The Art of Whittling

Have you ever tried to write down your thoughts on a piece of paper with a dull pencil?  Or, enter a purchase amount in your check register with a pencil that needs to be sharpened?  I have - seriously, and it really irritates me…especially when I’m in a hurry.  This morning, I was up early checking out the Dow Jones Futures, having my morning coffee with my Bible reading the Book of Nahum (the TV was off as I read my Word - I know what you’re thinking!).  As I sat on our couch here in Morro Bay, it dawned on me that formality, ritual and the quest to get a head start on my day has dulled, rounded and blunted my morning & probably my entire day…just like a dull pencil.  Ouch!

A dear friend of mine named Brad Hirst gave me an article from J. Vernon McGee entitled, “Whittling Your Life.”  Brad knows my propensity to accomplish, my Triple A personality that barrels through life with a reckless abandonment and a desire to check off my daily to-do list that defines my existence.  Nevertheless, the article has a quote that really nailed me.  It says, “In this day, whittle down your life, as you would whittle down a pencil, until you can write with it.  Our lives are very complicated, so just keep whittling.” 

As I’ve thought through this, it dawned on me that the Lord is telling me to slow down, be still and know He’s God and to whittle my life down to what is important.  My two favorite men in the Bible seemingly mastered this art.  And by the way, by God’s strength and Spirit, they accomplished much Kingdom Fruit during their time on this earth. 

• David - Psalm 5:3 = In the morning, David, with a flute, sought the heart of God
• Paul - Philippians 3:10 = At the end of Paul’s life, he had a passion to know Him

Wow, what legacies these saints left for us to bask in!  You see, if I am understanding this correctly, both David and Paul went to that secret place to be sharpened spiritually so that they might leave a mark for the Glory of God in their respective lives.  And you know, it is no different for us today, some 2,700 years removed from King David and some 1,950 years removed from the Apostle Paul: God is still in the business of sharpening His people to write history with their lives for His Glory and Purpose. 

Here’s the application.  Grab a pencil…come on, just grab one.  I have a #2 from RoseArt!  Okay, do you have your pencil?  Great…go to your sharpener and make it razor-sharp.  Do you see the principle?  If you’re in a hurry, you’ll miss it!  James 4:8 says, “Draw near unto Me and I will draw near unto you!”  Oh, do you see - the sharpener does the work, you simply show up!  Likewise, just like David and Paul, they came to that place to be sharpened, that place called intimacy with their Maker and He did the work…they were simply willing.  Jon Coursen has a quote, “Without Him, I can’t.  Without me, He won’t!”  In other words, He desires us to show up and He’ll do the whittling.

May we show up to worship our God and be willing to have Him whittle our life down, just like a pencil that needs to be sharpened, such that our lives are sharpened by the Spirit’s power and Almighty God can write Eternal History with our very lives!  Have a great day with Jesus and thanks for listening to me share my heart!  And, thanks Brad for the gentle reminder!

Pastor Randy

Keep Your Promises - Leviticus 27

I’m a big fan of movie lines. And the the more action oriented, the better. Go ahead, make my… Most of us can fill in the last word. It’s classic: Dirty Harry, pointing his .45 at the bad guy, jaw settled, eyes squinting, gun gleaming. (It’s “Go ahead, make my day.” BTW)

Top Gun is another favorite. After going inverted (flying upside down over a Russian MiG military jet) and later assisting a spooked pilot land his F-14 Tomcat on the heaving deck of an aircraft carrier and nearly running out of fuel, “Maverick”, the hero, stands before his commanding officer, who berates him with this line: “Son, your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash!” for putting himself and his aircraft in needless jeopardy.

So I’m wading through Leviticus. In chapter 27, God is instructing Moses about keeping promises, the writing-checks-I-can’t-cash kind. Being a corn fed, 21st century American, this all sounds like Urdu; it makes no sense at all; why would anyone go and open their mouth and bind themselves to such a an oath. Specifically, if anyone made a promise to God of themselves, their family(!!) animals, fields, or whatnot, they either had to put up the goods, or redeem them, if possible.

It made no sense to me until I flashed forward to Acts chapters 4 & 5. The baby church, filled with the Holy Spirit, bands together in the midst of intense persecution, selling all they had, and using the proceeds to help all the brothers and sisters. Barnabas is cited, specifically.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira, in contrast, sell off some land and pass only a part of the money, but representing that they had given the Apostles all the loot. We know what happens next: they both drop dead for lying to God and discount self-glorification gone bad.

Duh! Now it made sense. If I promise God something, I need to make it good. But you might say, isn’t God killing Ananias and Sapphira (can we call them A & S, my fingers ache) a bit over the top (drastic)? Let’s consider. What if Peter had let them get away with it? Consider the poor pastor, a big sack-o-cash is dropped on your desk from two of your flock. The s-t-r-o-n-g temptation would be to say thanks and ignore it. But that would compromise the pastor’s integrity.

A & S have had their integrity compromised. And they’ve sought their own glory, something God takes a dim view of. (Isaiah 42:8 & 48:11, look it up. I double dare you.) No doubt word would have gotten out that A & S fudged on their contribution. They must share the blame if no one steps forward.

And most importantly, God is being slapped in the face. By A & S, their pastor, their church, and any unsaved person who finds out and despises those whack, self-congratulating hypocrite Christians.

So no. God can’t let it stand. He protects His glory by recalling A & S home a bit earlier than they originally planned. And we can’t compromise either. Why just this morning I promised Pastor Randy I’d play for three Thursday nights. I could blow it off and not show up…

I think I will keep my commitments.

Oh, To Draw From That Well

It’s one of those mornings; you know, we’ve all had them!  I was sitting outside my house in Morro Bay, in my PJ’s reading from Isaiah, that great prophet to 8th Century Israel.  The air was cool, the fog broadcasting her presence and there, once again, God’s Word jumped out at me in a way that was not only revealing, but also timely.  I’ve read Isaiah 12:3 numerous times; however, this time…well - you’ve been there: it really spoke to me.  Check it out, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation!”  It was as if the Lord said, “Randy, approach Me with joy, you’re My kid.  And, listen My son — draw that Water that only comes from Me!  Water that is refreshing, vitalizing, cooling and yes, thirst quenching…a Water that is Me!”  Wow…not only is He the Water, He’s the Well of Salvation that is never tapped out.  In a day that continually pulls at us, demands so much of our attention and time, may we as family draw Living Water from the Well of Salvation; namely, Jesus.  Be refreshed today, be re-vitalized in Him, allow Jesus to cool you down and drink of Him such that your thirst for life is eternally met!  Have a great day at the Well!

John 7:38,

Randy P.