knowledgeofgoodandevil

I had to go to the DMV last Monday. I had to get a “real” license, because the current license I had was considered invalid and I couldn’t use it to board an airplane here in the U.S. I was dreading it. I hate the DMV. With my kids trying to get their licenses, I’ve been to the DMV too many times to count. Either we forgot some piece of paper or the kids didn’t pass their tests.

So Monday morning I found myself in the lovely DMV. And the DMV is “lovely.” They move so quickly and are so friendly there. (Said with tongue firmly planted in cheek). In case you didn’t catch my sarcastic humor-the DMV is not lovely or friendly or very swift for that matter. They seem to take a really, really, really long time doing anything. Each time I’ve gone (with an appointment), I usually spend at least an hour and a half.

So there I was amidst very angry looking people. Look around the DMV, next time you are there, people are not happy. The place was soooo crowded. I had an appointment, but I still had to wait in a line. It was a smaller line than the no appointment line, but nevertheless a line. When I finally got my turn, I handed over all the important paperwork. The DMV worker sent me to the waiting area to wait some more until they called my number. The waiting area was crowded. There weren’t many chairs and the chairs were close together and there was someone sitting in each of them. I managed to snag a seat next to a lady and began to wait.

Now here I sat, in a crowded DMV, surrounded by angry people. It was so loud in there, you could hardly hear yourself think. So what did I do? I began to pray. Right there, in the midst of a government agency (there’s supposed to be a separation of church and state, you know). But I began to enter into the presence of the Lord. I began to speak to the most high. Despite all the noise and angry people I started praying. I prayed that this DMV visit would go well, that I could get it all done and that I didn’t forget anything. I’ve been to enough DMVs to know that is almost always not the case – getting it all done in one visit.

They called my name. I handed over my paperwork. The DMV worker looked at my paperwork and said that my license is up for renewal in a few months and asked me if I would like to renew it right now while I’m here. He paused to tell me I would have to take a test.

I cringed inside of myself. A test? I had been taking the tests on line along side my kids to see how well I would do. I didn’t do well. None of the questions have anything to do with driving. I have been driving for over thirty-five years and couldn’t answer the questions. I’m supposed to know what are the consequences for abandoning an animal on the side of the road. How should I know? Or, what the legal amount of alcohol can be in a person’s system to drive. I don’t drink and I’m not a cop. I hesitantly told the DMV worker that I would go ahead and take the test. He sent me over to another line to get my picture taken. So what did I do? I began to pray. Here I was, standing in a line, in a noisy DMV, talking to God again. “Lord please help me pass this test.”

After they took my picture, I had to wait in another line to take the test. They called my name again, and I went to the computer to do the deed. I quickly prayed another prayer, “Please Lord, help me pass this test.”

And guess what? I passed the test.

For me, I tend to think I need to wait to pray. It needs to be in a quiet place where I can focus on what I’m doing. It needs to be in a reverent place, not a government building. But that’s the beauty of a believer’s walk with the Lord, we can pray anywhere, anytime for anything. The Apostle Paul said to pray without ceasing. So that’s what I’m doing. And do you know what? I not only passed that test, but I managed to get it all done in 50 minutes.

It’s raining right now. Rain in Southern California. That’s a really good thing. I love the rain. It’s such a welcome change of pace. When it rains, I feel the sense that I need to stay home and cuddle up in a warm blanket. The rains slows us all down. We put off errands for another day when it’s not raining. We drive slow in the rain, so we don’t go skidding off the road. The rain is good.

After the rain, everything feels clean and fresh. It washes off the dust on the sidewalks and on my car. I love that smell after rain. It just smells fresh. The thirsty flowers and plants get a dose of water to help them grow. They desperately need the rain.

And so do we. A believer needs rain in their own life. It’s not always welcome, but it is always needed. The rain comes in the form of challenges, disappointments, or problems we face. We don’t want the rain, but we desperately need it.

The rain in our lives slows us down. When we’re faced with a problem or challenge, that becomes our focus. Everything around it tends to fade into the background. We may fret or fume because of this rain. We may wish it away. But there is a reason for it. Problems in a believer’s life don’t randomly show up. God is fully aware of the rain in your life.

So when the rain comes, slow down. Stop and look to God. Maybe your life has become complacent like mine was last year. I struggled desperately to find a job and couldn’t get one. I felt God had abandoned me. Of course, none of that was true. God never leaves us or forsakes us. But I believed lies the enemy had planted in my brain.

God tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.” That’s what the rain is for-to help you slow down and be still. And after you’ve become still, look to God. Look to Him and remember who He is. Look to Him and remember what He promises us. When you do this, it will combat the lies and then it will calm your soul. When you remember God’s love and tenderness for His people, you won’t be able to help it – you will feel unbelievable peace. The rain may still be there, but now God provides you with an umbrella.

God says He cares for His own. He says for His children to cast their cares upon Him, for He cares for us. That’s easy to believe. God says He’s going to take care of our needs. He’s going to make sure we are fed, clothed, and protected. But is that all there is to it?

God compares His parenting to us as parents. He says that we know how to give good gifts and we are evil. How much more will God give gifts?

God isn’t just about the basics. Yes, he will clothe, and feed us, but it goes much deeper and far greater than that. He designed us with greater needs than that. He didn’t just give us bodies that need food, clothing and shelter, but He gave us brains and feelings. Our hearts long for so much more.

We have needs of belonging. So He designed the family in which we can meet those needs.

We have needs of love and acceptance. He provides that too. God cares about your feelings. He says when we get to heaven He’ll wipe every tear from our eyes. He will do it. Picture that kind of intimacy. If you are a parent, you’ve wiped your children’s tears. God says He’ll wipe away His children’s.

When we are afraid, God promises He will care for us. Do not fear, He tells us.

God knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our prayers before we ask Him. He says He will never leave us or forsake us. He tells us no sin is too great that His blood can’t cleanse us from. He knows our thoughts.

He knows every need. He knows every feeling we have felt. He hears every cry. He hears every prayer.

I listened to a speaker once and they were talking about Christian parenting. The speaker told us that our children need our attention. They need to know they are heard. The speaker said take time for your children and listen to them. Stop whatever you are doing, look your child in the eyes and hear them out. That is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. That may sound simple and like it doesn’t really need to be said. But we can get caught up in our busy lives and forget to do simple things like that.

Now, when we speak to God, He doesn’t just listen. He takes our prayers and places them into golden bowls, cherishing them. He’s not just hearing us, He’s taking the prayers and putting them in an elevated thing like golden bowls. Imagine that.

Much of our Christian life is lived with God working behind the scenes. We can’t see Him, or touch Him or hear Him. But remember, He is still there, whether we see Him or not. He hears everything you say. He even goes to work on your behalf, before you even utter the prayer. So take comfort in that. When the world feels to heavy to take, remember God knows everyone of your needs and He will care for you, even in the little things.

When I was a little kid growing up in Alaska, we didn’t get to have a dog. We wanted one, but my dad said no. But we ended up with a dog anyways. We lived across the street from my grandpa, who happened to have two dogs. One of those dogs adopted our family as his own. He ate and drank at my grandpa’s house, but spent all his waking hours with us, across the street. He was a black lab we called, “Pup.”

Pup was the best dog in the world. He had such a fierce loyalty to us. Every time we drove out to church which was about 3 miles from our home, Pup would follow us. After church was over, we would come out, and there was Pup, laying beside our truck, waiting for us. We’d load him into the back of the truck and take him home.

One time we went ice fishing out on a frozen river in the middle of the dead winter. My dad drove his snowmobile with a sled attached to it. We drove for about an hour to the frozen river. All of us were bundled up in snowsuits, hats, scarves and big mittens. The trip was fun, but felt like it took forever to get out to the river. When we finally got there, people stood around small holes in the ice to fish. I remember being cold and a little bored.

After about an hour, someone noticed something black on the horizon, coming towards us. People squinted to try and figure out what that was. Someone realized it was a dog. As he got closer and closer, we realized it was Pup, coming towards us. He was panting really heavy with his tongue hanging out. We kids ran towards him as he wagged his tail to greet us. It was unbelievable. That dog followed us all the way out to the river and didn’t stop until he found us. He had somehow followed our scent and hunted us down until he found us, his people, the people he loved. Fortunately, Pup got a ride home in the sled.

“If I ascend to heaven, You are there, if I make my bed in Shoel, behold, you are there.” Psalms 139:8

God is described as the “Hound of Heaven.” He pursues us. He seeks us out until He finds us. There isn’t a verse in the Bible that calls God the Hound of Heaven, but the Bible definitely describes His behavior like a hound. Like our dog, Pup, God will pursue us. He will leave His flock to go find the one lost sheep.

God is faithful. Though we are faithless much of the time. God remains faithful. He sticks with us like our faithful dog Pup. “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” That is a promise God gives us.

You may have a dog, like our dog Pup. You may know the loyalty and faithfulness of a dog. But even if you don’t, remember that God acts like the Hound of Heaven, pursuing us. He will never leave us or forsake us. You can rest in that promise.

I don’t like fast spinning rides. Never have. Just the thought of them makes me feel queasy. I see those kinds of rides at the fair and cringe and walk away. No amount of money could get me on one of those things.

Did you know the earth spins at about 1042 miles per hour on its axis? Yes, you read that right-1042 miles per hour. That is some fast spinning. But look around yourself right now. Do you feel like you are spinning 1042 miles per hour? Do you feel queasy to your stomach and want to scream to make it stop? No, you don’t. I don’t.

When God asks us to trust Him, it’s not a flimsy request. This same God who controls the world, while spinning it at 1042 miles per hour, keeps us on the planet and from spinning off into space. This same God is the One who is asking you to trust Him.

When God asks us to trust Him, He is essentially saying He has the power and might to be trusted. He created the world. He set it on its axis. He put just enough gravity in place to allow us to function, but be able to freely move. He has the power to control the winds and seas.

“The men were amazed and said, “What kind of a man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matt. 8:27

That’s probably one of my favorite verses because it gives us a picture of Who God is. If even the winds and seas obey him, shouldn’t we be able to put our trust in Him?

I’m sure you’ve had people tell you to trust them, haven’t you? Both my kids have told me so at times in the past. “Trust me mom!” Um, I don’t want to burst their bubble, but I don’t really trust them. They’re kids. I know more than they do.

Have you ever seen those trust falls? It’s an activity to build morale in organizations, where someone or several someones stand behind a person, then this person is supposed to trust the people behind them, close their eyes and fall backwards, trusting they’ll be caught. I’ve never done one of those and I don’t think I want to.

There used to be a Sunday school song I used to sing all the time. It was called “Trust and obey.” There was was line in their that I love:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

So, fellow believers, God asks us to trust Him. But it’s not an empty request. He really is trustworthy. Think about the earth spinning at 1042 miles per hour right now. Yet, we are completely stationary and are NOT spinning out of control. God controls the world. He controls the wind and the seas. He can control your life. Trust Him. You won’t be sorry.