When We Become Too Polite

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

-Ps 116:1-2

These verses always strike me as being a little funny. I picture God saying, "Well, that's just great! I help him one time, and now he says he will call on Me for the rest of his life!"

There is a story in Luke about a guy who went to his friend's house at midnight and said, "Get up! Quick, I need to borrow three loaves of bread!"

"No. Go away. Everyone's asleep, I can't get up and give it to you." The friend replied.

After going through this a couple of times, I probably would have found my dad's shotgun and been like, "Dude! You don't know what I'm capable of when I'm tired. Go away. Right now."

You can take a moment and be thankful that I'm not God.

Sometimes I treat God the same way I treat a person. Ask politely once or twice. Never pound on their door after midnight. Don't bother them too often.

But Jesus isn't like that. He designed us to be dependent on Him! He told the story of the friend at midnight as an example for how we should pray. He concludes the story by saying, "I tell you, because of his impudence he will rise up and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks it will be open."

God wants you to call on Him everyday of your life. He wants you to be persistent and annoying. Keep pressing. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Breakthrough.

I Regret Nothing

I came across this image a few weeks ago, and I had to laugh. How like a cat! Even after being caught in the act, the creature was obviously unrepentant. The pancake (at least that’s what I think it is), is hanging out of his mouth incriminatingly. His defiant little attitude is perfect! 

Pardon me while I seemingly switch subjects.

Yesterday marked the end of my nine years as a Bible Quizzer. Five points was all that obstructed our team (Angela and I were both last-year quizzers) from competing at Nationals. I do admit that there was something was whispering in my ear that day saying,“all that work was for nothing; it didn’t make any difference!”

Almost as soon as the thought entered my head, my mind instantly recalled this image. Defiantly, I though back, “I regret nothing!” Even while I was standing on the platform, delivering my last year speech, I was picturing this black cat!

I really, truly, firmly believe that not a single moment I spent studying our material was wasted. I fell in love with Psalms this year and I know that it will leave a lasting impact on my life.

I want to encourage every quizzer right now. Even when you fall short of your expectations, even when you seemingly failed, and yes, even after you buzzed in for the last time, nothing you did was pointless. 1 Corinthians 15:58 puts it like this, “Your labor is not in vain it the Lord.”

A trophy and a trip to Nationals are not the real awards. Of course we “know” this, but do we really know it?

I can say that I do. I can look back at my nine years as a Bible Quizzer, smile, and say, “I regret nothing.”