Rainy Seasons

I can’t remember a spring when it has rained so much. 

Farmers have been unable to plow their fields, as tractors sink up to their axles.  Lawns are high.  Water overflows creeks, rivers and ditches.  Cars hydroplane because of deep water on the roads.  Wipers often fail to remove torrential rains from windshields and cars are forced to pull over to wait out heavy down pours.  The ground is saturated causing sports events to be cancelled.  Parts of Texas are under deep water!

And it appears that no let-up is in sight. 

Sometimes life is like that, too.  We become saturated and overwhelmed by difficult days.  Tension-filled situations threaten to destroy the very fiber of our existence, often with no let up in sight.  But summer and sunshine are on the way!

Over 35 years ago my late father-in-law experienced a long bout of depression.  Severe life-altering situations threatened his physical, mental and emotional health.  It seemed that nothing worked out for him.  Financial setbacks and family struggles took him to the brink of disaster.  Dad was a strong man, but everyone has a breaking point.  It seemed the more he prayed, the worse things got.  Ultimately, over a five-year period, he also lost his health.  Instead of family members and friends saying, “Poor Job,” they were saying, “Poor Dale!”

When life’s struggles escalated to a severe breakdown, my in-laws drove to Indiana from Alabama to be with their parents.  Subsequently, our family history records and remembers a miracle. 

Dad’s health had declined to the point where his nerves were shot and Parkinson-like symptoms caused his hands to shake.  He was at his wits end.  Dad sat mostly in silence, refusing to talk to anyone, including his worried wife and parents.

My wife and I remained in Alabama to take care of the church he pastored.  During those years Sunday night church was a regular part of our week.  Lori was at the piano when she heard the Lord say, “Pray for your father.”  Suddenly an intense burden came over her and she knelt down behind the piano and began praying earnestly for her dad, who was in desperate straits some 500 miles away. 

Dad was sitting in his parent’s living room in Jamestown, Indiana when he began experiencing more severe tremors.  He later said, “I felt like I was dying.”  The prayer burden in Lori’s heart became crushing to the point that she could only weep and moan.  Intercessory prayer reached the throne of grace from Gadsden, Alabama and exactly at 7:03 p.m., Dale Owens was healed!  Lori felt the burden lift that very moment.

Like rain that seems not to let up, we sometimes go through long periods when our faith is severely tested and answers escape us.  For me personally, my mind races back to October 1982 when an intercessory prayer meeting (of one!) connected with the Healer and across the miles a man who was desperately ill experienced an instantaneous healing. 

Inordinate amounts of rain may continue to fall but God alone is able to bring us through the harsh seasons of our life into the sunshine of His grace, healing and provision!

A Culture of Honor, Part 3

The gospel should draw on the heartstrings of lost people, not beat them up with condemnation, guilt and shame. The gospel is good news, not bad news. Had Jesus not honored the much-hated tax collector, Zacchaeus, like He did; but continued to address him on the same course that the townspeople were accustomed to, Zacchaeus potentially would never have come to faith. His story is found in Luke 19

Note with me in verse 7 that the people were used to coming at Zacchaeus in a very dishonoring and self-righteous manner: “He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” His reputation preceded him, and his chances for reconciliation and a better life were minimized. The Spirit of God, by all indicators, was dealing with the heart and attitude of that little man, or he would not have been there in the first place.

Something inside the tax collector caused him to show up that day when he heard that Jesus was coming; and desperation for life change drove that little guy up a tree! What was going inside this wretched tax collector went way beyond natural curiosity. Jesus would testify later concerning Zacchaeus that “Today salvation has come to his house…” (verse 9). Something supernatural was pulling at his heartstrings. Jesus Christ honored the much-despised man. He honored him by informing the unsuspecting loner of his dinner plans. What’s so significant about the Master inviting Himself to dinner? The Son of God loved him for WHO he was, not WHAT he was! Jesus showed him honor!

Believe me, this little man probably lived in a gated community, or at least a gated parcel of property with high fences around his home. He probably lived on the outskirts of town, where human interaction would be minimized. Where the taunts and threats of angry people could not be heard.

We can well imagine that nights were spent alone, and every night represented a new eternity for the little man who had no friends and the friends he did have were fair-weather – hearts as crooked as his and ready to sell one another down the river if it meant more corrupt wealth. Rome certainly did not care about Zacchaeus. If he were murdered, there were always others to take his place. Zacchaeus was disposable and a human target.

His dimly lit home would only intensify the darkness of his already broken life. Zacchaeus would later testify that money fell short of a meaningful life: “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (verse 8).

The crowd that day directed a calculated slur against the Master when they said, “He has gone home to be the guest of a sinner” (verse 7). Comically, Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’ home for dinner! While this may be frowned upon in modern day life – viewed as socially inappropriate – the Master touched a heart-string that caused the little man to come alive on the inside. “You mean, you want to come to MY house tonight? MY house? You’re coming to MY house?” Jesus Christ, in a display of honor overlooked WHAT Zacchaeus did for a living to honor WHO he was! Jesus honored the man’s personhood. When someone honors us, we open our hearts to him.

In today’s church, if we will honor those God sends us, I’m convinced we will see more conversions to Christ than ever before. That’s why we at Hope Community continually stress servant leadership that places the needs of others over ours. People are frantically searching for significance. “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Do you know him today? Jesus Christ knows how to get your attention. He knows what pulls on your heartstring. He will address you at the point of what captures your heart’s attention and draw you toward saving faith. Jesus turns significance into salvation!

Lead Me to the Rock

Life has a way of pulling us down. Downward spirals into discouragement, depression and even despondency result when we fail to keep “looking up.”  The enemy of our soul wants to ground us.  He whispers, “I will use your circumstances to destroy you.” But he cannot as long as we look to the “Rock!”

David, the psalmist-king of Israel, wrote in Psalm 61:1-3, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  From the ends of the earth I call to you.  I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”

David was heart broken.  His son Absalom had staged a coup to overthrow him as king.  Like his father, the son was handsome and charismatic but Absalom was spoiled – a narcissist.  We read about him in 2 Samuel 15-17. 

Because he listened to the wrong advice from self-seeking friends, he plotted against his father to take away the throne.  His plot was well executed.  He used his position as prince to win the hearts of the people by subtly undermining the authority and favor of the king.

By most casual observers, Absalom would have made an excellent king, and the people loved him, but he lacked the inner character and self-control needed to be a good leader.  His appearance, skill and position did not make up for his lack of personal integrity.

Can you imagine David’s inner turmoil as he fled the palace to find refuge from his dearly loved son?  Absalom had gathered enough public support to potentially overthrow David.  However, David mustered adequate military support to defeat Absalom’s troops, and 20,000 men lost their lives in battle. Think about it.  One man’s self-love and rebellion led to the destruction of thousands!

When the battle turned and Israel’s impending victory became evident, Absalom fled from the chaos.  His long hair became entangled in the low branch of an oak tree, pulling him off his donkey. 

As the would-be-king struggled mid air to free himself, he was killed by Joab, Commander in Chief of David’s army.  Upon hearing the news of Absalom’s death, a grief-stricken father cried, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son” 2 Samuel 19:33)!

It was against this backdrop that David wrote, “Lead me to a rock that is higher than I.”  When hidden away in the desert, David must surely have seen the majestic rock formations around him.  He perhaps felt despondent about the rebellious intentions of his son, while noting the safety of his position – surrounded by a natural rock fortress. 

David’s words remind us of our Rock – the one we hold to during the overwhelming and seemingly helpless circumstances of life.  Our Rock is Jesus!  He is our refuge.  He is our strong tower in the day of trouble.  We can run to Him and find safety.

David said, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

I’m so thankful that Jesus towers above the difficulties of our lives.  He is the “Rock of our salvation, “ and as we run to Him He lifts us above those things that threaten to destroy us.  In David’s case, it was his precious son.  Imagine the mixed emotions of the king. 

We too go through extremely difficult days when we can run to the Rock and find peace and protection.  Run to the Rock today!