Silence or Indifference

Ps. 28:1  To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock; Do not be silent to me...

Have you ever had the opportunity to comfort or console someone just by being with them?  Being there but not speaking?  In those situations, absent of words, your presence is what shows that you care.

At times we feel, as David must have, like God has turned a deaf ear to us or that He isn't going to answer (speak to) us.  Or even worse, that He just doesn't care.  That's where we confuse silence with indifference.  Silence means you don't speak, indifference means you don't care.

There may be times when God doesn't speak, but there will NEVER be a time when He doesn't care.

He is always with us (Mt. 28:20).  He will never leave us or forsake us.  The very promise of His uninterrupted presence in our lives is proof that He ALWAYS cares.  Even when He is silent.  Don't confuse silence with indifference.


Sock Monkey Snippet:  There will NEVER be a time when God doesn't care. 

Thanksgiving

Lk. 22:19-20  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."

Many denominations refer to part of their liturgy as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.  Some also call it the Eucharist.  As a young boy growing up in the Catholic church, I never really knew what "Eucharist" meant exactly and I guess at the time I was never curious enough to ask.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered and understood that the Greek word "eucharistia" means, you guessed it, thanksgiving.  Expressing gratitude, using grateful language to God as an act of worship.  Jesus gave thanks (eucharistia) when He broke the bread and offered the cup and instructed us to do likewise.

When we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, it is indeed fitting that we thank God for all that we have.  But let's understand too, that every time we remember the body and blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ by partaking in the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion or whatever we choose to call it, we do so with thanksgiving (eucharistia).

Of course we can give thanks any time, any place for any thing because thanksgiving is more than just a holiday, it is the expression of a grateful heart.  It is a year-round opportunity for us all to worship God using grateful language.

Give thanks with a grateful heart.  Give thanks to the Holy One.  Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.  Give thanks all the time.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Thanksgiving is the expression of a grateful heart.

Unmistakable Favorites

Ps. 17:8  Keep me as the apple of your eye, Hide me under the shadow of Your wings...

No part of our body is more precious, delicate and carefully guarded than our eyes.  When something comes at our face, especially our eyes, we automatically shield them by either blinking or raising our hands.  Quickly.  How amazing that God gave us reflexes so that we could protect our eyes.  These same reflexes even cause our eyes to close when we sneeze.  It is also equally amazing that our Creator gave us eyebrows, eyelashes, eyelids and a perfectly designed bone structure around our eyes for their natural protection.

The Hebrew word "apple" (iyshon) used in this verse is the pupil, the very center (black part) of the eye.  So David, in this psalm, is asking God to guard and protect him just as carefully, quickly and automatically as He would His own eyes, His own sight.  With a reflex reaction, protecting something of great value and importance.

Have you ever referred to a loved one as "the apple of your eye"?  It means that they are your very special, cherished and unmistakable favorite.  A totally different meaning from the one mentioned and intended above, but I believe no less appropriate.

You and I are the apple of God's eye.  We can appreciate and take comfort in knowing that He carefully guards and protects us.  Just as quickly and automatically as a reflex reaction, like blinking our eyes.  But we can also delight in simply knowing we are His very special, cherished and unmistakable favorites!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  We are God's unmistakable favorites.

Spacious, Free Living

Ps. 37:39  But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord...

When I think of salvation, I think of being rescued.  God rescued me from some end and to some end.

The Message Bible interestingly translates the word "salvation" in this verse as spacious, free life.  The spacious, free life of the righteous (a believer) is (a gift) from God.  So then, we can understand that we were rescued from a small, confined, limited, even imprisoned life to a great, boundless, limitless life of freedom because of the righteousness we have in and through Jesus Christ.  God intended for us to enjoy the freedom, fullness and abundance of His kind of (zoe) life and Jesus confirmed it (Jn. 10:10)!

Try replacing the word "salvation" in other Scriptures with the words "spacious, free life".  Here are just a few to consider:

Ps. 68:19  Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our spacious, free life (salvation).

Ps. 91:6  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My spacious, free life (salvation).

Rom. 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to spacious, free life (salvation) for everyone who believes...

It is amazing to consider that not only has God rescued us by giving us His only Son, but He also gave us a new and better life!

Jn. 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting (zoe) (spacious, free) life.


Sock Monkey Snippet:  The gift of our salvation is a spacious, free life.

Deer Feet

2 Sam. 22:34  He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.

What makes the feet of a deer so special?  What quality do they possess that makes them something to be desired?  Well, living in western Pennsylvania, the deer we see are usually standing in the middle of a level field or at the edge of a tree line.  But we can understand what makes the deer (and their feet) spoken of here so special because they are found in the mountains, the high places.  Places where the footing was uneven, dangerous and not easy to overcome.  And yet these deer have been given the ability to do just that.  To overcome.  Despite the challenges of rugged terrain, they move about easily, effortlessly and elegantly.  God has given them a sure-footedness.  I've read that, when climbing a mountain, a deer could put it's back (hind) feet in exactly the same spot where it's front feet had just stepped.  Exactly and without error.  With certainty and precision.  With ordered steps.

We all face obstacles in our lives.  Mountains we must climb.  But God has given us the ability to overcome any challenge.  He has given us the feet of an over comer (Lk. 10:19).  The sure-footedness of one whose steps have been ordered (Ps. 37:23).  He makes our feet like the feet of a deer!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  God has given us the ability to overcome.

Cheap Candy

Prov. 26:22  Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly? (MSG)

The dictionary defines gossip as idle talk or rumor.  Idle talk not beneficial or producing anything of value.  Worthless.  Rumor is uncertain, unconfirmed, unsubstantiated and usually untrue speech.  That's right, it is "un" everything!

I think it is interesting that various translations of this verse liken listening to gossip as eating sweet food, dainty morsels and tasty trifles.  It appeals to us.  This particular Message Bible translation, however, more appropriately describes gossip as cheap candy.  Junk food.  And although it may at first seem appealing or desirable, it tastes terrible and isn't at all good for us.  Get the picture?

A few translations read that the words of a talebearer (gossip) are as wounds.  And like a wound, gossip causes pain, irritation and discomfort.  When we listen to gossip, not only are others hurt by us, we too are hurt.  Resentment, jealousy, bitterness and even anger are birthed in our womb, our belly, the innermost part of our body.  Just from listening.  Do you want junk like that in your belly?

Gossip is the fuel that keeps the fire of strife going (Prov. 26:20).  Take it away, and the fire will go out.

Be mindful of what you say and don't be a wound-inflicting talebearer.  Be mindful of what you hear and refuse to eat the cheap candy!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy.

Heaping Coals

Prov. 25:21-22  If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

We all would agree that feeding a hungry person or giving water to a thirsty person would be an act of kindness.  But how can either of those two efforts be likened to heaping coals of fire on someone's head?  Well, it seems to me that, however unlikely, this too must be an act of kindness because we are told that the Lord will reward us for doing it.

Notice that we are talking about being kind to our enemy.  Something that doesn't come naturally to us.  Something that would certainly surprise them and be quite unexpected.

At first, I was inclined to think the idea here was that by being kind to our enemies, we would make them feel ashamed or guilty for how they mistreated us.  That they would feel really bad about it or hurt in some way.  But it doesn't make sense to me that God would reward us for making someone else feel rotten.  Even our enemy.

I have read the explanation that, in the Bible, fire was a valued possession.  People nursed the coals from last night's fire to be ready for the next.  To rekindle it.  These coals were carried in buckets or baskets on top of someone's head.  So you see, sharing your embers really would be an act of kindness.  Something that you would usually only do for a friend.

The Message Bible translates verse 22 this way, "Your generosity will surprise him with goodness and God will reward you."  Surprise your enemy with goodness.  I like that.  Share your valued possession of God's love.  Rekindle something in others, especially your enemies.  And God will reward you for heaping coals!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Surprise your enemy with goodness.

Lifter or Dragger

Eph. 4:23  Let the Spirit change your way of thinking. (CEV)

It's not that I haven't made this observation or known this truth before, but it seems lately as though I'm being reminded of it.  Our attitude can affect others.  We, by the way we think and consequently speak and act, influence those with whom we interact.  This is no great revelation, in fact, it seems only to make common sense.

By our attitude, we can either lift people up or we can drag them down.  Are we optimists or pessimists?  Are we encouragers or fault finders?  Are we proud or humble?  Are we patient or impatient?  Are we judgmental and critical or forgiving and kind?  Do we pretend to know it all or quickly admit that we don't?  Do we pretend to be perfect or admit we are far from it?  Do we wallow in self pity or rejoice in blessing?  How we choose to live every day, and it is a choice, can result in others being either lifted up or dragged down by us.  Our attitude, our way of thinking, will make us a lifter or a dragger.  Which would you rather be around?  Which would you rather be?


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Our attitude can either lift people up or drag them down.