“When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies.” (Numbers‬ ‭10:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Wait a second, isn’t God sovereign? Doesn’t He see all of time and space in one glance? Wouldn’t He already know when His people are in trouble before the horn rose to their lips?

Perhaps the horn blow was more about humility then help? Of course, God sees His people. He knows their every need. But did they see their need? Do we?

I suspect that the trumpet call was more about God’s people acknowledging their deep need of God than garnering God’s divine attention. After all, His eyes are always on His people. We are the ones who struggle with self-sufficiency and pride. A horn blow mid-battle meant that man had recognized his need for God’s mighty hand in his situation. A horn blow mid-battle was a sign of surrender, not to the enemy, but to God.

What about us? What battle are we mired in? When was the last time we called for help? Prayer is how we put the horn to our lips. Our omnipotent Father waits in the wings for our cue to rescue. He only requires our humility to call.

“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalms‬ ‭50:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Lord, we acknowledge our deep need of You. We cannot win the battles of life without Your mighty hand amidst them. We call on You from the front today. Please intervene. Bring victory. We give You the glory now and forevermore. Amen.

“Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” (Proverbs‬ ‭10:27-28‬ ‭NLT)

Yesterday afternoon I listened to a Ted Talk based on a seventy-five year long study of Harvard students and Harlem kids. A team of researchers had interviewed these two groups every two years since the 1940’s. They had also collected physicals, blood work and general data. The major result of their findings? They learned that the people who had heavily invested in relationships were generally happier, healthier and lived longer. The people that had invested in career and pursuit of fame or wealth generally lived shorter, unhappier and less healthy lives. It didn’t really matter what these folks did or earned, it was the quality of their relationships that affected their overall happiness and longevity.

It’s funny how we need committed researchers to conclude what God’s Word says. Relationships are everything. Isn’t that what Jesus taught?

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” (Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭NLT‬)

If we get these two instructions right, we get everything right. When we live in the light of the greatest commandment, we generally live long and happy lives. We definitely live long and happy eternities.

Yesterday’s Ted Talk got me wondering, and maybe now you, too. How are we doing in our relationships? How well are we valuing, treasuring others? How can we grow in our affection for family, friends and neighbors (whomever is in front of us today)?

Lord, please expand our hearts for You and Your Kingdom. Help us see people with Your eyes. Let us understand that investments in people are, in fact, investments in eternity. Never let us tire of making those investments. May we know, firsthand, the joy of loving well, because that’s how we learn to live well. We want our one life to honor You. Amen.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm‬ ‭27:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We don’t enjoy waiting, do we? The very act of waiting weighs on us, makes us feel like we could be doing something more useful. Sometimes we even get angry because we are convinced that time is being taken from us.

When the tremendous project of “Estate” first unfolded in my lap, I felt this way. The lawyers told me it would be a full year before we buttoned it all up and filed it away in an office somewhere. The latest estimate? Two or three years. Initially, I was furious. How could the financial death of my parents steal all of 38? Then, I was impatient. I thought if I could just do my part quickly, efficiently, perhaps we could shave some months off this process. It turns out that some things cannot be hurried, no matter how one might try.

I realized it in growth groups a few weeks ago; we were talking about waiting and how we respond. I could suddenly see it so clearly; one of the many gifts I’ve ‘inherited’ as executor is the fine art of waiting. See, I have spent so much time waiting that I am finally getting good at it. Waiting doesn’t eat at me as it did at the beginning. I am currently waiting on my parent’s house to close, waiting on my brother’s brain surgery, waiting on a important decision from the Veteran’s Administration, waiting to hear from a publisher on my manuscript, waiting on legal proceedings that could claim the entire estate, waiting to find the natural rhythms of our now-family of five. I have learned in this last year to be an excellent waiter.

How? Because somewhere along the way I figured out what waiters do. They serve. They put on an apron and they look around to see who they can bless in the hallway while they wait for the next door to open. They realize that waiting time is not wasted time but limited opportunity.

The truth is, we’ll only occupy this precise space for so long, so we need to use our time wisely. Look up and around; who can we serve right here and now?

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

This passage goes on to tell us that the strength we find in life’s hallways is strength for serving and it comes straight from the throne room. We might think we are the source of some stamina to serve while we are waiting, but actually God is giving us a supernatural boost so we might be most effective in the darkest, loneliest places of life.

Hallways are serving halls and wait-ers are stewards girded with heavenly strength, all aligned to bring God glory. Our time in the hallway of life isn’t accidental, it’s intentional. God isn’t aiming to frustrate, but mature us and make us more like Him, more ready for Kingdom use.

Lord, thank You for hallways and opportunities to mature in patience and service. Grow us into good waiters, ready to serve wherever You set us. Cultivate our appreciation for life’s delays, convince us of the good stuff that happens when we are made to wait on You and maybe others, too. Let us learn to be Kingdom stewards wherever we stand. Amen.

“When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.” (Mark‬ ‭13:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

We don’t really appreciate opposition. We find it frustrating, annoying; and uncomfortable. We run into resistance and wonder if maybe we heard God wrong and we don’t actually belong here at all. We search the room for a way out.

Jesus is telling us that opposition is thinly disguised opportunity. Opportunity for what?

“For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark‬ ‭13:10-11 NLT)

Gospel expansion. Personal growth. Holy Spirit empowerment. All good things in the Kingdom.

Crazy. This whole past year of my life has been plum-full of opportunity camouflaged as opposition. Today I’m pulling back the curtain and calling it what it it’s worth; Kingdom Expansion. First in me, and then in the world around me. I’m encouraged and quipped. How about you?

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ NLT)

Lord, thank You for helping us see the truth about opposition today. Help us keep this in mind as we stretch and grow and persevere on behalf of Your Kingdom. Please continue to equip us with Your Spirit. Amen.