The After-Oakdale Chronicles

an awesome day to say “I love You, Lord!”

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.”  Psalm 18:1 NASB

And then there were the times when David got it perfect from the beginning.

The entirety of Psalm 18 is a beautiful display of David’s gratitude to God for victory over his enemies. We can all learn an important lesson in how our relationship with God should be from that beautiful opening in Psalm 18.

“I love You, Lord; You are my strength.” (Psalm 18:1 NLT).

Perhaps each of us should remember that line and use it every time we speak to the Lord. Some of us may already do that, but it is likely that many of us fall short when it comes to actually telling God that we love Him. Some would even have to admit to feeling a little awkward verbalizing our love for God. We all know that many among us have difficulty expressing feelings to spouses and children, so how can we expect those individuals to say out loud, “I love You, God.”?

If this presents a problem, then this is something that God can help to overcome.

While it may seem unusual to use prayer to ask God to help us learn to tell Him that we love Him, if this is a problem for us then it is exactly the sort of thing that prayer is to be used for. God knows that by helping us express our love to Him, He can help us unlock the ability within that will help us express our feelings and show our love to others. The fact that He can help us learn to express our love should come as no surprise.

After all, He can help us face our enemies, even when the ‘enemy’ is the fear that resides within us.

If this is the perfect way to begin a conversation with God, why didn’t David use it all the time? There is no way to understand it other than to point to the fact that David was, after all, just like us: Human. Unlike God, who is always consistent, human beings often have difficulty. We are tossed about by our daily lives. We are also prone to cry out in despair or distress without stopping to consider how we really want to address Him.

The only thing we can do is practice. All we can do is try to remember that every time we speak to God, try to begin – and end – with four words. “I love You, Lord.”

Even with practice, we can never come close to being perfect, but expressing our love for God on a daily basis could have a profound impact on our daily lives.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an excellent day to ask, “Is this me?”

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”  Psalm 13:1 NIV

The list of memorable individuals who are mentioned in the Bible is quite long.

Through its many insightful pages we encounter hundreds of individuals, dozens of them whom we come to know rather intimately. The times in which they lived are different; the experiences they had are different; the lessons we learn from each are different; and yet each one of them had one thing in common: with the exception of Jesus Christ, not one person we meet in the Bible is perfect.

Each one has his or her flaws, as do each one of us.

One of the greatest figures in the Old Testament is King David. There are many lessons to be learned from King David’s life. Many of them are positive, but there are lessons to be learned from the less-than-perfect side of King David as well.

As we know, King David is responsible for the writing of many Psalms; almost half of the 150 found in the book of Psalms, in fact. Often, David would begin a Psalm by saying that God was not there when he needed him or that He took too long to react or respond to David’s plea for help. In each case, David first resorts to doubts and fears but ultimately ends by asserting that God always helps and is always there.

From this, we must learn not to be like David when we are first confronted with problems in our lives.

Do we initially think that God is not aware of our situation? Do we jump to the same conclusions David often did initially, that the Lord is not concerned about what happens to us?

What is our answer if we ask ourselves the questions, “Is this me? Do I do what King David did?”

We should endeavor to always trust that the Lord is aware of our situation. We will not always understand why certain things happen, but we must always take care to pray to God for His help in understanding and coping with whatever we are confronted with.

Faith in God is not a faucet to be turned on and off at will. Faith should flow in a constant stream from us. Paul reassured the Corinthians that we are never alone.

“We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get mowed down, but we are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:9 NLT).

Work daily to strengthen your faith so that if you ask, “Is this me?” the answer is “No! I know that God is always with me!”

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day to choose.

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today who you will serve…”  Joshua 24:15a NASB

When Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem, he did it to remind them to always make a conscious choice to follow God. He made sure they understood that his personal belief was to follow God and encouraged them not to be misled by man-made idols. He stressed the importance of believing in the One who had always been there for all of them from the time God first told Joshua, “Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.” (Joshua 1:2 NLT).

Joshua had proved himself to be a very capable leader and a superb military tactician. He also followed the Law of Moses and worshiped only God and delivered the Israelites into the Promised Land. And now that he was nearing death, he found it necessary to remind people of the reasons they should worship only God.

Many times in our lives we ask God for His blessing on plans that we have made or hopes that we have. God hears us and helps things work out the way we wanted, but somehow we often fail to give Him credit and forget that He makes everything possible. We begin to take the credit ourselves. We get caught up in our own success and soon we are not worshiping God anymore.

Instead we pay homage to what we have and focus only on what we need to do to keep it, and to obtain even more.

Joshua made it clear to the Israelites what his position was and what the position of his family was.

“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15c NASB).

He made it known publicly that all he had and all he was had nothing to do with himself or man-made idols and everything to do with the Lord he had trusted from the moment he took the reins of leadership from Moses.

No one can force us to do anything we don’t want to do, or to believe anything we don’t want to believe. But if we pay attention to what great leaders like Joshua tried to teach those who followed them, we may learn a very important lesson.

Joshua challenged the Israelites to make a choice.

After listening to all he had to say, “The people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.’” (Joshua 24:24 NASB).

The choice is yours, of course, and it’s a fine day to make the right one.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

the perfect day to think about where our seed landed.

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”  Matthew 13:18 KJV

The story of the farmer sowing his seed is a wonderful example of the different ways in which people receive God’s message.

Some people simply pay no attention at all. They simply do not understand. Perhaps they have been raised in an atmosphere of non-belief or have somehow lost what belief they had because of tragedy in their lives that they blame on God. This may cause them to stop listening to God’s message altogether or disregard it. The world is full of people whose seeds have “fallen on the footpath.” We certainly do not want this to be us, but if it is, there is hope. One of the beautiful things about God is there is always hope. If this does not describe us, perhaps we know someone who is in this group.

Those of us who are not in this group have an obligation to pray for those who are.

Some of the seed that farmers scattered about fell in rocky soil. This seed represents those who hear the message and are immediately filled with joy, but that joy is not sustained for their roots are not deep. At the first sign of trouble or when problems arise, they feel abandoned so they abandon their faith. If this is us, we need to pray and remind ourselves that God never abandons us. He may not guarantee us life on earth with no trials to endure, but He does guarantee that He will stand with us to face them all.

If this is not us, we need to pray for all who are so affected.

If our seed fell among the thorns, it will bear no fruit, for we are too busy worrying about things that may never happen. We should be busy celebrating God’s glory and learning how to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to God. Hopefully, this group won’t find us among its members, but if it does, we need to pray for God’s help in getting away and moving on to fertile soil.

And if we are not in this group, we need to pray for all of those who are.

The fourth group that Jesus taught about in the parable is the farmer planting his seeds in exactly the right place, for Jesus said, “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23 NIV).

To hear God’s message is one thing, to understand is another. To plant the seeds of our faith in good, fertile soil so that our faith grows strong and abundant is extremely important.

Where did your seeds of faith land?

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

the ideal day to learn when to walk away and when to run.

“No temptation has over taken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB

A once-popular song contains the phrase, “Know when to walk away, know when to run.”

While the use of the phrase in the song wasn’t speaking to the issue of temptation, this is actually excellent advice for each one of us and it is very important we understand its meaning.

Every person faces temptation. The type and severity may differ, but we all are confronted with it, and there is no sin in the temptation itself. How we deal with it differs from person to person, but we must each determine for ourselves how best to do that. Some temptations may be “little” ones that we are strong enough to simply walk away from. Others may present a greater challenge and we may find it necessary to run away.

As Paul tried to teach the members of the Church in Corinth, “God…will provide the way of escape….” He will be there to provide us with the strength that we need and the speed that we need to quickly and safely remove ourselves from the reach of temptation’s grasp.

But we need to learn to turn to God first when we are tempted.

Evil is very seductive. Evil comes to us wrapped in attractive packages. Evil presents itself as harmless. Evil has one objective and one objective only, and that is to get each of us to succumb to its temptation and compromise our honor, our integrity, our character, and our relationships with our spouses, families, friends and – of the utmost importance – God.

When Jesus’ brother, James, wrote to Jewish Christians who lived outside of Palestine, he was very clear in stating the potential for disaster when we don’t walk, or run, away from temptation.

“But each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15 NIV).

When we walk – or run – away from temptation and ultimately, sin, we actually turn towards God. The more we focus on God; the more we ask for His strength; the more we proclaim our faith and love of the Lord and all He stands for, the less we will be threatened by the seductive nature of evil and the temptations that exist all around us.

The more we learn about the power of God, the easier it is to recognize those times when we can feel safe simply walking away, or when we had better run.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a superb day to get help for our belief.

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”  Mark 9:24 NIV

When Christ first began His mission on earth, He certainly had His work cut out for Him. After all, people were expecting a king, and God gave them a carpenter.

“Unbelief” was the belief of the day.

“Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.’ They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him.” (Mark 6:3 NLT).

Christ found it necessary to include miracles along with His teaching to demonstrate that He was, indeed, who He said He was. Of course, the very nature of Christ was miraculous and He did not have to conjure up magic potions or say magic words to heal the sick and the lame or to cast out evil spirits. The faith of people – their belief – grew steadily as He walked the countryside and talked to the people He encountered.

He helped people to overcome their ‘unbelief.’ He helped people to believe in Him.

The problem for many people today is that their expectations are not realistic. Christ does not walk the earth today. He is present and He is among us in Spirit, of course, but He does not physically walk the earth healing people and casting out demons.

But do not for one moment think that He can no longer help us overcome any “unbelief,” or doubt, that we may have.

When Christ lived among us, His actions and His words eventually formed the basis for the entire New Testament of the Bible. It is rich in eyewitness accounts of the miracles and the work done by Christ as He brought His message to as many people as He could. The advantage that we have over all the people of His day is enormous. While we cannot physically share in the incredible privilege of walking next to Christ and watching Him teach and heal the sick and lame, we can relive those moments time and time again by picking up the Bible and traveling the countryside with Christ.

When our belief needs a boost, we can obtain it through the wonderful God-breathed words found in the recounting of Christ’s life, and in the retelling of the circumstances of His death and His resurrection.

What an honor it would have been to be in His presence and witness firsthand the tremendous impact that He had on people. But through our faith we are saved and have gained the right to sit with Him one day, and by turning to the stories of His life, His death, and His resurrection to help reinforce our belief in the power and the glory of Christ our Lord, we will remain strong and true in that faith.

The help we need each day lies within the pages of the book that tells His story. Open it today and get a boost for your belief.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a terrific day to ask ourselves if we do enough.

“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”  2 Peter 1:10 NLT

What is it that God has called us to do?

What have we been chosen for?

Two seemingly difficult questions that are not all that complicated if we will simply take the time to look at the talents and abilities that God has given us and then pray for His guidance in using them according to His will, and to achieve His purpose.

The vast majority of us here on earth are just “regular” people. We are not world leaders or world famous. We are just the average people next door trying to do the best for our families while serving the Lord. We know that God is important but, as is the case in many instances, He is sometimes relegated to the back burner because we have taken on too many responsibilities.

Something has to give, and it is usually our relationship with God that suffers. When things do slow down enough for us to consider the matter, many of us find ourselves asking, “Am I doing enough?”

First of all, we need to do everything that we do with the right attitude. Even our “regular” jobs should be done with God in mind.

“Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Ephesians 6:7 NLT).

If we can bring ourselves to do that, we will have taken a big step towards “doing enough,” because if God is in our minds and hearts while we work, we can be sure that people will notice a happiness, peacefulness and joy of spirit that might cause them to inquire, affording us the opportunity to tell them that, “God makes me this way.”

One important fact to consider is this: If we are asking the question of ourselves, we are showing concern and that is another step towards “doing enough.” When we are constantly looking for ways to serve God, serve our fellow man, and we use our gifts and talents – no matter how great or small – in service to both, we will find ourselves feeling more and more fulfilled.

Rather than trying to “do enough,” we will simply always be striving to do more.

You see, God has no requirements, minimums or quotas. He wants us to use His lessons and our hearts to determine how to serve. Among the good advice Paul gave to the Romans was, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (Romans 12:11 NLT).

This does not mean we can never just sit back and relax. It simply means that our relaxation should mean something because it has come about as a result of our work to serve God, spread His message, and help those around us.

The easiest way to know is this: When we don’t have to ask ourselves if we are doing enough, we probably are.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a wonderful day for considering what we are willing to give up.

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.”  Galatians 5:24 NLT

What a beautiful statement Paul makes here.

Which begets the question, “What are we willing to give up to belong to Christ?”

If we are going to “nail the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to His cross,” we probably need to look at what, exactly, constitutes our “sinful nature.”

Let’s face the reality of the situation: Many of us have grown quite comfortable with that sinful nature.

So comfortable, in fact, that in many cases, we don’t even recognize some of our behavior as being sinful. So much sin has been legitimized in society and has been thrust upon us as “our right” or “legal behavior” that many of us fail to realize that simply because man says something is permissible doesn’t mean that God agrees.

To be sure, in today’s world God disagrees often.

Take profanity, for instance. There was a time when profanity was not allowed on television. Time, lawsuits, challenges and the relaxing of standards has changed all of that and profanity, from the ‘mild’ to the ‘wild’ is available for all to hear, to learn and to repeat. If it’s on TV it must be ok, right? Wrong! While society’s position on profanity has changed, God’s position is the same today as it was yesterday, and as it will be tomorrow.

“It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” (Matthew 15:11 NLT).

And, writing to the Colossians, Paul said, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV).

Are we ready to nail profanity to the cross? How about all those other things on Paul’s list? Are we ready to give them up as well and nail them to the cross? Do we allow pornography into our lives because society has accepted it? Do we commit adultery because “everyone else does?” Do we gossip or speak maliciously of others? Do we turn a blind eye to someone in need?

To nail the passions and desires of our sinful natures to the cross of Christ, we must be willing to give up the things that we do, the things that we say, and the thoughts that we have that occur as a result of those passions and desires.

It is important to note that being a Christian is not a one way street.

It is not just about what we are willing to give up. It is also about the things we are able to receive as a result of giving up our sinful passions and desires. After we have stripped ourselves of sin we are instructed to, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.” (Colossians 3:10 NLT).

And for that, it is worth giving up a lot of things that are worthless.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day to cry out to the Lord.

“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery, went up to God.”  Exodus 2:23 NIV

Children are dependent upon their parents for love, guidance, discipline (although they may not care for it), protection and many other things, according to their ages and stages of development. No matter how old our children may get, they are always our children, and they are always dependent upon us for something, even when we reach old age.

As they have grown, and even after they have grown, we have encouraged them to cry out to us when they need help. From the earliest stages when the “crying out” was actual crying, complete with tears, we have responded out of love, concern and our sense of responsibility. As they grew older, perhaps the “crying out” was in the form of an email or a phone call.

Our relationship with God should be no different.

We are all His children no matter how big, old or self-reliant we become and we all should learn to cry out to the Lord when we need Him. Just as He heard the Israelites crying out in the land of Egypt, He will hear us no matter where we are.

Understanding how God responds to us is something that is developed over time, as we build a relationship with Him and grow comfortable with the fact that He may not always respond immediately, or even in the manner we would like. The closer we are to Him, the better our appreciation for His responses no matter when they come, or how they come.

One thing is certain: God loves us all and nothing stands in the way when we cry out in need.

“Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.” (Psalm 10:17 NLT).

Unfortunately, many people only cry out to the Lord when they are in serious trouble. Often, the trouble is of their own making. Still, God hears and He responds. The problem is, when that is the only time we cry out, we are often not paying attention and can very easily miss the significance of the Lord’s response. In fact, some people may conveniently forget that they did, in fact, cry out for God’s help in the first place and place the credit for fixing the situation with themselves, instead of thanking God for His help.

While God would never ignore one of His children who is in distress, our primary focus should be on learning why He is always available to us when we need Him, and thanking Him for that very fact.

Building a relationship with God is the most important thing we can ever do, and it will help us understand why He is always there when we cry out to Him.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson