Edith Parks

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The sign outside the church said, “Treat prayer as your steering wheel and not as your spare tire.” It took me a minute to process this but once I did, it gave me lots of food for thought.

Without the steering wheel in good working order, I am either going to have great difficulty driving my car or I am not going anywhere. The steering wheel is essential to my being able to use my car. (I know there are driverless cars but that is a story for another day.) The steering wheel allows me to choose the direction in which I need to go, keeps me on the road and helps me avoid road hazards. How often do you use the steering wheel in your car? Obviously, every time you go somewhere in your car.

What about the spare tire? How often do you use it? I have never used the one in my car. (I am not even sure if it is usable!) Our spare tires are easy to forget because we only use them in a time of emergency.

Are you beginning to see the parallels with prayer here? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” That is like my steering wheel. I use it all the time just as I should pray all the time. Philippians 4: 6 (NLB) says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” Everything means everything, not just about some things or only in emergencies.

I can choose not to pray about anything. However, when I do, it is like not using the steering wheel of my car. The car is going to go wherever it pleases and will most likely end up in an accident. If I don’t pray and seek God’s wisdom and direction, I am going to go where I please and will most likely end up being disobedient and getting into trouble.

I can choose only to pray when there is a crisis in my life. God hears those “spare tire” prayers but He would much rather that I be in daily communication with Him about every aspect of my life. God wants to hear our prayers and He answers them. Psalm 34:15 says “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry.” Psalm 66:19-20 says “but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

Just as a steering wheel is a must for my car, so prayer is a must for my life. Prayer shows me the direction I should go, it keeps me in God’s will and helps me to avoid temptation and trouble.

What kind of person of prayer do you want to be? A steering wheel or a spare tire?

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

The words on the sign outside the chiropractor’s office said “Blessed are those who are flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.” These words made me laugh as I drove by and read them. Even more, they made me take a close look at myself and my attitudes and actions.

How often do I get bent out of shape? When things don’t go my way. When people do not act like I think they should act. When God gives clear directions for me to do something I don’t want to do. There are days when I get bent out of shape multiple times.

Think about the effects of getting bent out of shape – negative thoughts and words, stress, anxiety, difficulty with relationships, frustration . . .

The longer I thought about the words on the sign, I realized that they also applied to my walk with the Lord.

God wants me to be flexible – willing to adapt to new, different and changing circumstances and not be like a ramrod – rigid, severe and stiff.

If I am not flexible, how can God use me? If I am not flexible, what am I missing that He has for me? If I am not flexible, how is my witness affected?

Being flexible is not easy. It requires that I put aside myself – surrender my will, my ways, my thoughts, my actions to God – over and over and over again – sometimes multiple times a day. It means being willing to follow God as He directs. It means learning to see interruptions and changes as God at work and as opportunities for ministry. It means letting go and letting God.

God gives me ample opportunities to learn to be flexible. Some days are better than others but each time I am flexible, I see Him at work and I grow to more appreciate His ways.

Blessed are those who are flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. As I see it, you and I have a choice – flexible or bent out of shape. I going for flexible. What about you?

“For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.” Psalm 18:28 (NASB)

Several years ago, we were on the west coast and began our flight home in the middle of the afternoon. After taking off over the Pacific, the pilot circled and headed east. As I looked out the window, the sun was to the rear of the plane and it occurred to me that we were flying into the dark.

As the hours passed, the sky became darker and darker and I was unable to see anything out of the plane’s window. I knew our destination but I had no idea what we were flying over or what was ahead of us. If I had not trusted the pilot, this could have been very disconcerting.

However the dark was not a problem for the pilot. He had a co-pilot, maps, radar and a flight manual to help him navigate even though he could not see what was below or ahead.

As Christians, we know our destination but sometimes we feel like we are flying into and in the dark. Our spouse has died. We have lost our job. We develop health problems. We have financial issues. We are not sure what God wants us to be doing. We do not know what is ahead and are not sure of our path. Life can be scary and disconcerting at times.

Thankfully we have God as our Pilot and the Holy Spirit as our Co-Pilot. They know the way we are to go even when we cannot see it. Just as I had to trust the pilot, I can trust God to show me the way. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Trusting in God, we will know what to do and we will ultimately reach our destination.

Just as the pilot was on the plane for the whole flight, we always have God with us no matter where we are or what we are going through. Jesus tells His disciples and us “Lo, I am with you always.” Matthew 28:20

Like the pilot had the co-pilot for the whole flight to help him fly the plane, we have the Holy Spirit with us at all times helping us as we go through life. The Holy Spirit is with us at all times, guides us into all truth and brings to mind Christ’s teachings. (John 14:16; 16:13; 14:26)

We even have a flight manual, God’s word – the Bible, to equip and guide us as we go. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man (woman) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We are equipped with what we need. Psalm 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” A lamp and a light. They guide me and help me navigate in the dark.

We arrived safely back to our home airport even though most of our flight was in the dark. As Christians, we will arrive safely at our destination, heaven, even though parts of our flight of life will be in the dark. Praise God that we do not fly alone.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”  Jude 24-25

Several years ago, my Dad fell which led to a month long hospital stay which included at least four grand mal seizures, the ER, ICU, cognitive incidents (read “We don’t know what is wrong.”), a regular room and finally rehab. Three days after my Dad fell, my mother-in-law fell and broke her hip which led to surgery and rehab. That month is a black hole in my life as I spent all of my time at the hospital.

And it is not just me. If I asked each of you reading this, you could share with me times in your life when you went through a crisis or crises – when what you were going through was all consuming, taking all of your focus and energy. You simply lived moment to moment.

We all go through rough times in our lives. How we respond to them is what is important. Do we react as those without hope or do we live as those who trust God and the fact that He keeps His promises? Do we seek truth and consolation from the world or do we run to Jesus and His Word to find what we need? Do we think we are all alone or do we remember that the Holy Spirit is with us always?

On the other hand, we all have good times in our lives. How do we respond to them? Do we celebrate and share with others before we take time to give thanks and glory to God? Do we take credit for the successes or do we give God praise for what He has done?

Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  In other words, Jesus is the same – period. No matter what comes our way He does not change. What a comfort to know that when life is swirling around us, He is always the same – steadfast, faithful, loving, caring, concerned, and above all.

Jude 24-25 says “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

As we walk with God, He keeps us from stumbling. The Greek word for “from stumbling” means not stumbling or standing firm. “To make you stand” has the meaning of to continue safe and sound or to stand unharmed. God keeps us standing firm in the midst of crisis and as He does, we give Him the glory.

There is a hymn “How Firm a Foundation” which speaks of how God cares for us. Take a moment and listen (www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL1ZCyW8HJc) and celebrate and praise Him for what He has done and is doing in your life!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.” Psalm 103:2-4, 21

The plate hit the floor and broke into too many pieces for it to be repaired. The design on it was so pretty that I could not bring myself to throw it away. So I took the pieces and glued them to a picture frame and now I have a pretty and unique frame to use.

I had a Balleek china dish that belonged to my grandmother. One day I dropped it and it split completely in half. I am named after my grandmother so this piece is special to me because it belonged to her. The town that I lived in at the time had a well-known glass shop. I took it to them and they were able to repair it for me. You can barely see where the pieces were put back together and now I am able to use it on a table in my living room.

I have another vase that I really like and someone dropped it and broke off part of the bottom in such a way that it could not be repaired. However, rather than throwing the vase away, I found that once I fill it with flowers and turn it just right on the table, you cannot see the broken bottom.

Although each of these pieces are not new and whole and perfect, I am still able to use and enjoy them.

We are a lot like those pieces. Genesis 1: 26 says “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. We are made in God’s image and as such, are men and women of beauty and purpose. Yet, because of sin we are broken. We are broken in our relationship with God and with one another.

But God has a plan for our brokenness. His plan is Jesus. Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus repaired our relationship with God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God takes us in our brokenness – our character flaws, our bent to sinning, our not doing what we know that we should do, our wanting to do things our way – and uses us for His purposes and His glory.

Just as the pieces I have are not perfect yet are usable, so we are not perfect yet God uses us. He uses each of us uniquely. He is not going to use me like He uses you and vice versa. What He is going to do is use all of us to accomplish His will and His work on earth.

I don’t know about you but sometimes my brokenness is really on display. I can be bossy, pushy, grouchy and selfish. It is not pretty! But, Jesus loves me so much that He takes the time to repair me – to change me and make me more like Him – and then He uses me. Know that He does the same for you. To God be the glory!!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

How many times have you purchased something only to have to take it back to the store and exchange it for a different size, color, or something else entirely? Once you have made the exchange, the item is perfect for you to use or wear.

In addition to shopping exchanges, there are many exchanges we make in our lives: forgiveness for anger, broccoli for potato chips, keeping our mouths closed for saying what we are thinking, exercising for sitting on the sofa watching TV – the list goes on and on.

Not surprisingly, the Bible has many examples of exchanges. For me, there are two of great importance with eternal consequences.

First, Jesus exchanged the glories of heaven for life on earth. He left His Father and became a human. Why would the Creator of the universe do this? We read in Romans 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” and in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” God knew there was no way any of us could do anything, buy anything or be anything that would be an acceptable exchange for a relationship with Him and which would result in eternal life. So in His infinite wisdom, “He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Not only did Jesus exchange the glories of heaven for life on earth, He also exchanged His life for death on the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus made this exchange knowing fully what it was going to cost Him. He said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Think what this exchange cost God – His Son for our sin!

The second exchange is the one that you and I can make – exchanging our unrighteousness for His righteousness. Acts 4:12 tells us, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” And the good news is that this exchange is free. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) When we make this exchange, we are a “new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We have a personal relationship with God and will spend eternity with Him.

As we go through the days of Advent and prepare to celebrate Christmas, may we remember the greatest exchange of all and may that cause us to fall on our knees in thanksgiving and worship.