Double Down
10-5-2022
On November 13, 1946, a plane took off from the Schenectady County Airport with a rather unique payload—six pounds of dry ice. Its mission? To seed the clouds with solidified carbon dioxide, in hopes of creating enough condensation to cause precipitation.
Upon takeoff, the pilot flew his single-propeller plane into a cumulus cloud and dumped the dry ice. Eyewitnesses on the ground said that the cloud seemed to explode. The subsequent snowfall was visible for forty miles.
The science of seeding clouds may be a modern-day marvel, but the idea is as old as the prophet Elijah. After a famine that lasted three and a half years, Elijah seeded the clouds with a brave prayer. Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed.
When was the last time you found yourself doubled over in prayer? The posture that Elijah assumes indicates profound humility and extreme intensity. He’s not just praying; he’s believing God for a miracle. I have no issue with short blessings before meals because I believe in eating food while it’s hot. That said, there are moments when we need to press in and seed the clouds with deep prayer.
We tend to be good with the simple prayers, “God, keep the light green for me,” “God, I’d really like for him to call me again,” “God, help me get this new job.” We should pray those prayers, but we shouldn’t stop with the simple things. The Bible tells us that, “God is the same yesterday, today and forever”. That means He still does miracles today just like He did way back then. So pray, because the more you pray, the bigger you dream. And the bigger you dream, the more you have to pray!
Let me double back to Elijah one more time. At first, there was no visible evidence of God answering his prayer for rain. That is when most of us give up, but Elijah doubled down.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
The greatest tragedy in life is that prayers go unanswered because they go unprayed. God won’t answer 100 percent of the prayers you don’t pray! While we’re on the subject, you won’t accomplish 100 percent of the goals you don’t set. But let me flip that script. Prayer is the way we write history before it happens! It’s the difference between letting things happen and making things happen. If you want to win the day, you can’t wish upon a star. You have to seed the clouds with brave prayers!
Don’t underestimate the power of a single seed, a single prayer! It has the power to change anything, change everything. The same goes for the seeds of faith, hope, and love. Don’t worry about the outcomes; focus on inputs. We plant and water, but God gives the increase!
Never despise the day of small beginnings or clouds the size of a man’s hand. God can move mountains with a mustard seed of faith!
The Difference Between a Rut and a Routine
9-28-2022
If you’re familiar with history you know that pioneers made their way westward in covered wagons. There were no roads to travel on (yet), so they had to make their way slowly and cautiously. As more and more pioneers and wagons made the journey, the trails became more worn. Because the wagons were built to a standardized width, eventually, there were ruts where the wagon wheels rolled along the path. Finally, someone put a sign up at a particularly rugged point. The sign read:
“Choose your rut carefully. You’ll be in it for the next 50 miles.”
Perhaps you know exactly what I’m talking about. Whether in a job situation or a relationship or even in a hobby of some kind, many of us have had seasons in our lives where we found ourselves “in a rut”. Though I’m not fond of the word rut, the somewhat snarky words of the sign are actually good advice for life. We might change it a bit though:
“Choose your routine carefully. You’ll be tied to it a while. It determines your future, so make sure you’re ready for it.”
Most of us have some kind of daily routines that we follow. Perhaps we’re following a pattern that we saw in our parents or maybe it was something we saw in the life of someone we admire. Many people refer to the daily routine as a negative thing, as if it’s something you need to break in order to fully live. But what if your daily routine was designed to make your life everything you’ve dreamed it could be? Wouldn’t this be a routine worth living for?
Israel’s King Solomon said this: Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3, NIV) And his father, Israel’s King David said this: Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12, ESV)
If I can paraphrase what these two were saying it might sound something like this: “Help us understand that life is short, and what we do every day really matters.”
Our challenge is to organize our days in such a way that we create a routine that includes time for everything important. And who better to help us with that than God himself?
We all have the same amount of time every day. If you’re like most people, you want to make the most of the time you have. So doesn’t it make sense to ask God what his plans are? If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that God’s plans are always better than mine.
There’s a reason God said, “I know the plans I have for you……”
Do you know the plans God has for you? Take a look at today’s to-do list. It will lead you either somewhere good, or nowhere good. It depends on whether you’ve chosen a rut or a routine.
Don’t Fight The Crows
9/21/2022
The only bird that dares to peck an eagle is the crow. He sits on his back and bites his neck. The eagle does not respond, nor fight with the crow; it does not spend time or energy on the crow. It just opens its wings and begins to rise higher in the heavens. The higher the flight, the harder it is for the crow to breathe and then the crow falls due to lack of oxygen.
You might remember that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were constantly trying to trip Him up. He didn’t fight back. He rose above the fray.
Learn from Jesus and the eagle and don’t fight the crows. Just keep ascending. They might be along for the ride but they’ll fall off.
….those who hope 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 be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31, NIV)
Taking Back Time
9/14/2022
Let me start by saying that I love technology and what it can do for us. However, technology has, in many cases, taken over. Maybe it’s time to press the pause button and consider a few things:
When a young Jack Canfield went to work for the legendary entrepreneur W. Clement Stone sometime back in the sixties, long before Canfield’s success with Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mr. Stone gave him this advice:
“If you want to be successful, stop watching TV.” Stone referred to the television set as an “Income Reduction Box.” Canfield took his advice, and ultimately built quite a publishing empire.
Today, nearly everyone we know has in their possession, all day every day, something that could rightfully be called an income reduction device. Or, maybe, the quality-of-life reduction device.
The more time one spends looking at it, the less time one spends doing their job and/or fulfilling their purpose. It’s something to seriously consider: With every tap and every swipe you’re making someone else richer, and you’re making yourself poorer — maybe not financially poorer, but poorer in ways that matter more.
Again, I’m sure we would all agree that these devices do serve a useful function, we could also, no doubt, agree with this statement:
“I’ve had many great moments in my life; none of them occurred while staring at my phone.”
Do this as often as you can for as long as you can: Put your device down. Walk away from it for a while. Step outside and listen to the sounds of the real world all around you. Focus on this moment. Experience God’s presence. Say thank you. Stay right there for a bit.
Then, quick, take a selfie and post it on Facebook: “Me enjoying some technology-free time!”
Just kidding about that last part. Serious about the rest, though.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:7)
A Brighter Future
9-7-2022
Let me remind you of something critically important: God is far more interested in your future than He is in your past. Many think that God is fixated on your past. That’s not the case. Like you, God knows your past, but He’s far more interested in your future. That’s where you’re going to spend the rest of your life. So let me help you with some steps to make your future brighter.
First, plan ahead. The number one reason we fail in life is we don’t plan ahead. We make decisions without considering the consequences. The Old Testament book of Proverbs 20:7 says, “The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.”
Jesus spoke often about the importance of planning. He said there was a guy who goes out and starts to build a tower but he can’t finish it because he doesn’t have enough money. He failed to plan. It’s an old cliche, but true, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” Start planning now for a brighter future.
Second, seek wise advice. Let me emphasize the word WISE here. When we think we have everything figured out, we don’t want to hear other advice. Proverbs 15:22 (NCV) tells us, “Plans fail without good advice.” You need to get all the advice you can.
Many people ignore the advice of other people because they think they don’t need it. It’s called pride. Ego. Ego stands for “Edging God Out.” When you think you know more than God and you push Him out of your life, you’re on an ego trip and that’s a trip that leads to a dead end. For a brighter future, seek wise advice.
Third, refuse to give up. Proverbs 24:10 (NCV) says, “If you give up when troubles come, it just shows that you are weak.” Failure is the path of least persistence. The problem is that often during trying times, we stop trying. We give up.
If at first you don’t succeed, welcome to the human race, you’re normal. Very few people make it on the first try. Oftentimes, we give up just when success is around the corner. It’s always too soon to quit. You’re never a failure until you give up.
Finally, stop making excuses. Admit when it’s your fault and get on with life. I’ve discovered that people who are good at making excuses are rarely good at anything else. They spend all their energy thinking up reasons why they can’t do what they’re supposed to do.
Proverbs 28:13 (LB) says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confess and forsakes them he gets another chance.”
Your future is bright……not because I say so, but because God says so. So keep your eyes fixed on the road ahead. There’s a reason the windshield is larger than the rear-view mirror. Keep your eyes fixed on the road ahead. Plan ahead. Seek wise advice. Refuse to give up and stop making excuses and watch God do some great things in your life.