A Fork in the Road...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

I grew up six miles from the sandy banks of the Red River in North Texas. Nocona was a wonderful place - a small town where everyone knew everyone, where it was safe to walk or bike the streets even after dark, a safe place that definitely felt like home. However, small towns do have some drawbacks - everyone knew everyone or at least, everyone's parents! And like most small towns, there was not a lot of things for teenagers to do - no movie theatre or bowling alley and 50 miles from the nearest shopping mall. So our main pasttime outside of school activities was driving the drag. For us, the drag went down Hwy. 82 from the Nocona Boot Factory to the city park on the west side of town with the Dairy Queen right dab in the middle.

On some occasions, my friends and I would load up and go outside the city limits to explore the river valley. We would drive those back roads hoping not to get stuck in the thick, red sand (been there, done that, wasn't fun!). The thing about those roads was that they twisted and turned, and it was easy to get turned around or even "lost." Another thing about those roads was that they were notorious for the "fork in the road." We would get to one of those forks and try to decide which tine of the fork would most likely take us to our intended target. Invariably, we would choose wrong - and because of all those darn twists and turns we might end up back in town rather than the sandy beach by the burned out bridge. If only we had had Google maps back then! But back then, we couldn't see past the fork, so we had to make a choice as to which way we would go.

Isn't that just like life? Ever so often in life, we come to a fork in the road - a time and place where we must make a choice. Some forks are more important than other ones, but all of them have a cause-and-effect relationship on the path our lives take. Make the wrong choice, there are consequences to live with; make the right choice, life is blessed.

Joshua 2 and 6:22-27 tells the story of Rahab, a prostitute in the city of Jericho. In chapter 2, Rahab came to a fork in the road of her life when Joshua sent two men to spy out the city as they were making their plans for conquest. The men encountered Rahab, whose house was literally built into the wall surrounding the city. She took them into her family's home and hid them from the king's soldiers who came looking for them. She lied and told the soldiers they were no longer there but had gone out into the hills, which led the soldiers on a two or three day wild goose chase. In the meantime, Rahab solicited a promise from them that they would return the favor of protection when the Israelites conquered the city and protect Rahab and her family.They agreed, and gave her a scarlet cord to hang in her window. That would be the sign their army would look for and when found, they would not distroy her family.

And that's exactly what happened. After Joshua's army had marched around the walls of Jericho seven times on that seventh day, Joshua gave the shout, the trumpets blew, and the walls of the city fell down flat (Joshua 6:15-21). In the midst of the chaos of the the Israelite army destroying everything but the silver and gold within the city, he sent the two men to the window with the red cord to rescue Rahab and her family.

Because of her choice to help the spies, Joshua decreed that Rahab and her family would live among the Chilldren of Israel for ever. And they did. In fact, Rahab is listed in Matthew 1 as the father of Boaz - the Jewish husband of Ruth; she was the great great-grandmother of King David! She is in the lineage of Jesus Christ - because of the choice she made at that fork in her road of life.

When Rahab came to that fork - a time when she had a most important, but difficult choice to make - what caused her to decide to side with the spies? I mean, she was a prostitute living and profitting from a pagan society worshiping false idols. She tells us plainly:

• ...she said to the men, "I know that God has given you the land. We're all afraid. Eveyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan...We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below...Josh 2:9-11 The Message

Rahab the harlot, a worshiper of many gods, had heard about the one, true God, the Lord God, and she believed in that God and His power. She knew that none of her gods could stop the Lord God from fulfilling His plan, thus, acknowledging the supremacy of God.

She chose to believe.

Rahab, the harlot, a worshiper of many gods, also put her faith in her new-found Lord God. She trusted Him that through her protection of the two spies, He would protect her and her family from the complete devastation that was about to befall Jericho. Her symbol of that faith was the scarlet cord she hung in her window.

She chose to have faith.

When Rahab came to that fork in the road, her choices to believe and to have faith in the Lord God and His provision transformed her life. What happened to her, inside of her, is best explained in these words from Paul:

• This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17 NLT

Rahab's profession of belief and faith in the Lord God, changed her. She was transformed from a harlot in the streets of Jericho to a blessed mother in the family tree of Jesus Christ!

My friend, don't ever think that what you have done or how you are defined is so bad that you have no hope. When you think God is so disgusted with you that He won't have anything to do with you, remember Rahab. He looked past how Rahab had lived and into her heart - and what He saw was faith - in His existence, His sovereignty, His power, and His provision.  And His transformational power changed her and saved her.

Rahab went against all odds and was the only person in Jericho to choose belief and faith.

When you come to those forks in your road of life, think on the words of Joshua:

• Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Josh 1:9

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

From the Bank of the Jordan River to the Jungles of the South Pacific...

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed. For I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

One of my favorite parts of American History is WW II.  Because my dad fought in that war as a young man, WW II has always been part of the fabric of my family’s life. My parents were already engaged when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, and my dad was drafted soon after. They moved their wedding up to December 21, he was inducted into the army on February 3, 1942, and he was discharged on August 13, 1945 – a changed man. My dad was like so many vets who don’t talk about their war experiences, so I know only snippets of what he went through during his time in the Pacific.



My Dad - Part of the Greatest Generation

I know that he was trained in reconnaissance, which meant that he and two or three other guys would scout through the jungle looking for the enemy before the main group of his fellow soldiers would step foot in the bush. I know that at least one time, he and his buddies got close enough to the enemy that they were fired upon and my dad heard a bullet whiz past his ear.  I know that my dad was scared to death – he told me so! I also know that he continued on his mission because that was his orders – he told me that, too!

I know that his body was racked with malaria and that he wrestled with tremendous anxiety – both of which affected him the rest of his life.  I know that through most of that he stayed with his troop and battled the enemy as if his life depended on it – because it did. I know that in the midst of his fear and anxiety he sought refuge and strength from his Lord and the Word, which he carried in his pocket – as if his life depended on it – because it did.

I know that even though he returned in a weakened state, his experiences in the South Pacific made him a stronger man. I know that because of his walk with Jesus Christ – I saw it every day.

When we are faced with “war” – in whatever form it may take – what are we to do? The Lord told Joshua, and we are to follow those same orders.

·         Be strong and courageous! That’s so easy to say, but so difficult to do. Sometimes I am just plain afraid of what’s going on around me, and especially afraid of the “what if’s?” If my dad were alive today, he would tell you as he told us that he was more afraid to sneak into that jungle than anything else he ever did in his life. I can’t even imagine the fear that would grip me! He would also tell you that the only way he was able to carry out his orders was to depend on God for strength and courage.

o   Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread?”

o   Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.”

o   Psalm 138:3 – “I called – You answered. You made me bold with strength in my soul.”

·         Do not be afraid or dismayed (discouraged)! Fear cripples faith and leads to discouragement and/or depression. Believers are never alone; God is always present with us and in us. My dad told me about how he “felt” the presence of His Savior as he tramped through the jungle and as he laid in sick bay shaking with fever. He never felt alone – because he never was.

o   John 14:16-17 – “…He will give you a Helper who will be with you forever, that is the Spirit of Truth…He abides with you and will be in you.”

o   Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.”

o   1 John 4:18 – “…perfect love casts out fear…”

Two more things stand out to me in the story of Joshua and his army taking the city of Jericho.

·         God prepared the way – they just had to follow Him. Joshua was given specific instructions about the taking of Jericho. Before they could take it, they had to cross the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. The odd thing is that He didn’t part the river until the priests stepped into the water! It would not take as much faith to walk into a dry riverbed, but to step into a flooded, rushing river – well, that calls for a different level of faith.

·         The victory was already won – it was theirs for the taking. Before the battle, God sent the captain of the host of the Lord to give Joshua his orders. In that conversation, “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hands, with its kings and the valiant warriors.’ “ 6:2 No wonder they didn’t need to be afraid. God had gone before them and was with them and had secured the victory. Joshua and his army just had to obey orders.

All of us face our Jordan Rivers from time to time. It may be in the form of illness, loss of a loved one, marital or family issues, financial crisis, loneliness, depression, enemies on the battle field, and the list goes on…We are to face these battles like Joshua – as a mighty warrior ready to step into the river and watch God work. He will – just as he did for Joshua and just as He did for my dad in the jungles of the South Pacific.

I am so proud of my dad and the man he became – a member of the Greatest Generation. I want that same strength and courage that he called on when facing his enemies. Today, I resolve to step into my Jordan Rivers and see what great and mighty things my God will do!

Patient Obedience and Self-Control...

I have always been an outspoken person - that's just how God designed me. But just because that's how He made me, doesn't mean I've always used that characteristic in a good way and to bring Him glory. In fact, I've used my quick wit and sharp tongue to harm many people throughout my life. Having the ability to use words, written and spoken, in creative, persuasive ways is a blessing and a curse. In high school and college, it helped me win contests and awards; in teaching, it has helped me advance my ideas and connect to people; in my personal life, it has helped me break down the barriers that a disability can build. But the words of my sweet mother have echoed through my head since I was a teenager. "Debbie, your mouth is going to get you into more trouble than you know what to do with!" And she was SO right! That's the curse side of this ability. After teaching for a few years, I ran into my sixth grade teacher at my home church one Sunday. I immediately was transported back to her classroom and replayed the many times I was hateful to her - almost daring her to take me out to the hall and give me spats. Then I thought of my experiences on the other side of that relationship and how it feels as a teacher to be so disrespected. When the final amen was said, I caught up with  her and explained that I had been teaching for a while and just wanted to apologize for my behavior when I was in her classroom. She stared at me with cold, piercing eyes, and said, "You should apologize." WOW! That was like a slap in the face. I left there in disbelief and almost angry that she was so rude. But as I pondered that experience for several days, I began to realize her response came from the hurt I had caused her. God showed me how my actions and words - even as an eleven-year old - had had a lasting, negative affect on this lady. (As a side note, she must have pondered on it also because since then, any time I am in my home church, she seeks me out and is very sweet to me.) It also served as a lesson for me in how fragile my witness for the Lord is. When I am out of control - it will harm my influence for Christ.

The writer of the book of James had this to say about the tongue: "the tongue is a fire, the very word of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell...But no one came tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing." James 3:6-10. Those are very strong words! But so full of truth!

It takes patient obedience to tame the tongue. In fact, it is impossible - without obedience to the Holy Spirit. James said no one came tame the tongue - only through the Spirit, can one get a handle on it. Perhaps that's why God gave the Children of Israel an exercise in holding their tongue before they captured the city of Jericho. The account of taking that fortified city is found in Joshua 6.

The Israelites, who, according to scholars, numbered two million, had just crossed the Jordan River and entered the land promised to them generations before. Moses had died and Joshua was now their spiritual and military leader. Jericho was one of the oldest cities in the world. It had fortified walls that were in some places 25 feet high and 20 feet thick. It was the symbol of military power and strength for that part of the world and was considered invincible. But God is omnipotent! And he purposed that His people would take the city and root out evil from this promised land. Even before He laid out His plan for Joshua, He said to him, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its kings and the valiant warriors." (6:2) The victory had already been won; Joshua and his people just had to be obedient and claim the victory.

Now, God's plan to take the city seems somewhat absurd to us. Joshua was to take part of his army, followed by seven priests carrying trumpets, followed by other priests carrying the Ark of the Lord (which symbolized God's presence) and march around the city once a day for six days. As they were marching, they were to be silent! "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out your mouth..." (6:10) Okay, it's not like they were planning a sneak-attack. The guards on the watchtowers would see them and alert the city, and that many people marching around would surely stir up a dust cloud. And why do this for six days and allow time for the enemy to ready for an attack? It seems like a recipe for disaster! And then on a personal level, think how difficult it would be to march around that city, knowing you were going to attack it at some point, and not even whisper to the person beside you! I couldn't do it!

Joshua also tells them that on the seventh day, they would march around seven times, then the trumpets would blow, and Joshua would shout. When they heard him shout, they were to shout back. So, on the seventh trip around the city, the trumpets blew, Joshua shouted, and the people "shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat." (6:20) That's right...those 25 feet high, 20 feet thick walls fell down flat! Can you imagine the reaction of the Israelites and of the people in the city? When the wall fell down, the Israelites rushed in and took the city. They claimed their victory.

I don't know why God required silence for those six days. I can only surmise that, based on the history of these people, God had truths for them - and us - to learn.

• Patience is a virtue - it is also part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is NOT natural to man. As we draw closer in our relationship to Christ, the more the fruit of patience grows. The Israelites were having to grow patience as they marched and waited seven days before they took the city. I would have been saying, "Come on. Let's get this over with!" But God was having them wait - on Him and His timing. His timing is perfect.
• Self-control is also part of the fruit of the Spirit, and they were having to work on that as well! The fact that they had to march silently for those six days, was an excercise in self-control - holding their tongues, not grumbling, not asking why or when or how come. It also gave them time to reflect on the Lord. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Sometimes we just need to be quiet and meditate upon the Lord and listen to Him. Too many times our tongues are flapping and we can't even hear God.
• Obedience is not part of the fruit; it the vine that grows the fruit. Without obedience there is no fruit in our walk with God. No love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. He desires and even demands obedience to Him and His Word. "...be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8) Obedience is the key to defeating our enemy, Satan, and the key to abundant life on this earth.

God wants us to have self-control, which is really Spirit-control, over our human nature. One of those areas for me is the tongue. How do I gain that control? By patiently being obedient to Him. When those three areas are clicking - patience, obedience, and self-control - I am able to claim the victory in all areas of my life that Christ has already won. Do I have perfect control of my tongue? No, not yet. But I can tell you that I have much more control than before. I am a work-in-progress, and as I march on with Him, He is perfecting me until that time when I will stand before Him, and I am claiming the victories along the way!

The Wee Little Man...

Zaccheus was a wee little man; a wee little man was he...
He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see...
And as the Lord passed that way, He looked up in the tree...
And He said, "Zaccheus, you come down - for I'm going to your house today...

Remember that little ditty from pre-school Sunday School? We teach that song to our children, but do we really know the meaning of that event in Luke 19? Let's examine Jesus' encounter with this tax collector and discover the Truth that's in it for us.

Jesus and his disciples and the multitudes that had been following them were traveling to Jerusalem, where He would eventually be formally accused, tried, and crucified. On their way, they passed through Jericho and were met with a huge crowd. Now we know that these huge crowds that frequently mobbed Him were full of people who had heard about Him and the miracles He had performed. However, the vast majority of these people saw Him as an oddity that they wanted to get a glance at. Most had no idea or belief that He was the Messiah. Others followed and got excited because they thought He was going to set up a new government, thus, overthrowing the Romans. And still a few followed Him because they truly believed.

Zaccheus was a chief tax collector - meaning he was a supervisor, the big cheese among tax men. Tax collectors were not "Citizen of the Year" type men. They had a reputation for extracting more money from the citizens than was really owed. Some used all methods of extortion; they were not liked. The overage lined their personal bank accounts. As for Zaccheus, the scripture notes that he was rich, so he most likely was one of the dishonest tax guys. He probably even took a cut from the those under him since he was in a supervisory role. One other item the scripture tells us about him is that he was "small in stature." I think it is interesting that we are given that detail. How many characters in the Bible, especially the New Testament, do we get a physical description of? When something unusual pops up like that, we'd best take note.

Have you ever heard of the "Little Man" syndrome? In our culture, the "Little Man" syndrome is when a man who is physically small, projects a large personality, perhaps to compensate for his size. That large personality ususally comes across as offensive and arrogant. It's hard to like a "Little Man." I see Zaccheus as a "Little Man."

As the street in Jericho became more congested with people trying to get to Jesus, Zaccheus was unable to break through the crowd. He wasn't large enough to muscle his way through, and people certainly weren't going out of their way to help him. This situation begs the question, why did Zaccheus want to see Jesus so badly? What had he heard that made him so curious? Was there something deep in his heart that was wounded that Jesus might heal? Was he beginning to doubt his wealth and his eternal security? We are not privy to his thoughts, but we do know he desperately wanted to see Jesus. So he runs around and ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree. He made himself a tall perch from which he could watch for and see Jesus. There is no indication that he wanted to talk to Him or touch Him - he just wanted to see Him.

When Jesus came to the tree, He stopped, looked up and spoke directly to Zaccheus, calling him by name. He told him to hurry and come down because He was going to stay at his house! That's a WOW! Scripture says he hurried down and received Him gladly. Zaccheus goes on to say, unprompted, I might add, that he would sell his possessions and give half to the poor and repay those he had defrauded by four times. By-the-way, paying them back four times what he had taken was the harshest penalty under their law, and he chose to do that on his own. Jesus replied that salvation had come to Zaccheus that day.

What Truth can we glean from this familiar story?

Those who seek Jesus - even when they are not sure Who or What He is - will be found by Him. Zaccheus was driven to find Jesus. Driven by something he may not have understood, but still driven to the point of running through the streets and climbing a tree! That's pretty drastic, especially for someone who had wealth and position in the community. It takes a lot for a "Little Man" to lower himself to do something so drastic. But look closely at the passage. Zaccheus positioned himself in the tree, but it was Jesus who stopped and looked up at him. Jesus found him! Jesus invited himself into the man's home. Jesus desired a relationship with Zaccheus, a man who lived his life as a cheat and a crook.

Jesus' eyes pierce our hearts and souls - in a life-changing way. When He looked up and into the face of Zaccheus, Zaccheus was a changed man. He was convicted of his sin to the point of repentance. It's the same thing that happened when He looked into the eyes of Peter, James, and John at the seashore and they immediately left their old way of life and followed Jesus. He knows us by name and sees into our very hearts. He has the power to change us forever - if we will come down from our perch and let Him reside in our hearts (homes). The "Little Man" became a humble, repentant man who became a "son of Abraham," meaning, of course, a child of Faith. That's about as Big as one can get!

Personally, I have no doubt that He invited Himself to my home and I received Him gladly! I hope you have already been found by Jesus and experienced that life-changing look into His eyes. If you are not sure, I pray that you will come down from that tree and take Him into your home (heart). You will be glad you did, and you'll be changed forever.