Don't Provoke, Or Accept Your Fate

          “Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are…” 1 Corinthians 5:7a

          I knew that I had messed up and there was no getting out of it.  Being the daring adventurer, I decided to go off the path, hike where I wanted to go.  That is when I found myself face to face with a mountain lion.  Without meaning to, I strayed too close to her den of cubs.  This mother was out to protect her little ones, even if that meant bloodshed.  My heart lodged itself into my throat.  Sweat was coursing down the side of my brow.  My mouth was drier than any desert.  I started seeing faces of family and friends flash before me.  The question wasn’t if I was going to die, but how?  Would this mother lunge right at my throat?  Would she swing around behind me and grasp the back of my neck in her powerful jaws?  Would she slash me with her ferocious claws?  How would my fate be served?

All I could do was keep facing her as I backed away, slowly.  My hands held out in front of me, hoping that I may be able to reflect any blow.  I moved back directly in the path from which I just came, hoping that it was exact opposite of her cubs.  I was too scared to move suddenly, praying that my very slow and careful movements would not provoke her.  One step at a time, she’s approach, stop, and move another step toward me.  She didn’t close the distance, rather just maintained the same space between us.  Afraid to take my eyes away, sure that she would take advantage, I maintained visual of her face, not necessarily trying to meet her angered eyes.  Inch by inch, I continued to move away.  It had been an eternity as I began to lose visual of the spot that her tiny cubs were resting.  The mother cat followed me a bit further when she finally stopped, just holding her ground until I was within what she determined was a safe enough distance to allow me to return to where I started.  The hair that had been standing straight upon the back of her neck was finally settling back down.  She was letting me go.  Silently, I thanked her.  I got the message loud and clear: Consider this your only warning.  There will not be another.

Fortunately, what I just related did not actually happen.  Could it have?  Of course.  While I love venturing out into unknown territory, I also respect my boundaries and respect the territory of others.  However, when is the warning just not enough?  When comes the time to act?  While God’s word has shown us many examples of mercy and offering a second chance, it also instructs us when it is time to take a more direct approach.  Does that mean that consequence of wrong-doing must be a harshly performed act?  Of course, not.  Not saying that it will be pleasant to the wrong-doer. 

The author of Hebrews tells us in the twelfth chapter and the eleventh verse that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”  So, what is this writer attempting to tell us?  Discipline, or facing a consequence, should be applied in the hope of correcting a choice or behavior.  If not, the consequences can, and will be far worse.

On the other side of that coin, we are fully accountable for are actions.  There are no excuses that are legitimate.  We make the choices, we should expect the equal results for those choices.  Read Jeremiah 17:10, Matthew 12:36-37, Luke 47-48, and Romans 14:12.  God is watching what we say and do and He will hold us to the choices we make.  If we do not hold ourselves in account for how we treat family, friends, coworkers, etc.; how should we expect God to show us mercy when we full well knew that we were not making the right decisions? 

Should there be a time when the "attack" is warranted? 

Think about it.

Fishing New Waters

          “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.”  Proverbs 1:5

          I have fished the lakes of Livingston, Limestone, Conroe, and Belton.  I have cast my line out into the Trinity and Brazos Rivers.  I have utilized a spin casting, spinning, and bait casting reel.  Fishing the bottom with a Carolina rig or using a top water popper in a brushy area, I’ve done it.  Under my belt, I have hauled in various species of bass (white, black, largemouth, smallmouth, and striped), while also tangling with catfish ranging from channel, yellow, and high fin blue.  Whether sitting in a boat jigging a roadbed or casting off a bank, I’ve learned diversity and utilizing the right combination of lure to location.  I was pretty well set.  Then, I started checking out the fresh water lakes around my new home in Colorado.

          Trout and pike seem to be the more popular species in this area.  The first moment that I had looked at my tackle, I knew that I had a situation!  I wasn’t geared to fish for those little buggers.  GREAT!  Now what?  It looked like I was up a creek…. you know the rest.  What do I do?  Hope that the fish are dumb enough not to have a favorite “menu”?  Hope that they’ll go after anything that passes by?  Yeah, sure!  Maybe pigs really will grow wings, too!

          I knew what had to be done.  I went back to the research board.  I had to start learning again.  Sure, I knew a decent bit about fishing.  However, the circumstances have changed.  I’m in a colder climate.  I’m going after a different species of fish.  I needed to know their habits and patterns.  Where are the best spots in the water to cast my line into?  What lures and bait will they most likely strike?  Based on the climate and shallow river systems, it looks as if I will be learning two more types of fishing: ice fishing and fly fishing. 

          The point that I am making is that my previously acquired knowledge was no longer enough.  I was required to “hit the books” again.  My lessons were not over.  Oddly enough, many “believers” tend to think that after they have accepted God as their Father and Jesus as their Savior, that is all that is required.  BZZZ!  Wrong answer!  The learning never stops, especially for Christians.  Could that be the reason that so many “Christians” today tend to agree with societies view of accepting sinful practices as things that should be tolerated and allowed?  Many are quick to agree with a liberal view of what they believe God accepts, without studying for themselves.  Folks, that’s a little scary.

          Studying God-breathed scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) is not a one-time thing.  It is constant.  I continually need go back and look up verses, to ensure that I am not misquoting them.  I constantly read one scripture, then look at other scriptures that apply to what I’ve just read, to fully understand the meaning that God intended to give.  My wife and I, have begun to study together, every evening.  We discuss what the passages are saying, sharing our perspectives with each other, ensuring that we are not attempting to add or take away the knowledge that God expects us to gain.  As Jesus’s beloved disciple tells us, in his second letter in Ephesus; if we are to move forward without following Christ’s teaching, then we do not have God (2 John, v. 9). 

          As we continue down the pathway of life, we need to have God’s Word in our hands.  We will face new challenges and new experiences.  Without proper knowledge, how are we expected to handle those situations properly?  Simply, we won’t.  We will fail.  If we hope to succeed, then we must be willing to take time to arm ourselves with knowledge.  We want to keep the data fresh in our heads.  We need to make sure that our spiritual “tackle boxes” are properly stocked to handle what lies below the surface of those new waters.  After all, we are fishing for keepers, aren’t we?

          “And He said unto them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”  Matthew 4:19

Continuing the Journey: The Path Ahead (part 2 of 2)

“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”  Revelation 21:5

          Are you making resolutions for this new year?  Many do.  Many don’t.  I, personally, am not one to make a resolution, per se.  I continually set goals for myself, but I do them with realistic steps.  What do I mean by that?  I tell myself that I am going to work toward a goal, not I AM going to do this by such and such time.  Many get downhearted when they are unable to reach a certain goal or objective, even though they are moving forward to obtain it.  An example:  I quit smoking early last year.  I didn’t resolve that 2016 was going to be the year that I quit.  However, I planned on working toward the goal of quitting, whether I completed the task or not.  I wanted to be heading down that path.  Just so happens, I accomplished it early. 

          God gives us pointers and tips as we look at the road ahead.  He instructs us not to worry about what lies ahead (Matt. 6:25).  The apostle John tells us not to fear or give our hearts to troublesome thoughts (John 14:27).  There are still aspects that I am uncertain as to where I am headed in life, but God already knows.  He wants me to trust Him and to follow where He guides me. 

          Our Father has a plan for each of us (Jer. 29:11).  Instead of worrying about the unforeseen future, He wants us to look forward to it, while turning our lives to Him (Phil. 3:13-14).  We are asked to strive to do better.  To make better choices.  To be less selfish.  To be a guide to others.  Are we always going to succeed?  Possibly not.  There will be moments that our faith gets tested.  Our feet will stumble upon those rocks of doubt.  We will probably even slip and fall to the ground.  God knows that it will happen, but He doesn’t expect us to wallow around in self-pity.  These are the moments that He expects us to take His outstretched hand and help us back to our feet. 

          Life is the proverbial horse needing to be tamed.  It will buck you.  It will slam you into the saddle.  It will even throw you right off it’s back.  You can lie in the dirt, or dust yourself off and hop back on.  The choice is yours.  Just prepare yourself for the consequences of those choices. 

          As I stated in part one of this series, the beginning of last year looked a little grim.  As much as I tried to tell myself that I trusted in God’s plan, my heart wasn’t totally confident.  I still had my doubts.  He showed me that I had nothing to worry about.  He is at the wheel and He IS in control of my life.

          I look ahead to the path of this new year with anticipation.  Do I know exactly what will transpire?  No!  Am I certain that I WILL reach definite goals?  No!  So, what can I be certain about?  I can be certain that if I am working toward certain goals, I will succeed.  That doesn’t mean that I may accomplish everything on the first try.  It does mean that if I continue to persevere, God will see me through. 

This year, I have a new family to continue my journey with.  I will be able to guide them, and they will also guide me.  We will look ahead together.  We will trust that God has a plan for us, whether we clearly see it or not.  We will follow Him.

May I suggest that you look to this new year with eyes wide open.  Set yourself some goals, but resolve to continue to work on those goals.  Don’t set yourself to worrying about accomplishing them by a certain time.  Continue to work on them.  As long as you are pressing forward, you are gaining.

Happy New Year, everyone!