Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Basset Hounds Don't Climb Trees

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5


Over the years the scriptures that refer to God as a refuge have become very dear to me. There have been so many times when I, like the psalmists and other characters of the Bible, have found myself running to the Lord as fast as I could to hide myself in His love, protection and peace. It is not because I think that I deserve it that I run to Him. It is because I know He will never fail me.

One day last week I got a great visual of the concept of taking refuge in the Lord when I heard our basset hounds whining at the back door to get out into the yard. Unlike their predecessor, the two bassets currently in residence with us have not declared our yard a cat free / squirrel free zone. As a result, the squirrels have become quite a nuisance, eating all the feed left out for the birds and making nests in my husband’s woodworking shop.

On this particular day, there was a squirrel on one of the bird feeders hanging from a tree. What made this day different was that the dogs noticed the squirrel. Now, obviously the squirrel has been hanging around our back yard for a while, because when I first opened the door and the dogs rushed out, the squirrel did not even look up from his task of consuming all the bird seed. But within seconds, Matilda’s genetic code kicked in and she was on the scent of the prey. She flew off of the deck, sounding the call that she was leading the hunt. Samuel, (who probably has never figured out that Lord made him to be a hunting dog) joined in the baying because that is what bassets do.

It only took a matter of seconds for the dogs to clear the deck and cover the 50 feet or so to the base of the large oak tree. Somewhere between my opening the door and the dogs’ arrival the squirrel realized that this was not a regular day in the neighborhood. He quickly scampered away to take refuge in the upper branches of the tree.

But, knowing that he was safely out of reach of his adversaries, the squirrel did not hide. He merely sat up on the branch mocking the frustration of the dogs as they jumped up howling and hurling themselves at the base of the tree, doing their level best to reach their prey.
When we take refuge in the Lord, it is wise to remember what that squirrel knew all along. There may be big, hairy beasts howling at our heels, but when we take refuge with the Lord we are safe.

Basset hounds don’t climb trees.

Lord, thank you that you are our refuge in times of trouble. Amen.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Fear - Proverbs 29

The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.
Proverbs 29:25


What do you fear most? Is it heights? Is it crowds? Maybe you are afraid of roller coasters. Or, is it what other people say about you? For me, I have always had a horrible fear of public speaking. When I was young I was terribly shy. In sixth grade, I remember crying when my parents dropped me off for the first day of school. It was excruciatingly painful for me to get up in front of a class and make a presentation. It did not matter if it was a book report, an oral report, or a a debate, I always felt like I was going to either pass out or throw up when it came time for me to get up and speak. To make matters worse, at the time I was not a Christian, so I did not even have God to fall back on for support.

Chances are, most people who knew me back then had no idea that I was that scared. They assumed I volunteered to go first because I was comfortable with public speaking. How were they to know it was so I would not throw up in class? I was never particularly good at speaking, but when survival is your standard, every thing above not barfing looks like success.

Fast forward about 20 years. A woman at the church I attended wanted to start a pregnancy help center for women who needed an alternative to abortion. It sounded like a plan to me. So, we established a board of directors and got the ball rolling. Somehow (this part remains rather foggy to me) I agreed that if I would help with getting speakers out in the community to talk about our center. It seemed like a scheduling and coordination job to me. You know, I would find a need for a speaker and then I would find a speaker to fill that need. No problem.

Somehow, my idea of what I volunteered for and the actual job description were a little different. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I had signed up to teach sexual abstinence to teenagers. Yes, that is right. The only person more mortified at the thought of my getting up and talking about sex to a group of teenagers than me was my 14 year-old daughter. And, to tell you the truth, I don’t think she was worried about me throwing up or passing out.

And that, my friends, was the beginning of my training in the life lesson that the Lord will never lead you to where He cannot keep you. If God has called you to do something, do not let any fear of man prevent you from accomplishing His purpose. I discovered that if (as Mark Cole shared at PA 2008) I could get the butterflies in my stomach to fly in formation just long enough to get me out in front of the crowd, then the Holy Spirit would take over and I was home free.

It has been years since I learned that lesson. I wish I could tell you that I no longer fear public speaking. The truth is, I still get that queasy feeling each and every time I speak in public – even when I am addressing Patriot Academy. But, I no longer try to overcome my fear. I just rejoice in the glory of God that He can use us even when we are afraid. Then, I take that first step out, open my mouth, and trust God to do the rest.

Lord, thank you for your power to do all that you have called us to accomplish.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Mercy - Proverbs 28

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Proverbs 28:13


Having raised three children of my own, I learned that the most effective prayer for parenting was to pray, “Lord, if the actions of my children are not pleasing in your sight, deliver them into my hands.” When it came to my son, God was so faithful to answer that prayer that he could not spit on the sidewalk without someone calling me to tell me about it.

A mother’s prayers are a great tool for accountability during one’s youth. However, there comes a time when it is no longer mom’s job to hold a child accountable. And then mom can only pray that she has laid the groundwork for the child to step up to the plate and accept his responsibility for accountability before the Lord.

It is not a fault reserved for the young to attempt to conceal our sins from the Lord. Since the time of Adam and Eve, God’s people have acted as if they could hide their sins and the Lord would not notice them. The plan doesn’t work any better now than it did in the Garden of Eden. But, how often do you see a situation where a sin is buried, hidden, lied about, or justified.

Think about it. The Lord holds you in the palm of His hand. Where are you going to hide something? Maybe you can tuck it down between the pinky finger and His ring finger. Or, take it all the way out to the tip of His thumb. Maybe He won’t see it there.

Does it sound ridiculous to consider that you could hide something from God when you are safely in the palm of His hand?

It is.

But, that doesn’t stop us from trying. Learn the lesson early. God already knows your faults. Do not be afraid to ask him how to cope with them. Proverbs tells us that to cover your sin will prevent you from prospering. However, if you confess them and forsake them you will have mercy.

My experience has been that no matter how hard I try to do what is right, I cannot seem to make it through life without sinning. The next best thing to living a sinless life is living the life of a forgiven child of God. Experience has taught me that when I sin, rather than trying to justify my mistakes, the best action is to run toward God just as fast as I can. His mercy has always been greater than my ability to mess things up.

... And, that’s not because I am lacking in capacity to make mistakes.

Lord, may your mercy and grace follow us all the days of our lives.

Pray for your Enemies - Proverbs 25

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Proverbs 25:21-22


In the legislative arena, pro-life issues are one of those topics where it is difficult to know exactly who your friends and enemies might be. Depending upon the wording of your legislation, someone who agrees with you in principle may be as deadly to your legislation as some one who supports abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

It was the summer of 2003. During the legislative session the spring before, the legislator for whom I work, against all odds, passed the Woman’s Right to Know Act (WRTK) concerning informed consent for women about to undergo an abortion. The bill had not been designated as one of the bills to watch by pro-lifers, because it had been carried for at least three sessions in the past with no action.

But, WRTK had passed and we were left with the task of shepherding the implementation of the process through the Texas Department of Health. I say “we” but the truth of the matter is, immediately after the legislative session the representative I work for (who is also a colonel in the U.S. Marine Reserves) was called to active duty in Korea for several months. He assured me we would keep in touch by phone and email and all I had to do was attend the meetings, represent his position, monitor the situation and let him know what he needed to communicate to the stakeholders.

The way the Texas Department of Health implemented the bill was by getting all the people who were in favor of it and all the people who were opposed to it together to hash out the details of the wording of the brochure that would be printed to inform women of the risks of and alternatives to abortions. The majority of the people in the room would not agree with each other about the time of day, much less the wording on an abortion issue.

One day as I was lamenting to the Lord (as I am prone to do) about the mess He had gotten me into, He asked me if I loved my enemies.

“Love ’em? Are you kidding me, God? I don’t even like most of them.”

He asked me if I was praying for them.

“Lord, you know my idea of mercy is to ask you to smite them lightly. What would I pray for these people who I would really rather just see get out of my way so we can get this job done?”
I figured out that the Lord would not have asked me if I was praying if He did not intend for me to do so. And, while He left me to figure out what to pray on my own, I found that praying scripture over the people involved in a controversy never hurts. At the end of the process, not only did we end up with one of the most effective laws on informed consent in the nation, but I ended up with several friends in the Department of Health who continue to be available to discuss issues when the need arises.

I have been greatly rewarded.

Lord, help us to remember to pray for our enemies. Show us how to provide for their needs.

Pray for your Enemies - Proverbs 24

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and it displeases Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
Proverbs 24:17-18



Have you ever watched the news as someone got their comeuppance and thought, “Ah ha! It serves them right!” Have you chuckled as you watch someone squirm as a result of their ill-advised behavior and delighted that, “It is about time… .”


If you have, REPENT. Now, just as a reminder, “repent” means to: 1) recognize that what you are doing is wrong, and 2) turn away from that behavior and head back in the direction of God. Let me give you a visual.


I am the very proud owner of two basset hounds. Basset hounds were made by God to hunt by scent. Their ears are long so that when they are on a scent, the ears brush along the ground, stirring up the scent and literally funneling it into their nose. Likewise, they are hardwired by God to stay on a scent once they start, so they are not easily distracted visually or by sound once they are on a trail.


All of those traits are good and wonderful if you happen to have your basset hound to hunt. Mine hunt for nothing but their next meal and they only look in the food bowl for that. So, all those wonderful traits can have drawbacks. One of them is that they are slow to recognize when they are off on the wrong track (i.e. they need to repent). Generally, when they are off on the wrong track, they are not just moseying along, they are “hooked up and outbound” (that is an old phrase from my dad who worked on a tug book meaning full throttle and headed out of port).
Oftentimes when the bassets are in need of repenting, I am running along behind them yelling their names, telling them to stop, and demanding they “repent” – as if they actually listened. (The oldest basset actually thought “no” was part of his name I used it so much when he was a puppy.)


But, unlike basset hounds, God created you to hear His voice. You just have to learn to listen. When you have learned to listen, the Lord will give you a warning when you begin to “rejoice when your enemy falls.” Heed that warning, because the rest of the scripture explains that your rejoicing can actually displease the Lord so much that He will turn His wrath from your enemy.
What is the appropriate response when your enemy falls? Forgive them. Pray for God’s mercy on them. If they have raised their hand against the Lord’s anointed (you are the Lord’s anointed) then the Lord will vindicate you. You don’t have to worry about how that is going to happen, just trust that it will.


So, when President Clinton faced impeachment, when Hillary Clinton lost the primary, when the media goes after Obama, what is has been response? Are you running across the field so fast that you cannot hear the Lord yelling your name and telling you to stop? Or, do you rejoice in their downfall? You better practice your repentance.


Lord, remind me to pray for those who are my enemies. Open my eyes and ears to see and hear You in every area of my life.

Buy Truth - Proverbs 23

Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Proverbs 23:23


This is a great scripture to use for a variety of purposes. It instructs us to buy truth and wisdom, instruction and understanding. I understand the buying of instruction. That could be the whole idea behind a college degree. “Buy the instruction” could be referring to tuition and we all know that is something that is increasing year after year.

One of my all time favorite quotes heard on the House floor during a legislative session was when Chairman Chisum, in response to an inquiry to please explain something to another representative for about the fourth or fifth time, replied, “I can explain it to you, but I cannot understand it for you.” So, how do you buy understanding?

What is truth? And, what is it worth to you? How do you buy the truth?

In a day when to the world, truth has become relevant to the circumstances and every man does what is right in his own eyes, the concept of truth being a priceless commodity is unknown. But, the believer knows that truth is not a circumstance or a set of facts. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

An encounter with the truth is not an encounter with facts. It is an encounter with Jesus. Think about that when you are in the heat of an argument and discussing whether a set of facts are “true” or not. Personally, I think of facts as “accurate” rather than “true” because a fact may be accurate, but not reflect biblical truth. (This comes under the heading of Words Have Meaning – know that and use them correctly.)

So, what is Truth worth to you and how do you buy it? Truth must be purchased without the commodities that are of value in a secular sense. You can have all the money in the world and not be able to buy truth. You have to purchase it through your prayer life, relationships, and commitment to giving all of you for all of Him. It means sacrificing your time with computer or TV to spend time in the Word. It means that your life is not about what you want to do; it is about what He wants to do through you.

If there is ANYTHING in your life that is more important to you than your relationship with Christ, you are not buying the truth. Jesus told the ruler who asked him how to inherit eternal life that though he had followed all the commandments that was not enough. In his words, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.” But scripture tells us that when the ruler heard this he became sad because he was very rich. And, there is never another mention of him. He traded his eternal life –truth - for his current riches.

You Patriots are at a wonderful place in history. Your entire lives are playing out before you and many of you will be incredibly successful in the eyes of the world. But, if you get all the riches of the world and miss the truth, you will be a failure.

Lord, teach us to love truth and hate deception. Show us how to recognize You in all areas of our lives. Amen

Humility - Proverbs 22

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.
Proverbs 22:4


Patriot Academy has provided an awesome opportunity for the Lord to bring together an extraordinary group of young people. He has chosen each participant over the years to keep a divine appointment with their destiny by bringing them to the seat of government in Texas and letting them “try on” the mantle of governance.

Humility is not the first thought that comes to mind when considering modern day politicians. However, God’s word says that there is a reward for humility and for the fear of the Lord. So, what does the word actually mean?

According to Webster’s, humility is the act of being humble. Humble is “not proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive; reflecting , expressing or offered in a spirit of deference or submission.”

Part of my fear of the Lord is the knowledge that He loves me enough to bring me to a humble state if I choose not to do so myself. Now, (don’t ask me how I know this) in my lifetime I have found that if I choose not to humble myself, the Lord will find someone to do it for me through a word that sounds similar, but has a far different meaning – humiliation. Humiliation means “to reduce to a lower position in one’s own eyes or another’s eyes; i.e mortify.” For example, the approach Mama Seay takes when a Patriot sleeps in rather than participate in early morning sessions.

The public arena gives a great many opportunities for people to think more of themselves than they should. If your motivation is to be someone, rather than to do something, there is a great danger that brushing shoulders with powerful people or elected officials will cause you to take your eyes off the ball (golf ball, that is).

If you find yourself impressed when you are in the presence of a particular individual and it is not because of their godliness, BEWARE! Warning bells should be going off in your head that you are in danger of putting someone in the position that the Lord should have in your life.
I have found that if I begin my day with a few minutes with the Creator of the Universe each morning that meeting the governor in the elevator is not a really big deal. Likewise, when I am communicating with the Lord, it is much easier for me to communicate His vision in policy and relationships.

And, as the Word promises, humility and fear of the Lord brings the reward of honor and riches and life.

Lord, impart to these Patriots the awe and wonder that comes with an intimate knowledge of You. Do not allow them be led astray by the power or wealth of this world. Amen.