Beyond The Green Line

In a city where danger lurks on every street and around every corner, the Green Line represents the best possible protection and security. It is the border surrounding what is assumed to be the “safest’ area in the Iraqi city of Baghdad. As the reporters, officials and key leaders are inside the Green Zone, they feel reasonably safe — if that us possible in Baghdad. But, if one dares to advance beyond the green line, he instantly loses any security that he once possessed.

Life itself is like that. Normal life for each of us is filled with temptations that threaten to kill our spiritual vitality and lure us away from God. In ancient Egypt, a “…very handsome and well-built young man” named Joseph was threatened with a temptation (Genesis 39:6-7). It was a temptation as dangerous as an insurgent’s bomb. Joseph was a Hebrew young man in a foreign culture — a rising young leader blessed and empowered by God. He wisely lived inside the Green line — that is, trusting and fearing God, allowing the Lord to both empower him and keep him in a world of distractions and superficial attractions. To live as Joseph did is to put your faith in Jesus, the Son of God. The Green Zone for you would mean that “…your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3 NLT)

When urged by the wife of the Egyptian Potiphar to commit adultery, Joseph proved that he stayed inside the protection of God’s Green Line by saying to her: “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9b NIV). That is the secret to avoiding defeat in your daily life — stay inside God’s protection for you. Those who experience joy and also victory over temptations of all kinds are those who “fear the Lord” and who “...delight in doing what He commands” (Psalm 112:1, NLT). Joseph feared God much more than he feared other people. Therefore he was most concerned about pleasing God above all. Is this your priority?

If so, living beyond the green line will be fruitful and not frustrating for you!

Dancing With Trees

Dancing with trees! Was this some kind of joke? Someone described the action in the woods as appearing like dancing. MSN reported this rather strange activity performed by bears in the forest. I watched video clips of a bear looking around in a wooded area, as if to see if anyone else was watching. The bear approached a tree and then suddenly stood up on his hind legs. With his back facing the tree, this enormous bear begins a series of movements as he scratched his back using the trunk of the tree. Several other bears were also caught doing the same thing. The bears’ actions were like creative dancing movements, twisting and turning, the paws and shoulders moving up and down, in and out. It was a display of nature that reminded me of the awesome creativity of God!

Sheer delight in God’s handiwork enables the faithful seeker of God to “see and hear” “…the trees of the forest singing for joy” and the “rivers clapping their hands!” (Psalm 96:12, 98:8)

Wow! I thought that if any of God’s creatures have a reason to dance, it is certainly human beings. In the very first verse of the Bible, the word for create (bara) refers to the unique and exquisite variety that God displayed in making the world and everything in it. The word indicates the delight that God experiences in actually being God and acting as Creator. The word in Genesis 1:1 also means to bring new things into being (Revelation 21:5). It was God’s intention to create human beings who live in such a way as to express the color, richness, rhythm and relationship of the Divine Community — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As one of Jesus’ first disciples, Peter envisioned the “dance” of life being continually expressed through the spiritual gifts of obedient Christ followers (I Peter 4:10). After receiving eternal life through faith in Christ, each of us has the enabling power of God to communicate His manifold or multi-splendor grace of God to the world. Bears may dance in private but we are called to dance for the glory of God (Psalm 150:4, Ephesians 2:10)

The Power of Listening

“I’m all ears!” This is a phrase that has been often used in the past to convince someone that I am really focused on listening to what they want to say. It is often said that there is a good reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth. He wants us to listen twice as much as we speak.

Let’s face it. We are often so busy with activities and face so many demands in our lives that we react rather than respond. We say many words and avoid situations where there is silence. Even in a context of worship with others, our minds drift quickly from one thing to another.

God warns the leaders and people of Malachi’s day to listen: “Listen to me and take it to heart. Honor my name says the Lord God Almighty…” (Malachi 2:2a, NLT) But, it takes time to enlarge our listening capacity. The more we listen, the more blessed and encouraged we will be – drawing awesome spiritual resources from God’s deep well of salvation and joy that we can use to truly encourage those in need.

In I Samuel chapter 3, the young boy Samuel had to learn to listen to the voice of God. It was absolutely essential for living a life of purpose and mission. Samuel became one of God’s greatest leaders as a prophet because he learned to expand his ability to listen to God. On the fourth time that the Lord called, Samuel replied: “Yes, your servant is listening.” (I Samuel 3:10a,NLT) Are you listening?