My wife is away for a few days, visiting a good friend in another state. I am glad she can get away, much needed for her. I am also a little apprehensive. This is the first time that I have been alone at home for any extended period since my stroke. No worries. I can do this! But, I must admit, my brain was feeling very chaotic, and my soul unsettled, yesterday afternoon. I went for a walk. After that, despite being very cold, I sat outside, praying for a few minutes.

Needing to warm up, I decided to go inside and do what I regularly do since my stroke to calm myself – art therapy. My first brush strokes were bright vivid colors. While they are bright, there is no order, no pattern. Very chaotic. Very random.

Usually as I paint, it allows my brain to interpret and communicate its chaos. However, yesterday that not working. I paint while listening to classical music. I decided to stop painting, turn off the music, and settle myself by simply being quiet, before and with God. As I sat in my dark art studio (okay, not really a studio, just our basement), with one of our cats in my lap, I began to feel a peace, a calmness, a sense of God’s presence. I allowed myself to simply be still, and in doing so, an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment began to reside in my soul. In those quiet moments I could say it is well with my soul.

So, I grabbed my Bible and turned to some of my favorite “be still” verses…

In Psalm 62, the psalmist shows a strong resilience in the Lord, for rest is found in Him – “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. For he alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress: I will not be shaken” (vv.5-6).

God himself says this in Psalm 46 – “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (v.10).

Psalm 131, while only three verses in length, expresses David’s walk with God, in which he has complete contentment because of a life fully submitted to, and trusting in, God – “O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

After sitting quietly and meditating on those verses, I decided to finish painting, excited to see what my brush strokes would communicate. This time, instead of classical music, I listened to worship music. The next brush strokes, using darker colors, and while still very abstract, began to have some patterns. The paint lines flowed alongside one another. The chaos was turning to calm. Disorder was moving toward order.  

There is an old hymn that begins like this – “When peace, like a river, attends all my way, when sorrows like sea-billows roll, whatever my path, you have taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’” (Lyrics by Horatio G. Spafford)

There are many benefits of regularly unplugging from the chaotic world in which we live. Our physical health and spiritual health are just two of the benefits. 

So, I ask… Are you purposefully carving out time and space on a daily basis to be quiet and still with God? In doing so, you too will be able to say it is well with my soul.   

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How is it that every time I want to use my earbuds, they are in a twisted mess? I did not put them away in that condition. That gold necklace you so carefully put in your jewelry box, why do you always seem to have to untangle it before wearing it? And those Christmas lights, they have all year to secretly tangle themselves up in the storage box in your attic.

Life is often that same way; a twisted bundle of copper wire that leaves you frustrated and exhausted as you try to unravel it. You have well laid out plans, budgets, contingency plans, safety nets, you have things all figured out, yet your life still seems to be complicated and all twisted up; you just cannot find any consistent rhythm. And you need not look to far to see that the world around you is also one twisted up mess. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:15 that life (then and now) is lived in the midst of a “crooked and twisted generation.”    

Have you ever wondered where God is in those moments when your life seems all twisted up, more crooked than a finger that got bent out of shape and never properly realigned? My roommate in college dislocated his little finger a game of touch football, bent into an L-shape until we, his friends, graciously “relocated” it for him. I am sure today his finger isn’t as straight as it once was or could have been had it been properly realigned by a doctor. In Ecclesiastes, we read – “What is crooked cannot be straightened, what is lacking cannot be counted” (1:15).    

Later, still in Ecclesiastes, we find this – “Consider the work of God: who can make straight what God has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will come after him” (7:13-14).

In the passages above, the writer of Ecclesiastes is talking about life under God’s providence. His sovereign guidance and control. These passages are reminding us that we are not really in control. God is in control, and the “twistedness” of our experiences in life are not simply fate but rather they are God-ordained. This does not mean that every good thing or bad thing that happens is initiated by God, but it does mean that God can (and does) use both the good and the bad for His purposes. These never-ending fluctuating seasons in our life help keep us dependent upon God. These passages stress God’s sovereign control over His creation.

Part of our life of faith is accepting both the good times and bad times without being able to explain how everything will work out in the future. But you can trust that God does know the rest of the story. We are told so in Roman 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”   

And as hard as it is sometimes, especially when the weight of the world is really pressing in on you, here is your road map for finding peace – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

So, today, amid the twistedness of life, no matter how hard it might be – take time to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, trusting that God knows what He is doing.  

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Music has been around since the beginning of time. Archaeologists have uncovered flutes made of clay and ivory that date back tens of thousands of years. In the 1950s, clay tablets containing what is thought to be the oldest known piece of music, “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” an ode to the Canaanite goddess Nikkal, were excavated in Ugarit, Syria. On Christmas Eve in 1906, transmitted from Brant Rock, Massachusetts, Reginald Fessenden played “O Holy Night” on the violin in what is thought to be the first radio broadcast containing music.

In 1952, a music performance show began as a local program in Philadelphia, hosted by Bob Horn. When Horn ran into legal problems in 1956, the show got a new host, a clean-cut twenty-six year old disc jockey by the name of Dick Clark. Within a year, ABC picked up the local show, rebranded it as American Bandstand, and began broadcasting to a national audience. When the television studio moved to a new building, one without a studio large enough to accommodate the show, it was forced to move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. After taking over for Bob Horn, Dick Clark was the show’s only host, which ended its run in 1987. The show then ran in various forms of syndication for another two years, before finally going off the air on October 7, 1989.

The first song played when American Bandstand debuted to a national audience on August 5, 1957, was Jerry Lee Lewis’ rockabilly version of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On.” The last performer on the show when it ended in 1987 was Laura Branigan. And in between those bookends, the Beastie Boys were AB’s first censured performer.

Needless to say, music and singing are a big part of our lives. We listen to music as we workout, while house cleaning, in the car, at concerts, wedding receptions, and most any other time and place, appropriate or otherwise. Music is about us, about how it makes you feel. Music often transports us back in time. Every time I hear “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens, I immediately go back to that first kiss with my then girlfriend, now wife. There is a genre or a song that speaks to every one of us. Since the first note was played, music has made us feel good. Sadly, today there are also genres that seem to invoke violence, hatred, discord.

There is one genre of music however that is not about us. This music is about the One it is being sung to. Worship music is intended not to make us happy, but rather, it is the love song of our hearts sung to God. We are transported into the presence of God through worship music. Music birthed from hearts hungry for God. The question isn’t “Did I like this song?” Instead, the proper question is, “Did God like it?”

John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Movement, who was himself a musician, stressed that worship is not about us but about God. We are not “getting something” from worship, it is us giving to God, because he is worthy of our praise.  

The scriptures are filled with references to singing to God. Psalm 95 begins this way, “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” And the first verse of Psalm 96, “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”        

So, I ask you today, is your “singing” heart of worship focused on you or upon the One worthy to be praised? Changing your focus really does make all the difference!

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Food and water consumption are essential for survival. We need energy from food sources and hydration from water for our bodies to function properly. In general, a healthy person can go without food for weeks but only up to three days without water. Our bodies can use up the fat to provide energy. Water, on the other hand, carries nutrients, oxygen, and waste to and from our body’s cells and organs. Water also helps to keep us cool. Water makes up about 60% of our weight.  

We stay hydrated by drinking water. Based upon my sex, age, weight, and activity level I need to drink about 96 fluid ounces per day. I need constant hydration.

Our souls need constant hydration as well. Do you feel spiritually dry? If you answered yes, it could be that you have failed to spiritually “drink.” The Bible talks about receiving nourishment for our body and souls by drinking water. Not just any water, but water that Scripture calls “living water.” The Bible calls God the fountain of life (Psalm 36:8-9), the source of life. And Jesus tells us that He is our spring of water, the sustainer of life. (John 4:10-14; 7:37-39). The apostle Paul tells us that among other things, Jesus is the glue that holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-20). 

Let’s first turn to a verse of scripture from Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Water was a rare luxury in ancient days, and water from an underground spring, a never-ending source, was to be cherished. On the other hand, cisterns only hold rainwater. At best, they store stagnant water; and at worst, they are cracked and the water seeps back into the ground. So, the verse we just looked at tells us that the nation of Judah rejected God, they looked away from the “spring of living water” and by doing so they looked elsewhere for water (life), as this verse says, “they dug their own cisterns.” 

Isn’t that also true of us? We often look to a broken and leaky cistern to meet our daily needs, or in other words, to find sustenance, to find life. And if that one doesn’t work, we look for another broken and leaky cistern. And when that cistern runs dry, we move to the next one, on and on.

In John 7:37-38, Jesus invites “anyone who is thirsty to come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” And near the end of the Bible, in Revelation 22:17, we are invited to “drink freely from the water of life.”  

Today, to keep yourself physically hydrated, pour a glass of cold water and drink from it. And to keep your soul hydrated, I want to encourage you to “drink” from Jesus, your source of living water. Drink and drink and drink from His endless cool and refreshing spring. It is there that you will stay hydrated.

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Have you ever been so sure of something that you “bet your life on it,” only to soon thereafter find it not to be true? Has there ever been a time that you went from absolutely knowing something is true to only hoping it is so, even after being so sure? Do you struggle with doubts about Jesus amid difficult circumstances? Do you ever find yourself wondering if Jesus really is who He claims to be? If you said yes, you are not alone. We all do at one point or another.

John the Baptist, as he sat in prison, possibly for as long as a year, found himself doubting that very thing. John, the very one who told the crowd of the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:11), found himself questioning in that dark moment. John, the very one who after baptizing Jesus saw the heavens open and the Spirit of God descend and rest on Him, even after hearing a voice say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), found himself afflicted with doubt. John, the very one who said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), as he sat in Herod’s prison, questioned whether Jesus was really who He claimed to be. Maybe he was wondering where Jesus was at this critical time of need? Had he possibly misunderstood the ministry of Jesus?

When the heat is on, when life gets tough, real tough, we often find ourselves experiencing deep darkness. Accusing thoughts flood our minds. Here is what we read in Matthew 11 – “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (vv.2-3).

Maybe what John was really asking is, “Why, Jesus, aren’t you doing more?” That seems like a surprising question. John had been so sure that Jesus was the Christ, but now, sitting in that filthy prison, he seemed to be wondering, “What if I had been wrong?” Have you ever found yourself asking that same question?

In vv.4-6 we read how Jesus responded to that question, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me (shall not fall away in me, tripped up, doubt).”

In those three verses I believe Jesus was assuring John that He was in fact the Messiah and his ministry was being fulfilled, just as it had been prophesied in Isaiah 61, while also reminding John that blessed (literally, “happy”) is he who, despite irrefutable proof in the current circumstances, can cast all doubt aside and still have faith.

Yes, it is true that Jesus does not always answer when, or even how we desire, but He always answers our genuine and sincere questions. We are told in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is all we need; it is sufficient to overcome every obstacle, no matter how big, no matter how long, no matter how difficult.

In the midst of John’s doubt, Jesus sent a promise, a word of hope, a reminder that He is who is claims to be. Do you trust that He will do the same for you? Can you cast aside all doubt?

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Wisdom is gained any number of ways. Asking Questions. Passed down from one generation to another. Experiences. Trial and error. Study. Practice.

Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, observed three ways to acquire wisdom – “First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Sometimes the wisdom gained through our experiences comes with little or no blood, sweat, and tears, while other times, it is gained the hard way. I have often learned the hard way. Let me tell you one such instance.

During my childhood, my immediate family moved three times, from one city to another. Because of that, we did not live near any relatives. My mother’s parents lived on a farm in rural Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River. We visited them usually once a year. I loved going to their house. It had everything a city boy did not have – animals, crops, barn, creek, well with cold water, open spaces. I have written about the joy of making apple cider with my grandma (click here) and always looked forward to going down to the river to watch the barges go through the locks. I tell you all this to set up the story.

On one particular trip, my brothers and I, along with two of our cousins (all of us under the age of ten) were playing near grandpa’s pasture, where he had chickens, pigs, and cows. We were throwing stones into the creek that ran near an electric fence that surrounded the field. Our goal was to cause a splash to hit the electric fence. We loved to hear the noise of water hitting the electrified rail – Zzzzzz. My cousin and I, both the oldest of the five, came up with the idea to see which of us five boys could pee and hit the fence. Sounded like harmless fun. Let me just say, I was the only boy to succeed reaching the fence. And it was then that I learned one of life’s valuable lessons – urine is a good conductor of electricity.

While that wisdom is important to know, as is much of the worldly wisdom we accumulate along life’s journey, gaining the wisdom of God is paramount, more important than all other wisdom, even the truth that some liquids are good conductors of electricity. The conduction of electricity inside a liquid takes place due to the movement of ions. Salts produce those ions. So, liquids that contain salt (yes, urine being one of those) are good conductors. Oil and alcohol are two examples of liquids that do not conduct electricity. Does that mean that if I would have consumed several beers before peeing on the fence that I might have had a different result? Just wondering.

Just how do we gain the wisdom of God? Solomon, considered to be the wisest man ever to live (1 Kings 4:29-34), said this about gaining wisdom – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 10:9). In this context, fear is not “being afraid,” but rather, it is awe and reverence, not wanting to disappoint.

We are also told that God gives wisdom to those who ask – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Later on, still in James, we find these words – “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (3:16-17).  

Scripture calls “blessed” (Hebrew – happy) those who seek and gain godly wisdom. Click here to read Proverbs 3, paying particular attention to verses 13-18.

And lastly, the apostle Paul tells us that even the best of the best worldly wisdom is not as valuable as the foolishness of God (1 Corinthians 1:25). So, today, I ask – are you seeking to gain wisdom? Not just any wisdom, the wisdom of God. 

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