The End of an Era...

...or maybe just a blog!

Long time no see, right?  I learned so much through the process of blogging here, and I hope you enjoyed reading Spurs as much as I enjoyed writing it!  While I will not be spending time here anymore, I would like to invite you to visit my new blog, These Traveling Days.  It is still new, and changes will likely be made from time to time, so I would love to hear your suggestions.  I hope to see you there!

-Lauren

Only a Boy Named David

It started innocently enough.


In season and out of season, through sunny days and stormy nights, David and his men had protected the sheep and shepherds of another man.  Even though David was still running from Saul, he and his band of a few hundred men guarded the shepherds.


Now the day had come to return the favor.  It was a feast day, and David and his men were hungry.  Who better to visit than the man whose shepherds and sheep they had protected?  So David sent some messengers to see Nabal.  "'Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David'" (1 Samuel 25:8).

"And Nabal answered David's servants, 'Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters.'" (1 Samuel 25:10).

It was a simple concept, really.  Even young children can understand the trading concept of "I give you this, you give me that."  Not Nabal.  Commonly considered a "fool" by those who knew him, Nabal rashly and angrily responded to David's men, utterly refusing to give them anything.  Not a good idea on Nabal's part.


David was angry.  He and his men had expended so much energy to protect the sheep and shepherds of a man who did not even acknowledge the favor.  David's men had labored without reward or repayment.  And when they asked for a kind return, they were not only refused, but insulted.


Fuming, David led his men to the attack.  They were men of war, after all.  Four hundred men went stomping to Nabal's place, but they never got there.  David halted in his warpath, dissuaded by the words of a woman.  Nabal's wife Abigail humbly asked David to turn from his murderous intentions, telling him that "'...the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand...'" (1 Samuel 25:26).


Saving with his own hand.


Throughout the Bible, God proves Himself faithful to His faithless people over and over and over and over again.  When all else fails, when every earthly support crumbles away, God is the One who saves.  When Moses faced a despairing crowd and a lack of food, the LORD asked him, "'Is the Lord's hand shortened?'" (Numbers 11:23).  He saves us when we feel we can go no deeper (Psalm 103:4).  He rescues us and fulfills our desires (Psalm 145:19).  Paul told the Romans (5:10), as is true for us today, that we are saved by the life of Christ, not by our own doing.  After all, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).


Jesus.  His very Name means "Savior."


David was distracted.  Blinded by his fury and hate, he forgot all that had brought him to where he was.  Earlier, when he was dangerously close to his pursuer, Saul, David knew that God was sovereign over David's earthly situation, and that God would be faithful to fulfill His promises to him.  David had only to trust, obey, and wait.


David wasn't doing any of that as he hurried to confront Nabal.  Instead, he was seeking to be master of his own destiny and avenger of his reputation.  But God led Abigail to block David's path.


"'If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God,'" Abigail assured David.  As for his enemies, she told him, God would "'sling [them] out as from the hollow of a sling'" (1 Samuel 25:29).  A sling.  David was well acquainted with the sling.  Years before, he had been catapulted to royal recognition with a sling and a giant named Goliath.


It was as if Abigail was reminding David of his calling - his charge - from God.  It involved fighting God's battles, not executing vengeance in personal matters.  David had more pressing concerns.


David humbly thanked Abigail for her reminder, and praised God for leading her into his path.  He and his men retreated, leaving Nabal in the hands of God.  Within a few days, Nabal was dead.


God didn't need David's help with Nabal.  God didn't need our help in bringing salvation to earth.  Jesus alone saves us from our sin, its consequences, and the prison of a life addicted to that sin, even as he equips us to live a life of service to Him.  He has a sovereign plan for our life and it will come to pass.  No matter what struggles, trials, or unexpected circumstances we face, we can rest in the knowledge that God is in control.  We can trust Him as we obey His will in our lives.


Fight in God's time, strength, and cause.  But leave personal vendettas with Him.  As David (and Nabal's servants) found out, it just works better that way.  It always does.  After all, His ways are higher than ours.

The Way

The Author of Life consented to die

Death had a victory.

The earth gave a shudder, the land was dark,

No good soul could see.

How could this be the good plan of God,

Above the thoughts of man?

Either God had lost or else turned bad,

How could this be His hand?

As evil triumphed and good men wept,

All that was right seemed gone.

Yet when the LORD is in the fight,

The battle is not done.

How often in this earthly world

Our eyes don't truly see.

Where we see despair or certain defeat,

God works mightily.

With a triumphant quake one early morn,

The truth was seen at last.

The Author of Life could not be held down,

Death's dark rule was past.

Wonder of wonders, joy of joys,

Beyond all earthly thought!

God granted to us this great victory,

The peace for which He fought.

No matter the struggle, sin, or setback,

No matter the earthly loss,

We as God's people are assured of great gain,

Because of the Tomb and the Cross.

Death seemed at first to have full rein,

Wreaking grief and strife.

But God knew all along that this would be

The way to give us Life.

by Lauren
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I Want to Save the World - but I Need to Clean My Room

Abortion.  Poverty.  Malnutrition.  Slavery.  Oppression.  War.  Famine.  Drought.  AIDS.  Abuse.


"What a Wonderful World," right?


When faced with any one of these tragedies, it's easy to be fired up and feel ready to hit it head on.


But where do we start?


You know, Jesus told a story about this once.  Soon before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples a parable.  In this parable, a man was going on a journey and entrusted his servants with money before he left.  To one servant he gave five talents, to one servant he gave two talents, and to another servant he gave one talent.  When he returned, he called his servants to give account for how they managed his money.  The servant with the five talents and the servant with the two talents both doubled the amount that their master had entrusted to them.  Interestingly, the master gave both servants the exact same compliment, even though one servant gained five talents and one servant gained two.  They both were faithful stewards with what they were given, and they both heard: "'"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master"'" (Matthew 25:21, 23).  The servant with the two talents wasn't responsible for the five the other servant had.  He was only held accountable for the two that had been entrusted to him, and for what he did with what he was given.


Maybe we feel like we should be changing the world in big, noteworthy ways.  While it is true that we could be called to do big things, we are also often called to do small things.  It doesn't matter how big our works are; what matters is our faithfulness to what God has called us to do.  Sometimes we may want bigger responsibilities than we have been entrusted with - but here Jesus gives encouragement.  Whenever you find yourself doing something that you know is God's will (like cleaning your room) but not on your list of life goals, remember the master's words to his servants: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."


God is sovereign over you, where you live, who you know, what you're good at, what you enjoy.  He knows what righteous burden is on your heart (be it abortion in your city or slavery in Africa), because He put it there.  What good work He has begun in you, He will complete.  With unmatchable knowledge and perfect timing, He will guide you as you seek to magnify Him in your God-given mission and faithfully complete any tasks He has called you to do now.  You can't do it alone.  You can't do it all.  It is a good thing you don't have to.


Believe it or not, there is no Superman or Superwoman with special powers to save the world.  That is God's job.  And He is doing it.  And, wonder of wonders, He is using us to do it.  We don't have to invent a world-saving plan.  God already has one.  We don't have to solve the world's problems - and we couldn't even if we tried.  We are only called to be faithful where God has us, be that the halls of Congress or the halls of our own home.  God multiplied the loaves and fish.  He can multiply our feeble efforts in His service.

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The ME in MEtanarrative

Several years ago, a national news network regularly showed a segment on TV called "Everyone Has a Story" (at least, I think that is what it was called).  The news network would randomly choose a city, open the phone book and randomly choose a name, and then interview that person and air their story.  It was an enjoyable feature, sharing stories of everyday Americans.  Every one of us has a story that we'd be happy to tell to whoever asks.  Unfortunately, though, the stories we tell about ourselves are only about us.


A metanarrative can be defined as a view that encompasses the whole world, or a belief system that explains everything in the world.  A metanarrative is basically one story that describes all of reality.  You know, like the Bible.


French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard wrote that he defined postmodernism (a dominant, self-centered worldview) as "incredulity toward metanarratives" (as quoted here).  In other words, there are no overarching, all-encompassing explanations.  That way, instead of believing God's truth about the world, we can all have our personal, contradicting bits of truth and reality, because, ultimately, truth and reality don't exist.  We live for pleasure, comfort, entertainment, and the pursuit of happiness.  Sounds fun, right?


Those who hold such views might have a difficult time understanding the Pilgrims.


In 1620, 102 English Christians sailed for America on the Mayflower.  Because of their unpopular religious views, they had been persecuted in England.  They had high hopes for their time in America, but they also realized the gravity of their decision.  After two months aboard a very crowded ship, the Pilgrims finally reached America in November of 1620.  They were now safe from stormy seas and no longer had to live in cramped quarters below deck.  Unfortunately, their troubles were far from over.


That winter, half of the Pilgrims died.  The Mayflower stayed in the harbor through the winter, providing shelter for those who needed it.  How the Pilgrims must have despaired as they found themselves without human help in a foreign, wintry land while their friends and family members were succumbing one by one to disease.  When spring finally came and the spread of the disease was halted, the Mayflower left the shores of America to return home.  This was the Pilgrims' chance to retreat to the safety and comfort of Europe!  Yet not one Pilgrim returned.


They, of all people, knew of the danger.  They felt the sting of loss.  They knew that the coming months would be full of toil, hardship, and more death.  Yet they stood fast.


As Winston Churchill once wisely said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."  Sometimes we don't like the truth, but it is still the truth.  And the truth is, there is only one metanarrative - and we didn't write it.  The Bible informs us that God had a plan before time began.  We weren't around for consultation.


The Pilgrims pursued their goal - not for individual accomplishment, but for the advancement of the Christian faith.  Not for comfort, but for the betterment of the future generations who would come behind them.  Not for the pursuit of happiness, but for the glory of God.  They understood that God had a metanarrative, and was weaving their stories for His glory.  This knowledge - and God's grace - sustained them through times and trials of disease, danger, and death.


The news network had it right - we all have a story.  Ultimately, however, our stories are not about us, but about how God has orchestrated our lives into His great story.  The big story of God gives our little stories meaning.  Sometimes we hear stories that didn't end like we would have written them.  What about the Pilgrims who perished that first, cold winter?  What was the purpose?  Why would God lead them on such a long journey only to have them die when they get there?  When we realize that God has a plan bigger  than our few years on earth, we can understand that, as hard as it may be for our earthly eyes to see, there is a plan, and God is in charge.

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Battle for the Lord

"Just beyond man's narrow daily vision stand the immortals.  And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire about Elisha.  At the front of this nation's way ride the strong guards of our own past, their authority immortalized by death.  In the hour of decision we see them; their grave eyes watch us, the keepers of our standards, the builders of our freedom.  They came from God to do His bidding-and returned.  To each of them the past has given his own labor.  The future we cannot see; nor what the next imperious task; nor who its strong executant.  But for this generation the task is clear: you who gird yourselves for this great fight in the never-ending warfare for the good of mankind, we stand at Armageddon and we battle for the Lord."

Theodore Roosevelt

It's All in the Perspective

It's funny what we remember.  I think I speak for most of us when I say that my young childhood memories are few and far between, until I reach a certain age.  My memories provide nothing that resembles a comprehensive perspective of my life or my family's life; instead my memories are more like an unorganized photo album of random instances.  Do you ever wonder what causes us to remember some things more than others?  Is my three-year-old brother going to remember anything from this week?  (Wait - I can answer that: Do I remember anything from when I was three?)  My memories of a church we attended when I was about nine are very limited.  One memory that - for whatever reason - is implanted in my brain is sitting in the pew one Sunday morning during the offering.  I distinctly remember wondering just how the ushers or the pastor were going to get the money to God.  From my perspective, it would be quite hard for the pastor to reach all the way to heaven.  I completely understood that all these people were giving the money to God, but I just couldn't figure out how the money actually got to Him.

   When Jesus encouraged His followers to do good to others, He assured them (and us) with a promise: When we reach heaven, we will be praised for our charitable acts to others because "'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me'" (Matthew 25:40).  When we give to others, we are really giving to God.  What an amazing picture!  When we give to those who desperately need financial help here on earth, we are really giving a gift to our Father in heaven.

"Suppose you're giving to help African children with AIDS.  When you see an article on the subject, you're hooked.  If you're sending money to plant churches in India and an earthquake hits India, you watch the news and fervently pray.  As surely as the compass needle follow north, your heart will follow your treasure.  Money leads; hearts follow." - Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle

How can you tell a foreigner from a citizen?  I'm sure there are many ways, depending on the situation.  Foreign guests may speak with an accent or wear different clothes.  They may prefer different food or have different interests.  They might spend their money on different things.  How we spend our money is a witness to everyone around us where our hearts and citizenship are.  As Christians, we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:20-21).  Would an American citizen traveling through India prefer to accumulate rupees or dollars?  Would he seek to build up a stash of money that is only worth something in the country he is visiting?  Or would he want a full bank account in the land that he calls home?  It's so easy to forget that we are only here on earth for a short time, and that our real home is heaven.  One way to remind us of our eternal destination is to use our earthly currency to gain heavenly treasures.
   Obedience always brings blessing (though not always immediately).  While we experience great joy in giving to God when we give to others here on earth, our full reward is waiting in heaven for us.  By giving to God (and His children), we build up for ourselves treasure in heaven - that will always be valuable whether the stock market climbs or crashes.  In giving to others, a giver grows closer to God and receives treasure in heaven.  It's a win-win!
   Back in that church pew, my childlike perspective pictured God in heaven accepting literal money from His people.  Little did I comprehend that God was actually giving to us.  Giving is itself a gift - we get to be part of God's plan and we are rewarded in heaven.  What better investment could there be?

"'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'" Luke 12:32-34

Much of the Christian life seems paradoxical at first glance.  Whoever loses his life will find it.  Whoever strikes your cheek, turn to him the other also.  A king in a manger.  Moneybags that never age, but are not used to accumulate earthly gold.  Everyone in this world is a fellow traveler speeding their way toward eternity.  Unfortunately, many, many travelers are preparing for their eternal destination with temporal currency, as they hoard their wealth instead of giving it away.  What many people see as paradoxical and foolish is really the only wise choice - when your perspective is right.