Just How Loud Does He Have To Say It?

 

I will never forget the day that I had my paradigm to God's "beyond audible" voice changed in my life.

 

I spoke in detail about it in the post "Do you hear what I hear?" and today's post is one that I would like to use to illustrate what I was expressing in that post.

 

There was a time in my life that I used to view God as someone who was mostly mad or mostly sad with me and my behaviour. "Could I make Him happy?" was the big question for the day and more often than not my failures would squelch that chance each day.

Then there was the whole issue of trying to go through the ritual of "listening" to Him. I did not know how to do that and I would pray and pray and feel as if I was talking to myself.

 

May I just stop here and say that I love how loudly that Father speaks.

 

I used to think that He only spoke through what was written in the Bible or through the pastor at church and so I would read the Bible until my eyes blurred and listen intently each and every week waiting to "Hear from Heaven" and I would pray and try with all my might to confess every sin I could think of in order to be worthy to have Him stoop to speak to me.

 

Then one day He opened my eyes to be able to "hear" Him.

 

Wait a minute. Opened your eyes to hear?

That's exactly right!

 

The Father's voice in our life is beyond audible!

 

We look for it to be heard in the way that we expect it to be and it must sound like the tone that we think it should be and we miss Him completely. I want to share something with You that Father shared with me in regards to hearing His "Beyond Audible" voice.

 

I was driving home from work this past Friday when a truck drove up in front of me. I could not help but notice the skull on the back window,

 

It was a picture of death and it stared me in the face for several miles. I would try to merge to the next lane in hopes of passing this guy but he kept merging with me and it was beginning to really frustrate me.

 

It is Mardi Gras time here in Mobile and I work very close in proximity to two large rescue missions, so in my commute I pass by these places and see the best that the can do with a heart that is open and searching for fulfillment (In a lot of cases).

 

It is very sad and especially during this time of the year with Mardi Gras it seems to really draw attention to the sight of people laying literally in the gutter passed out from an alcohol induced stooper.

 

I hate seeing people hurt by the effects of searching for fulfillment from empty wells.

 

 

The symbol on the truck in front of me reminded me for several miles of what I had seen throughout the day at work as well as the fact that the devil is alive and actively seeking to steal, kill, and destroy.

 

As I drove I breathed out a silent prayer that asked, "Father, why is this stuff everywhere I look? I hate seeing this and seeing people at the end of their rope and searching to seemingly no avail."

 

Just then a small Mercedes Benz cut in between me and the "Truck of death" and I had  to mash down on my brakes to avoid hitting it in the rear and my first reaction was to look at the license plate of the car.

 

That is when I became aware of a beautiful expression of an awesome God!

 

 

I realize that there are people who refuse to believe that God speaks to us daily and does so through more than just the Bible that we have. I have had people ask me if I really thought that I was good enough to hear God's voice every day, and I think its the wrong question to ask. The real question should be, "Do you think God is big enough to get through your thoughts of distraction to speak to you today?"

 

I saw the license plate of the car that was now between me and "Death and Evil" and I was amazed! 

 

Favor of God

That is when I heard Him speak into my spirit with that still small voice.

"Dan, your focus is off course. You are focused on what is wrong with the world and not focused on who is right. It is MY favor that stands between you and evil and you would have to go through ME to get to anything that could  ever hurt or harm you. It is MY favor that holds you up and it is MY favor that sustains you and MY favor alone that provides everything you need. Where ever you see evil Dan, MY favor is close at hand.
I am always present if you look for ME and there are people that will even be at this festival tonight that you are complaining about who are making wrong choices  because they are seeking to satisfy a thirst that I have placed within them.  It is a thirst for ME that they have, and they will be out in force looking to fill that void. MY favor will be seen by them when they ask to see ME, and Dan, some will find MY favor for them even in the middle of all of the evil that tries to block it out of their view."

I sat there stunned.

The God of the universe was using a license plate in traffic to speak an answer to a prayer that I had spoken to Him with my heart?

How incredibly simple yet complexly powerful was that?

It is all lined out so well to us that we miss it in our attempts to put a "formula" or "Science" behind the voice of God in our lives.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Ways = Everything that I do, Everywhere that I go, and Everyone that I meet.

Acknowledge = Search for or Discover

If I am seeking to see God, I will see Him. It really is that simple.

He is everywhere you are and He is  constantly broadcasting out His voice to you if you will have ears to hear and eyes to see.

He truly is speaking with the intent to direct your path.

Take a moment today and ask Father to open your eyes to hear His voice. It will change your life!!!

Climbing with you,

~Dan

I would NEVER do that, or would I?

 

October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner ascended more than 24 miles above Earth's surface to the edge of space in a stratospheric balloon. Millions across the globe watched as he opened the door of the capsule, stepped off the platform, and broke the speed of sound while free falling safely back to Earth. Felix set three world records that day—and inspired us all to reach beyond the limits of our own realities, and re imagine our potential to achieve the incredible.

There is a statement that the space jumper Felix Baumgartner makes as he stands in the doorway of the space capsule just before he steps out into history as the highest space jump that i want to point out in case you missed it on the video.

"I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."

That statement resonated in my spirit and I have never forgotten it, nor have i ever forgotten seeing the curvature of the earth as Felix fell. Everything seemed to be in slow motion and completely still and for that few minutes there was nothing else that mattered except the realization that the things that may have bothered me that morning suddenly seemed insanely small.

As we watch something like this, we are really inspired and amazed but inevitably the thought goes through our mind at some point in the viewing that says, "I would never do something like that!" or maybe the thought says, "That is CRAZY!!! That guy is CRAZY!!!"

This is the problem.

We would NEVER do something like that.

I had the same thoughts as you until one day I decided that I needed to try something similar and the day that I tried it, my world, my relationship dynamics, and my comfort zone were forever changed!!!

While Felix Baumgartner looked out on the world from 24 Miles up, something similar had actually been done centuries before and it had been done without the help of a stratospheric balloon.

The method that was used then is the method that I decided to try.

One of the people in the Bible that I feel that I most closely understand is David. He stumbled just as much as he succeeded but his heart truly did want that relationship with Father.

One of the things that David had that was absolutely amazing was an ability to fully operate in times of distress with the proper perspective between himself and God.

He was not afraid to take the time to honestly look at himself or his circumstances in the reflective lens of God's magnitude.

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." ~Psalms 8:3-5

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." ~Psalms 11:4

"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."     ~Psalms 115:3

What is David really saying in these Psalms?

"I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."

Have you ever reached your limit?

I mean you have just hit a wall at full speed and you take a step back feeling completely overwhelmed and stunned that you are in the place that you are?

I was in that place this week and right there in the middle of that situation I decided to space jump.

I was out in my backyard and the night sky was FULL of stars and it was deep. I thought to myself, "Dan, if you were 60,000 feet up in the air, how important would this situation be?"

What would matter to you at 60,000 feet up?

Nothing. It would seem so small and the only thing that would really matter would be how much closer you would be to Father. You would truly catch a glimpse at how big He really is because you would see how small you really are.

At the end of the day what really matters anyway?

Being right in an argument?
Being the best?
Getting the best deal at another persons expense?
Getting the job done no matter what it does to people you leave in your wake?
How tough you are?
How business savvy you are?
How much money you made?
What kind of car you drive or the brands of clothes that you wear?

At the end of the day what matters most is what you did with the relationship that you have with Father. The realization and understanding that He truly is all that you need and that you operate your life out of Him and what He has made you through Him.

There are many ways to gain this perspective and you do not have to mentally space jump. For some it is forced when they hear the words, "I'm sorry but it is cancer." Some are able to see this when they receive layoff papers or an eviction notice and for some it comes when they receive a late night phone call.

It is that moment where suddenly nothing else matters but your relationship with Father and the realization that you are now closer to Him than you have ever felt the need to be before.

It is those times when we receive the understanding of the words;

 "I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes, you have to get up really high, to understand how small you are."

Times when we realize and are reminded about just how BIG our Father truly is and how small that the distractions we so busily occupy ourselves with truly are.

I want to challenge you today to take a moment in a quiet time to just refocus on how BIG Father is and thank Him for the relationship that He made possible to us through Jesus.

It is powerful and He is powerful!

"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" ~Isaiah 66:1


Take a space jump today, the view will change your life!

Climbing with you,
~Dan

Daddy, Where are You?



One of my favorite hats to wear is the hat that says, "Daddy".

I am not the most patient Dad, and I am in no means the best. I do not have a monopoly on the "Daddy" skills and I will be the first to admit that my mistakes as a Daddy are plenteous, however I do love being a Dad.

It is one of those things that a lot of people can be, but few truly are.

It is also amazing to me how the dynamic that we have in our relationship with God changes when we become a parent and specifically when we become a father. (Sorry Moms, but Dads do get a unique understanding on this one.)

 As a father, God has used my son Blake to teach me more about Him and His relationship with me than any other living soul. I love all of my children and each of them has been used, and will continue to be used,  by God to teach me, but Blake has had a significant impact on my life.

I have posted about some of these things in previous post such as, "Daddy's Hand" (Click)and "No Multi Tasking Allowed" (Click) and it overwhelms me how a child this small can be such an effective teacher of the nature of relationship with a God of the universe.

Yesterday I was enjoying a day off from work and just being at home. I love my home and if I were given a choice of activities to do on a day off, being at home with my family would be my first choice.

My youngest child Blake was particularly happy that his daddy felt this way yesterday and decided to reward me by being the clingiest child that has ever walked the earth.

Have you ever had a day like that?
Everywhere you went there was a 3 ft shadow following you?

He would bring me toys to see, books to read and hats to wear and all with the command, "Daddy... Bwake...play".

And play we did.

This went on throughout the day and really it was not as annoying as I make it sound, but there were a few times when I just said, "No buddy, not now."

He would walk off and a few minutes later be back with the request that always started with , "Daddy..." Children have no concept of time and really all they know is that they want and need.

Last night when bedtime rolled around, he was still extremely clingy and as I carried him down the hallway to bed dragging his blanket he did something very unexpected. He began to cry so I decided to lay down with him for just a bit to calm him down.

I looked him and said, "Blake, you need to sleep in your bed."

He patted my bed and said, "Daddy, down".

We laid down and in no time we both were asleep. This morning as I was getting ready for work in the next room I heard him call out, "Daddy? Daddy? Where are you?"

I opened the door and looked into the bedroom and saw the light from the hallway slip across the floor, up the bed, and onto the bed where it spotlighted this little boy.

There he was. Sitting upright with his blond hair sticking straight up, cheek red from where he had been sleeping on it, and his eyes closed tightly because of the light. He held his little hands in front of his clenched eyes and called out again as he looked toward the light, "Daddy? Where are you?"

The place where I had been laying was still warm, and he knew I had to be somewhere close by but just could not place where that might be so he called out.

I stood there and just stared at this little boy absolutely overwhelmed at the picture God let me see through this moment.

I was in the next room and fully aware of where Blake was and fully assured that he was safe in the dark even though he was startled by my apparent absence.

Have you ever been there?

You suddenly looked around and felt as though Father was gone?

The place beside you was warm indicating His presence "at one time", but it seemed as though you had been abandoned?

You  may have even found yourself at times through tears of emotional overwhelming crying out, "Daddy? Daddy? Where are you?"

This passage came to my mind as I went to reassure him that Daddy was there and that he was OK.

"Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:" ~ 1 Timothy 1:19
 
 I like that phrase.

"Holding faith"

Timothy was Paul's preacher in training and felt the calling of God to deliver a message like Paul's to those around him. Paul was writing a letter of advice and the words in this book truly are amazing words of advice.

This term "Holding Faith" surfaces and it is this term that brings to mind the actions of a little boy yesterday that have reshaped my understanding of my Father!

"Holding Faith" does not mean to hold it in your hand like you would hold a book or a pen. It literally means "To grasp or cling to tightly" like a valuable possession!

Let's look at it in that light.

"Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."

In other words, once you have a grasp of who God is, what He has done, and who you are in Him, never let it go for anything or anybody or any circumstance that life may bring your way!

There will be days when you will be clingy to the Father and not want to let Him out of your sight. There will be nights where you wake up and feel completely alone and distant from your Father's arms. There will be moments when your heart is overwhelmed by His absence but NEVER, under any circumstances, ever decide that in your loneliness that He has lost sight of you!

He knows exactly where you are!

Let me say that again and if you feel that your decisions have made Him leave read this again slowly and out loud:

HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE!

You are safe, and He is closer than a prayer away and just in case you were wondering... That is really really close!

Cling tightly to the knowledge that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells within you!

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11

Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus was this:

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." ~Ephesians 3:14-19

To live by Faith is to live your life out of the abundance of Christ!

It is to live your life as He sees you and in His view of you rather than your own view of you. The victorious Christian life is only achieved by believing that God truly is who he says He is and that He has done what He has said He has done and that you now are what He says you now are!

Cling tightly to that Faith. Do not let another person, organization, or religion tell you anything different than what He himself has told you!

Go ahead, call out within your soul, "Daddy? Where are you???"

Listen very closely, because the answer that Father gives is this, "Here I am, you were never out of my sight. Go ahead and cling as tight as you want! I am here with you."


Climbing with you,
~Dan

Bigger Than Any Giant

His touch instantly revealed to him the smoothness of the stones in his hands. A sharp shiver rocketed up through his spine to the base of his neck as the wave of reality of what was happening suddenly crashed into his shoreline of common sense.

He could be sitting with his harp perched on a rock out in tall grass like a marooned sailor in a sea of green surrounded by grazing sheep that looked like whitecaps in the wind blown grassy waves right now, but instead he was tasting the dirt that had blown back into his face where he had tossed it into the air to judge the wind speed in that valley.

There just several yards to his left was standing the largest human being that he had ever seen in his life.

There is no doubt that David had been prepared for this moment. His adversaries had increased in size and would continue to increase in size. It was a lion, a bear, and now a giant. It would become seven giants down the road and then entire armies. The obstacles in David's life never stopped growing and increasing, but neither did his methods and skills in handling those obstacles. It was his hands, a knife, a sling, and then an entire army of soldiers at his disposal. God equipped him in accordance with every difficulty.

I was reading this event and was again inspired by it, but this time i noticed something that I had always missed up until this point.

David's biggest obstacle that day was NOT a giant on the field.

David's biggest obstacle that day came before the giant and his obstacle was the same one that stops so many giant killers it is pathetic.

When David was stirred to challenge the obstacle of a giant he was faced with a more deadly obstacle. Eliab.

Wait a minute?

Wasn't Eliab his brother?

^"And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle."   ~ 1 Samuel 17:28

Eliabs show up before and in the middle of every challenge that you will face and their sole purpose is to keep you from taking on the giants in your path.

I am not sure why Eliab was so mad at David or tried to stop him in his purpose. It may have been because the same passion to slay the giant pulsed in Eliab's heart but he stopped short. There is no doubt that Eliab wanted that giant killed just as bad as David, but Eliab had decided long before David and his purpose showed up that the giant could not be defeated.

That is what happens to most Eliabs in life.

The first thing to do before the challenges in life that come your way is to stop for a second and survey the situation and put it into a size perspective against the God that led you to that path.

"IS MY GOD BIGGER THAN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE?"

He led you to this and He can lead you through it, and if you look back over the battlefields of your life you are going to see that your enemies have increased to this point along with your skills and methods for handling these walls.

Look at this response!!!

^"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." ~ 1 Samuel 17:45

This is AWESOME!!!

"Dude, that's all your going to bring to fight the God of the universe? Seriously???"

His perspective was set, but it was Eliab who stood in the shadow of his giant.

Eliab stands between you and your giant and he challenges your purpose by questioning your motivations.

Listen to David's response carefully because this is the key to handling the Eliabs that each obstacle will bring.

^"And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" ~ 1 Samuel 17:29

It went back to the purpose that was placed within his heart by a God so much bigger than the obstacle that he now faced..

It seems so feeble sometimes in the shadow of a giant, but reminding yourself of what you have inside that drove you to this wall is more than enough. It seems like such a simple response doesn't it?
 Is there not a cause?

This question is so tremendously huge that it staggers the mind to really understand that was being asked then is the same question that is asked of you and I anytime an obstacle stands between where we were are and where we were made to be.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU  ARE SUPPOSED TO DO ENOUGH TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP DESPITE THE INABILITY TO SEE THE STAIRCASE?

Do you believe in what you feel you are supposed to do enough to risk a chance that others will believe in it as well?

 ^"And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner." ~ 1 Samuel 17:30

David's purpose inspired and army who were more than ready to adopt a purpose and move ahead in that purpose as well.

His touch instantly revealed to him the smoothness of the stones in his hands. A sharp shiver rocketed up through his spine to the base of his neck as the wave of reality of what was happening suddenly crashed into his shoreline of common sense.

"Giants were made to be killed." ~Scott Baker



You were made for greatness. It beats within your chest and the victories ahead far surpass the magnitude of any obstacle that seems to loom larger than life. What have you been made to do and be?

Don't allow anyone who has been stopped by the same obstacles to tell you that you are unable to defeat what you face. Your purpose is bigger than you or anyone else.

Climbing with you,
~Dan

What Do You Give To A God Who Has Everything?

We all have people that we have a hard time shopping for.

You know the frustration that comes with this and you go to the mall hoping to be inspired right? You walk down the concourse and look in shops and stores that seem to offer everything you can think of and the middle of the concourse is jam packed with small kiosks that also have things promised to please that person on your list. You just want to find the "Perfect gift" right?

What do you give someone who needs or wants absolutely nothing?

What do you get for someone who has absolutely everything?

I have to look at God when I ask this question because for so long I tried so hard to come up with ways to "Present my body a living sacrifice" to Him. If I dressed a certain way or only listened to certain types of music, went to only church functions, only had friends from within my church, or even read the Bible through in year that would be pleasing to God right?

Would He smile at me then?

I was painted a picture of a angry volcano type of God who needed me to constantly check boxes to please Him and keep Him from erupting and He really was more like an unstable parent to me than a loving Father.

I could never do enough because if I prayed for an hour it was if the question was asked, "Why didn't you pray for two?"
Any gift that I brought to Him always seemed to be something that He already had or that someone else could do better and really He was not interested in receiving it anyway.

Then one day, I spied something out shopping that pulled me in right away.

YES!!!

This was the perfect gift for a God who has everything!!!


See, the day of your birth and the day of your death are two days that you have absolutely no choice over. You do however have a choice over what you do with every day in between these two events.

 

It is options that give choices power.

 

It is the options that are utilized that make the choice valuable. Think about it, how loved would you really feel if someone had no option but to love you? It is the choice that they made to love you out of all the options that they had that makes the love that they give you so valuable.

 

So when it comes to getting God that perfect gift, is it really an option to check boxes if you are afraid He is going to break your legs if you don't? No. It is no different than playing by the rules of Don Coleon.

 



But He is God the Father and not the godfather. He does not demand anything from us that we are not willing or capable to give Him freely.

So we walk through the spiritual mall and check out stores like "Standards R Us", and the "Service Center", we consider the tithing store, and the attendance shop and ultimately we fail to feel like we gave Him the right gift because to truly give a perfect gift, you need to know the person well that you are shopping for. There is nothing wrong with standards, servie, tithing, or any of it, but if we giving those things to keep Him happy with us or to be a better gifter than the other relatives than we are missing the mark.

I had been shopping at the store "Law-Mart" and coming up with terrible gifts for Father. One day I came across the Kiosk of GRACE in the middle of that proverbial shopping mall and it was at that Kiosk of GRACE that I discovered the "Perfect Gift for the God Who Has Everything".

It was Faith.

Does it really take Faith to be in a spot however many times a week? Does it take Faith to serve in a ministry?

Does it take Faith to read your Bible through in a year?

Not that any of those things are wrong, but really ask yourself this question, "What have i done today that required Faith to do?"

Things will begin to shift just a bit in our shopping mindset if we do.

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."  ~Hebrews 11:5-7

Faith is simply put, choosing God over so many other options that seem to make sense.

 

It is choosing to trust in the fact that the Christ did die for your sins and that His work was finished at the cross and that I have received a new nature to walk in.

God's wrath for me was poured out on Jesus and now because of Him there is therefore no more commendation. The only way that I will face the wrath of God is to die without a relationship with Him through the shed blood of His son.

Faith.

It is Faith that allows me to operate in newness of life.

It is Faith that provides me the strength to tell temptation "No".

It is Faith that enables me to be today what He made me to be.

If God intends for me to live my life out of and through Faith in Him to be who He says He is, than what is it that He cannot do with you?

You might say, "Well Dan, I have made some pretty lousy choices with my life."

"Sometimes it is the wrong choices that bring us to the right places"

He has you here right now and of all the things that your eyes could have seen today, they are seeing this. Why is He allowing you to read this out of everything that you will read today?

Choices.

 

 

What is it that you would do if you were not afraid that God could not or would not help you to do?

 

What would your life look like one year from today if you just decided today that you were going to operate in Faith that God is who He says He is and that He is able to accomplish what He speaks into your heart?

 

Give God the perfect Gift today!

 

Operate in the Faith that HE is who He says He is and that He can do and will do what it is that He has said He would do!

 

Shopping for "The God Who Has Everything" and finding the perfect gift is not hard at all if you know the God you are shopping for.

 

Climbing with you,

~Dan

Waiting for Superman

Faster than a speeding bullet he raced onto the scene.

Sometimes it was through a window sometimes it was even through the wall, and when the occasion called for it, it was through the doorway like the rest of us.

He showed up and he did what the rest of us wished we could do in those situations in life where a person who chose to impose their will on everyone else was stopped from doing so.
 
He stepped in front of the weak and he became their strength and he became their shield from the bullets and debris that would be flying all over the place.

If you could not get out of a burning building on your own, he was there to pick you up and fly you off to safety. If you could not escape an oncoming a bullet, he would deflect what you could not dodge. He stopped speeding trains and plummeting airplanes.

It was his smile to you when the smoke cleared that told you that you did really good on your part under pressure for the strength that you had and that everything was going to be OK. He would speak a word of encouragement, pat you on the shoulder and then fly away just as quickly as he showed up.

He was Superman.

I write quite a bit about Superman because I am in fact a Superman fan. I always have been and unless the story line gets too crazy I always will be.

I see in the character of Superman so much of what I want to be for the people that are allowed to be in my life.
I want to be strong, protective, vigilant, and patient. I want to "save the day" in the train wrecks life throws other people's way. I want to take the bullets for them and see through every act of frustration on their part and respond with a calm patience. I want that...

I am however, not Superman.

I fall short and my jumps in life are just enough to clear the first two steps out in front of the tall building Superman would so effortlessly jump in a single bound..

I think that if I had a dollar for every train I derailed instead of keeping it safe I would be a very rich man indeed, and in spite of my best intentions to protect my Metropolis, I end up in my own logic and reasoning becoming the Lex Luthor who strangles it to a position of becoming a shadow of what I know it's potential can be.

Have you ever rushed into the proverbial "Building on fire" only to discover that your rushing in weakened the structure causing it's premature collapse?
Have you ever found yourself doing more harm than good because you in fact are not the cure all  you thought you were?

Once the train comes rumbling full speed out of control you had better be able to stop it because there are passengers who are hanging on for dear life depending on the fact  the one who boldly stepped onto the tracks ahead really does have what it takes to help.


So what do we do when we realize that we are not the Superman that others need us to be?

David often found himself in this type of scenario. He did a lot of good and he did his share of wrong as well. He loved the Lord, and yet he found himself in this battle of dependence upon the God that he praised for His ability to stop the speeding bullets.

He praised God for His unfailing ability to be the only one to stop an out of control train wreck like Goliath and yet stepped in front of a runaway Mack Truck like Saul.

Right in the middle of this rampage through Metropolis David finds himself chased from his home, crawling through caves, and hunted like a wild animal. The Superman cape is torn and the blue uniform is ripped. The finely chiseled jaw of this superhero is cut and bleeding and worst of all...his very soul has been crushed. Can this really happen to a Superman?

Right in the middle of this struggle for a hero to stay on top of the pedestal that he has been unwillingly placed on we find him curled up in a cave and speaking something that comforts me when I go through cave times myself.

Have you ever went to hang your cape up at the end of the day and been discouraged about the condition that it is in as it goes back in the closet?

You know, the cape you wear as a parent, a spouse, a friend, and employee or employer, a grandparent, or even just as a person?

It looks so tattered now and at one time it was brilliant and red and it was a "Symbol" of something greater for others to ascribe to but now it looks like it is ready for the car wash towel pile. Look at what David has to say;

"Lord, how are they increased that trouble 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. Selah."           ~Psalms 3:1-2

Please notice that David is taking an honest look at the circumstances around him and these are the result of him trying to stop a train by himself.

Notice the word "SOUL". This word is one to describe our Mind, Will, and our Emotions. The popular consensus of the day was "Ain't nobody got time for that. No one, not even God can help this man."

Have you ever felt this way? Beyond hope.

What happened Superman?

Then look at the response because this is for us!!!

^"But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me." ~ Psalms 3:3-5

David acknowledged within his spirit that he was not Superman. It is OK to understand that you are not the master of the universe.

David said, "Father, you are my bullet deflector, you stop every bullet that flies through the air and you are my strength. You literally hold my head up. Without you I am a spineless mess. You hear me with super hearing and you see me with x-ray vision, and I can find complete rest under the shadow of your cape."

BAM!!!

I love the word "Sustained", because it means God alone keeps it going. When I step onto the tracks in front of a runaway train, it is me who is going to get creamed and not the train.

When I intervene in the life of another in my own wisdom and strength I will do more harm than good. I need to be clothed in Christ. It is not me that they need, it is Him.

I am not Superman and neither are you.

To expect anyone to complete the work of Christ in another person's life will only lead to disappointment and regret. It is in the realization of this which causes us to recognize and establish God in our hearts as the only one who can stop the bullets in our life and in the life of another.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."   ~  2 Corinthians 12:10

I know you like the way that the cape hangs off your shoulders because I do as well, but today can I challenge you to surrender the self imposed responsibility to save the city to the One who truly is THE Superman!

Take the cries of the citizens of Metropolis to Him and allow Him to be in their life who He claims to be. When you are in a position where God opens the door to help with the runaway trains, then understand where your true strength comes from.

Wait on Superman!

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."    ~ Isaiah 43:31

^"Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah."
                                                                                                                         ~Psalms 3:8

Climbing with you, ~Dan

I Hear You Knocking But You Can't Come In

The knocking sound started firm but soft and it just would not stop.

"What in the world?", I thought to myself. Maybe if I just do not move the person knocking would get the idea that I was not home and just leave.

I looked out the window and spied him on the front porch. He was shaggy and dirty and certainly not someone that I had ever met before. I lived in Granite City, IL at the time and while Granite City was a nice place to live, you did not want to open the door to just anybody.

So he knocked, and I did my best to ignore.

I went to the back of the house so I would not have to listen to the sound of the knocking and after a few brief moments the knocking stopped and I heard a car door slam. I went to the front door and looked out just in time to see a very beat up small blue rusty pickup truck cough to life and drive off around the corner.

I was about to turn around to go back indoors when I saw it sitting in my driveway.

 

It was  a little house. Y'know one of those little plastic pre-fab jobs that kids love and then 6 months later they just pose as a giant lawn obstacle to mow around?

There it was. Sitting in the middle of my driveway and larger than that was the question in my mind of what was this all about?

Who was the homeless looking guy on the porch, and why did he leave a plastic Little Tyke house in my driveway?

My wife and very small son would be coming home soon and this house was in the middle of the driveway so I picked it up and drug it around to the backyard. If he had the wrong address at least it would be safe for him in the backyard, and why not let my son play in it until the bearded mystery man came back for this mistaken drop off?

My son would play in these houses forever every time we went to Toys R Us and I thought he would get a kick out of it.
They arrived home about an hour later and I could hardly wait to see the reaction on my son's face when he saw this new playhouse. I walked him by the hand around the corner of the house and had him close his eyes and I think that i probably was more excited for him to enjoy it than I thought, because his reaction when he opened his eyes killed me.

Nothing.

"Clark", I said, "Buddy, its a house like you always play in at the store!!!"

"Oh cool", he said nonchalantly as he walked up to it and began inspecting the shutters and the little plastic faucet on the sink. "Yep daddy, it finally came today."

WHAT???

"It finally came?" I asked Him. "Buddy did you know this was coming?"

"Yeah daddy, I sure did..." before he could finish I asked him, "Buddy do you know who was bringing this to you?"

"I sure do daddy." He responded very matter of fact. "I asked God to give me this house when i was in the store before and He finally picked today to bring it to me."

Let me just say that I was stunned beyond belief and at that moment I heard another knock deep within my spirit. I looked out through the window of my heart and I saw another homeless looking guy with a scruffy beard and dirty clothes. His hands had wounds on them.
My family and I were about to make a major transition in life and were praying about moving to Mobile, Alabama. We had to sell our home in housing market that had just crashed. No one was buying and it would be difficult to make this move that the Lord was directing us to move.
That is when I opened the door and looked the bearded guy in the eye and heard Him say, "Dan, if I can provide a house for your child because He asked me, why would you think that I could not sell your home in a bad market and help you buy another in a state 11 hours away? I really am that big Loved, and if you will just take the steps that I showed you I will be with you."

I will never forget that conversation that I had with Father in the backyard that day. Our home sold to the people who looked at it after the sixth day being listed on the market.

 

I was reading this passage the other day and it hit me just as hard.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.                         Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."   ~ Revelation 3:19-21

This passage is always used to tell people that God is wanting to enter their hearts for salvation, and while He does, this passage is not speaking to someone who is in need of salvation. This verse is a message from God who is asking those who have already accepted Him to allow Him access to themselves.

So why would people not open the door to Him?

I mean if opening the door to God meant developing a deeper level of relationship with Him, why would anyone in their right mind choose to drown out the knock, go to the "back of the house" or just pretend to not be home?

The benefits of opening the door are absolutely outstanding!

As I think about this I asked myself, "Dan, why do you stand on the other side of doors in your heart that Christ is knocking on?"

Here is where the answer hits us each right between the eyes. It cuts wide and it cuts deep.

I believe with all my heart that we don't answer the knock on the door because we do not recognize the sound that we hear as a knock.

We hear the noise and mistake it to be something so far different from what it truly is, an invitation from our creator to know Him better.

We mistake the noise of a knock to be a termination of employment, a doctor's prognosis, or a financial hardship. Maybe the knock on our door comes in the sound of a relationship that falls apart right in front of us, a loved one that leaves, or a change in life that seems to leave us reeling in it's wake.

God's knock is always a point where He calls us to come to the end of our self because until we reach a point where we realize our need for Him we will never reach the potential that He made us to reach.

The "Knocks" of life are painful and it is because of this that we often find ourselves avoiding the doors that we should be opening. We want the knocks to be on our terms. We have the "sound" in place in our mind that we feel we should hear and we are prepared to respond to that sound only. If the "Knock" sounds like a pay raise, a deeper level reached in our marriage or children that always behave with expert decision making ability, then we are ready to run to the door.
It would be no different than opening the door of your house to someone that you know and certainly avoiding opening the door to the knock of someone who looked like a homeless bum.

It is the "Knocks" of God that can seem to literally knock us to the ground that He uses to introduce Himself to us in a deeper level of relationship and it is those "Knocks" that He allows into our life that are in all actuality His calling card.
Each week of my life I have the opportunity to correspond with people who have discovered the "Knock" that seemed to shatter the comfortable silence of their life was the loving desire of a Father who was seeking a relationship with His son or daughter.

The doors provided in life that we beg God to open or close on our behalf require us to see Him for who He truly is, will be, and always has been.

GOD.

What have you been hiding from? What "Knock" have you found yourself avoiding?

What "Knock" has had you pretending not be home over?

Please do not be afraid of the unknown. Please reach out and open the door and what you are going to discover is that the God who created you and placed within your heart the desire for the things that you desire most is ready and willing to show you just how powerful of a role those desires play in His story for you.

Don't run, don't hide, and please do not pretend that you do not hear Him standing at the door and knocking.

Romans 8:28 promises us that all things work together for good. Everything that God allows into our life is going to work out for our ultimate good. The "Knocks" that we try to escape and avoid will only work for our good.

Open the door.

Father is waiting and what He has to show you will have you saying, "I knew it would come, I asked Him for this and He decided today to bring it to me!"

Climbing with you,
~Dan