O You of Big Faith 

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9)

Times of trouble can offer us learning opportunities.  But it’s only when we’re really tuned-in, seeking, and receptive to understanding our shocking circumstances.  It’s then that our ears are primed for hearing.

This was the case on that day Jesus and the twelve were out on the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm arose.  I’ve never been to the Holy Land, but I have heard from those who have and from reading different accounts that storms such as this aren’t all that uncommon.

The account in the later portion of Mark 8 tells us that Jesus was asleep in the stern (rear) of the boat, perhaps tired from ministering to the needs of the multitudes who always sought Him out.  The storm came upon them suddenly and violently enough that the disciples were filled with the fear that they would capsize and be drowned.  They woke Jesus and rebuked Him for not caring about them.  I feel the need to say this again: They rebuked Jesus.  Let that sink in a little.  “Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin, how shall my tongue describe it?  Where shall its praise begin… ”*

I wonder if we ever do that…either in words or attitude (or both) insist that GOD doesn’t care about us…because if He did how could He let us be in such a raging storm?  But I digress.

Jesus gets up (I can almost see Him yawning and stretching); He stills the storm, and then He delivers the line: “Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?”  Notice that he didn’t say, “O you of no faith.”  He wasn’t challenging them because they didn’t have faith; His challenge was because of all that they had previously witnessed in Him, all that they had experienced with Him. Still, their faith was fit only for sunny days with clear skies.  A little bit of faith can work well on sunny, clear sky days.  But when the strong winds are trying to blow us off of our mark; when the threatening waves are crashing about us and we see no end, little faith is not enough.  Big faith is needed.

I recall seeing, on a documentary, Bill Parcells (former NFL, Super Bowl winning coach) challenge his players during the heat of a game, saying along the lines of “That’s why we have training camp, and practice and do all those drills; that’s why you lift all of those weights…for times like this!”  We can say the same: That’s why, for years, we’ve had Bible studies and small groups and prayer groups and youth and children’s ministries; that’s why we preach and teach and disciple…for times like this!

Do you have ears to hear?  We didn’t see this storm we’re in coming; and it is serious and scary.  But we can also have the stillness of peace in our hearts through a faith big enough to keep us afloat, O You of Big Faith.

* “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” by Haldor Lillenas (1918). In the public domain.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to original text content.

Take a look at my “Thoughts of Others” page for some inspirational and thought-provoking words.

“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…”                                    (From “If” by Rudyard Kipling)

Crisis times tend to reveal those who keep their heads and those who don’t.  September 11, 2001 was one of those times.  I clearly remember being in a 57-story building, needing to make decisions that affected others and observing the behavior of many of those same people as they waited to be told what they could do, and once they were told, how they went about it.  I recall the sense of panic in the city streets as congested traffic was ignoring standard rules of the road, like stopping at red lights or yielding to pedestrians.  I imagine the destruction of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor was similar in its impact on how folks behaved.  Some folks just lose it!

Covid-19 or Coronavirus has the same potential as it spreads here in the US and in the vicinity where I live.  Asia and Western Europe has been where we in this country are headed, and I’m sure people in those locales have stories to tell of how others have reacted well or maybe not so well.  On this side of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, I’ve heard stories of racist comments being made against Asians as a group and blame placed on immigrants.  A man on a New York subway train (underground or metro for my non-USA readers) was caught on camera spraying another passenger with Fabreze^TM,an odor eliminator.  Some have hoarded hand sanitizers and marked the prices up several hundred-fold for resale in order to profit financially off of misfortune (ah, the love of money!).   These are expressions of hatred, or at the very least callous disregard.

Howard Thurman, someone I’ve been reading lately, says that “hatred is something of which to be ashamed unless it provides for us a form of validation and prestige.  If either is provided, then the immoral or amoral character [of hatred] is transformed into positive violence.”*  We’ve seen this too many times in history not to know that these are true statements. Devaluing, discounting and attacking others verbally or physically for the sake of self (even perceived self-protection) are forms of violence.  If Covid-19 turns out to be just one of several societal stressors (say, wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters in diverse places as examples), what do we have to look for to from our neighbors…and what do they have to look forward from us?

Several days ago, something (I can’t recall what) led me to revisit Paul’s charge to Timothy as he (Paul) was anticipating his death, “Keep your head in all situations…” (2 Timothy 4:5).  Trying times requires people who will keep their heads.  There is a fair chance that someone we know, someone in our extended circle will get sick with Coronavirus.  It may even be us.  We need to be wise and use good discretion in our personal and communal responses to Covid-19, but our responses should never be an excuse not to be loving and compassionate.  And in case we need reminding, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant” (Gal.6:7, NLT).

* Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman, p.65.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to text content unless otherwise noted.

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

(Psalm 32:3)

First things first: the immediate context of this verse concerns David’s acknowledgement that his attempts to hide personal sin from GOD backfired on him.  It caused him misery as the weight of his conscience plagued him to the point that it manifested physically.  I know from experience what David experienced.  The heart that belongs to GOD cannot ignore sin, and failure to confess it and repent from it can work its way outwardly from the soul to the physical body.  But immediate context also is paralleled by broad context, and I think there is a context here that goes beyond sin.

The exact origin of the phrase, “silence is golden” is not clear.  There’s some suggestion that its roots are found in ancient Egypt.  Similar statements are made in early German, Swiss and English literature.  Of course, biblical references speak about silence across a range: the need for silence, the importance of not being silent at times, and when silence is the response to being overwhelmed with uncertainty.  As always, context is essential, or to quote a friend’s take on the common statement, “Text without context is a pretext;” he prefers, “Text without context is a con.”

Personally, I like silence and solitude.  I’m wired that way. I gravitate toward spiritual influences who are contemplative; this way is intriguing to me.  Going on personal spiritual retreats where much time is devoted to listening for the voice of GOD works for me.  Reading the works and stories of holy men and women who organized their lives to experience periods of silence is appealing.  Silence can be golden.

Nevertheless, there are times when silence is not golden; it is more like a lead weight.  One reason is noted in the introduction to this post…sin.  Another is when emotional turmoil, often due to no fault of our own, is like a heavy weight on our neck and shoulders. We’ve all had those experiences: someone with whom you are in relationship says or does something that is deeply hurtful and we are wounded; hard issues from our past arise suddenly and unexpectedly; we feel taken advantage of and are uncertain what to do about it; someone has violated our trust and unexpressed anger is roiling in us (or is that just me?).  I hope you get the point.

Things like this can be like being in a pressure cooker, something my mother would often use for cooking.  A pressure cooker is a pot designed so the top is sealed airtight.  As heat produces unreleased steam pressure inside the pot, food is cooked more quickly than in a regular pot.  And unlike with microwaves, food retained its moisture and nutrients.  Because significant pressure builds as a result of the heat and steam, safe use of pressure cookers means the pot must have pressure controls and a release aperture so that the pressure does not build to a dangerous level.

Self-imposed silence can be the airtight lid on a pressure-filled pot.  It can build to the point where our bones groan, figuratively and near literally.  Inviting a trusted other to help us carry our burden is what allows the pressure to be released slowly and safely.  It may not solve the problem we’re facing; it may not make the hurt go away, but whatever we are facing becomes less daunting.

The plain truth is that we are not designed to be alone, and perhaps more than anything, it means being alone in the solitude of our emotional suffering.  Neglect of fellowship in community for the sake of keeping things silent is a recipe for making silence like lead.  It can give us the same feeling as the unconfessed sin we carry around: groaning bones.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to original text content.

“Why do we have 40 days of Lent?  Why isn’t it 36 days or some other number?  What is the significance of 40? 

I was asked this question the other day.  It took me a few minutes to think through what I believed was a reasonable response, and since then I’ve thought about it quite a lot.

First, let me say that I haven’t pinned down a specific biblical reference that explains why GOD seems to like that number more than 36 or 52 or 13.  It is clear, however, that He seems to prefer it; there clearly is a pattern of the use of 40 in both the Hebrew Bible (OT) and the New Testament.  The flood in the time of Noah, we are told, was 40 days and 40 nights.  The life of Moses can be measured in 40 year segments: (1) his birth to the time of him becoming aware of his true heritage; (2) his sojourn on the backside of the desert learning to shepherd; and (3) his time shepherding the Israelites, leading them to Canaan-land (which coincided with the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert and subsisting on manna because of their persistent lack of faith and disobedience); the temptation of Jesus as the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness for 40 days; and the 40 days He spent with His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension.  These are among the most prominent examples, but a word search of “forty” will reveal many more occasions where it is referenced in the Bible.

I’ve seen some things that suggest the use of 40 is rooted in ancient middle Eastern cultures and may have been used by GOD because He knew it would already have significance to the people, particularly His chosen.  This wouldn’t be the first time GOD adapted an established practice or belief to His own purpose.  The offices of priests, prophets, and kings, alters for sacrifices to gods, the use of incense smoke in prayer rituals, and later, crosses of crucifixion were all taken by GOD and used.

In the examples above where 40 is prominent in the story, the purpose, whether 40 days or 40 years, appears to be for both trial and transformation.  This is evident in each of these examples.  One commentator, speaking on the wilderness journey of Jesus, called it an “excruciating personal experience” in which He suffered strong temptation in a time and place of “hard and harsh warfare.” *

GOD-sent and GOD-allowed trials always have some type of transformation as their end, and I believe that they are always a personal experience, even when others go through the same or similar experiences, whether by imposition or voluntarily.  The mutual support of a shared experience does not replace the need for each of us to confront the trials in our path and overcome them.  Victory for the entire body must first be the victory for the individual.

Those who have decided to enter into some form of extra sacrificial practice, such as fasting or added times of prayer or some other practice beyond your normal devotional life during the 40 days of Lent should recognized that your choice is an invitation to be tried.  It is also an invitation to be transformed as you offer yourself and your practice to GOD for His glory and your growth in grace.  Outside of this, we wind-up engaging in empty ritual.

Whether in the season of Lent or in other seasons of life, may we, like Job, be able to say, “Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (23:10).

* Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary. Beacon Hill Press, 1964, pp. 54-55.        

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to original text content.

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord
    for the display of His splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3)

In late Autumn of 2008 and early Winter 2009, I felt drawn to several passages in scripture in a way different than anytime previously.  I felt somehow that I was being gently compelled to read and reread these verses over and over again, and to meditate on them continuously.  It was only months later that I realized GOD was giving me a vision for ministry that continues to grip me still today.  The most prominent of those passages to me is the one above.

The prophet Isaiah was given these words to speak to GOD’s dominated and dejected people.  It was a part of a larger promise to them about what He was going to do in their lives, despite the many ways they had previously rejected His love and leadership.  In many ways GOD’s promise of future well-being parallels what He spoke through Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).   

Centuries later, when Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth (I once described Nazareth as the Camden of Israel), He was invited to read from the Word of GOD.  He was given the scroll containing Isaiah and He read the portion of the prophecy that included GOD’s promise of restoration and healing that would lead to the restored and healed becoming oaks of righteousness.  Then Jesus declared to those gathered, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21).  The promise that those who belonged to GOD would become oaks of righteousness is a direct correlate of the work Jesus would do in those whose trust and hope was in Him.

Fully mature oak trees are strong and sturdy.  Their roots grow deep and their limbs spread wide.  Throughout the year, birds find shelter in them.  The fruit of their branches, acorns, are sustenance for the many squirrels which make their homes in them.  Their leaves give us shade when it’s hot, their root systems help to stabilize the foundations of nearby homes, and their size and presence serve as windbreaks against the winter’s cold blasts.  Oak trees serve are necessary to human and animal life.  How much more so are oaks of righteousness necessary to the spiritual well-being of those around us?

Humorist Evan Esar said, “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”  There is a way to grow deep and wide, like an oak tree.   The Bible often refers to it as the “path of life.”  It is the path of continual communion with and service to GOD modeled by Jesus and copied by the faithful ever since.  It is the path on which we first recognize the depth of our motivation to be self-seeking and then, with sincere humility, deeply hunger to be GOD-seeking.  It is the path carved for us by the Holy Spirit through the hills and valleys, the twists and turns of our life years.  He, alone, serves as guide to those who are on this journey of discovery, confrontation, continuous yielding and continuous cultivation.

Many, I find, are content to live as saplings.  The funny thing is, though, in nature I’ve never seen a sapling remain a sapling.  It either grows into something bigger or it withers.  Even if it were able to remain a sapling over the entirety of its life, it would serve no purpose except to itself.  And the truth is saplings can rarely stand against the strong, harsh winds of life.  The purpose behind the messages of both Isaiah and Jesus points to the needs of others.  Oaks don’t exist just for themselves; they bless whatever is around them.  More than ever, the world needs oaks of righteousness not their substitutes.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to original text content.

“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
 the Lord make His face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 the Lord turn His face toward you
    and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

I was in a meeting a couple of days ago and was asked to pray a benediction to dismiss the group.  For many, benedictions are little more than ritualistic ways to spiritualize the end of a gathering, and little thought need begiven to what is said…almost anything will do.  In truth, a benediction is a divine blessing acknowledging our continuing need for GOD even as we part company from whatever gathering has caused us to be together.

GOD desires that His people be on the receiving end of blessings.  So much of the early part of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is focused on the blessings He wants to bestow.  Perhaps the most famous example of this desire is the blessing we see in Numbers 6 which GOD gave to Moses for his brother, the High Priest, Aaron to pray over the people.  The heart of GOD is to give the best to those whose trust is in Him.

Everyone in the meeting I mentioned were in some type of vocational ministry.  Some had many years of experience and others were in the early stage of their journey.  The one thing we all had in common was that we all are in roles that require us to speak blessing into the lives of others.  As I began to pray, I thought about and vocalized how much we in that group also need divine blessing, that we too are earthen, imperfect vessels in need of continually refilling and refreshing.  I asked GOD to bless each one of us with what I’m beginning to call the the 4 P’s, which I expound on here.

As we depart, let us depart with GOD’s peace.  Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you” (John 14:27).  May we be one with Him and them, as Jesus prayed, and receive the blessing of peace.

As we depart, may we be aware of the Lord’s presence.  In the Hebrew Bible and in the New Covenant that followed, the Lord says to His own, “I will never leave nor forsake you.” Give us such spiritual sensitivity that we can testify within ourselves, surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

As we depart, may we be filled with His power.  2 Timothy 1:17 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  Let us not have minds that underestimate GOD and what He is able to do within us and through us.      

As we depart, may we be confident in GOD’s provision.  Let us be those who seek first the kingdom of GOD and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) and let us rest in the knowledge that our deepest needs are fully known and intimate care is always on its way.

These things are gifts of divine nature that are appropriate for those in relationship with GOD.  We all need them for the health of that relationship and we need that relationship in order to receive the gifts.

Blessings,

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved for original text content.

“Continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].” (Philippians 2:12, Amplified Bible)

The early part of this past week has included near continual coverage of the tragic loss of nine adults and children in the helicopter crash in southern California, including those of retired NBA player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

For those who may not know, Kobe began his NBA career at age 18 and played for 20 years.  Described by one coach as a basketball savant, he was a perennial all-star selection and will surely be soon elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  One of the themes often raised in tributes to him was his dedication to working hard to perfect his game, in season and out of season.  Following the end of every NBA season that began in September and often went into June, he would take two weeks off from training.  When the two weeks ended, he would rise every day at 5:30am and follow a disciplined training regimen to heal his body and begin preparing it for the next season.  This included time spent refining his skills, focusing on the areas which he deemed in need of improvement.

I heard him say, in a short interview clip, that he recognized that he had a GOD-given talent for the game, and that it was his responsibility to honor what he received by working as hard as he could to perfect what he had been given.  His love for the game gave him the desire to want to be disciplined and to work hard.  It seemed the work that nobody saw apart from the games was nearly as joyful to him as the games themselves because of his love of what he did.

There are extraordinarily gifted people in every facet of life.  My guess is that the best of these best are that way because they, like Kobe, don’t take their giftedness for granted and continually work hard to take what they’ve been given to become as great as they can.

I think this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote what we see in Philippians 2:12 (I particularly like the Amplified version emphasis). Salvation is a free gift of GOD; no human effort is ever involved (“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9).  What many people think, I fear, is that this gift of grace means they don’t need to do anything after receiving it…just bask in the glow, so to speak. Additionally, I believe many treat their salvation as a one-to-one interaction between GOD and themselves that has no real bearing on others.  If these two observation were put to most people who claim a salvation experience, it probably would result in denials, but how many of us “saved” folks actually view others as the intended beneficiaries of our faith and live accordingly?  It’s a serious and important question.

For people serious about following Jesus, concern for others must always be on our minds  (recall the parable of the lost sheep).  Scripture consistently points to a tri-part relationship: GOD – Us – Others.  Perhaps a more theological way of saying this is that our horizontal relationship of presence with others is to be based on the solid foundation of a vertical relationship with GOD in which presence is mutually given and received.  As we receive grace abundantly, we’re to be abundantly gracious to others.

The basketball world and those who enjoy it benefited from the extent to which Kobe worked to perfect his gift to the point that he stood above most who themselves are incredibly gifted athletically.  He put in the work.  Paul’s word to us is to take GOD’s grace so seriously that we put in the work so that what He has placed within us reveals itself outwardly more and more and the glory of GOD becomes evident to those around us.  Others benefit because we have become intimate with GOD.

You and I are not great, but GOD is…and so is the salvation which He has given us.  In many ways, it is like a hidden diamond that, through a disciplined spiritual life, rises to the surface and shines for everyone to see.  Let’s be people who put in the work so that others will see the brilliance and beauty of the Lord.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved to original text content.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24)

Many years ago, I faced one of those heart rending experiences that many of us face during our lifetimes.  I know I’m not unique in that, but I remember the searing pain of that wound.  I’m sure at some level I may have questioned or wanted to question GOD about why this happened.  I don’t remember doing that, but I suspect I did.  It took a while, but my heart healed and life went on.

It was several years after that event that I was sitting in my office at work (I was doing HR work in a medium sized company then) and a co-worker came to my door wanting to talk.  He knew nothing about my trouble.  When he sat down, his opening words were something to the effect, “I don’t know why, but I feel like I can talk to you about this.”  He went on to describe a pain rooted in a set of circumstances which were nearly identical to what I had experienced.”  In a flash, I saw the hand of GOD at work, and I had to chuckle to myself.  It was then that I began to see this passage from Matthew in a new light.  The kind of cross beam Jesus carried was rough-hewn and heavy.  It was His burden to carry all the way to Calvary.  He did that for us.

In a very real way, the cross was/is a means of GOD’s grace (favor) to us.  I was reminded of this a few minutes ago as a result of a conversation with someone else.  There is a Hebrew word hesed (alternative: chesed) which means the eternal kindness of GOD that is revealed in mercy.  I recall reading someone many years ago who gave it this loose translation: Mercy that is given because the giver has stood in the shoes of one in need.

Jesus stood in my shoes…and yours, which I believe was the Father’s intent.  We needed and continue to need GOD’s mercy.  His mercy is not from a distance; it is up close and personal because Jesus knows our hurts, our disappointments, our suffering through His own…and He knows our offenses and our failures.  Jesus stood in my shoes, and I believe GOD sent that man to my office that day because I had stood in his.  It was my opportunity to pay grace forward by offering an ear, by listening to his hurt, by not judging him, by trying to encourage him and challenging him to not lose hope, and to turn his eyes upon Jesus.

Following Jesus, at times, means taking up the weight of what we carry, as difficult as that may be, and bearing it in faith and with grace.  Sometimes GOD will use the cross we are bearing to bless someone else who needs to experience His love, just like we were blessed and loved by the cross of Jesus.

By the way, about a year after my encounter with my co-worker, GOD sent someone else to me who had the same issue. Sometimes standing in the shoes of another is how we can love our neighbor as our self, which is our cross to bear.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved unless to original text content.

It was several years after that event that I was sitting in my office at work (I was doing HR work in a medium sized company then) and a co-worker came to my door wanting to talk.  He knew nothing about my trouble.  When he sat down, his opening words were something to the effect, “I don’t know why, but I feel like I can talk to you about this.”  He went on to describe a pain rooted in a set of circumstances which were nearly identical to what I had experienced.”  In a flash, I saw the hand of GOD at work, and I had to chuckle to myself.  It was then that I began to see this passage from Matthew in a new light.  The kind of cross beam Jesus carried was rough-hewn and heavy.  It was His burden to carry all the way to Calvary.  He did that for us.

In a very real way, the cross was/is a means of GOD’s grace (favor) to us.  I was reminded of this a few minutes ago as a result of a conversation with someone else.  There is a Hebrew word hesed (alternative: chesed) which means the eternal kindness of GOD that is revealed in mercy.  I recall reading someone many years ago who gave it this loose translation: Mercy that is given because the giver has stood in the shoes of one in need.

Jesus stood in my shoes…and yours, which I believe was the Father’s intent.  His mercy is not from a distance; it is up close and personal because Jesus knows our hurts, our disappointments, our suffering through His own.  Jesus stood in my shoes, and I believe GOD sent that man to my office that day because I had stood in his.  It was my opportunity to pay grace forward by offering an ear, by listening to his hurt, by not judging him, by trying to encourage him and challenging him to not lose hope.

Following Jesus, at times, means taking up the weight of what we carry, bearing it in faith and with grace.  Sometimes GOD will use the cross we are bearing to bless someone else just like we were blessed by the cross of Jesus.

By the way, about a year after my encounter with my co-worker, GOD sent someone else to me who had the same issue. Sometimes standing in the shoes of another is how we can love our neighbor as our self, which is our cross to bear.

© Byron L. Hannon, 2020.  All rights reserved unless to original text content.