March 16, 2013
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
The great Shepherd psalm of David is the most familiar chapter in the Bible. It is loved by Jews, Catholics and all the shades and grades of Protestants. Psalm 23 is the greatest description ever written of what the relationship between God and man can be.
After declaring that his God makes him lie down in green pastures and leads him beside still waters David also declares there to be times when he finds himself in a valley that is so dark it is like the shadow of death. However, he is comforted by the staff of his Shepherd. He is referencing the confidence he has in the ability of his Shepherd to lead him through that valley, not just to that valley.
He is also comforted by the rod of his Shepherd. The rod of a shepherd was a defensive weapon used to keep predators away from the sheep. David is saying here that he has great confidence in the ability of his Shepherd to protect him from anything he might encounter in that valley.
The bottom line is that David knows his Shepherd God can not only lead him to a valley but through that valley.
Are you in a valley right now? If you are, realize your Shepherd God wants to lead you through that valley. Trust His perfect ability to lead and protect you all the way through your valley.
Faith nearly always involves choices. The choice is yours. So, which is it going to be? Is it going to be “To it, or through it?”
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Uncategorized | Tagged: faith, faith & suffering, King David, Psalm 23, religion, Shepherd Psalm, spirituality, Trusting God | 
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Posted by Dick Woodward
March 12, 2013
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19: 9)
I find great meaning in the questions God asks people in the Bible. On our journeys of faith our loving God sometimes needs to ask us this question He asked Elijah. Where we place the emphasis in a statement can sometimes completely change its meaning. For example, we can say, “A woman, without her, man is lost!” Or we can say, “A woman without her man is lost! Using the very same words we can communicate two very different meanings.
God’s question to Elijah might have been “What are you doing here Elijah?” Or the question could simply have been “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
A very godly saint was named Bernard. A dog was named after him and so we usually think of a dog when we hear his name. He wrote this question on the inside of the door that led from his tiny cell out into the world: “What are you doing here, Bernard?”
It would be a good idea for us to have that thought engraved on the inside of our door so that every time we leave our home we would be confronted with our vision statement. It would be a good question to have engraved where we would see it as we leave our churches every time we worship or are inspired by great preaching and teaching.
It would also be a good question to ask and answer as we enter our places of business. Our workplace is where God has strategically placed us to be and have an impact for Christ in this world. We should, therefore, begin every day there with this question:
“What are you doing here?”
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Bernard of Clairvaux, Christian faith, Elijah, faith, God's purpose, I Kings 19:9, purpose driven faith, spirituality, vision statement | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
March 8, 2013
“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress…” (Psalm 4:1 KJV).
While I was learning that God is there, real and personal I met with one of my mentors after I experienced the divine presence of God in a mighty way. I told Paris Reidhead, “My cup is just running over, Paris!” His response to me was: “How big is your cup, Dick? It doesn’t take much to run over a thimble. Why don’t you ask God to turn your thimble into a cup, your cup into a bucket, and your bucket into a truckload?”
I did pray that prayer, fervently. At that time I did not know that according to the verse above God’s vehicle for that kind of growth is distress. If you want to know what distress is just drop the first two letters: God uses stress to grow us spiritually just as putting stress on our muscles grows us physically.
Over the next few years I found myself going through deep waters and fiery trials. When we had three toddlers and two in diapers my wife was hospitalized four times in one year in a hospital 100 miles away from our home. While I was the pastor of a church and the mother and father of our children the Lord enlarged me, big time!
Years later I lost my health and became a bed fast quadriplegic. That is when I really learned my “4 Spiritual Secrets” which have enabled me to minister beyond anything I could have imagined. Those secrets are written on this webpage.
When you want to grow spiritually I dare you to ask God to turn your thimble into a cup, your cup into a bucket and your bucket into a truckload.
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: faith, faith in adversity, fiery trials, Paris Reidhead, prayer, presence of god, Psalm 4:1, spiritual growth, Spiritual secrets, spirituality, Trusting God | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
March 5, 2013
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11: 6)
The truth is when I first came to faith and to the ministry I was struggling to know God. Providentially I had several spiritual heavyweights who mentored me to God. They shook things down for me into three basic and absolute propositions that made sense to me then and still do today.
Their first proposition was that God is there. I have not struggled with that proposition. I began by reflecting on the many, many ways God responds to the very many prayers I pray to Him there.
Their second proposition was that God is real. I found that when I related myself to God He responded by relating Himself to me. That inspired me to believe that He was not only there, He was very real when I related to Him and made personal contact with His divine presence.
When I found myself sharing with God the intimate dimensions of my personal, private and even secret life He responded to those prayers. I realized that I had come to believe in a personal God. That was the third proposition of my mentors: God is personal.
They wanted me to believe in and come to know a God who knew the numbers of hairs on my head. By the grace and providence of God I have come to know that personal God. I can believe Him when He tells me He has a plan for my life which when followed will make me a unique person distinct from every other living person.
Will you believe in the God who is there, real and personal?
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Divine Presence, faith, following God, hebrews 11, Hebrews 11:6, Jesus Christ, knowing god, loving God, religion, spirituality | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
February 26, 2013
“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work…For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 1:6; 2:13, NLT)
When Jesus met two of the apostles for the first time He asked them the question: “What do you want?” They were disciples of John the Baptist and John had instructed them to follow Jesus. They were following behind Jesus as He walked down a road. Jesus turned and asked them this question when He saw them.
Following Jesus can have a dynamic impact upon the way we answer that question. We often have a flawed “want to” when we meet Jesus. But as we follow Him He heals those flaws in the desires of our hearts. I remember a college student who met Jesus and was following Him for some time. As she expressed her excitement about the changes in her life she exclaimed, “I wonder where my want to went to!”
As we follow Jesus we discover that when He shows us what we should want we need more than just knowing what we should want. We need the power to do what we should want to do. As a pastor over many decades, I have been intrigued by the importance of this question. Why do some people earnestly desire to do the will of God while many others are apathetic?
According to Paul, it is God who gives us the unflawed “want to” and the dynamic power to obey Him and do what pleases Him. Would you like to follow Jesus and wonder where your “want to” went to? Begin every day by letting Jesus ask you, “What do you want?”
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: christianity, desiring God, doing the will of God, faith, following Jesus, Jesus, loving God, spirituality | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
February 23, 2013
“Let the one who is wise consider these things and see in them the loving kindness of the Lord.” (Psalm 107:43).
Psalm 107 is a great hymn of redemption. In each of the five stanzas this inspired hymn writer profiles a different dimension of redemption the people of God experience. Each description ends with the hymn writer exhorting the redeemed of the Lord to thank the Lord for His goodness to them and His wonderful works in their lives. He demands that if they are redeemed, the people of the Lord should step up and say so!
An extraordinary ministry to high school young people brings their year to a conclusion with a wonderful week of camp meetings in the summer. They bring that week to a verdict with what they call a “say so” meeting when they encourage young people who have come to faith to step up and say so!
In each of the five stanzas in Psalm 107 the hymn writer profiles how the Lord has redeemed His people from their chaos, their chains, their foolish choices, their crises, and their complacency. Then he writes a profound summary of the various vehicles God uses to make these things happen:
He turns rivers into deserts and deserts into flowing springs. They have very fruitful harvests. Then He diminishes them and they are brought low. At that point He blesses them. Their numbers greatly increase and God does not let their herds diminish.
He writes that spiritually wise people will observe these events and see in them what the love of God sometimes looks like.
When these “ups and downs” happen to you, are you spiritually wise enough to see in them what the love of God can sometimes look like for you?
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: faith, God's love, Love of God, loving kindness of the Lord, Psalm 107, Redemption, spirituality, testimony of faith, theology | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
February 15, 2013
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6)
The ancient inspired hymn writer is describing a father who is sowing seeds his family desperately needs because they are hungry. As a provider he knows that if he does not plant these seeds, there will be no food for them and they will starve to death. He therefore sows these precious seeds with tears streaming down his face.
The Holy Spirit leads the author to a beautiful application after he paints this solemn picture for us: sometimes when we are suffering to the point of tears, those tears are precious seeds our heavenly Father is sowing in the soil of our suffering. When that is the case, we will doubtless come again rejoicing and bringing the fruitful results of our suffering with us.
This is a truth that is often shared in the Bible. Sometimes suffering is not the setback it appears to be. It is rather the cutback of our heavenly Father who is like a divine Vineyard keeper. He cuts us back to increase the quality and the quantity of the fruit our life is yielding for Him.
I sometimes think God is more real and works more effectively in the lives of people while they are in the waiting rooms outside the operating theaters of our hospitals than He does in the sanctuaries of our churches. God does not waste our sorrows and we should not waste them either.
Listen to the wisdom of the hymn writer when he tells us our tears are precious seeds that will ultimately rejoice our hearts.
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: comfort in sorrow, faith, faith & suffering, Psalm 126, religion, seeds of faith, spirituality, the Holy Spirit, theology | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
February 8, 2013
“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (1 John 3: 20)
The apostle of love gives spiritual people a beautiful definition of depression. In the Bible the heart is related to our emotions and feelings. When we feel condemned John tells us some very good news: God is greater than our feelings. Our faith is not based on something as fickle as how we feel. He goes on in this passage to tell us that our faith is based on the fact that we keep our Lord’s commandment that we should love one another.
Throughout the history of the Church of Jesus Christ devout people have struggled with bouts of depression. Some extraordinary spiritual leaders have battled depression. This battle frequently takes place in isolation because it is thought to be inconsistent with faith. People of faith are ashamed of their depression.
While medical professionals are often pharmacologists who medicate depression rather than determine its cause, the Apostle John gives some devotional and practical counsel to a depressed believer. As a busy pastor when I had feelings that condemned me I went on a people binge. I often found that when I became a conduit of the love of Christ for others I affirmed this wise counsel of John.
The Holy Spirit lives in believing people. Although your depression wants you to isolate yourself, when you love other believers the Spirit passes back and forth between you with a healing effect on both of you. That’s why James prescribed that we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:16).
John is prescribing something very similar when he tells us to treat our depression with loving one another.
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: 1John 3:20, apostle john, conduit of God's love, faith, faith & feelings, God's love, Holy Spirit, love of Jesus Christ, overcoming depression, spirituality, theology | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
February 1, 2013
“Without faith it is impossible to please God. He that would come to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
The author of these words is telling discouraged believers why they should not throw away their faith. He writes that they must believe because without faith we cannot come to God, we cannot please God, and we cannot experience the beautiful reality that God rewards those who diligently seek Him.
When Jesus died on the cross a great veil in the Temple that separated sinners from the divine presence of God was supernaturally torn from top to bottom. The significance of that miracle was, and is, that we can now go directly into the presence of God. We no longer need the intercession of a priest. The door into a relationship with God has been wide open since our High Priest Jesus opened it for us 2,000 years ago. How could we not come to God through that door by faith?
We must believe because we are not only saved by faith – we are to live by faith. As we live by faith our chief purpose in life is to glorify God. To glorify God means to please God and we cannot please God without faith. As we live our life in this world the greatest fact of life we know is that God is, and He blesses, enables, and rewards those who come to Him by faith.
The author then gives us what we call A Hall of Faith which exhibits for all time great examples of people who did not throw away their faith. In spite of great challenges they believed that God is, they came to Him, they pleased Him and God rewarded their faith.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: belief & faith, Divine Presence, faith, glorifying God, hall of faith, hebrews 11, Jesus, living by faith, Relationship with God, spirituality | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
January 29, 2013
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:7)
When Jesus declared that we should not marvel because He told us we must be born again, He meant that we should not marvel as if the new birth were unnecessary. Jesus explained that flesh gives birth to flesh and only the Spirit gives birth to spiritual people. When the Bible uses the word, “flesh,” it means “Human nature unaided by God.” History tells us human nature unaided by God is a monster. So, Jesus said we should marvel not as if the new birth were unnecessary.
Jesus also told us we should not marvel as if the new birth were impossible. God can work a miracle of creation in the life of a human being. David prayed: “Create in me a pure heart, O God…” (Psalm 51:10). The apostles refer to the new birth as if it were the answer to David’s prayer (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We should not marvel as if the new birth were incomprehensible. We do not see electricity. But we believe in electricity because we see the effects of electricity. When we see trees bending and objects flying we say, “Look at that wind!” But we do not see the wind. We only see the effects of the wind. It is that way with the new birth. We cannot see the Spirit. We only see the effects of the Spirit in the life of someone who is being born again. But as we believe in other things we cannot see – like the wind and electricity – we can believe in the new birth.
And finally, Jesus meant you should not marvel as if the new birth could not happen to you.
Believe Jesus and it will happen to you!
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Born Again, Christian discipleship, Christian faith, faith, Jesus Christ, John 3:7, spirituality, the New Birth, theology | Permalink
Posted by Dick Woodward
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