DEAL OR NO DEAL ??



Look at those shoes! I have happy-dancing-feet that I was able to find a bunch of shoes that are really cheap, really-really cute, and really-really-really comfortable. I got a great deal, and I consider this exercising good stewardship over the finances the Lord has provided. I’m pretty sure my hubs likes the fact that the money I spent on my little shoe-tribe would have bought only one or two pairs in stores and/or magazines.

Isn’t it fun to feal like a deal maker, to be able to manage and control an “agreement” to get what you want? What a power surge! In some circles, that’s called “haggling.” I don’t attend garage sales, but many people do, and haggling is often part of the process. My 95-year-old father has spent a lifetime haggling. He’s made some really great deals, from buying unusual antiques to wheedling freebie replacement boxes of waffles from the company that made the grevious error of producing broken and/or smashed waffles in his beloved breakfast stash.

Yes, definitely, the more I think about it, making a deal is a control issue. It’s usually harmless fun. But now I’m thinking of the flip side, the harmful side, i.e., the phrase “make a deal with the devil.” Many people, usually unbelievers, unknowingly are making daily “deals” with Satan by allowing him to influence their minds and hearts to the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). I’m thinking Satan is always really pleased with the deals he’s making, and that includes making people think they’re the ones in control of these deals. People are haggling with Satan, ignoring the Lord, trying to get the most stuff out of life, and forfeiting their souls in the process. Satan loves haggling.

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure that the Lord God does not love haggling. He has never once considered allowing anyone to “make a deal” with Him regarding salvation. He will never accept our offers, our deals, of our own good works or our own righteousness in exchange for heaven. That’s because He has accepted ONLY the work of His Son on the Cross, through His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12), purchasing eternity for us, a one-time offering for sins (Hebrews 9:28). Now that’s a power surge!

My Jesus, my Lord, my lips stumble to speak words that express my heart’s gratitude that You allow no deal-making. Otherwise, You would not be my sovereign Lord, You would be like me, and clearly, You are not (Psalm 50:21; Isaiah 55:8). I know that You have forgiven me for my pre-salvation sin of trying to trick You into letting me into Your heaven. I thank You for daily reminders in Your word that I’m to trust You, not to haggle with You to get things I want. At the end of this life, all the shoe-bargains will be meaningless. Thank You for keeping my perspective properly aligned. With my first breath in heaven, all that will matter is being with You and seeing Your glory (John 17:24). Come, Lord Jesus.

HONOR ROLL

 

 

’Tis now a little past the season, but it’s still fresh -- that glorious time of citizenry grading another new President on his work during his first magical 100 days, showing him the love … or not.  Oh, the aroma of judgment wafting around the country, forming into lampoon-shards of “you’re incompetent!” thus forcing said President into self-defense mode, which also never makes anyone happy.

It seems that no matter who’s elected, a few people, or a lot, are gonna loudly proclaim that he deserves a rotund “F.”  Sadly, Presidents seldom make an immediate A+ impression.

When you think about it, who really does make the honor roll?  Most brand new spouses flounder in each other’s eyes during the first 100 days … or hours. New employees/employers soon show their colors of slothfulness and/or bossiness.  Even wee babies find fault with their parents’ lack of ability to move fast enough to fulfill their copious needs and wants.  “Hey Dad -– you can do better!  C-minus for you!”

Oh dear, I just had an appalling remembrance.  Thirty years ago, when I was a brand new, uneducated, and temperamental baby Christian, I recall having sporadic tendencies to “grade” God on His 100-day performance as my own personal miracle worker.  I sometimes felt that He didn’t perform as I thought He should.  I grumbled, whined, and sulked at Him.  If I didn’t immediately get what I wanted, my large inner child muttered, “but this isn’t right, You aren’t giving me what I want!  I’m not impressed with You right now.  You’re not doing a good job!”  Yes, I was the very embodiment of the clay talking back to its potter (Isaiah 29:16, 45:9).  I’m now retroactively shocked at myself.

Then came the news flash -- this attitude is the equivalent of “grading” God!  It took some growing up on my part to learn that I had no business giving Him a “B” (or worse!), when instead I should be humbling myself before Him, asking Him teach and grade me (Psalm 25:5).  I think often of Job being tactfully graded by God with, “and where were you when I did …. [everything]?” (Job 38:4 – 41:34).  And Lord, lest I become prideful over my great growth, if You catch me grading You ever again, please put me in a corner to think about what I did.

My gracious, loving, patient, and sovereign Father, how I thank you for teaching me, causing me to cease grading You in any way, but instead to be praising You in every way. You created me, not the reverse (Psalm 100:3). Please continue to mold me, being taught by You in every aspect of life.  My Jesus, I’m to learn from You and find rest for my soul (Matthew 11:28). How freeing it is, knowing that You, the God of my salvation, will teach me Your way, and instruct me in the way I should choose.  All your paths are lovingkindness and truth.  Why would I want anything else?

 

'TIS A PUZZLEMENT

I will confess that I do not have the to play with any of the massive assortment of mental improvement brain-training games available today.  My brain just does not operate when filling in the blanks of a crossword puzzle, although my 93-year-old mother is very gifted.  She does the hard ones, in ink.  I also believe that the only purpose of a Rubik’s Cube is that of kitty playtoy.  Or doorstop.  Or spider-killer.  And forget about jigsaw puzzles.  What evil person came up with that?  Well, I guess some intensely intelligent being who enjoys reassembling colorful cardboard shards.  I rather envy that person.  But not that much.

When I look at jigsaw puzzles, what immediately comes to mind is that sometimes my life has a tendency to feel like that newly-opened box of teensy pieces.  Seriously, haven’t you ever felt that nothing made sense and there was no way to put the Humpty-Dumpty puzzle back together again?  And even if your life right now is on a calm and pleasant plateau, well, look at this world!  It appears to be breaking apart, instead of self-assembling into a serene place to live.  And try as we might, when we “fix” things, there always seems to be something else askew.  Our life’s puzzle usually seems to be missing crucial pieces.

Ahhh, but there’s something else missing from this puzzle.  The One who created it in the first place (Genesis 1:1).  It’s crucial to remember that He is definitely NOT like me (Isaiah 55:8,9).  He is suffering no “angst” because of the broken appearance of either my personal life, or the world’s hoo-ha.  Why?  Because He is sovereign, and He is in control.  He’s not wondering which piece goes where.  He’s not frantically looking for that missing piece floating in space somewhere.  He’s not chastising Himself for not being smart enough to figure things out.  He created the “puzzle,” whole, in one piece, and sin broke it apart (Genesis 3).

I praise You, my Father, that You know exactly how the “picture” will come together in Your good time, because it is Your picture.  As a result, I do not have to worry about what’s going to happen, how, or when.  Even as all the high-falutin' people in the world attempt to fix everything, according to their plans, I can relax, knowing that You have it all in Your hands (Psalm 24:1).