We just returned home from our trip to Lakewood. It was enjoyable to be with Pastor Jim and Gina Brummett and the congregation of Southwest Assembly. If is always fulfilling to share God’s Word with those who are committed to Christ. I have been pleased with the strength and energy I have had today considering I missed my routine nap yesterday.

After enjoying lunch with the  Brummett’s  we were able to visit with Christian and Bridget and then make a trip over to Englewood to see my mom. She had some friends over to her house for lunch. At 89 she is convinced she needs to be able to prepare a meal for guests. She seemed to be doing well and was in good spirits. My mom has two other sisters older than her, one pushing 100 and the other in her early 90’s and four others who follow behind her in birth order.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” Genesis 21:6,7

As I have read the account of Abraham and Sarah, I have taken note of the references to laughter. Laughter is one of those outward responses that can have different meanings depending on the circumstances and who is doing the laughing!

1 – Laughing in disbelief

So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:12,13

When Sarah heard this news her laughter may not have been an unusual response. After all, this was an outrageous event that was going to happen. It had never happened before. But when confronted about her laughter in disbelief she in her embarrassment denied it.  But the Lord was going to show Himself as the One who is faithful to His Word and that for Him nothing is too difficult, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.

2 – Laughing with joy  

When Sarah had a son she laughed again. This time with joy, this time in the wonder of God’s faithfulness to His promise. She invited and others to join with her in laughing with joy over God’s provision of a son. Remember, Isaac means “laughter.” Some one once described this turn of events as, “Sarah laughed, God didn’t laugh but God had the last laugh.”

3 – Laughing with scorn

Hagar was not among those women who “laughed with Sarah” over the news of son born to her. “And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.”  Genesis 21:8,9 (ESV)

It is hard to know of the interaction if any between Sarah and Hagar, these two women who had borne sons to Abraham. But when a great feast was thrown for Isaac marking a significant event in his life, Sarah observed Hagar laughing in mockery.

You know that moment when you share something personal or even embarrassing and your friend laughs? They often say, “I’m not laughing at you, I am laughing with you.” I usually say, “I wasn’t laughing!” If on this occasion Sarah was laughing with joy, Hagar was not, and Sarah knew it.  Sarah in her anger demanded of Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”  Gen. 21:10 Can you say, “awkward!”

I am thankful that we serve a God who allows us to express our lives through laughter. Yes, sometimes it is in disbelief, sometime we laugh with others and at times we are guilty of “laughing at” others.  (Like the time a friend had the bottom of his six pack of beer break and smash the entire contents. I wanted to say, “apparently God doesn’t want you to have those bottles of beer. I wasn’t sure whether to feel sorry for him or laugh. So I laughed; but at a distance!) Yet when God is the One who brings the joy of laughter into our lives, it is something different and special.

Consider:

Psalms 126:1-3  When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Job 8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Yes there is a laughter that comes from the human heart, but the joy that comes from the Lord that brings a response of laughter is something entirely different. Sarah experienced that and we can experience it in our lives today.

 Debbie has been on call today, so it has been pretty quite on the home front as I and dog have worked to “hold down the fort.” I did some house cleaning to try to help out which is always good therapy. After lunch I made a quick trip to the neighborhood pool to get in some exercise before getting ready for our church service tonight.

The therapy and exercise that I am doing has been going well and I believe I can tell my strength is slowly recovering. If there is one area of specific prayer, it is for strength in my right leg. This is the leg I recall having some problems with even when hospitalized. My muscle deterioration exposed some of the nerves which created discomfort when I slept or was laying in a certain position. It was also the leg that I just could not move for the longest time lying in bed. At this point if the strength in my right leg matched my left I would be ready for the next level of rehab. It seems patience continues to be part of the plan. I try to remain thankful for where I am and patient with what is still in process.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “He [God] took him [Abraham] outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  Genesis 15:5

As I am reading through Genesis once again and the life of Abraham, I have been reminding myself that Abraham did not have “the story of Abraham” to help encourage his faith and confidence in God. How fortunate we are to have the record of those God called and used in His plan. Individuals of courage and faith and trust. Yet even with that, we often have difficulty trusting God and taking Him at His Word and will try to “help Him out.”

God called Abraham; Abraham followed; Abraham believed God and God “counted his faith as righteousness.” Yet in the midst of it all Abraham just we do today, tried to figure out how God was going to do what He had said. As a result we see him trying to help God out.

God made His promise to Abraham and Abraham’s reply was “I don’t have children and that means my servant Eliezer will be my heir…” God had to say, “no, not your servant, a son of your own flesh and blood.” (Gen. 15:4)

Later Sarah was becoming worried and impatient; so she thought she would help God out and give her servant Hagar to Abraham to have children. Perhaps she reasoned, “God said the child would be Abraham’s flesh and blood but didn’t say anything about me!” We don’t know her reasoning other than being very much aware of her own aging body and trying to comprehend how this would all happen.

Years later we see the Angel visitors coming to Abraham and telling him, “at this time next year your wife will have a son.” Did Sarah rejoice in God’s promise coming true? No, she laughed. (Gen. 18:10-15)

God was demonstrating Himself to Abraham and Sarah as the God who does the impossible. God’s purposes are not accomplished through human means. Trusting God is believing that what He says will happen even though we don’t know when or how. If we knew the “when and how” it may seem so impossible it would make us laugh in unbelief.

Later when Isaac was born and God tested Abraham’s faith on Mount Moriah, we see Abraham obeying even when it did not make sense that God was asking him to offer the promised son as a sacrifice. Hebrews says, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.” (11:17-19)

We see Abraham begins seeing the future from a divine perspective and not one of human reasoning. When things happen that I don’t understand, I am learning to rely on the One who does understand, and resist the temptation to help God out. How about you?

I have been working at my computer for most of this afternoon. This Sunday I will speak at Southwest Assembly in Lakewood. This may be a dangerous assignment. I haven’t been “in the pulpit” for some time and with the events of this last year it can either be challenging in regards to the topic and trying to stay focused with so much to share.

My massage today was a welcome event after my therapy session yesterday. As I was out and about this morning I was able to see some of the left over impact of the storm we had a couple of days ago. There were till mounds of hail and water in retention ponds and leaves that had been stripped off of trees. I believe we  avoided some of the damage that took place just less than a mile north of us.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”…You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalms 16:2,11

I have been reading through the Psalms. As I read Psalms 16 this morning I found it rich in the words of each verse. It is difficult to select a verse (or two) for special attention and comment. As I read the words of the Psalmist the acronym BFF (Best Friends Forever) came to my mind.

In our life we need to know who we can count on. The tragedies of life often show betrayal, disappointment, hurt and maybe even something worse. Relationships constantly provide an opportunity to practice patience, forgiveness and other aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and God’s nature through our lives.

However, there are those relationships that seem to reflect the Proverb, “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) During my hospital stay I was blessed by those who constantly encouraged, prayed, helped at our house and stayed with me through the night to provide assistance and comfort. It is humbling to receive that type of support.

Even the best human friendships change, ebb and flow and come to an end. That is what makes a relationship with Christ and His presence in our life so significant. “Apart from Him we have not good thing.” He is the one who directs our life and provides the guidance and wisdom we need. He fills our life with peace and joy and has plans for all that to continue in eternity.

Jesus is really the only one who fulfills the “forever” aspect of a “best friend.”

Today is Primary Election day. I am eager to see what the results will be of some key elections here in Colorado. With being in Fort Collins, I feel somewhat removed from my established political roots. I invited my friend Dave Holden to join me over in Greeley to monitor the results with the Ken Buck Campaign for the Fourth Congressional District primary.

Tomorrow I will return to Northern Colorado Rehab Hospital for my weekly therapy session. It will be interesting to see if there is any progress since even last week with my muscle stimulation therapy and work in the swimming pool. I am scheduled to do some pool work as part of my therapy, so I will see if I pick up on any new water activities.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “Blessed is the one  who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”  Psalms 1:1-3

This first Psalm is a familiar one to many, yet is speaks volumes each time that we read it and mediate on it. In a world in which people long for and look for “happiness” it is interesting that the Bible consistently offers a map to the “blessed” life.  For those who follow after Christ….

1 – Relationships make all the difference

Perhaps you have heard the adage, “show me your friends and I will show you your future.”   The Apostle Paul was ahead of modern day leadership gurus when he said, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”    (1 Corinthians 15:33)  When you consistently live among those whose life is contrary to God’s ways, their actions and words drags you down.

In contrast a “blessed” life is enjoyed by those who follow and meditate on God’s laws. God told Joshua to “meditate on the law of the Lord and you will prosper and have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

2 – Planted and Productive

The Psalmist continues to describe the one focused on life in God and His Word as a “tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” This imagery communicates stability, fruitfulness, vibrancy and longevity. I believe it is a fitting description of what the Lord desires for us in this life and the assurance of an eternity in His presence.

When what we do is directed by the Lord, we can’t fail. There may be setbacks, there may be “failures” in our eyes or even the eyes of others, but when God is directing our path and we are following Him the trajectory of our life over the course of our life is upward.

Revelation 22 and Ezekiel 47 reveal the water of life flowing from God’s presence that forms a tree lined river that bears fruit each month. If nothing else, what we can do is learn a lesson from God’s work in creation and what is revealed in eternity. If God is able to establish trees along a river bank that are solid, firm and fruitful, He is able to bring stability and prosperity to your life. Just as in like fashion His care for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field is to encourage our trust in Him and dissolve worry. (Matthew 6:33)

Remember, “… the Lord knows the way of the righteous…”  (Psalms 1:6) He will direct your path and be with you all of your days as you commit to following after Him. That’s the road I want to be on.

I was surprised that I was as tired as I was this morning. Perhaps it was that second workout in the pool yesterday evening. When I finished last night I wasn’t able to get right out of the pool. I needed to sit for a while and rest before I had the strength to get myself back into my wheelchair.

So, after getting up at about 6:15 a.m. I took a mid morning nap before some work in my office. After lunch I did go to the neighborhood pool once again. I am actually able to walk in the water the full length of the pool without holding on the sides.  The water provides an opportunity for some exercise that is still difficult against gravity.

I did call my neurologist and it looks like my myasthenia gravis blood panel is the same. I  was a little surprised by that but I am still gaining strength and making progress. However that may explain the nagging periodic fatigue.

Debbie was able to arrive home by 4 p.m. today. That is the earliest she has been able to come home from her work day in some time. It think she is ready to return to “full time” status in order to match her time commitment. My progress also helps with that. I am glad that I am more stable and making improvements so that doesn’t need to be as much on Debbie’s mind.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. Revelation 22:1-3

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Revelation 21:6

As I read these verses at the close of the Book of Revelation, I couldn’t help but recall the similar passages from the Old Testament prophets. For example… Isaiah 55:1 –  Come, all you who are thirsty,  come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

Then I recall Jesus words to the woman at the well in Sychar, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  John 4:10

Then we see the river from the throne of God John sees in Revelation is reflected in the vision of Ezekiel.

The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east…Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river….Every month they will bear fruit...Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:1,6,12

Water speaks of life for both people and nature. It seems that the mythical “fountain of youth”  brings a great allure to many people. Perhaps then it is no wonder that the Bible refers to God’s offer of eternal life as living water. Then we see the removal of the curse represented in a river from God’s throne with trees bearing fruit that bring “healing for the nations.” The tree of life that Adam and Eve were banned from after the fall, is now available for all to freely partake.

The bottom line is that God’s plan has been made known down through the ages. Both the Old Testament, the ministry of Jesus and the Book of Revelation that provide a hope for that which is far beyond our comprehension. When it materializes will be in keeping with God’s timing and plan. But our relationship with Jesus Christ now is what helps us to keep anchored and focused and brings hope for this eternal destiny.

I am reminded of the words of hymn writer  Fanny Crosby who wrote, “Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of glory divine…” The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives bears witness that we are the children of God and then reveals to us the great inheritance that is ours through Christ.  (read:  1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 1:18)

You have a future and a place to look forward to!