing!

As I watched him, I thought about God holding our spinning world on his finger. One can't help but to watch the News on TV today and get the sense that our world is all but spinning out of control. Earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and more seem to be increasing all around our globe at an alarming rate. It is like "Mother Nature" has gone postal. But we have to remember that our precious and all-powerful God still has the world under His control. He made this world, and He controls this world. And even though God's Word warns that things will only get worse before they get better, we should not fear. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of strength. That strength comes from God's Son Jesus Christ! But we are only human, so fear and worry is a part of our lives, especially in the face of tragedy. But we can draw on Jesus for His perfect strength anytime we feel the need. Remember, He holds this spinning world on His finger. We can think of Him as being the leader of the "Heaven Globetrotters"! Now that is one show I would love to see!

Isaiah 41:10 says, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Father, thank-you for creating this world and for giving us the strength to live in it. Help us to remember that no matter how rough things may get in our lives, that You are right there protecting us. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Good Shepherd

I like the analogy that Jesus uses of comparing himself to a good shepherd. In Bible times, sheep were kept in a sheepfold at night. This was an area in a field that was boxed-in on three sides to help protect the flock from robbers and wild animals. The shepherd guarded this opening, known as the gate. Like a dog to its owner, the sheep would learn to recognize the shepherd's voice, and respond only to him. A hired hand was seldom a good protector, because he was only there for the money. When a wild animal came along and threatened the sheep, the hired hand would run away in fear. But not the shepherd. He protected his flock with his very life.

Jesus protects us with His very life. Like a shepherd knows his sheep, Jesus knows each one of us. He is totally aware of our flaws, weaknesses, fears, and needs...and He loves us anyway! He calls out to us and leads us on the path that is best. In Christ, we can find not only Salvation, but friendship, protection, and serenity. When we lie down at night, we can rest peacefully knowing that the Good Shepherd is guarding the gate. To me, that sounds safer than Fort Knox. I am proud to call Jesus my great Shepherd. I am so thankful that He guides and protects me every day. If you don't know Jesus in this way, I invite you to ask Him to become your great Shepherd. Why live another minute without His incredible Peace?

John 10:11 says, "I am the good shepherd; The shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep."

Father, thank-you for leading me with Your voice. I pray for anyone who is not Your sheep today. Lord, lead them according to You will. In Jesus name, Amen.

That's God's Specialty

Our Bible is full of bad situations in which God turns around into good outcomes. Perhaps we have seen it in our own lives. I know I hear so many people use the phrase, "it was a blessing in disguise." I know in my life, I will occasionally come against a problem to which doesn't seem to have a very good solution. But then God gets involved with it, and what I didn't see during the problem becomes so clear afterwards...and after God interjects His work into it. When we study some of the miracles that Jesus performed, we see where the situation seemed hopeless to those around at the time. The disciples worried when Jesus wanted to feed the multitude of 5000 with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. They also panicked when a huge storm blew up on the lake one day, and Mary and Martha were so sad after Lazarus had died.

Perhaps the worst situation that was turned around by God was when our Jesus was suffering and dying on the Cross. Not only did the pain have to be excruciating to Him, but the humiliation had to be awful too. The Pharisees were delighted to watch Jesus . They mocked Him. To them, life was good. But to all the Followers of Christ, not only were they heart-broken, but they were also very confused. How could this man who performed so many miracles for others not be able to help Himself? But as we all know now, had Christ intervened on His own behalf, we would not have Salvation today. No, Jesus accepted all the suffering so you and I could be free. God worked perhaps His greatest miracle that day, and especially 3 days later when Jesus walked out of the tomb. Regardless how bad a situation you and I are facing today, God is there with us holding our hand. And in just a short time, He will turn our situation from bad to good. All we have to do is have a little patience and a lot of faith!

Psalm 30:11 says, "You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."

Father, please help us when we face what we see as a no-win situation. Help us to remember that none of our problems are greater than Your amazing Grace. In Jesus name, Amen.

If It Weren't For Bad Luck...

Do you remember that Hee Haw song, "Gloom, Despair, and Agony On Me"? That song still cracks me up when I hear it. I can't help but to sing right along with it. I love the line, "If It Weren't For Bad Luck, I'd Have No Luck At All." We can all relate to that can't we? Bad luck just seems to be par for the course. I remember once in the summer of 1996 I had a string of bad luck that I will never forget. If I was faced with two choices, one good and one bad, I would get blindsided by a choice I never even considered...and it was far worse than the bad one. It is almost funny now looking back on it. I did survive. I try to remember that when a string of bad luck pops up, the law of averages will eventually swing some good luck my way.

As a Christian, I have to wonder if "bad luck" is really all that bad. We know that God will never put more on us than we can handle. We also know that He is completely aware of every single thing that will happen to us. So if He allows it to happen, and God can be nothing but good, is it really bad luck at all? It sure seems like it. But God can do and see what we can't. That is, look at the big picture for our lives. For all we know, that seemingly bad luck we are getting might be just exactly what the good Lord knows that we need for some special job He has planned for us. I wish I could be more like Job. He was a perfect example of bad luck. But not only did he accept it, he also praised God through it. Was that luck? No way! God knew exactly what He was doing. Now don't get me wrong. I am not going to beg God for bad luck. But if I keep in mind that it is all for some bigger purpose that He has in store for me, I can at least struggle through it. I will NEVER give up on my Jesus, bad luck or not!

Nahum 1:7 says, "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him."

Oh Lord, How Great Thou Art! Please help us when we get struck with bad "luck". Help us to remember that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are still right there walking with us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Peer Pressure

As a high school teacher, I see first-hand how peer pressure can persuade a student to do things that he or she normally would never even think about. But peer pressure doesn't just affect teens; It affects adults too. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman Emperor of the time. The Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus, so they managed to convince much of the people that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy. Most of the peoples' opinions were steered by the false accusations of a few of these religious "leaders". But once Pilate interrogated Jesus, he couldn't find that any crime had been committed. But the people demanded that Jesus be crucified. Pilate, the mighty emperor, caved-in to peer pressure. Pilate wanted to avoid a riot, and although he believed Jesus was innocent, he ordered His Crucifixion anyway.

Whether we know it or not, we, too are affected by peer pressure. As you are walking today with the Lord, pray that Jesus will help you to make all the right decisions, not just because everybody else is making those decisions, but because those decisions are the right ones. And also say a special prayer for our young people today, that they will stay grounded in the teachings of the Bible and that they will also make the right decisions without the influence of their peers. Making decisions can be the hardest thing we do all day. But as long as God is directing our lives, we will certainly make many more good ones than bad ones. Instead of all the bad influences affecting others, maybe we can become the positive influence in their lives Maybe we can be their peer pressure.

Proverbs 18:10 says, "The Lord is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it and is safe."

Father, I ask you to help me to make the right decisions today. I put 100% trust in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

It was on this day that the ore-hauling freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank on The Great Lakes during a fierce storm in 1975. A song written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot tells of the sad story. The lyrics are haunting. One line from the song has always stuck out in my mind. I have a great fear of being shipwrecked, so the lyric is extra scary to me. It says: Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours. I tremble with fear thinking about how awful it would be to just tread the ice-cold, murky water waiting for rescue...or worse. Unfortunately, all 29 men drowned in the storm. If you have never heard the song, check it out sometime. Or even better, click on the following link to read the lyrics. Scary stuff! http://home.pacbell.net/chabpyne/lyrics.html

Although most of us will never have to battle being shipwrecked, our problems can still be very frightening to us. I have often wondered where God goes at the times when I need Him most. The Bible says He never, ever leaves us. But it can still seem like He is a million miles away sometimes. I wish I knew the words to share with those who find themselves at their scariest moment. All I know to do is pray and have faith that God is there, and will help. Are you "shipwrecked" today? You know, God still performs miracles! Call out to Him.

Mark 5:36 says, "...Be not afraid, only believe."

Father, help us when we need You most. It is so hard to just simply have faith without also having fear. Be with us, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Tamper-Proof

Our world changed forever on this day in 1982 when at least seven people died from taking cyanide-laced capsules of Tylenol. It is hard to believe that that was 27 years ago; I still remember it like it was yesterday. I stated "at least" seven people died above because nobody really knows the exact number. Although most of the deaths occurred in Chicago, other places around the country were also plagued. Up until then, we had never heard of tamper-proof packaging. But today, it is rare that we find a product without it. Even though it is not completely fool-proof, seeing a safety seal on the things we purchase does give some peace of mind.

We can also have peace of mind by allowing Jesus to "tamper-proof" our lives. Satan is always looking for a way to poison us with his lies and influence. Walking through our day without the protection of Jesus is like eating some food that has a broken seal on the packaging. We wouldn't dare take that risk. We should also never take the risk of living without Christ. He is our Protector and our Guide. If you are not enjoying the safety of Jesus, why not ask Him for His perfect protection right now? He is more than willing and able to come to you.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear not, for I am with you."

Father, please protect us from Satan. We know he is very powerful, but not as powerful as You. We can't do it alone. Help us, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.