Green is the color of Spring: vibrant and lush, full of life and promise. And so it is again this year. The leaves came out slowly, warm days interspersed with cold ones, making the opening delight last longer. I love it, this is my favorite time of the year.

We are also witnessing a new Spring in the life of one of our friends, Dan, a former drug addict and wild young man. He has been forced into a corner by his own bad choices and is now thinking about God.

In fact, the other day he came and told me about a double God-sighting in his life. His money disappeared and this forced him to stay home for the day, during which time he had a good talk with his estranged wife. And at the end of that good conversation, he looked over at the TV and there under it was his missing money! The fact that he recognized these as God sightings means He sees God cares for him.

This is an indication of the effectiveness of sharing about God sightings as part of our witnessing, leading to insights of how God loves the individual personally.

Today he indicated that He has either crossed the line into the Kingdom or is in the process. His first question confirmed his forward movement, “What do I do now?” A good question. What would you say to that?

He needs more revelation, so, get into the Word. I told him to start in Matthew and read at least a chapter a day. At that pace he will read the whole New Testament in nine months.

He took the next step on his own, asking about going to church and showing interest in a small group. Another sign of new life.

This conversation reminded me of a picture of a field with some stripes of verdant green, others of shorter yellow grass. What made the difference? Fertilizer. Yellow grass had little nutrition, while the green was well fed.

This is a picture of the Christian life: if we are in the Word regularly, our lives can be verdant, growing, fruitful. Without it we will be yellow, weak and fruitless. The choice is up to us.

How are you doing with being daily in the Word, feeding yourself well, being fruitful for Jesus?  I often ask people if they have a regular quiet time (many don’t) and if they do why. Most answer that they should, or it is the right thing to do.

But one young man answered, “Because I want to know God better!” Now there’s a high-level motivation which  gives his quiet time focus and energy. May that be ours, leading us to spending time with Him every day.

I praise you, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all, for the meaning you give us in life, for the possibility of having purpose, which can only flow from you. Without you all else is, from a human perspective, meaningless, random, chaos, and chance.

In contrast, in you there is order, a place in your affections, a part in your great plans, and participation in eternity. We are not caught in a time box with just so many years and then nothing. As we move through the autumn and winter of our lives, we have the definite hope of another spring followed by an endless summer where life will continue with you throughout eternity.

That will be life on a higher, wider, brighter plain, free from brokenness, anguish, disappointment and rebellion. We will walk with you in lightness, fullness, warmth and joy, unhindered by the twistedness of this present, sin-choked existence.

We will be with you, Lord Jesus, in body, soul and spirit, free to obey, worship, work and love without that constant battle with the world, the flesh and the devil.

And even now we live in the Kingdom of light. We are accepted, loved and valued. We have worth and in Jesus we are competent. We can follow Him in paths of righteousness, we can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and we can find our joy in Him. How much more great will it be in Heaven?

Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory,”

[Your shield, your powerful, proficient, positive protection for us goes on and on, Lord, as you give us your shield of victory. But I must take it up and lift it with praise (Eph. 6:16)–and as I do so, you give the victory over the enemy, over temptation, over negative thoughts and emotions, over my old self.]

“and your right hand sustains me;”

[Biblically the right hand is the one of honor and strength. As I tire in the daily battle, I can look to you and you will, with your right and strengthen me, refresh me, give me more will and energy to press on in the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. I must look “to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” and “consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3).]

“you stoop down to make me great.”

[You in your greatness, as Lord of all creation, must lower yourself from Heaven to enter the universe, our galaxy, our solar system, our world and come to the location when I’m at. There you reach into my life to do what is necessary to make me successful in following you, as you define success.

You stooped very low to willingly and lovingly redeem us, becoming a man, being weak, dying in our place, being buried, going to the lower parts of the earth to defeat the devil and death. Therefore, you could rise up in power and light, out of the tomb, up to the Father, again filling the whole of the universe (Eph 4:10).

And now you fill all my life with your Spirit, with your goodness, wisdom and grace. Help me today, Lord to keep you at the center of my life, checking in with you often, following what I know to be right that I may stay under your shield of victory.

Protected by the shield of victory in the battle of life (from internet)

Chapter 84  Big Challenges

In the year of 2008, things beyond our control were developing which would take us in a new and different direction. Barbara’s mother was 89 at the time, living alone in her own home and in need of help. After much prayer we sensed the Lord leading us to move to Germany and take care of her.

This was not at all to my personal liking. First, I loved being in our country where my work was, where my disciples were, and now where my boys and their brides were.

Second, my ability to speak German was very weak. I would have to start learning another language at the age of 62—not an easy or welcome prospect.

Third, I did not like Germany. As beautiful as it is, in my opinion it is over-regulated. There is a rule for everything and everyone works to make sure you obey!

After functioning within the very flexible cultural situation of the Middle East  (with the exception of bureaucracy), this change would be hard for me. In our old country you can cross the street anywhere there’s no barrier; you can park on the sidewalk if it’s low enough; you can ignore certain traffic lights that all the drivers agree are irrelevant; you can wash your car yourself.  All these are forbidden in Germany.

However, when the Lord calls, the best response is obedience. And when we obey, God gives us joy whether we get what we “want” or not.

There was, however, one big “plus ” to life in Germany:  driving on the autobahn. On the German freeway system, you can drive 110 miles an hour and do it legally! I could look forward to that!

While living in Germany, I would be able to continue my area supervision work with the use of email, skype and occasional visits to our old country.

So we began our preparations for leaving in the Fall of 2008.

The summer of 2008 proved to be an incredibly stressful one for me. We were finishing up a big construction project for the business, one that had promise of a good profit. However, that  was the year the world-wide financial crisis crashed onto the scene, and our hopes of good sales were dashed. This left us unable for the moment to pay back all the interest-free loans we’d been given. Fortunately the men who had made the loans were willing to wait for repayment.

Then my car was stolen. It was an old one, a 1993 Fiat station wagon, a model no longer in production. Used parts were hard to come by, so it is probable that the thieves immediately chopped it up to sell for parts.

At any rate, we never saw it again. I was sad to lose it, for we had hoped to sell it and use the money to buy a car in Germany. We would just have to trust the Lord to work that out. So we praised Him and moved on.

However, there was MUCH more stress to come which made for much pressure and spiritual growth.

Psalm 18:33b “he enables me to stand on the heights.”

[For David, to be on the heights was to be safe, to be the winner. And you, Lord Jesus, make us winners with you by bringing us to the mountain tops of truth, wisdom and faith. You guide us through the valleys, the traps and attacks of the enemy, leading us up onto the high place of victory.

You empower us then to stand on the heights, even though Satan tries to “throw me down [I am just a] leaning wall, a tottering fence. Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place,” but you, Lord Jesus,  are “my rock, my salvation, my high tower,” and as I abide in you “I will never be shaken…for my hope comes from you alone” (Psa. 62:1-5).

As we “put on the whole armor of God” we will “be able to stand in the evil day”—no matter what comes—“and having done all to stand” (Eph. 6:13).

Whatever triumph, whatever victory, whatever accomplishment comes, you are the One who brings it to pass, Lord Jesus, “for without you we can do nothing” (John 15:5).

I give you praise, our Mighty Rock, for you are the reigning, equipping and protecting God, fully worthy of our obedience, worthy of our bringing you glory and honor. May it be so today as we stand in high places, such as in this picture.]