Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Author: Dave Dishman (Page 420 of 475)

Skunk!

Nothing launches a homeowner into action like a skunk taking up residence under one’s porch. A few days ago Dawn was enjoying some early morning solitude on our deck when this friend ambled by, gave her a look, and proceeded to walk under our deck right below her. Dawn can move quickly when motivated.

Thus started the action. We live in town, no firearms allowed, which is ok, because who wants a dead skunk under their deck anyway? After some research on the world wide web, I started an assault of lights (which skunks hate), mothballs, ammonia and critter ridder. Skunks are apparently highly sensitive to smell. What irony.

That seems to have done the trick. We are several days skunk-free so far, although the smell of mothballs occasionally wafts through the window. One of my neighbors likely has a new boarder, but all’s fair in love, war, and suburban skunk hunting.

Hail, Roof, Foundation

On the afternoon of June 18 dark clouds gathered and proceeded to drop buckets of rain and hail on our neighborhood. Our house caught a good share, rattling windows and damaging plants, with the roof feeling the brunt of the storm. Notice the size of the hail in the pics. The hail caused so much damage that we need to replace our roof. Fortunately our insurance company came through with the necessary payment, so we’ll have a tight, new, element-withstanding roof very soon.

Which got me thinking about storms and Jesus. Hail hammered our house and badly damaged our roof. But despite the storm, the foundation stood firm. There was never any concern that the foundation might have sustained damage. Our house is solid because the foundation is solid. The roof can be damaged more easily and fixed more easily. Damage to the foundation would be a much more difficult proposition.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:24-27 to build our house upon the Rock: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The words found in the Bible, including the words of Jesus, are the only solid foundation for life and the storms that inevitably arrive. Build upon it. No single regret of my life has ever come from following scripture. Your roof is important, but your foundation is critical. Choose the right one to build upon.

Dogged Faith

Some days are wonderful. Other days are a slog. On those sloggish days we must choose to cling to the Lord despite our circumstances. That’s when I turn to one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Facing disaster for himself and his nation, Habakkuk penned these words several thousand years ago:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,

Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; 

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to tread on the heights.

(Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Jonah and the Great Fish

Pieter Lastman 1583-1633

The story of Jonah gives me hope. Not so much from the repentance of the Ninevites, which was wonderful, but rather based on the patience and compassion the Lord showed to the prophet Jonah.

Jonah was prideful, reluctant, hateful, argumentative and eager to enjoy the destruction of the people of Nineveh. Low on the compassion scale. I think Jonah wanted to see the Ninevites die like dogs and when it didn’t happen he was pissed. Jonah represents many of the rigid religious people in our world. Bad people deserve to be punished and God is wrong for relenting and giving them time to turn to him.

Jonah gives me hope because I am often one of those hyper-religious people in my outlook on the world. I sometimes wish to live in a theocracy where clear lines demarcate right and wrong and people outside those lines face punishment.

But God doesn’t seem as interested in lines as I am. At least not the same lines. The Lord seems much more interested in people and in drawing them to himself. God’s patience with the Ninevites is beautiful. Beyond that, God’s patience with Jonah is astounding. That’s what gives me hope today, because I am often more like Jonah than I like to admit.

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