Do you ever have those times when you feel like Someone is trying to tell you something?

Last week, our pastor mentioned some scripture about a cloud the size of a man’s hand – this wasn’t part of his main scripture, but he just mentioned it  in a side illustration. Then a couple of days later, I heard someone on a radio station mention the same phrase – “a cloud the size of a man’s hand”.

The next day, a friend on Facebook used that phrase as her status (thanks, Cris!).

I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but I know when Someone is trying to get my attention.  So I opened my e-Sword* software and found the chapter: I Kings 18. I started at the first of the chapter and read it,  making notes as I went.

The chapter begins with Elijah going to see Ahab after a drought had been going on for three years. Elijah sees that Ahab, who is the king of Israel, has allowed pagan practices in the country. Elijah challenges the 450 prophets of Baal; the prophets of Baal will offer a sacrifice to their god, and Elijah will offer a sacrifice to God.  Whichever god consumes his offering with fire will be the true God.  Baal’s prophets cry out all day, but nothing happens. When Elijah prays to God, the fire consumes not only the sacrifice, but the wood and stones of the altar, the water in the trench, and even the dust around the altar.

Some of the lessons I got from this chapter:  one person standing up for what’s right is always in the majority;  be willing to do what God asks you, even if you’re doing it by yourself;  and just one person alone can call people back to God.

There are also some negative things to learn: Ahab was the king, but he allowed a woman (Jezebel) to lead him away from what he knew was right. Because he wanted peace between his kingdom and a neighboring kingdom, he allowed ungodly behavior into his house and his country.  It’s good to be peaceable with others, but not at the expense of doing what’s right.

Of course, there are lots of other things to learn from this chapter; check it out for yourself!

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*e-Sword is a wonderful Bible study program – the main program is free, and there are lots of Bible versions, as well as dictionaries, maps, images, commentaries and other tools  available – some are free, while others are very reasonably priced.

I love riding my motorcycle;  I also love reading about riding motorcycles, or talking about riding motorcycles (do you see a pattern here?). I’ve only been riding a little over three years, so I’m always trying to learn something new.

For example, this last weekend while we were in Panama City Beach for Thunder Beach, I made up my mind to learn to correctly use my front brakes.  I’ve been scared of them since the week I learned to ride. I was bringing Slick around the house, through dead leaves and wet grass, when I saw a riding toy in front of me. I couldn’t find the rear brakes and I wasn’t satisfied I could steer away from it, so I did the next thing I could think of – I grabbed the front brakes quite briskly. In fact, that’s how I learned Slick’s name,  because I was on the ground immediately, still astride the bike.  Grabbing the front brakes had stopped the front tire from rolling, but since I was in a turning lean, the rear tire just slid around to the side.

So I made my mind up this weekend to consciously use my front brakes every time I stopped; at first I used them with my rear brakes to stop, but I finally was comfortable just using the front brakes alone.

But back to my opening thoughts about learning new things- one of the hardest things for me to learn was to look where I wanted to go. There’s a riding rule that says “always keep your eyes on your way out”. When I’m making a U-turn (or hookin a U-ee as I like to say), I don’t need to look at the road near  my front tire; I need to be looking back the way I need to be going.  If I’m coming into a steep curve, I don’t need to look at the road and shoulder right in front of me- I need to keep my chin up and look out at the end of the curve.

Another story- on my first trip to Crestview, not long after I learned to ride, Randy took a left turn at the last minute; I tried to follow, but instead of following him on the street, my bike went off into the grass a couple of feet off the road. I panicked and looked at Randy (who hadn’t realized yet what happened) and I came back on the road.  If I hadn’t looked at the road, I would have kept driving down the ditch, and probably ended up in bad shape.

And it’s the same way in my Christian walk- I don’t need to look at the problems right in front of me, because they’re staying right there. I need to get my eyes on where I want to end up-on the other side, where the solution is.

So take it from me- if you’re headed somewhere and you know you don’t need to be there, get your eyes on where you want to be – there may be some excitement on the way back, but you’ll eventually get back on the right road.

We had two young women make life-changing decisions this past weekend in our church. One young woman came back to God, after a long time away. Without going into details (those are hers alone to share), she’s been living her life the way she wanted, instead of following God’s leading.
She found her way back this last Sunday, and God swept her up into His loving arms. I know God is always happy when His children come home, and I’m sure He was overjoyed about this young woman. The angels rejoiced with us all…
I spoke to her a few minutes last night after prayer service, and gave her my numbers. I told her that I would be there for her when and if she needed me. I also made sure she understood that I’m not going to judge her, because I’ve messed up plenty of times myself. I think that’s one place we Christians fail our new members, or folks coming back to God. We don’t let them know that we fall down all the time; new Christians may think that once you get saved, you don’t mess up anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth- and we need to make sure they know it. I mess up everyday, just like everybody else does. The only difference between me and someone who isn’t saved is this- I’ve turned my life over to God, and He helps me when I do fall down. He brushes me off, reminds me that He loves me, and sets my feet back on the path again.
There’s a song on Mark Lowry’s “But Seriously” album (thanks to Bob Carlisle):

Cursing every step of the way, he bore a heavy load
To the market ten miles away, the journey took its toll
And every day he passed a monastery’s high cathedral walls
And it made his life seem meaningless and small

And he wondered how it would be to live in such a place
To be warm, well fed and at peace; to shut the world away

So when he saw a priest who walked, for once, beyond the iron gate
He said, Tell me of your life inside the place…
And the priest replied…

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Disappointment followed him home; he’d hoped for so much more
But he saw himself in a light he had never seen before

Cause if the priest who fell could find the Grace of God to be enough
Then there must be some hope for the rest of us
There must be some hope left for us

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Isn’t it great to know that when we fall down, God’s there to pick us up? Thank God there are no limits to how many times…