Have you ever wondered why the ocean is salty but other bodies of water are not? Simply put, because the salts that get deposited in seas, lakes, rivers, and streams, have an outlet to remove those deposits, namely, a path to the Earth’s oceans. But, the oceans have no outlet, and thus they become the final resting place for the salts that originally got deposited in those smaller bodies of water.

Other than the oceans, most every other body of water has a flow in and a flow out. These waterways are called exorheic, meaning they externally drain through one or more outlets. These waterways get nutrients in, they also send nutrients out. Sadly, pollution too is also passed through the Earth’s waterways much this same way. Though relatively few in number, there are some non-oceanic bodies of water that only have inflow and no outflow. One such body of water is the Dead Sea, which is located between Jordan to the east and Israel to the west.

Despite its name, the Dead Sea is not really a sea at all. (The difference between oceans and seas is both size and proximity to land. Whereas an ocean is a vast body of water, a sea is a comparatively small and partially confined body of water surrounded by land.) The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake, meaning that it retains its water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water. The Earth’s largest lake, the Caspian Sea, is also an endorheic body of water. Along with the Jordan River that flows into the Dead Sea, both nearby springs and rainwater keep it from totally evaporating. The Dead Sea is a receiver but not a giver.

Many of us are like the Dead Sea. We receive but we do not give. We receive water in, from any number of sources, but no water ever flows from us to others. I believe whether or not you are a Jesus-follower, the purpose of receiving is the same – to bless and enrich us but also to then in turn give away for the blessing and enrichment of others. We get in order to give.

In an encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus said this – “Everyone who drinks of this water (well water) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

Later on, still in John’s Gospel, during the annual Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), the priests draw water from the Pool of Siloam as a remembrance of God’s provision to the thirsty Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. But this simple drink of well water does not fully satisfy the people, so Jesus makes this appeal – “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37b-38).

What do I see in those two passages above? I see Jesus telling you and telling me to not be like the Dead Sea; don’t just receive and fail to give. Putting our trust in Jesus, looking to Him to satisfy all that makes us thirsty, will quench our inner thirst forever. But not stopping there, as our thirst, our longing gets quenched, we are to be ever-flowing rivers through which Jesus can quench the thirsts of others, with His spring of water welling up, His endless source of living water.   

Rivers only flow if they send water out. So, I ask you today, are you more like a flowing river or the Dead Sea?

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Do you find yourself exhausted? Do you find yourself restless? Do you find that in times of supposed rest and relaxation your mind is racing from one thought to another, unable to shut off? Are you in search of peace but just cannot seem to find it? There are so many things to occupy our mind and our thoughts, and it truly is hard to turn them off. I know, I am one of those people.

I had a stroke about 100 days ago and my injured brain continues on its quest to heal and re-wire itself. As part of my recovery journey, to not overload my brain and totally frustrate myself, I have needed to be very intentional about focusing on only one thing at a time. As I work on improving my focus and attention, memory, processing, problem-solving, and multi-tasking by using cognitive strategies, it takes tremendous effort and energy just to complete a single task from beginning to end. So, when one of those not the task at hand thoughts begins to enter my mind, I am having to say to myself, “No no no, I am thinking about what I am doing right now, I will think about you later.” To help me to help my brain, I must stay attuned to what I am doing at that moment.

Let me ask you – as you go about your day, thinking all the things you think, or as you roll around restless and sleepless during the night, is your mind attuned to God? In Isaiah 26:3 we find this promise, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon you, because he trusts in you.”

Bible translations (ESV, NASB, KJV, and others) that tend to be literal in their word-to-word adherence to the original language use the word stayed; not a word we regularly use in modern language. Translations (NIV, NLT, RSV, and others) that strive to convey the meaning of the text rather than its original form, called thought-for-thought, tend to use language more common to today – “whose minds are steadfast” (NIV) or “whose thoughts are fixed upon you” (NLT). The third translation method is paraphrase, of which the most familiar would The Message and The Living Bible.   

That word stayed comes from a Hebrew word that literally means “to prop, or to lean, lay, rest, support,” or in other words, settled upon. In my study of the Hebrew word samak (stayed in Isaiah 26:3 above), I find several other usages, here is just two – we will be sustained (Psalm 3:5), we will be upheld (Psalm 71:6). Matthew 22:37 tells us, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” We are also instructed to not set our minds on earthly things, but rather, on things that are above (Colossians 3:2). And if we allow ourselves to be, we can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

If we keep our minds stayed upon Yahweh, we are promised perfect peace. Perfect peace is not a life free from turmoil or struggle or conflict. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that life is full of things to worry about or keep us up at night. So then, just what is this perfect peace we are promised? This peace is not tangible or visible, but rather, it is a gift offered to us by Jesus that soothes our heart, mind, and soul in those times of trouble that He said we would have. As Jesus was saying his earthly goodbye to his disciples, we find these words in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts (and I parenthetically add minds and souls) be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Isn’t it true that we keep our minds stayed upon whatever or whoever we trust? So, today and every day, and every night, will you strive to keep your mind stayed upon the LORD?

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I believe it is safe to say there is no more enduring symbol of love and beauty in Western culture than red roses. They are a way to express your deepest affection, longing, desire. Giving or receiving a bouquet of red roses is a message of love. Red roses appear in music, poetry, literature, classical artwork, films and everywhere in between. Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote this – “O my Luve’s like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June: O my Luve’s like the melodie, That’s sweetly play’d in tune” (“A Red, Red Rose,” 1794).

Among other things, one thing genuine love does is forgive (read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). We live in a world that often does not easily forgive. We tend to hold grudges and look for ways to get even with the person who we think wronged us. We might not say it out loud, but we think to ourselves those words spoken by the Wicked Witch of the West to Dorothy, “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” (The Wizard of Oz).

Most often the person we fail to forgive is ourselves. We have asked the person we wronged for forgiveness, they have granted it, but we look in the mirror with remorse and regret, never allowing ourselves to climb out from under the weight of guilt. If you are a Christ follower, once you ask God to forgive your sin, He does, never to hold it against you. Do you believe that? Read Micah 7:19 (in context, Micah 7:18-20) and Psalm 103:12 (in context, all of Psalm 103).

The problem is when we fail to forgive ourselves, even after God and others have, we begin to feel unlovable and we spiral down a dark path from which there is often no escaping. The Bible’s overarching theme is that God loves you and is pursuing you! You were made in His image (Genesis 1:27) and He allowed His only Son, Jesus, to be crucified and die (Romans 5:8), then resurrected Him, in order to restore a personal relationship with you (John 3:16-18), one that was broken due to sin (Romans 4:25).

If the truth be told, we are more convinced of God’s love and forgiveness for others than for ourselves. Many times we hear that internal whisper, “Yes, but…” after every declaration of God’s goodness and kindness to us. We see ourselves as unlovable and unforgiveable.       

You probably know the first few words of the most recognized verse in the Bible (John 3:16) – “For God so loved the world…” The world; that excludes no one! Sensing God’s love – grabbing hold of it, letting it fill your lungs, swimming in it – is foundational to God’s Kingdom. The truest expression of God’s character is His love. The gospel message at its core is a message of love.

In 1 John 3:1 we read this, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

So, right now, no matter how you feel, no matter what your past looks like, open your heart and accept God’s extravagant and lavish love; a love greater than that expressed by a dozen long stemmed red roses.

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We are just hours away from the kickoff of Super Bowl LVI, arguably the biggest sporting event of the year. This year’s game, being played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is between the Cincinnati “Who Dey” Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. The teams are led by a pair of former No. 1 draft picks, the Rams Matthew Stafford (2009) and the Bengals Joe Burrow (2020), both who wear jersey number 9. The Rams last won the Super Bowl in 1999 while the Bengals have never won the big game, last playing in it in 1988. You might be wondering, what is Who Dey? It is short for the rallying cry of Bengal fans – “Who dey, who dey, who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?”

Not only will more one hundred million viewers watch the game on television, the amount of food and beverage consumed is second only to Thanksgiving for food consumed in one day. According to the National Chicken Council, Americans will consume well in excess of one billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday. Those wings, along with cold cut subs, pizza, chili, and potato chips and dip, will be washed down with more than 300 million gallons of beer. Not surprisingly, antacid sales dramatically increase on the Monday following the big game.   

You might be a fan of one of the two teams, maybe you are simply enjoy the game of football, it could be you watch the game just to see the commercials, or possibly you are looking forward to the halftime show headlining some of Hip-hip and R&B music’s biggest names. It was in the early 1990s that pop music acts began to perform at halftime, first with New Kids On The Block in 1991 and then Gloria Estefan the following year, but it wasn’t until Michael Jackson took the stage in 1993 that the halftime show began to morph into the spectacle it is today. Did you know that the Grambling State University Marching Band has played in the most halftime shows, six times over four decades?

During this year’s Super Bowl, ordinary people will turn fanatical and pour every ounce of their existence into cheering for their team. Not only that, many will be dressed from head to toe in their team’s logo gear. But when the game is over, and the last chicken wing is eaten and last swig of beer swallowed, these fanatics become ordinary people again, with ordinary live, ordinary families, ordinary jobs. The word “fan,” shortened version of fanatic, is defined as an “enthusiastic devotee (usually as a spectator) or an ardent admirer (of a person).”

Sadly, many of us relate to Jesus that same way. For an hour or so when we go to church or small group meetings we are like those fans during the Super Bowl; we go wild for Jesus, but when the service is over, we go home and become “normal” again.

Fans cheer while followers learn from their teacher and then help in spreading the good news of that teacher. Jesus calls us to be more than fans. He calls us to be followers (disciples). The dictionary defines a disciple as “a pupil or follower of any teacher or school of learning, religion, art, etc. and one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrine of that teacher.” So in other words, a disciple of Jesus is someone who seeks His guidance, follows His plans, and then shares that goodness with everyone they meet.

So, today, be a fan of your favorite team and cheer like mad during the Super Bowl. Also, commit yourself to being a disciple of Jesus, allowing Him to change you and in the process begin to make you more like Him. Don’t just be a fan of Jesus, be His follower!

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One of my favorites places to go is to the beach. I love everything about the beach. One of the things I enjoy is to walk ankle deep along the shoreline. There is something about feeling the sand squish between my toes and the water washing over my feet that so safe and relaxing. But, I also enjoy getting into the water, going much deeper than just ankle deep, and playing in the waves, while still having a healthy respect for the power and danger of the ocean.   

Just as some people at the beach only dip their toes in the water, never wanting to get fully wet, it is often the same way in our relationship with God. We only want to get a little wet rather than jump in and out of the waves, getting completely wet. God calls us to be fully surrendered, fully committed, fully wet, all in.

Today I want us to look at a verse in the middle of the story of Jesus calling His first disciples. This verse is Jesus’ invitation to Simon to go against what makes no sense and go all in with Him. I encourage you to read this story, found in Luke 5:1-11. (I just love verse 5! It is my life verse.) In Luke 5:4 Jesus says this to Simon – “Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Did you catch that? In believe Jesus called for Simon to venture out into the deep water and not simply play it safe, a few feet offshore. It is the same for us; our needs are met in the deep things of God, only found when we fully surrender and trust Him completely.

Let’s look at the Triune God this way – Father God is the initiator of our faith, Son Jesus is the implementer of our faith, and through the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes energized. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 3, when praying for spiritual strength, prays this, “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (v.16).

That verse is Paul’s what and the three verses that follow are his why. Here is what we read – “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (vv.17-19).

And it is through going deep with the Holy Spirit that we can fully lose ourselves and find all that God has for us. The deep waters of the Holy Spirit are always accessible to us because they are always flowing. Ezekiel gives us a beautiful picture of this constantly flowing river, one that begins like a small stream but the more we “jump in” the deeper it gets, and the more we get of the Holy Spirit’s work. Ezekiel 47:1-5 is a prophesy about the healing and restoration brought by God’s Spirit In verse 1 Ezekiel sees “the water was coming down from underneath the temple’s south side.” In subsequent verses, each time its depth gets measured, the water goes from a trickle (v.2) to ankle deep (v.3) to knee deep then waist deep (v.4), and finally in verse 5 we read, “but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water has risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river no one could cross.”

Today Jesus is calling you to put out into deep water. Is that scary? Absolutely it is! The Holy Spirit calls us to be fully submerged in His flowing water; the water of wisdom, healing, peace, comfort, restoration, and the list goes on and on.

So, I ask you – Are you all in, finding yourself in the deepest parts of the ocean or are you only ankle deep at the shoreline playing it safe?

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We live in a culture that is self-focused. The mantra today seems to be what can you do for me? Sometimes, without actually saying the words, we, by our actions, often ask the question, what’s in it for me? We do regularly tell those we care about, I’m here for you, but, are we really? Societal trends have drifted away from community and moved toward self. I want what is good for me, even if it comes at the expense of others.

Let me stop for a minute and say that in my opinion, self-care is different than self-centeredness. Self-care isn’t done with the intent to harm others. Self-care is replenishing my resources without depleting yours, whereas self-centeredness adds to me and subtracts from you. Self-care enables me to give myself away. A self-centered me only attitude is only concerned about me, and instead of giving myself away, I end up giving to me and taking away from you. I also believe that self-care includes others but self-centered ultimately excludes others.

The Bible paints a very different picture than the societal me-first attitude. Just as Jesus poured himself out for us, we are to pour ourselves out to and for others. We are told in Philippians 2:7 that Jesus, who was fully God with all the divine privileges, gave up those privileges, and emptied (poured) himself out for us. When he instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said this, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27b-28).

The apostle Paul, in both Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6, tells his readers that he himself is being poured out as a drink offering. Paul is willing to give himself away, at a cost to him personally, for the benefit of others. Here is what we read in Philippians 2:17, “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”

You might be asking, what is a drink offering? In the Old Testament, a drink offering was an offering of wine that was poured out on the altar as part of the sacrifices of burnt offerings (atonement) and grain offerings (recognition of God’s provision). The first recorded drink offering is found in Genesis 35:14, after God changes Jacob’s name to Israel – “And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.”  On the cross, Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need for a drink offering when his blood literally spilled out when the solider pierced his side with a spear (John 19:34).

Just as Jesus poured himself out for us, and just as Paul considered his service to the world as being poured out, we too are called to be poured out sacrificially for the good of others. I ask you and me today this question – are we willing to be poured out, even to the point of being used up, not seeking to be served, but rather, to serve those around us?    

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