Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Isaiah wrote, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10, NKJV

We had been there before, my wife and I, but our children had never seen the mountains. All the way across the plains and hills of Missouri and Kansas each new rise in the landscape elicited the query, “Is that a mountain?” “No,” we would say, “Not yet. When you have to stick your heads out the car windows to see the top, that’s a mountain.”
Finally, as we navigated the foothills of eastern Colorado, we could point ahead to the west and say, “Those are the mountains.” Big! Impressive, massive, beyond belief for a flatlander. Seen from the distance they appear as a great unbroken mass rising to the clouds, and capped with a topping of white, even late in the month of June. The real wonder and awe is not seen, though, until one is enveloped in the midst of a mountain range. Up close and personal, it is the small things, the varied detail, that creates an aura of anticipation for what lies around the next bend.
The road ahead turns out to be more than just up and more up. Cresting a long rise may bring a sudden vista of a valley reaching off into the distance, perhaps cradling a shimmering lake. A closer inspection may reveal that the stream has been blocked by a beaver dam, just like in the picture books, and the lucky observer may even spot one of the industrious builders in their native habitat. Plants, flowers, and wildlife unlike anything seen at lower elevations make each rest stop or pull-off point an invitation for exploration.
Seen up close, even the rocks themselves turn out to be so much more than just one big blob of stone. Layered, tipped, and tumbled, with coloration to challenge any box of crayons, the little details fill many a geology book. What at a distance appears to be solid, everlasting, unbreakable, and impermeable reveals that the forces of time and nature produce cracks, crumbling, and erosion. What rises up eventually comes down, a thought that might give pause to even the most ‘hard-boiled’ of us mortals.
There is a scale in the mountains that dwarfs us. We are reminded of forces beyond our capabilities or comprehension. To have risen a thousand, two thousand feet, only to look up and see sheer clifts and towering heights yet far above is humbling. To round a bend in the road only to see it ever higher, clinging to the side of the mountain in the distance, we realize that we must trust in not only the builders that carved out the road we travel upon, but also share the faith of those who have safely traveled this way before us.
So, too, as we travel the road of life, we see God off in the distance, omnipotent, infinite, unreachable, beyond our limited comprehension. By moving closer to Him, we enter a relationship that is filled with the splender of things otherwise unseen. Things like joy, love, and peace, just our size. Trust The Builder, and join in faith with those who have traveled this way before us.
August 28 (News) 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Job said, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him ”, Job 23:3-4a NKJV

In the beginning, there were a series of very positive statements, which is not surprising, since they were made by The Lord God. “Let there be light,” He said, and there was light. Likewise, at His Word, the waters and firmament were created, earth and seas, the sun and moon, and all living things. Genesis 1:27 states that God created man and woman, male and female, again by His Word.
A blessing is a very special statement, which God gave to the man and woman; He further blessed them by placing them in a Garden of Delight, a possible meaning of the Hebrew word for ‘Eden.’ He also blessed the seventh day, making it holy.
I’ve checked several versions of the Bible, including the KJV, NKJV, NIV and NRS, and I find nothing but positive statements until Genesis the 3rd chapter. Enter the Fallen One in the form of a serpent. There is recorded the first question, “Hath God said?” or “Did God really say. . . ?” (Genesis 3:1)
The next thing we read from God is the question of the ages: “Where are you?” The questions flow freely from that point, as if the first one had broken a leak in a vast reservoir.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive.”
Enter jealousy and anger. God questions Cain concerning that anger, and suggests that Cain will gain the acceptance he seeks, if he does what is right. Instead, Cain grows that anger into murder.
God is again forced to ask that probing question concerning a fall into sin, in this case, “Where is your brother, Abel?” (Genesis 4:9) Cain answers with a question, of course, “How should I know?” “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Questions. Questioning God. The book of Job is structured around questions, including the probing questions of Job’s friends, and Job’s stated desire to question God. (Job Chapter 23:3-5) This question is rebutted later by God, but not in the form that Job expects. It is often formed from our own lips; “Why, God, Why?”
Turn with me to Job Chapter 38: God answers us with both a question and a statement, thus: ”Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge? . . . I will question you, and you shall answer me.”
Job’s questions are at an end. He responds with a statement of humility and confession; “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. (vss. 42:3-4) Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (vs. 6)
We can not presume to come to God contentiously, in anger and defiance, for He is the Great Judge, who will ask the final questions.
August 21, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 b,NKJV)
It is not often that you enter a ‘skyscraper’ building from the top, and go down. Yet, I have done just that! The Pan Am Building in New York City, finished in 1963, was at that time the largest commercial office building in the world. And it had the novel feature of offering helicopter service between New York’s major airports to a heliport on the roof of the building. I experienced the thrill of flying over the city, looking down upon the roofs, and watching as we proceeded to land on the top of that skyscraper.
One of the “Superman” movies used the same scenario, but I am glad to relate that we didn’t need the ‘Man of Steel’ on my landing.
The building was later sold to Metropolitan Life Insurance, and helicopter flights were discontinued.
I have also ascended the Empire State Building, in New York City, and the Sears Tower in Chicago - by more conventional means. Though each building once ranked among the tallest buildings in the world, newer construction dwarfs even these majestic towers.
While it might seem appropriate to make some reference here to a more ancient “heaven reaching” tower, (that of Babel in Genesis 11,) I think that the reasoning for these modern towers has little to do with partaking of the power and glory of God, and more to do with making money. Lots of money!
As tall, as gigantic as these skyscrapers may be, there are two basic principles that make their construction possible. First - the taller the building, the deeper the foundation. Second - the buildings are designed to be flexible. They sway with a strong wind, and are engineered to withstand earthquakes. The well engineered building can stand with integrity; When the testing comes, they stand.
Humility is not something that you generally associate with a skyscraper. Something that seems to stand so tall and proud would not seem to be related to modest pretensions or dimensions, one of the definitions of humble. In fact, many of the definitions for ‘humble’ or ‘humility’ suggest low social, administrative, or political rank. But I also find elements more in line with the humility espoused in the Bible: self-effacing, unassertive; unpresuming, modest, unassuming. Humility, in my view, is not an indicator of shallowness, rather, the taller the building, the deeper the foundation.
So, too, personal humility is deeply rooted in moral and spiritual bedrock. Humility in God flexes when the winds of controversy swirl. The true leader does not “lord it over” others, is not mean or vindictive. They are not puffed up, nor ostentatious. The shallow roots of popular opinion will not hold when truth and justice come forth, but God will give grace to the humble.
We read of the destruction of poorly designed, shoddily built, inflexible buildings with inadequate foundations, often hastily built and boldly promoted to the monetary benefit of the owner. Are they then proud of the calamity and ruin for which they are responsible?
Lives and careers, also, collapse when the testing comes. Selfish ambition and conceit are counter to true humility.
God will give grace to the humble who are rooted deeply in moral and spiritual values. “Christ humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.” (Philippians 2:8)

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Scripture: James wrote, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8, NKJV

I suppose that if I were to ask people to define the main theme of the Bible, the overwhelming majority would say “God” or “Jesus.” To take nothing from the prominence of The Deity, my response will be “Relationships.” Please allow me to share my reasoning with you.
Suppose that I tell you that a magnificent rock formation forms the focal point of a vast, trackless desert. You may well say, “So?”
I persist; “It is unlike anything you have ever seen. You really should go to see it for yourself.” Yielding slightly, you may ask where it is located. Should I say, “Australia,” you could rightly comment that Australia is not only far away, but is also a very large country.
“OK,” I say. “I’ll show you a map of how to get there,” and talk about distance and direction, all of which will of course be in relation to some point and to where you are at the moment. Relationships.
Conceding that such a trip may not be within reality, I may throw in a picture so that you can see for yourself the wonders that I proclaim. Again, I need to include some references about substance, length, breadth and height, and how it may compare to anything found elsewhere in the world. Relationships.
God is Infinite, All-powerful, All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing. He is known as the “Great I Am.” God “IS!” How do we describe the indescribable? What more to say?
He is the Creator of all that exists; That is a relationship. He wants to be our God, and we are to be His People. That is a relationship.
Think about all that is contained in the Bible. The very commandments proclaim not only God, but the relationship between all things in creation, living and nonliving. Jesus sums up the commandments in Matthew 22:36-40 by stating that a certain relationship should exist between God and ourselves, and between ourselves and our neighbor. The truth of the Parable of the Good Samaritan lies not in who of the three men passing along that Jericho road believes in God, but in who has a Godly relationship with his ‘neighbor.’
Again, it is our relationship to the least of His Children and our response brought about from that relationship that is important, (Mt. 25:31-46).
Suppose that you are sitting in a room which darkens as the daylight ebbs. You are there, the darkness is there, and a light switch is located across the room. To bring illumination (light) into your life, you need to do something about your relationship to that light switch. Get up, move that relationship close enough that you can turn on the power.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
August 14, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: James wrote, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
Paul wrote, “ . . . walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10 ) - NKJV

Oh, the mistakes I’ve made! I first learned that I had a special talent for this fine art of mistake making many years ago. There I sat, and all about me was the rapid-fire din of ‘clickety-clickety-clickety.’ I was producing more of a ‘clunk-clunk,’ but it was the mistakes more than the lack of speed that brought me down. It haunts me still.
I will not give up; I will persevere! Besides, I have to chuckle sometimes at the new words that I create as I type. For example, the letter ‘i’ is just one key to the right of the letter ‘u’ on the keyboard. So what if I transpose only one little key? After all, Sinday is almost Sunday, give or take a letter, and one wrong out of six isn’t so bad, now is it? My good intentions should count for something.
Still, good intentions didn’t help me one bit in that long ago typing class. I had to suffer the consequences, regardless. No, there are times when good intentions just don’t cut it.
It hath oft been quoted that the pathway to the ‘nether regions’ is paved with good intentions. So I suppose that I should do as I have done for decades now - back up, correct mistakes like Sinday, and run the trusty ol’ spell-checker on the computer. Spell checkers are not infallible, though. For example, although it caught my ‘Sinday’ typo, I am given spellings of ‘Sidney,‘ ‘Cindy,’ and even ‘cindery’ but not Sunday.
I also know that if I do the same ’i’ for ‘u’ letter substitution and write ‘bit’ when I meant ‘but,’ the spell-checker is perfectly happy. I could let it go at that, bit (but) it will not catch grammatical or contextual errors. Words need to be more than just ‘correct;’ they must have purpose to be useful.
Consider that I could put together a list of words at random, run the spell checker, and find them all correct. To what purpose? There would be no message, no thoughts communicated. It would be like a tree with lots of leaves, good leaves, but no fruit. ( See Mt. 21:18, 19)
Jesus wants us to be more than “good leaves.” He wants us to be “fruitful.” To have a purpose in His Kingdom. To do more than have ‘good intentions’ and merely wave gently in the breezes of life.
Though I have abundant faith in my spell checker, I must go beyond correct spelling alone if I wish to write something of worth and meaning.
So, too, I am called to be more than a “good man,” of correct moral character. That is commendable, but of itself is like leaves on a barren tree. I must bud, bloom, be pollinated by the Gospel, and become fruitful in every good work. I must associate with the Lord, to share in His works, to increase in the knowledge of Him.
July 31, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Samuel took a stone and set up up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”1 Samuel 7:12, NIV

How do you carry things? Do you use a bag, a sack, or a poke? Many times an object goes by different names, depending upon the location. In some southern and midland areas of the USA, you put things in a poke, including a ‘pig in a poke.’ A picnic in one area might have a hopping good time with sack races, while another would use a bag.
Then, again, a ‘poke’ is a projecting brim on the front of a woman's bonnet, and you might be wearing a ‘poke bonnet.’
In Scotland, men and boys wear a bonnet, a brimless, seamless woolen cap. In other locations, men and boys would say that only women wear a bonnet, a cloth or straw hat tied under the chin. In Britain, you would likely pop the bonnet to check your oil, but Americans call that device the ‘hood’ of their automobiles.
Consider the saying, "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out". Clout is from an Old English word for cloth or clothing, and the saying was a reminder not to be too quick to shuck the winter woollies before the chilly days of May were over.
A farmer friend from ‘Down East’ commented that his neighbor used to say that he was "Light on rowen, but we got plenty hay. Ain't nothing wrong with good hay." Rowen is an old-time term for second-cut forage. Those who use the term will call first cutting hay, second cutting rowen. To call something second-cutting hay would be a contradiction in terms. Rowen derives from middle English rewayn, Norman French regain -- to grow or harvest again.
Many of the older church hymns use words or terms that are equally cloaked in unfamiliarity, the kinds of things you skip right over but keep on singing. The second verse of “Come, Thou Font of ev-’ry blessing” (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth) begins with, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come;” Unless you are an especially astute Bible scholar, that one flies right over your head.
The author is referring to Samuel’s “Stone of Help,” which he set up “between Mizpah and Shen” to commemorate the Lord’s help . The verse continues,

“Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.”

Consider ways in which you can share the Lord’s help in your life. Set your own ‘Ebenezer’ and rejoice in it.
July 17, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” Mt. 11:18-19, NKJV

An incident that happened to me while growing up on the farm brought home the full meaning of the maxim “Look before you leap.”
We had a lane, an unpaved path, connecting several fields with the buildings in the farmyard. One low spot was a perennial mud hole, stirred up into a gooey slop from vehicle and livestock traffic. As I rode my bicycle down the lane to fetch the cows in for the evening milking, I noted a pile of gravel that Dad had apparently brought in to fill the mud hole. Wow! A launch pad, just waiting to shoot me into the wild blue yonder.
Peddling furiously, I strove for takeoff speed. Up, up, up, perfect form! From my elevated viewpoint, I now had a full view of my landing point. Alas! Bicycles have neither air brakes nor wings. I quickly understood why Dad had not yet spread the gravel; he had dug a ditch to install a drainage pipe in the wet area, which now lay open before me. The laws of physics and gravity kicked in big time. Bicycle, boy, and bold aspirations of flight reached the lowest common denominator.
A quick survey from the bottom of the ditch determined that the major damage was to my dignity, but my collective wisdom clicked up another notch.
Add this thought to your maxim collection: “If in doubt, check it out.” My pride would not have taken such a tumble, for example, had I simply checked out both sides of that gravel pile.
What does this have to do with the chosen scripture passage? Well, hopefully it will serve to illustrate that leaping to conclusions can result in bad decisions, just like blindly jumping a gravel pile.
Jesus was likening his contemporary generation to children at play, comparing their refusal to join either a mock funeral or a mock marriage in the marketplace to the people’s refusal to accept either John the Baptist or Jesus. Instead, they stood aloof from both, making excuses based on wrong conclusions about them (vss. 16, 17.)
Seen from the proper perspective, neither John nor Jesus were in error. John was following the tenets of the Nazarite vow, as established in the Laws of Moses, and was not to eat nor drink anything from the grapevine. Matthew, Chapter 11, affirms that John’s behavior was consistent with prophecy and scripture, and their conclusions about him illustrated their lack of knowledge.
Likewise, their conclusions about Jesus were in error. Jesus points out that the well have no need of the physician, and that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. (Mt. 9:12, 13)
True wisdom is not found in the “children” who stand aloof, but in those who accept Jesus and John.
Yes, jumping to conclusions is indeed a tricky business.
July 10, 2005