Blog Archives

JUMPING SHIP!

8/27/2024

It’s been quite a week in Major League Baseball. To begin with, a legendary piece of sports memorabilia, the jersey Babe Ruth wore during his iconic "called shot" in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, has sold for a staggering $24.12 million at an auction in Dallas.

It was a record-breaking six long hour sale, surpassing the $12.6 million paid for Mickey Mantle's 1952 rookie card last year. The buyer has chosen to remain anonymous, according to Heritage Auctions.

Next, it has been reported that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani both showcased their remarkable athleticism, as Judge smashed seven home runs in six games for the Yankees, lifting his season total to 51. He now aims to surpass 60 homers for the second time in three years, potentially breaking his American League record of 62 set in 2022.

Meanwhile, Ohtani joined a very elite group by hitting 40 homers and stealing 40 bases within a single season, becoming only the sixth player in MLB history to accomplish this.

Normally, these two stories would have been amazing enough in the news for one week. But something else happened for the very first time ever in Major League Baseball this week - something truly amazing.

It seems that Danny Jansen started a game playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, ended it playing for the Boston Red Sox. He became the first ever MLB player to play for two teams in one game:

An earlier game in which he was at bat for the Blue Jays was delayed by rain. While waiting for the continuation of the game, he was traded to the opposing team, the Red Sox. And when the game finally picked back up this past week, the Blue Jays had a pinch hitter finish Jansen's at-bat while the Red Sox had none other than Jansen himself behind the plate as catcher. Jansen later called the experience both called "cool" and "strange." And for what it’s worth, Toronto went on to win, 4-1.

I share this because it is not uncommon for players to switch teams. Trades happen all the time. But not mid-game!

I thought about it, however, and concluded that while switching over to the other team might be uncommon in baseball, it may well occur a little more often in life than we realize.

Have you ever known someone to suddenly “go over to the other side” with little or no notice or prompting? I have; and the consequences can be devastating. Allies sometimes do it. Bosses sometimes do it. Employees sometimes do it. Spouses, too, often do it. And yes, church members and even Christians often do it. The reasons given to justify this are often varied and vague.

We all know what it is like to have someone depart on us unexpectedly. But to have them then set up camp in some context that seems completely antithetical to where they were can be disappointing at best and devastating at worse.

Believers, especially, should avoid being wishy washy. They should also avoid being duplicitous. If we have professed faith in and made a commitment to Jesus Christ, we should remain faithful to that profession and commitment for life.

After all, as the Bible tells us, not just once, but a myriad of times, our Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. That is one promise that always has and always will be kept.

And if He is faithful not to skip out on us, then surely we should be faithful not to skip out on Him in turn. Implicit in this is that we should not only remain faithful to Him, but also to all those He has called us to love and faithfully support as well.

Remember that the next time you are tempted to “jump ship” and suddenly begin playing for the opposing team!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/31-6.htm;

https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/31-8.htm;

https://biblehub.com/joshua/1-5.htm;

https://biblehub.com/1_kings/6-13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/13-5.htm.

NEWS STORY SOURCES:

https://www.newser.com/story/354818/he-may-make-unusual-baseball-history-next-week.html#google_vignette;

https://www.newser.com/story/355156/judge-and-ohtani-shine-in-record-breaking-week.html;

https://www.newser.com/story/355131/babe-ruths-iconic-jersey-sells-for-record-24m.html.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING IT OUT!

8/22/2024

Let me begin today’s blog post with a disclaimer. If you read further, you will find that I intend to be a bragging grandfather. And that with good reason, for my oldest grandson, who is seven years of age and in the second grade, is playing fall baseball this year.

Now for the bragging part… This evening, he was playing short stop with two opposing runners on base. The batter at the plate hit a fly ball, which he caught, getting the batter out. He then raced to second base and stepped on it, getting the runner who had left for third out before he could return. Finally, seeing that the runner coming from first had advanced too far before stopping and retreating to first, he chased him down and tagged him out as well.

Voila! Did you catch it? I did! A triple play!

Needless to say, I was so proud, as I sat out beyond the outfield fence (chosen because it offers the best view of the field). Unable to contain myself, the platitudes poured forth from my mouth… “Boom!”; “Hoo Yah!”; “You go, boy!”; “Who da man?!”; “Put that in your pipe and smoke it!”

Now, to be sure, I said all these things under my breath, so as not to be seen as “That Granddad”! After all, it’s only “Coaches Pitch” on a “Little League” Field. Still, in the moment, it was all I could do to contain my emotions and hold my tongue.

I’m sure glad I did. For it seems that there were already two outs, and the only out that mattered was the one where he caught the fly ball! The other two outs, impressive as they may have been, were nonetheless superfluous. Upon realizing this, I immediately retooled and, taking things in perspective, expressed my excitement in a manner more appropriate to the proper context.

Still, in the moment, the play was a beautiful thing to behold. And I was glad to have been there to witness it. My little grandson played the string out and turned the triple play! And while he may not have grasped the notion that a single out would have ended the inning, neither did the baserunners on the other team. To their credit, everyone involved was giving it their best as they played the game.

This latter thought has stayed with me all throughout the evening. Looking back over my life, I find myself asking one simple question: “Did I always give it my very best and play the string out?!” I like to think I did.

This much is certain. Not giving one’s best means one will never have the opportunity to excel. Similarly, not playing the string out will do the same.

The United States Navy Seals have a saying: “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards!” Such a statement is merely a call to total commitment. For without total commitment, there can never be total victory.

Perhaps this is part of what Jesus had in mind when He told His disciples In the New Testament Gospel of John (chapter 4, verse 34) that he was called “to finish the work” God had given Him to do. No doubt, inspired by His example, the apostle Paul would go on to state (in his Second New testament Letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 7): “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”

Little wonder, then, that the writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews (in chapter 12, verse 1) would admonish us to “keep running with endurance the race set before us” until the very end. Why? Because great things only come from great effort!

And so, my friends, always keep running and always, always, fully finish the course! Run not only up to, but through and beyond the tape! In other words, every time the opportunity presents itself, always play the string out!

After all, there may well be times in life when such opportunities arise with less than two outs! When they do, double plays are possible. And sometimes, even triple plays!

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/john/4-34.htm;

https://biblehub.com/2_timothy/4-7.htm;

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/12-1.htm.

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE!

8/17/2024

Each day, while out on my morning walks, I am privileged to be able to observe lots of things in nature. Earlier this morning, as I did so, I had a very uplifting experience.

For as long as I can remember, a flock of vultures has inhabited the airspace above our home and the multitude of pastures and farms that surround us. As a general rule, they keep to themselves as they patrol the skies searching for roadkill and/or natural carrion to consume. In so doing, they fulfill their God-given purpose of keeping the land clear of dead animals and free of any disease or malady otherwise apt to arise.

But after witnessing their morning routine countless times, it finally dawned on me today exactly how they go about their business. After roosting together as a flock for the night in a tall tree, they spread their wings to gather as much warmth and strength from the rising sun as possible.

All along, they are also clearly waiting for the warmth of the sun to begin to heat the atmosphere, producing thermals of warm air that rise from the land. Once fortified, they take to the air in a gliding motion, always taking care to head off in the same direction in which the wind is blowing.

As they plummet, they quickly begin to flap their wings furiously in order to gain speed before the wind. After a good long run, they abruptly turn 180 degrees directly into the wind. As they do, they spread their wings like a canopy, allowing the rush of wind to lift them higher. In my estimation, they rise around 20 to 30 feet, before once again turning 180 degrees and running with the wind, again flapping their wings to gain speed.

After another run, they once again turn quickly into the wind and spread their wings, receiving yet another tremendous lift from the force of the wind beneath their wings. This process is completed some dozen or so times over about a ten to fifteen minute period until they are, quite literally, hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air.

Once they reach sufficient altitude, they then ride the wind in giant circles, rarely flapping their wings as the currents of air carry them far and wide in search of nourishment.

As I observed this process earlier today, I thought about many things. The first thing that came to my mind was the old Roger Whittaker song, later made most famous by Lou Rawls and then Bette Midler, titled “Wind Beneath My Wings”. The song acknowledges the debt the artist owes to another, with these words:

It must have been cold there in my shadow
To never have sunlight on your face
You were content to let me shine, that's your way
You always walked a step behind!

So I was the one with all the glory
While you were the one with all the strength
A beautiful face without a name for so long
A beautiful smile to hide the pain!

Did you ever know that you're my hero
And everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings!

It might have appeared to go unnoticed
But I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it
I would be nothing without you!

How fitting! For very few of us make anything of ourselves in this world without the loving and sacrificial support of others, usually a devoted spouse. This is certainly true for me.

But my reflections quickly went beyond this. For there is yet Another without Whose support none of us would ever soar in life; and that Other One is Almighty God.

In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (chapter 40, verse 31 HCSB Translation), we read: “But those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

In my lifetime, I have had a few opportunities to ascend to great heights. I am not just talking about flying in a jetliner, or standing atop mountains or skyscrapers. All of us have experienced these things.

But whatever your occupation or profession, you along with me, have likely experienced several high points in your career. You have likely made some special trips and witnessed some special events and met some special people. You may even have accomplished some spectacular things along the way. Any number of these things can represent for you the great heights to which we have been privileged to ascend in life.

But one thing is for sure. No matter who we are and no matter how high we are ever privileged to ascend, we do not attain these great heights without the Lord empowering us to rise and to soar aloft!

These thoughts filled my head as I left off viewing the splendor of the flock of birds soaring above me this morning, and continued my walk. All the way home, I found myself first humming, then singing the words to Lisa Ireland's classic 2003 anthem “But Thou, Oh Lord”, as arranged by Bradley Knight, based on the words of the third verse of the third Old Testament Psalm:

Many are they increased that troubled me
Many are they that rise up against me
Many there be which say of my soul
There is no help for him in God

But Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head
Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head

I cried unto the Lord with my voice
And he heard me out of His holy hill
I laid me down and slept and awaked
For the Lord sustained
The Lord sustained me

For Thou, oh Lord are a shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head
Thou, oh Lord are shield for me
My glory and the lifter of my head

More times than I can count in my life, the Lord has lifted not only my head, but all of me to heights hitherto unattainable. For this, I am and always will be thankful.

I trust you share my sentiment. If not, perhaps you should. Doing so is quite an uplifting experience.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/isaiah/40-31.htm;

https://biblehub.com/psalms/3-3.htm.

SEE ALSO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Beneath_My_Wings;

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Bette-Midler/Wind-Beneath-My-Wings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtDVYOb-fw;

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/The-Prestonwood-Choir/Thou-Oh-Lord.

DEEP CLEANSING!

8/13/2024

Several weeks ago, I shared a blog post about mowing the grass and losing, then finding, the key to the lawnmower along the way. I am happy to report that I have managed not to lose the key again since then. But lawnmower owners periodically face other setbacks as well. Allow me to elaborate.

I am blessed to have a wife who actually likes to cut grass. So much so, that, if I cut the grass in her absence, she genuinely gets upset. So, in our retirement years, we have developed somewhat of a division of labor, as it were. We share indoor chores such as laundry and dishes. In turn, we also share outdoor chores, such as mowing and property maintenance.

Our usual pattern is for both of us to get on a riding mower and attack the yard. She cuts the front yard and a patch of grass across the creek. I cut the back yard and the open areas in and among our fruit trees in the area we call “the orchard”. We usually finish up about the same time.

She then takes the push mower and trims along the road and around the yard in the smaller places where riding mowers cannot penetrate. As she does, I fire up the trimmer and trim around the trees, bushes, fences, and outbuildings, before also edging the driveway. Once again, for the most part, we finish up about the same time, knocking the whole process out in about two and a half hours.

But not yesterday. For as I was preparing to fire up the trimmer, my wife came to me and told me that the push mower would not start. I went over to give it a try, assuming I would be able to fire it right up. I soon discovered that I could not crank it either. I simply used the trimmer to hack down the grass in those places normally cut with the push mower.

But as I slung the trimmer back and forth, I had plenty of time to ponder the matter. Each spring, I have the mowers tuned up. Compared to the riding mowers, the push mower gets relatively little use. I regularly check the oil and fill it with gas before each cutting. So, where was the problem?

And then I remembered the days of growing up on a farm. We never paid anyone to fix anything. Instead, we became master tinkerers and shade tree mechanics. In that day, if a mower would not crank, even as a boy, I knew to clean out the air filter and check the spark plug.

So, I pulled the spark plug, and soon found the problem. The electrodes were considerably corroded - so much so that the gap between the center electrode and side electrode was almost totally corroded by excessive carbon buildup.

One wire brush and two minutes later, I replaced the clean plug and pulled the starter cord and “Voila!”… the little Briggs and Stratton 3.5 horsepower engine coughed and chugged to life. It still smoked; but at least it now ran again.

This whole episode got me to thinking. In many ways, you and I are quite similar to my little lawnmower engine in that we all need air to breathe and fuel to consume. But we also need well-maintained and properly working physical frames. For lawnmowers, this includes wheels, carriages, handles, and the like. For humans, this includes our physical bodies, but also minds and our souls.

If we are not careful, we can find ourselves dirty and polluted, not just on the exterior, but also in the interior. Indeed, much is known about diet and its effect on our cardiovascular system. It behooves each of us to take the proper steps to ensure we don’t clog our arteries.

But what of our minds and souls?

How many of us exercise faithfully and take daily medicines to prevent clogged arteries, while at the same time taking precious few steps to protect what we feed our minds? More to the point, how many of us give serious thought to what all we pour into our souls?!

In all of this, I have been reminded that, periodically, I need to undergo a little cleansing myself. I’m not talking about bathing or showering. These things I undertake regularly enough.

But what about my mind? Could I stand a periodic detox here? Are there materials I read, stations I watch, websites I visit, and/or people with whom I regularly engage in conversation which I should periodically take a breather from? Might my mind benefit tremendously from such a respite?

And what of my soul? Have I inadvertently polluted it as well? Would it not benefit me to undergo a cleansing there as well? Back in the day, preachers made much ado about being “backslidden”. If you are unfamiliar with that term, it is quite biblical. The writer of Proverbs uses it, as does the Prophet Jeremiah on multiple occasions. It is based on a Hebrew word that simply means “turning back”.

I once heard an evangelist say: “If there was ever a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now, then you, my friend, are backslidden!”

Let’s face it. We believers do backslide. It happens. And when we do, it is for many reasons – not the least of which is because we become enamored with some other entity than our Lord to which we give our attentions. Whenever this happens, we get out of kilter and begin to feed our souls a regular diet of material we were never intended to consume.

The truth is that the spark plug in our push mower was corroded so badly because we primarily use it on a slope, which had been allowing engine oil to enter both the air filter and carburetor. The engine was not designed to combust oil, but rather gasoline. A thorough cleaning of not only the spark plug, but also the carburetor has now returned our push mower to excellent working condition.

Since then, I have addressed the problem and restored it to its former glory as it now once again fulfills the purpose for which it was designed.

Would it not behoove me to apply the same approach to my soul, which is of infinite worth compared to a silly lawnmower? Yes, my friend, it would.

In the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapter 2, verse 4), the Lord Himself spoke to us though the Apostle John when he said: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” The Weymouth New Testament translates this as: “I have this against you - that you no longer love Me as you did at first.”

And so, my friend, are you in any way backslidden? If so, do you in any way need an internal cleansing in order to remove those things that now supplant and pollute your earlier commitment to, and relationship with, your personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

If so, I have good news for you. In his First New Testament Letter (chapter 1, verse 9), the Apostle John states: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Any way you look at it, that is God’s promise to give a seriously deep cleansing to anyone who desires it enough to actually seek it!

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/14-14.htm;

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/2-19.htm;

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/8-5.htm;

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4878.htm;

https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-9.htm.

SERIOUS HEARTBURN!

8/8/2024

The news this day contained a story titled: “Dog Chews Lithium-Ion Battery, With Disastrous Results: Tulsa Fire Department Issues Warning after Home Burns”. The article, posted on www.Newser.com included a link to a video posted on www.YouTube.com of the actual fire as it started.

The article reads:

A dog chomping on a lithium-ion battery sparked a serious house fire in Oklahoma, and video of the moment the sparks began to fly has been enlisted by a fire department to show the potential dangers of those batteries. The footage taken from the home and posted last week on the Tulsa Fire Department's Facebook page shows the dog gnawing on the device atop one of two cushions set on the floor of a living room, per the AP. Another dog can be seen on a couch and a cat on the floor as the dog bites down and sparks begin to shoot from the battery. The dog pulls back and soon the cushions are ablaze. Both dogs watch the growing fire at one point.

The fire department said the Tulsa-area home was significantly damaged by the fire in May but the two dogs and the cat escaped through a pet door. Fire department spokesman Andy Little said in the post that the battery the dog was chewing was intended for charging cell phones. He said lithium-ion batteries can store "a significant amount of energy in a compact space" but when that energy "is released uncontrollably, it can generate heat, produce flammable and toxic gasses and even lead to explosions." He said the batteries can possibly become dangerous when they are damaged, overcharged, or exposed to extreme heat. Fortunately for the pets, Little said, all escaped the flames uninjured.

Now that’s what I call taking a mouthful of something and winding up with serious heartburn!

As I perused the story, I will have to admit, first of all, that I was a little happy that my wife and I have a cat and not a dog. It may pick carpet and furniture with its claws; but at least it does not chew on things that are apt to ignite fires.

But I also found myself asking a basic question: “What energizes me?” Seriously, a major battery manufacturer refers to its brand as the “energizer”. We now know that batteries that energize can also produce unwarranted results if consumed inappropriately.

As I look around, I see a lot of people consuming a lot of things they hope might energize them. For some, it is caffeine. For others, it is nicotine. For yet others, it is medication. And of course, for a great many, it is alcohol, drugs, pornography, and/or a whole host of other illicit substances or activities.

People depend upon any number of things to find strength and/or courage to face their day, their responsibilities, or their lives. Some of those things are legally and morally acceptable. Others are not. But whether legal or socially acceptable or not, whatever we consume can and very often will have consequences.

And if this matters in our everyday lives, how much more does it matter in our spiritual life?! Here, we must truly be careful about what energizes us. And above all else, we must be careful about what we choose to consume!

And so my friend, irrespective of your favorite minister, television preacher, or award-winning artist, even church or denomination, be careful about what all you willfully chew and swallow!

The only entity which should truly energize us is God Himself. And that is why, in the New Testament Book of Philippians (chapter 4, verse 13), the Apostle stated: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The contemporary English version translates this verse as: “Christ gives me the strength to face anything!”

And so, my friend, who or what energizes you? If you are seeking your strength in any other way than the One Who claimed to be “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”, then don’t be surprised if circumstances eventually blow up in your face… And when that happens, things quickly get heated. And soon enough, out of control!

Why suffer that heartburn?

NEWS STORY SOURCE:

https://www.newser.com/story/354147/dog-chews-lithium-ion-battery-with-disastrous-results.html.

SCRIPTURE:

https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-13.htm;

https://biblehub.com/john/14-6.htm.

RAIN OR SHINE!

8/4/2024

“Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day!” So goes the famous children’s ditty. Only it’s not just a limerick for kids. At times, it can be a genuine plea from adults as well.

A case in point: here in east Tennessee, we had a very wet spring. In the months of April and May alone, we got thirteen and a half inches of rain! Then, when June unfolded, things quickly dried out. My neighbor, who is a cattle farmer and depends upon gathering hay, had himself a bumper crop for his first cutting.

But then, the lack of rain turned into a short drought, as we spent a good four weeks in June in the high 90s with nary a drop of rain. The total for the month was less two inches. The grass understandably withered and my neighbor wound up having to feed thirty bales of his recent bumper crop of hay to his cattle in the first month of summer, three months prior to normal!

All of this was then followed by fourteen straight days of rain that we received in July. The last two days alone, we got over four inches in less than a twenty-four hour period! And now, as August has is unfolding, we are projected to have no rain at all for the first ten or so days of the month.

Oh well… It seems that the faucets of Heaven turn on and then they turn off!

For me, of course, all of this has been, at most, a mere inconvenience. At times, I have had to cut my grass as much as twice a week. At other times, I only have to cut it every other week or so.

But for my poor neighbor, it has been a very frustrating roller coaster ride! Either it has been too dry for his hay to grow, and even for his cows to garner enough green grass from the pastures for daily sustenance; or else it has been too wet for him to get his tractors into the hayfields to cut and bale hay, let alone gather it into the barn.

As I have reflected on all of this, I have been reminded of just how blessed I am in this regard. I say this because, as we talked, both I and my exasperated neighbor had to admit that, despite our current irritations, we still have it far better than our ancestors did.

After all, most of them were mere subsistence crop farmers. Their very livelihoods depended upon putting seeds in the ground and having those seeds come to fruition, in order that that they might be harvested for profit. Either too little rain or too much rain would easily devastate their crops, thwarting their hopes and dreams. Beyond this, if the lack of rain got severe enough, extensive dustbowls were created, often lasting for years. In the process, entire swaths of farmlands were entirely abandoned.

Even those who did not depend upon crops could be threatened by extremes in precipitation. In the world where I grew up, creeks and rivers often flooded, and in the process, wooden bridges were not only thoroughly inundated, but at times, completely washed away.

And one did not even have to leave home to suffer the ill-effects of such fluctuation in precipitation. Most people got their water, not from deeply drilled wells, but from relatively shallow bored wells. In periods of drought, many of these wells simply went dry. Ina double whammy, it was hot, dry periods in the summer that so often accompanied the drying up of these wells. Thus, it was that whenever water was needed most, not just by crops and livestock, but by people themselves, it was least available.

On the other hand, in periods of extreme rain, these same wells often became so muddy that the water they produced had to be boiled before being declared safe enough for consumption. What is more, whenever they faced downpours like we did in getting four inches inside of two days, the rain did not just come down on the roof, but it came down through the roof. Indeed, it was not uncommon for people in those times to find themselves sitting around with one or more buckets dispersed throughout their dwellings, as downpours were apt to produce leaks in the rooftops of their homes.

I could further belabor the point here; but it is does not seem necessary. Compared to our forebears, the vagaries of weekly, monthly, or seasonal weather remain for most of us merely an inconvenience. It is certainly not the extreme vexation it once was for our ancestors, most of whom lived rural, agrarian lives.

Conversely, these days, whenever I find myself saying, “Rain, rain, go away…” it is usually because my plans have somehow been disrupted by it. Likewise, whenever I find myself saying, “Come again another day…” it is more often than not because either my lawn or my flowers or my pet garden needs moisture.

Let me add that I have also been blessed to travel fairly extensively; and in my travels, I have been to many a place where there are extensive annual dry periods, in which water is all but non-available, followed by even more extensive monsoons, wherein rainfall is so excessively abundant that it becomes less of a mere nuisance and more of a genuine burden.

In all of this, I have been reminded of just how blessed I am. I live in one of the most verdant and fertile places in the world. Sunshine abounds here in east Tennessee, as does rain. And even when rain does not flourish, multiple streams, creeks, rivers, and large nearby lakes insure that there will always be plenty of water to address my basic needs.

In the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 7, verse 14), the Bible reminds us of one fundamental truth: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”

Little wonder that the Apostle Paul would later write (in Philippians, chapter 4, verses 10-19):

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Pay attention to two statements here. In verses 12, he tells us that: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” The Apostle Paul obviously knew what it was like to abound in either too much heavenly sunshine or too much heavenly rain. Conversely, he knew what it was like to suffer from a lack of either! By this I mean that he knew what it was both to enjoy good times and to endure tough times.

And yet, in all of this, he had somehow learned to be content. Why? Precisely because of what he stated in verse 13: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Like the Old Testament Ecclesiast, Paul is here acknowledging the sovereignty of out Heavenly Father, Who always knows what is best for us.

Two other statements of Paul here are also worth observing. In verse 18, he says: “I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied.” To which he adds (in verse 19): “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Paul wanted you and me to know that God not only knew what was best for him in his day, but that He also knows what is best for you and me in our day!

The principle here is the Lord always gives us just what we need. Not always what we want, mind you, but always what we need. And He does this just when we need it most!

In light of this, I’ll take sunshine whenever He chooses to send it. I’ll also take rain whenever He opens up the heavens. I will do so with utmost confidence, knowing full well that He alone knows best when to tell rain to “go away”, and when to tell it to “come again” on whatever other day of His choosing.

So, my friend, whether you are currently hot and dry and sweating it out, or thoroughly inundated and almost drowning, remember to keep trusting the Lord. He knows our needs; and has promised to always meet them, rain or shine!

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/7-14.htm;

https://biblehub.com/niv/philippians/4.htm.

JUMPING SHIP!

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING IT OUT!

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE!

DEEP CLEANSING!

SERIOUS HEARTBURN!

RAIN OR SHINE!

Cleo E. Jackson, III

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