Devotion

Courage to Breathe

It takes courage to breathe
when your lungs feel like glass,
when your heart feels like paper,
when your mind is like a thousand blades of grass
waiting for the wind to blow.

It takes surrender
to the God of Heaven and everything,
who can give you breath and help you sing,
who will heal the places you’re afraid to see,
and make the mountains in your life
climbable.

It takes courage to breathe
when the air around you is toxic
when the people in your life
tell you God is dead
or has run away.

It takes courage to stand
when you’re afraid you will waver,
and steps forward are only a dream.
How do you dare…
or risk being counted
as a believer,
a holder of his name?

But you can breathe,
and you can stand.
then even run.
God will be your security detail
for the journey.
You will climb up through the clouds,
where the doubters tell you not to go.
And they’ll call you a fool for climbing.

But God will meet you there
like He promised…
because you had
the faith to breathe,
the temerity to breathe,
the courage to breathe.

© Joel Tipple 10/8/2018

Be Still

    He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 NIV

When storms of war are raging,
when all you see is strife.
When every bit of news seems bad
so you’re afraid to step outside.
Remember the battle is the Lord’s,
He alone holds high ground.
So listen closely, Pilgrim
for the trumpet sound,
and be still.

Be still, and know I am God.
I didn’t bring you to the battle
just to leave you.
Be still. I have your back.
I know your destination, oh.
Be still, be still.
My child, be still.

Just because you can’t see around the corner
of your block, let alone the future,
that’s all the more, reason, to rely on the one
who knew you…
before…
anyone knew you.

Be still, and know I am God.
I didn’t bring you to the battle
just to leave you.
Be still. I have your back.
I know your destination, oh.
Be still, be still.
My child, my own, be still.

©  Joel Tipple 10/07/2018

 

The Heart of Thankfulness

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What qualities do you admire most in people? Friendly? Funny? Outgoing? Kind? Intelligent? Certainly I think you’d discover one common denominator would be the quality of thankfulness. While the most miserable people seem best at finding the worst, the happiest ones have a way of tapping into an attitude of gratitude that buoys them even in difficult circumstances and similarly lifts everyone around them. No matter their physical appearance, they somehow manage to be the most beautiful people in the room.

In his first letter’s exhortations to the Thessalonians, chapter five, verses 16 through 18, Paul says to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Note that he says, “in everything.” The circumstances may be horrible, but an attitude of thankfulness can keep hope, essential as breathing, alive even then.

How can we break out in thanksgiving
even in the middle of mourning, grief and pain?
How can we be there for the living?
If God’s commanded, he’ll surely provide a way
to be thankful.

Lord, maybe I’ve taken leave of my senses,
to be joyful, in a world missing paradise,
but since you’ve given me permission
I’ll swing for the fences,
and be so thankful.

No matter how the earth groans,
no matter whether man
tries to destroy all you’ve given,
I know you’re sovereign, Lord.
No matter how dark the news,
and evil seems to win,
I’ll search for the way…
to remain thankful.

I’ll enter your gates with thanksgiving.
I’ll enter your courts with praise,
for you are good and your love is eternal.
I will not fear what I can’t see in the night,
I won’t fear the dark in the day,
for you remain Lord no matter where or how I am.
For that and so much more I’m thankful.

Lord heap my heart
full of thanksgiving,
Heap it up till it overflows.
Heap it so I can’t keep it to myself,
The whole world has to know.

God’s word helps me to perceive,
we must be illuminators of his love,
justice and hope.
Circumstances will change,
our health may ebb and flow.
The world’s economy might fluctuate,
but that won’t change what I know.
So I’m thankful.

Whether we face plenty or hunger,
abundance or need,
we can do all things
through Christ who strengthens us.
He is our sufficiency
and we are thankful.

Though we’re persecuted, we will not be abandoned;
Though we’re struck down, we will not be destroyed.
we lift our hands and rejoice
because we look toward the one who does not change
and give our offering of thanksgiving.

Lord heap our hearts
full of thanksgiving,
Heap them up till they overflow.
Heap them so we can’t keep it to ourselves,
The whole world has to know.

Take over the places in me
that are not all about you,
like the place that calculates
what’s owed me
and from whom.
If you would, Lord, make it over… Lord, make me over.
You know God, we’re pretty selfish
and we’ve all got our wish lists.
It seems they’ve changed only little
from the days we were kids.
But Lord, among those qualities I value,
grow in my estimation that of gratitude.

Imagine the world like that,
thankfulness,
spreading like a good disease.
I can’t possibly overestimate
what it could mean.
All that taking turning into giving.
Ground zero right here.
That’s a funny thought…
infectious agents for Jesus.
Ha!

Lord, heap our hearts
full of thanksgiving,
Heap them up till they overflow.
Let the good news
from our overflowing grateful hearts
draw those we meet
to your kingdom.
Lord, heap our hearts.

©Joel Tipple
#13/15

More than we can bear

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Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

God you did not promise this life would be easy,
but you promise strength
in the midst of the storm.
No matter how ugly the news we hear,
in a cold world you are there
for life sustaining warmth.

The false comfort and ease of a life
ignoring your truth
can push our craft toward an inevitable cliff,
but if we believe and act upon
the message of salvation
You will make of our detritus and debris
a lighthouse and life saving ship.

This Race, this War.

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Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way
that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:24

I’ve run too far with you Lord,
to risk looking back now.
I’ve trusted you more than my feelings.
These hands hold tightly to your word
for within is the essence of healing.

Each day I expect a battle Lord;
some days I’m a victor, others, bloody and sore.
I’m confident of this always,
as I step out my door,
fights will come and go always,
You Lord, and Your’s have already won the war.

Relinquishment of Control

Will your car start tomorrow morning when it’s time for you to go to work? Will a freak storm level most of the town you live in? Will your future wife walk into your office, look into your eyes, and see something that she can’t really describe, but which irrevocably changes both of your lives? I sometimes play that game in my mind, where I go back in time, but this time I’m armed with the knowledge of what has already happened. But what if you went back and changed one thing? What if you decided to get your car fixed before that day it wouldn’t start? What if that change in timing meant you turned your head at the wrong time at the office and that magic moment never happened? Going back in time doesn’t seem like such a great idea now, does it?

thelordreigns

It’s easy to see how our meddling with time could mess up our future. We aren’t meant to have that kind of power. But what would change in your future if you gave control to God? What if you actually became so sensitive to God’s voice that He didn’t have to keep hitting you over the head to get your attention? You might say, “That would be great, nothing bad would ever happen to me, because I would always be in God’s perfect will!” Wrong! Even when we do our best to listen to God, stuff happens. A lot of those happenings are things we don’t like. But God knows what we need, long term or short term. His plan is always best, even if we don’t understand. For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Father, let me know you so well that I trust you to read the map.
I won’t constantly stop the car and complain that we are going the
wrong way. When you say, “Turn here,” I won’t ask you if you’re
sure, I’ll just turn the wheel. Let a peace wash over me that tells
me I will get to just the right place at just the right time to have
the future you’ve designed for your servant.

Turn to the Sun

In the middle of our troubles it’s sometimes hard to remember that light even exists. All your senses perceive is an opaque wall between yourself, God and those who care about you. Time slows to a crawl. The air is heavy. Just existing can become a physical and emotional trial. This time of year, the daffodils I planted last fall are starting to bloom. For some time their green stalks have been showing. Now, we can enjoy the payoff of color. While winter lingers, spring beckons. An evening of rain is often followed by a morning of sun as the seasons get to the point in the relay race where the baton is passed. I noticed a particular flower the other day that had bent its head following a cold tumult, only to lift up as it dried and pointed to the blue sky. Hope and warmth drew it up as it dared to reveal its brave face. Is that a great leap? Are we foolish to believe a plant can hope? Look around. Everything God has created is brimming with hope and expectation. It’s inside you as well. Dare to lift up your head and find joy.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Psalm 98:4-6

The Helper

In John 13, we can imagine the anxiety forming in the minds of the disciples. This time was shortly before the crucifixion and Jesus was preparing them, not only for what was to come in the short term, but later, when the infant church would be put to the test. Imagine yourself in their place. This was the man they had followed and worshiped. They were prepared to do anything for Him. But the prophesies must be fulfilled.

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.” John 13:36-38. It was in the backdrop of what on the surface seems like a shaky start that His church was formed, formed with men like Peter, of whom Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18

Lord, You said you would ask the Father to give us another Helper,
Who would be “the Spirit of truth.”
You said He would be in us
and with us abide.

You said the Holy Spirit would teach us
and help us remember all you said.
You said when You would go,
He would reside.

Thank you, Spirit of God,
for disclosing our Lord’s truth.
How else would we comprehend the mystery.
The revolution that conquered sin,
the ultimate sacrifice that took us in,
prophecy fulfilled on Calvary’s tree.