the gift of life

Today is Halloween, a holiday that originally was intended to honor believers in Christ who have moved on to Heaven. Somehow the day has become more centered on "death" than "life" over time, but it really is a celebration of eternal life. I was thinking about the "gift of life" this morning. A friend from church recently experienced a stroke and is, at least temporarily, without some feeling on one side. I was reminded of the uncertainty of our time on the planet...how each day is a gift and we have no physical claim on tomorrow. I considered the complexity of our lives...how each of us is really a walking miracle...just to be alive. This led me to consider the One who gave each of us life, and who offers eternal life to all who will transfer trust from self to Him. And then I realized that I can be a "giver of life" as well. I can give this life back to Him...dedicated to the One who formed me, who holds it all together and who marks the division between earth and eternity.

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John 6:48 (Jesus speaking) Yes, I am the bread of life!...Anyone who eats the bread from heaven...will never die.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

clear view

The past few weeks we have had some stunning fall weather, with crystal clear air and blindingly bright days.  We've enjoyed gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and lately have savored the painter's brush in the hardwood trees that line our roads.  But this morning, following a night of rain, the local pond was not only dark in the predawn hour, it was dulled by the after-rain mist.  The dim light of pre-dawn filtered through the moisture to display fuzzy images and reflections from the trees and far-shore.  But I became aware of this thought: whether clear or cloudy and whether we see sharply or hazily, the Lord sees us with perfect vision.  There are times that we may feel we can't see Him.  There are times when we are not even looking His way.  But there is never a time that He doesn't see us and see through us and see all that is in us.  That is a good thing!  I am convinced that the knowledge of His presence and the awareness that He knows us intimately well is a key to peace and purpose.  Even when we feel like we are walking through the fog!

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Isaiah 29:15b-16 

"The Lord can't see us", they say.  "He doesn't know what's going on!"  How foolish can you be  He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

Framework for a day

As I strolled in the predawn morning and looked over the local pond I was intrigued that there was enough light from the night sky to reflect off the surface of the water.  There was just enough light to see without so much light that I could be distracted.  I considered the coming day and I looked up to pick out a few dim stars above.  The thought has been with me for several days that we all have a "framework" that our lives hang on.  This framework is like the foundation of a house, or the trellis that a plant will grow through, or the highway that we drive and take exits from.  "What is my framework", I asked myself.  "My framework is the Lord."  The beginning of each day is a good time to go back to the frame that will carry us through the day.  It is good to reaffirm the conviction that God formed all I can see and has given me life...every day of my life.  I must come to Him with my questions and needs for only He has the ultimate answers and plans.  My natural life is passing  and transitioning, just like the trees in the autumn, but He is enduring and He is accessible and He cares for me.  It is good to focus on the framework as each day begins.  I know that the answers don't like within me...they come from Him!

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Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment." 

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blessings,

Rob Smith

too much chocolate

I love M&M's.  When I have a hankering for M&M's and they are available I tend to over-indulge.  It occurred to me, though, that it's really the first several M&M's that taste best.  After that, when the chocolate hunger has been met, they just become a sweet blob (but that doesn't usually stop me from having a few more!).  I'm not sure if I can classify the "chocolate hunger" as a valid need but I am reminded that something similar happens with other hungers and appetites we have.  Whether we have a need for food, shelter, clothing, vacation, or anything physical/material.....the greatest satisfaction takes place when the actual need is met.  It's just that we tend to overshoot meeting the need.  And we tend to overvalue the thing that fills the need.  So, if it takes money to buy things that meet our needs we may tend to overshoot the value we place on money, which leads us to overshoot the priority money has in our ambition and thinking.

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It seems like the greatest aspect of needs being met takes place at that point where the actual need is satisfied (like the first few M&M's).  When we invite the Lord into the picture (or recognize that He is already in the picture) we realize that He is the one who satisfies the actual needs of our lives.  When we focus on appreciation for actual needs being met then we value Him more than the thing that meets the need.

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And that beats a whole bag of M&M's (whether peanut or plain!).

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Psalm 63:5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

argument and awe

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John there was a large crowd surrounding the remaining disciples. Religious teachers were arguing with the disciples. As it turned out a man had brought a child to be healed by Jesus and the disciples had been unable to heal him. Apparently, at that point, the teachers of the law stepped in to try to seize the moment and call the followers of Jesus, and Jesus himself, frauds. But, just in the nick of time, Jesus came down into their midst to set things right. As soon as the crowd saw Jesus "they were overwhelemed with awe, and they ran to greet him." I think this is a picture of how it is with us. Jesus' first words to them all were, "What is all this arguing about?" As we go through our days we find the opponents of the Lord trying to seize on every weakness of His followers to convince others that God is untrue and Jesus not who He claims to be. But when Jesus shows up the arguing ceases and we run in awe to Him. And one day, according to scripture, everyone will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. We need to take our eyes off of ourselves and see Jesus, as He has come down the mountain and now is in our midst. We need to run to him in awe and leave the arguing behind!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

What do you mean, if?

Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James and John after the miraculous encounter with Moses and Elijah to find a crowd around the other disciples. A father had brought his demon possessed son to be healed by Jesus. The disciples had tried without success to cast out the demon, while Jesus was away. As the father told the story of his son to Jesus he asked for help (Mark 9:22)"...Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." Immediately Jesus replied with a question, "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" He went on to say, "Anything is possible if a person believes." The father replied that he did believe but needed help to overcome his unbelief. Jesus then proceeded to cast out the demon and restore the boy to health. It occurs to me that we forget that when we come to the Lord with our needs we are coming to the Source of Life and the Creator of All. He is not an "If I can" God, He is a "I can do all things God". We tend to measure the power of God alongside our puny power. Our power is limited and unreliable. We may be confident that God's power is greater than our own but we may still limit God. We must be confident that God absolutely can meet the need that we are coming to Him with. There may be a reason that God doesn't provide the answer that we are looking for or in the timeframe we want it to take place, but that doesn't mean He isn't able. Like the father in this story we may need to confess that we believe but we need help to overcome our unbelief!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

bold letters

Sometimes when I write an email I will place a few key words in bold letters to emphasize the meaning. The words haven't changed meaning but I want to make sure that my reader gets the point and feels the emphasis. I think something like that was happening in Mark, chapter 9(vs 2-9), when Jesus took Peter, James and John up into the mountain to have a personal retreat. As they watched Him, Jesus entire appearance was transformed. His clothes became dazzling white and, amazingly, Elijah and Moses appeared from the realm of eternity and began talking with Jesus. Peter was rattled and offered to build three memorials to remember the occasion and then, suddenly, God spoke from a cloud and said, "This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him." In this brief, but incredibly dramatic event, the Lord was placing in bold letters all that Peter, James and John had learned and seen of the Lord for their entire lives. The reality of the Old Testament was confirmed: the law in Moses reality and the prophets in Elijah's reality. The Son-ship of Jesus to the Father, the reality of God, and the sure confidence that they could have in Jesus's words were all confirmed in this experience. And Jesus' first words to them as they left the mountain were about His coming death and resurrection.

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At some point in our lives the truths of the Bible become more than words...they become reality as the Lord breaks through and places those words in bold letters through our personal experience with Him. Isn't it wonderful that we have the Lord of truth, who has given us His word and is following through to fulfill it...across history and across our lives!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

God's point of view

Jesus reprimanded Peter, saying "Get away from me, Satan!", after Peter had just reprimanded Jesus for telling the disciples that He would be killed and then rise from the dead after three days (Mark, chapter 8:32). And then Jesus followed those words with, "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." Two things seem interesting about this to me: first, it strikes me that 'seeing things from a human point of view' is probably what I do just about all the time!! Secondly, apparently it is possible to see things from God's point of view somehow! Then Jesus followed this up with a teaching that apparently conveys just what God's point of view is when it comes to our lives. In verses 34-38 he addresses both our human point of view about our lives and God's intention for our lives as follows: (1) To follow Jesus you cannot also follow your selfish desires, (2) If you make your own life the center of your purpose, you will
only lose that life and your purpose. If you make Jesus and His life the center of your life, you will find purpose, (3) If you make the acquisition of things and wealth and power the purpose of your life, when you die there will be no lasting benefit. If you make Jesus and His message the central purpose of your life you will enjoy the eternal approval of God and there will be eternal benefit.
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It's all in your point of view!
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blessings,
Rob Smith

each new life

We are intensely interested when a new baby arrives. Especially when a family member or close friend has the joy of a new child...we celebrate with them and we are fascinated to consider what this new little person will be like. At first we only have a few pieces of information: usually gender, length and weight (and maybe the presence or absence of hair!). But within the framework of this precious and vulnerable little human is already laid a very specific personality. And behind the scenes, in the Heavenly realm, there are already conceived plans for this life (with every day of this life already accounted for). In a sense every new person is a surprise gift to planet Earth that awaits unwrapping. And, of course, much more than this every person who walks the earth becomes an opportunity for the rest of us to demonstrate love. It's almost as if the Lord is constantly adding instruments to His orchestra to form a personal symphony that will play to glorify Him.

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What a great gift is life! What a great Giver has fashioned each life. Perhaps one of our great challenges is to help bring out the full potential that the Creator had in mind when He placed each of us here.

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Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame wasnot hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

follow through

I am not a great athlete, but I enjoy watching great athletes. My son-in-law, Mike, is a great athlete. Just the other day I saw him snatch two honey bees right out of the air to protect his children...what reflexes. One thing that great athletes do is "follow through". Whether it is a swing or a throw or a jump the action isn't completed until the action is allowed to go through it's full range of motion. Jesus had tremendous follow through. In Mark, chapter 8, he dramatically restores the vision of a blind man. He took two steps to restore the sight with two physical touches and after the sight was completely restored he had one more step. In verse 26: Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." You see, Jesus knew that it was going to be healthier for this one who had just regained sight to see those who loved him at home first, before passing through the village. When Jesus restores our spiritual vision He is just getting started in our lives and He knows which direction we need to go from there to grow and flourish. Jesus had tremendous "follow through"!

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blessings,

Rob Smith

sun in the clouds

Early yesterday evening we spotted puffy clouds with the gorgeous blue sky as a backdrop. The clouds were painted orange by the low hanging sun. It occurred to me that clouds usually block the sun, but last night they became a canvas for its brilliance. And so our problems and trials and issues are clouds that can often block, or interfere, with our joy. But, viewed differently, they become the canvas for the Son to display His brilliance.

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Psalm 103:13-14 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

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blessings,

Rob Smith