I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life. 1 Kings 19:10

Elijah had been to the mountain top. He had taken on the 450 prophets of Baal in a sacrificial duel and slaughtered them—literally! God had shown His power in a mighty way, and Elijah had been smack dab in the middle of it. He had to have been on the greatest adrenaline rush of his life. Yet, no sooner did he reach this mountain peak than he began to plummet down the other side into the valley. Ahab told Jezebel what had happened to her priests, and she was breathing fire. “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!” (1 Kings 19:2). Elijah hit the road running and didn’t look back. Lonely and afraid, he forgot all about his recent victory and laid down in defeat. He prayed, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life” (1 Kings 19:4). But God wasn’t finished with him yet. Twice He sent an angel to Elijah and got him back on his feet, and Elijah traveled on those weary feet for 40 days until he reached “Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8). There “the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9).

What a good question! Elijah had just witnessed a miraculous display of God’s power, and yet he was ready to throw in the towel. God had every right to be more than a little upset with him. Yet, in His grace, He gave Elijah what he needed to keep going. He told Elijah that he wasn’t alone, and He reminded him that he still had important work to do.

How many times has this happened to you? Things seem to be going great when suddenly you find yourself plunging down the roller coaster of your own emotions. For little or no reason, you are face to face with fear, loneliness, insecurity, or depression, and you don’t see how you will ever get yourself going again. Why not start by asking yourself why you are in this spot? Then follow the steps that Elijah took. He felt all of these emotions and was ready to quit, but he took his situation to God in prayer. And what a prayer it was! Honest. Real. A prayer that recognized God’s power and didn’t try to sugar coat the truth. Elijah felt like dying, and he said so. But God didn’t mince His words either. His question implies that Elijah didn’t need to waste his time in the pits when there was work to be done. God picked him up, showed him the truth of his situation, and gave him his next assignment—which would take care of those Baal worshipers once and for all. Inspired, Elijah headed back to work!

Next time you find yourself in the valley, ask what you’re doing there again. Is it just an easy place to land? Do you find some kind of comfort in complaining? Is pit-dwelling something you’ve simply grown accustomed to? Take your situation to God and let Him show you the Truth. Chances are good that He has work for you do, and it won’t be done until you get up!

Father God, You have the power to do all things. You can even take a frightened and insecure person like Elijah (or me) and use him as an instrument for Your glory. Thank You for opening my eyes to the Truth. And thank you for never giving up on Your children—even when we feel like giving up on ourselves. For Your glory and in Your service, I pray. Amen.

My dad only spends money on the absolute, basic necessities for survival. For this reason, when I entered our basement and beheld a brand-new pool table, I was convinced he’d gone crazy. (I also discovered a pair of blue-flame rimmed sunglasses and a blown speaker in his car. I rest my case.) He adored his new purchase, and laws were quickly dictated:

GOLDEN RULE: Thou shall not have food/drink near pool table.

*amendment: Thou shall not bring food/drink into basement…period.

*amendment: Thou shall refrain from even looking at pool table if food/drink can still be smelt on your breath.

Unfortunately my cousin JP missed the memo.

Despite several warnings, JP allowed his Diet Coke to boldly go where no drink had gone before–the pool table’s lair! Initially the exiled beverage was restricted to safely rest upon a distant bookshelf. However, quickly tiring of hiking across the basement every time he was thirsty, the Diet Coke slowly began inching closer and closer into forbidden territory. A glimmer caught my eye. I looked up in utter horror as my worst nightmare became reality. There, standing defiantly upon the ledge of the pool table, was the Diet Coke, and JP’s hand was blindly reaching up for it.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!” I bellowed in a deep resonating voice, and in slow motion my hand raced out to intercept…Bang! Glub glub glub… Too late! Jumping up, our hearts froze. Where our expensive pool table had once proudly stood; now sat a coke-filled paddling pool.

Pitifully JP came sprinting back into the room arms full of toilet paper, “HELP!” Rubbing the abominable wet spot like a madman the stain merely spread. As Coke began dripping through the bottom of the table onto the carpet I could fainting hear him mumbling, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

“JP, you need to go tell my dad.” Turning his pale, sweaty face toward me, he shook his head, “You’re crazy! He’ll tear me apart and cook me in garlic sauce!” (Oh yeah. Good point.) Without another word, he dashed from the room.

JP realized he had messed up big time and rightly feared the consequences. He knew the rules and he broke them. Just as he had been warned, his worst fears were realized. We have all had that sickening feeling when we knew we have blown it. People warned us it would happen. The Bible was clear about what was right and wrong. Yet for some bewildering reason, we went ahead and did it anyway. Now we dread facing the music.

At times we view God the way my cousin saw my dad—with terror! We can be like Adam and Eve after they sinned and foolishly try to hide. But it’s no use. Unlike my dad, God knows the moment we mess up. Actually, He knows what we will do before we sin. But He also stands ready to forgive us and restore us into a relationship with Him where we don’t need to fear. The writer of Proverbs wisely conveyed: “He who covers his sins will not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Prov. 28:13). If you have been hiding your sin, confess it today and find freedom.

This has been a whirlwind summer for me. I graduated in May and on August 21st I move to Cookeville, Tennessee to go to college at Tennessee Tech University. It’s just over an hour’s drive from where I live now, but still, I just feel like everything is happening so fast and I’m realizing that things are about to change—big time! I’m excited about all that is about to happen—I already spoke with many of the professors, and I have several friends going there with me, and I scoped out the restaurant scene there and found that there is a Fazoli’s and a CiCi’s pizza just a couple blocks away from the campus so I’m good to go (perhaps I should also find out where the closest gym is now). But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous also.

Change has always been hard for me to accept, because I don’t like feeling as though I’m not in control. But God always carries me through those situations and uses them to remind me that I’m not in control–He is! That’s the way it should be because His plan and His timing is perfect, and I can only see a very little part of what He has in store for me. But beyond that, God has also showed me during times of transition and change that He is the unchanging One. When I move to college and everything around me changes, God is still the same.

But when I still want to give in to my doubts or fears of what lies ahead and I can always look to the past and remember that God has never let me down.

When I moved across the country from Tennessee to Connecticut in middle school, and three years later moved right back to Tennessee, he was right there with me guiding my every step. Each of those transitions brought with them a hand full of challenges and adjustments, but God was faithful just as he promises in Matthew 6:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear … Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? … . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:25, 26-27, 34

So while I’m still anxious about all that is about to happen in my life, I am grateful to serve a God that has it all figured out, because I certainly don’t. I can cast my cares on Him and rest in the knowledge that He will be faithful, just as He has always been.

Grandmas are great for many reasons (especially their marvelous ability to bake pies that would make Willy Wonka proud), but they all share one thing in common: their ability to embarrass their grandchildren. My grandmother is not generally known for her reserved, introverted nature. She is famous for coming to my grandfather with 3 or 4 women she met in the airport bathroom who need his spiritual council. She has never met a stranger, and is constantly engaging in conversation with anyone who will listen (well, listening isn’t even required!).

When my grandma visited me at work one day I felt a little uneasy. She walked through the doors and memories of purple sweaters given as Christmas gifts flashed before my eyes. I looked for a place to hide, but the lunch rush had just started and a crowd was forming behind her. With a big smile she called to me and waved, informing all of her new friends in line that I was her oldest grandson, whom she is very proud of. In horror I suddenly realized she didn’t want anything to eat, but had come to take a picture of her grandson at his first job! Ages seemed to pass as my grandma fumbled with her new digital camera (which, apparently, nobody had taught her how to use!). The worst part wasn’t even the picture, but the comments I got from every single person who came behind her!

Have you ever found yourself embarrassed about your faith? Have you been afraid that people will find out you’re a Christian? After all, Christians are not known for receiving the warmest hospitality. History is filled with stories of martyrs who died proclaiming their faith, yet I often find myself worried what others will think of me. Although the world is free to push their philosophies in your face (including the “un-biased” views of atheist university professors), it is considered “pushy” or “preachy” to take a stand for Jesus. While we should never force our views on other people, the Bible calls us to speak up! Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this…generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (1 Peter 8:38) If there is one day we won’t want to be ashamed of following Christ it will be on the day of His return. All other reasons for denying Him will fade away in the glory of His second coming. And why should we ever be ashamed of the one who gave His life for us?

As embarrassing as it was to have my grandma show up that day, I realize now how much she loves me and how often she has sacrificed for me over the years. I still have a copy of that picture she took, and I keep it as a constant reminder of how much she loves me. We have a God who loves us infinitely more. Are we ashamed of Him?

But the land you are entering to possess is a land of mountains and valleys, watered by rain from the sky. It is a land the Lord your God cares for.” Deut 11:11-12

Bet the Israelites were none too happy to get this news! After 40 years in the wilderness, they were probably looking forward to the ease and stability of a tame, irrigated vegetable garden like they had had in Egypt. Sure, there had been that whole slavery thing, but they had always had plenty of good food to eat, and whenever the ground got a little dry, they could open up the old irrigation system and set things right.

The Promised Land that God was leading them to was nothing like the tame, predictable gardens on the flat land along the Nile. This land was full of mountains and valleys. There were tough uphill battles to fight, and the low shadowy valleys, although fertile and rich, looked dark and uncertain. And there would be no irrigation system to depend upon. This land drank “rain from the sky.” They would be totally dependent upon God’s provision for water, food, and life itself. They had been living this way for 40 years, but they probably thought it would be different in the Promised Land: no more manna and no more struggles.

Now God was showing them that they would have to depend on Him even more than before. His eyes were fixed on this land and on them. If they wholeheartedly loved and obeyed Him, He would send rain, and they would “eat and be satisfied” (Deut. 11:15). If they turned from the Lord, they would “perish quickly from the good land” He gave them (11:17).

In a similar way, we long for the Promised Land of spiritual maturity thinking it will be easy to live a godly life there. But, too often, when we get a glimpse of it from this side of the Jordan, we turn back. The mountains look steep and treacherous, and the valleys are full of the shadows of death. Can’t we at least have a garden hose to depend upon along with the rain, Lord? How can we know the rain will fall when we need it? Will we really “eat and be satisfied” or will we starve? We can only answer these questions when we walk by faith into the Promised Land. That is where God will hold us up, and we will know that His love for us is much more dependable than any sprinkler system!

Come on … let’s wade across the river. As long as we follow Him, He will see us through the waters, help us reach even the rockiest peaks, and teach us to harvest an abundant crop in the fertile valleys of death. There we will “eat and be satisfied.”

Lord Jesus, lead me into the Promised Land and forgive my fears. You are my Shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23). Amen.

Do you remember the first time you scaled the ladder of the high dive? I do. It was an incredible summer day, the water was fine, and I was ready to take the leap of death into the cool water. I felt both nervous and excited. I couldn’t stop shivering but I didn’t know if it was from anxiety or the wind against my wet bathing suit.

When my turn came, I began to climb, realizing how much empty space separated my feet from the ground. I became more nervous–fearing what I had never experienced. I had been told the high dive was the next best thing to the waterslides, but at that new altitude, I was not so certain.

As I shuffled to the edge of the diving board, my heart skipped a beat. I slowly felt the rail all the way to the edge, bounced on the board a couple times–mustering my courage, questioning my bravery–and finally jumped, flailing into the water below. As my head broke the water’s surface, I looked up at the board through wet eyelashes and wondered why I had never tried it before.

Since then I have learned that life is a lot like this adventure on the diving board—often thrilling, yet sometimes terrifying. There are so many unknowns, yet I must take the leap of faith, knowing I will always land in my Savior’s arms. It is so hard to have faith and trust in someone’s abilities and knowledge beyond my own because I am a selfish person at times who loves to call the shots. However, God promises riches and blessings to those that follow His will, even when I am pursuing the unknown. I may pursue an unknown future, but I will never pursue an unknown God. He will always make Himself evident, even when the details of His plan and blessings are not.

In three weeks I will be graduating from high school. It is common knowledge that graduation is a bitter-sweet occasion. It is so exciting to depart and head off into new adventures that only college can bring, but at the same time, it is hard to leave beloved friends and family. My biggest struggle is coping with the unknown. I am facing many unknowns right now: for one, I am uncertain which college I will attend this fall because I do not know from where most of the finances will come. However in the darkest hour, God always pulls through. I have had some tremendous opportunities and blessings lately that are guiding me toward a particular school and answering both of my major “unknown” concerns. God is pulling through because I have been fully reliant on Him to meet my needs and care for me.

Years ago I was in a Christian bookstore in my hometown and I picked up a bookmark that read: I may not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. That quote has stuck with me because daily I face unknowns. Facing these unknowns scares me. However, I know I will never be alone and that I will always be taken care of because the same One that breathed life into my very being also guides and watches over me now. I know He will deliver me in spite of my fears and will continue to hold me up when these fears threaten to keep me from following His will.

I hate flying. I have had opportunities to fly overseas several times, and the air travel has always been miserable. At first I thought this resulted from the severe lack of anything to do while in the plane, but I have recently discovered this is not the only reason. The real explanation is that I’m scared. It’s funny, because I participate in much more dangerous activities everyday (such as riding shotgun while my brother drives), but every time a plane hits turbulence I start to panic. I struggle grasping the fact that an unknown pilot is deciding my destiny while thousands of feet in the air!

Several years ago, my family was flying to a warmer destination during the cold Christmas months and I ended up sandwiched between my brother and sister. As I scrambled to get my surroundings somewhat in order, my sister asked if I would help her. Now, to my sister, “carry-on baggage” means “you-can-bring-it-on-if-you-can-lift-it,” and she needed me to make her massive suit case fit under the seat. I began to clear out any unnecessary items under the seat in order to make room for her “carry-on” (at least if they lost our luggage the five of us could live comfortably out of her provisions!). I started removing bags, jackets and magazines until I reached for something that seemed to be stuck and heaved with all my strength. I heard a groan in front of me. Oh, no, inorganic objects aren’t supposed to groan… In horror I realized what I had done. I had grabbed the foot of the passenger in front of me and had pulled him halfway out of his seat. What do you say to the man after that? I don’t know either, so instead I burst out laughing with my sister as the man got up and found an un-occupied seat far from us…

Not being in control is a scary thing. The thought of letting God direct my life often terrifies me because it means putting my life in someone else’s hands. However, I have also begun to realize why I need pilots: I need pilots because I can’t fly. If I were to fly a plane, it would not get very far! Flying with an unknown pilot may be scary, but not nearly as scary as flying myself! I have seen the lousy job I do when I try to play God. I try to take control of my surroundings and end up grabbing people’s feet and messing everything up. God says, if we trust in Him, He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5). It’s ok to have God in control, because He loves us. He’s not going to let us crash but will help us navigate through this life. I’ve seen where my own direction leads, and now I’m happy to let God be the pilot.

Public speaking is the most widespread phobia, even topping the fear of death! This often makes my dad say, “People would rather die than give a speech!” I am one of those people. My whole life I have been afraid of public speaking! However, in September of 2003 God made it clear that He wanted me to be a preacher. “What! But God, you know how I feel about that…” But it was no use, I knew what God wanted me to do, and I couldn’t run from it. I tried though! I thought of every other option: I looked at different schools, I made lists of my abilities/talents/interests, I sought advice from everyone I knew, but it didn’t change the fact that God wanted me to preach.

The book of Jonah is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament, because Jonah was just like me! God told him to preach, and Jonah had a major problem with it. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah decided to get in a boat and head the complete opposite direction. I can’t blame him! The people of Nineveh were famous for their brutality: They were known to cut off the lips, ears and hands of torture victims, stick heads on poles to decorate the entrance of their city, and hang the skin of their enemies off the walls as intimidation. Jonah probably saw a dismal future if he angered these people, especially since his message was “In 40 days God will destroy your city!” However, God sent a great tempest on the sea, and Jonah knew it was because of his disobedience. He told the sailors to throw him overboard if they wanted to survive the storm, and that’s exactly what they did. Jonah could have made them turn around and take him back, but he would rather have died than do what God told him to do (he was one of those “rather-die-than-give-a-speech” types!). But God still wouldn’t let him get away so He sent a giant fish to swallow him and spit him onto the beach. At this point Jonah finally gave in and trudged off to Nineveh and you know what the amazing thing is? He passed on God’s message, and the entire city decided to start following God! Amazing! Did Jonah ever believe this would happen?

What has God asked you to do? Do you feel inadequate? Does it scare you to death? It scared me and it scared Jonah too, but you know what? It was totally worth it. I love preaching now and look forward to every chance I get to do it! Does it still scare me? Oh yeah! But just like God gave Jonah the power to do it, He has done that for me too. Never in a million years could I have hoped to do the things I’ve done, but that’s the awesome power of God.

Do you remember the first time you went on a rope swing over a river or a lake? I remember the first time I ever used one. All of my friends were egging me on, daring me to swing out over the water and let go of the rope. All of the older kids had already done it, and it looked easy enough until…I actually had to do it. I remember holding the rope, swinging back and going all the way to the edge, and then just as I was about to let go, fear got a hold of me, and I stayed on the shore. It looked scary out there over the water! But I remember the first time that I was willing to risk my life out there over the water, because death by rope swing was definitely better than living and enduring all of the jokes and scorn of my older friends for the rest of my life. I pulled all the way back and then swung out over the water, and even though it was scary, I let go of the rope. Then there was a moment of intense midair flailing and flying, followed by being swallowed up in the water where I was sure I was going to drown. But then I finally came up out of the water, and I realized it was the most awesome thing I’d ever done, and I couldn’t wait to do it again!

The Christian life is kind of like that rope swing. A lot of times, life is scary out over the water, and we are afraid to let go of our lives - the rope - and so we hold on. But as soon as we realize that we can no longer hang onto the rope and we let go and give our lives to God, even though it might be scary out there, we realize that we’ve found life like we never knew was out there. And we find that life was nothing before we gave it to God.

This week was Great Commission week at my college. We had a speaker who spoke on the importance of following Jesus’ command to share our faith everywhere we go. He brought up a very interesting point that I’ve never thought about before. He said the problem with churches and Christians today is that we’ve lost the concept of a great idea.

Have you ever thought about what motivated the terrorists on September 11, 2001, to hijack several planes and fly them into buildings in suicide missions? They had what was for them a great idea. Now I am in no way endorsing what they did, but it is interesting to note that they so believed in their cause, their “great idea,” that they were willing to give their very lives for it. How many Christians today would be willing to give their lives for our cause, our great idea – the command to go and make disciples of all nations? I think we aren’t willing to give our lives is because we value our lives more than we do the Gospel. We are afraid of losing our lives because we think that we are the most important part of our existence. We’ve lost sight of a great idea that supersedes the importance of individual lives. Instead of telling God that we will go and spread the Gospel wherever He sends us, even if it means that we may lose our lives in the process, we have gotten to the point where we won’t even share our faith with a neighbor because we value our reputation more than we do their eternal destiny.

Jesus said that in order to find our lives, we must first lose them (Luke 9:23-24). He says that we must take up our cross and follow Him. The Apostle Paul says that he dies daily and that he is crucified with Christ. That means simply that in order to follow Jesus, I must value Him more than I do myself. I die to myself so Christ can live through me (Galatians 2:20). Will I lose my life? Yes. Will I find my life? Yes!

Let go of the rope and live your life for God. Grasp the great idea of the Gospel and give yourself to it!

“If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!” (John 20:25)

Why did Jesus keep His scars? After all, if He had the power to raise Himself from death, He certainly could have erased the terrible marks that our sin had left on His body. But, He didn’t. He didn’t even try to cover them up. In fact, when He first appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, “He showed them His hands and side” so that they would know who He was. He used His scars to draw the disciples to Him, and when they realized who He was, they “rejoiced.”

So why is it that the people of His church try so hard to cover up the scars of our pasts? To begin with, I guess it is because we feel less righteous with them showing. Unlike Jesus, we feel responsible for the ugly marks that sin has left in our lives. He was sinless and earned His scars in a selfless act of grace. Our wounds are often self-inflicted, and, therefore, nothing we want others to see. We cover them like old tattoos with make-up or long sleeves and only reveal them in the privacy of our closets. We shun those “who knew us when” and do our best to appear flawless.

Why not let Jesus redeem your scars just as He has your soul? Jesus’ wounds reminded His disciples of the terrible price He had paid for them and His amazing power to restore life to what was dead. Being open about our struggles and scars can also point to the resurrection power that is at work in us. Those who are suffering as you have suffered will be encouraged to see that God has not rejected them after all. If He could love and use you—someone who was where they are—then there is hope for them, too. There is no sin that cannot be redeemed by the scars of Christ. Nothing too terrible to be washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Never exalt or flaunt the sins of your past, but don’t deny them either. They may be the very thing that God will use to draw unbelievers to His side. Like Thomas, then they will see and believe.

“Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever, but a believer.” (John 20:27)

Lord Jesus, your wounds brought peace to those who had locked themselves away in fear, and they do the same for us today. Thank you for being a compassionate and comforting God. Please, help me to be willing to comfort others as I myself have been comforted (2 Cor.1:3-4). Unlock the doors that fear has closed, and use me as a witness of your Grace. In your name, I pray. Amen.