Articles by Russ Lawson at Heartlight

I'll Be Happy When?

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. (My friend Jerrie sent me this. I thought I would expand on it a touch.)

When you talk to most of the folks my age, sooner or later, the subject of retirement comes up as does talk of what they plan to do when they retire. The thought is that when they no longer have to worry about going to work, then things will be different, and then they will have time to do the things that really make them happy.

While thinking about this, I remembered what Jesus said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). I know we are not necessarily considering worry, but also being happy with your life. I believe the principle is basically the same. Also, notice what James wrote.

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:13-14).

Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is, "What is keeping me from being happy?" Am I waiting for some future event that I think will change everything, make everything better, or make things different? Am I waiting for someone else to change their life, their attitudes, their likes or dislikes, believing that will make me happy?

The psalmist gives us some insight into finding happiness when he tells us, "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God" (Psalms 146:5).

Where is your hope? Where do you try to find happiness? True hope and happiness is based on and found in our relationship with our Lord.

May God grant you true happiness this day and forever!

Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.

Website: Messages from the Heart

Mother's Day in Retrospect

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

They say -- whoever "they" are -- that confession is good for the soul, so maybe it's time for me to reveal that I have not always been the wonderful, considerate husband that I now am! (Don't laugh too hard!)

As I look back on past Mother's Day weekends, I realize that I really blew it sometimes. The first years of our marriage, Mother's Day rolled around and I reasoned that Melody was my wife -- not my mother -- so I didn't get her anything to recognize the day as special.

The next year, however, I had learned my lesson. I had discovered the hard way, that my wife was indeed a mother, and that I needed to recognize that fact. I thought about it for awhile, and came home with the perfect gift (I thought), a rubber tree plant. Melody was not impressed! Kirk (9 months old) liked it better than she did. He proceeded to pull all of the leaves off of it in the following weeks.

I still didn't understand why Melody wasn't impressed with my thoughtfulness, but eventually, somewhere along the past 41 years, I figured it out. I don't make those foolish mistakes as often now. Now, when I suggest doing something special to celebrate Mother's Day she says, "It's not necessary. Our boys will make it special for me!" I've wondered if it could be she just doesn't want to take a chance on another rubber tree plant!

Guys, just in case you need some help, jewelry, perfume, clothing, thoughtful cards, a nice meal, or a visit to some place special to her are appreciated by the mothers in your life -- whether they are your mother or the mother of your children! Rubber tree plants, tools, and oil changes are not usually seen as something very personal or appreciative for one who carried you for 9 months in her body and gave you life!

The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, penned these words:

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 'Honor your father and mother.' This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise (Ephesians 6:1-2 NLT).

Mother's Day is a national holiday, not a religious one. But, this is one special day that I am in favor of celebrating. It's a small way to honor our mothers and recognize all they have given us in our lives. I realize that not everyone has "the perfect mother," but if the opportunity presents itself, bless yourself by doing something good and positive for your mother anyway.

While some of you moms might be thrilled to get even a rubber tree plant, I pray that you all will get what you really need in the way of love and recognition for the role in which God has placed you!

Website: Messages from the Heart

Always Saying the Right Thing

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Have you ever meant to say something that didn't come out just the way you wanted it to? Being a preacher, it seems that I have a constant problem of "foot in mouth." I have heard other folks do the same thing, sometimes a complement that didn't come off just the way we wanted. Sometimes a word of correction that came off much harsher than we had intended.

I received this little story from a friend of mine in Missouri (Raymond), which illustrates the problem.

A bashful young man asked a friend for advice on what to talk about on a date. The friend said to flatter the girl, "Tell her when you see her face, time stands still." What the rattled young man said to his date was, "Your face would stop a clock."

How do you get into messes like that, and more importantly, how do you get out again? Most of the time, it is as simple as saying, "I'm sorry, that was not what I meant to say."

Notice what Paul writes those who followed Jesus in his day:

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Colossians 4:6).

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt ..."* I don't know about you, but I need an almost constant reminding of that principle. Why? Because I often don't do so well at accomplishing it.

May our God guide you in all that you think and say!

* The phrase "seasoned with salt" does not mean "salty speech," which comes from the concept of "speaking salty like a sailor (who sails on salt water and the language used at sea is, well, salty)." Instead, the phrase refers to being correctly seasoned like using the correct amount of salt.

Website: Messages from the Heart

In God We Still Trust

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Our nation and our world are struggling with trust in and having faith in God. Everyone seems to be asking the question, "Why is this happening?" Some even ask, "If there is really a God, and if there is, why is there so much suffering?" Many people look at the incidents recorded in the scriptures and find strength, but then Satan plants the seed of doubt, and we can give in to their fear and want to give up on life.

You most likely are not familiar with the name, Gladys Aylward, but you may have heard her story which was made into a movie many years ago. The movie was titled, "The Inn of the 6th Happiness." It was the story of a single woman who became a missionary to China, but was forced to flee before the invading Japanese army in World War II. She, however, could not leave the people she loved to suffer, and especially the many orphans. With only one assistant to help her, she led more than 100 children over the mountains to reach freedom.

In the book "The Hidden Price of Greatness," the authors tell us the unknown story of the struggle which Gladys fought with herself:

During Gladys's harrowing journey out of war-torn Yangcheng, she grappled with despair as never before. After passing a sleepless night, she faced the morning with no hope of reaching safety. A 14 year old girl in the group reminded her of their much loved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. "But I am not Moses," Gladys cried in desperation. "Of course you aren't," the girl said, "but Jehovah is still God!"

WOW! What faith! Don't you wish you could always have the faith and trust of that 14 year old girl?

Often in the scriptures, the apostle Paul lets us see his very human side. He had struggles with his own weaknesses, with his physical problems, with discouragement from dealing with other less than perfect people. Yet, he could write words of encouragement that let us understand that he never gave up hope or trust in God, like these familiar words of faith:

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT).

Gladys was pursued by those who wanted to stop her. They rejected her faith and would have had no regrets in killing her. Perhaps you are struggling with despair and discouragement in your life right now. The question that perhaps you need to ask yourself is the same one with which she struggled: "Do you trust in God for deliverance?"

My prayer for you today are the amazing words of Paul prayed thousands of years ago:

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope (Ephesians 3:19-20).

I don't know about you, but for my wife and me, "In God we still trust!" We may not be Moses, but He is still Jehovah!

Website: Messages from the Heart

Only a Keystroke Away

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I was thinking about how our world has changed so quickly. Our lives are so different from what they were for our parents or grandparents. Of course they are especially different in the terms of electronic devices. I remember reading that in the 1950's they were first developing a working computer and it required the space of a small home. Now I have a computer that fits into the space of my hand.

We look at time differently, as well. In our parents and grandparents day, folks took more time with things in which we don't seem to place the same level of importance. Mostly I'm thinking about personal relationships. They took time to visit, to stop and talk with friends when they met them unexpectedly. They visited their neighbors, shared part of the latest batch of cookies they had just made, helped repair that fence or paint the house. Today, our lives are ruled by how much we can get done in the shortest amount of time and how long we can continue doing it.

We plan our days and then work at the plan. Of course that is not all bad. We are supposed to manage our lives wisely, aren't we? I do that so it must be alright! Right? I generally spend part of my early mornings corresponding and writing. However, I think that I may have discovered that I've fallen into a trap. As I have been reviewing my typical day lately, I've found myself far too often jotting off a quick email note rather than picking up the phone and calling personally or making a visit. It is more efficient to do this cyberspace-style, isn't it? I can stay in contact with more people, over a greater distance, in less time. So, I am a better manager, right? We are, after all, only a keystroke away. That is what I told a friend recently.

Something is lost in all of this. It is the personal part of relationships. There is something about the sound of the voice of my friends or the clasp of a handshake that warms my heart. Yes, it feels good to receive an email from a friend, but I feel more of a sense of peace, a sense of warmth and encouragement, when we talk.

I know that you are sitting at your computer reading this thought. You are comfortable, you are protected, you are safe and spam filtered as you sit in that chair and only a keystroke -- the delete button -- away from removing anything you don't like. But, let me encourage you to make some personal contact with someone today -- perhaps someone you haven't talked with or visited with for far too long. You need the contact. You both need the encouragement.

The writer of the book of Hebrews puts it this way:

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13 NIV).

While I can't personally contact everyone who reads this, I can encourage you to reach out and encourage someone in your own life -- in a personal way that involves the sound of your voice and the touch of your hand.

Website: Messages from the Heart

Step into the Water

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

There is an old gospel hymn, sung by the Cathedrals, that goes like this: "Step into the water, wade out a little bit deeper. Wet your feet in the water of his love." This is a very interesting song if you think about it in the context of Scripture. I'm not sure where the writer of the hymn received his inspiration, but the memory of the song came to me as I was reading from the book of Joshua (Joshua 3:1-17) this past week.

After forty years of wandering through the wilderness in pursuit of God's promise for a better life, God's people finally are going to get to cross into the Promised Land. God gives Joshua directions explaining what was going to happen. They were to cross the Jordan river during its flood stage and enter the land of Canaan.

Now you might think this is not a whole lot different from when the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, but it is. When Moses parted the Red Sea, the winds blew all night and there was a path through the sea. In this case, God's leaders had to physically step into the water before the water stopped flowing. Notice what the scripture says:

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground (Joshua 3:14-17 NIV).

This time God called upon them to literally make a "step of faith" before he would deliver them. He wanted them to display their trust. When the soles of the sandals on the feet of the priest touched the water, the water stopped flowing and backed up for approximately seventeen miles upstream. Notice also that the river bed was instantly dry. God worked, but he demanded that the people take a step of faith before they experienced this mighty work in their lives.

I wonder how many times God doesn't answer our prayers or doesn't cause or allow something to happen in our lives because he is simply waiting for us to take the first step of faith?

What is it that you dream of doing or being for God?

What great plan do you have for God or for your life?

Are you waiting for the right time to step out, for the perfect conditions to act?

God's great writer and preacher of wisdom warned, "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4 KJV). I love the way this message is translated in a newer translation: "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done" (NLT).

What are you waiting for?

What is holding you back?

Isn't it time to "Step into the water, wade out a little bit deeper. Wet your feet in the water of his love."

Website: Messages from the Heart

Wake Up Call

rlawson@wclo.net (Russ Lawson) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

My wife and I occasionally stay in hotels when we travel. It's not unusual for us to arrange for the hotel to give us what is called "A wake up call" -- that is a call to make sure we are awake and ready to start our day on time.

In the USA we also use the term "Walk up Call" to describe life changing or challenging events. The problem is that sometimes we want to turn over, cover up our heads and go back to sleep and forget the "wake up call"!

Notice what happened in this "wake up call"!

It happened in 1883, in New England the Sun didn't rise! The people awoke to an eerie darkness. They went outside to do their chores in stony silence. No rooster crowed, no birds chirping, none of the usual sounds of a new day. At the very start, people began to gather in small groups to question what was happening, to wonder and discuss what was taking place. Slowly, people began to make their way to the Churches. They say that by twelve noon every Church in New England was filled to overflowing with people on their knees crying out to God. There were cries for mercy, people begging for forgiveness and others confessing their sins. They say that there were few people who didn't pray the day the sun didn't rise. The Churches were full late into the night.

As the next morning neared, great crowds began to gather on the hilltops and the high places near their homes and churches. People were staring toward the eastern horizon. Every eye was fixed on that point where the sky touched the land. Every eye watching, hoping to catch a glimmer of the first rays of the Sun. As the sun began to come up over the horizon, people began to shout and yell praise to God, they clapped, danced and rejoiced because the Sun shined on the land again. As if in one voice, they began to praise the Lord for the sunlight, the warmth and the joy of God's new day.

This is understandable. So here is the rest of the story:

These people had no idea that on the Island nation of Indonesia, the sleeping giant of a volcano, Krakatoa, had come to life. They had no idea that this great mountain exploded and sent a huge cloud of dust and ash into the upper atmosphere. This black cloud would be carried around the world by the jet stream. It was said to cover whole regions, covering the sky from horizon to horizon. Few people had any idea that a volcano, half way around the world, could create such a cloud that could block out the Sun. Yet for most of those people that was the very first time they ever thanked God for the warmth and wonder of the Sun.*

But people are people, and like most of us, they soon forgot. They forgot the day they thought Jesus was coming back. They forgot the prayers, pleading and repentance. They forgot the thanksgiving they had offered to God. They went back to their old life styles, their old habits, and forgot all of the promises they had made to God.

Another "wake up call" happened for many of us on September 11, 2001! A great disaster took place in New York. Terrorists killed thousands of people from all different races and nations. People began to realize just how quickly life could end and to think about how important God should be in their lives. Some repented of their sinful ways. Some made promises to do better and to serve God. We became a people who were thankful for each new day and for each time we got to see our friends, family, wives, husbands and children. We became more aware of God's blessings on us. We were more thankful to God for our lives than perhaps we had been for a long time. Why? Because we had no idea that one man with an insane dream could hurt us or our nation, our people, our friends and families so much. But then the clouds of smoke cleared, and we began to feel secure once again, and we began to forget.

How many wake up calls do we get? What "wake up call" have you received in your life? Did you really "wake up," or soon forget your prayers and promises? You may not get another call to wake up, a second chance!

Let me leave you with three verses to ponder:

Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed (Romans 13:11 NLT).

Wake up from your drunken stupor ... and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame (1 Corinthians 15:34 ESV).

For the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead and Christ will give you light! (Ephesians 5:14 NLT)

May we listen to our "wake up call" and not forget the lessons learned!

* The original author of this report is not known, but the story is widely known.

Website: Messages from the Heart