One of the things I really enjoy is spending time at the beach. When my wife and I lived in North Carolina, we went to the beach at regularly. In addition to just sitting under an umbrella and reading, we enjoyed taking long walks, splashing our feet in the water as we walked. On those walks we would take our trusty little blue bucket with the smiley face to hold the shells.

There was no set criteria for the shells we collected; we just knew we “liked” a particular shell when we saw it. We filled our bucket with shells that were pleasing to us, while leaving the broken and shattered pieces lying on the sand.

Today, we have glass container after glass container of shells in our house. When we moved, our kids helped us, and they soon got tired of lifting so many boxes filled with shells.

There is much similarity between those broken shells and how the world views each of us. We all have defects and imperfections, and while the world often picks us up, looks us over, then throws us back on the pile due to our defects and imperfections, God does not “select” us based upon our outward appearance. Unlike the broken shells that we left behind on the beach, God picks us up from the pile of broken shells. While sometimes He glues our broken pieces back together, other times He uses us with our broken pieces. His plan in both cases is to reach the world with His message of redemption and restoration. God sees more than just our broken pieces, more than our flaws, He sees us as He made us. He sees us in His image (see Genesis 1:27).

If you know the story of David in the Old Testament, you know that he was not a likely candidate to be anointed the next king after Saul. David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons and just a scrawny little kid. God chose Samuel to pick the next king so as Samuel looked over Jesse’s sons, he saw Eliab who was the biggest and strongest, and based upon Eliab’s physical appearance, Samuel figured Eliab was next to be king. But God spoke to Samuel and gave him a new standard by which to pick the next king.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read these words – “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

What is today’s message? Maybe you feel ignored or overlooked, just like those broken shells that we left lying on the beach. You feel like the kid who never gets picked to be on the kickball team. Or maybe you look back at your life and say to yourself – I have really blown it, I have too many broken pieces and I am beyond repair.

The good news is that God sees perfection in all of us and he does not just collect the unblemished shells, he also collects the ones that others have left lying on the sand. He works in our lives to redeem and restore all that is broken. God picks you up and puts you in His bucket as He walks the beach. He sees past the blemishes, the broken pieces, and the cracks. He sees what could be, not what is!

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Do you like waiting? Of course you don’t. Neither do I. There is much psychology behind this idea of waiting, but I will not delve too deeply into that today other than to say we often view waiting as an imposition. Waiting in line at the grocery store. Calling customer service and being told you are number six in the queue. A delayed flight. They all seem more like torture. The worst in us often comes out in this kind of waiting. What is road rage? Often nothing more than impatience which leads us to say or do things that are not becoming of us.

But there is also “good” waiting. Waiting that allows us to better prepare for something. Think about the athlete who works hard every day in practice, improving their skills, stuck behind the all-star player, waiting two seasons to finally become the starter.    

There are two kinds of waiting – passive and active. I will define the passive form as simply waiting for something to occur (waiting in line) whereas the active form is doing something to prepare ourselves in order to better make use of a future opportunity (my athlete scenario above).

We tend to become negative and cynical in passive waiting. We become impatient. Again, think road rage. Active waiting chooses to believe that there is a beneficial purpose in the delay, allowing us to be (somewhat) patient amid the waiting.

The world around us never seems to be in any hurry to give us what we want, need, desire. God too never seems to be in any hurry. At least in a hurry according to my definition of hurry – something like tomorrow is fine, but today, even better! God’s timing very often differs from our timing. He knows the best time for things to happen: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

For those of who wait upon God, our waiting could be passive, meaning we just sit and wait for God to act. But I believe that God desires to use our waiting to keep us in step with Him. He wants our waiting to be active, asking “What are You trying to accomplish in this time of wait?”

God gives purpose to our waiting. He works in our waiting as well. And because we are waiting on a faithful God, there is hope in our waiting. Psalm 130:5-6 tells us so – “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Do you see it – waiting, hoping, watching.

Isaiah 40:31 puts the hope we can have this way: “But those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Psalm 27 is a great place for us to turn to when we are forced to wait. In this psalm, David expresses his confidence in God as his source of all that he needs, even as he waits to see those blessings. I will break this psalm down into four sections:

(1) Trust in the Lord (vv.1-3);

(2) Seek the Lord (4-6);

(3) Pray to the Lord (7-12);

(4) And now for most of us, the hard one – Confident waiting on the Lord (13-14): “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

I encourage you to read the entire psalm (click the highlighted link above), looking for the four themes I have referenced. And let this psalm boost your confidence in the Lord, even in the waiting!

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Right now, do you feel exhausted, empty, drained? Physical exhaustion. Mental exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion. Social exhaustion. The current climate in our country certainly is nothing short of chaos, zaniness, frightening, divisive, and I could add any number of more adjectives, all of which lead us to exhaustion.  

In my opinion, one of the toughest things in our crowded, loud, and chaotic world, is to create enough space and silence to find genuine rest and calm. Whether or not chaos finds us, or we create our own chaos, its effects all around us seep deep into our souls. Even when we are away from constant noise, our heart, mind, and souls are not really quieted. Even when we are at rest, our heart, mind, and souls are not really restful. Even when we put our heads on the pillow to sleep, we don’t really sleep well, which then brings on even more fatigue. Sleep fatigue is usually one of three types: transient, cumulative, circadian. 

This constant clutter in our heart, mind, soul also makes it difficult to hear God’s “still, small voice”. But if we are to follow Jesus in a serious life-changing way, we must find regular time to be quiet and listen. There are many voices competing for our attention and loyalty, and most often God is not the loudest of those voices.

While God is always by our side offering advice, He is not like The Great Gazoo in the old TV series, The Flintstones; that tiny green floating scientist who came to help Fred and Barney, (he called them “dum-dums”), but usually ended up causing them more trouble. If you are of my age, did you know that Harvey Korman was the voice of Gazoo? If you are not of my age, you might now be asking, “Who is Harvey Korman?”

Building the discipline of hearing God, waiting on God, resting in His presence, requires work. It begins with a desire to carve out space. It always requires giving up something, desiring to turn off the noise and find stillness (Psalm 37:7), find quietness (Zephaniah 3:17), find intimacy (James 4:8), find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). The 23rd Psalm begins with these words – “The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. He gives me new strength” (vv.1-3a GNT).

Timothy Leary, the Harvard clinical psychologist, and of hippie fame, encouraged young people in the Sixties to “turn on, tune in, drop out.” While his countercultural phrase encouraged the usage of psychedelic drugs to find true consciousness, and that’s certainly not my advice, I do think that if we “turn on” a sensitivity to God and His presence, if we “tune in” by listening, and if we regularly “drop out” of the noise around us, we will “find” God and be better able to hear, and be changed by, His “still, small voice.”

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (Psalm 62:5).

“Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray” (Job 6:24).

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:2).

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17).

Do you desperately desire peace and calm, stillness and rest? Are you looking in the right place? 

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Much of the country has been locked in a prolonged heat wave, with the temperatures and humidity at times oppressive. Last month was the twelfth straight month of record-warm temperatures for the planet, and with just four days left in the month, June is likely to be the thirteenth in a row. Just walking to the mailbox requires hydration. Oh, how those cold beverages quench my thirst. What does Jesus promise when we are thirsty?

Let’s turn to a story in the New Testament to answer that question. The Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover and Pentecost being the other two) for which adult Jewish males were expected to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This festival was festive and celebrates the fall harvest. It has also come to commemorate the provision of God during the forty years of Jewish wilderness wandering after the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.

The seventh chapter of John’s gospel begins with Jesus’ brothers inviting him to join them at the festival, in order to do mighty works and become more widely known. Jesus denies their request (7:1-9). He later goes in secret.

Did Jesus lie to his brothers? No. His response of “My time has not yet come” was not implying that he did not intend to go to the festival. Instead, he knew that He still had things to do on earth before being killed. The Greek word used here for time is kairos, which means opportunity, proper time. Notice Jesus also says yet. Jesus’ brothers were unbelievers at that time (v.5). To me, it seems as if Jesus’ brothers were in effect saying, “If you are who you say you are, prove it in the way we say you should (go and do mighty works).” Jesus tells them that any time to go works for them, but for Him, He works using God’s calendar, not theirs.     

While there, the text gives us two teachings by Jesus (vv.15-24, 37-39). These teachings are followed by debate among the people (vv.25-31, 40-44) and plots against Jesus (vv.32-36, 45-52).

If you are so inclined, click here to read the entire chapter.

Today, I want to dive into the second teaching – On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart (see explanation below) will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (37-39).

According to written Jewish tradition (Mishnah), water was an important part of Sukkot. A priest would draw water from the pool at Siloam and carry it back to the temple, pouring it out on the altar. Sukkot comes at the beginning of the rainy season. In ancient agrarian societies, people’s livelihood was dependent upon the rain needed for the fall harvest. 

So, here we have Jesus on the last day of the festival, announcing that those who believe in Him will gush forth with rivers of living water. The thirst-quenching drink offered by Jesus is one of permanence. The Greek word koila is used in v.38, which literally means “belly.” Some translations use heart, others, from within. Regardless of the actual word(s) used, the message being conveyed is that belief in Jesus is not just something superficial, skin deep. Instead, it is visceral, from deep within. And He promises that those who thirst from deep within, from their innermost being will flow rivers of life-giving living water.    

How thirsty are you today? Will you drink … and drink … and drink some more?

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Have you ever had someone give you advice, tell you to do something, that made no sense? We all have given, or been given, that kind of marching orders at some point in life. For me, the key to whether or not I took that advice was who gave it. Was it someone I trusted or was it someone who didn’t have the best track record of advice-giving.

Now let me ask: If you consider yourself a Jesus-follower, has God ever asked you to do something that to you, from your point of view, made zero sense. You said, “Say what?”

Today I want to look at a story in the Old Testament in which God told David something that probably sounded like bad advice to David, and certainly sounded ridiculous to David’s army. The story is found in 2 Samuel 5:17-25, which tells of David defeating the Philistines.

Let me give some background and context.    

Who are the Philistines? We are told in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) that they came from the lineage of Ham, one of Noah’s sons. Who were Ham’s sons? – Cush, Egypt (Mizraim), Put, and Canaan (v.6). And in v.14 we are told that Mizraim fathered seven children, one of which was Casluhim, from whom the Philistines came.

When the Israelites left Egypt, the Philistines settled along the coastal strip between Egypt and Gaza. They continued to be a nemesis to the Israelites for many years. It was during Saul’s rule that a young David defeated Goliath the Philistine. Over time, the Philistines took control of the hill country as well, thus the Israelites needed a mighty warrior king. After Saul’s disastrous reign, David becomes king.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king, they became concerned and went looking for him. David retreated and found a stronghold, most likely a cave somewhere in southern Judah, where he had also retreated to hide from Saul.

David inquires of the Lord and the Lord tells him to go into battle expecting a victory. David and his men defeat the Philistines at Baal-perazim (which means Lord of breaking through). The Philistines would have taken their idols into battle with them, as protection. When David defeated his enemy, his troops carried the pagan idols away, burning them in accordance with the stipulations of the covenant that Moses gave after coming down from the mountain – “But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop the Asherim and burn their carved images with fire” Deuteronomy 7:5.

David credits the victory to his Lord. The Philistines then re-group and come at David and his men a second time. Again, David inquires of the Lord. This time, he is told to wait. David tells his men that God has told him to wait until they hear a sound in the tops of the trees.

Whoa whoa, hold on for a minute! You want us to do what? Wait to attack until we “hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees” (v.24). Come on, you are joking, right?

But what does David do. He waits, trusting God’s promise of going out before him into battle. And we are told that when the sound is heard, they attack the Philistines, and defeat them once again (v.25).

This is a great illustration of seeking God’s plan in everything we do. Whether it is asking for guidance or begging for a breakthrough. David prays; he inquires of the Lord. He waits upon the Lord to answer. He obeys, even when the answer doesn’t make sense, even the answer isn’t seemingly a good answer. He experiences victory. He remembers where the victory was won – Baal-perazim. And he gives credit where credit is due.

So, when you need guidance, when you need a breakthrough, when you need a victory, when you stand at your Baal-perazim, do you inquire of the Lord, do you wait upon Him, and do you obey, even when the answer doesn’t seem to be a good answer?

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In the spring of 1968, Dennis Wilson was driving through Malibu when he noticed two female hitchhikers. He picked them up and dropped them off at their destination. Not long after, Dennis noticed the same two girls hitchhiking again. This time, he took them to his home on Sunset Boulevard. Dennis then went to a recording session. When he returned at around three o’clock in the morning, he was met in his driveway by someone he did not know. And when he walked into his home, there were about a dozen people occupying the premises, most of them female.

That person he did not know was Charles Manson.

Dennis became fascinated by Manson and his followers, and the “Manson Family” then lived with Dennis for a period of time, at Dennis’s expense. Initially impressed by Manson’s songwriting talent, Dennis introduced him to a few friends in the music business, including Terry Melcher, whose home on Cielo Drive would later be rented by director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. More on that below.

In September of 1968, Dennis’s band, the Beach Boys, recorded “Never Learn Not to Love.” The original song, titled “Cease to Exist,” was written by Charles Manson.  Dennis Wilson, however, took the original, changed some of the lyrics, and re-wrote the music to the song.

Shortly after midnight, on August 9, 1969, in a mansion located on Cielo Drive within the exclusive Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles five people were murdered. Among those dead were actress Sharon Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. The next night, another multiple murder shook LA. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca were stabbed to death in their home near Hollywood. Three months later, Charles Manson and members of his “Mansion Family” were arrested and charged with the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

Around 30 AD, Jesus Christ invited Simon and his brother Andrew, along with James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John to follow Him. Jesus would eventually invite eight more men and these twelve men would ignite a movement that changed the world.

SO, what is the common denominator in these two stories? OR, maybe a better question is –

What would cause ordinary people to do such bizarre things, such out-of-the-ordinary things? How about loneliness? How about vulnerability? How about a very charismatic leader? Maybe no place else to turn?

Let me start by defining discipleship. What is a disciple? The dictionary defines a disciple as a pupil or follower of any teacher or school or learning, religion, art, etc. and/or one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. 

A disciple of Jesus is someone who is obedient to Jesus. It is someone who seeks God’s guidance, and His purposes and Plans, in everything by praying, listening, seeking wise counsel, and here is a biggie… responding even when it might not make sense.

Let’s look at one of my favorite verses in the whole of the Bible. The story goes like this – It is morning and Jesus had just finished up teaching, both from the shore and from a boat. The disciples had been out all night fishing. The men, these fishermen, had been throwing in the net all night, pulling it back in, and coming up empty. They are exhausted from having worked all night. In the morning they are standing on the shore, their necks are aching, their back is hurting, and they are washing their nets out. Jesus comes along and we pick up the story. Before continuing, click here to read.

So, do you want discipleship in one simple phrase? – Because you Jesus say so, I will.

I wouldn’t do it for anything else, anybody else. Lord, you know that I have been rowing all night, I have been trying, I keep throwing out the net, I’m coming up empty. My inclination is to row to shore, chop my boat up into firewood, throw the net on top, pour gasoline on the whole pile and burn it all … Because you Jesus say so, I will.

I’m coming up empty in my marriage, we’ve gone to counseling over and over again, I’ve had a hundred conversations with my husband or my wife. Nothing is changing. Oh God, I wouldn’t try to reconcile for anyone else … But because you say so, I will. 

I wouldn’t give up drugs or alcohol or stop having sex outside of marriage or invite my neighbor out for coffee and or reconcile my broken relationship for anyone else … But because you say so, I will.

Lord, you know I am shy, and I hate to go public with my faith and it is just so uncomfortable for me to talk about spiritual things … But because you say so, I will.

Lord, I wouldn’t quit my job, sell my lovely house with a nice yard and a swimming pool, leave behind all that is familiar, and move 450 miles away for anyone else … But because you say so, I will.

Or maybe, it is being called to take that first step and become a Jesus-follower.

What is it that you hear the Lord calling you to? What is holding you back from saying … But because you say so, I will.

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