Today we will be confronted with a number of decisions. Some big, others small. When you were getting dressed this morning you decided whether to wear tan or blue. For breakfast, you might choose between cornflakes and fresh fruit, or maybe a less healthy option, grabbing two donuts and an energy drink on the way to work. Throughout the day you will need to decide which tasks to do today and which to postpone until another day.

While those are often important decisions, they are also sometimes done without too much thought, many with little or no impact on your future. Decisions like where to go to college, who to date or marry, where to live, what job to take are not quite as easy, and the choices you make quite possibly will have long-term consequences. Are you seeking God’s wisdom and counsel when making those decisions?

Still other decisions are a choice between right and wrong, good and evil, justice and injustice. Sometimes those decisions require us to stand alone, to go against the flow, to swim upstream.

We must decide whether we will be faithful to God, often meaning we swim upstream, or to go with the crowd by swimming with the current. A new business deal smells a little fishy. It could be very lucrative but also violates a number of your principles. “That’s just how business works” is what crosses your mind. It’s late at night, the family is in bed, and you cannot sleep so you sit at your computer and look at sexually graphic images. “What can it really hurt; I’m just trying to relax so I can sleep.” You know in your heart that much of what is going on in society around you is wrong, it goes against everything biblical, but the crowd you hang with sees it differently, so in order to avoid conflict and fit in, you say nothing and remain quiet.

The Bible tells us that Satan is active in this world and loves nothing more than to trip us up, causing us to sin and turn our backs on God. In 1 Peter 5:8 we read this warning: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The Holy Spirit, who resides within every follower of Jesus, can equip and guide us in all we do and say, both in the big and the little. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit guides us into God’s will (Psalm 143:10), guides us to live according to God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:27), guides us away from sin (Galatians 5:16) and into truth (John 16:13).  

The writer of Hebrews ends the book this way: “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (13:20-21).

In this fallen and sinful world, in order to follow Jesus, we must always be swimming upstream, requiring us to go against the flow. So, today, I ask you and me, which direction are we swimming?

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Do you ever feel trapped with no place to turn? After graduation from college, my wife, who then was my girlfriend, was hired as the director of a drop-in center for kids. One of her duties was organizing and taking the kids on field trips. Her predecessor had previously scheduled a caving expedition for that summer. Despite my wife’s trepidation for being in confined spaces, she kept the activity on the calendar. I too am not fond of small spaces, but when you are in love, you agree to do just about anything. So, I volunteered to be her co-pilot for this activity. At least it wasn’t walking through a den of snakes. In retrospect, that might have been a better option.

Entering the cave on our hands and knees was not too difficult and the light on our helmets illuminated the dark damp tunnel through which we crawled. Once inside the cave, we assumed we would come upon a chamber that would allow us to stand up and turn around, but no, not in this cave. So, in order to get back out, we had to crawl backwards. The tunnel sure seemed longer and narrower than on the journey in. My heart was racing, and I just hoped we would get out before the search party came looking for us. After what seemed like hours, we finally got back the cave’s entrance. Daylight has never looked so good! The kids really enjoyed the experience, but for us, not so much. 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt you were trapped and there was no escape route? Imagine that you and some friends decide to spend a Saturday exploring those same caves. Since you are an experienced spelunker, you want to be well prepared, so before entering the cave you put on all your personal protective gear, put fresh batteries in your flashlights and obtain the most current cave survey map to guide you through the tunnels and passages.

After several hours in the caves, you are ready to head back to daylight, only to find that you have somehow lost the map. On top of that, the batteries in your flashlights have run out, so it is extremely dark in that cave. In that moment, fear sets in and you feel trapped inside the cave with no way out. Sometimes in life we have that same fear or panic when we feel threatened, or something does not go as planned and we find ourselves feeling scared and trapped.

The Bible tells us that God is always faithful, ready to throw a lifeline to those who are in danger. In Psalm 18 King David so beautifully describes how God rescued him from the hand of his enemies. The psalm starts off in the first three verses with praise to God for who He is. The next two verses go on to tell of the extreme danger David faced, and by the language he used, it sounds real and imminent. Maybe you face a real threat today and these words speak of your fear – “The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me” (vv. 4-5). 

Verse 6 tells us that David cried out for help and that God heard his cry – “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

In verses 7-15 we read that God came to David’s rescue. And in verses 16-19 we read these wonderful words – “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who were too strong for me. They confronted me in my day of disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

The rest of this psalm narrates the grounds for God’s help (vv. 20-29), continues with a recounting of God’s rescue (vv. 30-45), and finishes up with a doxology in verses 46-50. With a few minor variations in wording and phrasing, this rescue narrative is also found in 2 Samuel 22.

So, when you find yourself deep inside a dark and wet cave with no place to turn, call out to God, reach for his lifeline, and trust that He is capable of bringing you into a spacious place.

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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 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; 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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Many years ago, but still etched vividly in my memory, we had some visitors staying with us. These visitors were uninvited and unwanted, but they stayed anyway. In fact, they likely were there before we moved in. Let me explain. The house we lived in at the time was surrounded by corn fields. When the corn was harvested, and as the weather turned cooler, the field mice scattered, looking for new sources of food and shelter. They often found their way into nearby homes, including ours. Each fall, we could hear these unwanted visitors scampering across the drop ceiling in our basement.  

Unbeknownst to us, up in that ceiling, along with the mice, there also lived some other even more unwanted and unwelcomed visitors. Snakes. As we spent countless hours in our family room, snakes slithered only feet above our heads, enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet of mice. One fall season we became aware of the snakes. Oh no! After being convinced not to quickly sell the house “as is,” we hired a pest control company to rid us of these snakes. When it was all said and done, six weeks later, ten black racer snakes had either been caught or killed.

Nothing probably visualizes our look of fear better than Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” In describing this autobiographical painting, a passage in Munch’s diary, dated January 22, 1892, likely describes the painting’s inspiration: “I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun went down – I felt a gust of melancholy – suddenly the sky turned a bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, tired to death – as the flaming skies hung like blood and sword over the blue-black fjord and the city – My friends went on – I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I felt a vast infinite scream [tear] through nature.” Yes, that definitely says it – trembling with anxiety, a vast infinite scream.

Even though the snakes had likely lived in our ceiling for years, as soon as we became aware of them, fear was ever-present. Oh no! We were almost afraid to go downstairs. Thankfully, we eventually located the spot through which our many unwanted visitors were gaining access to our house. We never had snakes or mice after that. Oh yes!

The dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the awareness or anticipation of danger.” Even many months after the snakes were finally gone, we had a hard time relaxing in the family room. We still had real fear, constantly looking around, expecting to come face to face with a snake, even though during the extracting period only one had actually found its way into our living space. When faced with real or perceived fear, a physiological reaction occurs in the human body, causing us to either forcibly push back against the danger or run away. This is called the fight-or-flight response.

Fear causes us to be afraid. The Bible also talks of fear; “the fear of the Lord.” Say what? Is the Bible telling me to be terrified of God the same way that I am terrified of snakes? The answer is no. We often see the word fear and frame it through our 21st-century eyes; danger equals fear. But fear of the Lord is not a “scared” fear but a “positive” fear; one of reverence and respect, not wanting to disappoint God. A unique mix of awe and trembling that we feel when in His presence, whether standing at the burning bush, listening to that still, small voice within, or just sitting quietly, away from life’s noise and distractions.

Psalm 33:8 tells us this, “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!”

And in Proverbs 9:10, we read, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

In both verses, the root Hebrew word for fear is referencing reverence, respect, honor, awe. In the psalm it is used as a verb (yârê’), while the Proverbs usage, as a noun (yir’âh).

So, you see, fear of the Lord comes out of our reverence toward God. And reverence helps us live the way God desires us to live, and it is really the only appropriate response to our Creator and Redeemer. Fear of the Lord is not Oh no. It is Oh yes!

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Are you a meatloaf fan? No, not the American comfort food. But rather, the singer known as Meat Loaf. One of his classic cult songs is an eight-and-a-half minute opus about teenage sexual angst. You likely know the song, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.”

The song begins by introducing the listeners to a teenage couple on a date, in a parked car, contemplating paradise by “going to go all the way tonight.” What follows is Phil Rizzuto, the New York Yankees long-time announcer, excitedly describing a baseball player making his way around the bases. Then, just as the player rounds third base and heads for home, the song shifts from baseball back to the teens in the car. At this point the girl refuses to let her date “score” without first taking her hand in marriage. In frustration, the boy agrees, only to later regret it – “I started swearing to my God on my mother’s grave that I would love you to the end of time. Now I’m praying for the end of time to hurry up and arrive. ‘Cause if I’ve gotta spend another minute with you I don’t think that I could really survive.”          

In this song, the car’s dashboard lights likely provided a dim lustful glow in the car. But, in real life, our vehicle’s dashboard is much more than mood lighting. And while the song also claims that there is paradise by those dashboard lights, that is not always the case. The lights flashing on the dashboard could be indicating something is amiss. In addition to performance information (speed, engine temperature, fuel level, RPMs, odometer, etc.), a vehicle’s dashboard also displays warning lights that alert us to potential problems with the vehicle’s various systems.  

Now let me make it personal. Are any warning lights flashing on your dashboard? I am referring not to your vehicle’s dashboard, but rather, to the lights that inform you when you need servicing. It could be something physical. Emotional. Relational. Financial. Spiritual. Whatever it is, there are often warning signs that go ignored. Usually when we ignore the flashing lights, what could have simply been a tune-up ends up requiring a major overhaul. 

Today do you need a tune-up before a major overhaul is needed? If you say yes, and there is no harm, no foul, in saying yes, right now ask God to lift your hood and get to work. It is through God’s grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be renewed in our minds and transformed into the image of Christ: “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect” (Romans 12:2).   

Even if the odometer does not reflect high mileage does your body have more rust than paint? Is your engine making a weird noise? Do your tires have very little tread left Do your brakes squeak? Is one headlight burned out, making it hard to see and be seen on foggy nights? Basically, what I am asking – are you tired, your body feeling frail, your soul feeling empty, your nerves on edge, your future uncertain? If you are in need of strength and endurance, guidance and direction, peace and calm, click your heels three times and repeatedly say: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3). Also, check out Isaiah 40:28-31.

There can be genuine and lasting paradise by the dashboard lights if we don’t ignore what those warning lights are telling us!

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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 not to 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 a dead sea?

Note from Dave: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my writings. I will be taking some time off from writing to focus on soul care and self-care. I will be back later this month. In the meantime, if you are so inclined, you can check out my Archives page to find all my past writings.

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