It is “that” time of year. The end of the school year, and the beginning of summer is always a hectic time for most people. Often times difficulties happen, and cause us to feel overwhelmed. I’ve literally got a dozen things that I have to complete in the next 2 weeks, and I really don’t know how I’m going to do it. Some of these things are due to my procrastination, but I can honestly say that many of these upcoming things were “sprung” on me. I’m feeling overwhelmed, tired, and desperate as I don’t want to fail. This passage allowed me to step back and see things differently:

Isaiah 37: 9-11; 14-20

Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:

10 “This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. 11 You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?

15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: 16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 17 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Hezekiah was in a BAD position. He was facing destruction, with odds that Las Vegas wouldn’t have even touched. It was literally David vs. Goliath, but I don’t think Hezekiah and the Israelites were too confident that they would have the same outcome as David had enjoyed. Hezekiah had received a threatening letter, from the most powerful man in his world and there was nothing he personally could do to stop the threat. I imagine that most people reading this have had those bad letters sent to them in their lives. A doctors letter that says you have terminal cancer; a mortgage company sending an eviction notice; a spouse’s letter saying they are leaving you; a memo comes across your desk saying that your company is downsizing and your position will be eliminated; a text message from a sibling that says your dad has had a massive heart attack, etc. If you haven’t gotten that bad letter, it is coming. It may be years from now, but it is coming. What will you do?

I won’t tell you the end of this story, but I think you will be encouraged when you see what happens when Hezekiah prays to his God. Then in verse 30, Hezekiah is instructed to do something. When we truly talk to our God (prayer and the bible), believe what he says, and actually obey it, we may find out that what Hezekiah experiences in this situation can be our life story as well.

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t quit. You have a God that created your world, and EVERYTHING in it. He just wants one thing from you….your complete attention and trust. Those letters will all burn up one day and all that will matter is whether we trusted God or not while we were on this earth. Give your life to him and trust that he can take care of all the details.

Now, go find a bible and finish the story….you’ll be glad you did! I know my problems are VERY small in comparison.

Have a GREAT weekend!

I recently attended Orange Conference in Atlanta and realized again something that has really been smacking me in the face lately….I’m getting old. I know this deeply offends those who are in their 40′s and older as I am still in my mid 30′s, but when seeing the 20 something crowd, I often start to feel my age. No amount of basketball, softball, football, or soccer is going to make my legs and body perform like it did in my 20′s. I also feel the same way mentally. I definitely have more knowledge and a little more wisdom, but I feel my mental blade isn’t quite as sharp as it use to be. With still a little youth on my side, this passage encouraged me this morning:

Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:1-7
9 You who are young, make the most of your youth.
Relish your youthful vigor.
Follow the impulses of your heart.
If something looks good to you, pursue it.
But know also that not just anything goes;
You have to answer to God for every last bit of it…

1-2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.

3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.
Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.
The shades are pulled down on the world.
You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.
The hum of the household fades away.
You are wakened now by bird-song.
Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.
Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.
Your hair turns apple-blossom white,
Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.
Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,
While your friends make plans for your funeral.

6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.

I hope you who are tired and worn down will remember that “Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over”. Don’t waste one bit of it. “If something looks good to you, pursue it”, but remember “You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.” Be sure to be wise when you “Follow the impulses of your heart.”

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When I was growing up, I would sometimes hear older people talk about how my generation had “no manners”. How young men didn’t show women, and their elders respect. Often included in these discussions where statements about how young women didn’t do things appropriately, and often displayed the improper decor/attitude. What I believe frustrated the older generation of my day about the children of my generation is that those words were often ignored. Speaking for myself, and several of my friends, we felt that they just wanted us to become “mini” versions of themselves, and we would pay little attention to their words. Often times, we wanted to be NOTHING like them. I now believe the primary reason we didn’t want to become like that older generation is the fact that they often didn’t care about what we had to say. When the questions of “why” arose from us, the older generation would most often answer “You’ll understand when you get older”. I believe in this instance, both of us missed out. These two verses below seem to confirm this:

Proverbs 18:13 & 15

13 “Answering before listening is both stupid and rude.”

15 “Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights. “

Now that I am becoming the “older generation” I’m often worried about becoming like those I spoke about above. Especially being a children’s pastor, I can easily get so busy that I tell kids what to do, but don’t take the time to listen and have a discussion. Children can teach us so much, if we just take the time open our ears to their words. I hope as you go through your week you would not “answer before listening”. You would take the time to have a conversation with the children in your life. Remember, a conversation has two or more participants. Don’t just hear their words, but listen to what it is they are saying. Maybe God is trying to talk to you through them, but you are too busy “answering before listening.”